“They’re all flawed copies of a flawed candidate, replicated on a machine that throws errors with every iteration.” That sentence immediately brought to mind a visualization of a Stephen King-esque movie with replicates roaming the country glitching out in the streets in their full Trump regalia.
Rick, do you have any additional thoughts about major grifters like Jeff Roe who massively failed while getting massively richer with Other People's Money? Or is it just par for the course these days for the political consultancy gravy train?
So very disappointed in Steve, a feeling I see is widely shared. I guess that too-clever-by-half "VP Sarah Palin" idea was not an accident after all, but a symptom. And, judging from what Rick is saying, I guess I significantly underestimated the insidiously addictive appeal of political consulting for a live campaign.
If Schmidt's money troubles are true as alluded to by others, it may also be a case of being broke makes people do crazy things. In this case, convince a sure-to-lose candidate to run for office just to rake in that sweet campaign money.
I pressed the little blue up arrow. My hands are like clubs haha.
Ok. The title of your book Everything Trump Touches Dies has been used so many times in my comments. It is a true thing. I do give you credit for it. I liked that book which was my main intro to you, you brash young man. : )
In 2016...I just knew if these trump supporters here in Florida would just read one! Just one ! Of these amazing tweet threads I discovered...it will show you and explain all about the Russian mob...and their ties to DJT for decades! Decades! Here ! Here's one on " Trump Soho " Read this !!!!!!" This will do it !! It's merely a lack of information, right? Boy oh boy..
If I knew then... What I know now. Or maybe it's only what I THINK I know now.... What a world. Thank you so much for all you do Rick. Love,StacyO
Or the FL condos Trump was running his Russian Laundromat...it had a great name, Little Odessa. Orthat"gift" of the $99M teardown, lots of Russian $$ with Trump, the broke millioaire.
Here's another way a campaign dies: give your money to Steve Schmidt. Then again, those spousal support checks aren't going to write themselves. Or at all.
Is AI making headway in the campaign analytics space yet?
Interesting! I can see AI being useful in identifying persuable voter groups. Or indeed in how to persuade them.
As for creative, it's developing rapidly there. We're maybe a year away from convincing AI-generated video. Which opens up a whole shelf of cans of worms, of course.
I saw the court battle about $, brought by his ex-wife. Also the part about the purchase of a $1.4 M Utah house -- remember the pictures from his patio? remember Lisa Beardsley suggesting a get-together for all of us who became friends on The Warning, and remember how there was no response? If I'd done my due diligence (including that article from "Daily Beast"), I'd have done differently. Let that be a warning to me for future substacks!
WOLF-PAC is a good group, too. For now, I'm totally exhausted with former repugnicants turning Democratic and then undermining the Democratic President. (Speaking to you Steve.) Hoping, hoping that Rick is For Real.
It's a group that began when the Supreme Court made Citizens United legal, and thus began the rapid downhill spiral of the ending of our democracy. You might like to google it.
“The primary is over. It’s just that no one wants to admit it.”
None of us needs to be clairvoyant or some highly paid, useless political consultant (not you, of course) to see this coming. Trump owns the Republican Party.
I’ll use the Bottery Barn example of Colin Powell for the Iraq invasion: “You break it, you own it!” Trump broke the party, and the rest of America is dealing with the consequences. Republicans have all jumped into the abyss, and theres no coming back.
As for Haley moving up a notch. Hahaha! So now Trump will win 80% to 20%, instead of 81%-19%. Congratulations Never Trumper’s, excellent work!
That said, I don’t follow the primaries because they’re irrelevant. I never vote republican, and given the state of the party, or lack thereof, never will.
I’m more worried about the general with RFK Jr., and now the far-left enabling and supporting Hamas. Trump won’t beat Biden, but if enough leftest votes are siphoned from Biden to RFK Jr., that could be a big problem.
The anti-vaccination crowd for one, and the anti-Semitic left-wing. Also, the Palestinian Americans won’t be voting for Biden anytime soon.
Additionally, it was very recently when RFK Jr. said (on tape) that the COVID vaccine was produced to protect Jews and the Chinese from the virus, but meant to attack and harm blacks and others ethnicities.
He also stated that the mask mandate was worse than what Anne Frank had to endure, because at least she had an attic to hide in.
Bottom line: he has name recognition with African Americans, and attracts all the left-wing nut jobs, who are no different than the fringe right or pretty much most of the republican party nowadays.
Just as infuriating as the political media's desire for a horse race is their hidebound insistence upon treating Orange Foolius as if he were a normal candidate instead of the noxious mixture of narcissism, fascism, and dumbassery he really is. "Trump said General Milley should be executed for treason? Whatever. Hey, look at this poll - people think Biden's too old!"
Yeah, it's amazing seeing Dump essentially drool live at his most recent rallies, forgetting who he ran against in 2016, bungle basic historical facts, yet the MSM and the RW echo machine keep saying Biden may be cognitively impaired.
The orange sadist is either stressed to the max (YESSSS!) and therefore losing it, and/or is developing dementia. Maybe it's the stress that's uncovering underlying dementia. That makes the most sense.
I think what we are seeing and you are describing is what's called, narcissistic collapse. When that balloon fiction he was telling himself and us, blows up? Like him going to court and seeing his fictional great businessman evaporate along with Trump Inc.
I don't know it is an official term like a recognized diagnosis but I believe something that professionals use in relationship to what actually happens for the kind of malignant narcissism Trump has.
I think you're absolutely right. He's lit up by his legal problems and given his age. crappy diet, and family mental health history, he's in the initial stages of mental breakdown that's only going to get worse. The political challenge is countering this garbage narrative that Biden is mentally impaired while Dump is clearly breaking down while pretending otherwise.
Media click bait for add rate readership numbers. "people say..." "People fear he might be." They have yet to offer anything close a real concern, based on performance or events. ROI for corporate shareholder loyalty is all that matters to them.
I will also never forget that on the morning of election day 2016, the New York Times headline said that Hillary Clinton had an 85 percent or greater chance of winning the election today.
No kidding. That’s what the polls are all about. These aggregate polls are all mostly meaningless. The purpose is to confuse people and obscure reality. There are some well-conducted polls, but they will be more meaningful sometime next year. Anything can happen between now and the middle of next year.
Having worked a losing primary campaign, where the asshole won (his record in office proved it, so I am not saying that as a partisan), I know it's hard to say "it's over." But the sooner that happens the better for everyone. I kind of feel sorry (but not really) for the people who were dumb enough to think that "an intelligent fascist" as opposed to Trump was a winning idea.
"Sometimes, it’s just a gig. (Looking at you, Team Dean Phillips.)" As one among hundreds who unsubscribed to "The Warning" in disgust, I was curious to know what your opinion would be about the mess Steve is creating. Glad to know that you see it the same way as I do. Steve had a great community going, but almost all of the birds have flown. We're searching out various new places to roost. Your substack was among those recommended.
Also bailed on The Warning when I read his support for Phillips. It made everything he’d been saying and writing seem like an exhaustively serialized attempt to manipulate readers to support his “candidate.”
Phillips can only end badly; for himself, for President Biden, and for the country. I for one believe the fight is too grave for vanity projects. Thanks for giving me a shot!
Actually, I stopped subscribing to the Schmidt newsletter about three or maybe four weeks ago. I’d had enough of the “Biden is too old” BS. When my monthly payment time came up, I just stopped it because I was getting aggravated with him for various reasons, but I had no idea at the time this thing with Phillips was going to happen. I do remember him interviewing Dean Phillips a while back and I watched part of that video, so I was a little worried about this. But since he writes incessantly about an impending fascist takeover, I never thought he would do something that would potentially accelerate that. It’s nonsensical to me. So, knowing that I had not read his newsletter in a while, Lisa contacted me (we know each other outside of substack) and told me what happened, and I suggested to her that this might be a good newsletter to migrate to. I started reading Rick about three weeks ago, and I would’ve done it sooner, but I did not know he had a Substack newsletter until I discovered it accidentally.
Well, Kathy, here we are together again. 😂 I came on here to say much the same thing. I always felt that Schmidt had a bit of an enlarged ego, but I didn’t realize how dangerous that could be until our recent discovery and his announcement. If you’re going to publish 6 or more newsletters a week warning about the fascist takeover, and then do something to accelerate that, you’re talking out of both sides of your mouth.
Thank you, Rick, for being a refreshing intellect and truth teller in these dark times.
To me, using my best judgement call with regard to Steve, I believe he trusts his own instincts with regard to political gamesmanship. He decided to make a choice which I don’t have the brainpower or understanding to suss. But I am backing his right to choose. I just didn’t want to stay in an abusive relationship.
Hi, fellow former-Warning people. I’ve followed Rick Wilson forever, and this is an especially welcome place to land now. Rick is smart, experienced, and insightful, as we know, but it’s his sense of humor that sets his commentary apart. And don’t you love his choice of words?
We have an interesting year or so ahead. I’m stickin’ with Rick. Or is it “Wilson’s World”? (Too silly?) Á bientôt!
By the way, I had a look at Steve Schmidt’s essay today, and it seems like there are still many people hanging on because there were hundreds of comments, but many of them were about their disagreement with his choice to move forward with this ridiculous campaign.
I looked, too. There were 151 comments. The vast majority were flat: "I agree with you, Steve. Pence was a lousy VP." A few were interesting. But it sure ain't the lively place it used to be with "Our Gang"!
Considering that the Republican Party didn't even bother with a platform in 2020 this post takes on a higher meaning about our politics today.
If your party is hollow, then they'll choose the most hollow candidate who echoes the loudest.
Trump is the emptiest suit in the bunch so he's the choice.
Nothing will stop his MAGAs in this primary field.
All the primary candidates are hoping Trump drops dead before the election. But if that happens MAGA will just rally behind Don Junior.
“They’re all flawed copies of a flawed candidate, replicated on a machine that throws errors with every iteration.” That sentence immediately brought to mind a visualization of a Stephen King-esque movie with replicates roaming the country glitching out in the streets in their full Trump regalia.
Yup.
Rick, do you have any additional thoughts about major grifters like Jeff Roe who massively failed while getting massively richer with Other People's Money? Or is it just par for the course these days for the political consultancy gravy train?
So very disappointed in Steve, a feeling I see is widely shared. I guess that too-clever-by-half "VP Sarah Palin" idea was not an accident after all, but a symptom. And, judging from what Rick is saying, I guess I significantly underestimated the insidiously addictive appeal of political consulting for a live campaign.
If Schmidt's money troubles are true as alluded to by others, it may also be a case of being broke makes people do crazy things. In this case, convince a sure-to-lose candidate to run for office just to rake in that sweet campaign money.
Rick, Ever since I read your book “Everything Trump Touches Dies”
Ditto wicked funny but true!
RV maxima. Question: Do you own a large recreational vehicle?
No, it is my initials!
I pressed the little blue up arrow. My hands are like clubs haha.
Ok. The title of your book Everything Trump Touches Dies has been used so many times in my comments. It is a true thing. I do give you credit for it. I liked that book which was my main intro to you, you brash young man. : )
In 2016...I just knew if these trump supporters here in Florida would just read one! Just one ! Of these amazing tweet threads I discovered...it will show you and explain all about the Russian mob...and their ties to DJT for decades! Decades! Here ! Here's one on " Trump Soho " Read this !!!!!!" This will do it !! It's merely a lack of information, right? Boy oh boy..
If I knew then... What I know now. Or maybe it's only what I THINK I know now.... What a world. Thank you so much for all you do Rick. Love,StacyO
Or the FL condos Trump was running his Russian Laundromat...it had a great name, Little Odessa. Orthat"gift" of the $99M teardown, lots of Russian $$ with Trump, the broke millioaire.
Here's another way a campaign dies: give your money to Steve Schmidt. Then again, those spousal support checks aren't going to write themselves. Or at all.
Is AI making headway in the campaign analytics space yet?
AI is increasingly helpful in the back office modeling of voter data. Creative still has a ways to go.
Interesting! I can see AI being useful in identifying persuable voter groups. Or indeed in how to persuade them.
As for creative, it's developing rapidly there. We're maybe a year away from convincing AI-generated video. Which opens up a whole shelf of cans of worms, of course.
They ARE protein though...
I saw the court battle about $, brought by his ex-wife. Also the part about the purchase of a $1.4 M Utah house -- remember the pictures from his patio? remember Lisa Beardsley suggesting a get-together for all of us who became friends on The Warning, and remember how there was no response? If I'd done my due diligence (including that article from "Daily Beast"), I'd have done differently. Let that be a warning to me for future substacks!
Was she referring to a get-together in Utah? Did I miss something?
Yes! It was quite a while ago, but sounded like it would have been great fun!
Aha! I didn’t know anything about this. Now it kind of makes sense. Oh well.
Give your cash and time to RESOLUTE SQUARE!
Otherwise: up against the wall! YOU are gonna get done just like they do it on the Red Square.
(What. You think that's Paint?)
WOLF-PAC is a good group, too. For now, I'm totally exhausted with former repugnicants turning Democratic and then undermining the Democratic President. (Speaking to you Steve.) Hoping, hoping that Rick is For Real.
Is this otherwise?
This looks like otherwise!
The Security Minister is a shoot first quash questions later kinda fella
I am hoping right thre with you. Tell me more about WOLF-PAC.
It's a group that began when the Supreme Court made Citizens United legal, and thus began the rapid downhill spiral of the ending of our democracy. You might like to google it.
Thanks, I will check them out.
“The primary is over. It’s just that no one wants to admit it.”
None of us needs to be clairvoyant or some highly paid, useless political consultant (not you, of course) to see this coming. Trump owns the Republican Party.
I’ll use the Bottery Barn example of Colin Powell for the Iraq invasion: “You break it, you own it!” Trump broke the party, and the rest of America is dealing with the consequences. Republicans have all jumped into the abyss, and theres no coming back.
As for Haley moving up a notch. Hahaha! So now Trump will win 80% to 20%, instead of 81%-19%. Congratulations Never Trumper’s, excellent work!
That said, I don’t follow the primaries because they’re irrelevant. I never vote republican, and given the state of the party, or lack thereof, never will.
I’m more worried about the general with RFK Jr., and now the far-left enabling and supporting Hamas. Trump won’t beat Biden, but if enough leftest votes are siphoned from Biden to RFK Jr., that could be a big problem.
Just some thoughts...:)
Listen, I have been following this for a while. Tell me of the leftist voters who would be for RFK Jr? What is there for them?
The Kennedy name. Period.
The anti-vaccination crowd for one, and the anti-Semitic left-wing. Also, the Palestinian Americans won’t be voting for Biden anytime soon.
Additionally, it was very recently when RFK Jr. said (on tape) that the COVID vaccine was produced to protect Jews and the Chinese from the virus, but meant to attack and harm blacks and others ethnicities.
He also stated that the mask mandate was worse than what Anne Frank had to endure, because at least she had an attic to hide in.
Bottom line: he has name recognition with African Americans, and attracts all the left-wing nut jobs, who are no different than the fringe right or pretty much most of the republican party nowadays.
That has been a great worry to me: "KENNEDY!!!"
TTAP to the unwashed masses. when i say things like "the armed wing of" i might just actually mean it
(what does TTAP mean?)
Just as infuriating as the political media's desire for a horse race is their hidebound insistence upon treating Orange Foolius as if he were a normal candidate instead of the noxious mixture of narcissism, fascism, and dumbassery he really is. "Trump said General Milley should be executed for treason? Whatever. Hey, look at this poll - people think Biden's too old!"
It's going to be a long year. *sigh*
Yeah, it's amazing seeing Dump essentially drool live at his most recent rallies, forgetting who he ran against in 2016, bungle basic historical facts, yet the MSM and the RW echo machine keep saying Biden may be cognitively impaired.
The orange sadist is either stressed to the max (YESSSS!) and therefore losing it, and/or is developing dementia. Maybe it's the stress that's uncovering underlying dementia. That makes the most sense.
I think what we are seeing and you are describing is what's called, narcissistic collapse. When that balloon fiction he was telling himself and us, blows up? Like him going to court and seeing his fictional great businessman evaporate along with Trump Inc.
It will get much worse.
Yes. Perfect description! (Is it a diagnostic term? I've never heard it before, but it's certainly worth adding to my vocab)
I don't know it is an official term like a recognized diagnosis but I believe something that professionals use in relationship to what actually happens for the kind of malignant narcissism Trump has.
It's an outstanding term. Thanks so much for posting it.
I think you're absolutely right. He's lit up by his legal problems and given his age. crappy diet, and family mental health history, he's in the initial stages of mental breakdown that's only going to get worse. The political challenge is countering this garbage narrative that Biden is mentally impaired while Dump is clearly breaking down while pretending otherwise.
"Orange Foolius" is <chef's kiss>
Which people? I want to know. He’s old. But who can know if he’s TOO old? Not one living soul can know that.
Media click bait for add rate readership numbers. "people say..." "People fear he might be." They have yet to offer anything close a real concern, based on performance or events. ROI for corporate shareholder loyalty is all that matters to them.
People get manipulated by these polls. People need to stop paying attention to these horserace polls a year out from the election. It’s insane.
That is the point.
I will also never forget that on the morning of election day 2016, the New York Times headline said that Hillary Clinton had an 85 percent or greater chance of winning the election today.
No kidding. That’s what the polls are all about. These aggregate polls are all mostly meaningless. The purpose is to confuse people and obscure reality. There are some well-conducted polls, but they will be more meaningful sometime next year. Anything can happen between now and the middle of next year.
Yup.
If I think the polls are
balog-na there are probably many of us who feel the same. Thanks Janet. Keep the faith.
Orange Foolius. That’s hilarious Andrea. There seems to be an endless number of names for Agent Orange, as Spike Lee likes to call him.
My other favorite is "Voldemoron."
😂😂 I’m glad I wasn’t eating or drinking something when I read this. By the way, I’m very impressed with the size of the catch in your photo.
Having worked a losing primary campaign, where the asshole won (his record in office proved it, so I am not saying that as a partisan), I know it's hard to say "it's over." But the sooner that happens the better for everyone. I kind of feel sorry (but not really) for the people who were dumb enough to think that "an intelligent fascist" as opposed to Trump was a winning idea.
politicos want fat campaign donations but terrs just want to move zig
zig here is an acroynym for the devils plaything
"Sometimes, it’s just a gig. (Looking at you, Team Dean Phillips.)" As one among hundreds who unsubscribed to "The Warning" in disgust, I was curious to know what your opinion would be about the mess Steve is creating. Glad to know that you see it the same way as I do. Steve had a great community going, but almost all of the birds have flown. We're searching out various new places to roost. Your substack was among those recommended.
Also bailed on The Warning when I read his support for Phillips. It made everything he’d been saying and writing seem like an exhaustively serialized attempt to manipulate readers to support his “candidate.”
As I told you KD, I signed up late Friday night to check Rick out. I told Rick that with TC here, it might be worthwhile.
A number of us have landed!
Glad to see you made it here. It's good here. We have cookies.
Ohhh, nice! Ever have chocolate chip?
Phillips can only end badly; for himself, for President Biden, and for the country. I for one believe the fight is too grave for vanity projects. Thanks for giving me a shot!
As I said earlier Rick, I am hoping you can help keep us up to speed. Where's the cookies, by the way?
I realize this reply makes no sense here, because I posted it in the wrong place. I’m sure you’ll figure it out.
Actually, I stopped subscribing to the Schmidt newsletter about three or maybe four weeks ago. I’d had enough of the “Biden is too old” BS. When my monthly payment time came up, I just stopped it because I was getting aggravated with him for various reasons, but I had no idea at the time this thing with Phillips was going to happen. I do remember him interviewing Dean Phillips a while back and I watched part of that video, so I was a little worried about this. But since he writes incessantly about an impending fascist takeover, I never thought he would do something that would potentially accelerate that. It’s nonsensical to me. So, knowing that I had not read his newsletter in a while, Lisa contacted me (we know each other outside of substack) and told me what happened, and I suggested to her that this might be a good newsletter to migrate to. I started reading Rick about three weeks ago, and I would’ve done it sooner, but I did not know he had a Substack newsletter until I discovered it accidentally.
Ditto and madrone...Phillips is my Congressman. You would never know he was playing pocket-pool by reading his latest newsletter. Shees...
My pleasure! (I "talk" a lot. I hope that's OK?)
Your comments always make sense.
That's so sweet, RR! Thank you!
So glad I ditched Schmidt's newsletter and subscribed to this one instead.
This is the place kdsherpa! Pass it on 🏴☠️
Thanks! And I will.
Well, Kathy, here we are together again. 😂 I came on here to say much the same thing. I always felt that Schmidt had a bit of an enlarged ego, but I didn’t realize how dangerous that could be until our recent discovery and his announcement. If you’re going to publish 6 or more newsletters a week warning about the fascist takeover, and then do something to accelerate that, you’re talking out of both sides of your mouth.
Thank you, Rick, for being a refreshing intellect and truth teller in these dark times.
(narcissism; some sociopathy evident in the "Rolling Stone" article)
That was quite a flame dance Friday night, wasn't it Janet. A lot of us came here. Was it Lisa's suggestion. I can't remember.
I just replied to this comment in the wrong place, but you’ll figure it out. 😂
I put my reply under another one of your comments. I’m a little tired. I just came back from an exhausting work out.
So glad to see you again, Janet!
The same!! I’m going to put politics aside now and go out to enjoy what’s left of this beautiful day. 🎃
It was really disappointing how Schmidt was so cavalier about flushing that community down the toilet. Nice to see you here, though.
- Fellow "The Warning" expat
We are migrating to different places in great numbers. 😊
Thanks, Andrea! I just read the following: https://www.thedailybeast.com/steve-schmidt-was-always-a-hack
Really really disappointed in Steve.
I thought he would have learned his lesson with Palin.
I think that it's more about ego and $$$ than it is about rational thinking.
Totally, because it just doesn’t make any rational sense.
To me, using my best judgement call with regard to Steve, I believe he trusts his own instincts with regard to political gamesmanship. He decided to make a choice which I don’t have the brainpower or understanding to suss. But I am backing his right to choose. I just didn’t want to stay in an abusive relationship.
It was certainly getting to be that way.
Well said!
Thanks, k.
Hi, fellow former-Warning people. I’ve followed Rick Wilson forever, and this is an especially welcome place to land now. Rick is smart, experienced, and insightful, as we know, but it’s his sense of humor that sets his commentary apart. And don’t you love his choice of words?
We have an interesting year or so ahead. I’m stickin’ with Rick. Or is it “Wilson’s World”? (Too silly?) Á bientôt!
Thanks so much, Cynthia!
By the way, I had a look at Steve Schmidt’s essay today, and it seems like there are still many people hanging on because there were hundreds of comments, but many of them were about their disagreement with his choice to move forward with this ridiculous campaign.
I looked, too. There were 151 comments. The vast majority were flat: "I agree with you, Steve. Pence was a lousy VP." A few were interesting. But it sure ain't the lively place it used to be with "Our Gang"!
I agree with all of this. Humor is indeed needed during these, let’s just say, trying times.