Trump ends 2020 with concession...
... Pelosi has the votes for a second impeachment
IT’S OVER
Trump concedes, mercifully ending the 2020 election
And with that, it was over.
A quixotic journey begun over a year and a half ago to determine the fate of a second Trump term ends with Donald tapping out. Two months after networks called the race for Biden it didn’t feel like a concession we’ve seen before because it wasn’t. It was forced upon him as the shame of a Trump mob storming the capital (even if just for the ‘Gram) forced his hand to knock off the death spiral rabble rousing.
The proverbial gun of fate drawn after a real gun killed one of his supporters. After a Capitol Police officer died in the fracas. After three others lost their lives due to medical emergencies for which they weren’t able to get help.
But still, it’s now over.
Dozens of Democrats, faction warfare, botched caucuses, a once-in-a-generation plague, global lockdown, an economy cosplaying as the Great Depression before rebounding, a too-soon Tulsa rally that had all the dignity and gravitas of a premature ejaculation, the changes in voting laws, the voting, the delay and finally, the unnecessary third act.
As if our political theater was directed by Chris Nolan, just when you thought the story was wrapped up we get yet another 40 minutes. We didn’t learn much more but the tone carried from the rest of the film. And just like Nolan, the final action set piece was worth the wait. A spectacle we’d never seen before.
No special effects. You know they did that all in camera?
But now it’s over.
…
..
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So who wants to talk about 2024?
Pelosi has the votes to impeach Trump in House
AP
GOP Senator Sass says he’d “consider” removal in Senate
CBS
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Trump will not attend Biden inauguration
POLITICO
I’ll take the L on this one. Since he seems to care about putting the ugliness at the Capitol behind him I thought he’d go.
Betsy DeVos the latest Trump cabinet member to resign
THE HILL
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VERY WELL SAID! - MY MOM
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I’m afraid to read the feedback section tomorrow. I’m very worried I’m going to see people trying to rationalize this or explain it away with false flag conspiracy theories. I’m hoping this community is better than that but they’ve let me down before. - RICHARD
Let’s find out if we let Richard down!
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I an high so this might not track. Trump gives the news the narrative structure that it craves. This is just the finally of that narrative. Trump is at fault for everything that happened to day. But the media has spread his message. So maybe they are on some level to blame. I don't mean like those who just reported the fax. I mean the talking heads tv news shows. And the am rightwing talk like rush. Idk. You keeping this ship in the middle might be the cure. - ROB
Yeah, it got a little wobbly at the end there.
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Maybe a third of the way into today’s Free Political Newsletter. I was reminded of your choice quote for Trump from ‘What “From Dusk Til Dawn” Teaches Us About 2016’:
“Are you such a loser you can’t tell when you’ve won?”
I believe that after today, we can definitively conclude that he is. - VOLKAI
Damn, I should have called back to that in the Campaign Undertaker episode!
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While I find the events highly troubling and upsetting, it seems like it is just a reflection of a growing discontent in our society with the government’s ability to answer the problems of the future.
There is a divide over how to address the new challenges that globalization and technology are bringing to face governments worldwide. Consequently there seems to be a rise of conservative and liberal populist leaders calling for change. As that plays out in America we have seen formal means (the Russia inquiry, the impeachment, and Supreme Court nominations) used to press different arguments. And we have seen informal means (BLM protests) brought to bear as well. So while the events of yesterday are highly disheartening, they are not new to me but rather the another step as America seeks to decide how to face the future.
Hopefully we find ways to shape our future peaceful without bloodshed and destruction. But I struggle to find this situation shocking and am only filled with sorrow. - RYAN R
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I have never felt so ashamed to be an American. - STEVE
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No evidence? https://hereistheevidence.com/
I've supported for a few years now, but I'm basically out. We don't have a country anymore without legit elections. People who refuse that there was any fraud allowed it to happen. Something like 48% of the country know what happened. It wasn't just the people yesterday. Things are probably going to get bad.
I'm used to my person often not winning, but I don't even have confidence how my vote was counted. If you can't vote, there isn't a lot left, and a lot of people feel that way. - MIKE
Like Nixon himself in 1960 and Kerry supporters in 2004 there are anecdotal claims of voter fraud. As I have said on all of my platforms I am MORE likely to agree with the existence of voter fraud than the mainstream. I made a WHOLE podcast series about 1960 because I find the facts around that so interesting.
But there is a ticking clock in this game and it hit 0:00. At that point the goal of those concerned about those votes is to prevent it from happening again.
It will be a real shame if those so focused on this drop their pursuit of reform because their candidate lost.
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The president (and many of his supporters) are blind to the effect his repeated claims of election fraud are having.
Conversely, I feel that there was a disservice to the tens of millions of voters who deserved a response better than "There was never any fraud" without any kind of investigation into the claims. A system that cannot be questioned can never be trusted to be free of influence.
And as I have told many a Trump supporter - it ultimately doesn't matter because the Electoral College is, in the end, the group that needs to be convinced the vote results are questionable - and that never materialized.
On a lighter note, I am deeply amused by the first response of the "Defund the Police" crowd was to call the police.
While Trump himself is now tainted with failure, yesterday proved that America will survive. Yay for that. - CHAD
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Can we give an attaboy to Mike Pence? He resisted the urge of the Washington Kabuki theater and chose what was right for America? I don’t think condemnation means anything if we don’t thank people when they do right. Better late than never. - OLD MAN SCOOPY
Never let a man take your Attaboys. Give them freely without regard for your neighbor.
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In my opinion Josh Hawley not only helped to divide America but he has further divided his own state. As a resident of St. Louis I detest Hawley and I wish writing my senators would matter. I have always seen Missouri as two different people. The ones in Kansas city and St. Louis, and the rest of them that pronounce it Misuruh. I feel more divided today than I did before. I am deeply ashamed that he represents me. - KIM G
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My patience with him wore thin a long time ago, and I did feel like you were too quick to make excuses for him. When people say they saw this coming a long time ago, they weren’t kidding. I think you posted a video a couple weeks ago - maybe it was when Hawley decided to make a big deal of saying he was going to oppose certification - can’t remember. I believe your take was that it didn’t matter. In some ways you were right, but stuff like this happens when powerful people give legitimacy to complete horse shit in the interest of power. - ZACHARY