So it is more important for Lindsay Graham to see his name in the newspapers, to as he says “stay relevant” then to stand on principles.
He does not have the moral conviction of John McCain so he takes the easy way out and now carries Trump’s water.
Clearly, Graham is a man of low character. Hopefully the people of South Carolina will see him for what he is: an opportunist.
So Graham says he had a change of tune to "stay relevant". I wish you asked him for examples on how's his "staying relvant" helped to shape public policy and discourse for the better.
What's the point of being there if not being there would produce the same outcome?
While it’s obvious to anyone paying attention that Sen. Graham has flipped 180° on Trump — and with haste — perhaps a better question to explore would be what does Trump/David Pecker have on him that would motivate turning on a dime?
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What happened? Putin shared his file on Lindsay! Trump said heel and he did.
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I had to turn this one off. Seemed like nothing more than a platform for Senator Graham to preen over his "friendship" with Trump. I don't accept any of this nonsense as to why Graham turned into a unconditional Trump supporter overnight. Way....more to this story than what were getting here. I really feel that The Daily has let us down with this-superficial and phony.
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Mr Leibovich is outstanding here. I suppose that it is for the people of South Carolina to decide if they and their state are not better than this. In the meantime, the damage that this man who is apparently too shallow and hollow to be cynical is doing to our country is appalling and tragic.
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I really enjoy The Daily, thanks NYT.
It was notable to me that Lindsey Graham sees forging a close association with powerful people (McCain, Trump) as a way of being relevant.
The real way to be relevant is to be an actual leader, taking a position, and doing what is right. It says a lot about Graham that this doesn't even enter his mind. You might not get re-elected, but history will be where you can remain relevant for much longer. So, so sad.
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It appears to me that Lindsey Graham is a man who has lost himself and lost his way. He's haplessly groping at the loins of a feckless president who belittled him publicly, and now follows him into a political abyss of exceeding the speed limit while taking "the lower road." And like his peers, it's party before country. Just another embarrassment of a career politician running off the rails.
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I’m really disappointed in today’s episode. I feel like I wasted 30 minutes this morning, because I learned nothing of value from listening about Lindsay Graham’s opinions about Trump. Please keep some perspective. DC news is not all news. I’d like to hear about the measles outbreak, India-Pakistán, journalists in Venezuela, Ebola outbreak in DRC. Anything else.
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I read the interview when it came out, it was great to hear it. Sad, but honest commentary, proving that "some' politicians ONLY concern is getting re-elected, becoming sycophants and con men, saying and doing whatever is needed to sustain power and "stay in business".
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@J. Fuller where do I find transcripts of this interview?
When I heard the podcast topic was going to be about Senator Graham, I honestly expected there to be some mention of the campaign funding disclosures linking Russia connected billionaire Len Blavatnik to Senator Graham. Do these things have no bearing on his change of heart then?
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An astonishing portrait of a servile, ethically-challenged person with no real sense of self. He's both tragic and infuriating.
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Lindsey Graham is an incredible hypocrite but I think hitching his political fortunes to the Trump wagon is a bridge too far.
I used to have a little respect for him (if only because of his association with McCain) but his rant at the Kavanaugh hearings was ridiculous in view of how the GOP handled the Garland nomination.
I hope he ends up in the dustbin of history and he can't land there soon enough.
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Graham wants to be "relevant", which is code for "power". "I couldn't be more proud that President Trump calls me every day", he said. "We have become very close; I like him, and he likes him." He buried his scruples with John Mc Cain.
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I am an avid listener of The Daily, and appreciate the perspective, depth, and value it adds to news stories of the day. It seems it's been more politics-heavy in the past several months, however, and I'm wondering if the content could have some more variety. I anticipated it to be a nice reprieve from the constant headlines announcing candidates for the 2020 race (especially since the announcements have come so soon after the midterms, it seems we were barely able to catch our breath after the election results), but this just adds on to the dominant political news that is so overwhelming. There is an understandable level of this content that is necessary to cover, but there is so much more going on that could be given the attention the Daily allows. Just my two cents. Thanks for taking the time if you're reading this.
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So the real reason Lindsey Graham reversed positions on Trump is Republicans give Trump 90% approval ratings and Graham wants those voters to vote for him?
Then the real question is, what has happened to Republicans? In 2015 and 2016, Republican voters excused Trump for making gaffs that would have ended other presidential campaigns, and as time went on have abandoned or changed more and more long-held positions . The party of cold warriors doesn't wonder why Trump is so obsequious to Vladimir Putin--and is starting to like Putin. The party that wanted Hilary Clinton locked up for having an email server in her basement shrugs off the idea that Trump has committed crimes while in office. The party of law and order now attacks the justice department. They give him 90% approval ratings no matter what he does or no matter how may promises he doesn't keep.
And I keep asking, why? What's so special about Trump? Any other Republican contender from 2016 would have appointed conservative justices and signed tax cut bills into law. But no, they want HIM so much they will endure anything. Why is that? I don't get it, but that's the real question.
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@Michael Gallagher I ask myself the same thing every day and have come to the conclusion that Republicans believe God made trump president and they are blind to all his faults...even if it includes treason. Because without him, they are nothing, they no longer stand for anything. With him, they hold real power and they all want to please him to get the rose at the end of each episode.
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@Michael Gallagher it’s the racism, as symbolized by his wall. Tell the masses to blame the “others” to divert attention away from the oligarchs.
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Lindsey Graham wants to be re elected in 2020, many voters in So. Carolina support Trump. I think Graham is paranoid over attempts by the FBI and the Justice dept. to unseat Trump. Even if they only make a good stance at unseating him, the negative publicity generated by that attempt, could lessen Graham's chance to be reseated, as voters would get a very different picture of their president.