Sep 27, 2022·edited Sep 27, 2022Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
Airheaded bimbo Sinema, a legend in her own mind, doesn't realize Republicans would NEVER reinstate the filibuster for judicial appointments, since that would mean they couldn't keep putting Federalist Society morons like "Lucy" Cannon on the bench - she got R votes only and it wasn't 60.
Sinema's going to get a (metaphorical) baseball bat to the face when Ruben Gallegos takes her on in 2024. Right now she is underwater 20 points in Arizona with Democrats, 18 points with Independents and 12 with Republicans - if she thinks there is a Republican in Arizona who will vote for a bisexual former Green moron ex-Democrat, she's even more delusional than she acts like she is.
In 2025 she can go back to studying winemaking in Sonoma full-time.
Nothing pisses me off more than S and M. Greed, stupidly and deliberate ignorance all rolled into traitorous Trojan horses. My finances have recently dropped thru the floor but I will donate what I can to the candidates who can make those two become lobbyists without Senate seats.
I do hope you are right and this is why I read as many of the comments as I can after reading the newsletter; to be shown other perspectives and interpretations. My own immediate response when I heard that Sinema was speaking at the McConnell building to a Repub audience and calling for the filibuster to be strengthened and extended to judicial appointments was that it is an indication that Mitch McC expects the R to lose the Senate since under D majority he can use the filibuster to block all progress... and pull his magical hypocrisy hex out to rescind it or parts of it if the R were to win their way back into the position of majority power in the future.
Speaking of Arizona and keeping democracy, in case you missed this alarm last night...
The States Project reports:
* Rep. Diego Espinoza won his primary election for the District 22 Senate seat, then withdrew from the race without notifying the party to take a lobbying job. He was running unopposed in the general election, meaning he would have easily won in November. So this seemingly safe seat is now in danger of a flip.
* Rep. Espinoza will be the only candidate on the ballot, but any votes cast for him won't count. We must mount a write-in campaign.
* Voters need to understand not to vote for Espinoza and to write in Dr. Evangeline Diaz instead.
* Dr. Diaz is a former school principal and former chair of her town’s planning and zoning commission. Our partners on the ground in Arizona have aligned behind her for this seat.
* Republicans didn't get anyone on the ballot in this district, so they will also run a write-in candidate.
* Early voting starts in AZ on October 12, so this campaign needs support to start reaching voters immediately.
* Bottom line: What we thought was a safe Democratic seat is now at risk in a chamber where flipping just one seat would shift enough power to end rightwing control and protect Arizona’s electoral votes from being stolen in 2024.
What we can do: Raise an additional $50K for Arizona in the next week.
Here are 2 States Project Giving Circles focused on raising funds specifically for Arizona. Our small donations add up to a powerful force!
Hi, Ellie. Thanks for sticking with this story. I am thinking of running a story on this tonight, but am having a hard time getting the facts straight. One story reports that the Maricopa Board of Supervisors says that it is considering appointing a replacement (that may be temporary, I realize) and Ballotpedia says Espinoza's name won't appear on the ballot. https://ballotpedia.org/Diego_Espinoza_(Arizona) I don't think either of those facts would change the write-in advice, but I would like to ensure that I get the details right. Any assistance you can give me would be appreciated!
Hi Michael. Since The States Project Arizona page is not yet updated for Dr. Diaz, I relayed the info from Melissa Walker of The States Project for the names of the Giving Circles focused on Arizona. The States Project will direct these funds to the candidates as needed, including Dr. Diaz.
Ellie, I checked yesterday and today on The States Project website and there is no mention of this and no way to donate to this race. Arizona is a focus and specific endorsed candidates are featured but this isn't there. Early days yet, but not that early.
I'm concerned that donations to those two those two Giving Circles may not go to to Dr Diaz, but to the other endorsed AZ candidates.
Thank you for checking, Michael. I asked Melissa Walker, The States Project Director of Giving Circles, about updating the website and how to support this write-in for Dr. Diaz. She verified these two fixing circles: Arizona Pathfinders and Coast to Coast.
Unfortunately timing is everything. Here in Florida where my wife and I are barely south of the “cone of probability” regarding the hurricane’s eye, we will likely have some extreme rain and wind gusts because we’re on the strong side of this huge hurricane. But the bigger threat is that this emergency will put our Governor DeSantis (Ugh!) on tv non-stop and give him free campaign time, because he is, after all, the state’s CEO. Meanwhile his opponent, Charlie Crist, former Governor, resigned-to-run Congressman, former State Attorney General and more, can say little and do nothing, without authority to direct efforts. So a storm looming to cause harm and pain will only move votes to an authoritarian who has extreme ambitions to be an extremist President. And if Trump prevails because the courts will decide he had executive privilege and a pass, the precedent will be set, the ground fertile, for the country to become another Fascist State. Once that happens we will have a 20% chance to return to a democracy, according to recent history. No matter your state, donate to Charlie Crist For Governor of Florida. It’s in your own best interest!
Let's see how things turn out with DeSantis's ability to handle the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. Other governors failed to cover themselves in glory when a major hurricane overwhelmed state resources. DeSantis has deployed 2,500 national guard reservists. That might be too much, or not nearly enough. Most governors would be begging for federal assistance already. haven't heard of any such plea from DeSantis.
Robert, I for one appreciate the fundraising ask for Barnes and Fetterman. It is hard to know where one’s dollars will be most impactful, and getting an ask from someone who is thoughtful, knowledgeable, and trustworthy is most welcome. I do have one ask of my own. Often when I give to a candidate, I then start getting daily solicitations for additional gifts. I find this off-putting, and I believe the Democratic Party has hurt itself more than it has helped itself with its strategy of fundraising bombardment. If there is anything you can do to see that these two important candidates don’t fill up our inboxes, that would be doubly appreciated. Meanwhile, I have made my gift (though I can’t attend).
Fetterman for Senate and Shapiro for Governor absolutely must win in Pennsylvania on November 8. I see their lawn signs in my immediate area. In the wealthier areas, I see Oz and Mastriano - people wanting to protect and not share their money with the "lesser-than".
If, after donating to a candidate, you get unwanted follow-up requests for more money, go to the bottom of the candidate's page and hit UNSUBSCRIBE. That will end the deluge.
Yup, I do a lot of unsubscribing, but since I also do a lot of donating, it gets pretty tiresome. More important, how many Dem donors just turn off altogether rather than opting in to the donate-and-unsubscribe merry go round?
I do a LOT of. deleting of fund-raising emails. And if I do give, I get bombarded immediately with desperate appeals for more, even from candidates (lookin’ at you, Mark Kelly) with lots of money in the bank and big leads in the polls. Dispiriting.
Even when I've just given them $100. And then there are all of the snailmail appeals. The only reason I open them before recycling is because sometimes there's something non-recyclable included. One non-profit (not a candidate) puts 1st class stamps on the return envelope. At least, I peel the envelope paper off the stamp (away from the back, works well) and use it for the 2 bills I still pay with a check.
Hey, Kate. I have been tempted to do just that (UNSUBSCRIBE) all summer long. But now so close to the election, I am holding out til November 9 to do so.
I have what I call a junk email address that I use for things like political contributions & one time buying. That way I can check to see if there is anything I want to see/keep and then delete all for the rest.
Betsy, it's a great idea, and kudos to you for this clever approach. But it still doesn't solve the problem for me that I believe there are millions of Dem donors out there who are being turned off by the deluge of unabashed repeat solicitations from the same candidates regardless of how recent the last gift was. Somewhere along the line, a Dem strategist figured out that one raises more money by making lots and lots of asks. But I don't believe they have appropriately factored in the damage to Dem enthusiasm this barrage creates. So I mention it whenever I can, especially to people like Robert who have the potential perhaps to instigate change.
Jordan, I agree. Obviously the bombardment works well enough to keep doing it. The fund raisers have seen how well repetition works for stores. I get multiple emails a day from Best Buy. I buy from them about once a year. My mistake was including my phone number with my donation. Daily texts from Mark Kelly & others!
Emails barely cost anything. If there's a human involved, they likely were the programmers who set up the messages to be sent automatically and to add to the email address list. As I review the new emails, I hit delete for all from candidate emails. I have donated to most of them but donate on my own schedule.
Then, there's massive amount of snailmail solicitations both from candidates' campaigns and nonprofits I support yet I've never mailed a check, always donate online. So, into the recycle bin. Yes, I've tried requesting I be removed from mailing lists but it never seems to work.
Thank you for tonight's newsletter, Robert. I especially appreciated your discussion about the Italian election. Rachel Maddow's take on the election starting with the rise of Mussolini and ending with Giorgia Meloni's victory was rather depressing. Your explanation of how Ms. Meloni managed to win this election shed a totally different light on the situation.
I remember writing to my kid (who likes comparative govt) that the Italian leader at the time of covid when so many elders passed in Italy, was not known. How we are raised, whether to question, dig, is part of how scary reactionary people create safe places for themselves. This is true in courtrooms where so readily individuals are unwilling to look deeply, and the odds are so terrifying. Women were supposed to be quiet, right, yet we are tasked now with being extra loud.
Thank you, C C, for writing so eloquently for those of us who feel the same but cannot put it so well. Thank you Mr. Hubbell for a different perspective.
I suspect that Sinema’s problem is one of narcissism: She found she loved being the center of attention. Remember her weird smiles when exiting those meetings with Biden. Of course Mitch will eat her alive while she basks in her own mirror. SAD.
I’m a little surprised that you didn’t comment on last weeks MoRon DeSantis’s incredulous comment that “America was first to think slavery was wrong”. In the words of Warden Norton…..”Ron, how can you be so obtuse”.
Obviously DeSantis has never heard of William Wilberforce.
And Ron, what about the US Constitutions 3/5ths clause ( in Article 1 ) which guaranteed that members of the House and Senate would have a majority of slave owners as congressional lawmakers and guaranteed the US Federal Government could not abolish international slave trade till at least 1808 ( and maybe not even then).
And Ron, what about Article 4 which prevented amending the 3/5ths clause and also allowed new territories and states to OWN slaves.
Oh, and Ron, have you read the Dred Scot v Sanford and the Prigg v Pennsylvania SCOTUS cases heard by the infamous Robert Taney.
I’m commenting today because I do not know if I will have power tomorrow. My family, including their two LARGE dogs have evacuated from their Zone A house and come to ours. We are in the “cone of certainty “ but don’t know how badly we will be affected. My thanks to generous Ellie Kona who sent us a battery back up and weather radio yesterday.
I wanted to comment on Italy’s election. With my Italian heritage, I have followed this election with worry. Italians seem to have forgotten the atrocities of Fascist Italy. There is a terrific book “Under the light of the Italian Moon” by Jennifer Anton. The book is written from the perspective of her grandmother, a mid wife in Italy. She describes how, at first, the Italians thought Mussolini would be good for the country. Then reality set in. People were killed and stripped of their dignity. It is historical fiction to some extent, but solidly based on information from her ancestors. I encourage you to read it and get an understanding of how things devolve quickly. It is a real lesson for us here and now.
Annette, hope you can stay safe. I'm so glad my youngest moved out of Jacksonville to near me last summer. As for Mussolini, I remember reading somewhere that the Italians really liked him because he got the trains to run on time. It really is the "little" things that move the vote.
I feel no sympathy for a whining Manchin (and please, what is he doing on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee?). As to Sinema: Who isn't aware that she is out for herself? Females can be grifters, too.
When you look at the state of the rest of the world, with a very few exceptions, we need to remind ourselves how lucky those of us living in the US are. We can blow it, or we can save it. It strikes me that our government is flawed but that the media, writ large, is making daily mountains out of mole hills. We need to get back to voting for the best, most honest candidates of either party. We need to stop thinking about the latest political outrage or scandal or anything Trump related. Don't be seduced by political opportunists like MJT, McCarthy, Gaetz and anyone closely associated w Trump. He was and is our Berlusconi and, more than anything, he cares about himself, his ratings, his supposed wealth, and his guests and patrons at Mar-a-Lago. He doesn't care about us.
Todays Edition was significant to me because Robinson is right on the money about Republicans “ performative revenge” mantra. Listen to the comments being made starting with “ when we take over the House and Senate we are going to impeach Biden , eliminate the IRS agents etc, pure revenge a Trump standard operating procedure. A major foundational issue keeping this country from coming together is the overriding almost fanatical Republican manta of “owning the libs”. Revenge is more important than governing and developing meaningful legislation.
Kevin McCarthy a few days ago asked the question “ Are you better off today than you were 2 years ago?” Most Americans are better off because they have a government that is working for them and providing a stable foundation that supports in most part the services and programs that meet the needs of all Americans. What the Democrats have not done effectively is convince the American voters that they are better served and their rights protected with a Democratic government. Voters need to see and feel a comparison between a Democratic approach to government and the revenge politics of Republicans.
An old crone at my assisted living was raving in the dining hall about what chump nuts would do to Dems when they took back over. They are MAGAfied and beyond any rational discourse. Fox is the purveyor of truth for these deliberately ignorant. Performative revenge, no doubt about it.
I use to feel the same way but realized that stanch MAGA believers need MAGA to support their own insecurities, anguish and bias and someone they believe share their values and protect their back.
The first section of your essay, 13 paragraphs (and yes I am OCD enough to have counted and detail-challenged enough to have counted wrong) kept me shaking my head in confusion. I simply couldn't follow what you were saying. I have become pretty familiar with your writing that, although occasionally a little disorderly due to enthusiasm, is never completely unreadable. So. Mindful of my aging brain, I took a breath and a break, had a cup of tea, and read it again.
Mr. Hubbell, these paragraphs are, indeed, incomprehensible, for one reason only. The situation is completely without any logical sequence of events and ideas and responses that makes even a minimum amount of sense.
This is one of the great and possibly permanent harms these last years have done to the citizenry of our United States. Even those of us accustomed to an often intuitive application of critical thinking skills, are finding more and more often that critical thinking, even sequenltial thinking, is not only not intuitive but has become laborious and sometimes impossible.
Aside from problems of aging, Mr. Hubbell, I am dazzled with confusion by your essay because the circumstances you describe are dazzlingly confusing.
I so appreciate your fine efforts. When we stop trying, we are truly and utterly defeated.
Oh, yes, definitely. You are a hero. You are in the front lines of the ground war against not just the complete psychosis of what is going on in our world but in the whole underground tunnel system that further distorts and misdirects our information about it.
There's no question in my mind that, at the end of the day when we have absorbed and made whatever adjustments we can to the changes that are inevitable after these years, we are going to discover more, and I think more serious, bad news.
For a long time now, since way back when we were still thinking about convenience and the wonders of those first computers in our classrooms, technology was making great and invisible strides. Seduced mostly by the ease of the new toy, we looked away for too long. Then the shit hit the fan in D.C., the plague came, and convenience became necessity.
When we wake up from the nightmare, I believe we will discover that the technology is now driving the bus. Give me tacky, low-rent, crazy politicians any day of the week.
Nothing to add . . . just to appreciate and emphasize some things Robert has said so well today:
"The filibuster is an anti-democratic tool of obscene proportions."
"That mercenary attitude has enforced unyielding party discipline but has also led the GOP over a moral precipice as it mindlessly supports the greatest criminal ever to occupy the presidency."
Since Robert likes TAFM, allow me to announce there is a long analysis of Fratelli d'Italia and the failure of the organized left in Italy to deal with income inequality and deindustrialization (and the same situation in France, Sweden, and most of the rest of Western Europe and the US).
And Fratelli d'Italia is only as "non-fascists" as Meloni wants to say it is. As with everything else on the Right anywhere, look at what they do, don't worry about what they say.
3. There is a "zombie" site for That's Another Fine Mess at https://tcinla.substack.com/ that has no content. I was directed to the zombie site when I clicked on the link in your profile used in your comments. I got to the correct site (by tcinla757) by doing a google search--which brought up both the correct site and zombie site. Hope this is useful information.
Airheaded bimbo Sinema, a legend in her own mind, doesn't realize Republicans would NEVER reinstate the filibuster for judicial appointments, since that would mean they couldn't keep putting Federalist Society morons like "Lucy" Cannon on the bench - she got R votes only and it wasn't 60.
Sinema's going to get a (metaphorical) baseball bat to the face when Ruben Gallegos takes her on in 2024. Right now she is underwater 20 points in Arizona with Democrats, 18 points with Independents and 12 with Republicans - if she thinks there is a Republican in Arizona who will vote for a bisexual former Green moron ex-Democrat, she's even more delusional than she acts like she is.
In 2025 she can go back to studying winemaking in Sonoma full-time.
Nothing pisses me off more than S and M. Greed, stupidly and deliberate ignorance all rolled into traitorous Trojan horses. My finances have recently dropped thru the floor but I will donate what I can to the candidates who can make those two become lobbyists without Senate seats.
She is heavily supported by Republican based venture capital firms and banking
Yes, because she does their bidding, and they line her pockets.
I do hope you are right and this is why I read as many of the comments as I can after reading the newsletter; to be shown other perspectives and interpretations. My own immediate response when I heard that Sinema was speaking at the McConnell building to a Repub audience and calling for the filibuster to be strengthened and extended to judicial appointments was that it is an indication that Mitch McC expects the R to lose the Senate since under D majority he can use the filibuster to block all progress... and pull his magical hypocrisy hex out to rescind it or parts of it if the R were to win their way back into the position of majority power in the future.
If we win 3 extra seats we can deal with the filibuster. We need to win first.
Speaking of Arizona and keeping democracy, in case you missed this alarm last night...
The States Project reports:
* Rep. Diego Espinoza won his primary election for the District 22 Senate seat, then withdrew from the race without notifying the party to take a lobbying job. He was running unopposed in the general election, meaning he would have easily won in November. So this seemingly safe seat is now in danger of a flip.
* Rep. Espinoza will be the only candidate on the ballot, but any votes cast for him won't count. We must mount a write-in campaign.
* Voters need to understand not to vote for Espinoza and to write in Dr. Evangeline Diaz instead.
* Dr. Diaz is a former school principal and former chair of her town’s planning and zoning commission. Our partners on the ground in Arizona have aligned behind her for this seat.
* Republicans didn't get anyone on the ballot in this district, so they will also run a write-in candidate.
* Early voting starts in AZ on October 12, so this campaign needs support to start reaching voters immediately.
* Bottom line: What we thought was a safe Democratic seat is now at risk in a chamber where flipping just one seat would shift enough power to end rightwing control and protect Arizona’s electoral votes from being stolen in 2024.
What we can do: Raise an additional $50K for Arizona in the next week.
Here are 2 States Project Giving Circles focused on raising funds specifically for Arizona. Our small donations add up to a powerful force!
https://www.grapevine.org/giving-circle/WXWhrLm/Arizona-Pathfinders
https://www.grapevine.org/giving-circle/adWhPkp/Coast-to-Coast-Giving-Circle
(Remember that Alaskans learned how to spell "Lisa Murkowski" when she was a write-in candidate.)
Please spread this message widely. Thank you for helping!
h/t Adele G.
Hi, Ellie. Thanks for sticking with this story. I am thinking of running a story on this tonight, but am having a hard time getting the facts straight. One story reports that the Maricopa Board of Supervisors says that it is considering appointing a replacement (that may be temporary, I realize) and Ballotpedia says Espinoza's name won't appear on the ballot. https://ballotpedia.org/Diego_Espinoza_(Arizona) I don't think either of those facts would change the write-in advice, but I would like to ensure that I get the details right. Any assistance you can give me would be appreciated!
I would check with Melissa Walker at The States Project. Thank you, Robert!
Please also see my reply to Ellie’s comment.
I’ve been unable to find Evangeline Diaz on The States Project Arizona races page so it’s not clear where to donate.
Hi Michael. Since The States Project Arizona page is not yet updated for Dr. Diaz, I relayed the info from Melissa Walker of The States Project for the names of the Giving Circles focused on Arizona. The States Project will direct these funds to the candidates as needed, including Dr. Diaz.
Arizona Pathfinders
Altered States
Chop Wood, Carry Arizona! (Jess Craven's)
Determined Desert Dwellers
Delta 50
Big Red's Blue Angels
Many thanks
Love this: Remember that Alaskans learned how to spell "Lisa Murkowski" when she was a write-in candidate.
Ellie, I checked yesterday and today on The States Project website and there is no mention of this and no way to donate to this race. Arizona is a focus and specific endorsed candidates are featured but this isn't there. Early days yet, but not that early.
I'm concerned that donations to those two those two Giving Circles may not go to to Dr Diaz, but to the other endorsed AZ candidates.
Thank you for checking, Michael. I asked Melissa Walker, The States Project Director of Giving Circles, about updating the website and how to support this write-in for Dr. Diaz. She verified these two fixing circles: Arizona Pathfinders and Coast to Coast.
Thanks Ellie. I hope those two ?giving (not fixing?) circles are east enough to find.
I don't have time to get the links, but these are the names of Giving Circles for Arizona, and a search should take you to the grapevine page of each:
Arizona Pathfinders
Altered States
Chop Wood, Carry Arizona! (Jess Craven's)
Determined Desert Dwellers
Delta 50
Big Red's Blue Angels
Posted to "Public" on FB - removed your name (for your privacy's sake).
Thank you!
Done, Ellie!!
Thank you!
Unfortunately timing is everything. Here in Florida where my wife and I are barely south of the “cone of probability” regarding the hurricane’s eye, we will likely have some extreme rain and wind gusts because we’re on the strong side of this huge hurricane. But the bigger threat is that this emergency will put our Governor DeSantis (Ugh!) on tv non-stop and give him free campaign time, because he is, after all, the state’s CEO. Meanwhile his opponent, Charlie Crist, former Governor, resigned-to-run Congressman, former State Attorney General and more, can say little and do nothing, without authority to direct efforts. So a storm looming to cause harm and pain will only move votes to an authoritarian who has extreme ambitions to be an extremist President. And if Trump prevails because the courts will decide he had executive privilege and a pass, the precedent will be set, the ground fertile, for the country to become another Fascist State. Once that happens we will have a 20% chance to return to a democracy, according to recent history. No matter your state, donate to Charlie Crist For Governor of Florida. It’s in your own best interest!
Let's see how things turn out with DeSantis's ability to handle the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. Other governors failed to cover themselves in glory when a major hurricane overwhelmed state resources. DeSantis has deployed 2,500 national guard reservists. That might be too much, or not nearly enough. Most governors would be begging for federal assistance already. haven't heard of any such plea from DeSantis.
Can you say "Hell of a job, Brownie".
At least he’ll have to refrain from trafficking migrants.
Stay safe, fellow Floridians!
Maybe DeSantis should not have spent money on plane fare? Won't he need it now? Oh wait, he'll demand help from the Federal government. /S/
Stay as safe as you can, Gerry. Fingers crossed for you and yours.
I will.
Robert, I for one appreciate the fundraising ask for Barnes and Fetterman. It is hard to know where one’s dollars will be most impactful, and getting an ask from someone who is thoughtful, knowledgeable, and trustworthy is most welcome. I do have one ask of my own. Often when I give to a candidate, I then start getting daily solicitations for additional gifts. I find this off-putting, and I believe the Democratic Party has hurt itself more than it has helped itself with its strategy of fundraising bombardment. If there is anything you can do to see that these two important candidates don’t fill up our inboxes, that would be doubly appreciated. Meanwhile, I have made my gift (though I can’t attend).
Fetterman for Senate and Shapiro for Governor absolutely must win in Pennsylvania on November 8. I see their lawn signs in my immediate area. In the wealthier areas, I see Oz and Mastriano - people wanting to protect and not share their money with the "lesser-than".
Got it!
If, after donating to a candidate, you get unwanted follow-up requests for more money, go to the bottom of the candidate's page and hit UNSUBSCRIBE. That will end the deluge.
Yup, I do a lot of unsubscribing, but since I also do a lot of donating, it gets pretty tiresome. More important, how many Dem donors just turn off altogether rather than opting in to the donate-and-unsubscribe merry go round?
I do a LOT of. deleting of fund-raising emails. And if I do give, I get bombarded immediately with desperate appeals for more, even from candidates (lookin’ at you, Mark Kelly) with lots of money in the bank and big leads in the polls. Dispiriting.
Even when I've just given them $100. And then there are all of the snailmail appeals. The only reason I open them before recycling is because sometimes there's something non-recyclable included. One non-profit (not a candidate) puts 1st class stamps on the return envelope. At least, I peel the envelope paper off the stamp (away from the back, works well) and use it for the 2 bills I still pay with a check.
Hey, Kate. I have been tempted to do just that (UNSUBSCRIBE) all summer long. But now so close to the election, I am holding out til November 9 to do so.
I have what I call a junk email address that I use for things like political contributions & one time buying. That way I can check to see if there is anything I want to see/keep and then delete all for the rest.
Betsy, it's a great idea, and kudos to you for this clever approach. But it still doesn't solve the problem for me that I believe there are millions of Dem donors out there who are being turned off by the deluge of unabashed repeat solicitations from the same candidates regardless of how recent the last gift was. Somewhere along the line, a Dem strategist figured out that one raises more money by making lots and lots of asks. But I don't believe they have appropriately factored in the damage to Dem enthusiasm this barrage creates. So I mention it whenever I can, especially to people like Robert who have the potential perhaps to instigate change.
Jordan, I agree. Obviously the bombardment works well enough to keep doing it. The fund raisers have seen how well repetition works for stores. I get multiple emails a day from Best Buy. I buy from them about once a year. My mistake was including my phone number with my donation. Daily texts from Mark Kelly & others!
Indeed, I am buried under a mountain of inane emails. I respond to NONE. If this is where our contributions go, we are screwed.
Emails barely cost anything. If there's a human involved, they likely were the programmers who set up the messages to be sent automatically and to add to the email address list. As I review the new emails, I hit delete for all from candidate emails. I have donated to most of them but donate on my own schedule.
Then, there's massive amount of snailmail solicitations both from candidates' campaigns and nonprofits I support yet I've never mailed a check, always donate online. So, into the recycle bin. Yes, I've tried requesting I be removed from mailing lists but it never seems to work.
Thank you for tonight's newsletter, Robert. I especially appreciated your discussion about the Italian election. Rachel Maddow's take on the election starting with the rise of Mussolini and ending with Giorgia Meloni's victory was rather depressing. Your explanation of how Ms. Meloni managed to win this election shed a totally different light on the situation.
I remember writing to my kid (who likes comparative govt) that the Italian leader at the time of covid when so many elders passed in Italy, was not known. How we are raised, whether to question, dig, is part of how scary reactionary people create safe places for themselves. This is true in courtrooms where so readily individuals are unwilling to look deeply, and the odds are so terrifying. Women were supposed to be quiet, right, yet we are tasked now with being extra loud.
Thank you, C C, for writing so eloquently for those of us who feel the same but cannot put it so well. Thank you Mr. Hubbell for a different perspective.
I suspect that Sinema’s problem is one of narcissism: She found she loved being the center of attention. Remember her weird smiles when exiting those meetings with Biden. Of course Mitch will eat her alive while she basks in her own mirror. SAD.
Couldn’t happen to a more effective traitor to democracy
Sinema! Tacky, tacky!
Thank you for your fund-raisers. I have supported Fetterman from the beginning, but am no longer able to contribute financially.
I hope all of us can come out of this hurricane alive and well.
Get Out The Vote
I’m a little surprised that you didn’t comment on last weeks MoRon DeSantis’s incredulous comment that “America was first to think slavery was wrong”. In the words of Warden Norton…..”Ron, how can you be so obtuse”.
Obviously DeSantis has never heard of William Wilberforce.
And Ron, what about the US Constitutions 3/5ths clause ( in Article 1 ) which guaranteed that members of the House and Senate would have a majority of slave owners as congressional lawmakers and guaranteed the US Federal Government could not abolish international slave trade till at least 1808 ( and maybe not even then).
And Ron, what about Article 4 which prevented amending the 3/5ths clause and also allowed new territories and states to OWN slaves.
Oh, and Ron, have you read the Dred Scot v Sanford and the Prigg v Pennsylvania SCOTUS cases heard by the infamous Robert Taney.
And there’s lots more.
( I hope my history is correct ).
Good points. thanks.
I’m commenting today because I do not know if I will have power tomorrow. My family, including their two LARGE dogs have evacuated from their Zone A house and come to ours. We are in the “cone of certainty “ but don’t know how badly we will be affected. My thanks to generous Ellie Kona who sent us a battery back up and weather radio yesterday.
I wanted to comment on Italy’s election. With my Italian heritage, I have followed this election with worry. Italians seem to have forgotten the atrocities of Fascist Italy. There is a terrific book “Under the light of the Italian Moon” by Jennifer Anton. The book is written from the perspective of her grandmother, a mid wife in Italy. She describes how, at first, the Italians thought Mussolini would be good for the country. Then reality set in. People were killed and stripped of their dignity. It is historical fiction to some extent, but solidly based on information from her ancestors. I encourage you to read it and get an understanding of how things devolve quickly. It is a real lesson for us here and now.
thanks, and stay safe!
Annette, hope you can stay safe. I'm so glad my youngest moved out of Jacksonville to near me last summer. As for Mussolini, I remember reading somewhere that the Italians really liked him because he got the trains to run on time. It really is the "little" things that move the vote.
I feel no sympathy for a whining Manchin (and please, what is he doing on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee?). As to Sinema: Who isn't aware that she is out for herself? Females can be grifters, too.
When you look at the state of the rest of the world, with a very few exceptions, we need to remind ourselves how lucky those of us living in the US are. We can blow it, or we can save it. It strikes me that our government is flawed but that the media, writ large, is making daily mountains out of mole hills. We need to get back to voting for the best, most honest candidates of either party. We need to stop thinking about the latest political outrage or scandal or anything Trump related. Don't be seduced by political opportunists like MJT, McCarthy, Gaetz and anyone closely associated w Trump. He was and is our Berlusconi and, more than anything, he cares about himself, his ratings, his supposed wealth, and his guests and patrons at Mar-a-Lago. He doesn't care about us.
"We can blow it, or we can save it;" yes, indeed, Swbv!
Todays Edition was significant to me because Robinson is right on the money about Republicans “ performative revenge” mantra. Listen to the comments being made starting with “ when we take over the House and Senate we are going to impeach Biden , eliminate the IRS agents etc, pure revenge a Trump standard operating procedure. A major foundational issue keeping this country from coming together is the overriding almost fanatical Republican manta of “owning the libs”. Revenge is more important than governing and developing meaningful legislation.
Kevin McCarthy a few days ago asked the question “ Are you better off today than you were 2 years ago?” Most Americans are better off because they have a government that is working for them and providing a stable foundation that supports in most part the services and programs that meet the needs of all Americans. What the Democrats have not done effectively is convince the American voters that they are better served and their rights protected with a Democratic government. Voters need to see and feel a comparison between a Democratic approach to government and the revenge politics of Republicans.
An old crone at my assisted living was raving in the dining hall about what chump nuts would do to Dems when they took back over. They are MAGAfied and beyond any rational discourse. Fox is the purveyor of truth for these deliberately ignorant. Performative revenge, no doubt about it.
I use to feel the same way but realized that stanch MAGA believers need MAGA to support their own insecurities, anguish and bias and someone they believe share their values and protect their back.
I agree with you Stephen. Instead of making themselves better persons, it's much easier to agree with the craziness.
that's funny
The first section of your essay, 13 paragraphs (and yes I am OCD enough to have counted and detail-challenged enough to have counted wrong) kept me shaking my head in confusion. I simply couldn't follow what you were saying. I have become pretty familiar with your writing that, although occasionally a little disorderly due to enthusiasm, is never completely unreadable. So. Mindful of my aging brain, I took a breath and a break, had a cup of tea, and read it again.
Mr. Hubbell, these paragraphs are, indeed, incomprehensible, for one reason only. The situation is completely without any logical sequence of events and ideas and responses that makes even a minimum amount of sense.
This is one of the great and possibly permanent harms these last years have done to the citizenry of our United States. Even those of us accustomed to an often intuitive application of critical thinking skills, are finding more and more often that critical thinking, even sequenltial thinking, is not only not intuitive but has become laborious and sometimes impossible.
Aside from problems of aging, Mr. Hubbell, I am dazzled with confusion by your essay because the circumstances you describe are dazzlingly confusing.
I so appreciate your fine efforts. When we stop trying, we are truly and utterly defeated.
Thanks, I think?
Oh, yes, definitely. You are a hero. You are in the front lines of the ground war against not just the complete psychosis of what is going on in our world but in the whole underground tunnel system that further distorts and misdirects our information about it.
There's no question in my mind that, at the end of the day when we have absorbed and made whatever adjustments we can to the changes that are inevitable after these years, we are going to discover more, and I think more serious, bad news.
For a long time now, since way back when we were still thinking about convenience and the wonders of those first computers in our classrooms, technology was making great and invisible strides. Seduced mostly by the ease of the new toy, we looked away for too long. Then the shit hit the fan in D.C., the plague came, and convenience became necessity.
When we wake up from the nightmare, I believe we will discover that the technology is now driving the bus. Give me tacky, low-rent, crazy politicians any day of the week.
Nothing to add . . . just to appreciate and emphasize some things Robert has said so well today:
"The filibuster is an anti-democratic tool of obscene proportions."
"That mercenary attitude has enforced unyielding party discipline but has also led the GOP over a moral precipice as it mindlessly supports the greatest criminal ever to occupy the presidency."
Fascism's watchwords: God, fatherland, family.
"Performative outrage" from the GOP.
Since Robert likes TAFM, allow me to announce there is a long analysis of Fratelli d'Italia and the failure of the organized left in Italy to deal with income inequality and deindustrialization (and the same situation in France, Sweden, and most of the rest of Western Europe and the US).
And Fratelli d'Italia is only as "non-fascists" as Meloni wants to say it is. As with everything else on the Right anywhere, look at what they do, don't worry about what they say.
Hi, TCinLA. Three Comments:
1. Argh! I wish I had seen your article before I published last night. A superb analysis!
2. I just subscribed to That's Another Fine Mess at https://tcinla757.substack.com/
3. There is a "zombie" site for That's Another Fine Mess at https://tcinla.substack.com/ that has no content. I was directed to the zombie site when I clicked on the link in your profile used in your comments. I got to the correct site (by tcinla757) by doing a google search--which brought up both the correct site and zombie site. Hope this is useful information.
Thanks Robert - both for the subscription and the site info. I shall contact Substack about the zombie.
And, duh, Bannon wasn’t taking in the sights when he was in Europe and S. America