In their efforts to seize control of the House and Senate, Republicans around the country are attacking their Democratic opponents on criminal justice issues. The focus on "crime and safety" is an effort to shift attention away from abortion rights and "onto political terrain that many of the party’s strategists and candidates view as favorable."
The party of criminality seeks to criminalize the party who is trying to do the most good for the people. The democratic party is far from perfect, but to have the same folks who support an insurrection minded and criminal former president claim the "law and order" banner, should be insulting and offensive to any thinking person.
These guys believe in boldness and guile. They display their malfeasance for all to see. They vote against legislation designed to help the regular folk, then claim credit if said legislation passes. They pound the "fear" button every chance they get, because that's all they have. They don't care about you or me no matter what they say. They see people as objects to be used until no longer useful.
Who was it that lied about the ACA, then tried to quash it while taking credit for it, at the same time? And that is only one example of the RW trying to undo legislation that is good for everyone!
Can we vote them all out of office, please? Vote for real patriots, not self proclaimed ones this time?
I find it hysterically funny the Rs refuse to support any D legislation including ones on crime. The very nanosecond Ds make a move to address crime, to talk about it and try to make sense of how to fix it, Rs descend into madness and begin attacking with such fervor that it almost seems as though Ds and Rs are mortal enemies fighting to the death. It’s a R tragicomedy, only it’s not funny at all. Just sad.
Wow. The gate opened and the liars came charging out of their Republican caves.
All have set up the circumstances to weave intricate lies regarding their Democratic opponents.
This whole GOP thing has been planned and instituted over many years.
Back to Reagan and beyond, where dirty dealing became dirtier , to the present where filth is the law of their land. Attacks constituted by more and more situations , set up by Republicans votes, or votes against. These get twisted up by their authors to attack Democratic candidates for what they,republicans have created.
They then, in a Nazi moment, paint themselves as opposed to their own design.
They , the Republicans actively and repeatedly lie again pretending to be disturbed by their own promotion.
This is “crazy-making” behavior. It creates chaos , hate and total misunderstanding , as is their aim.
This all, from the playbook that authoritarians wrote.
Donald Trump perpetuated it because he could. So did Mitch and , and Marsha, Elise S and all the other dishonorable Republicans, willing to win no matter how filthy it gets and what destruction occurs because of it.
Their lust for money and power is matched only by that of their consultants, Hitler , Putin and ( V.Orban, )who was their invited guest speaker to their own conservative convention.
Attack ads by RNCC in VA against Spanberger claim that she supported millions of dollars for luxury hotels and golf courses, citing her vote for the American Rescue Plan. Which passed with GOP votes. Turns out that Red Florida and Iowa used money designated for helping revive local tourist economies. The money was essentially a $350m block grant for states to use at their discretion. The attack ad is full of these distortions. Spanberger is running a positive ad campaign but these attack ads are damaging. She needs to counter.
Political ads on Television were a large reason Youngkin in VA defeated McAuliffe for Governor. Fanning the anger of the base works. The Dems have a hard time other than Twitter where the Blue membership rail "Roevember," I have yet to see such an ad on TeeVee fanning the base of supporters of R v W.
Assuming people will get out and vote "just because" was the end of McAuliffe.
Thousands of Virginia high school and middle school students staged a walk out on Youngkin's repressive Transgender policies last week. We are just getting started. If the VA Senate falls to Republican control, it's toast. If ever a story you missed the mark was on Youngkin. He is capable of being the DeSantis of Virginia.
Otherwise people get out the vote, join a call bank, throw dollars to Dems who can win and write postcards.
Make sure if you live in a Red State that you haven't been purged before voter registration ends for Nov. Know where your polling station is as they have become fluid in many red states.
Oh boy! And does it! I swear I just don't understand those who are like us in being regular citizens without a lot of money or personal power, relishing the very thought of Christian, nationalist, republican rule!
That is what it would be. Like feudal times for everyone except those favored few!
Political ads have nearly always been full of misdirection, lies and innuendo. The problem is not the ads, however. The problem is the abysmal media literacy of many of those who see or hear this junk.
Bruce that IS the larger problem. Education does not = indoctrination, but the ones who need it most tend to avoid it in my experience, having already been given (indoctrinated with?) their preferred narrative and damn any pesky facts.
The irony of attacking Senator Warnock as soft on crime is just so appalling when the Republican candidate, Hershel Walker, has actually been accused of criminal conduct toward his wife (pointing a gun at her head). Nevermind that he lied about the children he fathered and ignored or that he bragged about being an honor graduate of UGA when he never even graduated or that his business dealings were shady. He will do as he's told by his Republican sponsors. I guess I'll have to send another donation to the Warnock campaign, even though I really can't afford it, and I'm not sure it will matter.
Having been raised in the fifties when girls who got pregnant were shipped off to relatives or homes for unwed mothers, I wish Democrats would remind people what an awful time that was. How are Republicans going to treat all these pregnant girls? Will they be allowed to stay in school? Forced into shotgun marriages? And what about those children being raised by mothers practically children themselves? Talk about a school for crime. We can't adopt or homeschool our way out of this.
Welcome to Gilead. I read the book “Freakonomics” which correlated the significant decline in crime in the 90’s to the Roe decision in 1973. You all can figure that one out.
And now it seems he has funded an abortion in his past, to get rid of an inconvenient baby. Isn't that what your hard core RW operative thinks all dems want? Abortion on demand? Shouldn't that have been the kiss of death for his campaign? The base arrogance of these people!
I've seen a number of these ads before reading this excellent work, Judd, and it made me want to throw up. Now that urge is even greater.
How do we end this madness? Wouldn't it be nice if we could either ban political ads outright or ensure a third-party independent fact-check organization has to approve anything before it runs? Taking a page from the MPAA?
I'm disappointed that Dems did not have a plan of attack knowing this is always the GOP go to...GOP are better marketers and it's always the same line of attack and yet Dems are not aggressive or do not go on the offensive. There so many ways they can mitigate by focusing on:
1) how GOP voted against infrastructure and relating it to regular citizens including Rural voters, or
2) how they stand for no exceptions and thus willing to kill women AND their babies in schools by not even requiring basic screening or closing of loopholes for buyers of AR15s, or
3) how GOP talk about crime but then scroll a list of all the solutions to fight crime that they voted NO on so they are complicit
4) play the verbatims with their key talking heads admiring Putin and other leaders and how they are going to force all Americans to live by their ultra conservative Catholic beliefs and authorianism whether you want to or not and that this includes eliminating ALL Americans right to vote and forcing you to depend on your State officials only to decide your vote (see Supreme Ct docket)
5) that they will eliminate SS and Medicare (FL Senator) - this will get the voting seniors to pay attention!
I can list a ton of issues that would mobilize women / voters and be impactful yet Dems complain / whine and don't TAKE ACTION to change the game! Frustrating when Dems have a solid chance to win both Senate and House and is essential as democracy is what's really at stake...get strategy suggestions from the new Twitter Lead for the White House from NJ - she gets it!
I have a friend who says ‘we Democrats don’t know how to handle power’ . Unfortunately it seems accurate rt now . We need not ask Republicans for permission to take charge and use power in productive ways.
I listened to a podcast with Sarah Longwell and Tim Miller from August. Sarah conducts focus groups all over the country specifically to gauge voter attitude. Two points stuck with me. 1) When she tells a group they were all Trump 2020 voters, the voters get animated and suddenly the mood is like a “family reunion” where they talk about the most fun thing they did at rallies. 2) Voters, including past Trump voters, are responding to a different “vibe.” There’s a shift from nasty to calm. I can’t relate to the first point, but the second tracks to my personal and general experience. I am so sick of the vitriol we’ve been living with.
I hope the Ds don’t resort to the R brand of attack ads. There is way more than enough ammo to run attack ads that feature facts.
Yes, yes and YES Gloria! All we have to do is attack with fact and actual events. Beat them about the head and shoulders with the truth. Why is this not happening? I assure you there is a good reason although I am loathe to say what that reason might be.
There's a Republican former police chief here who resigned and is now running for Congress in my district. Rather ludicrously, he's blaming the Democratic incumbent, and our Governor (who is also a Democrat and has signed into law a bill making it harder to purchase semiautomatic weapons in my state) for crime that is "out of control." The real reason is that since the pandemic began, hundreds of police officers walked off the job, and there are still hundreds of vacant positions unfilled. And when this guy was chief, he wasn't exactly the cream of the crop. He was pressured out of his job 2 years ago due to allegations of mishandling the case of a mentally ill Black man who was mistreated by police officers, resulting in his death. https://www.npr.org/sections/live-updates-protests-for-racial-justice/2020/09/08/910791494/rochester-police-chief-laron-singletary-resigns
Oh, the irony of a police chief who chooses to cut and run when he's criticized, and who points fingers at people who believe in protecting the innocent.
It’s a sad fact that the police actually solve very few crimes. And if we want to prevent crime, we need to address inequality. Thom Hartmann wrote a good piece on this. (Of course, limiting access to guns would certainly help. I personally think they should be banned altogether except for use by police (regulated like in the UK), military, and the National Guard (well regulated militia. )
I agree. Interesting that for all the technology available to the police, they solve only 30 to 40 percent of murder cases, a lower percentage than police in Europe. And our gun problem is why. It certainly doesn't help that so many murders are committed by gunfire.
Thank you Leah. Many people here in this country have a big, blind spot where you have keenly articulated the major portion of the problem. Here in Chicago, Thom is on the air from 1pm to 3pm daily. The station call-sign is WCPT, 820 on the AM dial. Good stuff, every day!
I remember that case Marycat2021 and I guess that is par for the course with regards to these damn liars. I mean really, the RW somehow have swayed much of the populace that they are law & order oriented and responsible custodians of the economy! How can they fool so many so successfully? The implications boggle the mind.
However, I remain optimistic that positive change can be had but we have to work for it.
In this case, Daniel Prude died because he was asphyxiated as he was pinned naked to the pavement on a snowy night. He had not committed a crime but was distraught due to mental issues. After a so-called investigation of the incident, the officers weren't charged, which is what usually happens because the police have each other's backs. Singletary and his cronies resigned in the face of public outrage over Prude's death. Amazing that he actually thinks he has a chance of winning a congressional seat. Rochester's Democratic women are calling him out on his position on abortion.
I remember that case. Another person who asphyxiated with a "spit hood" on. I had forgotten his name though. Thank you for reminding me that he is named Daniel Prue. I saw an interview of his brother, whom I believe made the initial 911 call, thinking people who were trained to handle that type of issue would be dispatched.
Greg Palast has an new movie coming out on the 11th of this month. He can be a bit of a sensationalist but I think his investigative reporting is quite sound. This new release is the culmination of his investigative reporting on voter suppression in Georgia. It isn't "2000 Mules" by a long shot!
While I can appreciate the reporting here, I have to disagree with crime being the big issue voters will be looking at. Despite the ads slinging soft on crime BS, I worry voters will be blaming Dems for our economic woes. Seems it’s always money in politics, from whichever angle it’s viewed.
The party of criminality seeks to criminalize the party who is trying to do the most good for the people. The democratic party is far from perfect, but to have the same folks who support an insurrection minded and criminal former president claim the "law and order" banner, should be insulting and offensive to any thinking person.
These guys believe in boldness and guile. They display their malfeasance for all to see. They vote against legislation designed to help the regular folk, then claim credit if said legislation passes. They pound the "fear" button every chance they get, because that's all they have. They don't care about you or me no matter what they say. They see people as objects to be used until no longer useful.
Who was it that lied about the ACA, then tried to quash it while taking credit for it, at the same time? And that is only one example of the RW trying to undo legislation that is good for everyone!
Can we vote them all out of office, please? Vote for real patriots, not self proclaimed ones this time?
Well said!!!
Thank you Lib. That came from the heart.
I find it hysterically funny the Rs refuse to support any D legislation including ones on crime. The very nanosecond Ds make a move to address crime, to talk about it and try to make sense of how to fix it, Rs descend into madness and begin attacking with such fervor that it almost seems as though Ds and Rs are mortal enemies fighting to the death. It’s a R tragicomedy, only it’s not funny at all. Just sad.
Wow. The gate opened and the liars came charging out of their Republican caves.
All have set up the circumstances to weave intricate lies regarding their Democratic opponents.
This whole GOP thing has been planned and instituted over many years.
Back to Reagan and beyond, where dirty dealing became dirtier , to the present where filth is the law of their land. Attacks constituted by more and more situations , set up by Republicans votes, or votes against. These get twisted up by their authors to attack Democratic candidates for what they,republicans have created.
They then, in a Nazi moment, paint themselves as opposed to their own design.
They , the Republicans actively and repeatedly lie again pretending to be disturbed by their own promotion.
This is “crazy-making” behavior. It creates chaos , hate and total misunderstanding , as is their aim.
This all, from the playbook that authoritarians wrote.
Donald Trump perpetuated it because he could. So did Mitch and , and Marsha, Elise S and all the other dishonorable Republicans, willing to win no matter how filthy it gets and what destruction occurs because of it.
Their lust for money and power is matched only by that of their consultants, Hitler , Putin and ( V.Orban, )who was their invited guest speaker to their own conservative convention.
Yes, yes and yes Patricia.
Attack ads by RNCC in VA against Spanberger claim that she supported millions of dollars for luxury hotels and golf courses, citing her vote for the American Rescue Plan. Which passed with GOP votes. Turns out that Red Florida and Iowa used money designated for helping revive local tourist economies. The money was essentially a $350m block grant for states to use at their discretion. The attack ad is full of these distortions. Spanberger is running a positive ad campaign but these attack ads are damaging. She needs to counter.
Thank you Judd for this well-researched and timely journalism.
We don't have a democracy per-se... we have a Ruling Class that funds their way to run the country with their hand picked puppets
Political ads on Television were a large reason Youngkin in VA defeated McAuliffe for Governor. Fanning the anger of the base works. The Dems have a hard time other than Twitter where the Blue membership rail "Roevember," I have yet to see such an ad on TeeVee fanning the base of supporters of R v W.
Assuming people will get out and vote "just because" was the end of McAuliffe.
Thousands of Virginia high school and middle school students staged a walk out on Youngkin's repressive Transgender policies last week. We are just getting started. If the VA Senate falls to Republican control, it's toast. If ever a story you missed the mark was on Youngkin. He is capable of being the DeSantis of Virginia.
Otherwise people get out the vote, join a call bank, throw dollars to Dems who can win and write postcards.
Make sure if you live in a Red State that you haven't been purged before voter registration ends for Nov. Know where your polling station is as they have become fluid in many red states.
You can check at your Registrar or
Iwillvote.com
Vote like your Democracy depends on it.
It does.
Oh boy! And does it! I swear I just don't understand those who are like us in being regular citizens without a lot of money or personal power, relishing the very thought of Christian, nationalist, republican rule!
That is what it would be. Like feudal times for everyone except those favored few!
Political ads have nearly always been full of misdirection, lies and innuendo. The problem is not the ads, however. The problem is the abysmal media literacy of many of those who see or hear this junk.
Bruce that IS the larger problem. Education does not = indoctrination, but the ones who need it most tend to avoid it in my experience, having already been given (indoctrinated with?) their preferred narrative and damn any pesky facts.
The irony of attacking Senator Warnock as soft on crime is just so appalling when the Republican candidate, Hershel Walker, has actually been accused of criminal conduct toward his wife (pointing a gun at her head). Nevermind that he lied about the children he fathered and ignored or that he bragged about being an honor graduate of UGA when he never even graduated or that his business dealings were shady. He will do as he's told by his Republican sponsors. I guess I'll have to send another donation to the Warnock campaign, even though I really can't afford it, and I'm not sure it will matter.
Having been raised in the fifties when girls who got pregnant were shipped off to relatives or homes for unwed mothers, I wish Democrats would remind people what an awful time that was. How are Republicans going to treat all these pregnant girls? Will they be allowed to stay in school? Forced into shotgun marriages? And what about those children being raised by mothers practically children themselves? Talk about a school for crime. We can't adopt or homeschool our way out of this.
Welcome to Gilead. I read the book “Freakonomics” which correlated the significant decline in crime in the 90’s to the Roe decision in 1973. You all can figure that one out.
And now it seems he has funded an abortion in his past, to get rid of an inconvenient baby. Isn't that what your hard core RW operative thinks all dems want? Abortion on demand? Shouldn't that have been the kiss of death for his campaign? The base arrogance of these people!
https://apnews.com/article/abortion-2022-midterm-elections-entertainment-government-and-politics-herschel-walker-192e79f2a53798c3e441049ea3134a52
I've seen a number of these ads before reading this excellent work, Judd, and it made me want to throw up. Now that urge is even greater.
How do we end this madness? Wouldn't it be nice if we could either ban political ads outright or ensure a third-party independent fact-check organization has to approve anything before it runs? Taking a page from the MPAA?
Here is a bit more on the topic Adam. Agreed, it is sickening!
https://www.npr.org/2022/03/17/1087047638/the-truth-in-political-advertising-youre-allowed-to-lie
We've been getting the same sort o of ads here in WA and I don't know why our state party (or someone) isn't countering them.
Got to wonder about that don't you Amaliada? Manchin and Sinema are not the only untrustworthy dems. Not by a long shot!
I'm disappointed that Dems did not have a plan of attack knowing this is always the GOP go to...GOP are better marketers and it's always the same line of attack and yet Dems are not aggressive or do not go on the offensive. There so many ways they can mitigate by focusing on:
1) how GOP voted against infrastructure and relating it to regular citizens including Rural voters, or
2) how they stand for no exceptions and thus willing to kill women AND their babies in schools by not even requiring basic screening or closing of loopholes for buyers of AR15s, or
3) how GOP talk about crime but then scroll a list of all the solutions to fight crime that they voted NO on so they are complicit
4) play the verbatims with their key talking heads admiring Putin and other leaders and how they are going to force all Americans to live by their ultra conservative Catholic beliefs and authorianism whether you want to or not and that this includes eliminating ALL Americans right to vote and forcing you to depend on your State officials only to decide your vote (see Supreme Ct docket)
5) that they will eliminate SS and Medicare (FL Senator) - this will get the voting seniors to pay attention!
I can list a ton of issues that would mobilize women / voters and be impactful yet Dems complain / whine and don't TAKE ACTION to change the game! Frustrating when Dems have a solid chance to win both Senate and House and is essential as democracy is what's really at stake...get strategy suggestions from the new Twitter Lead for the White House from NJ - she gets it!
I have a friend who says ‘we Democrats don’t know how to handle power’ . Unfortunately it seems accurate rt now . We need not ask Republicans for permission to take charge and use power in productive ways.
Yes Ann. One does wonder why does one not? There are more rotten dems than Manchin and Sinema is my opinion.
I listened to a podcast with Sarah Longwell and Tim Miller from August. Sarah conducts focus groups all over the country specifically to gauge voter attitude. Two points stuck with me. 1) When she tells a group they were all Trump 2020 voters, the voters get animated and suddenly the mood is like a “family reunion” where they talk about the most fun thing they did at rallies. 2) Voters, including past Trump voters, are responding to a different “vibe.” There’s a shift from nasty to calm. I can’t relate to the first point, but the second tracks to my personal and general experience. I am so sick of the vitriol we’ve been living with.
I hope the Ds don’t resort to the R brand of attack ads. There is way more than enough ammo to run attack ads that feature facts.
Yes, yes and YES Gloria! All we have to do is attack with fact and actual events. Beat them about the head and shoulders with the truth. Why is this not happening? I assure you there is a good reason although I am loathe to say what that reason might be.
There's a Republican former police chief here who resigned and is now running for Congress in my district. Rather ludicrously, he's blaming the Democratic incumbent, and our Governor (who is also a Democrat and has signed into law a bill making it harder to purchase semiautomatic weapons in my state) for crime that is "out of control." The real reason is that since the pandemic began, hundreds of police officers walked off the job, and there are still hundreds of vacant positions unfilled. And when this guy was chief, he wasn't exactly the cream of the crop. He was pressured out of his job 2 years ago due to allegations of mishandling the case of a mentally ill Black man who was mistreated by police officers, resulting in his death. https://www.npr.org/sections/live-updates-protests-for-racial-justice/2020/09/08/910791494/rochester-police-chief-laron-singletary-resigns
Oh, the irony of a police chief who chooses to cut and run when he's criticized, and who points fingers at people who believe in protecting the innocent.
It’s a sad fact that the police actually solve very few crimes. And if we want to prevent crime, we need to address inequality. Thom Hartmann wrote a good piece on this. (Of course, limiting access to guns would certainly help. I personally think they should be banned altogether except for use by police (regulated like in the UK), military, and the National Guard (well regulated militia. )
I agree. Interesting that for all the technology available to the police, they solve only 30 to 40 percent of murder cases, a lower percentage than police in Europe. And our gun problem is why. It certainly doesn't help that so many murders are committed by gunfire.
Thank you Leah. Many people here in this country have a big, blind spot where you have keenly articulated the major portion of the problem. Here in Chicago, Thom is on the air from 1pm to 3pm daily. The station call-sign is WCPT, 820 on the AM dial. Good stuff, every day!
I remember that case Marycat2021 and I guess that is par for the course with regards to these damn liars. I mean really, the RW somehow have swayed much of the populace that they are law & order oriented and responsible custodians of the economy! How can they fool so many so successfully? The implications boggle the mind.
However, I remain optimistic that positive change can be had but we have to work for it.
Have you ever heard of Greg Palast? https://www.gregpalast.com/vigilantes/
In this case, Daniel Prude died because he was asphyxiated as he was pinned naked to the pavement on a snowy night. He had not committed a crime but was distraught due to mental issues. After a so-called investigation of the incident, the officers weren't charged, which is what usually happens because the police have each other's backs. Singletary and his cronies resigned in the face of public outrage over Prude's death. Amazing that he actually thinks he has a chance of winning a congressional seat. Rochester's Democratic women are calling him out on his position on abortion.
Yes I have heard of Pallast. Why?
I remember that case. Another person who asphyxiated with a "spit hood" on. I had forgotten his name though. Thank you for reminding me that he is named Daniel Prue. I saw an interview of his brother, whom I believe made the initial 911 call, thinking people who were trained to handle that type of issue would be dispatched.
Greg Palast has an new movie coming out on the 11th of this month. He can be a bit of a sensationalist but I think his investigative reporting is quite sound. This new release is the culmination of his investigative reporting on voter suppression in Georgia. It isn't "2000 Mules" by a long shot!
Abort the GOP and all of the capitalist fascism that comes with it.
While I can appreciate the reporting here, I have to disagree with crime being the big issue voters will be looking at. Despite the ads slinging soft on crime BS, I worry voters will be blaming Dems for our economic woes. Seems it’s always money in politics, from whichever angle it’s viewed.