Dan Rather: Why Am I Speaking Out?

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Dan Rather
@DanRather
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Of all the messages I have shared over my career, as a field reporter, from the anchor chair, and most recently through my platforms on social media and this Steady newsletter, this is among the most important. At least to me personally.

steady.substack.com
Why Am I Speaking Out?
The truth is what it is
9:07 PM · Sep 20, 2022

*snip*


This is the truth.

The truth is that to elect Donald Trump in 2024 would be to create the very real possibility of ending democracy as we know it.

The truth is that electing governors and secretaries of state who wish to undermine free and fair elections could very well end democracy as we know it.

The truth is that a federal judiciary stocked with Trump judges eager to do his bidding could very well end democracy as we know it.

I don’t think it is controversial to say any of this. Or it shouldn’t be. There are many rank and file Republicans who see this truth and haven’t been afraid to say it. This isn’t about politics per se, as in a competition for votes and ideas around specific policies. And this isn’t to suggest that Democrats are right on any particular issue, be it taxes, education, immigration, you name it. I continue to believe that people of good faith can disagree about remedies and causes for action. That is what a healthy democracy is all about.

But there should be areas where there is no disagreement, regardless of political party.

You can’t disagree about whether a loser of a fair election has lost, or should summon up a violent mob to hold on to office.

You can’t disagree about whether a former president should be above the law.

You can’t disagree about whether corruption should go unpunished.

You can’t disagree about whether it’s okay to lie.

It gives me no joy to be in this position, to see the country and people I love in a place of danger. I have spent my life in journalism, and I see so many stories around the world worthy of our attention. But I don’t think there is a bigger story than the current threat to American democracy. It weaves together so many of the threads of our national tapestry. It is about power and race and the rule of law and economic opportunity and the very notion of what freedom should be.

*snip*

[RussBLib]

1. Just another a**hole from Texas

That was folks. Just showing how we should not paint everyone from here or there with a broad brush, I guess.

I love Dan Rather, and not just because we are both Texans.

[electric_blue68]

3. I know two liberals from Texas. One who still lives there, and one who left. Oh, and another new..

acquaintance who moved from Texas.

[RussBLib]

4. Most of my friends still live on Texas

Some have moved, naturally.

Met a few Californians who have moved here. Good people.

We are sooooo close to flipping Texas blue, but the state lege is still full of idiots.

[electric_blue68]

5. Unfortunately Repluglicans stated their "take over the States' Legislative Chambers" ...

decades ago.
I certainly appreciated Gov Ann Richards, Molly ivins!


Anyway, GO, Lone Star State!


I had one nice Cali on-line friend. Glad you've met some irl. 👍
I can remember way back a bunch of Californians and Mid-westiners (all of us involved in shared interests) debating the disaster probabilities of Earthquakes vs Tornadoes if they wanted to switch places.

[Cha]

2. The Truth is Scary Shit.. TY &

Dan Rather!

It is the most Important!

[Hermit-The-Prog]

6. Republicans revoke rights. Democrats expand rights. Choose.

[Mr. Ected]

7. You can't disagree about whether a former president should be above the law

Can I add one, Dan?

We shouldn't disagree that a CURRENT president should be above the law either.

Trump's myriad crimes were known to the American public and should have been pursued and punished, but some stupid DOJ memo from Nixon's time somehow handcuffed Mueller and allowed an American citizen a Get Out of Jail Free card that he did not deserve, especially since his crimes included leveraging a hostile foreign entity into the election process.

Our system needs to be able to cope with the possibility that the sitting President is a felon and not offer him some kind of extra-Constitutional protection. The VP will simply need to step in at that point. It's not a Constitutional crisis, or shouldn't be.

[Hortensis]

8. This is our big problem and its fix: "You can't disagree about whether it's okay to lie."

WE THE PEOPLE should never support politicians and campaigns that are based on lying to the electorate and slandering opponents. Those who do corrupt and are corrupted from both the bottom up and the top down. Supporting partisan lies for the purpose of winning elections and indulging personal biases (self-deceits!) has become a norm.

Nearly every founding father wrote that a "virtuous" people was an absolute requirement for democracy to succeed.

“Public virtue cannot exist in a Nation without private Virtue, and public Virtue is the only Foundation of Republics." John Adams

"Neither the wisest constitution nor the wisest laws will secure the liberty and happiness of a people whose manners are universally corrupt. He therefore is the truest friend of the liberty of his country who tries most to promote its virtue." Samuel Adams

“Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom.” Benjamin Franklin

Many others. A majority have become "unvirtuous." It's not just "them." Most Democratic voters make systematic lying a losing tactic, but a few candidates running on the Democratic presidential ballot have gathered significant support through narratives of deceit and slander. But if we reject politicians and movements that simply cannot win if they're honest about themselves and their opponents, that mostly eliminates ability to support the rest of the problems.