“We Must Decide: What Kind of Nation Are We Going to Be?”

November 5, 2024, 1:42 pm 1.8k Views 77 Comments

Clio, the Greek Muse of History, in Statuary Hall of the U.S. Capitol. According to the Architect of the Capitol, Clio is "depicted standing in her winged chariot, or car. The car is traveling from west to east and her body is facing south, with her left foot resting on the edge of the car; her head is turned to look over her right shoulder, observing the events of the past." (journalpanorama.org).

On Jan. 6, 2022, Joe Biden stood in Statuary Hall of the U.S. Capitol and delivered, to a small audience that included Vice President Kamala Harris, a quiet address that history may judge as the finest moment of his singular, one-term presidency.

Exactly one year earlier, a mob incited by Donald Trump rampaged through that venerated space, intent on overturning Biden’s defeat of their autocratic hero, a disgraceful spectacle of violence that obstructed the peaceful transfer of power for the first time in American history.

Now, Trump’s demagogy and authoritarian MAGA movement once again menace the patriotic principles, constitutional norms, and values of liberal democracy that have sustained the nation for 250 years. Election Day seems an apt and urgent time to recall Biden’s words on that regrettable anniversary – and to remember why they were made necessary.

Don’t forget to vote.

JR

Madame Vice President, my fellow Americans:

To state the obvious, one year ago today, in this sacred place, democracy was attacked. Simply attacked. The will of the people was under assault. The Constitution, our constitution, faced the gravest of threats.

Outnumbered in the face of a brutal attack, Capitol Police, the DC Metropolitan Police Department, the National Guard and other brave law enforcement officials saved the rule of law.

Our democracy held. We the people endured. We the people prevailed. 

For the first time in our history, a president had not just lost an election; he tried to prevent the peaceful transfer of power as a violent mob breached the Capitol. But they failed. They failed.

And on this day of remembrance we must make sure that such an attack never happens again.

“The real history”

I’m speaking to you today from Statuary Hall in the United States Capitol. This is where the House of Representatives met for 50 years in the decades leading up to the Civil War.

It is on this floor where a young congressman from Illinois, Abraham Lincoln, sat at desk 191.

Above him — above us — over that door leading into the rotunda is a sculpture depicting Clio, the muse of history. In her hands, an open book in which she records the events taking place in this chamber below. Clio stood watch over this hall one year ago today, as she has for more than 200 years.

She recorded what took place. The real history. The real facts. The real truth. The facts and the truth that Vice President Harris just shared and that you and I and the whole world saw with our own eyes.

The Bible tells us that, ‘We shall know the truth and the truth shall make us free.’ We shall know the truth.

Well, here is the God’s truth about January 6, 2021.

“We saw with our own eyes”

Close your eyes. Go back to that day. What do you see? Rioters rampaging. Waving, for the first time inside this Capitol, the Confederate flag that symbolizes the cause to destroy America. To rip us apart.

Even during the Civil War that never, ever happened. But it happened here in 2021. 

What else do you see? The mob breaking windows, kicking in doors, breaching the Capitol. American flags on poles being used as weapons, as spears. Fire extinguishers being thrown at the heads of police officers.

A crowd that professes their love for law enforcement assaulted those police officers. Dragged them, sprayed them, stomped on them. Over 140 police officers were injured.

We all heard the police officers who were there that day testify to what happened. One officer called it “a medieval battle” and that he was more afraid that day than he was fighting the war in Iraq. They’ve repeatedly asked since that day, how dare anyone, anyone, diminish, belittle or deny the hell they were put through?

We saw with our own eyes. Rioters menaced these halls, threatening the life of the Speaker of the House, literally erecting gallows to hang the Vice President of the United States of America.

But what did we not see? We didn’t see a former president who just rallied the mob to attack sitting in the private dining room of the Oval Office in the White House watching it all on television and doing nothing for hours.

“An armed insurrection”

Police were assaulted. Lives at risk. The nation’s Capitol under siege. This wasn’t a group of tourists. This was an armed insurrection. They weren’t looking to uphold the will of the people; they were looking to deny the will of the people.

They weren’t looking to uphold a free and fair election. They were looking to overturn one. They weren’t looking to save the cause of America. They were looking to subvert the Constitution.

This isn’t about being bogged down in the past. It’s about making sure the past isn’t buried.

That’s the only way forward. That’s what great nations do. They don’t bury the truth; they face up to it. Sounds like hyperbole, but that’s your truth. They face up to it.

“A web of lies”

We are a great nation. My fellow Americans, in life there’s truth and tragically there are lies.

Lies conceived and spread for profit and power. We must be absolutely clear about what is true and what is a lie. And here’s the truth: The former president of the United States of America has created and spread a web of lies about the 2020 election.

He’s done so because he values power over principle, because he sees his own interest as more important than his country’s interest, than America’s interest. And because his bruised ego matters more to him than our democracy or our Constitution.

He can’t accept he lost even though that’s what 93 United States senators, his own Attorney General, his own Vice President, governors and state officials in every battleground state have all said: He lost.

That’s what 81 million of you did as you voted for a new way forward. He’s done what no president in American history, in the history of this country, has ever, ever done.

He refused to accept the results of an election and the will of the American people. While some courageous men and women in the Republican Party are standing against it, trying to uphold the principle of that party, too many others are transforming that party into something else.

“What kind of nation?”

They seem no longer to want to be the party of Lincoln, Eisenhower, Reagan, the Bushes.

Well, whatever my other disagreements are with Republicans who support the rule of law, and not the rule of a single man, I will always seek to work together with them. To find shared solutions where possible. Because when we have a shared belief in democracy, then anything is possible. Anything.

So at this moment, we must decide: What kind of nation are we going to be?

Are we going to be a nation that accepts political violence as a norm? Are we going to be a nation where we allow partisan election officials to overturn the legally expressed will of the people A nation that lives, not by the light of the truth, but in the shadow of lies? 

We cannot allow ourselves to be that kind of nation.

The First Big Lie

The way forward is to recognize the truth. To live by it. The “Big Lie” being told by the former president, and many Republicans who fear his wrath, is that the insurrection in this country actually took place on Election Day, November 3, 2020.

Think about that.

Is that what you thought? Is that what you thought when you voted that day? Taking part in an insurrection? Is that what you thought you were doing? Or did you think you were carrying out your highest duty as a citizen and voting?

The former presidents’ supporters are trying to rewrite history. They want you to see election day is the day of insurrection, and the riots that took place here on January 6 as a true expression of the will of the people.

Can you think of a more twisted way to look at this country, to look at America? I cannot.

Here’s the truth.

The election of 2020 was the greatest demonstration of democracy in the history of this country.

More of you voted in that election than have ever voted in all of American history. Over 150 million Americans went to the polls and voted that day, in a pandemic, some at great risk to their lives. And they should be applauded, not attacked.

Right now, in state after state, new laws are being written not to protect the vote, but to deny it.

Not only to suppress the vote, but to subvert it. Not to strengthen and protect our democracy, but because the former president lost, instead of looking at the election results in 2020, and saying they need new ideas or better ideas to win more votes.

The former president and his supporters have decided the only way for them to win is to suppress your vote and subvert our elections.

It’s wrong. It’s undemocratic. And frankly, it’s  un-American.

“The second Big Lie”

The second “Big Lie” being told by the former president’s supporters is that the  results of the election of 2020 can’t be trusted.

The truth is that no election, no election in American history has been more closely scrutinized or more carefully counted.

Every legal challenge questioning the results in every court in this country that could have been made, was made and was rejected. Often rejected by Republican-appointed judges, including judges appointed by the former president himself. From state courts to the United States Supreme Court. Recounts were undertaken in state after state.

Georgia – Georgia counted its results three times, with one recount by hand. Phony partisan audits were undertaken long after the election in several states. None change the results.

In some of them, the irony is the margin of victory actually grew slightly.

So let’s speak plainly about what happened in 2020.

“Preemptively sowing doubt”

Even before the first ballot was cast, the former president was preemptively sowing doubt about the election results.

He built his lie over months. It wasn’t based in the facts. He was just looking for an excuse, a pretext to cover for the truth. He’s not just a former president. He’s a defeated former president.

Defeated by a margin of over seven million of your votes. In a full and free and fair election.

There is simply zero proof the election results are inaccurate. In fact, in every venue where evidence had to be produced, an oath to tell the truth had to be taken, the former president failed to make his case.

Just think about this: The former president and his supporters have never been able to explain how they accept as accurate other election results that took place on November 3rd. Elections for governor, United States Senate, House of Representatives, elections in which they close the gap in the House.

They challenged none of that.

The president’s name was first. Then we went down the line. Governor, senators, House of Representatives, somehow those results are accurate on the same ballot. But the presidential race was flawed. And on the same ballot, same day, cast by the same voters.

The only difference: the former president didn’t lose those races. He just the lost the one that was his own.

The third Big Lie

Finally, the third “Big Lie” being told by a former president and his supporters is that the mob who sought to impose their will through violence are the nation’s true patriots.

Is that what you thought when you looked at the mob, ransacking the Capitol, destroying property, literally defecating in the hallways, rifling through the desks of senators and representatives, hunting down members of Congress?

Patriots? Not in my view. To me, the true patriots are the more than 150 million Americans who peacefully expressed their vote at the ballot box, the election workers for protecting the integrity of the vote and the heroes who defended this Capitol.

You can’t love your country only when you win, you can’t obey the law only when it’s convenient.

You can’t be patriotic when you embrace and enable lies.

“A dagger at the throat of America”

Those who stormed this Capitol and those who instigated and incited and those who called on them to do so held a dagger at the throat of America and American democracy.

They didn’t come here out of patriotism or principle. They came here in rage. Not in service of America, rather in service of one man. Those who incited the mob, the real plotters who were desperate to deny the certification of this election, to defy the will of the voters.

Their plot was foiled.

Congress, Democrats, Republicans stayed. Senators, representatives, staff, they finished their work the Constitution demanded. They honored their oath to defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. 

Look folks, now it’s up to all of us, we the people, to stand for the rule of law, to preserve the flame of democracy, to keep the promise of America alive.

The promise is at risk, targeted by the forces that value brute strength over the sanctity of democracy, fear over hope, personal gain over public good.

Make no mistake about it, we’re living at an inflection point in history, both at home and abroad.

“A struggle between democracy and autocracy”

We’re engaged anew in a struggle between democracy and autocracy, between the aspirations of the many and the greed of the few, between the people’s right of self-determination and self-seeking autocrat.

From China to Russia and beyond, they’re betting that democracy’s days are numbered.

They actually told me democracy is too slow, too bogged down by division to succeed in today’s rapidly changing, complicated world. And they’re betting, they’re betting America will become more like them and less like us. They’re betting America’s a place for the autocrat, the dictator, the strong man.

I do not believe that. That is not who we are. That is not who we have ever been. And that is not who we should ever ever be. 

Our founding fathers, as imperfect as they were, set in motion an experiment that changed the world, literally changed the world.

Here in America, the people would rule. Power would be transferred peacefully, never at the tip of the spear or the barrel of a gun. They committed to paper an idea that they couldn’t live up to, but an idea that couldn’t be constrained. 

Yes, in America, all people are created equal, and reject a view that if you succeed, I fail. If you get ahead, I fall behind. If I hold you down, I somehow lift myself up.

“Rule or ruin”

The former president lies about this election and the mob that attacked this Capitol could not be further away from the core American values.

They want to rule or they will ruin, ruin what our country fought for at Lexington and Concord, at Gettysburg and Omaha Beach, Seneca Falls, Selma, Alabama.

What were we fighting for? The right to vote, the right to govern ourselves. The right to determine our own destiny.

With rights come responsibilities, responsibility to see each other as neighbors. Maybe we disagree with that neighbor but they’re not an adversary.

The responsibility to accept defeat, then get back in the arena and try again the next time to make your case. Responsibility to see that America is an idea, an idea that requires vigilant stewardship. 

“The lies have not abated”

As we stand here today, one year since January 6 2021, the lies that drove the anger and madness we saw in this place, they have not abated.

So we have to be firm, resolute and unyielding in our defense of the right to vote and to have that vote counted. 

Some of us made the ultimate sacrifice in this sacred effort. Jill and I mourned police officers in this Capitol Rotunda not once, but twice in the wake of January 6th.

Once to honor Officer Brian Sicknick, who lost his life the day after the attack and a second time to honor Officer Billy Evans, who lost his life defending this Capitol as well.

Think about the others who lost their lives and everyone living with the trauma of that day.

Those defending this Capitol, to members of Congress of both parties and their staffs, to reporters, cafeteria workers, custodial workers and their families.

Don’t kid yourself, the pain and scars from that day were deep.

I’ve said it many times, and it’s no more true or real than when we think about the events of January 6:

We are in a battle for the soul of America. A battle, but by the grace of God, the goodness and greatness of this nation, we will win. 

“The ballot prevails, not violence”

Believe me, I know how difficult democracy is, but I’m crystal clear about the threats America faces.

I also know that our darkest days can lead to light and hope. From the death and destruction the Vice President referenced at Pearl Harbor came the triumph over the forces of fascism. From the brutality of Bloody Sunday, the Edmund Pettus Bridge, came historic voting rights legislation.

So now let’s step up, write the next chapter in American history. For January 6 marks not the end of democracy but the beginning of a renaissance of liberty and fair play.

I did not seek this fight brought to this Capital one year ago today. But I will not shrink from it either.

I will stand in this breach. I will defend this nation, and I’ll allow no one to place a dagger at the throat of democracy.

We will make sure the will of the people is heard, that the ballot prevails, not violence, that authority of this nation will always be peacefully transferred.

“We are not a nation of kings”

I believe the power of the presidency and the purpose is to unite this nation. Not divide it, to lift us up, not tear us apart. It’s about us, not about me.

Deep in the heart of America burns a flame lit almost 250 years ago of liberty, freedom and equality. This is not a land of kings or dictators or autocrats.

We’re a nation of laws, of order, not chaos, of peace, not violence.

Here in America, the people rule through the ballot, and their will prevails.

So let us remember together. We’re one nation, under God, indivisible, that today, tomorrow and forever at our best, we are the United States of America.

God bless you all. God protect our troops, and may God bless those who stand watch over democracy.

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Written by Jerry Roberts

“Newsmakers” is a multimedia journalism platform that focuses on politics, media and public affairs in Santa Barbara. Learn more at newsmakerswithjr.com

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77 Comments

  1. DOULIE – Thanks for the pity, but I’d keep those “crying towels” if I were you.

    You’ll need them for any women in your life when they need reproductive health services of any kind.

    You’ll need them for your grandkids when they ask why it hurts to breath the air or where did all the animals go.

    You’ll need them for yourself when you realize that the mass deportations and tariffs on all foreign imports have caused the prices to skyrocket for everything from potatoes to MAGA hats.

    America definitely made a choice. I truly hope those of you saying “it won’t be so bad” are right! Honestly, I don’t see how it couldn’t be.

    5

    • This is so extreme. We live in California.

      You are so far removed from 90% of impact the president elect will have and yet you’re still bemoaning the fact the nation chose him in a sweeping show of support.

      We have a two party system that is never going to go away and you dems will have your chance again. Trump is not going to single-handedly kill the planet, crash the economy, or take away women’s rights. If the Conservative Party gets a majority of votes the country will move towards that. But then the dems will balance it out as the people in the center shift left. It’s what happens. Last night, the people who sway the result one way or another said they are fed up with heading left for a bit, so now as a country, we are headed left. It’s a fluctuation as there have been and will be again.

      Acting like the world is ending isn’t going to change the election result.

      -3

      • SBSTONER – I’m not trying to change the result. We lost, we lost BAD and it sucks. I’m just saying, pretty soon there’s going to be a huge “I told you so” moment and I’m just hoping it’s not as bad as it could be.

        “You are so far removed from 90% of impact the president elect will have” – yeah, that’s not true at all. As blue as CA is, we still are affected by executive orders, federal laws, oh and the economy… that’s a biggie there.

        I asked the other day whether Trump supporters truly believe the lies he spews constantly or whether they just don’t care. I’m still not sure what it is, but this attitude of “oh he’s not going to be that bad” leads me to believe you folks don’t believe him. So, you willingly elected not only a convicted felon and adjudicated sexual assaulter, you KNEW he was lying and still thought he’d be a better fit as the leader of the (once) greatest nation on earth. Man….. just ugh.

        Ignorance is bliss, clearly.

        5

        • sac – That’s it sac, keep up with the negative narrative. I’ve not heard or read of anyone saying “oh [Trump] he’s not going to be that bad – .” You’re not alone knowing the accusations against Trump or know what he’s been convicted of. I have no doubt most people in the US know Trumps background, yet, the majority of Americans (73%) chose to vote for Trump. We believe he is the best person at this time that can, among other things, lead us into peace prosperity in the USA and abroad. Trump did this once and there is absolutely no reason to believe he can’t do this again. And remember, all the actions taken by Trump during his first term that benefited all Americans were done with the numerous “lawfare” and other actions taken against him during his first term.

          -3

          • DOULIE – let’s be honest here – it wasn’t 73% of Americans, it was 73% of Americans who voted.

            A lot of stupid far lefties didn’t vote out of “protest.” The far left is as bad and annoying as the far right.

            4

          • More proof that women of color have to work three times as hard to get a fraction ahead. But educated women and men already know this. It has nothing to do with experience and track record and everything to do with misogyny, sexism, and fear.

            4

        • SBSTONER – The “I told you so” moment hasn’t come yet, obviously, and I really hope it never does.

          I appreciate the effort at dialogue here, seriously. I see and completely understand that we have differing opinions/beliefs on what our country needs. Normally, I wouldn’t have this much an issue with it, but this is more about people willingly electing a racist criminal who as admitted to sexual assault and been found liable for it and who has actually said he would like to be a dictator. This is no GW Bush, this is someone we’ve all seen lie, cheat and brag about and encourage violence against those he disagrees with. That mentality is dangerous, especially as President. I’m really grasping to understand how so many people can be ok with that, especially knowing how often he lies about what he plans to do. Remember the wall that Mexico was going to pay for? His repeal of Obamacare? All the other things he promised last time? Exactly.

          What did I vote for? Thanks for asking, I appreciate it.

          I voted:
          Against racism, homo/trans phobia, sexism, and all other forms of hate and for equality and justice for all Americans regardless how they were born.
          Against mass deportation of some of our nation’s hardest workers.
          Against Christian Nationalism and all other violations of our Founding Fathers’ ideals regarding separation of church and state.
          For the rights of women to be free to chose what they do with their bodies and for the ability to obtain reproductive healthcare.
          For the continued progress in renewable energy and other green initiatives to help heal our ailing planet.
          For the continued cooperation in NATO and support of our international allies in a world where wars by violent dictators and tyrants are crossing borders at an alarming rate.

          Those are some things I found to be important to our country.

          3

        • Call it ignorance, preference, whatever term you’d like.

          You’re the one talking about “I told you so” less than a day after the candidate you so believed in was TRUMPED at the polls. Your “I told you so” hinges on the belief that people who voted for him don’t know what they voted for.

          I did vote for a secure border. I did vote against socialist policy that has far reaching effects. I did vote to lessen American involvement and the risk of entanglement in conflicts abroad. I voted for things I believe this country needs, and as the results show, this country does want those things. So yeah, guess I told ya so.

          What did you vote for?

          -4

          • Ok, well “ignorance” sounds about right then.

            “I voted for a secure border”. You voted for the guy singlehandedly responsible for killing a bipartisan bill written by conservative Republicans that would have made huge progress in improving border security and the asylum process. You voted for the guy whose only contribution to border security last time was to demonize and destroy as many immigrant families as he could as some kind of a deterrent. You voted for the guy who prefers chaos and absurdly simplistic lies about the border so he can complain about it.

            “I did vote against socialist policy that has far reaching effects”. No, you fell for a slogan and a false narrative that has zero existence in reality. Can you even be specific about what “socialist policy” are you talking about? And if you try to name one those “far reaching effects” you’ll find you’re stuck with more slogans and lies, nothing concrete.

            You, and many, many others may have other reasons behind voting for him, ones that you’d be shy to admit to in public. Towering gullibility and yes, ignorance being the most benign of them. That’s why people like me are so distressed about the results, because of what those reasons say about our fellow citizens.

            2

            • https://www.wsj.com/opinion/kamala-harris-loses-donald-trump-democrats-2024-election-3b7bd713?st=faT5V5&mod=snapfeed

              Anon – I feel this article answers your questions about why America just elected the person you are talking about and not the one you wanted.

              I’m not going to engage in your call for me to define which exact socialist policies I’m against that Harris is a proponent of. Do your own research. You can backtrack through my comments here and get a pretty good perspective of what I’m about.

              You anon, are here trying to make it seem like I made an uninformed choice along with a majority of other Americans, but really you are just being a sore loser. You can’t call it ignorance just because it doesn’t agree with you.

              I get it. You think you are the shining face of justice along with every other lefty in Santa Barbara and CA. But guess what? You lost. The majority of citizens in this country don’t agree with you. Now take it on the chin.

              -3

  2. Sadly, those who truly think Trump is a good person, not just the spineless Republicans reluctantly choosing party over nation, either want a dictatorship or are too brainwashed (or just too unintelligent) to see what they are supporting.

    Many here like to lazily refer to liberals as “fascists,” “communists,” etc, but clearly lack the understanding of what those terms mean. The very words (and past attempted deeds) of Trump are, by definition, fascist and indicate a willingness to butcher our democracy as we know it in pursuit of a vengeful dictatorship.

    Calling out for violence and hate against the free press.

    Calling liberals “vermin” and “the enemy within.”

    Saying immigrants are “poisoning the blood” of our country.

    Wishing violence on his political opponents and even saying outright that he will turn the courts against them.

    Planning a mass deportation off all undocumented immigrants (well, at least the ones from Latin and African countries)

    These words echo those of history’s most violent and murderous authoritarians. There is no parallel on the left. There is only one choice for America to continue being the beacon of freedom and righteousness that our forefathers intended it to be.

    No one can claim ignorance at this point.

    3

    • This is actually an opportunity for the Democratic Party to RESET. Obama, Pelosi, Schumer, the Washington D.C. elite and bureaucratic machine that has CONTROLED the Media and favored lobbyists agendas are gone or will be shaken up and reduced during the next 4 yrs. The Party can recconect with the MAJORITY of Americans rather than PANDER to tiny % of focus groups and failed woke policies. The backdoor process that Obama and Pelosi used to oust Biden and place a FAILED political person, such as Harris totally BACKFIRED. There were so many other viable Democratic contenders that would have processed through a proper primary… Let’s hope this is also a RESET for our sick and diseased MEDIA outlets as well. Bring back the Cronkite’s and Tim Russert’s….

      -2

    • “At least sanity prevailed in California…” Yeah, where the Governor is so pissed that EV’s aren’t selling like his MANDATE to the People, that he is going to PENALIZE the masses with his long armed California Air Resources Board (CARB) and require higher grade/ higher refined / VERY EXPENSIVE (estimates from $1.85-$2.45 more per gallon in CA)… MANDATING what motorcycles (Electric) you can purchase and penalizing current M/C riders with strict emissions. Mandating users (mostly small businesses) of 1 Ton rated diesel pickups and vans with TWICE a year emissions testing…. And lets not forget the POLITICAL weaponization of the California Coastal Commission, who PENALIZED SpaceX, once Elon Musk decided to back Trump… Yeah, California, the ONCE “Golden State” that has the foresight to beat up on those that provide high paying jobs and pay high taxes (the businesses AND employess who used to live here…)

      -4

      • Petroleum fuels should be at least 5 times more expensive than they are to account for their actual costs to all of us, mostly hidden by subsidies.

        Musk is an idiot, with no understanding of civilization. Just like the orange moron and his minions.

        3

      • It wasn’t that long ago that the skies in our cities were much, much smoggier, due to car exhaust. I commend the Governor for continuing to push for regulations that protect our air quality. Also, there are legitimate environmental concerns with increased space launches from Vandenberg. That Coastal Commission member was wrong to make it personal, but that doesn’t change the facts.

        3

    • Disagree. They’d have lost either way with their current ultra leftist stance. Who would’ve been their choice other than Kamala? And give Kamala a few more months? Might’ve made it worse. The Dems gotta try harder to get back towards the middle. If you can’t beat a convicted felon doesn’t that send you a message on how badly you’ve gone astray?

      -3

      • Sadly, both parties are now controlled by the extremes. There are no more moderates on either side. Biden was elected in 2020 because of his long-standing reputation in the Senate of being an effective moderate, who could work with both sides. What he found, and Kamala, too, was that a) the other side is not willing to compromise anymore, and b) if they moved to the center, they would lose the support of their own party. This back-and-forth between two ideological extremes will never be settled. Watch and see: Trump’s tariff and tax plans will kick off a new round of inflation, and in four years we’ll elect another Democrat. And our problems will not be addressed – the other side (whichever that may be) will simply launch more personal attacks and we’ll change course again, if we can.

        -1

        • I struggle when people say both sides are extreme. One side is advocating to strip rights away from women, LGBTQ+, minorities, etc. while the other side is pushing for taxing billionaires, universal education, childcare, and healthcare. These are not apples to apples.

          But I do agree that there is no more partisanship and that is ineffective for everyone. We will shortly find out what happens with the GOP in control of everything and the devastating effects that will have with power unchecked. America will get what it voted for and the hope is we have the energy and strength to rebuild the democracy after it’s fallen.

          4

          • Wow, ‘anonymous’ that’s a dire outlook. You could move to Sweden or something? Maybe Portugal? I hear there’s a good surf spot there if you have the cajones for it. I know it’s a tough time for those who were and still are predicting the end of democracy as we know it if Kamala lost, but we’ll all be ok. The Dems had a great shot to win this if they simply had found a real centric, moderate candidate. They failed at that. Will they learn?

            -3

            • I hope you are right that my outlook is “dire” and therefore, untrue or improbable. I’m only basing this off research, studies, policies, words that are said, and actions that are taken. Time will tell if I’m right or you are right, but I’m really hoping that I am wrong.

              1

    • “Biden’s decline”? Have you listened to Trump recently? Those who know him best acknowledge that he is not the same man he was in 2016. You say Biden “declined” during his term – what will be left of Trump’s faculties in four years? He’ll be older that Biden – and his decline is obvious even before he takes office. Trump is also prime stroke material. Are you really ready for President Vance?

      3

        • The quote was addressing the likes of you, anon, galdorf and basically the left who in their own opinion believe they are always right, and write off anyone who supports president Trump as stupid, ignorant garbage.
          I disagree with you opinion regarding president Trump.

          -3

          • OK, then help us understand.

            Why did you vote for a man that you know is a liar, a cheater, a convicted criminal, a self admitted molester and adjudicated sexual assaulter, a man who has never been loyal to a single one of his wives, a man who has said he’d like to be a dictator, a man who has promised to rip families apart by deporting millions of immigrants, a man who makes fun of the disabled, calls our fallen soldiers suckers and losers, and so many other objectively awful things?

            Why did you decide he was the best person to lead our country? You knew all these things and still chose him. Why?

            2

            • sac – I’m confident you know I don’t need to explain to you or anyone else who or why I voted for someone. You vote for whomever you choose, fine. Nothing I can do about that. A number of Americans voted for Harris for their own reasons. Again, nothing I can do about it.. One of the beauties of living in America, we don’t have to explain to anyone, one way or the other. Bottom line, no matter who we voted for we have to live with the final results whether we like it or not. I didn’t vote for Obama or Biden but had to live with their decisions for 12 years. Shit happens, move on.

              -3

              • DOULIE – for one, I wasn’t asking you, I was asking KAPONO/JONATHAN. Secondly, I’m not demanding or even expecting an explanation, I’m just giving an opportunity for him to explain why the left think Trump supporters are “stupid, ignorant garbage.”

                You see, it’s unfathomable for us to understand why you people would support him knowing all this. Help us understand why, that’s all. He can answer or not, I really don’t care, but an explanation of why these facts are not important to his supporters (and again, I mean the true supporters, not just Repubs that voted party over country despite despising Trump).

                I seek to understand, not just sit here being insulted and belittled in off topic, deflective rants.

                2

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Pre-Election Santa Barbara Women’s March