A man wearing an MSU Spartans tee shirt and camo cargo shorts presented himself at the Whitehouse at the gate where tourists registered for tours.
"I am very excited to tour the Whitehouse and I was wondering if you could tell me the chances of meeting President Kamala Harris or Vice President Tim Walz?" the man enthused toward the clerk recording names.
The clerk was visibly uncomfortable. "I regret to inform you that you will meet neither. Donald Trump won the last election."
The tourist turned and walked away.
The next morning, the same tourist presented himself again. This time he was wearing a ball-cap promoting a heavy-equipment firm in Reed City. Again he said "I want to sign up for the Whitehouse tour and I was wondering if you could tell me the chances of meeting President Harris or Vice President Walz?".
And once again the clerk responded "I regret to inform you that you will meet neither. Donald Trump won the last election".
Day-after-day the slightly overweight, sunburned tourist presented himself at the gate and every day he received the same response. Each time he turned away wordlessly and walked away.
On Friday, the clerk was overcome with curiosity and her professional demeanor broke. "I keep telling you that Donald Trump is President and not Kamala Harris. So why do you keep coming back?"
The man responded. "It was a miracle. I keep pinching myself to make sure it is not a dream. I could hear you say it a thousand times and it would not be enough."
Agree 100%.
ReplyDeletePeople like you support Trump *now*.
ReplyDeleteDo we really think anything in the Epstein files could change that?
You'll find a way to excuse it or sweep it under the rug. You're already being primed to not believe anything negative about Trump that you might see.
The selection of the President is a binary sort. It is either Package Number One or Package Number Two.
DeleteIt is not possible to blend the best elements of all potential candidates, even if we all agreed what constituted the best position on every topic.
I believe that Trump makes mistakes and there are some facets of how he does his job that I see as negative. But on the whole, from my world-view, Trump is infinitely superior to Harris.
Yes, that’s the expected response from you.
DeleteYou’ll exhaustively imagine every sinister motive in “Package Two,” but when it comes to Trump, your scrutiny vanishes. Actually, it doesn’t vanish - it flips. You start imagining virtue, strategy, or divine providence where there’s just chaos and self-interest. A riot becomes a “panty raid.” Lies become “mistakes.” You minimize, excuse, deflect - because you’ve already decided he's “infinitely superior.”
But let’s not pretend this was a binary choice from the beginning. Who did you support in the primary? Did you speak out against Trump then? Try to persuade others? Or did you quietly accept that this was the guy, again? Did you say anything when he pushed the lie about a stolen election - or was that acceptable too, so long as your side wins?
This isn’t just about Trump. It’s about a party too gutless to say no to him - and an electorate that rewards that cowardice by supporting it uncritically.
I responded to the substantive issues you brought up in your comment.
DeleteYou attacked my integrity, twice.
Not a great strategy, Gary.
My initial comment was fundamentally an observation about your integrity - that *was* the strategy.
DeleteYou replied with boilerplate “lesser of two evils” logic, which doesn’t rebut the actual criticism. And you did exactly what I was calling out: you deflected and swept for Trump.
*That’s* not a great strategy, Joe.
Gary, you are assuming that the world actually is as you want it to be, and if I were a betting sort I'd bet that YOU swept away anything that made Biden , Harris, Waltz, etc look bad.
DeleteThey show FAR more self interest than has Trump.
I suggest you consider the plank in your own eye before you assume other people have one too
P.S. It's called Projection, to assume that everyone else is doing what you would do in their shoes.
Jonathan
Hey Jon!
DeleteYes, “projection” is the right term here - considering you’re the one making assumptions and placing bets about me without knowing a thing about my actual views or rhetoric.
I’m a former Trump/Republican voter. I just decided to draw a line when the GOP proved it had no spine or principles after the 2020 election.
I don’t sweep. I’m skeptical and critical of known issues with political figures. My response to the 2020 claims was “show me the proof.” MAGA’s response was “it was stolen - unless we win.”
Corruption and abuse of power are not binaries. While it exists on the Democrat side, it's not nearly as extreme and embarrassingly transparent as it is on the Republican side now - and trust me, I look for it. When I find it, I call it out and will not support a candidate if it crosses the line. Unlike ERJ and the MAGA base, my skepticism of government does not stop when it's wearing a red hat.
The great thing about Trump is that you don’t need to invent scandals like Joe does with his political opponents. Trump airs the corruption out in the open.
The majority of the cover-up work is done by his base. Why they do the work for free, I’ll never understand.
Cheers.
Gee, Gary. Expecting anyone to take you seriously after, I was a Trump/R supporter but, which sounds like, I support 2A but, is incredibly stupifying.
DeleteOne need not know you personally when your words speak clearly.
However, since you're all about fair criticism, what says you of how your life would be 'better' under kackles and the clown.
Mind you, purely for entertainment purposes.
Howdy Rick,
DeleteThinking it's "stupefying" to support something only up to a point, that's exactly the problem I'm pointing out. There should be a line in the sand - especially when it comes to political parties.
My life isn't immediately better or worse under either administration. What is affected are the institutions, principles, and guardrails this country depends on. Those are being eroded. Not just by Trump - he's just the catalyst - but by Americans who lose themselves to extremism and cult-like behavior.
What will be affected is the country going forward. What the electorate allows government to get away with. ERJ once posted about how criminals "test the waters" to see what they can get away with. He even admits Trump is doing that:
https://eatonrapidsjoe.blogspot.com/2025/03/digging-holes.html
What he doesn't do is push back. There's no line clearly drawn. And if there is, it has wheels. Joe clearly has critical thinking skills, as do many in the MAGA movement - but they've built a backdoor, and Trump has the keys. Doesn't matter who you hand the keys to - the backdoor is the problem.
Gary, why do you troll here?
DeleteNobody assigned you to read this blog, did they?
I'm pretty sure GOOGLE didn't force you to see Ads about this blog.
Compared to the past 4 years MY GASOLINE PRICES DROPPED. My cost for groceries DROPPED.
AMAZING what happens when you stop killing chickens and cattle and allow gasoline to be refined in America.
I have receipts for the past couple of years so I'm not guessing.
BUT: No amount of evidence will ever persuade an idiot
Mark Twain
I read this blog and respond because I want to engage with actual people who hold these views - not just mock strawmen like ERJ and many readers do (and then cry foul when they get the same treatment).
DeleteCalling this trolling assumes bad faith. I’m engaging in good faith - pointing out the lack of principle on display. Unlike many here, I’ve actually changed my views and voting behavior based on what I’ve observed.
I'm not surprised that you're attributing gas price dropping to Trump - would you do the same if it was a democrat president? The main beef I have with you magatards is that you would throw a FIT if a democrat was doing HALF the blatantly corrupt things Trump is doing. Imagine Biden sending the MILITARY to a conservative city as a show of force. Imagine Biden BLATANTLY covering up Epstein files. Hell, ERJ has to dream up unproven scandals democrats and the 'shadow government' do just to even try to hold a candle. It's a complete breakdown of principle and backbone.
I'm with you Gary, I don't think you're trolling, and I'm somewhat of a Trump supporter? I think people are being wound up on these issues on purpose.
DeleteI think both sides of the aisle have been gradually pushing the boundaries of what used to be considered normal, and just about every issue today has become polarizing, and been co-opted by political parties.
I liked your last paragraph as it gives good concrete examples.
So for this exercise, I like to take the issues of immigration and climate-change. Both sides have strong feelings. Both sides are polarized and opposite, very little grey area, agreed?
The time for action has come! Words are no longer good enough! We must have concrete demonstratable action NOW! Put out the National fucking Guard if you have to, we need to make changes NOW!!!
So, umm, which issue was I talking about? See the problem?
Pretty clever for the troll to use an anon name to praise himself.
DeleteNames change but writing style doesn't.
SNIP from Gary "Imagine Biden BLATANTLY covering up Epstein files."
You mean HE didn't? What pray tell DID he or rather those that controlled Bidens autopen DO about Epstein files for 4 YEARS?
Go collect your 30 pieces of silver Gary the anon.
@Anonymous
DeleteI don't think you're with me - it seems like your point is "both sides" which is exactly the thing I'm criticizing. This is not a 'both sides' issue. That's a defense/excuse. We're not sweeping for the shit that this admin is doing.
It's an easy exercise: imagine the other side was doing what your team is doing. Would you be upset? If so, then you should be upset that your team is doing. This is an exercise most of the MAGA base fails. Holding to values over tribalism.
When has a democrat admin sent in the national guard (which, mind you, are different than Marines and military proper) for the sake of climate change? If there is an example, I will happily join the voices of opposition (of which, if there's enough, will influence politician's actions).
If there's not, then this would be another example of someone having to dream up scenarios just to try to make it seem like the issues are of the same caliber.
@Michael
DeleteIf you had an ounce of literacy in you you'd realize that person isn't praising me and doesn't agree with me. I'd also like to distance myself from that writing style - which you can't seem to distinguish between. Just because they aren't being an asshole (which - frankly - is fully warranted because I'm being aggressive) doesn't mean they're on my side.
Regarding the Epstein files - you're misunderstanding. This is not about releasing vs. not releasing files - this is about RUNNING on releasing the files, charging the base up about that, then lazily outright denying they ever existed and bullying supporters into shutting up about it.
If democrats did that, you'd hear me bitching about it. The difference between you and me is that the political party has no influence on whether or not I oppose something.
Now go shut the fuck up about the Epstein files like your daddy told you to do.
When your taking flack your over the target.
DeleteGood shooting troll.
Stop besmirching my good name you moron. I wake up every day thanking God that our president is not that idiot Harris. Oh, and FJB too.
ReplyDeleteI am firmly of the belief the people actually running the show, were 100% counting on the attitude you describe.
ReplyDeleteI'm not saying you're wrong to have it. Given the alternative of a binary choice, it was clearly the better of the two options. However I postulate the point of the exercise (in futility) is to present the electorate with such binary choices.
South Park did it best - douche or turd sandwich?
... and frankly, I'm a supporter of Trumps image. The actual results we're getting, while in fact still better than the alternative, are not actually good. The Patriot Act was deemed good legislation by many at the time it was passed. Today more sober minds have seen the faux pas. Trumps love of the funny-hat club is going to be the ruin of this once great nation. That much should be obvious to anyone who isn't blinded by their own bias.
When the train is running full tilt at the broken bridge and you pass the Conductors hat to the next "Leader". Can you say Hoover 2.0 Greater Depression edition?
DeleteWhy do you scream that the new Conductor is ramming the brakes ON FULL right now?
Why do you continue to dump more DEBT FUEL (Congress Controls the PURSE STRINGS OK?) into the Engine and district courts, and outside influences (AIPAC *cough*) seek to deploy your own senators (AND MILITARY) and such with "Campaign Contributions" (aka suitcases of money) to hinder every effort of the new Conductor's efforts to slow or stop the runaway debt engine.
Will we go over the broken bridge Probably.
Trumps NOT a Dictator, he's likely fighting hard not to have him and his family JFK'ed by the 3 letter agencies that are RUNNING the Ukraine Proxy War.