Kamala Harris has had a stellar rise. We cannot let ourselves be dazzled by the light.
The momentum is unprecedented, and yet we must both sustain and build on it.
In 2016 many were taken in by the notion that Hillary could not lose and that Trump could not win. Many were blinkered by an unproven assurance. Fallacious rhetoric and wishful thinking served as voter suppression. Too many believed that Hillary did not need *their* vote. Mistaking voting for an individual exercise in personal expression, they made excuses not to vote for a candidate who did not meet their own purity tests. They followed the pipe dream that disaster could be avoided while they indulged in turning up their nose, sitting on their hands, or following some Pied Piper. They could not imagine that a man such as Trump could win the American presidency. They could they imagine sufficient numbers of voters would hold their nose and vote for Trump. A fatal lack of imagination. Trump voters kept their eyes on the prize - the Supreme Court. And won even more. With the help of potential Democratic voters who'd split off rather than accepting that we had a binary choice and that voting is a joint exercise in taking power.
In 2020 the shock of 2016 and the horrors of the Trump presidency were still fresh. We united and elected Joe Biden. Despite the Trump insurrection and the intransigence of a Republican party thoroughly devolving into the rough beast that is MAGA, the Biden administration has been remarkably successful. Not nearly perfect - in failing the enforce the Leahy Laws (which Biden expanded with his National Security Memorandum 20) and to pause delivery of offensive military aid to Israel, Biden tied us to the abuses of the racist right wing religious extremist Netanyahu regime.
I say this as an American Jew and a Zionist. Netanyahu, AIPAC and CUFI (Christians United For Israel) are no friends of Israel. Or the United States. We should root out but not be distracted by the antisemitism of some critics of Israeli policy. The criticism is deserved. Netanyahu's bad policies and misplaced priorities (supporting Hamas to hobble the Palestinian Authority and attempting a Leonard Leo type capture of the Israeli Supreme Court) contributed to the greatest intelligence failure in Israeli history and Israel's bloodiest war. Netanyahu's inchoate and disproportionate response to the Hamas atrocities of Oct 7, have implicated Israel in crimes against humanity and genocide. Now Netanyahu, in a fevered Gotterdamerung fit, is provoking Iran and the United States into direct military conflict. In part, because he trusts that only a Trump win can save his hide.
Republicans want a Trump win at any cost. To capture and corrupt the Executive branch through Trump and Project 2025 as they captured and corrupted the Judiciary through Mitch McConnell, Trump, and the Federalist Society. And for decades Republicans have been itching to bomb Iran. For Christians such as GOP Speaker Mike Johnson, instigating Armageddon is an act of faith devoutly desired. I dwell on this existential threat because it is also great threat to a Democratic victory. We cannot let anything get in the way of our Getting Out The Vote for Kamala Harris.
Hillary Clinton did win the popular vote. By three million. It’s the twisted electoral college that makes it more difficult to win. 100,000 votes different in a few states for Clinton, or 77,000 votes different for Biden, who won the popular vote by 7 million. Asinine. To think that the USA didn’t abolish it in the wake of the civil war, or in the 1970s, when it got close indeed. Which isn’t to say that the voters who care about democracy should relent in the next 90 days. Certainly not!
Hillary Clinton surely knew the election depended on the Electoral College. She ran an arrogant and counter-strategic campaign. She believed her own press and ignored data and anecdote which did not conform to *her turn.*
Clinton threw out Howard Dean's 50 state strategy and she failed to campaign seriously in swing states. I volunteered through my local Democratic committee for months, nearly full time. I saw first hand the incompetence of Clinton campaign field 'organizers.' And heard horror stories from activists in other states, especially Wisconsin. For example, Clinton failed to mend fences in Milwaukee, while building bridges to nowhere in Texas. She was *that* sure she was going to win.
I could go on. But why bother? We have too much work to do from this minute until Nov 5. And I should be writing post cards to voters in Georgia right now. Tomorrow I will get 3 weeks more turf for a local Democratic candidate - we hope to have our first canvassing round completed before canvassing for the Harris ticket begins.
According to FT 6 textbank team leaders last night, 137K new Democrats were helped to register in NV and MI the past few days. FT 6 is also active in all the other swing states plus Florida.
Biden won by 7 million, and FT 6 has targeted 9 million non registered folk who trend Democratic. If fully funded, enlarging the base, standing alone can swing the election. https://www.fieldteam6.org/
Influencers like Beyonce, Taylor Swift, David Hogg, etc can be our salvation. We've asked the DNC to reach out to them. Gen Z make up 25% of the potential electorate. Swifties for Kamala. 180,000 volunteers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soJDQB1QBXg
My Indivisible group has been writing with FieldTeam6, Activate America, NEAZ Native Democrats and other groups since 2017. FieldTeam6 has an superb campaign to inform non-registered votes about Project 2025 and providing the link to register to vote. We just surpassed 22K postcards sent since late January and we have no intention of stopping.
Postcards are an effective tool, especially now when people no longer have landlines or answer their doors to strangers. And, its a safe alternative for those uncomfortable canvassing, seniors and/or disabled. Text banking is also easy to do. There is a way to get involved for everyone's comfortable level.
I've set up a monthly donation to Field Team 6 that I will continue year round. They are so effective registering voters & they have the data to back it up. Thank goodness we have groups to counteract the Scott Preslers of the world.
This is great, Daniel. I have been writing postcards with FT6 and others and have now done 450. The states include N. Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. I'm not sure what Moms Rising will ask me to do but I'm expecting 100 postcards from them. I am so glad to hear that our work is bearing fruit!
This ➡️“We have too much work to do from this minute until Nov 5.”
Lin, you’re such a democracy warrior and your posts are always informative. Stay safe in Leonard Leo land!
I live in MAGA-ville, Fl .Through GOTV activities and interaction with GOP neighbors and “Christians”, your words ring true.
Postcards✍️ and canvas driving 🚙 today on Fl east coast.Stay safe fellow Flordians on west coast as Debby 🌀 approaches landfall. DeSantis has declared a White Boots State of Emergency……but no climate change to see here !
So many of us have never stopped. And are keeping at it - with more hope now.
In a way, the surge in hope and beginnings of confidence inspired my post. There are so many temptations not to unite and so many who are tempted, that I do not want our momentum and numbers to be used as an excuse to listen to the vote suppressing / vote splitting siren calls of : the duopoly; there's no difference between the parties; my vote doesn't matter; my vote doesn't count; the entire system is corrupt; nothing will change; I don't do politics; my vote has to be earned; i need a candidate who reflects what I believe; and most perverse of all 'vote your conscience' as a call to put your gut feelings above the greater good when conscience is supposed to be that voice in our head which calls us to the greater good. I'm sure I've missed some of the lures being cast by the ego tripping (and worse) candidates who show up once every four years to divert and discourage us from uniting.
Thanks, Lin, I am not tempted to vote for anyone but Kamala, but your words help me to point out to others the cost of not voting for a) the top of the ticket b) the top of the ticket when a VP selection is not to their liking, "I would have voted for Harris, but she chose X who I don't like because of Y," c) my vote doesn't matter anyway. Also I remind myself that Putin, Netanyahu, and their propaganda machines are much more sophisticated and varied than those tactics espoused by Trump, "Vote for Trump or millions of murderers and drug dealers will flow over our land!" They can be as subtle as encouraging the raised eyebrow of a local newscaster or clergyman or business leader, "Well, yes Trump can be a jerk, but is America -- not me of course -- really ready for a woman president in these hard times?" etc. etc. Expressions of doubt, "What difference does it make," "Gee, I just don't know." and "You know, I hear [fill in the blank], young people, old people, rural people, etc," just don't like Kamala" so she can't win OR "can't stand Trump" so we don't have to vote. The propaganda can work to numerous ends with the single result that a few thousand votes are not cast, cast for Trump, or cast for Kennedy/West/Stein or anyone else. The Right knows there are multiple paths to block Democrats, but we are not helpless before that and all your work is making a difference. We have to block a lot of noise and calmly and with DELIGHT and JOY urge on the fight for Harris and her VP and Democrats up and down the ballot.
I was sure she would win too. No one really thought that the cretin would win. But the cheating and the foreign help sort of tipped the scales, did they not.
Many of us were sure Trump would win, or at least fearful that he would. In 2016, I'd spent months phone banking before the convention. Outreach to voters in my state let them know the Democratic party shared their concerns, wanted their opinion, and needed their votes. It helped update the state voter roll info and begin to establish connections so that after the convention we could continue conversations with supporters, do persuasion with undecided voters, and respect requests for privacy. Through these calls the excitement and determination of Trump voters was palpable. And in contrast, the degree to which people were willing to hold their nose for Hillary, or not, was frightening. By July I was 99% certain Trump would win. I phoned many call-in shows and wrote to innumerable media outlets, officials, and pundits saying "if the best Clinton supporters can do is make fun of Trump then he will laugh his way to the White House." I was patronized at best and dismissed at worst. Until mid October. So ... I don't want the wave of enthusiasm to crest too soon. And there is a significant undertow, along with whirlpools forming around third party candidates.
Truth speaking, Lin. I remember shouting at the MSNBC pundits chortling over Trump's latest gaffe in 2016, "Stop laughing! This guy is dangerous."
We've seen the threat realized. That millions of American want Trump again breaks my heart, but millions more see him and the Republicans for what they are. Carry on!
Wow, you were in the trenches the whole way. Good on you. Comey sent me into depression. That was deliberate and calculated. And then chump totally trashed him. That should have been a lesson for anyone who thought he appreciated any effort. He has done this over and over. Demands loyalty, gives none. Don’t give up, worse Dems still better than best Repub. been true all of my long life although I could kick some arses, Gillibrand for a start.
In 2016 I spent most of the spring and summer traveling between Pittsburgh and Johnstown, PA. Once I got outside the Allegheny County lines I never saw one Clinton sign, only Trump signs. That was true in Armstrong County, PA as well where I traveled every weekend. I was terribly afraid that Trump could and would win. In addition, I had worked doing phoning for both Obama campaigns but I don't recall ever hearing from the Clinton campaign at all. I think Trump's election in 2016 was a combination of luck, a terrible Clinton campaign and his ability to tap into palpable discontent in parts of the country.
Here in Hancock County, Maine CD2 people drove over an hour each way assuming our Democratic Committee would have Clinton signs. Ha! Every other Hancock Co Democratic, yes. Absolutely could not get signs from the Clinton campaign.
I was optimistic until Comey. The cheating and the cult nonsense (denigrating women, military, and all political norms) just appalled me so that I thought surely the majority would rule. Forgot the racism, greed, and religious nuts. I quickly learned that the tea party insanity had learned that cheating works (learned in 2000).
Lin, Are you a Wisconsin voter? Were you there in 2016? You present a biased view of Hillary and what happened to her in Wisconsin. Why no mention of how Wisconsin-based Bernie Bros pouted during and after convention and then stayed home instead of voting in 2016. They played a pivotal role in electing Trump. I also could go on but agree we have work to do.
As I have not lived in swing states, since the Kerry campaign I have gone to swing states for GOTV week. Since Obama's second campaign, I have stayed with activist friends in Wisconsin - for presidential and congressional GOTV week. I could not leave my state in 2016, but was in regular communication with my friends during the campaign and in the aftermath. Then there was Covid. I have my plane tickets to Milwaukee for October!
In my original comment, I spoke extensively about the effect of vote splitting
efforts.
Re Wisconsin.
"A similar situation unfolded in Wisconsin. According to several operatives there, the campaign’s state office and local officials scrambled to raise nearly $1 million for efforts to get out the vote in the closing weeks. Brooklyn headquarters had balked at funding it themselves, arguing that the state already had a decent-sized footprint because of the labor-backed super PAC For Our Future and pointing out that Clinton had never trailed in a single poll in Wisconsin.
Trump won Wisconsin by 1 point, or fewer than 30,000 votes. Clinton did not visit the state once after the Democratic convention..."
It is always popular to put down a woman. There are many strategies to draw in. She did her best -- and then Comey did her in. Also, too many Dems believed the Republican malarkey about Clinton. But yes, by all means, put her down and add to the criticism of her.
It is a mistake to consider my criticism of Hillary Clinton, and my critique of her campaign, as sexist, misogynist, or Republican malarky. Clinton's mistakes were certainly not the only factor in her disastrous failure and defeat. Which are two different things. And which I touched upon in my first comment.
ThankYou for mentioning Comey's contribution. His unprecedented interference helped Trump - as much as Mueller helped Trump by putting Barr's peculiar interpretation of DOJ procedure above Starr's precedent of putting Pres. Clinton under oath. Thereby effectively precluding a finding of conspiracy.
Very well said about Clinton's "arrogant" campaign. While I had my criticisms of Clinton, I put a lot of the blame for her loss on her operation, as opposed to Hillary herself. Basically, her campaign was very disorganized, made so many tactical mistakes & was headed by people ( particularly Robby Mook & John Podesta) whom did not get along with one another. Clinton was unknowingly the guinea pig for the "new" way of politics, where you cannot count of civility from your opponent. That is to say she was trying to play her best chess game without knowing she was in a gladiator pit ( aka Bannon and company "flooding the zone with shit" ). I'm very confident that Harris WILL NOT make any of the same mistakes as Clinton - or rather her campaign - did! Onwards my friends. Keep calm & campaign on.
yes and also: she was not sophisticated in the infestation of Russian bots.... a whole lot of white women voted like 9th grade girls who could not stand it that another girl was smarter than they are(ask any woman who has been in 9th grade.....And for sure, "WE ARE STRONGER TOGETHER" did not see the huge rip in the fabric of our culture and the rage that went with it.
And to be fair, Kamala would not be where she is today without years and years of Hillary's presence on the National stage.
I'm deluged by various house, senate, & gub'l campaigns, and I don't know where to begin, esp'ly when has modest resources and wants to get the biggest bang for the bucks.
1: One can always go to DCCC & DSCC.
2: Are there some races in particular need of money, to give directly to?
3: Are there some organizations to help one navigate the maze?
Only country anywhere where the one who gets the most votes loses. Even authoritarians fake a majority. Yet we play tiddily winks with our presidential election, arguably the most important one in the world these days
Please get to work on Citizens Initiatives for Ranked Choice Voting in your state. Instant Run Off brings more people to the table - as voters and candidates - but guarantees that the eventual winner has the majority of votes. The only risk is from third party and independent voters who only vote their first choice. At least two GOP cases brought against RCV in Maine have been thrown out of court (by a Black Swan Federalist Society Trump appointee - our own Souter;) So there is growing legal precedent for the constitutionality of RCV.
You want inspiration? Jimmy Carter, in his hospice bed, is willing himself to live to 100 in order to vote for Kamala Harris and against tRump...now, THAT'S desire, and the rest of us could do no less.
Jill Stein votes took two of the three swing states that were critical for a Clinton victory under the electoral college. Clinton, for her part, did not even campaign in some of those states, despite the admonitions of her husband to do so. See Lin, at this writing, directly below.
And Putin feted Stein in Russia along with Mike Flynn for their contributions. Stein claims she was at a journalist meeting and just wandered over and sat at Putin's table. As if!
I don't think she's a traitor, but I do think--from knowing her slightly--that she's a magical thinker who doesn't always consider the consequences of her actions, and didn't consider WHY Putin--of all people--was inviting her. And the notion that she was a journalist--you probably are well aware that she is an MD--is baloney.
Yes, I use traitor a lot. Thought it meant someone who gives aid and comfort to the enemies of America. That makes her one. That she is an MD impresses me not at all. She is Putin’s stooge. BTW, I know a well-educated family, Two MDs, three PhDs, several MsS, etc, and they all are Repub fools. It was all about the SC for them.
Rebecca, thank you for pointing out that Hillary Clinton did not lose the election, she won it by 3 million votes. That's a lot of people. And the electoral college "victory" (quotes for irony) was, I believe, constructed by less than two points in a handful of key states, margins demonstrably engineered by Putin (check out Cambridge Analytica, one of whose founders is Steve Bannon, convicted criminal cohort of convicted criminal Trump). You could make an excellent case that Hillary did not lose. But, you know, Democrats do not make a habit of claiming that elections were stolen from them (Gore/Bush?). Instead, they are good losers, graciously extending the hand of congratulation to nominal winners.
I worry about purity tests too. I am hearing people saying similar things such as “I just don’t like her” while assuring me they will vote for Harris but won’t work on her campaign. It is frustrating when folks who could be doing the work take a self righteous stance as a way of doing very little. I reminded them about down ballot races, Project 2025 etc but it comes back to “I just don’t like her”. Very frustrating. I also appreciate your comments re Israel recognizing nuance and the horror at the same time.
I suspect they just don't want to do the work, and I'd suggest that once that's established, it would be more productive to forget about them and find others who will do the work. And try not to let yourself get too frustrated by such people, and keep eyes on the prize.
Thank you for this powerful comment. I was feeling the same thing this morning. An awareness that many of us- I include myself- are becoming overconfident because we can’t imagine this degraded version of Trump winning against our competent and joyful candidate. But we felt this way in 2016, as you point out.
We cannot afford to impose purity tests this time around- perfect is the enemy of good, so let’s grow up. And we must recognize that, yes, Netanyahu will continue to do what he can to destabilize the Middle East in order to push Trump into office. So we have a big task before us and must keep our focus on doing whatever we can to support our candidates up and down the ballot and we must above all do whatever we must to remain united. Understanding, as you point out, that voting is a joint exercise in taking power.
We felt the way we did in '16 because we kept hearing that Clinton was going to win. On election night I met a friend at a nice bar, to watch and wait for the announcement of Clinton's victory, only to have Lucy pull the football just as Charlie Brown ran to kick it.
According to my best political source, someone who has been in the biz for over 50 years, Clinton was a lousy candidate, who did not campaign in the several swing states she lost despite the fact that her husband had told her she needed to campaign in those states.
Unlike Clinton, Harris seems truly to love the business of campaigning and meeting her supporters. Just listening to her on the radio the day after Biden passed the torch got me so excited I made myself a bumper sticker, printing out the two halves of her last name in VERY LARGE PRINT, outlining each letter in black felt tip, because my printer is losing its clarity, taping them together, and taping the whole thing to my Civic's bumper (I still haven't seen another HARRIS bumper sticker more than ten days later if I'm remembering correctly).
ThankYou. Of course. Please correct some typos I've found or any you find - when I try edit on long texts only part of the text is then saved. Or edit it any way which best suits your thoughts.
Lin, you astound me. I still recall your bravery re: Leonard Leo. Truly, you are one of "The Helpers" per Mr. Rogers. You write exceptionally well, too. Thank you for being you.
John, as an observant Jew and a Zionist, I cannot tell you just how hard it's been to come to the conclusion that what the Netanyahu regime is doing in Gaza is genocide and what successive and increasingly extremist Netanyahu regimes have done on the West Bank is to create an apartheid entity. This is not intrinsic to Zionism, but plays into the propaganda of those who present it as such. And it abandons, elides, the Israeli Left.
I grew up in the shadow of the Holocaust and of Stalin's atrocities. I have fought against the facile use of terms like fascist, Nazi, authoritarian, apartheid. As a progressive, I have witnessed and personally experienced the growth of antisemitism in the American left, instigated by Arafat and his successors and by Black Muslim leader Louis Farrakhan. But some in the socially insular and politically insulated Jewish extremist community have taken the wrong lesson from the Holocaust. Instead of 'never again for anybody' their cry seems to be 'now it's our turn.'
This has been a long time coming. After the Oslo Accords, Netanyahu was implicated in the assassination of Yithak Rabin by a Jewish extremist. The Kahanists were declared a terrorist group - by Israel. Their affiliated parties were pariahs in the Israeli body politic. Now to stay in power, Netanyahu has such unreformed Kahanists as Ben Gvir and Smotrich in ministerial positions. They may not call it making lebensraum but they are openly engaging in the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. Trump and his bridge to these groups, Jared Kushner, have openly talked of deporting Palestinians from Gaza to camps in the Negev - and then developing waterfront properties in Gaza. Those Palestinians who may miraculously survive the slaughter. I cannot help but call it genocide.
Sinwar and Netanyahu agree on one thing; both are willing to force those who want to come to the table for a negotiated peace - as two geographically autonomous and politically sovereign states - to climb over an almost insurmountable barrier of corpses, mostly Palestinian. Martyrs to Sinwar. Notches in Netanyahu's belt.
I agree with almost everything you say, but genocide has a well-defined meaning in law, and what Israel has done in Gaza does not fit it. I am happy to see you note that the extremists have strayed from what it should mean to be a Jew (at least, that's how I take your meaning). I have said for many years that if we Jews are, as we proclaim, a chosen people, it is because we were chosen to BE better, not because we ARE better. That's what the extremists forget or, more likely, ignore. If it is "our" turn, we should reject it, because we should not want to take that turn. The turn that Israel should take is to acknowledge that there are two peoples who love the land, and that the only way forward that makes any sense (besides being morally right) is to work out a way to share it, fairly.
There is significant agreement that Israel has committed acts which violate the genocide convention. There is significant doubt whether the necessary factor of intent has been established.
"There are "reasonable grounds" to believe that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories said on Tuesday. "
I understand that the UN has historically applied a double standard to Israel, bordering on antisemitism. It is fraught.
"The UNHR (University Network for Human Rights) report, released in mid-May, concludes: “Israel has committed genocidal acts, namely killing, seriously harming, and inflicting conditions of life calculated, and intended to, bring about the physical destruction of Palestinians in Gaza,” says Susan Akram, a LAW clinical professor of law and director of LAW’s International Human Rights Clinic, who contributed to the report.
The report was researched and written by UNHR members from LAW’s International Human Rights Clinic, the International Human Rights Clinic at Cornell Law School, the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria in South Africa, and the Lowenstein Human Rights Project at Yale Law School.
The report’s conclusions are based on internationally agreed upon definitions of genocide. “As set forth in the Genocide Convention of 1948,” the report reads, “the crime of genocide requires that a perpetrator kill, seriously harm, or inflict conditions of life calculated to bring about the destruction of a group, in whole or in part, with the intent to destroy the group as such.” The report continues: “after reviewing the facts established by independent human rights monitors, journalists, and United Nations agencies, we conclude that Israel’s actions in and regarding Gaza since October 7, 2023, violate the Genocide Convention.” "
Just about every word of this also expresses my opinions except I'd have qualified that it is only the doomsday Christians who include as a tenet of belief that it is part of their duty to hope for and even help bring on the end times. There are also many who still believe it is their duty to cherish and preserve the gift of this planet and of all life. There are many flavors of Christianity out there too, and only some are pro45, some are adamantly against him and his behavior and policies.
Yes. I think I said 'Christians such as GOP Speaker Mike Johnson.'
Some of the most profound criticism of Catholic extremist piety performer and court capture operative Leonard Leo comes from the National Catholic Reporter. I think as an omen to mute the thread and move on, I cannot open google to get to the articles.
I can't tell whose writing you want to see as an op-ed. But if you find that an effort is going to be made to publish it, I'd urge you not to share with anyone until it's been published, because of the would be publisher should find out it's gotten around, they would likely kill it.
Imagine in the U.S a Democratic President and Senate. Alito retires/dies. The Chief Justice (Roberts) appoints two other Justices (Thomas and Gorsuch) for them to be 3 of the 9 who have to approve the next Justice. Since it takes 7 of 9 votes to approve a new Justice they can deny any pick they want. This the current case in Israel. This is what one of the judicial reforms is about.
"From January to October 2023, large-scale protests took place across Israel in response to the government's push for a wide-ranging judicial reform. The proposed reform aimed to give the government full control of the Supreme Court or court decisions through various ways.[7] The government also attempted to dismantle the Israel Bar Association and change the makeup of the Judicial Selection Committee.[8]" ... Statements by Israeli figures linked the aim of the reform to the expansion of Israeli settlements and further annexation of Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories."
On election day, 2016, someone DID know the outcome beforehand: Barak Obama. He was giving a speech, when seemingly out of nowhere he said (can't remember exact wording): "I was just going to walk away from this, but now you brought my Mother into it (as if he's going to fight)".
The only thing I have to say early on a Sunday morning is this: We are likely to have a VP pick soon, maybe a leak tomorrow before Tuesday’s announcement, and some will not like the pick. Here’s the thing: Of the six men nominated, they are all qualified. We have to accept VP Harris’ pick. It may not be our personal first pick but we must support the ticket.
Here is some inspiration. A new Facebook group, Cat Ladies for Kamala Harris, popped up within an hour of the breaking story re: Vance's hurtful comments about "childless cat ladies." In 7 days, the group gathered over 56,000 members from all over the world! We share funny memes, photos and clips of the latest right wing shenanigans ( often cat-themed, of course!), thoughtful discourse on the state of the election, ways to volunteer, and suggestions for getting involved locally. And of course, we integrate photos of our kitties! We are an inclusive group. Anyone with a pet who supports VP Harris and Dems can join. But the best part is that we have provided a safe space for women, and men, feeling politically isolated in "red" cities or communities, to share their hopes and fears and connect with like- minded folks around the country to find out how they can take action. This is grassroots empowerment at its best! Thanks for letting me share.
Hi Tracey! I found two different Facebook groups with this name; the difference being the 'L' in ladies. One is 'Ladies' and the other is 'ladies'. I'm thinking yours is the first one, but can you confirm?
I don’t think Powell s trying to help Trump at all. He is stymied in his efforts to lower inflation faced with a lower than expected jobs report. In my estimation he is the anti- Trump. The old type Republican.
According to Reuters the U.S. unemployment rate jumped to near a three-year high of 4.3% in July amid a significant slowdown in hiring, heightening fears the labor market was deteriorating and potentially making the economy vulnerable to a recession. The increase in the unemployment rate from 4.1% in June marked the fourth straight monthly increase, the Labor Department reported on Friday. The rate has risen from a five-decade low of 3.4% in April 2023 to now the highest level since September 2021. It's time for Powell to wrap up his project pronto! Otherwise I think it's fair to call this the MAGA Fed.
OTOH in our travels we have seen a large ear posted on a telephone pole and a cardboard box with”Pray for Trump” spray painted on it. The spanking new “Let’s go Brandon” sign has been removed. Some Trump flags hung way up high in the trees or very near the house. This is in bright blue MA.
I posted this idea hoping that someone in the Harris campaign might be able to use it. If anyone is going to make them to sell I would definitely want them to contribute the profits to Democratic Party campaigns.
According to WAPO, as related in Political Wire (the Post is paywalled), Trump praised Putin for the prisoner swap this week. So perfectly Trump. No thought of the hostages or their families, no respect for what it took many nations to get it done. Always all about him and only about him. Nothing new, of course, but I do hope he gets called out for this perfectly callous statement.
I signed up to do Voter Protection in Pennsylvania. I live in Philly, and all eyes will be on PA.
I agreed to be a Voter Site overseer. The campaign will assign me to a random Vote Drop-off Site, likely in the suburbs, where I will sit for my several-hour shift. It will be slightly more engaging than watching paint dry, but it's important -making sure that voters drop off votes without interference.
I plan to listen to podcasts and/or write postcards while I sit there.
This, folks, is the work of supporting a functioning, but threatened, democracy.
Thank you so much, Betsy. I live in Louisiana. We have been saving for nearly a year in order to move to Pennsylvania. We almost have enough. You will be gaining three new Democrats.
One light year = 5.88 trillion miles. The Milky Way galaxy's diameter = 87,000 light years. 5.88 x 87,000 = 511,560 trillion miles. Fortunately, we only have to go to our mailbox or post office to mail our postcards to voters to persuade them to vote - and to vote for Democrats. I knew there was a cosmic connection to politics!
If you really want to get carried away, 1 mile = 5280 feet. So 511,560 trillion miles x5280 = 2,701,036,800 trillion feet.
I suspect some bright lights in leadership positions had the Biden-Harris developments over the past several weeks planned out in a general sense. Some details, too unpredictable, left to chance fell the right way. It will be a fascinating read when the book comes out. A prominent line at one point when we were feeling all was lost after the debate performance served as a smoke screen. No imaginary "West Wing" made for TV script could save us. Cynic or realist I never underestimate the American public's interest in a new shiny object.
Whether purposeful or "happenstance" is of no matter at this point. We the people have been given a second chance to keep the democracy afloat perhaps making it stronger as it recovers from the terrible damage inflicted by trump and the elites who long before him have been moving the nation toward autocracy. We need to work at it with volunteering (Dem Party work) donating what ever money we can afford, spreading the word within our own personal networks and by voting. Ben Franklin: "We have a Republic if we can keep it."
Kamala Harris has had a stellar rise. We cannot let ourselves be dazzled by the light.
The momentum is unprecedented, and yet we must both sustain and build on it.
In 2016 many were taken in by the notion that Hillary could not lose and that Trump could not win. Many were blinkered by an unproven assurance. Fallacious rhetoric and wishful thinking served as voter suppression. Too many believed that Hillary did not need *their* vote. Mistaking voting for an individual exercise in personal expression, they made excuses not to vote for a candidate who did not meet their own purity tests. They followed the pipe dream that disaster could be avoided while they indulged in turning up their nose, sitting on their hands, or following some Pied Piper. They could not imagine that a man such as Trump could win the American presidency. They could they imagine sufficient numbers of voters would hold their nose and vote for Trump. A fatal lack of imagination. Trump voters kept their eyes on the prize - the Supreme Court. And won even more. With the help of potential Democratic voters who'd split off rather than accepting that we had a binary choice and that voting is a joint exercise in taking power.
In 2020 the shock of 2016 and the horrors of the Trump presidency were still fresh. We united and elected Joe Biden. Despite the Trump insurrection and the intransigence of a Republican party thoroughly devolving into the rough beast that is MAGA, the Biden administration has been remarkably successful. Not nearly perfect - in failing the enforce the Leahy Laws (which Biden expanded with his National Security Memorandum 20) and to pause delivery of offensive military aid to Israel, Biden tied us to the abuses of the racist right wing religious extremist Netanyahu regime.
I say this as an American Jew and a Zionist. Netanyahu, AIPAC and CUFI (Christians United For Israel) are no friends of Israel. Or the United States. We should root out but not be distracted by the antisemitism of some critics of Israeli policy. The criticism is deserved. Netanyahu's bad policies and misplaced priorities (supporting Hamas to hobble the Palestinian Authority and attempting a Leonard Leo type capture of the Israeli Supreme Court) contributed to the greatest intelligence failure in Israeli history and Israel's bloodiest war. Netanyahu's inchoate and disproportionate response to the Hamas atrocities of Oct 7, have implicated Israel in crimes against humanity and genocide. Now Netanyahu, in a fevered Gotterdamerung fit, is provoking Iran and the United States into direct military conflict. In part, because he trusts that only a Trump win can save his hide.
Republicans want a Trump win at any cost. To capture and corrupt the Executive branch through Trump and Project 2025 as they captured and corrupted the Judiciary through Mitch McConnell, Trump, and the Federalist Society. And for decades Republicans have been itching to bomb Iran. For Christians such as GOP Speaker Mike Johnson, instigating Armageddon is an act of faith devoutly desired. I dwell on this existential threat because it is also great threat to a Democratic victory. We cannot let anything get in the way of our Getting Out The Vote for Kamala Harris.
Hillary Clinton did win the popular vote. By three million. It’s the twisted electoral college that makes it more difficult to win. 100,000 votes different in a few states for Clinton, or 77,000 votes different for Biden, who won the popular vote by 7 million. Asinine. To think that the USA didn’t abolish it in the wake of the civil war, or in the 1970s, when it got close indeed. Which isn’t to say that the voters who care about democracy should relent in the next 90 days. Certainly not!
Hillary Clinton surely knew the election depended on the Electoral College. She ran an arrogant and counter-strategic campaign. She believed her own press and ignored data and anecdote which did not conform to *her turn.*
Clinton threw out Howard Dean's 50 state strategy and she failed to campaign seriously in swing states. I volunteered through my local Democratic committee for months, nearly full time. I saw first hand the incompetence of Clinton campaign field 'organizers.' And heard horror stories from activists in other states, especially Wisconsin. For example, Clinton failed to mend fences in Milwaukee, while building bridges to nowhere in Texas. She was *that* sure she was going to win.
I could go on. But why bother? We have too much work to do from this minute until Nov 5. And I should be writing post cards to voters in Georgia right now. Tomorrow I will get 3 weeks more turf for a local Democratic candidate - we hope to have our first canvassing round completed before canvassing for the Harris ticket begins.
https://www.turnoutpac.org/postcards/
https://postcardstovoters.org/
https://www.fieldteam6.org/
https://www.activateamerica.vote/postcards
https://www.lwv.org/taxonomy/term/518
According to FT 6 textbank team leaders last night, 137K new Democrats were helped to register in NV and MI the past few days. FT 6 is also active in all the other swing states plus Florida.
Biden won by 7 million, and FT 6 has targeted 9 million non registered folk who trend Democratic. If fully funded, enlarging the base, standing alone can swing the election. https://www.fieldteam6.org/
Influencers like Beyonce, Taylor Swift, David Hogg, etc can be our salvation. We've asked the DNC to reach out to them. Gen Z make up 25% of the potential electorate. Swifties for Kamala. 180,000 volunteers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soJDQB1QBXg
My Indivisible group has been writing with FieldTeam6, Activate America, NEAZ Native Democrats and other groups since 2017. FieldTeam6 has an superb campaign to inform non-registered votes about Project 2025 and providing the link to register to vote. We just surpassed 22K postcards sent since late January and we have no intention of stopping.
Postcards are an effective tool, especially now when people no longer have landlines or answer their doors to strangers. And, its a safe alternative for those uncomfortable canvassing, seniors and/or disabled. Text banking is also easy to do. There is a way to get involved for everyone's comfortable level.
Yaaaay!!!
Thanks for the link and the reminder. Just donated again to FT 6.
I've set up a monthly donation to Field Team 6 that I will continue year round. They are so effective registering voters & they have the data to back it up. Thank goodness we have groups to counteract the Scott Preslers of the world.
Same! Thanks for the reminder!
ThankYou Daniel. You have been so diligent in providing links (and particularly ThankYou for the info about FT6) that I followed your good example : )
This is great, Daniel. I have been writing postcards with FT6 and others and have now done 450. The states include N. Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. I'm not sure what Moms Rising will ask me to do but I'm expecting 100 postcards from them. I am so glad to hear that our work is bearing fruit!
I am a huge supporter of FT 6. Please consider sending them $$$.
This ➡️“We have too much work to do from this minute until Nov 5.”
Lin, you’re such a democracy warrior and your posts are always informative. Stay safe in Leonard Leo land!
I live in MAGA-ville, Fl .Through GOTV activities and interaction with GOP neighbors and “Christians”, your words ring true.
Postcards✍️ and canvas driving 🚙 today on Fl east coast.Stay safe fellow Flordians on west coast as Debby 🌀 approaches landfall. DeSantis has declared a White Boots State of Emergency……but no climate change to see here !
So many of us have never stopped. And are keeping at it - with more hope now.
In a way, the surge in hope and beginnings of confidence inspired my post. There are so many temptations not to unite and so many who are tempted, that I do not want our momentum and numbers to be used as an excuse to listen to the vote suppressing / vote splitting siren calls of : the duopoly; there's no difference between the parties; my vote doesn't matter; my vote doesn't count; the entire system is corrupt; nothing will change; I don't do politics; my vote has to be earned; i need a candidate who reflects what I believe; and most perverse of all 'vote your conscience' as a call to put your gut feelings above the greater good when conscience is supposed to be that voice in our head which calls us to the greater good. I'm sure I've missed some of the lures being cast by the ego tripping (and worse) candidates who show up once every four years to divert and discourage us from uniting.
Thanks, Lin, I am not tempted to vote for anyone but Kamala, but your words help me to point out to others the cost of not voting for a) the top of the ticket b) the top of the ticket when a VP selection is not to their liking, "I would have voted for Harris, but she chose X who I don't like because of Y," c) my vote doesn't matter anyway. Also I remind myself that Putin, Netanyahu, and their propaganda machines are much more sophisticated and varied than those tactics espoused by Trump, "Vote for Trump or millions of murderers and drug dealers will flow over our land!" They can be as subtle as encouraging the raised eyebrow of a local newscaster or clergyman or business leader, "Well, yes Trump can be a jerk, but is America -- not me of course -- really ready for a woman president in these hard times?" etc. etc. Expressions of doubt, "What difference does it make," "Gee, I just don't know." and "You know, I hear [fill in the blank], young people, old people, rural people, etc," just don't like Kamala" so she can't win OR "can't stand Trump" so we don't have to vote. The propaganda can work to numerous ends with the single result that a few thousand votes are not cast, cast for Trump, or cast for Kennedy/West/Stein or anyone else. The Right knows there are multiple paths to block Democrats, but we are not helpless before that and all your work is making a difference. We have to block a lot of noise and calmly and with DELIGHT and JOY urge on the fight for Harris and her VP and Democrats up and down the ballot.
This! Yes. Exactly. ThankYou for so significantly expanding on my thoughts. With a correction
"... all your work is making a difference."
All OUR work is making THE difference.
Pete Seeger
Step By Step
https://youtu.be/BhUGzujGH1k?si=5LxbFzQwJi3YjBxW
The Roots
Can't Turn Me Around
https://youtu.be/ta6UmkqzZA0?si=OLiyfk9lJnI7BwHD
Joan Baez and Mimi Farina - Bread and Roses
https://youtu.be/vqJHUkOTLOQ?si=CGZc17bNNkZbEgAv
Lady Gaga at Joe Biden's Inaugural
The National Anthem
https://youtu.be/C12lYHd7-q4?si=qk3EztpGNouAsLwM
We can do this. Together.
I find it easy to delight and joy in the prospect of Kamala Harris as President--and with any of the prospective VPs, who all look good to me.
Maturity is realizing we don't live in a perfect world and you can't always get everything you want. (Just ask Mick Jagger.)
Stay safe, Kathy!
I was sure she would win too. No one really thought that the cretin would win. But the cheating and the foreign help sort of tipped the scales, did they not.
Many of us were sure Trump would win, or at least fearful that he would. In 2016, I'd spent months phone banking before the convention. Outreach to voters in my state let them know the Democratic party shared their concerns, wanted their opinion, and needed their votes. It helped update the state voter roll info and begin to establish connections so that after the convention we could continue conversations with supporters, do persuasion with undecided voters, and respect requests for privacy. Through these calls the excitement and determination of Trump voters was palpable. And in contrast, the degree to which people were willing to hold their nose for Hillary, or not, was frightening. By July I was 99% certain Trump would win. I phoned many call-in shows and wrote to innumerable media outlets, officials, and pundits saying "if the best Clinton supporters can do is make fun of Trump then he will laugh his way to the White House." I was patronized at best and dismissed at worst. Until mid October. So ... I don't want the wave of enthusiasm to crest too soon. And there is a significant undertow, along with whirlpools forming around third party candidates.
Truth speaking, Lin. I remember shouting at the MSNBC pundits chortling over Trump's latest gaffe in 2016, "Stop laughing! This guy is dangerous."
We've seen the threat realized. That millions of American want Trump again breaks my heart, but millions more see him and the Republicans for what they are. Carry on!
ThankYou.
In solidarity and towards victory.
Wow, you were in the trenches the whole way. Good on you. Comey sent me into depression. That was deliberate and calculated. And then chump totally trashed him. That should have been a lesson for anyone who thought he appreciated any effort. He has done this over and over. Demands loyalty, gives none. Don’t give up, worse Dems still better than best Repub. been true all of my long life although I could kick some arses, Gillibrand for a start.
And James Comey.
He sure got paid back for that bit of treachery
In 2016 I spent most of the spring and summer traveling between Pittsburgh and Johnstown, PA. Once I got outside the Allegheny County lines I never saw one Clinton sign, only Trump signs. That was true in Armstrong County, PA as well where I traveled every weekend. I was terribly afraid that Trump could and would win. In addition, I had worked doing phoning for both Obama campaigns but I don't recall ever hearing from the Clinton campaign at all. I think Trump's election in 2016 was a combination of luck, a terrible Clinton campaign and his ability to tap into palpable discontent in parts of the country.
Here in Hancock County, Maine CD2 people drove over an hour each way assuming our Democratic Committee would have Clinton signs. Ha! Every other Hancock Co Democratic, yes. Absolutely could not get signs from the Clinton campaign.
I was optimistic until Comey. The cheating and the cult nonsense (denigrating women, military, and all political norms) just appalled me so that I thought surely the majority would rule. Forgot the racism, greed, and religious nuts. I quickly learned that the tea party insanity had learned that cheating works (learned in 2000).
Thanks for the links. Just so you know, I've ordered from them and have enough work coming to keep me busy for weeks! I love it!
Thank You !!!
Lin, Are you a Wisconsin voter? Were you there in 2016? You present a biased view of Hillary and what happened to her in Wisconsin. Why no mention of how Wisconsin-based Bernie Bros pouted during and after convention and then stayed home instead of voting in 2016. They played a pivotal role in electing Trump. I also could go on but agree we have work to do.
As I have not lived in swing states, since the Kerry campaign I have gone to swing states for GOTV week. Since Obama's second campaign, I have stayed with activist friends in Wisconsin - for presidential and congressional GOTV week. I could not leave my state in 2016, but was in regular communication with my friends during the campaign and in the aftermath. Then there was Covid. I have my plane tickets to Milwaukee for October!
In my original comment, I spoke extensively about the effect of vote splitting
efforts.
Re Wisconsin.
"A similar situation unfolded in Wisconsin. According to several operatives there, the campaign’s state office and local officials scrambled to raise nearly $1 million for efforts to get out the vote in the closing weeks. Brooklyn headquarters had balked at funding it themselves, arguing that the state already had a decent-sized footprint because of the labor-backed super PAC For Our Future and pointing out that Clinton had never trailed in a single poll in Wisconsin.
Trump won Wisconsin by 1 point, or fewer than 30,000 votes. Clinton did not visit the state once after the Democratic convention..."
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2016/11/report-neglect-and-poor-strategy-helped-cost-clinton-three-critical-states.html
It is always popular to put down a woman. There are many strategies to draw in. She did her best -- and then Comey did her in. Also, too many Dems believed the Republican malarkey about Clinton. But yes, by all means, put her down and add to the criticism of her.
It is a mistake to consider my criticism of Hillary Clinton, and my critique of her campaign, as sexist, misogynist, or Republican malarky. Clinton's mistakes were certainly not the only factor in her disastrous failure and defeat. Which are two different things. And which I touched upon in my first comment.
ThankYou for mentioning Comey's contribution. His unprecedented interference helped Trump - as much as Mueller helped Trump by putting Barr's peculiar interpretation of DOJ procedure above Starr's precedent of putting Pres. Clinton under oath. Thereby effectively precluding a finding of conspiracy.
Very well said about Clinton's "arrogant" campaign. While I had my criticisms of Clinton, I put a lot of the blame for her loss on her operation, as opposed to Hillary herself. Basically, her campaign was very disorganized, made so many tactical mistakes & was headed by people ( particularly Robby Mook & John Podesta) whom did not get along with one another. Clinton was unknowingly the guinea pig for the "new" way of politics, where you cannot count of civility from your opponent. That is to say she was trying to play her best chess game without knowing she was in a gladiator pit ( aka Bannon and company "flooding the zone with shit" ). I'm very confident that Harris WILL NOT make any of the same mistakes as Clinton - or rather her campaign - did! Onwards my friends. Keep calm & campaign on.
yes and also: she was not sophisticated in the infestation of Russian bots.... a whole lot of white women voted like 9th grade girls who could not stand it that another girl was smarter than they are(ask any woman who has been in 9th grade.....And for sure, "WE ARE STRONGER TOGETHER" did not see the huge rip in the fabric of our culture and the rage that went with it.
And to be fair, Kamala would not be where she is today without years and years of Hillary's presence on the National stage.
Thanks for the helpful links.
So, I'll ask for some more.
I'm deluged by various house, senate, & gub'l campaigns, and I don't know where to begin, esp'ly when has modest resources and wants to get the biggest bang for the bucks.
1: One can always go to DCCC & DSCC.
2: Are there some races in particular need of money, to give directly to?
3: Are there some organizations to help one navigate the maze?
Thanks, friends.
Strategic giving based on research for most effective use of our donations:
Force Multiplier
https://www.forcemultiplierus.org/
The States Project for state legislature races (critical for the presidential election), also based on research:
https://www.grapevine.org/giving-circle/1XQhnyD/-
Swing Left for strategic congressional races in swing states:
https://swingleft.org/
Only country anywhere where the one who gets the most votes loses. Even authoritarians fake a majority. Yet we play tiddily winks with our presidential election, arguably the most important one in the world these days
Please get to work on Citizens Initiatives for Ranked Choice Voting in your state. Instant Run Off brings more people to the table - as voters and candidates - but guarantees that the eventual winner has the majority of votes. The only risk is from third party and independent voters who only vote their first choice. At least two GOP cases brought against RCV in Maine have been thrown out of court (by a Black Swan Federalist Society Trump appointee - our own Souter;) So there is growing legal precedent for the constitutionality of RCV.
You want inspiration? Jimmy Carter, in his hospice bed, is willing himself to live to 100 in order to vote for Kamala Harris and against tRump...now, THAT'S desire, and the rest of us could do no less.
Jill Stein votes took two of the three swing states that were critical for a Clinton victory under the electoral college. Clinton, for her part, did not even campaign in some of those states, despite the admonitions of her husband to do so. See Lin, at this writing, directly below.
And Putin feted Stein in Russia along with Mike Flynn for their contributions. Stein claims she was at a journalist meeting and just wandered over and sat at Putin's table. As if!
Stein is a traitor
I don't think she's a traitor, but I do think--from knowing her slightly--that she's a magical thinker who doesn't always consider the consequences of her actions, and didn't consider WHY Putin--of all people--was inviting her. And the notion that she was a journalist--you probably are well aware that she is an MD--is baloney.
Yes, I use traitor a lot. Thought it meant someone who gives aid and comfort to the enemies of America. That makes her one. That she is an MD impresses me not at all. She is Putin’s stooge. BTW, I know a well-educated family, Two MDs, three PhDs, several MsS, etc, and they all are Repub fools. It was all about the SC for them.
Rebecca, thank you for pointing out that Hillary Clinton did not lose the election, she won it by 3 million votes. That's a lot of people. And the electoral college "victory" (quotes for irony) was, I believe, constructed by less than two points in a handful of key states, margins demonstrably engineered by Putin (check out Cambridge Analytica, one of whose founders is Steve Bannon, convicted criminal cohort of convicted criminal Trump). You could make an excellent case that Hillary did not lose. But, you know, Democrats do not make a habit of claiming that elections were stolen from them (Gore/Bush?). Instead, they are good losers, graciously extending the hand of congratulation to nominal winners.
I worry about purity tests too. I am hearing people saying similar things such as “I just don’t like her” while assuring me they will vote for Harris but won’t work on her campaign. It is frustrating when folks who could be doing the work take a self righteous stance as a way of doing very little. I reminded them about down ballot races, Project 2025 etc but it comes back to “I just don’t like her”. Very frustrating. I also appreciate your comments re Israel recognizing nuance and the horror at the same time.
I suspect they just don't want to do the work, and I'd suggest that once that's established, it would be more productive to forget about them and find others who will do the work. And try not to let yourself get too frustrated by such people, and keep eyes on the prize.
Thank you for this powerful comment. I was feeling the same thing this morning. An awareness that many of us- I include myself- are becoming overconfident because we can’t imagine this degraded version of Trump winning against our competent and joyful candidate. But we felt this way in 2016, as you point out.
We cannot afford to impose purity tests this time around- perfect is the enemy of good, so let’s grow up. And we must recognize that, yes, Netanyahu will continue to do what he can to destabilize the Middle East in order to push Trump into office. So we have a big task before us and must keep our focus on doing whatever we can to support our candidates up and down the ballot and we must above all do whatever we must to remain united. Understanding, as you point out, that voting is a joint exercise in taking power.
We felt the way we did in '16 because we kept hearing that Clinton was going to win. On election night I met a friend at a nice bar, to watch and wait for the announcement of Clinton's victory, only to have Lucy pull the football just as Charlie Brown ran to kick it.
According to my best political source, someone who has been in the biz for over 50 years, Clinton was a lousy candidate, who did not campaign in the several swing states she lost despite the fact that her husband had told her she needed to campaign in those states.
Unlike Clinton, Harris seems truly to love the business of campaigning and meeting her supporters. Just listening to her on the radio the day after Biden passed the torch got me so excited I made myself a bumper sticker, printing out the two halves of her last name in VERY LARGE PRINT, outlining each letter in black felt tip, because my printer is losing its clarity, taping them together, and taping the whole thing to my Civic's bumper (I still haven't seen another HARRIS bumper sticker more than ten days later if I'm remembering correctly).
Beautifully and perfectly stated. Without using your name but not taking credit for this myself, may I share this post on Facebook Book?
ThankYou. Of course. Please correct some typos I've found or any you find - when I try edit on long texts only part of the text is then saved. Or edit it any way which best suits your thoughts.
Lin, you astound me. I still recall your bravery re: Leonard Leo. Truly, you are one of "The Helpers" per Mr. Rogers. You write exceptionally well, too. Thank you for being you.
Blush. There is a dedicated group here on MDI who have planned the Leo protests for years. I am a gadfly.
I missed the Leonard Leo stuff. Could you please email me anything that has the details? holzmandc@aol.com. Thanks.
Well, it’s awful but not genocide, but otherwise you are right.
John, as an observant Jew and a Zionist, I cannot tell you just how hard it's been to come to the conclusion that what the Netanyahu regime is doing in Gaza is genocide and what successive and increasingly extremist Netanyahu regimes have done on the West Bank is to create an apartheid entity. This is not intrinsic to Zionism, but plays into the propaganda of those who present it as such. And it abandons, elides, the Israeli Left.
I grew up in the shadow of the Holocaust and of Stalin's atrocities. I have fought against the facile use of terms like fascist, Nazi, authoritarian, apartheid. As a progressive, I have witnessed and personally experienced the growth of antisemitism in the American left, instigated by Arafat and his successors and by Black Muslim leader Louis Farrakhan. But some in the socially insular and politically insulated Jewish extremist community have taken the wrong lesson from the Holocaust. Instead of 'never again for anybody' their cry seems to be 'now it's our turn.'
This has been a long time coming. After the Oslo Accords, Netanyahu was implicated in the assassination of Yithak Rabin by a Jewish extremist. The Kahanists were declared a terrorist group - by Israel. Their affiliated parties were pariahs in the Israeli body politic. Now to stay in power, Netanyahu has such unreformed Kahanists as Ben Gvir and Smotrich in ministerial positions. They may not call it making lebensraum but they are openly engaging in the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. Trump and his bridge to these groups, Jared Kushner, have openly talked of deporting Palestinians from Gaza to camps in the Negev - and then developing waterfront properties in Gaza. Those Palestinians who may miraculously survive the slaughter. I cannot help but call it genocide.
Sinwar and Netanyahu agree on one thing; both are willing to force those who want to come to the table for a negotiated peace - as two geographically autonomous and politically sovereign states - to climb over an almost insurmountable barrier of corpses, mostly Palestinian. Martyrs to Sinwar. Notches in Netanyahu's belt.
I agree with almost everything you say, but genocide has a well-defined meaning in law, and what Israel has done in Gaza does not fit it. I am happy to see you note that the extremists have strayed from what it should mean to be a Jew (at least, that's how I take your meaning). I have said for many years that if we Jews are, as we proclaim, a chosen people, it is because we were chosen to BE better, not because we ARE better. That's what the extremists forget or, more likely, ignore. If it is "our" turn, we should reject it, because we should not want to take that turn. The turn that Israel should take is to acknowledge that there are two peoples who love the land, and that the only way forward that makes any sense (besides being morally right) is to work out a way to share it, fairly.
There is significant agreement that Israel has committed acts which violate the genocide convention. There is significant doubt whether the necessary factor of intent has been established.
"There are "reasonable grounds" to believe that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories said on Tuesday. "
https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/03/1147976
I understand that the UN has historically applied a double standard to Israel, bordering on antisemitism. It is fraught.
"The UNHR (University Network for Human Rights) report, released in mid-May, concludes: “Israel has committed genocidal acts, namely killing, seriously harming, and inflicting conditions of life calculated, and intended to, bring about the physical destruction of Palestinians in Gaza,” says Susan Akram, a LAW clinical professor of law and director of LAW’s International Human Rights Clinic, who contributed to the report.
The report was researched and written by UNHR members from LAW’s International Human Rights Clinic, the International Human Rights Clinic at Cornell Law School, the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria in South Africa, and the Lowenstein Human Rights Project at Yale Law School.
The report’s conclusions are based on internationally agreed upon definitions of genocide. “As set forth in the Genocide Convention of 1948,” the report reads, “the crime of genocide requires that a perpetrator kill, seriously harm, or inflict conditions of life calculated to bring about the destruction of a group, in whole or in part, with the intent to destroy the group as such.” The report continues: “after reviewing the facts established by independent human rights monitors, journalists, and United Nations agencies, we conclude that Israel’s actions in and regarding Gaza since October 7, 2023, violate the Genocide Convention.” "
https://www.bu.edu/articles/2024/is-israel-committing-genocide-in-gaza/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestinian_genocide_accusation
Just about every word of this also expresses my opinions except I'd have qualified that it is only the doomsday Christians who include as a tenet of belief that it is part of their duty to hope for and even help bring on the end times. There are also many who still believe it is their duty to cherish and preserve the gift of this planet and of all life. There are many flavors of Christianity out there too, and only some are pro45, some are adamantly against him and his behavior and policies.
Yes. I think I said 'Christians such as GOP Speaker Mike Johnson.'
Some of the most profound criticism of Catholic extremist piety performer and court capture operative Leonard Leo comes from the National Catholic Reporter. I think as an omen to mute the thread and move on, I cannot open google to get to the articles.
Got one.
https://www.ncronline.org/news/leonard-leo-architect-conservative-supreme-court-takes-wider-culture
Ah! I see I read a comma after "Christians" that was not there so thought Mike Johnson was an example rather than a type designation.
Anyway, I really enjoyed your comment and your thoughtfulness and clarity of expression.
Please publish this an an OpEd. It is so on point. And may I share it with my friends on FB?
I can't tell whose writing you want to see as an op-ed. But if you find that an effort is going to be made to publish it, I'd urge you not to share with anyone until it's been published, because of the would be publisher should find out it's gotten around, they would likely kill it.
Great point, thanks. It was for Lin…
I'm not surprised. He said a lot of important things. And you're welcome.
Well Stated, Lin
Hear hear, lin!! Totally agree with you!
Lin, what an amazing heart-mind you have. I am saving Today's Edition of 8/04/24 explicitly for this thread of your comments and its inspirations!
Imagine in the U.S a Democratic President and Senate. Alito retires/dies. The Chief Justice (Roberts) appoints two other Justices (Thomas and Gorsuch) for them to be 3 of the 9 who have to approve the next Justice. Since it takes 7 of 9 votes to approve a new Justice they can deny any pick they want. This the current case in Israel. This is what one of the judicial reforms is about.
"From January to October 2023, large-scale protests took place across Israel in response to the government's push for a wide-ranging judicial reform. The proposed reform aimed to give the government full control of the Supreme Court or court decisions through various ways.[7] The government also attempted to dismantle the Israel Bar Association and change the makeup of the Judicial Selection Committee.[8]" ... Statements by Israeli figures linked the aim of the reform to the expansion of Israeli settlements and further annexation of Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_Israeli_judicial_reform_protests
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-65086871
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2023-01-30/ty-article-magazine/.premium/the-israeli-right-wing-group-planning-a-conservative-legal-revolution/00000186-02aa-dba9-a9d6-46ba58e80000
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2020-12-23/ty-article-magazine/the-conservative-u-s-group-trying-to-transform-israels-justice-system/0000017f-e79f-d62c-a1ff-ffffc432000
https://apnews.com/article/israel-politics-justice-minister-judicial-overhaul-netanyahu-b93481650524a63c4e85199c0ea3fb4d
On election day, 2016, someone DID know the outcome beforehand: Barak Obama. He was giving a speech, when seemingly out of nowhere he said (can't remember exact wording): "I was just going to walk away from this, but now you brought my Mother into it (as if he's going to fight)".
He said no more, and walked away.
Trump wins!!!!
Oh, no. No. The end of America.
The only thing I have to say early on a Sunday morning is this: We are likely to have a VP pick soon, maybe a leak tomorrow before Tuesday’s announcement, and some will not like the pick. Here’s the thing: Of the six men nominated, they are all qualified. We have to accept VP Harris’ pick. It may not be our personal first pick but we must support the ticket.
Yes 👏 we are not going back, and that includes pointless and extremely counterproductive backbiting. Dems cannot be our own worst enemies!
The perfect is the enemy of the good.
Here is some inspiration. A new Facebook group, Cat Ladies for Kamala Harris, popped up within an hour of the breaking story re: Vance's hurtful comments about "childless cat ladies." In 7 days, the group gathered over 56,000 members from all over the world! We share funny memes, photos and clips of the latest right wing shenanigans ( often cat-themed, of course!), thoughtful discourse on the state of the election, ways to volunteer, and suggestions for getting involved locally. And of course, we integrate photos of our kitties! We are an inclusive group. Anyone with a pet who supports VP Harris and Dems can join. But the best part is that we have provided a safe space for women, and men, feeling politically isolated in "red" cities or communities, to share their hopes and fears and connect with like- minded folks around the country to find out how they can take action. This is grassroots empowerment at its best! Thanks for letting me share.
There is even a "Mental Health Professionals for Kamala" group now. Everyone is getting on the bandwagon.
Love it! Especially the comfort and feeling of being part of it offers to those in red states.
So important to have fun!!
Fabulous, Tracey!
Hi Tracey! I found two different Facebook groups with this name; the difference being the 'L' in ladies. One is 'Ladies' and the other is 'ladies'. I'm thinking yours is the first one, but can you confirm?
1) Cat Ladies for Kamala Harris (public)
2) Cat ladies for Kamala Harris (private)
Capital L! A private group would be cool too, though.
Thank you!
I learned something today (thanks to Rabbi Yonason Goldson) that’s truly poetic:
TRUMPERY definition —
something without use or value; rubbish; trash; worthless stuff; nonsense; twaddle:
Origin: late Middle English trompery deceit, Middle French tromperie, equivalent to tromp ( er ) to deceive
Dictionary
Definitions from Oxford Languages · Learn more
ARCHAIC
noun
attractive articles of little value or use.
"None of your woolen drapery, nor linen drapery, nor any of your frippery or trumpery. I hate ostentation"
Similar:
trinkets
baubles
cheap finery
knickknacks
ornaments
bibelots
gewgaws
gimcracks
adjective
showy but worthless.
"trumpery jewelry"
Or -- in a word -- weird.
And creepy!
that is an incredible photo-- the talent must have something to do with the name "hubbell"!!
“Yes, stars shining bright above you
Night breezes seem to whisper "I love you"
Birds singing in the sycamore trees
Dream a little dream of me”
Thank you for the lullaby, Robert.
💙 I may be Pollyanna but think Prisoner Swap sealed the deal 😅
Lowered my stress about Project 2025
💙 It’s a GREAT WEEK to be An American 🇺🇸
Continuing to share your wisdom…..soooo much gratitude from Colorado 🤗
It is unless the economy starts to go south. Time to reign in Fed Chair Powell!
It is definitely time to lower the interest rate. I believe Powell is trying to aid Trump's campaign!
I don’t think Powell s trying to help Trump at all. He is stymied in his efforts to lower inflation faced with a lower than expected jobs report. In my estimation he is the anti- Trump. The old type Republican.
According to Reuters the U.S. unemployment rate jumped to near a three-year high of 4.3% in July amid a significant slowdown in hiring, heightening fears the labor market was deteriorating and potentially making the economy vulnerable to a recession. The increase in the unemployment rate from 4.1% in June marked the fourth straight monthly increase, the Labor Department reported on Friday. The rate has risen from a five-decade low of 3.4% in April 2023 to now the highest level since September 2021. It's time for Powell to wrap up his project pronto! Otherwise I think it's fair to call this the MAGA Fed.
Thanks for the stellar newsletters and a chance to comment. All I’ve got to say before coffee is I’m waiting for the T-shirt that says:
NOT GOING BACK on the front and
SAY IT TO MY FACE on the back.
Might make one myself.
I personally like "VOTE Removes Stubborn Orange Stains".
OTOH in our travels we have seen a large ear posted on a telephone pole and a cardboard box with”Pray for Trump” spray painted on it. The spanking new “Let’s go Brandon” sign has been removed. Some Trump flags hung way up high in the trees or very near the house. This is in bright blue MA.
Love this ☝️very clever. I want one too 💙
I posted this idea hoping that someone in the Harris campaign might be able to use it. If anyone is going to make them to sell I would definitely want them to contribute the profits to Democratic Party campaigns.
Just ordered my "Kamala for President" T-shirt!
You could print a few and l et t us know your price!!
Ooo let s get one designed
Robert, thank you for bringing in for closer view, the beautiful, amazing photos of the universe via your telescope.
Yes, Robert. I am enjoying your beautiful photos and learning so much from you. They certainly put in perspective our little place in the universe.
Truly have me a pause this morning 😄
According to WAPO, as related in Political Wire (the Post is paywalled), Trump praised Putin for the prisoner swap this week. So perfectly Trump. No thought of the hostages or their families, no respect for what it took many nations to get it done. Always all about him and only about him. Nothing new, of course, but I do hope he gets called out for this perfectly callous statement.
And no thought for the man assassinated at his rally in PA or for the folks seriously injured.
Exactly. If God was on his side--as he has said repeatedly--what does that say for Corey Comperatore?
Love the rework of this great marching song.
https://youtu.be/pRWZe1KLfq8?si=MveR69pJna00F8w6
I signed up to do Voter Protection in Pennsylvania. I live in Philly, and all eyes will be on PA.
I agreed to be a Voter Site overseer. The campaign will assign me to a random Vote Drop-off Site, likely in the suburbs, where I will sit for my several-hour shift. It will be slightly more engaging than watching paint dry, but it's important -making sure that voters drop off votes without interference.
I plan to listen to podcasts and/or write postcards while I sit there.
This, folks, is the work of supporting a functioning, but threatened, democracy.
Thank you so much, Betsy. I live in Louisiana. We have been saving for nearly a year in order to move to Pennsylvania. We almost have enough. You will be gaining three new Democrats.
Where will you live? Welcome!
Betsy, I am grateful for your bravery and courage. Thank you.
I’m in Delaware County - maybe I’ll see you there!
Thank you Betsy!
The astronomical photos are stunning and profound.
One light year = 5.88 trillion miles. The Milky Way galaxy's diameter = 87,000 light years. 5.88 x 87,000 = 511,560 trillion miles. Fortunately, we only have to go to our mailbox or post office to mail our postcards to voters to persuade them to vote - and to vote for Democrats. I knew there was a cosmic connection to politics!
If you really want to get carried away, 1 mile = 5280 feet. So 511,560 trillion miles x5280 = 2,701,036,800 trillion feet.
Don't know if my fitness app can count that high, but it certainly counts my feet to the PO and back. We're all stardust so we need to vote 💙
Love your perspective!
I suspect some bright lights in leadership positions had the Biden-Harris developments over the past several weeks planned out in a general sense. Some details, too unpredictable, left to chance fell the right way. It will be a fascinating read when the book comes out. A prominent line at one point when we were feeling all was lost after the debate performance served as a smoke screen. No imaginary "West Wing" made for TV script could save us. Cynic or realist I never underestimate the American public's interest in a new shiny object.
Whether purposeful or "happenstance" is of no matter at this point. We the people have been given a second chance to keep the democracy afloat perhaps making it stronger as it recovers from the terrible damage inflicted by trump and the elites who long before him have been moving the nation toward autocracy. We need to work at it with volunteering (Dem Party work) donating what ever money we can afford, spreading the word within our own personal networks and by voting. Ben Franklin: "We have a Republic if we can keep it."
Robert -I am amazed of the clarity of the photo taken from a metro area like LA! Thx for another great photo and explanation of the Fireworks galaxy
What an incredible photo. I’m so grateful to you for posting these and increasing our awareness of the universe. I love these!