Gullibles' travails. Eventually, one can only hope outright Trump lies will catch up with the con man. Maybe also, there is something else at work, even if Trump lies. For MAGA, facts are irrelevant. Trump channels his followers' racial rage/ white nationalism/anti-immigrants, misogyny, and self-interest of pro-business segments with low regulation and taxes that appeal more than those who know better and don't care about facts and the end of democracy. This is really dangerous to the foundtation of this country. Trump's lies ignored are like building a house on sand. If the gullible prevails, eventually, the foundation crumbles and collapses when, unfortunately, it is too late to repair the damage.
(Update 9 16 24. In defense of the Springfield Haitian dog-eating hoax he had promoted, GOP VP candidate JD Vance said, "It is OK to make stories up to get media attention" because Harris was getting a free ride from the press. https://www.thhttps://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/sep/15/jd-vance-lies-haitian-immigrantseguardian.com/us-news/2024/sep/15/jd-vance-lies-haitian-immigrants. How very sad that Trump and Vance depend on the gullibility of their most loyal base, who they hope are as easily manipulated and fooled by their lies as they think. )
"Migrant crime" is now Trump's shorthand for his anti-immigrant fear and hate platform. Aside from the substance of the crazy conspiracy theory of Haitians eating family pets in Springfield, Ohio, this is Trump's big dog whistle to the racists and those wanting to get rid of immigrants who are "adulterating our blood." The pet story excrement was debunked in real-time by the moderators and later by fact-checkers. Trump hit two of his platform planks in one blow: immigrant hatred and fear of black people.
In any case, fact-checkers had a field day on the September 10 debate. It was rich pickings. Looking at the various fact-checking, here are the biggest fibs Trump told in the September debate, and they are fundamental to his pitch to the gullible and others with its racism/immigration, lues about the economy and prices, energy/oil, and national security/male superiority/misogyny.
Trump's pitch ever since 2016 is that immigrants are bringing crime and are responsible for a crime surge. Fact check: 1) The rate of crime was worse under Trump than now. 2) Illegal immigrants' crime rate is well below the rate for American-born (probably because they do not want to be sent back to what they fled if they get caught). 3) It also appeared to some viewers as a surprise that Trump killed the bi-partisan funding bill this spring, which would have funded more border guards and immigration judges, fentanyl detection equipment, and more of the wall so his supporters' anger about immigration could last through Nov. 5 . 4) Illegal border crossing volume now are lower than Trump's at the end of his presidency.More on the subject below. Update 9 13 24: More Trump lying BS on immigrants and Venezuelan gangs: Colorado mayor, police respond to Trump's claims that Venezuelan gang is 'taking over' (msn.com)
Ukraine and national security: Trump, US taxpayers are losers because we are paying for this war while Europe gets a free ride (paraphrased). 1)Europe's contribution as a whole is nearly two times the US's. Putin's next victim if he is not stopped in Ukraine is Poland. Clever Harris: 800,000 Polish-related Pennsylvania voters in a critical swing state. 2) Misogyny: Harris is a woman, therefore de facto weak. The latter is not a fact-based response. It was the best line of the debate from Harris, given Trump's ego-driven personality flaw making him vulnerable to manipulation and flattery: " Putin will eat you for lunch. " Hawks like Dick Cheney and lists of national security advisors and retired generals are supporting Harris. She's got the cajones.
The big lie: Trump: no," I was just being sarcastic when I admitted I lost the 2020 election by a whisker." This was fact-checked as false by the moderator in real-time in the debate broadcast. Trump was not being sarcastic. It was enough to tick off January 6 mob leader Nick Fuentes, who thought he was a patriot. So the Big Lie was really a big lie, underlying GOP efforts to keep adversaries from voting with any number of suppression methods and intimidation, including violence and threats by Trump to throw election officials, adversaries of all kinds, in jail if he wins.
Women's health: Trump: babies killed after birth by Roe v Wade. Nope. That's murder anywhere. This is Harris's 100-pound gorilla pitch impact: "The government should not tell women what to do about their own health and bodies, and they can still keep their own personal beliefs." Harris just wants to restore Roe v Wade, which we had for 50 years, and Trump's Court appointees tanked. She would sign that legislation like Roe Wade sent by Congress. Trump's abortion bans in one-third of our states kill women, cause needless suffering, or make them infertile for lack of medical care in a miscarriage. In the debate, Trump weaseled out of answering (it's a state's rights thing) whether he would sign a nationwide abortion ban, probably because he would lose a large portion of his followers if he said he would not sign a federal ban. On ban details, he changed his position at least four times since March.
Economy and inflation: Trump paraphrased:"Economy: sucks, and I Trump will fix it". Reality check: Yes, grocery prices are too high, but gas at the pump has fallen to more tolerable levels. The inflation rate is now the lowest in three years...under 3%, near normal. Trump keeps hyping his grievance, with no fix, and even a plan to make inflation worse. However he appeals to an unstated fantasy coddled by low-information voters that he will get them back to nearer pre-COVID prices. Heard on TV from COVID amnesiacs, "I liked the economy better under Trump, so he will do a better job. " With no plan, no how to do it? Keep the faith, MAGA. By the way, wages are up higher than price increases and Harris wants a nationwide minimum wage of $15/hr. Was the post-COVID -inflation spike all Biden's fault? Nope and nope. Pent-up demand and the supply chain slow gearing up post-COVID equaled too much pent-up demand for too little supply. Harris has a plan for helping middle-class living be more affordable while inflation rates. Harris's plan will prosecute gougers, deny monopoly price setting, flood the market with cheaper housing that is affordable for first-time buyers and renters, and make health care even cheaper by battling big pharma and financial relief for new parents.
Women's health: Trump: babies killed after birth by Roe v Wade. Nope. That's murder anywhere. This is Harris's 100-pound gorilla pitch impact: "The government should not tell women what to do about their own health and bodies, and they can still keep their own personal beliefs." Harris just wants to restore Roe v Wade, which we had for 50 years, and Trump's Court appointees tanked. Harris would sign that legislation sent by Congress. Trump's abortion bans in one-third of our states kill women, cause needless suffering, or make them infertile for lack of medical care in a miscarriage. In the debate, Trump weaseled out of answering (it's a state's rights thing) whether he would sign a nationwide abortion ban, probably because he would lose a large portion of his followers if he said he would not sign a federal ban. On ban details, he changed his position at least four times since March.
Economy matters and deserves some more details:
1)The rate of annual price increases (inflation) is now below 3%, the lowest in 3 years, and near the historical normal. The bleeding has stopped, but we are stuck with past inflationary prices. That hurts. On average, the good news is wage increases have been more than inflation increases, with Harris bucking for the $15 minimum.. Everyone who wants a job has one with the lowest unemployment rate in 54 years. The Fed is predicted to lower interest rates this month since inflation is licked.
2)Trump's proposed solution to fund the government (so he can continue to give a tax break to the very rich and keep the rest of us quiet): 10 to 20% on all imports with tariffs. Tariffs are like sales taxes, paid for by importers themselves (not their governments), who raise prices to cover added costs, and the prices are like a rising tide that raises all boats in the entire marketplace while boosting deficit/debt. Nearly all big-time economists agree.
3) Oil and energy prices at the pump are dramatically down to less than a buck more than in the old days as crude oil has enough supply on hand and unused leases to provide oil for the next 40 years...so drill baby drill makes the unnecessary useless. Natural gas? Enough forever.
4) Harris opposed fracking natural gas? Give me a break. Trump, please update this before lying again. She evolved years ago and does not oppose it now. Her energy policy is all of the above, a combination of renewables and traditional sources.
5) Obamacare? Trump only has a "concept" to improve and/or replace Obamacare (used by over 16 million people), his same old empty promise since 2016. Where's the beef? Next to women's health, this may be the largest sleeper gorilla infecting Trump's hoped-for voter support.
I mostly drew on ABC and CNN fact-checking post-debate on September 10 and many recent posts on my blogspot. Key word the blog to search sources and posts on my blog.
New sources not cited on my blog before:
Ukraine https://www.ifw-kiel.de/publications/news/europe-has-a-long-way-to-go-to-replace-us-aid-large-gap-between-commitments-and-allocations/ Commitments and actual expenses by Europe are much more than the US's...but not sufficient as a replacement for US assistance. They still need us
.News: Unemployment is at its Lowest Level in 54 years | U.S. Department of Commerce
When the bi-partisn immigration bill was killed by Trump, Biden issued some executive orders.Border crossings are lower now under Biden than when Trump left office. From:How do Biden, Trump's border policies compare? (newsnationnow.com)Yes, closing the border to all but manageable levels, given our current capacity, got the figures down.( But that is a half done job and subject to legal challenge and existing authorized expenditures.. Border guards are underfunded and understaffed.. Wall unfinished. Fentanyl detection machinery is unfunded. Biden's exec order can be challenged in court because it ignores the intent of federal immigration legislation to provide asylum to all those those qualifying under the law.) Per the article: "last month, Biden signed an executive order shutting down asylum requests at the U.S.-Mexico border once the average number of daily encounters between ports of entry hits 2,500. According to several people familiar with the discussions, the border will reopen only once that number declines to 1,500...After Biden’s executive action went into effect at the southern border, he touted a drop in illegal immigration, saying encounters have gone down over 50% with levels lower than when Trump left office." July 2024.
Proved Reserves of Crude Oil and Natural Gas in the United States, Year-End 2022 (eia.gov)
Statement from President Joe Biden on Record ACA Enrollment Numbers | The White House
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