I would like to know if anyone is tracking whether the story that J D Vance admitted to Dana Bash that the “cats being eaten” story was a lie has made it into any of the major networks’ nightly news broadcasts and/or the front page of any major newspapers.
Given the catastrophic effect this lie has had on Springfield, Ohio … including the…
I would like to know if anyone is tracking whether the story that J D Vance admitted to Dana Bash that the “cats being eaten” story was a lie has made it into any of the major networks’ nightly news broadcasts and/or the front page of any major newspapers.
Given the catastrophic effect this lie has had on Springfield, Ohio … including the cancellation of its cultural festival… I believe (a) this should be Front Page News and (b) the people of Springfield should bring a class action lawsuit against Trump and Vance and (if Merrick Garland *cough cough* has the guts) Trump and Vance should be labeled domestic terrorists.
Which reminds me… isn’t Trump out on bail from Judge Merchan in NYC? Isn’t Trump’s behavior towards Springfield a violation of the terms of his bail? 🤔
Also, to Heather’s point a few days ago… isn’t this all really about trying to scare America into giving the GOP the majority in the Senate so they can shut down anything the Dems want to pass moving forward? In the “event” they lose they want to retain their corrupt Supreme Court and its privileges as well as rollbacks of civil and womens rights. Remember… this election is about supporting and voting for democrats down the line so we can take back our country from these fascists. Same goes for Tester which is the other Dem they’re trying to flip! Vote blue down the line!
Thanks for the encouragement- donated to Allred in TX; put Ruben Gallego in AZ on a monthly because I don’t want to see Kari Lake win in AZ; will add Tester and Brown.
Hopium - Simon Rosenberg on Substack does “down ballot candidates”. I also found the Giving Circle; and With over 70,000 volunteers across the nation, Sister District is one of the largest and most effective progressive grassroots organizations in the country. You can Google It. And https://statesproject.org/get-involved/giving-circles/
Tester especially, if PBS news laterly is to be believed. Montana, of "Yellowstone" fame. A month ago it was an even match, but that has seriously slipped since then. There is much to worry about here, this is a defining state for the Senate majority. Plainly something has been going on in Montana. Here's one Montana news source. Seems "nationalization" is the game, and spending is through the roof. https://montanafreepress.org/2024/09/13/political-consultant-laments-nationalization-of-montana-politics/
Both Harris & Walz are the Wrong messengers. Dick Cheney slightly better. The military surrogates and speakers from the convention about the importance of a woman’s freedom are good.
Great point, but sadly I don't think Cheney will be doing any campaigning for Democratic Senate candidate. He might if there was a race in Wyoming, but even then, I expect he would stay out of it.
Near as I can tell, Tester has survived because he's strong, as a farmer i think, on local issues that matter. Both parties have brought "national" issues to the fore, and this seems to be pulling him down in the polls. I doubt if the Cheney's would be much help, considering how Liz got trounced in Wyoming and essentially ejected from the House, where she had been 2nd or 3rd in command. Dems should worry on this, I get the impression.
I saw Tester on Lawrence O'Donnell last night and can't understand how Montana voters can prefer his rival over Tester. Perhaps the polling is skewed. Here's Tester last night on The Last Word https://www.msnbc.com/the-last-word
Are you related to Laura? LOL (just kidding of course, couldn't resist though! Hope you have a decent sense of humor!).
I agree, Cheney will not step in here. He is a Republican for sure, even if his party has been ripped away from him. Tester is losing because of the timing. He won in 2012 when Obama won and then again in 2018, the year of the "blue wave" with no Presidential election to help the GOP. And yes, he is a pretty conservative guy. But this year is a presidential election year and Trump will surge in Montana and that will carry his MAGAt candidate over the finish line ahead of Tester. I would love to see Jon win (I like the way he spells his first name LOL) but I don't think it is likely or even possible.
I expect they will make one or two short trips to Montana but they are crazy if they spend any time there. They need to focus on the swing states where the Presidential race will be decided including of course Pennsylvania. This country will survive Tester losing in Montana. But I do not think it will survive (intact) if Harris loses the Presidency.
Tester is the only REAL farmer in the Senate, folks, and we’ve got climate change. We need a voice for real food, not corporate-made, calorie loaded mush. He’s being attacked by a gazillionaire who’s no farmer! Send all the $5 you can!
Sigh, he is going to lose. Pretty much guaranteed. And your money would be better spent helping Harris and Walz win in the swing states. THAT is what is important, not losing to Trump.
For some reason there is VBM for which you can register by phone, project run by counties in FL. If you have postcards, TonyTheDemocrat will send you addresses, no names but many possible (Valued Voter is my favorite) ones and scripts for whichever county he is covering. I have written several hundred, learning FL counties as I go. If there are 100 others writing and 1000 voters per county responding, we may turn FL!
Betsy, we have donated to several D campaigns both locally here in Oregon and across the country although our credit union doesn't like us doing too many all at once, so we have to space them out. Unfortunately, the Oregon DMV actually enrolled 306 noncitizens as voters and you can bet, although they are fixing it, that we will hear about how noncitizens are voting.
If there is too much activity on the card in a short amount of time, it trips a fraud alert. One time i was Christmas shopping for my husband and I don't waste time, so there were several charges in a short time. They actually called and told him where the charges were! He didn't know what, but he knew where. We also have had some charges that weren't ours and so it's OK, just a pain sometime.
Thank you for the information! I saw Tester's ads in Montana recently. They are so strong, clearly there's money behind them. I was really surprised to learn that his Senate seat is in danger.
The other side has money also. The ads are strong, upsetting, and really p*** me off. I am returning from MT to AK today after a week stay. I love MT but racist white male nationalists control ......... and Tester has lived on the land for generations.
Ellie thanks for the links. I used your links and added a tip for Tester and Brown via Act Blue so took less than 2 seconds to do it! It would be great for all of us here to come together each week to do something worthy for a candidate in need. But this is great as well.
Trying to scare America? Sadly, its not America I am worried about. It is West Virginia (where Trump won by 38%, the largest margin of any state in America in 2020, even as Biden was winning the election) and Montana (which Trump won by 16% in 2020). Those are the only two states which are virtually certain to flip, with Manchin of WV having retired and Tester of Montana virtually certain to lose. So I do not agree with your premise. There is almost no realistic scenario where the Democrats can hold the Senate, even assuming Sherrod Brown can win again in Ohio. I wish it was different (and if I was smoking what everyone else making comments like this is smoking maybe I could delude myself that reality isn't real) but we are victims of the weird Senate system and the balance on party power which changes every two years (unlike the House where changes are more about overall turnout).
When Jon Tester last ran in 2018, it was an off-year for President and people were already getting sick of Trump. The House flipped to Democratic control that year and the Senate got VERY close to flipping, with the GOP hanging on to a 51-49 majority. But Trump wasn't running and the GOP turnout was much lower. In 2020, people were totally done with Trump, especially during the mishandling of the pandemic. And 2020 was a year when fewer Democratic Senate seats were at risk than GOP.
Now in 2024, we are repeating the 2018 cycle except it is a Presidential election year, so even if Trump loses (which appears highly likely now), GOP turnout will be large and in the states that really count for the Senate (WV and Montana) there is almost no scenario where the Dems can realistically win. Ohio will be tough for Brown, but at least he is loved there. Tester isn't loved, just has won very close elections. His luck of running in 2018, ran out this year having to run in a Presidential election year. History suggests Montana will turn out huge for Trump and that will mean Tester simply has almost zero chance of winning (and the polls bear that out).
So while I will keep my fingers crossed that some other upsets might happen (beat Cruz in Texas?!! or beat Scott in Florida? - slightly better chance but still highly unlikely) but I am pretty much resigned to losing the Senate. We need to keep focused on making sure the White House stays Democratic and hope New Yorkers in the swing districts that went GOP in 2022 will swing back, giving us a slim lead in the House.
In 2026, the trend moves back towards the Dems in the Senate and that year we probably will take back the Senate. And THEN we can finally move this country forward to a better future.
I have worked on statewide and national politics for a long time and I have always been careful not to spread my goals too thin. "Do all we can" often feels (to me) like an over-commitment rather than focusing on what is rationally possible. I'd love to think if I just worked a little harder I could turn the whole nation around but I've learned my lesson on that notion many times (particularly 44 years ago in the Carter- Reagan election). We were all dewy- eyed idealists who knew the world was changing and we were leading it, first by getting Nixon to resign and then by getting Carter elected. Boy were we in for an eye opener in 1980. Reagan? THE ACTOR? And sure enough he kicked Carter's butt and now 44 years later here we are.
I don't think "it's all hopeless" but I do think there are real rational goals we can reach if we don't diffuse our efforts too much.
Just Donated to Tester and Brown and I know and agree giving up is not in my lexicon either. I was literally thrown off a porch in NC where I live. I decided in order to continue and not buckle under the strain of folks yelling or saying mean things I would partner with other Canvassers. That speech that Fannie Lou Hamer gave at the 1964 Democratic Convention never leaves me or the story of Rev James Reeb. If you don’t know the stories- Google it and your soul will be charged up!!
I don't believe a word of the polls. Women are furious and will vote in droves for VP Harris. The magats are toast. MSM will not tell us the truth since they are all in for the convicted felon adjudicated rapist for tax breaks...we will prevail!
Well here is what I learned about women voting when there is a male in the household- women may tote the line of the household. Last Saturday I had the experience of two women running toward the door and confronting me stating very loudly “we are undecided” while blinking their eyes wildly. I asked is there anything I can help you with (I know all the stats for how Harris will help our country) and she repeated while blinking her eyes hard “ we are undecided “- and almost similar instance at another door where I canvassed this time a man came up behind the women as she was about to speak he said “get the hell off my porch”— she looked so troubled and helpless- we locked eyes for a moment and I felt sorry for her that she was not allowed to speak to me on her own. What is happening?
Most of them. (I assume you meant lunatics lol). Tester had won in Montana because of the timing of his elections. He was first elected in 2012 when Obama had a big win nationally. He won in 2018 by a very thin margin in the so-called Blue sweep which really was remarkable and there was no "Trump coat tails" to help his opponent. This year is not a good year for Tester and the polls (yes I know a lot of you don't believe in polls but that is nonsense they are mostly pretty damn good indicators and have been for years). Anyway, I think Tester is done this year. And with the virtually 100% lock the GOP have on Manchin s seat in West Virginia, that makes the senate 51-49 GOP. Game over. Put a fork in it. Start looking at 2026.
Sorry to be so rough but why waste time on fantasies when reality is what you have to deal with.
Might I be wrong? Of course but as someone (maybe Bret Maverick?) once said, sure the tortoise might win but I'll bet on the rabbit.
Good luck with your fantasies. Polls aren't perfect by any means but they show clear trends. If you really believe that the Magats are "toast" I want some of the boo you are smoking. Must be good stuff!!!
I personally believe in political reality. Yes we will prevail in some places (most hopefully the white house and the House) but not in all places (most likely not the Senate).
Logic and reason says we will NOT prevail in the Senate. You are welcome to engage in wishful thinking but I have concluded that some battles are simply lost and the sooner you accept it the more you can accomplish by moving on.
The senate is MOST likely lost to the Dems this election but with a really good chance of regaining it in 2026. I am focusing on making sure Trump doesn't win on November and that we take back the house (two much more likely goals and ones with good results for the country).
Do we want the Senate? Of course we do but the fates of how the seats are distributed gives us a very long shot at holding it, even 50-50. For me the only rational move is to put as much resource as we can into the presidency and the House and wait until 2026 when, with 19 GOP senate seats up for grabs and virtually no Democratic seats at risk, we have a much better chance of retaking it.
Sticking your head in the sand and believing in fairy tales isn't a good look, sorry to be so brutal about it but I've been through 13 presidential elections and 13 more off year elections in my life and I've learned a few lessons like fight the battles that are winnable and move on quickly from the ones you are going to lose. And I've still been bitten by the unexpected (like Trump's victory in 2016 sigh).
Good luck with your dreams. I'll bet on things that at least have a chance.
I believe you are wrong....but we will see in November. I just drove through Wyoming, Montana and S. Dakota. There were VERY few Trump Vance signs. I may have seen three or four.
Even Galveston, Texas, has seen a large number of souvenir shops, without their usual Trump merchandise. I've seen very few Trump signs....fewer than Harris/Walz in my neighborhood.
And I ain't smoking anything. I believe your wrong, I hope your wrong, but we'll see in November. And if we win...we will see all the dirty trick Repubs play to throw the election
We still have time to mitigate our 2020 losses and take our message to the diaspora. E.G. Uniontown, Waynesburg, Somerset, New Castle, Meadville, Sharon. Dubois Pa. Grand Rapids. Wausau, Green Bay, etc.
Target the message to them!
In 2020, Trump won my home county in Pennsyltucky by 65%. In others, 78%.
Trump won Waushara and Washington Counties, Wisconsin by 2/3. St. Clair County, Michigan by 64%.
I live in Waushara County, WI. Yes, there are a lot of tRump signs around, especially in farm fields, which makes no sense to me. But the Dems around here, who have long been timid due to fears of being overwhelmed, are speaking out and stepping up, running for office and ready to vote!!!
Great. Need cheeseheads for Kamala. Big day today, Voter registration.
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Susan, our next door neighbor, a former R (now I) county commissioner, has a Harris/Walz sign out. It is important that Ds prevail. We were at our haircuts yesterday and it owned by a married gay couple who feel, naturally, threatened by Rs. Our hair person actually refused to rebook a client who was too up front about how she felt. It is difficult for them, running a business.
Good for your hairdresser friend to refuse the business. It IS legal to do that. If someone offends you, you can say, "thanks but no thanks". I am sorry they had to do that (business is not easy to come by these days) but glad they were able to stand firm and tell those who offend them to take a walk.
He didn't actually say anything, just refused to rebook her and she knew why. The people who come to the shop know that he and Eddie are married, but MAGAs often have to somehow be in your face. This is why so many of them love death star; they have carte blanche to be openly hateful. I was in education for many years and had to keep politics (and religion) to myself. I also had to contend now and then with parents who were problems, but I had to be tactful.
There is a huge difference between "I believe you are wrong" and "I hope you are wrong". I hope I am wrong TOO! I certainly do not want to lose the Senate. But I am also someone who looks closely at the data and interprets it using the appropriate available facts. There is NOTHING I can see on the horizon that suggests I am wrong. If you KNOW something I don't, please let me know. Anecdotal stuff about souvenir shops in Texas? Not really all that classifiable as evidence, y'know. So if you said "I hope you are wrong" I would strongly agree with you. If you say "I believe you are wrong", I go back to suggesting that you must be smoking something LOL, but please do not take offense... it is not personal, it is just a reality-based view of politics in 2024.
And I am not even THINKING about the crap the GOP can throw if they lose. That will be a whole 'nuther discussion. But let's wait until we get there. I can only deal with one catastrophe at a time LOL! :-)
Actually Georgia was rated a toss-up in 2020 and the Dems managed to oust two very bad GOP candidates. But the big difference (IF you are interest in logic and not just passion) is that Georgia was a split state by population, with a LARGE black population (and one of the Senate candidates, Raphael Warnock, was black if you remember). It typically has margins like 5% between GOP and Democratic. That put any state-wide race (as opposed to races in the districts which are highly gerrymandered) as a relative toss-up. Montana is NOTHING AT ALL like that. Typically, it has 10-15% swings TOWARDS GOP candidates including Trump when he has been on the ballot. Tester got lucky because he ran in 2012 (when Obama won the Presidency) and then again in 2018 during the non-presidential election year when the so-called "blue wave" hit the US. But THIS year Trump IS on the ballot (and polls show him leading in Montana by his typical 10+% point margins. Tester is seriously in trouble and the polls show that clearly.
I am sorry, I am a computer software engineer and I tend to look at data, not emotions. Emotions CAN change things but rarely, mostly data works best. And the data for Montana suggests a 5+% GOP win in the Senate. I'd be happy to make or take a bet on that. Willing to bet $100 that the GOP candidate will win by at least 5%.
For me, if you seriously think there is a chance that Tester can win, you should be willing to take that bet, but I doubt anyone (at least anyone who is in their right mind) would.
Again, I sure hope I am wrong. I do NOT want to concede the Senate to the GOP insanity again (hopefully not McConnell this time, but my guess is he will try to hold on to his power from the last time). But if I have to place a bet, it certainly will be on the GOP.
Jon Rosen, I don't disagree with you, but being "realistic" about our chances is discouraging for me. If I am to be disappointed, I'll save it for after the elections. For now I will continue to work my ass off in hope that it will make a difference. Dewy-eyed idealism has accomplished much.
I am happy for you and of course hope you can change things. I felt that way for many years until Reagan won in 1980. Sigh, that was an eye-opener. Carter was still one of the best Presidents we ever had and he was screwed by the GOP. Oh well, I will probably never get over that one. Anyway, as I have said, I hope you are right and I am wrong. Stranger things have happened in the past LOL. Just not often enough, sigh.
I read or listened to so many things today so I don't remember where it was I learned of the discouraging news about Montana and the effect that losing the Senate will have on the federal court system. While Biden has been able to appoint a number of judges and one justice, many lower court judges will be retiring soon. To prevent a President Harris from appointing judges and justices McConnell would pull a Garland and not allow any confirmations to proceed.
I follow Simon Rosenberg's work and philosophy. Do More Worry Less. And frankly your outlook is a very small piece of the overall political picture for the past 9 years.
This is not doomsday posting. It is serious analysis and it is NECESSARY if everyone is to be clear-headed. Passion does NOT win elections. Brains and facts and effort win elections. And reality is always a good thing to keep in mind. I suggest that your invitation be politely declined. You are certainly entitled to your opinion here, but I pay for my privilege to post here too and I do NOT represent the enemy, I am your FRIEND, and trust me I will NEVER vote for anyone who even comes close to a MAGAt but I still feel it is important to TELL THE TRUTH, not cover it up with opinions that do not hold up to careful analysis.
Reagan started it with his conjuring up the "welfare queen draining the Treasury," turning the mentally ill out onto the streets, waging war on the Middle Class and giving massive tax breaks to the wealthy, resulting in his admin tripling the national debt and leading to the present $35 trillion debt. Our schools failed to teach critical thinking skills, making G.W. Bush's famous statement true: "You can fool some of the people all of the time, and those are the ones you want to concentrate on." So, the oligarchs went to the airwaves and the print to pay for the spread of disinformation and outright lies. The result? Today 806 billionaires have wealth equal to that of one-half of the American population (163,000,000). We now have an oligarchy and a virtual non-existent Middle Class. When my generation passes on (I'm 84), what's left?
Yes DMS I so agree with you. While donating helps,we hope, in getting the message out on the importance of this election the most important is getting as many as possible out to vote and that they are committed to Vote Blue up and down this ticket because there is too much work to do to set the course straight to truly save democracy. The struggle will never be over, but we can lessen the success of authoritarian takeover. Also be alert for any movement in local and National that is attempting voter suppression and share that with friends and family, because when you lose your vote, you lose everything.
If you donate to Movement Voter Project, they will run the algorithms and put your money where it is needed most! Everyone giving to one candidate 1 day and another the next does not put the $$ where it is necessarily needed at this or that point in time, AND they pay their workers which developes a ground
Pretty much every paragraph of Heather's letter today should be amplified, separately, on our social media accounts. She is giving us the material for concise informational posts and the links to back them up - that if the million plus of us were actually taking the time to pass them on, would do a whole lot more than simply hoping the larger media will cover these points.
Well, she posted - as always - a link to the source. If you listen to it and don't agree with her, fine, but calling it a lie is both disingenuous and uncivil. That matters to me because I come here for the civility in this community. it's usually a welcome escape from the rampant ranting and irrational incivility of other platforms.
Steve, I heard Vance's statement on MSNBC, but didn't hear anything about it on CBS or my local news. I am appalled what Trump and Vance are getting away with. Inciting violence should be a crime and Vance should be charged. Trump was charged for January 6th, but still nothing has come of that due to a whole bunch of ridiculous legal mumbo-jumbo. If Harris or Walz or Biden had done any of what Trump and Vance have been doing in the past month or so, there would have been a huge outcry and every media outlet would have been screaming for them to resign or be impeached. Vance should be censured in the Senate, but it won't happen because Republicans cannot hold anyone in their pathetic party responsible for anything, well, except ?Santos, a complete fraud and they didn't even want to do that.
I am assuming you are talking about Santos LOL. And yes, if so, you are right, he was SO outlandish (not to mention he was gay and lied about being Jewish) he was a convenient "see, we dropped him from our party, we aren't THAT bad" except of course they (the GOP) ARE that bad and Santos was just a useful distraction... "pay no attention to that man behind the curtain" :-).
Phil, that immunity thing is supposed to be only when in office and when the act is called "official." Trump does not meet any of those criteria now, but it won't matter. The SC must owe Baby Donnie and will pay him dearly while screwing our nation. Sweet deal for them because they have lifetime appointments so they can do whatever they want and no one will supposedly be able to stop them. A Democratic victory up and down the ballot in every state would stop them.
That is just wild crazy fantasy. There is literally no way there will be Democratic victories up and down the ballot in every state. The sooner you become realistic about politics, the better off you AND our nation will be. Trying the fantasize results that are simply not possible let alone probable is a waste of time and energy. There ARE realistic outcomes that we can work towards. My HOPE is to focus on (a) Harris winning the presidency, (b) A small number of NY and CA House districts that swung away from the Ds to the GOPs in 2022 giving the GOP the House will swing back giving the Dems again a 5-10 vote majority in the House and (c) ONLY losing the two Senate seats that seem virtually certain, West Virginia (Manchin's seat) and Montana (Tester's seat) and holding everything else including Sherrod Brown in Ohio, which will mean the GOP edge in the Senate will only be one seat, 51-49, since 50-50 with a Democrat in the VP spot means the Democrats still control the Senate. If by some VERY lucky chance the Dems can win either in Texas or Florida, that would be a major miracle and of course a 50-50 Senate would be HUGE for us. Let us pray it can happen, but be realistic. There will NOT be any SWEEP of the country, no matter how much you dream and wish and fantasize about it. IT. JUST. WON'T. HAPPEN. Sorry, that's just the truth.
Absolutely! I just think trying to set a goal of winning across the board up and down ballot is unrealistic. Focus on what is possible and maybe a few improbable elections will fall out way. Trying to win everything runs the risk of spreading ourselves too thin and losing too much.
Oh Jon, please don't do the work of the MAGAts and Russians for them. Nobody thought the "Blue Wave" would happen. But it did, against all expectations.
That, Ruth, and/or impeachment! The House can vote to impeach Supremes and the senate can convict and remove them from office. But we’d need that full ballot blue to do so.
I am with you on the class action lawsuit by the residents of Springfield, Ohio against the Trump campaign. I read earlier today that Trump, Vance et al have" swatted" the city of Springfield by throwing out this vicious and vile( and also totally untrue) rhetoric against the Haitian community there. As a resident of Ohio, I am beyond outrage that this is happening in my state and is being orchestrated by a Senator here who is supposed to be representing my and my fellow Ohioans best interests.J D Vance along with his boss is totally unfit to serve.
I've been wondering if I, a normal US citizen, could bring a lawsuit against Trump, for pain and suffering. I think it would be fabulous if millions of us could bring a class action lawsuit against him for this. Let's use his own tactics against him, keep delaying the case and keep him fighting it for years. I am SO TIRED of his shit! And in case anyone is wondering, NONE of the people who are truly against him want to see him assassinated. Because then he will be considered a martyr by his followers, and they will keep his vile hatred going forever.
Let's not get bogged down in this stuff. This stuff is the effort of Republicans to deflect from their abysmal record of working for the American people and their lack of a clear agenda.
Steve, and everyone, for God's sake, please stop blaming the good guys. Merrick Garland is not just one of the good guys, he is also competent, and being good doesn't mean your competent, or vice versa. My point is that mocking him is helping the bad guys. And a class action lawsuit? How well has that worked so far?
The law is a useful tool if used with discretion, but its purpose is to constrain in lieu of control society, and it only works if enough of us have the wisdom to constrain our own ignorance. The more people there are that refuse to constrain their own ignorance, the less effective is the law.
Constraining our own ignorance is the only way to make the world a better place. And we are heading in the opposite direction when our ignorance is unconstrained.
To clarify: I am "constraining my own ignorance" when I see a disagreement with another individual or group as a dilemma that, if important enough, is worthy of a multi-step resolution. Conversely, if I see the disagreement as a problem with a one-step "I'm right, you're wrong, and this conversation is over" solution, then my ignorance is unconstrained. So, it's not hard to tell if someone is trying to resolve dilemmas or merely trying to solve problems.
"Be angry, but do not let the sun go down on your anger." —Ephesians 4:26.
It’s one thing to express your opinion. It’s another thing to claim I am “ignorant”. You just earned a block. Perhaps you’ll grow up someday and learn how to give people more respect the you appear capable of giving people today.
The question is not whether an individual is ignorant or not. We are all ignorant. No matter how much an individual knows, there’s a lot more that the individual does not know. The question for all of us is whether we are willing to constrain our own ignorance.
I have no problem with anyone criticizing my opinions, just take the time to understand what you’re criticizing. If I did have that problem, THEN I would be immature. In other words, one of us must learn how to give people more respect than they appear capable of giving today. It’s just that you've left me with the opinion that that person is not me.
Bottom line is that I can dish it out when I think it's important enough, and I'm mature enough to take it. Or does a block mean Steve doesn't see my comments?
His admission should be “above the fold” stories in all media. Please demand your media and individual journalists to make it a top priority story. That lie is causing calls for violence. That is unacceptable from a candidate for public office.
Steve, thank you for your comment. Criticisms of Trump and MAGA are easy to write but have no real effect on the election. We need ideas for "Action" and yours is one of them. The race is too close. There is no assurance that Harris wins.
Action Item: make one phone call today. Just one. Convince somebody to register, volunteer for something, or tell your state legislator you want them to do something.
I would like to know if anyone is tracking whether the story that J D Vance admitted to Dana Bash that the “cats being eaten” story was a lie has made it into any of the major networks’ nightly news broadcasts and/or the front page of any major newspapers.
Given the catastrophic effect this lie has had on Springfield, Ohio … including the cancellation of its cultural festival… I believe (a) this should be Front Page News and (b) the people of Springfield should bring a class action lawsuit against Trump and Vance and (if Merrick Garland *cough cough* has the guts) Trump and Vance should be labeled domestic terrorists.
Which reminds me… isn’t Trump out on bail from Judge Merchan in NYC? Isn’t Trump’s behavior towards Springfield a violation of the terms of his bail? 🤔
Also, to Heather’s point a few days ago… isn’t this all really about trying to scare America into giving the GOP the majority in the Senate so they can shut down anything the Dems want to pass moving forward? In the “event” they lose they want to retain their corrupt Supreme Court and its privileges as well as rollbacks of civil and womens rights. Remember… this election is about supporting and voting for democrats down the line so we can take back our country from these fascists. Same goes for Tester which is the other Dem they’re trying to flip! Vote blue down the line!
And donate to Jon Tester and Sherrod Brown if you can. We need a blue Senate to support the Harris Walz administration.
Thank you -- just donated to Tester, Brown, and the candidates who are running against Boebert and Gaetz and Cruz. I am so sick of these sick people.
Thanks for the encouragement- donated to Allred in TX; put Ruben Gallego in AZ on a monthly because I don’t want to see Kari Lake win in AZ; will add Tester and Brown.
Brava. I have written GOTV postcards to MT and OH voters and contribute what I can to them, urging my niece in Austin to contribute to Allred.
Trisha Calvarese, a grad after a full ride scholarship to John's Hopkins, is running against Boebert.
She would be my representative.
Help if you can, and Tester and Brown as well.
Good to know!
Hopium - Simon Rosenberg on Substack does “down ballot candidates”. I also found the Giving Circle; and With over 70,000 volunteers across the nation, Sister District is one of the largest and most effective progressive grassroots organizations in the country. You can Google It. And https://statesproject.org/get-involved/giving-circles/
Yes!!
Me too!
just donated yesterday
Kunce would be a MASSIVE upgrade for the people of Missouri.
Yes Kunce! Will donate!!!
Tester especially, if PBS news laterly is to be believed. Montana, of "Yellowstone" fame. A month ago it was an even match, but that has seriously slipped since then. There is much to worry about here, this is a defining state for the Senate majority. Plainly something has been going on in Montana. Here's one Montana news source. Seems "nationalization" is the game, and spending is through the roof. https://montanafreepress.org/2024/09/13/political-consultant-laments-nationalization-of-montana-politics/
I really want to see Harris/Walz campign in Montana, specifically to promote Jon Tester.
Both Harris & Walz are the Wrong messengers. Dick Cheney slightly better. The military surrogates and speakers from the convention about the importance of a woman’s freedom are good.
Great point, but sadly I don't think Cheney will be doing any campaigning for Democratic Senate candidate. He might if there was a race in Wyoming, but even then, I expect he would stay out of it.
Near as I can tell, Tester has survived because he's strong, as a farmer i think, on local issues that matter. Both parties have brought "national" issues to the fore, and this seems to be pulling him down in the polls. I doubt if the Cheney's would be much help, considering how Liz got trounced in Wyoming and essentially ejected from the House, where she had been 2nd or 3rd in command. Dems should worry on this, I get the impression.
I saw Tester on Lawrence O'Donnell last night and can't understand how Montana voters can prefer his rival over Tester. Perhaps the polling is skewed. Here's Tester last night on The Last Word https://www.msnbc.com/the-last-word
Are you related to Laura? LOL (just kidding of course, couldn't resist though! Hope you have a decent sense of humor!).
I agree, Cheney will not step in here. He is a Republican for sure, even if his party has been ripped away from him. Tester is losing because of the timing. He won in 2012 when Obama won and then again in 2018, the year of the "blue wave" with no Presidential election to help the GOP. And yes, he is a pretty conservative guy. But this year is a presidential election year and Trump will surge in Montana and that will carry his MAGAt candidate over the finish line ahead of Tester. I would love to see Jon win (I like the way he spells his first name LOL) but I don't think it is likely or even possible.
I expect they will make one or two short trips to Montana but they are crazy if they spend any time there. They need to focus on the swing states where the Presidential race will be decided including of course Pennsylvania. This country will survive Tester losing in Montana. But I do not think it will survive (intact) if Harris loses the Presidency.
Tester is the only REAL farmer in the Senate, folks, and we’ve got climate change. We need a voice for real food, not corporate-made, calorie loaded mush. He’s being attacked by a gazillionaire who’s no farmer! Send all the $5 you can!
Sigh, he is going to lose. Pretty much guaranteed. And your money would be better spent helping Harris and Walz win in the swing states. THAT is what is important, not losing to Trump.
Doing that too—postcards to PA, WI, MI. Agreed about Harris loss, but she has to have as much support as we can summon.
been supporting him for months
I've been donating to Sherrod for months now. CANNOT let Moreno win here. Also donating to many Dems in other states as well as the DNC and Ohio Dems.
To DebbieM and all the others who donate, a huge thank you.
Maybe FL can be flipped. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell running against incumbent Rick Scott.
For those who care about reproductive access, get to know Debbie Mucarsel-Powell. Please donate!
Florida needs her. The USA needs her. Please donate.
Have done anout 100 postcards and will
continue. Cannot believe DeSantis hasn’t shut down FloridaVoteByMsil.
I check the 538 polls to see how far apart they are and if looks reasonable, I donate or donate more
Putin and bots have thumbs on polls. Not sure any can be trusted.
For some reason there is VBM for which you can register by phone, project run by counties in FL. If you have postcards, TonyTheDemocrat will send you addresses, no names but many possible (Valued Voter is my favorite) ones and scripts for whichever county he is covering. I have written several hundred, learning FL counties as I go. If there are 100 others writing and 1000 voters per county responding, we may turn FL!
I did at 3am yesterday!
Reuben Gallegos in AZ as well.
Yes!
Betsy, we have donated to several D campaigns both locally here in Oregon and across the country although our credit union doesn't like us doing too many all at once, so we have to space them out. Unfortunately, the Oregon DMV actually enrolled 306 noncitizens as voters and you can bet, although they are fixing it, that we will hear about how noncitizens are voting.
I know it's tangential, but I would love to hear how your credit union has any say at all about where you spend your money....???
If there is too much activity on the card in a short amount of time, it trips a fraud alert. One time i was Christmas shopping for my husband and I don't waste time, so there were several charges in a short time. They actually called and told him where the charges were! He didn't know what, but he knew where. We also have had some charges that weren't ours and so it's OK, just a pain sometime.
Thanks, Michele - fraud alerts make sense...isn't it great to be able to donate enough - and often enough - to trigger the alerts! Rock on!
Donated to both these senators!
done
Donate to these Must-Keep seats in the U.S. Senate:
Sen. Jon Tester of Montana
www.jontester.com
Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio
https://www.sherrodbrown.com/
💙
And Colin Allred ..Texas
Thank you for the information! I saw Tester's ads in Montana recently. They are so strong, clearly there's money behind them. I was really surprised to learn that his Senate seat is in danger.
The other side has money also. The ads are strong, upsetting, and really p*** me off. I am returning from MT to AK today after a week stay. I love MT but racist white male nationalists control ......... and Tester has lived on the land for generations.
Done
Donate to Movement Voter Project- they will put your donation where it is needed most in the down ballot races!!!
Ellie thanks for the links. I used your links and added a tip for Tester and Brown via Act Blue so took less than 2 seconds to do it! It would be great for all of us here to come together each week to do something worthy for a candidate in need. But this is great as well.
Pam, I agree.
thanks for the reminder - just donated to him also
Support stealth candidate Katrina Christiansen, North Dakota, who has a real shot. https://www.katrinaforussenate.com/
moved from 28% to 38% from June 19 to Aug 2
And let's help Colin Allred beat Cancun Cruz from Texas.
Trying to scare America? Sadly, its not America I am worried about. It is West Virginia (where Trump won by 38%, the largest margin of any state in America in 2020, even as Biden was winning the election) and Montana (which Trump won by 16% in 2020). Those are the only two states which are virtually certain to flip, with Manchin of WV having retired and Tester of Montana virtually certain to lose. So I do not agree with your premise. There is almost no realistic scenario where the Democrats can hold the Senate, even assuming Sherrod Brown can win again in Ohio. I wish it was different (and if I was smoking what everyone else making comments like this is smoking maybe I could delude myself that reality isn't real) but we are victims of the weird Senate system and the balance on party power which changes every two years (unlike the House where changes are more about overall turnout).
When Jon Tester last ran in 2018, it was an off-year for President and people were already getting sick of Trump. The House flipped to Democratic control that year and the Senate got VERY close to flipping, with the GOP hanging on to a 51-49 majority. But Trump wasn't running and the GOP turnout was much lower. In 2020, people were totally done with Trump, especially during the mishandling of the pandemic. And 2020 was a year when fewer Democratic Senate seats were at risk than GOP.
Now in 2024, we are repeating the 2018 cycle except it is a Presidential election year, so even if Trump loses (which appears highly likely now), GOP turnout will be large and in the states that really count for the Senate (WV and Montana) there is almost no scenario where the Dems can realistically win. Ohio will be tough for Brown, but at least he is loved there. Tester isn't loved, just has won very close elections. His luck of running in 2018, ran out this year having to run in a Presidential election year. History suggests Montana will turn out huge for Trump and that will mean Tester simply has almost zero chance of winning (and the polls bear that out).
So while I will keep my fingers crossed that some other upsets might happen (beat Cruz in Texas?!! or beat Scott in Florida? - slightly better chance but still highly unlikely) but I am pretty much resigned to losing the Senate. We need to keep focused on making sure the White House stays Democratic and hope New Yorkers in the swing districts that went GOP in 2022 will swing back, giving us a slim lead in the House.
In 2026, the trend moves back towards the Dems in the Senate and that year we probably will take back the Senate. And THEN we can finally move this country forward to a better future.
Sorry, but resignation is not in my lexicon. Give, work, and do all we can…they want use to believe it’s all hopeless, it is NOT. VOTE BLUE
I have worked on statewide and national politics for a long time and I have always been careful not to spread my goals too thin. "Do all we can" often feels (to me) like an over-commitment rather than focusing on what is rationally possible. I'd love to think if I just worked a little harder I could turn the whole nation around but I've learned my lesson on that notion many times (particularly 44 years ago in the Carter- Reagan election). We were all dewy- eyed idealists who knew the world was changing and we were leading it, first by getting Nixon to resign and then by getting Carter elected. Boy were we in for an eye opener in 1980. Reagan? THE ACTOR? And sure enough he kicked Carter's butt and now 44 years later here we are.
I don't think "it's all hopeless" but I do think there are real rational goals we can reach if we don't diffuse our efforts too much.
Oh, Jon Rosen, and Happy 100th Birthday to that very same Jimmy Carter, whose brain functioning and values are still very much intact!
What is “martial politics”?
LOL supposed to be national politics, stupid autocorrect misspelling. I fixed it, sorry about that!
Just get busy and do all you can!
Just Donated to Tester and Brown and I know and agree giving up is not in my lexicon either. I was literally thrown off a porch in NC where I live. I decided in order to continue and not buckle under the strain of folks yelling or saying mean things I would partner with other Canvassers. That speech that Fannie Lou Hamer gave at the 1964 Democratic Convention never leaves me or the story of Rev James Reeb. If you don’t know the stories- Google it and your soul will be charged up!!
I don't believe a word of the polls. Women are furious and will vote in droves for VP Harris. The magats are toast. MSM will not tell us the truth since they are all in for the convicted felon adjudicated rapist for tax breaks...we will prevail!
56.9% of Montana voters are women.
What percentage support the tunitics
Well here is what I learned about women voting when there is a male in the household- women may tote the line of the household. Last Saturday I had the experience of two women running toward the door and confronting me stating very loudly “we are undecided” while blinking their eyes wildly. I asked is there anything I can help you with (I know all the stats for how Harris will help our country) and she repeated while blinking her eyes hard “ we are undecided “- and almost similar instance at another door where I canvassed this time a man came up behind the women as she was about to speak he said “get the hell off my porch”— she looked so troubled and helpless- we locked eyes for a moment and I felt sorry for her that she was not allowed to speak to me on her own. What is happening?
Most of them. (I assume you meant lunatics lol). Tester had won in Montana because of the timing of his elections. He was first elected in 2012 when Obama had a big win nationally. He won in 2018 by a very thin margin in the so-called Blue sweep which really was remarkable and there was no "Trump coat tails" to help his opponent. This year is not a good year for Tester and the polls (yes I know a lot of you don't believe in polls but that is nonsense they are mostly pretty damn good indicators and have been for years). Anyway, I think Tester is done this year. And with the virtually 100% lock the GOP have on Manchin s seat in West Virginia, that makes the senate 51-49 GOP. Game over. Put a fork in it. Start looking at 2026.
Sorry to be so rough but why waste time on fantasies when reality is what you have to deal with.
Might I be wrong? Of course but as someone (maybe Bret Maverick?) once said, sure the tortoise might win but I'll bet on the rabbit.
Bravo, Terry!I am with you!
Good luck with your fantasies. Polls aren't perfect by any means but they show clear trends. If you really believe that the Magats are "toast" I want some of the boo you are smoking. Must be good stuff!!!
I personally believe in political reality. Yes we will prevail in some places (most hopefully the white house and the House) but not in all places (most likely not the Senate).
Logic and reason says we will NOT prevail in the Senate. You are welcome to engage in wishful thinking but I have concluded that some battles are simply lost and the sooner you accept it the more you can accomplish by moving on.
The senate is MOST likely lost to the Dems this election but with a really good chance of regaining it in 2026. I am focusing on making sure Trump doesn't win on November and that we take back the house (two much more likely goals and ones with good results for the country).
Do we want the Senate? Of course we do but the fates of how the seats are distributed gives us a very long shot at holding it, even 50-50. For me the only rational move is to put as much resource as we can into the presidency and the House and wait until 2026 when, with 19 GOP senate seats up for grabs and virtually no Democratic seats at risk, we have a much better chance of retaking it.
Sticking your head in the sand and believing in fairy tales isn't a good look, sorry to be so brutal about it but I've been through 13 presidential elections and 13 more off year elections in my life and I've learned a few lessons like fight the battles that are winnable and move on quickly from the ones you are going to lose. And I've still been bitten by the unexpected (like Trump's victory in 2016 sigh).
Good luck with your dreams. I'll bet on things that at least have a chance.
I believe you are wrong....but we will see in November. I just drove through Wyoming, Montana and S. Dakota. There were VERY few Trump Vance signs. I may have seen three or four.
Even Galveston, Texas, has seen a large number of souvenir shops, without their usual Trump merchandise. I've seen very few Trump signs....fewer than Harris/Walz in my neighborhood.
And I ain't smoking anything. I believe your wrong, I hope your wrong, but we'll see in November. And if we win...we will see all the dirty trick Repubs play to throw the election
We still have time to mitigate our 2020 losses and take our message to the diaspora. E.G. Uniontown, Waynesburg, Somerset, New Castle, Meadville, Sharon. Dubois Pa. Grand Rapids. Wausau, Green Bay, etc.
Target the message to them!
In 2020, Trump won my home county in Pennsyltucky by 65%. In others, 78%.
Trump won Waushara and Washington Counties, Wisconsin by 2/3. St. Clair County, Michigan by 64%.
To win the blue wall, neutralize MAGA.
I live in Waushara County, WI. Yes, there are a lot of tRump signs around, especially in farm fields, which makes no sense to me. But the Dems around here, who have long been timid due to fears of being overwhelmed, are speaking out and stepping up, running for office and ready to vote!!!
Great. Need cheeseheads for Kamala. Big day today, Voter registration.
Same day registration is available at your polling place on Election Day if deadlines (below) are missed. Remember to bring ID or another proof of residence document.
Registration deadlines for online and by mail (postmarked) for the General Presidential Election on November 5, 2024 is October 16, 2024 (20 days prior to the election).
You can register in person at the clerk’s office through November 1, 2024.
Absentee ballot application deadline for the General Presidential Election is tbd.
In Wisconsin, you can pre-register to vote at 17 years old if you will be 18 by Election Day.
If you need help getting an ID, contact VoteRiders.org or call/text 1-844-338-8743.
Mail ballots should be mailed back at least a week prior to the election; or dropped off at an Early Voting site, or at ANY polling location on Election Day (no ID or waiting in line required). Ballots not received by 7pm on Election Day will not count.
Susan, our next door neighbor, a former R (now I) county commissioner, has a Harris/Walz sign out. It is important that Ds prevail. We were at our haircuts yesterday and it owned by a married gay couple who feel, naturally, threatened by Rs. Our hair person actually refused to rebook a client who was too up front about how she felt. It is difficult for them, running a business.
Good for your hairdresser friend to refuse the business. It IS legal to do that. If someone offends you, you can say, "thanks but no thanks". I am sorry they had to do that (business is not easy to come by these days) but glad they were able to stand firm and tell those who offend them to take a walk.
He didn't actually say anything, just refused to rebook her and she knew why. The people who come to the shop know that he and Eddie are married, but MAGAs often have to somehow be in your face. This is why so many of them love death star; they have carte blanche to be openly hateful. I was in education for many years and had to keep politics (and religion) to myself. I also had to contend now and then with parents who were problems, but I had to be tactful.
There is a huge difference between "I believe you are wrong" and "I hope you are wrong". I hope I am wrong TOO! I certainly do not want to lose the Senate. But I am also someone who looks closely at the data and interprets it using the appropriate available facts. There is NOTHING I can see on the horizon that suggests I am wrong. If you KNOW something I don't, please let me know. Anecdotal stuff about souvenir shops in Texas? Not really all that classifiable as evidence, y'know. So if you said "I hope you are wrong" I would strongly agree with you. If you say "I believe you are wrong", I go back to suggesting that you must be smoking something LOL, but please do not take offense... it is not personal, it is just a reality-based view of politics in 2024.
And I am not even THINKING about the crap the GOP can throw if they lose. That will be a whole 'nuther discussion. But let's wait until we get there. I can only deal with one catastrophe at a time LOL! :-)
There was “ no realistic way” for Dems to hold the senate in 2020 either. But Georgia happened.
Actually Georgia was rated a toss-up in 2020 and the Dems managed to oust two very bad GOP candidates. But the big difference (IF you are interest in logic and not just passion) is that Georgia was a split state by population, with a LARGE black population (and one of the Senate candidates, Raphael Warnock, was black if you remember). It typically has margins like 5% between GOP and Democratic. That put any state-wide race (as opposed to races in the districts which are highly gerrymandered) as a relative toss-up. Montana is NOTHING AT ALL like that. Typically, it has 10-15% swings TOWARDS GOP candidates including Trump when he has been on the ballot. Tester got lucky because he ran in 2012 (when Obama won the Presidency) and then again in 2018 during the non-presidential election year when the so-called "blue wave" hit the US. But THIS year Trump IS on the ballot (and polls show him leading in Montana by his typical 10+% point margins. Tester is seriously in trouble and the polls show that clearly.
I am sorry, I am a computer software engineer and I tend to look at data, not emotions. Emotions CAN change things but rarely, mostly data works best. And the data for Montana suggests a 5+% GOP win in the Senate. I'd be happy to make or take a bet on that. Willing to bet $100 that the GOP candidate will win by at least 5%.
For me, if you seriously think there is a chance that Tester can win, you should be willing to take that bet, but I doubt anyone (at least anyone who is in their right mind) would.
Again, I sure hope I am wrong. I do NOT want to concede the Senate to the GOP insanity again (hopefully not McConnell this time, but my guess is he will try to hold on to his power from the last time). But if I have to place a bet, it certainly will be on the GOP.
Jon Rosen, I don't disagree with you, but being "realistic" about our chances is discouraging for me. If I am to be disappointed, I'll save it for after the elections. For now I will continue to work my ass off in hope that it will make a difference. Dewy-eyed idealism has accomplished much.
I am happy for you and of course hope you can change things. I felt that way for many years until Reagan won in 1980. Sigh, that was an eye-opener. Carter was still one of the best Presidents we ever had and he was screwed by the GOP. Oh well, I will probably never get over that one. Anyway, as I have said, I hope you are right and I am wrong. Stranger things have happened in the past LOL. Just not often enough, sigh.
I read or listened to so many things today so I don't remember where it was I learned of the discouraging news about Montana and the effect that losing the Senate will have on the federal court system. While Biden has been able to appoint a number of judges and one justice, many lower court judges will be retiring soon. To prevent a President Harris from appointing judges and justices McConnell would pull a Garland and not allow any confirmations to proceed.
I follow Simon Rosenberg's work and philosophy. Do More Worry Less. And frankly your outlook is a very small piece of the overall political picture for the past 9 years.
I invite you to please stop doomsday posting.
This is not doomsday posting. It is serious analysis and it is NECESSARY if everyone is to be clear-headed. Passion does NOT win elections. Brains and facts and effort win elections. And reality is always a good thing to keep in mind. I suggest that your invitation be politely declined. You are certainly entitled to your opinion here, but I pay for my privilege to post here too and I do NOT represent the enemy, I am your FRIEND, and trust me I will NEVER vote for anyone who even comes close to a MAGAt but I still feel it is important to TELL THE TRUTH, not cover it up with opinions that do not hold up to careful analysis.
Reagan started it with his conjuring up the "welfare queen draining the Treasury," turning the mentally ill out onto the streets, waging war on the Middle Class and giving massive tax breaks to the wealthy, resulting in his admin tripling the national debt and leading to the present $35 trillion debt. Our schools failed to teach critical thinking skills, making G.W. Bush's famous statement true: "You can fool some of the people all of the time, and those are the ones you want to concentrate on." So, the oligarchs went to the airwaves and the print to pay for the spread of disinformation and outright lies. The result? Today 806 billionaires have wealth equal to that of one-half of the American population (163,000,000). We now have an oligarchy and a virtual non-existent Middle Class. When my generation passes on (I'm 84), what's left?
Not just donate to them but Phonebank for them and if you live in OH or MT, canvass for them. This will definitely help.
OH Phonebank:
https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/631457/
Volunteer with Brown’s campaign:
https://secure.ngpvan.com/JfpNUa_Zpk6_BeBaQjtB7Q2
Volunteer for Tester:
https://www.mobilize.us/bigskyvictory/event/617075/
MT Phonebank:
https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/623920/
Thanks Abby!
Yes DMS I so agree with you. While donating helps,we hope, in getting the message out on the importance of this election the most important is getting as many as possible out to vote and that they are committed to Vote Blue up and down this ticket because there is too much work to do to set the course straight to truly save democracy. The struggle will never be over, but we can lessen the success of authoritarian takeover. Also be alert for any movement in local and National that is attempting voter suppression and share that with friends and family, because when you lose your vote, you lose everything.
If you donate to Movement Voter Project, they will run the algorithms and put your money where it is needed most! Everyone giving to one candidate 1 day and another the next does not put the $$ where it is necessarily needed at this or that point in time, AND they pay their workers which developes a ground
Pretty much every paragraph of Heather's letter today should be amplified, separately, on our social media accounts. She is giving us the material for concise informational posts and the links to back them up - that if the million plus of us were actually taking the time to pass them on, would do a whole lot more than simply hoping the larger media will cover these points.
We need all the light on on this demagoguery we can manage.
I will spend time trying to to post each of her topics today for exactly that reason
I'm planning on a couple "In what world is it ok for ..." using topics from this post.
She lied to
You about the Dana Bash interview
Well, she posted - as always - a link to the source. If you listen to it and don't agree with her, fine, but calling it a lie is both disingenuous and uncivil. That matters to me because I come here for the civility in this community. it's usually a welcome escape from the rampant ranting and irrational incivility of other platforms.
Look at the source Heather has included.
Huh?
I posted a paragraph of hers on my Facebook feed just now.
Steve, I heard Vance's statement on MSNBC, but didn't hear anything about it on CBS or my local news. I am appalled what Trump and Vance are getting away with. Inciting violence should be a crime and Vance should be charged. Trump was charged for January 6th, but still nothing has come of that due to a whole bunch of ridiculous legal mumbo-jumbo. If Harris or Walz or Biden had done any of what Trump and Vance have been doing in the past month or so, there would have been a huge outcry and every media outlet would have been screaming for them to resign or be impeached. Vance should be censured in the Senate, but it won't happen because Republicans cannot hold anyone in their pathetic party responsible for anything, well, except ?Santos, a complete fraud and they didn't even want to do that.
And then Trump had the gall to blame his "assignation attempt" on the rhetoric from Harris saying he was bad for democracy.
🤣🤣🤣 Thanks for “assignation.” Shouldn’t we start with teaching Trump language?
Good luck with that LOL. Its hard to teach a 78 year old illiterate new tricks. Even if the tricks are the right ones :-)
He was not a very useful idiot.
I am assuming you are talking about Santos LOL. And yes, if so, you are right, he was SO outlandish (not to mention he was gay and lied about being Jewish) he was a convenient "see, we dropped him from our party, we aren't THAT bad" except of course they (the GOP) ARE that bad and Santos was just a useful distraction... "pay no attention to that man behind the curtain" :-).
You forget, Steve.
As favorite convicted criminal of the Clarence court, that orange felon is immune to all U.S. law.
Phil, that immunity thing is supposed to be only when in office and when the act is called "official." Trump does not meet any of those criteria now, but it won't matter. The SC must owe Baby Donnie and will pay him dearly while screwing our nation. Sweet deal for them because they have lifetime appointments so they can do whatever they want and no one will supposedly be able to stop them. A Democratic victory up and down the ballot in every state would stop them.
That is just wild crazy fantasy. There is literally no way there will be Democratic victories up and down the ballot in every state. The sooner you become realistic about politics, the better off you AND our nation will be. Trying the fantasize results that are simply not possible let alone probable is a waste of time and energy. There ARE realistic outcomes that we can work towards. My HOPE is to focus on (a) Harris winning the presidency, (b) A small number of NY and CA House districts that swung away from the Ds to the GOPs in 2022 giving the GOP the House will swing back giving the Dems again a 5-10 vote majority in the House and (c) ONLY losing the two Senate seats that seem virtually certain, West Virginia (Manchin's seat) and Montana (Tester's seat) and holding everything else including Sherrod Brown in Ohio, which will mean the GOP edge in the Senate will only be one seat, 51-49, since 50-50 with a Democrat in the VP spot means the Democrats still control the Senate. If by some VERY lucky chance the Dems can win either in Texas or Florida, that would be a major miracle and of course a 50-50 Senate would be HUGE for us. Let us pray it can happen, but be realistic. There will NOT be any SWEEP of the country, no matter how much you dream and wish and fantasize about it. IT. JUST. WON'T. HAPPEN. Sorry, that's just the truth.
Democrats need to focus on state races as well, and there is a tendency to ignore that.
Absolutely! I just think trying to set a goal of winning across the board up and down ballot is unrealistic. Focus on what is possible and maybe a few improbable elections will fall out way. Trying to win everything runs the risk of spreading ourselves too thin and losing too much.
Oh Jon, please don't do the work of the MAGAts and Russians for them. Nobody thought the "Blue Wave" would happen. But it did, against all expectations.
Thank you.
That, Ruth, and/or impeachment! The House can vote to impeach Supremes and the senate can convict and remove them from office. But we’d need that full ballot blue to do so.
Several want to resign and make real money in retirement, and do not want to do so under a democratic president. To which I say, fuck them!
Yup. And that court will crown the Orange Felon king in November.
We'll "fight, fight, fight" that from happening!
Hope and pray for the good of the country and our democracy we never have to see his orange face again regarding our Country and politics.
I am with you on the class action lawsuit by the residents of Springfield, Ohio against the Trump campaign. I read earlier today that Trump, Vance et al have" swatted" the city of Springfield by throwing out this vicious and vile( and also totally untrue) rhetoric against the Haitian community there. As a resident of Ohio, I am beyond outrage that this is happening in my state and is being orchestrated by a Senator here who is supposed to be representing my and my fellow Ohioans best interests.J D Vance along with his boss is totally unfit to serve.
It makes me very sad and angry that my state, Ohio's, reputation is being dragged through the mud by its own Senator!
I just made up a new word: caninophagia. Is that inflammatory enuf for ya? Go Harris/Walz!!
I've been wondering if I, a normal US citizen, could bring a lawsuit against Trump, for pain and suffering. I think it would be fabulous if millions of us could bring a class action lawsuit against him for this. Let's use his own tactics against him, keep delaying the case and keep him fighting it for years. I am SO TIRED of his shit! And in case anyone is wondering, NONE of the people who are truly against him want to see him assassinated. Because then he will be considered a martyr by his followers, and they will keep his vile hatred going forever.
Yeah, I'd rather see him held accountable in prison.
I will have to disagree with your assassination comment.
As to the lawsuit, he will be protected by his suck-ups on the Supreme Court.
Hate speech is generally accepted to be one of the prerequisites for mass atrocities such as genocide.
Let's not get bogged down in this stuff. This stuff is the effort of Republicans to deflect from their abysmal record of working for the American people and their lack of a clear agenda.
We have an election to win.
Steve, and everyone, for God's sake, please stop blaming the good guys. Merrick Garland is not just one of the good guys, he is also competent, and being good doesn't mean your competent, or vice versa. My point is that mocking him is helping the bad guys. And a class action lawsuit? How well has that worked so far?
The law is a useful tool if used with discretion, but its purpose is to constrain in lieu of control society, and it only works if enough of us have the wisdom to constrain our own ignorance. The more people there are that refuse to constrain their own ignorance, the less effective is the law.
Constraining our own ignorance is the only way to make the world a better place. And we are heading in the opposite direction when our ignorance is unconstrained.
To clarify: I am "constraining my own ignorance" when I see a disagreement with another individual or group as a dilemma that, if important enough, is worthy of a multi-step resolution. Conversely, if I see the disagreement as a problem with a one-step "I'm right, you're wrong, and this conversation is over" solution, then my ignorance is unconstrained. So, it's not hard to tell if someone is trying to resolve dilemmas or merely trying to solve problems.
"Be angry, but do not let the sun go down on your anger." —Ephesians 4:26.
It’s one thing to express your opinion. It’s another thing to claim I am “ignorant”. You just earned a block. Perhaps you’ll grow up someday and learn how to give people more respect the you appear capable of giving people today.
The question is not whether an individual is ignorant or not. We are all ignorant. No matter how much an individual knows, there’s a lot more that the individual does not know. The question for all of us is whether we are willing to constrain our own ignorance.
I have no problem with anyone criticizing my opinions, just take the time to understand what you’re criticizing. If I did have that problem, THEN I would be immature. In other words, one of us must learn how to give people more respect than they appear capable of giving today. It’s just that you've left me with the opinion that that person is not me.
Bottom line is that I can dish it out when I think it's important enough, and I'm mature enough to take it. Or does a block mean Steve doesn't see my comments?
In the meantime, the NYTwit runs as its “lede” headllne: “Trump, Using Harsh Language, Urges Democrats to Tone Down Theirs”
The entire Republican party needs to be investigated. Get after it Garland.
His admission should be “above the fold” stories in all media. Please demand your media and individual journalists to make it a top priority story. That lie is causing calls for violence. That is unacceptable from a candidate for public office.
Great questions!
Vance represents Ohio. What he has done to this community is reprehensible.
Steve, thank you for your comment. Criticisms of Trump and MAGA are easy to write but have no real effect on the election. We need ideas for "Action" and yours is one of them. The race is too close. There is no assurance that Harris wins.
Action Item: make one phone call today. Just one. Convince somebody to register, volunteer for something, or tell your state legislator you want them to do something.
Domestic terrorists - good call.