Understanding Trump’s Appeal, Tracking Executions In America, and When Non-Racists Practice Racism

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September 11, 2015

Top Stories


Fugitive Software King John McAfee Wants To Run For President Without Leaving His Bunker

The Gist: In an interview with TPM, the self-described “eccentric millionaire” said he won’t hit the campaign trail or debate other candidates during his 2016 run.

1 Michigan Tea Partier Resigns, Other Ousted After Bogus Gay Sex Scandal

The Gist: After faking a gay sex scandal to cover up an affair, state Rep. Todd Courser resigned and Rep. Cindy Gamrat was expelled from the Michigan House early Friday morning.

I Finally Understand Trump's Appeal After Going To His Iran Rally

The Gist:  Seeing Trump in person helped explain why the flamboyant billionaire is playing so well with white, working class Republicans.

From The Reporter's Notebook


As TPM's Tierney Sneed reported, a 2016-fueled escalation in crime hysteria isn't going to help criminal justice reform efforts. Reformers argue that the "crime spike" headlines are overblowing small increases in the murder rates in a few cities recently, and overall crime is trending way down from what it was in the '80s and '90s, when much of the tough on crime legislation that created mass incarceration was passed.

Agree or Disagree?


“As admirable as the pope’s focus on lower-income families and economic injustice is, the Catholic Church still roundly insists on calling contraceptive use a sin, which would help alleviate the need for abortion in so many cases.” – Sarah Ehrdlich

Say What?!


"I think it’s pretty outrageous for him to be attacking anybody’s appearance when he looks like he’s got a squirrel sitting on his head."

– Bobby Jindal took a swipe at Trump's appearance, after Trump attacked Fiorina's.

BUZZING: Today in the Hive


From a TPM Prime member: "Sure, we can acknowledge that being liberal is not the same thing as being devoid of racism. We can acknowledge that some people with broad, general liberal views have deeply bigoted beliefs that may be directed at one or more other groups… racial, ethnic, religious, etc. We can accept that it is possible to go through life while blissfully unaware of how your path to success was paved by past and perhaps present harms inflicted on others. And we can take all of that for what it's worth, while recognizing that it's window dressing — you won't transform this nation's issues with racism and privilege by complaining about real and imagined microagressions from the population that is trying to effect change, and in fact such an approach could get in the way of the type of public discussion and candor that our nation needs as part of the path forward."

Related: You don't have to be a racist to practice racism. 

Have something to add? Become a Prime member and join the discussion here.

What We're Reading


Who is next to die? Tracking scheduled executions around the country. (The Marshall Project)

When airlines merge, it hits smaller cities hard. (Wall Street Journal)

The lost, true story of the CIA's greatest basketball coach. (Buzzfeed)


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