Originally published at: At Least We Won’t Have Sleepwalked Into Authoritarianism
A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo. Sign up for the email version. History Will Know Last night President Joe Biden gave what by any measure was an unprecedented Oval Office address warning of the dangers to democracy posed by Donald Trump, without ever mentioning his name. Sitting…
3 Likes
Revolving front door this am, tx to @yoopertj for link.
Edited to add bird, not cat:
Great crested flycatcher
64 Likes
Mmm.
1 Like
No one can say we weren’t warned about many things but when has that made a difference.
Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.
Fire and Ice
by Robert Frost
58 Likes
Came down the chimney but I ain’t Santa.
15 Likes
Backdoor.
11 Likes
2 things:
-
I think the ‘sleepwalking’ problem is one of ‘American exceptionalism’. Many (If not most…) Americans believe that America really is a special place, blessed by God, and the terrible things that happen in other countries could simply never happen here. They believe that America’s invincibility is so strong that at a crude disruptor like Mr. Trump could shake the system but never really break it.
-
Can someone explain to me why after all this time the comments thread on the Morning Memo still doesn’t work?
60 Likes
Trump: And then the campaign says “I’m the prosecutor and he is the convicted felon.” I don’t think people are going to buy it
TSF continued - “'just like me, real americans have no interest in objective truth. Lies and bullshit are so much more entertaining.”’
44 Likes
I thought so, too, but I got a login error. signed out, signed back in. Same issue.
14 Likes
“unreal”
Eigel is just plain creepy.
12 Likes
Who’s that knockin’ on my back door???
Who’s that knockin’ on my back door???
Needed the back door again this am.
In any case,
For reasons that are probably peculiar to me, I have been focused to the point of borderline obsessiveness on helping to create a historical record that we didn’t just sleepwalk our way into authoritarianism. If we end up sliding over the cliff into a uniquely American form of fascism, I want it to be unmistakably clear to historians and everyone who comes after us that we knew what was happening. We saw it. We endeavored to prevent it, to arrest the slide, to warn of the perils. We had eyes wide open. We were not blindsided. If it happens, it happened despite our best efforts.
The warnings have come from sitting federal judges, from highly respected longtime Republicans cast out by their party, from conservatives who were previously villains in the progressive firmament, and now from President Biden sitting in the Oval Office having made a substantial personal sacrifice of his own as a way of further sounding the alarm
History will show that we knew. Maybe that will erase the smugness of future generations that somehow they are immune. We are not, and neither are they.
History will be written by the victors, which will be known in November/December 2024. Possibly not even until January 2025.
Complacency and ignorance, e.g., oh, it won’t be as bad as you say it will/hair on fire accusations, will define the outcome. GOTV efforts will define the outcome. If this turnout is less than 50%, the death sentence of the Republic will be written. There’s no reason for the GQP not to turn out, as they already see and have had it drummed into their heads in a matter of a few days that they aren’t going to get their country back if Harris wins. They are going to make damned sure that this doesn’t happen, her election to POTUS.
Tell everyone you know: the answer is us.
38 Likes
Doo doo doo…
12 Likes
If we could, it would be fixed by now… [/s]
14 Likes
The 13-member task force will be comprised of seven Republican and six Democratic members and have subpoena power.
Oh, FFS. There is NO interest in finding out the truth in this commission.
The only thing these assholes are looking for is a way to (somehow) tie the republican shooter to dems or Antifacists.
To (somehow) find Kamala (or her VP yet to be named) responsible for a lapse in security and impeach her/both.
And to spread wild ass “magic bullet” conspiracy theories influence the upcoming election.
They will NOT ask questions about his medical condition, what role republican’s own rhetoric, or love of gun culture with lax safety laws played in the lead up to this tragedy.
46 Likes
Someone needs to call at least one of the doctors in to the hearing and get the low-down on the actual injury and how it was really caused. HIPAA might prevent this, but this isn’t a normal situation. It’s amazing how quiet this all is, ten days after it happened.
34 Likes
Well said! 
However, correct me If I am wrong, but I assume the MM is the star attraction of TPM.
If you do a major update that breaks your most valuable content, I assume you would try to fix it quickly…
14 Likes
“I’m the prosecutor and he is the convicted felon.” I don’t think people are going to buy it."
Please proceed, Orange one. Testing that theory is an excellent strategy for November. Remind everyone in every appearance that you’re a felon. Might I add you should go into more detail though. For those in the back.
Oh, and as an aside, love the “I won’t turn back” reprise. Get that into the campaign rally playlist, stat!
32 Likes
“Who controls the present controls the past,” said O’Brien, nodding his head with slow approval. “Is it your opinion, Winston, that the past has real existence?”
22 Likes
Might be a case of ability; might be a case of money; might be a case of apathy. Might be a case of all three? No one seems to want to challenge this, so I’m guess the third option is the dominant factor.
I’ve also noticed that their LiveWire function is MIA for the last couple of days.
5 Likes