— X — wrote:

I submit that it’s THAT, and not some sort of White Supremacist movement, that got Trump in.

But it’s not that alone. After all many of the people who voted for Clinton had the same economic views and interests. And of course, there’s Bernie Sanders, who made those issues core to what he stood for, and could have trounced Trump they say. Sanders meanwhile does not attract the militantly white racial people (people who would never go so far as to be KKK etc.)

The USA has a long, long history of right-wing populism that turns out also to be, for the lack of a better term, against diversity. That’s very old.

And the white supremacists are just a fraction. Most people who identify with ordinary every day divisive racial politics would not identify with overt white supremacists. (Though he did hire people from the white nationalism intelligentsia to be advisors.)

There was an anti-gay, anti-muslim, and anti-immigrant, everyday not creepily over the top edge to his appeal. That is there. You are far more likely to find that among Trump voters than among Clinton voters. And Pence is a dead give-away. I happen to know some things about him because I have some family in Indiana.

On top of it his economic policies kind of slid in there without people noticing that it is the exact same stuff that caused the decline they’re reacting against. Ordinary supply side stuff that is precisely what caused the huge (and crippling) inequality gap.

In terms of the trade agreements, that was rhetoric. Real objection to the trade agreements noted among other things not only that they moved jobs overseas, they put in place conditions that prevent poor workers across the globe to improve their condition. The blame is misplaced and nothing Trump could or would do is going to reverse that.

Well that’s enough but in short, I just see the entire thing differently. My neighbors are all pro-Trump and they’re trying to get reactions from me, but I am being my usual diffident self and steer the conversation to how to dispose of our shit-tons of autumn leaves. I did bet one neighbor 5 dollars that within 4 years the economy is NOT going to get any better.

Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams: Aaron Donald ‘does things I cannot coach’

JACK WANG

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/donald-735217-rams-defensive.html

THOUSAND OAKS – Geno Atkins. Gerald McCoy. John Randle.

Those are just three of the players Aaron Donald was compared to before and during his rookie season – a trifecta that has combined for 15 Pro Bowls. Halfway through his third season, it’s clear that the Rams’ star defensive tackle could end his career as the best of the bench.

Which is why defensive coordinator Gregg Williams never took the bait. In 2014, the media pestered him for comparisons; he declined. In 2015, he did so again. On Friday, he explained that he had done so to allow Donald – now arguably the best player in the NFL – to chart a path for himself.

“He is his own guy, and he does things I cannot coach,” Williams said. “I can help, maybe speed up a decision, but he has instincts that are rare.

“Not only does he have athletic ability and strength, height and weight and things, but he has instincts that you don’t come around very much. He’s been playing very well, especially as emphasis on offensive protections and emphasis in blocking schemes are going towards him, he’s still being able to find a way to beat it.”

Donald’s impact on the game wasn’t fully captured through the first three weeks of the season, when he went without a sack despite generating constant pressure on the pocket. That’s changed since the start of October. He broke the drought with 1.5 sacks in a road win over the Cardinals, a total he matched again through his next two outings.

Last Sunday, the Rams lost despite his brilliance. Against the Panthers, Donald notched two sacks, both of which could’ve made a difference if the offense had been more capable. His first – on third-and-9 at the Rams’ 30 – dropped quarterback Cam Newton back 10 yards, knocking Carolina out of field-goal range. The second, early in the fourth quarter, forced the Panthers to settle for three points – and likely would’ve caused a fumble on almost anyone other than Newton.

“Just consistent week after week after week,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said of Donald. “The tackles for losses and the pressure that he’s putting on the passer, the hits on the quarterbacks, they’re just consistent week after week. It’s amazing to see him play at that level every single play – come out, catch his breath, go back in and make another play.”

Donald began his career by becoming the Defensive Rookie of the Year and making back-to-back Pro Bowls. At 25 years old, can he officially claim the title of being the league’s top defensive player?

The absence of injured Texans star J.J. Watt, who claimed the award in three of the past four seasons, helps Donald’s chances. But also in the race with the Rams’ defensive lineman are such players as Broncos linebacker Von Miller – who has 9.5 sacks – and Kansas City cornerback Marcus Peters, who has a league-high five interceptions.

“I’d vote for him,” Fisher said of Donald. “There are a lot of good defensive players in the league right now. Obviously, I’m a lot closer to him than anybody else is, but when you watch the things that he does, it’s really remarkable. We’ll see what happens.”

wv wrote:

Naomi Klein

Naomi!

Been a while I think.

Attacking a Strong Run Defense

Myles Simmons

http://www.therams.com/news-and-events/article-practicereport/Practice-Report-1111-Attacking-a-Strong-Run-Defense-Britts-Homecoming/de2e8f43-4cd4-4949-9929-c134adf914ae#content-tools-share

As a team, Los Angeles ranks No. 29 in rushing through nine weeks of the 2016 season. To say that’s unexpected would be an understatement, particularly given how the club finished No. 7 in the same category last year and features a healthy Todd Gurley in his second NFL season.

That’s why getting Gurley going is an important factor for the Rams’ second half of the season.

“We’re looking [for] overall improvement. We want to see the arrow go up with respect to the whole football team — and that includes Todd, and that includes his touches, and that includes his production,” head coach Jeff Fisher said. “But that’s an offensive team-oriented challenge that we have to face and we have to meet.”

“Just make sure I’m doing the things to help me out as far as helping out [blockers] as well,” Gurley said of his objectives heading into the final eight games.

The 2015 offensive rookie of the year currently has 451 yards rushing with three touchdowns. But over the Rams’ last three games, Gurley has averaged just 14 carries while the Rams have averaged about 44 passing attempts. Last week against Carolina, Gurley had just two carries in the game’s second half.

That’s not the ideal distribution for Los Angeles’ offense, and Fisher said this week Gurley’s reduction in carries has been in part because the club has been behind and faced so many passing situations. But it’s an issue L.A. has been working hard to correct this week.

“He’s feeling good,” Fisher said. “The are down for a lot of different reasons, but we’d like to see the numbers increase — out of the backfield as well as the carries.”

“Part of it is, we’ve got to do better on first and second down, and stay on the field, and sustain some drives,” offensive coordinator Rob Boras said this week. “I know what the numbers are. At the end of the first half last week on first and second down, we had nine runs and 10 passes, and we had seven third downs, and then four plays in two-minute. Then when we got behind two scores in the second half, we had 20 plays of two-minute there at the end.”

And that doesn’t help a running back in terms of trying to get into a rhythm — be it Gurley or Los Angeles’ usual third-down back, Benny Cunningham.

“For any runner, and especially a guy like Todd and/or Benny, it’s the more carries they’re going to get, that the more that they’re going to settle in,” Boras said. “Not only as a runner, but as the blockers — the O-line, the tight ends, and the fullback if that be the case. Part of that again is staying on the field, and sustaining some drives, and eliminating three-and-outs, and that’s obviously a stress what we’re trying to get done.”

As a strong runner for much of his life, Gurley knows what it takes to excel when he does get into a rhythm and receives multiple carries in a row.

“Obviously, being a running back, you want the ball,” Gurley said. “So, you’ve just got to be mentally tough in getting those carries play after play. And the biggest thing with that is, that’s when endurance comes in. You start seeing stuff when you’re tired. So you have to make sure you’re doing the same thing that first carry that you’re doing at that 25th carry.”

And while Gurley would surely like better results than he’s had this season, it hasn’t changed the way he’s approached going about improving.

“I’ve said it before, I’ve been impressed with Todd as much success he had last year, and how well he handled the success last year as a 22 year old, or whatever he was last year. I think he’s handling what’s happened this year just as well,” Boras said. “Again, that’s a sign of his character and what he’s all about. I’m not saying that he’s not frustrated, but he’s not showing it. He’s a team guy. He’s willing to do protection-wise, route running – whatever it’s going to take for us to get first downs and ultimately score touchdowns.”

It seems like the Rams have faced some of the toughest defensive fronts week after week, and they’ve all loaded the box to stop the run. That’s going to be the case this Sunday, too, as L.A. takes on the Jets — currently No. 4 in run defense.

“Obviously, they’re very athletic,” center Tim Barnes said of the Jets’ front. “They play really hard, fast. You see some of those guys, they’re running down plays — so you know what you’re dealing with. Big guys, but they’re very athletic. They’re playing at a high level right now.”

“Just have to stay consistent, read your tracks, and just stay patient,” Gurley said.

New York is also multiple with its defense, employing both even and odd fronts depending on the situation. That’s can be a challenge for any team in terms of preparation.

“You have to really get into your playbook. And you do that every week, but especially when you have different looks for everything like we do, you just have to make sure everyone’s on their game together,” Barnes said, stressing the Rams have been focusing on communication. “We’re going to be away, so we’re going to have to communicate in the noise — things like that. We know that we have to do everything together correctly.”

And given the Jets strength against the run, might it mean a bit more if this was the week where the Rams finally broke out in a big way?

“Absolutely. And we want to get the run started bad. It’s something that’s bothering everybody,” Barnes said. “It means something to us. So we just want to make sure that we do everything we can to get it going.”

“That’s our focus. They know it and we know it. It’s easier sand than done,” Fisher said. “We have to finish plays and we have to find a way to hand the ball off to Todd and Benny late in the game. That’s how you win games at the end.”