Easing into the week.
May 13, 2024
Perhaps it is the intermittent internet service, the dark mountain sky filled with stars, or a couple of days of hard work at 7,000 feet, but the weekend news cycle seems calmer than usual. No need to look for opportunity for upset if it can be avoided. Shorter is better in advance of a big week in the Manhattan trial.
It is worth noting that President Biden and his opponent were both on the campaign trail this weekend. Biden’s events were private, but his remarks were reported by attendees. Trump held a wild beachfront rally in New Jersey that was broadcast on right-wing media.
President Biden addressed the usual topics expected of a presidential candidate—the economy, Supreme Court decisions, foreign policy, and the future of American democracy.
It is difficult to describe Trump's campaign rally. USA Today said that it was a “raucous” event where “the gloves were off” as Trump resorted to “increasingly apocalyptic rhetoric [in a] festival atmosphere.” I will save you the ugly details of Trump's meandering remarks—in order to extend the glow of the weekend for a few hours more. But it got downright weird.
It is true that Trump drew a big crowd. And USA Today was right to describe the event as a festival—kind of a throwback to a Grateful Dead concert where people traveled for hundreds of miles to listen to long, improvisational jams that kept everyone guessing what was coming next. What worked so well for the Grateful Dead does not translate to presidential candidates. As usual, the media looked the other way as Trump stumbled and misspoke his way through a speech in which the only organizing principle was victimhood.
Like Deadheads, many in attendance at Trump's rallies travel with Trump from rally to rally. They inflate the crowd size and convert a political event into a happening. Whatever happened at Trump's New Jersey rally over the weekend is not scalable. Victimhood has limits for a candidate who is trying to articulate a rationale for a second term in the White House.
It is true that Joe Biden’s rallies are not festival-like in nature. That is because President Biden is discussing matters of substance to motivate people to vote in the most important election of our lives. No offense to the Grateful Dead, but the last thing we need in government at this moment is someone who is making it up as he goes along.
Opportunities for Reader Engagement
Today’s Edition fundraiser for Colin Allred
I am looking forward to our Tuesday fundraiser for Colin Allred with readers of Today’s Edition Newsletter on Tuesday, May 14 at 5:30 pm Pacific / 7:30 pm Central / 8:30 pm Eastern.
If you have already signed up, you should receive the link for the event in the next 24 hours. If you would like to ask a question in advance, please use this form: Questions for Colin!
Colin will be a great addition to US Senate! And as an added bonus, we can help send Ted Cruz packing for a permanent vacation in Cancun.
It’s not too late to sign up for the event! The link to donate and register is here: Colin Allred for US Senate | Today's Edition Virtual Fundraiser.
Force Multiplier
Join Force Multiplier as it discusses the importance of rural voters in 2024:
Please join our friends at Force Multiplier on Monday May 13 at 7 pm for a presentation on why "Rural Voters Matter." 38% of voters in 2024 battleground states live in rural areas. Force Multiplier is again partnering with the Rural Democracy Initiative to support groups engaged in the essential work of organizing rural voters.
Hear from these innovative organizers:
Sarah Jaynes, Executive Director, Rural Democracy Initiative
Kristin Wheeler, Chief Strategy Officer, Galvanize Action
Megan Hess, Rural Organizing Director, We the People Michigan
Concluding Thoughts
No hate mail from Deadheads, please! I spoke of the Grateful Dead in positive terms only!
Because of slow internet speeds, my Managing Editor cannot publish her blog (EveryDayWithJill) tonight. However, she will be back tomorrow with a video of our weekend trip.
Thanks to the many readers who sent beautiful pictures of the Northern Lights! We were unable to observe the rare event. Although our cabin is at 7,000 feet, the tree cover and steep mountain hillsides block everything below 60 degrees in altitude in the night sky.
But I did take advantage of the dark skies to photograph deep-sky objects with my SeeStar S50 smart telescope. See the photos below. Thanks again to my wife for supporting another of my many hobbies, including astronomy!
It will be a big week. Let’s take it one day at a time.
Talk to you on Monday—from the Los Angeles
Recovering Deadhead here. There’s a lyric from “New Speedway Boogie” that would tell you where they would stand regarding the former guy. “Please don’t dominate the rap, Jack, if you’ve got nothing new to say.” Later in that song, "Now I don't know but I been told, it's hard to run with the weight of gold.” And from the Grateful Dead’s Dark Star,
"Shall we go you and I while we can? Through the transitive nightfall of diamonds."
Those are amazing galaxy photos. Far out, man! LOL
Fantastic photos, Robert!