This is the way

Here's a great article I came across this morning about Gavin Newson's brilliant (in my opinion) way of handling DT. This is how you defeat bullies. This is how to ultimately bring them down. 

 The Psychology of Trolling a Tyrant: Why Gavin Newsom Has Trump’s Number

By Jack Hopkins

If you’re still waiting for Democrats to grow a spine…look no further than California’s slick-haired governor…Gavin Newsom.

Now…before you roll your eyes…mutter something about French Laundry dinners or California crime rates…let me tell you why you need to pay attention.

Because in the high-stakes game of psychological warfare…optics…and manipulation…Newsom is the only Democrat who has cracked the code for getting under Donald Trump’s skin. And he isn’t just poking the bear…he’s making the bear dance.

The stakes aren’t about policy white papers or which candidate can rattle off the most bullet points on CNN. This is about who can win the mental war. Who can dominate the frame. Who can drive the other man insane under the hot lights of the biggest stage in the world.

And right now…Newsom is showing he’s the one guy in American politics who can step into the Thunderdome with Trump and make him look like the clown he is.

I know what you’re thinking.

“But Jack… Newsom has baggage. He’s too polished. Too coastal. Too California.”

Fair. But let’s not kid ourselves. Every candidate has flaws.

Biden’s age. Harris’s stiff style. Bernie’s socialist baggage. Even Obama had the “aloof professor” rap.

Flaws…are the tax of entry.

They don’t disqualify you unless they define you. And Newsom’s flaws don’t define him. What defines him is that he’s the first Democrat in 20 years to look Trump straight in the eye and smirk. Not lecture. Not fumble. Not cower. Smirk.

Because here’s the dirty secret of bullies: They can dish it out…but they can’t take it.

And Newsom knows it.

The Psychological Breakdown

Here’s where I step out of the consultant role and put on my behavioral expert and psy-ops hat.

Let’s break down why Newsom’s trolling works so damn well.

1. Trump’s Narcissistic Fragility

Trump is a textbook narcissist. Grandiosity on the outside…but brittle as glass on the inside. When someone challenges his dominance without playing his game…it destabilizes him.

Newsom doesn’t argue with Trump on Trump’s terms. He doesn’t moralize or rage. He needles. He mocks. He mirrors Trump’s energy…then flips it back with a sly grin. It’s like aikido for the ego.

Trump expects fear. Newsom gives him laughter. And nothing enrages a narcissist more than being laughed at.

2. The Frame War

Politics isn’t a debate club…it’s a frame war. Whoever controls the frame controls perception.

Trump usually controls it by branding his opponents (“Crooked Hillary,” “Sleepy Joe,” “Little Marco”). But Newsom doesn’t flinch. He doesn’t look wounded when Trump attacks…he looks amused. And when he smiles that California smile and tosses a barb right back…he steals the frame.

That smile says: “You’re not the alpha here. I am.”

3. Psy-Ops 101: Control the Battlefield

In psy-ops…you never fight the enemy where they’re strong. You lure them to where they’re weak.

Trump’s strength is in bluster and dominance. His weakness? Insecurity about his image. Newsom exploits this brilliantly…mocking Trump’s looks…his insecurities…his desperation. It’s not “presidential,” but it’s devastatingly effective.

When Newsom quips…he’s not just talking to voters. He’s inserting himself into Trump’s head rent-free. He’s making Trump waste precious bandwidth thinking about him.

4. The Group Dynamics Angle

Social psychology tells us: groups rally around leaders who look strong…calm…and confident under pressure.

Newsom…with his movie-star looks and smooth delivery…projects exactly that. When he goes toe-to-toe with Trump…he makes Trump look like the sweaty…flailing uncle at Thanksgiving.

And remember: perception is reality.

Why It’s Working

Let’s be blunt: Trump is rattled.

You can see it in his reactions. The rage posts. The extra insults. The way he breaks his usual script when talking about Newsom. That’s not control. That’s reactivity.

And in politics…reactivity is weakness. It’s prey behavior.

Voters don’t consciously parse this…but they feel it. When they see Trump barking and Newsom smirking…they instinctively sense who’s in charge of the exchange.

This is why trolling matters.

Not because it’s “nice” or “fair,” but because it signals dominance. And dominance is the real currency of politics in the Trump era.

This is exactly why…on occasion…on social media…I will cut a troll to ribbons. It’s not so much for them…as it is for other trolls who see it.

I do it in a way that humiliates and makes the troll appear ignorant. Even faceless trolls hate how that feels. As a result…I have fewer trolls than most larger accounts. This holds true on X…as well.

Newsom does it…and I do it…because it’s effective…when used strategically.

Why Newsom Is The Person to Beat Trump

Now let’s deal with the elephant in the room.

Is Newsom perfect? Hell no. He’s a walking opposition research file. He’s got ties… flaws…hypocrisies…the works.

But here’s the raw truth: defeating Trump won’t come from perfection. It’ll come from mastery of the psychological battlefield.

And Newsom’s the only Democrat who’s demonstrated that mastery.

Biden beat Trump once…but that was pre-insurrection…pre-indictments…pre-Epstein files…pre-authoritarian power grab. The game has escalated.

I’ve studied the assessments that have been done on the big players, as well as conducting my own.

You may not like what you see in a moment. You may disagree. However…behind closed doors…the people who drill down on this stuff…come to similar conclusions:

Harris? Too stiff. Too reactive.

Whitmer? Strong on policy…but untested in trench warfare.

Buttigieg? Brilliant debater…but comes off too clinical.

Keep in mind…that personally…I like all of the above. However…doesn’t factor in when I’m doing my assessment. For most of the “big dog” folks behind the scenes…it doesn’t matter much to them…either.

Newsom? He enjoys the fight. He relishes the mind games. He doesn’t just respond…he plays offense.

That’s the edge. That’s why…regardless of your reservations…he’s the one person who can meet Trump in the mud…get dirty…and still walk out looking clean.

What Now?

So what do we do with this?

If you’re serious about saving democracy…you stop searching for a flawless savior. You start looking for a warrior who can fight on the terrain the enemy has chosen.

Trump’s battlefield is trolling…branding…and psychological warfare. Newsom is showing he can not only fight there…he can win there.

And that changes the entire 2026–2028 landscape.

What Are Elections?

Let me wrap this up with the blunt Jack Hopkins truth:

Elections aren’t beauty pageants. They’re street fights. And in a street fight…you don’t want the guy who looks good on paper…you want the person who can bloody the bully’s nose.

Gavin Newsom…slick…smirking…flawed Gavin Newsom…is that guy.

So if you’re tired of watching Democrats bring a white paper to a knife fight…you better start paying attention. Because for the first time in a long time…we’ve got a fighter who actually enjoys the brawl.

And that…my friends…is how you beat Donald Trump at his own game.

Now I understand

Just a minute ago I clicked on a headline: US Supreme Court lets Trump Remove Consumer Product Safety for Now. Before I knew what I was doing, I yelled "WHAT THE FUCK?!" at the computer screen. 

I realized as soon as it flew out of my mouth that I do that on a regular basis these days when I read upsetting news stories. It's my go-to expression of outrage. Marco, of course, was right there beside me, listening. 

You know what this means, right? 

It's Donald J. Trump's fault that Marco has learned to drop that particular F-bomb! lol

Randy does it again!

Randy Rainbow's newest parody video--using Taylor Swift's song "Blank Space"--is another gem!! I just had to share it. Enjoy!!

A good day for America!

 

Guilty. Guilty! Of 34 felony charges. Finally, some small degree of accountability for the criminal thug who's tarnished the office of POTUS forevermore and done so much harm to this country. 

If I prayed, I would pray for the safety of those 12 brave men and women who sat on the jury. Stormy Daniels, too. We owe them all a great debt of gratitude.

Wednesday meme roundup: indictment edition!

Wasn't yesterday a great day in America?! These indictments are just SO MUCH FUN! I've picked some of the best memes I saw about it all to share with you. Most of them made me laugh right out loud.

 Enjoy!

At long last, only one more day!

 It's been a long exhausting four years, but as of noon tomorrow we will finally have a new president! I can't tell you how happy I am to see the Trump years draw to a close. Of course I know it won't be all sunshine and rainbows, and that the cult 45 people are still out there and causing trouble, and the pandemic is raging, and there are still many, many, evil and corrupt politicians who enabled Trump and his ilk who will do it again as soon as they see half a chance. I know all too well how much trouble this country is in at the moment no matter who the president is. 

But damn, it still feels good to know that this dark chapter in our history is finally about to be over. I wanted to do a little dance when I saw footage of the moving trucks being packed at the White House. What a relief after the fear and stress of the past four years.

It's sad to see the military presence required for tomorrow's inauguration, but unlike my husband, I don't think Biden and  Harris should be quietly sworn in in a room somewhere and all public events canceled. F*** that. To me, any concession to lunatics and rioters and insurrectionists is a mistake. Period. I don't care how much military and National Guard protection it takes to make the event safe, this is America and damn it, our newest President and Vice President deserve all the same pomp and ceremony as any other! Mind you, if it were just a matter of being safe during a pandemic, I would be all for a scaled down ceremony. But to appease domestic terrorists? No.

I'm glad I'll be working from home tomorrow and can watch the coverage of the inauguration! I plan to pick up a bottle of champagne to open as soon as I sign off work at 4:30. I'm going to make two desserts tomorrow night as a further celebration: apple pie for America, and peach cobbler for the great state of Georgia that helped us win the presidency and take back control of the Senate! Although nothing will magically change overnight when 45 leaves office, I hope we're turning a corner and headed for better days in this country. 

A shame and a disgrace.

I don't know what to say. Words seem inadequate to express my horror and disgust at what happened in our nation's Capitol yesterday. It's a disgrace. A national embarrassment. A dark day in this country's history. 

THIS is what support for the Republicans' orange demon god has brought our country to.

So my question now is this: are the Republicans finally going to denounce and root out the rot in their party that has led to this sad day? Have they had enough yet? Is this what you Trump voters wanted to see happen? 

Because if you voted for this criminal, especially for a second time, this is on you. Shame on you. Shame.

Month Ten (of the longest year ever)

October is here and 2020 continues it's run of being the craziest year ever. You couldn't make this shit up. I don't have much to say about the POTUS being sick. I'm trying hard to swallow the mean, small part of me that thinks he deserves whatever comes to him. I can't feel too sorry for him as a person, but I will admit that (I guess because of the office he holds) I got a lump in my throat when I saw him getting off the helicopter at Walter Reed. These are precarious times for our country. I can't imagine the resulting chaos if he should happen to die, and I hope that doesn't happen. What I want to see happen is him to get voted out of office in a landslide in November and then just go away. Not to the graveyard, mind you, just away. I can't wait until he's out of our national consciousness and we can hopefully start to heal and move on as a country.

Trying to be a bigger person won't stop me from posting these memes for your enjoyment, though.

On the increasing consensus that the original "super spreader event" was the Rose Garden event at the White House to announce the new nominee to the Supreme Court:

On right-wing hypocrisy:

It's sad that that last one is only funny because it's so true. Anyone who has Trump loving friends on social media know what I'm talking about.

Onto more pleasant topics. Martina dropped off a copy of  Solutions and Other Problems by Allie Brosh that she bought for me yesterday and I finished it this morning. It was funny, just like her first book, but the part where she talks about her health problems and then the sudden death of her younger sister was heart wrenching. I'll do a quick review of this book as well as a few others I've read recently in a later post, but suffice it to say this book was worth the wait.

Today I went bought a larger, prettier planter for the ficus tree on the porch. We're getting ready to bring it back inside for the winter.

And since it is October now, I added to decorative jack o' lanterns to our front porch.

I hope you're all having a good weekend, and that all my American friends are keeping stress and anxiety at bay as well as you can. 

A quick political rant

I'm so sick of politics in this country that it's almost making me physically ill.

Trump supporters/defenders/enablers are bad enough, but now we have the "progressive left" (which is how I've always identified) attacking each other and acting like spoiled, foolish children. I'm mainly referring to the "Bernie bros" so to speak. Sensible folks on the left just want Donald Trump gone and a return to some kind of civility, competence, and rule of law in this country. There are people all over my social media, mostly aged around 30 and under, people I always liked, respected, and considered friends, who are having meltdowns over Joe Biden taking the lead in the Democratic Primaries. They are incensed over what they perceive as Bernie's "unfair" treatment and keep saying that Biden is "just as bad" as Trump. (!!!) They're actually offended when others say it's better to "vote blue no matter who" because they're too "woke" for all that and if they can't have a perfect candidate they'd just as soon have Trump. (!!!) Two separate young women that I've always liked, respected, and had a high opinion of recently got into bitter arguments on Facebook with their other liberal friends about voting for Biden if he ends up the nominee. One of them shared the following post late last night after one such argument. (Language warning for those of you who might mind).

Nour Hantouli

Yesterday at 11:52 AM ·

Blue No Matter Who people are already blaming us in advance for not voting for Biden in the general election. They need to sit down and understand something.

We (people like myself) were never Blue No Matter Who. We were never Blue to begin with. Blue has, for decades, been a source of disappointment, neglect, deceit, betrayal, and collusion with the people who actively persecute us. Yall never had us to begin with, yet you're acting entitled to our votes and support.

Fuck. You.

You need to understand this: This election season, you all have been inundated by our generosity as we put our discomfort aside for the off chance of salvaging your shitty Party. Your cup of our compromises runneth the fuck over. You are not entitled to a single goddamn vote, and we sure as fuck are not responsible for wrecking your mediocre ass dreams.

I think the fuck not.

There's people out here committing suicide over the student debt they're drowning in, debt that they acquired by putting faith in your bullshit promises of work-hard-get-paid. We're out here GoFundMeing chemo treatments, getting shot at by your friends in blue (hah, yall love that color don't you?), and drinking poison water because your billionaire buddies wanted to save a dollar. And what did yall do?

Actively and OPENLY sabotaged the only candidate who bothered to give a fuck.

I don't owe you shit.

You want Trump out? Wow. What ambition. Don't pull a muscle reaching for the fucking stars there. Thank you for really coming through when things finally got bad enough that they started to affect YOU.

Maybe if YOU learn how to compromise we can do that.

Erase crippling debt no matter who. End police brutality no matter who. Abolish ICE no matter who. Free Palestine no matter who. Stop people from dying of preventable fucking illnesses no matter who.

Fuck your Party loyalty. We want People loyalty. When you show up for that, then we can talk about what you can have from us.

I was one of the people that had earlier commented that we should concentrate on voting for whomever ends up running against Trump. I can't begin to tell you how offended I was by her responding to me and a few of her other friends with this venom. My feelings were badly hurt. I've considered deleting her on social media (and I've considered her a good friend in "real life" for years).

In an unrelated post, another young woman, a woman whose family I've been friends with for a long time now, said something to the effect of "What will my life look like under a Biden presidency?" after moaning that Biden wasn't liberal or progressive enough for her. When I responded that "The real question is---"What will your life look like after 4 more years of Trump" she got really testy with me and was on the verge of "ok, boomer"ing me with her response. (Not that I'm even a "Boomer" anyway, for what that's worth). Can someone explain to me what part of what I said warranted a shitty, sarcastic reply?  Am I taking this all too personally? Why can't people in this country treat each other with respect anymore? Things are pretty bad when you refuse to even get along with people who are supposed to be on your "side". 

That's really all I came here to say. I needed to vent, so thanks for reading if you've made it this far. And if you want to comment, please be kind--to me, and to each other. I've had all the sniping and nastiness I can stand for one day.

Your laugh for the day

I'm loving this video by James Corden from the Late Late Show as Robert Mueller featuring Shaggy (as Donald Trump) singing their version of "It Wasn't Me". After yesterday, we can all use a laugh, I think.

Enjoy!

Thank you, France

Look out, Cro, we may just have to take him up on his offer and become your neighbor! France and Canada both are looking better and better in these evil times.

Unprovoked attacks

It's been quite a morning for me. I woke up feeling good and looking forward to having the day off.
I made coffee and breakfast and sat down to eat with Gregg before he had to get ready for work, and everything seemed right with the world. Then my phone started to "ping" with private messages. They were from my mom. Here's the first one:

Jennifer, do you have to use such vulgar language on Facebook,? I haven't ever known you to talk like you do now, what's wrong with you?

I had no idea what she was talking about, and told her so. I don't use "vulgar" language on Facebook, or anywhere else for that matter. She went on to say:

Yes you have and you know you do...... I've always been proud of you, but since this election, you are just really something, you need to move on.

Again, what??? I've never used vulgar language on Facebook, and I'm fairly careful about what I share on a public forum concerning the election. Granted, I'm very opposed to Donald Trump and his administration, and I occasionally share legitimate news articles about current events, but I never attack anyone and I certainly don't use foul language. So I told her, again, that I had no idea what she was talking about. And this was her response:

Well.... Fuckbuck, and such words.....

What the heck does that even mean?! (That's what I asked her). And then I suggested that someone maybe hacked into her page, or mine, and left offensive remarks.

No, I'm not hacked it's about Ivanka Trump's line of clothes, and you made a comment, you know what I'm talking about and there has been other things too. don't play dumb with me .

Well, I started to get pissed off at that point. I've never said a single thing about the current controversy over Ivanka's brand of clothes. Not one single thing. And the whole "don't play dumb with me" was just a little too much and I told her so. How dare she basically accuse me of lying over something so stupid?

It's not just today, over months you have used bad language and you know it. I'm not as stupid as you take me for. I thought I knew you better, but I don't know any more.  I have never accused you falsely, I have never been disappointed in you until I got internet and have seen things you say, I hate people seeing you talk like you do.

I went back over my Facebook page at that point, looking for something that I might have said that would have set her off, and found nothing. There are mostly pictures of the dogs, flowers, sunsets, etc. And occasionally a news article critical of Trump. And oh, yeah, and this morning I posted a "Happy Birthday Charles Darwin" meme............

So here's what I think. My parents (mostly my mom, my dad is gentle and sweet and doesn't have a mean bone in his body) are conservative Trump supporters and evangelical Christians. I get the feeling that the fact that I'm a liberal atheist is what my mom really means when she says I'm "vulgar" and that she's disappointed in me. It's not about Facebook, it's about differences in our fundamental life values. She went on and on in the same vein, though, telling me that she's ashamed of me. Although we don't have a very close relationship (she was emotionally abusive and an alcoholic when I was growing up....although thankfully the Evangelical Christian part didn't come along until later, after I had left home) that still hurt my feelings so bad. 

I've never called  her out on how ashamed of her I was growing up, or how much her behavior in those days hurt me. I decided a long time ago to forgive her and move on with my life (even though she never asked for forgiveness) and to go my own way. But even at the age of almost 42 years old, her words still have the power to hurt me so much.

This is how I finally ended our conversation today:

This is ridiculous. If you can find something specific on my Facebook page that you take issue with, I'll be glad to discuss it with you. Otherwise, I'm done with this conversation.

Because mother or not, I'm not allowing anyone to talk to me that way. I deserve better.

So as I was sitting there, still feeling stung over what had just happened, my bird Marco flew over onto the couch beside me. I absent-mindedly picked him up and out of habit went to kiss him on the beak....and he bit the @#$! out of my lower lip. I burst into tears, both from the pain in my lip and the pain in my heart.

So now I have a cut and swollen lip to go along with my bruised feelings. How's that for a nice morning?

Women's March on Washington

Several buses from our area have just arrived in DC for the #WomensMarchOnWashington and how I wish I could have joined them! Two ladies from my book club went to represent us on one of the (three!) buses that were chartered from our area, and I have several other friends from all around the country that are making the trip, too.  My husband had to have a colonoscopy yesterday, and I didn't want to make any travel plans for this weekend when he had a medical procedure pending, but I'm with the marchers in spirit. And I'm so proud of them!

Here are some of the Florence, SC marchers en route to DC at sunrise this morning.

Representing the women of the Pee Dee area of South Carolina

And here's just one small example of why resistance to the Trump administration is so vitally important for women. Forgive me for putting something so despicable and disgusting on my blog, but the world needs to know what kind of man Trump is and what his values look like:

"I moved on her like a bitch. But I couldn’t get there. And she was married. Then all of a sudden I see her, she’s now got the big phony tits and everything. She’s totally changed her look......

I better use some Tic Tacs just in case I start kissing her. You know, I’m automatically attracted to beautiful — I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything.......

.....Grab ’em by the pussy. You can do anything." -President Donald Trump

He was caught on tape (you can listen to the audio if you're so inclined) saying these words after he was married to his current wife, who was pregnant at the time. That's how much respect our new president has for women.

ImPEACHable Trump

This was my submission to John Gray's novelty fruit and vegetable contest for the Trelawnyd flower show. I call it "ImPEACHable Trump". I was inspired to create a Trump effigy from peaches when I realized that a bowlful of them sitting on our dining room table were starting to go rotten.... that, and their vivid orange color.

Primaries

Tomorrow is the South Carolina Democratic primary. Last Saturday was the Republican primary, and to my great disgust Donald Trump won by a wide margin. As another blogger that lives in this state often says, it's not the heat, it's the stupidity.




How any rational person supports this cretin is totally beyond me. Earlier this week I met a Canadian and I felt compelled to tell her how embarrassed I am sometimes to be an American, especially an American living in the South. Honestly, none of the top Republican candidates are people any thinking person could support. Cruz is actually scarier than Donald Trump in his political beliefs. At least with Trump, all his racism and bigotry and swagger is out in the open for anyone to see. Knowing what kind of Evangelical Christian mindset Cruz panders to, I think he's more dangerous than Trump. And has a far better chance of being elected, sadly.

I'll be voting for Bernie Sanders in the primary tomorrow. It seems awfully far fetched to imagine a progressive, Socialist, non-practicing Jew winning the presidency, but early on I felt the same way about Obama. I don't care for Hillary Clinton, and besides that I think it's high time that we see the last the Bush and Clinton families. Some of the young guys at work have been working on the Sanders campaign so I've been able to get bumper stickers and a yard sign, which looks funny among all the Trump and Cruz signs in my neighborhood.