Glorious description from Robert: "The fact that the Republican Party continues to ignore the blaring warning signals <that Trump is a mentally declining fascist wannabe> is a sign that it no longer exists as a political party with an ideology or purpose. It is an empty husk that has been occupied by a parasite using the host for grifting and corruption."
I definitely agree with your comments about this being a unique election that cannot be compared with any prior election.
None the less, I have been tracking the daily eary vote totals here in Mecklenburg County, NC. If you watched the excellent interview of Drew Kromer (chair of MCDP) a few weeks ago by Robert and Jessica Craven, you may recall that Democratic turnout here is key for any hope of winning NC.
Early voting hit record highs in 2020 here with 65% of voters voting early in-person due to Covid. (Early voting is popular here with both parties). So it wasn't surprising that while early voting got off to a strong start last week, we didn't see record breaking numbers either Thursday or Friday.
But we also typically see a drop off of enthusiasm that only picks back up in the last few days of EV. That is not the case this year so far! The four weekday EV days have been remarkably consistent with less than an 800 vote difference between the highest and lowest. And adjusting for the number of hours the polls are open on the weekend, Saturday and Sunday were even busier.
As of Tuesday, we caught up with 2020 in-person EV. Of course this isn't just Democratic enthusiasm, but IMO the GOP doesn't have the ground game to take advantage of getting their voters out early.
“Legendary musician Bruce Springsteen will appear in a series of Kamala Harris rallies over the next few weeks before the 2024 presidential election ends.”🎸🎤
I am not giving up, but being a human being, I am fed up to the gills with sub-human trump voters. This essay by Earl Stephens really resonated with me, and it feels good to have someone acknowledge the shameful hatred that emerges from the Felon's base. I am sick to death of these people. They do not love our country- they only love themselves. For that reason, they are in fact, just like trump. The signs in their yards point out to me who they are and what they stand for.
"But it is you, Trump voter, who I reserve the majority of my disdain. You have been coddled long enough in this country. You aren’t misunderstood. The truth is you have very effectively spent the past eight years making it crystal clear to anybody paying even the slightest amount of attention just how revolting and toxic you truly are."
Thank you for sharing this. I was just telling my husband yesterday that I was sick and tired of people telling me I should “try to understand “ these Trump voters. Apparently I am not alone
Jay and you are excellent. Believe I said fantabulous in the comments below the event. For those who couldn't attend, please bring it home to then. And for the 2100!!! that could attend.
Swbv,Thabks for NYT link as I’m no longer a subscriber. I’m a subscriber to Democracy Dockett/Marc Elias who Robert referenced.Below is a “tip sheet” I received in an email from Elias yesterday.
“Absent from many of those discussions, however, are some basic facts we know:
1. In 2020, Donald Trump and his allies filed more than 60 lawsuits to overturn the election results in six states: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. He lost nearly every case and failed to change the vote count in any one of those states.
2. Five of those six states now have Democratic, or Democratic-appointed secretaries of state and attorneys general. Four have Democratic governors.
3. A new law limits the ability of state legislatures or Congress to alter the certified results.
4. Joe Biden, not Donald Trump, is the president.
There is one other important fact that we need to keep in mind. Though Republicans are filing lawsuits at an unprecedented rate, they are also losing at a similar rate. Last week, for example, the RNC lost voting cases in Pennsylvania and Nevada, while Democrats won key victories in Georgia and Nebraska.”
John Stewart, of course with appropriate outrage/humor, on corporate media’s failure to address Trump’s threats on the “enemy within”. Outrage includes some salty language
TY. I still am gobsmacked that there are at least 40mio Americans who will vote for Trump. In spite of stacking the Supreme Court against women. In spite of his support for abortion bans. In spite of his evident cosiness with Putin.
The conflagration of misinformation promoted for financial and political reasons by the following groups, including Murdoch and his media empire; the Repub party; the Evangelical and conservative branch of the Catholic Church; foreign adversaries; and the entertainment industry, has provided brainwashing to a large segment of the American public. Overlay that with racism and the trauma that came with covid, and we land here. I have some dear friends that are good people who honestly believe that noncitizens are voting, due to Fox and their parish priest. We have a lot of work to do over the next 4 years regardless of the outcome. We need to rebuild community.
There is a national group of progressive Catholics, Catholics for Choice, that calls for allowing abortion in the first 12-15 weeks of pregnancy and further if the health of the mother is at risk. I'm glad you said "conservative branch" of the Church, Karen, since many of us are not part of that designation.
You're welcome. I definitely understand the schisms in the Roman Catholic Church. My dad was a pastor (liberal and hounded by the John Birch Society due to being outspoken against the Vietnam War). His church, Lutheran Missouri Synod, went completely conservative. Broke my Dad's and his pastor friends' hearts. He eventually changed to ELC at age 80. He saw all of this fascism stuff coming with Trump, and said he reminded him of Hitler and Mussolini, and was devastated by it. He was able to vote for Biden in the primary. He died (at 97) after we were able to tell him that Trump was convicted of 34 federal charges. He would have voted for Harris.
Swbv, I’ve been ballot curing for PA in an effort to counter the nefarious efforts of those like Scott Perry.Voters are receptive to the help and you’re able to leave a message.📲
In the next 13 days please ask your Republican acquaintances if they are prepared for living under a Trump-Putin alliance? Remind them of what life is like in Russia now and point out how close they are to living that reality if they vote for Trump.
Unfortunately it's difficult to blame Perry and his fellow Congressional insurrectionists for their ongoing activities. They must feel emboldened by the ineffectiveness and/or unwillingness of a system to seriously investigate and possibly indict them. Quite to the contrary: one of their group was elected Speaker and all those with just a tiny bit of values and a spine were primaried and replaced with card carrying members of the cult.
Keeping them from getting a majority in either the House and the Senate as nearly as important as keeping the fascist and his sidekick (hard to really tell who is who) from winning.
Good Morning Robert. TY for another reassuring assessment. I wonder though … is it a “mystery?” You wrote in part, “The mystery that will provide full employment for generations of historians is why so many Americans willingly embraced the con and spread the hate that fuels Trump's campaign.”
No Mystery! Racism Racism Racism with a generous helping of misogyny.
"General John Kelly, described Trump as a fascist and said that Trump wants to be a dictator."
General Mark Milley the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff also called Trump “the most dangerous person to this country". In response, Trump threatened to have Milley executed.
We mapped the number of veterans per county, the cut to veteran's benefits planned in Project 2025 and ten ways Trump has insulted veterans. How will vets react in the Presidential election?
MAGA should really be MMGA - i.e. Make Me Great Again. Trump has always, always been in it for himself. Anyone who thinks otherwise is kidding themselves. PT Barnum would have stood in awe of the great grifter had he survived into this century.
It’s good to remind ourselves that we shall prevail in the end, but it will be a lot better if we prevail on November 5th. If you’re not working to make that happen, there’s still time to join us. Go to kamalaharrris.com and click on the Volunteer tab. Lots of opportunities, some (like the phone-banking I’ve been dong) from the comfort of your own home.
Robert, Thank you for the introduction to Jess Piper! After reading her piece, Red State Fear, I subscribed and watched her interview with Tom Vilsack about the Harris-Walz plan for rural America. I felt my perspective widening and couldn't be more grateful to you, HCR, Jay Kuo, Jess Craven, Marc Elias, Lucian Truscott... the team that gives me energy to do whatever I can every day to help save our democracy. I am filled with such hope and optimism. We're NOT going back!
Thank you for the links to the various events and the information about PTV new lists. Since I've been wide awake since 3:30 am (election anxiety) I will get right on this. I've been writing for PTV for years. I watched Writers and Readers for Harris-Walz last night. This event was organized by Victor Shi for the DNC Mobilize event. https://events.democrats.org/event/725958/ This was a fabulous and very calming event.
Glorious description from Robert: "The fact that the Republican Party continues to ignore the blaring warning signals <that Trump is a mentally declining fascist wannabe> is a sign that it no longer exists as a political party with an ideology or purpose. It is an empty husk that has been occupied by a parasite using the host for grifting and corruption."
Or they believe they can take advantage of it for personal gain.
Or the intention is to replace him with Vance
Absolutely, so whoever is behind the wheel of this travesty is more nefarious than we ever thought
Well....yes. That too
I definitely agree with your comments about this being a unique election that cannot be compared with any prior election.
None the less, I have been tracking the daily eary vote totals here in Mecklenburg County, NC. If you watched the excellent interview of Drew Kromer (chair of MCDP) a few weeks ago by Robert and Jessica Craven, you may recall that Democratic turnout here is key for any hope of winning NC.
Early voting hit record highs in 2020 here with 65% of voters voting early in-person due to Covid. (Early voting is popular here with both parties). So it wasn't surprising that while early voting got off to a strong start last week, we didn't see record breaking numbers either Thursday or Friday.
But we also typically see a drop off of enthusiasm that only picks back up in the last few days of EV. That is not the case this year so far! The four weekday EV days have been remarkably consistent with less than an 800 vote difference between the highest and lowest. And adjusting for the number of hours the polls are open on the weekend, Saturday and Sunday were even busier.
As of Tuesday, we caught up with 2020 in-person EV. Of course this isn't just Democratic enthusiasm, but IMO the GOP doesn't have the ground game to take advantage of getting their voters out early.
The Drew Kromer interview with Robert was fantastic!
I agree!
Thank you Drew Kromer for getting out the vote. And thanks to you too!
Thank you, Cheryl, for your sustained, enthusiastic work and all your reports from Mecklenburg! Your friend in Durham.
Keep it going.
“Legendary musician Bruce Springsteen will appear in a series of Kamala Harris rallies over the next few weeks before the 2024 presidential election ends.”🎸🎤
https://www.yahoo.com/news/where-bruce-springsteen-perform-kamala-193450891.html
The boss with the future boss
Woo-Hoo!! Talk about energy!!
The Boss will bring it like no one else can!!
I am not giving up, but being a human being, I am fed up to the gills with sub-human trump voters. This essay by Earl Stephens really resonated with me, and it feels good to have someone acknowledge the shameful hatred that emerges from the Felon's base. I am sick to death of these people. They do not love our country- they only love themselves. For that reason, they are in fact, just like trump. The signs in their yards point out to me who they are and what they stand for.
"But it is you, Trump voter, who I reserve the majority of my disdain. You have been coddled long enough in this country. You aren’t misunderstood. The truth is you have very effectively spent the past eight years making it crystal clear to anybody paying even the slightest amount of attention just how revolting and toxic you truly are."
https://dearlstephens.substack.com/p/to-hell-with-trumps-voters
Thank you for sharing this. I was just telling my husband yesterday that I was sick and tired of people telling me I should “try to understand “ these Trump voters. Apparently I am not alone
[The Republican Party] "is an empty husk that has been occupied by a parasite using the host for grifting and corruption." Nailed it!
Is it possible to post the entire recording of your conversation with Jay Kuo? It was outstanding and I would like to share it! Thank you!
Yes. Substack is processing the video. Will post when the final is available.
Jay and you are excellent. Believe I said fantabulous in the comments below the event. For those who couldn't attend, please bring it home to then. And for the 2100!!! that could attend.
I second that request!
I have the Substack app downloaded, but I coudn't figure out where to find the livestream when the reminder popped up at 8 pm that it was live.
Same here Cheryl. We got the audio though. Go with Kuo. He is a potent calming force.
You had to have clicked on Robert's image in the top right corner to get onto the livestream.
Thanks Mim!
This is the true enemy within. Read this horror story in the NYT about Scott Perry of PA and his fellow fascist enablers: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/22/us/politics/election-2024-denial-congress.html?unlocked_article_code=1.UU4.6vUL.-36uWQNLY6Yq&smid=url-share
Swbv,Thabks for NYT link as I’m no longer a subscriber. I’m a subscriber to Democracy Dockett/Marc Elias who Robert referenced.Below is a “tip sheet” I received in an email from Elias yesterday.
“Absent from many of those discussions, however, are some basic facts we know:
1. In 2020, Donald Trump and his allies filed more than 60 lawsuits to overturn the election results in six states: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. He lost nearly every case and failed to change the vote count in any one of those states.
2. Five of those six states now have Democratic, or Democratic-appointed secretaries of state and attorneys general. Four have Democratic governors.
3. A new law limits the ability of state legislatures or Congress to alter the certified results.
4. Joe Biden, not Donald Trump, is the president.
There is one other important fact that we need to keep in mind. Though Republicans are filing lawsuits at an unprecedented rate, they are also losing at a similar rate. Last week, for example, the RNC lost voting cases in Pennsylvania and Nevada, while Democrats won key victories in Georgia and Nebraska.”
John Stewart, of course with appropriate outrage/humor, on corporate media’s failure to address Trump’s threats on the “enemy within”. Outrage includes some salty language
.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwWhs_6x42TyRM4Wstoq8HA
TY. I still am gobsmacked that there are at least 40mio Americans who will vote for Trump. In spite of stacking the Supreme Court against women. In spite of his support for abortion bans. In spite of his evident cosiness with Putin.
The conflagration of misinformation promoted for financial and political reasons by the following groups, including Murdoch and his media empire; the Repub party; the Evangelical and conservative branch of the Catholic Church; foreign adversaries; and the entertainment industry, has provided brainwashing to a large segment of the American public. Overlay that with racism and the trauma that came with covid, and we land here. I have some dear friends that are good people who honestly believe that noncitizens are voting, due to Fox and their parish priest. We have a lot of work to do over the next 4 years regardless of the outcome. We need to rebuild community.
There is a national group of progressive Catholics, Catholics for Choice, that calls for allowing abortion in the first 12-15 weeks of pregnancy and further if the health of the mother is at risk. I'm glad you said "conservative branch" of the Church, Karen, since many of us are not part of that designation.
You're welcome. I definitely understand the schisms in the Roman Catholic Church. My dad was a pastor (liberal and hounded by the John Birch Society due to being outspoken against the Vietnam War). His church, Lutheran Missouri Synod, went completely conservative. Broke my Dad's and his pastor friends' hearts. He eventually changed to ELC at age 80. He saw all of this fascism stuff coming with Trump, and said he reminded him of Hitler and Mussolini, and was devastated by it. He was able to vote for Biden in the primary. He died (at 97) after we were able to tell him that Trump was convicted of 34 federal charges. He would have voted for Harris.
May your father rest in peace…sounds like salt of the earth
Swbv, I’ve been ballot curing for PA in an effort to counter the nefarious efforts of those like Scott Perry.Voters are receptive to the help and you’re able to leave a message.📲
https://www.mobilize.us/2024pavictory/event/676131/
In the next 13 days please ask your Republican acquaintances if they are prepared for living under a Trump-Putin alliance? Remind them of what life is like in Russia now and point out how close they are to living that reality if they vote for Trump.
Unfortunately it's difficult to blame Perry and his fellow Congressional insurrectionists for their ongoing activities. They must feel emboldened by the ineffectiveness and/or unwillingness of a system to seriously investigate and possibly indict them. Quite to the contrary: one of their group was elected Speaker and all those with just a tiny bit of values and a spine were primaried and replaced with card carrying members of the cult.
Keeping them from getting a majority in either the House and the Senate as nearly as important as keeping the fascist and his sidekick (hard to really tell who is who) from winning.
“… news anchors ask “gotcha” questions that no one cares about.” –
How trivial, and how low “news anchoring” has fallen!
Good Morning Robert. TY for another reassuring assessment. I wonder though … is it a “mystery?” You wrote in part, “The mystery that will provide full employment for generations of historians is why so many Americans willingly embraced the con and spread the hate that fuels Trump's campaign.”
No Mystery! Racism Racism Racism with a generous helping of misogyny.
"General John Kelly, described Trump as a fascist and said that Trump wants to be a dictator."
General Mark Milley the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff also called Trump “the most dangerous person to this country". In response, Trump threatened to have Milley executed.
We mapped the number of veterans per county, the cut to veteran's benefits planned in Project 2025 and ten ways Trump has insulted veterans. How will vets react in the Presidential election?
https://thedemlabs.org/2024/10/22/trump-threatens-general-mark-milleys-life-slashing-veterans-benefits/
“Full employment for generations of historians” is delicious phrasing.
MAGA should really be MMGA - i.e. Make Me Great Again. Trump has always, always been in it for himself. Anyone who thinks otherwise is kidding themselves. PT Barnum would have stood in awe of the great grifter had he survived into this century.
I've referred to it as, "Make America Mine Again" (MAMA). The only greatness about him is his con.
He seems more amoral than any other leading figure I can think of. I mean American leading figure.
Robert, you do holy work. You are my new rabbi.
It’s good to remind ourselves that we shall prevail in the end, but it will be a lot better if we prevail on November 5th. If you’re not working to make that happen, there’s still time to join us. Go to kamalaharrris.com and click on the Volunteer tab. Lots of opportunities, some (like the phone-banking I’ve been dong) from the comfort of your own home.
Robert, Thank you for the introduction to Jess Piper! After reading her piece, Red State Fear, I subscribed and watched her interview with Tom Vilsack about the Harris-Walz plan for rural America. I felt my perspective widening and couldn't be more grateful to you, HCR, Jay Kuo, Jess Craven, Marc Elias, Lucian Truscott... the team that gives me energy to do whatever I can every day to help save our democracy. I am filled with such hope and optimism. We're NOT going back!
Thank you for the links to the various events and the information about PTV new lists. Since I've been wide awake since 3:30 am (election anxiety) I will get right on this. I've been writing for PTV for years. I watched Writers and Readers for Harris-Walz last night. This event was organized by Victor Shi for the DNC Mobilize event. https://events.democrats.org/event/725958/ This was a fabulous and very calming event.
Thanks for the info. I, too, am having trouble sleeping. This morning I woke up at 2:00 a.m. with the words “blue wall states” in my brain. 😞
Love Evanston, grew up there.