32 Comments

I don’t subscribe to the Trump wins arguments at all. It’s a fluid environment. Joe is still Joeing.

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Gotta agree with this. I can't imagine there is a huge swath of swing voters who will suddenly go, "Aaaah, NOW I've made my mind up." (Then again, I can't imagine there are many swing voters compared to previous elections.)

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I don't see any "cuts both ways" argument. My mother used to do that. Mediate that both of her children were equally guilty in a bid to keep the peace. All it did was embolden the guilty child toward more misbehavior and cancel the motivation of the other child for being good.

Evidence of violent influence is only made evident by acts of violence from those influenced. The media chattering class fear porn over Trump and his working class supporters has proven persecutable with this act that killed a father, critically injured two others and nearly assassinated our future President.

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This act was one gunman who did not represent either political party, just as Lee Harvey Oswald did not represent Republicans and John Hinckley did not represent Democrats.

A 20 year old with a powerful weapon and God knows what was in his mind. For a sitting Congressman to say Biden gave him the order to shoot Trump is outrageous.

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It may seem outrageous for a sitting Congressman to say Biden gave him the order to shoot Trump until we examine how some of the rest of the world views the situation. It’s not only the sitting Congressman who’s been giving that order. Here’s the perspective from Sky News Australia. I challenge everyone to listen to this all the way thru. https://youtu.be/IFjXC3hHk_s

I think Democrats and their mainstream media cohorts have better begin to own their part in such an outrageous tragedy.

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Trump is just a candidate. If you are going to compare Oswald and Hinkley, that would be an assassination attempt of Joe Biden.

I agree that it is outrageous to claim that Biden gave the order. However, I don't think it is outrageous to believe that many Democrats are very disappointed that the shooter missed. Already today the left media is claiming that Trump's rhetoric is the cause.

It is like I tell you your butt looks weird in those jeans and you get angry and burn my house down and then claim at the trial that it was my fault because my words were upsetting you.

Of course we need to hear the rest of the story about the shooter, but violence motivated by the constant stream of media fear porn about Trump isn't a stretch to assume as a motivating force.

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Fine, just re-read Bob's comment but substitute "Sirhan Sirhan did not represent Republicans and John Schrank did not represent Democrats" there. If you want to nitpick analogies, the media has instilled fear about Project 2025, which is not comparable to someone's appearance in a pair of jeans.

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You criticize me for missing Bob's analogy and also for using an inaccurate analogy. That is the thing about analogies, they are analogies.

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I didn't say you "missed" it. If anything, Bob did, because Kennedy and Reagan were sitting Presidents when Oswald and Hinckley respectively became infamous. So I gave him Sirhan Sirhan and John Schrank, who both attempted assassinations at POTUS candidates (RFK and Teddy, respectively). After that, Bob's point was still valid – these shooters did not represent the victims' opposing parties.

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Plausible deniability seems to be the most impressive talent of the Democrat party political machine. If you can get others to do the dirty work by any means, including motivating them to action by stuffing their heads with political fear, hate and anger and then tacitly approving their "peaceful protesting", then you can always claim the violence does not represent the victims' opposing parties.

I absolutely agree that there are mentally unwell people that murder or attempt murder primarily because they are mentally unwell. I guess a related question is can the constant media drumbeat of political vitriol cause people to become mentally unwell? Many of the list of recent political gun and other political violence perps were proven MSNBC viewers.

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Am I the only one who’s noticed that the mainstream media “official narrative” of all POTUS assassination attempts is that they were done by “lone shooters” not associated with any particular political party? And how convenient that Oswald was killed by Jack Ruby before he could testify. You think that was coincidence? I happen to think all the “lone shooters” are fall guys…perhaps appropriately labeled because everyone falls for the story.

Notice how that’s happening again today? Same song, different verse. And people are falling for it. Until we dig deeper into the forces behind these events, we’ll never get to who or what forces are really behind these events.

This article by Michael Rivero digs deeper into the extent of the mainstream media policy of deception. https://whatreallyhappened.com/RANCHO/CRASH/JFK_JR/jj.php#axzz5L9t9aaUg

Full disclosure: I remember the day JFK was assassinated as though it was yesterday. And the parallels of media coverage between that event and the attempt on Trump’s life are glaring. Time for America to wake up and realize they’re being played – not informed --- by the media!

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Bob --

The best thing I have heard or read about this horrific act of violence was from Congressman Andy Kim of New Jersey. You probably remember pictures of him with a trash bag in his hand cleaning up the rotunda into the wee hours of the morning of January 7th 2021. He is now running for Senate to represent New Jersey and what an upgrade! I thought you and your readers might appreciate the words from a kind-hearted elected, here is the thread from Twitter (@AndyKimNJ):

When Lincoln was shot he wore a coat embroidered with “One Country, One Destiny.” I’ve turned to those 4 words to help me process this moment. This assassination attempt was one of the worst events I’ve seen in our democracy. It feels like we are a country unmoored I’ve never experienced a time more unpredictable yet with such generational consequence. So what does this particular moment mean? I remembered a passage in a book I read. “Power and violence are opposites; where the one rules absolutely, the other is absent.” The deep unease we carry is in part the fact that we witnessed with the shooter one person trying to use the means of violence to impose their will upon a nation of 330 million and subvert the power of people that underlies our very democracy. And now trepidation across our nation as “The practice of violence, like all action, changes the world, but the most probable change is to a more violent world.” We fear retaliation, reprisal or escalation. But let us remind ourselves that it doesn’t have to be that way. In the aftermath of other recent shocks to our country, we failed to unify and instead sadly grew more divided. I had hoped that these shocks would be what I called defibrillator moments that would shock our irregular heart beats into normal rhythm, but we fell far short. It’s not just that our divisions have grown so wide in our country, but our willingness to allow contempt to accompany us. It’s not just a disrespect that we see towards one another, it’s a deeper disregard and a disgust of one another. We are losing touch with the understanding that we are all part of something bigger than all of us. As those 4 words of Lincoln - One County, One Destiny - remind us, the commonality we share runs deep and cannot be forgotten or dismissed. Vi olence is cowardice not strength. It is fiercely undemocratic. As we process this shock, we can choose to realize that we’ve gone too far as a society down the path of contempt. We are not each other’s enemy. We are not at war with each other. Choosing to unite instead of incite does not mean we dismiss the magnitude of our differences. But it compels us to be cautious and precise about our next steps, our words, and our actions in this unbelievably precarious moment. One Country, One Destiny doesn’t mean we all agree, but instead reminds us that we share the same fate. We collectively mourn the death of the rally attendee, we are relieved that Trump wasn’t seriously injured. Now let’s unite around Lincoln’s vision One Country, One Destiny.

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Very well said.

However, one crazed, delusional person with a powerful weapon doesn't define our nation. He represented nobody but himself. Nobody. To say others caused this violence is flat-out wrong.

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Guns in the wrong hands… Really what can we expect? More guns has never been the answer. Greed by few (who feed fear) causes the destruction of many.

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Great column, Bob. You are right -- no words. From thoughtful people, that is. Thanks once again for your eloquent writing.

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Thanks so much, Yvonne.

So crazy and getting crazier.

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Well said!!

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It seems like every day someone is taking a bullet. Breaks my heart

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Breaks my heart, too, Robert. Talk about an innocent victim of some 20 year old's fantasy.

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This article sums up the how screwy things are right now. Great read. Fun to chat with you today - as always! 😊

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Yes, crazy times indeed.

Never thought it would come to this in our country.

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I immediately signed up to support you at the highest level when you lost your job with the local newspaper. When you editorialize on subjects not sports related I try to read them. However, you are increasingly political in your discourse & I truly don’t understand why you want to alienate half or more of potential readers. This will be the last of your writing I will read. No longer will I read your defaming inflammatory comments about the Supreme Court justices & all the other elected officials in your crosshairs. I wish you all the best as you are a good man & a very talented writer.

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Patricia - Thanks for your support and kind words. I'm not trying to alienate anyone.

Is there something I wrote that isn't true?

Clearly, you have some political opinions of your own. Apparently they are in contrast to some of my opinions, which is fine. I guess that's why we have elections.

Expressing one's opinion is the basic premise of writing a column in the first place.

If you need to move on, that's fine. I wish you the best as well.

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I'm the opposite. When it's sports, I delete. You're probably doing OK with the mix you have.

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Thanks George. Can't please everyone.

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Crosshairs?

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Very sharp analysis, Bob.

I, much like the many “deer-in-the-headlights” on-scene reporters…am still struggling for a handle on the moment.

Thanks for the guidance.🙏🏼

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Much appreciated, Bill

Not much any of us can say.

What crazy times we are living in

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My first thought yesterday when I saw the news about Trump dodging a bullet was “you reap what you sow.“

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I know the expression well, Pat, but I wouldn't want my worst enemy to suffer what that horrific gunman was reaping. That was pure evil coming out of the barrel of that gun.

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His narrative is hate and violence. And as a Christian, I firmly believe that love and compassion and decency and respect for mankind prevails. I’ve often said that if Jesus Christ came back today, he wouldn’t be hanging out with me or my affluent friends he would be hanging out with the homeless and disenfranchised.

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Pat - I have no doubt that if Jesus came back today - He may be on His way - He would be hanging out with the homeless and the disenfranchised.

Me? I'd be hanging out with you and your affluent friends.

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