628 Comments

Thanks Heather for your constant watch on the American experience and what it means to every citizen in the United States and its impact on the world. Just like the chant at the Chicago Convention in 1968 “the whole world is watching!”

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I second this statement. Thank you Prof. HCR for your 5+ years of dedication to help save democracy & for your wise & valuable insight.

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"Seek out information from trusted" sources. That's why I am reading Professor Richardson now.

Still way, way too early but, Colorado officially reports over 2,000,000 Colorado voters have already voted as of this morning.

Over 3 Million in Michigan up to this morning.

"I believe there Comes a Time when Everything"

"Just Falls in Line"

"I'm all Fired Up"

Real fired up, hat tip Pat.

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Brian Sean McKown -- I'm a Colorado voter (I vote from abroad -- Canada). Boulder County. I'm pretty terrified about what could happen today. And through January 6th. Nothing can be taken for granted.

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I’m a Colorado voter sitting in NY right now. We mailed our ballots in to Eagle County last week and they were counted. Hoping a miracle happens in the 4th district and Boebert gets her butt handed to her.🤞🏼

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Polls close in Colorado at 9 PM Eastern. 4th District, Go Trisha!

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I'm stuck in Parker, and the feeling is so strange. There might actually be Democrats who win in Douglas county. Take heart

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That would be amazing! I’m in Boulder County, so hoping that crazy woman gets her butt kicked. That said she moved to NE Colorado for a reason. Eagle county… maybe it isn’t as conservative as it once was?

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I sure hope so. I'm your neighbor in Centennial. There are a few trump signs in my neighborhood. A few more for Harris to counter them. Fingers crossed!

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I think Springsteen's Nebraska album got it right Jen, the determination to go on.

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I am taking nothing for granted & making sure a neighbor gets to our CA polling place today.

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And tiny lily white Iowa has Kamala at the forefront? Incredible miracle.

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I am praying that dream is reality!

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79M early voters!

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Energy is good! Out of the darkness we seek light-ness, and grace.

Donny-John is truly a heavy load, lard, let him live in his cave.

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Or a prison cell.

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Although looking at the bathroom where they stored the boxes of illegally stolen classified documents, it looks like a weird prison cell to me.

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I'm trying to channel Lincoln today, hoping for the light to shine on those who thrive on trump's love of chaos, disorder and hatred...so they can join in the brighter future and hard work that's HOPEFULLY ahead for us!

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May he live to be held accountable & die a sad, lonely, penniless man.

Meanwhile, may Kamala be the phoenix that brings us light & hope for the future!

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I concur

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I concur as well; 'hard work is goodwork'.

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It pains me that I couldn’t do my civic duty and travel from CT to PA to work on account of a new case of bronchitis. I am concerned about any dirty tricks that will be in play during the count leading to certification of election. If Trump and his filthy company of destroyers of everything good becomes successful and, even after not getting the majority of electors, and somehow he claims the presidency, I would hope and pray that President Biden emplores the Joint Chiefs of Staff to prevent Trump from taking g office through a suspension of the constitution and a temporary declaration of martial law. I would so easily take my chances with our military than a Trump administration.

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Don’t fret, Bill. I came from CA to NC to canvass just to offset your absence in PA. My biggest success was converting my Republican Uber driver to vote for Harris. It was easy after I learned he had 2 teenage daughters.

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I turned my republican family in Texas, MaryB. Or maybe they saw the light on their own. I'll never know, but I'm proud and happy to say we are three generations that voted early and pure blue.

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Lauren, Kudos to you and others who have worked hard to convince people to vote for Harris. We voted early by mail here in Oregon and our county has a wonderful system to tell voters that their ballots are received and cleared for counting. Our cleaner yesterday, who lived for a time in Queens and talks about how crooked death star is, voted for Harris. She is Hispanic. Other friends especially those in the small town where I taught, lament that they will never look upon some people they have known for years the same again. I hope we can end the divisiveness and do the hard work that Harris so eloquently spoke about. We turned down an election night party, so it will be a quiet evening at home watched a crime series.

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I'm drinking Mariacheladas (a tall drink I created - juice of 1 limon, half a Corona, shot of tequila, sprinkle of cayenne pepper, and V8 or equivalent) and eating guacamole on blue corn tortilla chips while I pray for a win in both chambers of congress. Party of one, unless you count the blind chihuahua that lives with me. She didn't vote, but I'll give her a cuteness pass.

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Quite the drink. Right now I am forgoing alcohol, although I may allow myself a very tiny amount of single malt if (OK, when) Harris wins. I am editing a book by my garden helper which is full of wisdom about life and gardens. I was out in mine earlier, snagging a few late figs. We should have had a good freeze by now, but it really hasn't happened, so no digging any parsnips yet. Our doggie didn't vote either. And I will give him a cuteness pas as well. Good election night to you.

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Lauren, you are a miracle worker. I wish I could have changed my brothers mind.

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I really can't take the credit. As I said they're educated, so they fall into the demographic that voted D in spite of being registered R's. They don't agree with ,La's agenda, but they couldn't stomach TFG 2.0 or any more of Cancun Cruz. Daughter crossed the line to vote for Beto both times he ran with no urging from me.

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I helped my next door neighbor obtain an absentee ballot for her invalid adult son who would not have voted otherwise.

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Congratulations on your conversion. of the Uber driver. My extensive writing efforts have not resulted in anyone acknowledging their conversion publicly

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Thank you for your work!

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❤❤❤❤❤❤ Thank You!!!

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I’ve been canvassing in PA (I live here now) & met two women from my home town of Yonkers, one of whom went to the same school as me!

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That's one of those really fun coincidences!

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Cool! Are you where the Hubbells are?

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I’m with the Hubbells and Jessica Craven in Mecklenburg County, Charlotte. Canvassed with them on Sunday. Today we were at different polling places handing out Blue Ballot Guides, well away from the restricted areas for campaigning

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It is just as easy to imagine winning Bill. It is just as easy to know that the Democratic Party, Federal Agencies and President Biden have things under control. We are infinitely more prepared. And we have a Democratic President in the White House. He Falls under the Immunity ruling too. Oh, and he is Commander in Chief of the Military.

Sounds like you need to take good care of yourself. Worry does no good.

We have done our duty. I second Jon's sentiment.

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I’m already organizing the Gray Brigade, a quasi outfit of seniors that can March in uniform and on command, being positioned upwind of the enemy of MAGAs, turn around in unison bend over and fart. The effects are devastating on the enemy except The Donald, who would and has taken much pleasure in the aroma.

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I'll come! What song should we play?

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“Pop pop fizz fizz

Oh what a relief it is”

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Bill, as a native of Elkhart, Indiana, where Alka Seltzer originated, I can go for this.

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🤣🤣 Now ain’t that the truth?!😃

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Your posts seem only loosely tied to reality. They read like what I imagine those in Putin’s employ might be expected to write.

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How did you guess so easily? My friend Vladimir Putin has opened a bank account for me and I’ve invested in North Korean flack jackets and making big ruble.

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Ed, I expect Putin would aren’t anyone who farted in his general direction

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Putin would ARREST anyone who farted in his general direction

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Ed, you’ll notice a constant refrain of “buy my book”

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Those of us who write always promote ourselves. I guess you don’t write so you wouldn’t understand. Heather spent much time on the road promoting her book.

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To Bill, to the many gallantly stood this test and gave testament to ways to bring our message of unity to the front page . 👏☮️🫶

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If Harris loses by one vote, we will hold you accountable, Bill! :-)

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And unfortunately, I do not agree with your military approach of stopping Trump. Then we would just be the country he wants us to be anyway. And as much as it pains me to think about what he might do to this country, I would never support using his same tactics under any circumstances.

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It depends. If unlawful forces even try and upend an election, then I most certainly expect President Biden to do something. If unlawful forces try any violence I expect President Biden to do something. If unlawful forces are interfering with people trying to vote then I expect officials of that State to do something.

President Biden has the Insurrection Act and the gift of Immunity from SCOTUS at his disposal. Besides being a super nice guy he is also Commander in Chief of the Unites States of America Military. It is no secret Russia is actively working to interfere in this election. It is a fact that fascism has come to this election.

When do we stop being such purists and do what is necessary to preserve our Democracy? When do sane Americans get protected? Why are we worried about violence today? How did it get to this point? I am sick of being bullied by these crazies. Mean and unlawful people count on decent people to hold back; to hesitate to engage. It is how they get away with so much.

These people really are trying to destroy our Democracy and way of life.

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I think Biden is mad enough to act so you are correct. He won’t forget that debate moment when Biden lost his concentration and Trump poked fun at it. Nope, we are in good hands.

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I do too. I just saw the announcement from officials in PA about election crap. Their message was. FAFO. That is exactly what they said.

It really is past time we got really mad. I am sick of feeling shoved around and scared.

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I'd like to point out however that what the SCOTUS actually did was to give permission to any president to do anything that could be deemed an official act and then said that "official act" was so desperately hard to define that only they could decide on a case by case basis if something was official, and we just know that the same action by 45 would be official whereas it would not be when ordered by Biden. Basically, one of the reasons they did not support the States theory was that it took much of the power they had abrogated to themselves away and they were really, in those two and other decisions, setting themselves up as We Six Kings. Not only is Biden too moral and conscientious to break any laws, but I'm sure he knows quite well he has not been given the power of near limitless immunity.

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Thanks

1. I never said limitless immunity

2. I never said Biden would stoop to anything amoral or illegal.

3. What I AM saying is that Biden will not hesitate to defend this Country. And he has the immunity clause to back him.

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Smarten up there won’t be anything good remaining with a government run by autocrats. Even now, we are governed and owned by the corporate community. I’ll take my chances with the US military, thank you.

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I called for a coup 4 yours ago.

A Coup D’état to Make America Great Again

(My Letter to a Friend and his Return Letter)

“Dennis, I’m gonna draw up a petition tonight that calls on the American military through the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to suspend the Constitution until Jan. 20, 2021 when a new president will be sworn into office. The military will immediately escort Trump off the grounds of the White House and place him in home confinement at Mar-a-Lago.

“The military will install a junta; a six person team representing the Marines, Air Force, Army and Navy, Coast Guard and now, the Space Force. Elections will proceed as scheduled but without Trump leading the Republican Party.

Are you ready to sign it, Dennis? Are you ready to take a stand for your family, community, state and nation?”

“You must be reading my mind, Bill. I've been saying this for weeks. I will sign it in a heartbeat. The Thief-in-Chief must go before he kills all of us. He is the biggest mass murderer in American history, bar none, and the toll climbs every day. The murderous slimebags on FOX should also be included in this purge, since they are equally complicit in this.

And, since there are still so many who don't mind dying for Trump, I would also strongly encourage red state Trump toadies to mass gather at churches, bars, whatever, and drool, spit, and ooze bodily fluids on each other, and then wait in line for ventilator treatment that could have been avoided if they had only listened to Dr. Fauci before catching COVID-19.

It looks like we just fixed the country. Now, what about McConnell and those other grinning jackals?”

Signed: Dennis Kaplan

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Nope.. the JCS is a body of individuals who have managed to make their way there. Unfortunately, like a any body, there are a few pricks. We saw one who surfaced quite quickly when #45 took office.., didn't we? And, as we have clearly observed they have a following. Military members operate under the precept of "a lawful order". So, when their particular officer-in-charge says "charge".., 99% of them will respond. Simply, it is not for them to reason why, it's for them to do or die. The 1% are in the brig and whether the "order was lawful or not might get decided upon later. So don't hand me that 'military solution crap'. Leaders come and go. We've had a few. This country is far from a finished piece of artwork; 350 years is but a flash in a 5000 year old bonfire. Err on civility. The other road is not the road you want to be on when your testosterone level wains. How's your memory doing?

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My new friend at the time, Professor Dennis Kaplan, who inspired me to write and at the same time told me I couldn’t make Trump funny, passed away just as my book was coming to market so I dedicated it to him. I miss his more offbeat than mine, sense of humor.

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"Thief in chief".. yes. Our legal system, in a sincere effort to provide fairness, often appears inept because it enables those with 'lotsa money' (spelled political influence) to appeal/delay/appeal/delay, almost to no end. The lines drawn are often so fine they make no sense to me. But, until we figure out how to write things differently, they are "the line" a civilized society has to deal with. Finding a level playing field, in which to write or create, one free of personal prejudice, is tough. In the end, we've got to remember "we" are the ones electing the EMpty Greene's, the Scary Lakes, the J 'duh' Vances, the DJT's, and some other C*ksukahhs we're familiar with. Getting rid of them takes time. Lert's not shoot ourselves in the foot doing it.

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Nov 5·edited Nov 5

I apologize for getting in to it with you again, Jon. I am surprisingly of the same mind as Bill Katz on this one. I'd welcome the deployment of the National Guard to defend against another J6 riot. I wanted TFG to call them out, and I'd want the same of Biden, rather than to see the Capitol and its defenders beaten and broken. Let's have peace, whether they want it or not.

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No problem Lauren. I would want a call out of the NG too for another insurrection attempt. My point was I would NOT want to see martial law used to OVERTURN a valid election of Trump. I think it somehow got disconnected from the original post as things often do on Substack.

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No Jon,now you are changing up on me. I stated emphatically that if Trump used a false motive, a fraudulent conveyance to steal the office, I stated a temporary military coup would be fine with me and you said no Trump could steal the fricken thing all day long. So you are changing up not me or anyone else.

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A suspension of habeas corpus should be on the table. President Lincoln had to do it. D.C. may have ended up in the Confederacy and the Union broken apart had he not. You are right that risk is high. It is merited, as a last resort, since we have the capacity to resolve the unforeseen problems later on.

If the situation is truly dire and existential and we do not take that risk, the polity of peril that succeeds inaction may preclude any LATER TO FIX THINGS. That is why I am optimistic for a Harris victory -- out of necessity, not out of choice. Go, President Harris and Vice President Gipper!

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And seriously, please get well... Even as much as a curmudgeon as you are, I think we all mostly like you LOL!

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Then buy my book and get a full understanding of what this bag of sheet is about. You will never be more entertained and educated all for 15 bucks. You will thank me. Don’t buy three beers save up and buy my book. Money back guaranteed. It will be the best investment you ever made.

Btw, are you liking yourself?

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Book title please? And a link?

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“Donald’s Vanity Tantrums” Amazon or me (bkatz321@gmail.com)

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😂💙💙💙💙💙💙

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Haha, Jon!

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We won’t need the military because Alzheimer’s is knocking on Trump’s door. I’m not a doctor but I think he is deteriorating rapidly and the stress of losing and facing prison…..well such a traumatic event would accelerate a healthy person’s mental health and we know Donny Boy is not a in good health. Praying for a sea of Blue!! 🙏

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Sorry, Maureen, but TFG wouldn't be leading the charge this time any more than he did in '21. He's not only too old, weak, and deranged, he's a coward. OTOH his base is locked and loaded to go kill 'em some commies. We needed federal assistance for the Capitol Police last time and didn't get it. I'm comforted that Biden will be on the phone the second any intimidation or violence begins anywhere in the nation.

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Agreed! As they say "We won't be fooled again"!

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Agreed Maureen, I wouldn't be surprised if I saw trump on tv telling us all that he's pooped his pants. The man is quickly losing his mind

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Tracey, to combine your two thoughts, I posit this concurrence: Yes, he is losing his mind ... through his poop chute! 🤪💩🤪

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Trump is already gone. What I most fear is the movement that he has consolidated with Vance as a new figurehead. Remember when these American extremists only blew up federal buildings? Now they attach the Capital itself. We had better wisen up and although I have not mentioned issues, things like borders weigh heavily to blame on democrats and we had better wisen up.

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That door was opened long ago!

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Dear Bill, please recover asap. Bronchitis is a stinky sob, and sticks around like a car with missing hubcaps. I hope the poll watchers in PA make you proud!

But for me, bad knee et al, just reading HCR today lifted me up, made me smile erasing a lot of my deep concerns that have a bad habit of accumulating daily re the white supremacist fascists. I’m so grateful for Heather’s grasp of the history of political shenanigans that provides deep context for what is happening now.

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I was born with bronchitis. When you live with a disease all your life you get used to it. I only catch it once every year or two. It goes away and then returns. My father had acute bronchial asthma so I feel I got off easy.

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A bit overplayed here, Bill, i'm pretty sure. Have you watched the movie Civil War? The downfall of a right-wing dictatorship, the last scenes an all-out at the White House no less.

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Really? Another short story from the collection titled “Welcome to the New Snazzy Nazi States of America” and you had better learn how to do the new dance craze or off to a re-education camp for you. Give me a second.

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Whatever, Bill. conformity is classic social behaviour, 101.

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Biden will do everything in his power and quickly to ensure that does not happen. I have confidence that ONCE Harris is declared the winner (and she will be), the wheels that have already been set will be put into gear to keep this election in her hands. We cannot control the MAGA reaction or what they may instigate via social media, of course. But Biden is ready for them.

Safeguards have also been put in place since January 6, 2021. Don't forget the Electoral Count Reform Act of 2022, which overhauled the electoral college certification process. Governors certify the state's appointment of electors, and five of the swing states have democratic governors. Of the other two (Georgia and Nevada), Georgia's governor refused to cow-tow to Trump and "find" him 11,000 votes in 2021. Some states, like Georgia, changed their method of recount, using a completely different machine and process in case a recount is necessary. Poll watchers have been trained and stationed. Many lawyers who worked with Trump to overturn the election have been fined and/or jailed and debarred. It won't be so easy this time around. Everything I have been hearing and reading agrees that though he may try, Trump will fail to overturn the election results.

But today is still nerve-wracking. I'm in Lancaster County, PA, which is Trump country. Voter turnout so far is huge and DEMS are working all day to get the Democratic vote out. At my polling place, there was a PA for DEM there handing out voting guides for the Harris/Walz ticket. There was nothing like that from the GOP side. We are on the ground and working. I attended a rally yesterday with Robert DiNero and Sam Waterston in Lancaster City. It was awesome.

I know how much you wish you were here, but rest assured, you would be here if you could. And the work is getting done. Feel better, Bill.

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Encouraging news for a discouraged men. Thank you.

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I hope you heal faster than my respiratory annoyance. Pneumonia since May, they can't figure out how to knock the infection out! I have been coughing and writing postcards forever and hope when the stress from this election ends the coughing will stop!

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I’m sorry to hear this. Ya it sucks when it lasts. Sometimes my bronchitis lasts a few days and on rare occasions, it can last several months. My little potpourri of stuff is Vicks vapor rub, eucalyptus tabs I found the strongest ones at Costco, and codine cough medicine. But now I have fights with my doctors because big pharma sold the world on safe narcotics and we know what happened there. Now doctors are forced to limit scripts for this and I have walked out of previous doctor’s offices over this. No cure but combined they can allow a full nights rest. I’m going to yell at my doctor today if she refuses my request.

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I have frequent coughs (from a different cause), and I find licorice root and star anise tea with maple syrup a good remedy, Marj. Chamomile and ginger is also very soothing. Thyme also supports pulmonary health; one can get it as an essential oil and add few drops to room temp water to sip on all day. I sweeten my teas with maple syrup, because it has fewer glycerides than honey, but either will make your throat feel better.

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Bill, the differences between 2020 and today include:

- Trump is not in power and in any position to warp the actions of the DoJ and DoD.

- Trump has failed to gather consistently large crowds, least of all any protesters at his trials.

- The present civil ileadershio is ready for election day shenanigans, post-election sabotage, and pre-ekection legal challenges. As a Philadelphia official said, "F- around and find out" what will happen.

MAGA mayhem will fail this time.

Rest and get better. Make sure to take your vitamins. Whatever happens in the election, the sun will still rise and our wisdom, wacky as some of us have been, will still be needed.

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I hope you get/feel better soon!

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Don't under estimate President Biden, he is already a step ahead of Trump. President Biden is a man of honesty and principle. He believes in a government for the people by the people. He will not tolerate another

insurrection. Be rest assured he will remain in office until January and make sure that the electoral college isn't tampered with and that this election is dealt with accordingly and by following the laws of our voting process. There is no doubt that Biden has the national guard on stand by in every state. Including the cops and the FBI. When your dealing with a tyrant who is threatening our Democracy, Biden will do whatever it takes to make sure we have a peaceful transfer of power.

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Thanks to the Extreme Court, Biden could order Tump and Vance killed and he couldn’t be prosecuted.

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Well that's not totally clear. SCOTUS kind of left things up in the air. Yes, they said the President had immunity for official duties. But they also left the definition of what fell under that umbrella up to them. It essentially allowed them to weigh in on any prosecution of a

President. So they could allow Trump to kill someone but day it was outside the score of POTUS duties of Biden tried it.

We shall see.

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Exactly. It's strange everyone seems to miss this vital point. Ultimately, the SCOTUS is the arbiter of what is legal and not, and clearly feel no need to always explain to us what their reasoning is so they don't even have to come up with plausible or even lame explanations as to what they have rested their decisions on. It's a bit of a peaceful coup right there, really. They take on cases that haven't yet worked their way up to them by usual routes, they make decisions that amount to legislating, and they sure weren't ready to allow the states to seize powers from the federal courts they rule over even though that was expected based on their prior policy vs law based rulings.

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I have had this fantasy too, Jon, only mine involves Seal Team 6, because that's who came up in oral argument at the Extreme Court. Sadly Biden's too nice a guy ever to call for a hit on anybody. Let's hope the legitimate military is able to squash homegrown insurrectionist militias without recourse to assassination.

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It won't be seal team 6! They are a bit like the silent service- our submarine forces- they don't particularly care for ANY notoriety. The whole Bin Laden thing got out of control afterwards. There are other teams.

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Today we watch and wonder what the next four years will be like. Our work will not be done. I know we will be looking to you HCR, to stay in the fight, providing us your leadership, understanding, and hope for the future.

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We’ll also be looking to each other in our disparate and supportive Substack family.

Thank you all for your thoughts and advice. I think we have found our answer to the hard right’s AM radio!

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Spot on 👍👍

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Susan, we all must hopefully realize that our divided electorate is divided for a reason and it’s important that we keep that reason foremost in our minds regardless of who wins (already voted Blue).

It is clear that our politics both GOP and DEM over the last 40+ years has disenfranchised labor unions and monopolies have run ramshackle over Mom & Pop stores destroying rural economies and most of the MAGATS are living hand to mouth without any information-economy skills. If we strive for equity and inclusion that values all walks of life we won’t see this kind divisive election again.

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I second and request Professor continues after the election. Indeed, I see in Professor's letters a new form of public journalism independent of the ownership. Major medias are marketing, not enlightening instrument of the society anymore.

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She could charge more to keep her forever ???? 💙💙💙💙💙

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Some Substack authors have adopted free reading and free subscriptions but charged subscriptions with an option to buy a subscription for someone who cannot afford to pay. Some have set up a kitty system which is basically about the same thing.

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Yes, the whole world is indeed watching and so many people are afraid. Praying that their fears will be unfounded. “Kamala Landslide” is my visualization and mantra. May it be so!!

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Please excuse the piggy-back on your insight, Christopher, I was in an art history class last evening and the word from Paris is that the French -- the Parisians, at least -- are as apoplectic as we are; friends in Scandinavia and the U.K. report the same anxiety.

https://bandyxlee.substack.com/p/the-more-dangerous-state-of-the-world-f77

Anyways, here is a closing essay by Dr Bandy Lee, a psychiatrist -- specializing on re-configuring or, at least, figuring out -- the mind of violence; it spells out the stark challenge democracies face with demagogy. So many demagogues have a blinding ambition that blinds their followers to the oncoming polity of peril.

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WRITTEN ELSEWHERE THIS A.M. OF ELECTION DAY:

". . . . man, oh man, do I feel nervous. I have always figured that my belovèd America would muddle through; that there would be a President F.D. Roosevelt, President Grant, President Lincoln, President Truman, or Presidents Ford-and-Carter to carry us through. Vice President Harris, backed by Governor (the real) Gipper, has the internal resources to lead us through to a common mission, if not the promised land. That is why my optimism of President Harris by five-to-seven percentage points in the popular vote and well over three hundred votes in the Electoral College is NOT born of my heart but of necessity."

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Thanks Heather. No matter what happens, I hope you keep this going. Or at least write another book about it.

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Remember that those chanting in Chicago had a lot to do with electing Richard Nixon.

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- Pulled Quote -

“Tonight…we finish as we started: with optimism, with energy, with joy, knowing that we the people have the power to face our future and that we can confront any challenges we face when we do it together.”

- Kamala Harris

Amen

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It's refreshing that Harris says "We will win", rather than "I will win". A campaign is predictive of how an administration will govern. Harris's campaign has been inclusive, respectful, organized, disciplined, and supportive of the values of the majority of Americans. Her administration will be built on these same values. It will truly be the new page in our national story. She will be the uniter we've been looking for, because it's not about her. For her, it's about us.

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I once was dubious about her leadership abilities. No longer. She is smart. She is wise. She is caring. She has spunk. I feel secure with her in office.

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Hopefully she will assemble an equally capable cabinet and team of advisors as Joe did. Joe's team was amazing from top to bottom. The infrastructure projects along would have surpassed all of the accomplishments of the Trump administration and yet they did so much more. And they did it with Trump attempting to undermine everything the Trump administration tried to do at every turn.

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I’d submit that Merrick Garland was the weak link in Biden’s Administration.

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Never forget that the best rightful place was on Scotus but one wretched Mitch McConnell and his control is the Court coterie deprived him of that. Be angry and determined to dethrone the power of the GOP in the Senate today as we vote and send all GOP who refused to support the election of Biden to the trash heap of their miserable careers.

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I've thought of that often. He would have been a wise and careful voice on the Supreme Court. I'm not sure what character or personality flaw made him ill suited to run DoJ, but in normal times he might have been great.

These have been anything but normal times.

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I'd have liked for him to have worked to have DeJoy resign also.

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Sadly true, Maureen. He would have been a superb Supreme Court justice, not so much as AG.

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I agree. He hired a Trump supporter to investigate Biden. So dumb to do. I forgot his name but I believe is Chinese American. From the Federalist Society.

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Every presidency runs with a team indeed.

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If her campaign staff is any indication, she'll surround herself with a great cabinet that will truly support her agenda and fill in the weak spots in her own experience.

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She has Biden as an example in team assembly. I would not be surprised if he continues to advise. When I imagine him choosing Kamala as VP I see his wisdom and vision.

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You did mean the Biden Administration tried to do.

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With one difference get RID of Garland

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I believe Kamala Harris and Tim Walz were made for this moment. Think about their two life “stories” thus far. Could we come up with a better twosome?…I could list here a dozen examples, but our team knows them well. In the same vein, could we have come up with a better contrasting story than DJT’s?…I don’t think so.

I am thankful to the new field of writers like Heather Cox Richardson and the other Substack writers we read. Harris and Walz have given those good writers fresh fodder that continues to nourish this movement. HCR will go down in history as the exemplar historian who met the moment in the transition from print media to digital media as she has brought history back to life for many of us in her herd.

No individual will save us. We are that ever-growing force that has always been simmering to bend the arc toward justice. Hopefully 2024 will go down in history as a year that the temperature was elevated in that direction. Win or lose this grueling election, this growing movement will continue.

Thank you again, Heather!

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What do you think of this idea? HCR as Secretary of Education.

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Bill Alstrom -- I agree that HCR should be in Harris's cabinet, but leave the choice of which position up to the two of them.

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I cannot for a moment imagine HCR leaving her paradise in Maine for a stint in DC. Does not seem to be her style.

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When the nation calls… it’s only a few short years to serve.

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Wonderfully put, Jane.

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Well said. Thank you, Jane, for putting the thoughts of so many of us into words!

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👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

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Our new Thomas Jefferson

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I have been delighted to see that she routinely has said she will fight her best to do/get/enact whatever the subject is, rather than say that if she is elected she will promise x, y, or z.

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What's delighted me has been the calm "we're not enemies, we'll sit down together and work it out" attitude.

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Absolutely! That is music to our ears, I'm sure. Now, Ill have to find a video of all those entertainer performances at that latest rally.

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"Humility is one of the most important qualities you must have."

- Nelson Mandela

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"We." VP Harris is always "we." ‼️

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Elizabeth, you said this so well and so optimistically! VP Harris surprised me by being such a competent speaker and campaigner, but she also rather charmed me with her sunny personality and sharp wit combined with dead seriousness about the risks Trump and the rest of the Christian Nationalist Right Wing pose to our country.

And it hasn’t hurt her that Trump’s vision of America as a hateful, dark place with soaring crime, a failing economy and a menacing immigrant population is so false that no one, not even MAGA, believes it. Combine that with Trump’s dementia emerging in the last two weeks and revealed by signs of disinhibition, a condition often seen in demented people, and you have the positive, optimistic political atmosphere you describe in your post.

But, while I agree with your fine post, you might agree, too, that human events can be perverse and Trump still might win. 😕

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I think Jane covered that possibility, Alan, and answered with, "Win or lose this grueling election, this growing movement [preserving democracy] will continue."

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Alan, yes, I am very much aware that he still might win, especially after reading Frank Bruni's column in the Times today: "There Are Battleground States -- and Then There's North Carolina"

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/05/opinion/north-carolina-harris-trump.html

I probably should have written "would" instead of "will", and I had just watched a video of her in Philadelphia last night in which she said "we will win", which led me to think that her internal polling was positive. Let us hope that wiser, more generous hearts prevail once again and that vote counting will be faster than in 2020.

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Well, she is a Libra ⚖️

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I agree with your sentiment, Elizabeth, and note that TFG often uses "we," no doubt in the royal sense. Plural pronouns are no promise of patriotism (imagine the ROTC yutz from Animal House spitting that one out).

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Somehow, maybe because of his other speech and text habits like refering to himself in the third person as President Trump, when he says we it's understood he means himself and when Kamala says we it's understood she means Us. Since 45 uses unspoken threat and bribe language regularly and we all understand it, the difference can be accepted as legitimately understood. Like art, we can know it when we see it without being able to identify it.

I think you may have come up with my new favorite tongue twister. Now say it five times fast.

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Viva la Kamala!

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Si, se pueda!!

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Inauguration Day speech: Today, we start like we finished. With optimism, energy, joy, and we know that we the people will face this future and we will confront all the challenges that we face. We will do it together. I am humbled to be your leader. Let’s get started. <que the executive order folder>

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It's gonna be a looong day.

Thanks for getting me through the longest years of my life.

Hopefully, tomorrow will be the start of new and better future.

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Dan Rather's advice includes "Ignore Trump when he claims to have won on the first day, and remember that it may be several days before the final result is available".

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Ignore Trump. Full stop.

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Yup. Now if we can only get the 3%, Proud Boys, and Oath Keepers to ignore him, too. Dubious, as they're always spoiling for some form of "military" action.

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I hope so, too. Good luck, people of America! The world depends on you!

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DITTO

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You’re cooking it lady! Last night and tonight’s letters are remarkable. Thank you for your encouragement on today’s podcast. I have to remind myself to breathe! Stay calm and watch history unfold. We will win!

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Thank you Professor Richardson.

When the only people advocating for you are a fellow narcissist billionaire, a neo-nazi, and a pretend hillbilly, it is time for Trump to explore life in non-extradition countries.

Hoping that this sparks a major blue wave throughout the entire ballot.

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even a late blooming blue at the margins, that will be very telling, a hunk of otherwise "red" America has "woke" no pun intended. And... a cross the board swing of less than 5% can well translate into a huge Congressional and down ballot change. To be honest the Republican Party NEEDS a serious electoral defeat.

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Frank Loomer -- Another thing the very-much-missed *real* Republican Party needs is a deeply serious and honest overhaul. Congress should go to secret balloting so we the peeps can tell what's really going on. So many Republicans are still cowed by He Who Shall Not Be Named.

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They need a new name the REPUBLICAN has been distroyed

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I agree 100%, Frank, and I hope for more than a marginal win. I hope for a landslide-size ass kicking of the red menace.

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I, for one, would have intended that pun :) Otherwise spot-on Frank!

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i kinda went for the pun to be honest

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Can we impound their fleet of planes?

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Make them pay for their own security forever is my. wish. Between billions spent on 'marketing' and who knows how much on secret service teams, imagine the good that could have been done with those dollars!

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DJT, The "felon".., needs to forfiet all of that which we kindly afford those who obey the law. Whatever his 'sentences' are, he must serve them, and starting very soon. The preponderance of guilt appears to have been established in the overwhelming number of cases. Send that bum to a Federal Pen or facility like Eglin AFB, and assign him a to a lawnmowing crew... or garbage truck.., fer crissakes. Get it over with.

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Your keyboard to Whomever's ear, MadRussian. A minimum security prison with no Secret Service appeals to my sense of justice.

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A "criminal" with 34, and counting, felonies should certainly cancel out an "ex pres" in the eyes of the government in deciding to whom It owes Secret Service protection. Behind bars might be enough.

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So, if he ends up serving a prison sentence, wouldn't that be sufficiently safe so that "his" SS could be assigned elsewhere? Is he still putting them up in over-charged Mar a Lago rooms?

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Gregg -I hope so. Since he and his cohorts have acted as Russian Oligarchs -I’d be in favor of an asset freeze and subsequent forfeiture. I mean, it’s not like they will need much for the prison commissary.

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Love the asset freeze, George. Put those Putin dollars to some good use, like maybe paying Ruby Freeman and Shay Moss what Giuliani's assets don't cover. TFG's putative assets can go to E. Jean Carrol and/or the state of NY. I kinda doubt he really has any.

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Let’s make it so. Mar-a-lago would be ideal to house refugees awaiting an immigration judge. (They can probably also recover some documents for the National Archives.

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Yeah. I think they still need to go over that place with a fine tooth comb. Locked closets they couldn't lock pick my precious lass.

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While they're going after assets I sure wish someone would put some serious effort into investigating Jared Kushner and try seizing some of his ill gotten gains to repay some of the damage he's done to this country.

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Don't forget the oil barons bribe - that could fund a lot of renewable energy!

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Perhaps he could return some of his ill gotten gains as Guiliani has been made to do.

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According to Shaye Moss and Ruby Freeman, Rudy is hiding “stuff” from them, the things, the assets he was to turn over to them per the Court rulings. If so and probably so, the Court should hold him in contempt and throw him in jail. Kinda like sitting on top of him until he cries “uncle”.

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lol Gregg!

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You mean the Epstein Express, Gregg?

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I do! HEH! HEH

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This is now feeling more like the close of the 2008 Obama campaign when he and Joe beat McCain and Palin. It has the energy and the "we can make history" vibe about it. We were holding our breath then...Palin was soooo bad. I REALLY want to see history made tonight again and let's elect the first woman to be POTUS....and let's get rid of Donald from the political stage forever. That's my dream and hope. Bless you all for participating in this forum. It's been an education and a place to vent. Heather is the BEST.

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Mike, when I saw this clip, I thought of you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZT98ajRfxM

I don't know who that cameraperson is, but they are a patriot!!

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That cameraman was doing a good job!

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I love it. I've never worked one of his events....and hope that after this week there will never be any more. I really do wish that I had been working at one when he started his Fake News , Enemy of the people routine...I'd say fine...turn off the camera and walk away and encourage the others to do the same thing.

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Mike, it seems that complaining about the tech people at every one of his rallies has been his latest rant.

I always think "I wish those people would just walk OFF the job.".

What is there to lose? They probably aren't going to get paid anyway.

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I came really close to walking off of a very conservative gig one time, 5-6 years ago, because it was so vile and hateful...the only thing that stopped me was professionalism and my desire to not hurt the rest of the crew. A lot of us work freelance and the younger guys don't want to hurt their careers. We work on events for both sides. Especially in DC. At this point I'd walk out on Trump or Vance just to make a point.

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... or, as that cameraperson did, show the truth of empty seats. Sometimes he has referred to thousands who can't get inside and I have heard he will say that even when no one is outside, so I have longed for someone to step outside and show us. Some camerapeople have panned around rooms to show us reactions by people aside from the few selected to sit behind 45 who are putting on a deliberate show and rarely actually listening to the words. There are so many ways to creatively resist, and those who can see, appreciate.

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There's a YouTube podcast of someone (I wish I could remember who), Miselle, saying that the felon's complaints about tech malfunctions are a standard part of his schtick to avoid paying the venue. I think if was David Pakman's podcast.

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That's very possible. A lot of venues won't allow him back in because of unpaid bills. I worked with a guy who did staging and he would never erect the stage until he got cash or the check cleared. I actually had a rock & roller who supports Trump pay me several checks for a gig...which all cleared and then he stopped payment on the last check...which was the largest. I wanted to sue him, but he lives in CA and my attorney told me it would cost more in legal fees than it was worth.

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The cost of pursuing justice in this country in our legal system is a big reason justice so often only serves the rich.

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Absolutely! In fact while we are watching 45 bitch about a microphone we are hearing every word and the faces of the people behind him tell us they are, too. So what's the problem? I absolutely thought it's just like his performances setting up the lie that the election was stolen, and he's just setting up the lie that the facilities aren't meeting contractual specs so he can refuse to pay. He's so transparent I can't imagine why anyone would rent to him unless they want to use it as a way of making a donation off the books or works for him unless they've never seen the underside of a bus and have a yen to.

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It's possible to be able to hear the TV feed but for the venue PA system to not be working right...or for the opposite to be true. I did a gig where PBS was next to me...and my feed was fine and the house sound was fine, but they had no audio and had to fix their issue. In a large situation like these rallies the audio is routed to a lot of different pathways...and it's entirely possible the house sound crew was messing with him on purpose.

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Hmm... interesting. He does have a history of finding reasons not to pay (or not paying regardless of having a reason or not) but it is possible someone was messing with him... I know I'd be tempted!

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Mike,

I suspect I am not alone in worrying about jinxing the results. But I also have the same intuitive feelings as you. I want to "Believe" that America will reject hate and bigotry. Reject crazy.

I woke up this morning thinking the two paths that will follow the Harris/Walz victory. THE NUMBER ONE issue for the new administration must be addressing the Climate Catastrophe - reducing carbon release, mitigating the impact of extreme events, creating new energy jobs, subsidizing sustainable sources of energy instead of fossil fuels..taking the science seriously.

And then, implement programs that provide desperately needed assistance for those in the "sandwich" - child care assistance and elder care help to keep seniors in their homes. These are issues that surmount any political leanings and are a universal burden on almost every American family.

NUMBER TWO:

A simultaneous priority should be the further investigation of all those involved with the attempted coup of January 6, 2021. There are members of Congress who should have been charged, tried and punished - who still threaten our democracy and the legitimacy of our democracy.

And speaking of crimes, Jack Smith should find a new venue, a new judge to oversee the treasonous theft of Top Secret Documents by a private citizen. This crime alone should have made it impossible for Trump to seek office. He should have been incarcerated and held without bail - a flight risk. How would any one of us be treated if we removed boxes of Top Secret documents and stored them in a bathroom available to guests in our home? How is it that such a dangerous and flagrant act such as this goes away because of one obviously biased judge in Florida? This case needs to go forward with vigor and new energy.

NUMBER THREE:

A full on, no holds barred response to Russian and Iranian disinformation campaigns in the US that undermine our democracy. Portray Putin as the "Stalinesque murderer " he is. We have the tools to reveal him for the thief he is. Russia needs our assistance in bringing democracy to Moscow. The forces of evil led by Putin will only respect power and strength.

Make it painful for Putin. Ask why he had to import troops from North Korea. Reminds me of the much hated Hessians used by the Redcoats during our Revolution. Another sign of weakness - that they have been using their own young men as cannon fodder.

So, after we reject the crazy and the hateful, so much to get back on track about. Climate, help for the overly burdened working middle class, justice for coup plotters and traitors, and a campaign that shows Russia what American can really do with AI and a comprehensive project to discredit an Oligarch who has stolen billions from his own people. The Truth is Out There. We need to use it.

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Bill I'm TOTALLY with you on your agenda. I so wish that Jimmy Carter had gotten 2 terms and that Al Gore would have won. We'd be so far ahead on climate policy and that is THE crisis for all of us and our children. Republicans aren't a collaborating other point of view any more. They just obstruct and act like bullies. Lock him up...but if that gets close, I believe he'll fly away. Orban would take him in.

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Gore did win. The Brooks Brothers insurrectionists and SCOTUS reversed the outcome and turned over the presidency to a nitwit.

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Orban wouldn't be bothered with Trump if he's defeated. If he loses, he immediately has zero value any more. No political power. No billions to wave around. And nobody actually likes him for himself.

If he tries to leave the country, he's going to find very little interest in any country accepting him. He can't promise anything because he's hemorrhaging money as well as political power. Who wants a deflated old entitled man fresh off a public humiliation?

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Russia would take him in for propaganda purposes. The way he's been calling America a garbage country and lying about deep and hidden evil corruption in our government systems so every challenge he faces is a witch hunt they would love to take him and use him to back up their narrative the way they used Tucker Carlson, only 45 would be Sooo much better for them.

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He will fly away only if his pilot will fly him, knowing that he would be done flying anyone ever again. Seize his plane and he’s going nowhere. You watch, he’s going to become radioactive, he already is for most of us here. Prison is the only place where he’ll be going soon. 💥🙏

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That's a good point about the pilot...unless the money is huge...Yes, he is pretty toxic already. Prison would just make my day...we shall see soon enough.

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Bill, excellent recommendations. I like all three. I especially like your previous recommendation. Nominate HCR as our next secretary of education. Maybe then, civics will become part of the curriculum from grade one through high school. The level of ignorance among the people supporting tRump has no low.

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Eadie, while I like your sentiment...I think HCR is way too valuable as an historian...oracle...to be captive in the ED SEC role. I would LOVE to see history taught well and to all...that's an overhaul we desperately need.

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Mike, my immediate response to Bill Alstrom's comment was the same as yours. However, on further reflection, I thought the country needs someone who can change the trajectory of our educational curriculum. I can't think of a better person to fill that need. It's a historian in that job that will not only benefit our educational system, it will impact unfair voter suppression purges launched by billionaires, it will address the need in rural communities that need unbiased information they can understand and it will once again give us the respect of our allies in the world.

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I still think she's much too valuable outside the system to research and write as she does. This next period may be somewhat like reconstruction after the CW...MAGA is not going away. I'd find a strong Sec of ED from NY or CA...or even MD...and someone who believes in History and Art.

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Ah, but she'd only be in the position for a few years and right now she handles being a teaching professor alongside writing the newsletter and books. I expect she could do both although she'd probably have to save the books for retirement. She would reach more people by helping to shape the education system, appoint underlings, and advise the cabinet. I do agree it's going to be like reconstruction, but that could be why she would be especially valuable - to point out what worked, what didn't and why. She's even got the sensibilities you desire with respect to art as shown in her appreciation of photographic beauty.

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Agreed. Much as I hate the way it sounds, we really do need seasoned bureaucrats in cabinet positions.

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I've had friends who worked at the Fed Dept of Ed and it's a tough job no matter which party is in control. The far right has had an agenda for years and that's not going away. These cabinet level positions need to be "professionals" with the right resume and the personal power to be effective. Heather needs to be free to think and write. She's the best.

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Number one: I'm just going to add that when guests in the home include foreign dictators who are allowed to leave the country with unsearchable diplomat bags, then it is just oh so much worse.

Number two: I'd like to see Merrick Garland obligingly step down in favor of a more assertive DOJ head, and I'd like to see the SCOTUS expanded so there is one Justice for each US district: Thirteen. If necessary, put Garland in one of those new seats, although I am somewhat off of the man - if he wouldn't stand up any better than he has to the current MAGA indignities against the law, how could we feel like he would be assertive enough to stand up for the law against the very aggressive current far right justices? I am not even interested in crafting a left leaning court so much as a court that simply decides cases based on law not politics - a situation we clearly do not currently have.

Number three: Not one blooming thing to add here! Yes, all this!

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" We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of the few, but we can't have both" Louis D. Brandeis

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And unleash a fantastic DACA PROGRAM FOR ONCE AND FOR ALLLLLL!

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Thank you, Mike, and Bless You and these United States of America!

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Isn't it a surprising way to elect our first female leader, Mike? There's a delicious irony that ,LA built her coalition on the back of the felon's horror show. We owe Emperor Tang a great debt of gratitude.

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The Universe is like that. I believe in my heart that this is how it was destined to be.... Obama was a gift and I feel Harris is also. Trump has shown us the underbelly and what goes with it. Tune in for the results....

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Lemme get this straight, one side has two robotic narcissist billionaires who cheated on their wives, a white nationalist fantasizing about a civil war and a supposed hillbilly who is secretly mentored by and funded by another narcissistic billionaire.

The other side has the support of the entire Democratic Party, the Cheney’s, John Kelly, Gen. MacMaster, Gen. Milley, Mike Pence, Arnold Schwartznagger, J.Lo, Bad Bunny, Lin Manuel-Miranda, Taylor Swift and Beyoncé.

How is this even close again???

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Propaganda works, especially when partnered with money, greed, self-interest.

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UGH JD. Unfortunately you are so right. Although in this case, it appears that the propaganda has worked on men -- but has totally turned off women of every possible demographic block including age, race, education, financial security and political party. Looking forward to riding a #PinkWave to the future.

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Sadly I wish it were true that the CON DON has turned off all women. While I was in Florida, I witnessed a number of women wearing MAGA attire. It is hard to get past the caked up soap of brainwashing. With evidence clearly in front of them they still are in support of the mendacious philandering rapist… and they call them selves christians…. I truly hope that, beyond hope that the apparel was to appease their easily fooled men and that when they cast their vote, they did so for a woman who will support their rights as women. One can dream. My dream is for a Blue Congress, a biracial woman and impeached supreme court justices that LIED under oath… Vote BLUE, I did.

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Oh, glory be. So ready

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And Harrison Ford.

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Thank you! How can anyone leave Indie off the list! My forever hero!!!! 😊💙

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No! He's mine! mine! Did you see the Dial of Destiny? It was perfect. I smiled with happiness from beginning to end. The scene where they're trying to contradict each other to Archimedes in Ancient Greek. More seriously, have you seen his excellent youtube pitch for Kamala Harris?

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I’m hugging you! You are a sister of my heart! I saw Dial of Destiny on opening day-as always, he was perfect! I actually went to Petra, Jordan a year and a half ago to see the setting of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade-beyond stunning AND I got to walk where Harrison Ford did. 😂. Can we share as his fangirls?

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Here's Han Solo....er Indiana....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkBghbYfUNk

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Thx for sharing this. Indie hates Nazis, and HF’s vote is against them, too. 💙💙💙💙

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That's what we've gotta be honest enough to remember! USA has been in political gridlock since the fallout from Obama put new wind in the GOP's sails. The Tea Party was a tsunami. We could, perhaps, wonder how the Democratic Party "lost it" after Obama, or maybe the answer was just too much change for many Americas. Besides the ACA, and the broad coalition the Dems have corralled to advance minority causes, and let's not forget its humane, less religious approach to issues - all that has generated a huge reactionary response.

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Dying things have enormous final energy. Organized religion is one of those dangerous cornered animals.

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I think you have a real point about esp the Evangelicals et al who are fighting tooth and nail abt RvW issues, RGPTQ plus. This has been preached from the pews for over a generation (or two) and organized into the GOP which has now, under MAGA, destroyed itself. Organized religion in America has been in decline for some time, and I'm sure this latest is not helping its cause. Europe is light years ahead on getting out from under the organized religion umbrella.

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Removing their 501(c)3 shield should be a no-brainer, and would help curb this gross violation of the separation between church & state.

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That was always a way to help "uphold morality" but really it's an intimate connection between civil and religious institutions.

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Is there not some requirement a 501(c)3 shielded organization avoid political activity? I had always (perhaps erroneously) thought there was. Would such a requirement answer to the present needs to some extent?

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May it be so! What a waste of energy and resources. I’m amazed at the waste of resources in the proliferation of churches on every corner, plus the monumental shrines here and there. Pfft.

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Church steeples are often billboards saying, abuse and graft here. Not always, but too often, check out Gateway church in Dallas.

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Absolutely. My husband's nice was fund raising for a new church to be built near where I live. I pointed out that there were numerous churches within a half mile of the intended site, an old school. It opened briefly before shutting down. Where did the money go?

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Some churchgoers that I know and hear about are a different breed. Not related to Jesus verbiage that I used to hear, all in red. Forgotten these days.

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I'm not so sure it is that close.

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Sophie, In 2020, over 155 million votes were cast. I have read that over 77 million have already been cast.

My husband is a first time election judge. He was inspired to do so after watching a Youtube clip of Brian Tyler Cohen and Marc Elias. The polls open here at 6:00 am. He texted that the first voter showed up and was waiting at 5:30.

I believe there will be an even larger number of votes cast. I am hoping for the same as you, and that there truly is a BLUE tsunami!!

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I certainly hope so! I wish it for my American friends, for my Canadian friends, for the sake of my own continent, Europe, and for the rest of the world.

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My worry is that some of the most persuasive anti-Trump material—his recent behavior at his rallies—wasn’t seen by the people who voted a few weeks ago. The 39-minute dance party, the obscene gestures rally, and the ones where the audience was sparse and people were seen leaving early while he droned on about the size of his rallies. And JD Vance calling Harris “trash.” And Musk saying two years of misery (not for him, of course) would lead to great things. And Musk leaping around on stage with Trump.

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I don’t think it is close. Don’t trust the polls trust the cheering crowds at VP Harris’s rallies!

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Her huge rallies. And all those smiling faces as they LISTEN.

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Because half the country is very, very sick. Trump and Co. are only a symbol of the rot.

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"You just effed up in a way that I’ve never seen in my political life, and I worked with Sarah Palin.”

Ouch!

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I watched that segment on Nicole's show 4 times in a row...it was so organic - Nicole calling it in real time - the moment JD locked in the "women" vote for Harris!

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J L Graham, I like Nicole’s program (Deadline White House on MSNBC) because she has a lot of former Republicans on her program with their unique perspective.

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Love Heather's insight on the orange felon and his sycophant sidekick each campaigning alone.

Such a contrast with all the richly diverse souls happy to appear on stage with Kamala especially.

Ally House (Oregon) wrote here yesterday on this -- the love of others or not -- just after she “read Anthony’s reply regarding ‘creating robots out of our children.’”

This reminded her “that the entire ‘standardized testing’ programs really caught fire after the college protests around the Vietnam War.” She wondered “if there wasn’t an additional motivator from the ‘establishment’ to prevent the ‘free thinkers’ from future activities such as the war protests.”

Spot-on, Ally.

The Powell memo of 1971 – and all the far-right foundations implementing it – aimed first to kill school humanities (all levels).

Anyone reading Diane Ravitch’s "The Language Police" (2003) can see how all the testing that ensued stressed schools voiding all that was individually generous, humanly patient, and nuance-attentive personal. All would instead key to group units, the abstracted categorical, and a repetitive linear. As if life had no persons, no individuals, just units in packages.

Nihilist, neutered elites would rule. They who became the Clarence court. They who would rule what is now the party of MAGA. They who would staff Fox News and set social media algorithms to moneyed fascism.

None of this could have happened had American schools stayed in the hands of teachers – had the human and humanities centered them.

And so we have our sick candidates, as Heather sees, each alone. And we have the human by contrast.

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I think there is more going on that just the rejection of humanities and interdisciplinary education, but it is certainly a big part and part and parcel of "dehumanizing" society. And while "lifelong learning" has become a cliche, education is the lifeblood of awareness and wisdom. Schools primarily exists to lay a sound foundation for it, but learning and a thirst to discover what we can of truth can permeate the consciousness of a society or at least percolate though it. At different times, in differing places around the planet, there have been outbursts of discovery, fine, meaningful art, revealing humor, and wider justice; and also episodes of quite the reverse. Where are we heading on this eve of change? What, in the end, matters most?

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My poor parents never stopped saying that education was our way to a better life. They had to leave school early, but their eight children learned that lesson. It seems that the current iteration of repubs want to undo everything Franklin and originators founded. Schools, libraries, post office, fire stations, and a free country, for starters. Chump promises to save the country. He has no clue about the promise of the country. His ideological and monied supporters do. They want to replace it with the one man gets all the votes…. A Putin plan on steroids.

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Recently a relative wondered why my daughter is studying Literature and Historical Linguistics here in Germany. The exact question is what kind of job could she get with it. While I did not list the possible jobs for a multilingual person who has strong reading, writing and speaking skills, I did say she is studying this because it interests her.

Her current study interests have been narrowed down greatly from about 20 areas she was interested in her senior year in high school, because being good at languages, writing, math, sciences and art, since she has had a well rounded education, including travel has led to this.

My daughter has picked things to study that interest her, because she understands learning as a lifelong pursuit. We were just discussing languages she will be learning in her program such as Latin and Lithuanian. She is excited. She figures she will have more idea about career later on. She does not just look at her studies as a means to a job, but as a part of a lifelong journey of learning. Of course, that fact that she is going to university in a country where there is no tuition and many students live at home and go locally, so expenses are lower, makes it easier to learn for the sake of learning. Here there is a semester fee, and hers was 299€. The US is wealthier, it should be like that in the US too.

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Wow, amazing. She can contribute in any way she chooses. And reap rewards.

I spent most of my working life learning also. Continuing Ed, night school, just anything that interested me. Computers gave me more challenges. Still try to keep the mind sharp. Never was good at languages though…

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We learn what we can in the ways we can!

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Nov 5·edited Nov 5

Some learn what carnival barkers spew, sad to say. And think that it’s the Gospel.

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Thanks JD, LInda for that interesting chat! I do get the feeling Phil's beat up on modern education and standardized testing is a bit over the top. After all, Half plus of America are voting Harris , lol

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JDinTX,

A robotic citizenry has been in the past rejected.

I pray we will never cease to appreciate diversity of opinions ,traditions, languages, talents, etc. In my opinion, if we will allow ourselves to listen to one another, respectfully understanding others who hold differing opinions, we will keep a better community and nation and world.

I think of Presidents Lincoln and Garfield who grew up in poverty....both having strong mothers who set high standards for their families. Education was nurtured ...even in the "wilderness" areas of our nation. These men, along with others endured amazing challenges in their lives and both, confronting personal tragedies and temptations chose to be men of character throughout their lives.

Our nation continues to produce greatness. Our leaders ...many of them....are greater because they have overcome, even as each has lived with heartrending tragedy, physical illnesses, prejudice, loss of loved ones, personal family struggles, and have also dealt and deal with our enemies outside our nation as well as within, who seek to destroy us and to take away our freedoms!!!!

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Nov 5·edited Nov 5

more diversity in all areas is a plus, not a negative. Just saw a quote that I think is a keeper. By Gillian Rose. “Learning is agonistic, deadly struggle. Learning is also life itself.” However, I have found learning to be fascinating in so many ways. However, learning about dark holes may prove more of a deadly struggle. But this old space junky will keep trying.

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I believe in lifelong learning and it should never be cliche. I am glad that I taught in schools that allowed me to teach as I was trained to follow the path of John Dewey, educator and philosopher who said, that we learn by doing meaningful things in meaningful contexts. That is what this election has been about.

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My high school composition teacher challenged us on day one by asking us if the statement -- "to learn is to change" is true.

What say you?

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Gary, Though your question was not addressed to me, as a college English teacher I couldn’t resist sharing that I started each semester asking, “Would you rather win an argument and be wrong, or lose the argument and learn something.” While initially most students were partial to the former, by mid-semester virtually all had shifted to the latter.

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I love that Barbara. However, I will not be sharing that with my wife as she already wins most of our "arguments." 😎

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I agree entirely. When you exchange ignorance for knowledge, you have changed who you are and what you can, do.

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Talia, Thank you for writing. I simply would add that I sensed students increasingly discovered that through repeated open discussion and dialogue they increasingly understood that intellectual growth occurs when we integrate new and sometimes conflicting ideas into what we already feel and believe.

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JL - "Lifelong learning" really is the key isn't it? Maria Montessori stressed learning for life. I'm suspect as an educator you did as well.

It seems that most of the people that comment here continue to "be educated." But that's a given just by reading the Professor's Daily Letter. 👍

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Life-long learning was my Mother's credo and she instilled it in me - enabling me to have the curiosity to pursue 3 different careers in two different countries - art historian / graphic designer and then, in my 40s - lawyer. When she was in her 80s and used a walker she would still manage to get to the University of Michigan's Saturday Morning Physics classes that were open to the public!

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Gary, my personal motto has been "Do a good deed and learn something new every day." When I was working in the medical laboratory, it was very very easy to learn something new daily, and being in the hospital, it was also very easy to do good deeds. Now that I am retired, I have to work at both. HCR offers many lessons, but so do so many who comment here! The comment section often adds additional context and under reported stories. The discussions between readers often make me consider my own viewpoints. Thank you, everyone!

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Very nice Miselle. I love that, especially the "good deeds" part. And you're so right about it being harder to do now than in the past. I have been working remote 100% of the time since 2016 so my face to face interactions are limited.

One thing I have learned from working with Indians, is how much they appreciate kindness. In the 1990's many companies were at a loss for programmers to modify their systems so thousands of Indian programmers came to the US.

I have learned much from my friendships and encounters with the Indians and programmers from other countries.

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My husband worked remote for a few years before COVID and his team was in India. He found them to be very nice people and learned about their culture. There were many religions among his team, so it seemed as though someone was always celebrating a holiday.

There was always lost people in our enormous medical complex, and I'd (when I could) walk people to their destinations. (I only got a 20 minute break, and a walk could take 10 minutes!) There were lots of other opportunities as well. Now, I try to open doors, help people unload their grocery carts, say something nice to cashiers. (Cashiering in retail is a really difficult job. People can be so mean!)

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Life, J L. Love of life, in others, with accuracy in seeing them as individuals in community.

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"Accuracy of observation is the equivalent of accuracy of thinking." Wallace Stevens

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Thank You, Phil and Ally, for these insights. Tomorrow our work to bring back Civics, Civil Rights and Civility begins!!

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I only just learned about the Powell memo. Boy, what an eye opener! The grand-daddy of Project 2025.

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In fairness, in my school system (long, long ago on a planet… oops, wrong quote) we studied the humanities, at least reading “decent” literature. BUT, our educational system took manifest destiny for granted, and slavery as a slightly sad, brief aberration in the American story which has no effect on our present America.  

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Thanks, Phil, but I think there's more to it... the '80's and Reagan and government by the elite were the biggest factors, I think, in the deterioration of public education...or at least it scotched the rise of progressive education initiatives, which was the real loss. As an educator now, I don't look back fondly on my K-12 education; even without the incessant testing the Every Child Left Behind Act brought, public education in the '50's and '60's was hopelessly mired in 'blank slate' views of children.

You can not have robust public education unless you also have a robust democracy... and, yes, the reverse is also true.

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I think one of the most joyful things about the HArris campaign is the enormous amount of work that is being done by everyday folks, not politicians or professional campaign workers. Sane Americans, from all political parties, obviously realise how important it is that the MAGA party (NOT the "Republican party"!) is wiped off the face of the earth. I truly hope that when the results come in of Kamala's landslide win, all those postcard senders, phone bankers and door knockers give themselves some time tor relax and "Party on!"

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Dearest Heather,

While you are certain to receive many comments of gratitude for keeping so many of us sane through the insanity of the past number of years, just needed to be the one of many to say THANK YOU. You are a blessing and a treasure and I am forever grateful for your wisdom and service to the great experiment that is DEMOCRACY.

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“Kennedy, a conspiracy theorist and anti-vaccine activist who claims to have suffered from a worm in his brain…”

I believe him.

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That might explain it. I saw this headline tonight "Embattled Rudy Giuliani ‘not ruling out’ another run for NYC mayor", so the condition might be catching. Either that of it's evil alien mind control rays coming from space. I keep hoping that MAGA madness might one day break, like a fever.

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I consider Rudy's consumption of alcoholic beverages to be a part of his erratic behavior. Continuous and heavy drinking will strongly affect the mental and physical health of a much younger person, so it is not difficult for me to understand the assault this habit has on him at his age. It seems possible, if not probable, that with a mind so affected by alcohol consumption to have these flights of fancy, he would stand a chance at becoming NYC mayor again. I find that highly unlikely.

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Rudy is classic. Alcoholism is a progressive disease.

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He is guanified also. Bat Schitt crazy

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Jeri, there you go again with the best lines ever!

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Thanks to Greg Olear.

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Love Greg!

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He is incredible, he is a scholar across much territory.

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Thanks, Ralph! I needed that chuckle!!

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Hahaha 😳

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Likely killed the worm!

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I believe the worm is alive and still crawling around looking for the odd morsel.

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Ralph, I literally DID just LOL at that!

Thank you! Gonna be a long day.

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Did it get stuck in his throat on its way out?

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I would like to take a moment on this crucial election day, to honor the man who made this possible: President Joe Biden.

I don't think most of us will live long enough to see history finally recognize the fine president he has been. He quietly did all the hard work of leading us out of a pandemic and kept us from entering a recession or worse. It amazes me to see how truly short most people's memories are!

He won the nomination for POTUS by not only his hard work and results, but by his DECENCY. Shame, really, on the media who went after the dollar to edit a clip to make him seem like a doddering fool. Shame on them for perpetuating ageism. Shame on them for sane-washing Trump and never, never, never holding him to the same critical standards they held Biden to.

And shame, too, to SNL. We can all laugh at them poking fun at BOTH sides of the aisle, but their portrayals of Biden this season has been truly appalling. Trump nearly writes SNL's material as they can use the very lines he rants (Hannibel Lechter! They're eating the dogs!) but their characterization of Biden as lost in a benign dementia haze is infuriating. Puerto Rican's can be called "garbage" and Black people can be subjected YET AGAIN to watermelon jokes, and people are rightly offended. Even mocking obesity is a questionable line of humor now--when will ageism be taboo, as well?

Biden firmly sealed his place in history by putting his country above his own ego. Undoubtedly, that will be the first line in history books, I only hope that history will be kinder and go on to list his many accomplishments.

I am willing to bet that most of you good readers, like me, have already cast your vote. Can you do one more thing today? How about send a message of gratitude to our current president?

https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/share/

Thank you!

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Thanks for this reminder and the link. It took me directly to a page asking for my message to Biden. I wrote one, glad I did.

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Sunday night seemed like a rally on Substack, many of the writers were pushing out sunny vibes after a year of working hard on the BLUE side, and feeling the fatigue from the GOP side.

We are so educated from Dr HCR, and appreciate the stories as we gathered around Heather’s campfire. 🔥

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And friends made along the way!!

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So many wonderful friends, Ally!

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It will be so wonderful to go forward with a huge victory for truth and democracy, and with Kamala Harris as President and Tim Walz as VP. apparently trump knows he’s lost. why else would he campaign as he has done - clearly he’s unstable and is panicked.

meanwhile, we can expect more of his threats.. while the momentum for Harris carries her into the White House.

all I’ve hoped for all along is for right and decency to triumph over trump, vance, rfk jr, and especially musk.

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"Especially for Musk"

Oh, yes.

I hope Musk hears South Africa calling him (and his mother) home!

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I don't think post-Apartheid South Africa wants him back. His father was a supporter of the old Apartheid regime, and profited by it.

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I am not surprised. That explains a lot about him and his support for the Orange Menace.

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He is a US citizen now. Doesn't need to leave, unfortunately.

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It weird. He could have been a hero. God knows he needs no more money. Yet he feels the compulsion to treat people like crap, like the election workers he recently employed. He could not be bothered to do it right, or even legally, and he thinks he's so rich and special that it's never going to bite him.

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Yep, that's why I am never buying a Tesla. Sigh...

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Narcissist on steroids.

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On ketamine, apparently.

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Wow, the vet gave my cat that and she was deaf from then on. And she was one that had WYA on her chart. I said what’s that? Watch Your Ass, the reply. She loved to cause chaos. Seems similar somehow. She didn’t have unlimited power, but Lordy, everybody did WYA. We should too…

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Absolutely! Imagine what he COULD do for the greater good of mankind with all that money!

And just a thought that ran through my head last night, when I heard the news that his "lottery" could continue: he is wealthy enough that he could buy the vote of every voter in the US. What is to stop someone like him from doing so? Would those who would enforce election laws turn away money to themselves and all in their family?

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We should try exiling our traitors since we don’t seem able to hang them.

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Yeah, sorry, I don't believe in capital punishment of ANYONE, murderers, rapists, traitors. Exile seems like a sensible idea, though :-).

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Nor do I, but would love to see him poor with no rich friends, no make up, no hair and plenty of mirrors

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Indeed, and unlike Trump, Vance and Musk, Democrats aren't threatening to deport naturalised US citizens that don't fit in their view of the USA.

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I honestly don't think Trump Has threatened to deport US citizens intentionally. But he had said that if people get caught up in the deportation of illegal immigrants, they should make sure they have their papers available. It's an implied threat. He's happy to deport a few legal residents or citizens. No skin off his back. Sigh...

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Yes. And in fact, certain categories of naturalised Americans he’d be happy to see the back of. He’ll certainly not apply any duty of care towards them.

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When we enter this world - this universe - this form of life…we seek, we look for, we hope that we have guiding light(s). We have no control over the number of, the degree of excellence or not so excellent the form that guiding light and/or lights will be. As we grow, we age, we gain knowledge, we live, we learn…we experience acceptance and rejection. At some point in our lives, we then take on the role of becoming guiding lights.

Well, our country to needs guiding lights…someone [and occasionally some thing or things] that tends to be our guiding light. America’s “founding fathers” were our earlier guiding light and along the country’s historical progression, we have had 46 presidents who have offered their knowledge, their life experiences, their service to help guide our nation - hopefully in the right direction or to keep on the tracks or the path to heading in the right direction. Change is inevitable. As one was known to say on a weekly basis for a while: “progress is our most important product”.

Today, the country nears the end of deciding who will be the 47th person to guide us along our path and on into our journey to the future…to tomorrow and beyond - for the next four or so years. Let’s hope that we - a sizable majority of us – make the right decision. Our country is in need of a superb guiding light at this time…and as individuals, for many of us, that superb guiding light just happened to have been our mothers!

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