I'm glad you had a great vacation despite the rocky beginning! We're about to take a trip next week; I think the glitches have been resolved.
It now appears we have the momentum to be rid of Trump politically, hopefully for good. So I'm just a tiny bit less worried right now about Project 2025 than I was a month ago. However, I am (and have been for some time) concerned about the probability that, should the Democratic nominee win, many state election officials, whose offices in those states have been stacked with 2020 election deniers, will simply refuse to certify a Harris victory in their states.
I understand that the Biden campaign had developed plans for countering legal challenges to the election results if necessary, and I'm sure the Harris campaign will inherit those plans. But what contingencies do they have for these potentially *extralegal* challenges? We saw the fake elector plot last time around; now they have more experience, have election officials willing to go along with messing with our votes, and a compliant Supreme Court. I sure hope Biden, no longer distracted with campaigning, will work hard to develop plans to make sure all our votes count in all the states.
This is a very real threat. I know it's on the radar of many secretaries of state. What you lay out is a likely scenario. Perhaps the likeliest scenario.
Way back in '17 Benjamin Wittes predicted the Trump presidency would be "malevolence tempered by incompetence." I don't see how bringing a cattle car full of squabbling Christian Nationalist cranks aboard is actually going to help with their ongoing competence problems. These are just not the kinds of "organization men" you need to seamlessly implement an agenda.
Anything can happen-- as Bruce Coburn warned us https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRDbjDCOclA --but the federal government is a pretty big ship, and even the executive branch is a difficult to control beast. Any truly religiously zealous Christian Nationalist is going to have a theological agenda that's going to run crosswise with the agendas of other true believers, not to mention the numerous barstool Amber-Rose-fanboys in the administration and the country. Not a strong reed to lean on, but in my experience these folks are just too nutty to pull anything substantive enough to be a threat together. They'll eat each other alive out of clashing ambition and ideology.
A friend of mine who was part of the Republican Revolution in 94 assured me in 2016 that the fed govt was too big and not to worry. Having seen what he's seen, he's worried now. The thing about Project 2025 is that is exactly the problem they're targeting. Drain the swamp. Can they achieve it? They can fire and hire, yes. Can they agree on a shared agenda? That's the big question. But depending on how power is wielded and doled out, agreement becomes less significant. But yes, I celebrate any rifts, disagreements, and infighting. There are a lot of egos in those rooms.
Right, and 2025's plan makes sense given their goals. But it's still just a form. The substance will be critical, and that's provided by the actual people. Those people, insofar as they're true believers, will be nuts. I'm not saying they won't get anything done, of course (Vance instead of Pence would have made a difference on 1/6 eg). I'm just not expecting Gilead. I'm thinking more Animal House, actually.
I know I have felt much more excited since Harris became the presumptive nominee. It would not only be a huge blow to the far-right if she won, it would be a huge move forward as a nation.
I believe that the Dems would now win a free and fair election. However, I hope they've got a handle on election interference and other election crimes. Not only is Trump telling Christians they only need to vote once, he's also telling others that they don't need to vote at all. See "Maddow points out frightening truth about Trump's lack of concern about votes"...
I gave an interview on those comments yesterday. Yes, Trump's election denial is at the heart of every campaign speech he gives. We need to take it very seriously.
Welcome back! Glad you had a great vacation. Terrific interview with Michel. Thank you for helping educate the American public and for all the hard work and preparation that goes into each one of these interviews!
That was one fine interview. I particularly liked the interviewer's last question and your response to it. The possibility of Mr. Trump's election and the implementation of the Project 2025 proposals is strong. As you say, those events would be part of a now-half-century-old movement but also "very much a moment" in which what we understand to be a democracy is threatened. You end "Jesus and John Wayne," to my way of reading it, with a word of hope: "Appreciating how this ideology developed over time is also essential for those who wish to dismantle it. What was once done might also be undone." I've often thought of that undoing through the lens of Richard Rohr's dichotomy between first-half-of-life spirituality and second-half of-life spirituality (his book "Falling Upward"). In doing so, I admittedly project my own bio on other people, picturing them slowly and painfully growing out of a rigid and literal version of Christianity. Part of my bio involves owning up to my white and male privilege and getting to know people who live outside of those privileges. With the strong possibility that Mr. Trump and his Project 2025 people take control of the Justice Department and the courts, however, I'm not sure if there's enough space for such a slow movement toward a second-half-of-life spirituality--on a massive scale!-- to happen.
My 30 something son is so energized since Biden stepped down and Harris stepped up. He was on the “White Dudes” call (with our MN governor, Tim Walz!) which he reports was incredible. I think many younger adults feel like they can breathe again.
Complicated logistics because rental cars were $1000 cheaper a few hours away. We were going to fly into Rapid City while he picked up a van in Sioux Falls and drove out to meet us, but through some creativity and a lot of driving, we made it work.
Also, he got home from NY (where he picked up my youngest from camp) just 3 hours before his flight departed, and then ended up sleeping in the MSP airport because there were no hotels available in the city. He texted me: "Do not get on a plane. The scene is apocalyptic here." And yet, there we were at 5am hoping to board a plane to MSP.
I'm glad you had a great vacation despite the rocky beginning! We're about to take a trip next week; I think the glitches have been resolved.
It now appears we have the momentum to be rid of Trump politically, hopefully for good. So I'm just a tiny bit less worried right now about Project 2025 than I was a month ago. However, I am (and have been for some time) concerned about the probability that, should the Democratic nominee win, many state election officials, whose offices in those states have been stacked with 2020 election deniers, will simply refuse to certify a Harris victory in their states.
I understand that the Biden campaign had developed plans for countering legal challenges to the election results if necessary, and I'm sure the Harris campaign will inherit those plans. But what contingencies do they have for these potentially *extralegal* challenges? We saw the fake elector plot last time around; now they have more experience, have election officials willing to go along with messing with our votes, and a compliant Supreme Court. I sure hope Biden, no longer distracted with campaigning, will work hard to develop plans to make sure all our votes count in all the states.
This is a very real threat. I know it's on the radar of many secretaries of state. What you lay out is a likely scenario. Perhaps the likeliest scenario.
Great summary of the happenings last week!!! Thanks! 😊 I feel more hopeful today than I did two weeks ago!!! But it ain’t over yet 😃
Way back in '17 Benjamin Wittes predicted the Trump presidency would be "malevolence tempered by incompetence." I don't see how bringing a cattle car full of squabbling Christian Nationalist cranks aboard is actually going to help with their ongoing competence problems. These are just not the kinds of "organization men" you need to seamlessly implement an agenda.
The question is what happens if they stumble upon one who is.
Anything can happen-- as Bruce Coburn warned us https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRDbjDCOclA --but the federal government is a pretty big ship, and even the executive branch is a difficult to control beast. Any truly religiously zealous Christian Nationalist is going to have a theological agenda that's going to run crosswise with the agendas of other true believers, not to mention the numerous barstool Amber-Rose-fanboys in the administration and the country. Not a strong reed to lean on, but in my experience these folks are just too nutty to pull anything substantive enough to be a threat together. They'll eat each other alive out of clashing ambition and ideology.
A friend of mine who was part of the Republican Revolution in 94 assured me in 2016 that the fed govt was too big and not to worry. Having seen what he's seen, he's worried now. The thing about Project 2025 is that is exactly the problem they're targeting. Drain the swamp. Can they achieve it? They can fire and hire, yes. Can they agree on a shared agenda? That's the big question. But depending on how power is wielded and doled out, agreement becomes less significant. But yes, I celebrate any rifts, disagreements, and infighting. There are a lot of egos in those rooms.
Right, and 2025's plan makes sense given their goals. But it's still just a form. The substance will be critical, and that's provided by the actual people. Those people, insofar as they're true believers, will be nuts. I'm not saying they won't get anything done, of course (Vance instead of Pence would have made a difference on 1/6 eg). I'm just not expecting Gilead. I'm thinking more Animal House, actually.
I know I have felt much more excited since Harris became the presumptive nominee. It would not only be a huge blow to the far-right if she won, it would be a huge move forward as a nation.
I believe that the Dems would now win a free and fair election. However, I hope they've got a handle on election interference and other election crimes. Not only is Trump telling Christians they only need to vote once, he's also telling others that they don't need to vote at all. See "Maddow points out frightening truth about Trump's lack of concern about votes"...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=of9OP_a6MNg
I gave an interview on those comments yesterday. Yes, Trump's election denial is at the heart of every campaign speech he gives. We need to take it very seriously.
I grudgingly concede, in the light of that third picture, that Scotland doesn't have a complete monopoly on beautiful landscape.
It was stunning!
Living in deep red Idaho with extreme GOP leadership, elements of Project 2025 are an imminent concern. We fight this battle every legislative period.
Welcome back! Glad you had a great vacation. Terrific interview with Michel. Thank you for helping educate the American public and for all the hard work and preparation that goes into each one of these interviews!
Outstanding interview, great analysis. Thanks and welcome back!
Enjoyed the images of Yellowstone! (More than the images of getting there)
Looking forward to some on Christians voting/not voting....... Peace
The Atlantic had a good article on this and the connections between Trump & the 140 from his admin that had a hand in it. https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2024/08/trump-project-2025-director-weird/679321/?gift=ph3j2KbAgTRCKX1eCvQKiWM_nequsYXk1a22P9C6Zzs&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share
That was one fine interview. I particularly liked the interviewer's last question and your response to it. The possibility of Mr. Trump's election and the implementation of the Project 2025 proposals is strong. As you say, those events would be part of a now-half-century-old movement but also "very much a moment" in which what we understand to be a democracy is threatened. You end "Jesus and John Wayne," to my way of reading it, with a word of hope: "Appreciating how this ideology developed over time is also essential for those who wish to dismantle it. What was once done might also be undone." I've often thought of that undoing through the lens of Richard Rohr's dichotomy between first-half-of-life spirituality and second-half of-life spirituality (his book "Falling Upward"). In doing so, I admittedly project my own bio on other people, picturing them slowly and painfully growing out of a rigid and literal version of Christianity. Part of my bio involves owning up to my white and male privilege and getting to know people who live outside of those privileges. With the strong possibility that Mr. Trump and his Project 2025 people take control of the Justice Department and the courts, however, I'm not sure if there's enough space for such a slow movement toward a second-half-of-life spirituality--on a massive scale!-- to happen.
My 30 something son is so energized since Biden stepped down and Harris stepped up. He was on the “White Dudes” call (with our MN governor, Tim Walz!) which he reports was incredible. I think many younger adults feel like they can breathe again.
Tangentially related, as the parent who has been sent ahead to line up the rental car, I could appreciate the traffic hiccup.
Complicated logistics because rental cars were $1000 cheaper a few hours away. We were going to fly into Rapid City while he picked up a van in Sioux Falls and drove out to meet us, but through some creativity and a lot of driving, we made it work.
Also, he got home from NY (where he picked up my youngest from camp) just 3 hours before his flight departed, and then ended up sleeping in the MSP airport because there were no hotels available in the city. He texted me: "Do not get on a plane. The scene is apocalyptic here." And yet, there we were at 5am hoping to board a plane to MSP.
Thank you
Thanks, Kristin. You were so good in that interview. Many are grateful for you.
Thank you. I put *a lot* of prep into that one, and I was really happy with the way it turned out.