Thank you Robert for staying up all night giving us your detailed updates. We're very grateful. I cannot watch mainstream news or read NY Times or WaPo. My news comes from you and other Substacks. I'm getting into a serious sleep disorder in the last 19 days. I did get 4 men to get on a bus we have going to Pennsylvania for an overnight canvassing this weekend. They agreed canvassing was more important than football or golf. One ER doctor not on call this weekend, two professors, and an attorney. We also have canvassing buses going to WI and MI on overnight trips this weekend. Two of my friends are already up - We text each other when we are up. It's 4:30 am here. Postcardstovoters.org has the lists up to retain two Supreme Court Justices in Michigan. This is really crucial since the other side is pouring lots of money into messing around with state elections. (Georgia is just one example. There are many others. Check Marc Elias Democracy Docket.) I have my message and addresses for the Michigan Supreme Court Justices (both female) and will get right on it.
M74 is beautiful, the spiraling reminds me of a Nautilus shell in cross-section.
I agree that Harris did exceedingly well and held her own under a very obviously hostile interview, and regardless of whether she converts voters to her, she came across as a clearly strong and confident person, capable and on point in speaking out despite repeated attempts by Bret Baier to talk over her and constantly interrupt her. She spoke without hesitation, such that I wondered whether she had staff roleplay interrupting her so that she could practice, because it was so well done.
Kamala Harris is highly intelligent and does her homework. She doesn’t do spin and she has spent her entire career prosecuting criminals. She comes prepared and knows her stuff. I’m beginning to think that folks have been kind of dumbed down by much of the media. Intelligence takes them by surprise.
I will be very happy to have her negotiating with foreign leaders. I would love to have her dealing with Netanyahu. The Gazans would get their Palestinian state, and there'd be peace in the Middle East. She'd put Putin in his place. Etc. She is amazing.
She has the measure of the bullies and knows how to take them down and put them away! She, unlike Trump, will actually protect people. She's done this for a long, long time. And done it very well and successfully. Somehow the Putins and the Netanyahus know this and are doing everything they can to derail her. She's their worst nightmare. That will make her a target even more than she is now. We need to give her the cover of a Democratic Senate, a Democratic House, and Democrats in state government.
There won’t be peace in the Middle East with a Gazan state until Gazans/Hamas/Hezbollah stop trying to destroy Israel and eradicate all Jews from the region (which they’ve publicly pledged to do).
I agree with David Holzman that Netanyahu appears not to be helping Biden in the latter’s policy toward Lebanon/Hezbollah. That seems to be because the two seem to be pursuing different goals.
Netanyahu appears to be trying to destroy Hezbollah; Biden appears to be pursuing an accommodation with Hezbollah to minimize the number of human deaths (in the short run) and placate American Muslims before the upcoming Presidential election.
Intelligence takes them by surprise! Well said, Susan. that should be a bumper sticker.
The dumbing down of discourse is furthered by lies, failure to acknowledge fact, or even what one said yesterday. See Youngkin, Vance, and Trump. One can support Harris even when one disagrees with her on some issues (Lynne Cheney). But Trump demands not just agreement on so-called issues, but that his supporters share his way of "thinking" i.e., his feelings, especially outrage and hatred. To agree with Trump on his seemingly powerful immigration issue is not to agree with him on a policy, but to agree that immigrants are vermin, bad people, indeed, inhuman,, worthy of our hate and derision. That's easier to ask and easier to assent to. If immigration were a policy question, Trump would have supported the bipartisan bill or demanded leaders in his party to correct it. But he doesn't care about that. Trump's "immigration policy" is simply this: "I hate brown and black immigrants and will round them up and get them out of the U.S.A.. Don't you feel the same way I do? You should, because if you don't immigrants will come into your house and kill your family." (See Trump's recent ads.). Intelligence takes them by surprise. Trump has given voters permission to hate intelligence and those who practice that difficult human activity of thinking carefully and the emotion of empathy. that's why intelligence takes them by surprise and intelligence shown by a woman of color that they have to deal with (for example in a meeting, an interview, or a business relationship) drives them nuts. Republicans hate expertise (climate change, COVID, ethics, education) and complexity and the difficult task of thinking. Intelligence takes them by surprise, indeed, and scares the hell out of them and their leader will respond by giving his followers the permission to hate and harm those who they fear may be smarter than they are or know more.
Patrick, you make a good point. Trump is not about policy, he is about hatred. And he is the daddy figure who gives the cowering kids permission to be bullies like him. He is the big bully whose coattails weak, insecure, and angry people cling to, in the mistaken belief that if they worship him and give him adulation he will protect them. He won't. But they are too unconscious to know that.
I agree that she has had plenty of speaking experience in her career as a prosecutor. However a courtroom is typically run in an orderly fashion with each side taking turns presenting their arguments and/or objections. I know Pete Buttigieg is on her team and was helping Walz practice before the VP debate, and while I was guessing he might've also worked with her on handling the expected interruptions and rudeness. he has stated that he did not.
She was masterful in being respectful while persistent in getting her message across. The questions were clearly designed to be ‘gotcha’ moments but they didn't work in throwing her off. She came across as strong, articulate, empathetic and authentic.
Just Raven, Harris doesn't need staff role-playing to practice interrupting her so she can keep on point! We keep forgetting: Harris is a prosecutor with decades of experience. She was the Head Honcho--the Attorney General of a state that is the third largest economy in the world or something big like that. She has gone up against the slimiest, most evil criminals and their moral-free, slick and disgusting defense attorneys for many many years and won. Won consistently and won large. (Remember the $18 BILLION she won for Californians?) Donald Trump and tiny-minded fools like Fox "news"casters are small potatoes to her! She can whip them with one hand behind her back. And just did, to show us. She's been holding in her power so the American public won't evince its usual "fear and terror," its loathing of "strong women." The timing of this Fox interview is not accidental. If she showed the strong hand much earlier, everyone would be bitching about how mean she is. How not nice she is. How she tries to act like a man. (Hold my head while I vomit.) I am just in awe of her self-knowledge, how she knows exactly how to hit all the marks, how she has perfect timing, how she knows that 80% velvet and 20% steel is the only mix Americans can stomach. You go, Harris! Wow.
"Except for a brief introductory period, Brett Baier treated Kamala Harris rudely and with condescension. He repeatedly interrupted her in a way that he would never have interrupted Trump." I hope there are a few more famous commentators who will join Robert in calling out Baier's rudeness. He wouldn't have have been willing to demean a woman candidate in front of millions of viewers without the support of Fox Management. It's a wide open declaration that they are for misogynists and by misogynists.
Thank you, Robert! I so appreciate the effort you put into Today's Edition, as well as all the other days you have been writing to us. It truly is remarkable how well you explain it all!
Fun Fact: On his way to vote, my husband was walking ahead of two burly, manly men - the kind we typically picture as Republican MAGAs. He heard them say to the volunteers trying to give them a Republican sample ballot, words to the effect, "We're not voting for no convicted felon!"
Lastly, for the music lovers among us, Marvin Hamlisch of A Chorus Line fame, authored this gem with lyrics by Edward Kleban which, in my opinion, has Kamala Harris' name written all over it. Start at minute 1:20 for the she/her pronouns: "Oooh. Sigh. Give her your attention. Do. I. Really Have to Mention? She's. The. One!"
Always so smart. You are making a great contribution in a troubled time. You are also a great credit to the legal profession which needs all the help it can get.
DeSantis has waged a full-on fascist attack against Amend 4/reproductive rights in Florida.He has sent election police to homes of those who signed the petition, used our tax dollars promoting disinformation on a state w-site,threatened news stations airing a reproductive freedom ad featuring Caroline,a malignant brain tumor survivor and just fined Amend 4 organizers 328 K.
Phone banking opportunities available to help Fl get out the early vote and protect reproductive rights! 📲
I have one more comment: Swifts for Kamala is an incredible organizing team for us. They have a free Substack here called "Paint the Town Blue" and are on Instagram. They have provided education on Project 2025 and have introduced us to candidates around the country, comparing our candidates to their opponents. They have daily events and lists for phone banking, canvassing, texting. They provide training. This week-end they are starting The Era's Tour, GOTV edition with Voters of Tomorrow. If you ever feel discouraged and stressed, you can check this out. This is a brilliant group of Swifties taking strong action all over the country. How could we not win?
A very easy way to sign up to canvass in a battleground state or district is to submit your information to The Canvassing Connector at swingbluealliance.org/cc You will then receive an email that will give you more than 20 options to canvass in a battleground state or district. Some options offer paid transportation and housing. All of the options have been vetted to help ensure that your time will be well used. Canvassing is the most effective way to persuade voters and GOTV. Sign up today!
Thanks for another lucid explanation of voting and the Electoral College which required a great deal of concentration on my part. As soon as I saw today’s beautiful photo I reflexively exhaled a sigh of relief. Thanks for both😊 And, yes, Kamala Harris is going to make a terrific President.
Thank you, Robert, for sharing the Indivisible Marin spreadsheet listing canvasses for all House toss-up races and Senate battlegrounds. Great list! A worthy addition to this list is Debbie Mucarsel-Powell for Senate in Florida:
I've got Election Day off. Couldn't get the day before off, but I've got Election Day and the day after off. Missoula is a three-hour drive from where I live. I'm going to contact the Missoula County Democrats and see if they could use some help driving voters to the polls.
Joohn Choe (who I really recommend everyone follow if they're on Facebook) also theorizes that Lake County (north of Missoula) could be a key county for Montana Democrats in keeping Tester in the Senate. Maybe I'll be ferrying voters up there.
Robert, Thank you for the explanation of the electoral votes needed to win when one of more state's vote tabulations are not certified by the required date. I have been exceedingly worried about that issue and your reading of the electoral vote act is very reassuring.
Thank you for encouraging us to share volunteering resources. Here's a phone-banking opportunity for people who want to address the climate crisis, which is being pretty much ignored in this campaign. The Environmental Voter Project calls low-propensity voters who have been profiled as very likely to list climate or clean air and water as their top priorities, and turns them into regular voters. I have called Georgia, Arizona and Pennsylvania in the past week, and will be calling North Carolina tonight. Each phone bank begins with a training session, and once you have the hang of it, several of the lists are ongoing until election day. https://www.environmentalvoter.org/get-involved.
Ellen, I feel you're right, the climate crisis has not gotten much attention in this election. I feel it's because some other issues--that are even more huge--are at stake urgently. Democracy. A woman's right to live through a pregnancy and not die from it. The ability of citizens and wannabee-citizens who have brown or black skin to stay in and have productive, happy lives in our country. It's a question of triage: in an emergency room, life-threatening crises are treated first, and crises which we have more time to fix are treated second. Once Harris gets into office, you and I both know that climate change will be a sustained, four-year (or eight-year!) focus with lots of attention and productive solutions attached to it. We must be a little patient and put first things first: we achieve President Harris, then we move forward from there.
Thank you Robert for staying up all night giving us your detailed updates. We're very grateful. I cannot watch mainstream news or read NY Times or WaPo. My news comes from you and other Substacks. I'm getting into a serious sleep disorder in the last 19 days. I did get 4 men to get on a bus we have going to Pennsylvania for an overnight canvassing this weekend. They agreed canvassing was more important than football or golf. One ER doctor not on call this weekend, two professors, and an attorney. We also have canvassing buses going to WI and MI on overnight trips this weekend. Two of my friends are already up - We text each other when we are up. It's 4:30 am here. Postcardstovoters.org has the lists up to retain two Supreme Court Justices in Michigan. This is really crucial since the other side is pouring lots of money into messing around with state elections. (Georgia is just one example. There are many others. Check Marc Elias Democracy Docket.) I have my message and addresses for the Michigan Supreme Court Justices (both female) and will get right on it.
Linda, I hear you, and I feel you, and I THANK you. Best wishes and more thanks 👍.
Whoa!!!! Good--EXCELLENTLY good--on you, Linda!!!! I salute your powers of persuasion!!!!!
Yes! Using our insomnia against THEM so we can sleep better in November. Love it and thank you, Linda!
Linda, how wonderful!
You go girl!!!
M74 is beautiful, the spiraling reminds me of a Nautilus shell in cross-section.
I agree that Harris did exceedingly well and held her own under a very obviously hostile interview, and regardless of whether she converts voters to her, she came across as a clearly strong and confident person, capable and on point in speaking out despite repeated attempts by Bret Baier to talk over her and constantly interrupt her. She spoke without hesitation, such that I wondered whether she had staff roleplay interrupting her so that she could practice, because it was so well done.
Kamala Harris is highly intelligent and does her homework. She doesn’t do spin and she has spent her entire career prosecuting criminals. She comes prepared and knows her stuff. I’m beginning to think that folks have been kind of dumbed down by much of the media. Intelligence takes them by surprise.
I will be very happy to have her negotiating with foreign leaders. I would love to have her dealing with Netanyahu. The Gazans would get their Palestinian state, and there'd be peace in the Middle East. She'd put Putin in his place. Etc. She is amazing.
She has the measure of the bullies and knows how to take them down and put them away! She, unlike Trump, will actually protect people. She's done this for a long, long time. And done it very well and successfully. Somehow the Putins and the Netanyahus know this and are doing everything they can to derail her. She's their worst nightmare. That will make her a target even more than she is now. We need to give her the cover of a Democratic Senate, a Democratic House, and Democrats in state government.
She's their worst nightmare, and my dream president. And may she have a Democratic House and Senate, as well as Democratic state governments.
There won’t be peace in the Middle East with a Gazan state until Gazans/Hamas/Hezbollah stop trying to destroy Israel and eradicate all Jews from the region (which they’ve publicly pledged to do).
Netanyahu is not helping.
I agree with David Holzman that Netanyahu appears not to be helping Biden in the latter’s policy toward Lebanon/Hezbollah. That seems to be because the two seem to be pursuing different goals.
Netanyahu appears to be trying to destroy Hezbollah; Biden appears to be pursuing an accommodation with Hezbollah to minimize the number of human deaths (in the short run) and placate American Muslims before the upcoming Presidential election.
This is the best thing I've read on this
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/25/opinion/israel-hezbollah-hamas.html
Intelligence takes them by surprise! Well said, Susan. that should be a bumper sticker.
The dumbing down of discourse is furthered by lies, failure to acknowledge fact, or even what one said yesterday. See Youngkin, Vance, and Trump. One can support Harris even when one disagrees with her on some issues (Lynne Cheney). But Trump demands not just agreement on so-called issues, but that his supporters share his way of "thinking" i.e., his feelings, especially outrage and hatred. To agree with Trump on his seemingly powerful immigration issue is not to agree with him on a policy, but to agree that immigrants are vermin, bad people, indeed, inhuman,, worthy of our hate and derision. That's easier to ask and easier to assent to. If immigration were a policy question, Trump would have supported the bipartisan bill or demanded leaders in his party to correct it. But he doesn't care about that. Trump's "immigration policy" is simply this: "I hate brown and black immigrants and will round them up and get them out of the U.S.A.. Don't you feel the same way I do? You should, because if you don't immigrants will come into your house and kill your family." (See Trump's recent ads.). Intelligence takes them by surprise. Trump has given voters permission to hate intelligence and those who practice that difficult human activity of thinking carefully and the emotion of empathy. that's why intelligence takes them by surprise and intelligence shown by a woman of color that they have to deal with (for example in a meeting, an interview, or a business relationship) drives them nuts. Republicans hate expertise (climate change, COVID, ethics, education) and complexity and the difficult task of thinking. Intelligence takes them by surprise, indeed, and scares the hell out of them and their leader will respond by giving his followers the permission to hate and harm those who they fear may be smarter than they are or know more.
Apparently these Latino voters do not share Trump’s way of “thinking” !
“Donald Trump faced a rare non-MAGA audience on Wednesday during a Univision town hall event featuring undecided Latino voters.
And it didn’t go well for the ex-president.”
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-univision-town-hall_n_6710a75fe4b0b6831a11abf4
Patrick, you make a good point. Trump is not about policy, he is about hatred. And he is the daddy figure who gives the cowering kids permission to be bullies like him. He is the big bully whose coattails weak, insecure, and angry people cling to, in the mistaken belief that if they worship him and give him adulation he will protect them. He won't. But they are too unconscious to know that.
Intelligence married with eloquence.
I agree that she has had plenty of speaking experience in her career as a prosecutor. However a courtroom is typically run in an orderly fashion with each side taking turns presenting their arguments and/or objections. I know Pete Buttigieg is on her team and was helping Walz practice before the VP debate, and while I was guessing he might've also worked with her on handling the expected interruptions and rudeness. he has stated that he did not.
https://thehill.com/homenews/media/4938459-buttigieg-harris-fox-news-interview/
Pete Buttigieg is a master at handling media.
He's often on Fox, giving viewers a short glimpse into reality,
rather than the "fear and hate" emotionally triggering propaganda Fox traffics.
He is part of her prep team, I am sure.
He is superb. And has done an amazing job leading DOT as well. An uber smart guy of very high character. I'm rooting for a President Pete in 2032!
VP in 2028.
Great plan!
He is also a road scholar !🧑🏻🏫
She was masterful in being respectful while persistent in getting her message across. The questions were clearly designed to be ‘gotcha’ moments but they didn't work in throwing her off. She came across as strong, articulate, empathetic and authentic.
Harris was a prosecutor. That was her training. She knows how to handle liars and attorneys representing "the other side."
I agree, JustRaven! Robert's photo of M74 is especially lovely, like a luminous pearl surrounded by stardust in a sea of black.
Just Raven, Harris doesn't need staff role-playing to practice interrupting her so she can keep on point! We keep forgetting: Harris is a prosecutor with decades of experience. She was the Head Honcho--the Attorney General of a state that is the third largest economy in the world or something big like that. She has gone up against the slimiest, most evil criminals and their moral-free, slick and disgusting defense attorneys for many many years and won. Won consistently and won large. (Remember the $18 BILLION she won for Californians?) Donald Trump and tiny-minded fools like Fox "news"casters are small potatoes to her! She can whip them with one hand behind her back. And just did, to show us. She's been holding in her power so the American public won't evince its usual "fear and terror," its loathing of "strong women." The timing of this Fox interview is not accidental. If she showed the strong hand much earlier, everyone would be bitching about how mean she is. How not nice she is. How she tries to act like a man. (Hold my head while I vomit.) I am just in awe of her self-knowledge, how she knows exactly how to hit all the marks, how she has perfect timing, how she knows that 80% velvet and 20% steel is the only mix Americans can stomach. You go, Harris! Wow.
"Except for a brief introductory period, Brett Baier treated Kamala Harris rudely and with condescension. He repeatedly interrupted her in a way that he would never have interrupted Trump." I hope there are a few more famous commentators who will join Robert in calling out Baier's rudeness. He wouldn't have have been willing to demean a woman candidate in front of millions of viewers without the support of Fox Management. It's a wide open declaration that they are for misogynists and by misogynists.
Kamala Harris is familiar with misogyny and it appears she turned the page on Bret’s tired old playbook.
She turned a page.... but there's many more to go
Thank you, Robert! I so appreciate the effort you put into Today's Edition, as well as all the other days you have been writing to us. It truly is remarkable how well you explain it all!
Fun Fact: On his way to vote, my husband was walking ahead of two burly, manly men - the kind we typically picture as Republican MAGAs. He heard them say to the volunteers trying to give them a Republican sample ballot, words to the effect, "We're not voting for no convicted felon!"
Lastly, for the music lovers among us, Marvin Hamlisch of A Chorus Line fame, authored this gem with lyrics by Edward Kleban which, in my opinion, has Kamala Harris' name written all over it. Start at minute 1:20 for the she/her pronouns: "Oooh. Sigh. Give her your attention. Do. I. Really Have to Mention? She's. The. One!"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22vkTAHwy-o
Thanks for the link. Fantastic! Kamala Harris: "She's. The. One!"
Always so smart. You are making a great contribution in a troubled time. You are also a great credit to the legal profession which needs all the help it can get.
DeSantis has waged a full-on fascist attack against Amend 4/reproductive rights in Florida.He has sent election police to homes of those who signed the petition, used our tax dollars promoting disinformation on a state w-site,threatened news stations airing a reproductive freedom ad featuring Caroline,a malignant brain tumor survivor and just fined Amend 4 organizers 328 K.
Phone banking opportunities available to help Fl get out the early vote and protect reproductive rights! 📲
Statewide Phonebank: Get Out the Early Vote · Florida for All https://www.mobilize.us/floridaforall/event/623668/
Unrelated,but you just have to love Jessica Tarlov smacking down fellowFaux News hosts(again) with the facts.The look on their faces never gets olds. https://www.instagram.com/decodingfoxnews/reel/DBGP41KxOGy/
There is something seriously wrong with Ron DeSantis. I hope the good people of Florida are able to eventually rid themselves of this menace.
That's just horrible. How do these people manage to go lower and lower?
I have one more comment: Swifts for Kamala is an incredible organizing team for us. They have a free Substack here called "Paint the Town Blue" and are on Instagram. They have provided education on Project 2025 and have introduced us to candidates around the country, comparing our candidates to their opponents. They have daily events and lists for phone banking, canvassing, texting. They provide training. This week-end they are starting The Era's Tour, GOTV edition with Voters of Tomorrow. If you ever feel discouraged and stressed, you can check this out. This is a brilliant group of Swifties taking strong action all over the country. How could we not win?
https://swiftiesforkamala.substack.com/
Thanks, Linda, for bringing this up!
And don't forget to paint all your pumpkins blue this year!
A very easy way to sign up to canvass in a battleground state or district is to submit your information to The Canvassing Connector at swingbluealliance.org/cc You will then receive an email that will give you more than 20 options to canvass in a battleground state or district. Some options offer paid transportation and housing. All of the options have been vetted to help ensure that your time will be well used. Canvassing is the most effective way to persuade voters and GOTV. Sign up today!
Thanks for another lucid explanation of voting and the Electoral College which required a great deal of concentration on my part. As soon as I saw today’s beautiful photo I reflexively exhaled a sigh of relief. Thanks for both😊 And, yes, Kamala Harris is going to make a terrific President.
Outstanding letter today, thanks Robert. Your coverage and comments on both the Fox interview and the ECRA were spot on and great confidence builders.
North Carolina Early in-person voting begins today at 8am and goes through Saturday, November 2, at 3pm.
Check your registration. Bring your photo ID.
This is your opportunity to register, vote, and be sure your vote is counted by Election Day, Tuesday, November 5.
With turnout, we can retire Donald Trump, Mark Robinson, and the other MAGA extremists trying to end the US Constitution and enact Project 2025.
VOTE Democratic on the Front and Back sides of the Ballot!
Thank you, Robert, for sharing the Indivisible Marin spreadsheet listing canvasses for all House toss-up races and Senate battlegrounds. Great list! A worthy addition to this list is Debbie Mucarsel-Powell for Senate in Florida:
https://www.debbieforflorida.com/get-involved
I've got Election Day off. Couldn't get the day before off, but I've got Election Day and the day after off. Missoula is a three-hour drive from where I live. I'm going to contact the Missoula County Democrats and see if they could use some help driving voters to the polls.
Joohn Choe (who I really recommend everyone follow if they're on Facebook) also theorizes that Lake County (north of Missoula) could be a key county for Montana Democrats in keeping Tester in the Senate. Maybe I'll be ferrying voters up there.
Tim, you're amazing!
***Durham, North Carolina***
NC Victory 2024 Headquarters
320 E Chapel Hill Street
Suite 200
Durham, NC 27701
Volunteer! We provide training.
LFG!
mobilize.us
Robert, Thank you for the explanation of the electoral votes needed to win when one of more state's vote tabulations are not certified by the required date. I have been exceedingly worried about that issue and your reading of the electoral vote act is very reassuring.
Thank you for encouraging us to share volunteering resources. Here's a phone-banking opportunity for people who want to address the climate crisis, which is being pretty much ignored in this campaign. The Environmental Voter Project calls low-propensity voters who have been profiled as very likely to list climate or clean air and water as their top priorities, and turns them into regular voters. I have called Georgia, Arizona and Pennsylvania in the past week, and will be calling North Carolina tonight. Each phone bank begins with a training session, and once you have the hang of it, several of the lists are ongoing until election day. https://www.environmentalvoter.org/get-involved.
Ellen, I feel you're right, the climate crisis has not gotten much attention in this election. I feel it's because some other issues--that are even more huge--are at stake urgently. Democracy. A woman's right to live through a pregnancy and not die from it. The ability of citizens and wannabee-citizens who have brown or black skin to stay in and have productive, happy lives in our country. It's a question of triage: in an emergency room, life-threatening crises are treated first, and crises which we have more time to fix are treated second. Once Harris gets into office, you and I both know that climate change will be a sustained, four-year (or eight-year!) focus with lots of attention and productive solutions attached to it. We must be a little patient and put first things first: we achieve President Harris, then we move forward from there.