thenation--2020-10-23--What Would Hell Be Like for Donald Trump?

For some time now , I ’ ve wanted to send Donald Trump to Hell .
I mean this literally , not as a figure of speech .
I want him to inhabit the palpable , sensory Hell that religions have long conjured up with scenes of sulfur , damnation , and screams of perpetual pain from those who once caused grievous harm to their fellow humans .
The more Trump has abused his power and position in this world and the more he ’ s escaped any retribution for his crimes , the more obsessed I ’ ve become @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in some version of the afterlife .
As I mulled over the treatment he deserved for the havoc he continues to wreak on the lives of countless others here in the United States and across the globe , I turned almost automatically to the work of Dante Alighieri , the Italian poet whose Divina Commedia minutely recreated in the verse form terza rima what awaited the readers of his time once they died .
Dante ( 1265–1321 ) laid out his otherworldly landscape in three volumes—Inferno , Purgatorio , and Paradiso —that have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ influential literary achievements of humanity .
There was nothing abstract about the Hell he created .
Dante pictured himself personally taking a voyage into the hereafter to meet men and women , both of his time and from the past , who were being rewarded for their virtue or eternally castigated for their offenses .
Of that journey through purgatorial fires and heavenly wonders , guided by his dead childhood sweetheart , Beatrice , it was the Florentine writer ’ s descent into the saturated circles of Hell that most fascinated and enthralled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to stories of the wicked as they express their remorse and experience the excruciatingly sophisticated torments he dreamt up as suitable reprisals for the damage they did during their earthly existence .
Witnessing the infernal realities President Trump has unleashed on America , I can ’ t help wondering where Dante would have placed our miscreant in chief in his afterlife of horror .
In the end , perhaps not surprisingly , I realized one obvious thing : The 45th president has such a multitude of transgressions to his name that he fits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ invented for the sinners of his age .
As I pondered what the Italian author would have made of Trump and his certainty that he was above the laws of society and nature , I was invaded by Dante ’ s divinatory and lyrical voice .
It came to me as if in a hallucination .
Listening carefully , I managed to record the words with which that visionary poet of yesteryear would describe a man who , until recently , believed himself invincible and invulnerable , how he would be judged and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Here , then , is my version of Dante ’ s prophecy—my way , that is , of finally consigning Donald Trump to Hell for forever and a day .
Dante Greets Trump at the Gates of Hell and Explains What His Punishment Is to Be My name , sir , is Dante Alighieri .
Among the innumerable dead that inhabit these shores , I have been chosen to speak to you because an expert on the afterlife was needed to describe what awaits your soul when it passes , as all souls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I was chosen , whether as an honor or not , to imagine your fate once you wind your way toward us .
Having accepted this task , I was tempted , sir , as I watched your every act in that life before death , to make this easier for myself and simply conjure up the circles of Hell I had already described in my terza rima .
I would then have guided you down my cascade of verses , step by step , into the depths of darkness I had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the selfish embodiment of so many sins I dealt with in my Commedia ?
Lust and adultery , yes !
Gluttony , yes ; greed and avarice , oh yes ; wrath and fury , certainly ; violence , fraud , and usury , yes again !
Divisiveness and treachery , even heresy—you who did not believe in God and yet used the Bible as a prop—yes , one more time !
Did you not practice all those iniquities , a slave to your loveless appetites ?
Do you not deserve to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ envisioned : buffeted by vicious winds , drowning in storms of putrefaction , choking under gurgling waters of belligerence , immersed in the boiling blood that echoes rage , thirsting across a burning plain , steeped in the excrement of flattery and seduction , clawed to pieces by the night demons of corruption , or feeling that throat and tongue of yours that tore so many citizens apart mutilated and hacked to bits ?
Would it not be fair that , like other perjurers and impostors , you be bloated with disease ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ be trapped in ice or flames , endlessly chewed by the jaws of eternity , like those who committed treason against country and friends in my time ?
And yet , in the end , I rejected all of that .
After all , I was selected not to repeat myself but because I was trusted to be creative and find an appropriately new reckoning for you—something , said the authorities in charge of this place , less savage and fierce , more educational , even therapeutic .
Thus have times changed since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ My mission , it seems , was not to insert you in rings of an already conceived Hell of terrifying revenge .
So I began to seek inspiration from my fellow sufferers so many centuries later , and there , indeed , they were—your multitudes of victims , the ones who need to heal , the ones you never wanted to see or mourn , whose pain you never shared , who now want to greet you , sir , in a new way .
Perhaps you haven ’ t noticed yet , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been lining up since the moment they arrived .
Now , they ’ re here by my side , counting the days until your time is up and you must face them .
And so I decided that they would be given a chance to do exactly that , one by one , through all eternity .
After all , each of them was devastated because of you : a father who died of the pandemic you did less than nothing to prevent ; a little boy shot with a gun you did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toxic fumes whose release your administration ensured ; the protesters killed by a white supremacist inflamed by your rhetoric ; a Black man who expired thanks to police violence you refuse to condemn ; a migrant who succumbed to the desert heat on the other side of the wall that you stole taxpayer money to ( only partially ) build .
And let us not forget that female Kurdish fighter slaughtered because you betrayed her people .
On and on I could go , naming the wrongfully dead , the untimely dead , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around me , otherwise unrepresented and forgotten but awaiting your arrival for their moment of truth .
Each of them will have to be patient , since according to my plan , every single casualty of yours will be afforded whatever time he or she desires to relive a life and recount its last moments .
You will be forced , sir , to listen to their stories again and again until you finally learn how to make their sorrow your own , until their tragedies truly lodge in the entrails of your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you to truly ask for forgiveness .
Trump Tries to Find a Way Out of Hell Your first reaction will undoubtedly be to indulge in the fantasy that , just as you swore the pandemic would be magically dispatched , so this new predicament will miraculously melt into nothingness .
When you open your eyes , however , and still find yourself here , your urge will be to call on all your old tricks , those of the ultimate con man , to avoid sinking deeper into the moral abyss I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you ’ ve bribed , bought , and inveigled your way out of scandals and bankruptcies , so you ’ ll believe you can bluster and wriggle your way out of this moment , too .
You ’ ll try to pretend you ’ re just hosting one more ( ir ) reality TV show where this Dante fellow can be turned into another of your apprentices , competing for your largesse and approval .
And when none of that works , you ’ ll make believe that you have indeed atoned for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the lies and macho bravado that were your second skin .
You ’ ll swear that you have repented so you can escape this confinement , these rooms where you have become the prey rather than the predator .
You will present yourself as a savior , boast of having single-handedly concocted a vaccine against accountability , discovered a manly cure for the terrors of Hell .
You ’ ll dream—I know you will—of reappearing victorious and , of course , maskless on that White House balcony .
This time , though , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not here in this transparent abode of death .
And yet you will certainly try to hurry the process up because you ’ ll know—I ’ ve already decided that much—that those you ruined while you were still alive are only the start of your journey , not the end .
You will become all too aware , while you spend hours , days , years , decades with the men , women , and children you consigned to an early mortality and permanent grief , that a multitude of others will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the future due to your neglect and malevolence .
They will , I assure you , snake endlessly into your mind , accumulating through many tomorrows , all those who are yet to die but will do so prematurely as the brutality you worshipped and fueled takes its toll , as the earth , heavens , and waters you ravaged exact heat waves of revenge—hurricanes and droughts and famines and floods , ever more victims with each minute that slithers by , including the women who will die in botched back-alley abortions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decades to come are already preparing to welcome the legions of your dead .
That is the despair I imagine for you now that I am no longer the man bitterly exiled from his beloved Florence .
The centuries spent in the afterlife have evidently softened me into compassion for those who have sinned .
Beatrice , the love of my life , would have admired my transformation , the one that , as you are ground down and down , will also allow you to be lifted up and up until you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for an absolution , which ( if you are truly sincere ) will be granted .
Even so , even as I speak and divine , I find myself eaten by a worm of doubt .
This , I am being told , has been tried before .
The mists of time are filled with men who , like you , thought they were gods and who , upon their demise , were led howling into rooms overflowing with the lives they broke , with the irreparable damage they wrought .
And these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pinochet , Napoleon Bonaparte , Andrew Jackson , Saddam Hussein , Joseph Stalin , Idi Amin ( oh , the list is endless ! )
—never left the twisted mirror of their own penitential rooms .
They are still stagnating in them .
That ’ s what ’ s being whispered in my ear , that the redemptive prophecy of Dante Alighieri will never come true for you , Donald Trump .
Perhaps like those other accursed malefactors , you will refuse responsibility .
Perhaps you will continue to claim that you are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prove as incorrigible and defective and stubbornly blind as they continue to be .
Perhaps there is an evil in you and the universe that will never completely abate , a cruelty that has no end .
Perhaps when pain is infinite , it is impossible to erase .
I fear , then , that it may be unkind to promise any kind of justice when there will be none for those who stand in line hoping to meet their tormentor on the other side of death .
Why , I ask myself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only to dash their hopes again and again ?
And yet , what else can I do but complete the task given to me ?
Of all poets , I was chosen because of the Divina Commedia that I wrote when I was alive and banished from Florence , because I descended into the Inferno and climbed the mount of Purgatory and caught a glimpse of what the sun and stars of Paradise looked like .
I was chosen from the fields of the dead to prepare these words for you as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indictment , an assignment I accepted and can not now renounce .
What ’ s left to me , then , but to conclude these words by responding to the one objection you might legitimately raise to my picture of your fate in the afterlife ?
I imagine you crying out— “ But Dante Alighieri , ” you will say , “ the future you ’ ve painted will take forever.
” And I will answer : Yes , Donald J. Trump , it will indeed take forever , but forever is all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have , after all .

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com. To stay on top of important articles like these, sign up to receive the latest updates from TomDispatch.
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For some time now, I’ve wanted to send Donald Trump to Hell. I mean this literally, not as a figure of speech. I want him to inhabit the palpable, sensory Hell that religions have long conjured up with scenes of sulfur, damnation, and screams of perpetual pain from those who once caused grievous harm to their fellow humans.
The more Trump has abused his power and position in this world and the more he’s escaped any retribution for his crimes, the more obsessed I’ve become with visualizing ways for him to pay in some version of the afterlife.
As I mulled over the treatment he deserved for the havoc he continues to wreak on the lives of countless others here in the United States and across the globe, I turned almost automatically to the work of Dante Alighieri, the Italian poet whose Divina Commedia minutely recreated in the verse form terza rima what awaited the readers of his time once they died. Dante (1265–1321) laid out his otherworldly landscape in three volumes—Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso —that have rightly been considered among the towering and influential literary achievements of humanity.
There was nothing abstract about the Hell he created. Dante pictured himself personally taking a voyage into the hereafter to meet men and women, both of his time and from the past, who were being rewarded for their virtue or eternally castigated for their offenses. Of that journey through purgatorial fires and heavenly wonders, guided by his dead childhood sweetheart, Beatrice, it was the Florentine writer’s descent into the saturated circles of Hell that most fascinated and enthralled readers throughout the centuries. We listen to stories of the wicked as they express their remorse and experience the excruciatingly sophisticated torments he dreamt up as suitable reprisals for the damage they did during their earthly existence.
Witnessing the infernal realities President Trump has unleashed on America, I can’t help wondering where Dante would have placed our miscreant in chief in his afterlife of horror. In the end, perhaps not surprisingly, I realized one obvious thing: The 45th president has such a multitude of transgressions to his name that he fits almost every category and canto that Dante invented for the sinners of his age.
As I pondered what the Italian author would have made of Trump and his certainty that he was above the laws of society and nature, I was invaded by Dante’s divinatory and lyrical voice. It came to me as if in a hallucination. Listening carefully, I managed to record the words with which that visionary poet of yesteryear would describe a man who, until recently, believed himself invincible and invulnerable, how he would be judged and condemned once his life was over. Popular "swipe left below to view more authors"Swipe → The Evisceration of a Public University The Evisceration of a Public University Lisa M. Corrigan The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks Chris Lehmann “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash Dave Zirin How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection Chris Lehmann Popular "swipe left below to view more authors"Swipe → The Evisceration of a Public University The Evisceration of a Public University Lisa M. Corrigan The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks Chris Lehmann “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash Dave Zirin How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection Chris Lehmann
Here, then, is my version of Dante’s prophecy—my way, that is, of finally consigning Donald Trump to Hell for forever and a day. Current Issue View our current issue
Dante Greets Trump at the Gates of Hell and Explains What His Punishment Is to Be
My name, sir, is Dante Alighieri. Among the innumerable dead that inhabit these shores, I have been chosen to speak to you because an expert on the afterlife was needed to describe what awaits your soul when it passes, as all souls must, into this land of shadows. I was chosen, whether as an honor or not, to imagine your fate once you wind your way toward us.
Having accepted this task, I was tempted, sir, as I watched your every act in that life before death, to make this easier for myself and simply conjure up the circles of Hell I had already described in my terza rima. I would then have guided you down my cascade of verses, step by step, into the depths of darkness I had designed for others.
Were you not the selfish embodiment of so many sins I dealt with in my Commedia? Lust and adultery, yes! Gluttony, yes; greed and avarice, oh yes; wrath and fury, certainly; violence, fraud, and usury, yes again! Divisiveness and treachery, even heresy—you who did not believe in God and yet used the Bible as a prop—yes, one more time!
Did you not practice all those iniquities, a slave to your loveless appetites? Do you not deserve to be called to account in ways I once envisioned: buffeted by vicious winds, drowning in storms of putrefaction, choking under gurgling waters of belligerence, immersed in the boiling blood that echoes rage, thirsting across a burning plain, steeped in the excrement of flattery and seduction, clawed to pieces by the night demons of corruption, or feeling that throat and tongue of yours that tore so many citizens apart mutilated and hacked to bits? Would it not be fair that, like other perjurers and impostors, you be bloated with disease? Would it not make sense that you be trapped in ice or flames, endlessly chewed by the jaws of eternity, like those who committed treason against country and friends in my time?
And yet, in the end, I rejected all of that. After all, I was selected not to repeat myself but because I was trusted to be creative and find an appropriately new reckoning for you—something, said the authorities in charge of this place, less savage and fierce, more educational, even therapeutic. Thus have times changed since I wrote that poem of mine!
My mission, it seems, was not to insert you in rings of an already conceived Hell of terrifying revenge. So I began to seek inspiration from my fellow sufferers so many centuries later, and there, indeed, they were—your multitudes of victims, the ones who need to heal, the ones you never wanted to see or mourn, whose pain you never shared, who now want to greet you, sir, in a new way.
Perhaps you haven’t noticed yet, but I have. They’ve been lining up since the moment they arrived. Now, they’re here by my side, counting the days until your time is up and you must face them. And so I decided that they would be given a chance to do exactly that, one by one, through all eternity.
After all, each of them was devastated because of you: a father who died of the pandemic you did less than nothing to prevent; a little boy shot with a gun you did not ban; a worker overcome by toxic fumes whose release your administration ensured; the protesters killed by a white supremacist inflamed by your rhetoric; a Black man who expired thanks to police violence you refuse to condemn; a migrant who succumbed to the desert heat on the other side of the wall that you stole taxpayer money to (only partially) build. And let us not forget that female Kurdish fighter slaughtered because you betrayed her people.
On and on I could go, naming the wrongfully dead, the untimely dead, the avoidable dead, now all huddled around me, otherwise unrepresented and forgotten but awaiting your arrival for their moment of truth. Each of them will have to be patient, since according to my plan, every single casualty of yours will be afforded whatever time he or she desires to relive a life and recount its last moments. You will be forced, sir, to listen to their stories again and again until you finally learn how to make their sorrow your own, until their tragedies truly lodge in the entrails of your mind, as long as it takes you to truly ask for forgiveness.
Trump Tries to Find a Way Out of Hell
Your first reaction will undoubtedly be to indulge in the fantasy that, just as you swore the pandemic would be magically dispatched, so this new predicament will miraculously melt into nothingness. When you open your eyes, however, and still find yourself here, your urge will be to call on all your old tricks, those of the ultimate con man, to avoid sinking deeper into the moral abyss I’ve prepared for you.
Just as you’ve bribed, bought, and inveigled your way out of scandals and bankruptcies, so you’ll believe you can bluster and wriggle your way out of this moment, too. You’ll try to pretend you’re just hosting one more (ir)reality TV show where this Dante fellow can be turned into another of your apprentices, competing for your largesse and approval.
And when none of that works, you’ll make believe that you have indeed atoned for your terrible deeds and fall again into the lies and macho bravado that were your second skin. You’ll swear that you have repented so you can escape this confinement, these rooms where you have become the prey rather than the predator. You will present yourself as a savior, boast of having single-handedly concocted a vaccine against accountability, discovered a manly cure for the terrors of Hell. You’ll dream—I know you will—of reappearing victorious and, of course, maskless on that White House balcony.
This time, though, it just won’t work, not here in this transparent abode of death. And yet you will certainly try to hurry the process up because you’ll know—I’ve already decided that much—that those you ruined while you were still alive are only the start of your journey, not the end. You will become all too aware, while you spend hours, days, years, decades with the men, women, and children you consigned to an early mortality and permanent grief, that a multitude of others will be arriving, all those who will perish in the future due to your neglect and malevolence.
They will, I assure you, snake endlessly into your mind, accumulating through many tomorrows, all those who are yet to die but will do so prematurely as the brutality you worshipped and fueled takes its toll, as the earth, heavens, and waters you ravaged exact heat waves of revenge—hurricanes and droughts and famines and floods, ever more victims with each minute that slithers by, including the women who will die in botched back-alley abortions because of your judicial nominations. The decades to come are already preparing to welcome the legions of your dead.
That is the despair I imagine for you now that I am no longer the man bitterly exiled from his beloved Florence. The centuries spent in the afterlife have evidently softened me into compassion for those who have sinned. Beatrice, the love of my life, would have admired my transformation, the one that, as you are ground down and down, will also allow you to be lifted up and up until you really do repent, until you beg for an absolution, which (if you are truly sincere) will be granted.
Even so, even as I speak and divine, I find myself eaten by a worm of doubt. This, I am being told, has been tried before. The mists of time are filled with men who, like you, thought they were gods and who, upon their demise, were led howling into rooms overflowing with the lives they broke, with the irreparable damage they wrought. And these criminals—Benito Mussolini, Mao Zedong, Augusto Pinochet, Napoleon Bonaparte, Andrew Jackson, Saddam Hussein, Joseph Stalin, Idi Amin (oh, the list is endless!)—never left the twisted mirror of their own penitential rooms.
They are still stagnating in them. That’s what’s being whispered in my ear, that the redemptive prophecy of Dante Alighieri will never come true for you, Donald Trump. Perhaps like those other accursed malefactors, you will refuse responsibility. Perhaps you will continue to claim that you are the real victim. Perhaps you will prove as incorrigible and defective and stubbornly blind as they continue to be. Perhaps there is an evil in you and the universe that will never completely abate, a cruelty that has no end. Perhaps when pain is infinite, it is impossible to erase.
I fear, then, that it may be unkind to promise any kind of justice when there will be none for those who stand in line hoping to meet their tormentor on the other side of death. Why, I ask myself, resurrect the dead if it be only to dash their hopes again and again?
What Forever Means
And yet, what else can I do but complete the task given to me? Of all poets, I was chosen because of the Divina Commedia that I wrote when I was alive and banished from Florence, because I descended into the Inferno and climbed the mount of Purgatory and caught a glimpse of what the sun and stars of Paradise looked like. I was chosen from the fields of the dead to prepare these words for you as a warning or a plea or a searing indictment, an assignment I accepted and cannot now renounce.
What’s left to me, then, but to conclude these words by responding to the one objection you might legitimately raise to my picture of your fate in the afterlife? I imagine you crying out—“But Dante Alighieri,” you will say, “the future you’ve painted will take forever.”
And I will answer: Yes, Donald J. Trump, it will indeed take forever, but forever is all you have, all any of us have, after all.


thenation--2020-10-23--The ‘Dark Winter’ of Covid-19 Overshadows the Debate

The first presidential debate of 2020 was a disaster for Donald Trump .
His constant hectoring of both Joe Biden and moderator Chris Wallace was childish and obnoxious .
It made visible all the temperamental problems that are a major reason he is so unpopular .
The polling gap between him and Biden widened after the debate , as Biden ’ s lead in aggregate polling rose from 7–8 to 10–11 points .
In the second debate , Trump had clearly been told by his advisers to keep to his best behavior and , miracle of miracles , he listened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first debate , Trump was far more of a normal politician .
He wasn ’ t as outwardly belligerent and determined to talk over everyone else .
Like Jeet ’ s writing ?
You ’ ll love him in conversation .
Check out Jeet Heer and an extraordinary group of speakers at the first-ever virtual Nation festival , Nov. 18-21 To be sure , this is only relative to his own previous performance .
All the normal Trump problems were there , including the constant lying ( at one point he repeated his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans than any other politician “ except possibly Abraham Lincoln ” and then a few minutes later denied that he compared himself to Lincoln ) .
He also indulged in conspiracy mongering by referring to the “ Biden crime family ” amid attempts to make Hunter Biden ’ s alleged e-mails an issue .
Many of Trump ’ s allusions to corruption could make sense only to those fully immersed in the Fox News mythos , which means they will confuse most Americans , including almost all persuadable voters .
Josh Marshall of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Trump Keeps Slinging Mud , but This Time It ’ s Not Sticking Democrats Should Welcome More Trump Town Halls Biden better on the merits but both guys playing to their preferred ways of speaking to the public , their core audiences .
Trump wasn ’ t out of control like he was in the first debate .
I thought he might be just as feral ; but he wasn ’ t .
I got that wrong .
But that ’ s a crazy standard .
In the first debate Trump showed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ simply has no business being President .
It pushed him from clearly losing to landslide defeat territory .
Trump held it together for the first twenty minutes before sliding into conspiracy theories and nonsense .
But he never got near the fusillade of petulance and predation we saw three weeks ago .
He was better here .
But so was Biden .
Biden was sharper in this debate than three weeks ago .
Marshall ’ s assessment is sound .
Both candidates did considerably better .
But since Trump ’ s first debate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ normality means the contrast between Trump and Biden wasn ’ t as sharp .
It ’ s unlikely that the debate will cause Trump to sink in the polls .
What is more probable is that the debate will be a wash , irrelevant either way .
That ’ s because the overriding issue of Covid-19 looms large over politics , all the more so since the United States is entering into a new surge .
As Zack Beauchamp of Vox observes , “ One error in the debate coverage I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more generally—is underestimating how much more important the pandemic is than everything else .
We ’ re in the middle of one of the deadliest global outbreaks in human history .
It has transformed the way that *everyone* lives their lives .
To think it won ’ t be anything but the top issue is folly.
” Joe Biden hit the exact right note by warning , “ We ’ re about to go into a dark winter .
A dark winter .
And he has no clear plan , and there ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to be a vaccine available for the majority of the American people before the middle of next year.
” Trump responded by saying , “ I don ’ t know if we ’ re going to have a dark winter at all .
We ’ re opening up our country .
We ’ ve learned and studied and understand the disease , which we didn ’ t at the beginning.
” On Covid-19 , Biden is accurate and Trump is not .
The dark winter has already started .
Both deaths and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States could be hitting a record of 100,000 cases per day by Election Day .
According to the Covid Tracking Project , yesterday ’ s statistics were : “ States reported 1.1 million tests , 73k cases , and 41k people currently hospitalized with COVID-19 .
The death toll was 1,038 , the highest since late September.
” On the current trajectory , this country could soon see 2,000 deaths a day .
Related to the issue of how to handle Covid-19 was the question of presidential decency .
Biden again drew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ empathy and a willingness to be a president for all Americans .
Because the reality of Covid-19 is so brutal , this matters .
Here also , Biden won hands down .

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The first presidential debate of 2020 was a disaster for Donald Trump. His constant hectoring of both Joe Biden and moderator Chris Wallace was childish and obnoxious. It made visible all the temperamental problems that are a major reason he is so unpopular. The polling gap between him and Biden widened after the debate, as Biden’s lead in aggregate polling rose from 7–8 to 10–11 points.
In the second debate, Trump had clearly been told by his advisers to keep to his best behavior and, miracle of miracles, he listened to them. In comparison to the first debate, Trump was far more of a normal politician. He wasn’t as outwardly belligerent and determined to talk over everyone else. Like Jeet’s writing? You’ll love him in conversation. Check out Jeet Heer and an extraordinary group of speakers at the first-ever virtual Nation festival, Nov. 18-21
To be sure, this is only relative to his own previous performance. All the normal Trump problems were there, including the constant lying (at one point he repeated his claim to have done more for African Americans than any other politician “except possibly Abraham Lincoln” and then a few minutes later denied that he compared himself to Lincoln). He also indulged in conspiracy mongering by referring to the “Biden crime family” amid attempts to make Hunter Biden’s alleged e-mails an issue. Many of Trump’s allusions to corruption could make sense only to those fully immersed in the Fox News mythos, which means they will confuse most Americans, including almost all persuadable voters.
Josh Marshall of Talking Points Memo made a reasonable comparison: More From Jeet Heer The Indigenous Roots of Robbie Robertson’s Rock and Roll Revolution August 14, 2023 Why Does This Racist Keep Getting Silicon Valley Money? August 11, 2023 When Phallocrats Go Limp August 4, 2023
Biden better on the merits but both guys playing to their preferred ways of speaking to the public, their core audiences. Trump wasn’t out of control like he was in the first debate. I thought he might be just as feral; but he wasn’t. I got that wrong. But that’s a crazy standard. In the first debate Trump showed his absolutely worst self, someone who simply has no business being President. It pushed him from clearly losing to landslide defeat territory. Trump held it together for the first twenty minutes before sliding into conspiracy theories and nonsense. But he never got near the fusillade of petulance and predation we saw three weeks ago. He was better here. But so was Biden. Biden was sharper in this debate than three weeks ago.
Marshall’s assessment is sound. Both candidates did considerably better. But since Trump’s first debate performance was wretched, coming closer to normality means the contrast between Trump and Biden wasn’t as sharp. It’s unlikely that the debate will cause Trump to sink in the polls. Current Issue View our current issue
What is more probable is that the debate will be a wash, irrelevant either way. That’s because the overriding issue of Covid-19 looms large over politics, all the more so since the United States is entering into a new surge. As Zack Beauchamp of Vox observes, “One error in the debate coverage I’m seeing so far—and really, campaign coverage more generally—is underestimating how much more important the pandemic is than everything else. We’re in the middle of one of the deadliest global outbreaks in human history. It has transformed the way that *everyone* lives their lives. To think it won’t be anything but the top issue is folly.”
Joe Biden hit the exact right note by warning, “We’re about to go into a dark winter. A dark winter. And he has no clear plan, and there’s no prospect that there’s going to be a vaccine available for the majority of the American people before the middle of next year.”
Trump responded by saying, “I don’t know if we’re going to have a dark winter at all. We’re opening up our country. We’ve learned and studied and understand the disease, which we didn’t at the beginning.”
On Covid-19, Biden is accurate and Trump is not. The dark winter has already started. Both deaths and case numbers are going up. The United States could be hitting a record of 100,000 cases per day by Election Day. According to the Covid Tracking Project, yesterday’s statistics were: “States reported 1.1 million tests, 73k cases, and 41k people currently hospitalized with COVID-19. The death toll was 1,038, the highest since late September.” On the current trajectory, this country could soon see 2,000 deaths a day.
Related to the issue of how to handle Covid-19 was the question of presidential decency. Biden again drew a contrast between himself and Trump on empathy and a willingness to be a president for all Americans. Because the reality of Covid-19 is so brutal, this matters. Here also, Biden won hands down.


thenation--2020-10-23--Betsy DeVos Attacks Trans Athletes Again

So much for “ live free or die.
” In a jarring attack on trans student-athletes , the Department of Education ’ s Betsy DeVos has forced Franklin Pierce University in New Hampshire to rescind its trans-inclusive policies for its athletic programs .
DeVos claims that Franklin Pierce ’ s guidelines violate Title IX , which is meant to protect women in spaces that receive public funding .
In the eyes of the Trump administration , trans women are not regarded as women at all .
The Title IX complaint against Franklin Pierce was made by the organization Concerned Women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Outsports as “ a Washington , D.C.-based Christian , anti-feminist , anti-LGBTQ organization.
” It filed this complaint in 2019 , after Franklin Pierce runner Cecé Telfer , a trans woman , won the NCAA Division II 400-meter hurdles .
Telfer became the first transgender student athlete to break the tape at an individual track and field NCAA championship , which is bizarre if trans women are actually running roughshod over women ’ s sports as CWA argues .
The DeVos threat , of course , is that for a violation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ withheld .
It ’ s using Title IX—and sports—as a cudgel to attack schools with trans-inclusive policies .
Franklin Pierce University , in defense of caving to DeVos and the Concerned Women of America , released the following statement : Franklin Pierce University is committed to an inclusive environment for all of its students .
We regret that we were required to rescind the Transgender Participation and Inclusion Policy we adopted and put forward based on the NCAA ’ s model , but have made this move to comply with a resolution agreement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Office for Civil Rights .
While we disagree with the position that the federal administration has taken with respect to trans-inclusive athletics participation , the Office for Civil Rights confirmed in its resolution letter ( sent to us on October 16 , 2020 ) that the provision within our policy were [ sic ] consistent with the NCAA ’ s Policy of Transgender Student-Athlete Participation , which was promulgated in 2011 .
We will continue to work with the Northeast-10 Conference and the NCAA on this important issue .
The CWA ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of America should sue them for stealing their initials ) has worked in conjunction with DeVos to go after other states like Connecticut that have trans-inclusive athletic policies .
It ’ s a methodical approach aimed at forcing trans people not only off the field of play but also into a silenced , marginalized space .
I reached out to ACLU attorney Chase Strangio ( who was recently profiled by The New Yorker for winning legal victories for trans people ) for comment : “ The latest set of actions from Betsey DeVos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) are truly chilling .
The agency is now threatening to withhold federal funding from institutions and districts that protect trans students from discrimination .
Through its Office for Civil Rights , ED has partnered with groups like Concerned Women for America and Alliance Defending Freedom to bar protections for trans student athletes .
These groups have a long history of discrimination against LGBTQ people and against all progressive action for women generally .
What we are seeing now is the reemergence of a long-abandoned practice with both colonial and eugenic impulses to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ultimately , cede to the state the ability to control and define who is a woman .
The consequences of these actions will hurt all women , will threaten all women in sport , and will serve to entrench regressive notions of gender that will extend beyond sport into other areas of law .
The idea that women who are trans are a threat to women ’ s sports when women ’ s sports remain underfunded , women athletes underpaid , women coaches underdeveloped , is a reminder that this is about hurting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We are now witnessing a federal government that is not only unwilling to protect trans people but now actively barring state and local entities from protecting us as well.
” This focus on trans athletes has been so effective for DeVos and antediluvian groups like CWA because it allows them to conjure a nightmare of cisgender men pretending to be trans in order to enter women ’ s sports events and dominate .
They sow this paranoid falsehood and win over people who would otherwise be allies with the trans movement , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ women as some kind of a threat to their own daughters ’ dreams of athletic glory .
Yet this is a fiction .
In fact , in the worlds of women ’ s rugby and power lifting , cisgender women have fought for the inclusion of their trans teammates , often in the face of exclusionary policies .
This conception also feeds into some grotesque notions that biology is somehow destiny when we are talking about success in athletics .
We need to stand unapologetically for trans liberation in all aspects of human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world of sports .
But the DeVoses of the world understand that if people felt free to play , they just might think that a greater freedom is just around the corner .

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So much for “live free or die.” In a jarring attack on trans student-athletes, the Department of Education’s Betsy DeVos has forced Franklin Pierce University in New Hampshire to rescind its trans-inclusive policies for its athletic programs. DeVos claims that Franklin Pierce’s guidelines violate Title IX, which is meant to protect women in spaces that receive public funding. In the eyes of the Trump administration, trans women are not regarded as women at all.
The Title IX complaint against Franklin Pierce was made by the organization Concerned Women for America, described by Karleigh Webb in Outsports as “a Washington, D.C.-based Christian, anti-feminist, anti-LGBTQ organization.” It filed this complaint in 2019, after Franklin Pierce runner Cecé Telfer, a trans woman, won the NCAA Division II 400-meter hurdles. Telfer became the first transgender student athlete to break the tape at an individual track and field NCAA championship, which is bizarre if trans women are actually running roughshod over women’s sports as CWA argues. The DeVos threat, of course, is that for a violation of Title IX, federal funds could be withheld. It’s using Title IX—and sports—as a cudgel to attack schools with trans-inclusive policies. Like Dave’s writing? You’ll love him in conversation. Check out Dave Zirin and an extraordinary group of speakers at the first-ever virtual Nation festival, Nov. 18-21
Franklin Pierce University, in defense of caving to DeVos and the Concerned Women of America, released the following statement:
Franklin Pierce University is committed to an inclusive environment for all of its students. We regret that we were required to rescind the Transgender Participation and Inclusion Policy we adopted and put forward based on the NCAA’s model, but have made this move to comply with a resolution agreement with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights. While we disagree with the position that the federal administration has taken with respect to trans-inclusive athletics participation, the Office for Civil Rights confirmed in its resolution letter (sent to us on October 16, 2020) that the provision within our policy were [sic] consistent with the NCAA’s Policy of Transgender Student-Athlete Participation, which was promulgated in 2011. We will continue to work with the Northeast-10 Conference and the NCAA on this important issue.
The CWA (and, honestly, the Communication Workers of America should sue them for stealing their initials) has worked in conjunction with DeVos to go after other states like Connecticut that have trans-inclusive athletic policies. It’s a methodical approach aimed at forcing trans people not only off the field of play but also into a silenced, marginalized space. Popular "swipe left below to view more authors"Swipe → The Evisceration of a Public University The Evisceration of a Public University Lisa M. Corrigan The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks Chris Lehmann “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash Dave Zirin How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection Chris Lehmann Popular "swipe left below to view more authors"Swipe → The Evisceration of a Public University The Evisceration of a Public University Lisa M. Corrigan The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks Chris Lehmann “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash Dave Zirin How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection Chris Lehmann
I reached out to ACLU attorney Chase Strangio (who was recently profiled by The New Yorker for winning legal victories for trans people) for comment:
“The latest set of actions from Betsey DeVos’s Department of Education (ED) are truly chilling. The agency is now threatening to withhold federal funding from institutions and districts that protect trans students from discrimination. Through its Office for Civil Rights, ED has partnered with groups like Concerned Women for America and Alliance Defending Freedom to bar protections for trans student athletes. These groups have a long history of discrimination against LGBTQ people and against all progressive action for women generally. What we are seeing now is the reemergence of a long-abandoned practice with both colonial and eugenic impulses to regulate the bodies of women athletes and ultimately, cede to the state the ability to control and define who is a woman. The consequences of these actions will hurt all women, will threaten all women in sport, and will serve to entrench regressive notions of gender that will extend beyond sport into other areas of law. The idea that women who are trans are a threat to women’s sports when women’s sports remain underfunded, women athletes underpaid, women coaches underdeveloped, is a reminder that this is about hurting some women and not supporting all women. We are now witnessing a federal government that is not only unwilling to protect trans people but now actively barring state and local entities from protecting us as well.”
This focus on trans athletes has been so effective for DeVos and antediluvian groups like CWA because it allows them to conjure a nightmare of cisgender men pretending to be trans in order to enter women’s sports events and dominate. They sow this paranoid falsehood and win over people who would otherwise be allies with the trans movement, but instead are directed to see trans women as some kind of a threat to their own daughters’ dreams of athletic glory.
Yet this is a fiction. In fact, in the worlds of women’s rugby and power lifting, cisgender women have fought for the inclusion of their trans teammates, often in the face of exclusionary policies. This conception also feeds into some grotesque notions that biology is somehow destiny when we are talking about success in athletics. We need to stand unapologetically for trans liberation in all aspects of human existence, without exception. That includes the world of sports. But the DeVoses of the world understand that if people felt free to play, they just might think that a greater freedom is just around the corner.


thenation--2020-10-23--Opportunity Knocks: Canvassing in the Time of Covid

hoenix—With less than two weeks to Election Day and early voting already underway , Joe Biden ’ s campaign is finally resuming in-person canvassing in battleground states .
It ’ s about time .
The Biden team ’ s decision earlier this year to impose a moratorium on door-knocking—a party line that local candidates , too , felt pressure to follow—and opt instead for an “ invisible campaign ” of ads , calls , and texts was a costly blunder .
In-person canvassing is one of the most effective tools a campaign has at its disposal : It motivates volunteers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up and down the ballot .
Which may be why the Trump campaign—and state GOP organizations—never stopped knocking .
So it ’ s welcome news that , after months of condemning canvassing as both dangerous and ineffective , top Democratic operatives have suddenly changed their tone .
The challenge now , especially in the midst of a spike in Covid cases across Midwest battleground states , will be to canvass responsibly—to protect voters ’ and canvassers ’ health .
That will take careful planning and a rigorous set of safety protocols , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , because we ’ re doing it .
For the past month , we have been knocking on doors for Democrats in Arizona with CASE Action , a political advocacy group affiliated with the hospitality workers ’ union UNITE HERE Local 11 .
When the pandemic hit in March , more than 85 percent of UNITE HERE members lost their jobs .
At the same time , CASE Action halted its in-person campaigning .
But as the summer wore on , union members remained jobless—and phone-banking proved inadequate .
“ We were going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really terrible , ” remembers Rachel Sulkes , UNITE HERE Local 11 ’ s communications director .
“ We were just not going to win.
” The union ’ s solution was to hire its own unemployed members to canvass in Arizona and help flip the state blue .
That way , all of them gained a living wage , health care , and benefits—while also coming together to fight for those same rights in November .
To ensure the team ’ s safety , CASE leadership worked with Dr. Saskia Popescu , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ epidemiologists , to develop a Covid-19 safety protocol that protects both canvassers and the voters we canvass .
Popescu recalled that at first she was skeptical of in-person door-knocking .
But she changed her mind after calculating just how low-risk canvassers ’ interactions with voters could be .
Canvassing consists in brief , socially distanced , open-air conversations , with canvassers wearing masks and face shields .
For a virus that spreads through long , up-close exposure in contained spaces , it is the archetype of a low-risk activity .
When done right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ isn ’ t any different than going to get takeout food.
” Our canvassers also submit to daily symptom screening and temperature checks , regularly disinfect their hands , and wear masks and face shields at all times within the office and carpooling ( no more than two canvassers per car , in separate rows , with windows down ) .
The protocol is working .
While coronavirus cases are on the rise again in Arizona and across the nation , the total number of cases in our 300-person team from in-person canvassing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The result is the single largest Democratic field operation in Arizona—and one of the largest in the country .
Come November , CASE Action canvassers will have knocked over 650,000 doors and spoken to around 130,000 voters across Maricopa County .
Over the past two months , other UNITE HERE locals have drawn from CASE ’ s model to begin in-person campaigning in Florida , Nevada , and Pennsylvania , states where the presidency likely will be won or lost .
In the best of times , canvassing is hard work .
During @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arizona sun , it can be grueling .
But for many of our fellow canvassers , the risk of losing the election is much greater than the risk of knocking on doors .
Trump ’ s callous response to the pandemic cost them their livelihoods ( and their health care ) .
They have a deeply personal and immediate stake in the outcome of the election .
There is a reason that the foot soldiers fighting for Democrats are working-class union members—essential workers in our economy and now essential workers in our politics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the pandemic might generate backlash .
That does not match the reality on the ground .
We and others on our campaign have yet to encounter a single voter who feels unsafe in our presence .
( We ’ ve had doors slammed in our faces for being Democrats—but that ’ s different . )
Just the opposite : Our contact rates—the number of conversations per doors knocked—are well above those of the average canvassing operation .
Voters are at home and willing , even eager , to talk .
A significant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mostly white North Phoenix suburbs or the Latinx neighborhoods to the South , remain genuinely on the fence about the election , or else simply apathetic .
Locating these voters this close to an election can be challenging .
But it will make all the difference in November , and a well-trained , in-person canvassing operation is the best tool Democrats have to get it done .
Just as important , survey data show that young , low-income , minority voters—key pillars of the Democratic base—are disproportionately hard to contact remotely , particularly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voting procedures , in-person canvassing may be the only way to reach many Democratic-leaning voters in time to prepare them to turn out for this election .
Here in Arizona , we have already helped thousands of voters complete and send off their mail-in ballots , including many who might never have voted had we not knocked on their doors .
Most organizers get this .
“ There is nothing better than face-to-face contact , ” Lavora Barnes , chair of the Michigan Democratic Party , told Time in September .
Which makes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anything from six months of semi-lockdown , it is that our personal lives are poorer for being channeled onto phone lines and squeezed into Zoom boxes .
The same is true of our politics .
Democrats are waging the final leg of this campaign under unprecedented conditions , with case counts rising again and no end to the pandemic in sight .
Covid-19 will upend campaigning well beyond November 2020—in important local and midterm elections , where in-person canvassing is even more essential to boosting turnout .
Our experience in Arizona has shown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ absolutely possible .
If Democrats want to pull off lasting victories in the months and years to come , it will be absolutely necessary .
The authors are canvassers with CASE Action , an economic justice organization in Phoenix .

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P hoenix—With less than two weeks to Election Day and early voting already underway, Joe Biden’s campaign is finally resuming in-person canvassing in battleground states. It’s about time. The Biden team’s decision earlier this year to impose a moratorium on door-knocking—a party line that local candidates, too, felt pressure to follow—and opt instead for an “invisible campaign” of ads, calls, and texts was a costly blunder. In-person canvassing is one of the most effective tools a campaign has at its disposal: It motivates volunteers, persuades undecided voters and increases turnout up and down the ballot. Which may be why the Trump campaign—and state GOP organizations—never stopped knocking. So it’s welcome news that, after months of condemning canvassing as both dangerous and ineffective, top Democratic operatives have suddenly changed their tone.
The challenge now, especially in the midst of a spike in Covid cases across Midwest battleground states, will be to canvass responsibly—to protect voters’ and canvassers’ health. That will take careful planning and a rigorous set of safety protocols, but it can be done. We know, because we’re doing it.
For the past month, we have been knocking on doors for Democrats in Arizona with CASE Action, a political advocacy group affiliated with the hospitality workers’ union UNITE HERE Local 11. When the pandemic hit in March, more than 85 percent of UNITE HERE members lost their jobs. At the same time, CASE Action halted its in-person campaigning. But as the summer wore on, union members remained jobless—and phone-banking proved inadequate. “We were going on the phones, and it was really terrible,” remembers Rachel Sulkes, UNITE HERE Local 11’s communications director. “We were just not going to win.”
The union’s solution was to hire its own unemployed members to canvass in Arizona and help flip the state blue. That way, all of them gained a living wage, health care, and benefits—while also coming together to fight for those same rights in November. To ensure the team’s safety, CASE leadership worked with Dr. Saskia Popescu, one of the nation’s leading epidemiologists, to develop a Covid-19 safety protocol that protects both canvassers and the voters we canvass.
Popescu recalled that at first she was skeptical of in-person door-knocking. But she changed her mind after calculating just how low-risk canvassers’ interactions with voters could be. Canvassing consists in brief, socially distanced, open-air conversations, with canvassers wearing masks and face shields. For a virus that spreads through long, up-close exposure in contained spaces, it is the archetype of a low-risk activity. When done right, Popescu says, canvassing “really isn’t any different than going to get takeout food.” Our canvassers also submit to daily symptom screening and temperature checks, regularly disinfect their hands, and wear masks and face shields at all times within the office and carpooling (no more than two canvassers per car, in separate rows, with windows down). Popular "swipe left below to view more authors"Swipe → The Evisceration of a Public University The Evisceration of a Public University Lisa M. Corrigan The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks Chris Lehmann “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash Dave Zirin How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection Chris Lehmann Popular "swipe left below to view more authors"Swipe → The Evisceration of a Public University The Evisceration of a Public University Lisa M. Corrigan The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks Chris Lehmann “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash Dave Zirin How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection Chris Lehmann
The protocol is working. While coronavirus cases are on the rise again in Arizona and across the nation, the total number of cases in our 300-person team from in-person canvassing this summer has been: zero.
The result is the single largest Democratic field operation in Arizona—and one of the largest in the country. Come November, CASE Action canvassers will have knocked over 650,000 doors and spoken to around 130,000 voters across Maricopa County. Over the past two months, other UNITE HERE locals have drawn from CASE’s model to begin in-person campaigning in Florida, Nevada, and Pennsylvania, states where the presidency likely will be won or lost. Current Issue View our current issue
In the best of times, canvassing is hard work. During a pandemic, and beneath the unyielding Arizona sun, it can be grueling. But for many of our fellow canvassers, the risk of losing the election is much greater than the risk of knocking on doors. Trump’s callous response to the pandemic cost them their livelihoods (and their health care). They have a deeply personal and immediate stake in the outcome of the election. There is a reason that the foot soldiers fighting for Democrats are working-class union members—essential workers in our economy and now essential workers in our politics.
Some commentators have warned that canvassing during the pandemic might generate backlash. That does not match the reality on the ground. We and others on our campaign have yet to encounter a single voter who feels unsafe in our presence. (We’ve had doors slammed in our faces for being Democrats—but that’s different.) Just the opposite: Our contact rates—the number of conversations per doors knocked—are well above those of the average canvassing operation. Voters are at home and willing, even eager, to talk. A significant number of them, whether in the mostly white North Phoenix suburbs or the Latinx neighborhoods to the South, remain genuinely on the fence about the election, or else simply apathetic. Locating these voters this close to an election can be challenging. But it will make all the difference in November, and a well-trained, in-person canvassing operation is the best tool Democrats have to get it done.
Just as important, survey data show that young, low-income, minority voters—key pillars of the Democratic base—are disproportionately hard to contact remotely, particularly by phone. With confusion mounting over voting procedures, in-person canvassing may be the only way to reach many Democratic-leaning voters in time to prepare them to turn out for this election. Here in Arizona, we have already helped thousands of voters complete and send off their mail-in ballots, including many who might never have voted had we not knocked on their doors.
Most organizers get this. “There is nothing better than face-to-face contact,” Lavora Barnes, chair of the Michigan Democratic Party, told Time in September. Which makes perfect sense: If we have learned anything from six months of semi-lockdown, it is that our personal lives are poorer for being channeled onto phone lines and squeezed into Zoom boxes. The same is true of our politics.
Democrats are waging the final leg of this campaign under unprecedented conditions, with case counts rising again and no end to the pandemic in sight. Covid-19 will upend campaigning well beyond November 2020—in important local and midterm elections, where in-person canvassing is even more essential to boosting turnout. Our experience in Arizona has shown that a Covid-safe approach to canvassing is absolutely possible. If Democrats want to pull off lasting victories in the months and years to come, it will be absolutely necessary.
The authors are canvassers with CASE Action, an economic justice organization in Phoenix.


thenation--2020-10-23--Trump Sinks to New Depths of Deceit and Depravity

The Noise from last night ’ s debate was at a far lower decibel level than the horror show that passed for a debate three weeks back .
But the Signal really didn ’ t change : Trump ’ s mendacity level was through the roof , and his lack of empathy was if anything even more on display , by virtue of the fact that he was speaking quietly enough for people to actually take in the words as much as the bluster .
There were so many lies and distortions that it ’ s something of a crapshoot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But for sheer vileness , let ’ s focus on the smears against Joe Biden ’ s family ; the incapacity to show the slightest iota of empathy for the parents and children separated from each other at the southern border as a result of the Trump administration ’ s deliberate policy of child-snatching ; and the extraordinary rhetoric he deployed against Biden ’ s climate policies .
Like Sasha ’ s writing ?
You ’ ll love him in conversation .
Check out Sasha Abramsky and an extraordinary group of speakers at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 18-21 On the family smears front : In Trump ’ s telling , Biden ’ s son Hunter was milking China , Ukraine , and several other countries for millions of dollars , while Biden himself , during his time as vice president , was “ getting a lot of money from Russia.
” On certain phone calls , Joe Biden may or may not have been cryptically referred to as “ the big man ” who would take a 10 percent cut in all the unsavory deals supposedly being worked out .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ his brothers , and his son were a crime syndicate colluding in a nefarious plot to walk away from the political stage with millions in illicit moneys .
Trump Is Urging Republicans to Break the Law This is the stuff of paranoid Internet chat rooms ; the “ big man ” smear is cartoonish , a takeoff on “ the fat man , ” a larger-than-life ne ’ er-do-well in the novel and film noir The Maltese Falcon .
It ought to have no business in a presidential debate .
But it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who has long sought to deflect from his own moral and legal failings by charging his opponents with doing the sorts of things he does on a regular basis .
When Trump does this , he hunches his shoulders and moves his neck forward and down slightly ; his face deflates just a tad ; his eyebrows seem to arch ; his hands , fingers splayed , get more active ; and his lips purse , tightening his cheeks just that extra bit as he stresses each syllable .
It is the hustler @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a used-car salesman desperate to convince a mark to buy a 20-year-old clunker with a leaky radiator and a collapsed suspension system .
Trump ’ s fantasy cum demagoguery soared to new heights in Tennessee as he ranted , in his own stream-of-consciousness way , about his opponent .
The self-proclaimed billionaire said that Biden was able to stay “ in the basement ” rather than get out and hold large rallies because he was somehow unfathomably wealthy—a claim that is both untrue and a non sequitur .
Trump—whom The New York Times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on his upstate New York mansion—then impugned Biden for living in “ very nice houses.
” On Biden ’ s environmental policies , Trump wasn ’ t much better , combining demagoguery with incoherence in equal measure .
He talked of a mysterious cabal of policy-makers known as “ AOC plus three ” who are pulling Biden ’ s strings regarding investing in green energy and retrofitting buildings and industries to become more fuel-efficient .
Trump conjured comically implausible numbers in asserting that Biden ’ s plans would cost $ 100 trillion , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of America ’ s gross national product .
He then went for what he must have thought was the jugular with the bizarre assertion that Biden wanted to “ knock down buildings and build new buildings with little tiny small windows.
” It ’ s hard to know what to say to that , so I ’ ll just move along to the appalling set of responses Trump gave when challenged on his family separation policy , and the recent reports that upwards of 500 children can not be reunited with their parents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that would allow them to track down the parents of these young kids .
A normal human being , regardless of ideology , would at least try to perform a mea culpa here .
But that ’ s not Trump ’ s style .
Instead he deflected , repeatedly saying that Biden was responsible for putting children in cages .
When the moderator persisted in questioning Trump about the children , his answer was , “ Children are brought here by coyotes and lots of bad people.
” The subtext : The lawbreaking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
When the moderator followed up by asking whether he had a plan to unite the kids with their parents , Trump muttered , “ Yes , we ’ re working on it very hard , ” and then refused to say what the plan was .
Instead , he pivoted : “ They are so well taken care of .
They ’ re in facilities that are so clean.
” Two things are , of course , wrong with that ghastly statement : The first is that by all accounts the facilities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ having argued in court over the past few years that even such items as toothpaste and soap ought not to be considered necessities .
And the second is that even if they were as sparkling as a penthouse suite in a Trump hotel , that wouldn ’ t mitigate the emotional impact on families of being torn apart deliberately by order of Donald J. Trump .
A man with a normal empathic response would have talked about the pain of separation and the need to make things as right as possible ; Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think in terms of baubles .
Trump then made a bad situation even worse by denigrating the entire asylum process , saying that if asylum-seekers are let into the country , only 1 percent of them will attend their subsequent court hearings .
There ’ s no evidence to back up that statement , but in Trump ’ s mind , evidence doesn ’ t really matter .
Which might explain why he then threw in another gratuitous insult to immigrants by saying that the only ones who bother to show up for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the lowest IQ.
” Presumably the rationale is similar to Trump ’ s own rationale for gaming the IRS regarding the taxes he owes .
Trump believes that only suckers and losers , only people “ with the lowest IQ , ” play by the rules .
In 2016 , he told a debate audience that his ability to avoid taxes made him “ smart.
” Now , in 2020 , he tells another debate audience that only stupid people go to court hearings they are legally required to attend .
I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soul of the nation ” message that Biden pitches ; it has always seemed a bit mushy to me .
But after seeing last night ’ s debate , it ’ s clear that Biden is right on this .
I can ’ t remember any election , either here or abroad , that has so clearly been about character and about moral values .
Who we are as a people is entirely at stake in the coming days and weeks .
That ’ s my take-home from watching the second and final @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Signal as we head into the election ’ s final stretch .

The Noise from last night’s debate was at a far lower decibel level than the horror show that passed for a debate three weeks back.
But the Signal really didn’t change: Trump’s mendacity level was through the roof, and his lack of empathy was if anything even more on display, by virtue of the fact that he was speaking quietly enough for people to actually take in the words as much as the bluster.
There were so many lies and distortions that it’s something of a crapshoot as to which ones to highlight. But for sheer vileness, let’s focus on the smears against Joe Biden’s family; the incapacity to show the slightest iota of empathy for the parents and children separated from each other at the southern border as a result of the Trump administration’s deliberate policy of child-snatching; and the extraordinary rhetoric he deployed against Biden’s climate policies. Like Sasha’s writing? You’ll love him in conversation. Check out Sasha Abramsky and an extraordinary group of speakers at the first-ever virtual Nation festival, Nov. 18-21
On the family smears front: In Trump’s telling, Biden’s son Hunter was milking China, Ukraine, and several other countries for millions of dollars, while Biden himself, during his time as vice president, was “getting a lot of money from Russia.” On certain phone calls, Joe Biden may or may not have been cryptically referred to as “the big man” who would take a 10 percent cut in all the unsavory deals supposedly being worked out. And other correspondence shows that Biden, his brothers, and his son were a crime syndicate colluding in a nefarious plot to walk away from the political stage with millions in illicit moneys. More Signal:Noise Trump Is Butchering Our Regulatory Infrastructure Sasha Abramsky Trump Is Urging Republicans to Break the Law Sasha Abramsky
This is the stuff of paranoid Internet chat rooms; the “big man” smear is cartoonish, a takeoff on “the fat man,” a larger-than-life ne’er-do-well in the novel and film noir The Maltese Falcon. It ought to have no business in a presidential debate. But it’s also the tell of the grifter who has long sought to deflect from his own moral and legal failings by charging his opponents with doing the sorts of things he does on a regular basis. When Trump does this, he hunches his shoulders and moves his neck forward and down slightly; his face deflates just a tad; his eyebrows seem to arch; his hands, fingers splayed, get more active; and his lips purse, tightening his cheeks just that extra bit as he stresses each syllable. It is the hustler’s package, the look of a used-car salesman desperate to convince a mark to buy a 20-year-old clunker with a leaky radiator and a collapsed suspension system.
Trump’s fantasy cum demagoguery soared to new heights in Tennessee as he ranted, in his own stream-of-consciousness way, about his opponent. The self-proclaimed billionaire said that Biden was able to stay “in the basement” rather than get out and hold large rallies because he was somehow unfathomably wealthy—a claim that is both untrue and a non sequitur. Trump—whom The New York Times recently exposed for claiming wildly different valuations on his upstate New York mansion—then impugned Biden for living in “very nice houses.” Popular "swipe left below to view more authors"Swipe → The Evisceration of a Public University The Evisceration of a Public University Lisa M. Corrigan The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks Chris Lehmann “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash Dave Zirin How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection Chris Lehmann Popular "swipe left below to view more authors"Swipe → The Evisceration of a Public University The Evisceration of a Public University Lisa M. Corrigan The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks Chris Lehmann “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash Dave Zirin How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection Chris Lehmann
On Biden’s environmental policies, Trump wasn’t much better, combining demagoguery with incoherence in equal measure. He talked of a mysterious cabal of policy-makers known as “AOC plus three” who are pulling Biden’s strings regarding investing in green energy and retrofitting buildings and industries to become more fuel-efficient. Trump conjured comically implausible numbers in asserting that Biden’s plans would cost $100 trillion, which is roughly five times the size of America’s gross national product. He then went for what he must have thought was the jugular with the bizarre assertion that Biden wanted to “knock down buildings and build new buildings with little tiny small windows.” Current Issue View our current issue
It’s hard to know what to say to that, so I’ll just move along to the appalling set of responses Trump gave when challenged on his family separation policy, and the recent reports that upwards of 500 children cannot be reunited with their parents because the administration neglected to keep records that would allow them to track down the parents of these young kids.
A normal human being, regardless of ideology, would at least try to perform a mea culpa here. But that’s not Trump’s style. Instead he deflected, repeatedly saying that Biden was responsible for putting children in cages. When the moderator persisted in questioning Trump about the children, his answer was, “Children are brought here by coyotes and lots of bad people.” The subtext: The lawbreaking parents and children got what they deserved. When the moderator followed up by asking whether he had a plan to unite the kids with their parents, Trump muttered, “Yes, we’re working on it very hard,” and then refused to say what the plan was. Instead, he pivoted: “They are so well taken care of. They’re in facilities that are so clean.”
Two things are, of course, wrong with that ghastly statement: The first is that by all accounts the facilities are horrendous, with government lawyers’ having argued in court over the past few years that even such items as toothpaste and soap ought not to be considered necessities. And the second is that even if they were as sparkling as a penthouse suite in a Trump hotel, that wouldn’t mitigate the emotional impact on families of being torn apart deliberately by order of Donald J. Trump. A man with a normal empathic response would have talked about the pain of separation and the need to make things as right as possible; Trump, by contrast, can only ever think in terms of baubles.
Trump then made a bad situation even worse by denigrating the entire asylum process, saying that if asylum-seekers are let into the country, only 1 percent of them will attend their subsequent court hearings. There’s no evidence to back up that statement, but in Trump’s mind, evidence doesn’t really matter. Which might explain why he then threw in another gratuitous insult to immigrants by saying that the only ones who bother to show up for court hearings are the people “with the lowest IQ.” Presumably the rationale is similar to Trump’s own rationale for gaming the IRS regarding the taxes he owes. Trump believes that only suckers and losers, only people “with the lowest IQ,” play by the rules. In 2016, he told a debate audience that his ability to avoid taxes made him “smart.” Now, in 2020, he tells another debate audience that only stupid people go to court hearings they are legally required to attend.
I’ve generally shied away from the “soul of the nation” message that Biden pitches; it has always seemed a bit mushy to me. But after seeing last night’s debate, it’s clear that Biden is right on this. I can’t remember any election, either here or abroad, that has so clearly been about character and about moral values. Who we are as a people is entirely at stake in the coming days and weeks. That’s my take-home from watching the second and final debate. And that’s the Signal as we head into the election’s final stretch.


thenation--2020-10-23--The Moment Joe Biden Found His Voice—and Won the Final Debate

Let us pray : That was the last presidential debate in which we ever have to watch Donald Trump for the rest of our lives .
I know I should be careful what I wish for : If Trump wins or steals the election next month , there might never be another debate—because who knows if or when we ’ ll have elections .
I don ’ t mean to sound shrill , but it ’ s a scary scenario .
But I don ’ t think that will be the case .
Trump lumbered out onstage surreally slowly Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perhaps still dealing with his Covid issues .
As the night wore on , he seemed stronger ; still , former vice president Joe Biden won the final debate .
His knockout came when moderator Kristen Welker of NBC brought up what might be the most searing moral indictment facing Americans thanks to this lawless administration : The fact , as reported by NBC and confirmed by others in the last few days , that Trump ’ s people , directed by Santa Monica Satan Stephen Miller , ripped 545 children of asylum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detained them , deported the parents—and then lost track of the parents .
So at least 545 children , some of them babies , are essentially orphaned , detained somewhere in the United States , in our name .
Like Joan ’ s writing ?
You ’ ll love her in conversation .
Check out Joan Walsh and an extraordinary group of speakers at the first-ever virtual Nation festival , Nov. 18-21 Welker asked this about an hour into the debate .
Trump either didn ’ t know the truth , or lied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ These children were brought here by coyotes and lots of bad people , cartels , and they used to use them to get into our country , ” he harrumphed .
The ‘ Dark Winter ’ of Covid-19 Overshadows the Debate Of course , Welker was talking about children we know were brought here by , and separated from , their actual flesh-and-blood parents .
That ’ s what reporting on these children , has documented .
Biden came back with an eloquence he hadn ’ t quite had until that point to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came with parents , ” he challenged Trump .
“ They separated them at the border , to make it a disincentive to come to begin with .
It makes us really tough .
We ’ re really strong , ” he added sarcastically .
“ Coyotes didn ’ t bring them over .
Their parents were with them , ” he said , steam rising .
“ They got separated from their parents , and it makes us a laughingstock , and violates every notion of who we are as a nation.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ moving , “ Let ’ s talk about what we ’ re talking about : parents , their kids were ripped from their arms , and separated .
And now they can ’ t find over 500 sets of those parents , and those kids were alone .
Nowhere to go .
Nowhere to go .
It ’ s criminal .
It ’ s criminal.
” Trump replied with the chilling line , “ Kristen , I will say this : They are so well taken care of , they ’ re in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we have children we ’ ve essentially orphaned , but they ’ re in “ facilities that are so clean.
” I don ’ t know if that will move any voters , but I sure hope so .
Later , Trump tried to attack Biden for Obama administration policies that allowed asylum seekers to stay in this country while their claims were heard .
Though pilot support programs showed that more than 90 percent of those immigrants showed up for court dates , Trump insisted that only people with “ the lowest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indecent policies and again displaying his deep racism .
Sadly , Welker didn ’ t refute Trump ’ s claims—for all the praise she received , I still think she could have done a minimum of fact-checking , and she didn ’ t—and Biden tried , but weakly .
Though the famous new format kept each man quiet while the other was making his two-minute reply to direct moderator questions , otherwise they could butt in—and Trump butted in most of all .
It was annoying , at least to me , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he looked like a big , wild wounded animal—because he is .
Biden had some rocky moments , especially when Trump was bullying him .
I hate to note that he stuttered , except Biden is honest about his childhood stuttering problem—a challenge that is never fully vanquished .
So he stuttered , briefly , a couple of times , when Trump was being a particular abomination .
But he never stuttered when talking about the children Trump ripped away from their parents .
You could see Biden ’ s own losses , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his passion .
And he never stuttered at all after that .
Here ’ s hoping he keeps that clear moral voice through Election Day .

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Let us pray: That was the last presidential debate in which we ever have to watch Donald Trump for the rest of our lives.
I know I should be careful what I wish for: If Trump wins or steals the election next month, there might never be another debate—because who knows if or when we’ll have elections. I don’t mean to sound shrill, but it’s a scary scenario.
But I don’t think that will be the case. Trump lumbered out onstage surreally slowly Thursday night, under unusually heavy makeup, perhaps still dealing with his Covid issues. As the night wore on, he seemed stronger; still, former vice president Joe Biden won the final debate. His knockout came when moderator Kristen Welker of NBC brought up what might be the most searing moral indictment facing Americans thanks to this lawless administration: The fact, as reported by NBC and confirmed by others in the last few days, that Trump’s people, directed by Santa Monica Satan Stephen Miller, ripped 545 children of asylum seekers from their parents’ arms, detained them, deported the parents—and then lost track of the parents. So at least 545 children, some of them babies, are essentially orphaned, detained somewhere in the United States, in our name. Like Joan’s writing? You’ll love her in conversation. Check out Joan Walsh and an extraordinary group of speakers at the first-ever virtual Nation festival, Nov. 18-21
Welker asked this about an hour into the debate. Trump either didn’t know the truth, or lied. (You guess.) “These children were brought here by coyotes and lots of bad people, cartels, and they used to use them to get into our country,” he harrumphed. Related Article The ‘Dark Winter’ of Covid-19 Overshadows the Debate Jeet Heer
Of course, Welker was talking about children we know were brought here by, and separated from, their actual flesh-and-blood parents. That’s what reporting on these children, has documented. Biden came back with an eloquence he hadn’t quite had until that point to say so: “These 500-plus kids came with parents,” he challenged Trump. “They separated them at the border, to make it a disincentive to come to begin with. It makes us really tough. We’re really strong,” he added sarcastically. “Coyotes didn’t bring them over. Their parents were with them,” he said, steam rising. “They got separated from their parents, and it makes us a laughingstock, and violates every notion of who we are as a nation.”
He continued, and it was moving, “Let’s talk about what we’re talking about: parents, their kids were ripped from their arms, and separated. And now they can’t find over 500 sets of those parents, and those kids were alone. Nowhere to go. Nowhere to go. It’s criminal. It’s criminal.”
Trump replied with the chilling line, “Kristen, I will say this: They are so well taken care of, they’re in facilities that are so clean.” Current Issue View our current issue
So we have children we’ve essentially orphaned, but they’re in “facilities that are so clean.” I don’t know if that will move any voters, but I sure hope so.
Later, Trump tried to attack Biden for Obama administration policies that allowed asylum seekers to stay in this country while their claims were heard. Though pilot support programs showed that more than 90 percent of those immigrants showed up for court dates, Trump insisted that only people with “the lowest IQ” did so, defending his indecent policies and again displaying his deep racism. Sadly, Welker didn’t refute Trump’s claims—for all the praise she received, I still think she could have done a minimum of fact-checking, and she didn’t—and Biden tried, but weakly.
Though the famous new format kept each man quiet while the other was making his two-minute reply to direct moderator questions, otherwise they could butt in—and Trump butted in most of all. It was annoying, at least to me, but it didn’t help him; he looked like a big, wild wounded animal—because he is. Biden had some rocky moments, especially when Trump was bullying him. I hate to note that he stuttered, except Biden is honest about his childhood stuttering problem—a challenge that is never fully vanquished. So he stuttered, briefly, a couple of times, when Trump was being a particular abomination.
But he never stuttered when talking about the children Trump ripped away from their parents. You could see Biden’s own losses, of two of his children, in his passion. And he never stuttered at all after that. Here’s hoping he keeps that clear moral voice through Election Day.