The "ear shot" might be the 11th option because it did make enough noise to help Kamala's opponent. And you might say Biden would be hindrance #12. Though he didn't leave Kamala with much time for damage control, other countries do, successfully, run short elections. And though The Lyin' King had "huge" donors, it's not like Kamala didn't have more than enough of our money to work with.

Many of the 10 factors could have turned the election by themselves. Some worked together to form a perfect storm. The combo of his LIES, and her NOT AGGRESSIVELY confronting them was the game changer. For example, when he'd blame her and Biden for inflation, instead of saying inflation was the byproduct of corporate greed after his bungling of the pandemic, she avoided the issue. That made her look guilty and slippery.

in order of importance, this is how i'd prioritize her reasons for losing:

1. her opponent cheated. Possibly with the help of Musk.

2. too vague and un-aggressive campaign considering that her opponent had to be the most flawed and corrupt candidate in history.

3. Musk, JFK JR., Rogen cemented her opponent's image as the "change" candidate. Even if change might take the form of demolition.

4. too little, middle, same. Doing too little and playing the middle regarding issues like Gaza and income inequality. She gave the public smiles and optimism without giving us a reason to believe she's not just delivering the same old political rhetoric.

5. - 10. Though bias was a factor, i just can't believe America won't elect a woman. And Obama did prove a person of color was electable. I also believe that the economy and immigration struck chords with some people, as usual, who are 😴🤪🤑🤬. And anti-liberal alarms played a part as they always do, but "woke" is nothing new, and no reason for independents to vote for a lunatic.

It makes me sad😞

14 hours ago, brenda said:

It makes me sad😞

Brenda, consider this. Change in America is very, very difficult within the current money-corrupted political and media system. The door shutting is indeed opening a window. You saw it in the election last week. We can rebuild whatever the Lyin' King destroys. And when we do, it will be better because his behavior has exposed all the holes and corruption. People are finally seeing reality.

i needed to experience death in my family to more fully appreciate life. i needed to experience sickness to change my diet and lifestyle -- to live in health. This country is going through a "growing" phase. We're in the "terrible twos" century. We'll get through it. How do i know? Because you're here. I'm here. And last Tuesday, the American people showed that they're still here. 😊

a salient reason why the Lyin' King garnered as many votes as he did:

I used to wonder how it was possible that THE LYIN' KING could have won in 2016, and then again in 2024, given how emotionally toxic and depraved he is.

I don’t wonder anymore. I think he won for that exact reason. Because he carried at least one broken shard to reflect the broken shards in millions of others.

If you’re a racist, you found your guy. If you’re a misogynist, you found your guy. If money is your only religion, you found your guy. If your heart is armored shut, you found your guy. If you mock the disabled, you found your guy.

If intelligence makes you insecure, you found your guy. If you’re a sexual predator, you found your guy. If you trade in humiliation and conspiracy and filth, you found your guy.

If you’ve never done a single hour of emotional inventory, you found your guy. If you cheat, stiff contractors, bankrupt your obligations, and call it savvy, you found your guy. If you lie as easily as you breathe, you found your guy. If cruelty feels like strength, you found your guy.

If wh*** grievance is your comfort food, you found your guy. If your ego is a black hole no title can fill, you found your guy. If warmongering fuels your ego, you found your guy, If empathy feels like weakness and dominance feels like oxygen, you found your guy.

If he’d only carried one or two of these pathologies, he might have been dismissed as just another loud, damaged man. But he carried a buffet of them.

That was the appeal. Millions could locate themselves somewhere in the wreckage. They didn’t have to agree with all of it. They just had to recognize a piece of themselves in it.

It was never really about him. It was about the validation. The absolution. The permission. He didn’t invent the resentment; he amplified it. He didn’t create the cruelty; he normalized it. He gave millions the intoxicating relief of hearing their ugliest impulses echoed back at rally volume.

THE LYIN' KING is a symptom. The deeper illness is collective. If there’s one sentence that defines his power, it’s this: “He says the things I’m thinking.”

And that’s the part that should chill us.

Because what does it say about us that so many were thinking those things?

That tens of millions of Americans harbored resentments so deep, so seething, that they were simply waiting for a demagogue to baptize them as virtue?

That after decades of supposed progress on race, gender, and equality, so many white men felt so threatened, so displaced, so furious, that cruelty became a political platform?

Maybe we were living in a fool’s paradise, mistaking silence for healing, politeness for progress.

Now the mask is off. Now we know.

And knowing is a far more dangerous place to stand.

– Michael Jochum, Not Just a Drummer: Reflections on Art, Politics, Dogs, and the Human Condition.

https://www.facebook.com/USdems

Mr. Jochum nailed it. Donal d Trum p is merely a germ in the disease called the USA (which is part of the greater malady called Mankind). There is no remedy for the sickness, no arresting of the contagion. All of the malignancies listed by Jochum (racism, misogyny, stupidity, unfettered capitalism, predation, etc.) are in the country's DNA and on file in America's case history. The patient is incurable -- terminal. But, no worries, no fears: America is one nation under God. And as we all know, God blesses America, thank God.

Supplemental Reading and Listening

Truth Social Dressed Up With Studio Lighting

Replying to both mac and V.3, I agree with all that's been said. Call me a cynic or a pessimist, but I knew even before THE LYIN' KING came on the scene, that many people were assholes, in essence, as far as bigotry, sadism, bullies, etc.., so I wasn't that surprised that he got elected twice and has been so popular with so many. Which is why I have always not liked most people, just my friends, and mostly just tried to tolerate and shun all the assholes that are out there. They will always be there, and few if any of them, will ever change and become truly nice, generous, and honest caring people. So don't have illusions that our country is going to drastically change, even after THE LYIN' KING is gone. All that will happen, is that his followers will slink back into the shadows, retaining all their prejudices, grievances, etc., and quietly wait for the next chance to grab power thru another demagogue. And after seeing how successful THE LYIN' KING was doing that, have no doubt there will be another Repub candidate that will come along, hopefully after I'm dead, that will mine the same veins as THE LYIN' KING did in the population...

The March 14, 2026 broadcast of the Ralph Nader Radio Hour skewers Spineless Democrats. Nader and his guest Corbin Trent, former communications director for Alexandria Ocasio Cortez and publisher of America's Undoing perfectly explain and affirm why the Democratic Party has lost my support and vote.

"It's like this class of people you're talking about just can't understand it is not my job as a voter to inspire myself to vote for you. It's your job as a candidate or as a party or as somebody to build a vision that inspires me to vote . . . I will disrupt my entire life for you if I think that you're gonna go to bat for me . . ." -- Corbin Trent explaining why he has voted only four times during his lifetime

"You know, when I look at how these Democrats have been treating the Progressive wing of the party, they have pushed it into sort of a fetal position, of this just sort of beaten and abused political movement that's unable to start leading. It's unable to start thinking outside the box. And then they've just got them backed into a corner." -- Corbin Trent

"We have a Democratic Party leadership that Corbin Trent describes this way, quote 'This is where the American people need resistance. War, regime change, bombing a country we're actively negotiating with, killing a head of state and over a 100 school children in the same weekend. And Democratic leadership isn't just failing to resist, they're actively working to make sure nobody else does either.' End quote." -- Ralph Nader

"Too many Democrats in Congress don't actually disagree with Trum p." -- Why is the Resistance Failing to Resist?

Totally agree mac, great post. And thanks for including the link to the essay by Trent. I read it and shared it to my FB page.. And I really like how Trent not only exposes the spinelessness of the congressional Dems towards THE LYIN' KING, but also their longtime collusion and agreement with the Repub Party for so long, behind the scenes on foreign policy, war, economic policy, civil liberties, even climate change. All areas where the diffs between the party are not really on policy, but on the pace of executing them, as well as the tactics and strategies for implementing them, not on whether the policies are right, moral, or fair, in the first place..

Gaza, and parading around with Liz Cheney and not listening to the Left/Progressive flank of her base.

I agree. Dissing the progressives didn't cause them to vote for THE LYIN' KING, but it did tamp down enthusiasm for Kamala. When, if ever, will the Dem Party's leadership decide to run candidates and support policies that actually inspire voters to want to vote for them, or actually earn their votes, instead of just continually running on the premise of voting for the lesser evil, or simply running on how bad the other party is? As Dylan said so many years ago, ironicly, The answer my friend, is blowing in the wind....