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EarlG

(23,208 posts)
Mon Oct 5, 2020, 05:31 PM Oct 2020

Welp, David Gergen on CNN just said "We're in the grips of a madman"

Then Bob Woodward came on and said he'd known Gergen for 50 years and he'd never heard him say something so extreme. And then went on to basically agree with Gergen.

Now Woodward and Wolf Blitzer are wondering out loud whether there's anyone in the president's family or inner circle who can stop him. Woodward says we're in the middle of a government meltdown.

Woodward says "Where is the Republican leadership?"

81 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Welp, David Gergen on CNN just said "We're in the grips of a madman" (Original Post) EarlG Oct 2020 OP
Ya think, Dave? The Velveteen Ocelot Oct 2020 #1
Bob Woodward should not be surprised by the Republican Party and their type of BeckyDem Oct 2020 #2
He's been an BlueMTexpat Oct 2020 #66
He has in many ways! BeckyDem Oct 2020 #73
Authoritarian. Trump term two a Dictator. Dropped my ballot off in Wisconsin today. sarcasmo Oct 2020 #3
Since day one. Solly Mack Oct 2020 #4
Woodward: Where is the Republican leadership? gratuitous Oct 2020 #5
They never feel rich enough or powerful enough, so they hold onto office and keep tblue37 Oct 2020 #17
God I wish you could tweet that to him. n/t dixiegrrrrl Oct 2020 #18
yeah. Evolve Dammit Oct 2020 #24
Excellent. yardwork Oct 2020 #25
Why is Woodward so afraid to say what he really knows? Boomerproud Oct 2020 #27
I'll read the highlights online, maybe download it for free somewhere. OverBurn Oct 2020 #62
+1 uponit7771 Oct 2020 #31
Well where Rebl2 Oct 2020 #43
And where were they the two years prior to that? Texin Oct 2020 #75
Finally someone calling what trump is ... CatMor Oct 2020 #6
Um, DUH!!! GoCubsGo Oct 2020 #7
Just to be clear, Earl - DarthDem Oct 2020 #8
Where is anyone who gives a damn and can do something about him? This is too serious Boogiemack Oct 2020 #9
The Republican leadership is on radio shows, Bob. JHB Oct 2020 #10
Absolutely, Sir The Magistrate Oct 2020 #67
There's a good chunk of the Republican leadership that hopes the electorate takes care of it greenjar_01 Oct 2020 #11
And did they have any suggestions for dealing with it? No? THEY NEVER DO, what good are these freaks BamaRefugee Oct 2020 #12
Can someone post the video or a link? I can't find the segment online rainin Oct 2020 #13
Stop him Before he Kills Again! Cha Oct 2020 #14
+1 ffr Oct 2020 #28
& trump can't handle reality.. so why bother? Cha Oct 2020 #29
This! mcar Oct 2020 #35
"Where is the Republican leadership?" 0rganism Oct 2020 #15
And where are the reports from them being tested after tRUMP's Super Spreader White House Ceremony? WyattKansas Oct 2020 #34
imma call it the "Red Spreading" from now on 0rganism Oct 2020 #37
Maybe 2020 just saved the best all year for the last part of the year? WyattKansas Oct 2020 #38
the republican leadership is poised to take healthcare from 20 million spanone Oct 2020 #16
To answer your question: "Where is the Republican leadership?" pazzyanne Oct 2020 #19
His cabinet could stop him. Senate Republicans could stop him. . . . . nt Bernardo de La Paz Oct 2020 #20
Republican leadership is an oxymoron. TwilightZone Oct 2020 #21
When Gergen speaks I stop and listen. The audio Woodward had... underpants Oct 2020 #22
Agreed Sherman A1 Oct 2020 #50
Well, each of those men helped defeat Hillary Clinton. yardwork Oct 2020 #23
I Agree, Ma'am The Magistrate Oct 2020 #30
Indeed, Sir. And "ripe shits" is spot on! yardwork Oct 2020 #36
"Ripe shits" MontanaMama Oct 2020 #45
No more mad that a cornered rat would be. He MUST WIN this election ffr Oct 2020 #26
Woodward would say that. BlueNProud Oct 2020 #32
Someone finally said it! Where are the Republicans? mcar Oct 2020 #33
There isn't any republican leadership. warmfeet Oct 2020 #39
Agree. And Gergen is about as moderate, middle of the road as you can get, serving GOP Prez's. Evolve Dammit Oct 2020 #40
I hope there's a patriot that will refuse an order to launch Nuclear weapons nt maryellen99 Oct 2020 #41
#GOPSurrender is REAL! BadGimp Oct 2020 #42
Don-Jr-thinks-Trump-is-acting-crazy aeromanKC Oct 2020 #44
Unfortunately, WE have known that for quite some time. calimary Oct 2020 #46
Who IS running our country...Putin?!... Illumination Oct 2020 #47
The country has been on autopilot for a while now DFW Oct 2020 #69
Kissing Trump's ass BainsBane Oct 2020 #48
So??? lsewpershad Oct 2020 #49
Nice. MSNBC is ripping him to shreds too. Gross irresponsibility. Disgusting. PatrickforO Oct 2020 #51
No shit Rustyeye77 Oct 2020 #52
"Where is the Republican leadership?" live love laugh Oct 2020 #53
"Where is the Republican leadership?" dchill Oct 2020 #54
This is terrifying. Demsrule86 Oct 2020 #55
No words ramapo Oct 2020 #56
Steroids for breakfast! mercuryblues Oct 2020 #57
It is very simple DENVERPOPS Oct 2020 #58
There is no Rethuglican leadership... paleotn Oct 2020 #59
There is no Republican leadership Bob, hadEnuf Oct 2020 #60
Here is your American Leadership... Pluvious Oct 2020 #61
IMHO disndat Oct 2020 #71
I think it is worse than he lets on. Watch the video, his makeup is twice as thick and he is using rwsanders Oct 2020 #77
"Where is the Republican Leadership?" ThoughtCriminal Oct 2020 #63
Republican leadership? Blue Owl Oct 2020 #64
No one in the family will step in canetoad Oct 2020 #65
You are looking at their leadership! BlueJac Oct 2020 #68
Republican leadership is divided into 2 areas DFW Oct 2020 #70
The Media made excuses for Republicans with their Both Sides Lazy Reporting JI7 Oct 2020 #72
The R leadership is in line to kiss trump's infected ass. nt Ilsa Oct 2020 #74
The words "republican" and "leadership" in the same sentence, what could be further from possible? BComplex Oct 2020 #76
After trumps medical issues and meds unproven he's taking, duforsure Oct 2020 #78
Bechloss called it True Blue American Oct 2020 #79
lol Good one! patricia92243 Oct 2020 #81
Duh. N/T Different Drummer Oct 2020 #80

BeckyDem

(8,361 posts)
2. Bob Woodward should not be surprised by the Republican Party and their type of
Mon Oct 5, 2020, 05:35 PM
Oct 2020

leadership. I'm, not for a second. Pay better attention, Bob, they're ruthless power-hungry cretins. Have been for a long time.

gratuitous

(82,849 posts)
5. Woodward: Where is the Republican leadership?
Mon Oct 5, 2020, 05:36 PM
Oct 2020

Gee Bob, if only there was someone in the company town press who knew some of these leaders and could call them out, by name, for their cowardice. Know anyone in the political punditry who knows a lot of Republican leaders? Maybe you could put a bug in their ear? It would have to be someone closer to the end than the beginning of his career, rich enough that he isn't dependent on the usual sources of Rich Guy Welfare.

Know anyone like that, Bob?

tblue37

(67,309 posts)
17. They never feel rich enough or powerful enough, so they hold onto office and keep
Mon Oct 5, 2020, 05:57 PM
Oct 2020

grifting for more money.

Boomerproud

(9,003 posts)
27. Why is Woodward so afraid to say what he really knows?
Mon Oct 5, 2020, 06:16 PM
Oct 2020

These rhetorical questions are a dodge. I've decided not to buy, or even read his book.

OverBurn

(1,284 posts)
62. I'll read the highlights online, maybe download it for free somewhere.
Mon Oct 5, 2020, 10:17 PM
Oct 2020

After the election nobody will care, they'll be so much dirt coming out. People will be more likely to talk then, they'll be a lot of talking. Woodward's book will be irrelevant, IMO.

Rebl2

(17,089 posts)
43. Well where
Mon Oct 5, 2020, 06:48 PM
Oct 2020

Have they been the last 4 years? They like him and won’t change their minds about him.

Texin

(2,808 posts)
75. And where were they the two years prior to that?
Tue Oct 6, 2020, 10:18 AM
Oct 2020

They allowed a washed up *reality* host to bully and belittle them into cringeworthy submission.

CatMor

(6,212 posts)
6. Finally someone calling what trump is ...
Mon Oct 5, 2020, 05:37 PM
Oct 2020

more have to start speaking out. The AMA and doctors across the country should be condemning him for his remarks regarding Covid-19.

DarthDem

(5,426 posts)
8. Just to be clear, Earl -
Mon Oct 5, 2020, 05:40 PM
Oct 2020

Did Gergen make his remarks because Mr. Trump is planning on leaving Walter Reed while he's still contagious/infected? Or for some other reason? Just wanted to clarify the context because Woodward is right IMO - Gergen is always pretty cautious in what he says, and this madman remark is pretty serious for him.
 

Boogiemack

(1,406 posts)
9. Where is anyone who gives a damn and can do something about him? This is too serious
Mon Oct 5, 2020, 05:41 PM
Oct 2020

to wait for Nov. 3. All the weaknesses of our democratic republic have been exposed by Putin's puppet, Trump and the GOP. We must find a way to fix it for the future.

JHB

(37,838 posts)
10. The Republican leadership is on radio shows, Bob.
Mon Oct 5, 2020, 05:46 PM
Oct 2020

The real leaders, that is, not the party apparatchiks.

And they're not guests. They're the hosts, the ranters themselves.

The GOP outsourced its messaging to them ages ago, and they found that there was no reason to limit 2-Minute Hates to two minutes. Not when they could do them 24/7. After all, what downside was there for guys who get paid to rant into a microphone and don't actually have to govern anything?

The Magistrate

(96,043 posts)
67. Absolutely, Sir
Tue Oct 6, 2020, 04:40 AM
Oct 2020

The country club types thought they could whip up the rubes, and still keep them under control. The rubes started electing themselves to state legislatures, and then into higher office, and the country club types have become merely the froth on a cesspool.

Some of these hate radio jockeys even get in office. That is how Pence started out, if recollection serves....

 

greenjar_01

(6,477 posts)
11. There's a good chunk of the Republican leadership that hopes the electorate takes care of it
Mon Oct 5, 2020, 05:47 PM
Oct 2020

in a month.

Don't doubt that. Everyone's sick to death of it.

BamaRefugee

(3,866 posts)
12. And did they have any suggestions for dealing with it? No? THEY NEVER DO, what good are these freaks
Mon Oct 5, 2020, 05:48 PM
Oct 2020

They get paid big bucks to pontificate, but they have no action verbs in their vocabulary.
Had it with "pundits".

ffr

(23,258 posts)
28. +1
Mon Oct 5, 2020, 06:17 PM
Oct 2020

He's basically rabid. He just doesn't know it, b/c his "doctor" is too much of a weakling to tell him.

WyattKansas

(1,648 posts)
34. And where are the reports from them being tested after tRUMP's Super Spreader White House Ceremony?
Mon Oct 5, 2020, 06:24 PM
Oct 2020

Especially when they were all jockeying for position without a mask in front of tRUMP's blowhole?

0rganism

(25,354 posts)
37. imma call it the "Red Spreading" from now on
Mon Oct 5, 2020, 06:31 PM
Oct 2020

at this point, i can only hope enough of them get really sick and hospitalized before the Amy Covid Barret confirmation vote to prevent another monstrosity. but you know, 2020 and all. we should be so lucky.

WyattKansas

(1,648 posts)
38. Maybe 2020 just saved the best all year for the last part of the year?
Mon Oct 5, 2020, 06:34 PM
Oct 2020

That works for me.

pazzyanne

(6,730 posts)
19. To answer your question: "Where is the Republican leadership?"
Mon Oct 5, 2020, 06:10 PM
Oct 2020

MIA, just like they have been for the past 4 years.

underpants

(193,459 posts)
22. When Gergen speaks I stop and listen. The audio Woodward had...
Mon Oct 5, 2020, 06:13 PM
Oct 2020

Woodward: Who told you that? (about massive deaths)
Trump’s: I did. I told me that.

Gergen saying that means all of establishment DC is thinking that.

yardwork

(68,312 posts)
23. Well, each of those men helped defeat Hillary Clinton.
Mon Oct 5, 2020, 06:13 PM
Oct 2020

I'm in a resentful mood. Many, many of us knew that Trump would be a disastrous president, but for some reason a bunch of "leading journalists" thought the whole thing was funny and enabled him to win the White House.

I'm not interested in their panic now.

The Magistrate

(96,043 posts)
30. I Agree, Ma'am
Mon Oct 5, 2020, 06:22 PM
Oct 2020

Gergen in particular.

You and I knew the man was mad from the start, why did these ripe shits not?

MontanaMama

(24,553 posts)
45. "Ripe shits"
Mon Oct 5, 2020, 06:50 PM
Oct 2020

That’s a new one for me. Just woke the little parrot sleeping on my shoulder with my laughter!

ffr

(23,258 posts)
26. No more mad that a cornered rat would be. He MUST WIN this election
Mon Oct 5, 2020, 06:16 PM
Oct 2020

He has $420M in mob loans coming due. It's either he kills himself trying to win and stave off the inevitable or his insanity pays off and he's able to fend off the mob for 4 more years.

He has no choice at this point and he'll bite whomever it takes to get to his goal.

mcar

(45,405 posts)
33. Someone finally said it! Where are the Republicans?
Mon Oct 5, 2020, 06:23 PM
Oct 2020

Bless Woodward.

Wolf was about as emotional as I've ever seen him when he was asking, "can't anyone stop this (madman)?"

warmfeet

(3,321 posts)
39. There isn't any republican leadership.
Mon Oct 5, 2020, 06:34 PM
Oct 2020

There has not been leadership since trump. There is kowtowing, brown nosing, ass kissing and soul selling since trump came along. Woodward is no better than the rest of the media trying to make a story from shit stew. Our system should be able to stop him. Relying on his family or inner circle to stop him is insane. The system has, so far, failed. We are in the grips of a madman. What are we going to do about it?

Evolve Dammit

(21,276 posts)
40. Agree. And Gergen is about as moderate, middle of the road as you can get, serving GOP Prez's.
Mon Oct 5, 2020, 06:39 PM
Oct 2020

calimary

(88,079 posts)
46. Unfortunately, WE have known that for quite some time.
Mon Oct 5, 2020, 06:50 PM
Oct 2020

Even longer ago than before he formally got into politics.

DFW

(59,144 posts)
69. The country has been on autopilot for a while now
Tue Oct 6, 2020, 08:03 AM
Oct 2020

Basically hoping for a Democratic pilot to take control before we run out fuel and crash land.

PatrickforO

(15,276 posts)
51. Nice. MSNBC is ripping him to shreds too. Gross irresponsibility. Disgusting.
Mon Oct 5, 2020, 07:19 PM
Oct 2020

Joy Reid is tearing him to pieces as we speak.

We are in fact in the grips of a madman.

live love laugh

(15,979 posts)
53. "Where is the Republican leadership?"
Mon Oct 5, 2020, 07:42 PM
Oct 2020

We’re in the grips of madMEN. He couldn’t get away with it without their complicity. He continues to play a game of brinksmanship to divide the country or at least attempt to.

dchill

(42,660 posts)
54. "Where is the Republican leadership?"
Mon Oct 5, 2020, 07:45 PM
Oct 2020

It just returned to the White House.

Glad to help, Bob.

ramapo

(4,772 posts)
56. No words
Mon Oct 5, 2020, 07:49 PM
Oct 2020

That asshole just gets worse with each passing hour. Trump is bad for my blood pressure

mercuryblues

(15,910 posts)
57. Steroids for breakfast!
Mon Oct 5, 2020, 07:51 PM
Oct 2020

They are giving trump, with his personality traits steroids. Here are just a few of the side effects: Aggression, agitation, anxiety
irritability, mental depression, mood changes, nervousness, trouble thinking, speaking, or walking.

The GOP needs to 25 45.

DENVERPOPS

(13,003 posts)
58. It is very simple
Mon Oct 5, 2020, 07:54 PM
Oct 2020

If Trump goes down, the RepubliCONs Leadership and maybe the entire party goes down.

Most, if not all of the RepubliCONs Leadership are as involved in the corruption and graft as Trump and his family are........

There is a whole shit load of Russian, Saudi, and Chinese money involved in controlling all of them............

paleotn

(21,031 posts)
59. There is no Rethuglican leadership...
Mon Oct 5, 2020, 08:06 PM
Oct 2020

Hasn't been for years. Decades maybe. The only people who can do something about this is us. Vote, goddamn it!

disndat

(1,887 posts)
71. IMHO
Tue Oct 6, 2020, 08:22 AM
Oct 2020

I think Trump faked his whole Convid episode. He needed a big distraction from his disastrous debate with Biden
and his recent tax ($750) revelations.

rwsanders

(3,117 posts)
77. I think it is worse than he lets on. Watch the video, his makeup is twice as thick and he is using
Tue Oct 6, 2020, 12:02 PM
Oct 2020

his shoulders to get a full breath.
I'm glad he is miserable. Hope the infection gets much worse.

canetoad

(19,639 posts)
65. No one in the family will step in
Tue Oct 6, 2020, 01:26 AM
Oct 2020

They have dreams of a dynasty - if only to indefinitely postpone their prosecution.

Inner circle? That's not necessarily cabinet but rogues like Hannity, Conway, Hicks. If the cabinet had any kind of collective conscience, they would have 25'd him two years ago.

I accept that I'm a distant observer, but this is a systemic problem. If it can happen once, it can happen again.

BlueJac

(7,838 posts)
68. You are looking at their leadership!
Tue Oct 6, 2020, 06:14 AM
Oct 2020

Same fing mess we have been in for 4 years now. Vote this madness out!

DFW

(59,144 posts)
70. Republican leadership is divided into 2 areas
Tue Oct 6, 2020, 08:09 AM
Oct 2020

Political issues and money: McConnell
Political propaganda: Fox Noise (TV) and National Hate Radio

BComplex

(9,623 posts)
76. The words "republican" and "leadership" in the same sentence, what could be further from possible?
Tue Oct 6, 2020, 11:15 AM
Oct 2020

The republican reptilian party is what got us in this mess, and then made it worse by the day.

They screwed up last time they had the white house, and almost threw the country into a depression, after ignoring intelligence on 9/11 and starting several wars that had nothing to do with 9/11.

The time before that, when they had the white house, George HW Bush brought us Iran/Contra. When is this country going to quit electing republicans?

They're a fucking disaster!!!

duforsure

(11,885 posts)
78. After trumps medical issues and meds unproven he's taking,
Tue Oct 6, 2020, 12:33 PM
Oct 2020

Only exaggerate his mental and health issues making him unfit for office now. All republicans should have to have consequences from them not removing him from office now. Especially McConnell, Graham, Cornyn, and others.

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