I attended homecoming events at my husband's college alma mater last week. On two different days, I walked by an on campus voting site that had a line that snaked around one building and past another. Seeing all those young people waiting to vote gave me hope.
I was surprised to see that, at Texas A&M, which had voting at the Memorial Student Center when I was in college and every year since then, until yesterday,, moved the voting off campus to downtown Bryan, Texas. Which is about 7 miles away. Same thing across Texas. Voting was moved off campus at all campuses.
For busy engineering students, like I was, this would mean I definitely would not have voted. To take a bus or walk out to the parking lots miles away? Forget it. No time for that.
So, it seems like Ted Cruz, when he is not eating pizza, which by all appearances, is not often, is afraid of young people and so is Abbott and Republicans now cower in fear at the possibility of Democracy in Texas that includes young people.
Plus, young people are not sitting in front of Fox News, all day, every day, being basted in far right propaganda like retired folks.
I say to folks in Texas, let the young people vote and don't be afraid of Democracy down there.
John Adams was not fearful of young people, why should Ted Cruz be?
Ted is afraid of his own shadow, and chump. Tx (and Fl) passed so many voter “integrity” laws, they were assured of no opposition win. Beto was screwed before he started. We must break the chains around us.
Repubs are overtly doing their best, in many states, to "rig the game". It is even more profoundly alarming that many SCOTUS decisions appear to be in lock step with the effort. Once again, I am reminded of the odious politics of both Gingrich and Hastert in the 80's-90's. There is nothing wrong with wanting to win. But please, please... just give us a representative democracy, a competition of ideas, not this "bloodsport" handed down from unfortunate predecessors.
How Newt Gingrich Destroyed American Politics - The Atlantichttps://www.theatlantic.com › archive › 2018/11 › newt...
Republicans are enemies of democracy. They have to be. So don’t pretend that they will support free and fair elections. Fortunately, it will be well-nigh impossible for the Extreme Court to overturn state constitutional provisions, enacted by the voters, that forbid gerrymandering. And if such proposals are on the ballot, they will pass in almost all (or maybe all) states.
Many potentially persuadable Republicans would not vote for him because of his previous military style weapon buy-back plan. That left a very sour taste in Texans’ mouths. If he had never held that position, he may have received more of the Republican vote. IMO that one position set him up for failure.
Cancun Ted needs to fear young voters. His only protection from them is deliberate voter suppression
Texicans know this. “Make the voting lines long and far away”. The Supreme Court will rule that each state legislature can legally make these rules with no Federal Interference or State Court allowed
Don't forget - the GOP voter suppression tactics include
***limit options for voting
***flood everywhere with push polls and "fake" polls
instead of actually having or explaining policies to solve problems
***one reason they push ID to vote is because they will decide WHICH ID is valid. It is well documented that some will accept a Gun Permit but NOT Student ID. ID also discriminates against WOMEN, who are more likely to have a name change. They need to be FREE - getting birth certificates, taking time to go to apply or receive the most common form of ID - a driver's license - at the DMV takes additional time and resources, and non-drivers and seniors who no longer drive lack those IDs.
***they have started purging voter rolls.
This conveniently prevents infrequent voters, anyone who has moved, and anyone with housing instability
from exercising their Constitutional rights.
Inconvenient and discouraging obstacles put in voters' paths.
***and that is in no way the complete. list.
If possible, they would go back to poll taxes, grandfather clauses, literacy tests, primaries that guarantee the outcome, or asking people to "guess" grains of rice in a jar or bubbles in a bar of soap.
In 2024, every state that does not have a constitutional provision outlawing gerrymandering should have a proposal on the ballot to do just that. I’m going to start work right away. If you know of people already working to that end, or would like to join me, email jjmargolis@yahoo.com.
As I understand it, Allonetheline favors "nonpartisan" commissions (which are actually very partisan). I have come to believe that a better approach is to forbid districts drawn with the "purpose or effect" of favoring or disfavoring one party or group, and to provide that the courts shall enforce that. Let the legislature draw district lines, but give the state court the final say. Not perfect, but I think more efficient and in the end more effective than the additional step of creating and operating a commission. (Most states have elected judges--which I think is a terrible idea--and a judge who refuses to enforce an anti-gerrymandering provision is handing her/his opponent a very good issue.)
has done some heavy lifting with gerrymandering reform nationwide. They helped Virginia establish a more party neutral redistricting body. Still have some kinks to work out, but progress for sure.
I have become skeptical of "nonpartisan" redistricting commissions. They add and extra step, and these days they tend to be one more place for partisanship to play out. A simple constitutional provision saying that districts at any level cannot be drawn with the purpose or effect of favoring or disfavoring any party or group, and that the courts can enforce that principle, is easy to understand and has an enforcement mechanism built in--one that the Extreme Court would not be able to block.
Shouldn't this be a national effort? So the playing field is level? If the blue states do the right thing (regulate against gerrymandering) and the red states don't, wouldn't that increase the advantage red states already have in Congressional and Presidential elections?
I don't believe so. Polls consistently show that the voters do not approve of gerrymandering. State level constitutional provisions would keep the Extreme Court from butting in. And like abortion (and Medicaid expansion--see South Dakota this week), voters are very likely to approve anti-gerrymandering amendments if they it's clear what they do. Part of my idea is to provide simple and readily understood language that can be used in all states where an anti-gerrymandering provision is not in the state constitution (and in those where it might not be clear).
Congressional Representatives were elected yesterday despite the gerrymandered districts from which they were elected having been found to be unconstitutional by courts. This was made possible because the wheels of justice turn so s-l-o-w-l-y that the rule of law can be disregarded. Many states have such constitutional provisions right now that governors and legislators get away with ignoring. It's like getting away with driving at 70 mph when the sign says the speed limit is 65 mph. Even the troopers won't bother to pull you over.
Likely those provisions have too much “play.” I’m thinking of something like, “No district shall be drawn with the purpose or effect of favoring or disfavoring any political party or group. The courts of the state shall have the power to enforce this provision.” It would be hard to get around such language, although I’m always happy to have suggestions.
Here in NH, a few years ago when we had a Democratic majority legislature, we passed an independent redistricting commission bill but the Republican governor vetoed it twice. Unfortunately he was re-elected for the 4th time this week. Grrr!
My in laws have a piece of property in Hempstead. Two of their sons went to A&M. Back around the time of the bonfire collapse.
Bryan isn’t really close. If you have a kid that’s busy or nervous about voting, that’s too hard now. I did hear up in Denton the TWU and UNT kids voted big time! Probably to help make marijuana legal in Denton! Ha!
I abhor these damn politicians in TEXAS . I cannot understand why people vote these worthless people into power...... Probably something to do with these MEGA churches on every corner
That and the cheating. I am poor from donating for the opposition, but the deck has been stacked since 1994, when Karl Rove came to turn Texas into a Republican swamp. I remember.
On election day, I sat outside the polling place to hold candidate signs. If a voter came with a child/children, I made sure to give the parent positive reinforcement such as thanking the parent for "training them up right" about the importance of voting.
Heard an analogy that applies to Fox/Faux viewers and the media.
Faux has created an "alternative" dystopia (not reality, not facts).
The GOP mantra is "crime, inflation, taxes" on a loop.
Their attack ads could be generic for ANY opponent, and specifically aim to trigger emotional fear and/or outrage.
The "job" of an informed voter - as well as the media - is when someone tells you it is raining, you go to the window and look out to see if it is true.
DO NOT BELIEVE THE LIES.
The GOP complains about every ill in the world, but they are not proposing any actions to fix those problems.
"They vote no, but take the dough."
Voters should also be reminded of two things:
*Follow the money.
*If they get you to hate someone else (or a group) they are probably going to eventually come after you as well.
If the voting sites are moved off college campuses, I would hope that some organization (or several) would charter buses and provide transportation to the polls!
Shout out to Trinity University in San Antonio, whose students showed up to vote in very large numbers! Trinity provided free shuttles to the polling center during early voting which helped greatly as did successful campus mobilization efforts.
Republicans can only finagle the system for so long. These MAGAts are going to age out while the strength in numbers of young voters will only continue to get larger. Republicans now want to raise the voting age to 21. There are many more young people yearning to control their own fates and not having crude-ite (my word) old white men telling them what to do. Every single day someone turns 18 and every day, too, some MAGAt becomes senile and/or dies off.
If kids aged 18 are old enough to be cannon fodder, then by the gods, they are old enough to vote on whether their government SHOULD be making them into cannon fodder. ANY legislation that proposes the forfeiture of even more rights might end up being a very difficult mouthful to chew, indeed.
And as for the "erudite" old white guys....which old white Senators and Representatives do you think erudite? Cruz? Johnson? Paul? Grassley? I will agree that there are many--way too many--old white guys in Congress, but I would NEVER call them erudite!
Why did the Democrats do better than expected? Because for two years they have governed as liberals. They’ve governed as whacked out lefty nut jobs. You know what that did? That excited their base. That excited a bunch of young voters..
No, Victoria, my apologies. I thought about it quite a bit after I made my comment and realized that I had misinterpreted your words. You weren't referring to the MAGAts as erudite, only the old white men in power (there is definitely some overlap there, though!). So, I'm sorry for jumping to the incorrect conclusion that the two were linked. In my defense, I was uncaffineated at the time. Treatments have begun, and I'm in much better shape now. And I do love the "crude-ite" Didn't Fetterman serve those on election night???
In states like WI and FL, one party, through calculated gerrymandering and increasingly favorable legislation, ad infinitum, theoretically may be able to maintain state control in perpetuity. It's a chilling forecast. Desperately needed is a new Voting Rights Act protecting the viability of "one person, ONE vote" before more states follow suit. Of course, the enormous amounts of $$$ flowing from large corporations and 1%ers exerting undue influence over government policy, thanks to Citizens United, must be addressed as well. This was a pivotal SCOTUS decision for me. It's been downhill ever since. Until there is a serious judicial course correction, people will say, not without some truth..."my vote doesn't really count...what's the point?" Don't panic, I realize we must never give up.....
Let's not forget that SCOTUS members are trained by the Federalist Society which takes dark money. (Ergo: the current RW majority of SCOTUS is bought and paid for.)
It may be "too many percent". Lest us not forget that we have a wonderful Older White Male and a brave and powerful Older White Female at the helm before we indulge too much age bashing. Nevertheless, I do applaud the next generation's step up.....
Yesterday we saw the beginning of the end of the MAGA revolution. It took a few years for it to spread its blight so consistently across America. And we’ve watched in horror as it grew in leaps and bounds and sheer blackness of heart.
So it will take another election cycle or two to pick up the smashed crockery and air out America. But MAGA is done.
As for Trump, he’s done like dinner. Stick the proverbial fork in him. We have a bit of his braying yet to listen to and he may never be indicted (thank you Merrick Garland). But when Republicans get their act together, their fury will turn on him and his enablers with astonishing force. He will be unloaded unceremoniously - an exorcism of sorts for America.
I assume your question is rhetorical. As in, NC republicans limit the number of polling places in blue locations to suppress the vote. NC is also one of the most heavily gerrymandered states in the US, giving Republicans a 10 point or more advantage.
No kidding. No one should have to wait hours to vote. Half an hour should be the max. More polling places are needed, and -- maybe more important -- it needs to be easy to vote either early or by mail.
'Exit polls from last night show voters in the 18–29 age bracket making up about 12–13% of the vote and preferring Democrats by much larger margins than any other group:..' (Letter)
Who are they? Who are the young American Voters, more than any other age group, voted for the Democrats and for our Democracy most of all.
-- '89% of Black youth and 67% of Latino youth voted for a Democratic candidate in the midterms'
‘The strongest support for Democrats came from youth of color. Young white voters were more evenly split across party lines with 58% supporting Democrats and 40% backing Republicans.’
-- 63% of young Americans voted for a Democratic candidate for the U.S. House, while 35% of young Americans backed Republican candidates.’
‘Americans ages 18-29 were the only age cohort to support Democrats for the U.S. House by such a large margin. Voters ages 30-44 split their votes more evenly, 51% for Democrats and 47% for Republicans
(Sources: Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at Tufts (CIRCLE) and CIRCLE’s analysis of the Edison Research National Election Pool exit poll)
“It’s never been just about Trump for us. It’s about stopping the climate crisis, protecting our reproductive freedoms, and ending gun violence in our classrooms,”
____ Ellen Sciales, Sunrise Movement’s 25-year-old national spokesperson.(TeenVogue) See link below.
Super Link FERN; the 18-29's will in fact bring in the AZ Senate race for Dems as they are voting 70 to 20 percent for Senator Kelly per Jay Kuo's Substack. AZ Update. 1i to 29's voted up 56 percent for KELLY. Gen Z will carry in others on their strong shoulders.
Bryan Sean, Wonderful to see you and you bring great news to us! I am happy, Bryan. The day here in NYC is beautiful, and Democracy is in the air as well as the fragrant scent of brown crispy leaves...and the colors!
Thank you Heather and Fern. I have been so apprehensive about this election that l have waited until today to look at the results. In my heart l so wanted a victory for those issues and candidates who supported progres and solutions that move our democracy forward. I am grateful for young people who support these concepts. It may be a rocky road from here, and it will take time and persistence on the part of all of us to get past the nonsense that the Magas have spouted. I am thankful for those who have turned out to vote for democratic ideals.
I am 82 and have seen many missteps by government, but l am more hopeful than l have been in a long time that things can get better.
Fortunately here in NH, the state Supreme Court decided that the horribly gerrymandered proposed redistricting maps needed to be redrawn. It took a couple tries. Not perfect but better than the planned maps for the eastern part of the state that would guarantee a Republican would dominate that part of the state for the next 10 years. (Their original plan was to shift 75 towns&cities/365 K voters to the western part of the state.)
Get a free nasal swab for Covid as you drive through! That would keep the conspiracy theorists away. Or make it more attractive with " would you like fries with that?" 😍
I need to write up an opinion on the pandemic one of these days. I have some unusual opinions on our reaction. The run on toilet paper was the first sign of a mass hysteria event.
Every day I look forward to reading Heather Cox Richardson. Her analysis of today’s events, together with the depth of her historical knowledge, always provides great context. She’s also a great stress reliever when things get tough.
Yes! Heather’s LFAA is a North Star. I hail from West Michigan, and this election has been hard fought for our Dem victories. Leadership Matters, and Michigan stepped up and unequivocally said “Yes It Does!”
I live in the NW Lower. The MAGA cult here is astoundingly entrenched in the poorest of counties. Rah rah rhetoric with no substance rules the polls except in pockets where a more urban population has developed ( Traverse City/ Leelanau area)
Its perplexing, but it can be directly traced to Fox Entertainment propaganda, every single time
When we lost the FCC, we lost the ability to demand that lies not flourish
Lying is now embraced as a necessary skill in politics
I am, too, and yesterday was a mostly beautiful day over here in some locales but not others. In the city of Holland, we defeated two far-right-wing women who ran for school board, backed by an organization called Ottawa Impact. A lone Democrat survived as a county commissioner. Unfortunately, though, OI candidates won in three or four other school districts (anti-maskers, anti-"CRI", pro parent "control," anti-inclusion, potential book banners). The Jamestown library millage went down to defeat--again--and the library is not likely to rescued by contributions this time.
Ottawa County remains a tenacious fight. The Jamestown Library defeat rather sums up the mentality we are fighting against. That a few books in a local library could make a majority of that community shake with fear is humorous. Dark, and sadly humorous. How long was the line of children waiting to sign those books out? I forgot? Wasn’t it close to zero before the parents went batshit crazy about it?
That's generous of you, but when the millage was turned down last year--by the same crowd--donations came in, including $50,000 from an author. At that time, the library said the donation model was not sustainable beyond a year and it would close if the millage failed again. I believe they are now trying to discern what to do with their collections. If I hear anything different, I will post a comment on HCR.
HCR has been a sanity saver since trump's first impeachment madness! I was hooked from the beginning. She pulled so many of us off the edge of the precipice. I have also found hitting a ball (pickleball, golf) provides an additional stress buster layer. 🤣
Thank you. I do the first two things and they help enormously! I think I need to get more athletic and work on pickle ball and swimming laps! Does line dancing count as athletic???🤣
I attended homecoming events at my husband's college alma mater last week. On two different days, I walked by an on campus voting site that had a line that snaked around one building and past another. Seeing all those young people waiting to vote gave me hope.
WHY did NC elections not have more polling locations so the line did not have to be sooo long?
In Texas, they took almost all of the voting sights off college campuses. Republicans showed us they are afraid of young voters.
Denise, yes!
I was surprised to see that, at Texas A&M, which had voting at the Memorial Student Center when I was in college and every year since then, until yesterday,, moved the voting off campus to downtown Bryan, Texas. Which is about 7 miles away. Same thing across Texas. Voting was moved off campus at all campuses.
For busy engineering students, like I was, this would mean I definitely would not have voted. To take a bus or walk out to the parking lots miles away? Forget it. No time for that.
So, it seems like Ted Cruz, when he is not eating pizza, which by all appearances, is not often, is afraid of young people and so is Abbott and Republicans now cower in fear at the possibility of Democracy in Texas that includes young people.
Plus, young people are not sitting in front of Fox News, all day, every day, being basted in far right propaganda like retired folks.
I say to folks in Texas, let the young people vote and don't be afraid of Democracy down there.
John Adams was not fearful of young people, why should Ted Cruz be?
Ted is afraid of his own shadow, and chump. Tx (and Fl) passed so many voter “integrity” laws, they were assured of no opposition win. Beto was screwed before he started. We must break the chains around us.
Repubs are overtly doing their best, in many states, to "rig the game". It is even more profoundly alarming that many SCOTUS decisions appear to be in lock step with the effort. Once again, I am reminded of the odious politics of both Gingrich and Hastert in the 80's-90's. There is nothing wrong with wanting to win. But please, please... just give us a representative democracy, a competition of ideas, not this "bloodsport" handed down from unfortunate predecessors.
How Newt Gingrich Destroyed American Politics - The Atlantichttps://www.theatlantic.com › archive › 2018/11 › newt...
Republicans are enemies of democracy. They have to be. So don’t pretend that they will support free and fair elections. Fortunately, it will be well-nigh impossible for the Extreme Court to overturn state constitutional provisions, enacted by the voters, that forbid gerrymandering. And if such proposals are on the ballot, they will pass in almost all (or maybe all) states.
How Michigan accomplished a Democrat Trifecta!
https://votersnotpoliticians.com/
Many potentially persuadable Republicans would not vote for him because of his previous military style weapon buy-back plan. That left a very sour taste in Texans’ mouths. If he had never held that position, he may have received more of the Republican vote. IMO that one position set him up for failure.
Cancun Ted needs to fear young voters. His only protection from them is deliberate voter suppression
Texicans know this. “Make the voting lines long and far away”. The Supreme Court will rule that each state legislature can legally make these rules with no Federal Interference or State Court allowed
We are intercoursed and not in the good way
Don't forget - the GOP voter suppression tactics include
***limit options for voting
***flood everywhere with push polls and "fake" polls
instead of actually having or explaining policies to solve problems
***one reason they push ID to vote is because they will decide WHICH ID is valid. It is well documented that some will accept a Gun Permit but NOT Student ID. ID also discriminates against WOMEN, who are more likely to have a name change. They need to be FREE - getting birth certificates, taking time to go to apply or receive the most common form of ID - a driver's license - at the DMV takes additional time and resources, and non-drivers and seniors who no longer drive lack those IDs.
***they have started purging voter rolls.
This conveniently prevents infrequent voters, anyone who has moved, and anyone with housing instability
from exercising their Constitutional rights.
Inconvenient and discouraging obstacles put in voters' paths.
***and that is in no way the complete. list.
If possible, they would go back to poll taxes, grandfather clauses, literacy tests, primaries that guarantee the outcome, or asking people to "guess" grains of rice in a jar or bubbles in a bar of soap.
In 2024, every state that does not have a constitutional provision outlawing gerrymandering should have a proposal on the ballot to do just that. I’m going to start work right away. If you know of people already working to that end, or would like to join me, email jjmargolis@yahoo.com.
Hi Jon, Have you checked out Allontheline.org, Obama and Holder's initiative? Might give yousome ideas/help.
As I understand it, Allonetheline favors "nonpartisan" commissions (which are actually very partisan). I have come to believe that a better approach is to forbid districts drawn with the "purpose or effect" of favoring or disfavoring one party or group, and to provide that the courts shall enforce that. Let the legislature draw district lines, but give the state court the final say. Not perfect, but I think more efficient and in the end more effective than the additional step of creating and operating a commission. (Most states have elected judges--which I think is a terrible idea--and a judge who refuses to enforce an anti-gerrymandering provision is handing her/his opponent a very good issue.)
The Campaign Legal Center info@campaignlegalcenter.org
has done some heavy lifting with gerrymandering reform nationwide. They helped Virginia establish a more party neutral redistricting body. Still have some kinks to work out, but progress for sure.
Success in Michigan!
https://votersnotpoliticians.com/
I have become skeptical of "nonpartisan" redistricting commissions. They add and extra step, and these days they tend to be one more place for partisanship to play out. A simple constitutional provision saying that districts at any level cannot be drawn with the purpose or effect of favoring or disfavoring any party or group, and that the courts can enforce that principle, is easy to understand and has an enforcement mechanism built in--one that the Extreme Court would not be able to block.
Shouldn't this be a national effort? So the playing field is level? If the blue states do the right thing (regulate against gerrymandering) and the red states don't, wouldn't that increase the advantage red states already have in Congressional and Presidential elections?
I don't believe so. Polls consistently show that the voters do not approve of gerrymandering. State level constitutional provisions would keep the Extreme Court from butting in. And like abortion (and Medicaid expansion--see South Dakota this week), voters are very likely to approve anti-gerrymandering amendments if they it's clear what they do. Part of my idea is to provide simple and readily understood language that can be used in all states where an anti-gerrymandering provision is not in the state constitution (and in those where it might not be clear).
That's a great idea!
Congressional Representatives were elected yesterday despite the gerrymandered districts from which they were elected having been found to be unconstitutional by courts. This was made possible because the wheels of justice turn so s-l-o-w-l-y that the rule of law can be disregarded. Many states have such constitutional provisions right now that governors and legislators get away with ignoring. It's like getting away with driving at 70 mph when the sign says the speed limit is 65 mph. Even the troopers won't bother to pull you over.
Likely those provisions have too much “play.” I’m thinking of something like, “No district shall be drawn with the purpose or effect of favoring or disfavoring any political party or group. The courts of the state shall have the power to enforce this provision.” It would be hard to get around such language, although I’m always happy to have suggestions.
Here in NH, a few years ago when we had a Democratic majority legislature, we passed an independent redistricting commission bill but the Republican governor vetoed it twice. Unfortunately he was re-elected for the 4th time this week. Grrr!
Grrrrr😔
See how Michigan did it! Democrat Trifecta!
https://votersnotpoliticians.com/
My in laws have a piece of property in Hempstead. Two of their sons went to A&M. Back around the time of the bonfire collapse.
Bryan isn’t really close. If you have a kid that’s busy or nervous about voting, that’s too hard now. I did hear up in Denton the TWU and UNT kids voted big time! Probably to help make marijuana legal in Denton! Ha!
I abhor these damn politicians in TEXAS . I cannot understand why people vote these worthless people into power...... Probably something to do with these MEGA churches on every corner
That and the cheating. I am poor from donating for the opposition, but the deck has been stacked since 1994, when Karl Rove came to turn Texas into a Republican swamp. I remember.
Ted is afraid that young people will vote him out of office.
I worked as a clerk at the polls this year . It was exciting to see first time voters coming in with their families to vote.
Before our state switched to mail-in voting, I used to take my young daughter to the polling place. She got it. The poll workers were always nice.
On election day, I sat outside the polling place to hold candidate signs. If a voter came with a child/children, I made sure to give the parent positive reinforcement such as thanking the parent for "training them up right" about the importance of voting.
Heard an analogy that applies to Fox/Faux viewers and the media.
Faux has created an "alternative" dystopia (not reality, not facts).
The GOP mantra is "crime, inflation, taxes" on a loop.
Their attack ads could be generic for ANY opponent, and specifically aim to trigger emotional fear and/or outrage.
The "job" of an informed voter - as well as the media - is when someone tells you it is raining, you go to the window and look out to see if it is true.
DO NOT BELIEVE THE LIES.
The GOP complains about every ill in the world, but they are not proposing any actions to fix those problems.
"They vote no, but take the dough."
Voters should also be reminded of two things:
*Follow the money.
*If they get you to hate someone else (or a group) they are probably going to eventually come after you as well.
"John Adams was not fearful of young people, why should Ted Cruz be? "
The fable of "The Emperor's New Clothes" may lend some insight.
If the voting sites are moved off college campuses, I would hope that some organization (or several) would charter buses and provide transportation to the polls!
Shout out to Trinity University in San Antonio, whose students showed up to vote in very large numbers! Trinity provided free shuttles to the polling center during early voting which helped greatly as did successful campus mobilization efforts.
Because then voters might easily, you know, vote - and we can't have that if Republicans are going to win, can we?
Republicans can only finagle the system for so long. These MAGAts are going to age out while the strength in numbers of young voters will only continue to get larger. Republicans now want to raise the voting age to 21. There are many more young people yearning to control their own fates and not having crude-ite (my word) old white men telling them what to do. Every single day someone turns 18 and every day, too, some MAGAt becomes senile and/or dies off.
If kids aged 18 are old enough to be cannon fodder, then by the gods, they are old enough to vote on whether their government SHOULD be making them into cannon fodder. ANY legislation that proposes the forfeiture of even more rights might end up being a very difficult mouthful to chew, indeed.
And as for the "erudite" old white guys....which old white Senators and Representatives do you think erudite? Cruz? Johnson? Paul? Grassley? I will agree that there are many--way too many--old white guys in Congress, but I would NEVER call them erudite!
Cruz eloquence speaks for itself:
Why did the Democrats do better than expected? Because for two years they have governed as liberals. They’ve governed as whacked out lefty nut jobs. You know what that did? That excited their base. That excited a bunch of young voters..
Grrrr. But, ya, we did, successfully!
Victoria - MAGAs can't become senile. They already are. :{
Now that's a good one!
I agree with everything you said, except for the part about "erudite old white men" I don't think any MAGAts could be considered erudite
Thank-you. I will edit my comment. I think maybe"crude-ite" would be more appropriate here
No, Victoria, my apologies. I thought about it quite a bit after I made my comment and realized that I had misinterpreted your words. You weren't referring to the MAGAts as erudite, only the old white men in power (there is definitely some overlap there, though!). So, I'm sorry for jumping to the incorrect conclusion that the two were linked. In my defense, I was uncaffineated at the time. Treatments have begun, and I'm in much better shape now. And I do love the "crude-ite" Didn't Fetterman serve those on election night???
So true, idiotic to the core, zero tolerance for MAGAts, some who have been dear to me.
I read erudite in quotes as sarcasm.
In states like WI and FL, one party, through calculated gerrymandering and increasingly favorable legislation, ad infinitum, theoretically may be able to maintain state control in perpetuity. It's a chilling forecast. Desperately needed is a new Voting Rights Act protecting the viability of "one person, ONE vote" before more states follow suit. Of course, the enormous amounts of $$$ flowing from large corporations and 1%ers exerting undue influence over government policy, thanks to Citizens United, must be addressed as well. This was a pivotal SCOTUS decision for me. It's been downhill ever since. Until there is a serious judicial course correction, people will say, not without some truth..."my vote doesn't really count...what's the point?" Don't panic, I realize we must never give up.....
Let's not forget that SCOTUS members are trained by the Federalist Society which takes dark money. (Ergo: the current RW majority of SCOTUS is bought and paid for.)
I am one of those who will die off (not a MAGAt but old), but may the young smell the putrid swamp and rise above.
Not for many years I hope! We need your voice!
What is the percentage of older white males in the House who are Republicans?
It may be "too many percent". Lest us not forget that we have a wonderful Older White Male and a brave and powerful Older White Female at the helm before we indulge too much age bashing. Nevertheless, I do applaud the next generation's step up.....
Exactly.
Yesterday we saw the beginning of the end of the MAGA revolution. It took a few years for it to spread its blight so consistently across America. And we’ve watched in horror as it grew in leaps and bounds and sheer blackness of heart.
So it will take another election cycle or two to pick up the smashed crockery and air out America. But MAGA is done.
As for Trump, he’s done like dinner. Stick the proverbial fork in him. We have a bit of his braying yet to listen to and he may never be indicted (thank you Merrick Garland). But when Republicans get their act together, their fury will turn on him and his enablers with astonishing force. He will be unloaded unceremoniously - an exorcism of sorts for America.
From your lips to God's ears!
I assume your question is rhetorical. As in, NC republicans limit the number of polling places in blue locations to suppress the vote. NC is also one of the most heavily gerrymandered states in the US, giving Republicans a 10 point or more advantage.
The Shadow Knows
When Rubio beats Val Demings by 17 points you know something is rotten in Florida.
lol. one of my favorite shows growing up.
Lots of R's in control of the voting process in NC. Egregious gerrymandering.
Yes. We in Western NC still have no representation except the governor.
No kidding. No one should have to wait hours to vote. Half an hour should be the max. More polling places are needed, and -- maybe more important -- it needs to be easy to vote either early or by mail.
Because the GQP is doing everything possible to make it more difficult to vote, especially for minorities and young people. That’s why.
'Exit polls from last night show voters in the 18–29 age bracket making up about 12–13% of the vote and preferring Democrats by much larger margins than any other group:..' (Letter)
Who are they? Who are the young American Voters, more than any other age group, voted for the Democrats and for our Democracy most of all.
-- '89% of Black youth and 67% of Latino youth voted for a Democratic candidate in the midterms'
‘The strongest support for Democrats came from youth of color. Young white voters were more evenly split across party lines with 58% supporting Democrats and 40% backing Republicans.’
-- 63% of young Americans voted for a Democratic candidate for the U.S. House, while 35% of young Americans backed Republican candidates.’
‘Americans ages 18-29 were the only age cohort to support Democrats for the U.S. House by such a large margin. Voters ages 30-44 split their votes more evenly, 51% for Democrats and 47% for Republicans
(Sources: Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at Tufts (CIRCLE) and CIRCLE’s analysis of the Edison Research National Election Pool exit poll)
“It’s never been just about Trump for us. It’s about stopping the climate crisis, protecting our reproductive freedoms, and ending gun violence in our classrooms,”
____ Ellen Sciales, Sunrise Movement’s 25-year-old national spokesperson.(TeenVogue) See link below.
https://www.teenvogue.com/story/youth-voter-turnout-2022-midterms-democrats
Super Link FERN; the 18-29's will in fact bring in the AZ Senate race for Dems as they are voting 70 to 20 percent for Senator Kelly per Jay Kuo's Substack. AZ Update. 1i to 29's voted up 56 percent for KELLY. Gen Z will carry in others on their strong shoulders.
Bryan Sean, Wonderful to see you and you bring great news to us! I am happy, Bryan. The day here in NYC is beautiful, and Democracy is in the air as well as the fragrant scent of brown crispy leaves...and the colors!
🍂🍁 fabulous Fall colors in thr Boston area ... near Tufts.
Thanks for sharing this information. Young people give me hope that America can indeed move toward a “more perfect union”.
Thank you Heather and Fern. I have been so apprehensive about this election that l have waited until today to look at the results. In my heart l so wanted a victory for those issues and candidates who supported progres and solutions that move our democracy forward. I am grateful for young people who support these concepts. It may be a rocky road from here, and it will take time and persistence on the part of all of us to get past the nonsense that the Magas have spouted. I am thankful for those who have turned out to vote for democratic ideals.
I am 82 and have seen many missteps by government, but l am more hopeful than l have been in a long time that things can get better.
Please accept a loving DEMOCRACY HUG, Jane
Forward together!
Democracy holds the fort, but can it survive The Supreme Court?
“In Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Ohio, heavily gerrymandered maps stayed in place despite state court decisions that they were unconstitutional. “
Appeals are a part of the process.
Fortunately here in NH, the state Supreme Court decided that the horribly gerrymandered proposed redistricting maps needed to be redrawn. It took a couple tries. Not perfect but better than the planned maps for the eastern part of the state that would guarantee a Republican would dominate that part of the state for the next 10 years. (Their original plan was to shift 75 towns&cities/365 K voters to the western part of the state.)
Appeals are common. Demographics is the data, but applying the data to maintain equity is more like an art.
More and more, culture is less defined by race.
I'm not sure how to even define culture much less try to locate cultural boundaries.
Somehow, we must find a consensus of what we are trying to base equity upon. Clearly, it's not all about race.
We could be voting at drive thru kiosks. We have the technology to do this and to verify that our selections are intact in the final tally.
Check out "Doubt Relief" on my substack.
Get a free nasal swab for Covid as you drive through! That would keep the conspiracy theorists away. Or make it more attractive with " would you like fries with that?" 😍
I need to write up an opinion on the pandemic one of these days. I have some unusual opinions on our reaction. The run on toilet paper was the first sign of a mass hysteria event.
Let me know when you get it! I would love to read it. Rignt now, we only have 66 rolls of TP in our storage area, so I am thinking of getting more....
The term "conspiracy theorists" has been abducted to mean anyone with views differing from those of a tribe.
💙💙💙💙💙
❤️ 🕊️🌻🟥⬜🟦🦅❤️
Every day I look forward to reading Heather Cox Richardson. Her analysis of today’s events, together with the depth of her historical knowledge, always provides great context. She’s also a great stress reliever when things get tough.
Yes! Heather’s LFAA is a North Star. I hail from West Michigan, and this election has been hard fought for our Dem victories. Leadership Matters, and Michigan stepped up and unequivocally said “Yes It Does!”
I live in the NW Lower. The MAGA cult here is astoundingly entrenched in the poorest of counties. Rah rah rhetoric with no substance rules the polls except in pockets where a more urban population has developed ( Traverse City/ Leelanau area)
Its perplexing, but it can be directly traced to Fox Entertainment propaganda, every single time
When we lost the FCC, we lost the ability to demand that lies not flourish
Lying is now embraced as a necessary skill in politics
I completely agree with you about Fox. Sins of omission as well as commission.
Add in social media.
I am so heartened by what the Dems accomplished in Michigan! 💙💙💙💙💙
I am, too, and yesterday was a mostly beautiful day over here in some locales but not others. In the city of Holland, we defeated two far-right-wing women who ran for school board, backed by an organization called Ottawa Impact. A lone Democrat survived as a county commissioner. Unfortunately, though, OI candidates won in three or four other school districts (anti-maskers, anti-"CRI", pro parent "control," anti-inclusion, potential book banners). The Jamestown library millage went down to defeat--again--and the library is not likely to rescued by contributions this time.
Ottawa County remains a tenacious fight. The Jamestown Library defeat rather sums up the mentality we are fighting against. That a few books in a local library could make a majority of that community shake with fear is humorous. Dark, and sadly humorous. How long was the line of children waiting to sign those books out? I forgot? Wasn’t it close to zero before the parents went batshit crazy about it?
Excellent summary of that situation.
We also elected a book banner and CRT propagandist to our school board in Mathews, VA. 🤯
Sad news on the library.
I am devastated to hear you may loose your library. Where can we send contributions?
That's generous of you, but when the millage was turned down last year--by the same crowd--donations came in, including $50,000 from an author. At that time, the library said the donation model was not sustainable beyond a year and it would close if the millage failed again. I believe they are now trying to discern what to do with their collections. If I hear anything different, I will post a comment on HCR.
HCR has been a sanity saver since trump's first impeachment madness! I was hooked from the beginning. She pulled so many of us off the edge of the precipice. I have also found hitting a ball (pickleball, golf) provides an additional stress buster layer. 🤣
Read the letter, play wordle, swim laps... that's all that's saving my sanity.
Thank you. I do the first two things and they help enormously! I think I need to get more athletic and work on pickle ball and swimming laps! Does line dancing count as athletic???🤣
Yes!