dailykos--2020-07-07--Three Books on the 2020 Presidential Election and their relevance to the Black Live Matter Protests

The recent killings of unarmed Black citizens by police or white vigilantes has initiated the largest national outpouring of angry protests since Martin Luther King ’ s assassination in 1968 .
With less than five months until the 2020 presidential election , three books help contextualize the election .
To varying degrees , each discusses strategies on how the election could address minority and racial injustices that have long been ignored .
Ezra Klein ’ s “ Why We ’ re Polarized ” may be the most relevant book in understanding how our nation ’ s politics have emphasized divisions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Klein astutely sees that culture shapes political strategies .
He recognizes that since the civil rights era , the Democratic Party has embraced racial equality while “ the Republican Party has provided a home for white backlash.
” Using scientific studies , he concludes that we are no longer a nation of citizens who hold overlapping loyalties .
Intolerance of another political party leaves little room for cooperation .
As a result , the political middle has shrunk , with independents more partisan than ever before .
These are nonpartisans who probably sympathized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Now they may be split between tolerating protester violence as a justified reaction to racist police actions , or perhaps they condemn it as an immoral act of destructive chaos .
Klein ’ s analysis would have candidates this November work to remove the injustices that have grabbed our country ’ s attention by emphasizing our shared values , and not by labeling opponents as enemies .
David Plouffe , President Barack Obama ’ s 2008 campaign manager , has written “ A Citizen ’ s Guide to Beating Donald Trump , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the need for a candidate ’ s volunteers to pursue pragmatic actions that can influence key voters .
Although he managed the campaign to elect America ’ s first Black president , he arguably fails to recognize the importance of Black voters .
He mentions the NAACP only once and admits that Hillary Clinton could have increased contact with African American voters but limits that attention to focus on the upper Midwest .
Black voters did not turn out for Hillary Clinton like they did for Obama , and yet 96 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ means many Black voters could help Joe Biden — or Donald Trump .
Plouffe provides solid advice for how to mobilize supporters to get the vote out , but his book is weak in providing a motivation for Black citizens to come out and vote for a Democrat .
To reach out to Black voters , campaigns should consider Plouffe ’ s “ Citizen ’ s Guide ” while also addressing what the protests have been demanding : respect for Black and minority citizens by our local and federal governments .
Richard L. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tricks , Distrust , and the Threat to American Democracy ” that voter suppression is one of the major dirty tricks that both Democrat and Republican parties use to influence voters .
But Hasen demonstrates that the Republican Party and President Donald Trump have supported tactics that make it specifically more difficult for African Americans to vote , blunting efforts to be represented by those challenging the racial inequalities in our laws .
Hasen illustrates how that occurs in large Democratic-leaning cities with sizable Black and other minority populations .
The Republican-dominated state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adequate election resources .
The result is Black voters waiting in long lines in those cities to vote , and a delay in the final vote count .
That delay has been characterized by Trump and Republicans as evidence of “ rigging ” the election against Republicans .
Hasen also cites an Oxford University report revealing that Russia ’ s Internet Research Agency has used social media to encourage Blacks to boycott electoral politics by preying on anger with racist and economic inequalities .
Those seeking to deflate the Black vote this November @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inflammatory statements to encourage protesters to boycott voting in the “ irrelevant ” presidential elections , in the hope of securing a Trump victory .
Nick Licata is author of has served 5 terms on the Seattle City Council , named progressive municipal official of the year by The Nation , and is founding board chair of Local Progress , a national network of 1,000 progressive municipal officials .
Subscribe to Licata ’ s newsletter

The recent killings of unarmed Black citizens by police or white vigilantes has initiated the largest national outpouring of angry protests since Martin Luther King’s assassination in 1968.
With less than five months until the 2020 presidential election, three books help contextualize the election. To varying degrees, each discusses strategies on how the election could address minority and racial injustices that have long been ignored.
Ezra Klein’s “Why We’re Polarized” may be the most relevant book in understanding how our nation’s politics have emphasized divisions, not unity, among citizens. Klein astutely sees that culture shapes political strategies. He recognizes that since the civil rights era, the Democratic Party has embraced racial equality while “the Republican Party has provided a home for white backlash.”
Using scientific studies, he concludes that we are no longer a nation of citizens who hold overlapping loyalties. Intolerance of another political party leaves little room for cooperation. As a result, the political middle has shrunk, with independents more partisan than ever before. These are nonpartisans who probably sympathized with protesting as a democratic exercise. Now they may be split between tolerating protester violence as a justified reaction to racist police actions, or perhaps they condemn it as an immoral act of destructive chaos.
Klein’s analysis would have candidates this November work to remove the injustices that have grabbed our country’s attention by emphasizing our shared values, and not by labeling opponents as enemies.
David Plouffe, President Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign manager, has written “A Citizen’s Guide to Beating Donald Trump,” in which he eschews insider party politics for the need for a candidate’s volunteers to pursue pragmatic actions that can influence key voters.
Although he managed the campaign to elect America’s first Black president, he arguably fails to recognize the importance of Black voters. He mentions the NAACP only once and admits that Hillary Clinton could have increased contact with African American voters but limits that attention to focus on the upper Midwest.
Black voters did not turn out for Hillary Clinton like they did for Obama, and yet 96% of them voted for her. That means many Black voters could help Joe Biden — or Donald Trump. Plouffe provides solid advice for how to mobilize supporters to get the vote out, but his book is weak in providing a motivation for Black citizens to come out and vote for a Democrat.
To reach out to Black voters, campaigns should consider Plouffe’s “Citizen’s Guide” while also addressing what the protests have been demanding: respect for Black and minority citizens by our local and federal governments.
Richard L. Hasen says in “Election Meltdown: Tricks, Distrust, and the Threat to American Democracy”that voter suppression is one of the major dirty tricks that both Democrat and Republican parties use to influence voters.
But Hasen demonstrates that the Republican Party and President Donald Trump have supported tactics that make it specifically more difficult for African Americans to vote, blunting efforts to be represented by those challenging the racial inequalities in our laws.
Hasen illustrates how that occurs in large Democratic-leaning cities with sizable Black and other minority populations. The Republican-dominated state legislatures often do not provide those cities adequate election resources.
The result is Black voters waiting in long lines in those cities to vote, and a delay in the final vote count. That delay has been characterized by Trump and Republicans as evidence of “rigging” the election against Republicans.
Hasen also cites an Oxford University report revealing that Russia’s Internet Research Agency has used social media to encourage Blacks to boycott electoral politics by preying on anger with racist and economic inequalities.
Those seeking to deflate the Black vote this November may again use bogus organizations to post inflammatory statements to encourage protesters to boycott voting in the “irrelevant” presidential elections, in the hope of securing a Trump victory.
Nick Licata is author of
, and
has served 5 terms on the Seattle City Council, named progressive municipal official of the year by The Nation, and is founding board chair of Local Progress, a national network of 1,000 progressive municipal officials.
Subscribe to Licata’s newsletter


dailykos--2020-07-07--Voting Third-Party is Playing with Fire

Voting Third-Party is Playing with Fire

Many Americans are sickened by the destructiveness of the Trump administration .
The obvious solution is to vote him out @ @ @ @ @ with that .
There are some voters who are just as repulsed by Trump as @ @ @ @ @ yet they don ’ t plan to vote for Joe Biden either .
In a @ @ @ @ @ all vote for a perfect candidate , and that perfect candidate would have a significant @ @ @ @ @ or without being on the ballot .
However , we do not live in a @ @ @ @ @ ’ t the idealistic 3rd-party voters and write-in voters understand that ?

Many Americans are sickened by the destructiveness of the Trump administration. The obvious solution is to vote him out, but not everyone agrees with that. There are some voters who are just as repulsed by Trump as the rest of us, yet they don’t plan to vote for Joe Biden either.
In a perfect world, we could all vote for a perfect candidate, and that perfect candidate would have a significant chance of winning, with or without being on the ballot. However, we do not live in a perfect world. Why can’t the idealistic 3rd-party voters and write-in voters understand that?


dailykos--2020-07-07--Add a new adjective to America- Pity

Add a new adjective to America- Pity

In a short three and one half years Trump in word and deed have shown the world the actual workings of the American body politic .
The human beings who are charged with following the plan laid out by the Founding Fathers in seminal documents for over two hundred and forty years have worked towards those ideas until now .
Elizabeth Willing Powel asked Ben Franklin a question by which he responded with the famous line , “ A Republic , if you can keep it.
” While many adjectives can be used to describe America this is now that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Many reasons can be found for why this word can be used but there are several that stand out .
The first is that our founders believed in people who would be faithful to the ideas and processes that the Constitution laid out .
Three co-equal branches of government that would stand the test of time by have honest partnerships worked out through a democratic give and take called compromise .
The second is that a political party subscribes to those ideas of a Republic .
Third , a free press that is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the politicians who take a oath to be honest dealers in this American political experiment .
The international community has had a mixture of opinions about America through history .
For all of the faults that America has shown there has been hope ever present that America can and will reinvent itself though those ills .
However now in the time of Trump the feeling is different .
As our institutions can not change due to how people have become unwilling partners to create a dynamic dialectical political process of change .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ though a press that increasingly is one sided authoritarian anti democratic and hence anti Republic .
Foreign leaders and their people of other democracies are looking on with horror as to what events are leading America to become less of a inspiration in the 21st Century .
Pity is a condition for the world to see in America that Americans of many political stripes are losing faith and trust in political organizations as well as the political process by which our Republic has stood upon for those long centuries .
Can we reclaim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and time will tell .
We as a nation must work hard and rekindle our ideals in order to bring us closer to a “ more perfect union ” .

In a short three and one half years Trump in word and deed have shown the world the actual workings of the American body politic. The human beings who are charged with following the plan laid out by the Founding Fathers in seminal documents for over two hundred and forty years have worked towards those ideas until now. Elizabeth Willing Powel asked Ben Franklin a question by which he responded with the famous line, “A Republic, if you can keep it.”
While many adjectives can be used to describe America this is now that this adjective can be used- Pity. Many reasons can be found for why this word can be used but there are several that stand out. The first is that our founders believed in people who would be faithful to the ideas and processes that the Constitution laid out. Three co-equal branches of government that would stand the test of time by have honest partnerships worked out through a democratic give and take called compromise. The second is that a political party subscribes to those ideas of a Republic. Third, a free press that is a guardian for keeping the public informed about the politicians who take a oath to be honest dealers in this American political experiment.
The international community has had a mixture of opinions about America through history. For all of the faults that America has shown there has been hope ever present that America can and will reinvent itself though those ills. However now in the time of Trump the feeling is different. As our institutions cannot change due to how people have become unwilling partners to create a dynamic dialectical political process of change. This ossification by having people being siloed though a press that increasingly is one sided authoritarian anti democratic and hence anti Republic. Foreign leaders and their people of other democracies are looking on with horror as to what events are leading America to become less of a inspiration in the 21st Century.
Pity is a condition for the world to see in America that Americans of many political stripes are losing faith and trust in political organizations as well as the political process by which our Republic has stood upon for those long centuries.
Can we reclaim those ideals within? Only hard work and time will tell. We as a nation must work hard and rekindle our ideals in order to bring us closer to a “more perfect union”.
www.newyorker.com/...


dailykos--2020-07-08--A Renewed Standard of Excellence in Leadership

In addition to the generally accepted characteristics of a good leader , let ’ s consider the following which I believe are more morally correct characteristics to be added to the list and then to help us to distinguish between a Good Leader and a Bad one the following : In a Good Leader , his or her first concern is , as it always must be , to see to it that the very basic needs of those that follow them are taken care of first and foremost .
Those basic needs are : • None Comfortable Shelter ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ These four things are essential to All Life on this Planet Earth , without question .
In a Bad leader , his or her first concern is always to see to it that the basic needs of themselves and or their Corporate handlers are taken care of first and foremost ; the People 's needs come last if considered at all !
Therefore , if any Leader who attempts to , or actually does cause harm or injury to any of those that follow them , either directly or indirectly by denying them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the “ Four Essentials of Life ” or if by their participation in the design , implementation , and operation of any such political system or privately held organization that causes the denial of access to any of these Basic Human needs , he or she shall be held accountable by “ The People ” for their , “ Crimes against Human Nature ” and shall be brought forth to Justice one and all !

A Renewed Standard of Excellence in Leadership
In addition to the generally accepted characteristics of a good leader, let’s consider the following which I believe are more morally correct characteristics to be added to the list and then to help us to distinguish between a Good Leader and a Bad one the following:
In a Good Leader, his or her first concern is, as it always must be, to see to it that the very basic needs of those that follow them are taken care of first and foremost.
Those basic needs are:
Clean Air (to breathe) Fresh Water (to drink) Pure fresh Food (to eat) Comfortable Shelter (to protect from the elements).
These four things are essential to All Human Life on this Planet Earth, without question.
In a Bad leader, his or her first concern is always to see to it that the basic needs of themselves and or their Corporate handlers are taken care of first and foremost; the People's needs come last if considered at all!
Therefore, if any Leader who attempts to, or actually does cause harm or injury to any of those that follow them, either directly or indirectly by denying them free and unfettered access to any of the “Four Essentials of Life” or if by their participation in the design, implementation, and operation of any such political system or privately held organization that causes the denial of access to any of these Basic Human needs, he or she shall be held accountable by “The People” for their, “Crimes against Human Nature” and shall be brought forth to Justice one and all!


dailykos--2020-07-09--Zerlina Maxwell on confronting biases and an end to white politics

“ [ W ] e ’ re basing all of our focus on this mythical white working class voter in Ohio or Michigan , ” said Maxwell in an interview with Prism .
“ We just have to let those voters go ; they 're not coming back.
” Maxwell suggests Democrats should be invested in electoral organizing and expanding an increasingly diversifying voter coalition rather than fixating on reclaiming the approximately 80,000 voters purported to have swung the 2016 election .
“ Four million people total that voted in 2012 did not [ vote in 2016 ] , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people , ” said Maxwell .
Maxwell continued to explain that turnout strategy is a numbers game .
“ Math is not my strongest area , but I know that one million is a larger number than 77,000 .
And it seems to me that if you even make an attempt to get maybe 100,000 Black people to show up for you that did n't last time , you [ win ] the electoral college.
” Both in her book and interview , Maxwell talked about the need for a reflective democracy and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that keep people out of the process , such as widespread issues with voter suppression .
Leaning into her experience as a staffer for two political campaigns and analyzing the changing dynamics in the political landscape post-2016 , Maxwell focuses a lot on the demographic shift projected by 2045 .
Replacing the term “ majority-minority ” with “ non-white majority , ” a language shift she attributed to her SiriusXM co-host Jess McIntosh , Maxwell grappled with how to build political discourse and strategy that is reflective of the emerging electorate and demographic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plays a role in deconstructing outdated narratives and strategies .
“ There 's just a lack of imagination outside of [ a particular ] experience .
So on the politics front it 's really just math ...
It feels to me like the obsession with that mythical voter is because the narratives and the conversations that we 're having are driven and framed by people who also happen to be mostly white men , ” said Maxwell .
In The End of White Politics , Maxwell tackles the necessity for narrative shifts head-on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ traditional decision-making about which voters are worthy of political investment .
Like the myth of electability , those decisions are being made by people with vested interests in centering whiteness .
Over the course of her interview with Prism , Maxwell stressed that the fixation on voting blocs that have not supported the Democratic Party in several decades is overlooking the growth of the non-white voting block .
Highlighting the increasing diversification of the American electorate , the Pew Research Center released a report in June finding “ a more substantial change in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the GOP : Four in ten Democratic registered voters are now non-white ( Black , Hispanic , Asian , and other non-white racial groups ) , compared with 17 % of the GOP.
” Maxwell is clear that an end to white politics does not mean overlooking white voters .
It means demanding that strategies and political dialogue catch up to the changing political moment .
Maxwell challenges those stuck in the mindset of white politics to think about how successful they ’ ve actually been at reclaiming voters who ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these same voters were content with voting for a candidate who made inflammatory , degrading , and racist comments throughout his election .
“ [ If ] that rhetoric was not a deal breaker for them , what do you think you would have to say to try to attract those voters back ?
Or what kind of tolerance for Trump 's rhetoric would you have to invoke to get those voters feel comfortable ?
” These questions hit hard in a moment when the current president is diving deeper into entrenched white @ @ @ @ @ @ @ short of calling for outright race war .
According to Maxwell , the media also has a lot of work to do in terms of confronting biases and developing narratives .
Decentering whiteness also includes developing a framework for political objectivity that does not lead to pushing aside experiences .
More emphasis should be placed on expanding access to platforms and providing more opportunities for traditionally underrepresented communities to have their voices heard and issues covered .
“ Objectivity is a goal , ” said Maxwell .
“ And a lot of times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ almost mean that only a certain type of person can be sober and objective.
” Maxwell challenged the double standard around accountability head-on , giving the example of Black journalists being considered biased on issues involving racism of police brutality or not being allowed or encouraged to write on certain topics .
People ’ s experiences and relationships to issues of injustice should not disqualify them from being seen as reliable narrators .
“ We all have to confront our own biases , ” said Maxwell .
“ We all have them and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It affects everything.
” Maxwell draws a line for those looking to replace the current majority leadership in the White House and Senate , explaining that they can not rest on appealing to traditional politics of whiteness .
Given the vitriol and racism coming from the current president and many leading members of his party , rejecting such politics is necessary to engage and nurture the very diverse coalition of voters making clear and direct demands for change .
Maxwell stresses that white identity is not and should not be considered the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of public life .
“ We just have to let it sink in a little bit , because that ’ s the new reality.
” Anoa Changa is Prism ’ s electoral justice staff reporter .
Follow her on Twitter @ thewaywithanoa .
Prism is a BIPOC-led nonprofit news outlet that centers the people , places and issues currently underreported by our national media .
Through our original reporting , analysis , and commentary , we challenge dominant , toxic narratives perpetuated by the mainstream press and work to build a full and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in our democracy .
Follow us on Twitter , Facebook , and Instagram .

As the country grapples with ongoing protest and critical policy demands, MSNBC political analyst and SiriusXM host Zerlina Maxwell declares an end to white-centered politics in her new book. A timely read, The End of White Politics: How to Heal Our Liberal Divide contends that American politics cannot continue to disregard blind spots around race and injustice.
Maxwell points to a necessary realignment of the lens through which politics is produced and experienced, challenging Democratic candidates, the political strategists employed to assist them, and the media industry to do better. Directly confronting the often tried and failed tactic of “winning back” white voters, Maxwell argues that ending politics centered in whiteness is a difficult but necessary mandate in the current sociopolitical climate.
“[W]e’re basing all of our focus on this mythical white working class voter in Ohio or Michigan,” said Maxwell in an interview with Prism. “We just have to let those voters go; they're not coming back.”
Maxwell suggests Democrats should be invested in electoral organizing and expanding an increasingly diversifying voter coalition rather than fixating on reclaiming the approximately 80,000 voters purported to have swung the 2016 election. “Four million people total that voted in 2012 did not [vote in 2016], and one million of those people were Black people,” said Maxwell.
Maxwell continued to explain that turnout strategy is a numbers game. “Math is not my strongest area, but I know that one million is a larger number than 77,000. And it seems to me that if you even make an attempt to get maybe 100,000 Black people to show up for you that didn't last time, you [win] the electoral college.”
Both in her book and interview, Maxwell talked about the need for a reflective democracy and dealing directly with the conditions and inequities that keep people out of the process, such as widespread issues with voter suppression. Leaning into her experience as a staffer for two political campaigns and analyzing the changing dynamics in the political landscape post-2016, Maxwell focuses a lot on the demographic shift projected by 2045.
Replacing the term “majority-minority” with “non-white majority,” a language shift she attributed to her SiriusXM co-host Jess McIntosh, Maxwell grappled with how to build political discourse and strategy that is reflective of the emerging electorate and demographic shifts. For Maxwell, the media plays a role in deconstructing outdated narratives and strategies.
“There's just a lack of imagination outside of [a particular] experience. So on the politics front it's really just math...It feels to me like the obsession with that mythical voter is because the narratives and the conversations that we're having are driven and framed by people who also happen to be mostly white men,” said Maxwell.
In The End of White Politics, Maxwell tackles the necessity for narrative shifts head-on. Maxwell emphasizes the strategic flaws in traditional decision-making about which voters are worthy of political investment. Like the myth of electability, those decisions are being made by people with vested interests in centering whiteness.
Over the course of her interview with Prism, Maxwell stressed that the fixation on voting blocs that have not supported the Democratic Party in several decades is overlooking the growth of the non-white voting block. Highlighting the increasing diversification of the American electorate, the Pew Research Center released a report in June finding “a more substantial change in the composition of the Democratic Party than in the GOP: Four in ten Democratic registered voters are now non-white (Black, Hispanic, Asian, and other non-white racial groups), compared with 17% of the GOP.”
Maxwell is clear that an end to white politics does not mean overlooking white voters. It means demanding that strategies and political dialogue catch up to the changing political moment.
Maxwell challenges those stuck in the mindset of white politics to think about how successful they’ve actually been at reclaiming voters who’ve been lost for decades. Many of these same voters were content with voting for a candidate who made inflammatory, degrading, and racist comments throughout his election. “[If] that rhetoric was not a deal breaker for them, what do you think you would have to say to try to attract those voters back? Or what kind of tolerance for Trump's rhetoric would you have to invoke to get those voters feel comfortable?”
These questions hit hard in a moment when the current president is diving deeper into entrenched white supremacist talking points, just barely falling short of calling for outright race war.
According to Maxwell, the media also has a lot of work to do in terms of confronting biases and developing narratives. Decentering whiteness also includes developing a framework for political objectivity that does not lead to pushing aside experiences. More emphasis should be placed on expanding access to platforms and providing more opportunities for traditionally underrepresented communities to have their voices heard and issues covered.
“Objectivity is a goal,” said Maxwell. “And a lot of times that is actually sort of compressed to almost mean that only a certain type of person can be sober and objective.” Maxwell challenged the double standard around accountability head-on, giving the example of Black journalists being considered biased on issues involving racism of police brutality or not being allowed or encouraged to write on certain topics. People’s experiences and relationships to issues of injustice should not disqualify them from being seen as reliable narrators.
“We all have to confront our own biases,” said Maxwell. “We all have them and we all grew up in this culture. It affects everything.”
Maxwell draws a line for those looking to replace the current majority leadership in the White House and Senate, explaining that they cannot rest on appealing to traditional politics of whiteness. Given the vitriol and racism coming from the current president and many leading members of his party, rejecting such politics is necessary to engage and nurture the very diverse coalition of voters making clear and direct demands for change.
Maxwell stresses that white identity is not and should not be considered the default in politics or any other sector of public life. “We just have to let it sink in a little bit, because that’s the new reality.”
Anoa Changa is Prism’s electoral justice staff reporter. Follow her on Twitter @thewaywithanoa.
Prism is a BIPOC-led nonprofit news outlet that centers the people, places and issues currently underreported by our national media. Through our original reporting, analysis, and commentary, we challenge dominant, toxic narratives perpetuated by the mainstream press and work to build a full and accurate record of what’s happening in our democracy. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.


dailykos--2020-07-10--Rona Parables (Share Your Own!)

Rona Parables (Share Your Own!)

Of course it is !
It 's open .
We need to make deliveries .
They wo n't get there @ @ @ @ @ road .
Drive or you are out of a job .
Eff that you seen @ @ @ @ @ in ?

The bridge isn't safe.
Of course it is! It's open.
There's no railing.
We need to make deliveries.
They won't get there with that hole in the road.
Drive or you are out of a job.
Fine. Ride shotgun with me.
Eff that you seen the condition that bridge is in?


dailykos--2020-07-10--Flip Everything: A Down Ballot All in 1 Activism Guide to Make a Blue Wave Everywhere!

In the 2020 election let ’ s do all we can to Flip Everything !
It ’ s been a while since I ’ ve written diaries for both personal and other reasons , but in my lurking across different Democratic supportive websites I ’ ve always seen the same question over and over asked by those newly activated and long time activists alike : What are the competitive races that need support ?
This question lead me on a search to find a resource that could be easily digested and shared among friends/family and social networks for competitive races @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close .
And if there was anything down ballot it was only about 1 state .
So I decided to create a project to make it a bit easier for people to both understand and support the races that are an after thought of the presidential election .
It started with Senate seats and an idea to create an ActBlue fund with multiple races splitting every donation .
It just crossed $ 150,000 !
The congressional fund launched later .
The other question I saw frequently asked : What state legislative chambers can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the research and creation of Break The Gerrymander , another piece of the project .
Figuring out which state legislative chambers by the data could be flipped and then also which races we would have to win in order to do so .
After completing that tall task I figured I was done , but then the thought occurred to me : What about all the other voters who live in states without flippable chambers ?
So I guess I took some crazy pills because I decided to do down ballot data research @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chamber from Alaska to Wyoming and everything in between .
I didn ’ t think I ’ d ever get this far and the small project has turned into a massive one .
I ’ m happy to say the project is now complete .
- Data from every election possible of potentially winnable races from Senate to state legislature across the country .
- Funds to support all these down ballot candidates .
- A volunteer from home weekly updated spreadsheet for activism opportunities ( Thanks to mtlebanonriseup for always updating it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ! )
.
Anything anyone could possibly want or need to do activism wherever they are , from the seasoned professional to the newly political .
This project took over a year to complete from start to finish , so I hope people find use in it to help make a blue wave hit every state !
In the 2020 election let ’ s do all we can to Flip Everything !
Thanks everyone for reading , please feel free to bookmark and/or share !

In the 2020 election let’s do all we can to Flip Everything!
It’s been a while since I’ve written diaries for both personal and other reasons, but in my lurking across different Democratic supportive websites I’ve always seen the same question over and over asked by those newly activated and long time activists alike:
What are the competitive races that need support?
This question lead me on a search to find a resource that could be easily digested and shared among friends/family and social networks for competitive races down ballot. There was nothing even close. And if there was anything down ballot it was only about 1 state. So I decided to create a project to make it a bit easier for people to both understand and support the races that are an after thought of the presidential election. It started with Senate seats and an idea to create an ActBlue fund with multiple races splitting every donation. It just crossed $150,000! The congressional fund launched later.
The other question I saw frequently asked:
What state legislative chambers can flip to Democrats?
This led to the research and creation of Break The Gerrymander, another piece of the project. Figuring out which state legislative chambers by the data could be flipped and then also which races we would have to win in order to do so. After completing that tall task I figured I was done, but then the thought occurred to me: What about all the other voters who live in states without flippable chambers?
So I guess I took some crazy pills because I decided to do down ballot data research for every non Democratic governed state legislative chamber from Alaska to Wyoming and everything in between. I didn’t think I’d ever get this far and the small project has turned into a massive one.
I’m happy to say the project is now complete.
- Data from every election possible of potentially winnable races from Senate to state legislature across the country.
- Winnable Supreme Court seats that could stop gerrymandering.
- Democratic nominee names and campaign websites.
- Funds to support all these down ballot candidates.
- A volunteer from home weekly updated spreadsheet for activism opportunities (Thanks to mtlebanonriseup for always updating it on a different website for that part!).
Anything anyone could possibly want or need to do activism wherever they are, from the seasoned professional to the newly political.
This project took over a year to complete from start to finish, so I hope people find use in it to help make a blue wave hit every state!
In the 2020 election let’s do all we can to Flip Everything!
Thanks everyone for reading, please feel free to bookmark and/or share!


dailykos--2020-07-10--The Ayn Rand Institute: Irony Lives

The Ayn Rand Institute: Irony Lives

Who doesn ’ t appreciate irony ?
If someone else wrote about this , I missed it but thought you ’ d enjoy .
According to the Wall Street Journal ’ s Pat Fitzgerald , and confirmed by the Ayn Rand Institute itself , the Ayn Rand Institute received a nice , little PPP loan : Ayn Rand was a Russian-born philosopher and writer , best known as an advocate of Objectivism .
Although the details of this philosophy ( ideology ) are more complex than its modern-day advocates acknowledge , I ’ ve always thought of it as moral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worth .
Philosophy majors , please weigh-in where I ’ m wrong .
In college I was a literature person , with only a few philosophy classes most of which covered the classical and medieval period .
Today , Rand is a favorite of some libertarians and those who advocate for unregulated capitalism .
I never liked this nonsense when I first encountered it back in high school , which is when I first read The Fountain Head .
When I read The Fountain Head , I thought I was reading a famous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ format of a novel to spoon feed her philosophy to us .
Its not subtle .
I ’ ve never liked art used as a vehicle for philosophy or ideology .
These can be organic elements in any work of art , but for Rand the story is subservient to the ideology .
The novel itself had an interesting concept , as a novel .
The execution is poor and , again , its merely an excuse to promote Rand ’ s theories .
Furthermore , the novel is clunky and poorly written @ @ @ @ @ @ @ novels in English which was not her native language .
A huge accomplishment regardless of my view of her works .
When in high school I always knew when a friend read The Fountain Head or Atlas Shrugged because they acted like a dick for two or three weeks .
I guess that ’ s the best indictment of Rand and Objectivism : It appeals to 14 year-old boys for about three weeks .
Or , if you ’ re Rand Paul or Paul Ryan , for a lifetime .
Here are some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all the comments .
Some are quite amusing .

Who doesn’t appreciate irony? If someone else wrote about this, I missed it but thought you’d enjoy.
According to the Wall Street Journal’s Pat Fitzgerald, and confirmed by the Ayn Rand Institute itself, the Ayn Rand Institute received a nice, little PPP loan:
x The Ayn Rand Institute received a PPP loan of between $350K and $1 millionhttps://t.co/EOhMBQh40f Ã¢ÂÂ Pat Fitzgerald (@PatFitzgerald23) July 6, 2020
The ARI considers the loan restitution (reparations?):
x "If ARI gets government relief money, it will be, for us, partial restitution for government-inflicted losses."
Read more:https://t.co/y3BzHt002x Ã¢ÂÂ Ayn Rand Institute (@AynRandInst) July 6, 2020
Ayn Rand was a Russian-born philosopher and writer, best known as an advocate of Objectivism. Although the details of this philosophy (ideology) are more complex than its modern-day advocates acknowledge, I’ve always thought of it as moral selfishness, for whatever that’s worth. Philosophy majors, please weigh-in where I’m wrong. In college I was a literature person, with only a few philosophy classes most of which covered the classical and medieval period. Today, Rand is a favorite of some libertarians and those who advocate for unregulated capitalism. I never liked this nonsense when I first encountered it back in high school, which is when I first read The Fountain Head.
When I read The Fountain Head, I thought I was reading a famous novel. Instead, Rand uses the format of a novel to spoon feed her philosophy to us. Its not subtle. I’ve never liked art used as a vehicle for philosophy or ideology. These can be organic elements in any work of art, but for Rand the story is subservient to the ideology.
The novel itself had an interesting concept, as a novel. The execution is poor and, again, its merely an excuse to promote Rand’s theories. Furthermore, the novel is clunky and poorly written. Like Conrad, Rand wrote these novels in English which was not her native language. A huge accomplishment regardless of my view of her works.
When in high school I always knew when a friend read The Fountain Head or Atlas Shrugged because they acted like a dick for two or three weeks. I guess that’s the best indictment of Rand and Objectivism: It appeals to 14 year-old boys for about three weeks. Or, if you’re Rand Paul or Paul Ryan, for a lifetime.
Here are some of my favorite comments:
x What losses? You're a 501 (c)(3). Ã¢ÂÂ Minty Root (@Minty_Root) July 7, 2020
x It's almost as if your economic theories don't hold up in the real world. Ã¢ÂÂ Mary Mazzocco (@OAKJRNAL) July 6, 2020
x So, turns out you're really socialists. Ã°ÂÂ¤Â£ Ã¢ÂÂ PegasusX21 (@PegasusX21) July 6, 2020
x Principles Shrugged. Ã¢ÂÂ Stefan K. R. Ã¢ÂÂ¯Ã¯Â¸ÂÃ¢ÂÂÃ¯Â¸Â (@geopolskr) July 7, 2020
Check out all the comments. Some are quite amusing.


dailykos--2020-07-11--DailyKos diary from 2006 shows danger we face in 2020

My first DailyKos diary was Feb 26 , 2006 , and my predictions were both fortunately but also unfortunately correct : The tide has finally turned .
The Bush Administration is spiraling downward to its deserved position as one of the worst Presidencies in American history .
The full process will take years , but I do not believe the situation is reversible .
The politics of tomorrow will be shaped by this fall , and how accountability is assessed .
Republicans will continue the process of distancing themselves in proportion to Bush 's unpopularity , and there is enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do so .
The battle between distancing and accountability is the real battle for the politics of the next generation .
Target Republicans not Bush Cheney This diary didn ’ t stop me from donating and phone banking , but that ’ s not enough .
We have an additional battle to fight over how the results of the election are interpreted .
After all , the Confederacy lost the Civil War and we ’ re still dealing with the aftermath because we let the losers define the outcome .
After 2008 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Tea Party.
” There never was any Republican accountability for the Iraq War ( “ Democrats voted for it ” ) , the economic collapse ( “ President Clinton had reduced regulation a decade earlier ” ) , or even Katrina ( “ now is not the time to point fingers , ” and somehow the time to directly assess culpability never arrived ) .
No matter how big the electoral victory in November ( and my prediction isn ’ t stopping me from donating , phone calls , etc . )
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ into criticizing “ Washington.
” Telling the public that they can ’ t trust the CDC , the FBI , all the arms of the federal government that they themselves have mismanaged .
That ’ s the battle this time .
The election of President Obama and a Democratic majority in 2008 may have been like winning the Civil War , but losing the battle to reinterpret the results .
So in addition to doing everything to ensure the biggest landslide we can , we also need to recognize that on November 4th @ @ @ @ @ @ @

My first DailyKos diary was Feb 26, 2006, and my predictions were both fortunately but also unfortunately correct:
The tide has finally turned. The Bush Administration is spiraling downward to its deserved position as one of the worst Presidencies in American history. The full process will take years, but I do not believe the situation is reversible. The politics of tomorrow will be shaped by this fall, and how accountability is assessed. Republicans will continue the process of distancing themselves in proportion to Bush's unpopularity, and there is enough time even before November 2006 for them to do so. The battle between distancing and accountability is the real battle for the politics of the next generation. Target Republicans not Bush Cheney
This diary didn’t stop me from donating and phone banking, but that’s not enough. We have an additional battle to fight over how the results of the election are interpreted. After all, the Confederacy lost the Civil War and we’re still dealing with the aftermath because we let the losers define the outcome.
After 2008, the Republicans quickly rebranded as “the Tea Party.” There never was any Republican accountability for the Iraq War (“Democrats voted for it”), the economic collapse (“President Clinton had reduced regulation a decade earlier”), or even Katrina (“now is not the time to point fingers,” and somehow the time to directly assess culpability never arrived).
No matter how big the electoral victory in November (and my prediction isn’t stopping me from donating, phone calls, etc.), Republicans are going to fall back into criticizing “Washington.” Telling the public that they can’t trust the CDC, the FBI, all the arms of the federal government that they themselves have mismanaged.
That’s the battle this time. The election of President Obama and a Democratic majority in 2008 may have been like winning the Civil War, but losing the battle to reinterpret the results. So in addition to doing everything to ensure the biggest landslide we can, we also need to recognize that on November 4th our challenge will only be beginning.


dailykos--2020-07-11--The Open Bribery Of A President

The Open Bribery Of A President

Hours before the President exercised his pardon power to commute the complete jail sentence of a man convicted by a jury , that man made clear the President owed it to him .
A more clear statement of a request for a quid pro quo ( this for that ) is not possible .
Roger Stone effectively said , “ I did this for you , and now you need to do this for me.
” And Trump did .
Stone ’ s statement was laced with another message .
It reminded Trump that Stone had not yet turned on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that it still might get him a better deal with the court and prosecutors if he did turn on Trump .
Whether , you view Stone ’ s statement as bribery of the President , or blackmail , or both ( it can be both ) it doesn ’ t matter .
Trump is guilty either way .
The Federal bribery statute at 18 U.S.C .
§ 201 really could not possibly be more on point to this .
( A ) directly or indirectly gives , offers , or promises anything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former public official , or person selected to be a public official , for or because of any official act performed or to be performed by such public official , former public official , or person selected to be a public official ; or ( B ) being a public official , former public official , or person selected to be a public official , otherwise than as provided by law for the proper discharge of official duty , directly or indirectly demands , seeks , receives , accepts , or agrees to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for or because of any official act performed or to be performed by such official or person ; ( 2 ) directly or indirectly , gives , offers , or promises anything of value to any person , for or because of the testimony under oath or affirmation given or to be given by such person as a witness upon a trial , hearing , or other proceeding , before any court , any committee of either House or both Houses of Congress , or any agency , commission , or officer authorized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to hear evidence or take testimony , or for or because of such person ’ s absence therefrom ; ( 3 ) directly or indirectly , demands , seeks , receives , accepts , or agrees to receive or accept anything of value personally for or because of the testimony under oath or affirmation given or to be given by such person as a witness upon any such trial , hearing , or other proceeding , or for or because of such person ’ s absence therefrom ; shall be fined under this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two years , or both .
Put simply , offering or accepting a thing of value , to specifically include “ any official act ” by a public official is bribery .
Roger Stone bought the official act of the President exercising his pardon power in exchange for not turning on him , for refusing to testify against the President .
The President accepted the absence of Stone ’ s testimony and granted Stone his commutation within hours of Stone presenting that demand for a quid pro quo to Trump .
The bribery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to buy or reward a witness ’ silence .
Yes , it ’ s really that simple .
It ’ s open bribery , as defined by the statute , of the President of the United States .
Bribery is specifically articulated by Article II , Section 4 the United States Constitution as a basis for impeachment .
We need not quibble over vague terms about what constitutes “ other high crimes or misdemeanors.
” Bribery is treated , right up there with treason , as a specific basis for impeachment and removal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Stone himself told Trump , “ you owe me , ” and hours later the President paid up .
It worked , and nothing will come from it , because the American people have become so numbed to Trump ’ s open corruption that they don ’ t care anymore .
Sadly , because Trump understands this completely , more corruption is inevitable .

“[Roger Stone] was not prosecuted for standing up for the president; he was prosecuted for covering up for the president.” — Judge Jackson, when sentencing Roger Stone to 40 months in prison.
Hours before the President exercised his pardon power to commute the complete jail sentence of a man convicted by a jury, that man made clear the President owed it to him.
“He knows I was under enormous pressure to turn on him. It would have eased my situation considerably. But I didn’t.” — Roger Stone
A more clear statement of a request for a quid pro quo (this for that) is not possible. Roger Stone effectively said, “I did this for you, and now you need to do this for me.” And Trump did.
Stone’s statement was laced with another message. It reminded Trump that Stone had not yet turned on him, but that he always could and that it still might get him a better deal with the court and prosecutors if he did turn on Trump. Whether, you view Stone’s statement as bribery of the President, or blackmail, or both (it can be both) it doesn’t matter. Trump is guilty either way.
The Federal bribery statute at 18 U.S.C. § 201 really could not possibly be more on point to this.
(c) Whoever — (A) directly or indirectly gives, offers, or promises anything of value to any public official, former public official, or person selected to be a public official, for or because of any official act performed or to be performed by such public official, former public official, or person selected to be a public official; or (B) being a public official, former public official, or person selected to be a public official, otherwise than as provided by law for the proper discharge of official duty, directly or indirectly demands, seeks, receives, accepts, or agrees to receive or accept anything of value personally for or because of any official act performed or to be performed by such official or person; (2) directly or indirectly, gives, offers, or promises anything of value to any person, for or because of the testimony under oath or affirmation given or to be given by such person as a witness upon a trial, hearing, or other proceeding, before any court, any committee of either House or both Houses of Congress, or any agency, commission, or officer authorized by the laws of the United States to hear evidence or take testimony, or for or because of such person’s absence therefrom; (3) directly or indirectly, demands, seeks, receives, accepts, or agrees to receive or accept anything of value personally for or because of the testimony under oath or affirmation given or to be given by such person as a witness upon any such trial, hearing, or other proceeding, or for or because of such person’s absence therefrom; shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for not more than two years, or both.
Put simply, offering or accepting a thing of value, to specifically include “any official act” by a public official is bribery. Roger Stone bought the official act of the President exercising his pardon power in exchange for not turning on him, for refusing to testify against the President. The President accepted the absence of Stone’s testimony and granted Stone his commutation within hours of Stone presenting that demand for a quid pro quo to Trump. The bribery statute includes specific provisions for official acts to buy or reward a witness’ silence.
Yes, it’s really that simple. It’s open bribery, as defined by the statute, of the President of the United States. Bribery is specifically articulated by Article II, Section 4 the United States Constitution as a basis for impeachment. We need not quibble over vague terms about what constitutes “other high crimes or misdemeanors.” Bribery is treated, right up there with treason, as a specific basis for impeachment and removal from office.
The bottom line is that Stone himself told Trump, “you owe me,” and hours later the President paid up.
It worked, and nothing will come from it, because the American people have become so numbed to Trump’s open corruption that they don’t care anymore. Sadly, because Trump understands this completely, more corruption is inevitable.


dailykos--2020-07-11--PLEASED TO RECIEVE DPCF ENDORSEMENT

PLEASED TO RECIEVE DPCF ENDORSEMENT

On behalf of the Democratic Progressive Caucus of Florida , we are pleased to inform you that your 2020 campaign @ @ @ @ @ Thank you for stepping up to run for State House and for representing our progressive @ @ @ @ @ takes commitment and teamwork to drive a progressive agenda and look forward to working with @ @ @ @ @ reality .
I have spoken with and listened to many of my neighbors , colleagues @ @ @ @ @ that need to be addressed , many that we share .
But in order to @ @ @ @ @ needs , I need your help .
You may have heard the saying “ It @ @ @ @ @ and indeed it does .
I plan to represent ALL of the people in my @ @ @ @ @ ones who vote for me .
Please help me do so .

Dear Dolores Guzman On behalf of the Democratic Progressive Caucus of Florida, we are pleased to inform you that your 2020 campaign has received our endorsement. Thank you for stepping up to run for State House and for representing our progressive values. We recognize it takes commitment and teamwork to drive a progressive agenda and look forward to working with you to make that a reality.
I have spoken with and listened to many of my neighbors, colleagues, and citizens about concerns that need to be addressed, many that we share. But in order to take action to meet those needs, I need your help.
You may have heard the saying “It takes a village...” and indeed it does. I plan to represent ALL of the people in my village, not just the ones who vote for me. Please help me do so.
Doloresfor27.com
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Prison Camp America

The script ( which I didn ’ t stick in a number of places ) : To every member of the Republican Party , From Donald Trump all the way down to the smallest little Boogaloo voting for the first time , I have a question for you .
WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE ?
You want to send children back to school in the middle of a Pandemic that you seem to even fail to recognize exists !
300,000 thousand TIMES more people have caught COVID-19 than caught Ebola , and you think that Obama handled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You have called the police on everyone from a man jogging to a man mistakenly passing a counterfeit bill to a woman walking her dog to a man building a porch to a man on the phone simply because their skin tone is darker than yours !
You are claiming that the ravings of a Aderall addicted radio flunkie are of greater medical use than the Centers for Disease Control .
You are claiming that the wearing of a simple piece of fabric , which medical professionals have been wearing for over a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the equivalent of being choked to death , that it impinges upon your freedoms , and that you won ’ t wear it , won ’ t wear it , won ’ t wear it !
What are you , 6 ?
You decry the removal of statues that celebrate the existence of something that didn ’ t last as long as DISCO .
No one is trying to take away your goddamned freedoms .
They ’ re trying to keep you alive !
If you can ’ t see that then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Actual plans exist to implement a recovery , from testing to getting people back to work and school , but because the best ideas come from the Democratic Party and not from your own succession of morons you won ’ t do it .
We have access to masks , social distancing , technology , vaccines , testing , and people who know how to do it but all of a sudden you ’ re fucking AMISH ?
Well , no – the Amish are wearing masks !
You insist on nicknames @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do that .
Those and people with a desperate need to remain in control of their social hierarchies .
Your leader is a racist .
He always has been .
He called for the executions of five black men who had been wrongly convicted of rape – AFTER they were exonerated .
He is a misogynist , and has admitted more than once to being attracted to his daughters and nieces .
He is a tax cheat , a man who blasphemes regularly , and misquotes the bible , the constitution , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Star Spangled Banner .
Yet you look at his am pious , humble and patriotic .
He is obviously none of these things , so I ask again , WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU ?
And then there ’ s the man at number two – Mike Pence .
A man who can ’ t be alone in a room with another woman without his wife present .
A man who believes that God will protect people from COVID-19 as long as they attend church – the bigger the better @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guidelines are unnecessary in order for kids to return to school this fall .
He had NEVER contradicted his boss , even when he is obviously lying , even though his particular version of religion says that lying is a sin .
He claims not to be a sinner but he ’ s lying .
He treats Trump like he ’ s the second coming .
A lot of people do , which mystifies me .
He has gold drapes , a gold watch , gold carpeting , golden dyed hair , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well .
Come on Christians , how many more damned clues do you need ?
The crimes of the current administration are too numerous to list .
Their lack of interest in governing has lead to the deaths of over 100,000 citizens – and yet you love them more and more each day .
You were even okay with him claiming that a HURRICANE was going to go in a different direction than it did .
Trump has a philosophy – there must be winners and losers in everything .
He must win @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s an actual quote – it ’ s in “ art of the deal ’ .
Yes , I ’ ve read it .
It ’ s horseshit .
Every successful businessman I ’ ve ever met – including a couple of billionaires - has done it differently .
America , at least the America we used to have , is about making everything better , for everyone .
Everyone is supposed to win .
We have differing philosophies of how to get that done and that ’ s FINE .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to want to do these things .
Trump and his administration , and the Republicans in both houses of Congress do not .
They just want to win .
They just want everyone else to lose .
They ’ ve turned this amazing country into a Prison camp .
Which brings me all the way back to my original question : WHAT THE EVER LOVING FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE ?
There is no such thing as Fake News .
There is News , and there are lies .
Trump , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those in government who support him are LYING .
It ’ s America or Trump , people .
If you can ’ t see that , then what , the fuck , is WRONG , with you ?

x YouTube Video
The script (which I didn’t stick in a number of places):
To every member of the Republican Party, From Donald Trump all the way down to the smallest little Boogaloo voting for the first time, I have a question for you. WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?
You want to send children back to school in the middle of a Pandemic that you seem to even fail to recognize exists!
300,000 thousand TIMES more people have caught COVID-19 than caught Ebola, and you think that Obama handled his crisis worse than Trump did!
You have called the police on everyone from a man jogging to a man mistakenly passing a counterfeit bill to a woman walking her dog to a man building a porch to a man on the phone simply because their skin tone is darker than yours!
You are claiming that the ravings of a Aderall addicted radio flunkie are of greater medical use than the Centers for Disease Control.
You are claiming that the wearing of a simple piece of fabric, which medical professionals have been wearing for over a century in order to protect people, is the equivalent of being choked to death, that it impinges upon your freedoms, and that you won’t wear it, won’t wear it, won’t wear it!
What are you, 6?
You decry the removal of statues that celebrate the existence of something that didn’t last as long as DISCO.
No one is trying to take away your goddamned freedoms. They’re trying to keep you alive! If you can’t see that then WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?
Actual plans exist to implement a recovery, from testing to getting people back to work and school, but because the best ideas come from the Democratic Party and not from your own succession of morons you won’t do it.
We have access to masks, social distancing, technology, vaccines, testing, and people who know how to do it but all of a sudden you’re fucking AMISH? Well, no – the Amish are wearing masks!
You insist on nicknames for people you disagree with. Bullies do that. Those and people with a desperate need to remain in control of their social hierarchies.
Your leader is a racist. He always has been. He called for the executions of five black men who had been wrongly convicted of rape – AFTER they were exonerated. He is a misogynist, and has admitted more than once to being attracted to his daughters and nieces. He is a tax cheat, a man who blasphemes regularly, and misquotes the bible, the constitution, and doesn’t know the lyrics to the Star Spangled Banner. Yet you look at his am pious, humble and patriotic. He is obviously none of these things, so I ask again, WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?
And then there’s the man at number two – Mike Pence. A man who can’t be alone in a room with another woman without his wife present. A man who believes that God will protect people from COVID-19 as long as they attend church – the bigger the better. A man who says that CDC guidelines are unnecessary in order for kids to return to school this fall.
He had NEVER contradicted his boss, even when he is obviously lying, even though his particular version of religion says that lying is a sin. He claims not to be a sinner but he’s lying. He treats Trump like he’s the second coming. A lot of people do, which mystifies me.
He has gold drapes, a gold watch, gold carpeting, golden dyed hair, and prefers gold toilets and everything else as well. Come on Christians, how many more damned clues do you need?
The crimes of the current administration are too numerous to list. Their lack of interest in governing has lead to the deaths of over 100,000 citizens – and yet you love them more and more each day. You were even okay with him claiming that a HURRICANE was going to go in a different direction than it did.
Trump has a philosophy – there must be winners and losers in everything. He must win. Everyone else must lose. That’s an actual quote – it’s in “art of the deal’. Yes, I’ve read it. It’s horseshit. Every successful businessman I’ve ever met – including a couple of billionaires - has done it differently.
He is WRONG.
America, at least the America we used to have, is about making everything better, for everyone. Everyone is supposed to win. We have differing philosophies of how to get that done and that’s FINE. We should debate these things. But we have to want to do these things. Trump and his administration, and the Republicans in both houses of Congress do not. They just want to win. They just want everyone else to lose. They’ve turned this amazing country into a Prison camp.
Which brings me all the way back to my original question: WHAT THE EVER LOVING FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?
There is no such thing as Fake News. There is News, and there are lies. Trump, his handlers, his people, and those in government who support him are LYING.
It’s America or Trump, people. If you can’t see that, then what, the fuck, is WRONG, with you?


dailykos--2020-07-12--“We need to live with it”
This is a rant, cover those virgin ears

Note to Reader : I will not write the POTUS ’ name or refer to him as President since he has done nothing but divide , distract , incite violence , and lie since taking over the White House .
He has destroyed all Presidential norms and does not deserve the respect I gave to any other sitting POTUS in my life time .
I had used the term ‘ Fucktard ’ in this piece as a way to show how little I respect him as POTUS .
However , some have taken offense to that word and I have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other descriptive words .
“ The virus is with us , but we need to live with it , ” is how one official said the administration plans to message on the pandemic .
They say it is a recognition from the White House that Covid-19 isn ’ t going away any time soon .
Ya frickin ’ think so ?
What the hell took them so long to figure that one out ?
Oh wait I know - the Liar in Chief doesn ’ t believe in science so his administration led @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while looking through rose colored glasses .
The POTUS and his cronies are ostriches with their heads in a hole of denial .
“ This all followed the White House ’ s initial message in January that the virus wasn ’ t a threat at all .
Asked if he was worried about a pandemic , Trump said at the time , “ It ’ s one person coming in from China , and we have it under control .
It ’ s going to be just fine.
” ( emphasis mine ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ isn ’ t all just fine .
Right now , 132,000+ people have already died and we ’ re still counting as the death toll rises .
Even today , that ’ s still fine with you ?
How callous and indifferent can you be ?
Many of those people died because all we have heard from you and your screwed up administration for six months were even more denialist predictions such as “ the problem goes away in April ” or there will be “ packed churches all over our country on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pronouncement that “ by Memorial Day weekend we will have this coronavirus epidemic behind us.
” Your utter failure to develop a national , coordinated response has led your administration to try to make us believe that 132,000+ deaths were just the cost of doing business and that “ we need to live with it.
” In the sense that the pandemic is here all around us , stealthy and silent , we have been forced to live with it thanks to that ass hat in the White House and his incompetent administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the lies , misinformation , and denials , he failed to galvanize our citizens in order to minimize and reduce the risks and deaths due to Covid-19 .
That is an absolute abdication and dereliction of duty and is incredibly heartless on the part of any so-called leader of the free world .
Is it any wonder our standing in the world has fallen so far off the cliff when the Liar in Chief looked the other way and failed to do what needed to be done to flatten the curve leading to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We have more cases than any other country in the world .
“ The number of daily global cases also broke a record , with the United States as the biggest source of new infections .
The U.S. death toll is also on the rise.
” Is it any wonder that other countries who have flattened their curve by making the sacrifices necessary to stop the spread are now blocking Americans from crossing their borders ?
While the EU is opening its borders to other countries , it is not letting Americans cross @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , feckless , asshole in the White House who cares nothing for anyone but himself .
“ Americans will remain barred from entering the European Union for nonessential travel even as the bloc starts to open up to as many as 15 countries from Wednesday , the EU said.
” The EU and other countries like Italy , who has flattened it ’ s curve , did what needed to be done to protect its populations .
Our POTUS ?
Fucking crickets .
He ’ s such a narcissist that he knows as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ god damn day while other ordinary people can ’ t .
In fact , he is cutting federal aid to 13 states for testing sites .
That includes Texas , who next to California and Florida have the highest number of Covid-19 cases .
WTF ?
This is happening while Phoenix AZ Mayor reports that FEMA refused to help with testing .
“ The Federal Emergency Management Agency denied multiple requests for a mega-COVID-19 testing site in Phoenix , according to Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego .
Gallego said her office asked FEMA to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — as they 've done in other cities , including Houston — multiple times since the earliest days of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
” FEMA getting out of the testing business ?
Hospitals reaching their capacities in Mississippi , Nevada , and South Carolina ?
It ’ s another chapter in how not to handle a worldwide pandemic in the country you lead .
It ’ s just unbelievable , unless it ’ s under the watchful eye of the Liar in Chief who would gladly send everyone at FEMA packing if they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Most of us understand that if tests aren ’ t being done , the number of cases will stay artificially low .
And that ’ s exactly what the POTUS wants because even if it ’ s in his own head , which it is , that means we don ’ t have that many cases !
How screwed up is that ?
How callous and sick in the head do you have to be to be happy with artificially low numbers that hide the real truth about how many cases our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths will be caused because of it ?
So why in the world would another country that cajoled and convinced its people to stand together to fight this pandemic and flatten their curve want any of us to come to their countries and potentially expose them to Covid-19 that they have mostly routed out ?
After all , they were successful in making the sacrifices to accomplish that goal while the Liar in Chief and his cronies didn ’ t lift a finger to mitigate the consequences of such a deadly pandemic .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay in denial while we have lost 132,000+ human lives to this insidious pandemic .
And now , Americans are paying the price not only in unnecessary lives being lost , but also being denied the ability to travel to Europe and other countries .
Now we are being held prisoners in our own land because ass hat doesn ’ t give a shit that Covid-19 isn ’ t going away any time soon or that people keep dying .
His administration is sweeping the entire problem under the carpet with no intention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread .
The EU and other countries sacrificed and did what needed to be done for the ‘ common good.
’ Their leaders understood that for the sake of everybody mitigation measures had to be put in place and they had to be honored .
Sure , there were a bunch of ignorant , selfish idiots there just like there were here in our country protesting against those very necessary mitigation measures saying their personal liberties were being trampled on .
But , by and large , these countries sucked it up , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that curve .
Imagine that .
Following the science and understanding that Covid-19 would not ‘ just disappear ’ or ‘ go away.
’ Imagine leaders who actually cared about their citizenry and convinced them that mitigation measures needed to be taken to save lives and stop the spread .
Sound familiar to anyone here in America ?
It doesn ’ t , right ?
It sure isn ’ t familiar to me because we clearly have not had a leader who cares about the well-being of the American citizenry .
He cares @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and getting re-elected .
To hell with anything that distracts from his divisive and violent rhetoric .
And most certainly the pandemic is a distraction to the Liar in Chief .
Paul Krugman penned an article in the NYT on July 6th .
He ends with this : “ …the point is that America ’ s defeat at the hands of the coronavirus didn ’ t happen because victory was impossible .
Nor was it because we as a nation were incapable of responding .
No , we lost because Trump and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in their political interests to let the virus run wild.
” ( emphasis mine ) This administration ’ s epic failure to lead our country in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic , along with attempts to suppress the vote in November and the feds coming in and violently stopping # BLM peaceful protests , are some of the ingredients in a recipe for the death of our democracy .
Anyone with their eyes open for the last 3 and a half years should have seen the fucking writing on the wall .
The Liar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He ’ s cunning and he wants to destroy our democracy and cozy up to Russia and China .
He wants to play with the bad boys on the world stage .
Anybody who can ’ t or refuses to see that also has their head in the hole of denial .

Note to Reader: I will not write the POTUS’ name or refer to him as President since he has done nothing but divide, distract, incite violence, and lie since taking over the White House. He has destroyed all Presidential norms and does not deserve the respect I gave to any other sitting POTUS in my life time. I had used the term ‘Fucktard’ in this piece as a way to show how little I respect him as POTUS. However, some have taken offense to that word and I have now removed them and replaced with some other descriptive words.
“The virus is with us, but we need to live with it,” is how one official said the administration plans to message on the pandemic. They say it is a recognition from the White House that Covid-19 isn’t going away any time soon. Ya frickin’ think so? What the hell took them so long to figure that one out? Oh wait I know - the Liar in Chief doesn’t believe in science so his administration led the American people down the shit hole while looking through rose colored glasses. The POTUS and his cronies are ostriches with their heads in a hole of denial.
“This all followed the White House’s initial message in January that the virus wasn’t a threat at all. Asked if he was worried about a pandemic, Trump said at the time, “It’s one person coming in from China, and we have it under control. It’s going to be just fine.” (emphasis mine)
Well no, you shithead, it isn’t all just fine. Right now, 132,000+ people have already died and we’re still counting as the death toll rises. Even today, that’s still fine with you? How callous and indifferent can you be? Many of those people died because all we have heard from you and your screwed up administration for six months were even more denialist predictions such as “the problem goes away in April” or there will be “packed churches all over our country on Easter Sunday” or Pence’s pronouncement that “by Memorial Day weekend we will have this coronavirus epidemic behind us.” Your utter failure to develop a national, coordinated response has led your administration to try to make us believe that 132,000+ deaths were just the cost of doing business and that “we need to live with it.”
Oh hell no, we shouldn’t have to live with it
In the sense that the pandemic is here all around us, stealthy and silent, we have been forced to live with it thanks to that ass hat in the White House and his incompetent administration. That is only because with all the lies, misinformation, and denials, he failed to galvanize our citizens in order to minimize and reduce the risks and deaths due to Covid-19. That is an absolute abdication and dereliction of duty and is incredibly heartless on the part of any so-called leader of the free world.
This did not have to happen this way.
Is it any wonder our standing in the world has fallen so far off the cliff when the Liar in Chief looked the other way and failed to do what needed to be done to flatten the curve leading to more than 132,000+ snuffed out lives? We have more cases than any other country in the world.
“The number of daily global cases also broke a record, with the United States as the biggest source of new infections. The U.S. death toll is also on the rise.”
Is it any wonder that other countries who have flattened their curve by making the sacrifices necessary to stop the spread are now blocking Americans from crossing their borders? While the EU is opening its borders to other countries, it is not letting Americans cross their borders thanks to the fucked up, feckless, asshole in the White House who cares nothing for anyone but himself.
“Americans will remain barred from entering the European Union for nonessential travel even as the bloc starts to open up to as many as 15 countries from Wednesday, the EU said.”
The EU and other countries like Italy, who has flattened it’s curve, did what needed to be done to protect its populations. Our POTUS? Fucking crickets. He’s such a narcissist that he knows as POTUS, he can get tested every god damn day while other ordinary people can’t. In fact, he is cutting federal aid to 13 states for testing sites. That includes Texas, who next to California and Florida have the highest number of Covid-19 cases. WTF?
This is happening while Phoenix AZ Mayor reports that FEMA refused to help with testing.
“The Federal Emergency Management Agency denied multiple requests for a mega-COVID-19 testing site in Phoenix, according to Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego.
Gallego said her office asked FEMA to implement a large-scale, drive-thru testing site — as they've done in other cities, including Houston — multiple times since the earliest days of the novel coronavirus pandemic.”
FEMA getting out of the testing business? Hospitals reaching their capacities in Mississippi, Nevada, and South Carolina? It’s another chapter in how not to handle a worldwide pandemic in the country you lead. It’s just unbelievable, unless it’s under the watchful eye of the Liar in Chief who would gladly send everyone at FEMA packing if they don’t march to his orders.
Most of us understand that if tests aren’t being done, the number of cases will stay artificially low. And that’s exactly what the POTUS wants because even if it’s in his own head, which it is, that means we don’t have that many cases! How screwed up is that? How callous and sick in the head do you have to be to be happy with artificially low numbers that hide the real truth about how many cases our country really has and how many more deaths will be caused because of it?
So why in the world would another country that cajoled and convinced its people to stand together to fight this pandemic and flatten their curve want any of us to come to their countries and potentially expose them to Covid-19 that they have mostly routed out? After all, they were successful in making the sacrifices to accomplish that goal while the Liar in Chief and his cronies didn’t lift a finger to mitigate the consequences of such a deadly pandemic.
Instead, our so-called leaders chose to stay in denial while we have lost 132,000+ human lives to this insidious pandemic. And now, Americans are paying the price not only in unnecessary lives being lost, but also being denied the ability to travel to Europe and other countries. Now we are being held prisoners in our own land because ass hat doesn’t give a shit that Covid-19 isn’t going away any time soon or that people keep dying. His administration is sweeping the entire problem under the carpet with no intention of doing anything more to stop the spread.
The EU and other countries sacrificed and did what needed to be done for the ‘common good.’ Their leaders understood that for the sake of everybody mitigation measures had to be put in place and they had to be honored. Sure, there were a bunch of ignorant, selfish idiots there just like there were here in our country protesting against those very necessary mitigation measures saying their personal liberties were being trampled on. But, by and large, these countries sucked it up, followed the science, and they flattened that curve.
Imagine that. Following the science and understanding that Covid-19 would not ‘just disappear’ or ‘go away.’ Imagine leaders who actually cared about their citizenry and convinced them that mitigation measures needed to be taken to save lives and stop the spread. Sound familiar to anyone here in America? It doesn’t, right? It sure isn’t familiar to me because we clearly have not had a leader who cares about the well-being of the American citizenry. He cares only about himself, his own well-being, and getting re-elected. To hell with anything that distracts from his divisive and violent rhetoric. And most certainly the pandemic is a distraction to the Liar in Chief.
Paul Krugman penned an article in the NYT on July 6th. He ends with this:
“…the point is that America’s defeat at the hands of the coronavirus didn’t happen because victory was impossible. Nor was it because we as a nation were incapable of responding. No, we lost because Trump and those around him decided that it was in their political interests to let the virus run wild.” (emphasis mine)
This administration’s epic failure to lead our country in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic, along with attempts to suppress the vote in November and the feds coming in and violently stopping #BLM peaceful protests, are some of the ingredients in a recipe for the death of our democracy. Anyone with their eyes open for the last 3 and a half years should have seen the fucking writing on the wall. The Liar in Chief wants to be dictator. He’s cunning and he wants to destroy our democracy and cozy up to Russia and China. He wants to play with the bad boys on the world stage. Anybody who can’t or refuses to see that also has their head in the hole of denial.


dailykos--2020-07-11--PLEASED TO RECEIVE DPCF ENDORSEMENT

PLEASED TO RECEIVE DPCF ENDORSEMENT


dailykos--2020-07-12--Recovered COVID-19 patients may lose immunity after a few months, get more severe COVID-19 later

New studies and clinical reports show the danger , cruelty , and futility of trying to achieve “ herd immunity ” on the societal level or trying to catch COVID-19 to “ get it over with ” at the individual level .
Even after a vaccine is available , we may need booster shots every three months to stay immune .
And people who have recovered from COVID-19 really need to continue to practice social distancing , facemask wearing , etc .
and not assume they are immune .
The most scientifically rigorous and largest , and thus most concerning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one ( preprint , not yet peer-reviewed ) , covered by The Guardian : In the first longitudinal study of its kind , scientists analysed the immune response of more than 90 patients and healthcare workers at Guy ’ s and St Thomas ’ NHS foundation trust and found levels of antibodies that can destroy the virus peaked about three weeks after the onset of symptoms then swiftly declined .
Blood tests revealed that while 60 % of people marshalled a “ potent ” antibody response at the height of their battle with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same potency three months later .
Antibody levels fell as much as 23-fold over the period .
In some cases , they became undetectable .
“ People are producing a reasonable antibody response to the virus , but it ’ s waning over a short period of time and depending on how high your peak is , that determines how long the antibodies are staying around , ” said Dr Katie Doores , lead author on the study at King ’ s College London .
“ I can not underscore how important @ @ @ @ @ @ @ getting infected by this virus is not a good thing .
Some of the public , especially the youth , have become somewhat cavalier about getting infected , thinking that they would contribute to herd immunity .
Not only will they place themselves at risk , and others , by getting infected , and losing immunity , they may even put themselves at greater risk of more severe lung disease if they get infected again in the years to come.
” According to the preprint about this study , COVID-19 antibodies disappear much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and are thus more similar to antibodies to other coronaviruses that cause the common cold , which disappear in as little as 12 weeks : Ab responses to human coronaviruses have been reported to wane over time .
In particular , Ab responses targeting endemic human alpha- and betacoronaviruses can last for as little as 12 weeks , whereas Abs to SARS-CoV and MERS can be detected in some individuals 34 months after infection .
Doctors are also reporting patients who catch COVID-19 , according to Vox : “ Wait .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 50-year-old patient asked in disbelief .
It was the beginning of July , and he had just tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 , the virus that causes Covid-19 , for a second time — three months after a previous infection… .
Covid-19 may also be much worse the second time around .
During his first infection , my patient experienced a mild cough and sore throat .
His second infection , in contrast , was marked by a high fever , shortness of breath , and hypoxia , resulting in multiple trips to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ physician colleagues suggest my patient is not alone .
Two patients in New Jersey , for instance , appear to have contracted Covid-19 a second time almost two months after fully recovering from their first infection… .
My patient , however , cleared his infection — he had two negative PCR tests after his first infection — and felt healthy for nearly six weeks .
I believe it is far more likely that my patient fully recovered from his first infection , then caught Covid-19 a second time after being exposed to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He was unable to get an antibody test after his first infection , so we do not know whether his immune system mounted an effective antibody response or not… .
What ’ s more , repeat infections in a short time period are a feature of many viruses , including other coronaviruses….the trajectory of a moderate initial infection followed by a severe reinfection suggests that this novel coronavirus might share some tendencies of other viruses such as dengue fever , where you can suffer more severe illness each time you contract the @ @

New studies and clinical reports show the danger, cruelty, and futility of trying to achieve “herd immunity” on the societal level or trying to catch COVID-19 to “get it over with” at the individual level. Even after a vaccine is available, we may need booster shots every three months to stay immune. And people who have recovered from COVID-19 really need to continue to practice social distancing, facemask wearing, etc. and not assume they are immune.
The most scientifically rigorous and largest, and thus most concerning, of these new studies is this one (preprint, not yet peer-reviewed), covered by The Guardian :
In the first longitudinal study of its kind, scientists analysed the immune response of more than 90 patients and healthcare workers at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS foundation trust and found levels of antibodies that can destroy the virus peaked about three weeks after the onset of symptoms then swiftly declined. Blood tests revealed that while 60% of people marshalled a “potent” antibody response at the height of their battle with the virus, only 17% retained the same potency three months later. Antibody levels fell as much as 23-fold over the period. In some cases, they became undetectable. “People are producing a reasonable antibody response to the virus, but it’s waning over a short period of time and depending on how high your peak is, that determines how long the antibodies are staying around,” said Dr Katie Doores, lead author on the study at King’s College London. “I cannot underscore how important it is that the public understands that getting infected by this virus is not a good thing. Some of the public, especially the youth, have become somewhat cavalier about getting infected, thinking that they would contribute to herd immunity. Not only will they place themselves at risk, and others, by getting infected, and losing immunity, they may even put themselves at greater risk of more severe lung disease if they get infected again in the years to come.”
According to the preprint about this study, COVID-19 antibodies disappear much more quickly than MERS and SARS antibodies, and are thus more similar to antibodies to other coronaviruses that cause the common cold, which disappear in as little as 12 weeks:
Ab responses to other human coronaviruses have been reported to wane over time. In particular, Ab responses targeting endemic human alpha- and betacoronaviruses can last for as little as 12 weeks, whereas Abs to SARS-CoV and MERS can be detected in some individuals 34 months after infection.
Doctors are also reporting patients who catch COVID-19, according to Vox: