140 Comments

I was looking for you last night and worried you'd already fled. The popular vote numbers were surreal, I agree. That's really the thing that scares me.

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Nah, I just went to sleep. Way past my bedtime. In hindsight, I should have done so at 10.

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Nov 7Liked by Greg Olear

Asleep at 2200.

Knew outcome years ago.

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You’re more cold blooded than I'd have thought!

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Yes, he now has a "mandate" for all the evil the he and his minions will do.

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There's a joke about JD Vance and Mike Johnson enjoying the mandate, but I'm too tired to formulate it...

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Me too Greg, me too

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I never even imagined this.

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Never. Not like this.

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Nov 6Liked by Greg Olear

Greg I shared your optimism and confidence. The fundraising, the turnout, the ground game - it never occurred to me that it meant nothing. I truly can't come up with anything Harris could have done better other than not be a woman of color. The shock of seeing plain as day how much this country hates women has been bitter to contemplate. Thanks for this post - I'm glad to know people share my sorrow and fear. And that there will be other people to fight back with.

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Nov 6Liked by Greg Olear

Yes. The last thing I want to hear is any "analysis" of why Harris failed. She did not fail . It is obvious why she did not prevail.

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But that's what we'll get, because mainstream media gonna mainstream media.

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Nov 6·edited Nov 6Liked by Greg Olear

I worked in professional politics. I worked in the Obama campaign. I know what a good campaign looks like. This campaign wasn't good - it was great! There wasn't one thing they did that I would have said "No, try this."

The unfortunate thing about it was we have failed to truly understand the nature of the enemy, and so we stood - like the French Generals at Sedan, watching Rommel's panzers cross the Meuse River and start their dash to the Channel - and we couldn't understand what we were seeing any better than they could.

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Nov 6Liked by Greg Olear

I'm a French historian by trade and your analogy is spot on

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Malheureusement oui.

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Thanks for this. I quite agree. The blame stretches back years, really, but it amounts to not recognizing the nature of the enemy, or even that the enemy was the enemy.

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Thanks, Janine.

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Racism and misogyny won.

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Nov 6Liked by Greg Olear

Yep.

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Coupled with hatred, greed and lawlessness Derek, excellent point!

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And stupidity, I'd add.

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Ignorance has voted for greater ignorance! Were my immediate thoughts seeing the election results Greg, it’s expected from execrable tosspots!

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Not only racism and misogyny. Putin’s tentacles had 4 years to plant this disinformation farms and as a cherry 🍒 on the top Elon Musk joined in. Jeff Bezos followed a week before by the Washington post pulling away their endorsement. How about Trump’s meetings with CEO and billionaires where he promised tax cuts and elimination of the Middle class. Most Palestinians who forgot who gave them asylum blamed Harris for Biden’s support for Bibi,

which was secretly agreed with Trump to attack

Lebanon and raze Gaza to ground. Property opportunity for Trump. who’s a felon as well. Israeli people hate him. How about the rich Iranians who found asylum mostly in California, minimum one million voted against Harris or not voted at all. I learned this on election day playing bridge with an Iranian who has most of her friends there and told her so. They’re still blaming the US 🇺🇸 for what happened in the late 70’s. They’re so rich that they don’t care of a Trump presidency. I called those people disgustingly ungrateful. Using our country to become richer and they destroy our democracy. Did we ever think we had a chance against Putin’s tentacles, racism and misogyny? Rick we thank you for all the faith you had in American dream. You helped us keep our sanity. Good luck to you and dear family. I’m crossing the pond.

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Nov 6Liked by Greg Olear

He only won the popular vote because of the propaganda onslaught since Rupert Murdoch was imported to destroy our media. The Tea Party and the current cretins are the result. The cult is nationwide now. Whistling won’t be heard…

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The forces against us were too strong, and the forces we had available were not deployed properly.

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The forces against us were and are evil, hateful and monied

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La lucha sigue.

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La lutte continue.

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Nov 6Liked by Greg Olear

You have not let us down in any way, Greg. I am a pessimist by nature, but the extent of this defeat was shocking even to me. I've been through a bunch of the stages of grief already. It's beyond depressing, especially for an oldster--the chance of seeing a woman president gone for good. It's too awful to ponder what "rough beast" is slouching toward Washington....again. Like you, I will never forgive what these people have done--even though I try to take Jesus' words to heart--that "they know not what they do." I just can't forgive. And what's more, I hope they suffer for what they have done.

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Nov 6Liked by Greg Olear

Ultimately, of course, they WILL suffer. What concerns me is how much we'll have to suffer first.

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Well put, Brian, and chillingly.

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Thanks, McLain.

I like what Popehat said about this in his piece from yesterday: "I know what Christ calls me to do — to turn the other cheek and love the Trumpists. I am not equal to the task, and I’m at peace with that and will accept the price. However, I must advocate for a similar concept: we can’t allow Trumpism to trick us into abandoning key values like due process of law, freedom of expression, and freedom of religion, just because they scorn them."

https://www.popehat.com/p/and-yet-it-moves

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Greg, no need to apologize as most all other writers, authors I follow on Substack felt the same, we all did.

Betrayal is the best word here to describe the electorate’s choice. I do feel betrayed by the Latino and black men, also suburban women (really??) who put Trump over the top for the win.

I will never underestimate the racism and MISOGYNY in this country again (by women too!). And now will have to endure the smugness of white christian nationalists.

I will find a way to live my life and push for reform wherever I can.

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Thanks, Gundy.

Don't forget white men, the ultimate betrayers. We often get a pass and shouldn't.

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Nov 6Liked by Greg Olear

Hear hear brother. I feel ‘bout the same…✌🏽💙🇺🇸💚♾️

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Thanks, Dock.

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My concern goes to the apparent intent of those incoming to basically eliminate our system of checks and balances by stacking our Court/courts, agencies, etc. with loyalists to a single person rather that country and Constitution.

I am one who tends to thrive in the positive (in the light), working through challenges, difficult times, etc. — “only easy day was yesterday” and all that jazz. But, without checks & balances, finding a peaceful way through the dark to the light seems significantly more challenging (think Hungary; Russia; etc.).

Thoughts…

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Nov 6Liked by Greg Olear

Your words matter, Greg. Thank you. A lot.

Groggily numb,

Mindy

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Thanks, Mindy.

This morning I am numbly groggy...

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Nov 6Liked by Greg Olear

Give this a read, in full, from start to finish. It's good, it provides useful context and perspective, and it's the first in a series.

https://terikanefield.com/why-i-am-setting-out-on-a-journey-and-inviting-you-along/

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Nov 6Liked by Greg Olear

Teri is great. Thanks for sharing!

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Thanks, Tom! This is also a good day for some ambient music...

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Working on it. :-D

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Nov 6Liked by Greg Olear

Greg you & Stephanie have been (& still are) the most trusted source of information/news. I (personally) do not believe that he won the popular vote bc I remember the cheating in FL when the hanging chads gave them a "win". Switching out mailed ballots would not be impossible.

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Thanks, Joyce. About the results, you're just saying that because the math makes no sense, and he had a secret with Mike Johnson, and he often said he didn't need anyone to vote, and the Russians were fucking with us, and so was Elon Musk.

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Nov 6Liked by Greg Olear

You are shouldering blame for something all of us share responsibility for. Not your burden alone. I think there are going to many people who will need us to stand up for them in coming months and years. I am here for that, but don’t know what it looks like. Will take advice and guidance from all trusted voices, like yours. Thank you for doing what you have been doing. ❤️💔

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Thank you, Exregulator. I appreciate that.

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Nov 6Liked by Greg Olear

There is no need to apologize. So many believed in a better outcome. It feels surreal.

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Nov 6Liked by Greg Olear

Exactly Callie, surreal now. I’m partly numb which is the armor for survival today at least. As for Greg, I agree no need for apologies. You continue to be a font of information plus much more.

I’m sending you many hugs for all the joy you’ve provided me…& betting many of us feel the same way.

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Thanks, Samani. Hugs right back!

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It still does. It still does.

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Nov 6Liked by Greg Olear

I'm waiting for my son to return from Reno, where he knocked doors and had conversations with working class people for 9 hours/day, 7 days/week since early September. The pundits never talked to real people in their own environments. Every conversation was about the economy. Not one person mentioned Palestine. We live in our blue bubble. It is worth it to get out and talk to real people sometimes. It is a different world.

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I was a little worried about the economy, particularly the messaging around it. All this "greatest economy ever" stuff may be true as far as metrics, but cat food is three times what it used to cost, and a lot of others things are also more expensive. Also, the interest rates are so high that anyone with an older mortgage can't sell a house without it costing a ton. Those are real things that have direct impact on our lives. Even the employment numbers are a bit of a mirage, from what I've seen here.

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Nov 6Liked by Greg Olear

Since we're all not crazy enough to think the election was "rigged," my assumption, as the evening went on was that we really do live in a country of shitty, shitty people who WANT what he's offering. So, no, this is not the time to make any decisions about what we may do in the future, except that as I think I said before, I'm pulling back my interest in politics for at least four years. This will probably be the only online space that I will write comments and express myself because again, anything else is just whistling against an ocean. In the long run, it's probably good because I'll get more work done -- my "lunch hour" can go to two hours if I get wound up; one of the hazards of being self-employed.

My other issue with the deplorables, who are apparently the majority now, is that they love to not only win, but then GLOAT about it. My across-the-street neighbor's mother popped onto the block this morning wearing one of those fucking red hats. This is probably a 70-year-old woman whose normal hair doesn't really allow for a baseball cap, but there she was -- red hat of the beast BLAZING in the morning gloom. Amazing!

There is no need to apologize, Greg. You didn't do anything the rest of us didn't do, and it simply didn't work out. There was always the chance. I also believed in the innate goodness of the American people, and I was also wrong. There are still LOTS of good people, just not enough.

On the bright side, we won't have to go through two months and 3.5 years of "the election was rigged" talk, and court cases getting laughed out of court, or Rudy Giuliani, or violence from his supporters, and whatever else was planned in the dank places they hang out. Now that he's won, the election, I assume, was "a perfect election," with no cheating or stealing at all. Very sorry the Dems just didn't steal hard enough, or rig things enough for Kamala to win! I'm also very sorry about Ukraine, and Gaza, and women, and vaccines, and humanity, and DECENCY, and all the rest. Shitty day. I'll try to hit up the Five-8 tonight, but honestly, it's a toss-up whether I'm going to want to relive quite so soon.

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I agree with you. My news subscriptions are canceled. I'm done. I find it fascinating that the election isn't rigged anymore. It's a fucking miracle.

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And none of the MAGA will even realize the bait and switch. And the media will cover this like any old race and transition: autopsy, plans for new term, who he will pick, etc, like we're not on the precipice of President Couchfucker being dictator for life.

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Please consider pulling back your engagement less than 4 years, we have a Senate to regain in 2.

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Nov 7Liked by Greg Olear

James Carville

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Thanks for this, Steve. I'm glad you'll still be here, as I always like to read what you write.

The gloating is insufferable. Truly. It will make it much harder for me to feel compassion when the inevitable happens and his shit policies hurt the woman in your neighborhood in her stupid hat. We talked about this on the show last night: There's a scene in one of the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man movies where he's on a train with the bad guy, and the train is about to crash into a building and explode. The bad guy says, "You're a good guy, you're not allowed to kill me." And Spidey says: "No...but I don't have to save you." And he swings out, and the train crashes and the villain blows up. That's how I feel now.

With that said, I also feel bad about all of what you mentioned. I hope this is now the bottom, and we can rise up. But history suggests otherwise, that once an empire falls it stays fallen.

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I DID see the show last night, I was just quiet. I still don't know how you and LB talk AND read comments as they scroll. I did it for a while until I realized I couldn't multitask like that. LOL

And I'm 100% in agreement. The olds, of which I am now one (!), have a saying, "you made your bed, now sleep in it." I have no desire or intent to "unify" with traitors to democracy, or to have any compassion for them when they realize what they've done. They made their bed.

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Oh man, this is true but so scary to think this is us now: “But history suggests otherwise, that once an empire falls it stays fallen.”

I wish the Constitution allowed for no transfer of power to one who has tried, and is planning, to overthrow our government.

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