99 Comments
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Jake Kittell's avatar

Ground news doesn’t even let you see a sample page before asking for $100

Janet's avatar

I like the way you think. it boils down to shut up about purity and unite behind whoever has the strongest chance of winning. Don’t waste your breath or any time or $$ trying to win over MAGA fools and idiots. TURNOUT will be critical, so spend your energy on that, not intraparty fights over minor issues. Vote early so that attempts by MAGA to interfere at the polls will fail. Use and/or strengthen existing laws to go after anyone who tries to interfere with others’ sacred fight to vote.

AliS's avatar

This is what I'm talking about. Dems have got to wake the EFF up. There's talk about the regime causing a riot this summer, one that is so big that Marshall law will be called. Then no voting takes place in November.

insert_something_creative's avatar

I'm sorry to be that person, but it's "martial law" rather than "marshall law" just as an FYI.

Bowman's avatar

Don’t know if they are up to the task

Under estimating the danger !!🤡

Tim Prentiss's avatar

If there are Democrats and MAGA, where are the rest of the voters? Why blame Democrats when "Independents" could wipe out MAGA candidates in a tsunami? Concentrate on widening that Independent gap toward democracy-saving victory margins. Rick's right: MAGA can't be shamed. How about non-crazy former Republican voters? It should be a 60-40 wipeout...

Russ's avatar

They think politics is a sport and they are all watching baseball.

Jabby's avatar

No. They did not start planning when the confetti hit the floor in 2024. They’ve been planning for this for over half a century. And working toward it.

A political machine was built in response to the 1971 Powell Memo. From 1981 to 2023, it published nine Mandate for Leadership volumes. Five of these massive books—some over 1000 pages—were given to Republican presidents before their inaugurations in 1981, 1985, 1989, 2001, and 2005. They were told to use them as blueprints for their administrations.

One edition was given to certain congressional Republicans, and the other three were given to members of the machine in Trump‘s administration. Most people are only aware of the 2023 edition— Project 2025.

Throughout 2024 and into 2025, Heritage Foundation president Kevin Roberts audiences the “second American Revolution” was underway. On July 4, 2024, as a guest on Bannon‘s podcast, he said, “It will be bloodless as long as the left allows it to be.”

Trump is their puppet, their wrecking ball, smoke screen, and fall guy. He’s totally oblivious to the fact that he is destroying everything the founding fathers created and setting the stage for the authoritarian government they intend to install.

Their plan is working perfectly. Everyone is totally focused on Trump. They talk about “Trump’s agenda” and “Trump’s plans.” That man couldn’t plan lunch, much less a strategic plan to replace democracy with autocracy.

You all know how easily manipulated he is. Why would you think people with a far right agenda wouldn’t take advantage of this? It’s possible they’ve been grooming him since 1987– the year Trump first floated the idea of running for president.

During that year, he proved how easily manipulated he was when he spent nearly $100,000 on full page ads in three nationally syndicated newspapers, repeating their talking points about tariffs and NATO. Nearly 40 years later he still believes tariffs are paid by foreign countries, and NATO members pay dues.

None of the Republicans in his administration or in Congress will answer when reporters ask if he’s correct. People assume it’s because they are afraid of Trump‘s army, but if that were the case, they would avoid the cameras. In about two minutes, you can find out that those who frequently appear on television and spew false narratives are connected to Project 2025– and the machine that created it.

They’re preparing for civil war. That’s the reason for the “ballroom.” The machine’s upper echelon needs a place to live while their American people kill each other, so they knocked down the east wing and dug a giant hole. Everyone thinks it’s a bunker for Trump when our next president is inaugurated. It isn’t.

World class medicine—not available to the rest of us— is not going to keep the old man alive long enough for them to build that bunker. That’s why they’re reinforcing the White House.

The only way to prevent another Civil War and save our democracy is to expose the people pulling Trump‘s strings before he dies.

Al Draycott's avatar

Thanks Rick: Yes you democrats stop your internal bickering and slam the opposition . Take the fight to the streets. Get out there and register your voters, their dogs their cats, register anything with a heart beat. Hit the pavement , don't be trying to change the habits of the republicans. Tell your voters which poll they vote at. I agree with Sal, get this info into the heads of the democratic leaders. For the voters, you only have one choice , vote blue to save your country or you will not have a country as you once knew it. You will be living in a dictatorship. Your personal freedoms will erode . This election turnout has got to be massive. Flood the ballot boxes with blue. Don't believe anything a republican tell you. Mr. Schumer and Mr. Jeffries please stop being so nice and get the troops moving. This nightmare has got to end.

Stephen M. Hatchett's avatar

Rick outlined all the 'stones in our path' for the mid-terms and 2028. And I appreciate his effort/info.

But it all cones down to voting - I'm talking to you, those lazy assed mofos who sat 2024 out...vote this time dammit and bring some folks with you. This is a constant battle and that needs to be realized. But all we have to do is hear/understand what Rick's final exhortation in this piece yells, "Win so big the fuckers can’t cheat."

Lala's avatar

OK, this kept me up at night. So I 3am scrolled down the front page of the New York Times app. Zero mention of this story. This is it, this is where I am finally officially frozen in terror.

I literally got down as far as "what people are snacking on in the Hamptons this summer" (Popeyes, $400 melons, beluga caviar from a vending machine). Still not a peep.

Astonishing but utterly predictable, still... I am truly shocked that this is just going unremarked. I guess my shock means I'm not totally dead inside? Look for the glimmers?

Mike resnick's avatar

I wish you would not have put this as an ad for ground news. It degrades the meat of your message. I was republican and I don’t trust a single one now. All the way up and down to local officials anymore. This could be the end of democracy in this country.

Jim LeBuhn's avatar

We need to remove Ken Martin as DNC Chairman and replace him with Rick Wilson NOW!!!!!

Juliet Russell's avatar

We need you as DNC chair. Watching the Dems consistently grab defeat from the jaws of victory is demoralizing. And just when we think they’ve wised up they let us down.

Bob McKeown's avatar

" ... the deliberate poisoning of the AI information wells themselves, so that the tools hundreds of millions of people now use to ask 'is this true?' have been marinated in garbage."

Well gee, Rick, maybe one way to help avoid that is to stop encouraging people to sublet their faculties of judgment to innocent looking AI apps that only offer you "the truth." No AI = no garbage marination. So nice to have an unmarinated human brain; I'd recommend it to anybody ;)

Now what could I _possibly_ be talking about? ;)

James Wilkes's avatar

As Thom Hartmann has pointed out, America is now a police state. Unfortunately, it looks like too little action too late again. I pray Thom is dead wrong.

JoanSetka's avatar

There are plenty of citizens willing to step up up if the No Kings Marches are an indication THEY JUST NEED A LITTLE DIRECTION from leaders-what is the next step?

Craig Fry's avatar

One idea I've been pushing at my local Indivisible meetings is a grass-roots campaign to encourage/cajole/help fellow CITIZENS to acquire birth certificates and/or passports - especially brown people. It's a "beat them at their own game" strategy. If you can, you might even offer to pay the fees for a person who's financially strapped, or assist with the admin for someone who's intimidated by the process.

For citizens born in the US, I recommend birth certificates over passports because the federal government can f#%k with passport processing while birth certificates are issued by state governments. And, of course, make sure to get your own...today. We can neutralize one of the primary weapons the fascists are trying to use against us just by being organized and crafty. They want proof of citizenship? Fine! We wage a campaign - on platforms just like this one - to put passport or birth certificate in hand for every last eligible voter in the country. Spread the word.

Doreen Frances's avatar

I think that is a great idea and could the group offer "financial aid" for people who can't afford the cost of paying for these documents?

Craig Fry's avatar

That's a good question for Mark Elias. My guess is we're less likely to face legal challenges if all this is a campaign of individuals reaching out to individuals. But he and his colleagues have the deep expertise in election law needed to finesse and scale up such a campaign.

Rick's avatar

Chilling, Rick - I personally think it may come to Blue governors calling up their National Guard to defend polling places and voters. It could get very ugly and very chaotic.