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emulatorloo

(44,186 posts)
Tue Apr 25, 2017, 02:07 PM Apr 2017

"James Comey's Fear of Everyone Except Democrats Helped Donald Trump Upset Hillary Clinton"

James Comey’s Fear of Everyone—Except Democrats—Helped Donald Trump Upset Hillary Clinton
Comey thought a lot about the rabid Republican zealots he could offend by doing his job and enforcing the law, and not at all about the Democrats he trusted would be docile and play by the rules.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2017/04/24/james-comey-s-fear-of-everyone-except-democrats-helped-donald-trump-upset-hillary-clinton.html

We see in three instances that he feared the wrath of the Republicans. One, if he didn’t break precedent and speak harshly of Clinton while officially exonerating her last summer. So he spoke harshly. Two, if he didn’t announce in late October that the investigation was reopened. So he announced the investigation (which, as we learned too late, again amounted to nothing) was reopened.

And three, if the Republicans in Congress decided post-election to include him and the bureau in its inevitable Clinton witch hunts. So he beat them to the witch hunt, and finally said she was clear just as she drowned. The article doesn’t say this, but surely Comey also feared GOP wrath if he did confirm before the election that Donald Trump was under investigation too, which he finally confirmed last month.

<Snip>

But nowhere does the article say that Comey feared how Democrats would react if he raked Clinton over the rhetorical coals without bringing charges. Of course he didn’t! Democrats don’t scare anybody.

As I recall things, some Democrats expressed some outrage, but it was scattered, nothing like what the Republicans would have done had the shoe been on the other foot. It took the efforts of Matt Miller, a former Justice Department spokesman for Eric Holder, to crystallize for people the contention that what Comey did was in fact outrageous. Miller called it an “abuse of power,” and he was right—and I confess that even I didn’t see things that way until I read Miller’s writings about it.


Much more at link.

I'm terrible at doing short excerpts, full articles is well worth reading.

It is commentary on the piece about Comey in the NYT the other day. But it connects the dots that the NYT did not connect.
45 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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"James Comey's Fear of Everyone Except Democrats Helped Donald Trump Upset Hillary Clinton" (Original Post) emulatorloo Apr 2017 OP
and is EXACTLY why DonCoquixote Apr 2017 #1
Yep, the whole "when they go low, we go high", while pretty, needs to be retired tavalon Apr 2017 #20
Hillary called them deplorables and got attacked for it worse than Trump did with his attacks JI7 Apr 2017 #23
Yes. Damned if you do, damned if you don't if you're a Democrat. betsuni Apr 2017 #31
+1 uponit7771 Apr 2017 #32
A candidate needs to attack her opponent, and not her potential voters. Crunchy Frog Apr 2017 #33
he attacked her voters also when he attacked hispanics, blacks, women etc JI7 Apr 2017 #34
TRMS is covering the story in much the same way. Comey's double standard. ffr Apr 2017 #2
Remember how DU was shut down by hackers around election time? /nt philly_bob Apr 2017 #4
k and r niyad Apr 2017 #3
The FBI never had a legitimate reason to be investigating her to begin with. (eom) StevieM Apr 2017 #5
The GOP are experts at working the refs. nt tblue37 Apr 2017 #6
And silencing the opposition. Initech Apr 2017 #7
They do well BigmanPigman Apr 2017 #15
Maybe we need to fight fire with fire. InAbLuEsTaTe Apr 2017 #27
"In Comeys case, he thought maybe he was establishing his independence toward the person..." Perseus Apr 2017 #8
Spot on piece! Justice Apr 2017 #9
And one more thing Perseus Apr 2017 #10
If I wanted a *p u s s y* for an FBI director, I'd appoint my cat, Max meow2u3 Apr 2017 #44
4, he was afraid to reveal the investigation of Trump's connections to Putin and friends. nt July Apr 2017 #11
Is this just a quirk of his personality? SleeplessinSoCal Apr 2017 #12
and this gets right back to the incredible failure of democrats certainot Apr 2017 #13
it's not talk radio . talk radio attracts those who have bigoted views. the problem is not dealing JI7 Apr 2017 #22
a major function of talk radio for 30 years was to make racism acceptable certainot Apr 2017 #25
this is just not true. it might just be more open but things were just as bad back then JI7 Apr 2017 #26
your sister's a whore, your brother a thief, and you're a traitor certainot Apr 2017 #29
people were racist before this . don't make excuses for the racists. they have other news sources JI7 Apr 2017 #30
where the fuck do you get that i'm making excuses for racism certainot Apr 2017 #35
20 years ? this has been going on far longer than 20 years . and there were racists before JI7 Apr 2017 #36
blm says nothing about talk radio - they don't know it exists, while certainot Apr 2017 #37
i know what they say . talk radio attracts racists . just like fox news does JI7 Apr 2017 #39
you prove my point - you would never have heard of that stupidity certainot Apr 2017 #42
don't you think it would make a difference it there were certainot Apr 2017 #38
they wouldn't listen to it if that was the case. JI7 Apr 2017 #40
many of those are the loudest radio stations in the country and they listen to certainot Apr 2017 #43
Message auto-removed Name removed Apr 2017 #14
This is true SHRED Apr 2017 #16
+ 1 red dog 1 Apr 2017 #18
Fuck James Comey, Russian traitor, and Fuck the KGB led FBI. nt TeamPooka Apr 2017 #17
James Comey violated the Hatch Act by sending that letter 11 days before the election, red dog 1 Apr 2017 #19
it's not just Democrats. look at the Reaction to HIllary referring to those types as deplorables and JI7 Apr 2017 #21
i thought from the start it was Comey being pressured by other right wing types. fuck him . JI7 Apr 2017 #24
That's a good thing. Respect due to fear is not respect but fear. Nitram Apr 2017 #28
Ideally, you're right. But repukes don't show any respect meow2u3 Apr 2017 #45
Maybe Democrats.... Aviation Pro Apr 2017 #41

DonCoquixote

(13,616 posts)
1. and is EXACTLY why
Tue Apr 25, 2017, 02:10 PM
Apr 2017

we need to stop being polite. If the rules are only to provide cover for sociopaths, then the rules have outlived their purpose.

tavalon

(27,985 posts)
20. Yep, the whole "when they go low, we go high", while pretty, needs to be retired
Wed Apr 26, 2017, 02:12 AM
Apr 2017

I'm with the Rude Pundit. Give unto them what they give unto us. Shit comes around. I have no interest in going high.

JI7

(89,274 posts)
23. Hillary called them deplorables and got attacked for it worse than Trump did with his attacks
Wed Apr 26, 2017, 02:26 AM
Apr 2017

on minorities.

Crunchy Frog

(26,647 posts)
33. A candidate needs to attack her opponent, and not her potential voters.
Thu Apr 27, 2017, 12:26 AM
Apr 2017

However "right" she may have been, it was terrible strategy.

I want our side to fight, but to do it effectively, rather than shoot themselves in the foot.

ffr

(22,672 posts)
2. TRMS is covering the story in much the same way. Comey's double standard.
Tue Apr 25, 2017, 02:11 PM
Apr 2017

If only our side had an alarmist 24/7 Fox Noise channel to make a big stink, justice might get equal treatment.

 

Perseus

(4,341 posts)
8. "In Comeys case, he thought maybe he was establishing his independence toward the person..."
Tue Apr 25, 2017, 03:05 PM
Apr 2017

Bull!!!

Comey needs to be investigated...he has been investigating the republicans on the Russia/Collusion scandal for two years and has produced nothing, and I don't want to be a pessimist, but I have this bad feeling about the whole thing.

 

Perseus

(4,341 posts)
10. And one more thing
Tue Apr 25, 2017, 03:08 PM
Apr 2017

"surely Comey also feared GOP wrath if he did confirm before the election"

Why is a "p u s s y" director of the FBI? That doesn't fare well...

meow2u3

(24,773 posts)
44. If I wanted a *p u s s y* for an FBI director, I'd appoint my cat, Max
Thu Apr 27, 2017, 11:07 AM
Apr 2017

At least he was born that way--and he has more guts than Comey!

SleeplessinSoCal

(9,145 posts)
12. Is this just a quirk of his personality?
Tue Apr 25, 2017, 03:14 PM
Apr 2017

A good parent wouldn't reward bad behavior. And he seemed to be the good parent in the Ashcroft scenario.

 

certainot

(9,090 posts)
13. and this gets right back to the incredible failure of democrats
Tue Apr 25, 2017, 03:25 PM
Apr 2017

and the left to do anything about rw talk radio the last 30 years, which is the only thing the republicans have going for them.

media and public officials are well trained and will continue to fear the power of 1200 radio stations until the left pull their ipods out of theirears and boycott and protest rcon radio into its natural market share of 100 or 200 stations, mostly in the swamps. all the left has to do is stand up and point to the talk radio gods and say "hey, is this what you're afraid of? a few hundred liars hiding behind call screeners?"

he feared the wrath of the Republicans


all that means is that a few hundred talk radio gods, led by limbaugh and few others, get the masses frothing and screaming about it and then their idiot reps do the rest. they had 30 years of unchallenged clinton hate to work with and a bunch of russian trolling piggybacking that. its easy.

JI7

(89,274 posts)
22. it's not talk radio . talk radio attracts those who have bigoted views. the problem is not dealing
Wed Apr 26, 2017, 02:23 AM
Apr 2017

with racism.

 

certainot

(9,090 posts)
25. a major function of talk radio for 30 years was to make racism acceptable
Wed Apr 26, 2017, 03:41 AM
Apr 2017
talk radio is not just for bigoted viewers - it's everywhere and loud

it used and excused racism. it made excuses for racist cops killing unarmed black kids, made fun of the notion of white privilege, labeled those who called out racism "politically correct" while calling for and enforcing conformist conservative political views, using racism re immigration to sell voter suppression legislation, et.

racism is much more acceptable today because liberals ignored talk radio for 30 years, while racists yelled from every corner and stump in the country and liberals/dems/ left stuck their fingers in their ears

JI7

(89,274 posts)
26. this is just not true. it might just be more open but things were just as bad back then
Wed Apr 26, 2017, 04:14 AM
Apr 2017

now there is video and minorities speak out more.

but things were shitty back then and in fact worse .

at some point you have to blame the racists and call them out.

and these people have access to other media . they spend a lot of time watching fox news but they know what's on other channels also.

 

certainot

(9,090 posts)
29. your sister's a whore, your brother a thief, and you're a traitor
Thu Apr 27, 2017, 12:06 AM
Apr 2017

that's what they've been saying about liberals and brown people and anyone they hate for 30 years from every corner and stump in the country

yes it's true. we were making progress, then they bought up 1200 radio stations and when someone called anyone a racist they called that 'political correctness'.

because the left/dems/liberals/blacks ignored that constant racist fascist buzz it bacame more 'acceptable'

fox is visual icing on talk radio's lie turd pie. talk radio's dumb little brother. it doesn't compare.

and not, in most parts of 40 states with 80 senators there are no free easy alternatives for politics while driving or working

JI7

(89,274 posts)
30. people were racist before this . don't make excuses for the racists. they have other news sources
Thu Apr 27, 2017, 12:08 AM
Apr 2017

available to them since they get fox news.

they believe what they want to believe .

 

certainot

(9,090 posts)
35. where the fuck do you get that i'm making excuses for racism
Thu Apr 27, 2017, 01:14 AM
Apr 2017

sounds like you're making excuses for it as inevitable - racism gets worse when it's made acceptable instead of shamed

racism is learned and if there are teachers on every radio station and no one gets in their face to call them racists then it becomes more acceptable. it's been used for 20 years to sell voter suppression legislation but the left and dems are ignorant about that. not complaining about limbaugh/savage/hannity daily racism is stupid for a society. that's why there's a racist asshole in the white house.

JI7

(89,274 posts)
36. 20 years ? this has been going on far longer than 20 years . and there were racists before
Thu Apr 27, 2017, 01:21 AM
Apr 2017

limbaugh, savage hannity etc.

they have ohter news sources and people do call them out on it.

what do you think blm does.

 

certainot

(9,090 posts)
37. blm says nothing about talk radio - they don't know it exists, while
Thu Apr 27, 2017, 01:34 AM
Apr 2017

talk radio stations all over country attack and lie about blm, like they did OWS.
go back to the original comments- i'm saying talk radio is a major factor making racism more acceptable because non racists ignore it. you don't think 1000 radio stations getting a free speech free ride to lie about blm since blm became blm makes a difference in how blm is generally perceived? you don't know what they've been saying about blm every time they get a chance. about trayvon martin and mike brown. about the ferguson protests.
you seem to be suggesting people are born racists and stay that way.

i'm gone

JI7

(89,274 posts)
39. i know what they say . talk radio attracts racists . just like fox news does
Thu Apr 27, 2017, 01:44 AM
Apr 2017

these people insist obama was born in kenya and is a muslim.

 

certainot

(9,090 posts)
42. you prove my point - you would never have heard of that stupidity
Thu Apr 27, 2017, 09:10 AM
Apr 2017

if it was stuck on 5 kkk web sites vs 1000 radio stations playing with it for months

 

certainot

(9,090 posts)
38. don't you think it would make a difference it there were
Thu Apr 27, 2017, 01:43 AM
Apr 2017

1000 radio stations spending 15 hrs a day calling racists assholes instead of making excuses for them? or attacking trump instead of praising him?

 

certainot

(9,090 posts)
43. many of those are the loudest radio stations in the country and they listen to
Thu Apr 27, 2017, 09:16 AM
Apr 2017

them because they go to them for traffic reports,weather, current events, news.

many of them are the only free easy and clear signal during the day as they do their work and drive around

at least 257 of those limbaugh stations are the stations they hear the sports from 88 major universities on

Response to emulatorloo (Original post)

red dog 1

(27,864 posts)
19. James Comey violated the Hatch Act by sending that letter 11 days before the election,
Tue Apr 25, 2017, 04:33 PM
Apr 2017

He should have been fired, and DOJ should have sought an indictment..He's a criminal..Period!

JI7

(89,274 posts)
21. it's not just Democrats. look at the Reaction to HIllary referring to those types as deplorables and
Wed Apr 26, 2017, 02:22 AM
Apr 2017

then look at trump attacking mexicans,blacks, women etc and the reaction to that.

Nitram

(22,890 posts)
28. That's a good thing. Respect due to fear is not respect but fear.
Wed Apr 26, 2017, 10:28 PM
Apr 2017

We should never stop to the use of fear to inspire respect.

meow2u3

(24,773 posts)
45. Ideally, you're right. But repukes don't show any respect
Thu Apr 27, 2017, 11:09 AM
Apr 2017

They only cringe when they're scared, but they're not afraid of us. We have to put our general niceness aside and make them too afraid of us to try any more shit.

Aviation Pro

(12,187 posts)
41. Maybe Democrats....
Thu Apr 27, 2017, 08:36 AM
Apr 2017

...should start hitting the gym, taking steroids and profess a love of ignorance in loud, testosterone filled voices so they can become the scary apes that seemingly are the Republicant party. : :

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