Welcome to the column where you provide the content. As the tortuous hours of the vote count grind on, Paul Kelly reckoned Joe Biden’s tone the day after the election was “pitch perfect”, invoking classic American ideals with his pledge “to unite, to heal, to come together as a nation” as Donald Trump thundered for his lawyers. It was all too much for Steve:
“I have spent the last four years feeling dismayed by Trump’s erratic and chaotic presidency. But now, oddly, I have a sense of impending doom. I can’t explain it. It’s like someone in your family has just made a very poor choice of life partner. I can’t shake the feeling that the good people of the USA have been conned. Thank goodness the Senate appears not to be going to the Dems.”
Mary was dismayed:
“A big omission Mr Kelly, leaving Kamala Harris out of your assessment of Biden’s presidency. Biden is the ventriloquist’s doll.”
Elisabeth was irate:
“ ‘Resentful Trump legions who won’t accept the result’. Are you serious? Not like the Democrats and their supporters who have been so gracious over the past 4 years.”
Peter the 70th probed:
“What exactly did Trump divide? The Democrats spent the last 4 years dividing the nation on the identity of race, colour, sex and on other matters including changing the entire system to socialism and changing the Supreme Court.”
Wayne of the Glen warned:
“I doubt that, I suspect the true power is hiding in the shadows still. And beholden to China.”
Philip fulminated:
“It’s hypocritical for Biden to call for the country to be united behind the new president when he, the Left and the Democrats fought tooth and nail to delegitimise Trump from the very moment he won 4 years ago.”
Russell reckoned:
“Trump never even won the popular vote in 2016. The Electoral college is a joke and was meant for the days when delegates arrived by horse and buggies. The Republicans cannot wait to pull the rug from under Trump, he has been one long embarrassment for them.”
KeithW countered:
“So if a Democrat won the Electoral College vote but lost the popular vote would you claim that he/she should not be president? All electoral systems have a tension between the popular vote and the number of seats won. It happens in Australia all the time. Julia Gillard got no where near 50pc of the primary vote but still became PM.
The fact is the electoral College is their system and its advantages and disadvantages apply equally to both parties. You cannot use it to delegitimise Trump unless you would also do the same if it applied to a Democrat president.”
Zorro got to the point:
“Biden’s words weren’t pitch perfect when his supporters were burning down the place, looting, rioting, causing as much mayhem as possible. No Biden just stood there silently and let it all happen. As he will standby while China invades Taiwan, further oppresses Hong Kong and tries to control Australia.”
Jason S snarled:
“ ‘Biden comes to bury Trump’s carnage with hope’. Excuse me Paul but what hope? The orthodox politics you yearn for in Washington is of little concern to middle Australia. Biden has already recommitted America to the Paris agreement. That is a disaster not just for America but Australia.
“China plays the long game. They know democracy and the left leaning global media would deliver them another pushover in the Whitehouse. They just had to wait.”
Andrew Dawson’s analysis:
“Kelly calls the Trump base ‘the voiceless red legions against the elites’. This divide is reflected in the mainstream media’s overwhelming support for the Democrats, and their consistent failure to appreciate the strength of Trump support. The Democrats portray themselves as supporters of the oppressed underclass of America, but its real stronghold are the urban elites. Like ‘our ABC’, their talk is of solidarity with the oppressed, but they neglect the most disadvantaged sector of the US (as in Australia): the rural sector – the ‘rust’ and ‘Corn Belt’ states.
The BBC, our ABC’s sister ship in ideological terms, last night attempted to explain the divide between Democrat and Republican supporters; why was Joe Biden, despite his public loyalty to the Catholic faith, losing the Catholic and Christian vote, and why did he lose the support of the working class?
The BBC’s answer was that it was because Democrat supporters had college degrees and had the patience to analyse issues, while Trump supporters are ignorant souls, who comprehend only simplistic tweet-sized sound bites. In other words, they repeated Clinton’s belief: Trump is supported by the deplorables.
The progressives are blind to the ideological divide that they are helping to widen between the ‘woke’ population and the ‘deplorables’. They use their cultural capital to perform an ‘educational’ role, explaining to rural America that their nation’s history is one of shameful racism, that their nation’s founders are white oppressors, that the Bible is a book of bigotry and oppression, and explain that veneration of past traditions is ignorance.
This divide was embodied in Australia in the Israel Folau storm: condemned by ‘wokedom’ but a hero to the class condemned by the progressives as white racists. Progressives possess both arrogance and the privilege of power. They fail to understand those they despise: they fuel the divide. They fail to comprehend loyalty and the resilience of faith in tradition.”
Jennifer said:
“Biden says nothing coherent without a prepared speech on a teleprompter, often stumbling miserably when he does have one. If he becomes president, I give the media a couple of months before they start tearing him down to get Kamala in the driver’s seat.”
Jones joined in:
“The Democrats should expect everything they threw at Trump to be thrown right back at them. Illegitimacy. Resistance. Gridlock. Impeachment. Welcome to the #NeverBiden movement.”
Charleyb chuckled:
“Look it’s not over yet. Trump can still make it to 270 but only if he loses 100lbs.”
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Troy Bramston elicited almost 1500 reader comments for his scathing pre-election assessment of Donald Trump: “The worst president in US history … chaotic, dysfunctional, divisive, dangerous and degraded.” Daniel declaimed:
“ ‘I assume you mean that Biden would unite the country? Not much chance of that. I’m a white, Christian male. Those of my ilk are frequently blamed for a lot of issues in today’s society. Do you honestly think that will change under Biden? Do you think my views will be tolerated and accepted?!
The Democratic way is now ‘agree, or you’re cut off’. Follow the narrative we’re putting forward, or else. Hardly a way to unite a country. And as for the US and its standing overseas? While the US may not be liked, it is once again taken seriously by certain superpowers and Mid-East autocrats, which wasn’t the case under Obama.”
Wake up, said Will:
“Yes, he WILL unite the country. What he was criticised for — 47 years in the ‘Washington swamp’ —- is actually a virtue and a strength, especially in these divided times. His ability to forge bipartisan deals; his instinctive centralism; his moral integrity; his proven desire for racial and gender equality; and most important, his respect for other Americans and for the dignity of the office, stand in stark contrast to the current incumbent.”
Deirdre didn’t buy it:
“Times are always ‘divided’ … that’s actually a positive, as you get ideas tested and better outcomes. Our system of politics is adversarial — all this kumbaya stuff about being united is bunkum, and always has been. Why does the left always want people, to think the same way? Groupthink is a very bad way to make important decisions.”
Poyns pointed out:
“This idea that we all must agree is more a tactic of the left as they don’t want a contest of ideas, they want compliance.”
Asp said:
“It’s reminiscent of the cartoon from the Reagan ear entitled ‘making the right decision’ showing a finger hovering over two buttons, one labelled ‘launch’ and the other ‘lunch’! It could be quite aptly applied to Joe.”
Public Works was peeved:
“Those poor Christian white men eh Daniel. They get no representation or voice in anything do they? You just never see any white men in politics or religious leadership, or sport or the media or making decision to go to war. Do you?”
Ubique made a list:
“Mr Bramston advocates for President Trump’s removal, but doesn’t consider or relate what the alternative stands for. Forming a position without such knowledge is unwise. Well, here it is:
1. The ‘green new deal’ at a cost of US $600k per household and the end of the US’ international competitiveness.
2. Much higher federal taxes.
3. Favouring ‘free’ healthcare (a ‘free’ service has to be rationed as anyone who understands public health knows).
4. Extensive and expanding welfare payments.
5. Unlimited access to abortion, right through to until actual birth.
6. Open borders.
7. Ending the US’ European cultural and political tradition.
8. Expanding identity politics.
9. The confiscation of guns (good luck with that).
10. Expanding the Supreme Court’s role to enact outcomes that are too difficult to legislate; and increasing its membership so as to stack the court with left-wing activists to ensure that conservatives never hold a majority.
The Democrat policy platform is ten times more radical than that served up by Labor and Bill Shorten at the last election. We know what that led to.”
Richard reminisced:
“I think Obama was the worst president in history, not Trump. It was under Obama that the murder rate sky rocketed. Under Obama that race divisions cracked wide open. Under Obama that China’s ascendancy accelerated unchecked.”
No likes from Linda:
“For the most part Troy, I enjoy reading your contributions, which are almost always fair. But not this one. I have trouble getting past the first few lines: “Donald Trump is the worst president in US history. Tonight, Americans have an opportunity to terminate his chaotic, dysfunctional, divisive, dangerous and degraded administration”. On the first sentence, it is simply not true, which leads into the second. Trump has succeeded in policy areas that most recent previous presidents had not. Here’s a list:
- lowest unemployment figures for African-Americans in a long time
- brokered peace agreements between Israel and two Muslim countries
- has not taken the US into a war
- re-established manufacturing in the US.
The list is probably much longer. So I forgive Trump’s crazy Tweets and boorish personality given his above successes. And it would be terrific for the Trump Derangement Syndrome critics to look past Twitter and recognise his achievements as well. PS: much of the divisiveness in the US can be slotted home to the Democrats (who tried desperately to impeach the duly elected president), Antifa and the loony-Left press.”
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Queensland were the most despised outsiders in the recent history of State of Origin at Adelaide Oval, but they got a miracle in the City of Churches, wrote Brent Read. Smoking hot, said Winfield:
“Great stuff everyone. Qld never had an unforced error in them. Every carry, every tackle was executed from the text book. The 17 of them had huge belief, huge energy. NSW had lethal players all over the park but were smothered by commitment as good as Qld can give. Gagai again. Great stuff, Rugby League.”
Peter pointed out:
“Poor commentary abounds through the season whenever Storm or a Queensland team is playing. For NSW commentators, interstate flat passes are clearly forward, while NSW team passes that end a metre in front of the release go backwards out of the hand and drift forward on momentum. We just laugh off their delusion these days.”
Chris was cross:
“Brent, you say ‘Queensland were the most despised outsiders in the recent history of State of Origin’. The only people who despise Queensland are those from NSW, particularly many of the TV commentators. Just as with Rugby Union, NSW arrogantly thinks it is THE dominant force and must therefore be the winner, ‘of course’. That’s why the Storm gets stripped of its successes but any team from NSW only gets a knuckle rap. It’s not despise, it’s envy.”
Matthew gloated:
“It has been an absolute pleasure listening to Gus Gould eat his words two weeks in a row.”
WTH said:
“I’m in NSW and a Blues supporter. Queensland played with so much more pride and passion; they were by far the hungrier and more determined side and I congratulate them.
But I turned the game off well before the finish and I don’t think I can be bothered watching the next match. In my humble opinion, the NSW coach, players, selectors and hangers on are not worth supporting — they may have individual ability but they didn’t bring it to the game.”
Praise from LynZip:
“It wasn’t quite an act of God, but Wayne Bennett is clearly a rugby league messiah. Bennett, parachuted in as Maroons coach when Kevin Walters took the Brisbane job, showed once again why he is the Origin oracle.”
Last word to Ian:
“Qld play for the jumper, NSW play for the money. The Qld heart is bigger.”
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