This morning I read, as always, Robert's newsletter with great enjoyment and, actually, an odd (given the realities he discusses) sense of comfort. So, 2 observations I wanted to share: 1. Something's changed/changing in your writing style, Robert, and it's all good! I don't know why or how -- and not that the previous 'style' was lacking -- but you're sort of loosening up more? and that's producing really great metaphors, snarky comments, passion; and 2. I do wish everyone in the media would re-phrase the notice that a 2nd Trump term would 'destroy the environment' or words to that effect. Climate is probably my #1 issue of concern because everything, literally Every. Single. Thing. is under its umbrella. So, not only would Trump destroy 'the environment,' he would prevent the world from at best at this point holding our losses steady and even making some progress toward a different type of life, priorities, culture to protect any semblance of a future. That's way too many words on my part, but this is where I'm passionate and my inner chaos comes out. We're moving way too slowly as it is, although we are making progress (see Rebecca Solnit on FB as well as Climate Action Now on substack for encouragement); to do ANYTHING but move forward and fast is not just problematic, it's apocalyptic. To describe the climate emergency as anything but an Emergency is just plain dangerous.
Indeed. Yes, indeed. It is way more than an emergency. It is a Catastrophe unfolding - it's the first episode of a sci fi series that shows billions of oblivious people ignoring the disaster unfolding. Except it is not "fi".
Maybe you’d write the whole phrase .. tapping away if you’re on phone, so Everyone is Confronted by Science Fiction…
Episode w/ Billions of Oblivious
People IGNORING the DISASTER unfolding.
Time to Act is essential…. Commitment to Change Behaviors NOW …
Ok this is not getting better for anyone but me! Keep carrying your message as many of “me” will pick it up WHOLE & add it to our Election ( are u registered to vote) campaign Tropes.
Absolutely! In 2017 the then German Minister for Environmental Affairs visited California to meet with Gov. Jerry Brown. I asked her if the international efforts to fight climate change would survive the trump presidency. Her answer: one term yes, two terms – I am not so sure.
Ditto environment. If we don't save the planet it will be nicer to go down in a stew of hot poisons while enjoying better social services and more equal rights, but really in the end it will be a miserable, lonely (I for one would miss the other vulnerable species) descent.
I'm not saying we can't address more than one thing at a time, but we desperately need to step up our efforts on the environment.
Clear and forceful request. Thank you, I’m sending on to some special parents who are already supporting envir’mt’l changes in daily actions & training of their family. And also leading the way in every community they are affiliated with. Keep your messages coming please! It takes ALL of us to hear, read, reorganize our actions.
Such great information, Robert. I’ve been saying all along that people need to vote blue up and down the ballot. We need the House, Senate and state Judges so things can finally start getting passed. BLUE 🌊 !! The policy differences in Harris and don-old are like night and day. Although he keeps saying Project 2025 has nothing to do with his, you’d have to be a raving idiot not to believe that this is what his platform is. Complete control. Bigotry, misogyny and taxes for everyone except the rich. A dictatorship.
I enjoyed your “Jeopardy “ game parody. Corporate Media is in don-old’s back pocket. They all want their tax cuts. All we can do is call them out on their lies and omissions. Antares photo is beautiful even with the shooting faults only known to you. I looked at it on the site you recommended and I can’t get over how large it is.
Once again, your letter today is chock full o' information.Thank-you, Robert. I find it quite mind blowing that Donald Trump has been putting out information at his rallies and on his Truth Social site that Harris, Walz and Democrats are allowing abortions for babies at nine months gestation or even after birth, which is called murder in every state in the union.How can our press not report this monstrosity and babble on about whether Kamala once worked for McDonalds. Whichever way this election goes and I am hopefully optimistic (and will never be complacent) that Dems will win big in a landslide, I will never forgive our media for such a horrific dropping of the ball in their coverage of Dems, Biden, Harris, Walz and all things that needed to be reported but were purposely omitted from coverage to We The People.The lugenpresse are deliberately deceiving the people every single day and I am very frightened and disgusted by it.
Victoria, your entire comment is perfect, but your last sentence is the best of all! I have said all along that they actually want Trump to win because (a) he is a complete train wreck, and (b) the more the media can talk about what a train wreck he is, the more viewers they believe they will have. So many of the people I talk with, though, are overly tired of that train wreck and just want some peace and real news for a change.
I totally agree with you.I read somewhere that the presidency and governing are usually quite boring when done with finesse and competency.Joe Biden and company were not in the news every day because they were too busy working for the people.Trump, on the other hand, was a daily circus and the media $ could not get enough$.I prefer our government humming along getting the job of competent governing done with no National Enquirer stuff out there every day.
This evening, on the PBS News, they interviewed a White House spokesperson. Although the interview was about Biden Administration policy and an achievement, *never* did the spokesperson say “President Biden”.
No wonder that President Biden is vastly underrated: his people don’t give him proper credit for his achievements. One would have to imagine that his achievements dropped from the sky!
You know what else is not set in amber? The Republican state legislature in North Carolina! The States Project researches which state legislatures are most flippable by our strategic donations. If you have not already registered, here is an opportunity on
Wednesday, Sept. 4, from 7:00 to 8:00 pm ET (4:00 to 5:00 PT)
to hear from David Pepper on "Laboratories of Autocracy" and "Saving Democracy," to meet some of the candidates, and to DO SOMETHING! Our small donations add up to make a difference, particularly since state campaigns cost much less than do campaigns for President or Congress.
P.S. Let's talk about "botched effort." In the case of Robert's stunning capture of the star Antares, "botched effort" is clearly a relative term.
In the case of political campaigns, there might be some missteps and disappointing losses, but (a) Run For Something and Blue States Everywhere are building infrastructure from the ground up to turn red counties and states to purple and to blue, (b) our Democratic candidates are out there to win it by their hard work, and (c) we are continuing to build the energy of this magnificent big Blue Wave!
This is an excellent letter. And your points about the WaPo editorial board are spot on. But with all due respect, this election won't be decided by the media as we old timers view it. Cable TV and "newpapers" are the Model Ts of modern communication. They are still important, of course. But they are devices used by older people.
Cord cutters don't see CNN or MSNBC. We see YouTube versions and clips that are of interest. What do you think the age profile of NYTimes and WaPo subscribers is? It's not young...
This election will be won by the winners on social media - that's where most people who are not boomers live. And everything that happens that is of "interest" shows up there instantly. Obama won by employing "the internet". Harris will win by employing "the phone".
While I agree with your concern about the "media", maybe it's not as big a factor as we might think. And we could tap into what the three younger generations are influenced by. It is young people who are registering in big numbers. It is young people who may save democracy.
I especially take note of your references to reproductive freedom and women's health. I think in the rear view mirror of history, THAT will be recorded as the last nail in the coffin of the MAGA Republican movement.
Excellent observation Bill; the legacy media have become legends in their own minds and are quickly being eclipsed by, among other choices, Substack, including this column. The writing is typically succinct, the facts verifiable, and everything is open to immediate comment and interaction which the networks and papers aren't.
All commercial news media first practice self-aggrandizement, then tell their viewers that they alone have the truth, then finally produce half-truth statements revealing their bias.
Funny! They depress with their "news" then they put up an ad for antidepressants. As a matter of fact, if you look at the ads shown on various television shows you can get a feel for the age of the viewership. That's something I've noticed, perhaps because my own glimpses are so infrequent I can see these things.
Bill, you seem to have forgotten that a geezer’s vote counts as heavily as a young person’s vote. The geezer vote should not be undervalued. The youth vote should not be overvalued. It’s elementary arithmetic.
I mostly agree, but we can't forget the "main stream media" on television and as presented on our lap top screens and our car radios because they too often are the soup into which other media dip their ladles to select easy tid bits for repetition, for spring boarding stories and so forth. They are becoming increasingly irrelevant in their own forms (the ones that they draw revenue from in the form of subscriptions and advertisements) but they are still poisoning dinner. Plus, while they may be the news feed for older Americans, those folks still vote and in many areas are deciding the electoral votes that over ride the popular vote. Maybe by next election we can more completely write the biased main stream media off.
As a Kentuckian who relentlessly works to help Democratic state and local legislators elected, I am SO excited about the Harris/Walz campaign WISELY deciding to send much needed money to the orgs that can get dollars to state candidates. As The States Project has realized, state races cost much less money to fund than national races and the impact of state legislatures is huge. When a leader like Harris or Kentucky's own, Andy Beshear, amass large amounts of money, I've always wondered why they can't share the wealth and help determined Democrats to have the support they need to run effective campaigns. What The States Project is doing in Arizona is just fabulous. If we can flip 2 House & 2 Senate seats there, we get a trifecta in Arizona! Trifectas allow states to pass legislation to protect our Democracy and the voting process and laws that protect womens' healthcare...and so much more. Kudos to Harris/Walz!
I volunteer with Meals on Wheels & register older voters in NC. These are their concerns:
• They are exhausted by the chaos in Congress and their state legislature. The flow of disinformation and outright lies is undermining their sense of security and their mental health.
• The future of Social Security and Medicare is uncertain
• Voter ID requirements in NC are confusing and absentee voting onerous. Some need rides to the polls or 2 witnesses & postage ($2+) for their absentee ballots
• Access to information is limited to those who have internet access, a device to connect to it and understand how to use the device. QR codes are just that-codes that must be deciphered. Local newspapers are rare and rarely home delivered.
• Affordable housing is limited and management of congregate sites unresponsive to residents.
• Permanent placement in a nursing home or short-term stay at a rehab facility following hospitalization is feared and affordable homecare practically nonexistent.
• No one seems to care.
PLEASE contact older voters & provide your support. Honor them and show you care by offering rides to the polls or help accessing absentee ballots. For many of them, this may be their last election.
Thank you for your essential work, feeding bodies and souls. Your “seeing” others is life-giving. And thank you for sharing this heartbreaking, clear, concise, important information. 💙
Excellent day-opener.Thank you., Robert. And, kudos for the Field Team 6 lnk for donations by check! Many of my friends prefer to donate by check in order to be most in control of their donation.
How charming your admission of a botched shot of Antares, and how you then showed a clearer more accurate image. It refects the total honesty in which you report what's really going on in this most critical Presidential race, and how, in my personal estimation, very likely the media will be responsiable for a Trump win if, God forbid, that happens.
In a recent Facebook post I shared that for the first time in my life, I donated to a Presidential campaign, and added my donation was a form of recognition for all you and Heather Cox Richardson are doing to save our Democracy.
An engaging and generous bounty of information today, Robert Hubbell! Thank you. I appreciate every. single. bit.
I now make it a habit to use the phrase "as a DC native and a lifetime reader or subscriber, the Washington Post has lost the right to be considered a paper of record". If enough of us keep repeating this accurate observation, and even more subscribers flee, perhaps WaPo will crash and burn and a more responsible journalistic leadership model will emerge. The same goes for the other former paper of record, the NY Times.
I attended a Zoom last night hosted by Red Wine & Blue on recognizing disinformation. As Robert notes in one of his concluding paragraphs, the Washington Post article was disinformation. How extraordinary that sources like WaPo and NYT are no longer disseminating truth, but rather actual lies.
JD Vance wrote an interesting introduction to yet another pathetic effort by the Heritage Foundation to ram medieval evangelical extremist views down the throat of the American people. More on that here
That was seven years ago. He just wrote another introduction to the book Kevin Roberts, the leader of the Heritage Foundation and architect of Project 2025 will publish, "Dawn's Early Light". Getting cold feet after the growing backlash on Project 2025 they changed the subtitle 'Burning Down Washington to save America' to 'Taking Back Washington to Save America* and conveniently moved the publishing date to after the elections. Excerpts of the introduction have been quoted ("circle the wagons and load the muskets") but American voters should have the right to read the whole text – before the elections.
Let's make no mistake. The stance of Vance is important, reducing him to the couch meme would be a mistake. After winning the elections the felon and useful pied piper would have served his purpose and might easily be replaced. Given the age and increasingly deteriorating mental state of the felon applying the 25th Amendment wouldn't even be a stretch.
I agree completely with your prophesy about Vance and Amendment 25. Although thoroughly obnoxious and extremely dangerous, Vance is clever and conniving. Why else would he want to be Trump's VP except as a fast steppingstone to the presidency? And Trump is so stupid, he would play right into Vance's plans. After all, how difficult would it be to convince Trump's cabinet and the Congress that he has lost his mental capacity to be president? When it comes to Vance, be afraid . . . VERY AFRAID!
Can you plz explain that again. “After winning the elections the felon and useful pied piper would have served his purpose and might easily be replaced”.
-Sorry to be obtuse but I can’t infer if you are saying trump or Vance would be replaced. I didn’t think either could be removed, unless impeached, and I thought article 25 is for the President only.
Trump is a dunce, who, after winning the elections would have outserved his usefulness for the people behind him – the Heritage Foundation, the Federalist Society, Bannon, a myriad of evangelical and rightwing groups, billionaires like Crowe, Musk, Koch, to name just a few. He is also a narcissistic psychopath, increasingly difficult to handle and, if he feels threatened, slighted or whatever, ready to use his cult followers. Vance would be much easier to work with. And the 25th Amendment would be the instrument to put him in place.
It's a little darker than comments here usually are, but the 78 year old failed insurrectionist and convicted felon could suffer a medical event after the election and be replaced by the new Vice President.
Thank you for your comments on the media. Donald once brought them big bucks and they seem to think that will happen again. We will have to win this in spite of them. The photo may be botched but it’s beautiful.
Momentum is contagious and builds upon its own energy. The Harris campaign has it and most importantly knows it and is executing on multiple levels effectively. One tell tale sign is the ads running for Trump that feel and seem desperate and are all attack ads with no policy substance. Read Heather Cox Richardson today for more details. I use to get upset with the media especially the headlines but what we are seeing is the Harris campaign taking their message directly to the people in the street and restaurants and union halls. Local media reports these events and people see that big smile and hear the message and there is energy and hope and joy. People pick up on that. Let’s get young peoples registered to vote and win this election.
This is an aside: I had been wondering if Trump was receiving intelligence briefings. The answer is he is not. Why? He declined because any leaks would be blamed on him! It is extremely good news he is not receiving national intelligence briefs. It’s also good news to know he knows he should not, even though he did not express it that way. I will sleep a bit easier until he is finally defeated in November. He needs to disappear from public view. The media needs to make this happen along with the ballot box!
Really beautiful image. There is always truth in the light no matter how it is captured. Thank you!
Field 6 donation done and dusted. About a month ago I made a Donald apple with straw hair, raisin eyes and a mint leaf moue mouth. It was on a pedestal over looking the Irish Sea. Ants ate most of it but 3days ago I moved it to the ground on top of the juvenile seagull graveyard in the forest behind our house. Now there is only a sliver of peel left and the two plastic bits that held the raisins eyes. Stumpy, the voracious tail less rat back there that will deal with that soon. Gone where the goblins go… below, below, below …yo ho! ⚖️
This morning I read, as always, Robert's newsletter with great enjoyment and, actually, an odd (given the realities he discusses) sense of comfort. So, 2 observations I wanted to share: 1. Something's changed/changing in your writing style, Robert, and it's all good! I don't know why or how -- and not that the previous 'style' was lacking -- but you're sort of loosening up more? and that's producing really great metaphors, snarky comments, passion; and 2. I do wish everyone in the media would re-phrase the notice that a 2nd Trump term would 'destroy the environment' or words to that effect. Climate is probably my #1 issue of concern because everything, literally Every. Single. Thing. is under its umbrella. So, not only would Trump destroy 'the environment,' he would prevent the world from at best at this point holding our losses steady and even making some progress toward a different type of life, priorities, culture to protect any semblance of a future. That's way too many words on my part, but this is where I'm passionate and my inner chaos comes out. We're moving way too slowly as it is, although we are making progress (see Rebecca Solnit on FB as well as Climate Action Now on substack for encouragement); to do ANYTHING but move forward and fast is not just problematic, it's apocalyptic. To describe the climate emergency as anything but an Emergency is just plain dangerous.
Indeed. Yes, indeed. It is way more than an emergency. It is a Catastrophe unfolding - it's the first episode of a sci fi series that shows billions of oblivious people ignoring the disaster unfolding. Except it is not "fi".
Maybe you’d write the whole phrase .. tapping away if you’re on phone, so Everyone is Confronted by Science Fiction…
Episode w/ Billions of Oblivious
People IGNORING the DISASTER unfolding.
Time to Act is essential…. Commitment to Change Behaviors NOW …
Ok this is not getting better for anyone but me! Keep carrying your message as many of “me” will pick it up WHOLE & add it to our Election ( are u registered to vote) campaign Tropes.
Well said, Bill … except that you should have written “sci-non-fi” instead of “sci fi”.
".....re-phrase the notice that a 2nd Trump term would 'destroy the environment' or words to that effect." Simply put a 2nd Trump term would destroy.
Absolutely! In 2017 the then German Minister for Environmental Affairs visited California to meet with Gov. Jerry Brown. I asked her if the international efforts to fight climate change would survive the trump presidency. Her answer: one term yes, two terms – I am not so sure.
Ditto environment. If we don't save the planet it will be nicer to go down in a stew of hot poisons while enjoying better social services and more equal rights, but really in the end it will be a miserable, lonely (I for one would miss the other vulnerable species) descent.
I'm not saying we can't address more than one thing at a time, but we desperately need to step up our efforts on the environment.
Democracy is #1. We can't do anything without it. But it sure sounds like Trump is circling the toilet drain. And I'll check Solnit on FB.
Clear and forceful request. Thank you, I’m sending on to some special parents who are already supporting envir’mt’l changes in daily actions & training of their family. And also leading the way in every community they are affiliated with. Keep your messages coming please! It takes ALL of us to hear, read, reorganize our actions.
I noticed an uptick in Robert's sarcasm and LOVED IT! Probably because he caught up on sleep or isn't fighting some virus! :) Keep it up Robert!
Such great information, Robert. I’ve been saying all along that people need to vote blue up and down the ballot. We need the House, Senate and state Judges so things can finally start getting passed. BLUE 🌊 !! The policy differences in Harris and don-old are like night and day. Although he keeps saying Project 2025 has nothing to do with his, you’d have to be a raving idiot not to believe that this is what his platform is. Complete control. Bigotry, misogyny and taxes for everyone except the rich. A dictatorship.
I enjoyed your “Jeopardy “ game parody. Corporate Media is in don-old’s back pocket. They all want their tax cuts. All we can do is call them out on their lies and omissions. Antares photo is beautiful even with the shooting faults only known to you. I looked at it on the site you recommended and I can’t get over how large it is.
Once again, your letter today is chock full o' information.Thank-you, Robert. I find it quite mind blowing that Donald Trump has been putting out information at his rallies and on his Truth Social site that Harris, Walz and Democrats are allowing abortions for babies at nine months gestation or even after birth, which is called murder in every state in the union.How can our press not report this monstrosity and babble on about whether Kamala once worked for McDonalds. Whichever way this election goes and I am hopefully optimistic (and will never be complacent) that Dems will win big in a landslide, I will never forgive our media for such a horrific dropping of the ball in their coverage of Dems, Biden, Harris, Walz and all things that needed to be reported but were purposely omitted from coverage to We The People.The lugenpresse are deliberately deceiving the people every single day and I am very frightened and disgusted by it.
Victoria, your entire comment is perfect, but your last sentence is the best of all! I have said all along that they actually want Trump to win because (a) he is a complete train wreck, and (b) the more the media can talk about what a train wreck he is, the more viewers they believe they will have. So many of the people I talk with, though, are overly tired of that train wreck and just want some peace and real news for a change.
I totally agree with you.I read somewhere that the presidency and governing are usually quite boring when done with finesse and competency.Joe Biden and company were not in the news every day because they were too busy working for the people.Trump, on the other hand, was a daily circus and the media $ could not get enough$.I prefer our government humming along getting the job of competent governing done with no National Enquirer stuff out there every day.
This evening, on the PBS News, they interviewed a White House spokesperson. Although the interview was about Biden Administration policy and an achievement, *never* did the spokesperson say “President Biden”.
No wonder that President Biden is vastly underrated: his people don’t give him proper credit for his achievements. One would have to imagine that his achievements dropped from the sky!
Thank goodness for substack and especially for Robert Hubbell!
They haven’t just DROPPED the ball; they’ve let out (forced out?) all the air and tossed the single-use remains into the trash.
The Brainwashington Post is at it again.
👍🤣👍
You know what else is not set in amber? The Republican state legislature in North Carolina! The States Project researches which state legislatures are most flippable by our strategic donations. If you have not already registered, here is an opportunity on
Wednesday, Sept. 4, from 7:00 to 8:00 pm ET (4:00 to 5:00 PT)
to hear from David Pepper on "Laboratories of Autocracy" and "Saving Democracy," to meet some of the candidates, and to DO SOMETHING! Our small donations add up to make a difference, particularly since state campaigns cost much less than do campaigns for President or Congress.
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAsfuqtqzwqHtehzRBYj8lfqHxrRxK8a-Jx
Check out the Tending to Democracy Giving Circle in advance, or donate here if you will not be able to attend the event:
https://www.grapevine.org/giving-circle/1XQhnyD/-
Thank you for your support!
P.S. Let's talk about "botched effort." In the case of Robert's stunning capture of the star Antares, "botched effort" is clearly a relative term.
In the case of political campaigns, there might be some missteps and disappointing losses, but (a) Run For Something and Blue States Everywhere are building infrastructure from the ground up to turn red counties and states to purple and to blue, (b) our Democratic candidates are out there to win it by their hard work, and (c) we are continuing to build the energy of this magnificent big Blue Wave!
Ellie Kona, I heard the Dem Organizer in Mecklenburg, NC explain the ground game for Mecklenburg Dems & supporters to leverage their enthusiasm and volunteers excited about the Harris-Walz ticket. Everyone can be a part of helping North Carolina flip! I was so impressed I made a donation to help. Here’s the link for anybody wanting to get fired up about flipping North Carolina! https://substack.com/redirect/8cb7da2a-57a4-470b-85c9-003f6b95922e?j=eyJ1IjoiNWc5ZXcifQ.edw7_4Cgap8igwBWwjGUcONI5OgeJJWQbhGnSrR3Pfs
Robert,
This is an excellent letter. And your points about the WaPo editorial board are spot on. But with all due respect, this election won't be decided by the media as we old timers view it. Cable TV and "newpapers" are the Model Ts of modern communication. They are still important, of course. But they are devices used by older people.
Cord cutters don't see CNN or MSNBC. We see YouTube versions and clips that are of interest. What do you think the age profile of NYTimes and WaPo subscribers is? It's not young...
This election will be won by the winners on social media - that's where most people who are not boomers live. And everything that happens that is of "interest" shows up there instantly. Obama won by employing "the internet". Harris will win by employing "the phone".
While I agree with your concern about the "media", maybe it's not as big a factor as we might think. And we could tap into what the three younger generations are influenced by. It is young people who are registering in big numbers. It is young people who may save democracy.
I especially take note of your references to reproductive freedom and women's health. I think in the rear view mirror of history, THAT will be recorded as the last nail in the coffin of the MAGA Republican movement.
Excellent observation Bill; the legacy media have become legends in their own minds and are quickly being eclipsed by, among other choices, Substack, including this column. The writing is typically succinct, the facts verifiable, and everything is open to immediate comment and interaction which the networks and papers aren't.
All commercial news media first practice self-aggrandizement, then tell their viewers that they alone have the truth, then finally produce half-truth statements revealing their bias.
Yes, MSM is for the most part selling soap and antidepressants….
Funny! They depress with their "news" then they put up an ad for antidepressants. As a matter of fact, if you look at the ads shown on various television shows you can get a feel for the age of the viewership. That's something I've noticed, perhaps because my own glimpses are so infrequent I can see these things.
I sure hope you are right, Bill!
Bill, you seem to have forgotten that a geezer’s vote counts as heavily as a young person’s vote. The geezer vote should not be undervalued. The youth vote should not be overvalued. It’s elementary arithmetic.
I mostly agree, but we can't forget the "main stream media" on television and as presented on our lap top screens and our car radios because they too often are the soup into which other media dip their ladles to select easy tid bits for repetition, for spring boarding stories and so forth. They are becoming increasingly irrelevant in their own forms (the ones that they draw revenue from in the form of subscriptions and advertisements) but they are still poisoning dinner. Plus, while they may be the news feed for older Americans, those folks still vote and in many areas are deciding the electoral votes that over ride the popular vote. Maybe by next election we can more completely write the biased main stream media off.
And Threads is an exciting place to congregate these days! So much joy!
As a Kentuckian who relentlessly works to help Democratic state and local legislators elected, I am SO excited about the Harris/Walz campaign WISELY deciding to send much needed money to the orgs that can get dollars to state candidates. As The States Project has realized, state races cost much less money to fund than national races and the impact of state legislatures is huge. When a leader like Harris or Kentucky's own, Andy Beshear, amass large amounts of money, I've always wondered why they can't share the wealth and help determined Democrats to have the support they need to run effective campaigns. What The States Project is doing in Arizona is just fabulous. If we can flip 2 House & 2 Senate seats there, we get a trifecta in Arizona! Trifectas allow states to pass legislation to protect our Democracy and the voting process and laws that protect womens' healthcare...and so much more. Kudos to Harris/Walz!
I volunteer with Meals on Wheels & register older voters in NC. These are their concerns:
• They are exhausted by the chaos in Congress and their state legislature. The flow of disinformation and outright lies is undermining their sense of security and their mental health.
• The future of Social Security and Medicare is uncertain
• Voter ID requirements in NC are confusing and absentee voting onerous. Some need rides to the polls or 2 witnesses & postage ($2+) for their absentee ballots
• Access to information is limited to those who have internet access, a device to connect to it and understand how to use the device. QR codes are just that-codes that must be deciphered. Local newspapers are rare and rarely home delivered.
• Affordable housing is limited and management of congregate sites unresponsive to residents.
• Permanent placement in a nursing home or short-term stay at a rehab facility following hospitalization is feared and affordable homecare practically nonexistent.
• No one seems to care.
PLEASE contact older voters & provide your support. Honor them and show you care by offering rides to the polls or help accessing absentee ballots. For many of them, this may be their last election.
Thank you for your essential work, feeding bodies and souls. Your “seeing” others is life-giving. And thank you for sharing this heartbreaking, clear, concise, important information. 💙
Hi Laurie,
First and foremost, thank you for your service for elders and your list of elder issues.
VoteRiders provides assistance for registering to vote:
https://www.voteriders.org/
Rideshare 2 Vote is in NC:
https://rideshare2vote.com/north-carolina/
Lyft and Uber are providing free rides to vote. Here’s an article about Lyft partnerships:
https://www.lyft.com/blog/posts/lyft-announces-2024-voting-access-program
Join us this evening to meet David Pepper, Wiley Nickel, and several NC state legislature candidates—no obligation. Register for the Zoom link.
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAsfuqtqzwqHtehzRBYj8lfqHxrRxK8a-Jx
I would be honored to meet you!
Excellent day-opener.Thank you., Robert. And, kudos for the Field Team 6 lnk for donations by check! Many of my friends prefer to donate by check in order to be most in control of their donation.
How charming your admission of a botched shot of Antares, and how you then showed a clearer more accurate image. It refects the total honesty in which you report what's really going on in this most critical Presidential race, and how, in my personal estimation, very likely the media will be responsiable for a Trump win if, God forbid, that happens.
In a recent Facebook post I shared that for the first time in my life, I donated to a Presidential campaign, and added my donation was a form of recognition for all you and Heather Cox Richardson are doing to save our Democracy.
I can't thank you enough for your dedication.
An engaging and generous bounty of information today, Robert Hubbell! Thank you. I appreciate every. single. bit.
I now make it a habit to use the phrase "as a DC native and a lifetime reader or subscriber, the Washington Post has lost the right to be considered a paper of record". If enough of us keep repeating this accurate observation, and even more subscribers flee, perhaps WaPo will crash and burn and a more responsible journalistic leadership model will emerge. The same goes for the other former paper of record, the NY Times.
I attended a Zoom last night hosted by Red Wine & Blue on recognizing disinformation. As Robert notes in one of his concluding paragraphs, the Washington Post article was disinformation. How extraordinary that sources like WaPo and NYT are no longer disseminating truth, but rather actual lies.
JD Vance wrote an interesting introduction to yet another pathetic effort by the Heritage Foundation to ram medieval evangelical extremist views down the throat of the American people. More on that here
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/03/us/politics/vance-heritage-report.html?unlocked_article_code=1.IE4.HUm3.FcLTGoIIeQ1b&smid=url-share
That was seven years ago. He just wrote another introduction to the book Kevin Roberts, the leader of the Heritage Foundation and architect of Project 2025 will publish, "Dawn's Early Light". Getting cold feet after the growing backlash on Project 2025 they changed the subtitle 'Burning Down Washington to save America' to 'Taking Back Washington to Save America* and conveniently moved the publishing date to after the elections. Excerpts of the introduction have been quoted ("circle the wagons and load the muskets") but American voters should have the right to read the whole text – before the elections.
Let's make no mistake. The stance of Vance is important, reducing him to the couch meme would be a mistake. After winning the elections the felon and useful pied piper would have served his purpose and might easily be replaced. Given the age and increasingly deteriorating mental state of the felon applying the 25th Amendment wouldn't even be a stretch.
I agree completely with your prophesy about Vance and Amendment 25. Although thoroughly obnoxious and extremely dangerous, Vance is clever and conniving. Why else would he want to be Trump's VP except as a fast steppingstone to the presidency? And Trump is so stupid, he would play right into Vance's plans. After all, how difficult would it be to convince Trump's cabinet and the Congress that he has lost his mental capacity to be president? When it comes to Vance, be afraid . . . VERY AFRAID!
An excellent point. Hopefully we will see more about this. This is definitely an Achilles heal for Republicans.
Can you plz explain that again. “After winning the elections the felon and useful pied piper would have served his purpose and might easily be replaced”.
-Sorry to be obtuse but I can’t infer if you are saying trump or Vance would be replaced. I didn’t think either could be removed, unless impeached, and I thought article 25 is for the President only.
Trump is a dunce, who, after winning the elections would have outserved his usefulness for the people behind him – the Heritage Foundation, the Federalist Society, Bannon, a myriad of evangelical and rightwing groups, billionaires like Crowe, Musk, Koch, to name just a few. He is also a narcissistic psychopath, increasingly difficult to handle and, if he feels threatened, slighted or whatever, ready to use his cult followers. Vance would be much easier to work with. And the 25th Amendment would be the instrument to put him in place.
Ah; I see. Thx
We have always known that trump is a tool
It's a little darker than comments here usually are, but the 78 year old failed insurrectionist and convicted felon could suffer a medical event after the election and be replaced by the new Vice President.
Oh that is nasty but it would be work for those who are more powerful than he (trump) is/would be
Thank you for your comments on the media. Donald once brought them big bucks and they seem to think that will happen again. We will have to win this in spite of them. The photo may be botched but it’s beautiful.
Momentum is contagious and builds upon its own energy. The Harris campaign has it and most importantly knows it and is executing on multiple levels effectively. One tell tale sign is the ads running for Trump that feel and seem desperate and are all attack ads with no policy substance. Read Heather Cox Richardson today for more details. I use to get upset with the media especially the headlines but what we are seeing is the Harris campaign taking their message directly to the people in the street and restaurants and union halls. Local media reports these events and people see that big smile and hear the message and there is energy and hope and joy. People pick up on that. Let’s get young peoples registered to vote and win this election.
Thank you Robert as usual! I also want next day thank you for sharing your wife Jill's blog of what defines a celestial viewing event!
This is an aside: I had been wondering if Trump was receiving intelligence briefings. The answer is he is not. Why? He declined because any leaks would be blamed on him! It is extremely good news he is not receiving national intelligence briefs. It’s also good news to know he knows he should not, even though he did not express it that way. I will sleep a bit easier until he is finally defeated in November. He needs to disappear from public view. The media needs to make this happen along with the ballot box!
His rotten old brain is incapable of receiving intelligence, however brief.
I’m cranky this morning.
And I agree with you.
Really beautiful image. There is always truth in the light no matter how it is captured. Thank you!
Field 6 donation done and dusted. About a month ago I made a Donald apple with straw hair, raisin eyes and a mint leaf moue mouth. It was on a pedestal over looking the Irish Sea. Ants ate most of it but 3days ago I moved it to the ground on top of the juvenile seagull graveyard in the forest behind our house. Now there is only a sliver of peel left and the two plastic bits that held the raisins eyes. Stumpy, the voracious tail less rat back there that will deal with that soon. Gone where the goblins go… below, below, below …yo ho! ⚖️