Yeah, Nader won some 90,000 votes. Of which exit polls say 35,000 were registered Dem.
Bush won...200,000 reg. Democratic votes.!!!
Got it~! Scapegoat those Lefties. Never your own flippers.
80,000 purged voters effected the outcome more.
SCOTUS, Chads, A weak candidate that folded like a cheap suit.
But right...Nader was the fault.
It's always someone, something else at fault.
Never our DINO's that flip.
10 million Dem's voting for Trump ring a bell?~!
Headshake, facepalm, sigh...
17
If Biden takes PA, MI & WI, then Trump will lose 2020 Election and Feds at SDNY is waiting to send him to be a roommate of his attorney Michael Cohen.
19
Astonishingly NAIVE and ill informed comments by Trump supporters here.
16
One opinion piece after another in The Times amazingly continues to get it wrong as to why Donald Trump was elected and why liberals progressives like Friedman worry that he will be elected again. Hillary Clinton continues to command speaking fees claiming that the election was stolen from her....she was a terrible candidate from the start while she and the Obama AG worked in tandem to keep Bernie Sanders from getting the nomination....and it worked.
We hear the same insults from progressives towards conservatives....they are to stupid, uneducated bigots who
"cling to their guns and bibles" out of fear, according Barack Obama. They are not part of the privileged bi coastal class of progressive politicians who are tied to the hip with Wall Street and Silicon Valley.
They watch as they are told that as whites they are bad and evil while the likes of Jessie Smollet goes free because it seems like the fair thing to do, justice be damned.
Run things forward to the 2020 race and we now have progressives who claim to want to save the Constitution but want to do away due process, the electoral college, the right to own a gun, secure and legal border entry, free speech...the list is endless. Readers of this paper will say that it's all the opposite, and that's why when they lose in 2020 and continue to go further left (if that's possible) in the effort to control everything social and political.
Mr Friedman you and so called progressives created Donald Trump...
19
I am curious about why Liberal Democrats cannot diagnose their own problems in party platform and approach.
Domocratic party failures are self inflicted. Quit blaming the weird and perverse Trumpies for your own disorganized nonsense.
13
"…we need a Republican who will do the most high-minded, patriotic thing…" Righto! Keep us updated as you conduct your search, my man.
15
A 'Patriotic Republican' needed ?
....well someone maybe whose close friend is fine American patriot Robert S. Mueller III.....this former colleague and
friend of Bob Mueller is William F. Weld the two term Massachusetts Governor...and How WILL Weld beat Trump.
Here's how; Weld will challenge Trump in the New Hampshire GOP Primary to win back Independents who do not trust
those in the GOP House or Senate.
William F. Weld is determined
to win and seriously lead the charge to bring the Republican
Party back to being the Party of Lincoln...
The Weld vs Trump showdown: will not only be a duel between Weld and Trump but a revision of the GOP...corruption....long overdue....yes an American Patriot
like Weld is waiting in the wings....to restore order to the GOP
and how and when will Weld do this: just be fully aware that
Bill Weld IS going to challenge Trump in the GOP New Hampshire
Primary....Trump is no match for this very honorable and
admirable 'American Patriot'....
Yup....two very good friends who really are patriotic...Mueller
like Weld...and why ….because...
both have set very high standards for what honorable public
service is: Weld I believe can defeat Trump in the Primary season and take the lead from any other GOP 2020 candidate
6
I don't think much of a third party republican idea. I'd rather see a Democrat who doesn't treat Trump and the GOP with "fairness" and "decency". Todays democrats are fighting the last war appealing to Americans better natures and bringing a dull knife to gunfights all the time. I want a Democrat who calls a spade a spade and goes after Trump. Enough with taking Trumps insults and traitorous behavior. Get under his skin somehow. Call the bankrupt bully out. Slap him around and put him back on his heels. Call our booming jobs market what it is. Obamas economic miracle. That will drive him nuts. He must be voted out, not impeached. He would welcome that as the diversion he needs to distract from his crimes. Call him Benedict Arnold Trump for selling out America. Call him a traitor to his face and stop using euphemisms for lies and just call him a liar. Not mistaken or misquoted or joking. Get in his face. That's the only way to deal with a bully.
19
The problem with the premise of a 3rd candidate is that you are asking that presumable Republican to be a sacrificial lamb - can't be employed in current Repub circles, maybe not in future ones, either. This would have to be a retired person secure in their conviction to come forward. You can still hear that pin drop after your column is read.
In Trump followers it really is "it's the economy, stupid". It's all economy and nothing about the rest of what America is. This is why many of us don't have a problem with the term deplorable.
4
Earth to Mr. Friedman. Hello. A Republican isn't going to step up. They are so thoroughly entwined with Russia, the oil/gas industry, and evangelicals that there is no possible way one would break ranks. They fostered and feasted on Koch sponsored hate for so long this is what they've become.
And my God, are we ripe for shafting in the name of a few more bucks in our pocket. Who would give up their promised land for silly America. Not Republicans.
11
Jeb Bush, please step forward. You know you will not win. You probably do not want to win. But this is the one way you can still honorably serve your country and party.
Run as an Independent Republican, please.
As long as Democrats continue to bring a bent spoon to a knife fight they will lose to the Republicans.
12
I don't care what Comey has to say...his actions helped get Trump elected. I will not forgive him for this. Raising new questions about Clinton less than two weeks before the election, while never mentioning the investigation involving Trump's ties to Russia, sealed the deal for Trump. I want to scream every time I hear Trump whine about the FBI being out to get him. AAAARRRGGGHH!
11
Among Trump supporters, the most rational argument for his re-election has been the humming economy. (Never mind how much credit Trump actually deserves for this, or how uneven the gains has been.) As James Carville once famously said, "it's the economy, stupid." If the economy goes into recession before November 2020, there will be no need for a third party candidate on the right to help take him down. Otherwise, sadly, I don't think a challenger will make any difference whatsoever.
Nah! I think a better idea is to simply boycott all businesses that support Trump, Barr, DeVos, McConnell, Graham, et. al. They have much more power over these clowns than we do.
8
Progressives don’t fight fire with fire, we fight fire with progress. This article has an interesting idea -this right wing Lamcelot who will come save us, but most progressives know that’s a fantasy. There is no GOP anymore, it’s just a cult. I appreciate how moderates like this completely ignore how we got in this mess in the first place in 2016. But just to spice things up I challenge the NYT opinion section to let a progressive finally write an article. What’s the worst that could happen? At the very least some realism and common sense might brighten things up around here.
4
How to defeat Trump? For starters, stop obsessing ad nauseam over Donald Trump 24/7 and start talking about what you’re going to do to improve the quality of life of middle class American citizens. Insisting upon de facto open borders and cheerleading on behalf of illegal aliens ain’t going to cut it.
14
The portion of the American public that says they hate government intervention but elected Trump is as much a fraud as he is. Perhaps more so as he makes no bones about being an inveterate liar.
"My life isn't going well", "my job went to China", "but I'm a steelworker/miner/auto worker and there are no jobs anymore" - sound familiar? - so government (in the flaccid form of Mr. Trump) please solve this problem for me. "You owe me my (white) America back", they say.
Whatever happened to bootstrapping and the Republican mantras of small government and self-reliance? You hear all about the anger of Trump supporters - that they feel abandoned and are angry about it. Newsflash:Time to grow up, stop whining and electing the biggest grifter in America. He's lied over 10,000 times just since taking office!!
Sorry, but sympathies are now exhausted for whiny Trump voters. No one promised you anything and if they did then you were silly enough to believe it - just like you believed Trump. Oops!
9
Mr. Friedman displays a naiveté one would think we have all outgrown the past few years. There are no Republicans "..who will do the most high-minded, patriotic thing..." Anyone still in the Republican Party is anti-Constitution; anti-rule-of-law. It is a party of racists, bigots, and grifters (while not mutually exclusive, the first two are used to provide cover for the 1% and thieves that make up the third group). Perhaps you can find a third-party "conservative" willing to run against him, but those same conservatives created the conditions for someone like Trump to take over the GOP, so they aren't particularly bright and they don't learn from their mistakes.
3
Mr. Friedman, I think the Republican third party candidate is the right idea. And there are those who will bear witness. Some DID make a valiant effort for the country. Others not so much. People like Barr, Sessions, maybe Priebus did not bend until they could be bent no longer. They were "pre-bent" in the way Trump could exploit. There are always---always---B-minus and C-plus players who are convinced they are really A players and have been treated unjustly. Went to the wrong schools, joined the wrong clubs, too ethnic, didn't get the same jokes, too crass. They just wait for someone like Trump (even Trump) to anoint them and validate their sense of having been wronged. Who better to do that than the guy who beats that drum from sun up to sun down EVERY SINGLE DAY. The "Church of Trump" can be YOUR salvation too! Until, of course, they realize, their only purpose for Trump is to be thrown under that "Access Hollywood" bus at the most convenient time for the Narcissist-in-Chief.
1
Admit it. You just don’t like Trump. Voters don’t care if a personality causes some well heeled pontificator indigestion. They care are even less when said malcontent proffers inside baseball (3rd party BUT from the right!) commentary instead of squaring his shoulders and hitting Trump’s policies head on: Reduced Illegal Immigration. Lower Taxes. A FBI director who doesn’t think his job is to prosecute. An AG who doesn’t think his job is to exonerate. “But Free Trade!” says your hypothetical Superman on the right. Fine. Then Trump says, “The Chinese are cheating, stealing, and militarizing the South China Sea.” And to that he says... what? So, please, try an antacid and then contribute something substantial, not this process junk.
2
The world is again turning toward Fascism to solve its economic
problems and Tom Friedman continues to offer us the same solutions for solving this world crisis. One huge World War (parts I and II from 1917 thru 1945) and its aftermath have obviously taught him little.
All feeding from the same trough Biden and the Kochs, Pelosi and Trump, Obama and Goldman Sachs rob hugely from and give scarce little to the tens of millions of struggling human beings that toil ceaselessly just to put bread on their table. We will avoid any discussion of tents, autos and freeway overpasses that serve as shelter for millions more.
The Greenspans and Friedmans need to sit with Noam Chomsky for awhile and learn how to prevent the next economic disaster before it destroys all of us and planet Earth.
2
I know of two people who voted for Trump a first time who have said they will not do it a second time because he has acted so shamefully and shamelessly. That heartens me, because I know they cannot be alone.
3
The *only* way to defeat Donald Trump, is to make sure he goes to jail. Anything less is ineffective. Why? Because this man is too dangerous to handle any other way.
1
Fair enough to mention Nader's impact on Gore. And what of Bernie's impact on Hillary? Is he going to be the spoiler yet again? Or can we agree that we have a traitor among us and he is not a Democrat?
Find the goods to impeach Trump. It's the only way he can't win re-election.
1
A joke? The Democrats need more Republicans? There are more Democrats than Republicans.
Trump needs to be discredited -- bigly. Revealing his lies about himself with verifiable facts helps. Reminding everyone that he was aware of Russian intervention in the election and didn't tell the FBI as instructed. The scores of meetings with Russians during and after the election. Where there's smoke, there's fire.
2
I first thought that this article was a humor piece, something to distract us from a booming stock market. But it finally occurred to me that Tom Friedman was being serious.
I've got bad news for Tom and all the other "anybody but Trump" supporters -- the only way to defeat Trump is for the Dems to give the voting (and tax paying) public a pro-business, strong borders, pro-America, anti-establishment candidate. Anybody out there???
So while the 20 or more (and counting) Democratic contenders form up into a circular firing squad, positioning and bickering like a bunch of kindergartners, and trying to prove who is the most politically correct and Progressive of the lot, Trump and his team are going to continue to focus on national defense, the economy, the broken southern border and fair trade deals.
Tom, you might want to rethink your strategy.
1
You lost me at third party. No. We all must vote Democratic.
3
Elites??? Trump is the instrument of the super oligarchy ELITES. He is a tool for the Evilandevils Religious ELITES. Democrats THE Party of the common man learned in 2016 that getting away from their roots is costly. Any Democratic Candidate who stays with the common man, shows how Trump has ruined American Character, disrespected our Constitution and institutions, stained the Presidency and that this "great" economy is bad news in the near future for ordinary Americans-that candidate will win in 2020.
1
Biden will be no better than Trump. Like Trump, he will do nothing whatsoever for the poor or middle class. He will not bring us the things this nation needs: universal health care, increased quality of public schools, family leave, bans on any and all guns other than single shot rifles (after lengthy background checks, wait periods, and demonstrated need--as a farmer, e.g.), and free tuition at public colleges.
I have voted in every presidential and midterm election for the past 30 years. Not any more. I committed to never again showing up at the polls to vote for any politician--whether they have a D or an R or an I next to their name--who is not promising to enact the things I describe above. Yes, even if it means four more years of Trump. Trump, Biden, Clinton: it just doesn't matter.
2
Democrats will win with facts. Trump has certainly given them enough ammunition.
They will also win by listening at town halls across the country, and forming voter connections there. It's important that Americans are listened to.
The economy is not revving. Just ask those who must pay higher costs for Chinese-made goods. China doesn't pay Trump's tariffs, Americans do.
Farmers are suffering from China's retaliatory trade practices.
There are few new, good-paying, permanent jobs in manufacturing, mostly because people are being replaced with robots and there's no worker re-training program. The same holds for Trump's beloved fossil fuel industry.
Imagine how many jobs could be created by building green infrastructure. And with green energy and renewable practices, Americans wouldn't have to worry about fossil fuel pollution of air and water.
Unless you are among the wealthy who received a huge tax cut, you, like the majority of Americans, are paying higher taxes to pay down the loans the U.S. took in order to give that tax cut to the rich.
Likewise, your Social Security and Medicare may have diminished.
Trump has made our long-term allies into enemies and has befriended Russia, the country that helped him get elected.
He hasn't beat ISIS, or Russian interference in U.S. elections, provokes war with Iran and ignores North Korean missile attacks.
Politics IS personal. The Democrats must go to the people, tell the truth and listen.
5
I agree with Mr. Friedman whole heartedly, but, I do not hold out any hope that a challenger on the right will save us from a second term of Trump. There is another way to beat Trump, that is, for all the decent citizens of this blessed country to go to the polls and cast their votes against indecency. If Trump were to be re-elected, we would have to conclude that decent citizens were no longer in the majority here.
4
First, Friedman should be commended for reminding people that the deciding factor in the 2000 election and which put Bush into the White House was the presence of Ralph Nader who had no role except as a spoiler in the race. A large number of the Progressives who voted for Nader now seem to have conveniently forgotten this fact. Hopefully they will not repeat this mistake in 2020 by not voting for the Democratic candidate because they do not think they are "pure" enough. Nader's selfish spoiler role will forever act a a stain canceling out any positive thing he may have ever done in his career.
Second;y, until the electoral college is eliminated and the senate is changed from giving each state two senators regardless of population we will be the prisoner of a political system where 35-40% of the population can effectively control the country. Giving North and South Dakota the same number of senators as California and New York is both fundamentally unfair and does not reflect economic reality. And until the electoral college is changed we will see an increasing number of Presidents who will win the electoral college while losing the popular vote by millions of votes. This structural bias will continue to produce the tyranny of the minority which gave us Bush and now Trump.
But thinking or hoping that some some anti Trump Republican will save us by mounting a third party candidacy in 2020 is simply magical thinking.
5
@LB
Magical thinking puts 90,000 Nader votes (of which an est. 35,000 were Dem) over the 200,000 DINO votes for BUSH!
But those same magical thinking people also think the 1 million Stein votes some how cancel out the 10 million DINO votes for Trump. Go figure.
Many in The Democratic Party sure love to scapegoat and hippie punch.
Dare to blame their own, much less their flip flopping Center...?! Never!
It's always someone or something else's fault~!
Noting magical about it.
Just Kettle's calling out Pots.
1
@helen souza
Respectfully, if witnessing daily, wilful acts of defiance of the law by the POTUS, laws which, whether it's a Democratic or Republican majority in either House, underpin the foundations of our Democracy, that embody not only the rule of law, but what has, until now, elevated the United States above all other countries who claim to be democratic, does not grab you by your shoulders and shake you to awaken to the nightmarish reality that the Republican party, the party of Lincoln, hasn't run the ship of state aground, then I fear the Nation will be 'divided'.
Recognize what we now face: a Chief executive that has corrupted the "separate but equal branches of government" ideals and the vital protections it affords the American people. The image of an Attorney General abandoning not only his oath office, but his own sworn testimony to Congress (at his hearing) to objectively bring the Muller report to the American people staggers ones imagination and shocks me.
As far as the "hot economy" is concerned, recall the ancient saying "what does ir profit a man to win the entire world, yet lose soul." As far as keeping his promises, he promised he would replace Obamacare with something better, he did not. He promised we have a wall paid for by Mexico, again he did not do so. Finally, he promised he would make American Great Again. How far aside must one look not to see this man betraying and denigrating what made American great was the realization that no one is
2
PresentDunce Trump has clearly demonstrated that his greatest accomplishments are "pulling out." He pulled out of NAFTA, pulled out of the Trans-Pacific Trade Deal, pulled out of the Iran Nuclear Deal, pulled out of a Nuclear Treaty with Russia and pulled out of the Paris Climate Deal. He pulled out of his promise that Mexico would pay for the wall. He pulled out of his promise to repeal and replace ObamaCare with something better and less costly. He's threatened to pull out of NATO. If only his father had pulled out back in '47, we'd be in a much better place.
7
👍 also, the last sentence 😆
1
Perhaps I'm just naive, but it seems to me that a good Democrat should be able to beat a bad Republican, especially one who has never had much more than a 40% approval rating. I'd be delighted if a Republican ran to Trump's right, but I don't really think it's necessary.
All but the most diehard Trump fans are seeing clearly that he talks a lot but says little and does less. No one like that deserves a second term.
2
@Barbara
This outsider President has HIGHER rantings than Obama at this point. Read much?
Pres. Trump has improved the employment situation to a point NEVER reached before. I think the workers will take ANY sort of Prez who can accomplish that (it's not just that tax cut,)
You might recall the vote was not for a national daddy, orator, or preacher. We needed a real economy and knew there was no hope of one in Hillary.
It took Ross Perot to keep Poppy Bush from dissassembling Bill Clinton in 1992. Calling for THAT to happen again is how desperate the Hard Left has become.
2
Excellent column Mr. Friedman. I too do not want him impeached. Attempting to do so will only pour more gas on the fire that separates our society. I do not even think a third party candidate is needed.
I've lived a long life, and I've never seen our country like this. Vietnam didn't bring out this sort of unrelenting anger. Certainly in a democratic society there will be disagreements, but I'm afraid what is going on is far beyond that. No one person, presidential candidate or otherwise, will be able to heal us. The answer I suppose lies inside all of us. How can we stop screaming at each other?
3
@Allen R. McCaulley
Our entertainment-news culture has been at war with organized Christianity for fifty years. Of course our society seems to be breaking apart, how could it not?
It's certainly not any particulat president, that is clear.
The Democrats first have to find s message and platform that resonates with people beyond the same tired one they’re been pushing for the last decade, then explain away why the economy under Trump is such a success. It’s all about the economy!
8
Borrowing money is great for any economy... until you have to pay
...
We can all thank Obama for the economy. 45 has done nothing.
What you are saying, and I think you are right, is that Trump cannot be beat without splitting the Republican vote.
Trying to get a candidate to run from the right won't work. Only third-party candidates in the middle can sustain enough support to be viable. Otherwise, the dynamics force a binary decision. It becomes a zero-sum game, as our presidential elections usually are, and those offended by their party's candidates eventually hold their nose and vote for him or her any way.
What you forget is that there was a center-right candidate who cost Trump 4 percent of the vote--Gary Johnson (and Even McMullin), but Trump still won. That vote will probably migrate back to Trump in 2020, because Trump is now an incumbent with a roaring economy.
The only hope is to have a high-profile independent candidate in the middle who can take votes from both sides. Johnson was at nine percent in September 2016, but he could not attract enough votes from the Left to reach critical mass. If nine percent of liberals disgusted by Clinton had supported him along with nine percent of the Republicans who did not want to vote for Trump, he might have gotten there. If a candidate can get to 20-25 percent he can be viable, like Perot was in 1992 for a few weeks. But you have to be willing to take a risk. If it is a true three-candidate race, all bets are off, especially given the vagaries of the Electoral College. If you don't support a Howard Schultz-like candidate, Trump will win.
1
@Charles, Gary Johnson was dumber than a fence post and proved it time and time again in things he didn't know about. He certainly was no savior.
1
In choosing a candidate to support look for who has been ahead of the curve on important issues. Who has gotten important legislation passed and implemented. Who has the toughness to take trump on by leading from the front?
2
Great opinion piece that offers us hope. Because I agree with Mr. Friedman 100%, I am just adding a note about Trump's boasting about his claim to fame, the "booming economy." According to https://www.factcheck.org, since Trump took office, 1,900 of the 5,121,000 jobs were coal mining jobs; 25.6% were related to oil production; and carbon dioxide emissions were up 2%. With the urgency to drastically reduce carbon emissions 45% by 2030, the numbers tell a different story. During 2018, the U.S. experienced an active year of billion-dollar disaster events including the 4th highest total number of events, only behind the years 2017. How can we feel good about these numbers?
4
Jeff Flake, and Bob Corker. Where are they now? When they were around, it was all much noise.
It is difficult to say, if there is still a republican party. If there is one still, it is only by name.
We do miss the Late John McCain. The only person in the Senate who stood by principles, always the country first and party later. Sadly, we do not see any other legislator of the McCain caliber. Not even people like Mitch McConnell.
3
What is America good for?
Don't seem able to catch up on healthcare, gun control, university tuition, electoral districting and making voting accessible. Unwilling to hold the 'disruptors' to account for the damage they've done in your home and abroad.
China has the belt and road initiative, what is America's vision for the future, iOS 20? Facebook privacy update?
When all that matters is getting Trump out, you end up with Trump.
3
I think the most important passage in Mr. Friedman's column regarding the 2020 presidential election "is that many Americans are worried that another Trump term will bring us to a political civil war". This may be the overriding concern that makes Trump a one term president.
4
The only reason Trump has a chance of winning is our patently absurd method of electing presidents. Clinton ran a tepid campaign and was sabotaged by Comey and Putin but she still won the popular vote by a substantial margin. Trump is not representative of our nation but he is representative of enough voters, under our current system, to get re elected unless democrats have a candidate who brings out big numbers of voters. It’s not yet clear who that person might be or even if there will be such a person but it’s not an exaggeration to say that our future hangs in the balance.
7
Joe Biden may not have been "waxing nostalgic," but in effect he's asking younger citizens to exercise their imagination, perhaps even to think like the founders about the nature and requirements of a decent governing structure -- to conduct a thought experiment that lifts them out of the present polarized chaos. Younger voters may have no memory to draw on of those "best days," given the prevailing 25-year-long (?) political and cultural ethos they've experienced. They may have to start from scratch.
Great column.
Trump’s electoral success in 2016 was significantly due to mobilizing Republican voters who normally don’t vote. Those right-wing cynics were given [invalid] reason to vote.
The fact that the U.S. is close to 50% Republican, 50% Democratic WHOMEVER runs (i.e., people vote their Party, whatever the candidate) entails that mobilization of the non-voter can tip the balance. (Also, of course, preventing foreign invasion of social media and divisive hacking, helps.)
An achievement of Trumpism has been to instill cynicism in voters about the electoral process. Mobilizing Democratic nonvoters in 2020 will be key.
Tom Friedman has rightly spotlighted Biden’s appeal to Democratic nationality (in the best sense of ‘nation’). This has got to be made as inspiring as Obama was able to inspire.
The idea of American leadership in the world is as good for creating jobs in the U.S. (spreading markets) as any platform on infrastructure improvement. Trumpist nationalism is not good for markets, not good for jobs (as well as empty blather that creates no jobs. See Frontline, Tues., May 7 on the trade war.)
Democratic vision appeals to a better quality of life than Trumpist cynicism that markets proprietary politics—proprietary and predatory “communities.” Mean spirited and swampish Trumpism is contrary to every religious ethic of being well together.
Lots of comments about how awesome the economy is, so some people are willing to accept Trump's worst inclinations, criminality and behavior. Seems like some people will accept a sugar daddy who defiles America, what it represents and what it is supposed to stand for on a daily basis, so long as they get the sugar. In 2020, I'm betting on Americans with backbone, integrity and character to stand up against this narcissistic megalomaniac, who neither created this economy, nor manages it with concern or discretion, but nevertheless takes all the credit he can. Enough with this grotesque abomination. 2020 can't get here soon enough.
6
@Gabriel Honestly, I think this is the kind of comment that turns a lot of people off. Being able to feed your family is not "sugar". It's actually the first and foremost thing that all families must achieve week in and week out. Suggesting that people struggling to make a living are looking for a sugar daddy is, well, an incredibly bad argument to make. You're not helping the Democrats with this kind of dismissive and angry comment.
2
In a profoundly depressing way,@Helen's comment illustrates the dilemma Donald Trump has created for America and American voters: how do you point out how successful the German economy was in the 1930s without having the Trump propaganda machine change the subject to " the elite and the left are accusing us of being Nazis!"?
I think history shows that a booming economy is essential to a fascist regime; it cannot justify abandoning democracy.
5
Hello to you Thomas in St. Louis Park! My daughter's wedding was there.
Yes. It would be a brave and bold thing if the GOP had a candidate. But that would mean somebody among them would have to grow a spine. That would be wonderful, but I wouldn't hold hold your breath.
The issues of climate change - the life on this earth - health care and immigration reform need to be the issues - not Trump. This economy is built upon the ruin of human life. We have no diplomacy. More people will die under the GOP stripping of health care.
Then there is the fact that 90 million who did not vote in 2016 will still note vote for Trump.
But what is most sobering is the other NY times article that points to the possibility that our autocrat will not step down once he is defeated. It is not hard to imagine violent conflict in that scenario. Truthfully, - it is why I think about Pete Buttigieg and his military experience being a good thing.
I wish I could paint a more positive picture like you can in St. Louis Park. In the meantime I'll pray that someone in the GOP grows a spine.
4
In 2016, Trump failed to get the support of all Republicans. Maybe, he got only 75%. But now, he has won the support of 90% and between now and the election, he could win 100% based on Trump's economy. Similarly, Trump an unknown commodity in 2016, now a well known and has performed par excellence . His approval rating (Gallup) is now at 46% as against 40% when he was elected.
If indeed the Democrats spied against his campaign, the verdict will be out soon, this alone will make Trump highly credible. The Democrats have to beat him on issues.
4
Getting someone to run to the right of Trump is an interesting idea, but I doubt that there are any true conservatives in the Republican party anymore - or at least any with the guts to admit that Trump is not a conservative. A Libertarian? Well, that might have appeared to be an option until Rand Paul showed his real colors as being a Trumpite-light. But yes, someone who ran a 50 state 3rd party campaign as a true conservative would in all likelihood pull enough votes from Trump to deprive him of re-election. What we have is Bill Weld running to the left of Trump in the center-right lane. It is highly unlikely that he will deprive Trump of the "Republican" nomination and I suspect that after his experience on the Libertarian ticket in '16 he would try to mount a national campaign as an Independent - such a campaign would likely guarantee a Trump victory. However, a Weld candidacy in the primaries could serve to educate those "reluctant" Trump voters on what matters in a President, all the characteristics that matter such as honesty, humility, intelligence, knowledge (different from intelligence), compassion and the understanding that much of the power the U.S. has in the world is because of our willingness to participate in multi-national agreements and that we keep our promises. In short, we succeed in the world because we have earned , and continue to earn, respect because we value and respect the opinions of our allies, and ARE NOT (generally) bullies.
2
@Bob Parker
Weld is already running in the Republican primary, even if Friedman hasn't kept up on the situation.
You might start by looking into former MA Gov Bill Weld. He was a terrific governor who won a 2nd term with both parties behind him (70% of the vote). He's announced, but nobody is giving him any attention. We are allowing T to suck out all the air. It's the old thing of it doesn't matter what they say, just spell my name right.
Weld is easy to spell. Get it out there!
3
The Democrats are going to be in trouble in 2020 if they continue to push an ultra left wing agenda that smacks of Socialism. Open borders, broken immigration laws, Medicare for all which means the end of Medicare as we know it, reparations, unreasonable gun control, higher taxes on the middle class, slower economy and poor trade policies, etc. will bring them down. The only thing helping them is Trumps twitter account and his big mouth. Take away his Twitter account and hw would be unbeatable.
5
I certainly don't see any Democrat beating him as they have moved too far to the left especially on immigration. Perhaps Biden as long has he tells the Independents that this is a country of laws. Illegal immigrants need to get in line like everyone else. That is what ultimately sank Hillary. If you go back to the DNC and remember who the Dems marched out front and center. That catering to illegals did nothing for the working stiffs in Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania.
Then the rioting, looting and starting fires by the black community couldn't have come at a worse time.
I dislike Trump as much as the next guy but he hasn't ruined the economy and hasn't got us into any wars. Looks like the public will never hear what Mueller has to say nor will they see his tax returns.
And then he has Fox News that even flat out lie for the guy. Since honesty, class and respectability are no longer a prerequisites for being Commander and Chief I think we're stuck with him.
3
The question is that with all the problems that come along with Trump, why is there even a risk that Trump WILL get elected? How is it possible with the list of "atrocities" that Trump has committed that we think that anyone would vote for him?
In my opinion the answer is that the Democrats have pushed "never Trump" message only without establishing firm middle ground positions on issues with well thought out proposals on issues. AND many don't even debate issues, there is just an immediate demonetization if there is even a "whiff" or trump support. What do the Democrats stand for?
The consequence to this is that when the economy is doing well with unemployment low, conservatives getting their way on issues, a pushing of a left agenda which most Americans don't support, no solution to the crisis at our border by the Democrats, Trump gaining some traction on his witch hunt argument, the winding down of wars and people realizing that political insiders like Biden are part of the cause of the divide between "halves" and "have nots", there end up being many "closet" Trump supporters.
We need Trump out but I fear that with only a "never Trump" message and weak candidates running against him, we risk a second Trump term.
We can't let this happen. Our future depends on good leadership.
And that's the opposite of Trump.
2
Pray tell, what do Republicans stand for? I have not a clue. The only thing Trump stands for is non-white immigrant BAD, trade BAD, anything Obama did BAD. Maybe no abortion though he could care less. Mitch gets his judges who will do what? Dictators he likes GOOD.
Meanwhile, ignore the greatest threat to the US and the planet - climate change- as I experience the third year in a row of flooding in the Houston area. Yeah!!!
1
One must never fight fire with fire, but with a little water
This article is more an endorsement of Biden than anything else. We've already seen what the Republicans are made of; there have been more than enough controversial votes in which the Republicans in the Senate have marched in lockstep. I don't see any viable potential candidate stepping out of the cowards' box to oppose him on the right. While it would certainly be nice to have the backup plan of some Republican opponent running against Trump in the primaries, he needs to be removed from office long before January 2021.
The Democrats, on the other hand, need to recognize as a party that business as usual went much too far, culminating in the disastrous decisions of 2016 that led to Trump's election, and that the current and future wave of voters will continue to demand a fair nominating process without unscrupulous hijinks from the DNC. This includes the early, massive anointing of corporate-friendly, shaking and grinning Joe Biden, who is carrying plenty of baggage which will in the end make him just as vulnerable as his 2016 counterpart, who actually lost to Trump. Lost to Trump. Let that sink in a little more, if it hasn't yet. It contains the lesson we apparently have yet to learn.
2
So, it seems if someone like William Weld, or a billionaire like Howard Schultz, run in opposition to Trump, we'll get the result you desire here, Mr. Friedman? That would be Joe Biden? You would have us have his politics, his political views and we would be lucky? Unbelievable.
3
@Ellen
Weld is already running (in the GOP primary at present), though you wouldn't know it from reading this column.
1
Good luck finding a patriotic Republican. Anyone who thinks that the US President should side with the Russian president over our own intelligence agencies in whether they attacked our elections is in no way a patriot. I think all patriotic Republicans departed a couple years ago.
1
"For America to stay America, Trump has to be defeated." Although this sounds good, much more will be required than just defeating Trump at the polls in 2020.
What Trump has done to America is essentially what the fire in Paris did to Notre Dame Cathedral. Much rebuilding will be required to restore the cathedral. The same can be said of America after Trump. This could take years.
If America is to be salvaged and restored, many more than Trump will need to be removed from office in the next election, which would include politicians such as Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham, and all the apparatchiks in Congress that are on the public dole and have no interest in advancing the public/common good by doing the right thing for those that are not well-heeled. In addition, these "deadbeats" will have to be replaced by elected officials who know something about the Constitution and are heroic--the ignorant and cowardly, which is what we now have Congress, will have to be replaced by men and women that are brilliant and valiant. The con artists in the Oval Office and Congress have to go.
4
Simply trying to vote out Trump in 2020 would be fraught with many dangers, the least of which being that he would maintain his legitimacy and win a lot of sympathy — if not another 4 years. He would refuse to leave office in a loss at the polls, decrying “those illegals who poured across the border to vote.” Kris Kobach and others would rush to defend him.
Yes, even if impeached, Trump would refuse to budge, but he would be seen as the fraudulent deal maker that he is. The tax returns we’ve seen so far portend many more problems to come for Trump. Either way, though, expect a constitutional crisis.
1
I don't know what will get a democrat elected in 2020. But at 74 years of age, I think I can identify what will not get one elected. First off this writer admits his first choice is that another republican run against Trump. Does he realize what he just admitted? The second, is don't call 63 million people deplorable, odiferous Walmart shoppers, and people with no inner strength. And stop their snooty, nose in the air, I'm better than you attitude. Even we unwashed, ignorant deplorables get it when we are being insulted.
We don't always agree with Trump's rough ways or his scatter brained tweets. But this is what we agree on. Our economy is red hot..I see it every day in my little town. Wages and jobs are up. I see him trying very hard to accomplish what he promised when he ran. And I see him being held back by the elites of both parties. I see and read every day how those very same elites illegally tried to keep him from being elected. When that didn't work they instituted the first coup d'tat of a sitting US president. We are pretty much fed up and he's the first guy we see helping us. So..he's not a perfect man, I don't really know any. But he is the perfect man for us at this time in our history.
85
I don't at all agree with the analysis or conclusions, but was glad to hear and better understand the perspective. Thanks for sharing.
43
@helen souza
Helen sees what she wants to see. She has not read the Mueller report. She cannot accept the criminal acts 720 federal prosecutors say TRump has committed.
Not looking down, just looking sadly.
147
@helen souza Thanks Helen, that is so well-put. It's not really Dems vs Repubs any more. Instead, it's the political elite against the rest us or them depending on how you view yourself. Trump isn't really a Dem or Repub, he's just Trump and that's why we support him.
16
Fellow NYTimes readers: You won't defeat Trump by continuing to call his supporters "deplorables", "unredeemables, morons, etc.
For example, I voted for Trump for several reasons:
1.Somebody had to take on the political establishment of both parties; probably because of its entanglements with special interests, that body had proven to be ineffective and cowardly in facing and dealing with the important issues of the day;
2. I was tired of being influenced by and told what and how to think by MSM, the political correctness and likeability cults, special interests, pollsters etc;
3. I liked Trump's pro-business agenda.
On these points, he has far exceeded my expectations.
1.While he hasn't solved all the major issues, he has put into play and has called out the ineffective and cowardly Congress on immigration, NATO funding, NAFTA, Health Care Insurance, bad deals with Iran and climate change, trade with China, North Korea, Tax reform, etc;
2.With his twitter account and frank and unscripted repartee, he has bypassed the factors in #2 which had previously blocked out communications they deemed to be unpleasant or not to their liking;
3.How about that economy? How about those folks who were previously un- or under-employed who can now actually plan for their future? If Trump is such a racist, how is it that we have the lowest unemployment rate for minorities in history?
If I were the political establishment, MSM etc,, I would hate Trump too; he has taken their marbles away!
118
@pete
You have one vote and are entitled to your opinion. As polls show you are not alone. The same is true for the rest of us too.
I don't know what your expectations were or are. But stripping away much of Trump's rhetoric and tweeting as well as MSM or did you mean MSNBC (I do note that you don't mention Fox and all their friends who do a pretty good job in trying to prop up Trump), there is a terribly ugly message underlying his efforts.
MAGA is just the cover name for MAWA - Make America White Again. In your point number 1, you don't blame the commander in-cheif, our president, our leader; for a failure of leadership on a a half-dozen issues which could have been addressed when his party held complete control over all three branches of government. To me that is a failed presidency. As the mid-terms have shown, America has had enough of that.
Point 2, the Twitter account of Trump. As a patriotic American, I can say this is not among my President's finest moments.
Point 3, the Economy. I am glad that for you it is working better than you expected. But with your one vote, you don't get to say that for a great many other Americans. Many Americans are not nearly as pleased as you might be.
Lastly, nobody has taken anyone else's marbles away. And I suggest you brace yourself for a possible shift. If you are betting man, you might consider what will happen if in 2020, the Trump wave doesn't end up washing up on your shores.
183
@pete
We had a treaty with Iran that was supported by most Allies and Russia. This treaty had verification and the Iranians were complying. Trump broke the treaty not because it was a bad treaty, but because Obama made the deal. Now we are looking at a war with Iran.
We had a treaty that pushed back on China. It is called the Trans Pacific Partnership. Trump pulled out of the Treaty not because it is a bad treaty, but because Obama made the deal. Now we have a trade war that could destroy much of our Economy.
We had healthcare that covered most Americans with affordable insurance. Trump has cut back the plan exposing many Americans to increased health risks and death sentences in some cases.
We had a tax plan that was fair to most Americans. Trump added almost 2trillion dollars to our national debt to give breaks to the wealthy and to take away deductions for owning real estate.
We had admiration and respect from our Allies. Now America is seen as a pariah in Europe.
The Economy was doing great before Trump. The tax cut is a temporary high that will end. Business cycles are real and the downside of the curve will arrive one day. You can’t keep printing money.
Trump has no moral compass and his deplorable base could care less. In short, Trump is awful!
313
Nice job cutting your country’s nose out of spite. Trump didn’t do anything for the economy just like any US President does not significantly influence the direction of the underlying market dynamic but can at best only tweak it for better or worse. His signature economic policies- trade war and protectionist tendencies portend bad long term trends. Any Trump voter “proud” of his vote needs to think what would the country look like if all our youth are to behave the way Trump does now. If topi won’t want your kid behaving with out reason, data or civility, why do you want your leader, your representative to the world behaving this way. Blowing up the system may cause some bombs to land on your own house.
131
In the last presidential election we had a candidate refer to members of the electorate as deplorable and were told there would be a special place in hell for those who didn't vote for a particular candidate. It was interesting to me that nobody called out the mysogyny of special places in hell being reserved for women and no corresponding eternal punishment for the men who didn't vote as specified, but nevermind; my version of theology does not admit to political figures assigning such things.
Just stop for a minute and let all that sunk in.
As a voter I am judging the veracity, reliability and trustworthyness if the candidates. I am judging and evaluating the campaign promises and considering their worth against my values.
Rather than castigate voters for not blindly agreeing based on a sticker or badge, how about we get to the concept of providing actual substance, clear, specific, achievable plans?
And how about we stop referring to voters as being the problem?
2
Lots of comments in already, and I haven't read them all, but I know I'm not the first to say this to Mr. Friedman: your suggestion reeks of complete desperation; it has no chance of coming to pass, and it flies in the face of reality. Where are these mythical "moderate Republicans" who would back a candidate other than Trump, knowing the effect could be the election of a Democrat? There are no moderate Republicans; they have all sold out to become the party of Trumpism, solely as their best bet for staying in power. Nobody who supports Trump is changing their mind, so it hardly matters who the Democratic nominee may be. But for " not yet endorsing anyone, " you spend a lot of words talking up the wisdom of Biden.
3
Speculation about who can beat Trump, and how it could be done, should not obscure the most basic reality of what the 2020 elections represent. The American people will decide if they want to elect our first presidential dictator and accept some form of American fascism. It is unlikely most Americans thought a presidential election would determine this, but it will. This is not about Democrats and Republicans. It is about the core values and beliefs of the American people and what our historical experience has wrought for this nation after 244 years.
4
Right on, Mr Himmelman. Short question, do we want an American totalitarian?” I hope to God the answer is “no”.
There’s more than enough to question the core values of Democrats beginning with abortion and not standing up for free speech.
1
We could also use a really intelligent non-screamer Democrat who has a realistic foreign policy plan as well as the usual domestic promise of health-wealth-and-equality that 99% of those seeking the nomintation propose.
That person should form a third party, because the DNC remains fully in the control of the Republican version of a Democrat: Hillary. There's only one in sight and she's blacballed by the media you're reading.
1
Unfortunately not only must we defeat Trump, but we must destroy TRUMPSIM. DJT is just the apotheosis of the Republican ideology of the last 50 years - pro-corporate, anti-science, pro-social division, anti-tax or gun control, and anti-environmental. They have been supported by the likes of the Koch Brothers, Sheldon Adelson, the Heritage Foundation, Grover Nordquist, the Murdochs and Fox news, Paul Singer, Robert Mercer, Woody Johnson, Ken Langone, Peter Thiel, Carl Icahn and their whole cabal of billionaires. The entire GOP is an anti democratic enterprese intended to steal and monopolize power. Until they are repudiated root and stem, another demogogue will come along to run their playbook. The very sanctity of our Republic is at state, and Donald Trump is just a symptom of the deeper disease. Getting rid of him and leaving the GOP framework in place will be no better than taking an aspirin for a bacterial pneumonia. You may feel better for a short time, but the disease will still go on and kill the patient.
4
As house speaker Pelosi said, unless Trump gets a crushing defeat in 2020, he will not leave office and will start a civil war in the US, with his slavish followers, using their millions of AK-15s on their neighbors.
A malignant narcissist, who knows how to mock, abuse and degrade any and all opposition, is on his way to become what is unthinkable for democracy...the first autocrat over the US.
3
Another reckless utterance by Pelosi. Her continuing attempts at wit leave something to be desired.
More than anything, Trump proves that a candidates "approach-ability" matters a lot. Trump made a certain segment of the US fell like he was on their side, like he would open his door and let them in his home. Nothing could be further from the truth. Hillary was very political and formal and wonkish - and many people didn't connect with her. If she would simply have told Trump to "back away from me you creep" when he stood behind her it would have resonated with people during the debates. Instead, she allowed him to make a very strong woman look weak. I'm no fan of hers, but weak Hilary Clinton is not weak.
So, while the democratic candidate up against Trump should not fight fire with fire, they do need to show flashes of the ability to fight fire with fire. A real plain spoken, simple sucker punch now and then (like Ron Reagan would have done) will be useful. So, on taxes, the candidate should say "Trump, the only place that you lie more than to the American public has to be on your tax returns to the IRS" as opposed to "Mr. Trump, why don't you release your taxes like all other President have done in the past?"
Sadly, this is much more a Jerry Springer world than we like to admit. The American public was not offended by Trump's behavior as much as liberals expected. They won't be offended if a candidate, like Kamala Harris or Joe Biden slaps Trump around very hard now and then, reassuring people that they can act that way if needed.
4
May 8, 2019
Here is how we all defeat ourselves as honorable citizen candidates:
"Political language... is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind."
George Orwell
2
"For America to stay America, Trump has to be defeated." Probably a necessary condition for preservation but not a sufficient one given his consistently high approval by tens of millions of Americans (see Fivethirtyeight's studies of polling since day one of his presidency). No reason to think they are leaving or that their intransigence is weakening.
1
Tom Friedman is ever at his weakest when he wades into politics over issues. The analogy of bendable people is nice, but the elitist comment implying that bendable people are those not on the "A team" is beyond ridiculous. Similarly, "opposing Trump for his tariffs" fails to acknowledge that his is the first administration to attempt to push China away from cheating, exploitation and zero-sum to a balanced, rule-of-law superpower. Seen in this light of values, fixing trade is not only an economic issue, but a national security one. Friedman digs himself deeper by tossing in a throwaway comment about his view that the supreme court improperly stopped the Florida re-count. Firstly, Gore only favored re-counting democrat leaning counties and tried to exclude absentee ballots that were more likely to lean republican. Secondly, the media have funded a recount of *all* counties and found that Bush, anyway, would've won a statewide recount. All to say, it would've been much better had Friedman focused on ethics and not politics, but he reads a social media denizen desperate for approval from the (politically liberal) crowds. Get a life.
4
Impeachment describes a process with 2 main phases:
1. Impeachement
a. fact-finding
b. Developing Articles of Impeachment based on that fact finding.
c. Voting out Articles of Impeachment (or not).
2. Removal from office/the trial:
a. Holding a trial for the Senators (with the Chief Justice presiding), with a prosecutor selected by the House.
b. A vote requiring a 2/3 super-majority to remove the impeached office-holder.
The Impeachment process is public. The theory is that a well drawn, well-argued case for impeachment that is fact-based and backed with abundant evidence presented at trial will cause everyone to vote Republican in the next election if it is rejected by over 1/3 of the Senators (all Republican).
This needs to be challenged.
If a lawless criminal of a president cannot be checked by Republican Senators, it should cause outrage and determination to end the lawlessness--of Republicans Senators and Trump.
Getting those who believe in the rule of law and fairness to vote, and help others vote, should be able to overcome those who are with Trump either despite, or because of, his lies, lawlessness and proven criminality.
A impeachement with a "failed" conviction could do more to cost Republicans their seats than a successful one.
Fear of the process would cost Democrats and the USA dearly.
2
@Mark Johnson Forget "fear of the process", as I have explained to my representatives I am incensed at the collosal waste if time and money in snide politics. I expect them to be developing good laws, making sure our immigration process supports current conditions and is funded properly and does not tolerate illegal immigrants. I told them I want our infrastructure kept up. We need our power grid security and structures safe and with proper oversight. I give a list of things and this a activity over Trump does not do anybody any good and will harm them in the next election cycle.
I point out that I am judging and will vote accordingly
Stop repeating the Democratic Party's Big Lie that Ralph Nader cost Gore the presidency. In the 2000 election, tens of thousands of Democrats stayed home and tens of thousands of Democrats voted for Bush.
Gore lost Florida because of his lackluster campaign and the inability of his own party to get a few bus loads of voters to the polls. It's not the Green Party's job to get Democrats to vote for their own party's candidate and it's not the Green Party's fault when a Democrat loses.
4
@Joseph Levy
Tens of thousands of voters stay home for all elections in every state. We can assume that a great preponderance of the Nader votes would have gone to Gore if Nader were not on the ballot. The number of votes that Bush received over Gore was a mere pittance relative to the number of votes that Nader sucked up in FL. In today's elections a few votes in each state can save us from some very bad operators. Don't minimize the harm people do when they decide to not vote the imperfect candidate. Look what the Green Party has in Trump's EPA.
1
Yes, Trump must be defeated at the polls, and big time to prevent the conspiracy theories from running amuck, and riots in the streets. You can hear on a beautiful Sunday afternoon where I live, Gun fire from the Trump right preparing for native terrorism in the distance. A third party would be nice, but not likely. Americans will have to fight with their votes, while they still have them. That right will soon be compromised, we already see it in pockets around the country. America is becoming a ugly place. I apologies but it's true.
2
Trump reminds everyone working for him that their whole entourage of friends and family that are allowed to be government employees by his appointment will lose a great deal if he's gone. He chastises allies, but they are the ones shielding the BIG money in off shore accounts under their domain. He reminds his supporters he's lined their 401K plans in just simple ways like turning tweets into market turndowns then changes his mind to produce market lifts. He's always had a lot to lose and that greenback is his casino chip and Twitter is his rigged Roulette Table. A Daddy's boy with both hands grabbing for his father's hard earn money. Many parents have to keep up with the Jones and can't grabble with their failures to teach their children the value of assets. Money people Trump appointed are in the highest positions of the land. Forget about Trump investigations. Worry about how he is weaponizing the IRS under Mr Munchin. Maybe Senators Rubio and Graham have much to lose and more than money under a bonafide mobster. You don't hear much about the CIA these days. Oh, but his best friend, Putin, already knows how this is all done. This is getting very serious indeed !
1
How to defeat Trump?!
The real question is how to defend our democracy and the rule of law.
No executive is above the law, thus no executive privilege can be above the law either!
We can choose now between our democracy paired with the rule of law and Donald Trump, but we cannot have both.
If we cross this Rubicon, what’s next?
The executive’s wife privilege?!
The truth and the facts cannot be declared as a threat to America. We have to continue learning. The executive privilege is the death sentence to knowledge.
Who cares if Trump feels harassed and violated? The troops under his command are sent to the worst war zones where our soldiers lose the lives, their privacy, connectivity to their family, and many other things.
By a definition, ANY PRESIDENT is a volunteer, and by the Constitution he or she is the Commander-in-Chief, thus just a soldier like everybody else.
No executive privilege protects any enlisted armed force member or their Commander-in-Chief!
1
And the tendency to favor the underdog persists when news of Obama era "surveillance" aka spying on the Trump campaign is discussed...
I’m sorry to say this, although you are an excellent journalist and often insightful on political/societal matters, the views you express in this article almost entirely miss the central point: the problem is not trump, per se, the core problem is the undue influence of big money. Trump is the symptom, wealth and income inequality are the real drivers of our political polarization and paralysis.
2
Your heart is in the right place, but you need to get over the soaring rhetoric and appeals to ideals. Trump was elected by the rural middle class that is struggling to keep their head above water. It was an act of desperation because the career politicians obviously aren't listening.
"America is an idea" sounds great to all of us, but is less pressing for someone who is about to lose their house do to lack of medical insurance, and their child due to opioid addiction. For those in the latter category, they'll vote for whomever can deliver, regardless of their underlying ideals.
3
I'm not a big fan of James Comey, but . . . This morning on CBS he had a very credible explanation of how Donald Trump bends people: he lies about absolutely everything and if you politely do not challenge him on the little lies you reach a point where only the most honorable are willing to challenge him on the BIG lies. For the most part, we are not dealing with honorable men or women.
4
My concern is how many people adore Trump and why so many of them are well educated and have been taken in by this conartist.
4
@Leonard Weiss You are concerned, but are you concerned enough to listen to any of the millions of polite people who would be only too happy to explain it to you?
1
Would it be possible for all of us to agree that no matter how different our ideas may be, we’re all patriots?
https://www.people-press.org/2017/10/24/political-typology-reveals-deep-fissures-on-the-right-and-left/
2
Dream on, Tom.
Want to beat Trump??
Amend the constitution.
Eliminate the Electoral College.
Make the winner the team (president and vice-president) that gets the most votes...not the majority (in the case of more than 2 candidate teams) but the one team with the most votes.
2
@rlk
Were it not for Johnson/Weld (who got 3.3% of the vote), Trump would likely have won the popular vote as well as the EC, since Hillary only won by 2.0% and they likely mostly drew off otherwise GOP votes.
@rlk Amending the Constitution to eliminate the Electoral College is simply not going to happen. Period.
Changing the rules so that your candidate is elected is a shameful suggestion.
1
I think Trump is the spoon and Putin is bending him. Truth maybe be found in those tracks led by Muller. Putin, unchecked by Senate Majority leader McConnell to bring cyber security issues to the floor, we will have our national security in jeopardy in 2020 and our elections decided by Putin.
China is also watching this and putting Trump to challenge over trade war which is really hurting his base in those states that depend on farm exports to China. This may explain why Mitch McConnell's approval rating is so low.
1
"For starters, we need a patriotic Republican" This reminds me of a Steve Martin joke from years ago on how to get rich. How to get rich! First get a million dollars ! Then....
4
The conventional wisdom is that the Republicans were punished for impeaching President Clinton in 1998, but don't forget that George W Bush won the 2000 Presidential election (closely, and without the popular vote, but he won). Do the right thing - impeach.
I must respectfully disagree with Mr. Friedman's assessment, much though I share his sentiment of where we need to go.
We do not need a right-winger trying to out-right Mr. Trump. Too many of them are, to be polite about it, factually challenged and emotionally overwrought. We would benefit from an actual conservative putting their foot in the water in the Republican primaries, but encouraging another peddler of angst would poorly serve a country best run by cooler, wiser heads. Sometimes the mere act of exposure can propel fear and hatred even if it otherwise seems patently ridiculous.
William Barr has been a right-wing fixer for decades now. Iran-Contra was a nightmare for Republicans as it was arguably an actual case of treason. Barr made the charges go away as USAG under George HW Bush, and is merely providing a similar service for Trump.
I agree that I want Trump out of office, but I would prefer that we at least attempt the impeachment. He has brazenly broken our laws, our norms and our institutions. To not use the fastest remedy is to implicitly endorse at least some of his continued abuse of office, and that is simply intolerable.
Finally, I agree that we need to make the case of all for one and one for all, but I think it is equally important that we try to reduce the fear, loathing and hatred running rampant in our society. Trump is expanding and exploiting it; we need to show that it is possible to live with less fear, less hate, and more stability.
7
@Jacob Sommer
Are you aware that Bill Weld has already entered the GOP primary race?
I think impeachment is the right thing to do. I also think it's the effective thing to do, even if it fails in the Senate.
The question is whether Trump is fit for office and whether his actions are ones we can tolerate. That's what impeachment is about. The question is not whether he's a better or worse campaigner than his opponent(s) in 2020. That's what an election is about.
An impeachment proceeding, with the correct messaging, should be eye-opening and motivating for the public. Trump needs to be exposed in all his inglory along with his supporters. Make them stand for or against our Constitution and the democratic institutions that shield us from tyranny.
Ask the public: Do you really want an imperial presidency? If not, we must impeach.
7
If everyone would stop for a moment.. Thank You.& Ask themselves just one question > That being, Is Donald Trump By his desire, - or led by others ,a Stabilizing - Or a Destabilizing influence on the United States? If his presents is causing more harm than good. He should be removed from office ASAP then dealt with in the courts.
3
We have already seen the top "patriotic Republicans" all get crushed by Trump in the 2016 race for the nomination. To repeat that effort is a fool's errand. Elections - that's the easy part, we choose a president every 4 years.
Impeachment, the hard path, is also the best path. If that effort doesn't get a conviction, it only means we see again, "our system is broken". Tell us something we don't already know!
Trump is at least a criminal, money launderer, and an oh-so-obvious traitor. Impeach, convict, and punish him. Indict anyone who has assisted in or covered up Trump's unlawful activities.
(That could pretty much decimate this field of so-called "patriotic Republicans.")
Trump and his posse needs to go down real hard. No mercy. Scorched earth upon them all.
We must at least try to hold him and his associates accountable, and to face punishment. Impeachment is the harder path, but the one that's called for now, regardless of those who say, "we don't have the votes to convict."
7
It is stunning, in a country of over 300 million, that it takes fewer than 100 corruptible people (including every Republican senator) to keep an American kleptocrat in the White House, destroy the primacy of patriotism, trash our historical role as a globally responsible and reliable ally of humanitarianism, and allow China, Turkey, and Russia to continue to eat human rights for dinner. If it were a comedy it would be called, “Making America Gratuitous Again,” a farce in increasingly unwatchable acts.
5
We need a Democrat who can beat Trump not a Republican Ralph Nader to syphon votes from him.We need a Democrat who loves immigrants and not for open borders, who puts people over snail darters but wants clean air,who believes in free public education {thank you CCNY},who is courageous to denounce anti-semitism and not hide behind "all discrimination is bad" just like BLM is not answered by all lives matter.I want an advocate for peace thru strength.I want a candidate who is not dividing us into rich versus poor,black against white, man against women.We need a Democrat who believes in health care for all but not to eliminate choice of private insurance .We also need people with unquestionable integrity not a Warren or a Biden.
1
I am following this political/ morality play with great interest. Doubt if even Shakespeare could have written such an interesting tragi-comedy.
My personal opinion is that the Democrats should not field a presidential candidate and should concentrate on winning the Senate and the House with great majorities using the argument of checks and balances .
If they do get that majority, they should then impeach Trump.
Unfortunately it will be Pence, an even worse choice, don’t know if Pence has done bad stuff to be impeached?
In any case, even if the Democrats get the Presidency, it will be no use without control of the House and particularly the Senate( unless you want Mitch as your de facto President)
So instead of yelling and shouting impotently about the Mueller report etc. concentrate on getting out the votes ,a message that excites all Americans, and pass bills that make the lives of Americans better.
Go Pelosi, make the stupid left wing of the Democrats irrelevant, so that there is isn’t a Democratic suicide to hand everything to the Republicans on a platter.
Tom Friedman is missing something here and that is Russia’s deep penetration into America’s political system.Everyone has something to hide and the Russians are masters at finding out what it is. In short it is kompromat or many who have become Trump’s bent spoons are compromised and the GRU knowns it.
1
Friedman cites Comey’s op-Ed but he is missing the point. Trump gets his nefarious ways by overwhelming good people with so much scheming talk so as to bludgeon them into silence...silence becomes acquiesce...acquiesce becomes tacit approval. Trump’s modus operandi is to push the limit of defiance and recalcitrance until his opponents or his creditors or the “marks” of his scams give up. He is a bully who has a track record of succumbing to a greater power. Sure, the GOP Senators will acquit him in an Impeachment trial; but unless the Democrats stand up to him, and draw the line between right and wrong, between Constitutional conduct and unconstitutional tyranny, between those who stand up for the rule of law and those who have been coopted by acquiesce to this person THEY KNOW is unfit for office, but who have been cowed into submission, Trump will be handed a chance for re-election just has he was elected in 2016.
Democrats must show voters that they are not afraid to confront this would-be dictator and fraud along with his cowardly enablers.
4
Read Shakespeare. Read Stephen Greenblatt's, Tyrant.
No, forget that. Just write today as if you could have your head cut-off for saying the wrong thing. Then, like Shakespeare, you will become creative and tell stories that tell stories that tell the truth. History is full of stories about Trump. Tell us some stories that we can tell our conservative friends. We've tried using REASON and it doesn't work. That's how Shakespeare "bent the spoon."
3
My understanding of the Uri Geller bent spoon trick is that the spoon's natural design was bent. Geller would then warm it up and straighten it before the he performed. When he used his "power" to bend the spoon with his mind, the spoon was simply going back to its normal shape as it cooled. I think Trump finds people who are already secretly bent, and then does his "magic" to bring it out. Barr is a perfect example.
8
Ha. Wishful thinking Mr. Friedman.
First, no libertarian has any interest in sacrificing himself or herself for the greater good. That's just not the definition of a libertarian.
Second, a moderate Republican has already decided to throw his hat in the ring against Trump. Since there is no way that Weld could win the support of the RNC, whether or not he decides to run as an independent is still an open question. If he does, he could take centrist votes away from both parties and could hurt a Democratic nominee's chances.
Third, aside from a man of principle like Weld there really is no one else, except James Comey (tarnished to say the least) and a few never-Trump ethical conservative pundits, who seem willing to speak up and potentially sacrifice their reputations as Republicans. The former administration officials you mention have had plenty of time to stand up for themselves but they have not.
Trump will win unless DNC gets its act together and puts some real effort into registration and get-out-the-vote campaigns nationwide. No one on the outside is going to help.
Nobody represents the progressive liberal elite better than Thomas Friedman. Facing the reality that the President has a good chance of winning reelection the progressive elite has begun to ratchet up the fear mongering. This last week, across the mainstream media, I've hear numerous claims that the President will become a monarch if he's not impeached, that our Constitutional republic is at risk if he wins elections. This coming from the folks like Mr. Friedman who presume to know better than those stupid Americans who may consider voting for the President.
1
Pence .. once Donald is removed or leaves.
Basically this column concedes that Democrats cannot beat Trump in a one-on-one face off. Rather than pray for a third party miracle, perhaps some introspection is in order about what Democratic attitudes and policies have created this situation.
2
BILL WELD 2020!
2
So, Trump is getting re-elected then.
4
Trump asserting angry democrats in Justice and Intel agencies have plotted against him in service of Hillary. Trump hand picked a lackey AG Barr to be his Roy Cohn infamous disbarred mob lawyer to cover up his crimes. If re-elected Trump will install lackeys in all govt agencies whose sole duty is to cater to Trump family whims and interests. In reality it will be dictatorship light especially if he gets to put a Barr type lackey on the Supreme Court. Elections not favoring republicans can be questioned and voided including presidential as mob bosses do not give up power easily . If Americans are concerned about Trump's power ploys they are not paying attention.
1
Patriotic Republican. Good luck. Entirely power hungry tribalism. Proven over and over. Party of hate.
6
"Faustian bargain: An agreement in which a person abandons his or her spiritual values or moral principles in order to obtain knowledge, wealth or other benefits." Most of Mr. Trump's White House gang fits this description, along with many members of Congress like Mr. McConnell. We saw it coming at that nauseating Cabinet meeting in June 2017: " ... each member of the Cabinet attempted to outdo the president’s praise for himself, thanking him profusely and occasionally genuflecting before the press as they described what a humbling, life-changing privilege it was to be a part of Trump’s efforts to Make America Great Again ... " (Vanity Fair)
2
Why do many people support tRump? One comment from a retired soldier/truck driver from 2016 comes to mind. He said I'm voting for Trump because the VA has been broken for decades and it never gets fixed. It doesn't matter who's in office they don't fix the VA. Since retiring from the Army I have been driving a truck, I haven't gotten a raise in almost ten years. Doesn't matter who's in office my pay doesn't go up.I want someone who's going to go to DC and kick over the kitchen table. Trump has done that.
1
To what effect? A broken table and plates and glasses? A sound plan indeed.
John Kasich
1
Mr. Friedman writes,
"In so many cases, Donald Trump has been able to take people who came into his orbit and just bend them to his lying ways the way Uri Geller bent spoons. The latest is Attorney General William Barr, who, in only a few weeks, got bent into becoming Trump’s personal lawyer. But Barr is in good company. Trump took Senators Lindsey Graham and Ted Cruz, who’d actually been bent against him, and bent them into fawning sycophants. It’s awesome!"
===
If that "good company" reference be accurate 'for him' and his purposes ... Mr. Friedman must know not of any "bad company" at all (or, in any case, is 'missing' the 'means' to 'represent' it).
1
Meghan McCain!
Watching republicans digging their own grave, as house panel holds contempt vote bags few questions...would they go under guillotine to save their dear criminal leader,
are they that loyal...or,
are they somehow implicated in all that fraudulent activity surrounding Individual-1.
Looks like it's the latter.
There're no deepest holes they won't go to.
The freedom caucus ( Jim Jordan & the gang) sound like a squad of street hooligans and bullies, just like their own president.
2
Trump supporters are tired of being called morons. Well, I'm tired of being called elite. Just because I went to college, live on the east coast, and don't support pro-business platforms when they come with hateful racial stereotypes baked in ... doesn't mean that I look down on people who didn't go to college, who don't live on the east coast, or who support pro-business platforms WITHOUT hateful racial stereotypes.
Stop the namecalling, everybody!
317
@ejb
I just saw a new book: Poems by Donald Trump.
Is this one that he loves or the only one he loves:
I love myself
I think I'm grand
I go to the movies
and hold my hand
I put my arm
Around my waist
When I get fresh
I slap my face.
9
@ejb I agree. I'm also among those who might be called "elite;" college/grad school educated with a professional job and live on the West coast. I really don't care whether someone went to college or not or if they live in a rural area. What I care about is if they read. I care if they are fully informed of the facts as reported by diverse sources, not the "facts" spewed by Fox news. If a person educates themselves from legitimate sources and still believes that trump is a good president, I will still disagree but will honor the position. Unfortunately, most people who support trump do not fit in this category.
16
@ejb
I''d like to call us all snowflakes but in a few years we'll be ashes instead.
5
America is at a crossroads and we have to decide what kind of nation we want to be. This is still an experiment. We are the test subjects. The results will determine our survival as a nation and a people. What do we want to be? How do we see ourselves? Is this really the kind of leader we want to continue to see leading us? Can we do better? So, really, seriously, can we afford more of Trump? Where are we headed? Should we sell out for a good economy? Is America no longer about principal and honor? Is the America I was born to gone?
1
The great economy we have is our legacy from the Obama administration, who came in at the Great Recession after eight long years of W. Trump will ruin the economy like everything else good in America that he’s devouring in increasingly larger bits and pieces. God help us if he is re-elected.
4
In the meanwhile democrat presidential candidates are debating when the Boston bomber should be allowed to vote or not? Talk about tripping themselves!!!
3
While the seated president tries to prevent the admittance of people like the Boston bombers - and is opposed by those same Democrats.
The Nuge in 2020!! (aka Ted Nugent)
Make America Rock Again!!
I’m just kidding of course but who else?
@Gregg Nixon's corpse?
Pride goeth before a fall. This president suffers from hubris on an astronautical scale. Like Nixon, he will bring himself down because he thinks he is smarter than all the defenders of democracy who are on his tail. Meanwhile, he flails about, destroying everything in his path. Will we recover when he is finally gone?
1
If he ever goes, you mean? If he is re-elected, we’ll never be rid of him until he is ultimately gone, taking our democracy with him.
Pie meet sky.
By impeaching him now, that’s how we defeat him!
Good god, let’s please get a clue!
IMPEACH
3
Based on the NYT Picks comments, I suspect that, no matter what, the best one can hope for is a close election that Trump loses. I used to think his solid support was down to about 40 million voters at most. Now, I am not sure. I am mentally preparing for another Trump term.
Far too many comments (among the Picks and others) reflect a glaring ignorance about even basic economic principles and how much effect Trump, or any president, can create over only two years in office. Too many comments reflect ignorance about how the so-called "red hot" economy. It has not, and will not, significantly improve the well being of most Americans without more work by governments.
Too many show dismal knowledge of the Constitution, our federal system, what federal, state, county, and municipal governments can and are required to do and what they cannot.
Finally, too many accept Trump's despicable behavior, as if nothing he has done, said, or will do or say is relevant as long as they believe they are personally better off now than they were two years ago. And, there are those folks who do not read, let alone, write to the Times . . . .
3
With all due respect, how does one prepare mentally for another trump term other than moving or worse. I have become afraid to read the Times each day as I am sickened by his disgusting antics. I don’t know how to even contemplate living thru more. Good luck to you.
Your "patriotic Republican" has to be a conservative who thinks Trump is so bad, he has to help elect a far-left Democrat. Yes, I know you hope for a moderate one, but look at the field. If Biden is to win the nomination, he's going to have to move way left. I doubt there are many credible conservatives who will think we'd be better off with four years of crazy left-wing ideas and left-wing judges.
3
The WH is like the Ecuadorian embassy. A sanctuary or safe haven from the reach of prosecutors. The DOJ’s no indictment policy, which is not law, needs to be tested and not accepted as de facto law, regardless of who resides in the oval office. It’s the equivalent of diplomatic immunity on steroids.
1
Tom if you firmly believe "Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere" then you will beat the drums for impeachment.
1
The line, "For America to stay America, Trump has to be defeated," stood out to me for several reasons, and none of them are about Trump.
First and foremost are the sheer amount of questions and concurrent lack of clarity regarding what it means to "stay America." The way the sentence is phrased suggests that the past version of America is desirable to hold onto, to maintain. However, this is only desirable for certain groups. There are very few, if any, women and people of color who want to go back to the old America, before Emancipation, Title IX or the Civil Rights movement.
This idea of "[Staying] America" is linked to the line near the end of the piece about getting "reattached to what we were when we were at our best." If we are assuming that in the time "we were at our best," we were in a "good" form of democracy, then that point has yet to exist. After the nation's birth, we had the three-fifths compromise and no 19th amendment. In 2018, overt racism took the form of voter suppression in Georgia.
In looking back to where we were at our "best," where exactly are we supposed to look?
I fundamentally disagree with clinging to the past, because "the past" is often propagated by those who benefitted from it, which hides so, so much. Only when people have refused to accept the past has the country moved forward. Only when we recognize what America "is" can we react to it. Only when we refuse to accept representation by our current president, will we move forward.
3
Dems, particularly those in Congress, continue what Mr. Friedman describes as the fight to "bear witness to the dishonesty, indecency and dysfunction" by Trump and his kleptocratic administration. As valid as their pleas about constitutionality and obstruction of justice are, they fail to recognize that they need to couch it in terms of the real damages being done to the American people. Beiden recognized this in kicking off his campaign. Yes, we are interested in the legal details about diminution of functionality within the branches of our government. But, we are also interested in what Trump's shenanigans mean for our personal security and welfare.
1
Excellent points, Tom. When I was in Catholic grammar school, the Sister discussed morality on a simple level. If you found a dollar on the ground, you asked if anyone close by lost the money. If a store clerk gave you too much change, you gave it back. She explained that a moral person does this normal behavior, if not, you could be easily tempted to do wrong and rationalize keeping the money in both cases.
2
Trump's approval rating is 46%. At the same point in his presidency, Obama's was 44%.
So.
3
Thanks for the Wiesel quote. Spot on.
Agree about fielding a right wing candidate to split the vote.
Perhaps a "woke" Green Party might acknowledge the state of the world and the country and announce they will not field a candidate in 2020 because the threat of Trump & Republicans is existential. Harris, Biden or the others could make points & policy by suggesting the Greens do so in exchange for their commitment to give particular consideration to the Green Party's recommendations for head of the EPA and Dept of Interior.
1
Until the Democrats recognize andunderstand the anger and frustration of the middle class, and offer real solutions not just rhetorical " same old" focus group developed homogenized talking points(which is what Biden offers)-Trump will not be beaten by ideals, no matter how lofty.
5
Actually, many middle class Americans have had it with the Republicans and see trump for who and what he is: an egomaniac who grew up with a golden spoon in his mouth who is now using it to shovel something entirely different down ours.
Yea, he promised to MAGA, he just didn't mention that he meant only for him and other robber-Barons (pun intended).
I'd sooner vote for my cat to be president in 2020.
5
I totally agree. Animals are kinder to people than he is. Can my cat be Vice President. Couldn’t do more harm than Blondie. Give him a dose of his own medicine. Seriously, it would be an excellent idea for some republican to follow Mr. Friedman’s sage advise. He has to be defeated and decisively so he can’t cry rigged.
1
We are in the process of losing our democracy, and we don't see the forest for the trees. Many of the ideas in this opinion piece are out of context for the reality of what is really actually happening now. The erosion of democracy was in place for a long time. If it's not Individual -1 it will be another money backed weirdo supported by an easily fooled voting block that doesn't seem to have the intelligence to make a truly good decision in their own interests... never mind the interests of others too.
The extreme selfishness and short sightedness of Individual-1 supporters will cost us the planet as well. This is no small feat. Then they will want economic support for what they have set fire to themselves.
Looking forward, I see the party and supporters of Individual-1 have dug a grave big enough for the whole country. The best solution is to split off the states that support Individual-1, and leave them to it. Cleanse this whole mess and get on with the work of addressing the Climate Crisis urgently. This will require radical peaceful action urgently.
The system we have now is not able to address the Climate Crisis as it is, our hope lies in radical change. We make the mistake of taking from the past to address and predict the future, this isn't working and has no hope of working, as the future is too different!
The alternative is complete chaos as our habitat changes to one which will not support life. We are in that time now, it's happening.
Writers, take note!
2
Blondie is a better name for him than Individual number one, as he is referred to in conspiracy charges against Michael Cohen. I don’t refer to him by name, either, He seems so fond of demeaning nicknames, seems only fair. Any other name suggestions that are printable...the less I hear of the word trump, the better I feel.
Return to what America? What norms?
Trump says objectionable things but so far did not disobey one single court ruling.
Since we are told that FBI /DOJ/CIA did nothing wrong, but only performed their patriotic duties, and certainly did not spy on Trump, presumably they will return to business as usual with Democrats in the WH.
The choice is between a vaguely socialist direction with 3rd world country style securities agencies to protect it and Trump and his stylistic flaws. Make your pick.
1
How to Defeat Trump? For starters, we'd need a patriotic Republican on the right.
2
Donald Trump was the protest choice for Americans who were tired of the same, tired of the inability of government to function, and tired of representatives that didn't represent them but only the donors who got them elected. The "deplorables" comment gave traction to the belief that the left thinks little of Middle America whose first concerns are jobs and the welfare of their families. They are not interested in the fringe issues about which the left obsesses. Their needs and concerns are basic and fundamental and democrats need to take that to heart.
5
Caring for the safety and welfare of their family is not unique to middle America. The big difference is we care about the safety and welfare of our country and the constitution, which middle America seems to forget as long as they continue to support this authoritarian tyrant. We are not your enemy.
After years of rule by this racist, immoral, ignorant, incompetent president, I look forward to the 2020 election as the final referendum on whether America is an exceptional nation that when challenged will do what is right and live up to the promise of its Declaration of Independence or, as I suspect, a country just like any other - a collection of the decent and the indecent, the upright and the spineless, with no unifying principle other than the pursuit of personal gain. Americans should go to the ballot box and vote for the person who best reflects their goals and principles. And when the results are in, the rest of the world will know what America has now become and whether it should ever again be respected or trusted.
3
Let’s remember the last president with the political agenda of restoring the morality to the highest office in the country.
His name is George W. Bush.
Well, he failed to prevent the 9/11 terrorist attacks after receiving the hot operational intelligence reports that the terrorists were preparing to attack the targets in the continental USA.
What was he doing in the days leading to the attacks? He took his Cabinet members to clear up the brushes on his ranch in Texas.
What he should have done?
Issue the executive order to the commercial airplane carriers to keep the cockpit doors in planes locked all the time. Why didn’t the Bush Administration issue the order?
Because of the ideological reasons. It didn’t believe the federal government should tell the private corporations how to run their business!
Mr. Bush presided over the US economy sinking into the Great Recession because he lacked the basic morality to understand that we couldn’t get wealthy by endlessly flipping the houses.
He spread freedom and democracy across the Middle East by holding the hands with the worst regional tyrants during their official visits to the USA.
He retaliated against the career diplomat and CIA operative who exposed the truth that the Saddam regime didn’t have the WMD.
He was instrumental in legitimizing the campaign bribes as the freedom of speech.
When somebody tells you his political goal is to restore morality, run for the nearest shelter and hide!
Biden, can you hear me now?
3
I thought Bush a fool but he wasn’t a criminal, as far as I know. Could care less whom Blondie sleeps with as long as it isn’t treason. I thought your comment was very well put, but this is far more dangerous than his disgust for women, minorities, the poor and anyone else that has an opinion other than his, e.g. the Constitution. MAKE AMERICA AMERICAN again.
You lost me with "we need a patriotic republican on the Right".
I am not sure any such being exists.
6
When Steve Jobs was alive, some said that imagine what he would be able to accomplish if he wasn't such a jerk. If he didn't belittle people for no reason. If he was warm and fair to everyone. If he recognized the facts instead of creating a reality distortion field.
But Steve Jobs was not a success in spite of his faults, but because of them. He didn't hold back, for fear from causing offense or anger in other people, from doing what he thought needed to be done. He did it.
Donald Trump is the same way. He uses hyperbole and exaggeration to a fault, being more Ciceronian than Cicero. He's sometimes petty and sophomoric, even infantile.
But that's Donald Trump's strength, not his weakness. If he acted like we expect a president to act -- staid and moralistic -- he wouldn't even be president. Let alone accomplish what he has accomplished.
That's what most Republicans have come to realize. Donald Trump is delivering peace and prosperity -- what everybody on both sides wants. He's not damaging or tearing down anything. He's building a country, making America great.
Sure, Donald Trump offends stuffed shirts and bureaucrats on the right and left. He doesn't kowtow to special interests and people in power. He fights them, for us.
So I'll be voting for Donald Trump in the 2020 election. You can have your Evan McMullin, you Republican in name only. We'll see who wins. Game on.
4
@John Smithson Donald Trump is delivering peace and prosperity? Tell me that when we are in a shooting war with Iran (or North Korea) and the price of gas skyrockets upward. Bolton and Pompeo are salivating over the chance to attack Iran. We're still in Afghanistan after 18 bloody years. As far as prosperity goes, it is not happening where I live, which is not in a gated community.
Republicans always face the question “why are you running for government if you hate government?” Democrats must always answer the question “if change is so necessary, you must hate the country now, right?” Answers determine the winner.
1
Where's Perot when you need him?
He also would've had a lot to say about Iran.
1
No doubt a conservative Republican candidate who was willing to run against Trump in the general would siphon off enough votes to defeat the incumbent IF the Democratic candidate was an acceptable alternative to the general electorate. A rational, realistic moderate. A facially decent human being. A person of measured, temperate, and deliberative mien. That person, standing alone, ought to defeat Trump. Preferable decisively, WITHOUT the " third party." We might then start to heal the hate that is running amok in the land. Fingers crossed.
3
Right now, we don't have a President, we have someone who thinks he is the King of America. He acts like he is untouchable. That needs to change and change quickly. Like Friedman, I cannot believe how easily Trump is able to bend otherwise intelligent, honest people to his side. He is clearly neither honest nor intelligent and it's as obvious as the nose on your face.
1
When you have the Russian government and, likely, Russian and other international organized crime syndicates at the ready to do your bidding or, maybe more likely, controlling you and thus those affiliated with you, it's probably just a matter of credibly threatening and intimidating anyone who opposes you-them, if not directly, then by threatening and scaring those individuals' families or communities. It remains a mystery why every single one of the 2016 GOP candidates dropped out rather than continuing to fight the good fight against a would-be absolute monarch. Maybe that explains it.
Mr. Friedman, I've been thinking along the same lines. we need another Republican to Challenge Trump for the nomination.
Mitt Romney came Immediately to my mind.
D.J. Trump hasn't bent his mind, Romney isn't "Bullied" by the Egotist who
is unmindful of his high duties, who has disregard for the Rule of Law, who Lies & deceives the People of the U.S.. D.J.Trump
has brought the Presidency
his High Office into Disgrace.
1
Mitt Romney, he's our man. In his one of his debates with Obama, he had Barack on the ropes for a time. I'm glad Obama recovered. But Mitt should be able to take plenty of votes from Trump.
1
If defeating Trump requires a "patriotic Republican" we're doomed.
The GOP has become the most destructive force in U.S. politics today. It is filled with a bunch of opportunists, cowards and hypocrites who enable and encourage Trump and his depredations. Of course, there are a few who express "concern" or "disappointment," but their lack of spine prevents them from standing up to do something substantive about their "opposition" to Trump.
5
One no longer needs to sit in front of a reel-to-reel recorder in a van down the street wearing headphones to attempt to compromise someone. Today’s ubiquitous communication technology makes it plausible, and likely easier, to compromise anyone. I suspect Trump’s mob behavior and his afinity for Russian and Saudi relationships makes it likely his spoon-bending tricks are compromat-based.
Let’s keep it real, please.
Americans need to know that 308,000 Florida Democrats crossed party lines in the year 2000 to vote for George W. Bush.
2
Trump lost the general election by 3 million votes, which is the largest margin of defeat by a candidate who won the electoral college. He lost to Hillary Clinton who was an unpopular candidate who failed to rally Democratic voters -- Her, "I want to be the candidate of Main Street and Wall Street!" line sums up her failure. To win, a Democratic victor must truncate that statement. The key to victory is rallying democrats to vote while holding the center -- a progressive agenda to restore democracy will work. As for the Republicans learning anything, I doubt it. As long as the overwhelming majority of Republican voters remain stuck in a toxic mire of racism, misogyny, and xenophobia, the Republican party will be stuck there with them. We just need to beat them, cut them off, and let them drift howling into history.
2
Trump must be impeached otherwise we are setting a very dangerous precedent and the bar is now extremely low for all future presidents.
He and his crony cabinet members have trampled the constitution of the United States.
5
This is one of Tom Friedman's worst columns, because he is so unrealistic. Trump has support because he supports core moral values, like not killing born and unborn babies, and because he is creating an economy that provides jobs and no inflation. Tom is too pie-in-the-sky to understand that, and instead focuses on what he characterizes as Trump's bad character, which really means he doesn't share Tom's and his fellow liberals' views.
4
The GOP is fundamentally flawed. Someone to the right of Trump? Get serious. Any group based on falsehood cannot stand forever. Trump is just the ultimate symptom before self-destruction of the party. Hopefully, they won't take the country with it.
1
Rejected by The Onion; at home here.
2
Jill Stein of the Green Party did much the same to Hillary in 2016 as Ralph Nader did to Gore in 2000.
For starters, we need a patriotic Republican, period.
3
@Democracy / Plutocracy
good luck with that!
2
Is there another clever way to hand the election to the Democrats on a silver platter--and cause mass extinction of Republicans? Tune in to the next chapter of Tiny Tom TDS...Coming to you in the next column--or sooner.
1
And might this attitude cause a bit of opposition?
A Republican challenger to Trump is a viable short-term solution, but ultimately the two-party system and the Electoral College must go. They are destroying this society and killing this country.
1
Mr. Freidman puts quotes around the word ‘spying’ on the FBI’s efforts to infiltrate the Trump campaign. If the FBI selects from a roster of spies, strangers who have entered your orbit, to attempt to entrap you with a ‘honeypot’, bug your phone, etc. then the shoes fits...it is spying.
2
@pete
"Fellow NYTimes readers: You won't defeat Trump by continuing to call his supporters "deplorables", "unredeemables, morons, etc."
Name-calling is not effective if you want to win people over, and although Hillary Clinton was quoted out of context WRG the "deplorables" trope, I don't think her point, namely that around a third of Trump supporters could be characterized that way, was too far off the mark. I have hope yet for at least one of the other two thirds, those who took candidate Trump at his word.
However, regardless of the terminology, cognitive dissonance is often a huge barrier to admitting a mistake. That's why so many people double down in the fact of contradictory information.
Some people think only a rube can fall for a con man. This view is mistaken (and the key word is "only). Very smart and sophisticated people can be fooled, too. Just ask anybody who invested with Bernie Madoff. But as Bill Clinton famously said, "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me."
1
This is an excellent op-ed, Tom Friedman.
First of all, you make it clear that crooks are the pros when it comes to bending--that is why “bend” is a fitting synonym for “crook.”
You made salient points in every paragraph that are spot on. Here are few that caught my attention:
"For America to stay America, Trump has to be defeated."
"We need a Republican who will do to Trump what Ralph Nader did to Al Gore in Florida in 2000."
"Elie Wiesel put it well: 'We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented...'"
"Yes, virtually the entire G.O.P. political/media apparatus is now a Trump-bent spoon ready to serve up whatever alternate universe he constructs. But the country is not."
This is one voter that considers the 2020 election to be as decisive for America as our country's decision to defeat the Axis power in WWII.
2
Thomas L. Friedman, the NYT and all the liberals from both coasts are in a tizzy over Trump the man, and refuse to even acknowledge his accomplishments as President, or attempt to spin them in a bad light (such as the necessary trade tariffs). They don't see the effects the booming economy and low unemployment is having in the barrios of Houston where I live. Everybody has a job! It wasn't like this under Obama? Can you imagine how fast these advancements towards Making America Great Again would vanish with any of the Democratic candidates or another RINO in the oval office? See rich coastal liberals dream of a RINO spoiler to pave to way for a liberal Democrat President to rain on our parade seems devious to us little people enjoying the best of times under President Trump.
2
Defeat begins with knowing the methods, means and motivation. Gaslighting, Flying Monkeys and Triangulation with Hoovering are the answer.
Essentially, a Gaslighter spins their negative, harmful or destructive words and actions in their favor, deflecting the blame for their abusive deeds and pointing the finger at you.
Think the fixation with Hillary Clinton;
When their reservoirs of narcissistic supply run out, they seek to prey off the old “meat” they managed to catch in the past – and that means you.
By knowing their modus operandi, defenses can be put in place, the Grey Rock Method.
The story is simple. Trump is a fraud, a con man without competence whose tax returns will show the truth that he is also a loser. That he can persuade others that he is on their side by voicing their bigotry is no qualification for President of the United States of America. He should be impeached and removed from office.
I want him impeached, convicted, and removed from office. if he's defeated in 2020, he'll still have the panache of a "former president," entitled to all the honors thereunto. impeached, he's rightfully branded as a pariah, and will forever have the title thereof.
3
Trump is mainstream GOP and vice versa.
3
No. Impeach him now. Democrats run a strong (not fake or pandering) unapologetic liberal. Win in a landslide. Restore America.
4
First, there is no such person. I think that the only hope is that persons so far unknown will leak all these various documents. Look, we have a leaky society. Plenty of people have copies of these critical documents, including Muller's staff. I'm hoping that some patriot in the IRS will leak Trump's tax documents. These are the people who will have to stand up at the risk of their jobs. As I said, no such Republican has that courage or desire. Besides, so may Republicans will be voting against Trump that a third party might actually dilute the opposition.
1
The way things look now Trump seems almost sure to be re-elected in 2020. Given the strong economy, and with no serious Democratic challenger on the horizon (can all 23 maybe run together?), he might even win the popular vote this time around. Anyone the Democrats put up against him is doomed to be his straight man/woman, forced to respond to his taunts and name-calling or look like a wimp for ignoring them.. Media attack ads will take care of the rest, portraying his opponent as a pawn of Socialism, Maduro, Ilhan Omar.
Like Mr. Friedman, I wonder how he brought us to this pass. I would suggest the Don Corleone principle: Everyone’s got their price or, for the few reluctant to sell out, their breaking point. The only thing that can take Trump down is mass outrage, and much of the public right now seems either comfortable with Trump or resigned to him. I like Friedman’s idea of a Republican challenging Trump from the right, but who would that be? Rand Paul? Given the divided state of the opposition, there would surely also be an independent candidate on the left to drain votes from the Democratic nominee.
Mr. Friedman, your op ed is a waste of space. There will be no right wing Republican candidate opposing Trump.
The way to beat Trump is to do what is regularly done to win elections: help friendly voters register and get them to the polls, get friendly voters already registered to the polls, show a small number of those who tend to favor the opposition good reasons to change their minds -- which sadly the Democrats have not been doing. If 3% of the Trump supporters change their minds when they are shown the tangible harm he is doing, the Democrat running for president wins easily.
2
Numerous views by psychologists and sociologists have been expressed about Trump voters like the #1 NYT pick @pete from rochester. There is no point arguing such dramatically different perceptions and experiences with his devotees. Larger identity issues are at work here. If his loyal followers think that placing cronies and past employees in positions like head and chief counsel of the IRS is "taking on the political establishment," what possible argument would matter? Supporters like Pete need to stop using vague, generalized terms like political correctness and likeability cults, to excuse their deeper aversive feelings towards social change and growing diversity. As for business "acumen," do your homework Pete. You have been taken by the biggest con this country has ever witnessed by your hustler in chief.
3
Mr. Friedman, You seem to be saying the same thing that both Joe Biden and Mayor Pete Buttigieg are saying:That this election is less about implementing specific policies than it is about restoring integrity and a sense of decency to the office of the Presidency.
If it were just about policies, Elizabeth Warren would be ahead in a landslide. I think that's because people who are afraid and unhappy all the time can't focus on what needs to be done to make things better. And if anyone doubts this, we should go back and see how much progress was made for the American people during the McCarthy era.
4
The majority of voters did not vote for Trump. That reveals the true character of this country. Only in America does our theoretically representative electoral process allow the losing candidate to win.
11
It has become clear to me, as a former ex-pat who spent 13 years overseas, a huge portion of the American public have no clue as to what treasures they're losing with Trump. While we are we the laughingstock of intelligent conversation around the world, forty some percent of us gleefully perceive they are "sticking it to the man." It frightens me how so many of us were so unhappy with their circumstances, that they elected a preposterous comic buffoon to the presidency. How could so many of us forget what it means to be an American President?
13
Seems to me, after reading the Times article on the Trump family finances, that Donald Trump grew up and continues (most likely) to use dishonesty, rationalization and bending laws to his advantage consistently. He seems to believe his own untruths.
I agree with Thomas F. and hope our 2020 election presents us with a choice of a candidate of integrity and wisdom along with some humility. That kind of candidate would be a stand-out, a shock.
9
Well. Tom, you did it again for me. Instructive, creative, and entertaining all at the same time. Thanks!
But just one little quibble: AGBarr didn't need bending. He practically volunteered for the post of attorney general by stating his views on executive privilege months before. He was the Roy Cohn Mr. Trump was looking for.
Agree on your insights. But is there another "volunteer" out there brave enough and patriotic enough to run as a third party to thwart the Trump machine? A thoughtful and enticing prospect, if so. And a maneuver that just might work.
As time moves on, the tweets become more unstable and the angst and agita of the country increases. To say that this is the most important election of all time doesn't come close; it truly is of monumental importance.
5
If @pete in the NYT Picks is any measure of what the voting public wants, our moral and ethical compass has eroded away to dust and we are doomed as a country. For those of us who found this post unpalatable, it's time to act. Get out there and speak to young people about voting in the 2020 election. It is, after all, their world and their future. We will get more illiterate, criminal autocrats like Donald Trump if the young don't become informed and vote where their "mouths are." We must defeat Donald Trump at his autocratic game and we must act now - each and every one of us who cares about the future of the country.
10
I agree but for one issue: the Republican Party is beyond saving. Republican willingness to go along with Trump has damaged the party so deeply and has demonstrated a level of corruption so profound that it cannot be saved. Some new mid-right party needs to replace it, but I think the Republican brand is trashed beyond repair.
What has been evident has been the blatant greed that underlies the party’s corruption. They have promoted policies that are clearly tied to the financial interests of Republican supporters, most egregiously in the extraction industries and in finance, but corporate entities in general as well. The party’s focus on reducing taxes and regulations has been clearly seen to be in promotion of the interests of big-money supporters, and further exacerbated by the clearly corrupt appointment and confirmation of administration officials with blatant conflicts of interest.
What mostly amazes me is that so many Republicans have simply soldiered on with the corrupt and extra-legal Trump agenda while gratuitously ignoring how history will inevitably shine a glaring light of truth that will portray them in what will certainly resemble figurative (or perhaps in some cases, literal) prison booking photos.
There is always a day of reckoning that can’t be avoided. So, as the saying goes, stick a fork in them, they’re done.
6
Nice try, but any third candidate may draw some independents who would vote for Dems just to get rid of Trump. So it's a double-edged sword.
"people who, like Trump, were always outsiders or never on the A-team"
And this is why Trump will win re-election.
The "A-team" is associated with the entrenched establishment on both sides of the aisle..they are part of the belt line cabal that has run this country too long. Completely ignoring the voices in the center.
2
Trump does not have to be voted out for us to restore the faith of the world that America has not lost its mind.
Impeachment would prove our Constitution works.
4
We have either a society that grows hatred, division and ultimately authoritarianism, or one that does not.
6
At the rate he’s going, with his tax loss situation, evading tax owed, excessive tariffs on foreign countries causing plunging stock markets, and all the federal crimes he’s committed as president, he doesn’t need anyone to beat him. He’s beating himself. His lies and unreachable promises he made, will be his own downfall. The federal deficit means nothing to him. Cutting medicare, medicaid, SS, military spending to try to find the funds he wants to build his wall. He’s cutting off his nose to spite his face.
4
Republicans don't seem to care.
I am wondering whether or not the GOP could not simply be outlawed once the House, Senate and presidency are held by Democrats and SCOTUS is expanded.
Russia under Yeltsin managed to outlaw the Communist party in Russia, and we just so admire the Russians, don't we?.
5
The Democrats need a moderate. I have an affinity for the progressives but this is not their time and 2020 not their year. The need to know they will have the ear of any Democrats. The Democrats so not shoot their own. A centralist Democrat and a nobel Conservative will to challenge Trump from the GOP right will remove Trump. Never forget he only won with 77,000 well placed votes. He never had and never will have the majority of the American voters. The GOP should not forget the trouncing they received in 2018 and that the trajectories favoring the Democrats have not shifted one iota. Trump's deplorable behavior and his constant carnage nullify any help he would have received from is economy. Let the Trump surround himself with flunkies and obedient quislings who tell he is loved and won by a landslide.
Everyone with a brain know the reality is very different. Trump will find 2016 was his piece of cake.
2
Uri Geller is an interesting parallel because he wasn’t just a magician but also a fraud. He claimed to have actual supernatural powers. He fooled some of the scientists who tried to discover his tricks. And when he was outed by honorable magicians (remember that appearance on Johnny Carson?), it did not end his career. He just kept on lying! The truth did not matter!
4
Doesn't Mitch McConnel own a big piece of this as one of the primary Republican band leaders?
2
We are brink of a global apocalypse largely due to Republican neglect to their own constituents. Working class middle age white men are killing themselves at a faster rate than any other social group and their sons are dying of opioid overdoes. Unregulated capitalism is killing working-class white men to justify not taxing billionaire white men. Y'all are so far out of step with the needs of the majority of your own party, and Trump won due to endless profit over basic human needs. Patriotism is not fighting endless wars without substantial evidence to support them. 40,000 veteran suicides in the last six years--aprox 17 per day. This argument no longer holds weight. Run Joe Biden as a Republican as he is realistically the best chance you have of redeeming your party. He is far too out of step with the new Democratic base. The majority of voters are adults 35 and younger and they believe in social programs (not entitlements) and a massive expansion of Green Industry. These have become partisan issues, which is why we are now the laughing stock of the Industrialized world. China is officially the new superpower and your own base has been disenfranchised because of blow back from Reagan. Face it--your party is dead because of its own greed and neglect of humanity. I'm glad Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren scare you, as their ideologies and policies are supported by Enlightenment reason, science, legitimate research and a majority of Americans.
2
@Allegra
Much truth here, but the Democrat's house is made of glass, as well. Bernie and Tulsi Gabbard are driven by the right reasons, IMO.
Thomas Friedman is correct to say that Ralph Nader handed the 2000 election to George W. Bush. His oft-repeated claim that there was no difference between Bush and Al Gore was especially troubling. Nader and his apologists have always pushed back against blaming him for the outcome of the election, but the fact remains that if only one percent of the votes that went to Nader in Florida that year had gone to Gore instead, Gore would have won the election. Does anyone believe that Gore wouldn't have prevented the Sept. 11 terrorism attack, and invaded Afghanistan and Iraq, and passed the Bush tax cuts, causing the national debt to soar, and passed the Patriot Act, and caused the Hurricane Katrina debacle, and proposed privatizing Social Security and cuts to Medicare, and reduced the regulatory oversight that led to the Great Recession? I sure don't. So much for Nader's claim that there was no difference between Bush and Gore.
9
Tom is absolutely right. Democrats cannot possibly win at the polls with their policy ideas. Few people support rolling back the Trump tax cuts, opening our borders or weakening trade policies. These are great ideas Tom.
In order to defeat Trump it may be useful to understand the reality which propelled him to the White House. I suspect this approach will be more productive than blaming Russians, Marcians and millions of Americans for preferring political novice and outsider over experienced representative of Democratic establishment. If you aren't able or aren't ready to learn from your own past mistakes then there is no hope for you in the future. No sophisticated marketing strategy can compensate for this fatal flaw. The job of learning isn't easy but one has to work hard to earn back the lost trust.
1
Trump hasn’t bent Graham and Cruz to his will, they support Trump because he outsourced judicial appointments to McConnell. Kavanaugh is a justice because Bush called Collins and urged her to support him.
6
I'm sure I'm in a tiny minority here, but I don't much care about politicians at all anymore. I think the billionaires are running the show for Americans, and both parties are in their pocket. Republicans in power will do some things right and some things wrong. So will Democrats. Democrats will help us with healthcare but hurt us with too much immigration. Republicans will do the opposite. Democrats will fight much harder for the 5% of the population that's LGBTQ than the other 95%. Republicans will do the opposite. So I guess I'm a lifelong Democratic voter who just doesn't care to vote anymore. However, I will admit I am liking that Andrew Yang.
4
I don't think anyone who thinks he or she has a real shot at the Presidency later is going to agree to do this. We need someone who isn't well-positioned politically, but has a lot of name recognition. Someone who can't stand Trump and is extremely vocal about it. Someone who is a staunch Republican and a patriot. We need Meghan McCain.
2
Dream on. Not happening. Not Meghan McCain.
Washington Post.
“Trump would have been charged with obstruction were he not president, hundreds of former federal prosecutors assert.
More than 450 former federal prosecutors who worked in Republican and Democratic administrations have signed on to a statement asserting Robert Mueller findings would have produced obstruction charges against President Trump — if not for the office he holds.”
Friedman says he does't want Trump impeached. But maybe it's impeachment that would restore faith in America---for the country and the world.
3
Impeachment restore faith? Do you understand what it is? it is a political indictment to a political trial to remove the President from office. The Senate handles the pitical trial part of the process, and a 2/3 vote is required to remove a President. Name me the GOP Senators who would vote for Trump's removal. So. . .you still want impeachment? So Trump can walk and do more damage while declaring he won?
1
@Roy Smith....yeah, the Dems must stand up and demonstrate principle--that we need to start the impeachment inquiry. Then vote. If the senate blocks it? That will go down in history, reflecting on them, not the Dems.
Does the Trump voter base rule the nation?
We've already let the GOP block many policies the country needs and set norms that limit proposals. This complies with GOP mega donors.
The GOP and GOP FOX News are in effect regulating our govt and setting the limits of policy in many ways.
I have to work hard to read Tom's opinion pieces with an open mind since he was one of the enablers of the Iraq War and provides an influential rationale for neo-liberalism. Every now and then he does manage to make a sound point or two. But here he is again paving the way to more of the same mess he helped create. These ideas will just lead us deeper into the mire. Bernie and Elizabeth represent practical solutions to the real problems we face, and that is what will defeat Trump and the Republicans.
9
@Bob
Senator Klobuchar's practical solutions are more practical and will solve more real problems.
Senator Klobuchar also doesn't come with the baggage of Sanders and Warren.
3
@teoc2....she doesn't come with baggage? She's weighed down with it.
See articles on Amy K's anger and abuse of staff. Throwing things at people, and eating a salad with the comb from her purse --ugh-- after her staff didn't bring her a fork. She's a bit crazy....she smiles too much---to cover up what's likely underneath.
Bernie and Liz W-- who don't constantly smile--- are the real problem solvers but many voters are propagandized to call them radical. They should be called centrists in any 21st C operating democracy.
The US is GENERATIONS behind dozens of capitalist democracies in health care for all. See on web the dates when other countries started universal health care---supported by voters and parties.
Many observers (Friedman among them) have an almost emotional need to seek Republican help in containing or defeating Donald Trump.
However, the GOP is as much a threat to our country as Donald Trump. And if you do not see that fact you are either nostalgic for another era or irrelevant. The widespread pundit/political failure to recognize and acknowledge that fact is alarming and is (in-part) responsible for helping the American people sleep-walk its way into the current constitutional crisis.
10
@wilt
It seems that when Hillary described the Republican electorate as "deplorables", that was not enough (although it certainly contributed to her losing the election). Now, along comes Wilt, and he tells us that the GOP is as much a threat to our country as is the president and that anyone who doesn't understand that is either nostalgic or irrelevant. So, based on the 2016 election results, over 60,000,000 voting age Americans are no longer just deplorable, but are now irrelevant as well. Walt, the fact that both parties were treating voters as if they were irrelevant was arguably the main factor in Trump's victory. People like you (and Hillary) are absolutely tone deaf. Your continuing to be so may be the main factor in a Trump victory in 2020. Think about it: 20-plus Democrats spending all those millions of dollars to garner the votes of irrelevant citizens. Or is that just an irrelevant consideration?
1
And so are Jill Stein and a lot of Berniacs.
Sadly, I think Tom Friedman's proposed strategy is to siphon votes from Trump in the general election, removing the possibility of a Trump win, and allowing a united Democratic vote to put the Democratic nominee into the White House. "Sad" because it says many Republicans opposed to Trump Americans do not have the will or guts to ever vote for a Democrat for President. It is a "headed fake" to take the votes of those reluctant Trump voters AWAY from Trump, throwing things to the Dem nominee. Also "sad" because the driving thought behind the concept is that Democrats are electorally clueless as to how to rally voters to their side and sell their policies in a majority of states against the con-artist opponent.
1
What a misguided approach. Defeating Donald Trump would be a good goal if you wanted to keep Donald Trump in office. He will be defeated as a CONSEQUENCE of finding a good alternative to him. And no one should be taking this kind of advice from someone, like Mr. Friedman, who could not foresee the popular support for Trump or for Bernie, or of Brexit, or Trump's absence of collusion with Russia, or of WMDs, or of.... If we fail to learn from our mistakes they will, of course, be repeated. IMO, we need to open our minds to the views of others, not close them off.
4
Unless you lost William Weld's phone number, there's no need to speak hypothetically. This op-ed is a demonstration of what mainstream media does when such a candidate emerges: pretend they don't exist.
11
You miss the point. Weld is not running as an independent. He is running for the GOP nomination. He will not steal the nomination from Trump. Weld would have to run as an independent to siphon votes from Trump. Therefore Weld is a non-factor in the general election.
@Roy Smith Granted. Agreed. I'm guessing Weld runs less to win than to contribute to the public discussion. I can't predict whether Weld would morph into Libertarian/Independent candidate so as to continue his schtick into November. He's one who might, though whether he would do so may require media momentum, something we won't see in this paper's op-ed pages. But it's a long campaign season & I'll be wrong on much bigger and more dire questions before it's over.
It must be like 30 years ago when I first said that reading Thomas Friedman is like the old joke about eating Chinese food. An hour later you're hungry again, or in his case, an hour later I realize he didn't say that much.
I know Friedman has his fans, but my problem with him is the same problem I have with anyone who generalizes. It either loses its meaning, or there is no real meaning to begin with.
For instance he says "I think a lot of people today are frightened that the country is getting pulled apart at the seams." But anyone could have said that very same thing 10 years, 20 years and certainly 50 years ago in 1969 when we were literally torn apart with riots and police brutality in response to those riots.
Or he says in the next paragraph, "Americans are worried that another Trump term will bring us to a political civil war." Aside from wondering what he means by a political civil war, where has be been for the past 50 years?
Other that these quibbles, Friedman is just stating the obvious but claiming that when he says it it's fresh and original thinking.
10
There is a big flaw in Tom Friedman's theory that someone is needed to run as an Independent to siphon votes from Donald Trump. The problem is that Trump's base occupies the far right of the political spectrum, and no viable candidate can run to the right of him. The herd loyalty of the Republican Party is simply too great.
A centrist candidate running to the left of the Trump base, like Howard Schultz or Mike Bloomberg, would probably siphon more votes from the Democrats than the Republicans.
In past elections, when the GOP was both sane and centrist, there was room on the right for a fringe candidate to run and make a difference (Perot, Wallace, Thurmond, etc.). This is no longer the case.
In the long run, the GOP has doomed itself to a fringe position, since it depends on the politics of ethnic and racial fear to get votes, and demographic trends are flowing decisively against it.
In the meantime, Democrats have to figure out a way to unite their disparate strands. A fully unified Democratic party should be able to defeat Trump's Republican Party ten times out of ten.
4
@James: Republicans are the most generous contributors to the weaker Democratic candidates in primaries.
We should not want to defeat Trump. We as a nation should want to incarcerate him. Violation of law is not a sport, political or other wise. That is Trumpism and Poloseism and a lack of understanding of our government. Some of our basic principals are not part of a political agenda. We can not vote tomorrow to eliminate the truth.
8
Ah !!
Mr. Friedman discovers "divide and conquer"
Mr. Friedman, to not an unsubstantial degree assisted the rise of Trump with his promotion of "The World is Flat" theory, that lauded globalization.
That, in turn, caused political back lash in high wage countries, when workers saw the jobs flowing to low wage countries.
3
Regarding Florida 2000-- A) I thought the NYT went into the warehouses and counted every vote again and Bush was still ahead. B) If the Democrats in charge of the ballot had done the ballot so people could easily vote, Pat Buchanan wouldn't have gotten so many votes. People thought they were voting for Gore, but it was actually a vote for Buchanan ( Butterfly Ballot) But, point taken on Nader, probably correct.
2
@Craig G: George W. Bush's Florida campaign manager ran the 2000 election in that state. She was the Secretary of State in charge of it.
2
Mitt Romney. We haven't heard much from him lately, but he would be a perfect third party candidate to challenge Trump. Or he could just challenge him in the Republican primaries. Who knows? Come on, Mitt, give it another go!
2
Its not a "dishonest crusade" to say that it is very very bad democracy for the power of the Government to be used to SPY on a political campaign of somebocy the Eatablishment does not like. Its worse than Watergate, which was just ordinary CRIME.
We, the people, WANT Trump to be reelected.
3
If said campaign has been caught secretly meeting with agents of a hostile foreign super power, one that was currently attempting the throw the election the way of that campaign, the government better damp we’ll be “spying” on that campaign.
There is an Independent who is running already, who could siphon off Trump voters - the Starbucks CEO. He's got the business cred that Trump claimed but lied about. He's got the money to run as an independent in all those states - ads, getting on the ballot. Trump used his reality TV stardom name recognition but Schultz has Starbucks.
Given, the overtly anti-Semitic Trump folks won't vote for him, but the ones with the Koch brothers/Rand Paul/Libertarian leanings will- especially once it's pointed out that his actual policies are quite right-wing.
The media needs to give Schultz more attention. Yes, he's a thin-skinned, entitled white guy with a huge ego. That should siphon off a few more GOP'ers who have indicated comfort with that type.
Friedman says someone should fall on the sword by running as an Independent from the right. I think there should be SEVERAL someones. Schultz has led the way. Let's get a few more.
3
Although I agree that a Republican opposing Trump would help, the real issues continue to be twofold:
1. Democrats continue to eat their own - until Democrats unite, defeating Trump seems unlikely... a Bernie / Biden showdown will again open Democrats up to endless infighting. Time will tell who remains standing after Iowa and beyond, but if this drags into the convention time frame like last time, then Democrats will be weakened again
2. Trump's base has remained shockingly solid - maybe a Republican like Romney might siphon off some votes, but this might get offset if the Democrats have a far left leaning candidate
1
Friedman misses the point. Trump did not bend the Republican Party to his evil ways. He is simply the culmination of what the Republican Party has become since Reagan and in some ways since Nixon. Trump is the culmination of what Reagan, Gingrich, Bush I, Bush II, McConnell, eight Supreme Count Justices appointed by Republicans since Reagan, state GOP parties that have created the Republican tyranny through gerrymandering, voter suppression etc., the evangelicals and white Catholics and Protestants who vote for them, the Koch brothers, and much more. There are no decent patriot Republicans.
9
Let us not forget he has a record to run on, and we will likely have a much better candidate in 2020 than we did in 2016. I voted for HRC and am proud of that vote, but she was the perfect storm candidate for the righties and deplorables to vote against.
2
It is not so much that Trump can bend people to his will. He simply attracts bent people into his orbit. Even much of his base admits that they don't like Trump, but they like what he does.
He's somewhat like the J.R. Ewing of our government. And, we're wishing this season is all a nightmare from which we'll awaken.
3
Oh gosh !
If you could get Nikki Haley to run , yes
But Ms. Haley is much too smart to run as an independent candidate.
The Democrats, though, would be well advised to court her.
As, e.g., offer her a cabinet level position, should they win the 2020 election.
1
There will be no single messiah to lead the nation out of this existential threat. To avoid the ‘political civil war’ Mr Friedmam fortells and defeat Trump and his Republican enablers in the Senate requires only one thing: massive voter turn out in 2020. If The hyphenated ‘ethnic-Americans’ whom Trump and his white nationalist base revile, vote in the same numbers as Trump’s fanatical supporters then no Republican party election fraud, contested state election results , or attempted voter suppression can preserve this wannabee emperor.
If they do not vote, then neither the Democratic party candidate, nor the policy wish list of the Democratic left wing will defeat Trump and the party he now owns.
Is Speaker Pelosi the only Democrat who understands that when one party breaks all the traditional rules and owns the judicial referees, only the raw power of the electorate can abort our nation’s slide into becoming a one party state? To truly defeat Trump and finally invalidate the Cold War imperative of an Emperor president requires a wave election victory comparable to 1932 and 1980.
3
Impeach. Impeach. Impeach. Let the chips fall where they may. We should never be afraid to be patriotic Americans in defense of our nation and its future. Impeachment should only occur, however, if a very strong case can be made that even many Republicans would support.
4
Every time I read one of Trump's tweets I am overwhelmed by a deep sadness for my country. Although I am thrilled and intrigued by many of the Democratic candidates' platforms- relief on student loans, Medicare for all, etc., I know these issues will not be the thing that ultimately determines which Democrat gets my vote. I want decency. I want honesty. I want integrity. This country is, and always has been, so much more than the depravity evident in our government today. Let's be proud again.
5
Strategies for defeating Donald are all very interesting. But there is a more important issue: Can we allow Donald to get away with his ongoing criminal obstruction without any effort to check his authority?
Can we allow the Trump presidency to establish an out-sized executive, unchecked by the legislature.
Congress has handed over control of war-making, immigration, treaties and trade agreements, budgets, and even civil service laws to the president.
We need a realignment of the branches of government so they are once again, co-equal. That includes bringing the courts back to the mainstream center.
7
One word: VOTE!
In the 208 midterms, Democrats voted in rcord numbers and surpassed Republican turnout by roughly 35%, the widest gap in 25 years.
If young adults put their votes where their mouths are, Democrats could double that gap in 2020.
7
American exceptionalism has been shown to be a complete fraud just like our current president. The citizens of this country who voted for Trump did so out of anger, frustration, greed, poverty, bigotry, and sexism. The country is a mess but is too vain, shallow, and narcissistic in itself to ever hold a mirror up and really look at itself. Mass shootings are weekly now, addiction is off the charts-- to either booze, food, or pills--and civility from political institutions is gone just like it is in the population.
4
Yes, we need a Republican... The problem Tom is that them Republicans who despise Trump also despise Democrats (who hate their white male conservative affluence) more. I doubt some Mitt Romney is about to throw themselves under the bus in the name of that higher civilized behavior.
Howard Schultz might just do that for the Democrats though as a gesture for their higher civilized behavior.
Finding a way back to legitimate leadership in a restored office is how we will defeat all the trumps that spoil our life.
This is a noncompliant president who thumbs his nose at the rule of the law, with no one to stand up to him, not even in his own party. If we believe this then we really don't deserve any better.
2
Um....why does this article not address Russia? Nothing and no measure taken will matter if there isn't a sweeping, large-scale effort to combat Russian interference in 2020. From what I can tell little, if anything, is being done.
2
Steve Bannon's plan was to destroy our "Institutions". He's doing great with that plan. Love the pic with this article. The "Hair" is amazing; talk about bent! And if you don't get your wish, Mr. Friedman, then we need to win the Senate too and keep the House. My fear is that I'm not hearing anything about the Senate races. Finally, Democrats still don't understand that their vote is all about the Courts and those who will stay on the bench for the rest of their lives and affect the rest of ours.
2
In other words the Democrats cannot find a candidate who will defeat President Trump. Keep America Great--Vote for President Trump 2020!
3
It’s naive and foolish to expect influencers that have risen within a corrupt party operating in bad faith to somehow shed their sullied world-views and desperate lies to suddenly awake to some degree of moral enlightenment. This may happen in Disney movies, but not on planet Earth. There is no Rogue One in their ranks. They are all the same. A divergent species that lacks empathy, compassion and remorse is what the GOP is, was, and always will be. They know only fear and greed and they wish to devour our species as well because we won’t let them rule the roost.
3
"Patriotic Republican"? Today's GOP defines a candidate's patriotism by how partisan they are, and they don't go for individual points of view, renegade campaigns, innovation, or breaking formation. And this GOP defines a "real" American as someone endlessly willing to follow blindly, live on rancor, and sacrifice his own interests on Trump's behalf.
Looking among their candidates is a waste of time. But looking among their voters might pay off.
Trump's sole argument is the economy, but this isn't Trump's economy, it's the convergence of thirty years' advances that are shifting the whole country to a new future. The legacy industries Trump touts are dying. The jobs are all going to a 21st century smarter cleaner economy that Trump wants to obstruct. GOP candidates in the upcoming races will all be parroting Trump's line in places where it must be ringing hollow among the rank and file, even in the rallies.
The Democrats already own the turf that you suggest be taken here. They just don't know it. When they stop viewing reality through the glass darkly of their own partisanship, and act like they're the party of the Reality-Based Community, they can win these voters.
3
One other factor is that decent people, Republicans and Democrats, are tired of Trump's negativity, and now yearn for the opposite - a uniter, an inspirer, a call to our "better angels".
1
Excellent piece. I agree with everything said.
Regrettably, I don’t think there are enough Republicans with basic decency, ethics, morals and patriotism who will fight against a second Trump term. A vote for Trump is a vote for bigotry, corruption and destruction.
5
The Democrats decide to favor politics over impeachment. Trump wins in 2020. Now what?
Dear Mr. Friedman, I believe that your approach to the "problem" Trump is short-sighted and, allow me, disrespectful of your fellow citizens who voted for him and therefore ultimately of your country. I will try to explain my thoughts better by quoting an episode that occurred after the Second World War, here in Italy, to one of our best prime ministers we have ever had, perhaps the best: Alcide De Gasperi, who is also considered one of the founding fathers of the European Union along with Schumann and Adenauer. After the war the country was split in two; on the one hand there were the communists and on the other those who were not. People were still killing each other. It is said that at a rally, De Gasperi was greeted by a crowd of protesters driven by trade unions linked to the Communist Party. One of the officials following the Prime Minister apostrophed them with contempt - more or less as Mrs. Hillary Clinton did when she referred to Mr. Trump's voters as a basket of miserables - but De Gasperi shut him up and told him that if those people were there protesting perhaps they had some good reason and his duty was to do something to enable them to live a dignified life. Focus on that, Mr. Friedman, and leave aside the divisive practices that only lead to disaster. Sincerely.
3
Why should we try to win the 5-10 percent of the GOP that dislike Trump at the cost of policies that alienate the huge swaths of the country that don’t even vote. Some of them don’t vote because they are a hundred percent disconnected, but many of them don’t vote because they see no difference between the parties. So please Democrat’s stop thinking you’ll trick GOP voters into liking you by adopting policies that aren’t actually going to fix the problem. The reason Obama had such great turn out was he ran as a change candidate. Let’s actually try to change things and inspire young people to vote.
3
Is it just me or does the premise of this silly piece fall apart if you know that Geller couldn't actually bend spoons with his mental powers?
5
So in other words, you want a Republican to fall on his sword so a Democrat can be elected. All for the good of the country as you see it. You need to get out more and while you’re out, you need to talk to someone who is actually a Republican as opposed to a figment of your imagination.
5
I fear Mr. Friedman like Joe Biden are living in a fantasy world. There is no unity to be had. The error was to have believed that since the Civil War there was a unity. A minority of Americans don't want to see the changes that have gained steam in the last decade. Millennials will cause the pace of change to get even faster. it is time to stop calling for a unity that doesn't exist and instead call for programs and plans that help all Americans that will be opposed by Republicans anyway.
3
If Friedman were honest, he'd tell every person in the world to vote for Howard Schultz.
Truth is..he is your only shot at unseating Trump in 2020.
Otherwise...better strap on the saddle...and gear up for 2024.
This is 1984 all over again.
1
Stop trying to reach 40-45% of the country who will vote for Trump no matter what, and instead focus on appealing to 55% of voters, including driving turnout and combating voter suppression.
6
Trump has no magical powers to "bend" people.
His is a malignant personality, a personal wretchedness that knows no bounds.
Those who appear "bent" are merely lusting for money and power.
The two make a disgusting synergy.
Much as I turn to Friedman for sanity, we do not need a real conservative to step forward. If there were one with courage, we'd have heard from her by now.
It is solely up to the electorate to purge the nation of this cancer.
4
Maybe I read too many mystery novels and thrillers but I find it difficult to accept the explanation of moral weaknesses as the reason for so many politicians who dislike him to jump on his bandwagon. Mr. Friedman's choice of a Libertarian third party candidate to siphon off votes from Trump makes sense because Trump is the arch enemy of the Libertarians. So why aren't the Libertarian Koch brothers more outspoken in opposition to Trump ? Where is Rand Paul ? Since the Russians are somehow involved in this entire mess who knows what could be happening unknown to the media and general public ?
1
@Speculator: The action is in the judiciary and state legislatures. Trump is a distraction to cover it.
2
While I agree with much of this piece, I don't feel that Mr. Friedman emphasized enough the need for a better Democrat. At present, the Democratic party and its current slate of declared candidates is a full-scale race to "out-progressive" each other. Given the choice between Trump and the current set of running lunatics, I'm not sure of the best outcome.
1
@tj: None seem to be reflective enough to avoid being toasted by projection.
1
@Steve Bolger you made two good comments inside of three minutes. Well done.
I agree. A porent Republican 3rd party candidate would cause Trump to lose.
@Danny: The money usually goes to extraneous candidates to pull votes from the Democrats.
1
Donald Trump should not have run for POTUS, with so many skeletons in his closet. He will find out soon what it is like in November 2020, when he loses the next election. This time Biden will snatch PA, MI & WI from Trump. Once he loses the next election he will be roommate of his attorney Michael Cohen. SDNY is waiting for him.
bill weld already announced! get on the train!
4
Where have you gone, John McCain. The nation turns its lonely eyes to you....
1
@Tom McAllister: McCain wasn't ready to take on the financial crisis of 2008. That's why he picked a running mate to throw that election.
1
A con artist only cons people who want to be conned. He found a product, hate, that people wanted to buy but no one else would sell. So he sold it.
Also, there is a republican running against this traitor. Mr. Bill Weld.
3
Defeating Trump calls for blunt honesty about the negative effects of his policies, listening at town halls, and ignoring reference to Trump enablers.
Americans can see that: their salaries have not gone up; $15/hour is still not enough to live on; their Social Security and Medicare benefits have gone down; and they're paying higher taxes.
The monthly low unmployment figures do not state the fact that many of those employed work two jobs and still must sleep in their cars; that only 62% of able-bodied, willing-to-work Americans are part of the U.S. work force.
Trump's rollback of environmental regulations and his obsession with fossil fuel guarantees a national health crisis as water and air become polluted and people and crops die.
There's plenty of ammunition to use against Trump. The Democrats, unfortunately, lack the talent of "spin". Republicans whip the smallest morsel into a tempest and obscure consequences of their inaction.
The Dems have the truth on their side--they have to share it, fact-by-fact, at town halls across the country. Politics is personal, and complaining from the marbled halls of Congress won't reach Trump's base.
By bringing the case to each town, listening to voters (Trump's base has been hit by floods, tariffs, low salaries, layoffs, no job re-training), vital connections can be made.
While it seems all elected and appointed Republicans, and Fox News fans, have been "bent like spoons", I am sure this is not so.
2
The Trump administration has shredded the basic fabric of American mores, dignity and character. Sure, we as a nation, were far from perfect and committed numerous injustices around the world. Like an overgrown adolescent, the U.S was awkward and a bully at times; but in the past, we set standards for humane governance which was a beacon for many people throughout the world.
This administration has changed the narrative of American policies from inspirational to depressive. The people of the world are looking in a different direction for guidance and hope. This all occurred in only two years of the present administration--imagine the results for six more years.
3
This is the problem with the Democrats; they are not talking about policy, but all Trump all the time.
4
@NYC Dweller, clearly you haven’t listened to Liz Warren or Bernie Sanders and their prescriptive policies for our current pressing problems concerning education health care wages environment. Kindly read don’t listen to Tom Friedman if he himself hasn’t read policy details so eloquently described by Liz and Bernie.
4
I guess you say not but you endorsed already a centrist candidate. That is exactly what made a centrist candidate with so many weaknesses lose against trump.
We need a strong message, not a chase to the center and rely on that not on a third candidate.
We need a strong message that targets justice and equality, fair taxation etc, not a message that wants to leave everything as it is now as a centrist candidate ready to compromise with the devil would.
Have a nice day.
I don't think that a National Health Insurance system along with a private insurance option for those people who hate the idea that the government be involved in their health care is an outlandishly liberal idea.
Co-payments? Deductibles? They're just made up words to keep the insurance industry in total control, and if the democrats can't attack that enormous corporate power and nominate a candidate that excites the younger part of its base to vote, I think the GOP is going to be tough to beat.
Let's face it, the GOP stays together so much better than the democrats do. Granted they do it pretty much by scaring everybody and opposing everything forward looking, and have been saying the same things for 75 years, things like National Health Insurance will bankrupt the country.
Who's the last republican you can remember who came even close to saying that everyone deserves to have health care? Richard Nixon?
Even while the ship is in flames they're all fighting and going down together, while the democrats scurry alone in different directions and perhaps survive on islands.
1
You can forget about a Republican challenging Trump. He owns the party, such as it is. It will be up to the Democrats to mount a campaign, as Mr. Friedman suggests, to defeat him. Joe Biden at the moment may not be my first choice but he has certainly expressed what’s at stake in 2020–the very nation itself.
5
Tom Friedman suggests a candidate to run to the right of Trump. How about former South Carolina Congressman Mark Sanford?
A lifelong libertarian, Sanford lost his 2018 congressional race to a political neophyte because Trump endorsed the unknown candidate to get back at Sanford and the congressional Freedom Caucus. A Sanford candidacy might generate some GOP support since his congressional district elected a Democrat for the first time since 1980, an unlikely outcome if Trump hadn’t interfered.
Ever wonder why Lindsay Graham is now a dedicated Trump-bended spoon? It’s called “the Sanford effect.”
2
@Sally Huguley
Would Sanford be willing to run on the Libertarian Party ticket?
1
@Hu McCulloch
He might. Sanford was elected to congress and governor as a staunch Tea Party candidate, so a Libertarian Party ticket nominee would not be a stretch.
I can see Tom Friedman and Joe Biden sitting on the bus stop bench, like those two guys waiting for Godot, on the look out for an honorable republican.
A republican that will "fall on the grenade" to save the U.S. from t rump; or a republican that will bridge the divide and work with Biden. I haven't seen anyone matching that description for a long long time.
"Americans are worried that another Trump term will bring us to a political civil war." We are in a political civil war, as well as a Constitutional crisis. If he gets reelected the civil war might turn hot, that is my concern.
t rump didn't start this; Nixon started it and it's been getting amped up by the koch bothers and the republican establishment ever since.
All in service to a mythical conservative majority that will stretch out into the future as far as the eyes can see. With policies that nobody wants.
I would like to remind everyone automatically calling for a centrist democrat. Clinton was as close to the center as one can get. She is not president.
Maybe we should get a bit bolder with our ideas.
4
I am listening to the House Judiciary Committee intermittently . That is because while each member has a significant contribution to make for the record, the speeches stand in stark contrast to each other and the divisions and divisiveness reminds me of "MAD" magazines running cartoon of "Spy vs Spy". What is both sad and frustrating is so few of the Representatives see the big picture and that their practice of pointing fingers at the other side as the cause of this moral morass signifies Russian interference worked. A local TV News Channel posts contemporary news stories for viewers comments . The differences exhibited by the House Judiciary Committee are reflected in the FB TV News Channel comments. Generally the discussions are civil, occasionally some get dismissed by saying you do not know what your talking about. I find those and similar comments reveal participants watch and read equally contrasting media. Thomas Jefferson said democracy depends upon an educated citizenry; never did he imagine Americans would be divided what educated meant.
1
@craig80st: Thomas Jefferson excised the magic from the Bible with a razor. The removal condensed it about 80%.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_Bible
1
@Steve Bolger I knew. Two generations later what Seminaries label as higher Biblical Criticism began in Germany. I would not call Thomas Jefferson's cuts an example of good Biblical criticism. It was an exercise in I will take out what I do not want or believe. Irony, his library formed the foundation of today's Library of Congress and a copy of the Koran is part of the collection. Don't know if he took a razor to that sacred book. Still, your comment raises the question, what did Thomas Jefferson mean by educated or in his day Enlightened.
Sure sounds like Thomas Friedman intends to run...he only has to catch up to Bill Weld
1
William Barr was a liar long before he met Trump. Just less of a theatrical liar.
7
@njheathen, they simply reflect our country, our leaders have not exactly been honest with us. Do you remember how GWB and his team kept lying about Iraq and Tom Friedman was the front runner in the from beating.
1
Why shouldn't he be impeached? He broke the law. How is it better to let him get away with it and wait for the election and hope that some far-right nut like Alex Jones will miraculously run a kamikaze campaign that will lead to one of those 20 Democrats winning?
1
Here's an idea! Maybe you could devote all your time to some kind of "resistance" movement. You could spread around the story that he's a Russian agent, simply by getting the DNC to fund a bogus story and use that to gin up a few national security investigations. If that goes bust, you can try to impeach him for ruining your bogus investigations. Maybe you can launch a frantic search for his tax returns from the last few decades-- something good is bound to turn up there!
Oh, wait... you already tried that.
2
@David
Yeah, it turned up high crimes and misdemeanors...and Trump is scrambling to keep the details secret.
1
The Libertarian party already fills the bill Friedman is calling for in this op-ed. It is the reason Trump did not beat Hillary in the electoral vote. Republicans need to be reminded that every Libertarian vote is a vote Republicans could have gotten if they were saner.
2
@Jason Galbraith
Right on -- if the LP candidate Naders out Trump, the GOP will have to re-invent itself as more libertarian or else continue to lose.
Mr. Friedman, it's no magic trick. It is easy to bend people who don't have a spine.
4
Well now; are there any 'patriotic Republicans' left to take on
Trump.
Yes....Tom Friedman there are those who have been true to
the Party of Lincoln who are not now in the US Congress;
Well ...let's see...someone like Robert S. Mueller...perhaps or
one of his former colleagues like William F. Weld ..who
actually IS going to challenge Trump in the New Hampshire
GOP primary...where Independents can vote in the NH GOP
primary..
Yes...there are plenty of 'patriotic Republicans' who are going
to have the determination to save our nation from this
unfit and mentally Ill President...and his cadre of misfits..and
the whole bought by Corporations GOP in both our House and
Senate..
Perhaps you...Tom can dig up more 'patriotic Republicans' who are capaable of challenging the media who promote this
unholy circus...yes the media gets lots of commercials for
continuing this parade of misfits...every single day...
That is why we Independents are getting our news right from
Reuters and The Associated Press...no spin...just the facts
folks...just like the esteemed Morrow...so let's start getting
the facts straight...and call out those who are messing up
our democracy...like the rotten apples who depend on
Citizen United PacMasters...in both the DEM and GOP....
Let's do what Edward R. Morrow would have us do...
Tell the TRUTH...bare facts ...please.
2
@Carol B. Russell
I wouldn't be surprised to see Rand Paul run on the LP ticket in 2020. If Weld does not run away with the GOP nomination, he would be a likely candidate as well.
@Hu McCulloch
Rand Paul....is too ...far out to come close to
those who actually are veritable Republicans
like Weld and his close friend Bob Mueller..
so...Rand Paul is and always has ben a maverick.
Nope ….more actual 'American patriots' will
come ...out and challenge Trump....
So far Bill Weld seems determined and formidable....Trump is no match for Weld.
The Democrats would be foolish to bring a gun; consider a bazooka, instead.
2
As I have (somewhat) tired of saying, nearly 11 million more people voted for Hillary and other candidates than voted for Trump in 2016. That's a lot. Under our intentionally undemocratic Electoral College, the problem was those votes were not in the right states or, in terms of almost 8 million, went to third or no party candidates.
There is far too much handwringing over Trump and Trumpism. Give the voters an attractive, hard working candidate with a vision for the future and let them decide.
Trump's 2016 victory was a fluke. It was, overall, what should be called a change year, a time when the party in power was very likely to lose. A professor at American University in DC predicted a Republican win based on change year momentum and the fact that Obama did not have any outstanding accomplishments that registered with the public in his second term (the Republicans in Congress, of course, worked endlessly to ensure that).
Trump claimed he would turn the economy around, even though Obama actually accomplished that in his terms, so many people now believe "Trump did it". This isn't going to change. Obama was a quiet president, Trump is a noisy one and millions think the noise means something. Trump would claim credit for a sunny day if he could and many would accept it. Why? Because of the opposition.
We need to settle down about the election. If the economy starts to head south, as I believe it will, a Democrat could sprint to the White House easily. Otherwise, a toss-up.
2
@Doug Terry as I have repeatedly asked, how many of those votes that Hillary won by were cast in California, Illinois and New York? Governments elected in true democracies by majorities are rare on the planet earth. Fewer still are governments elected by majorities of the eligible to vote. In Australia it's a crime not to vote but you can vote "none of the above". It's the only one I know of among the OECD countries.
Our planet is dying, less than 1% of the population controls the entire economy, and we are all on the brink of murdering each other as a result of "good old days" policy and we somehow need to restore that with Biden? You know nothing
3
Hold on to your Russian Ba-Bush-Kas!
It is going to be .......
Trump/Haley 2020
the dreamer ticket for some
the nightmare ticket for most !
2
@s.whether Ya know, you could be right. I don't see Pence on the ticket with trump in 2020, and I wonder, "who would his Veep be instead?" Well, there you are. A female trump. Their a shoo-in. And I've thought my nightmares couldn't get any worse.
Hey Tom why don't you talk Bill Kristol into making a run he doesn't have much to do these days. Democrats like Friedman are now asking for Never Trumpers to give them a hand. Great strategy
3
C'mon, Mitt Romney!
1
@Catherine
All 47%!
With great respect, Mr. Friedman, I don't believe you fully understand the mind of Trump supporters. Many of us are repelled by Trump's arrogance and pettiness, but we work around it because we deem his POLICIES as far superior to what the Democrats will give us.
For better or worse, most of his fan base is against abortion, against gay marriage, the whole "family values" thing--and, yes, we get the irony of that last one. But despite it all, we still felt he was better than Hilary.
For us, the move of the our embassy to Jerusalem, the "breakthrough" with North Korea (certainly imperfect, but better than anything else in the last 50 years), the playing hardball with countries that use us to pad their wallets (so to speak). And the wall--NOT, as liberals suppose, a hateful suppression of immigration, but an attempt to rein in ILLEGAL immigration--was another thing we felt made sense to us.
We KNOW that a from-the-right challenge to Trump is NOT going to do anything but hand the presidency to a Democrat. We've already shown that we so detest the policies of Democrats that we will vote for the likes of Trump. So that's not going to work.
What MIGHT work is to have a Democrat run who actually has the wisdom to not swallow the Democrat platform hook-line-and-sinker, but to have positions that resonate with the rest of us too. Even a win by one vote is still a win...and I can't see any other way to do it (not that I want to see Trump lose, of course.).
3
@AaronS: You can't have your religion cake and eat it too.
3
So... you want primary trump from the far right and challenge him from the not so far right in the general by court the mythical moderate republican, a true oxymoron. Good luck with that.
There are far more registered Democrats than Republicans. The problem is that far more Republicans vote. 2016 proved that votes do matter. Convince Democrats to vote in 2020 and Trump will be defeated.
@Arlene, we are only looking at a few states PA MI WI OH and FL where democrats need to come out in full force and bring independents with them. Rest of the country pretty much voted along party lines.
1
@Arlene: 2016 proved that we live under a system that shamelessly discards our votes for living in all the wrong places, and refuses to acknowledge or do anything whatsoever about its grotesque unfairness.
1
“We need a Republican third-party candidate….who will run against Trump from the right. We need a Republican who will do to Trump what Ralph Nader did to Al Gore in Florida in 2000.”
Thomas, do you not recall that a third party Libertarian candidate DID run against Trump in 2016—Gary Johnson—and garnered more third party votes than anyone else (more than Jill Stein, got over triple her numbers)? Establishment liberals like Thomas seem to have amnesia over 2016, forgetting that everything they are prescribing now (e.g. running centrist Democrats like Biden or Harris for president) was already attempted the last time around with Hillary and failed spectacularly. Why are they in such flagrant denial over what happened four years ago? If anything Trump is much stronger now than he was in 2016 and much more poised to win. He is an incumbent and incumbents rarely lose, especially when the economy is stable. And are you saying that Democrats can’t win in a 1-on-1 fight with Trump, and need the help of a third party? Please. This is cowardice and a terrible strategy.
2
Love the article. Well written. I would thin Nikki Haley would fit nicely for all of us.
1
These problems started with the Republicans. Over decades. They became the party of no. There are few in the party that has any good sense of where this country should go next.
We have an insane debt now and Republicans just made it way worse. They blew up free trade agreements without a replacement. Just like healthcare.
If you plug one of the best of them into the presidency you still would have a bunch of anti-social characters that will join in and surround that person.
It usually takes a Democrat to fix the Republican messes. Cleaning up after Trump will be a yuge monumental job. We need Democrats to keep the House and achieve a majority in the Senate, to right the balance as quickly as possible.
“The only way to get better is to surround yourself with better people.”
Perhaps Mr. Friedman does not recall that in 2016, Republican ex-governors Gary Johnson and Bill Weld ran in all 50 states on the Libertarian Party ticket, and were able to deny Trump a majority of the popular vote by draining 3.3% of the vote, mostly from otherwise GOP voters. (Hillary only won by 2.0%).
Weld is currently running against Trump in the GOP primary, but on the off chance :-) that he doesn't win, he might ask for the LP nomination. Several other GOP senators and ex-governors would also be welcome to compete for it.
The LP in NY is much stronger now than in 2016, thanks to Larry Sharpe's showing in the gubernatorial race last year, which gives the LP automatic ballot status for the next four years.
1
A third-party candidate, as you suggest, might well do the trick, but that’s a long shot. On the other hand, the right Dem candidate should suffice. The right candidate is one that is unassailable by the Trump base and supporters, except for the fact he is a Democrat. That excludes women, non-whites, far-left, old, boring, gay, etc. Not only is this essential for the election, but also for the entire term of the presidency. The overriding objective must be to remove Trump and regain future unity.
Biden might work, but the age and gaffe-prone actions make him vulnerable. Possibly the country (include Trump base and supporters) are ready to accept a gay, which would make Buttigieg a possibility. Otherwise, we must support a white, moderate, young, straight, charismatic male. It is unfortunate; my personal choices are Amy K or Harris, but now is not the time to choose based upon principle. We must choose a sure thing.
2
So you want someone who can out-Trump Trump? You don't get it - Trump IS the third party. He has the right-wing populist anti-establishment camp in his lap, he got the support of a lot of former Democrats, and I don't see anyone further right than him swooping in and stealing that support. His Republican opposition has always come from moderates, not from people further right. And of course, even if such a Trumper than Trump third party candidate could be found, who's to say they wouldn't win the whole thing? After all, that's what Trump did back when everyone considered him to be the unelectable throw-away candidate. That's a scary risk to take.
1
Mr. Friedman, you write:
"we need a Republican who will do the most high-minded, patriotic thing I can imagine today — fall on the Trump grenade."
by running against him.
I keep thinking in particular of one who could come out and at least say what needs to be said - not to run against trump - but to speak truthfully to what trump is.
Jeff Sessions is such a person should he find in himself the courage and enough love of country to come forward.
He was one of trumps first and most fervid supporters. Most importantly, he speaks the language of the evangelical, the bigot, the mysogynist and the xenophobe - he is one of them.
He knows more about the Russian entanglements that he's told, and has kept those secrets, like a loyal trump troop.
He recused himself out of either respect for the law and some degree of honor, or fear of legal repercussions.
As is typical, trump treated him like dirt, threw him under the bus, and cruelly humiliated him.
Sessions, with credibility could speak to his base, retrieve his soul, his self respect, his backbone and do his country a great service if he would come forward and tell the truth about trump.
The truth about trump, revealed by one who knows it first hand could deliver a mortal blow to the charlatan come president. If only he would.
Noble thought, but I fear this is preaching chastity in a bordello-a well intentioned sentiment, but in the wrong place. Asking a major political party which has welcomed or remained reticent as a hostile foreign adversary, bent on destroying our democracy by interfering in our elections all to their benefit and the detriment to another american party is not a group one can reason with. Democrats are always waging the last campaign and my biggest fear is they have yet to realize who they are up against this time. This is now a party fully transformed in Trump's image which more closely resembles Turkey's Erdogan than the party of Reagan et al. Stop thinking they are otherwise and that they'll come to their senses head back from crazy land. This is a liberal fantasy. When someone shows you who they are it's always best to believe them,and get used to it.
Walk, chew gum, and expose. We need impeachment to expose Trump. He is controlling the media. We need hearings. We need to also look at the possibility of impeachment of Trump in his second term - if he wins. And that process needs to start now. He may win anyway, without impeachment hearings. Look at the longer game - Impeachment in 2021. (Remember Nixon!) In the mean time, follow your blueprint. Rand Paul? Would he run? When he ran last year, he made the most sense on the debate stage against the Trumps, Huckabees, Jebs and the rest. Remember Ben Carson? Maybe Rand would run. He may think that he can win! A moral candidate for the Dems? Yes - totally agree. Make America Honest Again. If Biden would now announce a running mate like a Harris or a Warren or a Buttegieg - some younger vote-getter who could take over for the old man if needed, people could not just choose morality, but could choose a package that could not just win, but could get some of things done in major areas such as health care, infrastructure, the environment and foreign policy. A Dynamic Team! I like your thoughts here, Thomas Freedman. I think you might have also mentioned Trump's latest strategy - creating a war! Iran looks like the likely candidate. He needs a war to run on. That is what Trump's lizard brain is doing, and he has Bolton to do his bidding. Enter Rand Paul the isolationist! Go Rand! I am making my bumper stickers now.
Good ideas by Mr. Friedman, but I would add the following considerations.
Trump, clearly, is a gangster, but of the worst kind. A guy like, say, Al Capone was definitely more reliable and trustworthy than Trump.
All gangsters can understand and fear is brutal force.
One could logically expect some massive grass-root movement in America starting to take the streets on a daily basis, opposing and denouncing Trump and his policies, behavior, and likely aim to destroy democracy in America.
Where are the student movements and the citizens' daily organized strikes in any major town?
A profound and generalized apathy seems to have taken over the helm in the US.
Come on, America, wake up! But do it quick!
With a little bit of timing, and turning the Senate into a Democratic majority, while maintaining the Congressional Democratic majority, impeachment is possible simultaneously with DJT being voted out of office. At that point, the newly elected politicians should seek to restore and strengthen protections that were eliminated by DJT, dump all of his appointments, especially the judges and SCOTUS selections. At that point, based upon the Mueller Report, actually indict and jail this grifter and his enablers.
As a New Yorker for 35 years starting in 1980 I hated Trump like everybody else. When he ran for President I considered it a joke. But when I started watching his rallies (courtesy of MSNBC) I started to see some of his appeal. Most surprisingly I found he had an outrageous, Joan Rivers-type New York sense of humor which his opponents absolutely did not "get." His crowds would laugh with him like at a pep rally. The media would report anger and racism and hatred...but I saw none of it. Ultimately it was his strong stance against Iraq War neocons like Thomas Friedman that won me over to his side. I also liked his openness to finding creative new solutions to old problems
My point is that Trump is not the person portrayed by the haters in the media. The fact that he has won Giuliani and former opponents to his side tells me that there is more to him than his haters will admit. Unfortunately Trump has a way of getting under people's' skin. I guess he gets some sort of perverse pleasure out of making them make fools of themselves. That would be my biggest criticism of him.
For anyone who lived through the fiasco and catastrophe of W Bush's Iraq War mess and tanking of the economy, to call Trump the worst President ever is totally ridiculous. Things are going relatively smoothly. The economy is gangbusters. We aren't invading countries and forcing our values down their throats. Our biggest problem is the self-induced misery of Trump's opponents in the media.
1
Thomas Friedman, who usually makes sense, fails on this one miserably. A third party GOP run, if successful, would deprive any candidate of a majority in the electoral college, and thus throw the election to Congress, which votes by state delegations, and not by individual members. The GOP has a clear majority of Congressional state delegations, and will retain that majority at least until January 2021. Bottom line is that a third party candidate throws the election to Trump.
If Biden or anyone else on the Democratic Party horizon could beat Trump, Friedman would not be calling out for right Republicans to cripple Trump. Fredman's piece is an admission that, against Trump, the Democrats are in trouble with their slate of candidates. It is also mising the point that Trump has garnered support from the right because he has acted more conservatively than expected.
As for Biden's initial speech, it may have had some nice moments calling for unity, but it also included several glaring indications that Biden is not just gaffe prone, but slurring and stammering. Biden is not mentally ready at this time for the presidency. Take a look at this short compilation linked here. It just takes a minute to see why Biden is not going to get elected. https://www.dailywire.com/news/46559/compilation-video-highlights-bumbling-joe-bidens-amanda-prestigiacomo
2
Ha! I would love to think we might see a patriotic Republican, but they have been in short supply these days. William Weld is a perfectly reasonable candidate. Why doesn't the press give him more coverage????
1
@Decency & Democracy
And in particular, why has Tom Friedman not heard of his run?
Here we go, another Republican willing to turn his back on the rule of law in order to "save" his party. The only way out of this is impeachment. You've sold soul like the rest of them.
This column is shockingly naive.
No former members of Trump’s administration are stepping forward to denounce him and no one is going to take one for the team and run to his right as an independent candidate. Given the current state of the Republican Party, both suggestions are, in fact, ludicrous.
And impeachment, the process, using the Mueller Report as a template, is the only thing with enough gravitational pull to compete for cable news eyeballs once his re-election campaign kicks into full swing and CNN and Fox News begin donating their millions and millions of dollars of wall-to-wall coverage.
Michael Cohen’s testimony overwhelmed Trump’s North Korean summit. That’s how you fight fire with fire.
Pelosi’s current reticence is understandable but many of the Democrats’ fears such as overreach aren’t based on analogous precedents. Clinton didn’t have over 700 former federal prosecutors claiming there is an overwhelming abundance of evidence that Trump obstructed justice.
Oh, it’s also a moral obligation but that seems almost quaint to bring up at this point.
2
A third party Republican candidate is a good idea only if he or she siphons from Trump's base. The Democratic nominee can not afford to have a moderate third party Republican run because it would hurt him or her far more that it would hurt Trump.
2
Tom:
Maybe you are unaware of the long term economic trends American’s face. If you did then our politics become blatantly obvious.
Check out the 2nd graph from this Econ Policy Institute study at: Bit.ly/EPI-study
In there you will see that -
From 1945 to 1972 GNP grew about 100% & the median wage in lock step with it. That was the New Deal. That was fair. That was “demand side economics.” That made America great.
Since 1972 GNP grew another 150% but the median wage has been flat. That means that 90% of the wealth created since 72 has flowed to the top 0.001% - even though it took the 100% to make that happen. That’s not fair, that’s supply side economics.
Since some workers wages have gone up (tech/health) we can assume that for 47+ years the vast majority of workers are facing declining prospects and have been doing it for 47+ years. This is not sustainable. It’s not healthy. It’s not fair. It’s dystopic. It’s given us an opioid epidemic, Porto-fascism and Trump and worse if the trend continues.
This trend is not sustainable w/out complicity by elites in both parties.
47 year of flat wages means the Inflection Point of 1972 (IP72) is a HARD inflection point.
I find it stunning that few well meaning pundits address this but the Times is clearly against doing so.
Instead of worrying about the horrors of a Sander’s like presidency they should be worried about the horrors that will befall us if we don’t have a Sanders-like presidency (See Weimar Germany).
8
@Tim Kane
They wouldn't even print any comment I submitted with the word "profiteering" in it for a very long time after I joined the site.
2
True that Supreme Court and Ralph Nader could have changed outcome in 2000, but worth remembering that Gore lost his home state and his home county.
1
Biden is running against Trump; we need to run against the entire Republican party.
Trump is the symptom, not the cause, of a party gone nuts with greed and power.
2
You want a 3rd party candidate from the right.
I want a pony.
Let's hope we both get what we want.
5
What would be the effect of running a ticket with Dem for Pres and Repub for Vice?
I've got an idea: How about the Dems hire a P.R. Firm to simply tell the truth to the American people?! It's the Dems inability to Control the Narrative, or even Frame the Narrative that gives Trump so much leverage. If the Dems could manage the courage to bring a gun to a gunfight, you wouldn't need to suggest having a GOP right-winger run against Trump.
1
While I am in favor of many of the left's policies on health care and income inequality, and want them changed badly, no matter which Democrat who might win the Presidency in 2020, none of their "promises" will be fulfilled unless there is a super 60+ Democrat majority in the US Senate and hopefully a congress which will remain a Democrat majority.
The Republicans most likely will retain the US Senate majority because all the less populated RED states have two US Senators just as the much, much larger populated states.
The minority of voters in the US have been given, by the US Constitution, more "power" to control the fate of the majority of Americans because of unequal representation in the US Senate along with the Electoral College. The Constitution begins with WE THE PEOPLE...., not "We the states of the United States." If only the Electoral College had put Al Gore and Hillary Clinton in the White House, the Republicans would be screaming for the elimination of the Electoral College which I believe should be abolished because it has given "we the people" the worse person regardless of political party, the Presidency. If Al Gore had won, I very much doubt the US would have invaded Iraq like Bush did, and thus we still might have a (more) stable Middle East and perhaps a better world today than we have now, which is a total mess.
4
A Republican libertarian running as an independent would more likely siphon off potential Biden--not Trump--supporters, ensuring the current untenable status quo.
1
Tom Friedman would've been the perfect guy but blew it with today's article.Let's put country first and ditch trump. Maybe Uri Geller would get involved?
If you're going to truly change the country, you have to stop with the strategies designed to achieve 50% of the vote plus one (or the Electoral college). You have to come up with policy agendas that will appeal to 55-60% of voters, like the Democrats achieved in the 60s and 70s. The focus on tactics that this column embodies is going to lead to transitory majorities that will only encourage obstruction. True change, like single payer healthcare and big changes to the tax system, will only pass if Democrats can get close to 60% support. That will give us solid majorities in both houses and force the Republicans to change. That can't be a strategy of coalitions of young women and various minorities, with 17 litmus tests to prove if you're pure enough to be a Democrat. That needs to be a strategy that appeals to all Americans. I don't know if we have a leader that can achieve this, but that's what real change will take.
2
Mr. Friedman,
I thoroughly enjoyed your analysis.
However, I would be remiss not to point out the central problem with your argument is it relies on a "patriotic Republican" which, based on observations, is an extinct species.
2
Tom,we've got a patriotic republican running against trump right now.Bill Weld is the perfect foil to the monster in the WH.He has always been a social progressive and a fiscal conservative.He is dignified, brilliantly smart[can speak English,spell,has a working vocabulary, and is literate..all things the moron faux president is not]and honest as the day is long.A class act running against a crass, corrupt lowlife.
1
Tom: I think we already have a patriotic Republican, Bill Weld, who has put himself out there. If he can do in the primaries, what George McGovern did in 1968, it will put pressure on the incumbent. LBJ stepped aside after his embarrassment in New Hampshire. It might be too much to hope that Trump will step aside, but his sister just "stepped aside," and Trump knows that if he loses, he is still subject to prosecution.
1
Ooops....I meant Eugene McCarthy in 1968
@Charlie mcMiilan
ooops....I meant Eugene McCarthy in 1968
Thank you, Tom Friedman for calling on the "bent spoons" to end their silence and let Trumpers (& the rest of us) in on who this amazing wizard really is. Aside from Omarosa, no one else has had the courage to unveil the manipulator behind the curtain. We need the bent spoons to magically morph into Dorothy's little dog Toto. Does anyone have Uri Geller's number?
1
The Dems and Times keep beating the drum of fake news, check the poles. It is just better sales villainizing Trump, but remember saying 'if it is bad news or good news, it's good as long as they are talking about me" ' More and more Black Americans are going to go with Trump for they know what crooked cops and government targeting are all about...the unintended consequences from their conspiracy plot will insure their loss of 2020 elections.
2
Trump had to pay $25,000 000 to his defrauded customers. Telling the truth about Trump is the same thing as villainizing Trump.
2
“...many Americans are worried that another Trump term will bring us to a political civil war.”
Too late, McConnell reignited that smoldering war when he declared his obstructionist intent during the first years of the Obama administration, Ft Sumter redux. The destruction of the Federal government has been the stated goal of the Republican (drown it in a bathtub) party for quite some time now.
2
A libertarian? All talk. No action.
Saddest of all is watching his sycophants in The Worlds Most Deliberative Body blindly following the worlds worst businessman and reality tv host.
2
@Les Ismore: Trickle-down economics is Mitch McConnell distributing campaign money to senate drones.
I think that there's another point worth discussing. For any meaningful change to occur, there must be a leadership change in the Senate, and it disturbs me that the most promising Democrat candidates are more focused on their own egos rather than on doing what's right for the country. It's time for them to step up. It's not about promising their 'support', it's about them taking on the role that best serves our country's needs.
3
What an awful nightmare: we have a Sociopath for a ‘president’ - a guilty, full-blown racist, sexist & simply awful human being.
Friedman gets this part right. As much as I would love to see a far right challenger to help tip the scales, running against trump’s heinous character is a great strategy.
1
@CJM: The US elected a man to represent it that no experienced negotiator would waste a minute on.
1
Tom,
Maybe you haven’t realized yet, but ours is a two party system.
That was supposed to protect us from people like Trump.
In 2014 the middle class slipped below 50% for the first time in decades.
While we were a middle class nation, the GOP pedaled themselves as the proponents of ethics/values/morality. In truth the GOP is the agency of concentrated wealth & power on behalf of the wealthy and powerful. They used morality to get people to vote against their interests.
The problem with that is that morality is a middle class characteristic: the rich don’t need it and the poor can’t afford it. Once the middle class disappeared from majority status the efficacy of being the party of values collapsed with it.
That’s where Trump comes in. We are a majority working class “rabble” country now and Trump is able to haul in the rabble vote. How does he do it? He lies to the rabble. This makes him the perfect candidate for the modern GOP. Promise the working class jobs & econ security, then deliver tax cuts to the rich. Easy-Peasy.
This means Trump is to the New Millenium GOP what Reagan was to the post-war GOP.
I’ve seen the future, and it is dystopic. It looks a lot like Trump. And that’s because people like you couldn’t embrace a mixed economic system as proposed by the likes of FDR, Warren and Sanders.
5
@Tim Kane: "Morality" is typically what people claim to be God's rules for human conduct. I avoid the topic. I stick to reciprocally-negotiated ethics.
1
@Steve Bolger
Well, typically say "morality/values/ethics, what have you, are middle class characteristics: the poor can't afford them and the rich don't need them."
I think that's a good rule of thumb.
(there are of course poor and rich people that are culturally middle class, and as such, they are middle class heroes. There's also middle class people who don't have any ethics/values/morality, but this generally speaking is the norm, or so I think - enough anyway to make the general statement in a broad discussion).
Trump has proved that the right is bankrupt in terms of getting votes. Cruz and even Rubio were more conservative than Trump (remember how in 2016 Trump talked about expanding Medicare and Social Security ) and both were humiliated in the primaries. This is why the conservative politicians who denounced Trump (Lindsey Graham ,Ben Sasse etc.) bent to his will,not because Trump is a political Uri Geller. Conservatives were smart enough to realize that no one really wanted conservative policies (look at the state of the conservative Never Trumpers now,anyone who is relevant in policy making?). This is why running someone to Trump's right is utterly irrelevant
1
Hmmm. Most of my friends voted for trump, though they are sheepish to admit it. Conservative Catholics and Southerners. They weren’t stupid people, they were lawyers, businessmen and senior military. If I had to rank-order the issues that drove their vote, it would be 1. Hillary-hate. 2. Taxes. 3. Abortion. 4. Did I mention Hillary-hate?
How to get them to vote Democratic, or not vote at all? They actively avoid the news, because it embarrasses them. They need to have to own what they did. They need to have trump shoved in their face, the real face of their own racism, anger, and white privilege.
Perhaps a steady, centrist Democrat would help, like Biden—or Buttigieg, a man who disarms many of their knee-jerk defensiveness against liberal arguments.
9
This would have been a good time to discuss the New Deal, what it was, and what it could be.
1
I think it is more likely that the Democratic party will split up and cause the formation of a third party than it is that a Republican will run as a third party candidate.
3
Dumb question: if two anti-Trump candidates split the anti-Trump vote, how does this lead to Trump's defeat?
2
Be careful of what you wish for Tom. Who's to say that even a third party Republican mainstream candidate could end up syphoning more votes from the Democratic candidate than Trump? The problem is that Trump probably starts with a solid 38% of the vote no matter what, but has a low ceiling after that. Trump will not crack 46 to 48%. So, a third party mainstream Republican styled candidate could end up being Trump's best chance to split the vote and once again thread the needle to victory.
Waiting for a patriotic Republican: waiting for Godot!
4
How is it possible that Bill Weld is not mentioned in this article?
5
Friedman, there are no moderate republicans. Get rid of that, and wake up and face up to they all are ok with deranged donald.
1
"We need a Republican who will...run against Trump from the right in the national election as, say, a libertarian."
I imagine Bill Weld would like a word. You should have mentioned him in this piece.
"I don't want him impeached. He has to be voted out. Only that will restore the faith of the world that America has not lost its mind."
Well, I disagree with you there. Exercising our Constitutional mechanisms would go a long way toward reassuring the world that we haven't irrevocably gone off the deep end. Voting is one such mechanism, but so is impeachment. Besides, impeachment signals that certain behaviors are unacceptable. If this guy's behavior is unimpeachable, what would be? Does he actually have to shoot someone on Fifth Avenue???
2
I have been saying this since the charlatan was elected by a minority of angry white people in 2016. Where are the Republicans who are willing to stand up for this country--the same ones who mocked candidate Trump as a buffoon during the primaries? It has been particularly disgusting to watch John Cornyn, our allegedly "moderate" Republican in Texas become a spineless sycophant for the Trump regime. In the short term, it is only the GOP who can save us from this quagmire--and we will remember their cowardly abdication of responsibility in 2020.
3
For a veteran reporter who prides himself on understanding and bringing understanding of remote global cultures, TF is surprisingly ignorant of the real situation in the Country-or pretending to be so.
I am an independent, living all my adult life in D.C. or on the Left Coast of Northern California but born in the Midwest, who now travels back there extensively to family, business and academic connections. As a result, I like to think I have some insight into the divides in the Country and that I am i the center, politically. My take:
The DT 2016 voters, whose numbers are now increasing materially, including among Blacks and Hispanics, understand completely the negative personality traits of the President but support him because (i) he is doing what they want on substantive policy issues; and (ii) their greater fear is what the Dems/Libs might do if they gain more power, rather than what a second DT term might bring.
Consequently, the only way back to power for the Dems in a national presidential election is to move to the center on policy matters. Biden's poll numbers suggest that there are still enough center/centered Dems to combine with Independents and many conservatives as well, to elect a Dem candidate who runs a professional, largely error-free campaign that rejects or avoids the credos that the Left/Post Modernists have made di reguer for the other candidates.
This will take strong leadership from people like TF, NYT and WaPo. Any bets?
1
Thomas Friedman is engaging in wishful thinking. A challenge from the right is not going to come...ever. They've got what they want. Please, let's get back to reality. Trump has taken over the entire government and is fast becoming the totalitarian dictator we all suspected he would become. Behind him is Mitch McConnell and the entire Republican Party. Most probably you can add the Supreme Court into that mix as well. Game, Set, Match over Tom. Just wait until you see what they do during the next election with voter suppression and vote counting.
2
"Patriotism is the last refuge of scoundrels". At best a vague measure of commitment to the American experience (look at deeds not words), at worst a fig leaf for the sort of outrageous behavior by the Right in recent years.
1
We need a powerful RW force to primary the Don, Okay , name names. Koch? Spencer? Art Pope? They're self-interest is what he's doing to our country, so no. A magical charismatic white centrist to unify the democratic party? Two items on that. One, the hypothetical candidate you mentioned has never come close. Two, what unifying message can be found in hot-button issues? {like not blaming the GOP for trumps excesses in racism and stocking the admin with ludicrous people} Nope, the best path to victory is to continue on a path to truth That includes a media that calls out lying liars, and floods the airwaves with truth speakers, not absurd horse-race numbers.
1
"So Biden was not waxing nostalgic. He was saying in effect: “Let’s remind ourselves who we were on our best days and rededicate ourselves to doing big, hard things, which can only be done together.” To go forward together we have to look back. We have to get reattached to what we were when we were at our best."
So he was saying... MAGA?
K
2
How to defeat Trump.
Just let democracy and the constant exposer of Trump's lies
to educate the voters of America.
Expose, expose, expose = Trump's culture of corruption.
4
Trump is the bully in the school-yard. He is charismatic and effective.
The authorities are ineffective at controlling him and like any bully, his peers are drawn towards him whilst resenting or hating him.
For anyone to stand up to him, they will be working essentially alone and will need to be very brave and self confident.
When you can get that critical mass of Trumps followers to turn away from him, the rest will quickly turn and he will be lost.
2
Mr. Friedman notes: "Trump took Senators Lindsey Graham and Ted Cruz, who’d actually been bent against him, and bent them into fawning sycophants."
And as Sen. Graham said during his brief but unspectacular presidential campaign, he's also available for weddings, bar/bat mitzvahs, kids' birthday parties.
2
Friedman may be right. But more importantly - Trump is wrong and his racist, will fully ignorant, enablers and supporters will never concede, whether it is a lost election or impeachment. Start the hearings. Expose him. Run against him. Degrade & provoke & mock & disrespect him. Do it all. We have nothing to lose and no time to waste.
3
Excellent idea! I nominate Evan McMullin. He ran against Trump in 2016 -- perhaps he could be induced to do so again? This time in the GOP primaries? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evan_McMullin
I'd send a donation.
So no Democrat can beat Trump on his/her own? That’s a sorry state of affairs for the Dem Party.
5
Good luck with that. I could not be more disappointed with the GOP, currently the party of amoral southern evangelicals and sycophants. The commenter above is correct, Mr. Trump reveals character, he does not bend it.
2
The NYT is the mouth piece of the Democratic party, thus anything this OP writer must be seen as an attempt by the Democrats to regain power.
However, the Democrats have worked themselves into a hole so deep that they are not a solution as presented at the moment. This easily guarantees a win by the GOP and Trump 2020.
Instead of providing a platform we can get on and tilt the balance your way, you have created a fringe party where reasonable people are not accepted.
I am sorry but those of us in the center cannot get behind what you sell:
Identity politics, open borders, erase ICE, free everything with no clue how to pay, no more air travel, Socialism now, my way or no way, and so much more that I just cannot get behind.
You wasted 2+ years on a lie about Russia, and you’re still at it. Now that the effort failed, let’s get into tax gate, which has already fallen flat on its face. All this did was ‘prove’ to his fans that you are just out to get them deplorables, solidifying his support.
So you can’t win the middle, and you solidified the right. This is what you did. Any effort to ‘defeat Trump’ is now for show, you lose.
3
@AutumnLeaf
Tax gate? Trump could release his tax returns and it would be over in 2 seconds. Why doesn't he, I wonder?
Trump, Trump, Trump. Getting rid of him will not solve the underlying problem, just as simply excising a cancerous tumor will rarely cure the patient of the disease. The disease is the Republican party that has devastated the middle class for the profit of the 1%. that makes Republicans the primary tumor and Trump simply a metastatic outgrowth. Beware, however, because it's metastasis that finally kills the patient.
2
"For starters, we need a patriotic Republican..." Well that's the end of that idea. All of the Republicans at this point are grifters who are out for themselves, not their party or their country. Even General Kelly joined the board of Haliburton that is peddling private detention camps for illegal immigrants crossing the boarder. The only value in Trumpworld [also known as the Republican Party] is a desire to for money.
3
No mention of Bill Weld?
1
Those sycophant spoons are forged from the worst of metals and totally driven by self interest buttons pushed the President or really anyone.
Trump's flock of winged monkeys will still be such after he melts in whichever way and none will morph into a Martin Luther or Mahama Gandhi.
Assuming Trump does lead too many lemings over the clifff, a risky assumption at the moment, his presidency may ultimately provide a needed catharsis to America and beyond.
I somehow see this as a setup for “I had no choice but to pull the lever for Trump”, because those darn Democrats didn’t listen to me.
2
Perhaps some of the Never Trumpers might support Jeff Flake, Bob Corker, or even...Jeb Bush?
Trump did not arise de novo. The Republican Party was Donald trump long before Donald Trump. Trump is just the pure distillation of the Party. They are all “birthers.” Conservatism is “birtherism.” It is a lie that becomes a relentless tactic of political destruction and control. It becomes a truth spoken in code to a Fox News mesmerized audience. This arose out of the Nixon, Reagan, Bush criminal investigations of the 1980s. Republican created Fox News and relentless false investigations of the Clintons as a political tactic. It worked. We got George Bush and WMD and all that has brought us. Deficits, Birtherism, Obama and Clinton are going to take away your guns, Benghazi, sanctuary cities, the list could go on. These are false narrative that are/were played relentlessly on Fox News. Republicans believe it. Fox News is the master or the monster that controls the narrative. No Republican can or will disobey. They are all birthers. You can see it in AG Barr, he spouts Fox New propaganda. The Republican Party has moved whole sale into authoritarianism. It has adopted and normalized those tactics with its base. That is what is so dangerous about what is happening now. With or without trump we have an authoritarian and criminally motivated Republican Party —a party that used Russia to win an election. Taking trump away does not solve our fundamental problem. Republicans are all “birthers.”
2
Thank you for this column, while reading it I could briefly drink the hope-flavored Kool-Aid. But I could call you a dreamer...a Republican sacrificing himself to fall on the #45 grenade? Republicans bearing witness against the 'second coming' [albeit of a rough beast that slouches in the White House] ? A Democrat with a broad appeal [especially after the GOP sleaze machine has done its work]? Nah.
We're dealing with a chief executive whose senior advisor advised that the furor over the murder and dismemberment [with a bone saw] of a Washington Post journalist would 'blow over' and counseled 'no more embarrassments. I guess the following recent multiple beheadings are just SOP and don't qualify as embarrassments? Voting may not even count anymore with gerrymandering, voter suppression, mysteriously unaccountable black box voting machines and a Supreme Court stacked to uphold any wrongdoing. But of course I'll vote anyway...
Shout-out to Nikki Haley, Mitt Romney, Bob Corker, Jeff Flake: Read this column. Get into the race ASAP. Start making noise. Get this guy out of there before it's too late.
Mitch McConnell, please get out of the way. I think you're old enough for Social Security now.
1
Having a patriotic Democrat opponent would help more.
95
@W. OgilvieYes. Preferably one that will restore the New Deal and then improve upon it.
7
@W. Ogilvie: Does "patriotic" mean somebody who insists that everything the US does is divine, right or wrong?
1
@W. Ogilvie -- I fear that the Democratic party will splinter into far left and center/center-life wings, each with its own candidate. Fringe wingnuts won't vote for a patriotic Democrat who doesn't promise everyone everything, to be paid for by the "rich." See what happened in 2016, with the Jill Stein voters and the Bernie Bros and Brahs who stayed home rather than vote for sanity.
A candidate to split the Republican vote may be the only hope of defeating our Orange Overlord in the Electoral College.
4
So you are proposing a grand charade whereby a nationwide campaign is run for a candidate with no intention of actually getting elected? You want a large fraction of the American voters to support and cast their ballots as a hostile act to undermine other Americans who, in earnest, support a viable candidate? This may work, but is it worth it? The falseness and empty politics throughout American society drove many people to support Trump, in the first place! The reality of Mr. Friedman's proposal (and really all proposals whose primary goal is to keep Trump from getting elected), which may seem reasonable enough on paper, would be terrible for our Democracy.
1
Is it just a coincidence, or is there a connection, that the more the so-called "moral majority" of the religious rightwing gains control and influence in our politics, the less morality there seems to be.
They brought us Trump.
We do need a wall - we must rebuild the wall of Separation of Church and State.
3
Trump won Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin by about 77,000 votes out of 130+ million cast. That margin was attributable to (a) a 7% decline in African-American voters from 2012, and (b) numerous Obama voters who couldn't stomach Hillary. Yes, Jill Stein siphoned off plenty of votes from Clinton, but the two factors I listed really made the difference.
I know more than a few Trump voters who are reasonable people and felt "he'll hire god people" for his cabinet after taking office. Today, it is an understatement to say those same voters are largely appalled at what is happening in Washington and quietly regret their choice.
There have been numerous NYT articles about the "electability" of various Democratic candidates. The African-American vote is crucial to winning PA, WI, and MI next year. And moderate Republicans who voted for Trump won't cross to the other side of the ballot if the Democrat presidential candidate espouses ideas that are too far left.
Trump represents the extreme. Voters will support a candidate that will pull us back to the middle, not swing all the other way to the left. Talk of Medicare For All, free college tuition, etc. is fine, but voters will, by and large, be looking for a return to normalcy and the center in 2020.
1
I take most of your points, Mr. Friedman, but not on the matter of Joe Biden. The Democratic Party needs to lead the country by looking forward. It cannot do so by selecting a presidential candidate with 90% of his life behind him. The same holds for Bernie, bless his septuagenarian heart.
I'm sorry, that might sound harshly ageist, but I am just shy of four score myself so I know whereof I speak. The under-50 demographic is not going to vote in significant measure for any candidate of my age.
Too bad, really; I so wanted to be president during my own lifetime. Better luck in reincarnation, I guess.
3
Be careful what you wish for. A third party candidate is most likely to divide the "rational" vote and deliver a plurality to the devoted 40%.
2
Where do I start?
1) We need 4,5 and 6 parties, not the '3' always bandied about when the power is displayed.
2) 'Bearing witness' is a distinction that several of us have and the obvious result is long term harassment hidden under the guise of coercive hypnosis or even overt mental manipulation.
3) The fact that Paul Ryan declined to participate in this fog of disinformation should have given testament that Mr O'Biden's references are much glorified by the powers that be based on his 'Jolting Joe's' obedient personna.
4) IF America is being pulled apart, Prez Trump is merely the installed figurehead to spare the guilty parties in Congress from being identified.
I suspect Prez Trump, like Nancy Pelosi--who recognized the pattern because it is so familiar--is doing what he has always done to get his way; creating a nightmare of a problem then walking away and letting somebody else solve it. I predict he will not run for reelection but he will arrange for that to be accomplished by someone else, not himself. He will, as always, be the victim.
You don't have to go back to 1996 and Ralph Nader. There is a creditable assertion out there that Jill Stein made Trump President by siphoning off votes in key Midwest states. Fundamentally, I agree with Tom Friedman, as usual. The problem is it ain't gonna happen. I think Bill Weld is supremely intelligent and has many other attributes to admire, and I will vote for him if on the Texas Primary ballot, he cannot raise the money nor the enthusiasm to be a viable third party candidate.
As a never Trump Republican who will vote for anyone the Democrats put up against Trump to make sure Trump is soundly defeated. While I have real problems with many of the Democrat candidates, they at least respect the rule of law and at this time that is supremely important. Let's hope they do not shoot themselves collectively in the foot.
1
With all due respect, we need a third party and credible candidate that is moderate and can bridge the gap between extremists on the right and left. That position represents the plurality of American citizens, and this group is currently not represented by either party.
1
Without a single suggestion for the R who is going to be 2020’s Nadler and with Weld not gaining traction, how is your suggestion anything but fanciful at this point, Mr. Friedman?
The oath to uphold the Constitution does not come with the qualifying phrase “unless it’s not politically expedient.” The Speaker of the House either has the courage to take action - besides interviews - or the bigger risk is that too many of the voters who were energized to vote in the midterms will sit out another election as they did in 2016. Barr should be impeached, followed by Trump, regardless of the ghost town McConnell has made of the Senate and the math of which we are constantly reminded.
Mr. Friedman has obviously jumped on the bandwagon that says Joe Biden is the only one who can deliver us. A little less than a month before the first debate I think it’s way too early to make that call. I am a reliable voter who, as Nicole Wallace says, will vote for a bus if that’s what the democrats nominate. But other suburban women like myself will not deliver the huge winning margins of ‘08 and ‘12, nor will independents. Voters who are young, minority and disaffected are a much bigger pool and they provided Obama his wide margins of victory.
Thankfully, the majority of Americans are decent people with good moral values. Trump is emblematic of our worst instinct, and unfortunately, a large swath of American's choose to embrace and support his behavior.
The bigger problem is something is dreadfully wrong with our Democracy, that a single con-man can so easily undo the values that America stands for. Perhaps its time to reexamine our form of government and figure out how to avoid this type of thing from occurring in the future.
2
I agree that, strategically, Democrats need to siphon votes away from Trump (and ONLY away from Trump), but the way to do that is not with a patriotic Republican like Flake, Haley, or some of the other names floated in the comments. Those names will still end up dividing what would otherwise be Democratic voters. I hate to say it, but the only way to ensure against cannibalizing the Democratic vote is by encouraging someone like David Duke to run. That will divide Trump support without the Democratic candidate losing a vote.
I want Trump to lose more than anything, but then what? Let’s say Biden wins. We still have Mitch McConnell and the tea party intransigents in Congress. The problem isn’t just Trump. The entire Republican Party has been a horror show since Newt Gingrich - at least! Trump is just a very extreme manifestation of what has been ailing that party for decades: culture wars, race baiting, religious fanaticism, gun nuts, deficits, wars, activist and biased courts, gerrymandering, voter suppression, debunked economic policies, extreme deregulation, socialism for their rich benefactors and a relentless desire to STOP AND REVERSE ALL PROGRESS - see climate change denialism, lack of infrastructure plan and lawsuit to remove protections for preexisting conditions. And now the latest atrocity - refusing to protect our democracy while protecting a criminal president. The GOP simply wants to keep us in the early to mid 20th century and does not care about anyone but their donors and rich friends.
I loathe Trump, but remember the Bush years with Cheney and Rumsfeld and a phony war? Remember the Tea Party and Mitch McConnell’s relentless obstruction during Obama’s 8 years? Oh wait - Mitch is still obstructing by not letting even his own party’s bills come to the floor!
Trump is a symptom of a political party that needs to DIE. Forget some ‘patriotic Republican’ challenging Trump. I would rather flip the Senate and keep Trump than lose Trump and keep McConnell.
4
Are we stuck with Trump because James Comey expected to be fired by a victorious Hillary Clinton? I think so.
"All for one and one for all" means nothing. "Medicare for all" actually has meaning for the majority of Americans who are either fleeced by their medical bills or too poor to even conceive of healthcare coverage. Encouraging people to care less about policy is the most negligent thing I've read in the New York Times to date - and I've read a lot of your columns, Mr. Friedman.
It is a delusion to believe that the Republican party stands for something uniquely un-Trump. Few offer policy distinction from the president, they simply do so with less transparent disgust for workers, women, immigrants, LGBTQIA+ folks, etc., which allows the public to excuse their bias and pretend that righteous but failed policies rather than blatantly awful motives and special interest groups are what propagate inequality in this country. In the House and the Senate, Republicans vote along party lines. If any truly disagreed with Trump, these fabled 'honorable Republicans' would take a stand with their vote. But they don't, because 'honorable Republicans' only exist in the minds of the media class and Joe Biden.
Imploring Democrats to become more moderate is precisely the mindset that lead to failure in the last election. For all the blue collar workers democrats lost in the 2016, they did not pick up the 2 moderate republicans they were supposed to. Ignoring the issues people care about degrades the quality of our democracy and breeds public apathy.
1
There is a significant difference between the Republican and Democratic bases. The Republican base is solidly and monolithically aligned behind Donald Trump; the Democratic base is similarly aligned, but behind 20 different candidates, each one commanding the same kind of loyalty Trump enjoys.
It is highly unlikely that a 3rd party candidate, to the right of Trump, will siphon off a significant segment of his base. It is much more likely that the Democratic base will eventually meld into support for 2 or 3 candidates, aligning themselves along hardened policy fault lines, but refusing to support anyone but their own. This is why 3rd party candidates rarely have an impact on Republican candidates, but always seem to drain off support from the Democratic nominee --- Ralph Nader, Jill Stein.
If defeating Trump at all costs is the objective, the ever-growing field of Democratic candidates is worrisome, especially in light of the enormous spread in their policy differences. Trying to form a solid coalition of this herd of cats is growing more daunting by the day.
I shudder to think our best hope of defeating Trump is for someone from the gutless Republican wing to emerge as his foil. Meanwhile, I keep scanning the horizon for the leader of the Democratic Party, the one individual who will foster the same party unity Trump survives on, whether as candidate or party figurehead.
1
Donald Trump was not a pirate storming the Good Ship GOP; the GOP was a pirate ship in search of a captain.
6
Until republicans come to recognize that there are those - such as McConnell - who care for nothing but entrenching their own power in perpetuity, there's no chance of something akin to what a "real" republican (whatever/whoever that is) as being able to beat Trump. Bottom line: the dems must take back the senate so as to begin to undo the damage that has been done.
1
Mr. Friedman wants to defeat Trump at the election as opposed to impeachment. Today, Pelosi is quoted saying ‘WE CANNOT ACCEPT A 2ND TERM FOR DONALD TRUMP’. That is the main drive of the democrats and Trump haters. They are afraid he will win again. For two years we've been told that Mueller would nail Trump for collusion with Putin. You don't hear that any more. Trump, having survived two years of living under that cloud, they want to hold committee meeting and threaten impeachment for obstruction to tie him up for another two years. Forget justice. All they care about is keeping him off the ballot in 2020. They know impeachment won't remove him. The charges have to go through the Senate. What did he obstruct? Comey was fired for not releasing what he knew, not for what he was going to release. Mueller wasn't fired and Rosenstein's offer to resigned wasn't accepted. They had free access to the White House staff and documents. One main complaint is he express publicly his disgust that the press. Before the election, Trumps supporters were described as under educated, underemployed, white guys with missing teeth or teeth in need of repair. Mr. Friedman now calls them not members of the A-team and who can be bent like a spoon. How could that show bias? Gallop says Trump is ahead of Obama at the same time in his presidency. That and the economy must scare Mr. Friedman and the Democrats. So if the election won’t work for them, try committee meetings. Desperation at work.
3
@Ron:James Comey elected Donald Trump with that week before the election ploy with Anthony Weiner's purportedly untested computer. Trump had to dump Comey or Comey would have lorded it over him.
With all due respect, the problem we have is that while moderate Republicans will often vote for a Democrat, moderate Democrats will almost never vote for any Republican. We can see this sad state of affairs in the 2018 House results, and we can see it in the way Obama trounced McCain but only barely beat Romney in the popular vote. Until Democratic voters can transcend party labels and vote for the candidate, the extremes in both parties will control the ballot box, and we will have no ability to work together to solve problems . Bloomberg, Kasich and many others could defeat Trump, but they will never get the chance.
2
You want a Democratic candidate to defeat Trump?
The first one who admits that illegal immigrants exist wins the next election.
You read it here first.
7
@Jp, another bumper sticker gibe from the right? Thanks, I guess.
1
@jb: No. I think my statement is correct.
There are many independents and Republicans who fully understand Trump and what he is all about.
However they also feel our southern border should not be the target of gaming by immigrants seeking to better their economic lot in life.
So cut the "I didn't cross the border. It crossed me." rhetoric.
And yes, those born in the US do have a right to be here regardless of all the race-baiting questions posed by NYT OP-ED writers.
And calling someone white takes the discussion no further other than to whip up a crowd.
In other words, end the bumper sticker gibes from the left.
Got it?
I agree that illegal immigration is a humanitarian crisis right now. Partly, this is because of mismanagement on the Republican controlled executive end of things. You could also argue that Democrats took too big of a risk refusing to fund anything with a wall in it, which would have provided much needed funding to actually deal with the problem. However. A wall will not help, any more than a dam will stop a river. Dams don't stop rivers. Walls don't stop refugees. If you want to solve the border crisis, then you need to support dealing with the causes, the violence in parts of Latin America that is justly prompting many to seek a better life. And treating refugees like criminals is circular. They're criminals because crossing the border is illegal. Therefore they're bringing crime across the border. That is circular logic, and gets nobody anywhere.
Nice ideas, Tom Friedman, but name me one Republican who can both fall on his or her sword and get enough votes to wall off Trump from victory and award the spoils to the Democratic candidate.
It's pretty fanciful. How on earth would such a candidate get on the ballot? Weld is running but the RNC is likely to refuse any other name on the ballot.
You may not favor impeachment, but increasingly I do. I like the idea of holding all Republicans to a vote for or against in the Senate (and yes, in the house). Announcing impeachment hearings should also up the ante on the administration's stonewalling on documents and the full Mueller report, which would be harder NOT to cough them up (even courts would accelerate) for such a public exercise.
Pelosi may be worried about the elections, but if Democrats don't stand up for the rule of law, they'll like lose anyway.
One thing we know for sure: there is no bottom to the damage this man has done and continues to do in terms of wrecking this formerly great nation.
1860
@Ockham9 I find it interesting that Friedman was fascinated with Uri Geller who claimed his feats are the result of paranormal powers given to him by extraterrestrials. His "paranormal powers" was exposed as fraudulent by critics, who include Richard Feynman, James Randi and Martin Gardner. I have yet to find one idea from Friedman that makes any sense. In this case he has it backwards. No Republican is going to mount a 3rd party candidacy against Trump. That would be political self-disembowelment. The GOP isn't going to deliver the Presidency to the Democrats...ever. But there will be Democrats ...especially if progressives are shut out of the race...who will run 3rd party campaigns. Had Friedman had been paying attention he would note that Howard Schultz told "60 Minutes" that he was considering running for president in 2020 — as an independent. If Friedman had really been paying attention he would understand that Republicans never engage in a circular firing squad. That is the sole domain of Democrats.
66
@Bill Brown. It’s never a question of third-party candidates from one of the two parties. It’s always been an independent. Every time they have delivered the presidency to the party which leans against their views. Ross Perot gave the presidency to Bill Clinton. Ralph Nader and his pristine-pure supporters hand-delivered the presidency to George W Bush.
39
@Douglas True. But this column is totally absurd and that's saying a lot for Friedman. The GOP is playing a long game. Trump will be gone one day. They will still be here. The GOP will wait him out & achieve all of their objectives. Their main goal is to nominate 3-4 very conservative Supreme Court justices. Trump has gotten two SCOTUS appointments, he may get more. He’s moved much faster on lower-court appointments than Obama did. The legal arm of the conservative movement is the best organized & most far-seeing sector of the Right. They truly are in it — and have been in it — for the long term goals. Control the Supreme Court, stack the judiciary, and you can stop the progressive movement, no matter how popular it is, no matter how much legislative power it has. Nothing will get in the way of that goal.
105
When more than 60 million people elected Trump, they knew what they were getting but nonetheless held their noses. But things could well be different in 2020. He has left an unparalleled record of mendacity, venality, willful ignorance of foreign affairs, and an utter lack of discipline. Why on earth would he comment on the results of the Kentucky Derby? He has brought shame to our country and I think people will vote him out of office for it.
573
@Mark Siegel You're right that the people who voted for Trump knew what they were getting or at least were willing to give him a chance. I didn't vote for him or Hillary but I think I might vote for him in 2020. Trump is bringing needed change to international and national affairs and is getting big results. He's currently in far-reaching negotiations with the Chinese on trade. The US can't sustain defending the whole free world including the rich Germans and continue to let so much of our money and jobs flow to other nations. Even Senator Schumer says we need to be tough on the Chinese. The infrastructure in the Upper MidWest, the Rustbelt is terrible. Trump got Pelosi and the Dems to agree to a $2 trillion infrastructure bill. It will keep the economy humming into the election. That's how he gets re-elected.
Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital, this was long overdue. He's addressing our porous Southern border and actually means to attempt to secure it. He goes big - met with the little fat man a couple times, he's a tough negotiator and won't loosen sanctions which probably Kim expected and why he's testing missiles again. The Paris Climate Accords we are out of. The Chinese and the rest of the emerging Third World are burning fossil fuels like there's no tomorrow. They didn't get the message evidently. Playing hardball with the Iranians. The Republicans are bending because Trump is doing things they want done.
14
@Mark Siegel I think you hit the nail on the head here. I don't think ALL of the 60 million people who voted for Trump were people who held their noses of course. But a great many of them were. They didn't like Trump, but they liked Clinton even less so they voted for the lesser of 2 evils. Many of those people said when asked, if there had been another woman running other than Hillary they would have voted for her. Those people will be the key in 2020. If the Democratic nominee can win those people back then he/she can win the white house.
27
@Craig My mechanic in Los Angeles told me about how Trump, a a rich man, was going to fix things for people like him. He was reacting to the Great Recession, that had hurt him profoundly. He did no know that as a Russian, Jewish immigrant to this country, Trump did not care about him in the least.
24
I couldn't agree more. We need someone who will appeal not just to the far left, but to the centrists as well. That's the only way we will push forward our number one priority, to oust Trump and get our country back on the path to sanity. Yes, there are some interesting ideas out there on the left, but save those for a less critical election. Just do what must be done.
Trump doesn't change the character of the people around him, he reveals it.
Barr came prebent. His unsolicited memo / job application for Attorney General effectively described the services he would perform to protect Trump.
Lindsey Graham has always bent with the slightest of political winds. It's hard to stand straight when you don't have a spine.
Ted Cruz's odious character has always been his most defining characteristic.
Uri Geller used slight of hand to bend spoons. Trump's "magic" is done in plain sight. He appeals to our worst instincts. No mind control needed, he just took a page out of the How to be a Demagogue playbook.
We are only surprised that it worked because we thought too highly of ourselves and our political institutions.
So yes. Let's vote him out. We MUST. But don't give too much hope that it will restore faith in America.
The 40%+ of Americans who consistently support this President will still be with us. The GOP will still be with us.
No slight of hand can hide that. No single election can fix it.
2630
@LT
Yes, the last few years have revealed that Trump is not some great aberration; he just says aloud the things that many of our other leaders believe but know to keep silent. Republicans and even many Democrats have bent to support Trump’s policies even while criticizing the man.
Our political institutions must be reformed wholesale. I am in the center in terms of policy views and wholly disagree with socialism, but would feel very tempted to vote for a Jeremy Corbyn-like far-left outsider candidate just because they seem to be the only ones who get that our political problems run deeper than Trump.
39
@LT
Excellent comment!
28
@LT
Excellent and insightful comment. It has already been said that Trump is a symptom of a deeper sickness in this country. We need a good diagnostician to find the root cause of the politics of outrage, corruption and moral decay of the GOP and the 90% who cheer them on. We have lost a sense of decency and if Trump serves another term, the malignancy will metastasize.
63
The ground work is being laid day after day for disaster: the Iran situation, China tariffs, North Korea aggression, an economy which has lots of jobs, but not all offer a living wage, the tax break has evaporated for many. The clock is ticking. And the internment camps, and the wall, and the questions surrounding the president’s family’s investments. The administration has no plan, they just rumble and react. The next election is not going to fix what has been broken. Maybe the next five elections will let us recover our standing internationally and the decency and fair play the world should see in us.
1
Geller’s spoons, I believe, were partially made from a low melting point alloy that suddenly weakened when heated slightly. So Comey had it right.
2
Poppycock, Mr. Friedman. You say, "I don’t want him impeached. He has to be voted out." Read your constitution; both can happen. Impeachment is not removal, conviction is, and in light of the fact that the Senate hasn't the courage to convict while many more Republican than Democratic Senators are up for reelection, simply make them defend that stance on a debate stage the 2020 campaign.
1
I have never heard of a far right libertarian who is not opposed to immigration. I have never heard of a far right libertarian who doesn’t want protectionist trade policy.
Mr. Friedman is a great writer, but I really don’t have a clue what person could possibly do what he is suggesting. Trump’s policies are beyond the right of the most distant right winger’s dreams. All he has to do is start a war with Iran, and even the neo-cons would love him.
He has galvanized his party. We are in the apotheosis of a Republican revolution, the party is completely unified, marching in lockstep and happier even than they were during Reagan. There is virtually no dissent. The economy is booming, polluters are polluting, people of color are being forced back down, regulations are being destroyed, the rich have the tax breaks of their wildest dreams and are squirreling their money in tax free foreign accounts, or reinvesting in the stock of their own companies, it’s ok to be racist, sexist, and hate gays, abortion is about to be made illegal, it may soon be legal to discriminate, as Trump has done all his life, against races you don’t like - in short, it is a far right extremist’s heaven in America.
How is someone going to object to this greatness from a further right perspective? They are not. Who is going to challenge Trump from the right? Rand Paul? No. Believe me, it will not happen. No one will challenge Trump in the Republican primaries.
Impeachment just leads to two plus terms for Pence. Time for Rand Paul to step up and run...not in the primary but in the general election. Or maybe Mitt Romney?
I would have hoped Mr. Friedman believed spying on the political opposition in America is wrong on all counts, but unfortunately, no. And it was spying, no need for quotes. When honey pots are set to entrap you and people are lying about who they are in order to obtain information from you ( or plant it on you, in this case), there is no other word for it.
1
The scary thing, Tom, is not Trump, but the 90% of Republicans that fully support Trump right now. Sure, Trump can be defeated in 2020, or even thrown out of office via impeachment, but Trump's supporters will still be there. Meaning, who is to say that the next Republican President could not be far worse than Trump?
Trump is merely a symptom of a very terrible disease. Trump, the symptom, will someday not be there, but the disease will most definitely still be there, and may have metastasized into something even far worse than it is today. I believe that the emergence of Trump is just the beginning, and we have a long way to go before we hit bottom.
1
When you appeal to the lowest form of American voter over decades, you end up with a pretty awful bunch of people as your base. Trump is simply the Republican candidate who finally gave a face and voice to the people the Republican Party had been recruiting since the '50s. Before Trump, those people were supposed to vote for Republicans and shut up. The elected Republicans would then represent the interests of rich people. It worked well, at least for rich people, until Trump came along. There was evidence that the base were beginning to figure out that they were being scammed, so, if not Trump, someone else would have likely filled his role. Friedman's scenario might work. There are probably enough actual conservatives left who might be persuaded to vote for a real Republican to flip the election.
@rawebb1
By god, what is a “ real Republican” that we haven’t suffered through already?!
The DNA of The Republican Party is designed to protect wealth, eliminate regulations, do away with institutional oversight and capture the courts. It is win at any cost. I see no Messiah on the horizon to save us from our greedy, ignorant selves, though in theory Friedman proposes a good strategy.
1
Stonewalling Congress, suing to END the Affordable Care Act, repealing safeguards on off-shore drilling, weakening rules on asbestos, threatening Iran, ignoring serious acts by North Korea and Russia, pulling out of treaty’s to limit the international availability to firearms, nominating unqualified UN Ambassador and trying to overturn the Kentucky Derby—and that’s all within the past 10 days.
God forbid another four years. Impeach him now, PLEASE!
3
Tommy, did you at least pause for one second, just one, to understand why this President has such loyalty w/his base 2.5 yrs into his presidency? Btw, pretty much more loyalty than any modern day POTUS after 2.5 yrs into office. To spare you the list of phobias ‘we’ are all suffering from it’s actually very simple, #45 has exposed the system for what it is, a insider game. W/o identifying it, you gave us the example, quoting Jim Comey - yes, the same Comey who along w/Brennan will be the highlight of the upcoming IG report. Trump did not nor has he torn down the FBI, but when 4 of the top five people have either resigned or been fired, any objective person can admit ‘we’ may have a problem.
Maybe the shared TDS is good for a few more clicks and ratings but in the end he will be re-elected in part b/c of the economy but also in part for the continued contributions you and the media make daily to his re-election campaign. I wish you good luck w/your challenges but in this case let the will of the people steer this car.
2
Are you kidding??? If you are intent on using the number of people who have resigned or been fired as the standard of corruption and malfeasance, look no further than the Trump administration itself. There has been staff turnover - including Chiefs of Staff - in unprecedented numbers. And not just staff, Cabinet members as well. Let's ask Rex Tillerson, Jeff Sessions, Jim Mattis, Nicki Haley what they think.
1
Question: As regards tariffs, the piling up of the national debt, and immigration policy, which Democratic presidential candidate would be willing to reach an accommodation with Republicans so that the Republicans came away with half-a-loaf?
Answer: Not one.
Jasper
It just floors me that the Tom Friedmans of the world keep looking for a responsible, patriotic Republican. Has he been asleep for the past fifteen years (and more)? There are no moderates and no responsible Republicans. Period. Full stop. They’ve all been co-opted by a radical insurgence that is morally and intellectually bankrupt. They serve only corporations, the wealthiest and bigots. If I can see that just from my armchair, why can’t Tom Friedman see it?
5
This article is silly. The country is doing well. I was concerned when trump got into office but the country is doing better. It’s almost comical listening to people say he is destroying the country. Not if you want to work!
2
We are enjoying the Obama recovery. Trump undermines American democracy.
2
@SJW
Looking back just over 11 years and I see something different. Remember the Fiscal Meltdown that spread Worldwide? A lot of the economy doing well was established by the Administration of Mr Obama and after that the tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy over the recent past. Then there is the "Rollback" of rules and guidelines put in place to educate and protect the greatest amount of us that incurs a major risk to us health wise legally and environmentally while protecting big business.
The reason the Government had to regulate business was business would not (not all businesses) do what is best for the greatest amount of us. That's there for any to see if anyone wants to research business and how laws guidelines and regulations by the Government came into being and the history isn't pretty.
@SJW
Read your advertising to the people in cages.
There are no patriotic Republicans. Next idea?
5
I dunno. I think Liberals are screaming into the wind. America is a far right place. I see Trump 2020 not a problem at all. because...Democrats. Are you seeing the spectacle of threat after toothless threat? The Far Right propaganda outlets are turned up to 11 and the mindless minions have been long brainwashed. Now they just 'feed' them to keep them voting against their wishes.
1
A patriotic Republican you say? Not going to happen ... RINOS became extinct awhile ago. Take a look at Lindsay Graham. There is no pace for patriotism in this party.
2
It is incredible how desperate are the leftists with one of he best presidencies in history ! Their desperation is due to the fact that politicians and traditional media were not able to bend Trump and its plan to make America great again ! The same is happening in Brazil with president Bolsonaro, who came into power with a massive voting to end the socialist/comunist 40 year powerhold on our wonderful country. Social media ended the dominaton of the socialist narrative on our societies and jornalists will have to find another job !!!
1
For such s sophisticated journalist this column reflects a surprisingly naive view of American politics.
1
Perhaps Santa Claus will step up...
3
Tom still doesn't get it.
Trump is not running against other Republicans or against other Democrats.
He ran against the ESTABLISHMENT, which includes the NYT, WaPo, CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS, the DNC, the RNC and the entire Washington DC federal bureaucracy.
Unless or until the Democrats choose a true outsider (think of Howard Schultz) with the gravitas, accomplishments and serious record of accomplishment who can solve real problems (does anyone think DC/Federal Govt really is working well?) is a shoe in.
I voted against HRC in 2016 because she's is the epitome of the Establishment..and on the path we were going..we'd be in dire straights right now...and none of this Russian Collusion between the DNC (which she controlled) and the Ukrainian Govt to frame Trump as a Russian stooge would be known.
Power corrupts and absolute power absolutely corrupts, which is where the Clintons were in 2016. They believe they were above it all...and Trump's victory showed that the people of this nation can rise up and take back what is rightfully there's.
You can't beat Trump with another Republican, and for Friedman to suggest such a thing shows how much TDS is a real thing impacting NYT columnists.
Democrats need to set up for 2024. The Populists and Nationalists across the country who Sanders' thinks are his peeps and the D's peeps...aren't going anywhere as long as Trump keeps doing what he's doing. The only populists the Democrats have left are the Anarchists and OWS crew.
5
Yes, and then a fairy will come down and sprinkle pixie dust and all will be fine!
This piece is a work of fiction.
But hey...keep grasping at all these "strategies" to beat our President - instead of doing the one thing which could give the Left a chance - which is - focus on immigration, healthcare, infrastructure etc.
Of course that won't happen so our President will be re-elected in 2020.
And you all know it!!
The horrors of the Trump presidency can be undone. Vote like your life depends on it. Because it does.
2
The attack on the rule of law and prospects for democracy did NOT “start” with trimp, and neither will it end with him.
What is well understood since the days of Plato and Aristotle is democracy and irresponsible concentrated wealth are incompatible to the extent one inevitably becomes lethal to the other.
In the US a tiny (0.1%) idiot elite continues to accrue more and more of our society’s wealth and therefore more control over our institutions. This can only be maintained by roiling, dividing, and terrorizing the population which then generates even more instability - and peril.
1
Friedman is living in a dream world; we're going to be rescued by....ethical Republicans???? The lack thereof is what gave us Trump in the first place.
The only Republican who might have shot against the *president, as far as I can see, is Robert Mueller himself, and that ain’t going to happen. The rest of them are unelectable having thrown in their lot with the putrid WH regime.
I never thought Trump was savvy enough to orchestrate this whole thing. Someone, somewhere, is pulling the strings, unfortunately for America, the current incumbents are aiding and abetting. They deserve ignominy, derision, and some of them, for their contempt and their lies - prison.
You mention how a ...”much-needed debate among Republicans, titled, “How did we let this grifter take over our party?” [...needs to happen]
Trump is the Id of the Republican Party.
They love him. He didn’t sneak in. He was always in there, deep inside, perhaps in a metaphorical attic, basement, or pantry.
Ok, illustrative story time:
What’s that I hear? brrringggg - a phone call... from TRUMP!
But wait, the CALL, it’s coming from INSIDE the house! Oh no! What should we do?
- answer it, this is no problem, since the ‘house’ is actually a Fox News studio set, and they always take his calls.
The end.
1
"And bendable people — people who, like Trump, were always outsiders or never on the A-team — are attracted to him to get ahead."
A nit to pick with Tom on this statement.
These folks are not so "attracted" to Trump as they are demonstrating a personal weakness in that they believe they can 'use' Trump to their own ends, those being, in Friedman's phrasing, "to get ahead." I look at someone who climbs on board Trump's clown bus and think, "You fool. You might as well go swimming with an anvil strapped to your back. That's how fast you will lose respect in the eyes of those who know you."
WMCN are the call letters for the malign media that pervade undiscerning minds and bends them into a hypervigilant attack dog against anything that represents a challenge to the prevailing power structure of White Male Christian Nationalism.
How can Trump get re-elected when he has never gone over the 50% approval mark? More women, men, old people, young people, babies marched in Washington the day after Trump's inauguration than came to his inauguration. Trump lost the popular vote. This was before the country knew what a Trump presidency would look like. This time around the media would not treat him as a joke that could sell newspapers. This time around we are warned about Russian meddling on his behalf. The Russians will not be able to pursue this interference under the radar. Usually people ignore off-year elections, but that was not the case in 2018. To use the slang term, more people are woke to the fact that voting (and running) is important. If Joe Biden is the nominee, I believe there is no way he would loose in PA. Perhaps that's enough to unseat this despicable president. I don't believe other states will go to the Trump column after these miserable 3 years. There is a lot of Trump fatigue out there except for his hardcore base that just love him. Again this will be a contest that only Democrats can loose and I hope they loose 'Medicare for all'. Maybe I'm a naive idiot to think he can't be elected again. Perhaps I just think that my fellow citizens aren't complete idiots.
Ah, another voice from the #NeverTrump world of the NY Times. Muller failed to deliver. The Trump - Russia meme lies in tatters. The DOJ is coming for the puschist Brennan - Clapper - Comey clique, and likely will take down Obama with them. If it had not been such a serious threat to the country, it would be fun to watch. I look forward to the insiders from the former administration turning on each other.
1
Fox primed half the country to want to “hurt the libs” as a governing philosophy. Please tell me how your suggestion unrings that bell.
You've got it all wrong, Mr. Friedman. This is now America. Getting rid of Trump isn't going to change the hearts of the people who chant "lock her up" like a crowd at a Nazi rally in 1937.
And it's a fantasy to think that there's a "Patriotic American" who's going to challenge Trump from the right. Like whom? David Duke? Richard Spencer?
What a lovely fantasy. Who is this magical Republican?
1
Comey tells us the antics of Strzok,Page ,Mcabe,the Orrs is no big deal..under his leadership? Sounds like Comey is constructing a narrative ahead of the Horowitz findings.
2
'For starters, we need a patriotic Republican on the right to run as a third-party candidate.'
No. We do not need a patriot at all.
To defeat Trump, we need someone who can deliver 'Shathe Shathyam Samacharet: (Sanskrit for: A Tit For Tat)'
https://www.boloji.com/blog/2104/shathe-shathyam-samacharet-a-tit-for-tat' i.e., we need someone who is in the same mold as Trump, i.e., some one who came out of the gutter.
He/she can be a Democrat, a Republican or some third part, does not really matter - but he/she should possess a pure gutter mentality.
I'd like to see John Kasich run.
He's from Ohio (important swing state).
He's a moderate, not right wing.
He's always been anti-Trump and for the right reasons.
He's the only candidate in the debates from 2016 that always stuck to the issues.
He's boring in a good way but good on TV, able to work the issues and make a cutting, morally based argument.
He's squeaky clean and while not the brightest in the way Obama was, he is intellectually a giant compared to Trump.
He'd pull some support from Senators like Portman, maybe even Brown.
Also, his political career is kind of.... in stasis? Look at his website... you just know this guy wants to run but is in a holding pattern.
He'd deal real damage to Trump in a Primary.
Run John Run!
https://www.johnkasich.com/
3
1 and 2 aren't happening. hopefully, 3 will but given the primary process I am not hopeful. his favorability rating is 46%. you say that's low given the state of the economy, I say that's incredibly high given the state of Trump. How any but the most desperate in our country could support him is beyond me. Is 46% that desperate that they support him, then we have failed a great stretch of Americans.
Nikki Haley
71
@Nancy
It is going to be
Trump/Haley 2020
the dreamer ticket for some
the nightmare ticket for most
3
Nikki Haley is way too politically ambitious to take on Trump. She probably would be delighted to replace Mike Pence on the Trump ticket. It’s well known in South Carolina that Haley will do anything to promote herself. Falling on her political sword to save the country? Totally out of character.
14
@Nancy
Nikki Haley is very impressive, but she generally supports Trump and would not run against him. To confirm that general feel, you can listen to her chatting for an hour with Ben Shapiro last Sunday here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSpyoP--bEw
In 2024, she will be formidable, the early front-runner. She will run as a Republican. I believe she will be the first female president of the U.S.
Obviously T. should be impeached. But there is not statute of limitations on this procedure. Should he be re-elected he would still be impeachable. Should he lose, he's indictable. And maybe with a new Democrat majority in the Senate this is the best outcome. Dems in the house should continue doing careful investigations and publishing their results, adding to the amount of information available to the public. And they should be most strategic about revealing ways in which he as actually betrayed his base. Metaphorically, we need chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and surgery combined to defeat this cancer.
Uri Gellar tricked people by talking right to them as he was literally bending the spoon in his hand. Trump is no different, only the nation is the spoon.
63
I only have one question, if Trump is impeached in the House, and we know the Republican Senate will not convict him, is he then immune from prosecution when his term ends? If he is, then I don't feel impeachment is the best way to go. I would prefer to see him in an orange jumpsuit.
I agree impeachment is not the answer it will only help solidify his base. However, your three prong approach is like a miracle happening. I don't see a third party Republican to the right of Trump coming and then actually getting on the ballot, I don't think so. That is virtually impossible . If we are hanging our hopes on a Trump defeat in line with this theory that is sad and we are in big trouble. It is looking harder and harder for Trump to be defeated in 2020. The public needs to wake up, we need a unifying Democratic candidate that the majority of people independents and middle of the road individuals can support and we need a lot of grassroots support to get the vote out. We also need a lot of luck! An extremely tough challenge.
Why didn’t you mention Bill Weld, a smart, decent man who could pull votes away from Trump from moderate Republicans and Independents.
4
Boy do I miss John McCain...
152
@Howard--- Lindsey Graham has forgotten him.
4
@Howard In a way, John McCain led us here by allowing Sarah Palin to run on a major ticket. But I did have some respect for him.
8
@Howard
You're being facetious I hope.
4
What good is a booming economy when the soul of America is being destroyed by Trump day by day? The Democrat who raises this question to the top of their campaign messaging, while also offering sound plans for the economy and health care will be the one who can defeat Trump.
Joe Biden began his campaign with a call to restore our democracy, not with a wish list of far left proposals. He has quickly captured the political center, so it is no surprise that he leads Bernie Sanders by 30 points in polling of Democrats, and he leads Trump by 9 points in head-to-head national polls.
The argument that Biden is too old just doesn't wash. All you have to do is watch the guy cross country campaigning 24/7. The argument that Biden is too 'old guard' establishment also doesn't pass muster. Can someone please explain how the 'new guard' or 'any other guard' establishment is better for the country?
For all that is at stake for the country, Biden is the right candidate at the right time. A Biden-Harris ticket can win in 2020, and win big!
2
Isn't this a bit of a pipe dream Mr.Friedman? Reasonable Republicans are now walking oxymorons. Where for instance is the former Governor of Ohio, and others of his school of thought?
Also, are we sure that independents are necessarily in the middle on most issues? On climate change? On Health Care? on unbridled militarism? And that only an incrementalist candidate would appeal to them all?
Are that many voters really tossing and turning at night over the country tearing itself apart?
How many even see the present situation as a constitutional crisis between 2 branches of government?
Perhaps Independents have opted out of party membership because they see parties as tip-toeing around for votes, without delivering on the big issues of Health, Education, fair Wages, less War, a safer Planet ... who knows?
How do we know that only an Incrementalist on these pressing issues would get their vote?
Mr. Friedman: I had been hopeful there was some slight recovery in your mental capabilities after reading your realization that the southern border crisis is indeed the crisis our president proclaimed but I see the derangement syndrome persists. President Trump has been proven correct time and time again from his spying assertions to his Hillary collusion assertions and has kept more campaign promised than any president in memory.
Quoting Jim Comey whilst discussing truth bending gave me a good old Minnesota belly laugh; perhaps that was your intent and I just failed to see the sarcasm. Thank you for that one!
1
NO BIDEN! Your "non endorsement" is ridiculous. We need someone who has NOT offended women, like me. I will never forget what he did to Anita Hill and for that reason alone, he is unqualified to run this county.
1
@Caryn
If Biden's treatment of Anita Hill still alarms you after 25 years, then you should be horrified at the prospect of Trump
getting another four years given his history of misogyny and admitted sexual assault.
So you expect conservative donors to fund a campaign for a candidate who has no chance of winning, and to do so with the goal of electing a Democrat? Not gonna happen. They may dislike Trump, but they dislike liberals more. The best we could hope for is that a few key Republican donors will sit this one out.
Why bother? Trump should be reelected. We still have not learned the lessons of greed and bigotry and stupidity. Hopefully we have evolved to the point where there will not be a world war to underscore the need for learning. But there is a good deal more to be learned and having our faces rubbed in the excesses of ignorance is apparently the only way that the lesson might be learned.
Another call to the center; another failed call to inspire. Democrats need to be seen as something much greater than not-Trump, yet that seems to be the message from the play-it-safe crowd (i.e. the entire not-Trump punditry class). I just can't see that as a winner.
2
This is the most ridiculous thing I've ever read. If you want to defeat Trump in 2020, run a sane Democratic candidate. That to me is Joe Biden.
@gregdn: The rat-race for the US presidency repels sane people.
I have just returned from the opinion page of another paper published in New York. In the editorial board opinion, Democrats, all Democrats, suffer from Pseudo-Impeachment Syndrome or PIS. Yes, I have suffered from PIS many many days. After reading their editorial opinion in their righteous journal and asking forgiveness, I am now saved. PIS be gone. Let us march together, Republicans and Democrats, to re-elect of guiltless and innocent leader, Mr Donald J Trump. Pseudo-Impeachment Syndrome (PIS) be gone.
The great unknown for 2020 is how big a role the Russians will play. They helped Trump win in 2016, and there's every indication that they will play an even bigger role in 2020. And guess what. The Trump administration is doing precious little to prevent greater Russian interference. Hmmmm. I wonder why.
2
The bottom line is those defending Trump are compromised.... just like Jerry Falwell Jr. Trump destroys everything he touches including people as the long list of causalities behind him prove. They’re weak because they made bad decisions that put them in compromising situations. In essence, they gave Trump the sword in which to slay them with... Just like Jerry Falwell Jr. (“Extramarital ‘racy’ pics”) This is why the free press is more important than ever. This is why the press must keep resisting. Thank you for being one of the voices on the side of truth & justice NYT. Trump calls you the enemy of the people but what he really means is he doesn’t like being held accountable. Keep holding all of their feet to the fire. We, the people, are behind you all the way.
2
Patriotic Republican on the right is an oxymoron.
5
Less than a week ago Mr. Brooks wrote on what Democrats should do vis-a-vis primaries and a potential Democratic presidential candidate:
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/02/opinion/biden-bernie-democrats.html
He got slaughtered in the comments. Although his advice seemed logical, many commenters, Democrats, wrote that they did not trust Mr. Brooks and would not take advice from a conservative and Republican regarding Democratic strategy.
Today we have Mr. Friedman telling Republicans and potential candidates what to do:
"We need a Republican third-party candidate who won’t just primary Trump but will get on the general election ballot and challenge him in 2020 in all 50 states — but do it from his right, not from the center.
Yes, we need a Republican who will do the most high-minded, patriotic thing I can imagine today — fall on the Trump grenade."
This alas is just as genuine and viable as Mr. Brooks's advice. In fact, the only Republican "potential candidates" who might be convinced by Mr. Friedman's advice that I can think of would be Mr. Brooks, Mr. Stephens, and Mr. Douthat of the NYT. Maybe Mitt Romney.
As for the ultimate advice: "You also have to summon people with a message of unity and respect", I wonder if Mr. Friedman actually believes this hilarious suggestion.
2
How to beat Trump-- and others like him? Make revamping America's education system a top priority. Educate our citizens! Improve our schools. Pay our teachers. Make higher ed more affordable and accessible. Encourage science and free thought. Because people who read and think independently do not vote for people like Trump.
4
Thomas, is there a point to this narrative? You are fantasizing a situation and candidates that are not likely to materialize.
No patriotic Republican looms on the horizon as an independent candidate. Besides, savvy Republican voters will not make the "Ralph Nader" mistake.
Unbendable "dutiful people" will not bear witness against their former employer nor write tell-alls. It is about temperament and their conservatism. Omarosa Manigault and James Comey have published books. Both have proven to be flip-flopping weasels. Nikki Haley's book will be published this fall, presumably to generate income to support Haley's family's sojourn in Manhattan.
The utopian Democratic candidate who appeals to the electoral spectrum you suggest does not exist.
How about a more realistic, practical agenda?
Or have you already conceded to the incumbent?
This sounds like a recipe for further polarization to me. No Thanks.
I dont get it. If Trump is such a disaster, if hes so bad for the country, and if liberal governance is so successful, then why should we need a third candidate on the right to split the vote?
What you are admitting to is there is no Democrat that could beat Trump, so we need to cheat. We need to split the vote on the right, because there arent enough voters on the left to beat him. Not exactly an ideology to aspire to, is it?
Did you ever think that perhaps Trumps policies are working, and thats why he enjoys so much unbridled support? Do you want a great economy or not? Well, Trump created one for you. But somehow thats bad? Did you ever stop to think that supporting amnesty amnesty, open borders, and sanctuary cities is one of the reasons why you feel the need to split Trumps support in order to win?
As for Biden - I work in many different hospitals around NYC. and the subject of politics comes up in the OR and staff lounges. Many of these employees are black. When Biden is mentioned, the most common answers are, "Nah", and "not feeling it". So with all Biden's middle of the road attributes, good luck getting him to to excite the base. Not to worry though, after another 4 years of Trump, in 2024 you'll have the soothing demeanor of President Pence.
1
Trump did not create our economy, he inherited it from Obama/
1
Great idea, but the biggest obstacle to its enactment is this: Trump is a mirror of the Republican Party and its base, a product of its three decades of greed, lying, and racism. How are you going to find a Republican who can run AGAINST these values when he's been a hypocritical swamp-dweller his entire career? That is the tar Trump will paint this opponent with, and he likely would be correct.
2
If Trump has a talent, it's convincing people he wants to use for his advantage to abandon their rational personas and be themselves. We are shocked to have fallen for those personas and also shocked to learn what despicable people they truly are.
1
Good luck getting any one of those things!
1
What does this say about the Democrat Party? 20 + candidates and not one will beat Trump? Pretty sad.
1
This is laughable. Rather than offer an actual alternative to the Republicans, right-wing Democratic party establishment hacks like Friedman look to the Republicans for salvation from Trump. This is why he will win again. The two parties simply compete for the chance to maintain the capitalist-imperialist status quo; taking turns at sopping up the surplus ill-gotten wealth that runs the political system to serve corporate interests. Trump simply serves as the front man to appeal to the ignorant and excitable masses with his demagogic tweets. He is not the problem but a symptom of it. But have another glass of kool aid and turn on Rachel Maddow for your dose of confirmation bias and false consciousness.
1
Biden is right. The only important thing is to vote this man out, and even then he will squeal like the greased pig he is. All other issues pale in comparison. Mr Friedman nails it with his suggestion that a Republican runs as an independent. Failing that, the Democrats must embrace disenchanted Republicans. Our motto is 'E pluribus unum'. We Democrats have got too many 'pluribi" (sic) and may be forsaking the unum.
As a gay man, I say we have enough letters for gender categories. Put 'em on the back burner already, for the purpose of this all-important race. Can't we just unite? We're not going back.
2
I'm convinced the Putin has provided Trump "dirt" on Graham, Cruz, Barr and many others that he threatens to use. So they bend very easily.
3
Come on Tom give it up already. The "Resistance" is losing. Try to get in front of the coming story of The great American coup attempt failure.
1
Ah, yes...the end times. Truly, Trump is the long anticipated and
feared antigeorge (George Washington, that is).
The strategy of Trump, Putin, and McConnell -- destroy the political and legislative infrastructure of the United States. What's the payoff? There is none. Anarchy is its own reward.
I'm certain they are succeeding.
And the rest of us? As Trump often smirks --Losers!
2
“For America to stay America, Trump has to be defeated.” I agree but first we have to accept and understand that the two main forces that “bend” human behavior are sex and money/power. We must also acknowledge that: “…we are driven more strongly to avoid losses than to achieve gain.” (A quote from an excellent book by Daniel Kahneman: “Thinking Fast and Slow”.)
Trump uses fear of losing as a powerful tool, which can be used anywhere and with anyone, including, unknowingly, himself. To lose money, white power, elitism, control, etc. is too much to let go by a society that is mainly selfish. Yes – individual rights dominate USA society. For a start, take the anti-vaxxers phenomena or the second amendment… the right of an individual supersedes the good of the society. In a one-to-one “fight”, the selfish individual will win over the altruistic one – but an altruistic society, in the end, will overcome a society full of selfish genes.
Democrats will have to use also, unfortunately, some sentiment of fear of losing: what?
Losing the fundamental right upon which the nation was built: freedom.
You must instill into the minds of the electorate the real danger of losing that privilege and at the same time – you must provide hope. Not an easy task due to the fact that the common denominator that holds 30% (?) of USA together is still, sadly, racism.
You, as a nation, will make one of the most important decisions since 1776. You may lose “The Magic Touch”.
1
trump is just a flim-flam man who never tells the truth however he has gotten half of America to believe every word he says. As a example I have educated friends that quote him line by line and defend his lies to the end and will just not listen to facts that show him wrong. How can you defeat a person like that? its like blowing in the wind!! The only way is when the house of cards they built comes crashing down as in WWII Germany and Italy and even then its very hard. Just look at Venezuela, major pieces still support Maduro!!!
2
Don't hold your breath waiting for a Republican white knight to ride in at the last minute to save us; there's no such creature. Patriotic Americans will have to do this ourselves.
1
Trump can bend people to his will the way Uri Geller bent spoons? No, Vladimir Putin can bend Republicans to his will by making them multi-millionaires. We have to come to grips with the reality that there now exists in Congress a giant sleeper cell of Republican lawmakers that takes its orders from Moscow. Nothing is gained by twisting ourselves into pretzel logic when the truth is as simple as it is obvious. If you can believe that Catholic priests abused thousands and thousands of young boys over the past century, it shouldn't be unthinkable that the highest levels of our government are rife with traitors. And it is at least arguable that treason is a less heinous offense.
I am normally in sync Thomas Friedman and generally agree with his position in this case. I do have one critique: Barr was not "bent into becoming Trump’s personal lawyer." Barr's been on the far right throughout his career and applied for this job. He was already a crooked stick.
1
I agree with your logic but why are these people still silent: james Mattis, Don McGahn, H.R. McMaster, Rex Tillerson, Gary Cohn, Kirstjen Nielsen, John Kelly, Jeff Sessions and Reince Priebus, and Robert Mueller? do they feel the same way as you and many of us feel? If so, they should openly campaign against him and follow the lead of James Comey. as you said if they are waiting to write their memoire to make money we are in big trouble. i will contribute $10,000 if all these players come out and form a club, 'beat Mr. Trump in 2020 for the sake of the country'.
1
Balderdash.
A divided opposition is the one sure way to return this abomination of a President to the White House in 2021.
The 2020 election must be a clear choice: those who want to keep a representative republic in the USA, versus those who are willing to turn us into an autocracy.
At this point in our political history, this is equivalent to: Democrats versus Republicans.
Any division in the opposition to autocracy is a recipe for disaster. I am astounded that Mr. Friedman doesn't recognize this.
Mr Friedman is just another out-of-touch pundit, I guess, trying to play a centrist when there simply is no center in this existential battle over the nature of our governance.
You are for constitutional government or, like today's Republican party, you are against it if it would work against your lust for power.
Interesting thought, Mr. Friedman. Another way is to let Trump become the victim of his own demons. Can he stand watching from the sidelines as his best international buddy Putin is having shots of vodka with Premier Xi of China? I think not. His “bromance” is in jeopardy and Trump starts threatening tariffs with Chinese trade almost as a way of screaming “Look at me! I can mess up international markets if you don’t pay attention to me!” Democratic National Committee, think of him as a 7th or 8th grade child (with apologies to the vast majority of 7th and 8th graders) and strategize accordingly.
If this is how to defeat Trump we have not got a chance
Unfortunately the Democratic clown car doesn’t stand a chance. Trump will easily sail to re-election.
1
Donald Trump's most spectacular bending of spoons has been his transformation of the United States into a post-Christian country. The evangelicals who support Trump, who identify with Trump, who behold Trump, have been changed. They are unrecognizable and frightening, similar to a lamb that speaks like a dragon.
@Phillip Brantley, true-- however, these faux chrstians got what they wanted in less than 3 years: a country on the way to outlawing not just abortion, but contraception too. The courts through the dreadful Hobby Lobby decision already showed their bent-- and that was before the latest 2 appointment, and all those at the lower level federal courts.
There are no principled Republicans. Or rather, they have only one principle, and that is plantation economics: ensuring that a tiny elite siphons off an unthinkably enormous share of the bounty produced by this nation.
Republicans will do whatever it takes to achieve this goal: fan the flames of white supremacy, suppress voter rights, welcome Russian interference in our elections, destroy the planet, consign millions to poverty and ill health.
The Republican Party serves Mammon.
1
I'm endorsing someone: his name is Andrew Yang. He can and will beat Trump.
Put your money where your mouth is Tom. Take all those gains in your 401(k) and NYT stock options that have occurred since 11/16 and use them to support your candidate of choice. You’ll have to pay taxes but luckily for you tax rates are lower under DJT. Of course you can always pay more but let’s not kid ourselves.
1
Impeachment now is essential. Trump already arranged for Putin to fix the 2020 election on that phone call last Friday. DT said they didn't discuss it. Ha! Another blatant lie from the most dishonest person ever to occupy the oval office. The 2020 election is moot unless we dispose of corrupt, horrible Donald Trump right now. The redacted Mueller Report is filled with evidence, which Mueller even said he had directed at Congress. In an impeachment hearing, all those reluctant officials will be compelled to testify before Congress. This is not the time to be all wimpy chicken about it, lest we lose the nation.
1
Trump needs to be impeached to restore the rule of law. Impeachment hearings would enable Democrats to get the records from Trump and Mueller and people in the administration to show the country just what has been going on behind closed doors. And impeachment will force the Donald to have to take the stand under oath giving the American people a chance to see just what an incompetent con artist is occupying the White House.
1
Must you ask?
Where were you during the 40 year assault waged on the American mind from right wing media machine and left wing humanities professors?
Or, did you miss that the media (Twitter) is the message (a notion from 1964). Unrelenting frequency is the coin of the realm. He can say covfeve; it will carom and ricochet and produce frequency that is nor buyable. You are right, it is pretty awesome.
Or have you seen what has become of democrats? How awesome that Dems declared total victory because Beto came within 220,000 votes of winning. This, according to them, is victory.
Did you miss that Trump - at high noon on a cloudless July afternoon in America, could call it midnight. Half of America will agree fully; insist they are seeing the moon. Fox will show photos of the moon. CNN will call in experts in daylight who agree to disagree.
Democrats will reach for compromise, agree it is about six in the evening (bipartisan compromise for political expediency) before retreating to kumbaya sessions in their salons (MSNBC).
Trump shares his epistemology with the organized criminals he so admires and worked with in his home ground, not with elected leaders of spoken of in civic classes. He gets that a gory, bloody serial on crime bosses runs prime time on pay-tv and HBO, and that a show on real elected leaders garner at best some patronage on PBS. Dems PBS, Reps HBO. get it?
If you don't get it, I invite you back to slumber.
Hmmm...what is Nikki Haley up to these days?
3
How about a top notch Dem candidate. Surely there is at least one in the millions of Democrats in the U.S.
This is very simple, Democrats. If you don’t like Trump, what you have to do is offer a better alternative in 2020. Bernie is a communist and Uncle Joe can’t string together two coherent sentences. Whatever Trump’s faults, he is still better than crooked, anti-American Hillary. Bring it on!
1
An honorable, patriotic Republican? Now who would that be?
Trump didn't convert or pervert Republican politicians, he just gave them cover to express themselves.
He's McConnell's carney barker and shill. Defeat the Republican senate.
@ Roberta,
No more so than trying to find a Democrat who us not a closet socialist. They believe firmly in the redistribution of income so long as it’s not their own!
The democrats can beat trump, but they're going to have to drop the mass immigration, Americans are all racist dummies platform and go back to what has won in the past. Workers rights, unions, equality, tax reform, economic fairness, the environment (no you can't be for mass immigration and call yourself an "environmentalist"), etc. identity politics and victimization aren't going to cut it. The right and the rest of us know it. Why don't the democrats get it?
AL CAPONE TO FEDS --'IT'S ALL POLITICAL'
We would also like a pony.
You cite Fox "News" as helping Trump, but you left out Putin. Among the many Russian entanglements there's something between Russia and Fox. Google Putin and Murdoch and you'll see them yucking it up together. Add that to the list of shady Russian influences.
I just can't believe that many Republicans aren't fed up with Trump's lying, bullying, poor grasp of the facts, and just sheer adolescent meanness. I guess we will find out.
The GOP is on the DJT-Titanic with their mad Captain at the wheel.
They deserve to sink from the sheer volume of rot they carry. The DJT needs a DNR. We’ll wave from the shore and say, yeah, THAT happened. God save us.
Meanwhile back on earth, someone not politicizing women’s healthcare in ever more bizarre ways or even someone capable of even telling the boring truth would be refreshing.
1
From your pen to God's ears!
From your last paragraph: “...there are moderate Republicans and independents whose support is vital.”
First Democratic Party mistake: it is about turnout (see Obama, Barack), not converting people. We are in 2019. There are enough ‘moderate Republicans’ (haha, good one) and Independents to count on my two hands.
I know you’re trying to be rational, but you’re quite above is the trap that Democrats always fall into. To paraphrase Ann Coulter, one of the most virulent GOP media voices in 2011, “If we don’t nominate someone bold and new, Biden (then Romney) will be the nominee and he will lose.”
1
There are no moderate republicans. They have followed and endorsed trump from the beginning or close to it.
We don't have to impeach trump but we must impeach all the McConnels of the republican party. That can happen in 2020 and tell the low life republicans that took a scam artist over there job of America. They are a appalling bunch of politicians.
This did not have to be but the perfection of a scam artist closed people's eyes as well as heart.
We have shifted from what was true to this fake in the WH.
Be sorry for AMERICA for there miss direction but also show empathy to those people that voted for him.
Don't become like trump the narcissistic person he is. Money is his love, not people.
We are all human and deserve the presents of all humanity one and for all.
I Desperately want the White House Staff and Trump's cabinet to be held accountable the rest of their lives for lying/supporting Trump. At their eulogies I want folks to remember that Barr and Graham, etc., compromised their integrity and sold their souls to the devil incarnate. They should Always suffer and be held accountable for the evil they've brought upon our country.
1
The GOP propaganda machine has run amok. It is stuck in “attack mode” and will shoot down anyone who deviates in the slightest from the conservative orthodoxy. Someone has to plug the plug on it.
Didn’t the past election have Gary Johnson and Bill Weld; the libertarian candidate Tom is hoping for?
We're all focused on Trump, but the true source of corruption in this administration emanates from McConnell. He's as wily and clever as he is devoid of integrity. He and his willing lapdogs like Cornyn and Graham are much more dangerous than the blustering dimwit in the White House. Democrats need to run strong candidates like Stacey Abrams against these corrupt, morally bankrupt men.
If we can't impeach this president, the lowest and most corrupt conceivable, then impeachment itself will be rendered a useless and unusable tool.
How does Mr Trump bend people into fawning sycophants? I'ts very simple. Fear.
"we need a patriotic Republican on the right" LOL!!!
What you're saying is Make America Great Again - pre-trump. Or Bend America Back Again.
Irony about the million-species extinction report? A patriotic Republican is already extinct - indeed after Sen McCain passed away. Besides, ALL Republicans HAVE chosen a side - not even Elie Wiesel could claim otherwise for this irredeemable party.
If you bend back the Republicans that trump successfully bent, they'd break. Fortunately there are many FORMER Republicans, conservatives who have rejected and abandoned the trumplican party. We need to focus on them.
Run against trump "but do it from his right" - Excuse me? To the right of the too-extreme right? Really?
You forgot to mention Jerry Falwell Jr as a bent energy source for trump - you know, the same pious leader who prayed for help from trump's fixer to resolve a problem with "racy photos" - see headline at https://www.reuters.com Indeed, who knew lecherous trump had such close affinity to Falwell Jr?
Oh, trump'll be voted out, but he also has to be impeached - for history's sake. No asterix by his name is enough. The black mark in history of his impeachment needs to be indelible, as should the black mark on Republicans that exonerate him.
"For America to stay America," Trump and the Republican party has to be destroyed. Like Saddam's Bath party, trump's Republican party needs to be purged.
"who can deliver 'all for one and one for all.'" Ah, socialism & the common good.
If ever there was a time for Romney to step back in... only he won’t. We need a patriotic Republican on a suicide mission (vis a vis the Party). Jeff Flake? Calling Mr. Jeff Flake??
Mr. Friedman, I am sorry, but we need to discuss your myopia. If you believe that Donald Trump is the problem, then, yes, your solution would serve. If you lift your gaze for a moment, however, you will see that the problem is income and racial inequality sustained by an unscrupulous minority that holds power through corporate donations that facilitate voter suppression and racial animosity. And as their minority shrinks, autocracy looks better and better to them.
Trump is a symptom, not a cause. Unless we can root out the cause - and middle of the road Democrats like Joe Biden are incapable of that - we will in a short time find ourselves back in this predicament. And the next time we might find that the fascist occupying the White House isn't as stupid and incompetent as this one is.
Noticed on the lintel of a courthouse on NCIS tonight:
Where law ends, tyranny begins....................
Sounds like where we are for real.
Alan Simpson if he is still with us.
1
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
Is this the best the liberals got? This scenario is what inflicted the Clintons on America. Fortunately, the founding fathers rescued us from this ongoing nightmare and gave us Mr. Trump, who despite his many flaws, is clearly better than the corrupt Mrs. Clinton. Americans, in their infinite wisdom, beat back the odious elites, including the formerly great NYTimes, that sought to continue the path trod by the feckless Obamas.
Something has happened to Tom Friedman. He has lost all sense of reality and.... honesty. Tom, why not tell your readers the truth: that neither Biden nor any of the other potential Democrat candidates can defeat this President. Americans will vote their pocketbooks and that will be that!
So, you suggest that the only way to accomplish a Trump defeat is via a Trojan Republican 3rd candidate. Not because the candidate's domestic and international policies will be better than Trump, not because he/she will serve the country's democratic principles better, but simply to divide the Republican vote and throw the election to an inferior Democrat nominee. How wonderfully unrealistic and dishonest. There will be no such candidate as most rational Republicans see this President as a winner and all Democrat candidates as losers.
As usual Mr. Friedman, this is a pipe dream of yours and like most, if not all of your pipe dreams of the last few years, they are absurd if not wholly disingenuous.
Oh, and btw, your Trump hate has become so extreme that reading your columns has become a task not a pleasure, as they once were.
1
I thought my opinion of Tom Friedman could not get lower. I was wrong. A claim to head the lessons of history, Tom? I don't think so. Not to impeach? This is to have no functional respect for law and order. Shame on you, and shame on what is going on in the USA. It will not end well - more than words can say. A nation in every kind of long-term decline. Until more people wake up to the moral rot and carnage that is Trump and his enabling swamp which will creep to 99% of our doors, and in fact the amorality. engineered ignorance and willful ignorance of the majority of the population who cannot learn from even what happened less than 13 years ago (2007) or last month, and the short-term thinking of the neoliberals (elites) who are complicit morally and practically, this Nation is leading the world right off an environmental and economic cliff. (No negotiating with the laws of physics.) We can't imagine what evil, death and suffering is being set into our future sooner and later. And China and other 'nasty, brutish and short'-based, non-democratic Nations will rise for as long as we have anything like 'organized society.' Orwell was right. Propaganda works. Human consciousness is too limited. And the likes of an elite like Thomas Friedman is complicit.
1
As most others have pointed out, if there were Republicans with that kind of integrity and love for this country, they’ve retired by now. Weld is about the last one and he is running.
The problem is that the country cannot be stitched back together. 40% of the country has fervently supported a de facto white supremacist surrounded by white supremacists and Christofascists.
Now that they’ve shown us who they are, I don’t know how the rest of America can unsee that.
“How did we let this grifter take over our party?”
You mean this particular grifter, as opposed to every other Republican grifter?
Tom, you say, “his opposition to immigration.” But Trump’s focus is on illegal immigration, not “immigration,” and, after all, it’s the illegal part, the rule of law part, rejected by Democrats, that made it his point issue. I’m sure you didn’t intend to deceive readers by saying immigration, because that would be dishonest.
By the way, I’m the most anti-Trump commenter, emphasizing his diagnosis as a brain-damaged psychopath.
There IS a Republican running against Trump: Bill Weld. Why don't you cover him?
1
"Patriotic Republican" feels more and more like an oxymoron.
2
Good luck. The MSM sold its journalistic soul by becoming unapologetic advocates for the far left views most of its employees hold. This allowed them to justify their relentless persecution of all things Trump—including those who voted for him. But it has set a precedent that will be followed from now on—and into the next administrations. Once you allow evil to escape from Pandora’s Box, it is almost impossible to push it back in.
You've got it completely backward.
Those "spoons" were already bent.
Do you really think it takes some kind of special magic to "bend" Lindsay Graham, or even a William Barr?
The GOP is just as corrupt as Trump, they just aren't as good at it as he is, which is why they love him so much, he's showing all of them their true "potential".
"Finally, most important, we need a Democratic candidate who can appeal not only to Democrats but also hold the independents, moderate Republicans and suburban women ..."
Sorry, but any independent, "moderate" repub or suburban woman - or anyone else - is not going to think what they thought last time: Well, I don't love Trump, but the Dem candidate is worse.
Anyone who votes for Trump this time around actually wants Trump.
1
The secret is, Tom, they were bent already, Trump just pointed them out.
116
"I don't want him impeached. He has to be voted out." That means throwing out our system of government, specifically the republic part. The Founding Fathers made America a republic before a democracy, in part, to prevent a despot from being elected who could not be held accountable or removed from office. It's why we have a tripartite government, a separation of powers as laid out in Federalist 51, and impeachment.
Friedman insists: "We need a Republican third-party candidate who won't just primary Trump but will get on the general election ballot and challenge him in 2020 in all 50 states-but do it from his right...we need a Republican who will do the most high-minded, patriotic thing I can imagine today-fall on the Trump grenade. That is, run against Trump from the right in the national election as, say, a libertarian."
The problem is Trump is not an aberration. The GOP was already a de facto authoritarian party. Ronald Reagan vilified the very idea of good government, New Gingrich made the GOP a politics is just "a war for power" party, Tom DeLay blatantly rigged American elections, and Mitch McConnell steals Supreme Court seats. There are no "high-minded, patriotic" Republicans. The "best" Republican complains a tiny bit, gets vilified, yet still protects Trump, and then retires.
Finally, libertarians won't run as they're getting what they want in Trump. If one did, they'd pull votes from Democrats. You'd need to run a true white supremacist to do what you propose.
2
The only DEMs who qualify for Friedman's profile are Joe Biden, Amy Klobuchar, and John Hickenlooper - and the only GOP'ers who qualify - albeit will not switch to a 3rd party - are Bill Weld (already announced) - and John Kasich (unlikely to announce at this late date) - and I'll vote for one of them in the primary and 2020 election - and hopefully need not "write-in" (Kasich) as I did in 2016 - in disdain of 2 flawed nominees. The Friedman article is an excellent exposition on the strategy needed to defeat Trump.
"Moderate Republicans" What?
"Independents" Huh?
"...and the Democrat that gets it wins."
Respectfully, nothing could be further from the truth. But, this isn't about being wrong - it's about how being wrong negatively impacts the trajectory of our Republic...and that's a big deal.
The modern Republican would have been considered an enigma during Reagan. All the adumbrate's who consider themselves 'centrist' simply lack appreciation and/or understanding of how far Right this country has moved. Sorry if you're someone whom this shoe fits...sorry for us all.
Trump won not because of the hallowed (and largely fictional) 'independent' but because of neglect for truly progressive values, ideas, and legislation by neoliberals and by, clearly, Republicans (past, current, and future). The effect? The outcome? Millions of disenfranchised Americans who are being crushed by the weight of wealth and income inequality. 10s of millions living in poverty. 10s of millions working countless hours a week but cannot stay afloat. These people see the American dream slipping away, life becoming harder, and the ever-rightward Republican 'radical' message has hypnotized too many of us 'it's not inequality', 'inequality is because of lazy people', 'it's brown people', 'it's welfare queens' etc. etc.
Embracing those who now call themselves centrist or independents is like standing under a black hole and exclaiming 'ok, let go, I got it'. the weight of that mass will extinguish us all.
Traditional Democrat voters in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania won the election for President Trump in 2016. That will happen again in 2020.
1
@Hank, 77000 votes in tainted districts in those three states made the electoral college difference in 2016. It is premature to assert that voters in those three states will repeat their horrible error of judgement. There are a lot of Americans who will vote for a lightpost if said object has the big D next to its name.
1
@karen
According to Gallup, Donald Trump has the same approval rating that Obama had at this point in his presidency. Prepare yourself for another major disappointment.
It's a nice pipe dream. But all politicians are bought by corporations, this is well-documented. As long as this is the status quo, nobody will get behind anything. Politics will just be met with indifference. For those that do still care about politics, you'd be preaching to the choir. If our political system doesn't evolve with the times via term limits for every seat, eliminating PACs and cloaked donations, elimination of superdelegates and self-defeating primary voting rules, and dying media relying on clickbait and info that wasn't fact-checked just to be first, then you're just talking to a wall.
3
Rand Paul Libertarian party Paul isn't up for re-election until 2022. He's got my vote (well, until the actual election).
trump actually seems to be getting less crazy lately and in any case despite weekly made for twitter dramas i'm okay with him.