Today reinforced some of the developing storylines of the 2020 election. Last night, at a rally in Michigan, Trump once again attacked Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer for locking down her state in the early days of the pandemic. When the crowd started to chant “Lock her up!” Trump responded: “Lock them all up!” Just ten days ago, the FBI arrested eight men plotting to kidnap Whitmer and put her on trial for “treason.” Whitmer called Trump out for “inspiring and incentivizing and inciting this kind of domestic terrorism.” She told
To me, the trance has broken. On Thursday night, Biden spoke of truth and issues and plans and decency and the hopefulness of working together. On another channel, a female journalist stood up to the bloviator-in-chief and pierced the bubble of his “reality.” Suddenly the mirage cleared for me. And I hope for many. I don’t think “gaslighting” is a good enough term for what he has been doing. It’s classic. The abuser-in-chief has been selling an image to his abused nation that there is no-way-out. Then he abuses his “enemies” further. As the fear level and anger level rise in us, he baits his loyal subjects to appear more powerful and make them more afraid of us.
But the truth is, they are not growing in numbers, just in rage. We are rising in numbers, and in power. Somehow this fake-prez has convinced himself that the same people fawning over him is enough to win re-election.
Biden knows that reason and respect will get us to the polls.
Not to say that there will be nothing but rosy days ahead. But there are more good people to stand ground with than there are violent wackos. Don’t let him suck you into his version of this. He’s an abuser, he’s been abusing America this whole time, and this truth will set us free.
It is difficult to not be discouraged by the constant barrage of negativity that flows from news and social media now. I read the NYT editorial and found a renewed sense of outrage which quickly afterward slid into near despair because no one is being held accountable and because of the dire knowledge that, even if Biden does win - and make no mistake, that is still a big “if”- we will still be dealing with the fallout from all of this - likely for generations. This switch in my thinking was triggered by one thought: imagine if, upon winning, Biden issues a national mask mandate. What, exactly do you think the reaction will be? Yes, it would go a long way to keeping us all safer especially with winter upon us, but I think we would have chaos in the streets from those who refuse to comply. ‘Rights’, you know. We have a mess and we are stuck with it for the foreseeable future, no matter who wins. That is trump’s legacy. Still, I fervently hope and pray that it’s Biden because, if not, say goodbye to America because trump will continue to work to complete his destruction.
Sorry for being so down today, folks. It’s just where I’m at today but I am grateful that I can share my thoughts with all of you because there is nowhere else I can safely do so. Onward, together.
Good news is that there are bar coded zip ties and seals on all equipment, including over SIM card slots and USB ports, all of which must be verified as intact and scanned routinely.
Bad news is that the training is damn hard! The online training prerequisite took about 9 hours instead of the stated 3, is procedurally very technical and hard to follow--provoked much cursing! Just give me a manual or interactive user guide. I signed up in the spirit of doing my part as an able-bodied, aware, and level-headed citizen experienced in emergency response and de-escalation if needed. The training process so far was very discouraging and difficult, and I can only hope enough people are persevering to follow through. Two days of in-person training lie ahead.
Not the worst president in modern history, the worst president ever in the entire history of the republic. Hopefully the owner of another real first - the first president to go to prison for his career criminal behavior.
It seems like Giuliani and Bannon (Lord, why won he just go away?) are indeed going to the same 2016 well to try and poison Biden’s campaign. The idea of hanging a scandal out to view a couple weeks before the election is becoming a campaign ritual, like Christmas decorations showing up before Thanksgiving. It’s done with the knowledge that it probably won’t be proved/disproved until after the election. The wake doesn’t matter as much as the splash.
Only differences between 2016 and now are: Comey was just being a dumbass when he announced the reopening of the Clinton email investigation to congress, but Giuliani’s intentions are clearly insipid and panicked. Comey had (has) an inflated sense of self-importance, and thought he was saving democracy or America or some bullshit, but he was just an idiot. Giuliani is using this conspiracy theory about Biden’s SUPPOSED hard drives like some low rent Rube Goldberg device. It is a contraption that will take so long to run the course that nobody will even remember it in four weeks. (Apologies to Rube Goldberg fans.)
I can't picture a politically savvy person such as Hunter Biden bringing a computer containing highly incriminating evidence to a repair facility, where there very likely are people able to access the dirt, and then forgetting about it. Nope, not happening, not real; especially given the timing. Add Giuliani and Bannon to the mix and it's a slam-dunk; the same for QAnon; "Made in Moscow".
My comment is unrelated to today's letter, but it is related to the divisiveness of our current President. I live in a small town (9,000) in western MA. On Saturday night, my Biden-Harris sign was stolen from the end of my 200 ft. long driveway. I feared this might happen because the sign was so far from the house. But I am angry that some folks in my town don't even have the civility to allow fellow citizens to openly declare their preference for a candidate who is not Trump. There are a lot of Trump signs in my town, which is why I put mine up - to counter the narrative. But I would not dream of stealing someone else's property, even if it's a Trump sign. I'm replacing my sign with a hand made one that says, "Thou shalt not steal - Biden-Harris 2020"
I am expecting Biden and Harris to win. I hope that in his inaugural speech he says—WE ARE A MULTICULTURAL, MULTIETHNIC COUNTRY AND ALWAYS HAVE BEEN. GET OVER IT.
Re: the uncertainty of this time, I’ll paraphrase the zen teaching, “Be careful with what you put into your body, and your mind. Only ingest what is heathy for your spirit.” Thich Nhat Hanh famously teaches this balm for our modern frenzy. In this moment, where I am right now, "I am safe. I am sound. I see the sun and the clouds, and it is time for breakfast"
Advisedly, for my health, II take only the news of the NYTimes, Washington Post, WSJournal (cautiously), my local paper, NPR - all are TRUSTED, professional sources.
They inform me about the Hunter Biden tapes - but there I do not linger and create discontent in my soul
The trusted news sources inform me of other right/wing attempts to sow my own discontent - but I do not linger there and create discontent in my soul.
The aforementioned trusted news sources, and fivethirghtyeight.com (Nate Silver, NYTimes) tell me:
Michigan: Biden up by (+) 7.9%;
Pennsylvania : Biden + 6.7%
Wisconsin: Biden + 7.4%
Arizona: Biden + 3.8%
National polls: Biden 52.5% - Trump 41.7%
Trump approval Disapprove: 54.2% - Approve 42.8%
I’ll take these numbers and all other evidence, to heart. Important facts. Real facts.
All of the other ’news’ (from trump, et al) is simply “noise”, and I will NOT take it to heart.
I am no longer shocked by anything that this administration tries to do and with what brush they attempt to tar their opponents, no trick is too underhanded, no sleazy story too dirty to try. That so many people seem to have lost their way and follow so blindly that public health officials such as Dr Faucci and here in OH our own Dr Amy Acton are targets of threats to their lives and those of their families is a sad indicator of how far astray many have been led. A national public health crisis is a political football and because of that the numbers of the sick and the dead continue to rise. trump and his handlers continue to stoke the fires of hate and misinformation with no legal repercussions. November 3 seems a long way away, but I refuse to sink into despair and apathy.
Good morning Professor Richardson: Thank you for today’s Letter.
As if you didn’t have enough on your plate, I would nevertheless be very interested in knowing your take on Professor Jill Lepore’s recent piece in the Washington Post (Let history, not partisans, prosecute Trump. A truth tribunal is not the answer. Preserving presidential records is.)
Perhaps it is something you could address in one of the chats.
This may have already be noted, but in restaurant terms “86” does not mean to get rid of something, but to alert the staff that something has run out. “86 the veal” does not mean dump the veal in the dumpster, it means we’ve already run out of veal. So the Governor could have been saying “he’s already gone.” Which is poetic, I suppose.
I’m so sick of this crazy I can’t any more! Bannon back on the scene—what a loser. Giuliani doing any dumb thing to stay in the spotlight. Sen. Ron Johnson, another nut job. Republicans—you enabled every last bit of this.
All this talk of "gaming" the electoral system sent me back to Nash's Game Theory and its use to predict the "best", "optimal"and "equilibrium" results of electoral systems....amongst other "games". The "optimal" result is one in which the maximum possible "satisfaction" is obtained by the people collectively, the equilibrium one in which nobody can change their choice and gain extra satisfaction and the "best" one in which you get the highest level of "satisfaction" given the constraints built into the one person/one vote system. With single vote, party dominated elections and as much or more than half not voting neither optimal nor equilibrium can be achieved as more than half will be totally or partially dissatisfied.
The current system of indirect elections introduces the possiblity of deforming the preferences of the people and introduces into the game new rules and effectively a totally new game which reduces the benefit to the people while maximizing the satisfaction of those prefering non-optimal, non-equilibrium solutions and controlling the application of new game rules.
We have to change the electoral system, maximize the participation and offer real choices to all the people.....and not just to the minority currently, actively supporting one side or the other.
Just sickening... all of it! I do not think “90% of all Republicans support Fake 45 but I do feel his crazies do.
Dump lies. He never had Covid. He played on people’s sympathies to see where that would get him. So far, he has managed to get his followers to threaten Whitmer’s and Fauci’s lives. I can’t stand him! His screws are so loose, that they’ re squeaking to get out of his brain!
To me, the trance has broken. On Thursday night, Biden spoke of truth and issues and plans and decency and the hopefulness of working together. On another channel, a female journalist stood up to the bloviator-in-chief and pierced the bubble of his “reality.” Suddenly the mirage cleared for me. And I hope for many. I don’t think “gaslighting” is a good enough term for what he has been doing. It’s classic. The abuser-in-chief has been selling an image to his abused nation that there is no-way-out. Then he abuses his “enemies” further. As the fear level and anger level rise in us, he baits his loyal subjects to appear more powerful and make them more afraid of us.
But the truth is, they are not growing in numbers, just in rage. We are rising in numbers, and in power. Somehow this fake-prez has convinced himself that the same people fawning over him is enough to win re-election.
Biden knows that reason and respect will get us to the polls.
Not to say that there will be nothing but rosy days ahead. But there are more good people to stand ground with than there are violent wackos. Don’t let him suck you into his version of this. He’s an abuser, he’s been abusing America this whole time, and this truth will set us free.
It is difficult to not be discouraged by the constant barrage of negativity that flows from news and social media now. I read the NYT editorial and found a renewed sense of outrage which quickly afterward slid into near despair because no one is being held accountable and because of the dire knowledge that, even if Biden does win - and make no mistake, that is still a big “if”- we will still be dealing with the fallout from all of this - likely for generations. This switch in my thinking was triggered by one thought: imagine if, upon winning, Biden issues a national mask mandate. What, exactly do you think the reaction will be? Yes, it would go a long way to keeping us all safer especially with winter upon us, but I think we would have chaos in the streets from those who refuse to comply. ‘Rights’, you know. We have a mess and we are stuck with it for the foreseeable future, no matter who wins. That is trump’s legacy. Still, I fervently hope and pray that it’s Biden because, if not, say goodbye to America because trump will continue to work to complete his destruction.
Sorry for being so down today, folks. It’s just where I’m at today but I am grateful that I can share my thoughts with all of you because there is nowhere else I can safely do so. Onward, together.
Adding a vote center poll worker training report:
Good news is that there are bar coded zip ties and seals on all equipment, including over SIM card slots and USB ports, all of which must be verified as intact and scanned routinely.
Bad news is that the training is damn hard! The online training prerequisite took about 9 hours instead of the stated 3, is procedurally very technical and hard to follow--provoked much cursing! Just give me a manual or interactive user guide. I signed up in the spirit of doing my part as an able-bodied, aware, and level-headed citizen experienced in emergency response and de-escalation if needed. The training process so far was very discouraging and difficult, and I can only hope enough people are persevering to follow through. Two days of in-person training lie ahead.
Not the worst president in modern history, the worst president ever in the entire history of the republic. Hopefully the owner of another real first - the first president to go to prison for his career criminal behavior.
It seems like Giuliani and Bannon (Lord, why won he just go away?) are indeed going to the same 2016 well to try and poison Biden’s campaign. The idea of hanging a scandal out to view a couple weeks before the election is becoming a campaign ritual, like Christmas decorations showing up before Thanksgiving. It’s done with the knowledge that it probably won’t be proved/disproved until after the election. The wake doesn’t matter as much as the splash.
Only differences between 2016 and now are: Comey was just being a dumbass when he announced the reopening of the Clinton email investigation to congress, but Giuliani’s intentions are clearly insipid and panicked. Comey had (has) an inflated sense of self-importance, and thought he was saving democracy or America or some bullshit, but he was just an idiot. Giuliani is using this conspiracy theory about Biden’s SUPPOSED hard drives like some low rent Rube Goldberg device. It is a contraption that will take so long to run the course that nobody will even remember it in four weeks. (Apologies to Rube Goldberg fans.)
What a year. What a world.
I can't picture a politically savvy person such as Hunter Biden bringing a computer containing highly incriminating evidence to a repair facility, where there very likely are people able to access the dirt, and then forgetting about it. Nope, not happening, not real; especially given the timing. Add Giuliani and Bannon to the mix and it's a slam-dunk; the same for QAnon; "Made in Moscow".
My comment is unrelated to today's letter, but it is related to the divisiveness of our current President. I live in a small town (9,000) in western MA. On Saturday night, my Biden-Harris sign was stolen from the end of my 200 ft. long driveway. I feared this might happen because the sign was so far from the house. But I am angry that some folks in my town don't even have the civility to allow fellow citizens to openly declare their preference for a candidate who is not Trump. There are a lot of Trump signs in my town, which is why I put mine up - to counter the narrative. But I would not dream of stealing someone else's property, even if it's a Trump sign. I'm replacing my sign with a hand made one that says, "Thou shalt not steal - Biden-Harris 2020"
I am expecting Biden and Harris to win. I hope that in his inaugural speech he says—WE ARE A MULTICULTURAL, MULTIETHNIC COUNTRY AND ALWAYS HAVE BEEN. GET OVER IT.
Re: the uncertainty of this time, I’ll paraphrase the zen teaching, “Be careful with what you put into your body, and your mind. Only ingest what is heathy for your spirit.” Thich Nhat Hanh famously teaches this balm for our modern frenzy. In this moment, where I am right now, "I am safe. I am sound. I see the sun and the clouds, and it is time for breakfast"
Advisedly, for my health, II take only the news of the NYTimes, Washington Post, WSJournal (cautiously), my local paper, NPR - all are TRUSTED, professional sources.
They inform me about the Hunter Biden tapes - but there I do not linger and create discontent in my soul
The trusted news sources inform me of other right/wing attempts to sow my own discontent - but I do not linger there and create discontent in my soul.
The aforementioned trusted news sources, and fivethirghtyeight.com (Nate Silver, NYTimes) tell me:
Michigan: Biden up by (+) 7.9%;
Pennsylvania : Biden + 6.7%
Wisconsin: Biden + 7.4%
Arizona: Biden + 3.8%
National polls: Biden 52.5% - Trump 41.7%
Trump approval Disapprove: 54.2% - Approve 42.8%
I’ll take these numbers and all other evidence, to heart. Important facts. Real facts.
All of the other ’news’ (from trump, et al) is simply “noise”, and I will NOT take it to heart.
I am no longer shocked by anything that this administration tries to do and with what brush they attempt to tar their opponents, no trick is too underhanded, no sleazy story too dirty to try. That so many people seem to have lost their way and follow so blindly that public health officials such as Dr Faucci and here in OH our own Dr Amy Acton are targets of threats to their lives and those of their families is a sad indicator of how far astray many have been led. A national public health crisis is a political football and because of that the numbers of the sick and the dead continue to rise. trump and his handlers continue to stoke the fires of hate and misinformation with no legal repercussions. November 3 seems a long way away, but I refuse to sink into despair and apathy.
Good morning Professor Richardson: Thank you for today’s Letter.
As if you didn’t have enough on your plate, I would nevertheless be very interested in knowing your take on Professor Jill Lepore’s recent piece in the Washington Post (Let history, not partisans, prosecute Trump. A truth tribunal is not the answer. Preserving presidential records is.)
Perhaps it is something you could address in one of the chats.
Hold on to your hats folks, this is the middle of the end.
This may have already be noted, but in restaurant terms “86” does not mean to get rid of something, but to alert the staff that something has run out. “86 the veal” does not mean dump the veal in the dumpster, it means we’ve already run out of veal. So the Governor could have been saying “he’s already gone.” Which is poetic, I suppose.
I’m so sick of this crazy I can’t any more! Bannon back on the scene—what a loser. Giuliani doing any dumb thing to stay in the spotlight. Sen. Ron Johnson, another nut job. Republicans—you enabled every last bit of this.
All this talk of "gaming" the electoral system sent me back to Nash's Game Theory and its use to predict the "best", "optimal"and "equilibrium" results of electoral systems....amongst other "games". The "optimal" result is one in which the maximum possible "satisfaction" is obtained by the people collectively, the equilibrium one in which nobody can change their choice and gain extra satisfaction and the "best" one in which you get the highest level of "satisfaction" given the constraints built into the one person/one vote system. With single vote, party dominated elections and as much or more than half not voting neither optimal nor equilibrium can be achieved as more than half will be totally or partially dissatisfied.
The current system of indirect elections introduces the possiblity of deforming the preferences of the people and introduces into the game new rules and effectively a totally new game which reduces the benefit to the people while maximizing the satisfaction of those prefering non-optimal, non-equilibrium solutions and controlling the application of new game rules.
We have to change the electoral system, maximize the participation and offer real choices to all the people.....and not just to the minority currently, actively supporting one side or the other.
Just sickening... all of it! I do not think “90% of all Republicans support Fake 45 but I do feel his crazies do.
Dump lies. He never had Covid. He played on people’s sympathies to see where that would get him. So far, he has managed to get his followers to threaten Whitmer’s and Fauci’s lives. I can’t stand him! His screws are so loose, that they’ re squeaking to get out of his brain!