theguardian--2020-10-31--Obama lends a hand as Biden and Trump launch final campaign blitz

America was on edge on Saturday as Donald Trump and Joe Biden launched a final campaign blitz amid a surging pandemic , record early voting and gnawing uncertainty over when the outcome of the presidential election will be known .
Trailing in the polls , Trump began a frenzied schedule of 14 rallies in three days , even as the coronavirus scythed through the country .
The US recorded more than 99,000 cases on Friday , its biggest ever single-day total .
Many of the worst outbreaks are in the battleground states where the president is travelling .
Biden campaigned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Flint and Detroit , predominantly Black cities where strong turnout will be essential in the fight for Michigan .
Stevie Wonder was to perform in Detroit .
In Flint , Obama decried Trump as a president “ who goes out of his way to insult people just because they don ’ t support them ” .
“ With Joe and Kamala at the helm , ” he said , “ you ’ re not going to have to think about them every day .
You ’ re not going to have to argue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It won ’ t be so exhausting .
You ’ ll be able to get on with your lives.
” Obama also went after Trump ’ s idea of masculinity , saying that being a man once meant “ taking care of other people ” , rather than “ strutting and showing off , acting important , bullying people ” .
Following the former president on stage , Biden briefly slipped back into much-criticised attack lines against Trump , who he has previously said he would like to fight .
“ When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t you have liked to take a shot ?
” he asked , before apparently remembering to keep to the high road .
“ That ’ s a different story … but anyway .
[ Trump is ] macho man.
” Both men repeated Biden ’ s vow to get the coronavirus pandemic under control .
But with record numbers of infections , and record numbers of voters casting ballots early , the dominant narratives of 2020 were still hurtling towards a potentially destabilising climax .
There was intense anxiety over whether Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prolonged , agonising vote count , over days or even weeks .
More than eight in 10 Americans ( 86 % ) are somewhat or very worried there will be violent protests following the election , the Public Religion Research Institute found .
Businesses in New York , Washington and other cities were boarding up in case of trouble .
Trump has spent months claiming , without evidence , that he can only lose if it the vote is rigged .
He has threatened to challenge the outcome and refused to commit to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rural Pennsylvania on Saturday , the president told supporters they should scrutinise polls in Philadelphia , a Democratic city , on election day .
Democrats have called for massive turnout , to put the result beyond doubt .
The election comes after a year that has seen an impeachment trial , an economic crisis and a reckoning over racial injustice .
But Covid-19 remains the defining issue and the candidates ’ closing arguments could not be more different .
Biden has been driving home the message that Trump mismanaged a pandemic that has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ He ’ s doing nothing , ” the former vice-president said this week .
“ We ’ re learning to die with it .
Donald Trump has waved the white flag , abandoned our families and surrendered to the virus.
” In Florida on Thursday , the president , who spent three nights in hospital after becoming infected , said : “ You know the bottom line , though ?
You ’ re gon na get better .
You ’ re gon na get better .
If I can get better , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ got better fast.
” On Friday , he baselessly claimed : “ Our doctors get more money if someone dies from Covid .
You know that , right ?
I mean , our doctors are very smart people .
So what they do is they say , ‘ I ’ m sorry but everybody dies of Covid.
’ ” The president was to hold four rallies in Pennsylvania on Saturday , then five on Sunday and five on Monday across Iowa , Florida , Michigan , North Carolina , Pennsylvania and Wisconsin .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Reading , Pennsylvania , the president returned to a familiar theme , attacking Biden as a candidate who will curtail the freedoms of Americans .
“ Under Biden , there will be no school , no graduations , no weddings , no Thanksgiving , no Christmas , no Easter , no Fourth of July .
There will be no future for our country , ” he told supporters at the rally .
Observing mostly maskless supporters crammed together , critics have branded such rallies “ super-spreader events ” .
One study from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June and September could be linked to more than 700 deaths from Covid-19 .
Bob Shrum , a Democratic strategist who advised Al Gore and John Kerry , said : “ Trump is frantically flying around the country in Air Force One giving these rally speeches , which I think motivate his base but also alienate a lot of other voters because they look at the pictures where people are cheek by jowl and there ’ s no masking.
” Noting an outbreak among Vice-President Mike Pence ’ s staff , Shrum added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ invade the White House for a second time , so I think it adds to the sense that that he can ’ t handle Covid.
” Polls show Biden with a consistent lead nationally and up by smaller margins in the states that will decide the electoral college .
Democrats could also win a majority in the Senate , potentially ending years of gridlock .
But few are complacent .
The final Fox News poll in 2016 showed Hillary Clinton leading Trump 48 % to 44 % ; the final Fox News poll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ -44 % .
Analysts say that if polls are off by the same margin , Biden will still win .
Bob Woodward , author of two bestselling books about Trump , said : “ It looks like Biden ’ s going to win but I would not bet more than a dollar on it .
I think it ’ s quite possible that Trump will win.
” Polling , he warned , “ is a measure of , when they call around , a thousand or two thousand people who are crazy enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the question .
So they have polled 2,000 people who don ’ t have the sense to hang up the phone , which is what most people do .
So what are you measuring ?
What is the polling tell us ?
” Woodward added : “ I ’ m convinced that the supporters of President Trump to the core will crawl through snow and rain and fire to vote and support him .
I don ’ t think Biden has that kind of intellectual and emotional support , or at least at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aides and loyalists insist he can pull off another Houdini act .
Newt Gingrich , a former House speaker , said : “ I think it ’ s 70 % Trump gets elected and 30 % Biden wins.
” Asked why he was saying the opposite of what polls show , Gingrich replied : “ Because I think they ’ re all wrong .
These were the same polls that were totally wrong in ’ 16 .
Why would you guys believe them ?
They ’ ve learned nothing.
” For some , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that America will pull back from the brink of disaster .
Drexel Heard , a Black LGBTQ activist and Democratic official in Los Angeles , said : “ As soon as we get results or as soon as we hear that Joe Biden ’ s been elected , I think the temperature might just come down in the country , people might breathe a sigh of relief just for a little while because they ’ ll feel comfortable knowing that the next four years are not going to be chaos , that their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decide between their healthcare and their house .
“ That ’ s a big thing for us because we ’ ve never been this chaotic in American history outside of wartime .
”

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America was on edge on Saturday as Donald Trump and Joe Biden launched a final campaign blitz amid a surging pandemic, record early voting and gnawing uncertainty over when the outcome of the presidential election will be known.
Trailing in the polls, Trump began a frenzied schedule of 14 rallies in three days, even as the coronavirus scythed through the country. The US recorded more than 99,000 cases on Friday, its biggest ever single-day total. Many of the worst outbreaks are in the battleground states where the president is travelling.
Biden campaigned with Barack Obama at drive-in rallies in Flint and Detroit, predominantly Black cities where strong turnout will be essential in the fight for Michigan. Stevie Wonder was to perform in Detroit.
In Flint, Obama decried Trump as a president “who goes out of his way to insult people just because they don’t support them”.
“With Joe and Kamala at the helm,” he said, “you’re not going to have to think about them every day. You’re not going to have to argue with your family about him every day. It won’t be so exhausting. You’ll be able to get on with your lives.”
Obama also went after Trump’s idea of masculinity, saying that being a man once meant “taking care of other people”, rather than “strutting and showing off, acting important, bullying people”.
Following the former president on stage, Biden briefly slipped back into much-criticised attack lines against Trump, who he has previously said he would like to fight. “When you were in high school wouldn’t you have liked to take a shot?” he asked, before apparently remembering to keep to the high road.
It looks like Biden’s going to win but I would not bet more than a dollar on it. It’s quite possible Trump will win. Bob Woodward
“That’s a different story … but anyway. [Trump is] macho man.”
Both men repeated Biden’s vow to get the coronavirus pandemic under control. But with record numbers of infections, and record numbers of voters casting ballots early, the dominant narratives of 2020 were still hurtling towards a potentially destabilising climax. There was intense anxiety over whether Tuesday will deliver a clear verdict or a prolonged, agonising vote count, over days or even weeks.
More than eight in 10 Americans (86%) are somewhat or very worried there will be violent protests following the election, the Public Religion Research Institute found. Businesses in New York, Washington and other cities were boarding up in case of trouble.
Trump has spent months claiming, without evidence, that he can only lose if it the vote is rigged. He has threatened to challenge the outcome and refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power. In rural Pennsylvania on Saturday, the president told supporters they should scrutinise polls in Philadelphia, a Democratic city, on election day.
Democrats have called for massive turnout, to put the result beyond doubt.
The election comes after a year that has seen an impeachment trial, an economic crisis and a reckoning over racial injustice. But Covid-19 remains the defining issue and the candidates’ closing arguments could not be more different.
Biden has been driving home the message that Trump mismanaged a pandemic that has infected 9 million and killed 229,000. “He’s doing nothing,” the former vice-president said this week. “We’re learning to die with it. Donald Trump has waved the white flag, abandoned our families and surrendered to the virus.”
In Florida on Thursday, the president, who spent three nights in hospital after becoming infected, said: “You know the bottom line, though? You’re gonna get better. You’re gonna get better. If I can get better, anybody can get better. And I got better fast.”
On Friday, he baselessly claimed: “Our doctors get more money if someone dies from Covid. You know that, right? I mean, our doctors are very smart people. So what they do is they say, ‘I’m sorry but everybody dies of Covid.’”
The president was to hold four rallies in Pennsylvania on Saturday, then five on Sunday and five on Monday across Iowa, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. At one of Saturday’s stops in Reading, Pennsylvania, the president returned to a familiar theme, attacking Biden as a candidate who will curtail the freedoms of Americans. “Under Biden, there will be no school, no graduations, no weddings, no Thanksgiving, no Christmas, no Easter, no Fourth of July. There will be no future for our country,” he told supporters at the rally.
Observing mostly maskless supporters crammed together, critics have branded such rallies “super-spreader events”. One study from Stanford University said 18 Trump rallies between June and September could be linked to more than 700 deaths from Covid-19.
I think it’s 70% Trump gets elected and 30% Biden wins Newt Gingrich
Bob Shrum, a Democratic strategist who advised Al Gore and John Kerry, said: “Trump is frantically flying around the country in Air Force One giving these rally speeches, which I think motivate his base but also alienate a lot of other voters because they look at the pictures where people are cheek by jowl and there’s no masking.”
Noting an outbreak among Vice-President Mike Pence’s staff, Shrum added: “You have just had Covid invade the White House for a second time, so I think it adds to the sense that that he can’t handle Covid.”
Polls show Biden with a consistent lead nationally and up by smaller margins in the states that will decide the electoral college. Democrats could also win a majority in the Senate, potentially ending years of gridlock.
But few are complacent. The final Fox News poll in 2016 showed Hillary Clinton leading Trump 48% to 44%; the final Fox News poll this year has Biden up 52%-44%. Analysts say that if polls are off by the same margin, Biden will still win.
Bob Woodward, author of two bestselling books about Trump, said: “It looks like Biden’s going to win but I would not bet more than a dollar on it. I think it’s quite possible that Trump will win.”
Trump at an event in Reading on Saturday. Photograph: Carlos Barría/Reuters
Polling, he warned, “is a measure of, when they call around, a thousand or two thousand people who are crazy enough to pick up the phone and answer the question. So they have polled 2,000 people who don’t have the sense to hang up the phone, which is what most people do. So what are you measuring? What is the polling tell us?”
Woodward added: “I’m convinced that the supporters of President Trump to the core will crawl through snow and rain and fire to vote and support him. I don’t think Biden has that kind of intellectual and emotional support, or at least at the level that Trump has.”
Trump aides and loyalists insist he can pull off another Houdini act. Newt Gingrich, a former House speaker, said: “I think it’s 70% Trump gets elected and 30% Biden wins.”
Asked why he was saying the opposite of what polls show, Gingrich replied: “Because I think they’re all wrong. These were the same polls that were totally wrong in ’16. Why would you guys believe them? They’ve learned nothing.”
For some, long queues of voters offer hope of that America will pull back from the brink of disaster. Drexel Heard, a Black LGBTQ activist and Democratic official in Los Angeles, said: “As soon as we get results or as soon as we hear that Joe Biden’s been elected, I think the temperature might just come down in the country, people might breathe a sigh of relief just for a little while because they’ll feel comfortable knowing that the next four years are not going to be chaos, that their families are not going to have to decide between their healthcare and their house.
“That’s a big thing for us because we’ve never been this chaotic in American history outside of wartime.”


theguardian--2020-10-31--Where to watch US election day live results in Australia

It ’ s been dubbed the most important US presidential election in recent history – one everyone in the world , including Australians , will be watching with great anticipation .
Held amid a historic pandemic that has claimed the lives of more than 220,000 Americans , and the most widespread civil rights protests in US history , this is an election that will define the course America takes .
What will a Biden victory – who has vowed to take action on climate change – mean for Australia ’ s climate policy ?
What will a Trump victory mean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ become a growing threat in Australia since his last election victory ?
How will either of them handle increasingly tense relations with our biggest trading partner , China , which has already placed Australian industries – such as barley and wine – in the crosshairs ?
A lot is at stake , not just for the US , but indeed for Australia , the Asia-Pacific region , and the entire world .
Election day is Tuesday 3 November but for the Australians watching , most of the action will be taking place on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re staying home or venturing out to a party , how and where can you watch the US election results live in Australia ?
Who will be televising it ?
Just like with past elections , Australian television stations will be holding special election day coverage .
ABC TV , SBS , channels Seven , Nine and Ten will all be covering the election .
The coverage begins at roughly 11am across the board , with ABC and Channel Seven starting earlier at 10am , and most going on until around 5.00pm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be able to watch rolling election coverage on BBC , CNN , Sky News , Fox News , and Al Jazeera English .
Of course there will be extensive coverage online .
The Guardian will be running a liveblog covering the election throughout the day , in addition to the continued extensive US election coverage and will include a live results tracker .
Major news broadcasters in the US such as NBC , ABC and CBS are expected to livestream their election coverage on YouTube , as they did in 2016 .
Traditional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Times and the Washington Post , and digital platforms like Vice and Huffington Post , also held livestreams for election coverage in 2016 .
You ’ ll also be able to read live blogs at most major news platforms .
The New York Times , The Washington Post , The Wall Street Journal , the Los Angeles Times , NBC News and Fox News will all be running a live blog on the night .
Where are watch parties being held in my city ?
• None The Well , University of Canberra @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There ’ s a relative dearth of election viewing parties this year , mostly due to the ongoing pandemic .
Nonetheless , there are a couple of events being held across the country .
Democrats Abroad , an official arm of the Democratic party , has organised watch parties across the country .
In Brisbane , they ’ ll be at Pig & Whistle , in Sydney they ’ re at 3 Wise Monkeys , and in Canberra they ’ ll be at PJ O ’ Reilly ’ s .
They ’ ll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Perth , but unfortunately for Melburnians , they ’ ll be hosting an online watch party .
A group of American expats in Sydney have also organised a bi-partisan watch party at Cheers bar , with the group encouraging people to “ chuck a sickie ” to join them .
At the University of Canberra , a student group has organised a watch party at The Well .
Similarly , students at the University of Adelaide have put together a watch party at the UniBar .
Also in Adelaide , an election watch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ St Hotel , with attendees encouraged to join up and cry “ tears of joy or fear ” .
Finally , CPAC , Australia ’ s largest conservative conference , will be doubling up as a de facto election watch party .
The initial allocation of tickets has been exhausted , although the conference is advertising a “ standby ” ticket if restrictions ease next week .
What time will polls close in the US ?
Poll opening and closing times varies state-to-state , but they all open between 6am and 9am , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time .
For Australians , that roughly translates to polls opening at 9pm AEST on 3 November and the latest poll , that being in Alaska , closing at 3pm AEST on 4 November .
What are the key states to keep an eye on ?
Because of the presidential voting system , where a president is decided by how many electoral college votes they win , a handful of swing states will probably be where the election is won or lost .
Florida , Pennsylvania , Ohio , Michigan , North Carolina @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the states you ’ ll need to keep an eye on , with a majority of them having flipped from supporting Obama to Trump in 2016 .
When will the victor be announced ?
Over 70 million Americans have already voted , more than half of the people who voted in 2016 , with experts expecting a historic turnout .
Counting begins on election day , which means that throughout the day , winners will be declared in each state once a candidate has a clear lead there , and results are usually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ET in the US .
That means a winner would normally be declared between 1pm and 3pm on Wednesday .
However , with so many people voting by mail , the result could potentially still be up in the air by the end of the day .
The numbers of people voting by mail is unprecedented , and coupled with the challenges of holding an election during a pandemic , it could be anyone ’ s guess when we ’ ll formally get a victor .

It’s been dubbed the most important US presidential election in recent history – one everyone in the world, including Australians, will be watching with great anticipation.
Held amid a historic pandemic that has claimed the lives of more than 220,000 Americans, and the most widespread civil rights protests in US history, this is an election that will define the course America takes.
What will a Biden victory – who has vowed to take action on climate change – mean for Australia’s climate policy?
What will a Trump victory mean for far right extremism, which has become a growing threat in Australia since his last election victory?
How will either of them handle increasingly tense relations with our biggest trading partner, China, which has already placed Australian industries – such as barley and wine – in the crosshairs?
A lot is at stake, not just for the US, but indeed for Australia, the Asia-Pacific region, and the entire world.
Election day is Tuesday 3 November but for the Australians watching, most of the action will be taking place on Wednesday 4 November.
So if you’re staying home or venturing out to a party, how and where can you watch the US election results live in Australia?
Who will be televising it?
Just like with past elections, Australian television stations will be holding special election day coverage. ABC TV, SBS, channels Seven, Nine and Ten will all be covering the election.
The coverage begins at roughly 11am across the board, with ABC and Channel Seven starting earlier at 10am, and most going on until around 5.00pm.
On cable, you’ll be able to watch rolling election coverage on BBC, CNN, Sky News, Fox News, and Al Jazeera English.
Of course there will be extensive coverage online.
The Guardian will be running a liveblog covering the election throughout the day, in addition to the continued extensive US election coverage and will include a live results tracker.
Major news broadcasters in the US such as NBC, ABC and CBS are expected to livestream their election coverage on YouTube, as they did in 2016.
Traditional news publications such as the New York Times and the Washington Post, and digital platforms like Vice and Huffington Post, also held livestreams for election coverage in 2016.
You’ll also be able to read live blogs at most major news platforms. The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, NBC News and Fox News will all be running a live blog on the night.
Where are watch parties being held in my city?
Adelaide
Gilbert St Hotel, 88 Gilbert St, Adelaide.
UniBar, Union House, Ground The University of Adelaide, Adelaide.
Brisbane
Pig & Whistle, Riverside Centre 123 Eagle St, Brisbane City.
Canberra
PJ O’Reilly’s, 52 Alinga St, Canberra.
The Well, University of Canberra, 20 Telita St, Bruce.
Melbourne
Online watch party only.
Perth
The Windsor Hotel, 112 Mill Point Rd, South Perth.
Sydney
3 Wise Monkeys, 555 George St, Sydney.
Cheers Sports Bar, 561 George Street, Sydney.
CPAC, Doltone House, Darling Island, Pyrmont.
There’s a relative dearth of election viewing parties this year, mostly due to the ongoing pandemic.
Nonetheless, there are a couple of events being held across the country.
Democrats Abroad, an official arm of the Democratic party, has organised watch parties across the country. In Brisbane, they’ll be at Pig & Whistle, in Sydney they’re at 3 Wise Monkeys, and in Canberra they’ll be at PJ O’Reilly’s. They’ll also be hosting parties in Adelaide and Perth, but unfortunately for Melburnians, they’ll be hosting an online watch party.
A group of American expats in Sydney have also organised a bi-partisan watch party at Cheers bar, with the group encouraging people to “chuck a sickie” to join them.
At the University of Canberra, a student group has organised a watch party at The Well. Similarly, students at the University of Adelaide have put together a watch party at the UniBar.
Also in Adelaide, an election watch party is being hosted at the Gilbert St Hotel, with attendees encouraged to join up and cry “tears of joy or fear”.
Finally, CPAC, Australia’s largest conservative conference, will be doubling up as a de facto election watch party. The initial allocation of tickets has been exhausted, although the conference is advertising a “standby” ticket if restrictions ease next week.
What time will polls close in the US?
Poll opening and closing times varies state-to-state, but they all open between 6am and 9am, and close between 7pm and 9pm local time.
For Australians, that roughly translates to polls opening at 9pm AEST on 3 November and the latest poll, that being in Alaska, closing at 3pm AEST on 4 November.
What are the key states to keep an eye on?
Because of the presidential voting system, where a president is decided by how many electoral college votes they win, a handful of swing states will probably be where the election is won or lost.
Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, North Carolina, Arizona, Wisconsin and Iowa are the states you’ll need to keep an eye on, with a majority of them having flipped from supporting Obama to Trump in 2016.
When will the victor be announced?
Over 70 million Americans have already voted, more than half of the people who voted in 2016, with experts expecting a historic turnout.
Counting begins on election day, which means that throughout the day, winners will be declared in each state once a candidate has a clear lead there, and results are usually declared on election day, by 10pm ET in the US.
That means a winner would normally be declared between 1pm and 3pm on Wednesday. However, with so many people voting by mail, the result could potentially still be up in the air by the end of the day.
The numbers of people voting by mail is unprecedented, and coupled with the challenges of holding an election during a pandemic, it could be anyone’s guess when we’ll formally get a victor.


theguardian--2020-10-31--US Congress hopeful Nancy Goroff: 'We need more scientists in public office'

Nancy Goroff will be the first female research scientist to serve in the US Congress if she is elected this November .
The Democratic candidate is running for one of Long Island ’ s seats in the House of Representatives against incumbent Republican , Lee Zeldin , an ardent President Trump supporter who has described her as a “ radical professor ” .
Facing a tight race with issues such as the coronavirus pandemic and climate change looming large , Goroff , a professor of chemistry at the State University of New York at Stony Brook , is stressing her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Stony Brook University for more than two decades developing new organic molecules for solar cells and eco-friendly lighting in your lab .
What made you decide to run for Congress ?
I decided in late 2018 , when the issues top of mind were climate change , the environment and healthcare .
It came from being frustrated and infuriated with the denigration of science and expertise by the Trump administration .
I ’ ve always advocated causes that I believe in – I sit on the Union of Concerned Scientist ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t seem like enough any more .
I couldn ’ t stand by .
Given the pandemic and climate emergency , is this election a referendum on whether politicians should listen to scientific advice ?
It seems to be .
We hear from voters that they ’ re frustrated with politicians for not paying attention to the science and leading us to where we are now .
Biden has said he is going to be a big proponent of science .
We need to use facts to guide us through the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) testified recently that the most important thing we can do to get ahead of the pandemic – more important than a vaccine – is to have everyone wear masks .
That didn ’ t fit Trump ’ s narrative , so he said the CDC director misspoke .
Rather than contradicting the CDC , he should be amplifying its message .
That [ Trump ] won ’ t wear a mask and denigrates people for wearing masks is just unconscionable to me .
What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump was re-elected ?
There would be a lot of pain and suffering .
The pandemic will last much longer .
I also worry about a continued lack of action on climate change , lack of concern about providing healthcare to people and the further undermining of experts in every government agency .
People have been pushed out and there is a huge amount of work to do to rebuild that expertise .
You ’ re not specifically supporting the Green New Deal , the progressive environmental package introduced last year by two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It sets an aggressive goal of developing a carbon neutral economy in 10 years .
If elected , what would you do instead ?
There are many different versions of the Green New Deal .
If I say I ’ m for the Green New Deal , the Republicans will decide that I ’ m for the most extreme version .
I am for the US aiming to be carbon neutral in our energy production by 2035 and carbon neutral overall , including all sources , as soon after as we can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deploy the renewable energy technologies we have as quickly as possible and invest in research to develop new ones .
I want to make sure Covid-19 stimulus spending is focused on investment in clean energy infrastructure .
That will bring jobs and move us closer to a carbon neutral future .
Then – I ’ m a scientist , I am well versed in the data – I want my office to be a resource for every member of Congress on scientific questions .
You are backed by 314 Action , a Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elected to public office .
Why do we need more scientists in Congress and does gender matter ?
We need more scientists , regardless of gender .
We have a lot of lawyers and business people and that ’ s fine , but you want people from diverse backgrounds when you are trying to make complicated policy decisions .
So many of our big challenges as a country have a scientific or technical component .
There is only one research scientist in Congress now [ Bill Foster , a Democratic physicist from Illinois @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I know what it means to be an underrepresented group and I think that will be helpful for making sure my constituents get their voices amplified .
There seems to be a trend towards manipulating science for political gain .
Do the Democrats banging the drum for science during the pandemic , and you and others running for office on the back of your scientific credentials , heighten that ?
There is political benefit to Democrats in emphasising science .
But I don ’ t fault them for that .
The world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we have leaders who ignored the science , and we all are paying the price for it .
And anytime somebody runs for office , they ’ re running on the basis of who they are and what experiences they bring to the table .
I think my experiences are particularly useful ones that will help us come to better policy .
We do need to have our two major political parties again be willing to accept facts and scientific results .
I never thought we would get to a place where we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health advisories .
Science evolves and advice can change .
For example , face masks weren ’ t recommended by authorities at the beginning of the pandemic .
How do we deal with that in a world where people want certainty from science ?
Science is fixable .
The results can be tested and retested and , over time , those results get refined to be more accurate .
I think the important thing is for scientists not to overstate certainty .
But when there are clear lines of evidence , we should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possible .
There was a time when the science on Covid-19 was less well known .
But that was months ago and can not be used now as an excuse by the Trump administration for ignoring established public health information .
Countries with either a woman or a scientist in charge – or both in the case of Germany , where Chancellor Angela Merkel has a PhD in quantum chemistry – seem to have fared better with Covid-19 .
Is there a link ?
Correlation doesn ’ t indicate causation .
Merkel demonstrated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the facts and the information , analyse them and come up with policies that match .
She is by no means the only leader to do that and I don ’ t think that one has to be a scientist in order to take into account scientific information .
But I do think her facility for looking at data helped her come to the right policy quickly , and it was to Germany ’ s benefit .
Unfortunately , we have a very different leader than that .

Nancy Goroff will be the first female research scientist to serve in the US Congress if she is elected this November. The Democratic candidate is running for one of Long Island’s seats in the House of Representatives against incumbent Republican, Lee Zeldin, an ardent President Trump supporter who has described her as a “radical professor”. Facing a tight race with issues such as the coronavirus pandemic and climate change looming large, Goroff, a professor of chemistry at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, is stressing her science credentials.
You’ve worked at Stony Brook University for more than two decades developing new organic molecules for solar cells and eco-friendly lighting in your lab. What made you decide to run for Congress?
I decided in late 2018, when the issues top of mind were climate change, the environment and healthcare. It came from being frustrated and infuriated with the denigration of science and expertise by the Trump administration. I’ve always advocated causes that I believe in – I sit on the Union of Concerned Scientist’s National Advisory Board – but it just didn’t seem like enough any more. I couldn’t stand by.
Given the pandemic and climate emergency, is this election a referendum on whether politicians should listen to scientific advice?
It seems to be. We hear from voters that they’re frustrated with politicians for not paying attention to the science and leading us to where we are now. Biden has said he is going to be a big proponent of science.
We need to use facts to guide us through the coronavirus pandemic. The head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) testified recently that the most important thing we can do to get ahead of the pandemic – more important than a vaccine – is to have everyone wear masks. That didn’t fit Trump’s narrative, so he said the CDC director misspoke. Rather than contradicting the CDC, he should be amplifying its message. That [Trump] won’t wear a mask and denigrates people for wearing masks is just unconscionable to me.
What would the fallout for science be if Trump was re-elected?
There would be a lot of pain and suffering. The pandemic will last much longer. I also worry about a continued lack of action on climate change, lack of concern about providing healthcare to people and the further undermining of experts in every government agency. People have been pushed out and there is a huge amount of work to do to rebuild that expertise.
Our two major political parties must again be willing to accept facts and scientific results
You’re not specifically supporting the Green New Deal, the progressive environmental package introduced last year by two Democrats including New York representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. It sets an aggressive goal of developing a carbon neutral economy in 10 years. If elected, what would you do instead?
There are many different versions of the Green New Deal. If I say I’m for the Green New Deal, the Republicans will decide that I’m for the most extreme version. I am for the US aiming to be carbon neutral in our energy production by 2035 and carbon neutral overall, including all sources, as soon after as we can. To achieve that we need to deploy the renewable energy technologies we have as quickly as possible and invest in research to develop new ones.
I want to make sure Covid-19 stimulus spending is focused on investment in clean energy infrastructure. That will bring jobs and move us closer to a carbon neutral future. Then – I’m a scientist, I am well versed in the data – I want my office to be a resource for every member of Congress on scientific questions.
You are backed by 314 Action, a Democratic committee whose mission is to get scientists elected to public office. Why do we need more scientists in Congress and does gender matter?
We need more scientists, regardless of gender. We have a lot of lawyers and business people and that’s fine, but you want people from diverse backgrounds when you are trying to make complicated policy decisions. So many of our big challenges as a country have a scientific or technical component. There is only one research scientist in Congress now [Bill Foster, a Democratic physicist from Illinois]. As a woman in science, I know what it means to be an underrepresented group and I think that will be helpful for making sure my constituents get their voices amplified.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose PhD in quantum chemistry may have helped her Covid-19 policy-making. Photograph: Reuters
There seems to be a trend towards manipulating science for political gain. Do the Democrats banging the drum for science during the pandemic, and you and others running for office on the back of your scientific credentials, heighten that?
There is political benefit to Democrats in emphasising science. But I don’t fault them for that. The world, Americans, voters can see that we have leaders who ignored the science, and we all are paying the price for it. And anytime somebody runs for office, they’re running on the basis of who they are and what experiences they bring to the table. I think my experiences are particularly useful ones that will help us come to better policy.
We do need to have our two major political parties again be willing to accept facts and scientific results. I never thought we would get to a place where we would have our president politicising basic public health advisories.
Science evolves and advice can change. For example, face masks weren’t recommended by authorities at the beginning of the pandemic. How do we deal with that in a world where people want certainty from science?
Science is fixable. The results can be tested and retested and, over time, those results get refined to be more accurate. I think the important thing is for scientists not to overstate certainty. But when there are clear lines of evidence, we should be spreading that information as much as possible. There was a time when the science on Covid-19 was less well known. But that was months ago and cannot be used now as an excuse by the Trump administration for ignoring established public health information.
Countries with either a woman or a scientist in charge – or both in the case of Germany, where Chancellor Angela Merkel has a PhD in quantum chemistry – seem to have fared better with Covid-19. Is there a link?
Correlation doesn’t indicate causation. Merkel demonstrated she was willing to look at all the facts and the information, analyse them and come up with policies that match. She is by no means the only leader to do that and I don’t think that one has to be a scientist in order to take into account scientific information. But I do think her facility for looking at data helped her come to the right policy quickly, and it was to Germany’s benefit. Unfortunately, we have a very different leader than that.


theguardian--2020-10-31--Joe Biden supporters won't believe in victory until it is theirs | Greg Jericho

A defining characteristic of progressive voters around the world is that they believe they can lose an election when ahead in the polls , and that they can not win an election when they are behind in them .
To be fair there is some justification for such belief .
Progressives have become quite good at losing elections they should win .
As we all look to the US presidential election this coming week , those working , hoping , and praying for a Biden win remain ever distrustful of the polls that have Biden up by eight points .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ but we all know that were Biden down eight points , no one would think there was any hope left .
The different attitude was nicely summarised by former Republican party consultant Stuart Stevens , who told Battleground podcast last week : It ’ s true that since 1988 the Democratic candidate has won the national vote in six of the seven presidential elections ( and is almost certain to do so again this time ) .
And yet they have won just four of those times .
The US electoral system , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes , is so disjointed from the national vote that 538 ’ s Nate Silver estimates that if Biden was ahead 1 % in the popular vote he would only have a 6 % chance of winning the election .
Add in legitimate concerns about voter suppression ( both before and after the election ) and Biden supporters won ’ t believe the victory is won until he has his hand on the Bible delivering the oath of office .
And even then ... After all , we are talking about a country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is temporarily taking ammunition and guns off its shelves out of fear of violence in the wake of the election result .
It is such a stunning announcement you kind of gloss over that this means guns and ammunition are normally on the shelves of Walmart stores .
We ’ re also talking about a country where 40 % of Florida voters in a recent poll said they thought Donald Trump was “ compassionate ” and 43 % thought he was “ truthful ” .
Words no longer have meaning at such times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been waiting for an “ October surprise ” .
But the Trump party ’ s ( that rancid combination of the Republican party and conservative media ) attempt to smear Biden by way of his son were as arousing to voters as watching Rudy Giuliani “ tuck in his shirt ” while lying on a bed .
Only the deluded and the desperate cared .
But what about good economic news that will turn voters back to Trump ?
Late this past week there were reports of “ record ” GDP growth figures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quarter America ’ s economy grew 33 % .
America for some bizarre reason likes to annualise quarterly growth .
The economy actually grew 7.4 % in the September quarter after falling 9 % in June – both figures were records .
The US economy remains 3.5 % smaller than it was before the pandemic took hold .
There are also 11 million fewer Americans employed than there were in February .
That is not a boom .
But nothing – neither the polls , the economy , nor the horrendous spread of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any sense that the election is his to win .
And fair enough – the stakes are too high .
A Trump victory would signal the failure of the US democratic experiment and the triumph of authoritarianism .
Given his administration ’ s utter inability to deal with the virus it would also mean not only many more deaths but also a brake on the global economy for many years to come .
It would also end hopes for limiting climate change at a global level .
On the other side of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a Senate majority might be able to undo some of the damage and do some good over the next four years .
There is no balance , and so we hold on , hoping there remains some good news for 2020 to deliver .

A defining characteristic of progressive voters around the world is that they believe they can lose an election when ahead in the polls, and that they cannot win an election when they are behind in them.
To be fair there is some justification for such belief. Progressives have become quite good at losing elections they should win.
Graph not appearing? View here
As we all look to the US presidential election this coming week, those working, hoping, and praying for a Biden win remain ever distrustful of the polls that have Biden up by eight points.
Maybe we should not trust them, but we all know that were Biden down eight points, no one would think there was any hope left.
The different attitude was nicely summarised by former Republican party consultant Stuart Stevens, who told Battleground podcast last week:
I seem to remember losing to the Democrats in the popular vote every time since 1988, except 2004, so it’s like ‘you guys are winning, we’re losing’ and I just think there is a timidity to the idea that this can’t be a huge victory for Joe Biden ... If I ran the Democratic party I would say ‘Look, this is ours, there is more of us than them, we just have to go and take it ... rout them, rout them from the field and know that you are just.
It’s true that since 1988 the Democratic candidate has won the national vote in six of the seven presidential elections (and is almost certain to do so again this time). And yet they have won just four of those times.
The US electoral system, with its allocation of winner-takes-all electoral college votes, is so disjointed from the national vote that 538’s Nate Silver estimates that if Biden was ahead 1% in the popular vote he would only have a 6% chance of winning the election.
Add in legitimate concerns about voter suppression (both before and after the election) and Biden supporters won’t believe the victory is won until he has his hand on the Bible delivering the oath of office.
And even then ...
After all, we are talking about a country in which Walmart has announced that it is temporarily taking ammunition and guns off its shelves out of fear of violence in the wake of the election result. It is such a stunning announcement you kind of gloss over that this means guns and ammunition are normally on the shelves of Walmart stores.
We’re also talking about a country where 40% of Florida voters in a recent poll said they thought Donald Trump was “compassionate” and 43% thought he was “truthful”. Words no longer have meaning at such times.
In the past month everyone has been waiting for an “October surprise”.
But the Trump party’s (that rancid combination of the Republican party and conservative media) attempt to smear Biden by way of his son were as arousing to voters as watching Rudy Giuliani “tuck in his shirt” while lying on a bed.
Only the deluded and the desperate cared.
But what about good economic news that will turn voters back to Trump? Late this past week there were reports of “record” GDP growth figures, with headlines that in the September quarter America’s economy grew 33%.
It didn’t.
America for some bizarre reason likes to annualise quarterly growth. The economy actually grew 7.4% in the September quarter after falling 9% in June – both figures were records.
The US economy remains 3.5% smaller than it was before the pandemic took hold. There are also 11 million fewer Americans employed than there were in February. That is not a boom.
But nothing – neither the polls, the economy, nor the horrendous spread of the virus – will give Biden supporters any sense that the election is his to win.
And fair enough – the stakes are too high.
A Trump victory would signal the failure of the US democratic experiment and the triumph of authoritarianism. Given his administration’s utter inability to deal with the virus it would also mean not only many more deaths but also a brake on the global economy for many years to come.
It would also end hopes for limiting climate change at a global level.
On the other side of the ledger is the hope a Biden administration with a Senate majority might be able to undo some of the damage and do some good over the next four years.
There is no balance, and so we hold on, hoping there remains some good news for 2020 to deliver.


theguardian--2020-10-31--Women will decide this election – and Trump keeps insulting them | Arwa Mahdawi

Trump has a very weird way of wooing women Suburban women can be so ungrateful .
Donald Trump saved your damn neighbourhood , OK ?
He ’ s saving your house .
He ’ s saving your community .
He fixed your dishwashers .
He ’ s keeping your crime way down .
And he ’ s getting your husbands back to work !
But despite this unhinged , and racism-tinged , list of imaginary accomplishments – which Trump trots out at every rally – suburban women are turning their backs on the president .
Biden leads by 23 points @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to recent polls , and by 19 points among suburban women overall , according to Pew Research .
This is a big problem for Trump .
Fifty-three per cent of white women voted for him in 2016 ; white women in battleground states like Pennsylvania helped usher him to victory , now they could lose him the election .
Biden is currently beating Trump by 6.7 points in Pennsylvania , largely because the president has lost the support of white women .
( It should be noted that while there are plenty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Suburban Women tends to be code for white women – Trump certainly uses it that way . )
Trump can ’ t seem to figure out why on earth the Suburban Housewives of America , who he tweets incessantly about , aren ’ t keen on him .
Nor can he figure out a coherent strategy to get them back : like an abusive ex-boyfriend , he ’ s been veering between angry threats and pathetic groveling , demanding that women appreciate all he ’ s done for them .
“ Suburban women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Trump bellowed at a recent rally in Pennsylvania .
“ Please .
I saved your damn neighborhood , OK ?
” That isn ’ t all he ’ s done for women , apparently .
At a rally on Tuesday , Trump boasted that he ’ s “ getting your husbands back to work ” .
This would be a condescending thing to say in any context , but it ’ s particularly infuriating when women have had to leave the workforce at a greater rate than men due to the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the US workforce , four times more than men .
It ’ s also a little strange that Trump doesn ’ t seem to think women work , considering his own daughter , Ivanka , wrote a book called Women Who Work where she drops pearls of wisdom like “ women who work are real ” .
Something not everyone realised before Ivanka pointed it out .
Ivanka , it should be said , has certainly been working hard for her father ’ s campaign lately .
Over the last few weeks she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across the country to woo suburban women with her peerless Stepford charm .
She ’ s recited fun facts about ice-cream in Milwaukee ( “ I learned that the first ice-cream sundae was created in this amazing state !
” ) She ’ s posted cute photos of doughnuts in Michigan .
She ’ s tweeted articles about women ’ s empowerment and promised to help kids and parents .
Except , you know , the 545 children separated from their parents at the US-Mexico border , who she ’ s stayed pretty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vague about her position on abortion , Ivanka has also come out as being “ unapologetically ” anti-abortion .
In an interview with Real Clear Politics on Thursday , Ivanka seemed to suggest that her choosing to have children made her realize other people should be forced to give birth .
“ I respect all sides , ” Ivanka said when asked about abortion , “ but I am also a mother of three children , and parenthood affected me in a profound way in terms of how I think about these things.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ how Ivanka coming out as anti-abortion is supposed to help Trump win back women .
Most people in America do not have extremist views about abortion , after all .
Rather , the sudden clarification of her abortion stance seems to be a last-ditch effort to drum up support among white Catholics , who have cooled on Trump a bit .
With Biden leading in the polls and the election around the corner it seems like the Trump campaign is getting desperate ; throwing whatever they can against the wall and hoping something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good for Trump at the moment but , if 2016 taught us anything , it ’ s to take the polls with a pinch of salt and not get complacent .
Please Suburban Women , I ’ m begging you , don ’ t mess it up this time .
The supreme court to hear LGBTQ right case Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed to the supreme court on Tuesday , meaning there is now a 6-3 conservative supermajority .
We ’ re going to find out very quickly what this means for LBGTQ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the court will hear arguments in Fulton v City of Philadelphia , a case that looks at whether religious foster agencies can refuse to work with same-sex prospective parents .
A ruling could come as soon as 9 November and open the doors to discrimination on the basis of “ religious liberty ” .
“ I beg you to please share your stories and to please be kind to those pouring their hearts out , ” Teigen said .
There is still far too much silence around pregnancy loss and too many women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a duty to save her and not forget her while she languishes in prison , ’ says Loujain ’ s sister .
Shame on everyone who participated in Saudi Arabia ’ s sham of a women ’ s summit earlier this month .
The Royal National Institute of Blind People has developed a prototype pregnancy test that delivers results by raising silicone bumps , rather than visually .
A test like this means visually impaired people can check their results privately .
How America invented the white girl who absolutely loves fall “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has become so solidified in the cultural imagination that she may as well be the season ’ s Easter Bunny , ” this interesting piece in Jezebel notes .
It traverses pumpkin spice , Taylor Swift , nostalgia and the Gilmore Girls to explain why .
Ever wanted to haunt a theatre after you die ?
Now ’ s your chance .
The Regent Theatre in Ontario , Canada has come up with an inspired way to raise some funds : buy a $ 25 ticket and you ’ ll be put into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to become the official ghost of the theatre once you shuffle off this mortal coil .

Sign up for the Week in Patriarchy, a newsletter on feminism and sexism sent every Saturday.
Trump has a very weird way of wooing women
Suburban women can be so ungrateful.
Donald Trump saved your damn neighbourhood, OK? He’s saving your house. He’s saving your community. He fixed your dishwashers. He’s keeping your crime way down. And he’s getting your husbands back to work! But despite this unhinged, and racism-tinged, list of imaginary accomplishments – which Trump trots out at every rally – suburban women are turning their backs on the president. Biden leads by 23 points among suburban women in swing states, according to recent polls, and by 19 points among suburban women overall, according to Pew Research.
This is a big problem for Trump. Fifty-three per cent of white women voted for him in 2016; white women in battleground states like Pennsylvania helped usher him to victory, now they could lose him the election. Biden is currently beating Trump by 6.7 points in Pennsylvania, largely because the president has lost the support of white women. (It should be noted that while there are plenty of non-white women in the suburbs, Suburban Women tends to be code for white women – Trump certainly uses it that way.)
Trump can’t seem to figure out why on earth the Suburban Housewives of America, who he tweets incessantly about, aren’t keen on him. Nor can he figure out a coherent strategy to get them back: like an abusive ex-boyfriend, he’s been veering between angry threats and pathetic groveling, demanding that women appreciate all he’s done for them. “Suburban women, will you please like me?” Trump bellowed at a recent rally in Pennsylvania. “Please. I saved your damn neighborhood, OK?”
That isn’t all he’s done for women, apparently. At a rally on Tuesday, Trump boasted that he’s “getting your husbands back to work”. This would be a condescending thing to say in any context, but it’s particularly infuriating when women have had to leave the workforce at a greater rate than men due to the pandemic. In September, 865,000 women left the US workforce, four times more than men.
It’s also a little strange that Trump doesn’t seem to think women work, considering his own daughter, Ivanka, wrote a book called Women Who Work where she drops pearls of wisdom like “women who work are real”. Something not everyone realised before Ivanka pointed it out.
Ivanka, it should be said, has certainly been working hard for her father’s campaign lately. Over the last few weeks she’s been parachuting into battleground states across the country to woo suburban women with her peerless Stepford charm. She’s recited fun facts about ice-cream in Milwaukee (“I learned that the first ice-cream sundae was created in this amazing state!”) She’s posted cute photos of doughnuts in Michigan. She’s tweeted articles about women’s empowerment and promised to help kids and parents. Except, you know, the 545 children separated from their parents at the US-Mexico border, who she’s stayed pretty quiet about.
After years of being vague about her position on abortion, Ivanka has also come out as being “unapologetically” anti-abortion. In an interview with Real Clear Politics on Thursday, Ivanka seemed to suggest that her choosing to have children made her realize other people should be forced to give birth. “I respect all sides,” Ivanka said when asked about abortion, “but I am also a mother of three children, and parenthood affected me in a profound way in terms of how I think about these things.”
I’m not entirely sure how Ivanka coming out as anti-abortion is supposed to help Trump win back women. Most people in America do not have extremist views about abortion, after all. Rather, the sudden clarification of her abortion stance seems to be a last-ditch effort to drum up support among white Catholics, who have cooled on Trump a bit. With Biden leading in the polls and the election around the corner it seems like the Trump campaign is getting desperate; throwing whatever they can against the wall and hoping something sticks.
Things don’t look good for Trump at the moment but, if 2016 taught us anything, it’s to take the polls with a pinch of salt and not get complacent. Please Suburban Women, I’m begging you, don’t mess it up this time.
The supreme court to hear LGBTQ right case
Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed to the supreme court on Tuesday, meaning there is now a 6-3 conservative supermajority. We’re going to find out very quickly what this means for LBGTQ rights. The day after the election the court will hear arguments in Fulton v City of Philadelphia, a case that looks at whether religious foster agencies can refuse to work with same-sex prospective parents. A ruling could come as soon as 9 November and open the doors to discrimination on the basis of “religious liberty”.
Chrissy Teigen wrote a moving piece about losing her baby
“I beg you to please share your stories and to please be kind to those pouring their hearts out,” Teigen said. There is still far too much silence around pregnancy loss and too many women suffering alone.
Loujain Al-Hathloul, jailed Saudi activist, on hunger strike
“The world has a duty to save her and not forget her while she languishes in prison,’ says Loujain’s sister. Shame on everyone who participated in Saudi Arabia’s sham of a women’s summit earlier this month.
A tactile pregnancy test for visually impaired people
The Royal National Institute of Blind People has developed a prototype pregnancy test that delivers results by raising silicone bumps, rather than visually. A test like this means visually impaired people can check their results privately.
How America invented the white girl who absolutely loves fall
“The basic white girl who loves fall has become so solidified in the cultural imagination that she may as well be the season’s Easter Bunny,” this interesting piece in Jezebel notes. It traverses pumpkin spice, Taylor Swift, nostalgia and the Gilmore Girls to explain why.
The week in poltergeistarchy
Ever wanted to haunt a theatre after you die? Now’s your chance. The Regent Theatre in Ontario, Canada has come up with an inspired way to raise some funds: buy a $25 ticket and you’ll be put into a Halloween raffle to gain the rights to become the official ghost of the theatre once you shuffle off this mortal coil.


theguardian--2020-10-31--Vote your cast: who is the greatest fictional US president?

Remember that lurch in your stomach when you realised that Donald Trump had been elected as US president ?
Not to bum anyone out , but there ’ s a chance that it might happen again in a few days .
Elections are fun and exciting , but also have the potential to end democracy as we know it .
That ’ s why we ’ ve put together the next best thing : a US election comprised solely of fictional presidents from film and TV .
These figures are bold , pure and tough as nails .
Most importantly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so they won ’ t plunge the world into a nightmare of war and corruption if they get elected .
Listed below are the names of a bunch of fictional presidents .
Eight are Democrats , eight are Republican and three are unaffiliated .
We will hold primaries for each category before handing the decisions over to our voters , Hari Kondabolu and Billy Ray .
Kondabolu was responsible for the 2017 doc The Problem With Apu , and co-hosts the unmissable Politically Re-Active podcast .
Ray wrote and directed brilliant miniseries The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ James Comey ’ s tortuous dealings with Donald Trump .
They know their stuff .
They want to speak for the people .
In the event of a stalemate – to mimic the electoral college system – we will step in and decide with a coin toss .
Ah , democracy in action ...
Pop culture rarely puts much stock in GOP presidents .
So while we tried to be fair , the following list has a large contingent of cowards , scumbags and aliens who gain the public ’ s trust by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , The Summit Christopher Plummer Plummer played a Republican president in a forgotten 2008 Canadian miniseries about a corrupt government attempting to cover up the outbreak of a global pandemic .
This is a totally unbelievable premise , of course .
Marcus Robbins , Sharknado 3 Mark Cuban Robbins is a true American hero .
How many other presidents have personally staved off a howling tornado of live sharks by blowing up the fish with a shotgun ?
Robbins ’ s political affiliation is never revealed in Sharknado 3 , but his VP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guess .
James Marshall , Air Force One Harrison Ford In the movie adaptation of Air Force One , Marshall doesn ’ t have a political affiliation .
In the book , however , he is a Republican .
Either way , he single-handedly managed to Die Hard a load of terrorists when they hijacked his plane , so let ’ s not mess with him .
Benjamin Asher , Olympus Has Fallen Aaron Eckhart Asher is tough but sensitive ; a man ’ s man still recovering from the death of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the White House , he ends up being shot in the stomach , but unfortunately not fatally enough to prevent a sequel from being made .
Charles Logan , 24 Gregory Itzin A classically Nixonian baddy and perhaps the greatest villain to square up to terrorist-hunting hero Jack Bauer .
As slippery , unlikable and thoroughly corrupt as any screen president , Logan nevertheless possessed an oily charisma that could propel him far in this contest .
Kang , The Simpsons Voiced by Harry Shearer In Treehouse of Horror VII segment Citizen Kang @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then sits on a throne as an enslaved human population build him a giant raygun .
Still better than the alternative ( in this instance the alternative is an identical alien named Kodos ) .
Mr Garrison , South Park Voiced by Trey Parker South Park ’ s Trump analogue , Garrison has murdered hundreds of thousands of Canadians and voiced his support for the coronavirus wiping out the bits of humanity he doesn ’ t like … which makes him approximately middle of the pack in terms of awfulness here .
Coriolanus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Snow exists outside of the two-party system , and may not even have been elected democratically .
Still , he did rule over a post-apocalyptic wasteland where the youth are pitted against one another in a grisly battle to the death .
So let ’ s play it safe and lump him in with the GOP .
Hari Kondabolu : Kang “ Considering that under Trump we ’ ve had an impeachment , realistic threat of nuclear annihilation and a pandemic , why not add an alien invasion for good measure ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ if there was an alien attack , Trump would not try to fight , but try to independently negotiate a deal .
By “ negotiate ” , I mean he would tell the aliens all our secrets and sacrifice our lives in exchange for his own .
That being said , maybe the Earth needs a complete regime change from humanity to an alien life form.
” Billy Ray : James Marshall “ I like kickass presidents , OK ?
No bone-spur deferments here .
President Marshall beats the living crap out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ VERY tough on Russia .
Yet somehow Marshall always maintains his humanity , and goes out of his way NOT to endanger his Secret Service detail .
Also , his wife is awesome .
Last thing : he bypassed Mike Effing Pence and picked GLENN CLOSE to be his VP .
Strong !
Very high marks.
” The Democrats ’ field is a much more noble affair .
Here we get to celebrate humanity at its fullest .
These figures represent our hopes and dreams laid bare , especially if your hopes and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to office .
David Palmer , 24 Dennis Haysbert A truly impressive contender .
David Palmer has overcome attempts on his life , a disastrous marriage , a duplicitous cabinet and a nuclear attack .
True , he was eventually murdered by a sniper , but even dead he ’ s an improvement on the current guy .
Thomas Whitmore , Independence Day Bill Pullman We have no way of knowing how Whitmore , named a Dem in the novelisation , would deal with trade tariffs .
But as the right man at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to none .
Dealt the worst day in all of humanity , he stared it straight in its tentacled face and blew it out of the sky for the sake of humanity .
Jed Bartlet , The West Wing Martin Sheen After The American President , Aaron Sorkin outdid himself with an even more memorable onscreen Potus in the form of Josiah Edward “ Jed ” Bartlet .
Religious but not dogmatic , folksy but not patronising , you ’ d expect Jed to go far in any election .
Georgina Hobart , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way of telling what sort of president Hobart is ; as we left Ryan Murphy ’ s drama at the end of season two , she was merely president-elect .
However , she is played by Gwyneth Paltrow , so we do know that her candles probably smell a bit like vaginas .
Lisa Simpson , The Simpsons Voiced by Yeardley Smith As foretold in the episode Bart to the Future , Lisa will one day become our “ first straight female president ” .
She will rule with grace and decency , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and will eventually legalise the sale of cannabis .
The question is : will she become president this year ?
Leslie Knope , Parks and Recreation Amy Poehler The implication in the sitcom ’ s season finale is that altruistic local official Leslie Knope is made president .
Would the US prosper under her aggressively positive can-do attitude , or would her blind ambition plunge it into the greatest catastrophe it has ever faced ?
James William Sawyer , White House Down Jamie Foxx The Democrat opposite of Olympus Has Fallen ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to enjoy himself when terrorists invaded the White House .
And , let ’ s be honest , if you want anything from a president , it ’ s glee in the face of murder .
Dave Kovic , Dave Kevin Kline A tricky one , this .
Kovic has all the hallmarks and policies of a Dem .
But he ’ s also a lookalike who was hired to fill in after the real Potus ( believed to be a Republican ) fell ill .
Still , Kovic reinvigorated an ailing country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lady , so never let it be said that America isn ’ t a meritocracy .
Hari Kondabolu : Thomas Whitmore “ If there ever was an American president that could lead us during a global crisis , it would be Thomas J Whitmore .
His speech to the world before its united and carefully coordinated effort to destroy the invading alien spacecraft is powerful : “ We will not go quietly into the night !
We will not vanish without a fight !
We ’ re going to live on !
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we celebrate our Independence Day !
” The fact he then gets into a fighter jet to save the planet , and not just send other people ’ s children to fight , gets bonus points.
” Billy Ray : Thomas Whitmore “ I love everything about him .
He ’ s a fighter pilot who can shake off the death of his wife , communicate with alien life-forces , and order the nuclear bombing of Houston in a single afternoon .
Also , he gives hugely rousing speeches .
Big writing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not a grudge-holder .
He and Jeff Goldblum ’ s characters had once hated each other , but they put that aside and came together to save humanity .
Very mature , very un-Trumpy.
” The smartest thing to do in film or TV is to withhold the party of the president entirely , meaning that you have all the authority of office but none of the partisan sniping .
There were many options to choose from , but here ’ s a sample of the best indies .
Merkin Muffley , Dr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Kubrick ’ s cold war satire , Muffley puts serious effort into preventing nuclear Armageddon .
He rules out violent retribution .
He frets over the victims .
Sure , he fails in his one job , but at least he does it with grace .
Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho , Idiocracy Terry Crews Camacho is an anti-intellectual , crotch-grabbing , machine gun-firing danger to society most notable for selling the presidency to big business wholesale .
Is Idiocracy director Mike Judge a clairvoyant ?
Selina Meyer , Veep Julia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to serve as president on two occasions , for a year after her predecessor resigned , and then – in the finale – for a full term .
Once elected Meyer freed Tibet ( then gave it straight back to China ) and repealed same-sex marriage .
Hari Kondabolu : Dwayne Camacho “ Since we are on a direct flight to Idiocracy , President Camacho seems like an inevitable and appropriate next step .
Honestly , his scenes are basically Trump rallies except Trump ’ s not firing a machine gun .
Though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the election.
” Billy Ray Merkin Muffley “ Hugely resilient in terms of popularity .
He stood watch over nuclear destruction and we still think of him fondly .
He ’ s cool under pressure , too : the world ’ s going to hell and he ’ s polite .
Trump once went batshit because he didn ’ t get invited to a funeral he wouldn ’ t have attended anyway.
” “ To me , you have to judge a fictional president by the crisis he or she was facing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is contending with THE END OF HUMANITY ON PLANET EARTH , and he ’ s doing it while mourning his dead wife .
Plus , Whitmore is being played by a guy whose film background was in comedy .
So he had more to overcome just to get the aliens to take him seriously .
On a degree-of-difficulty scale , Whitmore is in Abe Lincoln territory , except all the John Wilkes Booths around him have fucking lasers .
No contest.
” Hari Kondabolu adds : “ That speech , man .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we have it .
Thomas J Whitmore , you have finally brought a warring nation together .
With your gung-ho attitude , devilish good looks and astounding way with words , you are now and for ever the definitive screen president .
Now let ’ s do the decent thing and agree never to mention Independence Day 2 .

Remember that lurch in your stomach when you realised that Donald Trump had been elected as US president? Not to bum anyone out, but there’s a chance that it might happen again in a few days. Elections are fun and exciting, but also have the potential to end democracy as we know it. That’s why we’ve put together the next best thing: a US election comprised solely of fictional presidents from film and TV. These figures are bold, pure and tough as nails. Most importantly, they don’t exist, so they won’t plunge the world into a nightmare of war and corruption if they get elected.
Listed below are the names of a bunch of fictional presidents. Eight are Democrats, eight are Republican and three are unaffiliated. We will hold primaries for each category before handing the decisions over to our voters, Hari Kondabolu and Billy Ray. Kondabolu was responsible for the 2017 doc The Problem With Apu, and co-hosts the unmissable Politically Re-Active podcast. Ray wrote and directed brilliant miniseries The Comey Rule, which dramatised FBI director James Comey’s tortuous dealings with Donald Trump. They know their stuff. They want to speak for the people. In the event of a stalemate – to mimic the electoral college system – we will step in and decide with a coin toss. Ah, democracy in action ...
Republican primary
Cowards, scumbags and aliens ... the Republican candidates.
Pop culture rarely puts much stock in GOP presidents. So while we tried to be fair, the following list has a large contingent of cowards, scumbags and aliens who gain the public’s trust by wearing Bob Dole skinsuits.
PJ Aimes, The Summit
Christopher Plummer
Plummer played a Republican president in a forgotten 2008 Canadian miniseries about a corrupt government attempting to cover up the outbreak of a global pandemic. This is a totally unbelievable premise, of course.
Marcus Robbins, Sharknado 3
Mark Cuban
Robbins is a true American hero. How many other presidents have personally staved off a howling tornado of live sharks by blowing up the fish with a shotgun? Robbins’s political affiliation is never revealed in Sharknado 3, but his VP is Ann Coulter, so we can guess.
James Marshall, Air Force One
Harrison Ford
In the movie adaptation of Air Force One, Marshall doesn’t have a political affiliation. In the book, however, he is a Republican. Either way, he single-handedly managed to Die Hard a load of terrorists when they hijacked his plane, so let’s not mess with him.
Aaron Eckhart as Benjamin Asher in Olympus Has Fallen. Photograph: Phil Caruso/Allstar/Millennium Films
Benjamin Asher, Olympus Has Fallen
Aaron Eckhart
Asher is tough but sensitive; a man’s man still recovering from the death of his wife and son. When terrorists invade the White House, he ends up being shot in the stomach, but unfortunately not fatally enough to prevent a sequel from being made.
Charles Logan, 24
Gregory Itzin
A classically Nixonian baddy and perhaps the greatest villain to square up to terrorist-hunting hero Jack Bauer. As slippery, unlikable and thoroughly corrupt as any screen president, Logan nevertheless possessed an oily charisma that could propel him far in this contest.
Kang, The Simpsons
Voiced by Harry Shearer
In Treehouse of Horror VII segment Citizen Kang, the one-eyed alien becomes president, then sits on a throne as an enslaved human population build him a giant raygun. Still better than the alternative (in this instance the alternative is an identical alien named Kodos).
Mr Garrison, South Park
Voiced by Trey Parker
South Park’s Trump analogue, Garrison has murdered hundreds of thousands of Canadians and voiced his support for the coronavirus wiping out the bits of humanity he doesn’t like … which makes him approximately middle of the pack in terms of awfulness here.
Coriolanus Snow, The Hunger Games
Donald Sutherland
President Snow exists outside of the two-party system, and may not even have been elected democratically. Still, he did rule over a post-apocalyptic wasteland where the youth are pitted against one another in a grisly battle to the death. So let’s play it safe and lump him in with the GOP.
Results
Hari Kondabolu:
Kang
“Considering that under Trump we’ve had an impeachment, realistic threat of nuclear annihilation and a pandemic, why not add an alien invasion for good measure? I’m pretty sure that, if there was an alien attack, Trump would not try to fight, but try to independently negotiate a deal. By “negotiate”, I mean he would tell the aliens all our secrets and sacrifice our lives in exchange for his own. That being said, maybe the Earth needs a complete regime change from humanity to an alien life form.”
Billy Ray:
James Marshall
“I like kickass presidents, OK? No bone-spur deferments here. President Marshall beats the living crap out of people, understands aeronautics, and is VERY tough on Russia. Yet somehow Marshall always maintains his humanity, and goes out of his way NOT to endanger his Secret Service detail. Also, his wife is awesome. Last thing: he bypassed Mike Effing Pence and picked GLENN CLOSE to be his VP. Strong! Very high marks.”
Winner, via coin toss: James Marshall
Democratic primary
Blind ambition and scented candles ... the Democratic candidates. Illustration: Guardian Design
The Democrats’ field is a much more noble affair. Here we get to celebrate humanity at its fullest. These figures represent our hopes and dreams laid bare, especially if your hopes and dreams include elevating the founder of Goop to office.
David Palmer, 24
Dennis Haysbert
A truly impressive contender. David Palmer has overcome attempts on his life, a disastrous marriage, a duplicitous cabinet and a nuclear attack. True, he was eventually murdered by a sniper, but even dead he’s an improvement on the current guy.
Thomas Whitmore, Independence Day
Bill Pullman
We have no way of knowing how Whitmore, named a Dem in the novelisation, would deal with trade tariffs. But as the right man at the right time, he was second to none. Dealt the worst day in all of humanity, he stared it straight in its tentacled face and blew it out of the sky for the sake of humanity.
Jed cert … The Bartlet White House in The West Wing. Photograph: NBC/Getty Images
Jed Bartlet, The West Wing
Martin Sheen
After The American President, Aaron Sorkin outdid himself with an even more memorable onscreen Potus in the form of Josiah Edward “Jed” Bartlet. Religious but not dogmatic, folksy but not patronising, you’d expect Jed to go far in any election.
Georgina Hobart, The Politician
Gwyneth Paltrow
There is no way of telling what sort of president Hobart is; as we left Ryan Murphy’s drama at the end of season two, she was merely president-elect. However, she is played by Gwyneth Paltrow, so we do know that her candles probably smell a bit like vaginas.
Lisa Simpson, The Simpsons
Voiced by Yeardley Smith
As foretold in the episode Bart to the Future, Lisa will one day become our “first straight female president”. She will rule with grace and decency, despite the efforts of her freeloading brother, and will eventually legalise the sale of cannabis. The question is: will she become president this year?
Waffley versatile ... Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope in Parks and Recreation. Photograph: NBC/Universal/Getty Images
Leslie Knope, Parks and Recreation
Amy Poehler
The implication in the sitcom’s season finale is that altruistic local official Leslie Knope is made president. Would the US prosper under her aggressively positive can-do attitude, or would her blind ambition plunge it into the greatest catastrophe it has ever faced?
James William Sawyer, White House Down
Jamie Foxx
The Democrat opposite of Olympus Has Fallen’s Benjamin Asher, Sawyer actively seemed to enjoy himself when terrorists invaded the White House. And, let’s be honest, if you want anything from a president, it’s glee in the face of murder.
Dave Kovic, Dave
Kevin Kline
A tricky one, this. Kovic has all the hallmarks and policies of a Dem. But he’s also a lookalike who was hired to fill in after the real Potus (believed to be a Republican) fell ill. Still, Kovic reinvigorated an ailing country and won the heart of the first lady, so never let it be said that America isn’t a meritocracy.
Results
Hari Kondabolu:
Thomas Whitmore
“If there ever was an American president that could lead us during a global crisis, it would be Thomas J Whitmore. His speech to the world before its united and carefully coordinated effort to destroy the invading alien spacecraft is powerful: “We will not go quietly into the night! We will not vanish without a fight! We’re going to live on! We’re going to survive! Today, we celebrate our Independence Day!” The fact he then gets into a fighter jet to save the planet, and not just send other people’s children to fight, gets bonus points.”
Billy Ray:
Thomas Whitmore
“I love everything about him. He’s a fighter pilot who can shake off the death of his wife, communicate with alien life-forces, and order the nuclear bombing of Houston in a single afternoon. Also, he gives hugely rousing speeches. Big writing points there. Plus he’s not a grudge-holder. He and Jeff Goldblum’s characters had once hated each other, but they put that aside and came together to save humanity. Very mature, very un-Trumpy.”
Winner: Thomas Whitmore
Independent primary
Ain’t no party ... the Independent candidates. Illustration: Guardian Design
The smartest thing to do in film or TV is to withhold the party of the president entirely, meaning that you have all the authority of office but none of the partisan sniping. There were many options to choose from, but here’s a sample of the best indies.
Merkin Muffley, Dr Strangelove
Peter Sellers
The ostensible straight man in Kubrick’s cold war satire, Muffley puts serious effort into preventing nuclear Armageddon. He rules out violent retribution. He frets over the victims. Sure, he fails in his one job, but at least he does it with grace.
Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho, Idiocracy
Terry Crews
Camacho is an anti-intellectual, crotch-grabbing, machine gun-firing danger to society most notable for selling the presidency to big business wholesale. Is Idiocracy director Mike Judge a clairvoyant?
Selina Meyer, Veep
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
The only figure on the list to serve as president on two occasions, for a year after her predecessor resigned, and then – in the finale – for a full term. Once elected Meyer freed Tibet (then gave it straight back to China) and repealed same-sex marriage.
Results
Hari Kondabolu:
Dwayne Camacho
“Since we are on a direct flight to Idiocracy, President Camacho seems like an inevitable and appropriate next step. Honestly, his scenes are basically Trump rallies except Trump’s not firing a machine gun. Though let’s see what happens after the election.”
Billy Ray
Merkin Muffley
“Hugely resilient in terms of popularity. He stood watch over nuclear destruction and we still think of him fondly. He’s cool under pressure, too: the world’s going to hell and he’s polite. Trump once went batshit because he didn’t get invited to a funeral he wouldn’t have attended anyway.”
Winner, via coin toss: Dwayne Camacho
Election day
James Marshall v Thomas Whitmore v Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho
The Potus with the mostest ... Bill Pullman as Thomas Whitmore in Independence Day. Photograph: United Archives/Alamy
Winner: Thomas Whitmore
“To me, you have to judge a fictional president by the crisis he or she was facing,” says Billy Ray. “Whitmore is contending with THE END OF HUMANITY ON PLANET EARTH, and he’s doing it while mourning his dead wife. Plus, Whitmore is being played by a guy whose film background was in comedy. So he had more to overcome just to get the aliens to take him seriously. On a degree-of-difficulty scale, Whitmore is in Abe Lincoln territory, except all the John Wilkes Booths around him have fucking lasers. No contest.” Hari Kondabolu adds: “That speech, man. It’s something else.”
And there we have it. Thomas J Whitmore, you have finally brought a warring nation together. With your gung-ho attitude, devilish good looks and astounding way with words, you are now and for ever the definitive screen president. Now let’s do the decent thing and agree never to mention Independence Day 2.


theguardian--2020-10-31--'I hope it makes a difference': voters on remote Maine island cast their ballots

Located over 20 miles off the coast of Maine , Matinicus Island is often among the first communities in the state to report their official vote counts .
It doesn ’ t take long , explains clerk and registrar of voters Eva Murray , because they have so few registered voters .
“ Out of the 70 active voters , I ’ ve already handed out 26 ballots , ” she says .
In addition to running the election , Murray also runs the solid waste program , operates a bakery out of her house , works as a freelance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ EMT .
She knows most everyone on Matinicus , and most everyone knows her .
There seems to be little confusion about how , logistically , to submit a ballot on the island .
She predicts a “ good turnout ” this year .
Although the ferry runs only 30 or so times a year , it is possible to get on and off the island via plane , and that ’ s how the paper ballots will get to Rockland city hall if there is any call for a recount .
Otherwise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , counted and reported on Matinicus at the town office .
The results are sent “ by both computer and fax ” , explains Murray , “ to the secretary of state ’ s office , bureau of elections , in Augusta , just like any other town.
” She takes great pride in this process , and stresses that they ’ re a small community , but they ’ re committed to “ doing it right ” .
Before the global pandemic , “ doing it right ” typically involved donuts at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a very short wait ( if any ) to color in the bubbles .
This year , things are a little different , both because of the implementation of ranked choice voting ( which allows Maine voters to rank all state and federal candidates from most preferred to least ) , and because of Covid-19 .
Fortunately , Matinicus has been virtually untouched by the virus , thanks to its remote location and small population .
“ They issued me a mask , I haven ’ t put it on yet , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” says island resident Bill Hoadley .
“ When I vote it will be the first time I ’ ve worn a mask.
” The choice not to wear a mask isn ’ t as politicized on Matinicus as it is elsewhere in the state .
However , Matinicus Isle Plantation typically does skew Republican , though you wouldn ’ t know that from walking around town .
While neighborhoods throughout rural Maine have been taken over with red , white and blue signs advocating for political candidates ( and some off-color ones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there was only one house on the island openly supporting their preferred party .
According to residents , people here are more likely to talk about topics that immediately affect their remote community – including and especially the weather – than the nebulous , divisive world of politics .
“ People don ’ t discuss it much , ” says a seventh-generation Matinicus lobsterman who is particularly passionate about environmental issues that affect his trade .
“ We know who the Trump supporters are , and people like me who aren ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to change their minds , ” he says .
When you live on an island , it ’ s important to be able to get along with your neighbor .
You never know when you might need their help .
“ Everyone out here is definitely an individual or they wouldn ’ t live here , ” adds Ann Mitchell , who works as a nurse , drives a taxi , and ( when needed ) helps catch raccoons .
“ It ’ s challenging , a lot of the time , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Murray points out that even the island ’ s younger population is used to pitching in whenever needed .
“ They learn a lot of practical skills , ” she says .
“ Kids administer first aid , they dig graves , they do whatever needs to be done.
” Matinicus may appear to be a quaint , sweet little New England town , but that ’ s not the whole story .
It ’ s also not the lawless , wild pioneer village some have made it out to be .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no police force , and it ’ s true that the island doesn ’ t have a single store .
But residents are quick to assure outsiders that , yes , they are part of the greater world and , yes , they are very much affected by what goes on in Washington .
“ I think people feel very connected to state and federal systems , ” says Mitchell , who switched political parties this year for the first time in her adult life .
“ For 52 years , I was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But although she ’ s “ sorry to have had to do that ” , Mitchell ’ s decision shows how all Americans , even ones living on remote islands , are feeling about this election .
“ We ’ re out here on an island surrounded by water , but we are still affected by who makes the choices and by the constitution , ” she explains .
Anxious to have her vote submitted , Mitchell voted early .
“ I felt so happy and so relieved that my name and my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was sealed , and I just said goodbye to it , and hope it makes a difference , ” she says .
While rumblings of voter fraud and election day intimidation have been heard across the country , Clayton Philbrook feels confident that his vote will be cast and counted without a hitch .
“ There won ’ t be any Trump supporters out here trying to intimidate voters like there might be on the mainland , ” he says .
“ It takes a lot to intimidate me , and I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so they probably wouldn ’ t bother me anyway.
” Like most residents of Matinicus , Philbrook seems to be a highly informed voter , interested in local and national politics .
“ I have a lot of time out on the water to think about these issues , and I read extensively online , ” explains the lobsterman .
Philbrook ’ s vote , along with Mitchell ’ s and Hoadley ’ s and Murray ’ s , will get counted after polls close at 8pm on 3 November .
The scene @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like everywhere else , poll workers end their day with a count , which for this island will number somewhere in the tens .
“ Even in a busy year , we are only counting 50 ballots , ” Murray says .
“ We may break our own record this year.
” But even with all that action , there ’ s still time for food .
“ There ’ s always someone that brings a hot supper to us ballot clerks , like a moose stew in a crock pot or homemade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And then , she adds : “ I ’ ll still probably make donuts , but people will have to take it with them .
”

Located over 20 miles off the coast of Maine, Matinicus Island is often among the first communities in the state to report their official vote counts. It doesn’t take long, explains clerk and registrar of voters Eva Murray, because they have so few registered voters. “Out of the 70 active voters, I’ve already handed out 26 ballots,” she says.
In addition to running the election, Murray also runs the solid waste program, operates a bakery out of her house, works as a freelance writer and is a certified pilot and EMT. She knows most everyone on Matinicus, and most everyone knows her. There seems to be little confusion about how, logistically, to submit a ballot on the island. She predicts a “good turnout” this year.
Although the ferry runs only 30 or so times a year, it is possible to get on and off the island via plane, and that’s how the paper ballots will get to Rockland city hall if there is any call for a recount. Otherwise, the islanders’ votes are collected, counted and reported on Matinicus at the town office. The results are sent “by both computer and fax”, explains Murray, “to the secretary of state’s office, bureau of elections, in Augusta, just like any other town.” She takes great pride in this process, and stresses that they’re a small community, but they’re committed to “doing it right”.
Eva Murray, the island’s municipal clerk, oversees the election proceedings on the island.
Before the global pandemic, “doing it right” typically involved donuts at the town office, paper ballots and a very short wait (if any) to color in the bubbles. This year, things are a little different, both because of the implementation of ranked choice voting (which allows Maine voters to rank all federal candidates from most preferred to least), and because of Covid-19.
The working wharf of Matinicus. Most of the islands economic activity is centered around lobster fishing.
Fortunately, Matinicus has been virtually untouched by the virus, thanks to its remote location and small population. “They issued me a mask, I haven’t put it on yet, but when I go vote I will,” says island resident Bill Hoadley. “When I vote it will be the first time I’ve worn a mask.”
For years, Bill Hoadley ran the only lodging on the island, a small bed and breakfast called the Tucka-nuck Lodge.
The choice not to wear a mask isn’t as politicized on Matinicus as it is elsewhere in the state. While neighborhoods throughout rural Maine have been taken over with red, white and blue signs advocating for political candidates (and some off-color ones advocating for nobody) as of mid-October, there was only one house on the island openly supporting their preferred party.
According to residents, people here are more likely to talk about topics that immediately affect their remote community – including and especially the weather – than the nebulous, divisive world of politics. “People don’t discuss it much,” says a seventh-generation Matinicus lobsterman who is particularly passionate about environmental issues that affect his trade. “We know who the Trump supporters are, and people like me who aren’t, we aren’t going to change their minds,” he says.
James Sheppe lived in the UK for decades, returning to Matinicus and registering as a voter on the island. ‘Covid has marooned me.’
When you live on an island, it’s important to be able to get along with your neighbor. You never know when you might need their help. “Everyone out here is definitely an individual or they wouldn’t live here,” adds Ann Mitchell, who works as a nurse, drives a taxi, and (when needed) helps catch raccoons. “It’s challenging, a lot of the time, to get food or medicine out here.” Murray points out that even the island’s younger population is used to pitching in whenever needed. “They learn a lot of practical skills,” she says. “Kids administer first aid, they dig graves, they do whatever needs to be done.”
Much of the island is dependent on the mail service, which comes on a small six-seater plane. Since the island has no store, residents can order groceries via a mainland shop, which sends the items by plane.
Matinicus may appear to be a quaint, sweet little New England town, but that’s not the whole story. It’s also not the lawless, wild pioneer village some have made it out to be. It’s true that the community has no police force, and it’s true that the island doesn’t have a single store. But residents are quick to assure outsiders that, yes, they are part of the greater world and, yes, they are very much affected by what goes on in Washington.
Murray follows up with each registered voter to ensure that they have received their ballot, and the town hall provides a dropbox for ballots.
“I think people feel very connected to state and federal systems,” says Mitchell, who switched political parties this year for the first time in her adult life. “For 52 years, I was one party,” she says. But although she’s “sorry to have had to do that”, Mitchell’s decision shows how all Americans, even ones living on remote islands, are feeling about this election. “We’re out here on an island surrounded by water, but we are still affected by who makes the choices and by the constitution,” she explains. Anxious to have her vote submitted, Mitchell voted early. “I felt so happy and so relieved that my name and my vote was on that ballot, and it was sealed, and I just said goodbye to it, and hope it makes a difference,” she says.
Nick Gaetz hauls fishing nets used for harvesting a bait fish, called pogeys. This year, he doesn’t plan on voting. “I never really cared for voting. I disagree with all of it ,” he said. Nick Gaetz hauls fishing nets used for harvesting a bait fish, called pogeys. This year, he doesn’t plan on voting. ‘I never really cared for voting. I disagree with all of it.’
While rumblings of voter fraud and election day intimidation have been heard across the country, Clayton Philbrook feels confident that his vote will be cast and counted without a hitch. “There won’t be any Trump supporters out here trying to intimidate voters like there might be on the mainland,” he says. “It takes a lot to intimidate me, and I’m not black or brown, so they probably wouldn’t bother me anyway.” Like most residents of Matinicus, Philbrook seems to be a highly informed voter, interested in local and national politics. “I have a lot of time out on the water to think about these issues, and I read extensively online,” explains the lobsterman.
A lobster boat hauls traps in the Penobscot Bay, the stretch of water between Matinicus and the mainland. Those who live on Matinicus are accustomed to a certain degree of isolation.
Philbrook’s vote, along with Mitchell’s and Hoadley’s and Murray’s, will get counted after polls close at 8pm on 3 November. The scene is typically a cozy one. Just like everywhere else, poll workers end their day with a count, which for this island will number somewhere in the tens. “Even in a busy year, we are only counting 50 ballots,” Murray says. “We may break our own record this year.” But even with all that action, there’s still time for food. “There’s always someone that brings a hot supper to us ballot clerks, like a moose stew in a crock pot or homemade mac and cheese,” she says.
And then, she adds: “I’ll still probably make donuts, but people will have to take it with them.”