Hegseth's nomination was a well-orchestrated episode of the Trump Presidency Reality show.
Trump might still care about polls, but he really cares about ratings (or crowd sizes). I'd be curious if there is any historical insight into ratings-related resistance.
It's hard to believe we've earned anything except maybe a subscription to Psychology Today. What have we done singly or collectively to reclaim our Democracy ?.That's a genuine question and I'd love to read people's responses !
Get with me if you want to know more about our federal unions. Literally. Also right now the department's for those unions have their agreement until July 2028 and throughout 2029. Congress made them.
I enjoy your honest, relevant, insightful reports. I usually eschew using language like this, but in response to this one, our nation is so very phukkked.
It actually came up on my fb page. Really strange because I haven’t seen it there in quite awhile. And now it pops up here. Brilliant job as always!
I was not aware of that caucus they started. I hope they stick to their words.
@hcrichardson.bsky.social besides Ernst aren’t there other Senators who served in the military and voted for Hegseth? I don’t see how any veteran can justify that vote.
She is up for reelection in '26. They threatened to run Kari Lake against her in the Republican primary. Lake claims some kind of tie to IA. IA has become so red that whatever R wins the primary wins the election. https://iowastartingline.com/2024/12/05/maga-ernst-kari-lake-primary/
If that’s the reason she voted for Hegseth she is even more pathetic than I thought. Kari Lake couldn’t win in AZ, she certainly wouldn’t have a chance in IA.
Since she caved on Hegseth and ended up voting to confirm him why don’t the Dems find a strong candidate who really DOES want to protect our military to run against her? Surely there is someone, even in Iowa!
You would think, but so far no.
I believe that Rob Sands could have beat her but he is setting himself up to run for governor against Reynolds. I'm just hope he can win that one. I'm anxious to see who runs against Ernst.
Yes, she would. I understood that she is originally from IA and was more than willing to move back for a Senate seat. I'm sure they were going to guarantee her a nomination win. As I have said, whoever winds the nomination wins in deep red IA. Sad truth now days.
They have a little over a year to get Kari Lake moved from Arizona to Iowa, where she hasn't lived for about 30 years, and convince Iowa voters that HESITATING to confirm Hegseth is such a bad thing they should elect a carpetbagger.
Since she caved and will likely now fall in line for all nominations, I do not expect that to happen. I have been surprised before though. It would be poetic justice if they primaried JE anyway. I would like to think that R voters would not vote for Lake but I cannot believe that will be the case.
Kari Lake is a loser - can’t win in AZ so come to IA. Her dad was a horrible govt teacher at North Scott HS in Eldridge. She learned nothing just like the rest of us.
Yes,she did. I posted this in response to someone wondering what they did to pressure her to. And,no, they cannot even hesitate to fall in line apparently.
I'm not convinced Lake wouldn't win in IA.I have no faith at all that IA R voters would not vote for Lake in a primary.Guess JE doesn't either.
Joni sold her soul & still MAGA wants her gone. Wish the “good” republicans would regain their self respect and declare independence. I feel sorry for our groups.
I suspect there were also other, darker threats.
Why are magas so insecure as to think they have no other career prospects, especially someone who attained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and commanded the IA NG's largest battalion? Power. Ideology.
After 23 years of service she retired.
(wikipedia)
Do these Republicans have absolutely no other career options so that they must kowtow to the orange fuehrer in order to avoid being primaried by a brownshirt?
Well, one would think they do. However, their actions speak for themselves.
And Grassley will back down on the IG firings too. He won't even make it to his own next election but is planning for his grandson Pat to take his seat so he will want to pander to the party so they don't primary Pat.
It is no longer enough for MAGA that Republicans fall in line with the autocrat. They must now debase themselves promptly and publicly. Hesitation is disloyalty.
Empty Lake is the worst ignorant creep. I’d love to have her out of Arizona but wouldn’t
wish her on anyone else. We keep thinking that she’s lost every office she’s tried to get, maybe she’ll take her insane screeching back to weather reporting, but no luck yet.
I’d be so insulted that the best person they could scrape up to primary me is Kari Lake, who left reality a long way behind in 2020 and has yet to catch up.
I would not expect Iowans to do the same. We do not have one single Democrat or Independent representative at the federal level and few at the state level. Whatever R wins the nomination will win the election. That is why Lake was more than willing to move back and why JE is scared of it.
Your work and voice are so valuable and SO appreciated as we all try to navigate, understand, and process what’s happening. Your calm and rational presence make a real difference. You must be exhausted already, but thank you for all you do.
I've always wondered, with a kind of horror film type of fascination, how the recently liberated from Nazi control Central European countries fell into the Warsaw Pact after WW2. Watching what is happening in the US now shows me how the Russians did it. They are clearly experts at this
Heather Cox Richardson! You are the firs (public) that I've seen use the word "impeachment." If Joni Ernst and cronies would band TOGETHER, on this 3rd try they could rid us of him for all time. We Vance up and then God forbid, Johnson, and The Band of Oz directing them. A step toward healing.
I have read and listened to your material for several years. Thank you for your information and cited sources. History and current events explained- thank you.
I'm with you all the way, until you seem to suggest that some of those billionaires supporting Trump have "class".
I'm in the UK, and traditionally we make a clear distinction between wealth & class - often to the despair of aspirational visitors from the US. https://bsky.app/profile/jacky3344.bsky.social/post/3lgkzpfceps2f
It’s not a question of having class, as we all know they have none, but separating people into classes again, with the rich vying to be the ruling class and the rest of us the subservient class.
In the US, class describes economic status. We don't have an aristocracy, so there is no social class hierarchy, only economic class hierarchy. I would argue that in neither paradigm are manners, appropriate behavior, etc, particularly attributable to the uppers (consider your Prince Andrew...)
And then you get a prince in shining armour like Harry, riding out to destroy the dragons disguised as media oligarchs...
We're holding our breath, pending the outcome of Harry vs the Daily Fail!
If there’s an election in 2 years, we just may see a flood of ousted politicians (but they’ll probably get swept up into lucrative consulting and lobbying positions, so let’s not fret for them). That is, if they all don’t sing the stolen election song.
Thank you so much for speaking out about the corruption and deceit in this immoral government. We all know Trump is nuts. We all know Democrats are bewildered. But the real story is about the craven capitulation of Republicans enabling it to happen.
I have bad luck with my random reading. I never see criticism of the PMC$ who've dominated Dem politics since before Dukakis, AND, who've consistently lost. Repuke$ lie to steal, cuz they're oligarchs, and ... a maple tree isn't a brook trout!!!
Comments
Trump might still care about polls, but he really cares about ratings (or crowd sizes). I'd be curious if there is any historical insight into ratings-related resistance.
https://open.substack.com/chat/posts/a84daccb-4178-424d-9bf3-ccee1c6e91ec?utm_source=share
FYI.
I was not aware of that caucus they started. I hope they stick to their words.
Or maybe death.
https://iowastartingline.com/2024/12/05/maga-ernst-kari-lake-primary/
That article is a month old. So the threats worked.
I believe that Rob Sands could have beat her but he is setting himself up to run for governor against Reynolds. I'm just hope he can win that one. I'm anxious to see who runs against Ernst.
lake primary Earnst. Wouldn’t she need to move to Iowa
This is stupid people talking to stupid people.
BTW, Ernst should be thrilled if Lake was her primary opponent in 2026; the women's a loser.
I'm not convinced Lake wouldn't win in IA.I have no faith at all that IA R voters would not vote for Lake in a primary.Guess JE doesn't either.
Why are magas so insecure as to think they have no other career prospects, especially someone who attained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and commanded the IA NG's largest battalion? Power. Ideology.
After 23 years of service she retired.
(wikipedia)
And Grassley will back down on the IG firings too. He won't even make it to his own next election but is planning for his grandson Pat to take his seat so he will want to pander to the party so they don't primary Pat.
Or there were other reasons (threats) added to this. That is what I'm betting on.
wish her on anyone else. We keep thinking that she’s lost every office she’s tried to get, maybe she’ll take her insane screeching back to weather reporting, but no luck yet.
This is exactly why we need it.
Notice that Murkowski and Collins were able to vote as they saw fit?
They represent states with Ranked Choice Voting.
This is not a coincidence.
I, a non-graduate student, read these because I need to know them now.”
I'm in the UK, and traditionally we make a clear distinction between wealth & class - often to the despair of aspirational visitors from the US.
https://bsky.app/profile/jacky3344.bsky.social/post/3lgkzpfceps2f
We're holding our breath, pending the outcome of Harry vs the Daily Fail!
😊
If there’s an election in 2 years, we just may see a flood of ousted politicians (but they’ll probably get swept up into lucrative consulting and lobbying positions, so let’s not fret for them). That is, if they all don’t sing the stolen election song.