Steve Schmidt...

[pbmus]

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[renate]

1. He's brilliant

I will always stop and pay attention to what he says or writes.

[MontanaMama]

2. Boy howdy.

I do too renate. He doesn't always make me feel better but I know he speaks truth.

[Grasswire2]

5. you made me smile

"boy howdy" is so essentially an American expression. My Kansas FIL is the first place I heard it.

[MontanaMama]

7. It sounds kinda Kansas, doesn't it?

I think I'm dating myself.

[pdsimdars]

14. if you'r'e dating yourself is that a form of incest, since you are in your family?

[MontanaMama]

15. Aren't you a funny one...

Dating as in showing evidence of my age. "boy howdy" isn't a term the hipsters use.

[90-percent]

25. it was the catch phrase for

it was the catch phrase for Creem magazine in the 70's and 80's. Rachel also says it a lot on her show.

-90% Jimmy

[spanone]

3. K&R...

[Grasswire2]

4. He forgot Hannity. nt

[hibbing]

31. +1

[Hekate]

6. I am proud to stand with Steve Schmidt, eloquent witness to these dismal days ...

...in the country we both love.

[PearliePoo2]

8. Steve Schmidt is not done yet. From today:

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[Hermit-The-Prog]

65. needs to scroll on buildings in every city

These messages need to be seen by millions. Maybe some will awaken.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

9. He doesn't beat around the bush, does he?

[PearliePoo2]

10. More! Just now and it's scary.

Link to tweet

[ginnyinWI]

32. He isn't allowed to bash Democrats after the pipe bomb thing,

so he's doubling down on the media. Always has to have an enemy to fight! Just like a bully. But he's trying to show his minions that he's still a tough guy. And himself!

[libdem4life]

11. Steve Schmidt...one of the truly Good Guys. And he has a way with words !

PS...forgot Stephen Miller...Nazi Supreme.

[bitterross]

21. He's NOT one of the Good Guys. He brought us Palin. He is Republican.

Last edited Tue Oct 30, 2018, 02:22 PM - Edit history (2)

Don't think for a minute he won't go back to being plain old GOP again. He's not one of the good guys. He just temporarily shares a common enemy with us.

He gave us Palin and if you don't remember, let me remind you the McCain campaign used Obama's middle name "Hussein" as often as it could in ads, and speeches.

He only wants control back in the hands of the GOP people he prefers. He's not a good guy with a progressive agenda.

Don't forget that.

[nolabear]

23. I'll take his defection and help. I'd take anyone's if they're consistent.

We’re beyond requiring a pure past. We need help now.

[BamaRefugee]

27. Defected to WHERE though? has he become a Democrat? If not, he's just still grifting

[libdem4life]

39. Hold a grudge, much? He's more democratic than many of "our own". Joe Scarborough

defected too...as are other high profile Republicans, also Nicolle Wallace. iDC what they are registered. They are powerful and well thought of and well spoken.

[BamaRefugee]

40. Not holding a grudge, but DARING thes people to actually become Democrats!

[libdem4life]

46. What for? If that changes what they say and what they mean...that's pretty sad.

They could have a U for Unicorn and I wouldn't care. They are popular on TV, they are listened to, they are well-spoken and intelligent. Would that these traits were enough.

[BamaRefugee]

47. My post isn't about YOU, it's about being brave enough to bring new voters with you as you identify

as a DEMOCRAT now, rather than a Republican-In-Waiting. Actions speak louder than words.

[libdem4life]

50. Gee thanks...thought it was about ME...silly ME.

People get hung up on labels and titles...but in the end, it's what They Both Say and Do that counts. How do you know they are NOT doing that? Seems they have quite a larger audience than some here. They are not on Fox News. Has anyone done a poll? Asked anyone? This partisan thing can go overboard with a big splash.

[nolabear]

53. I don't require that. The GOP is deeply factionalized and that's helpful.

In the few instances where Republicans are aghast at what the party is doing I think that’s valuable.

[Caliman73]

48. They aren't really defecting. They are just waiting for the GOP to go back to normal...

You know, trickle down economics and the subtle dog whistle politics about "welfare queens" that they cut their teeth on. I think that we welcome any criticism of Trump, but there is a difference between accepting the criticism and embracing the politics they bring with them. You talk about being "more Democratic then many of our own... I am assuming you mean Manchin, Donnelly, and Heidtkamp who often vote with Republicans. The problem with bringing the Steve Schmidt's, Scarborough's, and Wallace's of the world into the camp is that they bring that same republican ideology with them.

Schmidt is correct in his criticism of Trump, but he himself helped to lay the foundation for the rise of a Trump to power in the GOP. Notice how we as Democrats have not had such a figure like Trump in modern history. That is because our ideology is naturally averse to falling in line and believing in some mythical ideology like Schmidt, Scarborough, and Wallace STILL believe in.

[libdem4life]

54. I'm no political genius, far from it, but just as the South slowly turned from

Democratic to Republican...and I remember those days...I see a similar situation. The Republican Party will end up just being the Tea Party and Fox News, writ large.

These folks are talking on MSNBC, on CNN, etc. Not on Fox News. Maybe the news folk know a thing or two we don't? And do we REALLY know what they really think now? I haven't heard them spouting Republican talking points lately. I, for one, will hold the political door open. Closed doors never get anywhere. And if we are to destroy the real menace, the ex-Democrat Orange Man, we'll need them...mark my words.

Read he just sent thousands of troops to the border. He's insane. I'll take some of his thoughtful, realigning former supporters who have not lost their minds.

[Caliman73]

42. Maybe grifting, but I think more accurately trying to salvage conservatism.

He has a niche with his attack on Trump, but I agree with your question "Defected to WHERE...?" Schmidt is a conservative. He still believes in trickle down economics. He still believes in not taxing the "job creators". He still believes in the status quo in this country which is where White Christian Men with means, call the shots. What he is protesting is against this man who is showing where the logical conclusion of 40 plus years of rightward slant has lead us. If he can make some coin doing it, then he isn't going to say no, but I think his motivation is a little more long term.


Just like FDR in the 1930's. He was a decent man who thought that the government should step in when it needed to, but he was really saving capitalism from itself. He didn't want to become a fascist or communist country so he took steps to shore up the system to preserve its capitalistic core.

[BamaRefugee]

45. thanks for the thoughtful response!

[Hamlette]

60. I haven't heard him support trickle down or not taxing "job creators"

I have read all the books of the GOP defectors, or Trump defectors. some are done with the GOP and some are not.

Max Boot specifically says in his book that he thinks trickle down economics or not taxing job creators is BS. He lists his beliefs near the end of the book and the only one Dems don't support all the time is free trade.

My bet is Schmidt is more like Boot but I've never heard him make statements on taxing the rich or trickle down. Maybe you can direct me to some recent statements by him?

(Disclaimer: My Dad was a republican but left the party over Reagan. He went into a depression for 2 years as he felt he had wasted his life supporting war mongers. When he came out of it he was more left wing than any of us. Give them a chance. If I had to leave the Dem party it would take me awhile to figure out where to go.

[Caliman73]

62. Here is one.

https://www.rawstory.com/2018/06/steve-schmidt-attacks-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-dishonest-progressivism-says-bad-trumpism/


Schmidt is denouncing Trump, not conservatism.

As I have said, we should take any help we can get in denouncing Trump, be we need not embrace them as heroes however.

[Hamlette]

66. Oh please

he doesn't say he believes in trickle down, he says Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is over promising, which she is.

Just trying to have an honest conversation here. Trickle down is looney right shit. He's not looney right. He just knows how to add.

[maddiemom]

49. Check out the 2012 fim, "Game Change" from the Halperin/Heileman book.

It may give you a slightly different perspective, AND it's funny. Julianne Moore is Palin, and Woody Harrelson is Schmidt (Ed Harris is a perplexed John McCain

[bitterross]

63. I own the movie and love it.

It's a great movie based on the story of the election and Palin. It's not a documentary.

Yes, he is doing the right thing right now. But that's because he wants to be back in the game. As soon as they can get rid of Trump and his minions he'll be back to business as usual. Being a Republican who wants tax breaks for corporations and fewer worker rights. That is who they are.

[SergeStorms]

68. Yeah, Steve was quite content....

when FOX Noise, Limbaugh, Hannity, Gingrich and the rest were spreading their lies against Obama. It's just when the GOP went off the rails and allowed Trump to take the GOP to it's logical conclusion that he became "offended". Everything up to that point had his blessing.

The old adage, "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" holds true to a point. Never forget that Steve Schmidt brought the GOP right up to the precipice of the Trump chasm. The old GOP establishment wants their party back, and if they get it Schmidt will revert right back to his former Democrat hating self.

[Scarsdale]

71. I agree.

He, along with Nicole Wallace could have ended Palin's run simply by providing the TRUTH about "her Down Syndrome son" He is her GRANDSON. They helped cover up that lie, knowing that if McCain won, Palin the lying screwball would be second in line for the WH. Imagine, the Alaskan hillbillies camping on the lawn at the WH. Her qualifications are no better than tRumps.

[violetpastille]

78. Thanks for this.

[NastyRiffraff]

12. I'm very glad he's on our side

He wasn't always, of course. But even when he was touting a Republican agenda he was sane.

[lostnfound]

72. He is not on our side as Democrats, but he IS on our side as Americans.

That’s enough.
The Republican Party needs to be humbled, razed and then pulled out of the mud slowly by the likes of Schmidt, Frum, McMullin.

Regrown without massive infusions of cash from particular billionaires and corporate lobby groups.

[PearliePoo2]

13. Over a year ago, I saw Schmidt on with Stephanie Ruhle.

He said when this ALL comes out and is exposed (and it will), the American people are going to be shocked to their core and have their minds blown at the biggest scandal in the history of this country.

Stephanie's jaw dropped, her eyes got wide and with a scared face she turned to the camera and said, "Did ya all just hear that?"

Harold Ford Jr. (he sure disappeared, didn't he?) was looking down nodding his head, then he stared at his shoes and looked like he was going to start crying. Seriously.

I don't know what all Steve Schmidt knows, but if he is this concerned, I'm totally terrified.

[ginnyinWI]

33. Nixon on steroids. And we thought that was a scandal. n/t

[Grins]

16. Depending on where you vote, polls open in 178 HOURS. Keep it up Trump, Hannity, Limbaugh....

The more you back child molesters, rapists, mass murderers in the few days prior to a major election....!

[matt819]

17. All of this is troubling, of course

But what is most remarkable, I think, is the silence from national Republicans.

[Cosmocat]

18. YEP

the created the monster, and AT BEST are living in fear of it.

More likely, they are eagerly going along for the ride.

[rkleinberger]

41. It is not remarkable at all.

It is time for everyone on the Left to stop being shocked somehow. It is time to being surprised at their actions and go on the offense to put and end the Trump regime. Unfortunately, I do not see Mueller getting this done.

[matt819]

55. I'm not shocked

Maybe I used the wrong word. I expect nothing less from Republicans. Vile. Immoral. Despicable. Shocking only to the extent that in a normal America it would’ve been shocking. Now it’s just business as usual. I no longer question how they sleep at night. When you’re a sociopath, it’s easy.

I saw a piece on huffpo just now. Even drudge noted the soullessness of the Fox News creatures.

[gademocrat7]

19. Steve Schmidt is absolutely right.

[BamaRefugee]

20. I know Schmidt "renounced" the GOP, but I've never seen what his new affiliation is. Until he comes

out as a Democrat, he's just another right wing grifter/enabler, his choices of candidates to work for are heinous.

We haven't forgotten Schwarzenegger in Cali, and Schmidt was his campaign manager.

[MrsCoffee]

30. He renounced the GOP and said he was going to vote for Democrats.

That's a pretty big step in and of itself, don't you think?

“This Independent voter will be aligned with the only party left in America that stands for what is right and decent and remains fidelitous to our Republic, objective truth, the rule of law and our Allies. That party is the Democratic Party,” Schmidt wrote.

[BamaRefugee]

34. I've done a bit of searching and all I can find is that he counsels OTHERS to vote Democratic...

..who does he work for now, how does he earn a living, is he on the staff of ANY Democratic candidate?


He's still a Republican-in-waiting, he'll be back as soon as there's a more "palatable" Reich Winger he can get behind.

[Caliman73]

22. Schmidt is correct, but where was he with this in the 90's?

Gingrich, Limbaugh, Levine, Fox News; this has been their playbook since their inception. They spewed the same garbage they are spewing today, with Trump's blessing, since the Clinton administration.

Frankenstein's monster is on the loose and has killed the girl and now they are all screaming about it.

Thanks Dr. Frankenstein. Thanks for the warning.

How about next time, don't create a monster?

[BamaRefugee]

26. Perfect response.

[Caliman73]

28. Thanks.

I know that we need to take allies against this clown where we can, but I am not understanding why so many people are praising these guys like Schmidt, Wallace, and Scarborough when they were all HEAVILY involved in supporting right wing policy for decades.

This started WAY back with Nixon. It isn't a new phenomena that suddenly people should be thinking, "Oh my! Where did this come from?"

It is the natural end to right wing politics. When making and keeping money is the MAIN thing you promote as a party, you will eventually end up with a crook who wants to blatantly use the power of government to help the richest and most powerful people to make money.

When you rely on racial grievance and religious bigotry as political allies in a country that has already shown tendencies toward White Supremacy and Christian Dominionism you are going to end up with a demagogue who courts it up to and over the line.

No one on the right should be surprised about this, especially those people who have been as close to the power base as Schmidt, Wallce, Scarborough, and the others who just recently started speaking out.

[ginnyinWI]

35. People can change!

I did. I was raised a Republican. Cast my first vote for a Democrat when Bill Clinton ran the second time.

Democrats should not be so politically pure that they reject people like him--and me!

[Caliman73]

38. Yes they can.

My dad was a Republican too and cast his vote for Clinton the same year that I cast my first ballot for Clinton in 92.

The problem with people like Schimdt is that they are not rejecting Republican ideology. If you can, watch the last episode of Bill Maher's show where Schmidt was on.

The Republican leadership shtick is this: Conservatism doesn't fail, people fail conservatism.

Schmidt doesn't like Trump because Trump is unlikable to a normally functioning person. He still however, thinks that conservatism is the real answer to our problems.

I am certainly not being pure, if Schmidt admits that Conservatism itself has failed because Conservatism produced Trump, then I will admit I was completely wrong.

During WWII The US and Britain fought along side of the Soviets because Germany and Japan (and Italy) were the greatest threats, but what happened after the Axis was defeated? Did we just put all our differences aside and live peacefully ever after?

That is what I am saying. I will gladly accept help against Trump because he is tearing down our institutions. However, I do not trust Steve Schmidt because he remains a supporter of Conservatism as an ideology and just doesn't like how Trump is dragging the ideology through the mud.

[libdem4life]

43. This is insane. Who cares...Trump was a Democrat back then too.

Should we support him? And party affiliation isn't sacrosanct except for the diehards. Geez.

They are influencing people to think for themselves and have an important message...maybe we don't always need a R or D to be correct. I was a Republican once, as well. So was my Dad. He's gone, but I believe he would be with Schmidt, Scarborough and the other "monsters" spoken of.

[Caliman73]

51. Who are they influencing.

They are going on MSNBC to denounce Trump. They aren't going on Fox. They aren't even welcome on Fox.

I agree that you don't need a D to be correct and R doesn't mean you are automatically bad. However, as I have stated over and over again. Schmidt STILL believes in trickle down economics and at the end of the day, the Republican ideology is better than Democratic policy.

We allied with the Soviet Union to beat the Nazis, but after we won, guess what? The Soviets still believed that the Communist vanguard had to over run the world and destroy the bourgeois capitalist system. The Russians were heroic in their defeat of Nazism, but they were not doing it to promote freedom and democracy. They were doing it to save their own system of government. That is what Schmidt is doing.

[libdem4life]

56. I'll just stick with your first sentence. n/t

[Caliman73]

59. Okey doke

You are okay with them appearing on cable news that is watched primarily by those already disinclined to support Trump while basically not going anywhere near outlets that Republicans would watch. I guess that is why we all come here right? To preach among the converted?

Like I said, and will repeat. I will accept any criticism of Trump whether from Republicans, Libertarians, Greens, Russians, etc... but that doesn't mean that they are friends and that I trust them.

[BamaRefugee]

61. yes, this.

[Raine]

70. Exactly

and I can't forget how he inflicted Palin on us!

[pangaia]

24. Another trial run for full blown fascism.

[njhoneybadger]

29. Thank You Steve Schmidt

[rickyhall]

36. RepubliCONs like Limbaugh and Gingrich are feeble minded, sick and racist.

[oberliner]

37. This man helped run the George W Bush re-election campaign

[pbmus]

52. Forward to today.....he is one of the most eloquent critics of politics today

[oberliner]

58. Odd that he didn't object to the Republican party under Bush

And probably he would go back into the fold if someone like Jeb got the nomination in 2020, or Nikki Haley.

[MoonRiver]

44. WOW- nuff said

[JAD]

57. Steve helped cause this!

Steve helped cause this by putting an unqualified know-nothing lunatic into a VP slot.

It's like yelling FIRE after the building has already burned down.

[tavernier]

64. He is pulling the rope, ringing the firebell with all his might.

Amazing how a few here want to cut the rope.

[lostnfound]

73. He started part of the fire... it burned to places he cares about..but I don't want to cut the rope

Right now he is effectively putting country before party, and maybe will rate each some that others of us can’t reach.

[Judi Lynn]

67. Never have been more impressed by a Republican or former Republican. Bless Steve Schmidt.

Hoping every day he will be safe, as he is speaking nothing but the truth, almost impossible for a Republican, and, unfortunately, could be very dangerous.

Thank you for this thread, pbmus.

[sagesnow]

69. Maga Terror

Everywhere you look.

[calimary]

74. Yes. True. But do we trust him?

I’m one of many, here and elsewhere, who love and embrace Steve Schmidt and other in the Dark Side who appear to have “come into the light.” They certainly sound like they have.

So okay then. All that stuff about forgiveness and not looking a gift horse in the mouth. Fine. But are they REALLY among the converted? I guess we’ll have to see how complete that “rehabilitation” really is. Have they really seen and understood the error of their ways? Have they really reformed from their wretched, cockeyed, wrong-headed, CONservative worldview? Seriously? Only time and the eventual end of the trump era will tell. Because as we all know, republi-CONS certainly can talk a good game.

I’m glad to hear the about-face NOW. But that’s NOW. I’m hard-wired NOT to trust anything republi-CON. Even if it sounds good NOW. I believe souls can be saved, and I believe there are deathbed conversions. But are these REALLY that? Is Steve Schmidt really a changed man? A genuine penitent - or a Trojan Horse?

Is Jennifer Rubin, a conservative who has more recently been vigorously dumping on trump, REALLY among the converted?

How about Bill Kristol? Max Boot? Ana Navarro? And the “recovering” GOPers like the former Congressmen who are now regular contributors on MSNBC? And all those others who say they’ve now switched from GOP to Independent? Are they REALLY among the good guys now? Have they understood and acknowledged the error of their thinking, and reformed? Have they sincerely and legitimately seen the light, and renounced their previous “sincerely-held beliefs”? There’s a bunch of “political asylum-seekers” on this list right now.

But there’s something in me that doesn’t want to let down my guard. There’s something in me that’s not ready to trust. What keeps echoing loudly in my ears is the comment I’m hearing more frequently now that the election’s mere days away, and the poll numbers are tightening: “Republicans always come home.”

[wryter2000]

75. I love what he and others like him are saying

But will they ever acknowledge that we've been moving toward this hatred and ignorance since Reagan and they were just fine with it until now?

I guess if they remain on the right side of truth and justice once Trump is gone, I'll continue to love them.

[Achilleaze]

76. k and r

[stonecutter357]

77. Steve Schmidt is a RWNJ......

[obnoxiousdrunk]

79. But

he has not registered as a Democrat yet. He bought us Palin .... So much fake outrage in this thread. Thank you Steve for speaking up.