Juliajms

I had no idea that could even be hidden. Unbelievable.

^ Can Trump really be blamed for a collision between a navel vessel and a merchant ship? Granted I don't know much about it, but that seems like a stretch.

I think it's impossible to overestimate how blind some people can be. The way I think of it now is it's hard to wake up to these issues if you don't even know you're asleep. I went to college in southwest Virginia and despite being a northerner I sort of fell for the whole "This is our heritage thing" at the time. Partially because in the north we (poor white kids with a middling education) hardly gave the Civil War a second thought. Virginia was a different world and I don't think it would be much of an exaggeration to say they were still fighting the war down there, at least culturally. Plus look at shows like The Duke's of Hazard that normalized the Confederate flag for kids. Once you really see what it means though, there's no going back and you see how completely unacceptable that flag and these statues are. I can't even say when I came to associate the Confederate flag as a racist symbol. I didn't have a come to Jesus moment, but I moved to Brandon FL around 2006 and there was a humongous Confederate Flag flying above the highway. I just gasped the first time I saw it and said "They can't!". My much older friend said "Yeah they can. It's gone to court". It was clear she saw it as racist too.

Going back to this. She's right about how unfair the Standing Rock protesters were treated too.

Really? That's wonderful news. After today's statement I figured he was right up their alley. I can't even say I'm sorry if Nebraska is stuck with him because this state is determined not to do better. He's a master of playing both sides.

Well, Ben Sasse seems to be gearing up to take on Trump and he's not the bottom of the barrel (well he is, but not in the same way). He's my nightmare candidate because he's smart, well educated and better at the game then Trump will ever be. I thank God he's from Nebraska, which might hamstring him.

Now that I've had a little distance from the initial incident, I'll agree with that for now. It's not that I'm even against Nazi/KKK punching. I'll admit it, I don't care. It's just that I don't think it will stop them. I'm all for doxing though. I wish I had a better sense of the big picture. Are these groups really managing to recruit in meaningful numbers or was that rally essentially all they've got?

This skit (or whatever we are calling it) is everywhere, but I can't bring myself to watch it. TF has always rubbed my the wrong way. I won't say I think she's insincere, but I do find her a little too self righteous for my taste.

I'm glad Bannon is gone. This white house will be a mess until Trump himself is gone, but I'll take this as one step in the right direction.

My expectations are so low that I'm actually heartened by the number of Republicans that haven't defended it. I know it's because they want to have a career 4 years from now, but I expected more of them to stick with him.

I'm only half way through the MotherJones article that was posted, but it's a sobering reminder that something like the Holocaust is exactly what a portion of these people want. The most disturbing part of the article is how casually it's stated. One admits that she voted for Trump so he would "do away with some of these African American types". She said it in front of an AA woman who thought they were friends. I know we aren't allowed to be stunned any more, but I just don't know how to process some of this stuff. I guess we can hope that their numbers are small. That's really all I've got right now.

He sure did, but he was still playing games back then. He'd give a dog whistle then look around "who me? Oh no, I'm the least racist person ever". So Republicans could pretend. He gave them just enough cover. The mask is off now though. When you are defending actual Nazi and Klan members there's no pretending. It does serve to show how completely tribal political parties have become though. When I see people trying to deflect this, I'm amazed. It proves that nothing will convince them they were wrong to vote this monster in.

Yep. And I keep hearing people say, but all those people will be dead soon. Yeah, well that's not really how it works. I didn't see a lot of 80 year olds marching on Saturday. They don't need to have huge numbers to do a lot of damage to our society. The internet is such a good tool for the Nazis to recruit directionless young people. It's terrifying.

^ Good lord. It's not all about you *****! (referring to Melissa) I want to believe that we will find ourselves in a better place after the smoke clears, but I don't. One look at recent world history tells me that people are probably not going to become more tolerant any time soon. One thing that really hamstrings our country in the regard is not having a national educational system. If you could start socializing people to be tolerant as children you might be able to counter some of the other more negative messages they receive elsewhere.

Yeah me too, but it's probably here to stay. I'm hopeful the Republicans will pressure him to resign because he's humiliating them. Maybe this is finally the straw that breaks the camel's back, but Trump is crazy good at manipulating the news cycle. That's his one undeniable talent.

Except for that part where you thought he could never win in the first place. Of course, I was right there with you but, just sayin'.

^ I hope so. I guess it will be true if the GOP thinks this is the point where they are stronger without him. I'm not giving them any points for breaking with him though. After everything that happened in the primary they never should have stood by him in the first place.

Yeah, I tend to fit that category. Or I look for reasons why people are the way they are, so that I can understand and maybe not hate them. I'm working hard to get over all that.

Don Lemon was doing well today.

It's so odd to me seeing some of the reporters on CNN say things like the president "missed an opportunity" or he missed his moment. What does he have to do before these people admit he is a white supremacist? Does he have to raise the Confederate flag over the white house? I hadn't actually seen the Nazis march before today, but CNN was practically playing it on a loop. I have to wonder if all of this coverage won't embolden them further.

Yeah. His Dad was arrested at a Klan meeting right? I don't agree with guilt by association. However, I think Trump is showing us that his father was a great influence on him.

This press conference. Good lord.

You got me. When the political knife is at their throats they'll give half hearted condemnations (three days after the fact) that no one with a brain cell believes they mean. Edited to say: I wasn't insulting your intelligence Vee. I know you don't believe 45 means it.

Why? What would they do? Why would they do it? No need to be dubious. No need to give these people the benefit of the doubt any longer. They haven't earned it and they are not going to do one damn thing to stop the Nazis. They are the Nazis. They would admit it if they could and still keep power.

I don't think it's childish. Didn't many Americans cheer when the statue of Saddam was knocked down by his people? This is the same thing. The people have spoken, it's past time we get rid of these "monuments".