No standing back for me! Spent the last week on getting out the vote in Southern Oregon on local county measures and Oregon state elections. It was a great experience to meet so many others in my community where many thanked me for my efforts! A good warm up for November. Leading from the head of the line.
And Oregonians get to vote by mail, register to vote online, use drop boxes in every county, and mail ballots w/o needing a postage stamp. Most if not all counties have voter information booklets w/ info about candidates and ballot measures; the booklet comes free to every household about 3 weeks before ballots are due. And Oregon is part of the National Popular Vote compact. Hooray for everyone keeping Oregon democratic (small d)! I wish every state would follow Oregon's example.
I am green with envy at reading the great things about Oregon. I live in the racist, fascist state of Georgia and i applied to vote by mail here in the 2022 middle term elections and they never even sent me a vote by mail ballot and i ended up doing the early voting thing here. I do wish every state would follow Oregon's example. Georgia is horribly infected with the Fascist terrorist TUMP loving fascist idiots.
I will return to the New York courts next week to be a silent witness in court and a vocal one outside as I was a week ago when Stormy was testifying. We will win this case yet and TFG will stand convicted of a felony.
Here in New Hampshire, vote by mail is very restricted and we don't have early voting either. Trumplicans are trying everything they can to make it harder to register and vote.
Good ‘ol boy Sununu. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
His father and namesake was also a NH Governor. His father is perhaps best know by the nickname “Sununuke” for his support of building a nuclear power plant in NH. There were large protests against it being built. Not only opposition by citizens of NH but also the Governors of both Massachusetts’s and Vermont. Sununu’s push to build it was taking place shortly after the meltdown of the Chernobyl nuclear plant in Russia.
Sununu Jr sure looks like he supports the meltdown of American Democracy.
I can't live outside the tropics - my hands become useless in 45 degree weather. Maybe Global Warming will give me a chance to live in Oregon for my remaining days. Let me know if you see any iguanas in banana groves. :)
A bit like Maine. And quite a ‘few’ people have moved there from Maine because of that. 95000 square miles and a lot of it uninhabited. Plus a more temperate climate. Good places to live.
I am in Colorado where we have voted by mail for ages. I have a neighbor who left Georgia but is proud of helping elect your two fine Democrats.
Don't give up. I am certainly not. We have an excellent candidate to replace Ken Buck, if the two Republican -funded me n also running in the primary next month will just get the f out of the way. One is decent enough but can't beat Boebert, the other has anger management issues and it's his third try. What a mess.
I love living in Oregon for many reasons and vote by mail works very well. Voters are informed that their ballot is on the way and then they are informed when the ballot is received and cleared for counting. A lot of people have not voted yet.....high percentage, despite it being easy. We have a very important race in the D primary for the 5th Congressional District. The ads there are getting nasty as well as the ads for the Multnomah County DA. I am thinking the current DA is toast.
Here in California I was ignorant enough to not realize the reality that in other states it is so ridiculously hard to vote it’s terrible to hear how they( republicans, MAGA) make it so hard to vote which is our right. It makes me sick.
All I can offer is two words "be careful". your comment "Voters are informed that their ballot is on the way and then they are informed when the ballot is received and cleared for counting"... frightens me. It would seem that this faith in the system could easily be wrecked if the (R)'ss-holes hire some slugs to make things go bad. The "dirty tricks" team is alive, I hope our guard is up... it surely should be.
I do not worry about this at all. The sec of state office and the Marion County clerk's office have long been under the control of Ds except for a short stint a few years ago because some fools voted for some third party and we had a R sec of state. He died while still in office and the D governor picked a trustworthy R that had been around for years....not one of the nut jobs. Oregon elections go quite smoothly...not too many glitches. We did have a R clerk in Clackastan (Clackamus County) who was a dolt and most of the screwups were on her watch. Voters got so disgusted that at the next election, they put in a D. If death star wins, i will worry about everything including my life. As for what I said, I am was merely explaining how the Oregon system works, so that voters really have no excuse. I have plenty of other things to worry about right now, to keep up my blood pressure if I let them.
I’m always aware I had deliver my mail in to my local post office where I know the people yes I’m in a small twon but I confirm by ballot on line several times I already am paranoide
Huh? Which one? So sad. All this 'up-heave-al' currently, coupled with the morass during #45's term has had a pronounced effect on our country. Thankfully, the Biden/Harris administration has been a relative return to sanity.
"Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty; power is ever stealing from the many to the few"
- Wendell Phillips.
As recent actions by Republicans like Andy Biggs, Lauren Boebert, and Matt Gaetz demonstrate, threats to democracy and equality persist. We must remain vigilant to protect these values from being eroded by those who prioritize power over justice
The clowns you just mentioned, are aided and abetted by the ever-increasing population of billionaires. A million-dollar fine or loss to someone who has 1000 million dollars is just a yellow piss-hole in the snow. One million dollars of liquidity over and above the money in ones household checking acccount, is a heck-uva lot of money. Having a couple billion to play with, you're basically untouchable. We have a ton of "untouchables", like our boy Elon, who're directing traffic. How about the Arabians who are building a 105 mile long line of "skyscrapers"..? You've read aboiut that, right?
Maryland makes it so easy to vote by mail I don't understand why we even have an Election Day, it should be Count the Votes day. Last year I signed up to always vote by mail so I don't have to request a mail-in ballot again. After I dropped my ballot off, less than three miles from my home, I got an email saying it had been received followed by an email that said it had been counted.
Martha Woods "After I dropped my ballot off, less than three miles from my home, I got an email saying it had been received followed by an email that said it had been counted."
I have been using exactly this same method for 20 years now in Colorado. And there has been nary a hint of fraud during that time.
Help us elect Trisha Calvarese here in CD4. I can't like your post for some reason but we need help. Look up the Horizon project, it's a recruiting and training plan created by Phil Weiser to get out the vote.
Oregon has used mail in ballots exclusively for more than 20 years. I believe our fraud percentage is less than 1%. (It lists the conviction rate at .00006% out of 61 million ballots cast between 200-2019)
Illinois here - been voting by mail for a long time and I am signed up to do so permanently. What I like most about voting by mail is that it allows one time to thoroughly check out each candidate, especially where judges are concerned.
Virginia is the same. I’m away a lot so now always receive a mail-in ballot early. I too get an email that my ballot arrived at thevpost office and again when it is counted.
Because the demons have taken over and gerrymandered those states to death since the civil war they are imbedded. It takes extreme perserverance to bring to to supreme courts and they take their sweet time reacting because since trump they can. It’s getting so obvious as to what their are doing to our country and to don’t give a rats ass, no hiding any longer their dirty deeds right out in the open and they are proud of it
Exactly!! I learned this year that people who are running can basically write whatever they want about themselves and stretching the truth is allowed. I was able to help senior call to repot there ballot as missing( never arrived) so proud to be able to help.
In my part of Pennsyltucky, we have drop boxes and postage-paid return envelopes. But we are required to sign and date the envelope due to some GOP -sponsored regulation which makes no sense at all. Consider that the envelope has a unique barcode which identifies it as legitimate and that the ballots are mailed out starting on a known date and must be returned by another known date and tell me why I should write a date on the envelope.
We do it that way in Colorado, and the signature and date are part of the vote validation process. A bar coded vote could be stolen (wouldn't put it past trumpanzees) and a lot of effort goes into the signature verification.
The ballot is sealed inside a separate secrecy envelope. Signing is like when we sign the poll book at the polling place. It's the date that is unnecessary -- except that the GOP legislature added it to provide another place to make an error.
I grew up in Medford. I always felt that with the exception of Ashland, that Southern Oregon was conservative. I'm thrilled to read your post. Keep at it. Here in Las Cruces, NM, my husband has been knocking on doors with much the result. Some folks even want to hug him they are so happy to see someone who cares. We have had t-shirts printed that says "I AM A PROUD DEMOCRAT" which we wear to let folks know who we are when we canvass. Keep up the good work. I believe it will pay off.
Today's letter reminds me of the Introduction to HCR's book, "How the South Won the Civil War." It is a brilliant summary of American history, a real jewel in only 16 pages.
Ellene...I have a sense that what you are finding in Oregon is what is across the country. However if you listen to the news....it sounds as though MAGA/white supremacy has taken over the nation.
That is okay though...as long as we don't let it discourage us....in our efforts to get out the vote. In Texas almost 50% of the Democrats did not vote in the election of governor and attorney general two years ago. Women could/should have stopped these racist, anti-rights, anti-life puppeteers.
Grass root efforts are growing, unions are returning, and some of the Republican shenanigans and hypocrisy is being covered by the media. And Republicans are getting so confident they are saying the quiet part out loud. I just have to believe that we are a nation of just, generous, humane, and environmental loving people.
It's time to flip that coin and super glue down. It's time to turn MAGA on it's head.
Keep up the good work Elaine. IMHO more people across the country are saying thanks openly or behind closed doors. They are those who do not want to be a part of surveys they feel are skewed, but privately are hearing and recognizing the importance of saving democracy in order to continue to perfect it. Thanks for your work.
I am in Germany, and a member of Democrats Abroad Germany. Not only am I getting ready to vote in the EU elections in June, for Democracy, but I have been organizing together with other DAG to help get more young Americans or Dual citizens living abroad supported to vote. It is different in each state, and some states make it harder to Vote from Abroad. Fortunately for my daughter and me, Illinois makes it fairly easy. After a conversation in the grocery store, a young German/American who told me she was not happy with either candidate gave me her number so we could meet and discuss the election. She told me she was not political. I told her not being political is a political stance. I also told her that not voting or voting for anyone besides Biden is a vote for Trump. We are also sending out postcards to Democrats and Voters Abroad, and there is a project to make a video for inclusion on why we are voting for Biden. My daughter and I are going to make ours together and take turns filming each other. Democrats Abroad will have delegates at the Convention in my home city of Chicago this summer. We also have issues that we are trying to get represented. According to this there are around 5.4 million, the State Department says around 9 million. That is a lot of potential votes.
One generally votes from the last state one lived in, and if you have children who were born abroad and have never lived in the USA, they also vote from the last state that their American parent or parents lived in. My precinct captain here in my city in Germany is inviting the youth group to tell those of us who are older, what we need to do to support and include young Americans in voting from Abroad.
And then, related to the Supreme Court, we see that Justice Alito was flying an upside down American flag at this house for several days around January 17th, to be precise, both after the insurrection on the sixth and while the Supreme Court was still considering whether to hear an election-related case. Was he showing support for "Stop the Steal"? One wonders. Expect more flak to come about from this. Have we EVER had such a blatantly corrupt Supreme Court??? Jeez . . .
I’m glad you brought up Alito and the upside down flag. I saw this, too. He blames his wife. Abhorrent man and a disgrace to the Supreme Court and our democracy.
For all the progressives back in 2000 who had to "follow my conscience" and vote for Ralph Nader, Samuel Alito was the prize you got for your "efforts," just like Trump was the prize for 50,000 Berners who had to "follow my conscience" despite Bernie asking them to please not write him in, in Wisconsin and Michigan and Pennsylvania - the margin by which Hillary Clinton lost those states and the electoral college. And now we've got another class of over-educated, under-intelligent "progressive" dunderheads who can't bring themselves to vote for "Genocide Joe." These people are as dumb as we were in 1968 when we didn't vote for Humphrey and gave the country Nixon, four more years of Vietnam and the majority of casualties, the Southern Strategy HCR writes about here, and the basic turn to the right that led to Reagan, Bush I, Bush II and Trump.
EXACTLY TCinLA! Who is more destructive, fervent MAGAs or the 'follow my conscience' purists who are looking for a perfect world that will never exist. Both are equally misguided social jihadis.
My LIKE button doesn't work this morning, but i LIKE what TcinLA and 100 said. To prevail, we have to be unified. In my case, this election is LIKE a full time job.
We have the capacity to sweep. Just need to get everyone registered and then GOTV. I volunteer with FT 6. Register Democrats - save the world.
My like button not working too, glad it’s not just me. Probably an update that screwed things up. Happens a lot. My Gmail is almost a joke since last update on laptop. Lord, progress is so fraught with regression.
I've been perusing chronologically for an hour. My "likes" show up substantially after I have hit the button, almost all of them on threads where I have made a subsequent comment. There were reports of this yesterday as well.
Daniel Solomon "My LIKE button doesn't work this morning,"
I thought I had the same problem. Clicking on the LIKE icon made no change. However, when I refreshed the page, the icon had turned red which (I think) means my LIKE was accepted.
BTW, I suspect if you click on the icon twice it will cancel the "Like."
I am trying to"Like" 100Panthers and TC in LAs takes but my Like button is not working. To me, the"follow my conscience" purists are the most maddening as they know the results of their so-called"purity" but go ahead and vote against what will help to save our country.
For some reason my Like button is working fine. I just can't find that Love button, on my phone.
Those purity voters on the left that helped Nixon, Reagan, etc. get elected echo the religious purity voters on the right that support Trump regardless of the chaos he brings.
Vote Your Conscience perverts strategic and ethical public participation. Vote Your Conscience turns voting into an individual exercise in personal expression. In fact, voting is a strategic exercise in uniting to take power. Conscience is what reminds us to use our personal power for the general welfare.
In response to all the no’s , I’m voting my conscience for RFKJR as I did for the Green Party candidate last time.He understands me and what I want for our country now.I don’t care if you think he is a long shot, he is charismatic.
By putting yourself above the general welfare and charisma over clear thinking - you are voting your gut rather than your head. Conscience means making our most vulnerable neighbors, fragile planet, and endangered democracy your priority. And voting for the candidate with the best record and best chance. In this case, that is Joe Biden.
My clear thinking tells me RFKJr will do more to cleanup our environment, restore honest government, and fix the chronic disease problem our young Americans have. Many other pluses too. Biden has a good record up to a point where he can’t go against the big corporations who fund his campaign. He is at the end of his life now and his record doesn’t change that situation.Bobby addresses the issues, he doesn’t insult like Trump and Biden do.He is the only one who can unite the country for democracy to prevail again.
Kennedy is so dangerous. Let’s see the latest on him. He got a brain worm from eating raw pork. Who does that? He only drinks raw milk, and Shanahan has been photographed with raw milk advocates during a time when we are poised on the edge of another pandemic, spread by what? Raw milk, that’s what. He hasn’t learned from experience, even when that experience caused him cognitive impairment (his words, from his divorce filing). I’m sorry, but this is idiocy.
Facts matter, science matters, and my conscience tells me never to vote for a candidate so steeped in disinformation no matter how charismatic he might seem to some people. I don’t find him charismatic; I think he’s a nut job. As TC points out above, enough people like John and their consciences will give us another four years of Trump, likely at the cost of our democracy. How do they square that with their purity tests and consciences?
He got the worm from eating under cooked meat. That was in 2010. It has come to light now from the NYTIMES who are an instrument of the DNC. His brain is working fine.You are freaking out over The threat of Trump being re-elected.Bobby is polling better against Trump than President Biden is.And how about you tell me what facts RFKJR says doesn’t matter? I’ve said enough for today, don’t want Ally on my case!
You have the right of course to vote for whomever you wish - that is democracy at work. I will disagree with your choice which is my right. As an independent who has historically voted for candidates of both parties (but since 2016 no longer), my singular goal is to save American Democracy. Any vote that distracts from that goal is a counterproductive vote for autocracy. I agree with the Kennedy family, unanimous in opposing RFK's candidacy, he should channel his ego and work for democracy.
RFKJR does stand for Democracy. He explains that democracy is rooted in free speech. I think President Biden failed to consider our democracy when he censored RFKJR. As far as his relatives that say he is dangerous, I think they may come around to supporting RFKJR if he continues to gain support and ballot access. Maybe not Kerry, but maybe Rory.By dangerous she said it meant to Biden’s re-election. Not to our country.
John, what exactly do you believe RFKJR can accomplish as a President “with no supportive political base” to pass legislation? Do you think MAGA will adopt his agenda? What Dem Congressmen will fall in line with the RFKJR movement
Practicality and Pragmatism should inform your conscientious vote
Hi Dave, Do you agree that Republicans fell in line with Trump or were ostracized like Mitt and Liz? They were intimidated by Trump. Well I don’t think RFKJR will do anything like that, but once he gets elected by the majority of Americans he will gain the respect and understanding from politicians on both sides of the isle.One of his greatest strengths is working with people that don’t agree with him. So says his wife, and she had to be talked into supporting his run.
Can you articulate RFK Jr how RFK Jr “understands” you and what it is that you “want” for the country? I ask this sincerely as I have not heard or read what he is proposing. And on one level I understand charisma but how does that translate to governing - particularly with no political party that supports his policies - which I have not seen articulated.
Frankly even if a third party candidate would be elected I do not see Rs and Ds getting together or crossing their party lines to govern under an administration that has no support. And who will he get to join his administration?
My concern for any third party candidate goes back to the structure of our government and ultimately our voting process. We are not unfortunately a parliamentarian system where third parties can actually affect government policy. We are a winner takes all system which effectively means (as history has shown) that one of the two candidates from the major parties will prevail.
No one who truly supports Bernie Sanders could ever claim to also support tffg. If you think their policies are the same then you’re not paying attention. And unlike the majority of us who followed Bernie’s lead and ended up voting for Hillary, the 2016 election was lost by the millions who chose not to vote at all. Hillary made no attempt to appeal to Bernie’s supporters. We got the orange clown because people were so disgusted that they chose to stay home. Vilifying independent voters for not towing the establishment line clearly didn’t work in 2016 so maybe you all should find a better way to appeal to them now. My children are fiercely independent and certainly not “ridin with Biden” but they can see that this election is nothing like 2016. Democracy over fascism is in play and they will vote to save democracy every time. Maybe work a little harder on being independent voters into the Democratic Party instead of recycling contempt for their actually having a conscience and disagreeing with the coronation that was being pushed by the DNC in 2016.
I've been independent since 1996 except for supporting Bernie (before and after the Convention) by also campaigning and voting for Hillary as Bernie encouraged. I believe we brought in a lot of other independents, people who had never registered, and former Republicans.. The DNC and Debbie Wasserman Schultz alienated a number of the new people we were able to get registered and voting in the primaries which hurt our chances, but I don't believe as much as just being so over confident that they thought they could enough electoral votes, no matter how many popular votes we could expect to win by.
It seemed a combination of ignoring too many outside their chosen group, and overconfidence that reduced what could have and should have been a higher turnout. To me, turnout of educated voters is critical, as explained to me by the people we worked with that had been part of Willie Valasquez (who considered it more important to get more voters registered and voting, no matter who they voted for).
It made so much sense to me as I recalled how ancestors had first gained the majority in the House as the "Opposition" Coalition/Caucus designated by "O" in the 34th Congress, as they worked with all others opposed to slavery despite other differences.
I have no doubt Trump will never win a popular vote, but my old party's treachery and Gerrymandering has made the Electoral College the poison pill in Representative Democracy. (I left in 1996 as did Elizabeth Warren.)
My like button doesn't work either. My son was a Bernie fans and, despite Bernie's endorsement of Biden seem to waffle on support of Trump. I'll keep working on him, but frustrating to see how things may go badly if not for persistent effort. Trump is coming to Minnesota to talk. Can't imagine he can win here, but should not take anything for granted.
I thought it was just me, but it started glitching yesterday. Obviously, Substack doesn't have the greatest programmers or customer support.
Typical greedy organization. It would be interesting to see how much money they take in off of HCR, Joyce Vance, Thom Hartmann & Robert Reich not to mention the hundreds of others that post for $$$$ on Substack
They take 10 percent, which we all agree with. So far as "greedy organizations" are concerned, Substack is pretty low on that list, since they have created a space for the people you mention (and people like me) to write what we do. Try doing that on X.
You need to rethink your alleged "progressive" views.
My like button seems intermittent, but sometimes just delayed 10 to 20 seconds. It may be multiple attempts during the delay end up with an even number of attempts, each pair of which cancels the odd like press with an even numbered toggle. I could hope that even substack is having trouble keeping up with massively more traffic than other systems.
I live in WI and serve as an election official. There is no way to know how many people wrote in Bernie’s name in the general election. He was not an official write in candidate, so those write-ins would not have been tallied.
What we DO know is that voter ID went into effect just before that election. At the time that law was passed by our gerrymandered state house, a whopping 23% of registered voters did not have proper ID to vote in 2016. Many were turned away at the polls. In addition, youth turnout was very low that year.
Leading up to 2020, huge effort was made here to educate others about what was needed to register and vote and huge effort was made to educate and register young voters. Young voters have seen very little positive governmental change in their young lives. Rather than judging them, let’s engage with them…..encourage them.
People do not sit out elections because they are apathetic or lazy. They sit out because nothing in their personal experience indicates their vote matters. Or because they have experienced real harm at the hands of people who represent the government. Overcoming this will require dialogue and education about the history of voting over time.
Rather than dumping on potential dem voters, I intend to continue working on voter registration, voter dialogue, and support of our early vote opportunities. These are all non partisan activities. But I will also hone my personal message about the many good things Biden has accomplished and the very real dangers posed by ‘the former guy’ for those times I am able to engage in persuasion with people who might not otherwise vote. For example, if I am in a quiet shop, I might ask the young person who sells me my cat food if she is a voter, and go from there.
I too am an election official in Wisconsin, and as I open dropped off and early ballots, I try to not watch who is being voted for. My mixed suburban city does lean left, but I agree there were few write in votes that counted, because a candidate who wants write in votes has to basically register as a candidate! Mickey Mouse always seems to get a few, none of which obviously count.
Some of the ‘third party’ candidates have good ideas and making them heard is important. Of course government is largely ‘bought’ (including of course some members of the SC), and some are beholden to those donors and lobbyists. Until we are able to bring third party issues to the table, elections will be precarious. Bernie knew this, bless him. Calling out the ‘rot’ is easy, making progress in a diverse nation and world is hard work. Biden seems to know this. He has made mistakes that dog him (incarceration, etc.), but the man has learned a few things and by my count, remembers.
And while I’m at it, shame on those who hang onto dt’s coattails for the sake of power, and make a show of being his megaphones!
But you cannot bring “third parties to the table” in the US. There is no chair for third parties. The US is a “winner takes all” system. We do not “do” coalitions. I wish HCR would do a post on “why” and “how” the founders decided to ditch a Parliamentarian form of government in favor of one that means the Head of State and the Head of government is one and the same and how that has devolved (IMO) into the election of a king.
Rather than just bash the “follow my conscience” types, why not work to change the system to something like ranked choice voting. That would allow people to ‘vote their conscience” without being spoilers. Interestingly, those on the left seem at least as opposed to this reform as those on the right. Maine adopted it after the hard right LaPage won when two other candidates split the vote. It also enabled Murkowski (a moderate) to retain her seat. Change the system to allow people to vote their conscience without becoming spoilers.
Well said. I refer to him as "one trick pony". There are a couple other semi-regular posters who are on the same tired horse regarding events in the Middle East.
This dysfunction is built into the two-party system. It works when both parties have a passion for making the system work, and are willing to compromise. But you ultimately cannot square freedom with slavery, as OUR two parties represent, and as soon as the game gets overbalanced, the losing party has no incentive to compromise, or (for that matter) to do anything other than kneecap the other party. They are now playing an entirely different "game."
More specifically, as evidenced in these comments, it takes the hard work of compromise away from the politicians, and lays it on the voters, who are utterly unequipped for that task. I SHOULD be able to vote for Bernie, or Jill Stein, and the politicians who are elected should be able to use that vote count as a guideline for where the safety rails are. But the two party system conceals all that information, not only from the political parties, but from the voters. We are forced to make a binary choice between undesirable A and undesirable B, and are STUCK with that choice for two, or four, or six, or eight years, or for the lifetime of a justice.
The two-party system is pretty much designed to fail and come to civil war in the long run.
A lot of the fury in these comments -- and I have plenty of my own -- is built around the hopelessness of the system itself.
Thomas you have articulated very well some of the roadblocks that the “winner takes all” system imposes upon our country. This is what we got when the founders rejected a parliamentarian form of government which allows for third parties to participate in the government. We would be a much better country if third parties were robust instead in name only. We would gain a diversity of ideas that could be articulated and impact government policies if we dumped the “winner takes all” system. This (IMO) could allow a more balanced and inclusive government. Few people again IMO) recognize how much of an outlier the US is with both the “winner takes all” system and the Electoral College.
Hmm. I'm sure Heather has covered this at some point, but I don't recall (or know) the details.
I looked up "parliamentary democracy," and it seems to be quite different from what the US has. In particular, the ruling party (or coalition) in parliament also determines the Prime Minister (President).
But the subject of political parties was not (I think) addressed by the founders at all. In fact, prior to the American Civil War, it was extremely difficult to organize parties, given the slowness of transportation and communication. The South had the Democratic Party which supported slavery throughout the South, but the Northern states were a hodge-podge of parties, like the Free Soilers and Whigs. It wasn't until the time of Lincoln that these coalesced into the Republican Party.
I don't think the two-party system we have is anything other than tradition. There are certain duties in Congress that would necessarily fall to a single individual, but the rules of House and Senate could be changed to select these roles from multiple parties or coalitions. Like the MAGA rules for the House right now, that allow the Speaker to be thrown out by Marjorie Boeberti Boo on a whim.
We still have "third parties," like the Green Party. I think the issue has less to do with any constitutional issues, and a lot more to do with the organizational rules for campaign financing, which is a stacked deck that makes any third-party candidate into a sideshow.
I recommend “Parlimentary America: The Least Radical Means of Radically Repairing Our Broken Democracy” by Maxwell Stearns who teaches Constitutional Law & Economics at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law. He agrees that the Founders never intended a two-party system but that is where we are now and it contributes to our dysfunctional government.
The 2000 election hinged on Florida and hanging chads.
After 8 years of the "Cheney administration", "hope and change" denied Hillary Clinton the nomination, and Democrats regained control of Congress two years later. The change was less than stellar, but people still had hope.
By 2016, after Republicans had blocked Merrick Garland's appointment to the SCOTUS, Democratic superdelegates were all in for Hillary from the get go, but momentum favored Bernie Sanders. Why not place some blame there?
Hillary was status quo, as were the likes of Jeb Bush. Voters were still hungry for change, and Trump's messaging struck a chord. What a sad commentary on the state of American politics at the highest level.
Perhaps, Biden should have followed LBJ and stepped aside as a "transitional" candidate. One thing is for sure, if Trump survives the Republican convention, this election will be a watershed event in America's history.
Isn't it ironic that Liz Cheney has been ostracized while Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio kiss the ring?
Maybe we should be placing more emphasis on neutralizing people like Matt Gaetz, Loren Bobert, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Tom Cotton, and Jim Jordan, et al.
There have been numerous attempts to educate people like you as to why a "step aside" will not work, and why anyone who "stepped in" would have to develop things from the bottom up, since they would not inherit the support system. What part of all the things the Biden Administration has done - lowest unemployment in 55 years, major investments in infrastructure and government operation, getting rid of "junk fees," policing corporate M&A, managing the pandemic successfully, serious efforts to mitigate climate change, etc. - do you dislike?
What's not to like when the government subsidizes health insurance companies to deny care. In states that expanded Medicaid, most doctors won't treat due to low reimbursement rates. In states not expanding Medicaid, the uninsured be damned. The homeless population increases, while tax cuts for the wealthiest not only remain in place over time, they are periodically expanded. These are but the most glaring shortcoming that go unaddressed, while both sides of the political duopoly are hell bent on convincing the peasants that if only "our" party had control, everything would be alright. Sadly, we get the government we deserve.
The best definition of stupid by a social psychologist; ..when someone does harm to someone and harms themselves that stupid. This is regardless of one's intelligence or sucesss.
But let's look, too, Ginni, at another quote of Heather's here.
She's quoting William F. Buckley Jr. when, in 1955, he was setting up the National Review, anxious to combat the New Deal and a larger, post-WWII role of national government which, he felt “violated [the] businessman’s side of the story.”
Many whites have hated how the federal government lent its weight to many good, needed new laws and government agencies. regarding civil rights, just as corporate America from the 1971 Powell memo on so hated how schools lent their weight to the humane improvements Americans had otherwise also been experiencing (at least from the Justin Morrill public college land grant legislation of 1862 to that Powell memo of 1971).
Alito and others on the corrupt Clarence court hate the America which -- to use Buckley's term -- violates their sense of the feudal aristocracy they see themselves leading. They want the one percent to rule all. So even now they're entertaining at that corrupt court how to kill the Chevron precedent, by which so many federal agencies function. So many people's rights they yet want to kill, just as they have killed the rights of so many women regarding their own bodies, their own health care, their own families.
Alito a disgrace, Ginni? Yes, but one part of a long, sordid history.
Leonard Leo - and the conservative court majority he crafted with Charles Koch money, Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, Coney Barrett - personally benefitted from the liberalization of American society which paved their way to fully participate and government protections for their right to do so. And now they are bent on pulling up the ladder behind them.
Sandra Day OConnor had the decency to speak openly of being an affirmative action appointment to the Supreme Court.
RBG is my all time favorite Justice. Until she passed away, she kept the uber right justices in line. But Sandra Day O'Connor was also an incredible justice. She stood up for women too.
To think that the theocrat and patriarchy love Amy Comely-Barrett replaced RBG boggles the mind.
Yes, Ginni. I think Alito blaming his wife is the bigger story here because it goes to character, not just a single incident or single issue. Real men don't throw their spouses under the bus. Pathetic, but instructive.
His wife, being a woman, couldn't help herself, Jeff.
Remember, that's Alito's philosophy -- that states may control women's choices, because Alito and his fellow arrogant on the Clarence court believe women can't at all be trusted themselves.
Also, remember the text he wrote in killing Roe -- that women may all too easily be witches, as one of his feudal male heroes argued, when that medieval hero was for killing women outright.
I haven't seen the source of the original Buckley quote, but when I saw your post, I thought I had read Dr. Richardson's reference to it wrong. She actually posted, "the violated businessman's side of the story." If the latter is what Buckley originally wrote, it gives a sense of the outrage felt by those businessmen whose rights to conspire and connive to exploit the general public were violated by the imposition of even the most limited of regulations. This is straight out of the discredited Hayek hymnal.
A friend referred me to Professor Richardson's post in 2016 and I've been reading and commenting ever since. I live in a town, county, and state where Trump lovers abound. Someone told me if people around here knew about my hatred of Trump, that they would come and hang me! Yep. Hang me.
If it wasn't for HCR's words, and the comments of like-minded people, I think I would have had a nervous breakdown trying to understand how people could support such a vile, unhinged, immoral man and think that he is worthy of being the president of our United States.
We are living in precarious times, and we need all the balance we can get. Thanks to HCR and all the commenters here for keeping me sane and hopeful that RIGHT will prevail.
Yes, Ginni. To me Alito blaming his wife is the bigger story because it goes to character, not just a specific incident. Real men don't throw their spouses under the bus. Pathetic but sadly revealing.
Spot On! We get who we vote for. When we elect a President we are electing everyone he or she hires to serve the Executive Branch team, we also must assume we are electing Scotus justices. It seems to me many Americans slept through history and civics clssses.
Considering whether we've ever had "such a blatantly corrupt Supreme Court," let's look also at the larger, systematized corruption by the many new, far-right foundations that came about and allied with each other in the wake of the 1971 Powell memo.
They knew they wanted to put the U.S.'s commercial classes on steroids. They had no problem aligning with the worst dictators of the world as they offshored the tens of millions of American working-class jobs. But before they could do that, they knew they'd have to silence, dehumanize American schools -- to set higher ed to neutered silos and to replace humanities in all K-12 with standardized testing, where all schools would then on only teach to the test.
I saw this morning a video of Scott Galloway (on happiness), where he noted how American higher ed just totally lost its script -- and how due to that America became a country of castes.
A "blatantly corrupt Supreme Court"? Yes, Bruce -- never before anything like this. But it's part of a larger corruption where the billionaires rule a neutered, social media channeled, polarized, hate-filled serfdom.
Alito? Some are sicker than others. I wish President Biden could expand the Court by two seats to undo the packing done by Trump and Senator McConnell. The Court should have a one vote (not three) majority appointed by G.O.P. Presidents.
I’ve been singing that chorus for some years. Since the number of seats is set by Congress (the last time was 1869), it can be done…if we get a majority.
Bruce, are you surrounded by Donald TUMP fanatics in your part of Georgia like i am? The county i live in borders Maggot Traitor Greene's district, big trucks, shooting guns at night, trying to block county roads and much more mayhem here. I am sick of living in Georgia...
Yes, pretty much solid red here. The representative here is none other than Andrew Clyde, the one who provided AKA-15 lapel pins for House members. He was also the one who showed incredible "bravery" on Jan. 6th when he was seen scared out of his wits and cowering behind walls and barricades when rioters were trying to break into the House chamber. In '20, this area went about 73% for T***p, I believe. Hardly any Democrats ever run for anything here. Even though our burg here of almost 50,000 people is something like 30% Hispanic/Latino, that presence hasn't translated into any real gain of Democratic voters. I keep hoping for a change, but nothing yet. I purposely keep a low profile here, never responding to social media posts that might give away my identity as I don't want to receive threats—and I know they happen because others I know have had to endure harassment. Going on to a site like the local version of NextDoor really shows what you're dealing with. Just yesterday someone posted a picture made here of a cloud formation that looked (in a stretch) like T***p with a heart over his head and folks were waxing rhapsodic over what it meant. There were a few detractors, but I won't go there. My favorite last week was a bunch of people going off on how clouds are being seeded with steroids and one person swore that it was a plot to turn us all into transsexuals. Uh-huh. I am not making this up. So yes . . . I'm surrounded by zealots. Sadly, I'm stuck here and because of my severely restricted income, I cannot afford to relocate. There are times I REALLY question why I didn't stay in The Netherlands when I had the chance!
I might add a few other things that happened to us, before the 2020 election, i had a BIDEN/HARRIS sign in my yard and me and my family were harassed, cursed at, and had our tires slashed. We had to buy 2 new tires as the scummy TUMP terrorists slashed them on the side walls of the tires, and a side wall puncture cannot be repaired.
One day, when my grown, eldest granddaughter was at my house, the Fascist terrorists drove by my house and were yelling and cursing at us, my granddaughter responded by yelling as loud as she could to them, GO TO HELL!!!! That effectively stopped the harassment...
My eldest granddaughter is fiery red haired gal and doesn't take any crap off of anyone!
I saw this outrage. Alito and Thomas need to be removed, or 2 additional justices added to negate their incompetence, malfeasance, and corruption.
I don’t understand the mental acrobatics that allow a black man to so thoroughly undermine his own interests, rights, and human dignity by supporting a racist party that considers him a lesser human being. There are several right now.
Correct me if I’m wrong but I believe an upside down American flag signals a specific distress.
According to the U.S. Flag Code, flying the American flag upside down is only meant to be done "as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property." (Taken from a google search)
It seems to me we need to ask the person doing the flying what they thought was the meaning. Imagine for a moment that you were in your fort being attacked and finding yourself in a dire situation. You didn’t have a cellphone or radio but you could signal over a distance that you needed help by flying the flag upside down. It might be your last hope of communication.
In one way, as we portray our existential concerns for democracy, we are indeed flying our flag upside down. We are worried about survival of our nation/fort.
Just like I seem to find Trump’s group flying a proper American flag while flagrantly disrespecting everything America stands for is confusing. As January 6th has shown us. It seems to me that many symbols are being misrepresented.
In my fantasy world we all recapture the American flag as our proud symbol as we go vote for Biden. If nothing else it might confuse some Trump supporters. To take our country toward democracy we may need our flag back. IMO. And hopefully not need to fly it upside down.
Justice Alito was flying an upside down American flag at this house? Appears to be true and if so, if we did not already know, he has no judicial integrity.
To an extent. At some point, gerrymandering and other manipulations of the electorate also factor in. Thank goodness at least that SCOTUS yesterday (albeit temporarily) ruled that Louisiana may end up with a voting map more representative of its demographics.
No, the answer lies upstream. Why does the electorate act how it acts. The vote is simply the output of the machine built and run by “violated businessmen,”
If you truly believed what you say, you wouldn’t be reading these letters.
I saw that unholy alliance of lawmakers outside the courthouse in New York and don't know if I was frightened or disgusted - or both. Gaetz is being protected by fellow Republican members of Congress from being brought to justice for crimes he has committed, and yet he stood outside of the courthouse and threatened another insurrection if Trump loses his case and the election!
What keeps me hopeful is that the only crowd outside the courthouse was the clutch of dumb clucks who played hookey from their job in Washington for which they are being paid by us!!
It would be foolish to not take the MAGA insurrectionists as the most serious threat to the Republic since the Civil War. If they win, there will be no more Republic as we know it.
Dr Richardson, Your ability to bring history into the present is why this admirer continues to subscribe and learn from you. Thanks for another terrific pieces
Thank you for the history and for the quick look at the traitors and scum scurrying to NYC to announce their subservience to the Mob Boss. The Old South never died; it is flourishing in MAGA and must be stamped out yet again. "...trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored" (Battle Hymn of the Republic; Julia Ward Howe)
The Right has always been good at crafting statements of pseudo, lopsided, and circular logic. My mother used to call it "make good with the fancy words." Anyone remember William F. Buckley's vocabulary that extended to his expressive eyebrows? And now, it appears they have been joined by pseudo science--has anyone seen the recent article about the increase in erroneous articles in professional journals that has prompted a staggering number of retractions? A perfect example of lopsided statements that are innocuous on their face is the recent article in the Wall Street Journal about declining birthrates, world-wide. Much hand wringing about how the economy needs more fodder--oh, excuse me, needs more workers--to maintain economic growth. And the repeated statement that women (all by themselves) are delaying or foregoing having children; it is not subtle at all. Nor does the article consider environmental impacts of population growth, stressors in the environment, or other causes and reasons (such as the decline in male fertility). We need to approach all statements, even from supposedly neutral sources, with critical thinking. (No, I don't consider the WSJ a neutral source.) Buyer beware, listener beware, reader beware.
I have to say that watching and listening to William F. Buckley as a young child, I was fascinated by his enormous vocabulary, for which I understood nothing. My dad would watch his rhetoric but had great disdain for him. He was a “know-it-all”, an arrogant SOB who fueled Republicans.
I only saw him in my twenties when a few W.&L. class-mates suggested I watch Firing Live because I reminded them of Mr Buckley. Almost as bad as being told I was Holden Caulfield in the flesh. I finally read 'Catcher in the Rye' and watched Mr Buckley in my senior year of college. I did not know whether to thank these friends or whack them with a two-by-four. Caulfield was a self-centered brat and Buckley a drunken pedant -- pronounced pee-dant (rhyme with slant) 😉 -- who never seemed to get to his point so enamoured was he of his own virtuosity.
One of the best things I've seen was a replay of a debate (I forget where and when -- sorry) between Buckley and James Baldwin. Buckley was annihilated and it was so satisfying! Such an affected idiotic snob.
Really a pleasure to watch because Baldwin was so intelligent. Here we saw a brilliant gay Black man take down an arrogant SOB who was white. So fabulous!
Debates between Buckley and Gore Vidal reveal Buckley to be thin skinned, Darwinian in his politics, and a poseur, lots of big words covering up brittle thinking. The debates were on YouTube … the documentary “Best of Enemies”delves into the debates with an even hand. Listening to and watching Buckley offer up conservative saws such as “freedom breeds inequality” with complete self-satisfaction gives the lie to his professed claims to Christianity. Listening to Buckley, really carefully, always reminds that he employs his big vocabulary to coverup the reptilian ideas he is espousing. Today’s conservatives make no attempt to cover up their cold-blooded beliefs with eloquence. But their ideas can be traced directly back to Buckley.
The debates are on YouTube and the documentary about the debates “Best of Enemies” is on Prime. The documentary is evenhanded.
KEM, considering how our economy is structured - that "growth" (in population/customer base) is needed for economic success - global declining birth rates is a serious economic problem. What we need is a different system, not higher birth rates. By different, I mean new, and not yet imagined, and not merely a re-tread of one of the existing "isms".
Population size also supports military power. So I don't see a transition to a new economic model occurring soon nor without upheaval.
Jerry, yes, exactly my point! The article that ticked me off so much was about the/this economy and birth rates, and nothing else. No alternatives, no other consequences of unbridled population increase considered, etc. It's just a re-tread of Republican goals, masquerading as scientific study.
The WSJ has a blind spot when it comes to giving humans equal footing to businesses. Other than that small detail, they're a pretty good source of info. I just unsubscribed from that publication because their blind spot has not changed, and I can get decent balanced news elsewhere that doesn't piss me off.
If we need more workers there are teeming masses from other parts of the world willing to come here. Reluctant white women do not need to be the mothers of all.
Fertility is falling all over the world. This is not localized. The Wall Street Journal May 13, 2024 "Suddenly There Aren’t Enough Babies. The Whole World Is Alarmed." Sorry I only get WSJ through a news source, so I can't break the paywall.
I did see that, but it seems that if we have jobs and young people fleeing failed states in Venezuela, Haiti, Somalia and other parts of the world want to come here and work it may be a temporary solution for this country. Ultimately, fewer people feels like a good thing with the impending climate crisis. The mismatch of old and young and our dependance on a consumer economy will need to end eventually.
Dependence on a consumer economy will need to end, yes. But if the population is declining in other countries as well as the US, one can expect tightened emigration policies from those countries, along with more compensation there because the demand is high. The bottom line is that this is not a question of population shift, but of population reduction everywhere. There might be a temporary surge--we are likely in its beginning now--but it is not a solution, it is a palliative treatment.
I wish more people appreciated the fact that America was founded on the principle that "self rule" was preferable to "being ruled" (as in "a King ruling over us all"). Those who seek to eliminate the idea of equality under the law... to eliminate the right of everyone (no matter their economic or social status) to vote... to enforce the untrue idea that America was founded as a "Christian nation"... have NEVER been comfortable with "self rule". They seek to live in a nation where "I rule and everyone else obeys me". They seek to be King (or "a king in a limited community of kings"). This is so fundamentally against what the Founding Fathers created... against what the Revolutionary War in which many died to become free of the King of England... against what even more died during WWII to defend "self rule"... that I am shocked and saddened to see them treated as "Americans" by a news industry that has lost its way ("lost the plot" of what America is). How will we have an election in which those who vote understand the stakes, when the vast majority of the supposedly real news organizations are not reporting this truth... that "un-Americans are running against Americans"... that those seeking to rule us rather than represent us are challenging Joe Biden and the Democrats? I believe that up in Heaven, Walter Cronkite (who was a WWII reporter) is crying as he watches the monumental failure by America's journalists to live up to the reason their profession is the only one protected by the Constitution. Freedom of the Press exists not so that the Trump circus can be reported without someone forcing such coverage to stop. It exists so WHAT TRUMP and the MAGA GOP WANT TO DO can be reported without MAGA attempting to stop it. In Putin's Russia, journalists go to jail. If Trump wins, I predict that will happen here too. I wish America's journalists realized they will be in trouble if democracy dies.
With the logic SCOTUS used to overturn Roe, doesn’t it seem that all other expansions of 14th amendment rights back to and including Brown v. Board of Education may be now vulnerable?
No, and yes. No, in that 14th Amendment was not basis of reversing Roe. Rather historically (bogus reading denounced by large number of historians) a constitutional right to abortion never existed (Roe was decided wrongly) and therefore there is no 'right' to enforce on states via the 14 Amendment. Yes, in that for these 'strict construction' 'non-activist' 6 GOP appointees, precedent means nothing and thus these clowns can jump down any legal rabbit hole they wish to enter and merely say 'because we say it is so'.
At last, at LONG LAST, readers of Heather Cox Richardson will read almost - almost - exactly 👍 what good Christians and Jews have always known: all children are created equal, all children are beautiful and equal, and, yes, miscegenation is legal and moral and ethical and often desirable in a free society that respects all mankind - and the exquisite pain of intolerance and racism are simply unAmerican and unacceptable.
Children are colorblind. It’s we adults who must learn what matters.
The essay - what are the significant differences among people -.assigned by ETS in Princeton in the 1950s, was dropped quickly.
Two terms of President Barack H. Obama and Vice President Joe Biden frightened our robust racists and the so-called born again white supremacists that read at a 5th grade level and are not making it.
We learned that Obama was born in the USA, not Africa. We learned that his alcoholic Black father and his white mother were his parents - and we have elected the Obama Biden team twice - and now have white President Biden and not white Veep Kamala Harris up for election again.
Our founders did not give equal rights to women or Blacks. Today, it’s Jews will not replace us.
Intolerance dies a million deaths, Heather.
You can do even better. We can do better.
If it’s Trump and the likes of J D Vance or any of the others that bothered, our republic may fail.
On the pilgrimage to N.Y.C. to salute their M.A.G.A. Lord and Bastard, the nattering nabobs of narcissism of the far-right need to be reminded: military officers pledge an oath to the republican Constitution, not the Republican constipation. 🤬😳😢
How pathetic & subservient can they be? What a disgusting display of servitude! And just wait until it's their turn to do time under the bus! I don't know all that much about psychology but common sense tells me that these individuals have absolutely no self esteem. None! I'm embarrassed by them. Can you imagine what our allies think when they see this obsequiousness from elected individuals? They know they can't depend on the US because even if trump disappeared tomorrow his cronies would still be there scraping & bowing to fascism!
I've been thinking that I would watch the US slip from being the pinnacle but I never thought that we'd lose our democracy in the process.
These thoughts make it very difficult to fall asleep at night! And worse than that I keep thinking this is all a nightmare but I wake up as all of you do to face this daytime nightmare every damn day of the year.
Brown vs. Board of Education was introduced when I was 3 years old. Segregation was big in my small Southern Baptist town in NC until I started high school in 1964. That was the first year we integrated. I was excited but not many were. Black kids were bussed in because God forbid that white kids ended up in “colored town”! But as tense as it was, it went rather smoothly because we had one of the coolest principals. He was fair-minded and level-headed. Yes, he was white but he respected the students and the staff which was now black and white. The respect for him was returned. I can’t say I ever loved high school but I loved my experiences and making new friends. What burned me up was when we had our 10th class reunion, only a few black folks showed up. I found out that many had not been invited. I never went back to another one. Seemed like the South had won again. Glad to being a Californian for 50 years!
Segregation didn’t die. It has been smoldering since Brown v the Board of Education! Trump enabled those anti-equality promoters to spout their venom and support policies which reinforce their views! The Christian Nationalist movement falls under that umbrella!
No standing back for me! Spent the last week on getting out the vote in Southern Oregon on local county measures and Oregon state elections. It was a great experience to meet so many others in my community where many thanked me for my efforts! A good warm up for November. Leading from the head of the line.
And Oregonians get to vote by mail, register to vote online, use drop boxes in every county, and mail ballots w/o needing a postage stamp. Most if not all counties have voter information booklets w/ info about candidates and ballot measures; the booklet comes free to every household about 3 weeks before ballots are due. And Oregon is part of the National Popular Vote compact. Hooray for everyone keeping Oregon democratic (small d)! I wish every state would follow Oregon's example.
I am green with envy at reading the great things about Oregon. I live in the racist, fascist state of Georgia and i applied to vote by mail here in the 2022 middle term elections and they never even sent me a vote by mail ballot and i ended up doing the early voting thing here. I do wish every state would follow Oregon's example. Georgia is horribly infected with the Fascist terrorist TUMP loving fascist idiots.
I will return to the New York courts next week to be a silent witness in court and a vocal one outside as I was a week ago when Stormy was testifying. We will win this case yet and TFG will stand convicted of a felony.
Good job
Bill👍!
Here in New Hampshire, vote by mail is very restricted and we don't have early voting either. Trumplicans are trying everything they can to make it harder to register and vote.
Good ‘ol boy Sununu. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
His father and namesake was also a NH Governor. His father is perhaps best know by the nickname “Sununuke” for his support of building a nuclear power plant in NH. There were large protests against it being built. Not only opposition by citizens of NH but also the Governors of both Massachusetts’s and Vermont. Sununu’s push to build it was taking place shortly after the meltdown of the Chernobyl nuclear plant in Russia.
Sununu Jr sure looks like he supports the meltdown of American Democracy.
Yes. I remember the father and am equally horrified by the son. Do you know what animates the family “attitude”? Is it stupidity?
No idea but it’s not stupidity. At least not for Jr anyway. What most likely animates them is power.
Oregon is not without its blemishes, but it is a nice progressive state to live in.
Ah yes, Ally, it certainly isn't. I was glad to read the post from the person working in southern Oregon.
In the Western part of the state. The East want to join Idaho
And those of us living in Idaho don't want any more RW kooks and nutters. Thank goodness this movement isn't going anywhere!
It’s been reported that the Idaho governor would welcome both eastern Oregon and eastern Washington.
I can't live outside the tropics - my hands become useless in 45 degree weather. Maybe Global Warming will give me a chance to live in Oregon for my remaining days. Let me know if you see any iguanas in banana groves. :)
A bit like Maine. And quite a ‘few’ people have moved there from Maine because of that. 95000 square miles and a lot of it uninhabited. Plus a more temperate climate. Good places to live.
I am in Colorado where we have voted by mail for ages. I have a neighbor who left Georgia but is proud of helping elect your two fine Democrats.
Don't give up. I am certainly not. We have an excellent candidate to replace Ken Buck, if the two Republican -funded me n also running in the primary next month will just get the f out of the way. One is decent enough but can't beat Boebert, the other has anger management issues and it's his third try. What a mess.
I'm from Colorado too, District 8. We have to reelect Caraveo!!!
But “a mess” is what characterizes the groupies of Putin
Same with with backwards and racist state of Texas where extreme gerrymandering and voting limitations prevent Democrat votes from counting.
I love living in Oregon for many reasons and vote by mail works very well. Voters are informed that their ballot is on the way and then they are informed when the ballot is received and cleared for counting. A lot of people have not voted yet.....high percentage, despite it being easy. We have a very important race in the D primary for the 5th Congressional District. The ads there are getting nasty as well as the ads for the Multnomah County DA. I am thinking the current DA is toast.
Here in California I was ignorant enough to not realize the reality that in other states it is so ridiculously hard to vote it’s terrible to hear how they( republicans, MAGA) make it so hard to vote which is our right. It makes me sick.
Arizona and Nevada need help from Californians who are able to go door-to-door and help with turn out to turn them blue
I do post cards every election but in my district maybe I can look into that
All I can offer is two words "be careful". your comment "Voters are informed that their ballot is on the way and then they are informed when the ballot is received and cleared for counting"... frightens me. It would seem that this faith in the system could easily be wrecked if the (R)'ss-holes hire some slugs to make things go bad. The "dirty tricks" team is alive, I hope our guard is up... it surely should be.
I do not worry about this at all. The sec of state office and the Marion County clerk's office have long been under the control of Ds except for a short stint a few years ago because some fools voted for some third party and we had a R sec of state. He died while still in office and the D governor picked a trustworthy R that had been around for years....not one of the nut jobs. Oregon elections go quite smoothly...not too many glitches. We did have a R clerk in Clackastan (Clackamus County) who was a dolt and most of the screwups were on her watch. Voters got so disgusted that at the next election, they put in a D. If death star wins, i will worry about everything including my life. As for what I said, I am was merely explaining how the Oregon system works, so that voters really have no excuse. I have plenty of other things to worry about right now, to keep up my blood pressure if I let them.
I’m always aware I had deliver my mail in to my local post office where I know the people yes I’m in a small twon but I confirm by ballot on line several times I already am paranoide
Hand*
Same in Tx
Literally terrifying!! John, please keep getting the word out about Georgia.
I live in Georgia, what in the Hell are you talking about.
Name one racist fascist policy in Georgia and walk it back?
Huh? Which one? So sad. All this 'up-heave-al' currently, coupled with the morass during #45's term has had a pronounced effect on our country. Thankfully, the Biden/Harris administration has been a relative return to sanity.
What sanity?
- 12,000,000 Illegals crossing the border? NYC, LA, SF, Chicago, et cetera are in chaos?
- Prices are up approx 30% over the last four years.
- Crime is 25-30% in major cities
- Forcing 100's of Millions of people to take an untested vaccine
- Taking children out of school for 2 years and forcing the vaccine on them
- Stupid foreign policy
- Energy prices up 35%
- Lawfare - using the legal system to prosecute political opponents
- Using social media to cancel free speech
What in the hell are you talking about?
I think it’s your list of counter factual beliefs she’s talking about.
Wheww! James I'm sure not going to bother to fact-check you, but I think I could handle the results of such.
But you know that, so can act accordingly. Vote in person
So frustrating that this is happening
"Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty; power is ever stealing from the many to the few"
- Wendell Phillips.
As recent actions by Republicans like Andy Biggs, Lauren Boebert, and Matt Gaetz demonstrate, threats to democracy and equality persist. We must remain vigilant to protect these values from being eroded by those who prioritize power over justice
The clowns you just mentioned, are aided and abetted by the ever-increasing population of billionaires. A million-dollar fine or loss to someone who has 1000 million dollars is just a yellow piss-hole in the snow. One million dollars of liquidity over and above the money in ones household checking acccount, is a heck-uva lot of money. Having a couple billion to play with, you're basically untouchable. We have a ton of "untouchables", like our boy Elon, who're directing traffic. How about the Arabians who are building a 105 mile long line of "skyscrapers"..? You've read aboiut that, right?
So true
Maryland makes it so easy to vote by mail I don't understand why we even have an Election Day, it should be Count the Votes day. Last year I signed up to always vote by mail so I don't have to request a mail-in ballot again. After I dropped my ballot off, less than three miles from my home, I got an email saying it had been received followed by an email that said it had been counted.
Martha Woods "After I dropped my ballot off, less than three miles from my home, I got an email saying it had been received followed by an email that said it had been counted."
I have been using exactly this same method for 20 years now in Colorado. And there has been nary a hint of fraud during that time.
See this 2020 Article:
"𝐼 𝑓𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑣𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑣𝑜𝑡𝑒 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑏𝑒 𝑑𝑒𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑠 𝑤𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑜𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑠𝑘𝑖𝑛 𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑒𝑦 𝑖𝑛 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑏𝑎𝑛𝑘 𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡" --Jena Griswold, Colorado Secretary of State
“𝑀𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑚𝑝𝑖𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑑𝑜𝑒𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑠𝑢𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑎 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑓𝑟𝑎𝑢𝑑 𝑖𝑠 𝑎 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑟𝑛. 𝐼 𝑐𝑎𝑛’𝑡 𝑠𝑎𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑡 𝑛𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑠; 𝑛𝑜𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦 𝑐𝑎𝑛. 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠. 𝐵𝑦 𝑛𝑜 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛𝑠 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑏𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑑𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑛 𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒.” --Kyle Saunders, professor of political science at Colorado State University
https://www.coloradoan.com/story/news/2020/10/01/colorado-mail-in-ballot-absentee-voting-how-state-perfected-system/3572176001/
Help us elect Trisha Calvarese here in CD4. I can't like your post for some reason but we need help. Look up the Horizon project, it's a recruiting and training plan created by Phil Weiser to get out the vote.
Living in Denver (CD1), I am unsure how I can do very much. But, my heart is with you... more of Boebert is unthinkable.
Look at the Horizon project or check in with Douglas county Dems, https://www.dougcodems.org/cd4-special-election-kickoff.
We can use your help, whether volunteering, phone banking or just a small donation.
Oregon has used mail in ballots exclusively for more than 20 years. I believe our fraud percentage is less than 1%. (It lists the conviction rate at .00006% out of 61 million ballots cast between 200-2019)
Same in Colorado 💕
Illinois here - been voting by mail for a long time and I am signed up to do so permanently. What I like most about voting by mail is that it allows one time to thoroughly check out each candidate, especially where judges are concerned.
Exactly and early I know no other way. It needs to be a federal law because it’s in the constitution
Virginia is the same. I’m away a lot so now always receive a mail-in ballot early. I too get an email that my ballot arrived at thevpost office and again when it is counted.
Because the demons have taken over and gerrymandered those states to death since the civil war they are imbedded. It takes extreme perserverance to bring to to supreme courts and they take their sweet time reacting because since trump they can. It’s getting so obvious as to what their are doing to our country and to don’t give a rats ass, no hiding any longer their dirty deeds right out in the open and they are proud of it
Fantastic! Nice to know civilization exists in Maryland.
Same here in California I really thought every state was like this till we had a trump running I started really getting into politics. EGADS 🤬!
Me, too, Martha 🇺🇸👍🇺🇸
Exactly!! I learned this year that people who are running can basically write whatever they want about themselves and stretching the truth is allowed. I was able to help senior call to repot there ballot as missing( never arrived) so proud to be able to help.
Maine leads in instituting Ranked Choice (Instant Run-Off) Voting.
(In response to leftish voters who elect right wing extremists, by splitting the opposition vote.)
In my part of Pennsyltucky, we have drop boxes and postage-paid return envelopes. But we are required to sign and date the envelope due to some GOP -sponsored regulation which makes no sense at all. Consider that the envelope has a unique barcode which identifies it as legitimate and that the ballots are mailed out starting on a known date and must be returned by another known date and tell me why I should write a date on the envelope.
We do it that way in Colorado, and the signature and date are part of the vote validation process. A bar coded vote could be stolen (wouldn't put it past trumpanzees) and a lot of effort goes into the signature verification.
In California, who has had mail-in and drop off voting for years, we have to sign and date our ballots
How does signing keep your ballot secret !?!?!
The ballot is sealed inside a separate secrecy envelope. Signing is like when we sign the poll book at the polling place. It's the date that is unnecessary -- except that the GOP legislature added it to provide another place to make an error.
Good job Oregon!
Adding to what Martha Woods wrote, Maryland also has early voting days. It's very easy and lots of safe guards.
Excellent!
I'm not sure what the problem is today, but I am not able to give an up vote to comments that I think are great. Your's being one of them!!
I grew up in Medford. I always felt that with the exception of Ashland, that Southern Oregon was conservative. I'm thrilled to read your post. Keep at it. Here in Las Cruces, NM, my husband has been knocking on doors with much the result. Some folks even want to hug him they are so happy to see someone who cares. We have had t-shirts printed that says "I AM A PROUD DEMOCRAT" which we wear to let folks know who we are when we canvass. Keep up the good work. I believe it will pay off.
Yup, Southern Oregon is very conservative. Always has been. Another Medfordite here.
Today's letter reminds me of the Introduction to HCR's book, "How the South Won the Civil War." It is a brilliant summary of American history, a real jewel in only 16 pages.
California is also very good from my experience.
Washington State, too! 👍
And Colorado, too.
Ellene...I have a sense that what you are finding in Oregon is what is across the country. However if you listen to the news....it sounds as though MAGA/white supremacy has taken over the nation.
That is okay though...as long as we don't let it discourage us....in our efforts to get out the vote. In Texas almost 50% of the Democrats did not vote in the election of governor and attorney general two years ago. Women could/should have stopped these racist, anti-rights, anti-life puppeteers.
Grass root efforts are growing, unions are returning, and some of the Republican shenanigans and hypocrisy is being covered by the media. And Republicans are getting so confident they are saying the quiet part out loud. I just have to believe that we are a nation of just, generous, humane, and environmental loving people.
It's time to flip that coin and super glue down. It's time to turn MAGA on it's head.
Keep up the good work Elaine. IMHO more people across the country are saying thanks openly or behind closed doors. They are those who do not want to be a part of surveys they feel are skewed, but privately are hearing and recognizing the importance of saving democracy in order to continue to perfect it. Thanks for your work.
Everything is so clever and sneaky, I have to ask , are you for Trump or Biden?
Who are you asking?
I am in Germany, and a member of Democrats Abroad Germany. Not only am I getting ready to vote in the EU elections in June, for Democracy, but I have been organizing together with other DAG to help get more young Americans or Dual citizens living abroad supported to vote. It is different in each state, and some states make it harder to Vote from Abroad. Fortunately for my daughter and me, Illinois makes it fairly easy. After a conversation in the grocery store, a young German/American who told me she was not happy with either candidate gave me her number so we could meet and discuss the election. She told me she was not political. I told her not being political is a political stance. I also told her that not voting or voting for anyone besides Biden is a vote for Trump. We are also sending out postcards to Democrats and Voters Abroad, and there is a project to make a video for inclusion on why we are voting for Biden. My daughter and I are going to make ours together and take turns filming each other. Democrats Abroad will have delegates at the Convention in my home city of Chicago this summer. We also have issues that we are trying to get represented. According to this there are around 5.4 million, the State Department says around 9 million. That is a lot of potential votes.
https://www.aaro.org/living-abroad/how-many-americans-live-abroad#:~:text=American%20Citizens%20Abroad%3A%20The%20American,and%20other%20government%2Daffiliated%20Americans.
One generally votes from the last state one lived in, and if you have children who were born abroad and have never lived in the USA, they also vote from the last state that their American parent or parents lived in. My precinct captain here in my city in Germany is inviting the youth group to tell those of us who are older, what we need to do to support and include young Americans in voting from Abroad.
You just brightened up my Friday. Thank you 😊
Where in Southern Oregon? I'm originally from Medford and still have most of my family in the Rogue Valley.
And then, related to the Supreme Court, we see that Justice Alito was flying an upside down American flag at this house for several days around January 17th, to be precise, both after the insurrection on the sixth and while the Supreme Court was still considering whether to hear an election-related case. Was he showing support for "Stop the Steal"? One wonders. Expect more flak to come about from this. Have we EVER had such a blatantly corrupt Supreme Court??? Jeez . . .
I’m glad you brought up Alito and the upside down flag. I saw this, too. He blames his wife. Abhorrent man and a disgrace to the Supreme Court and our democracy.
For all the progressives back in 2000 who had to "follow my conscience" and vote for Ralph Nader, Samuel Alito was the prize you got for your "efforts," just like Trump was the prize for 50,000 Berners who had to "follow my conscience" despite Bernie asking them to please not write him in, in Wisconsin and Michigan and Pennsylvania - the margin by which Hillary Clinton lost those states and the electoral college. And now we've got another class of over-educated, under-intelligent "progressive" dunderheads who can't bring themselves to vote for "Genocide Joe." These people are as dumb as we were in 1968 when we didn't vote for Humphrey and gave the country Nixon, four more years of Vietnam and the majority of casualties, the Southern Strategy HCR writes about here, and the basic turn to the right that led to Reagan, Bush I, Bush II and Trump.
EXACTLY TCinLA! Who is more destructive, fervent MAGAs or the 'follow my conscience' purists who are looking for a perfect world that will never exist. Both are equally misguided social jihadis.
My LIKE button doesn't work this morning, but i LIKE what TcinLA and 100 said. To prevail, we have to be unified. In my case, this election is LIKE a full time job.
We have the capacity to sweep. Just need to get everyone registered and then GOTV. I volunteer with FT 6. Register Democrats - save the world.
https://www.fieldteam6.org/
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Ditto, my "Like" button isn't working.
My like button not working too, glad it’s not just me. Probably an update that screwed things up. Happens a lot. My Gmail is almost a joke since last update on laptop. Lord, progress is so fraught with regression.
Same here. My LIKE button isn't working
I've been perusing chronologically for an hour. My "likes" show up substantially after I have hit the button, almost all of them on threads where I have made a subsequent comment. There were reports of this yesterday as well.
Mine either. Must be something with the software?
Daniel Solomon "My LIKE button doesn't work this morning,"
I thought I had the same problem. Clicking on the LIKE icon made no change. However, when I refreshed the page, the icon had turned red which (I think) means my LIKE was accepted.
BTW, I suspect if you click on the icon twice it will cancel the "Like."
My button isn't workiing either - and I agree with you
Ditto on "like" button.
I am trying to"Like" 100Panthers and TC in LAs takes but my Like button is not working. To me, the"follow my conscience" purists are the most maddening as they know the results of their so-called"purity" but go ahead and vote against what will help to save our country.
For some reason my Like button is working fine. I just can't find that Love button, on my phone.
Those purity voters on the left that helped Nixon, Reagan, etc. get elected echo the religious purity voters on the right that support Trump regardless of the chaos he brings.
What no mention of Jill Stein?
Vote Your Conscience perverts strategic and ethical public participation. Vote Your Conscience turns voting into an individual exercise in personal expression. In fact, voting is a strategic exercise in uniting to take power. Conscience is what reminds us to use our personal power for the general welfare.
Once I saw Jill Stein in Moscow at dinner with General Mike, I knew that she was Red instead of Green.
In response to all the no’s , I’m voting my conscience for RFKJR as I did for the Green Party candidate last time.He understands me and what I want for our country now.I don’t care if you think he is a long shot, he is charismatic.
By putting yourself above the general welfare and charisma over clear thinking - you are voting your gut rather than your head. Conscience means making our most vulnerable neighbors, fragile planet, and endangered democracy your priority. And voting for the candidate with the best record and best chance. In this case, that is Joe Biden.
Like
Exactly
Like (button intermittent)
My clear thinking tells me RFKJr will do more to cleanup our environment, restore honest government, and fix the chronic disease problem our young Americans have. Many other pluses too. Biden has a good record up to a point where he can’t go against the big corporations who fund his campaign. He is at the end of his life now and his record doesn’t change that situation.Bobby addresses the issues, he doesn’t insult like Trump and Biden do.He is the only one who can unite the country for democracy to prevail again.
Kennedy is so dangerous. Let’s see the latest on him. He got a brain worm from eating raw pork. Who does that? He only drinks raw milk, and Shanahan has been photographed with raw milk advocates during a time when we are poised on the edge of another pandemic, spread by what? Raw milk, that’s what. He hasn’t learned from experience, even when that experience caused him cognitive impairment (his words, from his divorce filing). I’m sorry, but this is idiocy.
Facts matter, science matters, and my conscience tells me never to vote for a candidate so steeped in disinformation no matter how charismatic he might seem to some people. I don’t find him charismatic; I think he’s a nut job. As TC points out above, enough people like John and their consciences will give us another four years of Trump, likely at the cost of our democracy. How do they square that with their purity tests and consciences?
Agreed!
He got the worm from eating under cooked meat. That was in 2010. It has come to light now from the NYTIMES who are an instrument of the DNC. His brain is working fine.You are freaking out over The threat of Trump being re-elected.Bobby is polling better against Trump than President Biden is.And how about you tell me what facts RFKJR says doesn’t matter? I’ve said enough for today, don’t want Ally on my case!
You have the right of course to vote for whomever you wish - that is democracy at work. I will disagree with your choice which is my right. As an independent who has historically voted for candidates of both parties (but since 2016 no longer), my singular goal is to save American Democracy. Any vote that distracts from that goal is a counterproductive vote for autocracy. I agree with the Kennedy family, unanimous in opposing RFK's candidacy, he should channel his ego and work for democracy.
RFKJR does stand for Democracy. He explains that democracy is rooted in free speech. I think President Biden failed to consider our democracy when he censored RFKJR. As far as his relatives that say he is dangerous, I think they may come around to supporting RFKJR if he continues to gain support and ballot access. Maybe not Kerry, but maybe Rory.By dangerous she said it meant to Biden’s re-election. Not to our country.
John, what exactly do you believe RFKJR can accomplish as a President “with no supportive political base” to pass legislation? Do you think MAGA will adopt his agenda? What Dem Congressmen will fall in line with the RFKJR movement
Practicality and Pragmatism should inform your conscientious vote
I wonder if Jaime Ruskin would cooperate with RFKJR
Hi Dave, Do you agree that Republicans fell in line with Trump or were ostracized like Mitt and Liz? They were intimidated by Trump. Well I don’t think RFKJR will do anything like that, but once he gets elected by the majority of Americans he will gain the respect and understanding from politicians on both sides of the isle.One of his greatest strengths is working with people that don’t agree with him. So says his wife, and she had to be talked into supporting his run.
As charismatic as a wormy apple.
Can you articulate RFK Jr how RFK Jr “understands” you and what it is that you “want” for the country? I ask this sincerely as I have not heard or read what he is proposing. And on one level I understand charisma but how does that translate to governing - particularly with no political party that supports his policies - which I have not seen articulated.
Frankly even if a third party candidate would be elected I do not see Rs and Ds getting together or crossing their party lines to govern under an administration that has no support. And who will he get to join his administration?
My concern for any third party candidate goes back to the structure of our government and ultimately our voting process. We are not unfortunately a parliamentarian system where third parties can actually affect government policy. We are a winner takes all system which effectively means (as history has shown) that one of the two candidates from the major parties will prevail.
Charisma doesn't equal intelligence or ability to lead well. Hollywood types should be confined to the movie industry fantasyland.
Thanks for the news from Earth IV you ilitterate moron.
No one who truly supports Bernie Sanders could ever claim to also support tffg. If you think their policies are the same then you’re not paying attention. And unlike the majority of us who followed Bernie’s lead and ended up voting for Hillary, the 2016 election was lost by the millions who chose not to vote at all. Hillary made no attempt to appeal to Bernie’s supporters. We got the orange clown because people were so disgusted that they chose to stay home. Vilifying independent voters for not towing the establishment line clearly didn’t work in 2016 so maybe you all should find a better way to appeal to them now. My children are fiercely independent and certainly not “ridin with Biden” but they can see that this election is nothing like 2016. Democracy over fascism is in play and they will vote to save democracy every time. Maybe work a little harder on being independent voters into the Democratic Party instead of recycling contempt for their actually having a conscience and disagreeing with the coronation that was being pushed by the DNC in 2016.
I've been independent since 1996 except for supporting Bernie (before and after the Convention) by also campaigning and voting for Hillary as Bernie encouraged. I believe we brought in a lot of other independents, people who had never registered, and former Republicans.. The DNC and Debbie Wasserman Schultz alienated a number of the new people we were able to get registered and voting in the primaries which hurt our chances, but I don't believe as much as just being so over confident that they thought they could enough electoral votes, no matter how many popular votes we could expect to win by.
It seemed a combination of ignoring too many outside their chosen group, and overconfidence that reduced what could have and should have been a higher turnout. To me, turnout of educated voters is critical, as explained to me by the people we worked with that had been part of Willie Valasquez (who considered it more important to get more voters registered and voting, no matter who they voted for).
It made so much sense to me as I recalled how ancestors had first gained the majority in the House as the "Opposition" Coalition/Caucus designated by "O" in the 34th Congress, as they worked with all others opposed to slavery despite other differences.
I have no doubt Trump will never win a popular vote, but my old party's treachery and Gerrymandering has made the Electoral College the poison pill in Representative Democracy. (I left in 1996 as did Elizabeth Warren.)
My like button doesn't work either. My son was a Bernie fans and, despite Bernie's endorsement of Biden seem to waffle on support of Trump. I'll keep working on him, but frustrating to see how things may go badly if not for persistent effort. Trump is coming to Minnesota to talk. Can't imagine he can win here, but should not take anything for granted.
I thought it was just me, but it started glitching yesterday. Obviously, Substack doesn't have the greatest programmers or customer support.
Typical greedy organization. It would be interesting to see how much money they take in off of HCR, Joyce Vance, Thom Hartmann & Robert Reich not to mention the hundreds of others that post for $$$$ on Substack
They take 10 percent, which we all agree with. So far as "greedy organizations" are concerned, Substack is pretty low on that list, since they have created a space for the people you mention (and people like me) to write what we do. Try doing that on X.
You need to rethink your alleged "progressive" views.
So what does Facebook, Tic-Tok, You-tube, Lnked-in et.al. charge? I have no idea.
There are so many other ones that I am unaware of. What if HCR left Substack?
I think Borowitz recently left the New Yorker and is on Substack. I have been too cheap to sign up for his space though.
I" Like you Gary Loft and what you are saying. It is all about the $$.
My like button seems intermittent, but sometimes just delayed 10 to 20 seconds. It may be multiple attempts during the delay end up with an even number of attempts, each pair of which cancels the odd like press with an even numbered toggle. I could hope that even substack is having trouble keeping up with massively more traffic than other systems.
I live in WI and serve as an election official. There is no way to know how many people wrote in Bernie’s name in the general election. He was not an official write in candidate, so those write-ins would not have been tallied.
What we DO know is that voter ID went into effect just before that election. At the time that law was passed by our gerrymandered state house, a whopping 23% of registered voters did not have proper ID to vote in 2016. Many were turned away at the polls. In addition, youth turnout was very low that year.
Leading up to 2020, huge effort was made here to educate others about what was needed to register and vote and huge effort was made to educate and register young voters. Young voters have seen very little positive governmental change in their young lives. Rather than judging them, let’s engage with them…..encourage them.
People do not sit out elections because they are apathetic or lazy. They sit out because nothing in their personal experience indicates their vote matters. Or because they have experienced real harm at the hands of people who represent the government. Overcoming this will require dialogue and education about the history of voting over time.
Rather than dumping on potential dem voters, I intend to continue working on voter registration, voter dialogue, and support of our early vote opportunities. These are all non partisan activities. But I will also hone my personal message about the many good things Biden has accomplished and the very real dangers posed by ‘the former guy’ for those times I am able to engage in persuasion with people who might not otherwise vote. For example, if I am in a quiet shop, I might ask the young person who sells me my cat food if she is a voter, and go from there.
I too am an election official in Wisconsin, and as I open dropped off and early ballots, I try to not watch who is being voted for. My mixed suburban city does lean left, but I agree there were few write in votes that counted, because a candidate who wants write in votes has to basically register as a candidate! Mickey Mouse always seems to get a few, none of which obviously count.
Some of the ‘third party’ candidates have good ideas and making them heard is important. Of course government is largely ‘bought’ (including of course some members of the SC), and some are beholden to those donors and lobbyists. Until we are able to bring third party issues to the table, elections will be precarious. Bernie knew this, bless him. Calling out the ‘rot’ is easy, making progress in a diverse nation and world is hard work. Biden seems to know this. He has made mistakes that dog him (incarceration, etc.), but the man has learned a few things and by my count, remembers.
And while I’m at it, shame on those who hang onto dt’s coattails for the sake of power, and make a show of being his megaphones!
But you cannot bring “third parties to the table” in the US. There is no chair for third parties. The US is a “winner takes all” system. We do not “do” coalitions. I wish HCR would do a post on “why” and “how” the founders decided to ditch a Parliamentarian form of government in favor of one that means the Head of State and the Head of government is one and the same and how that has devolved (IMO) into the election of a king.
Rather than just bash the “follow my conscience” types, why not work to change the system to something like ranked choice voting. That would allow people to ‘vote their conscience” without being spoilers. Interestingly, those on the left seem at least as opposed to this reform as those on the right. Maine adopted it after the hard right LaPage won when two other candidates split the vote. It also enabled Murkowski (a moderate) to retain her seat. Change the system to allow people to vote their conscience without becoming spoilers.
TC, let's not forget the Powell Memo which clearly took the long view in getting some of our foundations shifted to build and sustain MAGA.
Yes indeed!
TC, the substack wouldn’t let me like you, so I’m writing that I like what you wrote. WTF.
My LIKE button is finicky today as well.
It's a system-wide glitch. If you hit "refresh" after clicking the "like" it will show up.
(Dave, John Daigle does his best to be a rabblerousing fan boy of the junior Kennedy scion. You'll talk no sense into him.)
Well said. I refer to him as "one trick pony". There are a couple other semi-regular posters who are on the same tired horse regarding events in the Middle East.
He's lucky he hasn't shown up at TAFM, where he would be zapped into his component electrons with his first appearance.
❤️ Like
Like
TCinLA, yes, but....
This dysfunction is built into the two-party system. It works when both parties have a passion for making the system work, and are willing to compromise. But you ultimately cannot square freedom with slavery, as OUR two parties represent, and as soon as the game gets overbalanced, the losing party has no incentive to compromise, or (for that matter) to do anything other than kneecap the other party. They are now playing an entirely different "game."
More specifically, as evidenced in these comments, it takes the hard work of compromise away from the politicians, and lays it on the voters, who are utterly unequipped for that task. I SHOULD be able to vote for Bernie, or Jill Stein, and the politicians who are elected should be able to use that vote count as a guideline for where the safety rails are. But the two party system conceals all that information, not only from the political parties, but from the voters. We are forced to make a binary choice between undesirable A and undesirable B, and are STUCK with that choice for two, or four, or six, or eight years, or for the lifetime of a justice.
The two-party system is pretty much designed to fail and come to civil war in the long run.
A lot of the fury in these comments -- and I have plenty of my own -- is built around the hopelessness of the system itself.
Thomas you have articulated very well some of the roadblocks that the “winner takes all” system imposes upon our country. This is what we got when the founders rejected a parliamentarian form of government which allows for third parties to participate in the government. We would be a much better country if third parties were robust instead in name only. We would gain a diversity of ideas that could be articulated and impact government policies if we dumped the “winner takes all” system. This (IMO) could allow a more balanced and inclusive government. Few people again IMO) recognize how much of an outlier the US is with both the “winner takes all” system and the Electoral College.
Hmm. I'm sure Heather has covered this at some point, but I don't recall (or know) the details.
I looked up "parliamentary democracy," and it seems to be quite different from what the US has. In particular, the ruling party (or coalition) in parliament also determines the Prime Minister (President).
But the subject of political parties was not (I think) addressed by the founders at all. In fact, prior to the American Civil War, it was extremely difficult to organize parties, given the slowness of transportation and communication. The South had the Democratic Party which supported slavery throughout the South, but the Northern states were a hodge-podge of parties, like the Free Soilers and Whigs. It wasn't until the time of Lincoln that these coalesced into the Republican Party.
I don't think the two-party system we have is anything other than tradition. There are certain duties in Congress that would necessarily fall to a single individual, but the rules of House and Senate could be changed to select these roles from multiple parties or coalitions. Like the MAGA rules for the House right now, that allow the Speaker to be thrown out by Marjorie Boeberti Boo on a whim.
We still have "third parties," like the Green Party. I think the issue has less to do with any constitutional issues, and a lot more to do with the organizational rules for campaign financing, which is a stacked deck that makes any third-party candidate into a sideshow.
I recommend “Parlimentary America: The Least Radical Means of Radically Repairing Our Broken Democracy” by Maxwell Stearns who teaches Constitutional Law & Economics at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law. He agrees that the Founders never intended a two-party system but that is where we are now and it contributes to our dysfunctional government.
Let's not forget about those who do not vote.
The 2000 election hinged on Florida and hanging chads.
After 8 years of the "Cheney administration", "hope and change" denied Hillary Clinton the nomination, and Democrats regained control of Congress two years later. The change was less than stellar, but people still had hope.
By 2016, after Republicans had blocked Merrick Garland's appointment to the SCOTUS, Democratic superdelegates were all in for Hillary from the get go, but momentum favored Bernie Sanders. Why not place some blame there?
Hillary was status quo, as were the likes of Jeb Bush. Voters were still hungry for change, and Trump's messaging struck a chord. What a sad commentary on the state of American politics at the highest level.
Perhaps, Biden should have followed LBJ and stepped aside as a "transitional" candidate. One thing is for sure, if Trump survives the Republican convention, this election will be a watershed event in America's history.
Isn't it ironic that Liz Cheney has been ostracized while Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio kiss the ring?
Maybe we should be placing more emphasis on neutralizing people like Matt Gaetz, Loren Bobert, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Tom Cotton, and Jim Jordan, et al.
#PrimaryProblem
There have been numerous attempts to educate people like you as to why a "step aside" will not work, and why anyone who "stepped in" would have to develop things from the bottom up, since they would not inherit the support system. What part of all the things the Biden Administration has done - lowest unemployment in 55 years, major investments in infrastructure and government operation, getting rid of "junk fees," policing corporate M&A, managing the pandemic successfully, serious efforts to mitigate climate change, etc. - do you dislike?
What's not to like when the government subsidizes health insurance companies to deny care. In states that expanded Medicaid, most doctors won't treat due to low reimbursement rates. In states not expanding Medicaid, the uninsured be damned. The homeless population increases, while tax cuts for the wealthiest not only remain in place over time, they are periodically expanded. These are but the most glaring shortcoming that go unaddressed, while both sides of the political duopoly are hell bent on convincing the peasants that if only "our" party had control, everything would be alright. Sadly, we get the government we deserve.
Can’t seem to like anymore but every word so true.
The best definition of stupid by a social psychologist; ..when someone does harm to someone and harms themselves that stupid. This is regardless of one's intelligence or sucesss.
Okaaay man. (That's what Dusty Baker said to me when I shouted at him to sweep the Dodgers.)
But let's look, too, Ginni, at another quote of Heather's here.
She's quoting William F. Buckley Jr. when, in 1955, he was setting up the National Review, anxious to combat the New Deal and a larger, post-WWII role of national government which, he felt “violated [the] businessman’s side of the story.”
Many whites have hated how the federal government lent its weight to many good, needed new laws and government agencies. regarding civil rights, just as corporate America from the 1971 Powell memo on so hated how schools lent their weight to the humane improvements Americans had otherwise also been experiencing (at least from the Justin Morrill public college land grant legislation of 1862 to that Powell memo of 1971).
Alito and others on the corrupt Clarence court hate the America which -- to use Buckley's term -- violates their sense of the feudal aristocracy they see themselves leading. They want the one percent to rule all. So even now they're entertaining at that corrupt court how to kill the Chevron precedent, by which so many federal agencies function. So many people's rights they yet want to kill, just as they have killed the rights of so many women regarding their own bodies, their own health care, their own families.
Alito a disgrace, Ginni? Yes, but one part of a long, sordid history.
Leonard Leo - and the conservative court majority he crafted with Charles Koch money, Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, Coney Barrett - personally benefitted from the liberalization of American society which paved their way to fully participate and government protections for their right to do so. And now they are bent on pulling up the ladder behind them.
Sandra Day OConnor had the decency to speak openly of being an affirmative action appointment to the Supreme Court.
RBG is my all time favorite Justice. Until she passed away, she kept the uber right justices in line. But Sandra Day O'Connor was also an incredible justice. She stood up for women too.
To think that the theocrat and patriarchy love Amy Comely-Barrett replaced RBG boggles the mind.
Thar's the way I feel when I think of replacing Thurgood Marshall with that lack-wit Thomas.
Of course. The history and how we got here is important. But Alito is a dangerous part of today’s imminent threat.
Yes, Ginni. I think Alito blaming his wife is the bigger story here because it goes to character, not just a single incident or single issue. Real men don't throw their spouses under the bus. Pathetic, but instructive.
His wife, being a woman, couldn't help herself, Jeff.
Remember, that's Alito's philosophy -- that states may control women's choices, because Alito and his fellow arrogant on the Clarence court believe women can't at all be trusted themselves.
Also, remember the text he wrote in killing Roe -- that women may all too easily be witches, as one of his feudal male heroes argued, when that medieval hero was for killing women outright.
https://www.propublica.org/article/abortion-roe-wade-alito-scotus-hale
What? Women may be witches? Alito really wrote that?
In his text killing Roe, he quoted with approval a medieval English jurist who believed women become witches and need to be executed.
…don’t leave out Roberts, a wolf in black robe clothing
Agreed.
I haven't seen the source of the original Buckley quote, but when I saw your post, I thought I had read Dr. Richardson's reference to it wrong. She actually posted, "the violated businessman's side of the story." If the latter is what Buckley originally wrote, it gives a sense of the outrage felt by those businessmen whose rights to conspire and connive to exploit the general public were violated by the imposition of even the most limited of regulations. This is straight out of the discredited Hayek hymnal.
Our Professor Richardson has been writing about this for years….here is a link to an article she wrote in early 2016. It is informative and also includes the quote you referenced: https://www.salon.com/2016/03/06/this_is_how_the_gop_imploded_the_real_story_behind_the_conservative_crack_up_and_the_creation_of_donald_trump/
Thanks, Gary. I'm relatively new here. Enjoyed the article you linked.
James, welcome to the group!
A friend referred me to Professor Richardson's post in 2016 and I've been reading and commenting ever since. I live in a town, county, and state where Trump lovers abound. Someone told me if people around here knew about my hatred of Trump, that they would come and hang me! Yep. Hang me.
If it wasn't for HCR's words, and the comments of like-minded people, I think I would have had a nervous breakdown trying to understand how people could support such a vile, unhinged, immoral man and think that he is worthy of being the president of our United States.
We are living in precarious times, and we need all the balance we can get. Thanks to HCR and all the commenters here for keeping me sane and hopeful that RIGHT will prevail.
That's an excellent pre-Letters From an American article, Gary!
Thanks for the link.
Using their hated of all things DEI, Republicans can justify ending public education and even democracy.
Isn't that what wives are for? - to shield their men and take the blame for anything that goes wrong.
Please inform my wife, Laurie. She never does that and stands "tall" on her own. Poor me...whiiiiine! 😇🤮
Good for her.
"Stepford Wives," Laurie.
Well, Ginni Thomas clearly doesn't fit that mold, Laurie (which I know was sarcasm.) Cheers!
So says Harrison Butker, the guy who kicks a ball for a living.
Or Aaron Rogers, who throws one. (I'm not suggesting he's misogynistic, but I bet he and Butker share many opinions nonetheless.)
And Gold Bar Bob is doing the same. Perhaps her recent disclosure of breast cancer will make a jury more sympathetic
Such a sad truth!
Khaled Hosseini Quote: Like a compass needle that points north, a man's accusing finger always finds a woman.
Interesting quote.
Ginni, let's say wife did. Reports are that the flag flew for days. HOW many times did Alito walk past that flag and say anything?
Good point.
Yes, Ginni. To me Alito blaming his wife is the bigger story because it goes to character, not just a specific incident. Real men don't throw their spouses under the bus. Pathetic but sadly revealing.
Spot On! We get who we vote for. When we elect a President we are electing everyone he or she hires to serve the Executive Branch team, we also must assume we are electing Scotus justices. It seems to me many Americans slept through history and civics clssses.
Don’t know but this one is awful—turning back rather than advancing rights
I wonder if Ginni and Clarence did the same at their house?
Can we expand context a bit here, Bruce?
Considering whether we've ever had "such a blatantly corrupt Supreme Court," let's look also at the larger, systematized corruption by the many new, far-right foundations that came about and allied with each other in the wake of the 1971 Powell memo.
They knew they wanted to put the U.S.'s commercial classes on steroids. They had no problem aligning with the worst dictators of the world as they offshored the tens of millions of American working-class jobs. But before they could do that, they knew they'd have to silence, dehumanize American schools -- to set higher ed to neutered silos and to replace humanities in all K-12 with standardized testing, where all schools would then on only teach to the test.
I saw this morning a video of Scott Galloway (on happiness), where he noted how American higher ed just totally lost its script -- and how due to that America became a country of castes.
A "blatantly corrupt Supreme Court"? Yes, Bruce -- never before anything like this. But it's part of a larger corruption where the billionaires rule a neutered, social media channeled, polarized, hate-filled serfdom.
Spot on, Phil. Only one symptom of the systemic disease.
An excellent analysis, Phil!
Alito? Some are sicker than others. I wish President Biden could expand the Court by two seats to undo the packing done by Trump and Senator McConnell. The Court should have a one vote (not three) majority appointed by G.O.P. Presidents.
4 seats would make more sense - 1 for each of the Federal Courts of Appeal - there are 13, so it makes sense there would be that many SC justices.
I’ve been singing that chorus for some years. Since the number of seats is set by Congress (the last time was 1869), it can be done…if we get a majority.
Wonky LIKE button. What’s going on? Anyone know?
No one seems to know. Similar problems yesterday.
Exactly the point I was going to make, Cathy. As I understand it, SCOTUS seats kept track with Courts of Appeals until the latter expanded to 13.
I do not know that system. What you say, however, makes sense. Unfortunately, the timing would provide for some negative optix.
The optic of delaying Obama's selection, but rushing Trump's RBG replacement were not stellar, either.
💯
Bruce, are you surrounded by Donald TUMP fanatics in your part of Georgia like i am? The county i live in borders Maggot Traitor Greene's district, big trucks, shooting guns at night, trying to block county roads and much more mayhem here. I am sick of living in Georgia...
Yes, pretty much solid red here. The representative here is none other than Andrew Clyde, the one who provided AKA-15 lapel pins for House members. He was also the one who showed incredible "bravery" on Jan. 6th when he was seen scared out of his wits and cowering behind walls and barricades when rioters were trying to break into the House chamber. In '20, this area went about 73% for T***p, I believe. Hardly any Democrats ever run for anything here. Even though our burg here of almost 50,000 people is something like 30% Hispanic/Latino, that presence hasn't translated into any real gain of Democratic voters. I keep hoping for a change, but nothing yet. I purposely keep a low profile here, never responding to social media posts that might give away my identity as I don't want to receive threats—and I know they happen because others I know have had to endure harassment. Going on to a site like the local version of NextDoor really shows what you're dealing with. Just yesterday someone posted a picture made here of a cloud formation that looked (in a stretch) like T***p with a heart over his head and folks were waxing rhapsodic over what it meant. There were a few detractors, but I won't go there. My favorite last week was a bunch of people going off on how clouds are being seeded with steroids and one person swore that it was a plot to turn us all into transsexuals. Uh-huh. I am not making this up. So yes . . . I'm surrounded by zealots. Sadly, I'm stuck here and because of my severely restricted income, I cannot afford to relocate. There are times I REALLY question why I didn't stay in The Netherlands when I had the chance!
Good sharing from where you are. The cloud seeding story is one for Sat Night Live or Seth Myers…
My family lives in her district.
I might add a few other things that happened to us, before the 2020 election, i had a BIDEN/HARRIS sign in my yard and me and my family were harassed, cursed at, and had our tires slashed. We had to buy 2 new tires as the scummy TUMP terrorists slashed them on the side walls of the tires, and a side wall puncture cannot be repaired.
One day, when my grown, eldest granddaughter was at my house, the Fascist terrorists drove by my house and were yelling and cursing at us, my granddaughter responded by yelling as loud as she could to them, GO TO HELL!!!! That effectively stopped the harassment...
My eldest granddaughter is fiery red haired gal and doesn't take any crap off of anyone!
I saw this outrage. Alito and Thomas need to be removed, or 2 additional justices added to negate their incompetence, malfeasance, and corruption.
I don’t understand the mental acrobatics that allow a black man to so thoroughly undermine his own interests, rights, and human dignity by supporting a racist party that considers him a lesser human being. There are several right now.
Correct me if I’m wrong but I believe an upside down American flag signals a specific distress.
According to the U.S. Flag Code, flying the American flag upside down is only meant to be done "as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property." (Taken from a google search)
It seems to me we need to ask the person doing the flying what they thought was the meaning. Imagine for a moment that you were in your fort being attacked and finding yourself in a dire situation. You didn’t have a cellphone or radio but you could signal over a distance that you needed help by flying the flag upside down. It might be your last hope of communication.
In one way, as we portray our existential concerns for democracy, we are indeed flying our flag upside down. We are worried about survival of our nation/fort.
Just like I seem to find Trump’s group flying a proper American flag while flagrantly disrespecting everything America stands for is confusing. As January 6th has shown us. It seems to me that many symbols are being misrepresented.
In my fantasy world we all recapture the American flag as our proud symbol as we go vote for Biden. If nothing else it might confuse some Trump supporters. To take our country toward democracy we may need our flag back. IMO. And hopefully not need to fly it upside down.
Justice Alito was flying an upside down American flag at this house? Appears to be true and if so, if we did not already know, he has no judicial integrity.
More flak, I can dream, but tomorrow will have another horrid example
What a bunch of proud boys and girls Gaetz and his companions are! That these traitors are lawmakers is both incomprehensible and despicable.
Blame lies with the electorate.
To an extent. At some point, gerrymandering and other manipulations of the electorate also factor in. Thank goodness at least that SCOTUS yesterday (albeit temporarily) ruled that Louisiana may end up with a voting map more representative of its demographics.
No, the answer lies upstream. Why does the electorate act how it acts. The vote is simply the output of the machine built and run by “violated businessmen,”
If you truly believed what you say, you wouldn’t be reading these letters.
This country has always had two opposing forces whispering in its collective ears. For a good long time our better angels held sway.
Trump is a natural result of the demons getting stronger. In 2016 those demons became a roar we don’t seem strong enough to silence.
But we damn better keep trying.
That last paragraph in today’s Letter from an American is chilling. We can’t go backwards, we must not allow that to happen.
I saw that unholy alliance of lawmakers outside the courthouse in New York and don't know if I was frightened or disgusted - or both. Gaetz is being protected by fellow Republican members of Congress from being brought to justice for crimes he has committed, and yet he stood outside of the courthouse and threatened another insurrection if Trump loses his case and the election!
What keeps me hopeful is that the only crowd outside the courthouse was the clutch of dumb clucks who played hookey from their job in Washington for which they are being paid by us!!
Played hookey? No way! Doing nothing is what these dead-beats do.
Lots of pigeons flying around that courthouse, someone should should have fed them laxatives in honor of this 'esteemed group' of Republicans.
🤣
I was frightened and disgusted
It would be foolish to not take the MAGA insurrectionists as the most serious threat to the Republic since the Civil War. If they win, there will be no more Republic as we know it.
I am still confident that we will affirm our democracy in November. But that confidence is shakey.
Sad but true. I've heard so many people ask where can we move?
I have many friends who will move .. one to France .. I have family in Sweden so that could be an option !
Dr Richardson, Your ability to bring history into the present is why this admirer continues to subscribe and learn from you. Thanks for another terrific pieces
Thank you for the history and for the quick look at the traitors and scum scurrying to NYC to announce their subservience to the Mob Boss. The Old South never died; it is flourishing in MAGA and must be stamped out yet again. "...trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored" (Battle Hymn of the Republic; Julia Ward Howe)
The Right has always been good at crafting statements of pseudo, lopsided, and circular logic. My mother used to call it "make good with the fancy words." Anyone remember William F. Buckley's vocabulary that extended to his expressive eyebrows? And now, it appears they have been joined by pseudo science--has anyone seen the recent article about the increase in erroneous articles in professional journals that has prompted a staggering number of retractions? A perfect example of lopsided statements that are innocuous on their face is the recent article in the Wall Street Journal about declining birthrates, world-wide. Much hand wringing about how the economy needs more fodder--oh, excuse me, needs more workers--to maintain economic growth. And the repeated statement that women (all by themselves) are delaying or foregoing having children; it is not subtle at all. Nor does the article consider environmental impacts of population growth, stressors in the environment, or other causes and reasons (such as the decline in male fertility). We need to approach all statements, even from supposedly neutral sources, with critical thinking. (No, I don't consider the WSJ a neutral source.) Buyer beware, listener beware, reader beware.
I have to say that watching and listening to William F. Buckley as a young child, I was fascinated by his enormous vocabulary, for which I understood nothing. My dad would watch his rhetoric but had great disdain for him. He was a “know-it-all”, an arrogant SOB who fueled Republicans.
I only saw him in my twenties when a few W.&L. class-mates suggested I watch Firing Live because I reminded them of Mr Buckley. Almost as bad as being told I was Holden Caulfield in the flesh. I finally read 'Catcher in the Rye' and watched Mr Buckley in my senior year of college. I did not know whether to thank these friends or whack them with a two-by-four. Caulfield was a self-centered brat and Buckley a drunken pedant -- pronounced pee-dant (rhyme with slant) 😉 -- who never seemed to get to his point so enamoured was he of his own virtuosity.
Accurate summary! And, if he had a point and had gotten to it quickly, the flaws in his perspective would have been much more apparent...
Thank you, Kem, for indulging my latest rant. I always though Mr Buckley was over-rated, vastly over-rated.
He truly loved hearing himself talk.
And he was so boring.
That last sentence is exactly how I remember Buckley!
Thanks for the memories, as said by that great mid-century American philosopher. Bob Hope. 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmE7gVkK14I
One of the best things I've seen was a replay of a debate (I forget where and when -- sorry) between Buckley and James Baldwin. Buckley was annihilated and it was so satisfying! Such an affected idiotic snob.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Tek9h3a5wQ
Wow, thanks! I look forward to watching that again.
I don't know if you have watched this debate at the Cambridge Union, but I found it totally fascinating...otherworldly! Yet, like today? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Tek9h3a5wQ&ab_channel=AeonVideo
I have watched it before and Baldwin took Buckley to the mat!
Marlene...Baldwin flung Buckley to hell....😇
Really a pleasure to watch because Baldwin was so intelligent. Here we saw a brilliant gay Black man take down an arrogant SOB who was white. So fabulous!
Thanks Bruce. Saving it to watch .
Precisely.
Debates between Buckley and Gore Vidal reveal Buckley to be thin skinned, Darwinian in his politics, and a poseur, lots of big words covering up brittle thinking. The debates were on YouTube … the documentary “Best of Enemies”delves into the debates with an even hand. Listening to and watching Buckley offer up conservative saws such as “freedom breeds inequality” with complete self-satisfaction gives the lie to his professed claims to Christianity. Listening to Buckley, really carefully, always reminds that he employs his big vocabulary to coverup the reptilian ideas he is espousing. Today’s conservatives make no attempt to cover up their cold-blooded beliefs with eloquence. But their ideas can be traced directly back to Buckley.
The debates are on YouTube and the documentary about the debates “Best of Enemies” is on Prime. The documentary is evenhanded.
KEM, considering how our economy is structured - that "growth" (in population/customer base) is needed for economic success - global declining birth rates is a serious economic problem. What we need is a different system, not higher birth rates. By different, I mean new, and not yet imagined, and not merely a re-tread of one of the existing "isms".
Population size also supports military power. So I don't see a transition to a new economic model occurring soon nor without upheaval.
Jerry, yes, exactly my point! The article that ticked me off so much was about the/this economy and birth rates, and nothing else. No alternatives, no other consequences of unbridled population increase considered, etc. It's just a re-tread of Republican goals, masquerading as scientific study.
The WSJ has a blind spot when it comes to giving humans equal footing to businesses. Other than that small detail, they're a pretty good source of info. I just unsubscribed from that publication because their blind spot has not changed, and I can get decent balanced news elsewhere that doesn't piss me off.
I unsubscribed last year, for the same reason.
If we need more workers there are teeming masses from other parts of the world willing to come here. Reluctant white women do not need to be the mothers of all.
Fertility is falling all over the world. This is not localized. The Wall Street Journal May 13, 2024 "Suddenly There Aren’t Enough Babies. The Whole World Is Alarmed." Sorry I only get WSJ through a news source, so I can't break the paywall.
I did see that, but it seems that if we have jobs and young people fleeing failed states in Venezuela, Haiti, Somalia and other parts of the world want to come here and work it may be a temporary solution for this country. Ultimately, fewer people feels like a good thing with the impending climate crisis. The mismatch of old and young and our dependance on a consumer economy will need to end eventually.
Dependence on a consumer economy will need to end, yes. But if the population is declining in other countries as well as the US, one can expect tightened emigration policies from those countries, along with more compensation there because the demand is high. The bottom line is that this is not a question of population shift, but of population reduction everywhere. There might be a temporary surge--we are likely in its beginning now--but it is not a solution, it is a palliative treatment.
I wish more people appreciated the fact that America was founded on the principle that "self rule" was preferable to "being ruled" (as in "a King ruling over us all"). Those who seek to eliminate the idea of equality under the law... to eliminate the right of everyone (no matter their economic or social status) to vote... to enforce the untrue idea that America was founded as a "Christian nation"... have NEVER been comfortable with "self rule". They seek to live in a nation where "I rule and everyone else obeys me". They seek to be King (or "a king in a limited community of kings"). This is so fundamentally against what the Founding Fathers created... against what the Revolutionary War in which many died to become free of the King of England... against what even more died during WWII to defend "self rule"... that I am shocked and saddened to see them treated as "Americans" by a news industry that has lost its way ("lost the plot" of what America is). How will we have an election in which those who vote understand the stakes, when the vast majority of the supposedly real news organizations are not reporting this truth... that "un-Americans are running against Americans"... that those seeking to rule us rather than represent us are challenging Joe Biden and the Democrats? I believe that up in Heaven, Walter Cronkite (who was a WWII reporter) is crying as he watches the monumental failure by America's journalists to live up to the reason their profession is the only one protected by the Constitution. Freedom of the Press exists not so that the Trump circus can be reported without someone forcing such coverage to stop. It exists so WHAT TRUMP and the MAGA GOP WANT TO DO can be reported without MAGA attempting to stop it. In Putin's Russia, journalists go to jail. If Trump wins, I predict that will happen here too. I wish America's journalists realized they will be in trouble if democracy dies.
They are already “in jail”. If they could report like they did before big money took over the family founded presses they would be fired.
With the logic SCOTUS used to overturn Roe, doesn’t it seem that all other expansions of 14th amendment rights back to and including Brown v. Board of Education may be now vulnerable?
No, and yes. No, in that 14th Amendment was not basis of reversing Roe. Rather historically (bogus reading denounced by large number of historians) a constitutional right to abortion never existed (Roe was decided wrongly) and therefore there is no 'right' to enforce on states via the 14 Amendment. Yes, in that for these 'strict construction' 'non-activist' 6 GOP appointees, precedent means nothing and thus these clowns can jump down any legal rabbit hole they wish to enter and merely say 'because we say it is so'.
I am afraid you are on-the-money.
At last, at LONG LAST, readers of Heather Cox Richardson will read almost - almost - exactly 👍 what good Christians and Jews have always known: all children are created equal, all children are beautiful and equal, and, yes, miscegenation is legal and moral and ethical and often desirable in a free society that respects all mankind - and the exquisite pain of intolerance and racism are simply unAmerican and unacceptable.
Children are colorblind. It’s we adults who must learn what matters.
The essay - what are the significant differences among people -.assigned by ETS in Princeton in the 1950s, was dropped quickly.
Two terms of President Barack H. Obama and Vice President Joe Biden frightened our robust racists and the so-called born again white supremacists that read at a 5th grade level and are not making it.
We learned that Obama was born in the USA, not Africa. We learned that his alcoholic Black father and his white mother were his parents - and we have elected the Obama Biden team twice - and now have white President Biden and not white Veep Kamala Harris up for election again.
Our founders did not give equal rights to women or Blacks. Today, it’s Jews will not replace us.
Intolerance dies a million deaths, Heather.
You can do even better. We can do better.
If it’s Trump and the likes of J D Vance or any of the others that bothered, our republic may fail.
Vote Biden. Vote Joe Bidrn.
Let’s roll.
On the pilgrimage to N.Y.C. to salute their M.A.G.A. Lord and Bastard, the nattering nabobs of narcissism of the far-right need to be reminded: military officers pledge an oath to the republican Constitution, not the Republican constipation. 🤬😳😢
Matt Gaetz. American traitor. Stand back and stand by my ass. Stand trial! Your groupies too.
Agreed, David. What a tool.
How pathetic & subservient can they be? What a disgusting display of servitude! And just wait until it's their turn to do time under the bus! I don't know all that much about psychology but common sense tells me that these individuals have absolutely no self esteem. None! I'm embarrassed by them. Can you imagine what our allies think when they see this obsequiousness from elected individuals? They know they can't depend on the US because even if trump disappeared tomorrow his cronies would still be there scraping & bowing to fascism!
I've been thinking that I would watch the US slip from being the pinnacle but I never thought that we'd lose our democracy in the process.
These thoughts make it very difficult to fall asleep at night! And worse than that I keep thinking this is all a nightmare but I wake up as all of you do to face this daytime nightmare every damn day of the year.
Brown vs. Board of Education was introduced when I was 3 years old. Segregation was big in my small Southern Baptist town in NC until I started high school in 1964. That was the first year we integrated. I was excited but not many were. Black kids were bussed in because God forbid that white kids ended up in “colored town”! But as tense as it was, it went rather smoothly because we had one of the coolest principals. He was fair-minded and level-headed. Yes, he was white but he respected the students and the staff which was now black and white. The respect for him was returned. I can’t say I ever loved high school but I loved my experiences and making new friends. What burned me up was when we had our 10th class reunion, only a few black folks showed up. I found out that many had not been invited. I never went back to another one. Seemed like the South had won again. Glad to being a Californian for 50 years!
Segregation didn’t die. It has been smoldering since Brown v the Board of Education! Trump enabled those anti-equality promoters to spout their venom and support policies which reinforce their views! The Christian Nationalist movement falls under that umbrella!