I have corrected the obvious typo referring to the "Democrat Party"--an issue only to those whose sensibilities are offended by Republican name-calling.
Last night, I re-watched “Raising Hell: The Life and Times of Molly Ivins.” I was and still am a huge fan, even though she has gone. It wasn’t so much her Texas flavor or laugh lines as her common sense that I admired. I find that in your columns.
Thank you for including a link to Robinson’s column; his reminder that Democrats are frequently depicted as losers if they win and losers if they lose is spot on. I think Joe has been in the business long enough not to get diverted by polling, unlike Trump whose skin was paper-thin. I believe justice for all is an achievable goal, in spite of weirdos in Congress, Proud Boys, the Klan, and corporate greed, not to mention the common problem of climate change that affects us all.
You perform a huge service to all of your readers. I am a grateful follower.
I was happy to see your recommendation of Vote Save America in the newsletter today. They are a terrific organization. Another outstanding organization is Field Team 6, a volunteer army on a simple mission: Register Democrats. Save the World. To help win the 2020 election, they helped register almost 3 million new Democrats in 11 key swing states including Arizona, Wisconsin, and Georgia.
Their goals for 2021-2022 are to save the Senate and House majorities, to win races for Democrats up and down the ballot, and to do all this by registering women, young people, people of color, the LGBTQ+ community, the disability community, veterans, and faith communities. https://www.fieldteam6.org/
You always present a balanced and thoughtful interpretation of critical issues. Giving us options of organizations and opportunities to enable us to become better citizens are very helpful and encouraging. We cannot think of ourselves as victims but as intelligent people who must stay informed and engaged. Thank you Robert for your wisdom and taking complex and highly charged issues into digestible pieces that we can ponder and turn into action and a belief that we each can contribute to
Thank you for another great newsletter! Along the lines of helping to get out the vote, I participate in Postcards to Voters, have written over 200 in the last few weeks majority of which were to folks in Virginia (where I live). I also write for Vote Forward; these are letters to eligible voters telling them why I vote. I’ve written 80 letters in the last month. I agree that the most important action to take is an effort to get those 80 million non-voters to vote.
Democracy is hampered, if not destroyed, if people everywhere have no food, water or shelter. People will tend to allow any kind of government at all that provides these survival necessities. They can not vote or shout their voices if they are starving, dying of thirst and living without shelter.
Worldwide, people will rise up, and there will be no government strong enough to withstand their cry.
We on this continent are feeling it less perhaps than the islanders who watch their land mass shrink, or countries like Haiti who face one natural disaster after another.
And yet, we consumers "fiddle" while the world burns, continuing to over-consume and whine at the price of meat, the lack of "essentials" waiting stacked up at our ports. We fret over a ketchup shortage.
There are people here in our country who have no home, little food or water. Do they care so much about whether they can obtain the latest gismo?
We have climate refugees in our own country due to natural disasters. What do we hear of those who are still trying to recover from Hurricane Ida? Make that the headline news.
When will we wake up? It is already too late to completely reverse course, but surely not too late to ease the disaster for our children's children.
Old saying: "There's only one poll that counts." People who make money off polling for the public--that is, not for private parties--have an interest in dramatic conclusions, particularly scary stories. They sell better than good news. Does that mean we shouldn't believe bad polls? No. But take them for what they are.
You’ve given me (us) a great reading list today. Between reading Heather and you, I think we are all encouraged. And motivated. I was highly encouraged yesterday when I posted something about the mega corporations buying up housing around the country and turning it into rental property. Aside from stifling one American dream (home ownership with “wealth” accrual), my post got the attention of one of my R friends from school days in northeastern Ohio. She is a nitpicking stickler normally full of “what aboutisms“, but she spotted the fact that the loans for all the cash they were using came from the federal government at 1.4%. And these villains are adding out preapproved mortgage loan recipients who earned VA qualifications to buy their own homes. Any guess as to when this policy got started? I sent the story and idea to Judd Legum but it’s another very important piece of how “some” are keeping the middle class from growing. It’s so great to have your newsletter and several others with a readership who feels as passionately as I do. Thanks for doing this, Robert.
I have corrected the obvious typo referring to the "Democrat Party"--an issue only to those whose sensibilities are offended by Republican name-calling.
Last night, I re-watched “Raising Hell: The Life and Times of Molly Ivins.” I was and still am a huge fan, even though she has gone. It wasn’t so much her Texas flavor or laugh lines as her common sense that I admired. I find that in your columns.
Thank you for including a link to Robinson’s column; his reminder that Democrats are frequently depicted as losers if they win and losers if they lose is spot on. I think Joe has been in the business long enough not to get diverted by polling, unlike Trump whose skin was paper-thin. I believe justice for all is an achievable goal, in spite of weirdos in Congress, Proud Boys, the Klan, and corporate greed, not to mention the common problem of climate change that affects us all.
You perform a huge service to all of your readers. I am a grateful follower.
I was happy to see your recommendation of Vote Save America in the newsletter today. They are a terrific organization. Another outstanding organization is Field Team 6, a volunteer army on a simple mission: Register Democrats. Save the World. To help win the 2020 election, they helped register almost 3 million new Democrats in 11 key swing states including Arizona, Wisconsin, and Georgia.
Their goals for 2021-2022 are to save the Senate and House majorities, to win races for Democrats up and down the ballot, and to do all this by registering women, young people, people of color, the LGBTQ+ community, the disability community, veterans, and faith communities. https://www.fieldteam6.org/
You always present a balanced and thoughtful interpretation of critical issues. Giving us options of organizations and opportunities to enable us to become better citizens are very helpful and encouraging. We cannot think of ourselves as victims but as intelligent people who must stay informed and engaged. Thank you Robert for your wisdom and taking complex and highly charged issues into digestible pieces that we can ponder and turn into action and a belief that we each can contribute to
take back democracy!
Thank you for another great newsletter! Along the lines of helping to get out the vote, I participate in Postcards to Voters, have written over 200 in the last few weeks majority of which were to folks in Virginia (where I live). I also write for Vote Forward; these are letters to eligible voters telling them why I vote. I’ve written 80 letters in the last month. I agree that the most important action to take is an effort to get those 80 million non-voters to vote.
Democracy is hampered, if not destroyed, if people everywhere have no food, water or shelter. People will tend to allow any kind of government at all that provides these survival necessities. They can not vote or shout their voices if they are starving, dying of thirst and living without shelter.
Worldwide, people will rise up, and there will be no government strong enough to withstand their cry.
We on this continent are feeling it less perhaps than the islanders who watch their land mass shrink, or countries like Haiti who face one natural disaster after another.
And yet, we consumers "fiddle" while the world burns, continuing to over-consume and whine at the price of meat, the lack of "essentials" waiting stacked up at our ports. We fret over a ketchup shortage.
There are people here in our country who have no home, little food or water. Do they care so much about whether they can obtain the latest gismo?
We have climate refugees in our own country due to natural disasters. What do we hear of those who are still trying to recover from Hurricane Ida? Make that the headline news.
When will we wake up? It is already too late to completely reverse course, but surely not too late to ease the disaster for our children's children.
Old saying: "There's only one poll that counts." People who make money off polling for the public--that is, not for private parties--have an interest in dramatic conclusions, particularly scary stories. They sell better than good news. Does that mean we shouldn't believe bad polls? No. But take them for what they are.
You’ve given me (us) a great reading list today. Between reading Heather and you, I think we are all encouraged. And motivated. I was highly encouraged yesterday when I posted something about the mega corporations buying up housing around the country and turning it into rental property. Aside from stifling one American dream (home ownership with “wealth” accrual), my post got the attention of one of my R friends from school days in northeastern Ohio. She is a nitpicking stickler normally full of “what aboutisms“, but she spotted the fact that the loans for all the cash they were using came from the federal government at 1.4%. And these villains are adding out preapproved mortgage loan recipients who earned VA qualifications to buy their own homes. Any guess as to when this policy got started? I sent the story and idea to Judd Legum but it’s another very important piece of how “some” are keeping the middle class from growing. It’s so great to have your newsletter and several others with a readership who feels as passionately as I do. Thanks for doing this, Robert.
Today's Guardian presents a great visual depiction of climate change possibilities: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/oct/12/sea-level-rise-well-known-american-sites-visualized