Schrödinger Politics

Pretty sure I ’ m gon na win a Noble Prize for this : While we wait for a final POTUS outcome , I thought I ’ d share a recent thought experiment that proves Republicans , with their tortured logic ( and during the Bush Administration , their “ torture logic ” ) are in fact the Party of Schrödinger .
You remember Edwin Schrödinger - He proposed a scenario with a cat in a locked steel chamber , wherein the cat 's life or death depended on the state of a radioactive atom , whether it had decayed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Schrödinger , the Copenhagen interpretation implies that the cat remains both alive and dead until the state has been observed .
Of course , Schrödinger did not wish to promote the idea of dead-and-live cats as a serious possibility .
It was just an illustration for his buddy Al Einstein .
The idea that two directly opposite things can both be true even when examined is a hallmark of the Republican Party , especially during the Trump Administration .
Observe : • None Nominating a Supreme Court Justice nine months before an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is good and decent , but nominating a Supreme Court Justice while an election is taking place is cool .
• None Asking “ how will we pay for it ” and worrying about the deficit when discussing stimulus payments or extending unemployment benefits is totally necessary , but asking that same question when discussing tax cut or war is just silly .
• None And , of course , one must count all votes and stop the vote count simultaneously .
All this “ Schrödinger-izing ” creates a new breed of voter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FOTs ( Fans of Trump ) – I call them “ Schrödinger Voters.
” In listening to the babble from Trump and Republican mouths , they exhibit a strange reaction in that they know what they ’ re hearing is false , and yet , they desperately want to believe it .
Again , observe : • None They know that Hillary Clinton is not a habitual criminal and there ’ s no basement in the pizza parlor , but…they want to lock her up .
• None They know that the wall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is certainly not paying for it , and yet…they want to believe it ’ s already built and paid for .
• None They know ObamaCare sucks and a shiny new Republican Health Care Plan to replace it is coming in two weeks , but…wait , how long has it been ?
Well , two weeks from now .
And they gladly appear in Arizona to support counting all the votes and simultaneously in Michigan to stop counting all the votes .
And look how well that worked out in both states .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of them to Philly .

Pretty sure I’m gonna win a Noble Prize for this:
While we wait for a final POTUS outcome, I thought I’d share a recent thought experiment that proves Republicans, with their tortured logic (and during the Bush Administration, their “torture logic”) are in fact the Party of Schrödinger.
You remember Edwin Schrödinger - He proposed a scenario with a cat in a locked steel chamber, wherein the cat's life or death depended on the state of a radioactive atom, whether it had decayed and emitted radiation or not. According to Schrödinger, the Copenhagen interpretation implies that the cat remains both alive and dead until the state has been observed. Of course, Schrödinger did not wish to promote the idea of dead-and-live cats as a serious possibility. It was just an illustration for his buddy Al Einstein.
The idea that two directly opposite things can both be true even when examined is a hallmark of the Republican Party, especially during the Trump Administration. Observe:
Nominating a Supreme Court Justice nine months before an election is a violation of all that is good and decent, but nominating a Supreme Court Justice while an election is taking place is cool.
Asking “how will we pay for it” and worrying about the deficit when discussing stimulus payments or extending unemployment benefits is totally necessary, but asking that same question when discussing tax cut or war is just silly.
And, of course, one must count all votes and stop the vote count simultaneously.
All this “Schrödinger-izing” creates a new breed of voter – call them Trumpkins, call them FOTs (Fans of Trump) – I call them “Schrödinger Voters.” In listening to the babble from Trump and Republican mouths, they exhibit a strange reaction in that they know what they’re hearing is false, and yet, they desperately want to believe it. Again, observe:
They know that Hillary Clinton is not a habitual criminal and there’s no basement in the pizza parlor, but…they want to lock her up.
They know that the wall isn’t being built and Mexico is certainly not paying for it, and yet…they want to believe it’s already built and paid for.
They know ObamaCare sucks and a shiny new Republican Health Care Plan to replace it is coming in two weeks, but…wait, how long has it been? Well, two weeks from now.
And they gladly appear in Arizona to support counting all the votes and simultaneously in Michigan to stop counting all the votes. And look how well that worked out in both states.
I wonder if we can bus some of them to Philly.


dailykos--2020-11-07--Southwest Florida’s ‘teachable moment’ and the 2020 election

President Barack Obama used to find “ teachable moments ” in his setbacks and disappointments .
It ’ s a good way to approach the world .
Avoiding or dismissing a defeat is unproductive and unhelpful .
But making it a teachable moment , staring it in the face , objectively studying all its warts and ugliness , provides critical knowledge and ultimately , wisdom .
It ’ s always more pleasant to analyze the results of a victory rather than a defeat—but in some ways , it ’ s more important to examine a defeat because it holds more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential race , which is unresolved as of this writing , seems headed toward a victory for former Vice President Joe Biden , in Florida the race was pretty much a complete defeat for Democrats .
Donald Trump took the state , Republicans took the legislature , and incumbent Democratic stalwarts like Reps. Donna Shalala ( D-27-Fla. ) and Debby Murcarsel-Powell ( D-26-Fla. ) lost their seats .
Republicans are crowing that Florida is no longer a purple state that can swing either way and is now “ Trump country.
” At the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In Southwest Florida , every Democratic candidate was defeated and by large margins .
So what are some of the lessons of this experience for the region ’ s Democrats , liberals and progressives ?
For the time being , SWFL is overwhelmingly Republican and will stay that way for a long time .
For years Republicans have outnumbered Democrats in Southwest Florida , whether those Republicans were long-residing Floridians or more recent Midwestern migrants who drove down once I-75 opened up in the 1970s .
The dominant population of Southwest Florida is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its party registration .
This is also a function of age : 29 percent of the Lee County population is 65 and older as is 33 percent of Collier County .
These are not people thirsting for revolutionary change .
The area ’ s dominant party affiliation may have altered from southern Democrat to Republican in the 1960s and from traditional Republican to Trumpist starting in 2016 , but it is clear that the overwhelming sensibility is conservative—however “ conservative ” is defined .
That rightist allegiance—and infatuation with Donald Trump—was clearly not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s threats to seniors ’ Social Security and healthcare , his personal repulsiveness , his general incompetence and his catastrophic governance .
Despite some Republican dissenters and the votes of independents , Southwest Florida voters overwhelmingly voted their registrations and so his hold continues .
With its critical victories , Republican dominance in Florida and Tallahassee seems set to continue for at least the next decade .
This is the legislature that will redraw the maps after the Census .
Florida is already gerrymandered to benefit Republicans .
That will probably be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans ’ advantage with the aid of new digital tools .
If those maps are too blatantly biased , Democrats will challenge them in court ; however , they will be bringing those challenges to a politicized , ideologically conservative state judiciary , so not much relief can be expected there .
Certainly , Republican dominance for years to come can be expected in Southwest Florida , if not in the state as a whole .
This too shall pass But like all things , this too shall pass—and demographics work both ways @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president forever ( or possibly not past Jan. 20 ) and the current Republican Boomer generation will leave the scene—sooner rather than later if they continue to refuse to wear masks .
( And by the way , it ’ s worth noting that two prominent anti-maskers , Donald Trump and Byron Donalds , both contracted COVID-19 during this campaign . )
As Democrats pick themselves up , they have to adjust to the realization that the pursuit of democratic ideals and values in Southwest Florida is a marathon , not a sprint @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to start playing a long game , laying the groundwork for the future ; organizing , thinking and cultivating the next generation of leaders .
In this there was some good news for Southwest Florida Democrats , not in the results but in their slate , which featured young , dynamic candidates like Anselm Weber , 24 , who ran for Florida House District 76 ; Rachel Brown 25 , who ran for Florida Senate District 27 ; and Maureen Porras , 31 , who ran for House District 105 .
In Cape @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kept her seat on the Cape Coral City Council .
Congressional candidate Cindy Banyai is 40 years old—a veritable baby in Southwest Florida terms .
She came from virtually nothing in terms of name recognition and is now on the local political map .
She has many years of organizing , coalition-building and campaigning ahead of her—which will no doubt ultimately lead to electoral success .
To the north , in the 17th Congressional District , Democrat Allen Ellison , 40 , also has many years ahead of him .
On the presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a whole echelon of talent and young , dynamic leaders .
( See “ The hidden story of the Democratic presidential primary–and the party ’ s future.
” ) The Lee and Collier county Democratic parties will be examining their roles and activities and out of that examination will no doubt come new reforms and changes .
It won ’ t be easy or bloodless but it will be essential .
As it was , they went into the contest with better organization and dynamism than had been seen in previous contests .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a tremendous need for better data collection about the Southwest Florida population .
There is little to no systematic polling on any issue .
This is a need not just in the political realm but for a great deal of decisionmaking and awareness of public attitudes on issues such as climate change , land development and conservation .
Polls that were done during this election were done privately by individual candidates and only selective data was released to the public .
Better data would help formulate better strategies , messaging and campaigning—and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heroes and dissidents of history all have something in common—their persistence in their commitment to their ideals , values and goals no matter what the odds and setbacks .
From George Washington facing starvation and defeat at Valley Forge , to Nelson Mandela suffering 27 years in prison , to Andrei Sakharov , who labored against a seemingly insurmountable Soviet system , to Martin Luther King who fought entrenched segregation , all remained true to their ideals and values .
There is the example of Sen. Elizabeth Warren ( D-Mass . )
, @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the US Senate won her what was both a rebuke and a plaudit from Sen. Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) : “ Nevertheless , she persisted.
” Most recently , we have the example of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , who lost many battles on the Supreme Court .
When she lost , she reflected , “ I ’ m dejected , but only momentarily , when I can ’ t get the fifth vote for something I think is very important .
But then you go on to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all .
You know that these important issues are not going to go away .
They are going to come back again and again .
There ’ ll be another time , another day.
” And as Sen. Ted Kennedy ( D-Mass . )
said in his 1980 concession speech : “ For all those whose cares have been our concern , the work goes on , the cause endures , the hope still lives , and the dream shall never die .
”

The Paradise Progressive Analysis and commentary November 6, 2020 5 Minutes
Nov. 6, 2020 by David Silverberg
President Barack Obama used to find “teachable moments” in his setbacks and disappointments. It’s a good way to approach the world. Avoiding or dismissing a defeat is unproductive and unhelpful. But making it a teachable moment, staring it in the face, objectively studying all its warts and ugliness, provides critical knowledge and ultimately, wisdom.
It’s always more pleasant to analyze the results of a victory rather than a defeat—but in some ways, it’s more important to examine a defeat because it holds more lessons for the future.
Although the presidential race, which is unresolved as of this writing, seems headed toward a victory for former Vice President Joe Biden, in Florida the race was pretty much a complete defeat for Democrats.
Donald Trump took the state, Republicans took the legislature, and incumbent Democratic stalwarts like Reps. Donna Shalala (D-27-Fla.) and Debby Murcarsel-Powell (D-26-Fla.) lost their seats. Republicans are crowing that Florida is no longer a purple state that can swing either way and is now “Trump country.” At the moment, they’re right.
In Southwest Florida, every Democratic candidate was defeated and by large margins.
So what are some of the lessons of this experience for the region’s Democrats, liberals and progressives?
Demographics are destiny
For the time being, SWFL is overwhelmingly Republican and will stay that way for a long time.
For years Republicans have outnumbered Democrats in Southwest Florida, whether those Republicans were long-residing Floridians or more recent Midwestern migrants who drove down once I-75 opened up in the 1970s.
The dominant population of Southwest Florida is politically conservative by habit as reflected in its party registration. This is also a function of age: 29 percent of the Lee County population is 65 and older as is 33 percent of Collier County. These are not people thirsting for revolutionary change.
The area’s dominant party affiliation may have altered from southern Democrat to Republican in the 1960s and from traditional Republican to Trumpist starting in 2016, but it is clear that the overwhelming sensibility is conservative—however “conservative” is defined.
That rightist allegiance—and infatuation with Donald Trump—was clearly not shaken despite the COVID pandemic, Trump’s threats to seniors’ Social Security and healthcare, his personal repulsiveness, his general incompetence and his catastrophic governance. Despite some Republican dissenters and the votes of independents, Southwest Florida voters overwhelmingly voted their registrations and so his hold continues.
With its critical victories, Republican dominance in Florida and Tallahassee seems set to continue for at least the next decade. This is the legislature that will redraw the maps after the Census. Florida is already gerrymandered to benefit Republicans. That will probably be intensified as the boundaries are refined to Republicans’ advantage with the aid of new digital tools. If those maps are too blatantly biased, Democrats will challenge them in court; however, they will be bringing those challenges to a politicized, ideologically conservative state judiciary, so not much relief can be expected there.
Certainly, Republican dominance for years to come can be expected in Southwest Florida, if not in the state as a whole.
This too shall pass
But like all things, this too shall pass—and demographics work both ways. Donald Trump won’t be president forever (or possibly not past Jan. 20) and the current Republican Boomer generation will leave the scene—sooner rather than later if they continue to refuse to wear masks. (And by the way, it’s worth noting that two prominent anti-maskers, Donald Trump and Byron Donalds, both contracted COVID-19 during this campaign.)
As Democrats pick themselves up, they have to adjust to the realization that the pursuit of democratic ideals and values in Southwest Florida is a marathon, not a sprint. Democrats, liberals and progressives need to start playing a long game, laying the groundwork for the future; organizing, thinking and cultivating the next generation of leaders.
In this there was some good news for Southwest Florida Democrats, not in the results but in their slate, which featured young, dynamic candidates like Anselm Weber, 24, who ran for Florida House District 76; Rachel Brown 25, who ran for Florida Senate District 27; and Maureen Porras, 31, who ran for House District 105. In Cape Coral, Jessica Cosden, 36, kept her seat on the Cape Coral City Council.
Congressional candidate Cindy Banyai is 40 years old—a veritable baby in Southwest Florida terms. She came from virtually nothing in terms of name recognition and is now on the local political map. She has many years of organizing, coalition-building and campaigning ahead of her—which will no doubt ultimately lead to electoral success.
To the north, in the 17th Congressional District, Democrat Allen Ellison, 40, also has many years ahead of him.
On the presidential level, the Democratic primary campaign revealed a whole echelon of talent and young, dynamic leaders. (See “The hidden story of the Democratic presidential primary–and the party’s future.”)
The Lee and Collier county Democratic parties will be examining their roles and activities and out of that examination will no doubt come new reforms and changes. It won’t be easy or bloodless but it will be essential. As it was, they went into the contest with better organization and dynamism than had been seen in previous contests.
On a more granular level, there is a tremendous need for better data collection about the Southwest Florida population. There is little to no systematic polling on any issue. This is a need not just in the political realm but for a great deal of decisionmaking and awareness of public attitudes on issues such as climate change, land development and conservation. Polls that were done during this election were done privately by individual candidates and only selective data was released to the public. Better data would help formulate better strategies, messaging and campaigning—and better governing in general.
The power of persistence
The great heroes and dissidents of history all have something in common—their persistence in their commitment to their ideals, values and goals no matter what the odds and setbacks.
From George Washington facing starvation and defeat at Valley Forge, to Nelson Mandela suffering 27 years in prison, to Andrei Sakharov, who labored against a seemingly insurmountable Soviet system, to Martin Luther King who fought entrenched segregation, all remained true to their ideals and values. There is the example of Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), whose determination to speak on the floor of the US Senate won her what was both a rebuke and a plaudit from Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.): “Nevertheless, she persisted.”
Most recently, we have the example of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who lost many battles on the Supreme Court. When she lost, she reflected, “I’m dejected, but only momentarily, when I can’t get the fifth vote for something I think is very important. But then you go on to the next challenge and you give it your all. You know that these important issues are not going to go away. They are going to come back again and again. There’ll be another time, another day.”
And as Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) said in his 1980 concession speech: “For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die.”
Liberty lives in light
© 2020 by David Silverberg


dailykos--2020-11-06--Why Trump’s Lawsuits Are Having Little Impact on the Vote Counts, by Steven Rosenfeld

Trump ’ s suits have been filed late , target small issues and are error-ridden .
This article was produced by , a of the Independent Media Institute .
The flurry of lawsuits hastily filed by President Trump ’ s campaign and its Republican allies to stop counting votes and to disqualify absentee ballots has so far failed to make much headway—in contrast to disinformation that they are spreading to discredit the 2020 election .
Trump ’ s propaganda , predictably , has drawn wide attention .
Whether tweets falsely claiming he won and Democrats are stealing the election ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , or his son Eric ’ s fabricated video of ballots being burned ( they were sample ballots , not real ones ) , or false statements by White House officials , these antics have been noted and debunked .
In contrast to this bombast , Trump ’ s lawsuits filed since Election Day in states where the presidential results are not yet known have had limited success , but , more importantly , they do not appear to be game changers .
The lawsuits are targeting small facets of the absentee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delay announcing the results and certifying winners , the suits are not poised to disqualify enough ballots to alter the race ’ s outcome—not where he lags by tens of thousands of votes .
Instead , many of Trump ’ s suits have been filed late , and some are error-ridden .
“ None of Trump ’ s small bore lawsuits have been able to stop the count , and of course there is no basis to do so , ” wrote ElectionLawBlog ’ s Rick Hasen on Thursday .
“ He and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dangerous conspiracy theories that Democratic elected officials are somehow ‘ stealing ’ the vote when all they are doing is counting the ballots.
” Consider two of Trump ’ s lawsuits from Michigan .
The first lawsuit , against Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson , was filed late Wednesday afternoon and sought to stop the statewide counting of votes—just hours before the counting was done .
The campaign ’ s brief was filed by Mark “ Thor ” Hearne—a Missouri-based attorney who , in 2005 , was one of the first Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voter fraud .
The suit claimed that Republicans did not have an observer “ present at the absent voter counting place ” in every jurisdiction , and these observers were not being allowed “ to observe the video of the ballot boxes into which these [ absentee ] ballots are placed.
” On this basis , Trump wanted to stop Michigan ’ s vote count .
Michigan Court of Claims Judge Cynthia Stephens dismissed the lawsuit on Thursday , saying that it was filed as the last ballots were counted—too late—which made the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Benson , was the wrong person to sue , the judge said , because Benson doesn ’ t directly supervise how the state ’ s local election officials process absentee ballots .
This was a messy filing .
Chris Sautter , an election attorney specializing in recounts who has worked for Democratic candidates for decades , said that a serious suit should have been filed on Tuesday , when the absentee ballot processing began .
If there were issues with campaign representatives getting access to observe the process , the remedy was granting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he said .
And while the lawsuit said that Benson had a duty to instruct local officials , it never detailed that she had failed to do so , he noted .
In other words , the Trump lawsuit was too general , too late , and had targeted the wrong defendant .
The Trump campaign filed a similar suit late Wednesday in Detroit seeking to stop the city ’ s processing of a subset of absentee ballots—those that had to be duplicated because they were torn or stained—and seeking to halt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ results .
Like the suit against Benson , this action came as the counting was ending and also named the wrong defendant .
On Thursday morning , Trump ’ s campaign filed papers to add Wayne County as a defendant , as it is the county—not the city of Detroit—that certifies election results .
On the specifics , the suit said that some absentee ballots were being duplicated by election officials without a Republican observer present .
The duplication should stop , and all duplicated ballots should be “ segregated ” or set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those ballots could be further examined and possibly challenged .
Such a delay would slow down certifying Detroit ’ s results .
What Trump ’ s Detroit-centered lawsuit did not say was that the Michigan Republican Party had observers in the cavernous room where the city was processing and counting ballots .
It did not say that the Republicans had raised issues surrounding the ballot processing that were being ignored .
And it was filed after the counting was over , but still sought a restraining order to halt the process .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to not winning in a landslide Tuesday appears to be messy and late .
A similar lawsuit was filed in Nevada after Election Day seeking to stop that swing state ’ s counting .
The suit , too , claimed that Trump observers were being stymied .
It was unanimously rejected by the state ’ s supreme court .
It didn ’ t look like the Trump campaign planned on suing in Michigan or Nevada , Sautter said , despite Trump ’ s threat to launch a wave of litigation .
But more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s lawsuits—to disqualify a subset of absentee ballots , stop the counting process and delay certifying the results—was not going to add up to the tens of thousands of votes that Trump needs to win in key states .
On Thursday , Trump trailed Joe Biden in Michigan by 147,000 votes , where his lawyers are seeking to challenge spoiled ballots that were duplicated .
That same assessment is likely in Pennsylvania , where Trump ’ s lawyers were positioning themselves to challenge the absentee ballots that had been postmarked by Election Day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through Friday , November 6 .
The Trump campaign on Wednesday filed a motion in the U.S. Supreme Court to join a suit over these late-returning absentee ballots in Pennsylvania .
Late Thursday , the Washington Post reported that the Postal Service said that there were only 3,439 absentee ballots postmarked by Election Day to be delivered in Pennsylvania .
The big picture that emerges is that Trump ’ s post-Election Day litigation strategy has not stopped the vote-counting process nor was it poised to implicate enough votes to overturn the results in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can not win a second term in the courts of legal opinion , he is seeking to discredit the process in the court of public opinion—where propaganda and disinformation make quicker impressions than real-life points of law .
Trump ’ s rambling , grievance-filled statement late Thursday blaming the Democrats for trying to “ steal ” the election appeared to be the latest affirmation of this strategy .
“ They are grasping at straws , ” Sautter said , speaking of Trump ’ s litigation strategy before his speech .
“ They are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to say that the outcome can not be trusted because there were too many flaws.
” “ They waited too long to complain , ” he continued .
“ If they didn ’ t have enough people observing [ in Detroit ] , they should have taken care of that beginning with Election Day .
This lawsuit was filed late yesterday [ Wednesday ] afternoon .
Now the counting is done .
There ’ s no evidence that any of this stuff adds up to anywhere near the margin.
” There may be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Republicans ’ contention that they lacked sufficient numbers of election observers , Sautter said .
But that lapse was their error , not the fault of the officials running the absentee ballot counting boards—a process that has been in place for years .
“ A lot of this is too little too late , ” he said .
Steven Rosenfeld is the editor and chief correspondent of , a of the Independent Media Institute .
He has reported for National Public Radio , Marketplace , and Christian Science Monitor Radio , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ progressive publications including Salon , AlterNet , the American Prospect , and many others .

rss@dailykos.com (Independent Media Institute)

Trump’s suits have been filed late, target small issues and are error-ridden.
By Steven Rosenfeld
This article was produced by Voting Booth , a project of the Independent Media Institute.
The flurry of lawsuits hastily filed by President Trump’s campaign and its Republican allies to stop counting votes and to disqualify absentee ballots has so far failed to make much headway—in contrast to disinformation that they are spreading to discredit the 2020 election.
Trump’s propaganda, predictably, has drawn wide attention. Whether tweets falsely claiming he won and Democrats are stealing the election (which Twitter labeled with content warning notices), or his son Eric’s fabricated video of ballots being burned (they were sample ballots, not real ones), or false statements by White House officials, these antics have been noted and debunked.
In contrast to this bombast, Trump’s lawsuits filed since Election Day in states where the presidential results are not yet known have had limited success, but, more importantly, they do not appear to be game changers. The lawsuits are targeting small facets of the absentee ballots process. While court rulings may delay announcing the results and certifying winners, the suits are not poised to disqualify enough ballots to alter the race’s outcome—not where he lags by tens of thousands of votes. Instead, many of Trump’s suits have been filed late, and some are error-ridden.
“None of Trump’s small bore lawsuits have been able to stop the count, and of course there is no basis to do so,” wrote ElectionLawBlog’s Rick Hasen on Thursday. “He and his supporters have been promoting baseless and dangerous conspiracy theories that Democratic elected officials are somehow ‘stealing’ the vote when all they are doing is counting the ballots.”
Consider two of Trump’s lawsuits from Michigan. The first lawsuit, against Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, was filed late Wednesday afternoon and sought to stop the statewide counting of votes—just hours before the counting was done. The campaign’s brief was filed by Mark “Thor” Hearne—a Missouri-based attorney who, in 2005, was one of the first Republicans to promote the false claim of widespread voter fraud. The suit claimed that Republicans did not have an observer “present at the absent voter counting place” in every jurisdiction, and these observers were not being allowed “to observe the video of the ballot boxes into which these [absentee] ballots are placed.” On this basis, Trump wanted to stop Michigan’s vote count.
Michigan Court of Claims Judge Cynthia Stephens dismissed the lawsuit on Thursday, saying that it was filed as the last ballots were counted—too late—which made the procedural claims moot. The defendant, Benson, was the wrong person to sue, the judge said, because Benson doesn’t directly supervise how the state’s local election officials process absentee ballots.
This was a messy filing. Chris Sautter, an election attorney specializing in recounts who has worked for Democratic candidates for decades, said that a serious suit should have been filed on Tuesday, when the absentee ballot processing began. If there were issues with campaign representatives getting access to observe the process, the remedy was granting access, not stopping the count statewide, he said. And while the lawsuit said that Benson had a duty to instruct local officials, it never detailed that she had failed to do so, he noted. In other words, the Trump lawsuit was too general, too late, and had targeted the wrong defendant.
The Trump campaign filed a similar suit late Wednesday in Detroit seeking to stop the city’s processing of a subset of absentee ballots—those that had to be duplicated because they were torn or stained—and seeking to halt certifying the city’s presidential election results. Like the suit against Benson, this action came as the counting was ending and also named the wrong defendant. On Thursday morning, Trump’s campaign filed papers to add Wayne County as a defendant, as it is the county—not the city of Detroit—that certifies election results.
On the specifics, the suit said that some absentee ballots were being duplicated by election officials without a Republican observer present. The duplication should stop, and all duplicated ballots should be “segregated” or set aside, it said, where presumably those ballots could be further examined and possibly challenged. Such a delay would slow down certifying Detroit’s results.
What Trump’s Detroit-centered lawsuit did not say was that the Michigan Republican Party had observers in the cavernous room where the city was processing and counting ballots. It did not say that the Republicans had raised issues surrounding the ballot processing that were being ignored. And it was filed after the counting was over, but still sought a restraining order to halt the process.
Takeaways
The Trump campaign’s litigation in response to not winning in a landslide Tuesday appears to be messy and late. A similar lawsuit was filed in Nevada after Election Day seeking to stop that swing state’s counting. The suit, too, claimed that Trump observers were being stymied. It was unanimously rejected by the state’s supreme court. It didn’t look like the Trump campaign planned on suing in Michigan or Nevada, Sautter said, despite Trump’s threat to launch a wave of litigation.
But more importantly, the target of Trump’s lawsuits—to disqualify a subset of absentee ballots, stop the counting process and delay certifying the results—was not going to add up to the tens of thousands of votes that Trump needs to win in key states. On Thursday, Trump trailed Joe Biden in Michigan by 147,000 votes, where his lawyers are seeking to challenge spoiled ballots that were duplicated.
That same assessment is likely in Pennsylvania, where Trump’s lawyers were positioning themselves to challenge the absentee ballots that had been postmarked by Election Day, but can still arrive by mail through Friday, November 6. The Trump campaign on Wednesday filed a motion in the U.S. Supreme Court to join a suit over these late-returning absentee ballots in Pennsylvania. Late Thursday, the Washington Post reported that the Postal Service said that there were only 3,439 absentee ballots postmarked by Election Day to be delivered in Pennsylvania.
The big picture that emerges is that Trump’s post-Election Day litigation strategy has not stopped the vote-counting process nor was it poised to implicate enough votes to overturn the results in swing states. Thus, if Trump cannot win a second term in the courts of legal opinion, he is seeking to discredit the process in the court of public opinion—where propaganda and disinformation make quicker impressions than real-life points of law.
Trump’s rambling, grievance-filled statement late Thursday blaming the Democrats for trying to “steal” the election appeared to be the latest affirmation of this strategy.
“They are grasping at straws,” Sautter said, speaking of Trump’s litigation strategy before his speech. “They are trying to discredit the process by trying to say that the outcome cannot be trusted because there were too many flaws.”
“They waited too long to complain,” he continued. “If they didn’t have enough people observing [in Detroit], they should have taken care of that beginning with Election Day. This lawsuit was filed late yesterday [Wednesday] afternoon. Now the counting is done. There’s no evidence that any of this stuff adds up to anywhere near the margin.”
There may be “a little bit of truth” in the Republicans’ contention that they lacked sufficient numbers of election observers, Sautter said. But that lapse was their error, not the fault of the officials running the absentee ballot counting boards—a process that has been in place for years.
“A lot of this is too little too late,” he said.


dailykos--2020-11-07--It's the Culture, Stupid

It's the Culture, Stupid

A huge sigh of relief when Biden won .
But like a lot of people , I was disheartened by the number of people willing to support the corrupt , malicious , egotistic liar named Trump .
What is going on here ?
I have seen some articles saying the Democratic Party needs to improve its messaging .
That somehow there is some magic message it could begin to sway the average voter away from Trump and Trumpism .
I don ’ t believe that .
I am sure that Democrats made mistakes during the campaign .
But the Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wasted money on Trump ’ s ego and his followers grift , and made little effort to expand beyond Trump ’ s base .
Yet in the battleground states it was way too close for comfort , and Republican Senators with terrible records of supporting the guy in the White House no matter how badly he acted were mostly reelected .
Better campaign messages will not be enough .
The reason is that for the last 45 years , the American people have been bombarded by messages designed to remove trust from American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been changed , and for the worse .
It started with Reagan .
He and the conservative movement that supported him hammered home the idea that government was inherently bad .
Any government is going to have mistakes and failures .
But the message Reagan pushed was that anything done by the government to help people was bad by definition .
The motivation behind this message was to get rid of taxes and regulations to increase the power of the wealthy and the corporate world .
But plutocracy is not enough to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So an effort was made to amplify cultural divisions to frighten average people .
Enter Rush Limbaugh .
Limbaugh used every fear , every discomfort about people who were at all different , and amplified these feelings to hate and distrust .
I can ’ t think of any person in American history who has had such a negative effect on American culture .
He brought out latent misogyny and racism in people and pushed them to fear and hate .
Of course Limbaugh had plenty of help in his efforts , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ big negative in our culture was the decision by some people among fundamentalist and evangelical Christianity to make a cynical bargain .
They wanted more political and cultural influence , so they attached themselves to the conservative movement .
Now they have lost their connection with the teachings of the founder of their religion , promoting guns for everyone at all times , and denial of help for any in society that needs help .
Attachment by religion to government corrupts religion and makes government oppressive .
The result of all this was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ An in-law one day announced that she hated Hillary Clinton .
So I asked her “ why ?
” .
She pondered a moment , and said “ I don ’ t know ” .
All the messages she had absorbed had had a subliminal effect on her .
She was not even aware of why she hated Clinton , just that she did .
When Trump came along , the way had been prepared for him .
People had been taught the all government , media , and anyone different from them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump would blow up the “ Establishment ” , and sweep away everyone they did not like .
Once they invested themselves in these beliefs , they were hooked .
It is very hard to realize that they were so wrong about things , so many doubled down .
Even many who are not full blown Trump cultists were so distrustful of anyone else that they could not bring themselves to vote for a “ liberal ” , which they were taught were all socialists , and socialism was the end of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the culture has to change .
That means we have to work to change it .
This will be a long term project .
So what do we need to do ?
We need to repeat on every chance we get on every media some things that people need to believe in order to start making progress on improving society .
What we do during political campaigns is only a small part of this .
It must be happening all the time .
First , we need to emphasize that some things are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believe about them .
The pandemic is real and thousands are dying .
Climate change is real and the effects have already started .
These things are true even if you don ’ t want them to be true .
Science is not always right , but for many things it is the only chance we have to be right .
If people don ’ t want to do measures to slow the pandemic or climate change , they must be told that there will be negative things happening to real people .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ realists .
Second , many problems can not be solved by individuals , they require cooperative action .
This has always been true and always will be true .
Government is a method of cooperative action to meet the needs of society .
Government might fail in that goal , but if it does not try , failure is inevitable .
Most conservatives will claim they want everyone to have health care available .
But to do so there has to be some mechanism that covers all of society .
Any such mechanism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by definition .
We must push the idea that democratic government is a powerful tool that we must use wisely .
Next , we must follow the lead of Franklin Roosevelt and constantly promote the use of pragmatism and experiment to find solutions .
Following an “ ism ” will not work , they are too rigid .
Capitalism and socialism are not magic cures , and we must not be blind followers of either of these .
But they might suggest methods for particular things .
Capitalist companies have done well making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ providing universal health care or fighting pollution .
In modern America , we can start by fighting the idea that the “ market ” is some kind of infallible god .
A market is just a method to help accomplish some goals , but can not achieve others .
We need to stress over and over that we must not constrain ourselves .
Finally , there is one thing that the Democratic Party can and should do that in the long run will make a difference .
We must be everywhere in America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local party organizations everywhere .
We must put up candidates for every seat .
Some might think that time and money spent in very red districts is wasted .
That is short term thinking .
Every part of America needs the Democratic Party .
We must give everyone an alternative , and have everyone know about the Democrats in their town and what they stand for .

A huge sigh of relief when Biden won. But like a lot of people, I was disheartened by the number of people willing to support the corrupt, malicious, egotistic liar named Trump. What is going on here?
I have seen some articles saying the Democratic Party needs to improve its messaging. That somehow there is some magic message it could begin to sway the average voter away from Trump and Trumpism. I don’t believe that. I am sure that Democrats made mistakes during the campaign. But the Trump campaign made a lot more. They wasted money on Trump’s ego and his followers grift, and made little effort to expand beyond Trump’s base. Yet in the battleground states it was way too close for comfort, and Republican Senators with terrible records of supporting the guy in the White House no matter how badly he acted were mostly reelected. Better campaign messages will not be enough.
The reason is that for the last 45 years, the American people have been bombarded by messages designed to remove trust from American society and create division. The culture has been changed, and for the worse.
It started with Reagan. He and the conservative movement that supported him hammered home the idea that government was inherently bad. Any government is going to have mistakes and failures. But the message Reagan pushed was that anything done by the government to help people was bad by definition. The motivation behind this message was to get rid of taxes and regulations to increase the power of the wealthy and the corporate world.
But plutocracy is not enough to motivate a large enough rank and file. So an effort was made to amplify cultural divisions to frighten average people. Enter Rush Limbaugh. Limbaugh used every fear, every discomfort about people who were at all different, and amplified these feelings to hate and distrust. I can’t think of any person in American history who has had such a negative effect on American culture. He brought out latent misogyny and racism in people and pushed them to fear and hate. Of course Limbaugh had plenty of help in his efforts, but he set the template.
Another big negative in our culture was the decision by some people among fundamentalist and evangelical Christianity to make a cynical bargain. They wanted more political and cultural influence, so they attached themselves to the conservative movement. Now they have lost their connection with the teachings of the founder of their religion, promoting guns for everyone at all times, and denial of help for any in society that needs help. Attachment by religion to government corrupts religion and makes government oppressive.
The result of all this was demonstrated to me back in 2008. An in-law one day announced that she hated Hillary Clinton. So I asked her “why?”. She pondered a moment, and said “I don’t know”. All the messages she had absorbed had had a subliminal effect on her. She was not even aware of why she hated Clinton, just that she did.
When Trump came along, the way had been prepared for him. People had been taught the all government, media, and anyone different from them were bad and needed to be stopped. Trump would blow up the “Establishment”, and sweep away everyone they did not like. Once they invested themselves in these beliefs, they were hooked. It is very hard to realize that they were so wrong about things, so many doubled down. Even many who are not full blown Trump cultists were so distrustful of anyone else that they could not bring themselves to vote for a “liberal”, which they were taught were all socialists, and socialism was the end of the world.
So the answer is the culture has to change. That means we have to work to change it. This will be a long term project. So what do we need to do? We need to repeat on every chance we get on every media some things that people need to believe in order to start making progress on improving society. What we do during political campaigns is only a small part of this. It must be happening all the time.
First, we need to emphasize that some things are true no matter what you want to believe about them. The pandemic is real and thousands are dying. Climate change is real and the effects have already started. These things are true even if you don’t want them to be true. Science is not always right, but for many things it is the only chance we have to be right. If people don’t want to do measures to slow the pandemic or climate change, they must be told that there will be negative things happening to real people. People have to be taught to be realists.
Second, many problems cannot be solved by individuals, they require cooperative action. This has always been true and always will be true. Government is a method of cooperative action to meet the needs of society. Government might fail in that goal, but if it does not try, failure is inevitable. Most conservatives will claim they want everyone to have health care available. But to do so there has to be some mechanism that covers all of society. Any such mechanism will be a government function pretty much by definition. We must push the idea that democratic government is a powerful tool that we must use wisely.
Next, we must follow the lead of Franklin Roosevelt and constantly promote the use of pragmatism and experiment to find solutions. Following an “ism” will not work, they are too rigid. Capitalism and socialism are not magic cures, and we must not be blind followers of either of these. But they might suggest methods for particular things. Capitalist companies have done well making computer chips, but have failed in providing universal health care or fighting pollution. In modern America, we can start by fighting the idea that the “market” is some kind of infallible god. A market is just a method to help accomplish some goals, but cannot achieve others. We need to stress over and over that we must not constrain ourselves.
Finally, there is one thing that the Democratic Party can and should do that in the long run will make a difference. We must be everywhere in America. We must try to create permanent local party organizations everywhere. We must put up candidates for every seat. Some might think that time and money spent in very red districts is wasted. That is short term thinking. Every part of America needs the Democratic Party. We must give everyone an alternative, and have everyone know about the Democrats in their town and what they stand for.


DEAR DON

I hear you are having difficulty wrapping your mind around how to interpret the current ballot count information in the @ @ @ @ @ that I am a Chief Financial Officer ( CFO ) for a business , and @ @ @ @ @ for several businesses , let me put this in financial terms with which I believe @ @ @ @ @ understanding..
Treat the analysis like a NET WORTH calculation for the election , ie : @ @ @ @ @ : votes for you ) Less your BALLOT LIABILITIES ( ie : votes for your @ @ @ @ @ writing ( Saturday 11/7 at @ 10:00 ) Your BALLOT NET WORTH is thus NEGATIVE @ @ @ @ @ EV NET WORTH is thus NEGATIVE to the tune of In other words , from @ @ @ @ @ are BANKRUPT .
Given your extensive experience with the concept of Bankruptcy , I trust @ @ @ @ @ to wrap your mind around this relatively straightforward analysis .
Please reach out if you @ @ @ @ @ analysis difficult to comprehend .
Best of luck with your future endeavors .

Dear Don:
I hear you are having difficulty wrapping your mind around how to interpret the current ballot count information in the 2020 Presidential election.
Given that I am a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for a business, and you are supposedly a CEO for several businesses, let me put this in financial terms with which I believe you may have a passing understanding..
Treat the analysis like a NET WORTH calculation for the election, ie:
Your BALLOT ASSETS (ie: votes for you)
Less your BALLOT LIABILITIES (ie: votes for your opponent)
As of this writing (Saturday 11/7 at @ 10:00)
Your BALLOT ASSETS sit at 70,745,053
Your BALLOT LIABILITIES sit at 74,884,264
Your BALLOT NET WORTH is thus NEGATIVE to the tune of minus 4,139,211
Alternatively:
Your ELECTORAL COLLEGE (EV) ASSETS sit at 232
Your ELECTORAL COLLEGE (EV) LIABILITIES sit at 306
Your EV NET WORTH is thus NEGATIVE to the tune of minus 74
In other words, from an election perspective, you are BANKRUPT.
Given your extensive experience with the concept of Bankruptcy, I trust that you might be able to wrap your mind around this relatively straightforward analysis.
Please reach out if you find the complexity of the analysis difficult to comprehend.
Best of luck with your future endeavors.


Trump's Gift

From a purely political point of view , Donald Trump was handed a gift 9 months ago .
Presidents rarely get a ready-made opportunity to be a leader , except when the country is at war .
But , back in late January , Trump was handed the COVID-19 pandemic .
Along with the worst public health crisis in a century , he was equipped with world-renown infectious disease experts and a relatively robust economy .
The fight against COVID-19 was Trump 's to lose ; right along with reelection .
If Trump had stepped up in the beginning and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ backed Dr Fauci , the CDC and the WHO , and wholeheartedly recommended that we all fully follow the guidelines , virtually everything that had gone before in the past 3 years would have been forgiven , if not forgotten .
Most of the 2016 Trump voters who had planned on voting for the Democratic candidate ( in January we still did n't know who that would be ) would have come back to him .
He would have even picked up new voters for 2020 .
With just that one series of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by double digits in 40 states right now .
Not to mention , far fewer Americans would be dead from a virus that ran wild .
Along with assuring his own reelection , Trump 's coat tails would have been long enough to insure a continued Senate majority for the GOP , and the House might actually be in play .
Republicans everywhere up and down the ballot would be clamoring for the President 's endorsement while Democrats would be positioning themselves to look like they 've been behind him all along .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the century handed to Donald Trump .
But , as we now know , Mr T never recognized his present .
He lied to the public , mocked the doctors , pulled the US out of the WHO , ignored the risks by not wearing a mask ... even after he was hospitalized with the virus ... and guided the country to being the worst in the World in total number of cases and total deaths .
Donald J Trump blew the political opportunity of a lifetime .
Rather than showing the people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them safe and get them healthy , he acted like he did n't have to do anything and things would `` magically '' get better .
Millions are sick , hundreds of thousands are dead , the economy is in shambles and he does n't have a clue about what to do next ... except lie and deny .
Maybe this is why it 's a bad idea to elect a President with zero political instincts .

OK, Here's Something.
From a purely political point of view, Donald Trump was handed a gift 9 months ago. Presidents rarely get a ready-made opportunity to be a leader, except when the country is at war. But, back in late January, Trump was handed the COVID-19 pandemic. Along with the worst public health crisis in a century, he was equipped with world-renown infectious disease experts and a relatively robust economy. The fight against COVID-19 was Trump's to lose; right along with reelection.
If Trump had stepped up in the beginning and told the American public the truth, backed Dr Fauci, the CDC and the WHO, and wholeheartedly recommended that we all fully follow the guidelines, virtually everything that had gone before in the past 3 years would have been forgiven, if not forgotten. Most of the 2016 Trump voters who had planned on voting for the Democratic candidate (in January we still didn't know who that would be) would have come back to him. He would have even picked up new voters for 2020. With just that one series of moves, Trump could easily be up by double digits in 40 states right now. Not to mention, far fewer Americans would be dead from a virus that ran wild.
Along with assuring his own reelection, Trump's coat tails would have been long enough to insure a continued Senate majority for the GOP, and the House might actually be in play. Republicans everywhere up and down the ballot would be clamoring for the President's endorsement while Democrats would be positioning themselves to look like they've been behind him all along. All this was the political gift of the century handed to Donald Trump.
But, as we now know, Mr T never recognized his present. He lied to the public, mocked the doctors, pulled the US out of the WHO, ignored the risks by not wearing a mask...even after he was hospitalized with the virus...and guided the country to being the worst in the World in total number of cases and total deaths.
Donald J Trump blew the political opportunity of a lifetime. Rather than showing the people how hard he was working to keep them safe and get them healthy, he acted like he didn't have to do anything and things would "magically" get better. Millions are sick, hundreds of thousands are dead, the economy is in shambles and he doesn't have a clue about what to do next...except lie and deny. Maybe this is why it's a bad idea to elect a President with zero political instincts.


I Don't Know ...

Hopefully , from the years I have spent on this mortal coil , enduring the sight of friends dying to please the moneyed ones , I have learned to tolerate and understand since not all and most definitely not the human-animal is perfect in this life .
But with the affronts we have seen these months of centuries , I am afraid my Cossack ancestry will not peacefully guide me through any of five stages .
Denial — the first is irrelevant since I ( we ) never denied .
Anger — the second is relevant and evident simply because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people such as we have endured these last four years .
Bargaining — never even got in the picture since offers were never put forward to start .
Depression — now that fourth was self-evident to ourselves , but kept within , never to let it show to those who caused it .
Acceptance — good old number five — will be when consequential results are properly meted and done right .
If proper , we can live with their results .
But they must be done right and proper to the reason @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fortune to those who profited .
Also should come the loss of freedom to those who have enjoyed the former .
There must be a constant reminder that respect is earned via compassion for others , of which the misshapen souls of the perpetrators never had , so compassion will be not given — none deserved .
May they rot in their own filth , created by their own hands , all of them .
Broken , penniless , reviled when looked upon .
Laughed at when crying for alms .
But if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never hear the words spoken with-in the bounds of gravity .
Do not forget those who opposed us so heartily that we were denigrated and verbally abused .
I can not personally , find forgiveness in my heart after being told what losers and suckers we are for being faithful to the beliefs that helped to form the basis of our Republic .
We owe them nothing .
We do not owe them any `` good feelings '' .
We do not owe them our fellowship .
We do owe them the truth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But from this point forward they must earn that respect .
They must realize that this is the UNITED States of America , one country .
One nation .
One heart .
One race .
Division within is no longer an option .
Unite or be left behind .
Come to realize that we , as a nation , are no longer a white majority rule and never will be again .
We know who put us over the top .
Look at the diversity in the cities that put us there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote .
Corporations are not people and should no longer have a say in our political fortunes and be removed entirely from the equation and also be broken apart as the mega groups they have become .
Firearms do not vote and should have no influence on our political discourse .
Growth is needed .
Growth as a people is required .
Hopefully someday very soon , we will overcome .

Hopefully, from the years I have spent on this mortal coil, enduring the sight of friends dying to please the moneyed ones, I have learned to tolerate and understand since not all and most definitely not the human-animal is perfect in this life.
But with the affronts we have seen these months of centuries, I am afraid my Cossack ancestry will not peacefully guide me through any of five stages.
Denial — the first is irrelevant since I (we) never denied.
Anger — the second is relevant and evident simply because it is part and parcel of what people such as we have endured these last four years.
Bargaining — never even got in the picture since offers were never put forward to start.
Depression — now that fourth was self-evident to ourselves, but kept within, never to let it show to those who caused it.
Acceptance — good old number five — will be when consequential results are properly meted and done right. If proper, we can live with their results. But they must be done right and proper to the reason.
There must be a loss of fortune to those who profited. Also should come the loss of freedom to those who have enjoyed the former.
There must be a constant reminder that respect is earned via compassion for others, of which the misshapen souls of the perpetrators never had, so compassion will be not given — none deserved.
May they rot in their own filth, created by their own hands, all of them. Broken, penniless, reviled when looked upon. Laughed at when crying for alms.
Then, perhaps forgiveness.
But if that forgiveness comes, they may perhaps never hear the words spoken with-in the bounds of gravity.
Do not forget those who opposed us so heartily that we were denigrated and verbally abused.
I cannot personally, find forgiveness in my heart after being told what losers and suckers we are for being faithful to the beliefs that helped to form the basis of our Republic.
We owe them nothing. We do not owe them any "good feelings". We do not owe them our fellowship.
We do owe them the truth, that all of us deserve respect. But from this point forward they must earn that respect. They must realize that this is the UNITED States of America, one country. One nation. One heart. One race.
Division within is no longer an option. Unite or be left behind. Come to realize that we, as a nation, are no longer a white majority rule and never will be again.
We know who put us over the top. Look at the diversity in the cities that put us there. Land does not vote. People vote.
Corporations are not people and should no longer have a say in our political fortunes and be removed entirely from the equation and also be broken apart as the mega groups they have become.
Firearms do not vote and should have no influence on our political discourse.
Growth is needed. Growth as a people is required.
Hopefully someday very soon, we will overcome.


Yesterday's news.

As we celebrate the victory of President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris ( oh , it feels so good to be able to write that ) , it ’ s hard not to have a nagging worry about what havoc the soon-to-be-outgoing occupant of the White House can wreak between now and January 20 , 2021 .
He ’ s already promised to mount a vigorous challenge to the counting of the vote in the election , and his crack legal team put down their markers today in that news conference at the Four Seasons .
Now , I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Total Landscaping is a respectable , successful business .
But it ’ s appropriate to the issue only because the hazardous material sign under which Mr Giuliani spoke at the conference most likely warns of the presence of a large load of fertilizer .
But if we want to understand how Mr Tr*mp might behave over the next ten weeks , consider this .
He has relished being the center of attention ever since 2015 , when he descended that escalator , in the direction of who might be his sponsor in his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s yesterday ’ s news .
He won ’ t take that well .
But he won ’ t be really trying to stay in office — just in the public eye .
I don ’ t know how exactly to predict that will play out , and I ’ m sure it will be ugly .
But he ’ ll do everything he can to draw attention back to himself .
Pathetic , little man , and now yesterday ’ s news .

As we celebrate the victory of President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris (oh, it feels so good to be able to write that), it’s hard not to have a nagging worry about what havoc the soon-to-be-outgoing occupant of the White House can wreak between now and January 20, 2021. He’s already promised to mount a vigorous challenge to the counting of the vote in the election, and his crack legal team put down their markers today in that news conference at the Four Seasons. Now, I’m happy to presume that Four Seasons Total Landscaping is a respectable, successful business. But it’s appropriate to the issue only because the hazardous material sign under which Mr Giuliani spoke at the conference most likely warns of the presence of a large load of fertilizer.
But if we want to understand how Mr Tr*mp might behave over the next ten weeks, consider this. He has relished being the center of attention ever since 2015, when he descended that escalator, in the direction of who might be his sponsor in his political endeavors. But now, he’s yesterday’s news. He won’t take that well. But he won’t be really trying to stay in office — just in the public eye. I don’t know how exactly to predict that will play out, and I’m sure it will be ugly. But he’ll do everything he can to draw attention back to himself.
Pathetic, little man, and now yesterday’s news.


dailykos--2020-11-08--I have Republican friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc.  Here is what they told me after Biden won.

As the headline says , I have Republican friends , co-workers , neighbors and so on .
I got added @ @ @ @ @ lists , and they had quite the reaction when I celebrated Biden ’ s win @ @ @ @ @ know everyone on the list but they are all White and I am reasonably sure @ @ @ @ @ least an undergraduate degree .
Here are their reactions to me specifically : So let @ @ @ @ @ city and prepare for anarchy .
Cause a sanctuary city Where police are water bucketed @ @ @ @ @ the America I want .
For what it is worth , a couple of these @ @ @ @ @ .
All of them are relatively prosperous to wealthy , and would look quite normal @ @ @ @ @ Oh , and these folks are from Blue State New York .
There is no @ @ @ @ @ We simply have to out vote them , every time .

As the headline says, I have Republican friends, co-workers, neighbors and so on. I got added to one of their message lists, and they had quite the reaction when I celebrated Biden’s win. I don't personally know everyone on the list but they are all White and I am reasonably sure that each one has at least an undergraduate degree. Here are their reactions to me specifically:
Did you forget your white too?
Food Stamps are meant to be be for people who are down on their luck temporarily . . . they shouldn’t be a lifestyle.
We have black in us too, That’s why I have rhythm. And a big penis.
Che and Castro Socialism is here.
So people are supposed to be penalized for being financially successful?
[Replying to above]. Wait . . . I am suppose to be penalized for being white?
So let’s board up the city and prepare for anarchy. Cause a sanctuary city Where police are water bucketed And looting is tolerated is the America I want.
[Also a video that says “Training for the next BLM demonstration” that shows a black man running on a treadmill with Apple products under his arms]
For what it is worth, a couple of these posts were from adult women. All of them are relatively prosperous to wealthy, and would look quite normal at a PTA meeting. Oh, and these folks are from Blue State New York.
There is no hope with these Republicans. We simply have to out vote them, every time.


How Sweet It Is!

Okay I admit it !
Trump ’ s loss tweaked every schadenfreude nerve in my body .
Biden ’ s election was as personally cathartic as it gets .
In the space of two days I went from abject depression , unable to even turn on the television set , to feeling more alive than at any time in the last four years .
And it went uphill from there !
There ’ s is nothing—not a thing—which could provoke from me the merest expression of empathy for Donald J. Trump .
He lost .
Good !
And on January @ @ @ @ @ @ @ once again a private citizen , the wheels of justice will turn on him ; on his tax evasion , on his money laundering , his philandering ; his sharing of national secrets with our foreign adversaries for the sake of his own election and re-election .
Between now and Biden ’ s inauguration Trump may scatter gun a bouquet of pardons for his convicted friends .
He may even issue a pardon to himself or , oddest of all imagined moves , he may resign ahead of Biden and let the greatest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pence , simply issue a pardon as President of the United States—for a week or two .
I have never been so completely in a state of disgust with a president .
Nixon had his Erlichman and Haldeman , two supreme alter-egos of the boss .
I always thought Reagan was a well dressed lightweight who could act the part ( really , the lightweight ) , yet who touched off the politics of personal destruction and from whom both Bushes crafted into an art form , thanks to Michael Deaver , Lee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Karl Rove .
Trump , however , was and remains pure evil .
A heartless , totally self-absorbed man-child product of over indulgence as a kid , whose father inculcated nothing more than a “ win at cost , ” ethic or otherwise , completely missing in his spawn .
Trump is wholly without a moral compass .
He reduced the most august job in the country to a four year shout-fest of lies , one on top of the other .
And cost the country it did !
So , now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the White House—in OUR house—for his remaining weeks , gnashing his bleached white teeth , blaming anyone who comes with Tweetshot of him for his loss , the most public loss anyone can suffer .
( Note to Trump ’ s lawyers : Get the money up front ! )
The whole Trump kit and kaboodle : children , wife , remaining “ advisors ” who kowtowed to Trump for four years , they can all just get jobs at Fox or perhaps join a lobbying operation .
I , in my little @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smile .
For a good long while .
We won !
Somehow , killing Amercan democracy is harder than it appears .

Okay I admit it! Trump’s loss tweaked every schadenfreude nerve in my body. Biden’s election was as personally cathartic as it gets. In the space of two days I went from abject depression, unable to even turn on the television set, to feeling more alive than at any time in the last four years. And it went uphill from there!
There’s is nothing—not a thing—which could provoke from me the merest expression of empathy for Donald J. Trump. He lost. Good! And on January 22nd, 2021, when he is once again a private citizen, the wheels of justice will turn on him; on his tax evasion, on his money laundering, his philandering; his sharing of national secrets with our foreign adversaries for the sake of his own election and re-election.
Between now and Biden’s inauguration Trump may scatter gun a bouquet of pardons for his convicted friends. He may even issue a pardon to himself or, oddest of all imagined moves, he may resign ahead of Biden and let the greatest bootlicker in American political history, Mr. Pence, simply issue a pardon as President of the United States—for a week or two.
I have never been so completely in a state of disgust with a president. Nixon had his Erlichman and Haldeman, two supreme alter-egos of the boss. I always thought Reagan was a well dressed lightweight who could act the part (really, the lightweight), yet who touched off the politics of personal destruction and from whom both Bushes crafted into an art form, thanks to Michael Deaver, Lee Atwater, and that “Turdblossom,” Karl Rove.
Trump, however, was and remains pure evil. A heartless, totally self-absorbed man-child product of over indulgence as a kid, whose father inculcated nothing more than a “win at any cost,” ethic or otherwise, completely missing in his spawn. Trump is wholly without a moral compass. He reduced the most august job in the country to a four year shout-fest of lies, one on top of the other. And cost the country it did!
So, now he sits in his upstairs bedroom in the White House—in OUR house—for his remaining weeks, gnashing his bleached white teeth, blaming anyone who comes with Tweetshot of him for his loss, the most public loss anyone can suffer. (Note to Trump’s lawyers: Get the money up front!) The whole Trump kit and kaboodle: children, wife, remaining “advisors” who kowtowed to Trump for four years, they can all just get jobs at Fox or perhaps join a lobbying operation.
I, in my little house in the forest, will simply smile. For a good long while.
We won! Somehow, killing Amercan democracy is harder than it appears.


dailykos--2020-11-08--I Don't Know ... Actually, I Do And I Will Repeat It Here


dailykos--2020-11-09--Bridging The Rural vs Urban/Suburban Divide

Flyover Country vs Coastal Elites is an inaccurate description of the divide between Republican and Democratic voters .
Do not @ @ @ @ @ of Coastal Elitism ’ s disdain for the center of the country .
In actuality @ @ @ @ @ rural areas and urban/suburban areas .
My rural area of California is deeply red .
@ @ @ @ @ in order to find common ground , Democrats need to have an economic message that @ @ @ @ @ .
Avoid letting Republicans frame this as Dems coming for your guns or free abortions @ @ @ @ @ Stick to messaging like the 1 % are hoovering up all the money and we @ @ @ @ @ tax cuts in order to give more tax cuts to everyday working people .

Flyover Country vs Coastal Elites is an inaccurate description of the divide between Republican and Democratic voters. Do not buy into this Republican framing of Coastal Elitism’s disdain for the center of the country. In actuality, the divide is between rural areas and urban/suburban areas. My rural area of California is deeply red.
It is my opinion that in order to find common ground, Democrats need to have an economic message that resonates with conservative values voters. Avoid letting Republicans frame this as Dems coming for your guns or free abortions for your teenage daughters. Stick to messaging like the 1% are hoovering up all the money and we need to claw back their tax cuts in order to give more tax cuts to everyday working people.


dailykos--2020-11-09--Criminalization of Pipeline Protests By Polluter-Paid Politicians Makes Dirty Infrastructure Easy

The way things are looking , if there is any to be had , climate action from the next Congress will come in the form of an infrastructure package .
Neil Bradley that the US Chamber of Commerce would be open to an “ emphasis on climate change ” in a lame duck stimulus bill , but history suggests such statements be taken with one grain of salt for every dollar they ’ ve spent blocking climate action .
Even if they are serious about climate-friendly infrastructure , it 's important to remember that industry claims natural gas is “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
What the Chamber could be signaling an openness to is building a whole bunch of gas pipelines .
So it might be smart to start stretching those pipeline protest muscles many in the climate community built up fighting Keystone XL , DAPL , and other pipelines around the country The fossil fuel industry hasn ’ t forgotten Standing Rock .
Instead , it went to work .
Not to clean up its act , but instead to criminalize anti-pipeline protests .
A new report , , by Gabrielle Colchete and Basav Sen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tracks how pipeline companies and ALEC have pushed the politicians to squash protests by designating pipelines as “ Critical Infrastructure.
” The original concept of “ Critical Infrastructure Protection ” was a response to the Oklahoma City bombing , and became much more of a priority after 9/11 .
But by 2003 lobbyists backed by BP and Dupont included fossil fuel infrastructure in a meant for government officials .
In doing so , corporate interests successfully turned a tool for protecting Americans from terrorist attacks into something to protect industry from American activists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Colchete and Sen write , “ ‘ Critical Infrastructure ’ is not only a euphemism for pipeline polluters that extract resources from surrounding communities for private interests , but it is also a dog-whistle that conflates local opposition with terrorism .
In practice , these laws only serve to protect the corporate polluters ’ interests and fossil fuel infrastructure , while threatening the constitutional rights of local opposition who ironically view them as unlawful threats to their communities.
” The report provides case studies of these anti-protest laws in Louisiana , Minnesota and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ polluters to donate to conservative politicians , who in turn pushed forward versions of ALEC 's model legislation criminalizing protests .
Energy PACs , the Kochs , ExxonMobil , and the rest poured money into local and state-wide campaigns , for politicians who just so happen to believe that the First Amendment protects the right to protest except when you 're protesting fossil fuel projects .
And then , like there nearly always is , there ’ s racism and classism at work as well .
By examining the census tracts of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , Line 3 ( Minnesota ) and Mountain Valley ( West Virginia ) pipelines go through , the researchers can “ reveal that these controversial projects are all built in close proximity to marginalized communities , namely communities of color and communities with high poverty rates.
” Classifying oil and gas pipelines as critical infrastructure privileges these privately-owned projects over the Tribal sovereignty , human rights and free speech of the people and nations most harmed by their construction .
So far , it is working because it fits easily within this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bureaucratic and legal tricks to silence Indigenous , Black , working-class and poor communities in the name of profit .
But it doesn ’ t have to be this way .
Colchete and Sen offer ways to push back , like enacting a “ Protest Bill of Rights ” to head off these legal attacks , cutting down on the influence of corporate campaign donations , ramping up the power of federal regulatory safeguards , and making sure environmental assessments prioritize environmental justice .
Better get started quick though .
The early signs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to be coming down the political pipeline in a divided DC , it might just be pipelines .

The way things are looking, if there is any to be had, climate action from the next Congress will come in the form of an infrastructure package. Neil Bradley said during a press briefing that the US Chamber of Commerce would be open to an “emphasis on climate change” in a lame duck stimulus bill, but history suggests such statements be taken with one grain of salt for every dollar they’ve spent blocking climate action.
Even if they are serious about climate-friendly infrastructure, it's important to remember that industry claims natural gas is “clean” and good for the climate. What the Chamber could be signaling an openness to is building a whole bunch of gas pipelines.
So it might be smart to start stretching those pipeline protest muscles many in the climate community built up fighting Keystone XL, DAPL, and other pipelines around the country
The fossil fuel industry hasn’t forgotten Standing Rock. Instead, it went to work. Not to clean up its act, but instead to criminalize anti-pipeline protests.
A new report, Muzzling Dissent , by Gabrielle Colchete and Basav Sen from the Institute for Policy Studies, tracks how pipeline companies and ALEC have pushed the politicians to squash protests by designating pipelines as “Critical Infrastructure.”
The original concept of “Critical Infrastructure Protection” was a response to the Oklahoma City bombing, and became much more of a priority after 9/11. But by 2003 lobbyists backed by BP and Dupont included fossil fuel infrastructure in a CIP guide meant for government officials. In doing so, corporate interests successfully turned a tool for protecting Americans from terrorist attacks into something to protect industry from American activists.
“In these instances,” Colchete and Sen write, “‘Critical Infrastructure’ is not only a euphemism for pipeline polluters that extract resources from surrounding communities for private interests, but it is also a dog-whistle that conflates local opposition with terrorism. In practice, these laws only serve to protect the corporate polluters’ interests and fossil fuel infrastructure, while threatening the constitutional rights of local opposition who ironically view them as unlawful threats to their communities.”
The report provides case studies of these anti-protest laws in Louisiana, Minnesota and West Virginia, where pipeline protests prompted polluters to donate to conservative politicians, who in turn pushed forward versions of ALEC's model legislation criminalizing protests. Energy PACs, the Kochs, ExxonMobil, and the rest poured money into local and state-wide campaigns, for politicians who just so happen to believe that the First Amendment protects the right to protest except when you're protesting fossil fuel projects.
And then, like there nearly always is, there’s racism and classism at work as well. By examining the census tracts of the land that the Bayou Bridge (Louisiana), Line 3 (Minnesota) and Mountain Valley (West Virginia) pipelines go through, the researchers can “reveal that these controversial projects are all built in close proximity to marginalized communities, namely communities of color and communities with high poverty rates.”
Classifying oil and gas pipelines as critical infrastructure privileges these privately-owned projects over the Tribal sovereignty, human rights and free speech of the people and nations most harmed by their construction. So far, it is working because it fits easily within this country’s long history of using bureaucratic and legal tricks to silence Indigenous, Black, working-class and poor communities in the name of profit.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. Colchete and Sen offer ways to push back, like enacting a “Protest Bill of Rights” to head off these legal attacks, cutting down on the influence of corporate campaign donations, ramping up the power of federal regulatory safeguards, and making sure environmental assessments prioritize environmental justice.
Better get started quick though. The early signs are emerging that if anything’s going to be coming down the political pipeline in a divided DC, it might just be pipelines.
Top Climate and Clean Energy Stories:


dailykos--2020-11-11--You can't shame someone for being a Republican---how would you feel if they did that to us?

You can not shame someone for being a Republican .
That is there political choice .
That is their belief @ @ @ @ @ Democrat .
You can ’ t shame me into being a Democrat , that is @ @ @ @ @ would you feel if someone shamed you for voting Democratic or Independent or Libertarian ?
@ @ @ @ @ they are pro-voucher schools , that ’ s their problem , it ’ s not @ @ @ @ @ Bush-Cheney because they wanted No Child Left Behind , that is their problem .
Should @ @ @ @ @ a Republican ?
What if that is their belief , that they are a Republican @ @ @ @ @ shame you for voting for Rudy Giuliani .
I can ’ t shame you for @ @ @ @ @ , I can ’ t shame you for voting for Chris Christie or so on—for @ @ @ @ @ .
Or can I ?
Should I ?

You cannot shame someone for being a Republican. That is there political choice. That is their belief. I am a Independent Democrat. You can’t shame me into being a Democrat, that is who I am.
How would you feel if someone shamed you for voting Democratic or Independent or Libertarian?
If someone votes Republican because they are pro-voucher schools, that’s their problem, it’s not mine. If someone voted Bush-Cheney because they wanted No Child Left Behind, that is their problem.
Should someone be shamed for being a Republican? What if that is their belief, that they are a Republican?
I can’t shame you for voting for Rudy Giuliani. I can’t shame you for voting for George W. Bush, I can’t shame you for voting for Chris Christie or so on—for even voting for Donald Trump.
Or can I? Should I?


dailykos--2020-11-10--Want To Stop The Insanity?

Want To Stop The Insanity?

I do n't quite understand the logic that folks follow the ongoing situation .
Stop Trump by contact his lawyers @ @ @ @ @ harass the news .
Stopping Trump ’ s attempt to usurp the election requires one @ @ @ @ @ folks who actually own Washington , that would be corporations .
Who do you think @ @ @ @ @ ?
In the event that they felt their bottom-line was really threatened , they ’ @ @ @ @ @ donate to ( that they own on the cheap ) and tell them to make @ @ @ @ @ it in a hurry .
If you want to spend your time doing something , @ @ @ @ @ donor to your closest Republican donor and send them a note .
Start an online @ @ @ @ @ .
Call their hand .
They will act quickly .
We have a mistaken notion @ @ @ @ @ our politicians serve , and what their goals are .
As always , follow the @ @

I don't quite understand the logic that folks follow the ongoing situation. Stop Trump by contact his lawyers, contact advertisers, and harass the news. Stopping Trump’s attempt to usurp the election requires one thing, going to the folks who actually own Washington, that would be corporations. Who do you think funds all of those campaigns?
In the event that they felt their bottom-line was really threatened, they’d conact the Senators they donate to (that they own on the cheap) and tell them to make statements about getting on with it in a hurry. If you want to spend your time doing something, go look up the largest donor to your closest Republican donor and send them a note. Start an online campaign going after those companies. Call their hand. They will act quickly.
We have a mistaken notion about our politics, who our politicians serve, and what their goals are. As always, follow the money.