I can't describe the feeling I get of watching the Republican Party explode right before my eyes.... putting their own power hungry agenda over the needs and their constituents and then explaining why. 🤦♀️ The crazy runs so deep.
This implosion has been a while in the making, but it is just snowballing now. It would be a good time for the Justice Department to get in there and charge more of the people involved in the Jan 6 coup attempt while the party is down. Bye bye MTG, and Lauren Boebert! Kevin McCarthy has already gone bye bye.
Linda, I agree, but put on the noise canceling ear muffs when the Retrumplicans scream this as proof of weaponizing the DOJ, when in reality it’s just the DOJ doing their legally authorized job. I say it’s a question of timing and minimizing retaliation by the Retrumplicans. Not sure what the various statutes of limitations are, but when Biden wins reelection in November (notice no “if”), come early December bring on the indictments and arrests. I say full cuffs, perp walk, fingerprints, mug shots, and high bail. And get the federal judges to stop with the pinky finger slap for verbal abuse of bail conditions. Throw them in jail and revoke bond.
I think it's a shame that Fox News and its 24/7 barrage of anti-immigration tropes has been so successful that Americans are now polling anti-immigration.
There is plenty of room in this country for immigrants. Companies are begging for them. They work harder than just about anybody on earth. We should welcome that with open arms.
The problem is that Republican governors like Abbott are putting them in buses and delivering them into crowded urban areas with high unemployment. He targets food deserts and rough neighborhoods. This is by design. It is meant to cause rifts, and it's working.
Chicago has tried to fight back by attempting to pass laws limiting how chartered buses operate, but Abbott keeps finding ways to stymie its efforts through the courts or through a new nefarious process.
Biden, I think, is doing a bit of a Dark Brandon thing here by saying, "give me this bill so I can close the border," knowing they won't, because it also includes money for things that might actually help resolve the border crisis, such as, according to the President's statement, "1,300 border patrol agents, 375 immigration judges, 1,600 asylum officers, and over 100 cutting-edge inspection machines to help detect and stop fentanyl at our southwest border."
He can rightfully say he tried. Now if only Dems can find a way to amplify the message for once. That's hard when you are up against a 24/7 propaganda media machine like Fox News.
The maga House seems to be doing a pretty good job of amplifying the message that they are refusing a bipartisan deal that includes billions of dollars for Border patrol, judges relief agencies etc. They will probably shut down the government in a couple months further clarifying for the American people that they're incapable of governing. Of course, Fox News doesn't report any of that but most Americans aren't sitting around watching Fox news. They are busy and they want their government to work. Just saying.
The problem with Fox News isn't that centrists or anyone left of center watches it. The problem is that their tropes get amplified by the rest of the mainstream media.
It is a great strategy. When I was a teacher I often invited disruptive students of mine to prepare their fellow fourth graders mathematically for the following grade. None of them took me up on it. Also, parents who always knew how to teach better were invited to volunteer to help with things that I actually needed help with. When it was successful it was very successful because one, they had to actually do something other than talk, and two, they got some personal experience with the problem. I would invite the Republicans governors who signed this treasonous document along with Abbott, to model for us exactly what they are asking others to do at the border. Greg Olear had a good piece about the border today and the options with for Biden, and against succession. https://gregolear.substack.com/p/sunday-pages-against-secession
I am really want to have a Red State Blue State immigrant situation. No immigrants allowed in Texas. Let us see if that wakes up some of the Latinx voters in that state. How about no immigrant farm workers, no immigrants to do child care or house cleaning, or clean up after the messes made by climate disasters. No immigrant doctors, no immigrant dentists. Just no immigrants whatsoever because these states don't deserve them if they vote for these assholes! Additionally, we should be pointing out that East Germany did not succeed with a border wall, and neither does North Korea. Those are/were fascist states! If they want to turn the USA into a border prison, then they need to fund it.
I like that story, thanks! I had a good Latinx friend who lived near the border who recently passed away. Great guy, and for a long time he was one of those who didn't like the border crossing immigrants at all. You've probably heard the refrain: "We did it the right way." Like I said, super nice guy, so it goes to show that it's not always about meanness. Anyway, for some reason, he completely changed his attitude just before he passed away in January. I never got to find out why. He did always hate Abbott, so maybe the typical Republican overreach just finally got to him.
I wasn't sure about that. Nobody has released the bill, but I personally don't like Democrats caving to anti-immigration efforts no matter what. We may never know if it doesn't pass, unless somebody leaks it.
The Colorado Republican Party is a mess, too. Our so 'lovely' Lauren Boebert switched districts to run in a 'safer' district but the field quickly became crowded. This week, they held a debate in District 4 for the candidates and the biggest cheer of the night came from the crowd when six of the nine candidates admitted - proudly, I might add - that they've been arrested. They didn't even say what they were arrested for.
Boebert, of course, raised her hand. Another candidate had just stepped down as the state House Minority leader because his party (and the public) had just found out he was on probation for a drunk driving incident that occurred months ago, which included reaching for a gun in the presence of a state trooper. He's still running for Congress, though. (The other candidates labeled Boebert as a 'carpet bagger' since she still lives on the other side of the state).
What world do we live in where candidates with an arrest record are cheered as if it's a badge of honor? Whatever happened to the party of family values and personal responsibility? SMH.
When all six raised there hands, I was reminded of what fascism scholar Ruth Ben-Ghiat once remarked. That authoritarian regimes require criminal officials to function.
I am currently in Lauren Boebert’s district, and we could not be more pleased that she’s leaving. Although she’s an ignorant fool and an embarrassment to the whole state, she was able to see the writing on the wall in district 3. I believe her chances of getting through the primary in her new district are slim at best, even though she’s running against fellow criminals. Plus, as you know, Democrats had such great success in the 2022 mid-terms that one Colorado Republican called their current situation an “extinction level event.”Good! As Colorado gets bluer and bluer, I get happier and happier.
Janet, My condolences on your Congresswoman, but she’s leaving. I drove through a big chunk of Boebert’s district in September 2022 and couldn’t believe how many Boebert 2022 and tRump 2024 billboards, yard signs, and flags I saw.
All the way along US 40 going east from the Utah border through Craig along the Yampa and later that month from Grand Junction down U.S. 50 through Delta, Montrose, and CO 145 to Cortez. If it wasn’t for signs for her opponent in Montrose, I would have thought she’d be winning by a landslide.
The other thing that struck me since my last times through (14, 22, and 30 years prior) was how economically depressed US 50 south of Grand Junction until Montrose has become and how much Grand Junction and Montrose had grown.
I took that photo on 12/31/2019 from Kyanjin Ri peak (a 15,650 ft / 4770 m msl “hill”) in Nepal at the terminal end of the Langtang Valley Trek. The mountain in the photo is Langtang Lirung (7246m / 23,780 ft), the highest peak in the area on the Nepal/China border.
Hi Michael, the northwestern part of the state near Craig, Meeker, and up toward the Wyoming border is a pretty red area. I haven’t been up that way in a long time, but I would not be surprised at seeing a bunch of Boebert and Trump signs. The other area you drove through, 50 onto 550 through Montrose, is close to where I used to live. I was in Ridgway and Durango for a while, both further south of there in the San Juan mountains. The area along 50 before Montrose, which is Delta county, was economically depressed for decades, and is big Trump country, but it is improving because the governor has devoted some resources to the economy here. Also, some farms have converted to growing cannabis and they are making a lot of money. I am actually in Delta county now, but I am in Paonia, which is up in the mountains about 45 minutes from Delta, and it’s a different world up here. Paonia is mostly comprised of organic farmers and ranchers, many fruit orchards, hippies, and retirees. If you drove back through this way now, you would see almost no Trump signs. And I rarely ever see a Boebert sign along Highway 50. I just hope Adam Frisch can overcome whoever the new Republican will be. The two guys I know of now who will be in the primary are conservative second amendment nuts, but they’re not as crazy as Boebert. I’m originally from the Boulder area and I moved out here 12 years ago. It was quite an adjustment but I stuck it out.
Janet, I’ve been to Paonia on my one previous trip to Delta in 1990. I had a shirt tail in-law relative in the east outskirts of Delta in a former life (I.e. previous marriage). That relative had a neighbor that grew hops so good that Coors turn his crop down for being above the quality level they could use.
Delta looked better then. The Walmart had just opened and the downtown hadn’t yet died.
The downtown area of Delta has looked pretty crappy for a long time. But just in the past year, I’m seeing new construction and the stores seem to be thriving so I think some of this money that Governor Polis threw into this district is helping. Also, you might be surprised at some of the new developments that have gone up around Delta, outside of the downtown area. They are really nice homes compared to the older part of town. And yes, Montrose has exploded compared to what it used to be.
If you’re interested in going to Nepal, I’m still in contact with the local Katmandu guide company. The trip was an REI Adventure. Unfortunately REI no longer does international travel. I also highly recommend the Kingdom of Bhutan next door. It is however a difficult country to gain access to as a foreign tourist, unless you have a passport from India or Nepal. Strict 14 day limit, minimum six months in advance visa, and a Bhutanese handler at all times.
I have dreamed about a trip to the Himalayas, in particular Nepal, for many years now, but it is not something I could pull off at the moment for reasons that are a bit complicated. Interestingly, a couple of years ago I saw a documentary on PBS about Bhutan, the culture, and the travel restrictions. It was a fascinating glimpse into life there among people who are supposedly some of the happiest people on Earth. I recently purchased a book from Shambala publications called “Himalaya, a literary homage to life on the roof of the world.” That will be my armchair travel until I can hopefully make the trip before I get too old. One final note, I was living in Carbondale when that horrendous earthquake took place in Nepal years ago. The town organized a benefit for the earthquake victims in conjunction with the owner of a Nepalese restaurant in Glenwood Springs. It was a beautiful event. Have a good evening and week ahead. It’s been a pleasure chatting with you.
And increasingly showing us they are devoid of moral and ethical character. My push this cycle is all about character. They can hate Biden all they want, but overall, he is a man of character and morals and ethics. Not perfect, but in comparison to Donald...well, it's like comparing apples to sewer fat-burgs.
Absolutely. Character Matters was my line in 2018. You'd think the party that includes 'The Moral Majority' wouldn't have to be reminded of that. But it's all been performative BS since before Ronnie. Sigh.
Most of GOP Field in Colorado Race Has Been Arrested
January 26, 2024 at 5:58 am EST By Taegan Goddard 78 Comments
The Republican candidates in Colorado’s 4th congressional district debated last night, the New York Times reports.
“At one point, candidates were asked to raise their hands if they had ever been arrested. Six of the nine candidates onstage raised their hands, to cheers and applause from the audience.”
I’m a democrat in AZ enjoying this implosion very much! This may be the year we finally turn entirely blue! We are so close. I really want these insurrectionists and fake electors who walk our capitol halls to finally be accountable though. Losing patience! 💙
I was so glad to hear that Kari Lake was booed. Someone else in Arizona referred to her as “Kari dried up Lake.” I don’t see her winning a senate seat and I hope I’m right.
It’s so weird. She was once a well respected local news anchor, a Democrat. How does someone make herself over into such an unlikable, cultist weirdo?! It’s been a weird transformation to witness here in AZ.
Apparently, relentless, gnawing ambition is goosing her transformation. I understand she went through several stages of insect-like pupation before she settled into the political brew in which she felt most at home.
You know, Suzanne, I had no idea she was once a Democrat. I never paid much attention to her, although I knew she was a news anchor. But this has been happening to a lot of people, including Republican Congress people who were once rational human beings, and now have literally gone over the deep edge. It’s very very frightening, because they are behaving just like the Trump cultists who continue to adore and vote for him.
Mark, yes, to an extent. He voted horribly on some things but my heart really went out to him when he became a victim to the maga BS, especially when he was dealing with the death of his daughter. I felt really bad for him. So glad he spoke the truth and didn’t go along with the fake elector scheme.
Oh, I certainly agree that his political positions go against what I stand for. I just recognize that when it was his turn to take a stand against tyranny, he chose freedom.
Agreed. Side story: I was listening to the testimony that day while I was working. I was so moved by his words I was in tears, and because I already had his legislative phone number in my phone (having called it when he voted poorly on an issue), I left a tearful message of gratitude for doing the right thing. I just needed him to know we all were paying attention. I only wish that all our governmental representatives would simply do their job and do the right thing, what we constituents ask of them!
Except for the ones like Keri and Comer and Gymbag...where it shows no sign of stopping. I can handle my longest friend from kindergarten viewing things differently than I (she's not full MAGA but she's def. a Trump supporter) but these "leaders" still wield power.
Have you asked her why she supports the traitor? I’m trying to change minds too but am walking on eggshells to show why the republicans are not working for them.
You should look into the crazy far- right faction of the Missouri GOP. They recently proposed reinstating the right to duel anyone who maligned their character. Follow Jessica Piper on Threads- she is a voice of reason in an increasingly unreasonable state. @piper_for_missouri
186 years ago today, a 28 year-old, worried Abraham Lincoln gave what is now known as the Lyceum Speech: "The perpetuation of our Political Institutions". He was deeply concerned that only 59 years after the Constitution was ratified, ambitious Americans were defying the rule of law and acting on their emotions. "Their ambition, he said, could not be served simply by preserving what those before them had created, so they would achieve distinction through destruction. " (Thanks to Heather Cox Richardson's "Letters from an Americn", 1-28-24)
I may be the only one who isn't seeing the GOP imploding despite all their bumbling. The party and their voters aren't for anything but they are strongly united in being against things. And the one thing they're all against is whatever the other side is for, even if it's to their own detriment.
So, the chaos that's out there is to their liking and benefit, because it'll guarantee suffering, which is the goal. The greater the incompetence of any candidate, the more votes they'll get. E.g., there aren't a lot of pro-Nazi folks out there, but they'll vote that way to piss off the other side.
The question(s) that need(s) answering is what has led to this and what can be done about it? Facts and reason don't matter. I think we're dealing with a lot of people who believe they've nothing left to lose, who are inventing narratives of a past that never existed but that they want to restore. Part of it is definitely whitelash but it appears to go deeper. It's something for psychologists, sociologists, and anthropologists to weigh in on, not politicians.
I'm sure there's good writing on this out there but I'm having a tough time finding it; it seems to have stopped after Biden got elected. Anyway, here are some gems from the past:
Check out Karen Stenner :is a political psychologist and the author of The Authoritarian Dynamic. Formerly on the politics faculty at Princeton University, she is now based in Australia, where she is the director of Insight Analytics, a behavioral science consultancy that designs and tests psychological messaging to shift mass behavior.
I agree it's hard to find media focusing on the positives we've seen---the DNC has always been terrible at presenting wins. Is it because it's so distasteful to do what the GOP does?
tRump and MAGA resonates with evangelicals, white rural voters, and white blue-collar voters for one simple reason - racism and the fear of the “other” it creates. They’re the base of the MAGA movement, the morbidly rich and libertarian business people see that base as useful idiots to further their cause as laid out by Project 2025.
There’s a 2017 or 2018 sociological study of racism and not the economy as the primary root cause of tRump’s 2016 election that was published in a well respected peer reviewed journal.
The Anger Games: Who Voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 Election, and Why?
The GOP's only goal is to obstruct everything the Democrats propose. They don't want Biden to do anything helpful to the American people because they don't want him to have credit for doing good things. They don't have an better ideas, they just want to prevent Democrats from doing anything.
They call this "winning."
For them to win, however, they must cheat and manipulate the vote in any way they can to stay in power.
There are reasonable people who reflexively vote Republican because they have been brainwashed to believe that all Democrats are demons who will kill babies, open the border, confiscate all their guns, and allow anyone who isn't hetero, white, and Christian equal rights. Some of those people might think a woman should have bodily autonomy and reproductive rights. Some of them might agree that assault weapons should be banned. Some may think all citizens no matter what their sexual orientation or religious beliefs deserve equal treatment. But they still vote for Republicans because it is impossible for them to believe that Democrats are a better choice for them and for the country.
I don't know how these "reasonable" Republicans can be reached because they seem to accept and/or ignore the heinous things the Republican party does as a group and how their individual members speak and behave.
Like you say, “some might vote ......”, but in the end all they need is one issue to be a red meat single issue litmus test voter, even if every other issue is a vote against themselves.
I found myself in the odd position this week of being on Kari Lake's side in something! DeWit does seem to have crossed the line, yes? He said there was selective editing, and I don't envy the role of being a political party chairman and trying to remain ethical, but would he have been OK if he had tried to persuade her that she would have much more success in industry as she would no doubt have plenty of lucrative employment offers, vs. what would clearly be an unsuccessful and costly political campaign?
Such very very good news. Along with Heather Cox Richardson’s article about Lincoln’s prophecy that America could only be brought down from within, this news gives me hope! If our country can finally see the GOP eating itself maybe, just maybe, we can establish some semblance of democracy in action.
And it’s become a much better place to live since it started turning largely Democratic about two decades ago. After the second George Junior election, it rapidly started flipping blue to the point where now both senators, a majority of congressional representatives, the governor, and the state house are all Democratic, and they will most likely stay that way for a long time. In fact, the state house now has a Dem supermajority, which is something I thought I would never see in my lifetime.
Just a funny note about this district 4: about 13 or 14 years ago, that area made an attempt to secede from the state of Colorado because they saw the rest of the state growing more liberal. It’s a long, stupid story that I won’t go into now. That’s just how crazy district 4 is compared to the rest of the state.
The GOP is in the process of redefining itself as a working class party, funded by the donor class and run by the tea party, chip-on-the-shoulder class. The dilemma that they can't seem to solve is how to serve those disparate interests.
They cannot seem to solve the turd in the room...Trump, and to a lesser but crucial degree Evangelicalism. If they could, I bet they'd actually make headway back towards "regular right wing" vs. radical, extreme right wing.
At this point, Evangelical is more a political/class descriptor than a religious one. The church is refashioning itself as the voice of working class anger. Those who resist find their pews empty. The sugar high of partisanship smoothes the glide path for those who attachment to Christ is weaker than their desire for popularity and the full coffers it brings.
I'm curious and I haven't seen it spelled out anywhere. What are the provisions in the draconian House GOP immigration bill that are non-starters for Democrats?
It’s these four things, per The Hill: provisions to resume construction of the border wall, to shrink the pool of migrants eligible for asylum, to expand the qualifications required to achieve refugee status and to curtail the administration’s powers to grant parole. The first point is clear— the wall is a non-starter. The last three would mostly affect legal refugees escaping brutal regimes, which is contrary to international law and decades of practice.
I can't describe the feeling I get of watching the Republican Party explode right before my eyes.... putting their own power hungry agenda over the needs and their constituents and then explaining why. 🤦♀️ The crazy runs so deep.
And wide!
This implosion has been a while in the making, but it is just snowballing now. It would be a good time for the Justice Department to get in there and charge more of the people involved in the Jan 6 coup attempt while the party is down. Bye bye MTG, and Lauren Boebert! Kevin McCarthy has already gone bye bye.
Wouldn’t that just chap their asses though. LOL! I start laughing just thinking of such a prospect.
Linda, I agree, but put on the noise canceling ear muffs when the Retrumplicans scream this as proof of weaponizing the DOJ, when in reality it’s just the DOJ doing their legally authorized job. I say it’s a question of timing and minimizing retaliation by the Retrumplicans. Not sure what the various statutes of limitations are, but when Biden wins reelection in November (notice no “if”), come early December bring on the indictments and arrests. I say full cuffs, perp walk, fingerprints, mug shots, and high bail. And get the federal judges to stop with the pinky finger slap for verbal abuse of bail conditions. Throw them in jail and revoke bond.
I think it's a shame that Fox News and its 24/7 barrage of anti-immigration tropes has been so successful that Americans are now polling anti-immigration.
There is plenty of room in this country for immigrants. Companies are begging for them. They work harder than just about anybody on earth. We should welcome that with open arms.
The problem is that Republican governors like Abbott are putting them in buses and delivering them into crowded urban areas with high unemployment. He targets food deserts and rough neighborhoods. This is by design. It is meant to cause rifts, and it's working.
Chicago has tried to fight back by attempting to pass laws limiting how chartered buses operate, but Abbott keeps finding ways to stymie its efforts through the courts or through a new nefarious process.
Biden, I think, is doing a bit of a Dark Brandon thing here by saying, "give me this bill so I can close the border," knowing they won't, because it also includes money for things that might actually help resolve the border crisis, such as, according to the President's statement, "1,300 border patrol agents, 375 immigration judges, 1,600 asylum officers, and over 100 cutting-edge inspection machines to help detect and stop fentanyl at our southwest border."
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/01/26/statement-from-president-joe-biden-on-the-bipartisan-senate-border-security-negotiations/
He can rightfully say he tried. Now if only Dems can find a way to amplify the message for once. That's hard when you are up against a 24/7 propaganda media machine like Fox News.
The maga House seems to be doing a pretty good job of amplifying the message that they are refusing a bipartisan deal that includes billions of dollars for Border patrol, judges relief agencies etc. They will probably shut down the government in a couple months further clarifying for the American people that they're incapable of governing. Of course, Fox News doesn't report any of that but most Americans aren't sitting around watching Fox news. They are busy and they want their government to work. Just saying.
The problem with Fox News isn't that centrists or anyone left of center watches it. The problem is that their tropes get amplified by the rest of the mainstream media.
Yes. I agree they are a huge problem in the ongoing brainwashing if what were once sentient beings.
It is a great strategy. When I was a teacher I often invited disruptive students of mine to prepare their fellow fourth graders mathematically for the following grade. None of them took me up on it. Also, parents who always knew how to teach better were invited to volunteer to help with things that I actually needed help with. When it was successful it was very successful because one, they had to actually do something other than talk, and two, they got some personal experience with the problem. I would invite the Republicans governors who signed this treasonous document along with Abbott, to model for us exactly what they are asking others to do at the border. Greg Olear had a good piece about the border today and the options with for Biden, and against succession. https://gregolear.substack.com/p/sunday-pages-against-secession
I am really want to have a Red State Blue State immigrant situation. No immigrants allowed in Texas. Let us see if that wakes up some of the Latinx voters in that state. How about no immigrant farm workers, no immigrants to do child care or house cleaning, or clean up after the messes made by climate disasters. No immigrant doctors, no immigrant dentists. Just no immigrants whatsoever because these states don't deserve them if they vote for these assholes! Additionally, we should be pointing out that East Germany did not succeed with a border wall, and neither does North Korea. Those are/were fascist states! If they want to turn the USA into a border prison, then they need to fund it.
I like that story, thanks! I had a good Latinx friend who lived near the border who recently passed away. Great guy, and for a long time he was one of those who didn't like the border crossing immigrants at all. You've probably heard the refrain: "We did it the right way." Like I said, super nice guy, so it goes to show that it's not always about meanness. Anyway, for some reason, he completely changed his attitude just before he passed away in January. I never got to find out why. He did always hate Abbott, so maybe the typical Republican overreach just finally got to him.
as I understand his statement, his need for those budget increases isn't IN this bill--it is a "further" or "also" (his word) need.
I wasn't sure about that. Nobody has released the bill, but I personally don't like Democrats caving to anti-immigration efforts no matter what. We may never know if it doesn't pass, unless somebody leaks it.
The Colorado Republican Party is a mess, too. Our so 'lovely' Lauren Boebert switched districts to run in a 'safer' district but the field quickly became crowded. This week, they held a debate in District 4 for the candidates and the biggest cheer of the night came from the crowd when six of the nine candidates admitted - proudly, I might add - that they've been arrested. They didn't even say what they were arrested for.
Boebert, of course, raised her hand. Another candidate had just stepped down as the state House Minority leader because his party (and the public) had just found out he was on probation for a drunk driving incident that occurred months ago, which included reaching for a gun in the presence of a state trooper. He's still running for Congress, though. (The other candidates labeled Boebert as a 'carpet bagger' since she still lives on the other side of the state).
What world do we live in where candidates with an arrest record are cheered as if it's a badge of honor? Whatever happened to the party of family values and personal responsibility? SMH.
When all six raised there hands, I was reminded of what fascism scholar Ruth Ben-Ghiat once remarked. That authoritarian regimes require criminal officials to function.
See: Russia under Putin.
I am currently in Lauren Boebert’s district, and we could not be more pleased that she’s leaving. Although she’s an ignorant fool and an embarrassment to the whole state, she was able to see the writing on the wall in district 3. I believe her chances of getting through the primary in her new district are slim at best, even though she’s running against fellow criminals. Plus, as you know, Democrats had such great success in the 2022 mid-terms that one Colorado Republican called their current situation an “extinction level event.”Good! As Colorado gets bluer and bluer, I get happier and happier.
Janet, My condolences on your Congresswoman, but she’s leaving. I drove through a big chunk of Boebert’s district in September 2022 and couldn’t believe how many Boebert 2022 and tRump 2024 billboards, yard signs, and flags I saw.
All the way along US 40 going east from the Utah border through Craig along the Yampa and later that month from Grand Junction down U.S. 50 through Delta, Montrose, and CO 145 to Cortez. If it wasn’t for signs for her opponent in Montrose, I would have thought she’d be winning by a landslide.
The other thing that struck me since my last times through (14, 22, and 30 years prior) was how economically depressed US 50 south of Grand Junction until Montrose has become and how much Grand Junction and Montrose had grown.
I took that photo on 12/31/2019 from Kyanjin Ri peak (a 15,650 ft / 4770 m msl “hill”) in Nepal at the terminal end of the Langtang Valley Trek. The mountain in the photo is Langtang Lirung (7246m / 23,780 ft), the highest peak in the area on the Nepal/China border.
Such awesome beauty beyond words.
Hi Michael, the northwestern part of the state near Craig, Meeker, and up toward the Wyoming border is a pretty red area. I haven’t been up that way in a long time, but I would not be surprised at seeing a bunch of Boebert and Trump signs. The other area you drove through, 50 onto 550 through Montrose, is close to where I used to live. I was in Ridgway and Durango for a while, both further south of there in the San Juan mountains. The area along 50 before Montrose, which is Delta county, was economically depressed for decades, and is big Trump country, but it is improving because the governor has devoted some resources to the economy here. Also, some farms have converted to growing cannabis and they are making a lot of money. I am actually in Delta county now, but I am in Paonia, which is up in the mountains about 45 minutes from Delta, and it’s a different world up here. Paonia is mostly comprised of organic farmers and ranchers, many fruit orchards, hippies, and retirees. If you drove back through this way now, you would see almost no Trump signs. And I rarely ever see a Boebert sign along Highway 50. I just hope Adam Frisch can overcome whoever the new Republican will be. The two guys I know of now who will be in the primary are conservative second amendment nuts, but they’re not as crazy as Boebert. I’m originally from the Boulder area and I moved out here 12 years ago. It was quite an adjustment but I stuck it out.
Janet, I’ve been to Paonia on my one previous trip to Delta in 1990. I had a shirt tail in-law relative in the east outskirts of Delta in a former life (I.e. previous marriage). That relative had a neighbor that grew hops so good that Coors turn his crop down for being above the quality level they could use.
Delta looked better then. The Walmart had just opened and the downtown hadn’t yet died.
The downtown area of Delta has looked pretty crappy for a long time. But just in the past year, I’m seeing new construction and the stores seem to be thriving so I think some of this money that Governor Polis threw into this district is helping. Also, you might be surprised at some of the new developments that have gone up around Delta, outside of the downtown area. They are really nice homes compared to the older part of town. And yes, Montrose has exploded compared to what it used to be.
I love your photo of the prayer flags on what may or may not be the Himalayas. 😊
My bad, I replied to myself. See my 9:37 pacific reply.
If you’re interested in going to Nepal, I’m still in contact with the local Katmandu guide company. The trip was an REI Adventure. Unfortunately REI no longer does international travel. I also highly recommend the Kingdom of Bhutan next door. It is however a difficult country to gain access to as a foreign tourist, unless you have a passport from India or Nepal. Strict 14 day limit, minimum six months in advance visa, and a Bhutanese handler at all times.
I have dreamed about a trip to the Himalayas, in particular Nepal, for many years now, but it is not something I could pull off at the moment for reasons that are a bit complicated. Interestingly, a couple of years ago I saw a documentary on PBS about Bhutan, the culture, and the travel restrictions. It was a fascinating glimpse into life there among people who are supposedly some of the happiest people on Earth. I recently purchased a book from Shambala publications called “Himalaya, a literary homage to life on the roof of the world.” That will be my armchair travel until I can hopefully make the trip before I get too old. One final note, I was living in Carbondale when that horrendous earthquake took place in Nepal years ago. The town organized a benefit for the earthquake victims in conjunction with the owner of a Nepalese restaurant in Glenwood Springs. It was a beautiful event. Have a good evening and week ahead. It’s been a pleasure chatting with you.
Maga: the party for the criminally inclined!
And the criminally insane...
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😜
And increasingly showing us they are devoid of moral and ethical character. My push this cycle is all about character. They can hate Biden all they want, but overall, he is a man of character and morals and ethics. Not perfect, but in comparison to Donald...well, it's like comparing apples to sewer fat-burgs.
Absolutely. Character Matters was my line in 2018. You'd think the party that includes 'The Moral Majority' wouldn't have to be reminded of that. But it's all been performative BS since before Ronnie. Sigh.
https://politicalwire.com/2024/01/26/most-of-gop-field-in-colorado-race-has-been-arrested/
Most of GOP Field in Colorado Race Has Been Arrested
January 26, 2024 at 5:58 am EST By Taegan Goddard 78 Comments
The Republican candidates in Colorado’s 4th congressional district debated last night, the New York Times reports.
“At one point, candidates were asked to raise their hands if they had ever been arrested. Six of the nine candidates onstage raised their hands, to cheers and applause from the audience.”
This is what our children will inherit, a total civil disaster, governed by hate and fear.
I’m a democrat in AZ enjoying this implosion very much! This may be the year we finally turn entirely blue! We are so close. I really want these insurrectionists and fake electors who walk our capitol halls to finally be accountable though. Losing patience! 💙
I was so glad to hear that Kari Lake was booed. Someone else in Arizona referred to her as “Kari dried up Lake.” I don’t see her winning a senate seat and I hope I’m right.
I'm partial to Kari Fake
It’s so weird. She was once a well respected local news anchor, a Democrat. How does someone make herself over into such an unlikable, cultist weirdo?! It’s been a weird transformation to witness here in AZ.
Apparently, relentless, gnawing ambition is goosing her transformation. I understand she went through several stages of insect-like pupation before she settled into the political brew in which she felt most at home.
I must say that I absolutely love “insect like pupation.” 😂👏
👌🏽😏
You know, Suzanne, I had no idea she was once a Democrat. I never paid much attention to her, although I knew she was a news anchor. But this has been happening to a lot of people, including Republican Congress people who were once rational human beings, and now have literally gone over the deep edge. It’s very very frightening, because they are behaving just like the Trump cultists who continue to adore and vote for him.
😂 Good one. She’s so truly awful that I’m sure we can come up with many names for this pathetic misfit.
Perfect designation!
Rusty Bowers was the last honorable republican in the Az legislature. (And I don’t refer to him as a rethuglican).
Mark, yes, to an extent. He voted horribly on some things but my heart really went out to him when he became a victim to the maga BS, especially when he was dealing with the death of his daughter. I felt really bad for him. So glad he spoke the truth and didn’t go along with the fake elector scheme.
Oh, I certainly agree that his political positions go against what I stand for. I just recognize that when it was his turn to take a stand against tyranny, he chose freedom.
Agreed. Side story: I was listening to the testimony that day while I was working. I was so moved by his words I was in tears, and because I already had his legislative phone number in my phone (having called it when he voted poorly on an issue), I left a tearful message of gratitude for doing the right thing. I just needed him to know we all were paying attention. I only wish that all our governmental representatives would simply do their job and do the right thing, what we constituents ask of them!
Thanks for your writing Jay. It is fascinating to watch the Republican party catch its own tail, and then eat itself.
Except for the ones like Keri and Comer and Gymbag...where it shows no sign of stopping. I can handle my longest friend from kindergarten viewing things differently than I (she's not full MAGA but she's def. a Trump supporter) but these "leaders" still wield power.
Have you asked her why she supports the traitor? I’m trying to change minds too but am walking on eggshells to show why the republicans are not working for them.
And you didn't even mention that Judge Engoron is likely to hand down his judgement in the first part of the week....
Ah, yes. So many Trump trials I often just lump them together in my head!
You should look into the crazy far- right faction of the Missouri GOP. They recently proposed reinstating the right to duel anyone who maligned their character. Follow Jessica Piper on Threads- she is a voice of reason in an increasingly unreasonable state. @piper_for_missouri
😮
What the actual f---!
186 years ago today, a 28 year-old, worried Abraham Lincoln gave what is now known as the Lyceum Speech: "The perpetuation of our Political Institutions". He was deeply concerned that only 59 years after the Constitution was ratified, ambitious Americans were defying the rule of law and acting on their emotions. "Their ambition, he said, could not be served simply by preserving what those before them had created, so they would achieve distinction through destruction. " (Thanks to Heather Cox Richardson's "Letters from an Americn", 1-28-24)
I may be the only one who isn't seeing the GOP imploding despite all their bumbling. The party and their voters aren't for anything but they are strongly united in being against things. And the one thing they're all against is whatever the other side is for, even if it's to their own detriment.
So, the chaos that's out there is to their liking and benefit, because it'll guarantee suffering, which is the goal. The greater the incompetence of any candidate, the more votes they'll get. E.g., there aren't a lot of pro-Nazi folks out there, but they'll vote that way to piss off the other side.
The question(s) that need(s) answering is what has led to this and what can be done about it? Facts and reason don't matter. I think we're dealing with a lot of people who believe they've nothing left to lose, who are inventing narratives of a past that never existed but that they want to restore. Part of it is definitely whitelash but it appears to go deeper. It's something for psychologists, sociologists, and anthropologists to weigh in on, not politicians.
I'm sure there's good writing on this out there but I'm having a tough time finding it; it seems to have stopped after Biden got elected. Anyway, here are some gems from the past:
https://www.berkeleyside.org/2017/05/02/berkeley-author-george-lakoff-says-dont-underestimate-trump
https://weeklysift.com/2014/08/11/not-a-tea-party-a-confederate-party/
https://forsetti.tumblr.com/post/153181757500/on-rural-america-understanding-isnt-the-problem
https://weeklysift.com/2012/09/10/the-distress-of-the-privileged/
https://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/cover_story/2016/03/how_donald_trump_happened_racism_against_barack_obama.html
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/11/the-nationalists-delusion/546356/
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/26/opinion/trump-republican-party.html
Check out Karen Stenner :is a political psychologist and the author of The Authoritarian Dynamic. Formerly on the politics faculty at Princeton University, she is now based in Australia, where she is the director of Insight Analytics, a behavioral science consultancy that designs and tests psychological messaging to shift mass behavior.
I agree it's hard to find media focusing on the positives we've seen---the DNC has always been terrible at presenting wins. Is it because it's so distasteful to do what the GOP does?
tRump and MAGA resonates with evangelicals, white rural voters, and white blue-collar voters for one simple reason - racism and the fear of the “other” it creates. They’re the base of the MAGA movement, the morbidly rich and libertarian business people see that base as useful idiots to further their cause as laid out by Project 2025.
There’s a 2017 or 2018 sociological study of racism and not the economy as the primary root cause of tRump’s 2016 election that was published in a well respected peer reviewed journal.
The Anger Games: Who Voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 Election, and Why?
http://criticalsociology.org/the-anger-games-who-voted-for-donald-trump-in-the-2016-election-and-why/
The GOP's only goal is to obstruct everything the Democrats propose. They don't want Biden to do anything helpful to the American people because they don't want him to have credit for doing good things. They don't have an better ideas, they just want to prevent Democrats from doing anything.
They call this "winning."
For them to win, however, they must cheat and manipulate the vote in any way they can to stay in power.
There are reasonable people who reflexively vote Republican because they have been brainwashed to believe that all Democrats are demons who will kill babies, open the border, confiscate all their guns, and allow anyone who isn't hetero, white, and Christian equal rights. Some of those people might think a woman should have bodily autonomy and reproductive rights. Some of them might agree that assault weapons should be banned. Some may think all citizens no matter what their sexual orientation or religious beliefs deserve equal treatment. But they still vote for Republicans because it is impossible for them to believe that Democrats are a better choice for them and for the country.
I don't know how these "reasonable" Republicans can be reached because they seem to accept and/or ignore the heinous things the Republican party does as a group and how their individual members speak and behave.
Like you say, “some might vote ......”, but in the end all they need is one issue to be a red meat single issue litmus test voter, even if every other issue is a vote against themselves.
Thanks for the update, Jay!
I found myself in the odd position this week of being on Kari Lake's side in something! DeWit does seem to have crossed the line, yes? He said there was selective editing, and I don't envy the role of being a political party chairman and trying to remain ethical, but would he have been OK if he had tried to persuade her that she would have much more success in industry as she would no doubt have plenty of lucrative employment offers, vs. what would clearly be an unsuccessful and costly political campaign?
They’re all corrupt.
Such very very good news. Along with Heather Cox Richardson’s article about Lincoln’s prophecy that America could only be brought down from within, this news gives me hope! If our country can finally see the GOP eating itself maybe, just maybe, we can establish some semblance of democracy in action.
The idea of Lake getting booed makes me happy. Does that make me a bad person?
If it does, you have lots of company.
I say no. She's a big girl, if she can't handle a few boos she needs to get a different job.
It's not like anyone is yelling threats at her, they're just letting her know they think she sucks.
Colorado GOP is proud of all the crimes they commit.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/colorado-district-4-debate-high-five-arrest-records_n_65b3fa5ee4b014b873b10a41
Yes, it’s sad. But Colorado is still a reliably blue state, thank goodness. There are pockets of insanity, however.
I love Colorado. So, so much. Such grandeur. Blues and golds. It's all grey's and greens where I live now, which nice, just so, so different.
And it’s become a much better place to live since it started turning largely Democratic about two decades ago. After the second George Junior election, it rapidly started flipping blue to the point where now both senators, a majority of congressional representatives, the governor, and the state house are all Democratic, and they will most likely stay that way for a long time. In fact, the state house now has a Dem supermajority, which is something I thought I would never see in my lifetime.
Just a funny note about this district 4: about 13 or 14 years ago, that area made an attempt to secede from the state of Colorado because they saw the rest of the state growing more liberal. It’s a long, stupid story that I won’t go into now. That’s just how crazy district 4 is compared to the rest of the state.
So glad to hear this. And why am I not surprised about district 4? 😂
The GOP is in the process of redefining itself as a working class party, funded by the donor class and run by the tea party, chip-on-the-shoulder class. The dilemma that they can't seem to solve is how to serve those disparate interests.
They cannot seem to solve the turd in the room...Trump, and to a lesser but crucial degree Evangelicalism. If they could, I bet they'd actually make headway back towards "regular right wing" vs. radical, extreme right wing.
At this point, Evangelical is more a political/class descriptor than a religious one. The church is refashioning itself as the voice of working class anger. Those who resist find their pews empty. The sugar high of partisanship smoothes the glide path for those who attachment to Christ is weaker than their desire for popularity and the full coffers it brings.
I'm curious and I haven't seen it spelled out anywhere. What are the provisions in the draconian House GOP immigration bill that are non-starters for Democrats?
It’s these four things, per The Hill: provisions to resume construction of the border wall, to shrink the pool of migrants eligible for asylum, to expand the qualifications required to achieve refugee status and to curtail the administration’s powers to grant parole. The first point is clear— the wall is a non-starter. The last three would mostly affect legal refugees escaping brutal regimes, which is contrary to international law and decades of practice.