For decades, Kentuckians have been electing a man everyone in the state hates. The secret of his success can help us understand what happened in the 2024 election.
The MAGA media don’t have to contend with difficult concepts like truth. I watched the cast at Fox practically drooling (their expressions are sickening) over Trump one evening when he was on air, It may get people elected, but when the electorate is now prepared for certain things like lower egg, bacon and gas prices, and that doesn’t begin to happen, and tariffs make ordinary items unaffordable there will come a reckoning.You over promise, you double down, repeat and repeat you have raised expectations very high. The fact that the price of eggs and bacon won’t go down will come as a shock. I don’t even know if there is more possible oil pumping to be done in the U.S. right now. If there isn’t, prices will stay right where they are. And surprise-/your parents no longer have Medicaid, Medicare or Social Security. Guess who has to help out. If Trump does as he says, there will be a lot of really angry people before the 2036 midterms. And then if he moves on deporting legal and illegal aliens—social disaster, economic disaster from removing workers and from trying to house and feed them in detention. Oh. I should mention the women in exit polls who were convinced he wouldn’t ban abortion. Good luck with that. Broken promises at high visibility…
I love your comment and agree that there will be a widespread realization of this monumental mistake. Whether it will result in a reckoning, I don’t know. It’s hard to imagine anything good happening any more. Maybe they will get trashed in the midterms and that will feel great but how much actual resistance will be able to exercised is such a huge unknown when we’re up against such satanic forces.
I think we just have to use every method at our disposal and seize every opening. Most of the country seems to be filled with hate. We have to stand against it.
We did stand against it. Harris offered joy and a ceasefire recognizing we are all Americans and we should all be able to have our needs met in policy terms after civil debate. That was not stirring enough a call to get her potential voters to the polls. The right didn’t win so much as fail to lose - their rhetoric triggered revulsion but that was depressing rather than mobilizing our votes! Obeying in advance? Conceding power to those who assert their right to dominate?
Boy you've touched on something there. Truth or lie, fox or NS NBC are the same. Because it's an echo chamber. It doesn't matter the validity of the narrative. Why? Because all either one of them do is bash the opposition. Let me let you in a big secret. The opposition has nothing to do with the quality of governance either offers. At least not an accountability manner raving about Trump and this Vladimir Putin executive by proxy that's not a damn thing to hold the Democratic Party accountable. In first world countries with legitimate political parties, they stand on their own merit.
Excluding times of armed overthrow and violent self installation as a leader of the sovereign there are no parties like the Democrats in the GOP anywhere in the first world. Nowhere. That's why we're in the Third World shit hole. Instead of trying to be slightly better than the GOP, just go for good governance. In no way in no time and no place can the Democratic Party be considered legitimate political party other than in relevance to the GOP. Well here's the bottom line.
Slightly better than really really really shitty, is still pretty damn shitty. People don't vote for you. Do you understand what I'm saying?
An excellent post, Susan. I've been thinking of you all week and waiting to read your assessment of the deeply disappointing and alarming (but unsurprising - I wish I could say otherwise) election outcome.
Right on the mark! So what do we do as a nation, and as individuals to counter this powerful evil? Do we have to wait for catastrophe, violence, war, to wake us up? We are already seeing the price of these lies and the rule of oligarchs in the values we teach our young and in our failure to care for those among us in need. Thanks for all you do,Susan. Sumter Carmichael
Yes, what do we do? Edward is a Russian scholar (NOT because of politics; because of the literature and language) and knows a lot about that part of the world and is extremely worried about Ukraine and where that might go. And of course that’s just one (albeit huge) area of potential disaster. He and I had a discussion about what national resistance might still be possible, both while Biden is still in office and afterward. The bottom line was that we had no idea what resources there are or what might be happening behind the scenes.
Thank you! I know you said you were going to pull back for a while (do what you need to do to take care of yourself!) — I appreciate this post tying many threads in today’s hardball politics together.
I’m a divided soul right now. I can’t stand to watch the news or to listen to the disgusting postmortems going on. But I very much need to be writing and engaging with my substack community. This one lost me quite a few subscribers—I’m guessing because they’d had it with political discussion—and I totally get it!! It doesn’t bother me the way big losses have in the past because I so, so understand.
Well I love it and I think it is important to continue to engage on the real issues of power and not play the kind of blame games going on now. I refuse to read them, especially the ones where the headline already proclaims “snooty liberals are too far/not far enough left” and “Harris/Biden didn’t do what I wanted”
❤️❤️❤️ Excellent, thank you! Very good, clear, persuasive writing.
I do hate political correctness after having seen it in corporate environments for 25 years 🙂 Truth is a two way street, and recognizing someone's unfitness or fitness is equally important in pursuit of ultimate freedom.
I was born and raised in a section of western KY named after a genocidal maniac...The Jackson Purchase. I moved to Illinois decades ago. Early on I became aware of the fact that more often than not it has been the Jackson Purchase that has put McConnell over the top during an election as polls close from east to west. A study of that part of the state would be insightful re: McConnell's hold on power in KY.
By putting trump's win in the context of Nixon, Reagan's elections makes obvious that our kabuki theater elections are a cycle that will continue until we recognize the core problem. It seems to me that all of the prognosticators, pundits, editorialists who are offering various reasons why we failed so miserably in this election are missing the bigger picture. The US is not a democracy and it's demonstrable at this late date. We are under the ruling thumb of a minority. KY is a case in point.
How is it that a state with a population smaller than Cook County Illinois, has had such destructive influence nationally? By repeatedly sending McConnell to D.C. we now have an Extreme Court busy encoding Vatican theology into our system of laws and ruling that a President can commit crimes with impunity. We have a twice impeached orange degenerate for president who was never convicted in the Senate because of KY's McConnell. The list goes on. Why is it that a state that is last in most things good and first in most things bad has such national influence?
We suffer under minority rule because we adhere to a dysfunctional, 250 yo constitution that can't be amended nor is up to the task of democracy much less governance. Our allegiance to such a moribund document is misplaced. Trump's election should be a wakeup call to think outside of the box. In that regard I suggest reading Alexander Moss' thought experiment "A More Perfect Union" that considers breaking up the US into 5 or more autonomous nations similar to the EU. Moss' 124 page book outlines how it could be done.
From the foreword:
"Starting in 2017, mainstream polling firms such as Zogby, Bright Line Watch / YouGov, and the University of Virginia Center for Politics consistently find that support for breaking up the United States into regional sub-groups is growing. As of 2021, polling across several different vendors shows roughly 40% of Biden voters and 50% or more of Trump voters would vote to break the country up - stunning figures.
This book takes the "what if" of breaking up the country and develops a roadmap based on a constitutional amendment. The book develops a model in which the current United States is broken into six new nations. Each new nation begins with a copy of the existing Constitution. Topics covered include details on polling, legal mechanics, economics (including the dollar and Federal Reserve), military, foreign policy, and much more. The new nations would remain affiliated in an economic and political union similar to but uniquely different from) the Commonwealth or the European Union.
As the political divisions in the United States threaten to grow from cultural wars into increased political violence, it's important for all citizens to consider options. This book outlines a potential scenario - a dramatic step, but an important alternative to civil war."
“It seems to me that all of the prognosticators, pundits, editorialists who are offering various reasons why we failed so miserably in this election are missing the bigger picture. The US is not a democracy and it's demonstrable at this late date. We are under the ruling thumb of a minority. “ Truth!
I will check out that book. Thanks for the excellent comment.
This seems like a good idea, but isn’t the whole point of disinformation from Russia, China and Iran to cause division,creating a fatal weakness? How long before the old confederacy returns to aggression? Remaining affiliated seems like a stretch.
Great explanatory post with a lot of range, Susan. We don’t get to hear enough about mean’ol Mitch. These days feel like Neruda walking the streets of Santiago before the Pinochet coup.
also the big wave of immigrants (in last decade) who are eligible to vote are working class, yes? They are not educated, it seems, when it comes to complicated issues like inflation (and democracy). The men vote for macho alpha-male reasons, basically setting the US back at least 50 years when it comes to womens' rights
Don’t blame immigrants. Or the working class. Less educated people often find it harder to read and get their info from tv and podcasts. Less affluent people have less time to follow news and need it presented in headlines (and these were horrible choices by legacy media) and in soundbites on the news (ditto).
well they need to be educated, the ones that vote. Down here in FL, they keep saying Democrats are socialists and the uneducated (too busy) buy it--they repeat it back to me. I'm a leftie, so I'm not anti-immigrants but I think they also might bring a numbness to authoritarian governments with them (the ones that aren't political). Who knows. Not an expert--just commenting on the voter stats and on some articles I've read recently.
Thank you Susan. We need true media coverage. I also shared Tomasky's piece on Facebook, I think it was too long but many but a few did agree, there is an inherent issue with the news we are all getting. Its all the same and it's all Anti-Democratic. They hated Clinton and Biden and never covered all the wonderful progress made under Biden/Harris. I will never forgive the media on the way they covered Hillary and then Comey, it cost her the election and they were the reason for her favorability going from almost 80% to below 50% and the lesser of 2 evils?? Outrageous. Trump is the DOMINANT news figure - he got more coverage than President Joe Biden. Harris had favorable coverage for about 3 weeks, typical of the same 3 week coverage they gave to Biden ONLY when they wanted him OUT. They succeeded on all fronts. They are all only covering the Fox News and right-wing podcasts, etc. all the while claiming Dems have No Message! REALLY?? I wish just once somebody would answer the question "what did Trump do for the working and lower and middle class?" Why is he given the use of the flag and carry the term true patriots of America where we are somehow the weak and crying democrats. The Dems did no favor to Biden either. Harris was covered horribly by everyone for the last 3 years and then, suddenly - she is GREAT, wonderful until she isn't and has no message. What is the Republican Message?? I am going to step away and just enjoy my life and see what happens. He won it all, I guess but it is NOT a landslide. The swing states were once again close and I find it odd, less people votes about 10 Million plus. Odd. Trump didn't improve the number of people actually who voted for him, he got 74 Million in 2020 and close to that number in 2024. Biden received 81 Million votes and nobody claimed what a Landslide it was and a mandate. So sick of the double standard and YES the media is Corporate Right America and they will be running America - so buckle up. In 2020 about 155 Million people vote or about 66%. In 2020 only 143Million people vote so that percentage is down to 58% of eligible votes voted. So, can we all stop staying HALF OF AMERICA VOTED FOR TRUMP - not even close to half of America. I have had enough of cable news for a lifetime and all their disecting, which is totally wrong.
Missing Eric Boehler and your voice too Susan. Too bad the media didn't cover you - that would have made them look bad and they don't want that.
It's an outstanding analysis, Susan. But of what practical value? McConnell's tactics have been working since 1984. I fear he's going to pass away in office because Democrats have been unable to find a way to defeat him. Why don't Democrats seriously oppose him?
It's slightly different in WV. The Democrats pretty much gave up here as well after Robert C. Byrd passed away. They hoped they could influence Joe Manchin but that strategy blew up in their faces. Now, it's a lost cause for the next generation; maybe longer.
Mitch McConnell under the microscope is an unseemly sight. Beautiful, passionate work! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this deep background so skillfully done even while I almost gagged at the portrait of Mitch, Dostoevskian in his villainy. A book on this angle might be fun to write, Susan:) You are staring the beast in the face and still having fun with it, hard to do these days.
I must say this also. Since you have a repertoire of subjects of interest that you enjoy writing about, the politics topic. It's not in your wheelhouse.
The MAGA media don’t have to contend with difficult concepts like truth. I watched the cast at Fox practically drooling (their expressions are sickening) over Trump one evening when he was on air, It may get people elected, but when the electorate is now prepared for certain things like lower egg, bacon and gas prices, and that doesn’t begin to happen, and tariffs make ordinary items unaffordable there will come a reckoning.You over promise, you double down, repeat and repeat you have raised expectations very high. The fact that the price of eggs and bacon won’t go down will come as a shock. I don’t even know if there is more possible oil pumping to be done in the U.S. right now. If there isn’t, prices will stay right where they are. And surprise-/your parents no longer have Medicaid, Medicare or Social Security. Guess who has to help out. If Trump does as he says, there will be a lot of really angry people before the 2036 midterms. And then if he moves on deporting legal and illegal aliens—social disaster, economic disaster from removing workers and from trying to house and feed them in detention. Oh. I should mention the women in exit polls who were convinced he wouldn’t ban abortion. Good luck with that. Broken promises at high visibility…
I love your comment and agree that there will be a widespread realization of this monumental mistake. Whether it will result in a reckoning, I don’t know. It’s hard to imagine anything good happening any more. Maybe they will get trashed in the midterms and that will feel great but how much actual resistance will be able to exercised is such a huge unknown when we’re up against such satanic forces.
I think we just have to use every method at our disposal and seize every opening. Most of the country seems to be filled with hate. We have to stand against it.
We did stand against it. Harris offered joy and a ceasefire recognizing we are all Americans and we should all be able to have our needs met in policy terms after civil debate. That was not stirring enough a call to get her potential voters to the polls. The right didn’t win so much as fail to lose - their rhetoric triggered revulsion but that was depressing rather than mobilizing our votes! Obeying in advance? Conceding power to those who assert their right to dominate?
Boy you've touched on something there. Truth or lie, fox or NS NBC are the same. Because it's an echo chamber. It doesn't matter the validity of the narrative. Why? Because all either one of them do is bash the opposition. Let me let you in a big secret. The opposition has nothing to do with the quality of governance either offers. At least not an accountability manner raving about Trump and this Vladimir Putin executive by proxy that's not a damn thing to hold the Democratic Party accountable. In first world countries with legitimate political parties, they stand on their own merit.
Excluding times of armed overthrow and violent self installation as a leader of the sovereign there are no parties like the Democrats in the GOP anywhere in the first world. Nowhere. That's why we're in the Third World shit hole. Instead of trying to be slightly better than the GOP, just go for good governance. In no way in no time and no place can the Democratic Party be considered legitimate political party other than in relevance to the GOP. Well here's the bottom line.
Slightly better than really really really shitty, is still pretty damn shitty. People don't vote for you. Do you understand what I'm saying?
An excellent post, Susan. I've been thinking of you all week and waiting to read your assessment of the deeply disappointing and alarming (but unsurprising - I wish I could say otherwise) election outcome.
Thanks Christine! My heart gets a little warmer to know you’ve been thinking of me. And every bit of warmth helps in this cold, cold time.
Right on the mark! So what do we do as a nation, and as individuals to counter this powerful evil? Do we have to wait for catastrophe, violence, war, to wake us up? We are already seeing the price of these lies and the rule of oligarchs in the values we teach our young and in our failure to care for those among us in need. Thanks for all you do,Susan. Sumter Carmichael
Thank you, Sumter.
Yes, what do we do? Edward is a Russian scholar (NOT because of politics; because of the literature and language) and knows a lot about that part of the world and is extremely worried about Ukraine and where that might go. And of course that’s just one (albeit huge) area of potential disaster. He and I had a discussion about what national resistance might still be possible, both while Biden is still in office and afterward. The bottom line was that we had no idea what resources there are or what might be happening behind the scenes.
Thank you! I know you said you were going to pull back for a while (do what you need to do to take care of yourself!) — I appreciate this post tying many threads in today’s hardball politics together.
I’m a divided soul right now. I can’t stand to watch the news or to listen to the disgusting postmortems going on. But I very much need to be writing and engaging with my substack community. This one lost me quite a few subscribers—I’m guessing because they’d had it with political discussion—and I totally get it!! It doesn’t bother me the way big losses have in the past because I so, so understand.
Well I love it and I think it is important to continue to engage on the real issues of power and not play the kind of blame games going on now. I refuse to read them, especially the ones where the headline already proclaims “snooty liberals are too far/not far enough left” and “Harris/Biden didn’t do what I wanted”
❤️❤️❤️ Excellent, thank you! Very good, clear, persuasive writing.
I do hate political correctness after having seen it in corporate environments for 25 years 🙂 Truth is a two way street, and recognizing someone's unfitness or fitness is equally important in pursuit of ultimate freedom.
I was born and raised in a section of western KY named after a genocidal maniac...The Jackson Purchase. I moved to Illinois decades ago. Early on I became aware of the fact that more often than not it has been the Jackson Purchase that has put McConnell over the top during an election as polls close from east to west. A study of that part of the state would be insightful re: McConnell's hold on power in KY.
By putting trump's win in the context of Nixon, Reagan's elections makes obvious that our kabuki theater elections are a cycle that will continue until we recognize the core problem. It seems to me that all of the prognosticators, pundits, editorialists who are offering various reasons why we failed so miserably in this election are missing the bigger picture. The US is not a democracy and it's demonstrable at this late date. We are under the ruling thumb of a minority. KY is a case in point.
How is it that a state with a population smaller than Cook County Illinois, has had such destructive influence nationally? By repeatedly sending McConnell to D.C. we now have an Extreme Court busy encoding Vatican theology into our system of laws and ruling that a President can commit crimes with impunity. We have a twice impeached orange degenerate for president who was never convicted in the Senate because of KY's McConnell. The list goes on. Why is it that a state that is last in most things good and first in most things bad has such national influence?
We suffer under minority rule because we adhere to a dysfunctional, 250 yo constitution that can't be amended nor is up to the task of democracy much less governance. Our allegiance to such a moribund document is misplaced. Trump's election should be a wakeup call to think outside of the box. In that regard I suggest reading Alexander Moss' thought experiment "A More Perfect Union" that considers breaking up the US into 5 or more autonomous nations similar to the EU. Moss' 124 page book outlines how it could be done.
From the foreword:
"Starting in 2017, mainstream polling firms such as Zogby, Bright Line Watch / YouGov, and the University of Virginia Center for Politics consistently find that support for breaking up the United States into regional sub-groups is growing. As of 2021, polling across several different vendors shows roughly 40% of Biden voters and 50% or more of Trump voters would vote to break the country up - stunning figures.
This book takes the "what if" of breaking up the country and develops a roadmap based on a constitutional amendment. The book develops a model in which the current United States is broken into six new nations. Each new nation begins with a copy of the existing Constitution. Topics covered include details on polling, legal mechanics, economics (including the dollar and Federal Reserve), military, foreign policy, and much more. The new nations would remain affiliated in an economic and political union similar to but uniquely different from) the Commonwealth or the European Union.
As the political divisions in the United States threaten to grow from cultural wars into increased political violence, it's important for all citizens to consider options. This book outlines a potential scenario - a dramatic step, but an important alternative to civil war."
“It seems to me that all of the prognosticators, pundits, editorialists who are offering various reasons why we failed so miserably in this election are missing the bigger picture. The US is not a democracy and it's demonstrable at this late date. We are under the ruling thumb of a minority. “ Truth!
I will check out that book. Thanks for the excellent comment.
This seems like a good idea, but isn’t the whole point of disinformation from Russia, China and Iran to cause division,creating a fatal weakness? How long before the old confederacy returns to aggression? Remaining affiliated seems like a stretch.
Great explanatory post with a lot of range, Susan. We don’t get to hear enough about mean’ol Mitch. These days feel like Neruda walking the streets of Santiago before the Pinochet coup.
Thank you Wayne. And yes about what these days feel like.
also the big wave of immigrants (in last decade) who are eligible to vote are working class, yes? They are not educated, it seems, when it comes to complicated issues like inflation (and democracy). The men vote for macho alpha-male reasons, basically setting the US back at least 50 years when it comes to womens' rights
Don’t blame immigrants. Or the working class. Less educated people often find it harder to read and get their info from tv and podcasts. Less affluent people have less time to follow news and need it presented in headlines (and these were horrible choices by legacy media) and in soundbites on the news (ditto).
well they need to be educated, the ones that vote. Down here in FL, they keep saying Democrats are socialists and the uneducated (too busy) buy it--they repeat it back to me. I'm a leftie, so I'm not anti-immigrants but I think they also might bring a numbness to authoritarian governments with them (the ones that aren't political). Who knows. Not an expert--just commenting on the voter stats and on some articles I've read recently.
Thank you Susan. We need true media coverage. I also shared Tomasky's piece on Facebook, I think it was too long but many but a few did agree, there is an inherent issue with the news we are all getting. Its all the same and it's all Anti-Democratic. They hated Clinton and Biden and never covered all the wonderful progress made under Biden/Harris. I will never forgive the media on the way they covered Hillary and then Comey, it cost her the election and they were the reason for her favorability going from almost 80% to below 50% and the lesser of 2 evils?? Outrageous. Trump is the DOMINANT news figure - he got more coverage than President Joe Biden. Harris had favorable coverage for about 3 weeks, typical of the same 3 week coverage they gave to Biden ONLY when they wanted him OUT. They succeeded on all fronts. They are all only covering the Fox News and right-wing podcasts, etc. all the while claiming Dems have No Message! REALLY?? I wish just once somebody would answer the question "what did Trump do for the working and lower and middle class?" Why is he given the use of the flag and carry the term true patriots of America where we are somehow the weak and crying democrats. The Dems did no favor to Biden either. Harris was covered horribly by everyone for the last 3 years and then, suddenly - she is GREAT, wonderful until she isn't and has no message. What is the Republican Message?? I am going to step away and just enjoy my life and see what happens. He won it all, I guess but it is NOT a landslide. The swing states were once again close and I find it odd, less people votes about 10 Million plus. Odd. Trump didn't improve the number of people actually who voted for him, he got 74 Million in 2020 and close to that number in 2024. Biden received 81 Million votes and nobody claimed what a Landslide it was and a mandate. So sick of the double standard and YES the media is Corporate Right America and they will be running America - so buckle up. In 2020 about 155 Million people vote or about 66%. In 2020 only 143Million people vote so that percentage is down to 58% of eligible votes voted. So, can we all stop staying HALF OF AMERICA VOTED FOR TRUMP - not even close to half of America. I have had enough of cable news for a lifetime and all their disecting, which is totally wrong.
Missing Eric Boehler and your voice too Susan. Too bad the media didn't cover you - that would have made them look bad and they don't want that.
This piece is absolutely essential for understanding the 2024 election. Thanks for writing it, Susan!
Tom, just seeing your name makes me feel a little better. And thanks for your comment. Would sure love to get together somehow.
That's very kind of you. I'd love that, too.
Thank you again for your outstanding reporting, Susan!
Thank you, Shelley!
Well done Susan!
Thank you Kelly!
One of your best! Seeds for another book? (But please take care of yourself.)
Thanks Bill!! I’m not thinking book—at least, not yet. But I sure appreciate the appreciation. And the personal concern.
It's an outstanding analysis, Susan. But of what practical value? McConnell's tactics have been working since 1984. I fear he's going to pass away in office because Democrats have been unable to find a way to defeat him. Why don't Democrats seriously oppose him?
Thank you Jerry!
Why he hasn’t been opposed is a long story, requiring a whole separate post. The most salient sum-up: They’ve given up on Kentucky.
It's slightly different in WV. The Democrats pretty much gave up here as well after Robert C. Byrd passed away. They hoped they could influence Joe Manchin but that strategy blew up in their faces. Now, it's a lost cause for the next generation; maybe longer.
Mitch McConnell under the microscope is an unseemly sight. Beautiful, passionate work! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this deep background so skillfully done even while I almost gagged at the portrait of Mitch, Dostoevskian in his villainy. A book on this angle might be fun to write, Susan:) You are staring the beast in the face and still having fun with it, hard to do these days.
I must say this also. Since you have a repertoire of subjects of interest that you enjoy writing about, the politics topic. It's not in your wheelhouse.