dailykos--2020-10-19--Closing Time: Take This to The House (With a Plea or Two)

Every U.S. election , midterm or general , has a particular rhythm .
Some cycles , like 1968 , have innumerable twists and turns and end up where they started— way back then on civil unrest and the war in Vietnam .
Others start out in one place and end up somewhere completely different—as in 1992 , when an election that looked like a coronation for George H.W .
Bush was transformed by the video of the Rodney King beating and the entrance of Ross Perot .
2008—the financial crisis was the tipping point .
2006—the Iraq War from beginning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Affordable Care Act…aka Obamacare…what a long strange trip it ’ s been !
The ACA tripped up Democrats in 2010 , failed to lift Romney ( since he was for it , in effect , before he was against it ) in 2012 , hurt Dems again in 2014 thanks to the website rollout fiasco , roiled the last week of the Clinton campaign with ill-timed premium increases , and then—after the GOP ’ s failed attempt to repeal it—contributed in the other direction to the blue wave of 2018 .
This cycle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay in the background , like DOS in a modern computer .
But the passing of Judge Ginsburg and the cynical nomination of Amy Coney Barrett has put the future of Obamacare back in the spotlight , probably to the advantage of Democrats .
A phantom pandemic played a big part in the final days of 2014 .
Then-private citizen Trump tweeted that Obama should resign over his handling of Ebola ( just two people died , neither of them infected in the U.S. ) , and thousands of hours of TV coverage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans a wholly unmerited boost .
There is still time for surprises in this cycle : but with two weeks to go many of the predictable ones : the Durham report , Ukraine skullduggery , a premature vaccine release , seem already to have come and gone .
This time , the cycle will end as it begins , with a referendum on Donald Trump that he has courted from the start .
Unlike any candidate in modern US history , Trump began running explicitly for reelection from the moment he assumed office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a moment in sticking to a base consolidation strategy that has limited both his downward losses and his upward potential .
This cycle has differed , however , in several main ways from 2016 , and not only because he is facing a very different candidate in Joe Biden , who is far less disliked than Hillary Clinton and is running on a popular implicit promise to make politics boring again .
In 2016 , the framing was the outside threat from immigration .
The tone was set by the devastating Paris bombing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prompted over whether to accept Syrian refugees , who were pegged as terrorist threats .
It seems a lifetime ago , but you may remember that the large field of GOP candidates spent weeks showing just how tough they would be in rejecting them .
This framed the campaign around supposed dangers to the United States from the outside , which dovetailed perfectly with Trump ( and Bannon ’ s ) economic and ethnic nationalism .
This year , the focus is on domestic upheaval .
Trump continues to run on the economy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Sadly , he has retained his edge on that issue , largely because his backers still believe he is a successful businessman and because they conflate the success of big business and the stock market with the economy as a whole , largely from aspiration rather than personal circumstance .
COVID-19 and the President ’ s response have changed the equation .
The irony is that had Trump simply stood aside and left the response to the CDC and other agencies , there would be far fewer deaths and damage and he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s sea , even with a slow economic recovery .
But his impatience , willful inability to learn from experience , and his desire to hog the limelight have left him in the losing position he now faces .
And though we still lack a comprehensive plan to fight COVID-19 , Trump squandered our country ’ s numerous advantages during a slow-motion crisis and failed—and learned nothing but the wrong lessons from that failure .
Whatever one ’ s politics , on this record alone , he doesn ’ t deserve another chance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conceivably win , even without chicanery , largely because the well of white male grievance runs so deep and the religious right ’ s effort to turn back the clock is so strong .
But this remains unlikely and Democrats should behave that way .
I ’ m dismayed that so many feel compelled to send me doom and gloom e-mails about every potential minefield .
And that is just from well-meaning friends !
I get it .
Please stop it .
It turns people off and especially those without long memories and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ colleagues in politics : please cease the insane flood of panicky fundraising e-mails , of which I receive well over a thousand a day .
Many of these appeals attempt to raise money for races that will almost surely be in the Democrats ’ favor and some for contests that won ’ t even be close .
There are plenty of reasons to be wary , but projecting the appearance of being a winner -- especially when your side is actually well ahead !
-- is critical .
Democrats need to learn how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complacency is one thing , but fanning anxiety is another .
It is deeply counterproductive .
One additional lesson from the endgame in 2016 remains very pertinent .
During the last days of the 2016 campaign , in the final two weeks , Trump was able to campaign in relative obscurity as Hillary Clinton was buffeted by one story after another than unfairly dominated the news .
Even before that , however , the third debate further exposed a weakness .
Ironically , Hillary gave what was in many ways the performance of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abortion rights , for instance , was the most robust in party history .
Yet the debate was on Fox ( with Chris Wallace ) and was a classic “ away ” game .
While the Democratic platform was the most progressive ever , a distressing number of progressive-leaning Democrats never got the message—so many of those I encountered subsequently on the campaign trail continued to think of Clinton as “ corporate , ” “ corrupt , ” and even “ evil.
” At the same time , GOP voters were well-aware of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inspired than ever to vote against her .
Biden isn ’ t going to be labelled in that fashion , but I was struck during his excellent town hall last week at how many of the questions predictably were about the weaker parts of the Democratic platform , electorally speaking , even as he parried most of these concerns very well .
As you reach out to voters in the next couple of weeks , especially to young people , please stress the many parts of the Democratic platform , from a raised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and climate change , that will improve the lives of many .
This is a referendum on Donald Trump , but it is more than that , especially for many in the Democratic column .
Accentuating the positive will help bring those “ expectations of relief ” —to quote the great Leonard Cohen in “ Closing Time ” -- that we and the country so desperately need .

Every U.S. election, midterm or general, has a particular rhythm. Some cycles, like 1968, have innumerable twists and turns and end up where they started— way back then on civil unrest and the war in Vietnam.
Others start out in one place and end up somewhere completely different—as in 1992, when an election that looked like a coronation for George H.W. Bush was transformed by the video of the Rodney King beating and the entrance of Ross Perot. 2008—the financial crisis was the tipping point. 2006—the Iraq War from beginning to end.
The impact of the Affordable Care Act…aka Obamacare…what a long strange trip it’s been! The ACA tripped up Democrats in 2010, failed to lift Romney (since he was for it, in effect, before he was against it) in 2012, hurt Dems again in 2014 thanks to the website rollout fiasco, roiled the last week of the Clinton campaign with ill-timed premium increases, and then—after the GOP’s failed attempt to repeal it—contributed in the other direction to the blue wave of 2018.
This cycle, I thought the ACA would finally stay in the background, like DOS in a modern computer. But the passing of Judge Ginsburg and the cynical nomination of Amy Coney Barrett has put the future of Obamacare back in the spotlight, probably to the advantage of Democrats.
A phantom pandemic played a big part in the final days of 2014. Then-private citizen Trump tweeted that Obama should resign over his handling of Ebola (just two people died, neither of them infected in the U.S.), and thousands of hours of TV coverage and hundreds of GOP commercials gave the Republicans a wholly unmerited boost.
There is still time for surprises in this cycle: but with two weeks to go many of the predictable ones: the Durham report, Ukraine skullduggery, a premature vaccine release, seem already to have come and gone.
This time, the cycle will end as it begins, with a referendum on Donald Trump that he has courted from the start. Unlike any candidate in modern US history, Trump began running explicitly for reelection from the moment he assumed office. He hasn’t budged for a moment in sticking to a base consolidation strategy that has limited both his downward losses and his upward potential.
This cycle has differed, however, in several main ways from 2016, and not only because he is facing a very different candidate in Joe Biden, who is far less disliked than Hillary Clinton and is running on a popular implicit promise to make politics boring again.
In 2016, the framing was the outside threat from immigration. The tone was set by the devastating Paris bombing of November 20159 and the debate it prompted over whether to accept Syrian refugees, who were pegged as terrorist threats. It seems a lifetime ago, but you may remember that the large field of GOP candidates spent weeks showing just how tough they would be in rejecting them. This framed the campaign around supposed dangers to the United States from the outside, which dovetailed perfectly with Trump (and Bannon’s) economic and ethnic nationalism.
This year, the focus is on domestic upheaval. Trump continues to run on the economy, even as the pandemic has endured. Sadly, he has retained his edge on that issue, largely because his backers still believe he is a successful businessman and because they conflate the success of big business and the stock market with the economy as a whole, largely from aspiration rather than personal circumstance.
COVID-19 and the President’s response have changed the equation. The irony is that had Trump simply stood aside and left the response to the CDC and other agencies, there would be far fewer deaths and damage and he might still be in the driver’s sea, even with a slow economic recovery. But his impatience, willful inability to learn from experience, and his desire to hog the limelight have left him in the losing position he now faces.
And though we still lack a comprehensive plan to fight COVID-19, Trump squandered our country’s numerous advantages during a slow-motion crisis and failed—and learned nothing but the wrong lessons from that failure. Whatever one’s politics, on this record alone, he doesn’t deserve another chance to face a crisis.
Trump might conceivably win, even without chicanery, largely because the well of white male grievance runs so deep and the religious right’s effort to turn back the clock is so strong.
But this remains unlikely and Democrats should behave that way. I’m dismayed that so many feel compelled to send me doom and gloom e-mails about every potential minefield. And that is just from well-meaning friends! I get it. Please stop it. It turns people off and especially those without long memories and scar tissue.
To some of my colleagues in politics: please cease the insane flood of panicky fundraising e-mails, of which I receive well over a thousand a day. Many of these appeals attempt to raise money for races that will almost surely be in the Democrats’ favor and some for contests that won’t even be close.
There are plenty of reasons to be wary, but projecting the appearance of being a winner-- especially when your side is actually well ahead!--is critical. Democrats need to learn how to do this better. Lack of complacency is one thing, but fanning anxiety is another. It is deeply counterproductive.
One additional lesson from the endgame in 2016 remains very pertinent. During the last days of the 2016 campaign, in the final two weeks, Trump was able to campaign in relative obscurity as Hillary Clinton was buffeted by one story after another than unfairly dominated the news.
Even before that, however, the third debate further exposed a weakness. Ironically, Hillary gave what was in many ways the performance of her life: her full-throated defense of abortion rights, for instance, was the most robust in party history.
Yet the debate was on Fox (with Chris Wallace) and was a classic “away” game. While the Democratic platform was the most progressive ever, a distressing number of progressive-leaning Democrats never got the message—so many of those I encountered subsequently on the campaign trail continued to think of Clinton as “corporate,” “corrupt,” and even “evil.” At the same time, GOP voters were well-aware of what she was espousing and were more inspired than ever to vote against her.
(By the way, if you haven’t ever done so, please take a moment to read that fateful Clinton speech in Reno which when paraphrased in fundraisers was the source of her unfortunate “basket of deplorables” comment. It is one of the most astute analyses of systemic racism you will ever find. While it proves that candidates should never be political sociologists, it also shows why it is a shame, and far worse, that Hillary Clinton never had the opportunity to be a great president.)
Biden isn’t going to be labelled in that fashion, but I was struck during his excellent town hall last week at how many of the questions predictably were about the weaker parts of the Democratic platform, electorally speaking, even as he parried most of these concerns very well.
As you reach out to voters in the next couple of weeks, especially to young people, please stress the many parts of the Democratic platform, from a raised minimum wage to action on student debt and climate change, that will improve the lives of many.
This is a referendum on Donald Trump, but it is more than that, especially for many in the Democratic column. Accentuating the positive will help bring those “expectations of relief”—to quote the great Leonard Cohen in “Closing Time”--that we and the country so desperately need.


dailykos--2020-10-20--The Countdown Continues - Good News Roundup, Bluesday, October 20th, 2020

Two week to go .
Fourteen days .
Thirty million votes already cast .
Twenty percent of the predicted total have already voted .
We are seeing polling gaps widen .
Almost all polling is well outside the margin of error .
This is not the ghost of 2016 .
The window for republicans to alter the outcome of this election is closing rapidly .
it is very nearly closed already .
Efforts to smear Joe Biden with manufactured and obviously dubious dirt are gaining no traction .
tRump continues to unravel into a puddle of rancid fear sweat .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ my fork in it yet , but I ’ ve got it out of the drawer and I ’ ve been sharpening the tines , so it ’ ll sink right in when the time comes .
Parts of the media are still trying to sell a horse race .
Faux Noise is still the official propaganda arm of the republican party .
This is not the time to get complacent .
This is the time to redouble our effort .
Let ’ s work to help all those “ It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and turn this into a rout for the ages .
Check to make sure your tRump despising friends and neighbors all have a plan to vote .
Let ’ s remind them and do everything we can to make sure they go to the polls .
If you are ok with the state of the race for president , there are some Senate races to jump on .
The deeper we bury tRump and the tRumpism , the easier we make it for Joe Biden to govern .
How about a little scathing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s on to the news , As the countdown to dumping the Drumpf moves into its final fortnight , the fine folks over at Mother Jones put together a nice review of all the unanswered questions tRump is staring at .
I think tRump ’ s plan is to let the questions outlive him .
Mother Jones : David Corn & Russ Choma : A Long List of Shady Financial Mysteries Trump Still Refuses to Explain It seems that Donald Trump ’ s closing message for his reelection campaign during a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this : Hunter Biden .
In recent days , he has jumped on a misleading New York Post story about the business dealings of Joe Biden ’ s son—an allegation promoted by Rudy Giuliani and linked to a Russian disinformation operation—and slammed the Bidens as a “ corrupt family , ” claiming “ Joe Biden personifies the selfish and corrupt globalists.
” At campaign rallies , he has led largely mask-free crowds in chants of “ lock him up , ” referring to Biden .
And Trump has called on Biden to release @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family ’ s business dealings , including any activity involving Russia and China .
Stone , meet glass house .
For years , Trump and his family—including his three adult children , Donald Jr. , Eric , and Ivanka—have been implicated in questionable endeavors that raise concerns regarding corruption and possible criminal conduct .
Some of the sleazy antics are well known , such as Trump University ( which prompted lawsuits alleging fraud that Trump settled for $ 25 million ) and the Trump family foundation ( which was shut down by New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ making illegal use of its charitable funds ) .
But there are many significant mysteries about the Trump family ’ s financial shenanigans , and Trump has refused to provide answers .
He has famously and steadfastly resisted releasing his tax returns , trampling on a long-established norm for presidents and presidential candidates .
Moreover , Trump has not explained many of his clan ’ s business actions that seem sketchy , shady , or worse .
After almost four years of his presidency and two presidential campaigns , huge question marks remain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insist that Joe Biden release information about his son ’ s business activity , then it ’ s only fair that Trump do the same about his and his family ’ s own wheeling-and-dealing .
As a public service , here ’ s a list—only a partial list—of questionable activities that Trump and his business-partner kids have not addressed .
We all know tRump is a disaster .
tRump ’ s enablers know he ’ s a disaster .
The only people still enamored of tRump are full on cult members .
Donald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country and any pretense of humanity .
Wilentz articulately lays out the case against tRump .
I use articles like this one as a great resource for debunking tRump .
Before Donald Trump got himself infected with the coronavirus , he had firmly secured his place as the worst president in American history .
Now , after mocking Joe Biden at their first debate for mask wearing , Trump has proved to be a reckless superspreader , risking the lives of donors at a New Jersey fundraiser and the Secret Service agents sworn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ motorcade photo op outside of Walter Reed hospital .
One aide and associate after another of those exposed to him — and his wife — have fallen victim to the virus .
Trump ’ s coronavirus policy , or rather the absence of it , had already been shown to have morbid consequences .
Herman Cain , the former pizza king , could testify about that had he not died due to complications from the virus after attending Trump ’ s ill-fated Tulsa rally crammed with shouting , barefaced fanatics .
After demanding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump put on a display worthy of Charlie Chaplin in The Great Dictator , except that it wasn ’ t a parody .
Clearly struggling for breath , the president first told the nation that Covid-19 was no big deal — “ Don ’ t be afraid ” — playing the he-man while spewing the deadly virus .
The next day , Trump tweeted that there would be no further talk about a bill to stimulate the economy until after the election .
The New York Stock Exchange averages immediately collapsed .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president ’ s attitude toward the contagion from the beginning , a toxic mixture of denial and presumed invulnerability .
Since Covid hit , Trump ’ s refusal to call the pandemic a siren-howling public-health emergency , coupled with his know-nothing disparagement of medical science , has led directly to the soaring death count , now well over 210,000 Americans , and the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression .
The escalating number of fatalities of Americans from the coronavirus outstrips the number of U.S. combat deaths in World War I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ War , and every war since combined .
However Trump fares with the virus , whether he suffers its symptoms for months or recovers , his legacy is already written in stone as one of catastrophic and lethal failure .
Donnie just has to play the bully .
It ’ s in his nature .
He ’ s not getting any extra votes from saying crap like this .
CNN : Trump closes his campaign by insulting Fauci for telling the truth Mr. Noun Verb & 9/11 is changing his name to Mr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ republican October Surprise , authored by Giuliani , has turned out to be such a giant display of poorly constructed idiocy that QAnon is adding it to their deplorable conspiracy schtick .
Wonkette 's Liz Dye has been ably curating the hilarious story of the Russian disinformation campaign that blew its wad a little too late , the caper of Hunter Biden and the laptop he allegedly abandoned thousands of miles from home , and ... yeah , we do n't have the energy to rehash it all right now .
It 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was debunked in record time , and now all these stories are coming out about how US intelligence warned Trump LAST YEAR that Russian spies saw Roodles as the easiest mark , and ... yeah .
Here is just a fun cherry on top of that story .
The New York Post , of course , was the only vaguely newspaper-shaped object willing to post Rudy 's bullshit , and even there , journalists in the newsroom did n't want their bylines on it .
Mediaite reports that Rudy shopped it to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like ummmmmmmmmmm OK no .
They came with their friends , they are not leaving with you , Rudy Giuliani , and no , they do not want to buy any of your Kremlin-laced Girl Scout cookies .
” Mediaite has learned that Fox News was first approached by Rudy Giuliani to report on a tranche of files alleged to have come from Hunter Biden 's unclaimed laptop left at a Delaware computer repair shop , but that the news division chose not to run the story unless or until the sourcing and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vetted.
” Yeah , when even Fox News ?
That 's it , that 's the joke .
( Of course , it 's lost on no one that both these entities are owned by Rupert Murdoch .
It 's just that one of them is clearly dumber and worse at journalism than the other , and it is n't the one we were expecting .
We Aren ’ t Done with You Yet , Rudy The president ’ s drunken lawyer has become such a creepy hack that his own daughter can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supported Hillary in 2016 , but has become even more vocal this cycle .
Too bad the demon spawn ( Uday , Qusay and the daughter wife ) are too damaged to follow Caroline ’ s lead .
Vanity Fair : Caroline Rose Giuliani : Rudy Giuliani Is My Father .
Please , Everyone , Vote for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris .
I have a difficult confession—something I usually save for at least the second date .
My father is Rudy Giuliani .
We are multiverses apart , politically and otherwise .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ an identity in the arts separate from my last name , so publicly declaring myself as a “ Giuliani ” feels counterintuitive , but I ’ ve come to realize that none of us can afford to be silent right now .
The stakes are too high .
I accept that most people will start reading this piece because you saw the headline with my father ’ s name .
But now that you ’ re here , I ’ d like to tell you how urgent I think this moment is .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ about this election , there is nothing I relate to more than desperation to escape corrosive political discourse .
As a child , I saw firsthand the kind of cruel , selfish politics that Donald Trump has now inflicted on our country .
It made me want to run as far away from them as possible .
But trust me when I tell you : Running away does not solve the problem .
We have to stand and fight .
The only way to end this nightmare is to vote .
There is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll only grasp it if we elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris .
Around the age of 12 , I would occasionally get into debates with my father , probably before I was emotionally equipped to handle such carnage .
It was disheartening to feel how little power I had to change his mind , no matter how logical and above-my-pay-grade my arguments were .
He always found a way to justify his party line , whatever it was at the time .
Even though he was considered socially moderate for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still often butted heads .
When I tried to explain my belief that you don ’ t get to be considered benevolent on LGBTQ+ rights just because you have gay friends but don ’ t support gay marriage , I distinctly remember him firing back with an intensity fit for an opposing politican rather than one ’ s child .
To be clear , I ’ m not sharing this anecdote to complain or criticize .
I had an extremely privileged childhood and am grateful for everything I was given , including real-world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The point is to illustrate one of the many reasons I have a fraught relationship with politics , like so many of us do .
Every person of prominence who comes out against tRump is another nail in this administration ’ s political coffin .
Halpern stuck it out to ensure the prosecution of Duncan Hunter was completed .
His statement on what Barr has done to the Justice Department should be included in Barr ’ s indictment .
After 36 years , I ’ m fleeing what was the U.S. Department of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ different attorneys general and six different presidents .
For the last three-plus decades , I have respected our leadership regardless of whether we were led by a Republican or a Democrat .
I always believed the department ’ s past leaders were dedicated to the rule of law and the guiding principle that justice is blind .
That is a bygone era , but it should not be forgotten .
Maybe I should ’ ve seen this coming , but like many of my colleagues , I fervently hoped that Attorney General William @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counsel Robert Mueller ’ s report was an honest mistake or a solitary misstep — rather than a deliberate attempt to conceal potential presidential misconduct .
After all , Barr has never actually investigated , charged or tried a case .
He ’ s a well-trained bureaucrat but has no actual experience as a prosecutor .
Unfortunately , over the last year , Barr ’ s resentment toward rule-of-law prosecutors became increasingly difficult to ignore , as did his slavish obedience to Donald Trump ’ s will in his selective meddling with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Michael Flynn and Roger Stone cases .
In each of these cases , Barr overruled career prosecutors in order to assist the president ’ s associates and/or friends , who potentially harbor incriminating information .
This career bureaucrat seems determined to turn our democracy into an autocracy .
Even though his demented conspiracy-addled base is sucking this stuff up , it ’ s having an adverse effect on his overall popularity .
tRump is hemorrhaging support because , to quote Lindsey Graham , “ He ’ s a kook.
” Rolling Stone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to Denounce QAnon .
Once Again , He Refused Time and again , President Trump has been pressed to denounce QAnon , the baseless far-right conspiracy theory positing that he is the right ’ s savior from a deep state ring of leftist pedophiles and child traffickers .
And time and again , he has refused .
So it shouldn ’ t have surprised anyone when , after Savannah Guthrie asked him to denounce QAnon during his NBC town hall Thursday night , the president explicitly refused to do so , even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he knew “ nothing ” about the conspiracy theory .
This is not the first time Trump , who has retweeted QAnon accounts at least 258 times , has been asked directly about QAnon .
Back in August , he was asked to denounce QAnon when pressed about his support of Marjorie Taylor Greene , a GOP congressional candidate who has publicly espoused the movement .
Later that month , he was asked specifically about QAnon in the White House briefing room .
“ I don ’ t know much about the movement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very much , which I appreciate , ” he said at the time .
( QAnon followers , who hang on to the president ’ s every word and view them as an implicit endorsement of their movement , were absolutely elated by the shoutout . )
During the town hall , Guthrie also asked Trump about a retweet amplifying a QAnon account .
Trump retweeted to his 82 million followers a baseless conspiracy theory that Vice President Joe Biden orchestrated the murder of members of the SEAL Team 6 unit that killed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nothing about it , ” Trump claimed of the tweet .
“ That was a retweet — that was an opinion of somebody .
And that was a retweet .
I ’ ll put it out there .
People can decide for themselves.
” He Has Once Again Proven , He Is an Idiot of the First Order tRump took it seriously and retweeted this story .
The world is full of fools and idiots , and then there ’ s tRump .
BabylonBee : Twitter Shuts Down Entire Network To Slow Spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tweet is still up : I love me some Andy Borowitz .
I want to be just like him when I grow up .
My only problem is he steals all my ideas before I have them .
The New Yorker : The Borowitz Report : Trump Accuses New Zealand ’ s Prime Minister of Competently Handling the Coronavirus to Get Reëlected The Palate Cleansing Moment — Pressley Is Looking Out for Me with All This Walking I wonder if Pressley knew about this when she pushed me into longer and longer walks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ May Stave Off Cancer , As Opposed to Later in the Day , New Study Says Yosef 52 has been busy .
He has been drilling down in the swing states .
Here are his latest guides to getting out the vote : Keep Fighting and GET OUT THE DEMOCRATIC VOTE !
( 'Cause It Ai n't Over 'til It 's Over . )
Florida Polling ( from 538 ) : Biden 49 , Trump 45 .
BRING IT HOME BY GETTING OUT THE VOTE .
Pennsylvania Polling ( from Civiqs ) : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ IT HOME BY GETTING OUT THE VOTE Last night the Shade took a look at tRump ’ s promise to leave the country if he loses : Bye Don - Evening Shade , Monday

Two week to go. Fourteen days.
Thirty million votes already cast. Twenty percent of the predicted total have already voted.
We are seeing polling gaps widen. Almost all polling is well outside the margin of error. This is not the ghost of 2016.
The window for republicans to alter the outcome of this election is closing rapidly. it is very nearly closed already.
Efforts to smear Joe Biden with manufactured and obviously dubious dirt are gaining no traction.
tRump continues to unravel into a puddle of rancid fear sweat.
I’m not gonna stick my fork in it yet, but I’ve got it out of the drawer and I’ve been sharpening the tines, so it’ll sink right in when the time comes.
Parts of the media are still trying to sell a horse race. Faux Noise is still the official propaganda arm of the republican party.
This is not the time to get complacent. This is the time to redouble our effort. Let’s work to help all those “It’s too much trouble” voters get out and turn this into a rout for the ages. Check to make sure your tRump despising friends and neighbors all have a plan to vote. Let’s remind them and do everything we can to make sure they go to the polls.
If you are ok with the state of the race for president, there are some Senate races to jump on.
The deeper we bury tRump and the tRumpism, the easier we make it for Joe Biden to govern.
Tyrannis sedito. Sic semper tyrannis.
Up the Resistance
GOTMFV
How about a little scathing derision to warm you up?
x YouTube Video
x YouTube Video
And it’s on to the news,
A Refresher Course
As the countdown to dumping the Drumpf moves into its final fortnight, the fine folks over at Mother Jones put together a nice review of all the unanswered questions tRump is staring at. I think tRump’s plan is to let the questions outlive him.
Mother Jones: David Corn & Russ Choma: A Long List of Shady Financial Mysteries Trump Still Refuses to Explain
It seems that Donald Trump’s closing message for his reelection campaign during a time of pandemic and economic crisis is this: Hunter Biden. In recent days, he has jumped on a misleading New York Post story about the business dealings of Joe Biden’s son—an allegation promoted by Rudy Giuliani and linked to a Russian disinformation operation—and slammed the Bidens as a “corrupt family,” claiming “Joe Biden personifies the selfish and corrupt globalists.” At campaign rallies, he has led largely mask-free crowds in chants of “lock him up,” referring to Biden. And Trump has called on Biden to release “all” records related to his family’s business dealings, including any activity involving Russia and China. Stone, meet glass house. For years, Trump and his family—including his three adult children, Donald Jr., Eric, and Ivanka—have been implicated in questionable endeavors that raise concerns regarding corruption and possible criminal conduct. Some of the sleazy antics are well known, such as Trump University (which prompted lawsuits alleging fraud that Trump settled for $25 million) and the Trump family foundation (which was shut down by New York State authorities after Trump was caught making illegal use of its charitable funds). But there are many significant mysteries about the Trump family’s financial shenanigans, and Trump has refused to provide answers. He has famously and steadfastly resisted releasing his tax returns, trampling on a long-established norm for presidents and presidential candidates. Moreover, Trump has not explained many of his clan’s business actions that seem sketchy, shady, or worse. After almost four years of his presidency and two presidential campaigns, huge question marks remain. So if Trump is going to insist that Joe Biden release information about his son’s business activity, then it’s only fair that Trump do the same about his and his family’s own wheeling-and-dealing. As a public service, here’s a list—only a partial list—of questionable activities that Trump and his business-partner kids have not addressed.
Reviewing the Damage
We all know tRump is a disaster. tRump’s enablers know he’s a disaster. The only people still enamored of tRump are full on cult members. Donald tRump has betrayed his oath, his country and any pretense of humanity. Wilentz articulately lays out the case against tRump. I use articles like this one as a great resource for debunking tRump.
Rolling Stone: Sean Wilentz: The Sedition of Donald Trump
Before Donald Trump got himself infected with the coronavirus, he had firmly secured his place as the worst president in American history. Now, after mocking Joe Biden at their first debate for mask wearing, Trump has proved to be a reckless superspreader, risking the lives of donors at a New Jersey fundraiser and the Secret Service agents sworn to protect him by demanding a bizarre motorcade photo op outside of Walter Reed hospital. One aide and associate after another of those exposed to him — and his wife — have fallen victim to the virus. Trump’s coronavirus policy, or rather the absence of it, had already been shown to have morbid consequences. Herman Cain, the former pizza king, could testify about that had he not died due to complications from the virus after attending Trump’s ill-fated Tulsa rally crammed with shouting, barefaced fanatics. After demanding to be released from the hospital, Trump put on a display worthy of Charlie Chaplin in The Great Dictator, except that it wasn’t a parody. Clearly struggling for breath, the president first told the nation that Covid-19 was no big deal — “Don’t be afraid” — playing the he-man while spewing the deadly virus. The next day, Trump tweeted that there would be no further talk about a bill to stimulate the economy until after the election. The New York Stock Exchange averages immediately collapsed. But this unhinged performance is in keeping with the president’s attitude toward the contagion from the beginning, a toxic mixture of denial and presumed invulnerability. Since Covid hit, Trump’s refusal to call the pandemic a siren-howling public-health emergency, coupled with his know-nothing disparagement of medical science, has led directly to the soaring death count, now well over 210,000 Americans, and the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. The escalating number of fatalities of Americans from the coronavirus outstrips the number of U.S. combat deaths in World War I, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and every war since combined. However Trump fares with the virus, whether he suffers its symptoms for months or recovers, his legacy is already written in stone as one of catastrophic and lethal failure.
tRump Trashes Fauci
Donnie just has to play the bully. It’s in his nature. He’s not getting any extra votes from saying crap like this.
CNN: Trump closes his campaign by insulting Fauci for telling the truth
(CNN)President Donald Trump's election endgame argument, far from bristling with new solutions to a pandemic that has killed 220,000 Americans, on Monday devolved into a campaign of insults against Dr. Anthony Fauci -- for telling the truth about the disease. Trump ridiculed Fauci as a "disaster" and an "idiot" who has been around for "500 years" -- trashing one of the nation's best hopes of easing the pandemic along with his recommendations to quell an alarming Covid-19 surge. His personal warfare against Fauci on a frenzied day on the campaign trail, while indecent and questionable from a strategic political perspective, revealed how the US government effort to beat the pandemic has been suppressed in the service of Trump's reelection.
Rudy’s Plane Crashed and Burned on Impact
Mr. Noun Verb & 9/11 is changing his name to Mr. Number One Russian Stooge. The republican October Surprise, authored by Giuliani, has turned out to be such a giant display of poorly constructed idiocy that QAnon is adding it to their deplorable conspiracy schtick.
Wonkette: TFW Even Fox News Won't Swallow Your Senile Russian Disinfo Bullsh*t
Wonkette's Liz Dye has been ably curating the hilarious story of the Russian disinformation campaign that blew its wad a little too late, the caper of Hunter Biden and the laptop he allegedly abandoned thousands of miles from home, and ... yeah, we don't have the energy to rehash it all right now. It's a Rudy Giuliani Special, which means it was debunked in record time, and now all these stories are coming out about how US intelligence warned Trump LAST YEAR that Russian spies saw Roodles as the easiest mark, and ... yeah. Here is just a fun cherry on top of that story. The New York Post, of course, was the only vaguely newspaper-shaped object willing to post Rudy's bullshit, and even there, journalists in the newsroom didn't want their bylines on it. Mediaite reports that Rudy shopped it to Fox News, and even they were like ummmmmmmmmmm OK no. They came with their friends, they are not leaving with you, Rudy Giuliani, and no, they do not want to buy any of your Kremlin-laced Girl Scout cookies. ”Mediaite has learned that Fox News was first approached by Rudy Giuliani to report on a tranche of files alleged to have come from Hunter Biden's unclaimed laptop left at a Delaware computer repair shop, but that the news division chose not to run the story unless or until the sourcing and veracity of the emails could be properly vetted.” Yeah, when even Fox News? That's it, that's the joke. (Of course, it's lost on no one that both these entities are owned by Rupert Murdoch. It's just that one of them is clearly dumber and worse at journalism than the other, and it isn't the one we were expecting.
We Aren’t Done with You Yet, Rudy
The president’s drunken lawyer has become such a creepy hack that his own daughter can’t take it anymore. She supported Hillary in 2016, but has become even more vocal this cycle. Too bad the demon spawn (Uday, Qusay and the daughter wife) are too damaged to follow Caroline’s lead.
Vanity Fair: Caroline Rose Giuliani: Rudy Giuliani Is My Father. Please, Everyone, Vote for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
I have a difficult confession—something I usually save for at least the second date. My father is Rudy Giuliani. We are multiverses apart, politically and otherwise. I’ve spent a lifetime forging an identity in the arts separate from my last name, so publicly declaring myself as a “Giuliani” feels counterintuitive, but I’ve come to realize that none of us can afford to be silent right now. The stakes are too high. I accept that most people will start reading this piece because you saw the headline with my father’s name. But now that you’re here, I’d like to tell you how urgent I think this moment is. To anyone who feels overwhelmed or apathetic about this election, there is nothing I relate to more than desperation to escape corrosive political discourse. As a child, I saw firsthand the kind of cruel, selfish politics that Donald Trump has now inflicted on our country. It made me want to run as far away from them as possible. But trust me when I tell you: Running away does not solve the problem. We have to stand and fight. The only way to end this nightmare is to vote. There is hope on the horizon, but we’ll only grasp it if we elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Around the age of 12, I would occasionally get into debates with my father, probably before I was emotionally equipped to handle such carnage. It was disheartening to feel how little power I had to change his mind, no matter how logical and above-my-pay-grade my arguments were. He always found a way to justify his party line, whatever it was at the time. Even though he was considered socially moderate for a Republican back in the day, we still often butted heads. When I tried to explain my belief that you don’t get to be considered benevolent on LGBTQ+ rights just because you have gay friends but don’t support gay marriage, I distinctly remember him firing back with an intensity fit for an opposing politican rather than one’s child. To be clear, I’m not sharing this anecdote to complain or criticize. I had an extremely privileged childhood and am grateful for everything I was given, including real-world lessons and complicated experiences like these. The point is to illustrate one of the many reasons I have a fraught relationship with politics, like so many of us do.
The Prominent Condemnations Continue
Every person of prominence who comes out against tRump is another nail in this administration’s political coffin. Halpern stuck it out to ensure the prosecution of Duncan Hunter was completed. His statement on what Barr has done to the Justice Department should be included in Barr’s indictment.
San Diego Union Tribune: Philip Halpern Commentary: I won’t work in Attorney General William Barr’s Justice Department any longer
After 36 years, I’m fleeing what was the U.S. Department of Justice — where I proudly served 19 different attorneys general and six different presidents. For the last three-plus decades, I have respected our leadership regardless of whether we were led by a Republican or a Democrat. I always believed the department’s past leaders were dedicated to the rule of law and the guiding principle that justice is blind. That is a bygone era, but it should not be forgotten. Maybe I should’ve seen this coming, but like many of my colleagues, I fervently hoped that Attorney General William Barr’s preemptive misrepresentation of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report was an honest mistake or a solitary misstep — rather than a deliberate attempt to conceal potential presidential misconduct. After all, Barr has never actually investigated, charged or tried a case. He’s a well-trained bureaucrat but has no actual experience as a prosecutor. Unfortunately, over the last year, Barr’s resentment toward rule-of-law prosecutors became increasingly difficult to ignore, as did his slavish obedience to Donald Trump’s will in his selective meddling with the criminal justice system in the Paul Manafort, Michael Flynn and Roger Stone cases. In each of these cases, Barr overruled career prosecutors in order to assist the president’s associates and/or friends, who potentially harbor incriminating information. This career bureaucrat seems determined to turn our democracy into an autocracy.
The Conspiracy Theorist-in-Chief
Even though his demented conspiracy-addled base is sucking this stuff up, it’s having an adverse effect on his overall popularity. tRump is hemorrhaging support because, to quote Lindsey Graham, “He’s a kook.”
Rolling Stone: Trump Was Asked, Once Again, to Denounce QAnon. Once Again, He Refused
Time and again, President Trump has been pressed to denounce QAnon, the baseless far-right conspiracy theory positing that he is the right’s savior from a deep state ring of leftist pedophiles and child traffickers. And time and again, he has refused. So it shouldn’t have surprised anyone when, after Savannah Guthrie asked him to denounce QAnon during his NBC town hall Thursday night, the president explicitly refused to do so, even going so far as to claim that he knew “nothing” about the conspiracy theory. This is not the first time Trump, who has retweeted QAnon accounts at least 258 times, has been asked directly about QAnon. Back in August, he was asked to denounce QAnon when pressed about his support of Marjorie Taylor Greene, a GOP congressional candidate who has publicly espoused the movement. Later that month, he was asked specifically about QAnon in the White House briefing room. “I don’t know much about the movement other than I understand they like me very much, which I appreciate,” he said at the time. (QAnon followers, who hang on to the president’s every word and view them as an implicit endorsement of their movement, were absolutely elated by the shoutout.) During the town hall, Guthrie also asked Trump about a retweet amplifying a QAnon account. Trump retweeted to his 82 million followers a baseless conspiracy theory that Vice President Joe Biden orchestrated the murder of members of the SEAL Team 6 unit that killed Osama Bin Laden. “I know nothing about it,” Trump claimed of the tweet. “That was a retweet — that was an opinion of somebody. And that was a retweet. I’ll put it out there. People can decide for themselves.”
He Has Once Again Proven, He Is an Idiot of the First Order
tRump took it seriously and retweeted this story. The world is full of fools and idiots, and then there’s tRump.
BabylonBee: Twitter Shuts Down Entire Network To Slow Spread Of Negative Biden News
SAN FRANCISCO, CA—In a last-ditch effort to stop negative stories about Joe Biden and his family from spreading, Twitter shut down its entire social network Thursday. After seeing account after account tweet out one particularly bad story, CEO Jack Dorsey realized he had to take action. Dorsey smashed a glass box in his office reading "Break In Case Of Bad Publicity For Democrats." Inside the case was a sledgehammer for smashing Twitter's servers. "Red alert -- shut the servers down! Shut them all down!"
The actual tRump tweet is still up:
x Twitter Shuts Down Entire Network To Slow Spread Of Negative Biden News https://t.co/JPmjOrKPcr via @TheBabylonBee Wow, this has never been done in history. This includes his really bad interview last night. Why is Twitter doing this. Bringing more attention to Sleepy Joe & Big T — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 16, 2020
My Borowitz Fix
I love me some Andy Borowitz. I want to be just like him when I grow up. My only problem is he steals all my ideas before I have them.
The New Yorker: The Borowitz Report: Trump Accuses New Zealand’s Prime Minister of Competently Handling the Coronavirus to Get Reëlected
JANESVILLE, WI (The Borowitz Report)—Calling New Zealand’s Prime Minister “crooked and rigged,” Donald J. Trump accused Jacinda Ardern of competently handling the coronavirus pandemic in order to get reëlected. Speaking at a rally in Wisconsin, Trump called Ardern’s use of public-health measures to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus on her nation “a sleazy political move like you wouldn’t believe.” “This woman wanted to get reëlected, so she decided to go after the coronavirus and beat it,” he said. “This woman is a disgrace.”
The Palate Cleansing Moment — Pressley Is Looking Out for Me with All This Walking
I wonder if Pressley knew about this when she pushed me into longer and longer walks?
GoodNewsNetwork: Exercise in the Morning May Stave Off Cancer, As Opposed to Later in the Day, New Study Says
The time of day we exercise could affect the risk of cancer, according to a new controlled study conducted with almost 3,000 Spanish people. Studies have shown that one potential cause of cancer is circadian disruption, the misalignment of environmental cues—such as light and when you eat—and the internal, biological circadian rhythms. It is established that regular physical activity throughout your lifetime can reduce cancer risk, but this protective effect could be the most beneficial when physical activity is done in the morning, according to a recent study coordinated by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), together with the Department of Epidemiology at the Medical University of Vienna.
Musical Interlude
x YouTube Video
Bonus Song x YouTube Video WineRev’s History Lesson Our resident history professor’s always interesting history lesson will appear here as soon as I notice he has woken up and posted it in the comment section. Take it away WineRev >>>>This brief diary has clips from an interview with Rick Wilson, one of the big wheels inside the Lincoln Project. You know how the national polls have been stuck at about a 8-9 point Biden lead since about like forever? At the state level there’ been more movement, which is why DT keeps visiting the slipping-away Wisconsin and the Biden folk are putting resources and visits into AZ, GA, OH, etc? One underlying chunk of that has been American women. They have favored Biden by 20 points than men have. ….But in just the past two weeks (after Debate 1 and the Covid Comes to the White House Show) the national numbers are ticking up for Biden and some of the swing states are starting to prefer sapphires over rubies. According to Rick Wilson and the LP soundings, this is because in (big like CA) state after (swing) state women are moving to favor BIden by 27 points. Will it hold? T’wll tell the tale for sure, by my own feeling is yes, it will hold…..and keep growing! >>>>>Political scientists and their stat-crunching grad students are giddy with data these days: America is early voting/absentee voting/mail-in voting in historic numbers, giving these people lots of new numbers to crunch every day and to record for posterity. (“Yes, I remember having to enter numbers every day for Professor Hamilton. We still used keyboards on our tablets back then, way before voice command algorithms, you young whippersnappers…...”). The nugget is as of a day or so ago, 14 million US women had already voted, vs. 11.4 million US men. Of those 14 million women, 3 million (22%!) did not vote in 2016. And in that same pool of 14 million, 672,000 are first time voters. Ponder those possibilities! October 20ths that in previous years have also crouched 14 days away from November 3rd, waiting like Good or Goofy frogs to leap and capture lunch flying by and burping up the background music for This October 20th 1632 East Knoyle, England Birth of Christopher Wren, astronomer, architect. Born into a family with royal connections and income, the Puritan Civil War starting in 1640 made for a tense childhood. Still, Wren received a good education. He showed real talent in drawing and some of his anatomical works became medical textbook standards for years. Made contributions to astronomy and studies on geomagnetic properties of the earth that could be adapted for navigation. In the early 1660s St. Paul’s Cathedral had fallen into disrepair. Wren visited Paris to view Notre Dame and met several Italian architects visiting there at the same time. The Great Fire of London of 1666 destroyed better than half the city and did St. Paul’s no good at all. Wren was hired by the crown to oversee the rebuilding, especially of churches and public buildings. The current St. Paul Cathedral was his design, finished in 1711, as were 51 other churches around London. 1864 Washington DC After a Presidential proclamation the year before, urging the observance of the (heretofore mostly New England) holiday of Thanksgiving, this day President Lincoln proclaims it again, this time setting the fourth Thursday in November as the annual day. 1866 Washington DC Pierre Lallemont, a mechanic from France, legally protects an idea he has developed for the velocipede, the 2-wheeled “long stepping” contraptions young men would straddle on a center beam, steer with a pivoting front wheel, and propel by taking long steps on either side. Lallemont this day was granted a US patent for a velocipede that featured a rotary crank near the bottom, connected by an oiled chain to a rear hub, and driven by foot pedals. 1874 Danbury, CT Birth of Charles Ives, composer. From a prominent family, his father had been a Union Army band master and taught instruments, theory and conducted various musical groups. Charles graduated from Yale, and then was a church organist for a few years. He then worked for an insurance company, and later set up his own firm for the rest of his life. Had creative financial ideas and almost single-handedly invented the field of estate-planning for ordinary people. Produced symphonies, songs, and “Three Places in New England" and dozens of ”tone poems” all between 1908 and 1927. One morning in ’27 he came downstairs with tears in his eyes and said to his wife, “I can’t compose anymore. I can’t hear any music.” Not another note that last 27 years of his life. 1885 New Orleans, LA Birth of Ferdinand Lamenthe, jazz pianist, composer and singer. Jazz and blues have tangled roots and several claimants as the key person in this genre. WC Handy was one such figure, rivaled only by Lamenthe. Ferdinand could play piano at an early age and had the ear and talent to use classical melodies and tunes and improvise them to acclaim in saloons, brothels and other non-concert hall settings. During World War I and into the 1920s and 1930s, the Red Hot Peppers , led by Lamenthe (stage name Jelly Roll Morton) invented the early jazz practice of re-orchestrating and ad-libbing on well-known standard works. 1944 Leyte Beach, Philippines. 2 ½ years earlier a Japanese invasion had overwhelmed American forces in the colony, and General Douglas MacArthur has been spirited away. He famously promised, “I shall return.” On this day MacArthur makes good his promise. He comes ashore to the cameras, flanked by president-in-exile Sergio Osmena , and Philippine General Carlos Romolo, who later became foreign minister after independence in 1946. 1973 Sydney, Australia In 1957, after an international architectural design competition, Jørn Utzon, a 38-year old Dane was declared the winner. After controversy, funding issues and then 11 years of construction, Australia welcomes Queen Elizabeth II for a state visit. On this day, she dedicates the Sydney Opera House. The striking, interlaced shell design has become the iconic signature of the Sydney skyline. May all your News be Good, comforting and inspiring. Shalom.
On the Lighter Side
x YouTube Video
x He had to go undercover so he brought his kids to party with Epstein. Of course that’s what’s happened here. Am I right Q? pic.twitter.com/CxJ3uG5qTp — Operation MAGA (@OperationMAGA) October 20, 2020
x I’m Joe Biden and I approve this message. pic.twitter.com/TuRZXPE5xK — Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) September 20, 2020 Quote(s) of the Day Reading between the Lees With great power there must also come ... great responsibility! — Stan Lee Being responsible is an enormous privilege.... It's what marks anyone a fully grown human. — Barack Obama The Buck Stops Here. — Harry S Truman The price of greatness is responsibility. — Winston Churchill Optimism is a strategy for making a better future. Because unless you believe that the future can be better, you are unlikely to step up and take responsibility for making it so. — Noam Chomsky Responsibility to yourself means refusing to let others do your thinking, talking, and naming for you; it means learning to respect and use your own brains and instincts; hence, grappling with hard work. — Adrienne Rich There is a powerful craving in most of us to see ourselves as instruments in the hands of others and thus free ourselves from the responsibility for acts which are prompted by our own questionable inclinations and impulses. Both the strong and the weak grasp at this alibi. The latter hide their malevolence under the virtue of obedience: they acted dishonorably because they had to obey orders. The strong, too, claim absolution by proclaiming themselves the chosen instrument of a higher power -- God, history, fate, nation, or humanity. — Bruce Lee Required Pet Photo Don’t look. tRump is on TV again. 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 has been busy. He has been drilling down in the swing states. Here are his latest guides to getting out the vote:
Keep Fighting and GET OUT THE DEMOCRATIC VOTE! ('Cause It Ain't Over 'til It's Over.)
Florida Polling (from 538): Biden 49, Trump 45. BRING IT HOME BY GETTING OUT THE VOTE.
Pennsylvania Polling (from Civiqs): Biden 52, Trump 45. BRING IT HOME BY GETTING OUT THE VOTE
Last night the Shade took a look at tRump’s promise to leave the country if he loses: Bye Don - Evening Shade, Monday


dailykos--2020-10-20--IAN: Tuesday, October 20, 2020: Are We Past the Worst (NorCal Edition)?

Hi Guys .
Wildfire wise things are much better here in Northern CA .
Air quality has improved greatly .
We continue to have too-hot weather , though .
Maybe a little cooler today , tomorrow .
I sure hope so !
But fires are still burning here and there in Northern CA .
And we are NOT thru what used to be called “ Autumn , ” and now is , well , “ fire season.
” And , of course , for those whose small towns or houses burned in the fires , it ’ s not going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long , long time .
There are still many who are trying to recover from the wildfires here 2 and 3 years ago .
Let ’ s not forget them .
And there are thousands of firefighters still on the front lines .
God bless them and keep them safe .
Oh , and by the way , guess which president denied federal fire disaster relief to California ?
( He later seemed to change his “ mind ” , but .
.
. )
And then there ’ s this : But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toward a calmer safer time .
And how are all of you ?

Tuesday: A day to enjoy even small progress.
As you can see by Itzl's concerned look, this group gives Kossacks a safe place to check in, a daily diary where we can let people know we are alive, doing OK, and not affected by such things as heat, blizzards, floods, wild fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, power outages, earthquakes, or other such things that could keep us off DKos. It also allows us to find other Kossacks nearby for in-person checks when other methods of communication fail - a buddy system. If you're not here, or anywhere else on DKos, and there are adverse conditions in your area (floods, heatwaves, hurricanes, earthquakes etc.), we and your buddy are going to check up on you. If you are going to be away from your computer for a day or a week, let us know here. We care!
IAN is a great group to join, and a good place to learn to write diaries. Drop one of us a Kosmail and ask to be added to the Itzl Alert Network anytime! We all share the publishing duties, and we welcome everyone who reads IAN to write diaries for the group! Every member is an editor, so anyone can take a turn when they have something to say, photos and music to share, a cause to promote or news!
We do have a diary schedule. But, when you are ready to write that diary, either post in thread or send FloridaSNMOM a Kosmail with the date. If you need someone to fill in, ditto. FloridaSNMOM is here on and off through the day usually from around 9:30 or 10 am eastern to around 11 pm eastern.
Hi Guys. Wildfire wise things are much better here in Northern CA. Air quality has improved greatly. We continue to have too-hot weather, though. Maybe a little cooler today, tomorrow. I sure hope so!
But fires are still burning here and there in Northern CA. And we are NOT thru what used to be called “Autumn,” and now is, well, “fire season.”
Ugh.
And, of course, for those whose small towns or houses burned in the fires, it’s not going to be “over” for a long, long time. There are still many who are trying to recover from the wildfires here 2 and 3 years ago. Let’s not forget them.
Thousands of firefighters are still on the fire lines.
And there are thousands of firefighters still on the front lines. God bless them and keep them safe.
Oh, and by the way, guess which president denied federal fire disaster relief to California? (He later seemed to change his “mind”, but. . .)
And then there’s this:
But we appreciate even small steps of progress toward a calmer safer time.
And how are all of you?


dailykos--2020-10-20--Ivanka Trump comes to Southwest Florida selling faltering campaign

In a last-ditch effort to sway voters in what has in the past been a reliably Republican area , the election campaign of President Donald Trump is deploying First Daughter Ivanka Trump to Southwest Florida to shore up support and raise money .
A “ Make America Great Again ” rally that is sure to be a COVID superspreader event has now been officially scheduled for Wednesday , Oct. 21 at 1:00 pm at Top Rocker Field at Six Bends in Fort Myers .
Ivanka Trump is also reportedly going to speak at a private , invitation-only fundraising event in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local news outlets .
The unconfirmed location is reported to be at the Old Collier Golf Club .
The cost of attending is reportedly $ 15,000 per person and $ 100,000 per table .
However , this event can not be confirmed through official campaign websites or statements .
The First Daughter ’ s blitz comes as the polling site FiveThirtyEight.com gives Democratic candidate Joe Biden a 69 percent chance of carrying Florida with 51.1 percent of the popular vote , based on multiple polls .
In 2016 , Trump carried Florida with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a margin of 112,911 votes .
As exciting as having such a distinguished celebrity in Naples might be , those who are in the $ 15,000 per plate class might want to ask themselves before they fork over the cash : What am I donating to ?
From its outset the Trump campaign has been plagued by money woes .
In a Sept. 7 , 2020 New York Times article , “ How Trump ’ s Billion-Dollar Campaign Lost Its Cash Advantage , ” reporters Shane Goldmacher and Maggie Haberman detailed a campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of millions of dollars .
It also featured chaotic purchasing , erratic hiring and disorganized messaging all in the service of an unrestrained and volatile candidate .
Much of this can be laid at the feet of Brad Parscale , Trump ’ s initial campaign manager .
It was Parscale who rode in a chauffeured car and flew on private planes , who decided to spend money on questionably effective advertising , including heavy investment in the Washington , DC media market primarily so that Trump could see his ads on local TV @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a veteran Republican strategist who runs a small pro-Trump super political action committee , as saying : “ If you spend $ 800 million and you ’ re 10 points behind , I think you ’ ve got to answer the question ‘ What was the game plan ?
’ ” He accused Parscale of spending “ like a drunken sailor , ” and noted “ I think a lot of money was spent when voters weren ’ t paying attention.
” Parscale has since been replaced by Bill Stepien , who has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
However , the campaign ’ s cash chaos has not ceased .
Another exposé of Trump campaign spending also appeared in September in The Atlantic , titled “ Trump Is Running His Campaign Like He Ran His Businesses.
” The article by David Graham noted , “ The president is again profiting handsomely at the expense of those trusting enough to give him money.
” Graham wrote : “ The Trump 2020 campaign seems to be running on the same principle as many of the president ’ s commercial endeavors : Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s money gets lit on fire .
This was how some of the president ’ s real-estate ventures and casinos operated , and so it ’ s unsurprising that it ’ s how he ’ s chosen to run his campaign—and the country.
” Along those lines , in July the Campaign Legal Center , a non-partisan , non-profit organization that seeks to advance “ democracy through law , ” filed an 82-page complaint with the Federal Election Commission charging that the campaign violated campaign finance law by illegally spending $ 170 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funds ” through a variety of companies .
Making a donation to a political campaign is a lot like investing in a business .
As a donor you ’ re essentially investing in an outcome .
You may be driven by ideological urges rather than profit , but many of the principles of effective donating and investing are the same .
Any investor knows the drill for evaluating a business pitch ( and the public can see a version of it on the TV program Shark Tank ) : You look at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leadership and products , past performance if the company ’ s established or the founders ’ past record if it ’ s a startup .
You check references and media coverage .
You examine the market and the needs and you try to peer out to the future to determine its prospects .
Then you go through the spreadsheets to find errors or erroneous assumptions .
In the end you make a bet—or not .
If the Trump presidency and campaign was a business investment opportunity , what would a potential investor see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officer ( CEO ) is erratic , irascible , uncontrolled and uncontrollable but still overly controlling .
He ’ s diseased and seemingly deranged .
He ’ s been responsible for six previous bankruptcies and was cut off from established credit sources .
He and his companies may be $ 1 billion in debt to unknown creditors .
The company ’ s products are badly flawed and simply not working and demand for them has cratered .
Its performance ( the economy ) has collapsed from bad management .
An outside force ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or controlled early on but wasn ’ t because of poor assumptions and delusional reactions .
The references are terrible , with former executives uniformly denouncing and exposing the CEO ’ s shortcomings and crimes .
Other than the media controlled or co-opted by the CEO , coverage is uniformly and unrelentingly bad .
The market is trending against the company with all market research indicating its competitor is going to dominate .
The spreadsheets are unavailable or those provided are of very questionable reliability .
The likely prospect is that a bankruptcy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the company that Ivanka Trump will be coming to Naples to sell on Wednesday .
People who can afford a $ 15,000 per plate meal did not qualify for sitting at that kind of table by being stupid .
But for those who buy in : Enjoy lunch .

The Paradise Progressive News and commentary October 20, 2020 4 Minutes
Oct. 20, 2020 by David Silverberg
In a last-ditch effort to sway voters in what has in the past been a reliably Republican area, the election campaign of President Donald Trump is deploying First Daughter Ivanka Trump to Southwest Florida to shore up support and raise money.
A “Make America Great Again” rally that is sure to be a COVID superspreader event has now been officially scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 21 at 1:00 pm at Top Rocker Field at Six Bends in Fort Myers.
Ivanka Trump is also reportedly going to speak at a private, invitation-only fundraising event in Naples, according to a number of local news outlets. The unconfirmed location is reported to be at the Old Collier Golf Club. The cost of attending is reportedly $15,000 per person and $100,000 per table. However, this event cannot be confirmed through official campaign websites or statements.
The First Daughter’s blitz comes as the polling site FiveThirtyEight.com gives Democratic candidate Joe Biden a 69 percent chance of carrying Florida with 51.1 percent of the popular vote, based on multiple polls. In 2016, Trump carried Florida with 49 percent of the vote, or a margin of 112,911 votes.
The Trump campaign money record
As exciting as having such a distinguished celebrity in Naples might be, those who are in the $15,000 per plate class might want to ask themselves before they fork over the cash: What am I donating to?
(And also: What can possibly be served for lunch that’s worth $15,000?)
From its outset the Trump campaign has been plagued by money woes. In a Sept. 7, 2020 New York Times article, “How Trump’s Billion-Dollar Campaign Lost Its Cash Advantage,” reporters Shane Goldmacher and Maggie Haberman detailed a campaign of undisciplined spending that burned through hundreds of millions of dollars.
It also featured chaotic purchasing, erratic hiring and disorganized messaging all in the service of an unrestrained and volatile candidate.
Much of this can be laid at the feet of Brad Parscale, Trump’s initial campaign manager. It was Parscale who rode in a chauffeured car and flew on private planes, who decided to spend money on questionably effective advertising, including heavy investment in the Washington, DC media market primarily so that Trump could see his ads on local TV.
The article quotes Ed Rollins, a veteran Republican strategist who runs a small pro-Trump super political action committee, as saying: “If you spend $800 million and you’re 10 points behind, I think you’ve got to answer the question ‘What was the game plan?’” He accused Parscale of spending “like a drunken sailor,” and noted “I think a lot of money was spent when voters weren’t paying attention.”
Parscale has since been replaced by Bill Stepien, who has taken a lower profile and tightened spending. However, the campaign’s cash chaos has not ceased.
Another exposé of Trump campaign spending also appeared in September in The Atlantic, titled “Trump Is Running His Campaign Like He Ran His Businesses.” The article by David Graham noted, “The president is again profiting handsomely at the expense of those trusting enough to give him money.”
Graham wrote: “The Trump 2020 campaign seems to be running on the same principle as many of the president’s commercial endeavors: Trump gets richer, while other people’s money gets lit on fire. This was how some of the president’s real-estate ventures and casinos operated, and so it’s unsurprising that it’s how he’s chosen to run his campaign—and the country.”
Along those lines, in July the Campaign Legal Center, a non-partisan, non-profit organization that seeks to advance “democracy through law,” filed an 82-page complaint with the Federal Election Commission charging that the campaign violated campaign finance law by illegally spending $170 million in disguised spending by “laundering the funds” through a variety of companies.
Commentary: The Shark Tank for real
Making a donation to a political campaign is a lot like investing in a business. As a donor you’re essentially investing in an outcome. You may be driven by ideological urges rather than profit, but many of the principles of effective donating and investing are the same.
Any investor knows the drill for evaluating a business pitch (and the public can see a version of it on the TV program Shark Tank): You look at the company’s business plan, its leadership and products, past performance if the company’s established or the founders’ past record if it’s a startup. You check references and media coverage. You examine the market and the needs and you try to peer out to the future to determine its prospects. Then you go through the spreadsheets to find errors or erroneous assumptions. In the end you make a bet—or not.
If the Trump presidency and campaign was a business investment opportunity, what would a potential investor see?
The company’s chief executive officer (CEO) is erratic, irascible, uncontrolled and uncontrollable but still overly controlling. He’s diseased and seemingly deranged. He’s been responsible for six previous bankruptcies and was cut off from established credit sources. He and his companies may be $1 billion in debt to unknown creditors. The company’s products are badly flawed and simply not working and demand for them has cratered. Its performance (the economy) has collapsed from bad management. An outside force (a pandemic) could have been mitigated or controlled early on but wasn’t because of poor assumptions and delusional reactions. The references are terrible, with former executives uniformly denouncing and exposing the CEO’s shortcomings and crimes. Other than the media controlled or co-opted by the CEO, coverage is uniformly and unrelentingly bad. The market is trending against the company with all market research indicating its competitor is going to dominate. The spreadsheets are unavailable or those provided are of very questionable reliability. The likely prospect is that a bankruptcy declaration will come Nov. 3.
This is the company that Ivanka Trump will be coming to Naples to sell on Wednesday.
People who can afford a $15,000 per plate meal did not qualify for sitting at that kind of table by being stupid.
But for those who buy in: Enjoy lunch.
Liberty lives in light
© 2020 by David Silverberg


dailykos--2020-10-21--Republican leak of Biden's moving texts to his son backfire by revealing Biden's love and kindness

May we all have parents who tell us , in our darkest moments , that they still love us .
@ @ @ @ @ ( @ everywhereist ) October 17 , 2020 What a sociopath the leaker must be @ @ @ @ @ makes Biden look bad .
As if vulnerability , kindness , and love are signs @ @ @ @ @ ridiculed .
This is the same attitude that caused a Trump senior campaign adviser to @ @ @ @ @ look bad by saying that Biden was just like Mr. Rogers .

x May we all have parents who tell us, in our darkest moments, that they still love us. https://t.co/kZxIDCkTni — Geraldine (@everywhereist) October 17, 2020
www.dailydot.com/…
What a sociopath the leaker must be, to think that this makes Biden look bad. As if vulnerability, kindness, and love are signs of weakness that should be ridiculed. This is the same attitude that caused a Trump senior campaign adviser to think she could make Biden look bad by saying that Biden was just like Mr. Rogers.


Insidious Caricatures

Everyone should aspire to be honest brokers with the spoken word .
This has never been more important than now when it comes to dialogues talking about politics .
It is our civic duty to rise above the special interest noise trying to foment fear and division between good-meaning , hard-working citizens .
Citizens who strive to remain engaged and informed to discern wise choices at the ballot box .
A pandemic of the mind has afflicted our society with insidious caricatures that many find hard to dislodge .
The American experiment is at crossroads in the 2020 presidential election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear that Donald Trump ’ s re-election campaign poses the greatest threat to American democracy since World War II .
Trumpism is a scourge on our country which feeds on a regular diet of Fox News caricatures .
The four years of his presidency is marked with over 20,000 lies , self-serving , corruption , obstructing justice , incompetence , and fearmongering .
He was impeached yet the Republican controlled Senate made a mockery of the Constitution with a sham impeachment trial that called no witnesses when the President used $ 400 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government for political favors .
An utter sycophant debasement of American institutions and prestige .
President Trump ’ s first line of rebuttal when criticized or accused of wrongdoing is to deny , attack , reverse victim and offender ( DARVO ) .
Luckily , his puerile “ fake news ” banality reveals the highest level of sophistry he can muster .
A more cunning liar could be worse and more damaging to the health of a nation .
Dr. Anthony Fauci , Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” by Trump and referred to his scientific advisers as “ these idiots ” which is emblematic of Trump ’ s depthless superficiality .
Fauci ’ s service to the country is admirable and patriotic .
It can be argued that the most infectious foolishness is the belief that caricatures are accurate .
Let us deconstruct the following Trumpism anthem to illustrate this point .
1 .
I ’ m voting for the second amendment .
It is a falsity that Progressives are against the second amendment .
They are for sensible gun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and limiting the prevalence of assault rifles with large magazines is only sane .
2 .
I ’ m voting for the next supreme court justice .
Won ’ t matter unless you also get a majority in the Senate due to the precedence the Republican Senate has set regarding the Merrick Garland nomination .
Electoral college is secured within the Constitution .
Yes , there are reasonable voices arguing for its abolishment .
It surprises no one that a minority opinion would disavow the “ one person , one vote ” fairness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m voting for the Police , Law , and Order .
A horrific caricature which implies voting against Trump is a vote against Law and Order .
Trumpism is the embodiment of chaos and corruption .
This is absolute mindlessness .
Trump has committed several felonies while in office and has been impeached for corruption .
Progressives are not for violence , vandalism , and destruction .
Any sensible leader urges the arrest of people engaging in illegal activity and promotes the right for people to peacefully protests .
A more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrest malcontents , engaging in illegal behavior , within largely peaceful protests and demonstrations .
5 .
I ’ m voting for the military and the veterans who fought for and died for this country .
President Trump has shown disdain for the military and people who have sacrificed for the country .
This is consistent with his public statements about John McCain .
True patriotism upholds the principles for which soldiers have died .
Liberty and freedom should be cherished , and it is supremely pretentious and false that Trumpism is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of highly respected military leaders fear for the future with another 4 years of Trump .
True patriots recognize wrong-doing and are willing to call it out .
The Commander-in-Chief should be a person of immense intelligence , ethics , and fortitude .
They must be intimate with the sacrifices that military people make .
Biden convincingly wins this category .
Trump wins in Russian propaganda and being in financial debt to foreign banks .
6 .
I ’ m voting for the flag that is always missing from Democratic assembly background @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - a statement designed to elicit negative emotions against unpatriotic political opponents that is fundamentally untrue .
A rudimentary amount of fact checking online will show this as complete poppycock .
Besides , it is ludicrous to think the proportion of displayed flags conveys the deepness of patriotism as illustrated in this Trump anthem .
7 .
I ’ m voting for the right to speak my opinion and not be censored .
The pressure to tow party line runs deep in both Republican and Democratic establishments .
The inability to spot shortcomings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one has most affinity , is the hobgoblin of shallow fools .
The worst trait of the Progressive movement is its inability to see a social program as good but insufficiently good to warrant taxpayer support .
Both major parties have a strong penchant for increasing the national debt .
One must not conflate rightful criticism of hate speech with an interest to abolish the first amendment .
ICE arrests went up after Trump took office but remain lower than during much of Obama ’ s tenure .
Check the facts .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open borders but do favor of a pathway to citizenship for DACA or dreamers .
9 .
I ’ m voting for the right to praise my God without fear .
I ’ m voting for every unborn life , the Democrats want to murder…I ’ m voting for one nation under God .
I ’ m voting for good and against evil .
This is the most insidious of all caricatures and is cult-like .
It implies a vote against Trump is a vote for evil and murder .
It is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ practice religion .
This is packed with self-righteous hooey .
PROGRESSIVES AREN ’ T FOR ABORTION .
They are not going door-to-door saying abortion production needs increased .
They believe in contraception and reducing the number of abortions .
They want fewer abortions but are not willing to cede such decisions to the government as anti-abortion voices urge .
They don ’ t want government demanding that all unwanted pregnancies be brought to term – no exceptions for rape , endangering the mother ’ s health , or duration ( i.e .
term @ @ @ @ @ @ @ play this out .
Suppose the Supreme Court overturns Roe vs Wade and all abortions are made illegal in the United States .
Then , only the rich , with means to travel outside the United States , will get abortions on demand .
The rate of new single mothers , with broken family structures , will skyrocket .
In turn , this will lead to increased crime , violence , and welfare .
Adoption is an option but only about 15 percent of annual adoptions in the United States is from voluntarily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these babies remain un-adopted within one month of being born .
One can also deep dive into two related topics .
One is in determining when an unborn fetus should be afforded all the rights of newborn fetuses .
The other is the Constitutional separation between church and state .
It is difficult to see the rationalization of assigning full human rights to a single biological cell , i.e .
fertilized human embryo , without invoking a religiously derived standard .
Yet , some are willing to embrace an undignified authoritative-leaning corrupt politician @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ pro-life ” .
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has made the statement that “ The threat of abortion remains our preeminent priority because it directly attacks life itself.
” However , there were some in that conference , with impressive theological credentials , urging it be phrased as “ The threat of abortion remains one of several preeminent priorities… ” .
Bishop McElroy argued “ The common good is , in Catholic theology , the advancement of the whole series of issues in society which allow the fullest expression and enhancement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for all people in our society and in the world .
To say that abortion is the preeminent issue in a particular political season is to reduce the common good , in effect , to one issue.
” Furthermore , there is a significant number of Evangelical Christians fiercely objecting to Trump saying “ This is not of God ” .
Yet , the majority still embrace him over his opponent .
To affirm an independent thinking ethos , one can make a convincing argument for the prohibition of late-term abortions .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , single-issue voters are urged to search their personal ethics and acknowledge potential uncertainty and weaknesses , theological or otherwise , in their stance .
It is unconscionable to give pro-life politicians unfettered freedom to be corrupt and inept .
This spawns fascism .
10 .
I ’ m not just voting for one person .
I ’ m voting for the future of my country .
That is interesting because it is also what motivates this article .
This anthem neglects the preeminent public issues of climate change , health care , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disregards the inexcusable actions of a President lying to the public about an impending pandemic and mocking those wanting to minimize the deaths by encouraging masks .
And Progressives are not anti-business .
They are pro-business .
Respect Nature .
Respect Science .
Respect each other .
Respect integrity of the spoken word .
Fight insidious caricatures .
In this noble battle lies the true fortress of liberty and freedom .
This fight will not end with defeating Trump .
Trump is a symptom of a greater societal affliction that seeks simple answers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to sanitize .

Everyone should aspire to be honest brokers with the spoken word. This has never been more important than now when it comes to dialogues talking about politics. It is our civic duty to rise above the special interest noise trying to foment fear and division between good-meaning, hard-working citizens. Citizens who strive to remain engaged and informed to discern wise choices at the ballot box.
A pandemic of the mind has afflicted our society with insidious caricatures that many find hard to dislodge. The American experiment is at crossroads in the 2020 presidential election. The New York Times makes it clear that Donald Trump’s re-election campaign poses the greatest threat to American democracy since World War II.
Trumpism is a scourge on our country which feeds on a regular diet of Fox News caricatures. The four years of his presidency is marked with over 20,000 lies, self-serving, corruption, obstructing justice, incompetence, and fearmongering. He was impeached yet the Republican controlled Senate made a mockery of the Constitution with a sham impeachment trial that called no witnesses when the President used $400 million of taxpayer money to shake-down a foreign government for political favors. An utter sycophant debasement of American institutions and prestige.
President Trump’s first line of rebuttal when criticized or accused of wrongdoing is to deny, attack, reverse victim and offender (DARVO). Luckily, his puerile “fake news” banality reveals the highest level of sophistry he can muster. A more cunning liar could be worse and more damaging to the health of a nation. Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has been called “a disaster” by Trump and referred to his scientific advisers as “these idiots” which is emblematic of Trump’s depthless superficiality. Fauci’s service to the country is admirable and patriotic.
It can be argued that the most infectious foolishness is the belief that caricatures are accurate. Let us deconstruct the following Trumpism anthem to illustrate this point.
1. I’m voting for the second amendment.
It is a falsity that Progressives are against the second amendment. They are for sensible gun safety. Closing loopholes in background checks and limiting the prevalence of assault rifles with large magazines is only sane.
2. I’m voting for the next supreme court justice.
Won’t matter unless you also get a majority in the Senate due to the precedence the Republican Senate has set regarding the Merrick Garland nomination.
3. I’m voting for the electoral college.
Electoral college is secured within the Constitution. Yes, there are reasonable voices arguing for its abolishment. It surprises no one that a minority opinion would disavow the “one person, one vote” fairness doctrine to maintain power.
4. I’m voting for the Police, Law, and Order.
A horrific caricature which implies voting against Trump is a vote against Law and Order. Trumpism is the embodiment of chaos and corruption. This is absolute mindlessness. Trump has committed several felonies while in office and has been impeached for corruption. Progressives are not for violence, vandalism, and destruction. Any sensible leader urges the arrest of people engaging in illegal activity and promotes the right for people to peacefully protests. A more fundamental and important issue is how to arrest malcontents, engaging in illegal behavior, within largely peaceful protests and demonstrations.
5. I’m voting for the military and the veterans who fought for and died for this country.
President Trump has shown disdain for the military and people who have sacrificed for the country. This is consistent with his public statements about John McCain.
True patriotism upholds the principles for which soldiers have died. Liberty and freedom should be cherished, and it is supremely pretentious and false that Trumpism is the bastion protecting said principles. A vast number of highly respected military leaders fear for the future with another 4 years of Trump.
True patriots recognize wrong-doing and are willing to call it out. The Commander-in-Chief should be a person of immense intelligence, ethics, and fortitude. They must be intimate with the sacrifices that military people make. Biden convincingly wins this category. Trump wins in Russian propaganda and being in financial debt to foreign banks.
6. I’m voting for the flag that is always missing from Democratic assembly background.
This is a false flag statement - a statement designed to elicit negative emotions against unpatriotic political opponents that is fundamentally untrue. A rudimentary amount of fact checking online will show this as complete poppycock. Besides, it is ludicrous to think the proportion of displayed flags conveys the deepness of patriotism as illustrated in this Trump anthem.
7. I’m voting for the right to speak my opinion and not be censored.
The pressure to tow party line runs deep in both Republican and Democratic establishments. The inability to spot shortcomings, of the political party to which one has most affinity, is the hobgoblin of shallow fools. The worst trait of the Progressive movement is its inability to see a social program as good but insufficiently good to warrant taxpayer support. Both major parties have a strong penchant for increasing the national debt. One must not conflate rightful criticism of hate speech with an interest to abolish the first amendment.
8. I’m voting for secure borders.
ICE arrests went up after Trump took office but remain lower than during much of Obama’s tenure. Check the facts. The vast number of Progressives are not for open borders but do favor of a pathway to citizenship for DACA or dreamers.
9. I’m voting for the right to praise my God without fear. I’m voting for every unborn life, the Democrats want to murder…I’m voting for one nation under God. I’m voting for good and against evil.
This is the most insidious of all caricatures and is cult-like. It implies a vote against Trump is a vote for evil and murder. It is a vote against God and the right to practice religion. This is packed with self-righteous hooey. PROGRESSIVES AREN’T FOR ABORTION. They are not going door-to-door saying abortion production needs increased. They believe in contraception and reducing the number of abortions. They want fewer abortions but are not willing to cede such decisions to the government as anti-abortion voices urge. They don’t want government demanding that all unwanted pregnancies be brought to term – no exceptions for rape, endangering the mother’s health, or duration (i.e. term) of pregnancy.
Let’s play this out. Suppose the Supreme Court overturns Roe vs Wade and all abortions are made illegal in the United States. Then, only the rich, with means to travel outside the United States, will get abortions on demand. The rate of new single mothers, with broken family structures, will skyrocket. In turn, this will lead to increased crime, violence, and welfare. Adoption is an option but only about 15 percent of annual adoptions in the United States is from voluntarily relinquished American babies. About one-third of these babies remain un-adopted within one month of being born.
One can also deep dive into two related topics. One is in determining when an unborn fetus should be afforded all the rights of newborn fetuses. The other is the Constitutional separation between church and state. It is difficult to see the rationalization of assigning full human rights to a single biological cell, i.e. fertilized human embryo, without invoking a religiously derived standard.
Yet, some are willing to embrace an undignified authoritative-leaning corrupt politician for the sole reason that they are “pro-life”. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has made the statement that “The threat of abortion remains our preeminent priority because it directly attacks life itself.” However, there were some in that conference, with impressive theological credentials, urging it be phrased as “The threat of abortion remains one of several preeminent priorities…”. Bishop McElroy argued
“The common good is, in Catholic theology, the advancement of the whole series of issues in society which allow the fullest expression and enhancement and achievement of human life and dignity for all people in our society and in the world. To say that abortion is the preeminent issue in a particular political season is to reduce the common good, in effect, to one issue.”
Furthermore, there is a significant number of Evangelical Christians fiercely objecting to Trump saying “This is not of God”. Yet, the majority still embrace him over his opponent.
To affirm an independent thinking ethos, one can make a convincing argument for the prohibition of late-term abortions. They are abhorrent. In the same spirit, single-issue voters are urged to search their personal ethics and acknowledge potential uncertainty and weaknesses, theological or otherwise, in their stance. It is unconscionable to give pro-life politicians unfettered freedom to be corrupt and inept. This spawns fascism.
10. I’m not just voting for one person. I’m voting for the future of my country.
That is interesting because it is also what motivates this article.
This anthem neglects the preeminent public issues of climate change, health care, and environmental stewardship and sustainability. It disregards the inexcusable actions of a President lying to the public about an impending pandemic and mocking those wanting to minimize the deaths by encouraging masks. And Progressives are not anti-business. They are pro-business.
Respect Nature. Respect Science. Respect each other. Respect integrity of the spoken word. Fight insidious caricatures. In this noble battle lies the true fortress of liberty and freedom. This fight will not end with defeating Trump. Trump is a symptom of a greater societal affliction that seeks simple answers to complicated problems and requires continued vigilance to sanitize.