Nice job, Bill! As I just posted on Today's Edition though:
"And yet, despite the Republican nominees' ample baggage, the Democrats' unbridled enthusiasm, the birth and growth of grassroots organizations, the massive defections of Republicans, and just common sense, this remains a close race. How is that possible? How do we break thru?"
How do we turn that optimism into resounding victory, not for Harris/Walz, per se, but for democracy and the American way?
How? With voter turnout - in record breaking numbers!
When it comes to decency and climate reality, we have a very big advantage in opinions.
There are more nones and lovers of all people than there are Bible spouting bigots.
The nation is more diverse than ever before. Kamala Harris is more the face of America than Trump.
All of this is to our advantage.
It is just about turnout. The more participants, the more powerful we are.
IMO, Harris and Walz are infinetly more attractive humans than Team Hate. Color me very, very optimistic. But as I said ( as does Hubbell) not complacent.
For the first time …in a long time …I have “HOPE” but I am still worried over the Electoral College ! Time and time again the Toxic Orange has turned up his nose and spit on the Constitution as far as I’m concerned . The fact this man is STILL not in jail …he threatens and intimidates voters calling for the annihilation revenge and retribution of people …he screams there will be a “bloodbath” if we don’t vote for him AND his first order of business he tells us will be to hunt down any /all detractors and “crush us like “VERMIN”!! The fact the man has practically urinated on every gag order he has been given “EMPOWERS” his base of minions . He should be sitting in Jeff Epstein’s cell awaiting trial not out spewing his lies and hate !
He is a “textbook “ “malignant narcissist “ and we understand as a narcissist his accusations are “PROJECTIONS” a narcissists accusations are as close to a confession as you are going to get and now he is telling his cult ““So we have to be careful, you gotta get out there and you got to watch those voters,” he said. “You don’t have to vote, don’t worry about voting. The voting, we got plenty of votes, you gotta watch.” https://www.dailydot.com/debug/donald-trump-dont-vote-2024-election/
“WE GOT PLENTY OF VOTES” and the election hasn’t even been done should be a wake up call !! I for one am convinced he has “fixed” and he used that word and said, we won’t ever have to vote again ! This should chill people to their very bones because the man has told us he “will be a dictator on day one”!!
The fact we allow him to run around unfettered is a dangerous travesty and it’s naive ! The man should not even be on a ballot ! The man is a CONVICTED FELON , a rapist , a pedophile , a textbook malignant narcissist , a proven misogynist , pathological liar and he is a wanna be “dictator” that committed high treason inciting an insurrection and Democrats have allowed greedy /corrupt lawyers to manipulate the laws against the very intentions for which the laws were written is not just a travesty it’s ridiculous !!! Enough with accepting the word smithing and the blatant insults to our forefathers who I know must be turning over on their graves ! For crying out loud they were Patriots who wanted Americans to be free from tyranny and what have we allowed the Mango Mussolini to do ??? Intimidate voters …threaten our lives (this is enough to pull him off the ticket ) it’s ludicrous to have a man who has become a mirror image of Hitler only worse on a ballot that is going to “crush us like vermin” and who is going to make America a Christian nation when our forefathers were determined to keep a separation between church and state ! It’s time we honored our forefathers and stop pretending we don’t know the difference between the letter of the law and its intention !!!! It’s not 1789 …it’s 2024 and our forefathers were “sane” people who had “integrity” …two things the Toxic Orange does not and they couldn’t have possibly considered …because it’s INSANE ithat someday in the future …Americans would allow a person who has no integrity …no love for this country or her people …a CONVICTED FELON who is driven by hate and greed who and make no mistake …if given the opportunity he will burn down the country just so he can rule over the ashes …so IMHO the longer the CON is allowed to spew his lies and hate we are just empowering his base AND if we pretend he hasn’t “fixed” the electoral college than we deserve whatever we get .
He almost caused a “nuclear war” when he taunted Kim Jong Un about pushing his nuclear button because his button was bigger than Kim’s on January 2, 2018 !!!! North Korea launched a nuclear missile 11 days later at Hawaii !!! The tsunami warning system blasted the nuclear missile warning to all Hawaii residents and the terror in those minutes is indescribable ….afterwards the government tried to tell us it was a false alarm !!! Bullshit!!!!!!! That missile was sent …what the government really doesn’t want Americans to know is what took it out ! However …my point is …we have plenty …we have overwhelming facts that prove beyond a reasonable doubt the man is “UNFIT” and taunting a madman into a nuclear war should be enough ! Enough is enough and we shouldn’t be waiting until November 5th to find out he has not only fixed the Electoral College but he’s been planning another insurrection all along or did you forget about the “bloodbath” he promises if he doesn’t win !!! I grew up in a family of all Trumpers …I’m telling you we are being naive and actually ridiculous to allow this man to be on any ballot …we will not be avoiding civil war by empowering a bully instead of holding him accountable !!
And aspirationally, here is a piece of legislation that would address our mutual concern about the antique Electoral College. The National Popular Vote is stalled out, but with more effort could get across the finish line and make the "College" irrelevant. True democracy (like...majority rule!) would prevail. This site gives us an update. You can click on your state to see the status there. You and I live in states that have embraced it. The easy ones have bought in. But someday, the red walls of resistance to democracy will tumble. I believe that.
Right now, the combination of "it's a close race" and the overwhelming evidence of Democratic enthusiasm works for us. The Democrats biggest risk has always been complacency, and the idea of a close race enables a GOTV drive like none we've seen before. Exuberance over the 1964 results, combined with some boneheaded political moves by people who knew better, gave us Richard Nixon. Far better that we win this one in a landslide that runs the length of the ballot, turn the House and Senate solidly Democratic, have a great 4 years with Harris followed by another 4, and use this time to build a solid foundation for the rarely accomplished triumph of a 3rd straight administration from the same party. We are most assuredly not going back.
Yes. A mentally ill convicted felon who was deprived of love as a child. Who had a horrible father as a role model. Who thinks it's cool to commit fraud, avoid taxes and to scam others.
It will always be astounding to me that anyone was attracted to such a selfish, broken and vile political figure. I have no explanation.
I understand many of the legitimate grievances of his followers. But why they glommed on to such a piece of human detritus can't be explained.
Beautiful piece, Bill! The winds of “democracy and the American way,” to quote Bob Morgan, blow with hurricane force in this one! And the “love” component that’s missing in the MAGA hate plan for the country is definitely a healing agent that’s every bit as important as election strategies and funding campaigns. What Kamala and Tim realize that the Republican fascists don’t is that politics is supposed to be about building structures of governance that promote the the common good, not catering to the codependent whims of a sick, narcissistic fool like Trump. It’s also about honoring the virtues of truth and justice and respecting the rule of law as the arbiter of all issues that impact the well being of the collective body politic. Fascists just don’t get it and that’s why we, the people, have to turn out and vote “in record breaking numbers” as you put it.
Thanks, Stewart. Very well said. Hopefully the pendulum of national sentiment is swinging back to a desire for those virtues you described.
I think the MAGAs have finally just pushed too far into a dark place. Dobbs, Project 2025 and "childless cat ladies" are a witches brew that is poisoning their campaign.
And stepping back from it all, maybe, just maybe most people are sick and tired (exhausted!) of grievance, hate and anger. Maybe Harris and Walz have found some "lightning in a bottle".
Amen, Bill. Here’s to Kamala & Tim: May the spirit of Ben Franklin generate a lightning bolt powerful enough to save the imperiled Republic he challenged us to keep!
Political party conventions are like Disney Fireworks. They (DNC only) are beautiful to watch, hazardous (especially during fire season), and their absence, in context with the entire Disney experience, would have little cause to ask for a refund. Did I say they (conventions and fireworks) cost a fuck ton of money?
Jon Stewart always frames it more smoothly than I will ever be able to. Link to video below.
Yeah. In one of my fantasy worlds (I have many) that "theater money" would be spent on housing or food for kids or addiction treatment or clean water and cheap internet for everyone.
The elections would be publicly funded and would have clear start and end dates - not beginning on inauguration day! Members of the House of Representatives spend their first year trying figure out how to do their jobs and where the rest room is. They spend the second year trying to raise money. But I digress.
Thanks for your essay and links as well. I use to live in Naples, Florida. Though Florida is in fact sinking, the city and district of Naples is the best organized local government Florida has to offer - not to mention Rick Scott and other elitist flock live there - so if anyone group of government and bureaucrats will figure out environmental preservation, Naples will be ground zero.
Grrr. I know. I'm sending a note to future President Harris. Nationalize the fossil fuel industry. Use the profits to fund renewable energy production with available technologies...and super fund fusion and geothermal.
Petroleum is the product millions of years of rotting vegetation. It belongs to no one and everybody.
Harris doesn’t need the note. What’s first needed is instruction on how to alleviate the bi-partisan complacent complicity with more than 2,000 oil lobbyists.
Nice job, Bill! As I just posted on Today's Edition though:
"And yet, despite the Republican nominees' ample baggage, the Democrats' unbridled enthusiasm, the birth and growth of grassroots organizations, the massive defections of Republicans, and just common sense, this remains a close race. How is that possible? How do we break thru?"
How do we turn that optimism into resounding victory, not for Harris/Walz, per se, but for democracy and the American way?
How? With voter turnout - in record breaking numbers!
When it comes to decency and climate reality, we have a very big advantage in opinions.
There are more nones and lovers of all people than there are Bible spouting bigots.
The nation is more diverse than ever before. Kamala Harris is more the face of America than Trump.
All of this is to our advantage.
It is just about turnout. The more participants, the more powerful we are.
IMO, Harris and Walz are infinetly more attractive humans than Team Hate. Color me very, very optimistic. But as I said ( as does Hubbell) not complacent.
For the first time …in a long time …I have “HOPE” but I am still worried over the Electoral College ! Time and time again the Toxic Orange has turned up his nose and spit on the Constitution as far as I’m concerned . The fact this man is STILL not in jail …he threatens and intimidates voters calling for the annihilation revenge and retribution of people …he screams there will be a “bloodbath” if we don’t vote for him AND his first order of business he tells us will be to hunt down any /all detractors and “crush us like “VERMIN”!! The fact the man has practically urinated on every gag order he has been given “EMPOWERS” his base of minions . He should be sitting in Jeff Epstein’s cell awaiting trial not out spewing his lies and hate !
He is a “textbook “ “malignant narcissist “ and we understand as a narcissist his accusations are “PROJECTIONS” a narcissists accusations are as close to a confession as you are going to get and now he is telling his cult ““So we have to be careful, you gotta get out there and you got to watch those voters,” he said. “You don’t have to vote, don’t worry about voting. The voting, we got plenty of votes, you gotta watch.” https://www.dailydot.com/debug/donald-trump-dont-vote-2024-election/
“WE GOT PLENTY OF VOTES” and the election hasn’t even been done should be a wake up call !! I for one am convinced he has “fixed” and he used that word and said, we won’t ever have to vote again ! This should chill people to their very bones because the man has told us he “will be a dictator on day one”!!
The fact we allow him to run around unfettered is a dangerous travesty and it’s naive ! The man should not even be on a ballot ! The man is a CONVICTED FELON , a rapist , a pedophile , a textbook malignant narcissist , a proven misogynist , pathological liar and he is a wanna be “dictator” that committed high treason inciting an insurrection and Democrats have allowed greedy /corrupt lawyers to manipulate the laws against the very intentions for which the laws were written is not just a travesty it’s ridiculous !!! Enough with accepting the word smithing and the blatant insults to our forefathers who I know must be turning over on their graves ! For crying out loud they were Patriots who wanted Americans to be free from tyranny and what have we allowed the Mango Mussolini to do ??? Intimidate voters …threaten our lives (this is enough to pull him off the ticket ) it’s ludicrous to have a man who has become a mirror image of Hitler only worse on a ballot that is going to “crush us like vermin” and who is going to make America a Christian nation when our forefathers were determined to keep a separation between church and state ! It’s time we honored our forefathers and stop pretending we don’t know the difference between the letter of the law and its intention !!!! It’s not 1789 …it’s 2024 and our forefathers were “sane” people who had “integrity” …two things the Toxic Orange does not and they couldn’t have possibly considered …because it’s INSANE ithat someday in the future …Americans would allow a person who has no integrity …no love for this country or her people …a CONVICTED FELON who is driven by hate and greed who and make no mistake …if given the opportunity he will burn down the country just so he can rule over the ashes …so IMHO the longer the CON is allowed to spew his lies and hate we are just empowering his base AND if we pretend he hasn’t “fixed” the electoral college than we deserve whatever we get .
He almost caused a “nuclear war” when he taunted Kim Jong Un about pushing his nuclear button because his button was bigger than Kim’s on January 2, 2018 !!!! North Korea launched a nuclear missile 11 days later at Hawaii !!! The tsunami warning system blasted the nuclear missile warning to all Hawaii residents and the terror in those minutes is indescribable ….afterwards the government tried to tell us it was a false alarm !!! Bullshit!!!!!!! That missile was sent …what the government really doesn’t want Americans to know is what took it out ! However …my point is …we have plenty …we have overwhelming facts that prove beyond a reasonable doubt the man is “UNFIT” and taunting a madman into a nuclear war should be enough ! Enough is enough and we shouldn’t be waiting until November 5th to find out he has not only fixed the Electoral College but he’s been planning another insurrection all along or did you forget about the “bloodbath” he promises if he doesn’t win !!! I grew up in a family of all Trumpers …I’m telling you we are being naive and actually ridiculous to allow this man to be on any ballot …we will not be avoiding civil war by empowering a bully instead of holding him accountable !!
Cathy,
Greetings from the other side of the planet! Hope the hurricane and insane rain don't impact your side of the island.
Here is some reading that you might find interesting and somewhat reassuring. If you read Robert Reich today, he explains Trump's "coup claims" quite well. https://robertreich.substack.com/p/trumps-claim-of-a-coup
From a legal eagle point of view, and the safety if the transition to the Harris presidency....this article is helpful.
https://www.ncsl.org/state-legislatures-news/details/what-the-electoral-count-reform-act-means-for-states
And aspirationally, here is a piece of legislation that would address our mutual concern about the antique Electoral College. The National Popular Vote is stalled out, but with more effort could get across the finish line and make the "College" irrelevant. True democracy (like...majority rule!) would prevail. This site gives us an update. You can click on your state to see the status there. You and I live in states that have embraced it. The easy ones have bought in. But someday, the red walls of resistance to democracy will tumble. I believe that.
https://www.nationalpopularvote.com/written-explanation
Right now, the combination of "it's a close race" and the overwhelming evidence of Democratic enthusiasm works for us. The Democrats biggest risk has always been complacency, and the idea of a close race enables a GOTV drive like none we've seen before. Exuberance over the 1964 results, combined with some boneheaded political moves by people who knew better, gave us Richard Nixon. Far better that we win this one in a landslide that runs the length of the ballot, turn the House and Senate solidly Democratic, have a great 4 years with Harris followed by another 4, and use this time to build a solid foundation for the rarely accomplished triumph of a 3rd straight administration from the same party. We are most assuredly not going back.
Every time I see Trump on stage, I remember that the whole Republican Party is now a cult led by a mentally ill convicted felon.
Yes. A mentally ill convicted felon who was deprived of love as a child. Who had a horrible father as a role model. Who thinks it's cool to commit fraud, avoid taxes and to scam others.
It will always be astounding to me that anyone was attracted to such a selfish, broken and vile political figure. I have no explanation.
I understand many of the legitimate grievances of his followers. But why they glommed on to such a piece of human detritus can't be explained.
Beautiful piece, Bill! The winds of “democracy and the American way,” to quote Bob Morgan, blow with hurricane force in this one! And the “love” component that’s missing in the MAGA hate plan for the country is definitely a healing agent that’s every bit as important as election strategies and funding campaigns. What Kamala and Tim realize that the Republican fascists don’t is that politics is supposed to be about building structures of governance that promote the the common good, not catering to the codependent whims of a sick, narcissistic fool like Trump. It’s also about honoring the virtues of truth and justice and respecting the rule of law as the arbiter of all issues that impact the well being of the collective body politic. Fascists just don’t get it and that’s why we, the people, have to turn out and vote “in record breaking numbers” as you put it.
Thanks, Stewart. Very well said. Hopefully the pendulum of national sentiment is swinging back to a desire for those virtues you described.
I think the MAGAs have finally just pushed too far into a dark place. Dobbs, Project 2025 and "childless cat ladies" are a witches brew that is poisoning their campaign.
And stepping back from it all, maybe, just maybe most people are sick and tired (exhausted!) of grievance, hate and anger. Maybe Harris and Walz have found some "lightning in a bottle".
Timing is everything.
Amen, Bill. Here’s to Kamala & Tim: May the spirit of Ben Franklin generate a lightning bolt powerful enough to save the imperiled Republic he challenged us to keep!
Political party conventions are like Disney Fireworks. They (DNC only) are beautiful to watch, hazardous (especially during fire season), and their absence, in context with the entire Disney experience, would have little cause to ask for a refund. Did I say they (conventions and fireworks) cost a fuck ton of money?
Jon Stewart always frames it more smoothly than I will ever be able to. Link to video below.
#VoteAgainstProject2025
https://youtu.be/QjsSzf3Pg7E?si=zjPL2EncMe-zgUws
Yeah. In one of my fantasy worlds (I have many) that "theater money" would be spent on housing or food for kids or addiction treatment or clean water and cheap internet for everyone.
The elections would be publicly funded and would have clear start and end dates - not beginning on inauguration day! Members of the House of Representatives spend their first year trying figure out how to do their jobs and where the rest room is. They spend the second year trying to raise money. But I digress.
Thanks for the link.
Thanks for your essay and links as well. I use to live in Naples, Florida. Though Florida is in fact sinking, the city and district of Naples is the best organized local government Florida has to offer - not to mention Rick Scott and other elitist flock live there - so if anyone group of government and bureaucrats will figure out environmental preservation, Naples will be ground zero.
Context…climate change and or preservation pendulum seems to be swinging both ways…more of a complicity than complacency issue it would seem, no?
https://truthout.org/articles/why-is-the-us-producing-more-oil-and-natural-gas-than-ever-under-biden/
Grrr. I know. I'm sending a note to future President Harris. Nationalize the fossil fuel industry. Use the profits to fund renewable energy production with available technologies...and super fund fusion and geothermal.
Petroleum is the product millions of years of rotting vegetation. It belongs to no one and everybody.
Harris doesn’t need the note. What’s first needed is instruction on how to alleviate the bi-partisan complacent complicity with more than 2,000 oil lobbyists.