Tulsi Gabbard's Journey to Donald Trump is an Ominous Sign of Putin's Power

Monday, September 02, 2024

Author and political philosophy professor John Davenport writes about Tulsi Gabbard's recent backing of Trump and her new position as a surrogate for his campaign.

Posted by retort at 07:47 AM | 48 COMMENTS | permalink

Comments

Putin was the most powerful man in the world when Trump was president and he will be again if Trump is re-elected.

#1 | Posted by Zed at 2024-09-02 08:02 AM

What kimd of pstriotic American would vote for a defender of Assad or Putin? Are Gabbard supporters just so pootly informed or do theyjust think dictatorships are superior to democracies?

#2 | Posted by danni at 2024-09-02 08:17 AM

It says far more about Gabbard's weakness than anyone else's supposed power. When it comes to thugs like Putin, and losers like Trump, people often make the mistake of projecting too much weakness or too much power onto them.

#3 | Posted by sentinel at 2024-09-02 08:52 AM

do they just think dictatorships are superior to democracies?

#2 | Posted by danni

Yes, yes they do.

They won't call it dictatorship now or later to preserve their own feelings.

#4 | Posted by Zed at 2024-09-02 09:33 AM

Zed is right, they still hold pretend elections in Russia and, amazingly, Vladimir Putin always wins!

#5 | Posted by danni at 2024-09-02 09:58 AM

But, not to worry, Trump told his "beautiful Christians" that this the last election they will have to vote in because he's going to fix it so voting will no longer be necessary. Hmmm? Wonder what he meant by that "beautiful Christians"?

#6 | Posted by danni at 2024-09-02 10:08 AM

The DNC didn't even hold primaries to select a candidate after Biden decided not to seek re-election. They just decided On Kamala as the nominee with no voting at all.

How is that Remotely Democratic?

An open contest to find a nominee would have been better if the representation of the people was at all important to the democratic party.

Which it obviously isn't.

#7 | Posted by Effeteposer at 2024-09-02 10:14 AM

"An open contest to find a nominee ... "

... was offered, and no one else threw their hat in the ring.

I remember reports counting down the days until that window closed.

I get you weren't paying attention, but that doesn't allow you to lie.

#8 | Posted by Danforth at 2024-09-02 10:36 AM

She likely was a Putin puppet before she ran for president.

#9 | Posted by Tor at 2024-09-02 10:50 AM

Russia state TV calls Gabbard our friend Tulsi'

www.independent.co.uk

#10 | Posted by reinheitsgebot at 2024-09-02 10:54 AM

"How is that Remotely Democratic?"

It is "remotely" democratic because of the delegates.

Delegates are awarded proportionally.

State delegates CAN choose a different candidate than the one you voted for.

State delegates go to the national convention to vote to confirm their choice of candidates. But if no candidate gets the majority of a party's delegates during the primaries and caucuses, convention delegates choose the nominee. This happens through additional rounds of voting.

Which is basically what happened.

In this case the candidate voters selected dropped out leaving the delegates free to select a different candidate.

Welcome to America comrade.

Let me ask you a question.

How is it "remotely democratic" that the presidential candidate who wins the popular vote by nearly 3 million votes still lose the election?

#11 | Posted by donnerboy at 2024-09-02 11:56 AM

It's funny how the partisans all flip their arguments about direct democracy when it suits them. The left whined about the electoral college when Bush and Trump were elected, now the right is squealing about this.

#12 | Posted by sentinel at 2024-09-02 12:36 PM

The left whined about the electoral college when Bush and Trump were elected ...

Because of Bush v Gore The "left" "whined" about the Supreme Court selecting our President for us.

Appropriately so.

And I also think is reasonable to question how the electoral college is democratic. But now you have ruined my question and given away the answer.

We are not a direct democracy. But we are "remotely" democratic.

By design.

#13 | Posted by donnerboy at 2024-09-02 01:08 PM

americanhistory.si.edu

Gore didn't have the votes in Florida and he knew it. That's why he pulled that BS with hand recounts in only four counties, and then wanted the courts to rewrite the election laws retroactively to change the deadline. At the time, his shenanigans were on practically on par with the chaos Trump sowed 20 years later. Of course, Trump took it a month further, and didn't bother taking it to the Supreme Court.

Since then, left has been calling for the abolition of the electoral college and even the Senate.

#14 | Posted by sentinel at 2024-09-02 02:12 PM

"The DNC didn't even hold primaries to select a candidate after Biden decided not to seek re-election. They just decided On Kamala as the nominee with no voting at all.

How is that Remotely Democratic?

An open contest to find a nominee would have been better if the representation of the people was at all important to the democratic party.

Which it obviously isn't.

#7 | POSTED BY EFFETEPOSER "

Go ahead and vote for that orange Quisling you traitor. I know it is a pity you could not write in Putler or XI or even Che... alas, he's dead and those other two are not living in the good ole U$A are they? Don't vote and when that scumbag traitor rapist grifter wins you had better not be on here whining like you do for Vlad The Mass Murderer when his murdering get interrupted.

#15 | Posted by Wildman62 at 2024-09-02 10:54 PM

@#7 ... The DNC didn't even hold primaries to select a candidate after Biden decided not to seek re-election. ...

And the DNC should have held primaries .... why?

VP Harris was already elected to serve as a successor to Pres Biden.

So, what's yer point?

#16 | Posted by LampLighter at 2024-09-02 11:07 PM

My point is she has not gone before any voters since 2020, there were no Primaries, she was just declared the nominee by fiat from within the party.

They did the same thing when Every other candidate dropped out to clear the way for Biden in 2020.

It disenfranchises the voters. It makes the election less legitimate than it would be if the voters got to vote on the selection of the candidates.

Duh?

How can you not see this?

It's like you don't want to.

Believe me, many people have noticed how the candidates are carefully selected from Above.

Almost like our system is designed to produce a specific outcome for the Donors.

Or Someone not Visible to the public View. A hidden Cabal.

Just Sayin'.

#17 | Posted by Effeteposer at 2024-09-03 03:27 AM

Hey Poser, STFU! She and Potus were running as a ticket, as the INCUMBENTS, just as Dotard did with Pence in 2020. You know who didn't have a primary in 2020? The GQP. When you run as a ticket it is with the understanding that if the top of the ticket, for any reason, decides to step aside, the number two steps up. Simple as that. The only person who could have accessed the Biden/Harris reelection warchest was Harris. Everybody else who might have staked a claim, Newsom, Whitmer, Shapiro, Buttigieg, etc., all fell in behind her and have been eager surrogates. When POTUS stepped aside, it was too late for the party to have any kind of a primary, and battling it out at the DNC could have been messy. The only solution was to choose the person who was best placed and most ready to do the job a5 the top of the ticket, Kamala Harris, VPOTUS.

#18 | Posted by _Gunslinger_ at 2024-09-03 04:44 AM

It disenfranchises the voters. It makes the election less legitimate than it would be if the voters got to vote on the selection of the candidates.

You simply show total ignorance on how the party system works in this country. Many states don't allow "voters" to vote in primaries unless they are registered to the specific political party they receive a ballot for. How is that democratic in the broad sense?

Primaries are PARTISAN elections by design. The members of the Party indeed voted for Harris as a part of the Biden ticket. You morons keep trying to imply that Harris hasn't been voted for when she clearly WAS. If Democrats didn't want her in position to succeed Biden, they could have voted for whomever else was on the ballot or written in their personal choice. No one was forced to accept Kamala Harris at VP, just as Americans have multiple choices not named Kamala Harris to choose from in November.

I wish you fake, anti-American ignoramuses would simply stop sowing dissent where you don't belong. You continually lie and obfuscate what most of know are the actual truths and facts, particularly about our elections.

Drop dead Fred. No one needs your ignorant opinions about something you obviously can't understand nor comprehend. Political parties are privately controlled entities, not public utilities. They make their own rules and every American can express their individual will at the ballot box. It's called a write-in vote and Harris ascending to the top of the Democratic ticket has taken away no voter's right to choose whomever they want.

#19 | Posted by tonyroma at 2024-09-03 04:51 AM

And your memory of 2020 was faulty. People did not step aside for Joe, it looked like he wasn't going to win before South Carolina, and once he started to roll he became the consensus candidate and people decided to step aside to give him momentum against Dotard, and it worked. Any Democratic voter who wasn't happy with the outcome of 2020 isn't really a Democrat. The common wisdom was that the only person in the 2020 field with a chance to beat Combover Quisling was Joe Biden. It's why Dotard worked so hard to put him in a frame with Russian Stooge Rudy the Ghoul in Ukraine, and why Comer and Jordan have worked so hard to damage his reputation with their literally Trumped up investigation that could not lay a glove on Dark Brandon, but certainly threw around a lot of false innuendo that Faux Spews and the MSM breathlessly regurgitated.

#20 | Posted by _Gunslinger_ at 2024-09-03 04:57 AM

"Go ahead and vote for that orange Quisling"

Posting snark like this is actually more detrimental to democracy than than the nonsense that trolls like Effete post. Think before you post.

#21 | Posted by sentinel at 2024-09-03 10:13 AM

#12 | Posted by sentinel

One side would happily get rid of the electoral college. The other side clings to every bit of anti democratic manipulation they can grab.

#22 | Posted by SpeakSoftly at 2024-09-03 01:03 PM

He says he is an American. A Virginian no less! One of the original 13 colonies.

But he doesn't seem to have a clue how politics work in America.

It seems it would easier to teach a monkey to be an astronaut than explain the history of America and how it works to him.

I but I admire your perseverance.

#23 | Posted by donnerboy at 2024-09-03 01:16 PM

"Gore didn't have the votes in Florida and he knew it."eir petition that continuing the recount

Absolutely not true. Katherine Harris and Jeb Bush were conniving to steal that election and brought the case to the Supreme Court to stop the recount and even said in th petition that continuing the recount would harm George W, Bush, which if he, in fact, had the votes a recount would only have confirmed his victory. Nut instead the corrupt Supreme Court decided to arbitrarily declare Bush the winner with the partially counted recount vecause no doins so could resukt in irreperable harm to George Bush; never mind that their decision did irreparable harm to Al Gore. the fact that the Roberts court is corrupt which lhas now been clearly demonstrated on other issues. Hell Clarece Thomas nd Samuel Aliti prove that

#24 | Posted by danni at 2024-09-03 02:08 PM

The bid-rigging scheme was a classic of the genre. A small Rust Belt city needed new garbage trucks. Its mayor and two of his donors needed money. The mayor, a struggling mortgage lender, owed years' worth of back taxes; the donors were two brothers desperate to save the truck dealership they'd spent the past few years running into the ground. So the mayor fixed things to steer the garbage-truck contracts to the brothers, a million-dollar cushion under their failing dealership. Thankful for this good turn, they cut the mayor a check for $13,000 ostensibly for some consulting work, the substance of which was never clear.

"The feds caught on to this arrangement, and in 2021, the mayor, Jim Snyder, was tried and convicted on corruption charges. On Wednesday, in Snyder v. United States, the Supreme Court threw out the verdict in a 6"3 vote, with the three liberal justices dissenting. The majority cut in half the federal law Snyder was convicted of violating. That law, the Court held, applies to bribes promised or dispensed before any official action is taken but not to "gratuities""rewards, as the majority put it, "given as a token of appreciation after the official act." The majority reached its conclusion by pointing to various indicators that, in its view, showed Congress never intended the law to dictate whether state and local officials can or can't accept gratuities. As far as federal law is concerned, state and local officials are now generally free to accept gifts small and large"$13,000 checks, lavish vacations, cash-stuffed valises"from the beneficiaries of their actions in office. (State and local laws still apply to them, but only a small fraction of corruption cases are brought

www.theatlantic.com

So, public officials, I'm assuming that includes Supreme Court Justices may accept "gratuities" for rendering decisions favorable to a party accused of corruption but not if iy is paid up front; that would be a bribe but if it is paid after the fact then it is just a "gratuity" which is ok? Can you even believe how obviously corrupt that decision was?

#25 | Posted by danni at 2024-09-03 02:25 PM

#18 Electoral Politics is supposed be messy. You want clean and tidy? A Dictatorship is very clean and tidy. No bothersome dissent. No difference of opinions. Just smooth sailing. It's easy to get big things done, because nobody dares to make problems.

America is about choices, we didn't get any from the Democratic party this time around. It was just Love Kamala, Baby, Love Kamala. She's the Nominee, tough ---- if you Disagree.

I think a "Messy" open Convention would have produced a different and better outcome. That's my opinion. Kamala is a weak candidate, she flopped in 2020.

Trump can Take her.

I hope he doesn't, but I'm not voting this time around. I feel like there's no point.

No matter who wins my life won't improve because of my vote.

And America will still Fund and Arm ..the Killers....

#26 | Posted by Effeteposer at 2024-09-03 04:24 PM

I hope he doesn't, but I'm not voting this time around. I feel like there's no point.

Stupid is as stupid does.

If you are not voting then why are you complaining so much?

If Trumpy wins the White House and we lose the House and Senate to maga republicans then you will get the government you deserve.

#27 | Posted by donnerboy at 2024-09-03 04:44 PM

I hope he doesn't, but I'm not voting this time around. I feel like there's no point.

No matter who wins my life won't improve because of my vote.

And America will still Fund and Arm ..the Killers....

#26 | Posted by Effeteposer

Wow you're a lucky person whose life is only affected by ONE ISSUE.

You're so lucky to not have to deal with healthcare, wealth inequality, opportunity inequality, climate change, or corporate corruption.

How did you manage to be so unaffected by those things?

#28 | Posted by SpeakSoftly at 2024-09-03 04:48 PM

I am affected by all of those things. I vote Democratic in every election.

I have seen the Democrats move further and further right every election cycle for 45 years. Like a steady erosion of principles for funding and a moving ever further right of the Overton window.

Bill Clinton,Obama, Biden, all of them talked like they're for the little guy and a level Playing field. They all talked about Universal Healthcare.

Then they "Triangulated" to win right wing voters over, and threw the true Lefty's under the bus.

Even when they "win" their policies are watered down to satisfy the people they had to make promises to get funding.

They're all Whores.

I don't want to vote for Whores anymore.

#29 | Posted by Effeteposer at 2024-09-03 05:05 PM

I have seen the Democrats move further and further right every election cycle for 45 years. Like a steady erosion of principles for funding and a moving ever further right of the Overton window.

Proof that you can bring a monkey into American politics but you cannot make him understand it.

Here's a hint: Democrats do not operate in a vacuum nor have they had enough control of Congress to pass purely democratic policies with those "democratic principles" in ages.

You can apparently thank citizens like yourself (for not voting?) and about 50% of America for voting FOR that.

#30 | Posted by donnerboy at 2024-09-03 05:15 PM

Doh.

#31 | Posted by donnerboy at 2024-09-03 05:16 PM

I have seen the Democrats move further and further right every election cycle for 45 years. Like a steady erosion of principles for funding and a moving ever further right of the Overton window.

Proof that you can bring a monkey into American politics but you cannot make him understand it.

Here's a hint: Democrats do not operate in a vacuum nor have they had enough control of Congress to pass purely democratic policies with those "democratic principles" in ages.

You can apparently thank citizens like yourself (for not voting?) and about 50% of America for voting FOR that.

(Editing repost)

#32 | Posted by donnerboy at 2024-09-03 05:17 PM

#32 Fair enough. I'm just tired.

You said Aaron Bushnell was stupid for dying in such a wasteful and horrible way for something he couldn't change and I agree 100%.

America is not United in any way. Half the country wants a Dictator..,the entire political system supports Genocide.. and more importantly puts their Money where their Mouth is.

I feel true Despair at this, not Suicidal or Existential Despair but despair about our entire enterprise as a "democracy"....It's a False Promise.

I respect you because you still believe in that Promise and stood armed and opposed to those who don't. You are a real American.

I know people here think I'm a Russian because of my opinions about Ukraine.

I can't convince people otherwise if they are so certain.

America is supposed to be about the Freedom to Dissent. The freedom to be different ,sexually, politically, socially, spiritually.

Two parties cannot and never will be able to truly represent the diversity of American thought.

Our system is tragically flawed,I see Dictatorship coming,from within.

Russia doesn't need to corrupt our system. It's already fatally flawed.

I will try to get more enthusiastic about Kamala even though I Know she's Lying about Israel and everything else.

#33 | Posted by Effeteposer at 2024-09-03 05:33 PM

They're all Whores.

I don't want to vote for Whores anymore.

#29 | Posted by Effeteposer

Are they all whores equally and for the same customers? or is there one side who are whores for issues that benefit you more than the other?

#34 | Posted by SpeakSoftly at 2024-09-03 05:38 PM

Russia doesn't need to corrupt our system. It's already fatally flawed.

#33 | Posted by Effeteposer

Tell that to putin so he can save some money. Because he's spending a ton of money on russian trolls who sound just like you.

#35 | Posted by SpeakSoftly at 2024-09-03 05:39 PM

"Absolutely not true. Katherine Harris and Jeb Bush were conniving to steal that election"

ffs, you sound just like Trump and his supporters when they complain about the election being rigged and stolen. Gee, I wonder where he got the idea from to ignore the results as they were certified at the state level and insist that only the ones counted in his own "special" way mattered.

#36 | Posted by sentinel at 2024-09-03 08:28 PM

Incredibly stupid and dishonest headline.

#37 | Posted by BellRinger at 2024-09-03 09:01 PM

Incredibly stupid and dishonest headline.

Now that there is what you can call an expert opinion.

#38 | Posted by REDIAL at 2024-09-03 09:06 PM

#36 | Posted by sentinel

Yeah because trump and his cult ACCUSE the other side of doing what trump and his cult ACTUALLY does.

#39 | Posted by SpeakSoftly at 2024-09-03 09:10 PM

What nonsense. Gabbard was ALWAYS a Russian stooge.

#40 | Posted by LegallyYourDead at 2024-09-04 01:33 AM

#29, YOU ARE SO FULL OF ISH YOU RESEMBLE COMBOVER QUISLING'S OVERFLOWING CRAPPER. Dems with Clinton and Gore moved to the middle out of necessity, anybody further left than Clinton does not win in 1982. Obama was moderate, more left than Bill, but a radical left black man does not beat John McCain. Biden, although seen as pretty moderate has governed as a liberal; who has been hemmed in a radical Reich SCOTUS. Over the past four years, unions have enjoyed a renessance thanks to support and encouragement from the Biden Admin. We saw the largest ever investment in green energy, gun safety legislation, college debt forgiveness, on top of saving the country from Dotard's Black Death and the Trump economic crash. Dems are a center left party because that is where the majority of Americans are, plus they are the only pro-democracy part left in the country, but based on your Pro-Putin BS, that last issue is obviously not an issue for you.

#41 | Posted by _Gunslinger_ at 2024-09-04 06:23 AM

"I respect you because you still believe in that Promise and stood armed and opposed to those who don't. You are a real American."

Either Russian bots are getting very clever or you are being an honest American. Tough call these says. But I appreciate the sentiment nonetheless.

Our system is tragically flawed,I see Dictatorship coming,from within.

We are always at risk of turning to a dictator to solve our problems. It was a major factor in Rome's eventual downfall. And a great concern to our founding fathers.

Russia doesn't need to corrupt our system. It's already fatally flawed.

You should tell Russia that because they are very worried about us succeeding and spending vast sums and doing everything they can to undermine us.

All political systems have their flaws. And ours is not perfect. That's why our constitution strives for a more perfect Union and does not claim it already is one. And it is designed to evolve to meet the needs of us now and our posterity. Our democracy is fragile and requires constant vigilance and defense.

The fact that we are an open society is our strength and our weakness. And with AI and the information war we are in the middle of and the rapid pace of change we all face can be very challenging and stressful. I think you are suffering from what many suffer from in times of great and rapid change. Stress. Sometimes we cannot see the forest anymore because of all the burning trees.

The secret to surviving times of great change (if you ask me) is mental resilience.

In a world filled with challenges and uncertainties, the ability to bounce back from adversity might be more than just a valuable life skill " it could be the key to a longer life. Psychological resilience, often described as mental toughness or the ability to cope with and adapt to difficult life circumstances, has long been recognized as an important factor in mental health and well-being. But this new research, published in BMJ Mental Health, shows how its benefits may extend far beyond emotional stability.

studyfinds.org

Also I think anyone who thinks our system is failed needs to spend some time in other countries and experience their systems. I have spent many years working overseas and I am always so very happy to get back into American soul under an American flag. In spite of all our flaws.

#42 | Posted by donnerboy at 2024-09-04 01:16 PM

"back into American soul"

Back onto American soil ...

#43 | Posted by donnerboy at 2024-09-04 01:18 PM

"Yeah because trump and his cult ACCUSE the other side of doing what trump and his cult ACTUALLY does."

His accusations are just an extrapolation of the ones made against Republicans in Florida, and just as nonsensical as when when Democrats accused Katherine Harris of conniving to steal the election simply for doing her job and certifying the vote count by the deadline.

#44 | Posted by sentinel at 2024-09-04 08:58 PM

#42 I have visited, Poland, the Czech Republic, Germany, Holland. On several different occasions. I am not ignorant of the failings of European governments.

America Could Be the Promise.

We have it in US as a people to be among the greatest ever to live on this Globe of Peril. The potential is clearly there.

The Reality is we're no more Moral or Enlightened than Russia. Or the Democratic Republic of Congo for that matter.

Self interest, Imperialism, Nationalism based on The Punching Down on weaker countries because we CAN. For naked self interest makes us no better than anyone else. Not Exceptional, Not Far Seeing into the Future, just selfish and exploitative.

Sanctions on governments that follow different economic systems or ideologies than we believe to be correct.

Fomenting horrible Fratricidal wars for money and to "weaken" economic or ideological competitors.

If America could mind it's own business... Not fund and Arm Mass Murder with one hand while proclaiming itself the last bastion of Freedom with the other...

Perhaps the Promise could be realized and the world could see the Example of life Well Lived, instead of the Nightmare of Nuclear Domination and the Crushing Fist of unwarranted Sanctions on innocent people.

#45 | Posted by Effeteposer at 2024-09-04 09:30 PM

@#45 ... The Reality is we're no more Moral or Enlightened than Russia. ...

Another talking point from the list issued?

#46 | Posted by LampLighter at 2024-09-04 09:42 PM

- If America could mind it's own business...

You and us would likely be speaking German now, ChamberlainPoser.

It was better back then to fight a World War Over There than Over Here, and the same is true today.

#47 | Posted by Corky at 2024-09-04 09:45 PM

Dude, you're an Imbecile. Just keep telling yourself that this is the same as Hitler when it clearly isn't.

Misdiagnosed illness doesn't get cured. Lung Cancer can seem like Diabetes, people have died from the mistake.

Putin is Nationalist and somewhat Expansionist. Not Nazism reborn.

The US itself is more like Russia than different from it in many ways.

Both countries see themselves as "Exceptional" far seeing and Superpowers.

Both countries expect other countries to Kiss their Ass. Because of Military power projected indiscriminately. Both countries refuse to recognize International Law. Believing they are Too strong and important for mere association with "Lesser Countries". Both think they are never wrong.

"Those who don't learn from the past are Condemned To repeat it"

#48 | Posted by Effeteposer at 2024-09-04 10:32 PM

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