If You Do Just One Thing Today, Vote
Today is Election Day. Polls are open in every state in the US. It is time to stop the incessant back and forth, and do the one thing that counts – voting.
There is very little on my ballot here in NYC that matters much to me. The races are not close. The ballot referendums are not on issues that matter a ton to me.
It would be easy for me to blow off voting today.
But I am not going to do that.
I plan to go to my polling place, stand in line for however long it takes, and fill out the ballot and submit my choices and be counted.
I hope everyone who reads this blog that lives in the US and is a citizen will do that today unless they have already done it via early voting.
I feel that voting is not only our right, it is our responsibility.
Let’s do it.
Comments (Archived):
Good luck Fred.
I second that and voted already today.And for the first time that I can remember, I simply voted Democratic straight down the ballot.
I intended to vote a straight party ballot this time around, but in the end, there were a couple of exceptions. One was an independent so may not count as an exception.I once thought of myself as a free thinking independent who registered with the party with which I am most likely to align for the sake of voting in primaries. In recent years have become more partisan not because I am moving closer to one party so much as moving further away from another. Still have friends with whom I disagree politically and that feels healthy.
I wear my beliefs on my sleeve obviously.I had and still have quite a few Republican and conservative friends. Close ones whom I cherish.I have had no problems at all moving on from those that embrace and cross ethical boundaries that I see as wrong or dangerous.Never think of them. Through the wonders of Disqus I have permanently removed a few from my feed which is quite pleasant. And am better for it.There is a difference between the healthiness of being connected to those who don’t agree with you, and the wrong in embracing the amoral or unethical as the same.To me they are not.
Agree on the unethical and amoral (and in some cases immoral) part, my friend.
Friends we truly are Dona!
I am genuinely interested to hear what specific Democratic policies you are attracted to besides “We hate Trump.” I love the two party system. But this is not Bill Clinton’s Democrat Party. It has gone way left. I honestly don’t see any policies from Democrats that make logical sense to me.
Holy Jumpin can you believe Ed Emmett lost to a 27 years old TCH music therapist?
No. Blows my mind. That was the “Beto Effect”. Democrats vote straight ticket and Beto had millions to dump across the state. I am amazed he even came close to Ted Cruz.
Agreed Fred. Everyone needs to exercise their civic duty and vote.As one of the AVC community members who has also served on a NYC community board, I want to call out the third charter revision proposal, which would cap community board member appointment to four consecutive two year terms. (Here’s a post our host did that featured a video I shot during my time on a community board — things can get heated! https://avc.com/2016/09/vid…Best I can tell electeds and CB members over 50 seem against and those under 50 seem for it, though that’s just my impression, mostly formed here in Brooklyn.I have yet to decide on how I’ll vote, and need to do so soon.I agree that more diversity, it all senses, is needed on community boards. Community Board 6 in Brooklyn, on which I served, definitely has many members who have served for over 8 years, and the average age of members does seem older than average (again, my finger in the wind). I do think “new blood” and new voices would be welcome, and CBs are often people’s first step into politics, either as candidates themselves or in some other capacity. But a yes vote assumes that new people will run, and also means we may lose out on some historical community perspective going back decades that has proved invaluable in making decisions.Here’s the case my CM, Brad Lander, made for the proposal (https://www.landerfornyc.co…”Most community board members, especially those in leadership positions, are re-appointed repeatedly, making it difficult if not impossible for others who are interested in contributing their time and ideas to serve a term. Term limits would open up more opportunities for a more diverse and inclusive set of individuals to have a seat at the table. Term limits would increase diversity, create opportunities to recruit and enlist people who are interested in engaging more deeply in their communities, and allow community boards to act as training grounds for nurturing new civic leaders.”Right now, many of our community boards simply don’t reflect the neighborhoods they represent. In Queens, for example, 26% of residents are white, but they hold 55% of the community board seats. Meanwhile, 29% of residents are Latino … but they hold only 9% of CB seats.”And here’s the case my AM, Joanne Simon, made against.(http://www.brooklyneagle.co…”Term limits would eliminate experienced volunteer members who are critical to their decision-making. Community boards are the first line of defense for our neighborhoods. We should certainly encourage new members and cherish their fresh perspectives, along with experienced members. Without experienced members with institutional memories who understand city land use, transportation, licensing and environmental processes, our neighborhoods will be vulnerable to city and developer generated proposals that need serious work before they should pass muster. The City Council members and borough presidents reappoint members every two years. If someone is not contributing well on a board, the appointing official can simply not reappoint them.”Here’s Gothamist write up as well: http://gothamist.com/2018/1…
I am so for term limits on everything. The only way you can impose them is by referendum because of course the people in there for life will oppose.I’m equal opportunity for all institutions. Church, Courts, Congress.It is way too easy to get caught up in group think and corruption when you are there for life. Too easy to make deals with others that are there as well. Not saying that is corrupt, but too easy, and doesn’t serve people well.The only thing I think is a downside is what do you do afterwards? Problem is it makes it easy to work for the very firms you used to regulate. That I dislike just as much. That is why I almost thing to serve for most things it should be part time and you have a job outside of that job.You know my BIL is a minister at a Methodist Church. He has a very successful full time job. (I am not Methodist but I do go to his services).But why he is not going to get caught up in BS is that he has a good job (construction) why deal with BS if you risk your job that puts the majority of bread on the table (honestly don’t know if he gets paid)
How about in addition to term limits some way to quantify whether someone is capable of actually doing the job? How about something that goes beyond just ‘like the name, like the way they sound, like the way they look’ or the best example ‘is a woman’ etc.Have you ever seen a job in anything but politics where you need zero qualifications to get elected?Could I be the minister of a Methodist Church?
Well, I think that might be tough because you are Jewish. But he does take classes, and Rabbi’s are a good example: I would never qualify because I can’t read a lick of Hebrew. But the translated name “teacher” I think is great (hope my memory is right on that)So yes, I think you should have to show qualifications. Accounting, Law, etc.
Not that you are one of those but can pass basic tests.We test programmers.Never a test to vote, but to serve?Yes, just like a pilot or to run a boat, or even to drive a car.
Or the test to own a gun? ;)Wholehearted supporter of term-limits, as well as a ban on lobbying after service.
What about showing an understanding of others point of view?Think of some of the commeters here at AVC. Would you want some of them deciding your fate in a courtroom on a jury?
I promised myself not to go political and I don’t think term limits are that. That is why lawyers choose juror’s. Now I want to reform our system of law where a lawyer is obligated, obligated, to do almost anything to their clients view no matter what is right or wrong.Yes, you could say that, but I will tell you that you would rather run through hell in gasoline soaked underwear than have my wife on your jury if you have a single prior, she’d making a hanging judge seem lenient.
Listening to Doris Burke on Golic & Wingo this Am. Doris sounds like the totally hoops junkie that she absolutely is and has been her entire life.She remarked about Markelle Fultz going up and over a big ‘with way more ups than I knew he had.’If it was a transcript, it would read like a guy was talking.My point is that the job Doris now is doing is really about talking to an audience that is mostly guys and so it is easy to have Doris do it….b/c she talks like a guy and is more knowledgeable than most guys. Guys respect her because she speaks to them in their language, more ably.So, what is the job these Boards are doing and is it really important that the Boards reflect the community or is it really important that the Boards know their job and do it well?My take is, get the job done by whomever is willing to do it well and, i bet, if that was the sole focus (it never is), the Board would come close to reflecting the community.Cart : horse thing.
One of the benefits of being an early riser, voted at 6:25 AM in the FiDi. #vote
The right to vote is like parentsWhen have it/them it’s easy to ignore and not appreciate, but when you lose it/them it truly changes your world
On the way now to walk over and vote Blue. I hope we begin to right the ship tonight.
Agreed. And when you do – whatever your political affiliation – please consider voting for kindness, respect, humanity, and a better future for our children (all last seen on a bus heading to the U.S. border).
Backwards – Build a better future for seniors, show children that they have a responsibility to do so.
Why wouldn’t you vote for a system and a set of policies that created the most opportunity for everyone?Systems don’t deliver what you are talking about, people do.Symbols don’t deliver it either.
To rework a well known British English idiom, ‘today’s ballot paper is tomorrow’s fish and chip paper’.Proxy political representation has failed. Be your own politician every day of your personal choices and ‘lifestyle’ behaviours. It’s our native ‘action’ layer. The rest of the stack is bust.
Least worst alternative. Ever try and get 100 people to agree on something? Then take that to 100mm.
people are forcibly shoehorned into an either-or choice, and that’s too rigid.there are many forms of democracy. some seem to work better than others. the UK form is shot to pieces.
Ours is pretty shot too. https://www.washingtonpost….
With all due respect, the Washington Post can hardly be used as an unbiased reference for anything. They are the mouthpiece of the Democrat party and have tried to destroy Trump from before he got into office.Our Democracy is firing on all cylinders. It is better by any reasonable metric. But the Wash Post will never admit it because it would make them and their readers wrong. Jeff Bezos should stick to books.
The article I linked to from WaPo was about Congressional dysfunction relative to historic norms. It was not biased for or against any party. That said, the media is out of control. Virtually all media. Although I lean quite left, prob no surprise there, I can’t listen to CNN as they swallowed the bait whole w/ their anti-FOX, anti-Trump narrative. I’m not quite there yet w/ NYT, though. I can’t assess policy when it’s obscured w/ so much noise and negativity. I don’t believe any one individual can take credit or be held responsible for shifts in economic indicators. Too many variables and it’s frankly all cyclical anyway.
CNN is totally out of control it’s embarrassing. Ever watch either Anderson Cooper or Erin Burnett?For that matter even Lester Holt with NBC Nightly News is extremely biased. I watch that as well as the CBS version of the nightly news. I am amazed at how much more balanced CBS is vs. NBC in how the news is reported.What I say is that two wrongs don’t make a right. Just because the President is disrespectful doesn’t make it ok for the news to return that behavior. It’s not about taking the high or low ground or anything like that. But you are not going to convince anyone of anything (or inform them) if you are just constantly doing the same thing in the same way every single day with a clear bias. Wrong strategy. Only purpose is to get more views and sell more ads (or for personal agendas of the producers and talent).Imagine if you are a teacher or a principal with an unruly student or class. What kind of example do you set by not only highlighting the behavior (in an extreme fashion and being (importantly) as unfair as you can?) but also doing something almost similar yourself as a reaction?What’s funny is that even a restaurant waiter knows that you gain trust by actually being honest about things and maybe telling when the dish is actually bad and you shouldn’t order it. That way you end up trusting more when they tell you something else. Very basic concept. Constantly just doing 100% (or close to it) negative has no purpose period.
While I agree with the premise of the article, I totally do not agree with the examples used to support it. I apologize, the WaPo has been so anti-Trump at every level I do not trust anything they write.I do agree that Congressional “compromise” is gone. But I (personally) believe it is because the Democrats have gone so far left in attempt to win elections that they are totally gone. (As i said in another post – this is not Bill Clinton’s D party.)The “far right” in eyes of the WaPo is mainstream conservatism. They don’t get it – which is why they are so dumbfounded about the world. Until the Left (and the Media) get it that Trump has tapped a real desire to limit Washington and give power back to individuals – they will continue to get frustrated and lose elections.It will be a very interesting night!
Do both and believe in both J.
In 2016, two of my voting age kids were at home, first election each. Was a wonderful experience for the four of us to go to the polls together. Some of the volunteers remembered these kids as a toddler and preschooler.
Higher than usual turnout in CT this AM.
Texas has a full week of early voting. It takes less that 10 minutes. (Especially if you vote the correct way. :>) In our Elementary school the teachers are encouraging the kids to go with their parents – pretty cool.Jobs not Mobs. If the media was even close to honest, it would be no contest today. Just sprinkling a little red on the AVC traditional blue. Good luck to your team.
Love the idea of kids going with their parents.
Denver has the best voting system ever. I got my mail in ballot two weeks ago and turned it around. They have drop off locations about every six blocks so you don’t even have to mail it. Done!!
Voted at 6:15 AM. Volunteers at my polling site said they had never seen it so busy at the start of the day. I pray that continues.
When I voted, I looked around at the Volunteers and said “Hey, I don’t see any Russians?” One laughed. The others just stared at me. Election humor is evidently not welcome.
Russians don’t understand American humor, comrade DJL.
Understood, comrade Brass. Nostrovia!
That is a great comeback. Well played.
Nostrovia!, comrades.
Thanks for the encouragement! I voted early last week.My 15 year old nephew is reading a book about post-independence Africa (600+ pages – his quest for knowledge inspires me). He’s not finished it yet, but a one party political system caused much turmoil based on what he has read so far. We need more than one party and we need bi-partisans. Democracy isn’t easy, but it’s worth it!
https://www.city-journal.or… This article on the NY State pension system is interesting. Illinois, and all the sub governments in Illinois are in financial distress because of pensions among other things. Illinois will have to declare bankruptcy in the next four years. The math isn’t working out.
Something must change in my home state (Illinois)! It really saddens me.
Interestingly, just like ratings for news channels, President Trump has been a tonic for voter participation. It is Great to see America Make voting an important thing to do, Again.Prediction: Republicans increase lead in Senate and hold House, based solely on the polling being wrong again in 2018. Not a partisan call, a technical call that Republicans are not represented in polling.Interesting night ahead.
.Haha. Please return my thunder when you are done using it.I agree more with you than you do with yourself.The Silent voice roars roday.Just like Trump has driven the economic KPIs, he now drives voter turnout on both sides.No other politician has ever inspired more voters to get off their dead asses and participate.JLMwww.themusingsofthebigredca…
That guy who Cruz will beat is kind of like Bobby Kennedy esq, no?’They’ are already talking about him running for President even while acknowledging he will probably lose.I love that ‘they are already talking’.
He is very on message and groovier than even the Kennedys were, in their day.He is not partisan and I think his ‘all in it together’ message, which is laudable, is inaudible.Although Gillum seems to be making it work in FLA, although I think Gillum is a gifted orator. The ‘not saying you are racist, just saying that racists think you are racist’ ranks up there with Lloyd Bentsen’s ‘I knew JFK’ line, in the history of home run debate moments.
Yes the use of ‘Beto’ instead of his real name is a total groovy move for sure.
Unlike Gillum, who rings 1000% real, Beto does not, quite.I think the nickname is a legit, been called that since i was 3 in El Paso thing…..but you can find pics of Beto when he was rowing for Columbia……and he is Robert O’Rourke. So, ………
.No way. It is cultural appropriation. He will be skewered by Hispanics.JLMwww.themusingsofthebigredca…
.He is a plain vanilla traditional DemSix years in the Congress. One bill, renaming Federal building. Lightweight.JLMwww.themusingsofthebigredca…
I meant to mention the massive lack of legislative accomplishment, but #multitasking
.Total lightweight. His in laws are RE people in El Paso. So far left, he should be in New Mexico.JLMwww.themusingsofthebigredca…
I love this type of thing (from his wikipedia bio):Following college, O’Rourke worked as a live-in nanny for a family in Manhattan, then at Hedley’s Humpers as an art mover.vs. Cruz:After graduating from Princeton, Cruz attended Harvard Law School, graduating magna cum laude in 1995 with a Juris Doctor degree. While at Harvard Law, he was a primary editor of the Harvard Law Review, an executive editor of the Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy, and a founding editor of the Harvard Latino Law Review. Referring to Cruz’s time as a student at Harvard Law, Professor Alan Dershowitz said, “Cruz was off-the-charts brilliant”.Now I am not talking about the Princeton/Harvard but what he did with his life (and knew he wanted to do) right out of the box.It’s a cheap shot by me no doubt to say this.
.It is illuminating.JLMwww.themusingsofthebigredca…
I believe we came to this conclusion independently and contemporaneously.It happens.
.Great minds. Texas view. The water.JLMwww.themusingsofthebigredca…
If you are correct, this will be the most violent night in American history in 50 years.
That’s a sad comment about people who vote Democrat.
this semi-pro gambler is betting 130k on republicans using the same rationale: https://www.bloomberg.com/o…
The article is very good. I saw a chart that indicated that political division in America is driven by college educated women skewing further liberal and non-college educated men skewing further conservative.As the article points out, of those two groups, the women respond to polls and the men do not. I believe this is further skewed when polls are online as well.
.The odds in 2018 are 5X better than 2016.The same bunch of pollsters who got it wrong in 2016 suddenly got it right in 2018?JLMwww.themusingsofthebigredca…
Most articles I’ve read suggest Dems are underrepresented in polling. Voter polls on the Pres election didn’t account for the electoral college. Of course, on this go round there’s no electoral college, just the run of the mill gerrymandering, voter suppression, etc.This election for many comes down to the relative importance of civility vs. policy, and is more a reflection on Trump and his Presidency than what voters typically have considered in previous mid-term elections. The Donald, arguably, is the most polarizing figure in the history of politics.
I’d like to see those articles.In my life, I have found that the need to have issues tend to win out over the nice to have. So, if you want a non-technical analysis, I think people who are now employed who were not employed 2 years ago will get to the polls in greater numbers than people who find the President’s style offensive.Wild card – young people voting out the NRA.And, yes, the Reps are shameless in tilting the system to their side.The idea that people are running for Governor while being state AG, while not recusing themselves from managing the election – in more than one state! – is ludicrous.And, the federal government should have an independent body draw up the congressional map. Come on.
I tend to agree w/ you wrt issues vs. nice to have. Applies in most cases, well, until it becomes too hard to justify. We’ve all worked in biz w/ people who are incredibly competent and get things done, but have horrible interpersonal skills, are abrasive, abusive, etc. It’s tolerated but only to a point. There’s a threshold of tolerance that reaches a breaking point. Eventually, the end doesn’t justify the means. Politics is a dirty biz, I get that. We’re dealing in somewhat unchartered waters wrt Trump. Unprecedented behavior. At some point behavioral issues, a key barometer of leadership, will rise in importance and the gen public will grow tired of the game. Have we breached that threshold of tolerance? Tonight will be an indicator whether that has occurred.
Agree with you here, but think that sequencing is important.Results are absolutely there for Trump, especially for non-college educated men. They will get out. Its been 20 years since those folks got results from a President.Its been 2 years that people have hated Trump’s behaviour – which I wish people would just say, as you have, rather than try to play ‘gotcha’ politics on him (it makes people hate politics).I know that I said – here on AVC – that if I had a vote, I could not cast for HRC because I think she (and her hubby) are a scourge on democracy, a person who absolutely has no ethical compass.I also said I would have unwillingly cast that make believe vote for Trump, as I believed he was playing an amazingly cynical game of cutthroat politics but that he would be a solidly mainstream republican President, hiding under a 2″ batter of dogshit personality / philosophy (corn dog metaphor in place here).People can accept that.The Russia stuff, the bankruptcies, the affairs, its shitty political stuff.
I’m glad Trump played the immigration card. It riled his base, but simultaneously inflamed and brought to the forefront what a lot find despicable about him. He had a real opp to play a strong economic hand and limit alienation. His base is unconditionally supportive, regardless of what he says or does, so pandering only gains him “style points.” If the Dems win the House, DJT will be castigated, but it doesn’t really matter cause he’ll deny and the next cluster fuck will quickly be upon us. And then the next and the next until his term is up. Then it’s rinse and repeat. (Note: Hate to sound so cynical, but there’s not much out there to think any differently.)
What he wants to prevent (which by the way many people want to prevent) and how he goes about it ie ‘what he says and how he says it’ are really separate issues. His ‘crime’ is the riling up of the base. That said there is absolutely zero wrong with not wanting to allow everyone and anyone to come here for political asylum or really any other reason at all.And this issue does not appear to be only an issue in the US but also in many parts of Europe.You know what’s interesting? I don’t hear the government of Canada saying ‘oh you know we will come down to Mexico or Honduras and provide bus transportation up to Canada’. Ditto for any other country elsewhere that I can tell.Border security with Canada even has it’s own reality tv show. You can’t get into the country if you are going to take a job away from an existing resident. You can’t even perform free labor for a friend because that would take away a paying job for a Canadian citizen. Source CBP on the show with real officers.Please explain to me then (separate from how the President goes about it or what he says which is fucked up for sure) how you resolve the issue of people coming into this country just because things are apparently really bad where they live now. And further if it’s so important to you (or anyone else) are you willing to personally open up your home for that person (as my father did for my uncle when he came to this country and someone did for him). My guess is that you will not give up a bedroom, right?When my father came to this country (after ww2) a local jewish family put him up and he lived with them until he got on his feet.
It’s obv complicated and I don’t profess to have the answers. The system clearly doesn’t work. We’re a nation of immigrants so to shut the spigot entirely does go against our core values. That said, with so much instability in the world, and the perception that America is rich w/ opportunity, and so, so many seeking a better life for themselves and family, we have to be diligent w/ vetting who gets in and why. I do know that painting a broad brush of those seeking a better way as rapists, murderers, thieves, gang members, etc., is hardly the answer, though. The enormous aid we provide to some of these countries obv doesn’t help the most needy, and maybe that’s part of a new directive. The money needs to be directly applied to jobs, factories and vocational training with monitors and verification. What’s that you say? Oh yeah, I almost forgot, today’s narrative is solely about America first and trade imbalances. There’s just got to be better, more creative solutions than building walls. The Dems thought they had agreement on an immigration bill and Trump did a 180 when someone whispered in his ear or he read the fine print.
I think you’ll enjoy this podcast, which is an in-depth discussion on what makes a successful immigration policy. https://www.youtube.com/wat…
unsubscribe <http: disqus.com=”” account=”” #notifications=””>Disqus wrote on 11/6/18 5:19 PM:
I will check this out. Thank you for sharing.
> We’re a nation of immigrants so to shut the spigot entirely does go against our core values.To me that is 100% total cooked up, emotional, groundless nonsense. There is nothing about what the US did in the past in immigration policies, procedures, laws, actions that need drive or even influence what we do now.
As I understand it, the US rules on asylum are very strict and severe. Essentially NONE of the illegal immigrants who crossed our southern border quality for asylum.All the rest of the illegal immigrants are in massive violation of US laws. A good and appropriate solution is the one Ike used — deport them, IIRC, 1+ million.
I disagree not on how fucked up it is but on the quality and diversity and youth and aspirations of a host of most Democratic people running.I am optimistic.I am not as optimistic as you that a bad night tonight can be overcome honestly.
Well Arnold, you were so very right about Trump, so I’ll defer to your opinion here. Can’t go through another 2+ yrs of this, and most in my circle feel the same way.
Specifically can you define ‘this’? Other than ‘everything and anything Potus’ what are the things that you feel impact you personally and/or are bad for people close to you?”Can’t go through’ or ‘can’t take’ are pretty strong emotions. Honest question (not what others think) but what is it that you personally think is a big deal that you can’t take 2 more years of?
Good question, LE, and good of you to ask. I too would like to know.
I don’t view policy issues in a vacuum or just how it impacts me personally. I am very fortunate. I’ll always be okay. I can rise above the detritus. Nothing he can do, short of tanking the market, will impact be economically to any great extent. It’s the lack of respect, decorum, civility, blatant lying, etc., that tears me apart emotionally. I have zero tolerance for it, irrespective of party. It’s not how I was raised and it’s not how I treat others. I often fail miserably living up to those standards, but I learn and try not to repeat. IMO there is no place for someone in leadership w/ the aforementioned qualities exhibited by Trump.
I appreciate and respect those sensibilities that make Trump distasteful to you.If you disagree with him politically as well, it is salt in an open wound.Can understand this with @awaldstein:disqus as well, a true gentleman.
Donna, you evaluate people for a living. You guesstimate what is a good or bad fit across a number of different variables. It’s never a one size fits all endeavor. Would you, in all good conscious, ever recommend a candidate w/ Trump’s interpersonal skills to a board? Certainly you’d have a responsibility to share the good w/ the bad, and I can’t imagine w/ out a fair amount of trepidation.
There are way too many potential variables for me to answer this, SS.I will say that I see his skill set* more in alignment with a turnaround situation. Takes a special breed.*I think there was an edit after I responded. In my first read of the comment, you said “skills” rather than “interpersonal skills” so my response was based on this. You also added the part about trepidation. Yes, I would have reservations about interpersonal skills. So this would need to be factored in.
Well yes, I can see Trump working in a turnaround situation, which usually means a company or situation in dire straits. A radical and/or innovative thinker required. Takes no prisoners. The question here is whether our country was legitimately in a turnaround (or dire straits) mode? Sure, there are a lot of folks who felt (or still feel) disenfranchised and/or disillusioned, but a country in need of a “turnaround” guy….I don’t see it. Brazil, yes. Italy, yes. Spain, yes. Countries with very weak economies and high unemployment. He was elected. I respect the process, but I don’t have to agree w/ its outcome.
You made some edits in your initial question after I responded and so I slightly tweaked my above response.I took the question at face value rather than answering what might have been the underlying question of Trump’s suitability for the presidency.The question of whether we needed a turnaround may lie in the eyes of the beholder.
Sorry about the head fake. I frequently post and edit simultaneously. I find it easier to work that way w/ Disqus. Appreciate the thoughtful reply.
I’ve never been able to find credible sources on three significant lies from Trump. One Web site claims he lies daily and has thousands of examples, but I looked at the first few dozen and found nothing both significant and credible.Where are the lies?
It is unimaginable truly.I am optimistic on the quality of people coming forward and watching brilliant folks on podcasts/shows like Pod Save America and the organizing capacity of Leaning Left are truly impressive.For tonight I am neither optimistic or not. I plan on going to bed early and waking up to see what the world looks like.To see it the same as it has been is truly something I don’t know how to place and am fearful of it.Time to open a bottle of wine and watch a movie and hug samthecat.
For yourI’m glad Trump played the immigration card. It riled his base, but simultaneously inflamed and brought to the forefront what a lot find despicable about him.I can’t understand that view at all. We have long standing immigration policies, procedures, laws, and those are being massively violated.So, the illegal immigrants are costing the US, crime, drugs, human trafficking, communicable diseases, welfare, health care, remedial instruction and special education in K-12 and hurting lower level employees. Supposedly often the illegals get paid in cash and, thus, don’t pay taxes.The whole situation is wildly illegal and very harmful to many people in the US who have to pay for it.So, who benefits? Some business owners, say, in grass mowing, landscaping, meat packing, cattle, hog, chicken, dairy farms, etc. get cheap, essentially slave, labor. The Democrat party wants to give the illegals amnesty and welfare to get them to vote Democrat — want to add to the Democrat “base”.The claim is that illegal drugs, nearly all from Mexico, kill 70,000+ Americans a year — that’s a lot of death on any scale, all in one year, EACH year, and in just one year swamps US military deaths in Viet Nam, Iraq, Akrapistan, etc.Immigration in the US was via a carefully structured LEGAL process and based on MERIT. The illegal immigration situation is divisive and a time bomb of violence, class divisions, and violence in the streets. We fought a war, the Civil War, over the issue of slavery, and the current illegal immigration situation is very similar. In the US, slavery can make some money for a few special interests and otherwise is a disaster for the US legal system, government expenditures, US culture, etc.Trump’s position on immigration seems to be just to use common sense, stop the illegal stuff, have a wall and some new laws to stop the illegal stuff, and return to our old, long standing policies, procedures, and laws on immigration.Seems to me that Trump is standing on solid, high ground and that Pelosi, Schumer, and the Koch brothers are down in the gutter.I’m solidly for Trump, but I don’t want to be wrong. Where am I going wrong?
Imigration is a huge problem and needs to be solved. Lying about and embellishing the depth and scope of the prob is not the answer. Rapists, murderers, gangs, come on. That’s more Chicago, than the Caravan. They need to be vetted, but not w/ blanket castigation.
You are correct, fully correct except for your hint that Trump is for “blanket castigation” or has lied or embellished.Right, the caravans are not all criminals, drug dealers, etc. But supposedly the US has about 70,000 people a year die from illegal drugs, nearly all from Mexico, that is the “drug dealers”. 70,000 death swamps our military deaths from Viet Nam, Iraq, and Akrapistan, EACH year. Trump has been claiming that the illegals are costing US taxpayers $100+ billion a year and has been saying that the state budgets of several states add to less than that. $100 billion a year is a LOT of money, e.g., ballpark 20% of our military budget.Trump is trying to return the US to its long standing policies, procedures, and laws on immigration — legal and based on merit. That’s a rock solid, very traditional, common sense, high ground position.Suggestions otherwise are just anti-Trump propaganda from people who want slave labor or dependent, loyal Democrat voters.There are plenty of video clips from leading Democrats in 100% agreement with Trump, but the clips are about 10 years old. In the meanwhile the slave labor people and the Democrat strategists decided to pursue the open borders, sanctuary cities, welcome illegal immigration sewage.Why? Look for who benefits. Recognize the importance of the will to power. Look for the hidden agenda. Follow the money.IMHO, Trump is doing just the right things.
See my very long post.
> solidly mainstream republican President,That would be Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan, John McCain, Bush 43, Bush 41, Reagan, Ford, etc., and they are too close to scary brutal, cruel, and devoted to just STUPID “conservative principles”. Trump is not like that. E.g., that is why Bill Kristol, Mitt Romney, McCain were solidly “anti-Trump” people.E.g., the Greenies and Obama had the EPA regulating mud puddles after rainstorms as “protected wetlands” or some such. A lot of farmers got dumped on by the EPA Greenie wackos. It looked like a shakedown scam. Trump stopped that nonsense. That’s not a Republican versus Democrat partisan issue but a common sense versus just plain wacko, stupid, brain dead, shoot self in the gut issue. Similarly for the just insane fear that human sources of CO2 are causing significant global warming. So, Trump got the US out of the witches coven, boiling rat tails, witchcraft Paris Climate Accords. Similarly for the insane down to subversive attack on fossil fuels and the charge, laws, subsidies for the worthless Green energy that Obama admitted would cause electric rates to “skyrocket”.Trump is more moderate, middle of the road, populist, common sense. For his position that health insurance should cover pre-existing conditions is essentially left side Democrat stuff.Gingrich and Hannity can keep saying that Trump is a “conservative”, and maybe they hope he is and are happy saying that, but they are significantly wrong.
Now that this is over. I agree with many of your points.I am afraid it might degenerate even further and that is bad. All one has to do is flip between CNN/Fox.Just say you hate the man and can’t wait until the next POTUS election and we are going to put up a kick ass candidate to whoop him.But for God’s sake don’t say we are throwing out our constitution and we want to impeach an elected POTUS (you won’t) don’t keep doing all of that political stuff.You can say you still hate him but actually support a policy if it’s a good one. You can actually say he made a good point about X. But I still hate him.Trump could put out the best policy in the history of the U.S. and 50% would oppose it.The problem is that now makes you look bad because you oppose it.I’ll give a controversial example.”America First”Now of course what Trump should say is that followed by I am on record that if any hate group thinks I am talking to them, they are sorely mistaken, he has actually said that.Or if you are a Trump hater say the same thing. I agree but he needs to make clearBUT I hear the point. (frankly many don’t think that, people know)Yes, I am out here and many people have lost their good jobs to countries with no EPA, no OSHA, they want somebody to put America First, them first, not corporations that don’t get taxed when they make something with no working conditions. They feel they have been getting the short end of the stick (and compared to people like me they have, when you do well you can think like that)But instead people yell you are a racist, you believe that KKK rallying cry. All of you. Dog Whistle You are a deplorable.Well let me tell you something living in the county of the East Coast HQ of the Klan: https://baltimorefishbowl.c…There are damn few of them and they are reviled and shunned. Look at that: 16 people total. People get up and leave and not serve them.Also we are HQ to Gore-Tex plants where they still make it here but get ripped off by the Chinese, and by economic pressure that is where they are opening new plants. Ask those 9,000 workers, 9,000 compared to lets say 90 maybe total truly deplorables.They get paid a good wage. They live a good life. Each and every one has to wear an air hood because the chemicals are bad for you. The plants have expensive scrubbers, They have to ship out any waste to process it. Each worker gets tested every week to make sure they have not absorbed any chemicals in the bonding process and their lungs are functioning correctly.They know how it gets made in China: bare hands, no safety equipment and dump anything in the air or rivers.Ask them how they feel: 85% voted Republican a total flip flop. Popular local politicians had to change parties.How do those 27,000 people (spouses and kids) feel about you calling them a racist? 85% didn’t like it. That is how he got elected.
Dems get offended fast but are quick to pull out the labels.Reps just cheat.Man the electoral maps need to be fixed.That’s why I think you get so many split Congresses. People aren’t dumb, they get checks and balances.
I simply made the comment at an event today that the election was mixed. It was really just a side comment when somebody said did you watch last night (no).They said: Trumpster.I said that was a dog whistleYou triggered me with that micro-aggressionDon’t gaslight me and tell me I’m wrong.Half the people were laughing half were angry.
I have 3 brothers, two of whom I just no longer interact with because they cannot pierce their emotional veil with reality.What a way to go around the track.
Here is the thing. I didn’t say Trump held the Senate. I didn’t say Democrats now have control of the House and things are going to change,I just said I vote, but no I hate watching those pollster TV shows, I saw the results and they were mixed. I suppose anything other than it was a blue wave repudiation of Trump would have been satisfactory.Ascribing your feelings/insecurities to others is really shitty. SouthPark did a great episode on this PC Principal.https://www.youtube.com/wat…
Unprecedented behavior. At some point behavioral issues, a key barometer of leadershipEqually true though that behavioral issues change over time, no?Think of things in the 50’s and today. Go back farther and it will seem even more extreme. (Ownership of slaves being ‘normal’).Remember the uproar in the 90’s over “but I didn’t inhale’. Today (and even with Obama) that is no longer an issue.Now you can say ‘well this is different’ but I am not sure that is the case. If so, why?and the gen publicThe general theme here of course is ‘well the way one group of people thinks is right’.This is like back in the day with intermarriage. It was clearly implied (at least the way that I was raised) in the exact same way that you didn’t marry outside of your religion. That was what the ‘white men’ (of my religion) thought. What makes that ‘right’ exactly?This isn’t a defense and agreement with the words and some of the actions that you are talking about. But it is nowhere near as ‘for sure’ and absolute as you make it out to be.One other important point. There are people that are going to spite that type of thinking just because it is being shoved down their throat.This was a theme when I was growing up. Catholic girls oppressed by their parents did whatever they could to do the opposite and get back at them. (Billy Joel had a song about that behavior..)
Good points. I think the morality and acceptability bar has shifted, no doubt about that. But it’s like a car w/ a faulty carb. You pump too much fuel too quickly and it stalls. You flood the engine. I think the pace of change is happening too quickly wrt acceptability.
ForThe Donald, arguably, is the most polarizing figure in the history of politics.considering the rivers of toxic sewage inhttps://www.breitbart.com/v…the claim that Trump is “polarizing” is like saying that FDR was when he defended the US after we were attacked in Pearl Harbor.Anyone doing really well is exceptional, different, and rare. So to be exceptionally good it is necessary, although not sufficient, to be different and rare.Trump needs to be exceptionally good given the work, problems down to disasters, of Obama, W, Clinton, …, back to, I’d say, the last decent presidents, Ike, Truman, and FDR.Before those three, the big disaster was Hoover who didn’t understand how to print money and, thus, put the US through 12 years of pure Hell and triggered WWII which killed 50-100 million people. A POTUS with a working brain could have had the US OUT of the Great Depression in November, 1929. Before the Great Depression ended, even a Betty Boop cartoon knew what to do.Trump has a good chance to be the best back to Lincoln and Washington, real Mount Rushmore material.His work will be harder after he gets us fully out of the disasters of W and the poor recovery and additional disasters of Obama. Just now, Trump is doing the obvious, “common sense”, things to shovel the accumulated garbage out of the kitchen and mop the floor from the leaky diapers. Actually to build a grand new mansion will be harder.But the US has a LOT of, unique, all-time, best the world has ever seen, potential that makes all past history look like kids playing with Tinkertoys.
.How about we accept the outcome of this election for a change? OK, whiners?JLMwww.themusingsofthebigredca…
Do you solemnly swear not to judge, malign or degrade in any way the actions of the House of Representatives for two years? 🙂
.No. I promise to study, research, understand their policy initiatives, regardless of party.I promise to convey my support, voice my objections, propose improvements.I promise to deal with ideas and policy.I care not a whit about the House or Senate or any individual. I care only about policy and outcomes.I promise to take my Congressman and Senators to lunch and pay for it.I will point out stupid when I see it. Regardless of party.I promise to continue to be a patriot and if my country calls, I will serve again as I once did. Once an Airborne Ranger, always an Airborne Ranger.I promise to bus my table.You with me, amigo?JLMwww.themusingsofthebigredca…
lol no one is going to accept anything in the final phases of hte USA. if democrats win, republicans will cite censorship on social media. if republicans win, democrats will cite russia. looks like everyone has a conspiracy theory tonight! #we’re_all_kooks_now
Yes it is very similar to holistic cures that do not work. I learned this from the crazy mom of a crazy girl that I dated. She would constantly espouse these holistic remedies. If the remedy didn’t work it was because ‘you didn’t do it the right way’. It was never ever acknowledged that maybe the cure actually didn’t work.
lol i am a fan of holistic medicine and all that type of stuff (only a stone’s throw from political kookology after all) but that story gave me a chuckle. 🙂
We need more people like you who ‘own it’ and also don’t act like the rest of the world is the crazy one.
You have just earned a Dr. Larry’s placebo bottle. Gratis! 🙂 https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
Yes, I do worry that President Trump is the last ‘great’ American President.The USA could be 4 countries by 2100.
Which 4?I’ll start;1. Manhattan (President Wilson, or possibly King Fred I).
USA, FLA, CA & TX.
Edge states?Darwin’s island evolution thesis should be applied to a Republic of Manhattan.
Critical mass states & high Latino growth rate states.
2100? i am too early, but no way it takes that long. i’ll take the under on 2035 for sure.
Nice, at your diplomatic best this AM I see.Have a camomile tea instead of coffee today Hoss.
.Been traveling today.Triple Shot in the Dark – 3 shots of espresso in black coffee.That dog is loose.JLMwww.themusingsofthebigredca…
That’s what i keep saying about Brexit, but the faux democrats in the UK want another go.
Agreed. Here in the land of 10,000 lakes we have early voting. The kids all joined us around the table for voting. Laptops were open, research done on candidates, and voting was complete and thorough. I’m guessing no two ballots were the same, but everyone’s voice was heard.Interestingly, was just in a post office where two folks were talking about voting. The lady next to me despised early voting – said we all should have to wait in the rain. I chose not to engage…. But wish I had asked her about my son’s right to vote. He works a 10 hour shift, with a 45m commute each way. With polls only open for 13 hours….
stand in line for however long it takesWhere I voted today there was no wait at all. Plus the polling place is on the way to the office. I pulled right into the parking lot walked in, walked up, presented my drivers license, got a ‘ticket’ and then literally walked up to an empty machine (there were only 2) and was able to vote.There were no people even giving out literature. This made it particular difficult if not impossible to even know who to vote for (local school board elections or township ‘whatevers’).All the people running for the local local offices are really slackers. Zero people came to our door at all. Not even door hangers. Nothing. Where we live that would be trivial to do. You could easily hit everyone in the township two times. Meet people personally. It would be trivial for me to win an election (like that locally) if I wanted to do so (I don’t). I would just go door to door and meet people. But the people running didn’t even do that. They are ‘wash the suds off’ candidates.One candidate for local office sent out a mailer which did a nice job of altering us to things that the opposing candidate said about him. We didn’t know these things. Nice ‘Streisand’ effect. Turns out the candidate (who sent the mailer) was in a video posted with him being drunk and resisting arrest at a local bar. If we hadn’t gotten the postal letter we would have never know that! Smart? That is the type of quality you get. Not even smart enough to understand how drawing attention to something he did would work against him if he talked about it to people who otherwise would not even know it existed.
I’ll take the contrarian position that it’s a civic duty to vote. It’s much more of a civic duty to be involved in your community and to direct your representatives to make policy consistent with your solutions for today’s issues. There are times to hold your vote!
It would be easy for me to blow off voting today. But I am not going to do that.The dynamic here is essentially the same bad feeling that people have if they don’t tip the bellhop. Or the person who parks your car. [1]The reason is likely to avoid a negative more than civic duty.Maybe with you in particular (because you blog) it’s different. Your voting and talking about voting in a has a minor impact on others. [2]But typically it’s more ‘well if I don’t I will feel that I didn’t do my civic duty’ where ‘civic duty’ is avoidance of not ‘doing the right thing’ which brings you down.[1] ‘Oprah effect’: Sure there are variances to this whereby you get a pleasure buzz from tipping (or giving everyone a car) but the initial and primary motivator is generally avoidance of guilt. (Phil Sugar is an example of the former and I get that as well sometimes..).[2] With me also I would like to be able to tell my wife I voted. I just did. I texted her a sticker that said I voted and she texted back a happy face or whatever. So it was worth it just for that alone. Of course I woudn’t have waited in line for 20 minutes for that. No way.
The ballot referendums are not on issues that matter a ton to me.You realize of course that ‘me’ is in contradiction to ‘civic duty’.With civic duty the theory would be that you are making decision that are either good for the group or good for others without respect for whether it had any impact on you or not.There was a local issue on the ballot where I am where the state wanted to invest $500 million for bonds in order to beef up tech schools (quick read in the polling booth). Personally that has zero impact on me at all and actually it would have a negative impact on me tax wise. But I kind of thought it was the right thing to do for others so I voted yes and supported it. [1] And I am not making myself to be the type of person who does that type of thing anywhere near all the time. I am typically selfish and (as a generality) make no bones that I look out primary for myself and my family or friends. I am sure most others do that as well however publicly they will bullshit that they are not like that. <— And we know all of you are full of shit because if you weren’t you wouldn’t vote the way that you do as a group.[1] This gives me a few ‘I am a good person’ pings in my head.
Today people vote.Tomorrow people b*tch about the outcome of the election.
.Luckily the 2020 campaign starts on Thursday. No?JLMwww.themusingsofthebigredca…
Unlucky. It feels like the Presidential election has been going for four years already.
.Nah, have to have an opponent. Who wins the Dem nomination?Hillary?JLMwww.themusingsofthebigredca…
Hillary and Trump for once fully agree — Hillary should run again!!!!Please, please, please Hillary!!! Run again!!!! Hillary 2020!!!!
I think that she will!
Well, at least we can be sure https://uploads.disquscdn.c…won’t try to get rid of the Second Amendment! https://uploads.disquscdn.c…Hillary, just because you did well on October 31st this year doesn’t mean you will do well for POTUS in 2020!But if you do try, thenhttps://uploads.disquscdn.c…might not help much!Maybe you can get the Russians to try to help you again!! For your Russian buddies, just use your magic word — “uranium”!!! And remind them that you believe in “open borders”, including for your e-mail!!!And concentrate on just two cities, NY and SF.Hillary, maybe for 2020 you might concentrate on still being out of jail!!!Hillary, know that we like you just the way we should given how you really are!!!Or, we do have sympathy for you. We KNOW. We KNOW: You KNEW you should have won because it was your TURN! Or as in grade school, don’t go away mad. Just go away.
This year, I intended to mail in my ballot but when the time came, decided to vote in person instead. I wanted to vote as part of the community. My husband and I have lived in this community for almost 18 years and raised our family here. We knew the person greeting at the polling place entrance as well as most of the people working at the table. Several of the voters were familiar. We hung around after voting to chat.As it is for many of you, this election is very important to me. I noticed that the polling place was busier than what is typical for midterms. I knew that the people in that room were not all voting like me, but many are friends, acquaintances and neighbors and all are fellow Americans. I don’t know about you but I needed that reminder today because I voted hard. After doing my bit, I let go of the results. Whatever the outcome, we’ll get through it.
I’m picturing voting hard as punching the voting booth buttons and then grunting MURICA.
Not really my style, Adam. But maybe on the inside. Something like that. ;)I did punch firmly. Some holes twice. Just to be sure.
As they said in Squirrel Hill recently, ‘These people are my neighbours.’
Yes. Sigh.
We have mail-in ballots here in Seattle. Very civil. Didn’t even need to lick a stamp. However, there is something comforting about old school polling stations, as inefficient as they may be. In NYC I’d always run into neighbors, see familiar faces from the hood, and even recognized the little old ladies who’d annually look up your name/address in the voting registrars. When I pulled those old school levers, regardless of who I voted for, it left me w/ a good, patriotic feeling. Now I’m just numb 🙂
I must say that the human factor was a tonic.
I’ve been volunteering my tech skills all year, and today I’ve sent hundreds of text messages (so far!) to registered voters. I voted weeks ago :-)I hope to go to bed tonight knowing that I did everything I could do. I’ve certainly learned a lot.
I voted around 2 PM in Philly. There was no wait. The person who checked me in judged my party affiliation, which hadn’t happened before, and I thought was interesting. My first time voting in this district as I lived in different districts during the last 4 elections. I think PA has strong candidates for Governor but no where else.
From your thumbnail picture, judging your “party affiliation” should be easy enough, the Brown Bear party, on the Plenty of Fresh, Ripe, Red Raspberries platform???
Guilty as charged. Fun fact, bear poop doesn’t smell.
Okay, I just voted; it didn’t go so well:At the desk where I signed, the girl was the prettiest in the room, but I didn’t see a way to vote for her!!The ballot had about 100 names, but I didn’t see a way to give all my 100 votes to just one candidate!For one of the candidates, I would have voted against them 100 times but didn’t see any way to do that. Hmm.When I buy retail, commonly I can return for a refund if I later decide I don’t like the product, but I didn’t see a way to get a “refund” of my vote if later I don’t like the politician!There was a paper ballot in a cardboard folder with some cutouts and a diagram for how to position the ballot in the folder. The cutouts were to show some special markings printed on the edge of the ballot. There were two orientations of the ballot in the folder that showed the markings in the cutouts the same; that is, for the markings, in the folder the ballot was symmetrical for the two orientations. But the places on the ballot where used a pen to fill in little circles to indicate votes did not have that symmetry. So, there was some ambiguity for the correct orientation of the ballot in the folder. The person behind a desk I asked about the orientations didn’t understand orientations. Finally a pretty young girl (PC: “woman” — it’s fun to tease radical feminists!), cute, sweet, pretty, darling, adorable, precious, smart, bright, with a nice smile (PC: Go ahead, feminists, get offended!!!) said “The orientation doesn’t matter.” GOOD to know! Maybe if the “user interface” designers were to return to the first grade and start over they would make that point clear!!!It’s going to be fun to see the photo finish!!!I’m in NY 19, and there are at least two races I DO care about, for the Congressman for NY 19 and the Senator for NY. NY 19 is supposed to be one of the 30 or so “toss up” House races in the country.I hope my two choices win, but I suspect I’ll get my choice for the House and lose my choice for the Senate.Athttps://www.youtube.com/wat…is the video of the Trump rally in Missouri late last night, the last Trump rally for these Midterms. So, how many views of that video have there been? Ivanka showed up, smiled, was sweet, blew kisses — should have been worth 10 million views!! So, how many views?? Millions? Hundreds of thousands? Thousands? Hundreds? Okay: May I have the envelope, please? “Rip”, and the answer is 21,859.From the 2016 election, it appeared that the Trump rallies had a big effect, were crucial. And the turnout and audience enthusiasm in Missouri last night were high. But how much effect on the election can there be from only 21,859 views of the video and similarly for other videos of that rally and the others?Understanding some of such politics is not so easy; so it will be good to see the RESULTS.
I love old school ballot stations. It’s not sophisticated but it’s fun – love the volunteers, smiles and the “I voted” sticker! Everyone who votes wins – a voice for democracy!
Trump’s “style offensive”. Can we please have some meaningful, credible specifics?Before politics, Trump had a long history of working very successfully with a lot of people of wide variety, e.g., negotiating deals with politicians, engineers, unions, bankers, high end customers. He was honored on the Israeli day or some such parade. He was successful, it turns out, uniquely so by a wide margin, for, IIRC, 14 years on his NBC TV show The Apprentice. The Rabbi in Squirrel Hill remarked that Trump seems to have a lot of empathy or some such — big complement on Trump’s interpersonal abilities. Trump made big time progress with Little Rocket Boy in Ping Pong Yang and even with Xi or whatever his name is in China — supposedly had their first meeting scheduled for 15 minutes go for 4 hours. If his style is so bad, then how come both Ivanka and Melania are total world class precious, darling, dream sweethearts adored around the world?At his rallies he seems a grand master of “connecting” with his audience: He walks in slowly, taking a few steps, stopping, gesturing with hands out and palms up, making eye contact with audience members, doesn’t hide behind the podium and, instead, steps away, turns to make eye contact with the audience behind him, last night in Missouri led the audience for 7 minutes, asking for prayers, kept saying “take your time”, while medical staff got onto a bed with wheels a woman who had fainted — he was exemplary.The best I can do on what’s wrong with Trump’s “style” is more difficult to nail down than Jello to a wall in Texas in July.As inhttps://www.breitbart.com/v…there are lots of people at ABC, CBS, CNN, MSNBC, NBC, NYT, WaPo who eagerly throw every nasty accusation they can come up with at Trump with no credible, objective evidence at all.Some standard Goebbels propaganda stuff is to pick an accusation, simple, say, one word, “racist, sexist, Islamophobic, offensive style” and just repeat it over and over, no credible, objective evidence or any evidence at all needed — eventually a lot of people will believe it.I was for Trump during the Republican primaries of 2016 and am strongly for Trump now, but I don’t want to be wrong. If there is something significantly wrong with his “style”, I very much want to know.