dailykos--2020-09-08--Election Season Is Upon Us - Good News Roundup, Bluesday September 8th, 2020

Fifty-six days to go .
We are entering the final stretch of the quest to dethrone tRump .
It ’ s officially after Labor Day today , so all those low-information “ I can ’ t be bothered ” voters are going to start paying attention now .
Right ?
It ’ s about time to break out the hip waders and get ready for navigating the flood of BS that ’ s going to come spewing out of Derp* State .
I ’ m not particularly nervous about it .
They ’ ve spent the last 3¾ years shredding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obvious lies and nonsensical drivel .
Yes , our national media has a vested interest in Selling ( with a capital ‘ S ’ ) us a horse race and their poor journalistic practices will work to make bushels of faux-apples out of handfuls of liberal oranges .
Yes , the dark money superpacs supporting our unclothed emperor will send out their Storm tRumpers to spew ever more outlandish claims , ridiculous accusations and baseless conspiracy theories .
The ugly tRumpet will sound his perverted call to all the disturbed parts of our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Justice or Equality .
The thing to remember is : He ’ s already got all the folks who were susceptible to his line of snake oil politics in his base .
There aren ’ t any votes for him to pick up .
More than half of the electorate has already vowed not to vote for him .
His only hope is to try to steal the election .
We aren ’ t going to let that happen .
We aren ’ t helpless lambs on our way to the slaughter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power and inspiration to end this nightmare .
We will prevail .
Not because we want to , but because we must .
*Derp — used as a substitute for speech regarded as meaningless or stupid , or to comment on a foolish or stupid action .
( from Google ’ s English Dictionary provided by Oxford Languages ) If you haven ’ t seen John Oliver ’ s rants on the Republican Convention and the events in Kenosha , here ’ s your chance .
This will get you fired up .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on to the news : The delusion is strong in this one The man isn ’ t losing it .
He lost it and he isn ’ t going to find it again .
Even his sickophants can ’ t dig him out of the trench he dug so he ’ d have a ramp to stumble down to the hole he keeps digging .
I wouldn ’ t be surprised if a few more prominent henchweasels started trying to fill the hole in , with him in it , before the election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the conservative ( ish ) writers at Daily Beast , Matt Lewis , after talking about the media ’ s liberal bias , thought this time tRump might not get away with it .
I think all the straw/camel stories are , by themselves , eroding the sandy base tRump is sinking into .
And the Blue Tide has peaked yet .
Daily Beast : The ‘ Losers ’ and ‘ Suckers ’ of the U.S. Military Return to Haunt Trump In the 2016 election , there were numerous occasions when smart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far .
His comments about John McCain and POWs were one early example .
The Access Hollywood video was perhaps the ultimate one .
Every time , Trump survived .
Could it be different this time ?
Possibly .
Trump faces more obstacles this time around .
Joe Biden is more formidable than Hillary Clinton , and—unlike in 2016 , when maybe you could imagine Trump might magically fix everything—Trump has a ( bad ) record to run on .
When you consider that Trump won three important electoral college states by around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that any little thing could make the difference .
Even before this story dropped , Trump was losing support among members of the military .
One could imagine this report accelerating that trend among active duty personnel and veterans .
( It ’ s also worth noting that , just as this story hits , it has also been reported that Stars and Stripes , a newspaper for the military that has been around since the Civil War , is being shuttered by the Pentagon .
The story keeps growing .
Liddle Donnie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , even though he dropped it in the first place .
As they way in the old country , “ Holy Crap !
” President Donald Trump launched an unprecedented public attack against the leadership of the US military on Monday , accusing them of waging wars to boost the profits of defense manufacturing companies .
`` I 'm not saying the military 's in love with me -- the soldiers are , the top people in the Pentagon probably are n't because they want to do nothing but fight wars so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make the bombs and make the planes and make everything else stay happy , '' Trump told reporters at a White House news conference .
Trump 's extraordinary comments come as several defense officials tell CNN relations between the President and Pentagon leadership are becoming increasingly strained .
The Mask is off and it ’ s not pretty I guess he figures all the orange makeup is mask enough .
This is not a good look for him and it will not win him any new followers .
Huffington Post : Trump Orders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Briefing “ You ’ re going to have to take that off .
Just take it off , ” said Trump as he pointed to the mask worn by Jeff Mason , White House correspondent for Reuters .
“ How many feet are you away ?
” asked the irritable president , referring to social distancing efforts to help stop the spread of COVID-19 .
“ If you don ’ t take it off , you ’ re very muffled .
So if you take it off , it would be a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ understood on a recording of the exchange .
He began his question referring to Trump ’ s decision two years ago not to attend a memorial ceremony for fallen American soldiers at a French cemetery .
The president blew off the ceremony ( which was attended by European leaders ) after referring to deceased war heroes as “ losers , ” according to a bombshell report in The Atlantic last week .
And , of course , there ’ s more .
He ’ s getting pushback from his own side of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ North Carolina county commission has implored President Donald Trump to follow local requirements and wear a mask when he makes a campaign stop at Winston-Salem this week .
“ There is no excuse , ” Dave Plyler , the chairman of the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners , told the Winston-Salem Journal .
“ He just needs to do it.
” “ It ’ s been ordered by the governor , ” he said .
“ When in Rome , do as the Romans do .
When in North Carolina , do as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in trouble too DeJoy is looking DeSad .
He might just be going to DeJail .
The allegations , laid out first by the Washington Post and subsequently confirmed by other media , are that while DeJoy was chief executive of New Breed Logistics in the 2000s and 2010s and building a reputation as a prolific fundraiser for GOP candidates , he pressured employees to donate money to various candidates and then reimbursed those employees with higher bonuses .
That math alone is enough to raise eyebrows , even in DeJoy ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Then there ’ s this analysis from the New York Times : A review of campaign finance records shows that over a dozen management-level employees at New Breed would routinely donate to the same candidate on the same day , often writing checks for an identical amount of money .
One day in October 2014 , for example , 20 midlevel and senior officials at the company donated a total of $ 37,600 to the campaign of Senator Thom Tillis , Republican of North Carolina , who was running to unseat a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a check for $ 2600 , the maximum allowable donation , or $ 1000 .
Again , that seems statistically strange — certainly odd enough to merit investigation , and North Carolina state attorney general Josh Stein ( a Democrat ) strongly hinted over the weekend that his office plans to do exactly that .
Mother Jones : Report : Louis DeJoy Used Bonuses to Reimburse Employees for Donations to GOP Campaigns I ’ m only a couple of chapters into it and it ’ s , as expected , highly damning .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the part I ’ ve read so far .
That give him some added credibility with me .
It remains to be seen how much of his own culpability he ’ ll try to dodge .
I ’ ll have a book report up in the Shade after I finish reading it .
A teaser : If you ever wondered whether tRump ’ s lying persona was different in private , this passage should lay that doubt to rest .
“ Don tells me great things about you , ” Trump said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company filed into the office and arranged themselves behind me , standing at attention .
“ You do know I gave you a great deal on your new apartment , ” Trump continued .
I blinked .
I didn ’ t know what to say in reply .
This was Trump ’ s first tell , if I ’ d had the ability to see what was unfolding , but events were moving so fast and in such a tantalizing way that I didn ’ t have the presence of mind to consider @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paid the asking price on the Park Avenue apartment ; there had been no discount or special consideration—it had never even come up .
But there it was : within the first few seconds of our meeting , Donald Trump had lied to me , directly , demonstrably and without doubt .
What was I supposed to do , if I had possessed the wherewithal to gather my wits and take on the implications ?
Call Trump on it ?
The lie seemed silly , harmless , and childish , the kind of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it occurred to me that Trump might actually believe it , too .
In a matter of a couple of sentences , with no conscious thought or understanding of what was actually happening , I had given my unspoken consent to start to play along in a charade that I would come to learn was all-devouring and deadly serious .
[ bolding added ] CNN : In tell-all book , Michael Cohen says Trump hired a 'Faux-Bama ' before White House run Ranting about Obama after he won office in 2008 , Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ run by a black person that is n't a sh*thole ...
They are all complete f*cking toilets , '' according to Cohen .
After Nelson Mandela died , Trump allegedly said of South Africa that `` Mandela f*cked the whole country up .
Now it 's a sh*thole .
F*ck Mandela .
He was no leader . ''
Cohen also divulges personal details about Trump , including his hair routine , described as a `` three-step '' combover designed to disguise `` unsightly scars on his scalp from a failed hair-implant operation in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ once witnessed Trump shortly after he showered , Cohen recalls that `` when his hair was n't done , his strands of dyed-golden hair reached below his shoulders along the right side of his head and on his back , like a balding Allman Brother or strung out old '60s hippie . ''
A Little Borowitz will make the nervousness go down There ’ s nothing like a bit of withering sarcasm to perk me right up .
The New Yorker : The Borowitz Report : Trump Blasts Supporters Who Plan to Vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tRump related filth , we need a palate cleanser .
Sunny Skyz : Farmer Plants Over 2 Million Sunflowers , Invites Visitors To Take A Dozen Home Our resident history professor ’ s always interesting history lesson will appear here as soon as I notice he posts it in the comment section .
Yosef 52 ’ s latest guide to how to help get rid of republicans .
Share this far and wide : Our Goal : VICTORY .
Our Chief Weapon : GET OUT THE VOTE .
Here 's Everything You Need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ veterans were gratuitously insulted during the creation of this Roundup .

Fifty-six days to go. We are entering the final stretch of the quest to dethrone tRump. It’s officially after Labor Day today, so all those low-information “I can’t be bothered” voters are going to start paying attention now. Right?
It’s about time to break out the hip waders and get ready for navigating the flood of BS that’s going to come spewing out of Derp* State. I’m not particularly nervous about it. They’ve spent the last 3¾ years shredding their credibility into a meaningless confetti of obvious lies and nonsensical drivel.
Yes, our national media has a vested interest in Selling (with a capital ‘S’) us a horse race and their poor journalistic practices will work to make bushels of faux-apples out of handfuls of liberal oranges.
Yes, the dark money superpacs supporting our unclothed emperor will send out their Storm tRumpers to spew ever more outlandish claims, ridiculous accusations and baseless conspiracy theories.
The ugly tRumpet will sound his perverted call to all the disturbed parts of our society that have no interest in Democracy, Justice or Equality.
The thing to remember is: He’s already got all the folks who were susceptible to his line of snake oil politics in his base. There aren’t any votes for him to pick up. More than half of the electorate has already vowed not to vote for him. His only hope is to try to steal the election.
We aren’t going to let that happen. We aren’t helpless lambs on our way to the slaughter house. We have the tools, power and inspiration to end this nightmare. We will prevail. Not because we want to, but because we must.
Tyrannis sedito. Sic semper tryannis.
GOTMFV
*Derp — used as a substitute for speech regarded as meaningless or stupid, or to comment on a foolish or stupid action. (from Google’s English Dictionary provided by Oxford Languages)
Up the Resistance!
If you haven’t seen John Oliver’s rants on the Republican Convention and the events in Kenosha, here’s your chance. This will get you fired up. [20:09]
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and it’s on to the news:
The delusion is strong in this one
The man isn’t losing it. He lost it and he isn’t going to find it again. Even his sickophants can’t dig him out of the trench he dug so he’d have a ramp to stumble down to the hole he keeps digging. I wouldn’t be surprised if a few more prominent henchweasels started trying to fill the hole in, with him in it, before the election.
Rolling Stone: Trump Claims ‘Sophisticated Friends’ Say He’s ‘Most Innocent’ President Ever
Trump went on to disparage Joe Biden, calling him a “stupid person” and then acted stupidly himself by getting annoyed at one reporter for asking him a question while wearing a mask and praised another for not wearing one. Trump defended himself against reports claiming that he called Americans who died in wars losers and suckers, saying, “Only an animal would say a thing like that.” During a laughable rant about the impeachment investigation, Trump seemingly made up a story about having “sophisticated friends” and how those supposed friends have told him that he is the “most innocent guy ever to hold this office”
Is this the straw?
One of the conservative(ish) writers at Daily Beast, Matt Lewis, after talking about the media’s liberal bias, thought this time tRump might not get away with it. I think all the straw/camel stories are, by themselves, eroding the sandy base tRump is sinking into. And the Blue Tide has peaked yet.
Daily Beast: The ‘Losers’ and ‘Suckers’ of the U.S. Military Return to Haunt Trump
In the 2016 election, there were numerous occasions when smart observers thought Trump had finally gone too far. His comments about John McCain and POWs were one early example. The Access Hollywood video was perhaps the ultimate one. Every time, Trump survived. Could it be different this time? Possibly. Trump faces more obstacles this time around. Joe Biden is more formidable than Hillary Clinton, and—unlike in 2016, when maybe you could imagine Trump might magically fix everything—Trump has a (bad) record to run on. When you consider that Trump won three important electoral college states by around 77,000 votes last time, you realize that any little thing could make the difference. Even before this story dropped, Trump was losing support among members of the military. One could imagine this report accelerating that trend among active duty personnel and veterans. (It’s also worth noting that, just as this story hits, it has also been reported that Stars and Stripes, a newspaper for the military that has been around since the Civil War, is being shuttered by the Pentagon.
The story keeps growing. Liddle Donnie, can’t avoid stepping in it, even though he dropped it in the first place. As they way in the old country, “Holy Crap!” CNN: Trump launches unprecedented attack on military leadership he appointed President Donald Trump launched an unprecedented public attack against the leadership of the US military on Monday, accusing them of waging wars to boost the profits of defense manufacturing companies. "I'm not saying the military's in love with me -- the soldiers are, the top people in the Pentagon probably aren't because they want to do nothing but fight wars so that all of those wonderful companies that make the bombs and make the planes and make everything else stay happy," Trump told reporters at a White House news conference. Trump's extraordinary comments come as several defense officials tell CNN relations between the President and Pentagon leadership are becoming increasingly strained. The Mask is off and it’s not pretty I guess he figures all the orange makeup is mask enough. This is not a good look for him and it will not win him any new followers. Huffington Post: Trump Orders Reporter To Remove His Mask At Press Briefing “You’re going to have to take that off. Just take it off,” said Trump as he pointed to the mask worn by Jeff Mason, White House correspondent for Reuters. “How many feet are you away?” asked the irritable president, referring to social distancing efforts to help stop the spread of COVID-19. “If you don’t take it off, you’re very muffled. So if you take it off, it would be a lot easier.” But Mason could easily be understood on a recording of the exchange. He began his question referring to Trump’s decision two years ago not to attend a memorial ceremony for fallen American soldiers at a French cemetery. The president blew off the ceremony (which was attended by European leaders) after referring to deceased war heroes as “losers,” according to a bombshell report in The Atlantic last week. And, of course, there’s more. He’s getting pushback from his own side of the aisle. Huffington Post: North Carolina Republican Implores Trump To Wear Mask At Upcoming Visit The GOP chairman of a North Carolina county commission has implored President Donald Trump to follow local requirements and wear a mask when he makes a campaign stop at Winston-Salem this week. “There is no excuse,” Dave Plyler, the chairman of the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners, told the Winston-Salem Journal. “He just needs to do it.” “It’s been ordered by the governor,” he said. “When in Rome, do as the Romans do. When in North Carolina, do as the governor says.” Somebody else is in trouble too
DeJoy is looking DeSad. He might just be going to DeJail.
Radical Compliance: Campaign Finance and Corporate Compliance
The allegations, laid out first by the Washington Post and subsequently confirmed by other media, are that while DeJoy was chief executive of New Breed Logistics in the 2000s and 2010s and building a reputation as a prolific fundraiser for GOP candidates, he pressured employees to donate money to various candidates and then reimbursed those employees with higher bonuses. That math alone is enough to raise eyebrows, even in DeJoy’s very Republican home state of North Carolina. Then there’s this analysis from the New York Times: A review of campaign finance records shows that over a dozen management-level employees at New Breed would routinely donate to the same candidate on the same day, often writing checks for an identical amount of money. One day in October 2014, for example, 20 midlevel and senior officials at the company donated a total of $37,600 to the campaign of Senator Thom Tillis, Republican of North Carolina, who was running to unseat a Democratic incumbent. Each official either wrote a check for $2600, the maximum allowable donation, or $1000. Again, that seems statistically strange — certainly odd enough to merit investigation, and North Carolina state attorney general Josh Stein (a Democrat) strongly hinted over the weekend that his office plans to do exactly that.
Mother Jones: Report: Louis DeJoy Used Bonuses to Reimburse Employees for Donations to GOP Campaigns
The Cohen book hit the streets today
I’m only a couple of chapters into it and it’s, as expected, highly damning. Cohen is relatively harsh with himself in the part I’ve read so far. That give him some added credibility with me. It remains to be seen how much of his own culpability he’ll try to dodge. I’ll have a book report up in the Shade after I finish reading it.
A teaser: If you ever wondered whether tRump’s lying persona was different in private, this passage should lay that doubt to rest.
“Don tells me great things about you,” Trump said, as half a dozen employees of the company filed into the office and arranged themselves behind me, standing at attention. “You do know I gave you a great deal on your new apartment,” Trump continued. I blinked. I didn’t know what to say in reply. This was Trump’s first tell, if I’d had the ability to see what was unfolding, but events were moving so fast and in such a tantalizing way that I didn’t have the presence of mind to consider what had just occurred. I had paid the asking price on the Park Avenue apartment; there had been no discount or special consideration—it had never even come up. But there it was: within the first few seconds of our meeting, Donald Trump had lied to me, directly, demonstrably and without doubt. What was I supposed to do, if I had possessed the wherewithal to gather my wits and take on the implications? Call Trump on it? The lie seemed silly, harmless, and childish, the kind of fib that was pointless to contest; it occurred to me that Trump might actually believe it, too. In a matter of a couple of sentences, with no conscious thought or understanding of what was actually happening, I had given my unspoken consent to start to play along in a charade that I would come to learn was all-devouring and deadly serious. [bolding added]
CNN: In tell-all book, Michael Cohen says Trump hired a 'Faux-Bama' before White House run
Ranting about Obama after he won office in 2008, Trump said, "Tell me one country run by a black person that isn't a sh*thole...They are all complete f*cking toilets," according to Cohen. After Nelson Mandela died, Trump allegedly said of South Africa that "Mandela f*cked the whole country up. Now it's a sh*thole. F*ck Mandela. He was no leader." Cohen also divulges personal details about Trump, including his hair routine, described as a "three-step" combover designed to disguise "unsightly scars on his scalp from a failed hair-implant operation in the 1980s." Writing that he once witnessed Trump shortly after he showered, Cohen recalls that "when his hair wasn't done, his strands of dyed-golden hair reached below his shoulders along the right side of his head and on his back, like a balding Allman Brother or strung out old '60s hippie."
BBC News: Michael Cohen's Trump book: The ex-lawyer's key claims
Rolling Stone: Michael Cohen: ‘Trump Was a Mobster, Plain and Simple’
A Little Borowitz will make the nervousness go down
There’s nothing like a bit of withering sarcasm to perk me right up.
The New Yorker: The Borowitz Report: Trump Blasts Supporters Who Plan to Vote for Him Only Once
WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—In a withering critique of his own voters, Donald J. Trump on Thursday blasted supporters who plan to vote for him only once. Speaking to reporters, Trump called supporters who intend to cast only one vote for him “disgracefully low-energy,” claiming that they are “like Jeb Bush and Sleepy Joe put together.” “I like supporters who have stamina,” he said. “Stamina means you keep voting for me until someone tells you to stop.”
After all that tRump related filth, we need a palate cleanser.
Sunny Skyz: Farmer Plants Over 2 Million Sunflowers, Invites Visitors To Take A Dozen Home
Scott Thompson's family has been running the Thompson Strawberry Farm in Bristol, WI, for more than 70 years, and this is the first year that flowers are in the spotlight. The pick-your-own farm usually consists of strawberries, rasberries, and pumpkins. This year the family said they wanted to give locals a place to go and spread a little happiness. "As the season went on, the pandemic never went anywhere ... and we thought people might be looking for something to do, and what a great way to social distance and ... smile, basically," Thompson told CNN.
Musical Interlude
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WineRev’s History Lesson
Our resident history professor’s always interesting history lesson will appear here as soon as I notice he posts it in the comment section.
Take it away, WineRev!
>>>>>Hold your nose and read on. Rasmussen (that gang of losers) released a poll yesterday for Wisconsin showing Biden 52 Trump 44…...+8 points. BUT, add those 2 together and there’s only 4 percent unsure/third party/still living in a cave. Even if T-Wrecks gets all of them (NEVER happens!) Joe is still sitting at 52…..with the win! (Another case of showing why being on the right side of 50% is so important.) Even better: the demographics showed Biden winning the African-American vote. Well yeah!? Hillary got 88% in ‘16. This poll says Biden is only getting 69%…..yeah, RIGHT! (Keep thinkin’ that, you idiots!) As 1 commenter put it, Rasmussen called up Sheriff Clarke in Milwaukee and he gave them the names and cell phone numbers of 18 of his relatives and 3 people who owe Clarke money and Rasmussen called each of them to get that polling number.
September 8ths that have wafted across the window pane of History, leaves from the calendars past, some Good, some Goofy, for your 2020 Good and Goofiness that you’ll run into today
1504 Florence, Italy Michelangelo’s statue of ‘David’ is unveiled for the first time. 5.5 meters/17 feet high, carved from a single block of marble. Michelangelo is reputed to have said he saw the statue in the marble when he started and all he did was chip away all the parts that were NOT David. The statue may be marble, but 500 years of visitors have been left weak in the knees by the handsome features.
1565 St. Augustine, Florida 70 some years after Columbus bumped into the Bahamas, Spanish explorer Pedro Menendez de Aviles establishes St. Augustine as the 1st permanent European settlement in the US in continuous existence, 42 years before Jamestown and 43 years before Quebec, the LatinX impact was here to stay………….. DOUBLEHEADER DATE ALSO ON THIS DAY Island of Malta, Mediterranean. 540 knights of the Order of St. John, 400 Spanish troops and scores of Maltese gentry acting as militia, and led by Jean de la Valette, holed up Fort St. Elmo near the main harbor . Suleiman the Magnificent of Turkey landed 40,000 men in his army to take the island. De La Valette had ordered crops either harvested early or burned and all wells poisoned so the Turks would have to depend on supplies they brought along. Although the fort fell after a month, the effort cost the Turks 20% of their army while De La Valette escaped most of his men. The whole summer was a series of Turkish assaults on Maltese forts that saw most of the forts fall but at great cost to the attackers. On this day a relief force of 6000 Spanish and Italian troops landed to lift the siege and the Turks sailed away, never to return (and shattering the myth of their invincibility). The Siege and Salvation of Malta was celebrated across Europe for decades. The Maltese rebuilt, and resettled and renamed their capitol Valetta after their hero. 1636 Edge of Boston. 16 years after the landing of the Mayflower and 6 years after the settlement of Boston, Cambridge College is founded, the first college in America. Two years later its name is changed to Harvard University to honor Rev. John Harvard , who made a major bequest to fund it and also a gift of 300 books from his own collection to build up the library. (Fun fact: By 1640, a study has shown 3% of the Massachusetts Bay Colony held a college degree (from England). The US population as whole or any individual state, did not reach that level of bachelors’ degrees again until the 1930s. Those early Pilgrims were an unusual bunch!) 1664 Manhattan Island. At the end of the Dutch-English War, 300 British soldiers stood at attention as the Dutch surrendered New Amsterdam to the British, who renamed it New York.
1698 Paris. Birth of Francois Francoeur, violinist and composer. Francois had an inside track for music: his father played cello and string bass for the King’s String Orchestra. Francois himself made the team at age 15 on the violin and was mostly in royal good graces his whole life. Wrote several operas and was co-director of the French Opera House (until it burned to the ground in 1763). Collaborated with other musicians on compositions (esp. Francois Rebel ) so that his own sonatas and concertos have fallen into some obscurity.
1891 Sioux City, Iowa Christian Martin, a black man living in corn country, does a lot of heavy labor. On this day he receives a patent to make it a bit easier. He invents an improved “piano truck”, a steel cart with wheels, cushioned and upholstered to protect the case, for moving pianos around in a theater, a studio, music school or any sort of stage. Through clever design (the patent) his “truck” could and would move anything from a spinet, to an upright to the grandest grand, reducing the labor to, at most, 2 men at a time (those grand pianos are still, well, grand.) Old joke: When you don’t use Mr. Martin’s invention and something slips, what do you get when you drop an 18-foot Steinway grand piano down a mineshaft?.......A) A flat minor (miner?)! Insert groan here…..
1930 Minneapolis, MN Richard Drew, an engineer at Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing (you know it as 3M; and now you know what the “M”’s stand for) creates a “flexible celluloid adhesive ribbon” on a roll as an office supply. 3M markets it with a plaid dispenser as “Scotch Tape.” The beginning of the change in birthday and Christmas wrappings of ribbons and bows to becoming purely decorative instead of actually holding the wrappings in place. 1966 Across America. While just a few days back we read in the History corner about the cancellation of “Star Trek” this is a much happier day: the premiere episode on NBC. (Trivia moment!) The episode, “Man Trap”, shows the crew visiting an outpost to conduct medical exams and being confronted with a shape-shifting alien (obviously related to earth vampires) “who only vants to suck your salt!” McCoy’s old flame Nancy almost sucks the life out of him. 1971 Washington, D.C. The dedication today of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Tonight’s first performance is a premiere as well, Leonard Bernstein’s Mass. May all your News be Good, comforting and inspiring. Shalom.
On the Lighter Side
x This was so cathartic to watch#LaborDay #MondayMotivation pic.twitter.com/lWjMwMZTQU — Fifty Shades of Whey (@davenewworld_2) September 7, 2020
Today’s Quote(s)
In true democracy every man and women is taught to think for himself or herself. — Mohandas Gandhi Democracy is not the law of the majority but the protection of the minority. — Albert Camus Anti-democracy…is a virus that exists, and pro-democracy is the antibody to that virus, and I think we have to become vigilant, and we have to stay on top of the issues of democracy and freedom. — Harry Belafonte In democracy it’s your vote that counts; In feudalism it’s your count that votes. — Mogens Jallberg To make democracy work, we must be a notion of participants, not simply observers. One who does not vote has no right to complain. — Louis L’Amour
Required Pet Photo
Pressley sez: “We’re coming for you, Donnie. And we aren’t slowing down for anything.”
Closing Notes
To all of our fellow resisters, rounderuppers and gnusies recovering from illness or injury lots of hugs, including {{{{oldhippiedude}}}}, {{{{Msdude}}}}, our Tuesday partner {{{{niftywriter}}}}, {{{{karij}}}}, {{{{ElizabethinNYC}}}}, {{{{Arel1}}}}, {{{{Crankylib}}}} and to our entire {{{{Gnuville}}}} community during this time of uncertainty.
Yosef 52’s latest guide to how to help get rid of republicans. Share this far and wide: Our Goal: VICTORY. Our Chief Weapon: GET OUT THE VOTE. Here's Everything You Need to Do That!
The first time the Grateful Dead played this Rodney Crowell song, was in Philadelphia a couple of days after the Loma Prieta quake. This is that performance. It has one of those lyrics about persistence: “We may fall in the ocean, but you’ll never make us run. You’re a partner to the devil, but we ain’t afraid of him. We’ll build ourselves another town, so you can tear it down again.” Last night’s Shade was about the deplorable state of the republican party: Ruminations on Today's Republicans - Evening Shade, Monday
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Disclaimer: No veterans were gratuitously insulted during the creation of this Roundup.


dailykos--2020-09-09--Pessimism - Now that's the Ticket

Pessimism - Now that's the Ticket

Those are just 6 of the emails I have received in the last 4 hours .
It makes one wonder why it is even necessary to vote .
Our candidates have already lost .
There is no hope .
We are not contributing .
The bad guys are going to win .
Who the hell writes these emails or thinks this is a good way to gin up financial support .
Why sink money into a losing effort .
It would be like Ford putting out an ad saying that GM is kicking our butts but if you would like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ please invest in Ford .
Look , I know that we do not want to be over confident but please stop putting out these doom and gloom emails .
Living locked up for 6 months listening to the news is depressing enough without having to wade through a bunch of emails saying that we have already lost or a probably going to lose .
There has to be a fine line between total pessimism and unbridled overconfidence but whomever is putting out these emails seems to be employed by the suicide prevention hotline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Joe Biden FALTERING.
Donald Trump Wins
Goodbye Joe Biden
NEW PREDICTION [Nate Silver] BAD: Joe Biden
We’re Terribly Sorry Amy McGrath LOST
shocking (Democratic Leadership) Jim Jordan WINS.
Those are just 6 of the emails I have received in the last 4 hours. It makes one wonder why it is even necessary to vote. Our candidates have already lost. There is no hope. We are not contributing. The bad guys are going to win.
Who the hell writes these emails or thinks this is a good way to gin up financial support. Why sink money into a losing effort. It would be like Ford putting out an ad saying that GM is kicking our butts but if you would like to throw out your hard earned money please invest in Ford.
Look, I know that we do not want to be over confident but please stop putting out these doom and gloom emails. Living locked up for 6 months listening to the news is depressing enough without having to wade through a bunch of emails saying that we have already lost or a probably going to lose. There has to be a fine line between total pessimism and unbridled overconfidence but whomever is putting out these emails seems to be employed by the suicide prevention hotline and they are looking for some callers.


dailykos--2020-09-10--Social groups of other feathers are in on the same idea. Get the White House a brand new look!

There was greatness in the beginning , and then ... President Trump and Friends .
That was it right there .
So many had high hopes and I can even recall when I worked at a call center and the older white gentleman on the phone got off the subject of his order and rather focused on political issues .
That led to him proclaiming during the 2016 election , “ We ’ re gon na vote someone in all right and he ’ s gon na build a wall !
” I heard that and did the best thing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I reacted with , “ Yes .
That is something interesting indeed .
Now when did your order come in and how can we help you ?
” Though I wanted to say a few other things in response , I needed my job since I needed the money and kept composed .
Best move , but I really wish that I could have said , “ Oh yeah ?
And what purpose is the damned American version of the Berlin Wall gon na do old timer , huh ?
!
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
People tunnel under the damned thing .
Most illegal immigrants are coming into the country , via plane and ship .
The minority of them try to cross the southern border .
And why are you so happy about that ?
Have illegal immigrants hurt you personally or professionally ?
If they have , I do apologize for that .
However , did you know that if they didn ’ t come and work here , much of America would simply shut down .
That ’ s right !
So not only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bill ? )
be necessary , you ’ ll also have to hire an virtual army to patrol and inspect everyone at every airport and all ports and harbors .
That will make all of us sweat when we see how much it really does cost and all else.
” Those were never said and I kept my job and he even thanked me for great service .
It was because I kept my political views out of the business end of things .
Actually that is a good thing .
Conflict @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but there is no reason to look for trouble .
That has already found us all in recent times and something that can not be ignored ( such as the near 200,000 Americans dead from the retched COVID-19 ! )
.
There are so many other issues pending as well .
From the start , President Trump had a few things going for him that can not be denied .
First , he seemed stern enough to be tough and get a job done quickly .
Expedience was a primary factor and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a logical way .
Pretty much what he said in that passage made sense to anyone .
Left or right wing as anyone is or chooses to be , there is logical in what Trump said .
It is true .
The wheels of politics often take so damned long that nothing really gets done , is left to review and negotiation , and then , a law might or might not be passed .
Meanwhile , the time it took leads to many being adversely affected during that process .
An example @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington DC .
Who better to get the whole ball rolling , as it were , but except an energizing presence ?
That was Trump .
It was an aspect that appealed to a great many people , even those opposed to him had to admit ... let ’ s get off the dime and get going already !
That was the attitude and the ‘ are we still here ’ concept of things also had flare and brilliance in its own right .
We are Americans and we are always on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not slow .
Hence , the logical support he received from people that are now regretting that and seeing how downhill that approach turned out to be in the short and long run of things .
I now can say that I know of a few folks that have confessed to me .
“ I voted for him .
I didn ’ t expect the things he did and can not go along with all that .
Far from what I wanted.
” That was a close coworker of mine that I heard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to myself , though he knew that I am on the ‘ blue team ’ ( I am third party .
The Revisionist Party is a small think tank .
We pursue issues and look for the most logical and beneficial item possible to agree upon and vote accordingly , no matter what the party usually ) .
However , we did conclude that the Democratic Party represents the society best and so , the leaning is towards the Dems .
I am registered as such as well , Democrat .
That is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from another deal , but know all too well which of the two parties in the system stands for most , if not all , I what I and those close to me believe in .
True blue these days !
The second item was of course , certain issues that Trump minced no words about what he supported .
If you like guns and the 2nd Amendment , then you vote Trump .
Oppose abortion ?
Trump .
Want to see laws that help keep my neighborhood ‘ lily white ’ ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ any English spoken in the malls on Saturday afternoon ?
Vote for Grandmaster T. Want to pay workers the least and gain the most profit ?
Trump is the man .
Keeping ‘ those people ’ in line ?
The obvious .
TRUMP !
Wanting to be able to swing our weight in the world and call the shots with all other nations ?
Hey !
It could only be Trump .
As always , he is no different than other politicians .
Promises and plans .
How many of the promises could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be truly initiated and fulfilled .
False optimism from the supporters ?
Perhaps .
However , many of the mentioned were always wanted by segments of the population , so it made sense to support him as best as possible .
Many had dire faith and actually believed that his intentions and actions would result in something better at the time .
Why not ?
What kind of a friggin ’ fool endorses anyone that can not at least pretend to ‘ deliver the goods ’ , as it were and always is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foresee the events to unfold within the near time span of four years , inclusively .
Hence , the supporters held their end of the bargain and awaited the results .
Third .
Many people felt like they were on the outskirts of society and didn ’ t seem to count for more anymore .
There was a Black President .
That alone was hard to swallow .
So Republicans opposed him and his administration as much as possible throughout the years , of which stalled things , made compromise a demand and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ situations had greatly improved in most ares somehow , it didn ’ t reach everyone .
Rural whites had felt left out of the whole order of things in general .
What does one think when they say that unemployment went down ?
For who ?
A lot of times it was for something like an IT tech job or something in that field .
A man working on a farm , just to be replaced by technological advancements doesn ’ t normally have the skills to get a job programming computers and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Too old and stuck in one position for decades and now must have computer skills to put food on the table .
That led to disenfranchisement on so many levels .
If that person lives on dirt floors with no running water and now must be compu-literate is not going to take to that at all .
Drinking becomes a factor as well .
Many also could see large families with dark skin , moving into their neighborhoods , speaking another language and taking their menial jobs ( most of which were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which makes a person rather mad at all .
Also finding that immigrants have and do receive social services ( i.e , SNAP -food stamps , Section 8 housing and Medicaid , et cetera ) .
There are so many factors that many others can not understand that the people mentioned have to accept and contend with .
What does it matter for maybe a factory worker if the Dow Jones Average went up ten points or whatever ?
‘ I am laid off due to lack of demand for supplies .
Can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care to help me into another job ?
Of course not .
Combine that with many social issues , such as having to deal with foreigners , poor people like oneself , underemployed and unemployed , and much more , and pretty soon you get people that will look at people like Donald J Trump for salvation and redemption on some level .
Religion is another issue .
So many hold their traditions close to themselves and don ’ t like deviation from that .
Having to listen to secular laws made by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ great scale .
Just where does the state end and the religion begins ?
Fear of impositions can also motive a large segment of citizens to look for a panacea of sorts .
A cure all .
Something simple to understand without having to have a high degree of education to understand .
A person that speaks for us ‘ po people ’ and ‘ Christian Whites ’ in a language that doesn ’ t make us feel stupid .
Trump was the best thing there was for a great multitude in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They really were hoping the he was the answer to their problems .
What they got and many others as well , was much more disappointing than anyone could wager .
Now a great deal of them are reconsidering their political endorsements these days in regards to recent developments and current state of things in general .
It is fair to say that too much was never addressed , dealt with the wrong way or not at all .
So what has occurred since 2016 up to the here and the now ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ nothing less than a battleground , with President Trump often overriding everyone and breaking some laws to get the things he wanted .
Much of which are proving to be failures ( such as an incomplete ‘ wall ’ on the southern border that gets vandalized and blown over by heavy winds ) .
There are so many other examples , such as larger allocations to the DHS , FBI , ATF and other policing and armed departments of the government that have afforded the capability to ‘ dominate ’ the streets from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have gone from a respected nation with some issues to iron out to a nation that reflects no real leadership and a belligerent one at best .
Many other countries have a lower opinion of America than anyone would like to acknowledge .
The U. S. A. is now officially ‘ the laughing stock ’ of the globe .
• Civil rights have taken a severe beating , Draconian judges and other officials have been placed in high authority , a slew of unqualified people have entered into essential positions and have proven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such .
There have been more people coming and going in this current administration that Washington DC is now referred to as ‘ the revolving door of jobs and government posts ’ • Armed conflicts on the streets and sporadic mass shootings are now the norm .
Police and other authorities were sent to deal with protesters .
The abuse of authority and the secrets of them are suddenly ‘ well known ’ and even has become ‘ dinner time talk ’ .
Too much denial from those in power has led to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Integrity has taken a back seat with all mentioned .
• COVID-19 has been dealt with on a piecemeal basis .
Some states were strong on lockdowns , whereas some were liberal in their approach .
We have had armed factions of people that demand not to wear the CDC recommendation masks and social distancing has a profound effect .
Some people are killed by resistors and the violence they used in conflict they claim ‘ halt freedom ’ .
Though most of society took it serious enough , there was pressure from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everything as soon as possible .
Many that followed along with that concept have proven to be negative when a huge amount of those people caught the virus as a result .
We are now near , if not passed , 200,000 deaths due to COVID-19 and it will not be long before we reach the 10 million mark for infections .
Other countries have much better results than we Americans do at this point .
That is because they did the right and logical things that were and still are necessary to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The United States has a long road ahead in regards to getting things in order relative to the pandemic .
• We have seen the fall of a leader systematically .
Donald J Trump didn ’ t seem that bad at first , but in short order , he demonstrated that not only is he a compulsive liar ( about 20,000 lies up to now he has told since 2016 ) , misrepresents issues , omits facts , claims to be the victim of ‘ fake news ’ , had befriended Fox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a 24/7 news cycle , along with crossing so many lines , whether legal or understood , that his credibility is faint at best .
The integrity of him and his people have taken a severe beating .
There is suspicion that Trump ’ s health is truly failing to a degree .
He ’ s in his seventies and is prone to ailments indicative of anyone his age range and all else .
Many of his recent words and actions have created a slew of negative opinions about the man and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the start of the Trump Era was ‘ pie in the sky ’ and based more on desire than actual scientific fact .
From moment one , things came downhill and have remained so ever since .
The Republican Convention of four days have not done much to alter the faults of the current Administration .
Opinions took place of factual statements .
COVID-19 is being dealt with an attitude that places the problem as , ‘ small potatoes ’ .
We have a person that doesn ’ t seem to regard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Veterans now ?
Along with a slew of folks that have been placed on his s*^tlist !
There is no other way to repel a person than insulting them and letting them know that they are ‘ garbage ’ .
At least that is the impression gets regarding how Trump talks and thinks .
Thinks ?
No he doesn ’ t do that too much , probably hurts his head .
The man leaps before looking .
Earlier in his reign , an intern that quit quickly after Trump took office had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not receptive to much .
He doesn ’ t process information and jumps to conclusions , usually in an emotionally charged manner .
I couldn ’ t stay with a leader that is like that !
” Wow !
And that is the same person that has running the country ( more like into the ground ! )
.
There are so many other things that can be said about Trump and the Gang .
However , most of what has been said illustrates enough to show why it is imperative to oppose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bitch ’ McConnell , De Joy , De Vos , Kushner , and all those doing his bidding .
There is no choice and I have always know that prior to his election into the Oval Office .
It is now also the time that former supporters are seeing the shortcomings and the dangers of letting President Trump remain , along with his ‘ enforcers ’ !
I have a diverse and large amount of people around me .
We mostly side with Democrats , though a fair number are Republicans and supporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into people that ask me , “ When do we get another stimulus check ?
” My reply , “ As soon as they negotiate a deal.
” Questions go further and I normally tell them .
“ Mitch McConnell and the GOP wants way too much in the long run .
We get a check and get screwed in the process.
” They get the message .
Get a few bucks ( $ 1,200 doesn ’ t go as far as most could wish ! )
and sell out on other things @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deals , relinquish further control by Mitch ‘ Bitch ’ McConnell and the rest in league with him .
All agree ... no deal !
Nancy Pelosi is hot for this , but I am glad that she refuses to sell us out .
Way to go , Nancy !
It is toughness and sticking to our guns that will get us out of this mess we ’ re all currently in at the moment .
I know that I am hot to change things for the better as is everyone around me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people are , or do , or desire , that is the main item .
The most important thing that we ’ re recognizing the concept of being in the ‘ same boat ’ , so per se .
Folks of all ages , colors , sizes , religions , political theories and all else know .
Unity and effort is the ticket and the way to quelling negatives and producing positives .
United we stand , divided we fall .
It ’ s that simple .
We are one !
Great luck @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
!
See you at the polls !
!
!

There was greatness in the beginning, and then...President Trump and Friends. That was it right there. So many had high hopes and I can even recall when I worked at a call center and the older white gentleman on the phone got off the subject of his order and rather focused on political issues. That led to him proclaiming during the 2016 election, “We’re gonna vote someone in all right and he’s gonna build a wall!” I heard that and did the best thing possible...I kept professional and unbiased. I reacted with, “Yes. That is something interesting indeed. Now when did your order come in and how can we help you?” Though I wanted to say a few other things in response, I needed my job since I needed the money and kept composed. Best move, but I really wish that I could have said, “Oh yeah? And what purpose is the damned American version of the Berlin Wall gonna do old timer, huh?! It’s not going to do anything. People tunnel under the damned thing. Most illegal immigrants are coming into the country, via plane and ship. The minority of them try to cross the southern border. And why are you so happy about that? Have illegal immigrants hurt you personally or professionally? If they have, I do apologize for that. However, did you know that if they didn’t come and work here, much of America would simply shut down. That’s right! So not only will a wall (who shall foot the bill?) be necessary, you’ll also have to hire an virtual army to patrol and inspect everyone at every airport and all ports and harbors. That will make all of us sweat when we see how much it really does cost and all else.” Those were never said and I kept my job and he even thanked me for great service. It was because I kept my political views out of the business end of things. Actually that is a good thing. Conflict may not always be avoided, granted, but there is no reason to look for trouble. That has already found us all in recent times and something that cannot be ignored (such as the near 200,000 Americans dead from the retched COVID-19!). There are so many other issues pending as well.
From the start, President Trump had a few things going for him that cannot be denied. First, he seemed stern enough to be tough and get a job done quickly. Expedience was a primary factor and something that he basically touched upon in a logical way.
“Washington DC moves like a snail on molasses. It is amazing how many things are pending from the last administration. Obama left with some loose ends and I am here to get that out of the way and quickly. That is so we can tackle things in the here and the now!”
Pretty much what he said in that passage made sense to anyone. Left or right wing as anyone is or chooses to be, there is logical in what Trump said. It is true. The wheels of politics often take so damned long that nothing really gets done, is left to review and negotiation, and then, a law might or might not be passed. Meanwhile, the time it took leads to many being adversely affected during that process. An example of how the public views things in Washington DC. Who better to get the whole ball rolling, as it were, but except an energizing presence? That was Trump. It was an aspect that appealed to a great many people, even those opposed to him had to admit...let’s get off the dime and get going already! That was the attitude and the ‘are we still here’ concept of things also had flare and brilliance in its own right. We are Americans and we are always on the go. And we want fast, not slow. Hence, the logical support he received from people that are now regretting that and seeing how downhill that approach turned out to be in the short and long run of things. I now can say that I know of a few folks that have confessed to me. “I voted for him. I didn’t expect the things he did and cannot go along with all that. Far from what I wanted.” That was a close coworker of mine that I heard from and chose to keep my opinions to myself, though he knew that I am on the ‘blue team’ (I am third party. The Revisionist Party is a small think tank. We pursue issues and look for the most logical and beneficial item possible to agree upon and vote accordingly, no matter what the party usually). However, we did conclude that the Democratic Party represents the society best and so, the leaning is towards the Dems. I am registered as such as well, Democrat. That is because I feel like an allied force from another deal, but know all too well which of the two parties in the system stands for most, if not all, I what I and those close to me believe in. True blue these days!
The second item was of course, certain issues that Trump minced no words about what he supported. If you like guns and the 2nd Amendment, then you vote Trump. Oppose abortion? Trump. Want to see laws that help keep my neighborhood ‘lily white’? Trump. Getting sick of not hearing any English spoken in the malls on Saturday afternoon? Vote for Grandmaster T. Want to pay workers the least and gain the most profit? Trump is the man. Keeping ‘those people’ in line? The obvious. TRUMP! Wanting to be able to swing our weight in the world and call the shots with all other nations? Hey! It could only be Trump. As always, he is no different than other politicians. Promises and plans. How many of the promises could be held and the initiation of whatever be truly initiated and fulfilled. False optimism from the supporters? Perhaps. However, many of the mentioned were always wanted by segments of the population, so it made sense to support him as best as possible. Many had dire faith and actually believed that his intentions and actions would result in something better at the time. Why not? What kind of a friggin’ fool endorses anyone that cannot at least pretend to ‘deliver the goods’, as it were and always is, respectively? No one could ever foresee the events to unfold within the near time span of four years, inclusively. Hence, the supporters held their end of the bargain and awaited the results.
Third. Many people felt like they were on the outskirts of society and didn’t seem to count for more anymore. There was a Black President. That alone was hard to swallow. So Republicans opposed him and his administration as much as possible throughout the years, of which stalled things, made compromise a demand and many issues, never resolved. Though situations had greatly improved in most ares somehow, it didn’t reach everyone. Rural whites had felt left out of the whole order of things in general. What does one think when they say that unemployment went down? For who? A lot of times it was for something like an IT tech job or something in that field. A man working on a farm, just to be replaced by technological advancements doesn’t normally have the skills to get a job programming computers and may have no savvy in that area. Too old and stuck in one position for decades and now must have computer skills to put food on the table. That led to disenfranchisement on so many levels. If that person lives on dirt floors with no running water and now must be compu-literate is not going to take to that at all. Drinking becomes a factor as well. Many also could see large families with dark skin, moving into their neighborhoods, speaking another language and taking their menial jobs (most of which were low paying to being with), which makes a person rather mad at all. Also finding that immigrants have and do receive social services (i.e, SNAP -food stamps, Section 8 housing and Medicaid, et cetera). There are so many factors that many others cannot understand that the people mentioned have to accept and contend with. What does it matter for maybe a factory worker if the Dow Jones Average went up ten points or whatever? ‘I am laid off due to lack of demand for supplies. Can a stock broker or those that benefit care to help me into another job? Of course not. Combine that with many social issues, such as having to deal with foreigners, poor people like oneself, underemployed and unemployed, and much more, and pretty soon you get people that will look at people like Donald J Trump for salvation and redemption on some level. Religion is another issue. So many hold their traditions close to themselves and don’t like deviation from that. Having to listen to secular laws made by politically correct people is opposed on a great scale. Just where does the state end and the religion begins? Fear of impositions can also motive a large segment of citizens to look for a panacea of sorts. A cure all. Something simple to understand without having to have a high degree of education to understand. A person that speaks for us ‘po people’ and ‘Christian Whites’ in a language that doesn’t make us feel stupid. Trump was the best thing there was for a great multitude in the similar mind set and situations mentioned. They really were hoping the he was the answer to their problems. What they got and many others as well, was much more disappointing than anyone could wager. Now a great deal of them are reconsidering their political endorsements these days in regards to recent developments and current state of things in general. It is fair to say that too much was never addressed, dealt with the wrong way or not at all.
So what has occurred since 2016 up to the here and the now?
Appropriations in Washington DC have been nothing less than a battleground, with President Trump often overriding everyone and breaking some laws to get the things he wanted. Much of which are proving to be failures (such as an incomplete ‘wall’ on the southern border that gets vandalized and blown over by heavy winds). There are so many other examples, such as larger allocations to the DHS, FBI, ATF and other policing and armed departments of the government that have afforded the capability to ‘dominate’ the streets from pesky demonstrators and such.
We have gone from a respected nation with some issues to iron out to a nation that reflects no real leadership and a belligerent one at best. Many other countries have a lower opinion of America than anyone would like to acknowledge. The U. S. A. is now officially ‘the laughing stock’ of the globe.
Civil rights have taken a severe beating, Draconian judges and other officials have been placed in high authority, a slew of unqualified people have entered into essential positions and have proven for much of it, ineffective and such. There have been more people coming and going in this current administration that Washington DC is now referred to as ‘the revolving door of jobs and government posts’
Armed conflicts on the streets and sporadic mass shootings are now the norm. Police and other authorities were sent to deal with protesters. The abuse of authority and the secrets of them are suddenly ‘well known’ and even has become ‘dinner time talk’. Too much denial from those in power has led to scrutiny and a lack of trust. Integrity has taken a back seat with all mentioned.
COVID-19 has been dealt with on a piecemeal basis. Some states were strong on lockdowns, whereas some were liberal in their approach. We have had armed factions of people that demand not to wear the CDC recommendation masks and social distancing has a profound effect. Some people are killed by resistors and the violence they used in conflict they claim ‘halt freedom’. Though most of society took it serious enough, there was pressure from the White House on down to reopen everything as soon as possible. Many that followed along with that concept have proven to be negative when a huge amount of those people caught the virus as a result. We are now near, if not passed, 200,000 deaths due to COVID-19 and it will not be long before we reach the 10 million mark for infections. Other countries have much better results than we Americans do at this point. That is because they did the right and logical things that were and still are necessary to combat the virus and lessen the curve. The United States has a long road ahead in regards to getting things in order relative to the pandemic.
We have seen the fall of a leader systematically. Donald J Trump didn’t seem that bad at first, but in short order, he demonstrated that not only is he a compulsive liar (about 20,000 lies up to now he has told since 2016), misrepresents issues, omits facts, claims to be the victim of ‘fake news’, had befriended Fox News to spread his agenda and message on a 24/7 news cycle, along with crossing so many lines, whether legal or understood, that his credibility is faint at best. The integrity of him and his people have taken a severe beating. There is suspicion that Trump’s health is truly failing to a degree. He’s in his seventies and is prone to ailments indicative of anyone his age range and all else. Many of his recent words and actions have created a slew of negative opinions about the man and with strong reasons.
In a nutshell, the start of the Trump Era was ‘pie in the sky’ and based more on desire than actual scientific fact. From moment one, things came downhill and have remained so ever since. The Republican Convention of four days have not done much to alter the faults of the current Administration. Opinions took place of factual statements. COVID-19 is being dealt with an attitude that places the problem as, ‘small potatoes’. We have a person that doesn’t seem to regard to many people in a favorable light. Veterans now? Along with a slew of folks that have been placed on his s*^tlist! There is no other way to repel a person than insulting them and letting them know that they are ‘garbage’. At least that is the impression gets regarding how Trump talks and thinks. Thinks? No he doesn’t do that too much, probably hurts his head. The man leaps before looking. Earlier in his reign, an intern that quit quickly after Trump took office had spoken freely. “President Trump is not receptive to much. He doesn’t process information and jumps to conclusions, usually in an emotionally charged manner. I couldn’t stay with a leader that is like that!” Wow! And that is the same person that has running the country (more like into the ground!). There are so many other things that can be said about Trump and the Gang. However, most of what has been said illustrates enough to show why it is imperative to oppose him, get rid of Mitch ‘Bitch’ McConnell, De Joy, De Vos, Kushner, and all those doing his bidding. There is no choice and I have always know that prior to his election into the Oval Office. It is now also the time that former supporters are seeing the shortcomings and the dangers of letting President Trump remain, along with his ‘enforcers’!
What a bunch indeed! Is there anything they have done good or right? Lately or ever?! I didn’t think so!
I have a diverse and large amount of people around me. We mostly side with Democrats, though a fair number are Republicans and supporters, respectively. However, I run into people that ask me, “When do we get another stimulus check?” My reply, “As soon as they negotiate a deal.” Questions go further and I normally tell them. “Mitch McConnell and the GOP wants way too much in the long run. We get a check and get screwed in the process.” They get the message. Get a few bucks ($1,200 doesn’t go as far as most could wish!) and sell out on other things, such as social security and other deals, relinquish further control by Mitch ‘Bitch’ McConnell and the rest in league with him. All agree...no deal! Nancy Pelosi is hot for this, but I am glad that she refuses to sell us out. Way to go, Nancy! It is toughness and sticking to our guns that will get us out of this mess we’re all currently in at the moment. I know that I am hot to change things for the better as is everyone around me.
A must see! Never a dull moment with ‘The Don’ in office!!!
It doesn’t matter what people are, or do, or desire, that is the main item. The most important thing that we’re recognizing the concept of being in the ‘same boat’, so per se. Folks of all ages, colors, sizes, religions, political theories and all else know. Unity and effort is the ticket and the way to quelling negatives and producing positives.
November 3rd...is a very important day indeed!
VOTE! GO TEAM JOE GO! VOTE! DONATE! VOLUNTEER!
United we stand, divided we fall. It’s that simple. We are one!
Great luck to all of you fellow Americans!!!
See you at the polls!!!


dailykos--2020-09-10--Rachel Brown: Powering to the polls in Southwest Florida

Like many people , Rachel Brown ’ s politics and understanding of the world has evolved—but she ’ s had a lot further to go and started at an earlier age than most .
Born in 1994 and raised in Naples , Fla. , Brown ’ s father made money selling guns at gun shows .
She was raised in a house without air conditioning with Fox News blaring in the background .
Until the third grade she was home schooled but then her mother , a teacher by profession , worked three jobs to afford the tuition to send @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Christian School in Fort Myers .
It was an upbringing that might have produced a woman with narrow expectations , a limited perspective on the world and conservative political views .
Instead , today Brown is the progressive Democratic candidate for the Florida state Senate in District 27 , determined to protect the district ’ s natural environment , ensure a decent life for its people and tackle the challenges that face them .
“ I ’ m a liberal who comes from conservative roots , ” she says .
“ I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like harmful algal blooms , the growing numbers of COVID-19 cases , and the massive homeless crisis on the rise.
” State Senate District 27 includes Cape Coral , Fort Myers , Pine Island , Sanibel and Captiva .
It is the center of population in Lee County .
The Caloosahatchee River runs through it to its shoreline on the Gulf of Mexico .
The District is currently represented by Republican Sen. Elizabeth Benaquisto , who is term-limited and stepping down .
Benaquisto ’ s retirement set off a ferocious primary battle to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rodrigues ( R-76-Fort Myers Beach ) and Heather Fitzenhagen ( R-78-Fort Myers ) , a battle so bitter they appeared in dueling TV ads firing guns , with the barely disguised implication they would gladly turn those guns on each other .
By then , Brown was already a declared candidate for the seat .
She was approached by state Sen. Gary Farmer ( D-34 ) the designated Senate minority leader , who urged Brown not to run so that Democrats could vote in an open Republican primary and elect the more moderate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying “ How can I tell people I ’ ve marched with that I changed my mind , I ’ m not going to run , and they should go vote for a mediocre Republican instead who ’ s just going to take their taxes and use it for corporate handouts ?
And how can I take a backroom deal that represents the behavior I ’ m fighting to end ?
” Given the past Republican nature of the District , the conventional wisdom is that it will remain the same .
Brown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As her campaign slogan puts it : “ Defy the norm !
” After three years in private school , Brown attended Palmetto Ridge High School in Naples for a year and then began going part time to Florida Gulf Coast University , where she is still studying .
“ I wasn ’ t planning to run for office before I got my degree , ” she says .
“ But it ’ s incredibly urgent that I do it now.
” Brown is training as an environmental engineer and it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particularly the relationship of the District with its natural setting—that powered her run for office .
“ Water quality is the big issue for everyone , ” she observes .
“ Anyone in Southwest Florida has seen the degradation of our water and the algae blooms .
My whole life I ’ ve heard folks that have been around longer than I have say that the water used to be a bright , beautiful crystal blue , not like the brown and black plumes we see today.
” “ I believe every person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ air and clean water ; a right that citizens of District 27 do not currently have , ” she says , adding that she ’ s ready to fight for that right in Tallahassee .
She ’ s also angry that important environmental legislation has repeatedly been put off or deferred by the state legislature .
“ Every time they see an environmental group trying to do something good they try to stop it , ” she says .
She ’ s particularly incensed by what she calls the deceptively named Clean Waterways @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law by Gov .
Ron DeSantis ( R ) .
While the law puts in place a variety of water purity regulations and procedures , it also takes away the power of local governments to extend legal rights to plants , animals or bodies of water , so that their purity or health can be protected in court .
Brown believes there needs to be an environmental bill of rights and says she will work to repeal the Act in order to pass a better alternative .
It ’ s mainly on these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her opponent .
During the primary , Rodrigues was painted as a tool of the sugar industry around Lake Okeechobee , earning him the nickname “ Sugar Ray.
” Water from the lake is blamed for much of the pollution that flows down the Caloosahatchee River and dumps into the waters of the 27th District , clogging the canals of Cape Coral with algal mats and causing blue-green algae blooms along the river ’ s shores .
“ He ’ s everything I am not , ” says Brown .
“ He doesn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Lee County first.
” While the natural environment is critical to sustaining life and the 27th District ’ s economy , that life is under stress from the pandemic and the economy has been badly battered .
Nonetheless , Brown is optimistic : “ I truly believe that a combination of individual and community efforts can make everyone ’ s lives better , ” she says .
“ There are so many positive changes to be made when we work together.
” She points out that in Lee County the average cost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since 2001 while the average income has gone up by only 4 percent , meaning that working people can not keep up .
She favors increasing the minimum wage to a livable level of $ 15 over six years .
“ If people aren ’ t making enough to live they ’ re going to need help , ” she says .
She has seen homelessness in Lee County in person while working food service jobs .
With the pandemic and economic crash she fears that homelessness is likely to increase and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
People also need their healthcare , which she vows to protect , and she wants to expand Medicaid in the state .
Will she be branded a “ socialist ” for all this ?
Ironically , she points out , Rodrigues himself praised socialized healthcare .
It came during a League of Women Voters forum when he commended Sweden ’ s approach to the COVID crisis by trying to develop herd immunity—covered by its socialized healthcare .
Brown also supports mask mandates to protect people from coronavirus .
Given her father ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she ’ s comfortable with gun ownership as long as owners behave legally and responsibly .
However , she feels they should be held liable for the use of their weapons .
She really takes issue with Florida ’ s “ stand your ground ” law .
“ Stand your ground as it is doesn ’ t do the job it was intended to do , ” she argues .
“ It shouldn ’ t be allowed to be used in an offensive way.
” One issue that is close to her heart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safe streets—and for a very personal reason .
In 2004 her 12-year-old brother Eric was killed in a hit-and-run incident while he was riding his bicycle in Golden Gate Estates .
Brown believes the culprit—who was never caught—was drunk or on drugs .
The incident made her determined to work for greater road safety .
“ We have a lack of city planning , ” she notes .
“ A lot of the county is considered a rural environment but that ’ s just a way to excuse the lack of planning .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll have safer roadways and fewer emissions.
” Her stance on infrastructure has won her an endorsement from Thomas Kanell , creator of ABetterLeeTran.com , a website advocating improved public transportation in Lee County .
He called her “ a courageous activist whose focus on the needs of everyday people and on preserving the environment is a fresh alternative from the money-driven politics that have characterized elections in our state.
” Her brother ’ s death also convinced Brown that alcohol and drugs need to be gotten off the streets .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not the issue , ” she maintains .
“ Driving under the influence of drugs and reckless driving in general is .
Rather than busting people in their homes for drug consumption , we need to keep it off the roads.
” Brown is fully aware that running as a Democrat in what has to date been a Republican district is a long , difficult battle against heavy odds .
Her opponent is deep-rooted , backed by the Republican establishment and well-funded .
“ At the start of my campaign , I innocently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of volunteer crews , managers , and social media people , ” she recounts .
“ Now I realize that ’ s not going to happen.
” Instead , small donations have enabled her to order and distribute a hundred face masks and face shields .
In addition to using social media she ’ s purchased yard signs and been able to produce a 30-second television advertisement .
She ’ s planning to send out mailers .
In what she calls a game-changing development , a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee organization called Red @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and text message campaigning .
She ’ s been endorsed by other candidates like congressional candidate Cindy Banyai and Anselm Weber , running for the Florida House in District 76 .
Interestingly enough , she ’ s also getting Republican help from supporters of Heather Fitzenhagen who were disgusted by Rodrigues ’ primary campaign .
“ Many women are angered by Ray ’ s vicious campaign against Heather which ultimately lost her the primary , ” she observes .
“ In order to win , I need support from all women and I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ joined me.
” She acknowledges that “ It ’ s hard being a grassroots candidate , ” but adds , “ I ’ m powering to the polls.
” Among the many promises and pledges that are made on the campaign trail , there ’ s one Brown is absolutely determined to keep : “ My biggest celebration when I win will be to finally pay for air conditioning for my mother , ” she says .

Rachel Brown: Powering to the polls
Element removed Rachel Brown (Photo: Rachel Brown Campaign)
Sept. 10, 2020 by David Silverberg
Like many people, Rachel Brown’s politics and understanding of the world has evolved—but she’s had a lot further to go and started at an earlier age than most.
Born in 1994 and raised in Naples, Fla., Brown’s father made money selling guns at gun shows. She was raised in a house without air conditioning with Fox News blaring in the background. Until the third grade she was home schooled but then her mother, a teacher by profession, worked three jobs to afford the tuition to send her to private school at the Evangelical Christian School in Fort Myers.
It was an upbringing that might have produced a woman with narrow expectations, a limited perspective on the world and conservative political views.
Instead, today Brown is the progressive Democratic candidate for the Florida state Senate in District 27, determined to protect the district’s natural environment, ensure a decent life for its people and tackle the challenges that face them.
“I’m a liberal who comes from conservative roots,” she says. “I’m tired of my legislators ignoring issues like harmful algal blooms, the growing numbers of COVID-19 cases, and the massive homeless crisis on the rise.”
Center of gravity
State Senate District 27 includes Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Pine Island, Sanibel and Captiva. It is the center of population in Lee County. The Caloosahatchee River runs through it to its shoreline on the Gulf of Mexico.
The District is currently represented by Republican Sen. Elizabeth Benaquisto, who is term-limited and stepping down. Benaquisto’s retirement set off a ferocious primary battle to succeed her between state House Reps. Ray Rodrigues (R-76-Fort Myers Beach) and Heather Fitzenhagen (R-78-Fort Myers), a battle so bitter they appeared in dueling TV ads firing guns, with the barely disguised implication they would gladly turn those guns on each other. By then, Brown was already a declared candidate for the seat. She was approached by state Sen. Gary Farmer (D-34) the designated Senate minority leader, who urged Brown not to run so that Democrats could vote in an open Republican primary and elect the more moderate Fitzenhagen. However, Brown refused, saying “How can I tell people I’ve marched with that I changed my mind, I’m not going to run, and they should go vote for a mediocre Republican instead who’s just going to take their taxes and use it for corporate handouts? And how can I take a backroom deal that represents the behavior I’m fighting to end?” On Aug. 18 Rodrigues decisively defeated Fitzenhagen. Given the past Republican nature of the District, the conventional wisdom is that it will remain the same. Brown is determined to prove that assumption wrong. As her campaign slogan puts it: “Defy the norm!”
“Incredibly urgent”
After three years in private school, Brown attended Palmetto Ridge High School in Naples for a year and then began going part time to Florida Gulf Coast University, where she is still studying.
“I wasn’t planning to run for office before I got my degree,” she says. “But it’s incredibly urgent that I do it now.”
Brown is training as an environmental engineer and it was her sensitivity and understanding of the environment—and particularly the relationship of the District with its natural setting—that powered her run for office.
“Water quality is the big issue for everyone,” she observes. “Anyone in Southwest Florida has seen the degradation of our water and the algae blooms. My whole life I’ve heard folks that have been around longer than I have say that the water used to be a bright, beautiful crystal blue, not like the brown and black plumes we see today.”
“I believe every person should have a legal right to clean air and clean water; a right that citizens of District 27 do not currently have,” she says, adding that she’s ready to fight for that right in Tallahassee.
She’s also angry that important environmental legislation has repeatedly been put off or deferred by the state legislature.
“Every time they see an environmental group trying to do something good they try to stop it,” she says.
She’s particularly incensed by what she calls the deceptively named Clean Waterways Act, which has been signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R).
While the law puts in place a variety of water purity regulations and procedures, it also takes away the power of local governments to extend legal rights to plants, animals or bodies of water, so that their purity or health can be protected in court. Brown believes there needs to be an environmental bill of rights and says she will work to repeal the Act in order to pass a better alternative.
It’s mainly on these environmental issues that she most disagrees with her opponent. During the primary, Rodrigues was painted as a tool of the sugar industry around Lake Okeechobee, earning him the nickname “Sugar Ray.” Water from the lake is blamed for much of the pollution that flows down the Caloosahatchee River and dumps into the waters of the 27th District, clogging the canals of Cape Coral with algal mats and causing blue-green algae blooms along the river’s shores.
“He’s everything I am not,” says Brown. “He doesn’t seem to put the people of Lee County first.”
Stress tests
While the natural environment is critical to sustaining life and the 27th District’s economy, that life is under stress from the pandemic and the economy has been badly battered.
Nonetheless, Brown is optimistic: “I truly believe that a combination of individual and community efforts can make everyone’s lives better,” she says. “There are so many positive changes to be made when we work together.”
She points out that in Lee County the average cost of rent has increased by 19 percent since 2001 while the average income has gone up by only 4 percent, meaning that working people cannot keep up. She favors increasing the minimum wage to a livable level of $15 over six years. “If people aren’t making enough to live they’re going to need help,” she says.
She has seen homelessness in Lee County in person while working food service jobs. With the pandemic and economic crash she fears that homelessness is likely to increase and the county has to be ready for it.
People also need their healthcare, which she vows to protect, and she wants to expand Medicaid in the state.
Will she be branded a “socialist” for all this? Ironically, she points out, Rodrigues himself praised socialized healthcare. It came during a League of Women Voters forum when he commended Sweden’s approach to the COVID crisis by trying to develop herd immunity—covered by its socialized healthcare.
Brown also supports mask mandates to protect people from coronavirus.
Given her father’s past gun dealing, Brown says she’s comfortable with gun ownership as long as owners behave legally and responsibly. However, she feels they should be held liable for the use of their weapons. She really takes issue with Florida’s “stand your ground” law.
“Stand your ground as it is doesn’t do the job it was intended to do,” she argues. “It shouldn’t be allowed to be used in an offensive way.”
One issue that is close to her heart is that of infrastructure—good public transportation and safe streets—and for a very personal reason.
In 2004 her 12-year-old brother Eric was killed in a hit-and-run incident while he was riding his bicycle in Golden Gate Estates. Brown believes the culprit—who was never caught—was drunk or on drugs.
The incident made her determined to work for greater road safety. “We have a lack of city planning,” she notes. “A lot of the county is considered a rural environment but that’s just a way to excuse the lack of planning. We need better planning because then we’ll have safer roadways and fewer emissions.”
Her stance on infrastructure has won her an endorsement from Thomas Kanell, creator of ABetterLeeTran.com, a website advocating improved public transportation in Lee County. He called her “a courageous activist whose focus on the needs of everyday people and on preserving the environment is a fresh alternative from the money-driven politics that have characterized elections in our state.”
Her brother’s death also convinced Brown that alcohol and drugs need to be gotten off the streets. “Drug possession in and of itself is not the issue,” she maintains. “Driving under the influence of drugs and reckless driving in general is. Rather than busting people in their homes for drug consumption, we need to keep it off the roads.”
A public servant
Brown is fully aware that running as a Democrat in what has to date been a Republican district is a long, difficult battle against heavy odds. Her opponent is deep-rooted, backed by the Republican establishment and well-funded.
“At the start of my campaign, I innocently imagined a full paid staff; leaders of volunteer crews, managers, and social media people,” she recounts. “Now I realize that’s not going to happen.”
Instead, small donations have enabled her to order and distribute a hundred face masks and face shields. In addition to using social media she’s purchased yard signs and been able to produce a 30-second television advertisement. She’s planning to send out mailers.
In what she calls a game-changing development, a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee organization called Red to Blue is helping her with software and text message campaigning.
She’s been endorsed by other candidates like congressional candidate Cindy Banyai and Anselm Weber, running for the Florida House in District 76.
Interestingly enough, she’s also getting Republican help from supporters of Heather Fitzenhagen who were disgusted by Rodrigues’ primary campaign.
“Many women are angered by Ray’s vicious campaign against Heather which ultimately lost her the primary,” she observes. “In order to win, I need support from all women and I’m delighted by those who have joined me.”
She acknowledges that “It’s hard being a grassroots candidate,” but adds, “I’m powering to the polls.”
Among the many promises and pledges that are made on the campaign trail, there’s one Brown is absolutely determined to keep: “My biggest celebration when I win will be to finally pay for air conditioning for my mother,” she says.
To learn more about Rachel Brown, visit her website, Facebook page or follow her on Twitter.
Liberty lives in light
©2020 by David Silverberg