I refuse to believe any polls that have T**** ahead. It's media-meddling by Sinclair. They think they can discourage the peaceful, rational, pro-democracy body politic to throw up our hands in despair, give up, and give in to their ugliness with a careless wave of "oh well, how bad can it be? If you can't beat'em, join'em." Ain't gonna happen. Because the Federalist Society has published their barbaric 2025 plan to dismantle democracy, and whenever T**** opens his mouth, he tells us exactly what he will do: kill the constitution and anyone with an opposing point of view. This is not hyperbole--what he suggests to P**** about unleashing his rage on NATO is the same rage he will unleash on democracy-loving Americans. We must remain emboldened and empowered--there are wayyyyyyyy more of us than them. They just scream a lot louder through "conservative" press that amplifies their ugliness, incivility, bigotry, and rage that nobody likes their dark-age ideas and policies. The press wants to create a fait accompli for the political minority.
If the polls were meaningful, Hillary would be completing her second term. And Dewey would have beaten Truman. And Jimmy who? One of the most unlikely victories I can remember.
There ARE way more of us than the haters. But they are good at subterfuge and lying is like breathing for "them".
I'd like to see some ads that show Putin holding the strings to T****s puppet. We need to scream louder. Play harder ball. No mercy. No prisoners.
“… there are wayyyyy more of us than them”. Good. We have something to work with. BUT we must work… to get our numbers to get out and vote.
We must educate people on the fence that voting for Biden and then voting state level Red doesn’t solve the issues. Gotta vote blue up and down the ballot.
It’s starting to sound like repeating, repeating, repeating. Well …. It is.
Vote Blue cause when Republicans win, we all lose!
You are so right, Karen. ActivateAmerica is a great resource to contribute grassroots efforts for elections across the country. I live in NY and am now writing postcards for Sherrod Brown in OH (after writing postcards for Tom Suozzi in today's NY-3 election). All of these efforts add up! Glad to be in this together!!!
In talking with people I meet casually (grocery stores, doctors offices, etc) I’m surprised by how few have heard about Substack. I’m considering making up some cards to hand out. People I’ve talked with seem hungry for this kind of information.
I wrote for Suozzi with Activate America and planned to write for Sherrod Brown. I would like to hear what others think about the evidenced-based request (from campaigns) to write, “Who you vote for is private. Whether you vote is public record.” I’m remembering reading (can’t remember where or if it was after ‘22 or ‘23) that voters felt intimidated and eventually didn’t vote or voted for another candidate. It gave me enough pause to decide that I will write for Sherrod Brown but with another postcarding group.
I really want to know what others think. I don’t want to be scared off, but I want to make a good decision. Thank you.
Hey, Colleen. I too was put off by that "Who you vote for..." message. I went with Activate America. They had a script that said something similar but I dismissed it in favor of the one that promoted what the candidate would do for the voter if elected. After all, isn't that why most voters vote? To get somebody in office who will - I dunno - work for them?
Karen, did you still write withActivate America and just leave that part out? The only other message from that script was along the lines of Sherrod is working for you.
Thank you and Lynell for chiming in. Sometimes I overthink things and it helps to hear from others.
Hi Colleen, I joined up with the Voter Turnout Project's Postcards to Swing States. The postcards are colorful and eye-catching and you can use any of their several message options, although I kind of made up my own. These postcard projects must copy from each other!
I think writing post cards is super important. I've sent out hundreds and just ordered 800 more. For Christmas, all I asked for was post card stamps! I go through PostcardsToVoters, and I write their 3 required lines. Then I write about why in a close election, their vote will matter more than ever, and then I think them for voting. I don't think they need to know that I'm writing on my own dime or why I would vote for whatever the issue/candidate is, but I'm hoping that they will feel compelled to vote if they realize that their vote holds more weight in a close election. PTV writes to Dems and (I think) Left leaning Independents—though I'm not sure how they know who's left leaning, but I trust them to make whatever distinction is needed— so I am hoping that they are on board with getting a card from a fellow Democrat. I know that I have received and welcomed them in the past.
Yes! And I asked for postcard stamps for Christmas, too! Great minds… and all that.
I’ve written with a number of different groups starting in 2020., PTV among them. I prefer writing on my own rather than in a group (better concentration 😘), so I am especially grateful for each of the responses from all of you.
Last night, Tom Suozzi and Simon Rosenberg gave a shout out to grass roots postcarders, phone-bankers, door-knockers….. I don’t feel the need to be thanked for just doing my part. But it felt uplifting to know my drop in the bucket for democracy helps.
Yes! I prefer to write alone as well bc I make fewer distracted errors! But I had a postcard party for Suozzi and had friends here to write and upped the # of cards going out by over 120. I also had goodies which lasted beyond post card time. I consider that a win/win. Then I wrote mine alone 🤪. It felt worth it to get more people involved and also now those new post carders get to feel the satisfaction of having made a difference.
It feels great today to have done something that might have moved the needle in yesterday’s election, doesn’t it?
I'm new to postcarding (about a year) and I never use that line. I didn't like it immediately. I've joined Markers for Democracy, a wonderful Zoom based group that started out right after 2016 election with two fed up women and now has nearly 2k members. There are several weekly "postcarding zooms" with an amazing array of guest speakers - it's all about the grassroots- and we write cards while listening. They have connections with Postcards to Voters and other groups. We had a Suozzi watch party tonight and it was so wonderful to be in community for the results of all of our work!! Here's a link to check them out. https://markersfordemocracy.org/postcarding/postcarding-faq
Wow, that is a really offputting message. I've written with a couple groups that strictly focus on candidate qualifications and how the voter area will benefit.
Yes, the challenge is getting good people to vote and bring their good friends. And, these good people must be of all age levels. I think the challenge with Biden is that quite a few people don't trust a woman (especially of color) to take over if something were to happen. We must sell Kamala, also. I'd love to see Gavin Newsom take a big role in the Biden administration, also. Just something I was thinking of this past week.
Today on my news feed, I noticed that media attacks on Kamala have already begun. I haven't seen it before and I can't remember which outlet posted the negative article. But is has started...and will continue.
They are a lost cause. They've been strategically gobbling up local, regional, and national news distributors then limiting and even dictating what stories and language to push to 40% of American households. Our only defense is to recognize their darkness and deceitful tactics, keep educating ourselves, and actively participate in our democracy.
Excerpt from Wikipedia:
"Sinclair's stations have been known for featuring news content and programming that promote conservative political positions. They have been involved in various controversies surrounding politically motivated programming decisions, such as news coverage and specials during the lead-ups to elections that were in support of the Republican Party. A 2019 study by Emory University political scientists Gregory J. Martin and Josh McCrain in the American Political Science Review found that "stations bought by Sinclair reduce coverage of local politics, increase national coverage and move the ideological tone of coverage in a conservative direction relative to other stations operating in the same market."
Conservative is really a redefined term. Old conservatism would advocate for staying out of peoples bedrooms and being honest and trustworthy as well as fiscally restrained. Trump is its nadir.
That's it. They swim in murky waters below the screen lights. And they're effective. But it's a little surprising how much they seem supportive of a swing into greater authoritarianism.
Donald Trump is the most corrupt candidate for President in the history of the United States. We must not let him bring his criminal schemes back to the White House.
He is giving aid and comfort to Russian President Vladimir Putin, a declared enemy of the US. He’s a traitor to his country. He’s a loser. He’s a rapist and a fraud. Anyone in the Republican Party who pledges to support him for President is just as guilty.
I chuckled out loud, Jon, on reading your comment. The sad part is that it's true. Still, I appreciate George naming it as he did, which I also interpret to be part of your point. Whether or not it was your intention, thank you for what I perceived to be a light moment amid the chaos.
The corrupt candidate tells us every single day what he is going to do to destroy America and the world. I listen and don't like it. Sycophants must agree and want the same.
Yes, to say I was disappointed in Jon Stewart's tired both-sidesism on Biden's and Trump's age is an understatement and I let him know it via his Facebook page. Glad I know right out of the chute that his is more of the same bs that most of us are sick to death of. I set my tv to record these shows daily but will now stop this. You are so right, Robert when you say the courts cannot save us and now may I add that Jon Stewart cannot save us,Taylor Swift cannot save us. The only thing that can save us is our coming out in gargantuan numbers and crushing this fascist dictator-for-life traitor at the ballot box. I believe we are all up to this task.
I agree with everything you said except for Taylor Swift 😉 ... she (and Travis) will be a GOTV Machine for younger voters. She has demonstrated her commitment to democracy and has a GOTV track record❣️
No.I am not dissing her or dismissing her either.My point is we cannot rely on her endorsement of Biden.It would be great if she did it like she did in 2020 but we cannot hitch our star on that.I love her commitment to our democracy and her engagement of younger people. She is a fabulous young woman.
So, which FB page do you think he reads? He seems to have 4. Or 6. Or something. Do you suppose he reads any comments on any of these pages? Or his team (I assume he has a team)? Now that I'm a little more awake, I suppose the same might hold true for his twitter account. Thanks for any help.
I absolutely agree with your take on this, Mike. There is no excuse for the kind of dismissive language around age in this campaign. It is legitimate to ask the question, but the question of ability has already been answered. In going after Biden, the Republicans apparently did not reckon that the argument would inevitably turn on Trump (who has been selling power, not ability). I haven't been a fan of Jon Stewart for some time, because of his tendency to go for the cheap shots. This turn around, he jumped on that bandwagon right out the chute.
I may not like Nikki Haley much --- but I love her as a viable and better qualified candidate for our next President than Trump. And Trump mocking her husband's absense from the campaign trail because of his active service overseas is beneath contempt. And, while beneath contempt - it is vintage President Bone Spurs. Never having served, he nonetheless had the utter indecency to mock John McCain incarceration in a North Vietnamese prison. How low does Trump have to go before a groundswell of revulsion rises up even in the deep South surrounded by military bases?
I know I sound like a broken record on this subject, but we have a window of opportunity to turn MAGATs on this issue. The SOB stole from disabled war veterans. Called people like me suckers and losers. We can do outreach -- at the VA, the American Legion, VFW, AmVets, that are cesspools of MAGATs and turn enough of them to make a difference.
She is a hyper-conservative and has said, before these last few months, that she would place a National ban on Abortion. She's less poisonous than Trump, but just as bad for women!
I keep wondering about that. I also wonder about the police. Actually, I wonder about anyone who continues to support The Abominable Showman at this point.
There is to no "low" to which he and his followers will not go. There is no bottom to that cesspool. That was actually my feeling about the Republican Party when "Shrub" (to quote the inimitable Molly Ivins) was in office. Will admit that even that low has gotten worse.
Good question! Apparently, very low indeed! Some waffling individuals may experience revulsion and do the right thing! While we can hope, we must WORK and call people, write postcards and make donations to organizations we know will spend the money well! Onward!
The nature of memory is that the more you have going on in your life the more overextended your memory is. So, if you are managing many things your memory works well for the immediate things you are dealing with, and one tends to store the things that one is not dealing with currently far back. Age also affects memory, and that is why when people get older, one their brains do more pruning of synapses, so that it sorts out the important from the mundane, and even with this pruning retrieval time is slower. Stress also affects memory. Thus it is hard to tell whether Trump is mentally deteriorating from stress alone or from dementia, but no one I know has worries about Biden having dementia. If he were to develop it, his wife would notice. My mother-in-law was the first to notice my father-in-law's dementia. When you are around someone all the time you just notice the deterioration. Jill also is in a good position as an educator to diagnose this. I am sure there are contingent plans. Thus we have a vice president. Harris has been training under the experienced statesman Biden for these 4 years, and all of the ones that he will hopefully have in the future, just as Biden has had his training both from his years in Congress since 1972, and at Obama's side as his VP. If the press were to discuss the election they could be discussing Biden and Harris as a team, and compare that to Trump who is not a team player. He is a willful child at his best and a LUNATIC at his worst. A lunatic or the team of Biden and Harris. The fact that the press is ignoring this, is sexist and racist, as well as ageist. Who is choosing to major in journalism should not be determining the outcome of this election, we the people should. I spend most of my year in a German city where more than half of the people are over the age of 60. I am in 2 art groups. In one, a woman who is 91 is very vital and engaged, and has lots to say about politics, her very interesting art, and the ideas of others in our group. If you are well taken care of, your older years can be wonderful. My 90 year old mother, who had a stroke 3 years ago, and has suffered memory loss from that, says, the alternative to getting old is worse. Putin certainly has pushed alliances to the brink, but his own too. North Korea gains legitimacy as they send him weapons for cash. So, is Iran. However, they are all in a cabal of people who have no loyalty to anyone but themselves, so they have earned the company they keep. I imagine stress is effecting Putin's memory as well. However, his stress is induced by being unwilling to cede power, and unwilling to stop engaging in war around him as he attempts to recreate Russia's role in the Soviet Union. USSR II is not a thing, but he would have it so. It is the only entity that gave his paranoid spy-mongering legitimacy.
One just has to look at the accomplishments he has achieved and the way he is fighting back, finally aiming his comments directly at Trump and the Republican party, who can't move away from Trump due to cowardice. I expect more of the same from President Biden throughout this election period.
Exactly! Yet, is this an analysis that the NYT kiddies running the election coverage are able to make? Apparently not! That is why they are blowing the election and the coverage, and will not do well when history looks back on this.
All good points, but as an “aging” reader, please break up your posts into shorter paragraphs. Your writing will have much greater impact and readibility.
I cannot figure out how to paragraph. Last time people told me methods they did not work. Nothing I can find on Substack advice helps with this. So, if I write with paragraphs they all run together in publication. So, your advice on that would be appreciated.
My reply on Twitter: @TheDailyShow I have been looking forward to your return but this monologue was a total disappointment. I was hoping that you would come out swinging to protect our nation from a return to maga. You fell into the false equivalency trap. What a disappointment
What do the NATO story and the Lara Trump dog rescue story have in common? They are both transactions. What are transactions? They are offerings to someone or some entity given with the expectation of getting some benefit in return. It is not a gift which is given freely. It is not a donation whereby the recipient solely benefits by your generosity. A transaction is a calculation that formulates how much more of what I give can be returned to me in benefit and advantage.
“‘You didn’t pay? You’re delinquent?’ ” Trump recounted responding. “ ‘No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You gotta pay. You gotta pay your bills.’” If Trump supporters understood this, they would also understand that their participation in elevating Trump is not and will never be to their advantage. They will gain nothing. They will win nothing. "Lara Trump-linked dog rescue charity spent $2m on Trump properties, "a dog rescue charity hosted lavish fundraisers at Mar-a-Lago, which generated millions in revenue for Mar-a-Lago. Lara Trump served as the chairwoman of fundraising for the charity and just coincidentally thought her father-in-law’s private club was the perfect place to spend millions to help rescue dogs."
These actions are what is meant by deplorable - shameful, lamentable, and scandalous. Worse, to those entranced by Trump's allure, they are literally self-denying and self-destructive. All sense of individuality, all sense of personal autonomy, all sense of independence evaporates as personal will and personal power absolves in delegation to the leader. One becomes nil. No sense. No soul. Vacant. That is why, with all sympathetic intent, it becomes nearly impossible to dissuade the stolen and misbegotten. They know not what they do.
Well said. This is old school mob boss intimidation. "He's going to take care of us..." Until he doesn't. Mafia god fathers have more principles, more loyalty.
These actions are what you expect from a snake oil salesman con artist Ponzi schemer POS. What makes the POS so powerful is his ability to control with a phone call. That is mafia style control. "Big Boss" style intimidation. The fact that this has infected an entire political party suggests a stunning lack of historical knowledge and a stark revelation of the lack of values from the party of family values.
Time to start running some newsreels from WWII. Use your imagination. The parallels are powerful.
Regarding the NATO comments: My husband is from England and his family still live there. They are far less political than we are, and I'm not even certain how they vote. Probably Labour, but I could definitely see them straying. Anyway, we have a weekly call, and they were all very aware of and horrified by Trump's NATO comments. They also have gotten the memo that Biden is old and infirm, which my husband did a really good job of calmly responding to (yes, he is old, but he has been a very effective president, and is almost certainly the person best positioned to beat Trump). Now, they don't vote here, and most people don't hear from horrified European relatives, but I think this shows how shocking the comment was. It isn't really new for Trump, but it was extremely direct. I think that if his handlers could get him to stop saying it it would blow over and just become part of the giant blob of insane things Trump has said that people dismiss. But I don't think he will stop saying it. It is fundamental to what he believes. I think it is going to be a very big political problem for Trump and for the whole Republican apparatus that is saying that they are on board with it.
It seems that the mean spirit that Trump shows, has infected the whole party. They have forgotten that unity belongs to the fundamentals as well as liberty and justice in a democracy. And unity or fraternity if you will, means that although one may differ about politics, one is still bound together by an oath to protect and serve everyone in that union. That has nothing to do with blind loyalty, it is rather based on respect for different opinions and being available to act in times of a threat against that democratic union. Most GOP members of Congress need a lesson on.this and the extremes here in Europe as well. Thanks Robert for your inspiration.
I was so looking forward to Jon Stewart’s show but had to turn it off after 10 minutes. I sent a tweet saying so & let him know that more of this will bring us Trump 2.0.
I want to know where the line in the sand or the red line is that Trump crosses over that finally turns the tide on his support. I don’t believe that line exists or that it ever will. There has been tons of responses and comments in this newsletter and other media outlets regarding the bias reporting regarding Biden, his age, accomplishments and polling. I have recently discovered after lots of soul searching that the people who read this newsletter and other similar newsletters are not the voters we need to win over or turnout. The issues such as NATO, the legal gyrations of the Trump trials, immigration and several other major issues are not being followed closely by the voters we need to win in the election in November. In my everyday retired life recently I was asked a plumber, a restaurant worker and a gardener what they knew and thought about or were following the news about immigration, the economy or the war in the Middle East. Interesting the responses were pretty consistent in that they were too busy working and taking g care of their families and were not vested in or following these issues on the same level as we are. For them the threat to democracy is different than it is for us and a part of me believes that many people have not internalized or thought about what it would mean to them personally and their lives. Trump is a threat to our country and now our allies and the Democrats and President Biden have to make it personal and real to a vast number of voters who are not yet engaged and enraged.
I am beyond irritated with the media. If Trump wins they will have themselves to blame. And maybe they want him to win as he generates news. They have given up their civic responsibilities in pursuit of profit—a problem we can identify in so many corners of American life from politics to education to healthcare. We are an imploding society. Europe is right to worry.
Here is Senator Rubio as quoted in an NPR report on how Republicans are cleaning up after Trump’s comments. It is truly incredible that they continue to say such things after all we have seen and heard since 2015 and after his loss in 2020.
Floridians can contact Senator Rubio and tell him to stop normalizing Trump’s behavior and endangering his constituents ! I swear Rubio’s ears get bigger with every lie.👂🏻
Thanks,Daniel. You may know, there’s a proposed bill in the Fl House to study eliminating property taxes and replacing with a consumption tax.( I’m sure yachts,Bentleys, Bugattis, and BMW’s would be exempt). Sounds like a Norman Braman kind of plan.
My husband and I are both supporting and voting for Biden, but we did laugh out loud a few times during Jon Stewart's Daily Show return. And honestly, I think it may be better in the long run that he is not perceived to be a partisan comedian. Over the next several months, I'm sure he will find much to mock about Trump. Maybe he can persuade a few voters in the middle or on the sidelines by not appearing to be completely in the tank for Biden his first night out. We plan to watch again next week. From browsing Twitter, I see that my husband and I are probably in the minority of Democrats. On another topic, Markers For Democracy is hosting a Special Election Night Zoom tonight while we wait for the returns in #NY03. We'll have live updates from campaign headquarters. Many of us will be writing postcards for NEAZ, EVP, PTV, and other groups but you don't need to be a postcard writer to join us. Here is the Mobilize: https://www.mobilize.us/markersfordemocracy/event/605269/
I refuse to believe any polls that have T**** ahead. It's media-meddling by Sinclair. They think they can discourage the peaceful, rational, pro-democracy body politic to throw up our hands in despair, give up, and give in to their ugliness with a careless wave of "oh well, how bad can it be? If you can't beat'em, join'em." Ain't gonna happen. Because the Federalist Society has published their barbaric 2025 plan to dismantle democracy, and whenever T**** opens his mouth, he tells us exactly what he will do: kill the constitution and anyone with an opposing point of view. This is not hyperbole--what he suggests to P**** about unleashing his rage on NATO is the same rage he will unleash on democracy-loving Americans. We must remain emboldened and empowered--there are wayyyyyyyy more of us than them. They just scream a lot louder through "conservative" press that amplifies their ugliness, incivility, bigotry, and rage that nobody likes their dark-age ideas and policies. The press wants to create a fait accompli for the political minority.
If the polls were meaningful, Hillary would be completing her second term. And Dewey would have beaten Truman. And Jimmy who? One of the most unlikely victories I can remember.
There ARE way more of us than the haters. But they are good at subterfuge and lying is like breathing for "them".
I'd like to see some ads that show Putin holding the strings to T****s puppet. We need to scream louder. Play harder ball. No mercy. No prisoners.
Yes! I know so few Republicans, but I feel postcards are very effective. They should say whom to vote for, though!
Hillary called Trump out as a Putin puppet during the debates. It meant nothing to his sycophants. It would mean even less now.
Agreed.
“… there are wayyyyy more of us than them”. Good. We have something to work with. BUT we must work… to get our numbers to get out and vote.
We must educate people on the fence that voting for Biden and then voting state level Red doesn’t solve the issues. Gotta vote blue up and down the ballot.
It’s starting to sound like repeating, repeating, repeating. Well …. It is.
Vote Blue cause when Republicans win, we all lose!
You are so right, Karen. ActivateAmerica is a great resource to contribute grassroots efforts for elections across the country. I live in NY and am now writing postcards for Sherrod Brown in OH (after writing postcards for Tom Suozzi in today's NY-3 election). All of these efforts add up! Glad to be in this together!!!
In talking with people I meet casually (grocery stores, doctors offices, etc) I’m surprised by how few have heard about Substack. I’m considering making up some cards to hand out. People I’ve talked with seem hungry for this kind of information.
I will copy and paste on my FB page excerpts of Substack letters with credit and often a link to them. I've gotten many people to read them.
I wrote for Suozzi with Activate America and planned to write for Sherrod Brown. I would like to hear what others think about the evidenced-based request (from campaigns) to write, “Who you vote for is private. Whether you vote is public record.” I’m remembering reading (can’t remember where or if it was after ‘22 or ‘23) that voters felt intimidated and eventually didn’t vote or voted for another candidate. It gave me enough pause to decide that I will write for Sherrod Brown but with another postcarding group.
I really want to know what others think. I don’t want to be scared off, but I want to make a good decision. Thank you.
Hey, Colleen. I too was put off by that "Who you vote for..." message. I went with Activate America. They had a script that said something similar but I dismissed it in favor of the one that promoted what the candidate would do for the voter if elected. After all, isn't that why most voters vote? To get somebody in office who will - I dunno - work for them?
Same!
I agree that this is a terrible postcard message. (I didn't use it.) It sounds too Big Brother is Watching You. Karen
Karen, did you still write withActivate America and just leave that part out? The only other message from that script was along the lines of Sherrod is working for you.
Thank you and Lynell for chiming in. Sometimes I overthink things and it helps to hear from others.
Hi Colleen, I joined up with the Voter Turnout Project's Postcards to Swing States. The postcards are colorful and eye-catching and you can use any of their several message options, although I kind of made up my own. These postcard projects must copy from each other!
I think writing post cards is super important. I've sent out hundreds and just ordered 800 more. For Christmas, all I asked for was post card stamps! I go through PostcardsToVoters, and I write their 3 required lines. Then I write about why in a close election, their vote will matter more than ever, and then I think them for voting. I don't think they need to know that I'm writing on my own dime or why I would vote for whatever the issue/candidate is, but I'm hoping that they will feel compelled to vote if they realize that their vote holds more weight in a close election. PTV writes to Dems and (I think) Left leaning Independents—though I'm not sure how they know who's left leaning, but I trust them to make whatever distinction is needed— so I am hoping that they are on board with getting a card from a fellow Democrat. I know that I have received and welcomed them in the past.
Yes! And I asked for postcard stamps for Christmas, too! Great minds… and all that.
I’ve written with a number of different groups starting in 2020., PTV among them. I prefer writing on my own rather than in a group (better concentration 😘), so I am especially grateful for each of the responses from all of you.
Last night, Tom Suozzi and Simon Rosenberg gave a shout out to grass roots postcarders, phone-bankers, door-knockers….. I don’t feel the need to be thanked for just doing my part. But it felt uplifting to know my drop in the bucket for democracy helps.
Thanks, All. 💙💙💙🇺🇦
Yes! I prefer to write alone as well bc I make fewer distracted errors! But I had a postcard party for Suozzi and had friends here to write and upped the # of cards going out by over 120. I also had goodies which lasted beyond post card time. I consider that a win/win. Then I wrote mine alone 🤪. It felt worth it to get more people involved and also now those new post carders get to feel the satisfaction of having made a difference.
It feels great today to have done something that might have moved the needle in yesterday’s election, doesn’t it?
I'm new to postcarding (about a year) and I never use that line. I didn't like it immediately. I've joined Markers for Democracy, a wonderful Zoom based group that started out right after 2016 election with two fed up women and now has nearly 2k members. There are several weekly "postcarding zooms" with an amazing array of guest speakers - it's all about the grassroots- and we write cards while listening. They have connections with Postcards to Voters and other groups. We had a Suozzi watch party tonight and it was so wonderful to be in community for the results of all of our work!! Here's a link to check them out. https://markersfordemocracy.org/postcarding/postcarding-faq
Thanks so much. Last night was great. I followed the vote reveal online and then listened to Lawrence O’Donnell… to feel the connection. 💙
And the connection is real...and the community is growing!! Welcome!!
Wow, that is a really offputting message. I've written with a couple groups that strictly focus on candidate qualifications and how the voter area will benefit.
Thank you.
Hmm!
The “how you vote vs who you vote for” line sounds a bit like a veiled threat. I would definitely not like to receive that postcard!
Repetition works!
Yes, the challenge is getting good people to vote and bring their good friends. And, these good people must be of all age levels. I think the challenge with Biden is that quite a few people don't trust a woman (especially of color) to take over if something were to happen. We must sell Kamala, also. I'd love to see Gavin Newsom take a big role in the Biden administration, also. Just something I was thinking of this past week.
Today on my news feed, I noticed that media attacks on Kamala have already begun. I haven't seen it before and I can't remember which outlet posted the negative article. But is has started...and will continue.
Sinclair needs to get its head screwed on straight. Think of the treasonous poison its media stars spew into the American blood stream.
They are a lost cause. They've been strategically gobbling up local, regional, and national news distributors then limiting and even dictating what stories and language to push to 40% of American households. Our only defense is to recognize their darkness and deceitful tactics, keep educating ourselves, and actively participate in our democracy.
Excerpt from Wikipedia:
"Sinclair's stations have been known for featuring news content and programming that promote conservative political positions. They have been involved in various controversies surrounding politically motivated programming decisions, such as news coverage and specials during the lead-ups to elections that were in support of the Republican Party. A 2019 study by Emory University political scientists Gregory J. Martin and Josh McCrain in the American Political Science Review found that "stations bought by Sinclair reduce coverage of local politics, increase national coverage and move the ideological tone of coverage in a conservative direction relative to other stations operating in the same market."
Conservative is really a redefined term. Old conservatism would advocate for staying out of peoples bedrooms and being honest and trustworthy as well as fiscally restrained. Trump is its nadir.
My local station is Sinclair, and they show loads of bias in a quiet manner.
That's it. They swim in murky waters below the screen lights. And they're effective. But it's a little surprising how much they seem supportive of a swing into greater authoritarianism.
Bravo, Stacey!!
A good reminder, Stacey!
The negative polls should do two things, keep deeply motivated and help,Republicans rsise needed money.
Donald Trump is the most corrupt candidate for President in the history of the United States. We must not let him bring his criminal schemes back to the White House.
He is giving aid and comfort to Russian President Vladimir Putin, a declared enemy of the US. He’s a traitor to his country. He’s a loser. He’s a rapist and a fraud. Anyone in the Republican Party who pledges to support him for President is just as guilty.
You’re being too nice.
I chuckled out loud, Jon, on reading your comment. The sad part is that it's true. Still, I appreciate George naming it as he did, which I also interpret to be part of your point. Whether or not it was your intention, thank you for what I perceived to be a light moment amid the chaos.
Now that would make a dandy Letter to the Editor.
You got that right.
Sent as letter but doubt they’ll print it
The corrupt candidate tells us every single day what he is going to do to destroy America and the world. I listen and don't like it. Sycophants must agree and want the same.
Yes, to say I was disappointed in Jon Stewart's tired both-sidesism on Biden's and Trump's age is an understatement and I let him know it via his Facebook page. Glad I know right out of the chute that his is more of the same bs that most of us are sick to death of. I set my tv to record these shows daily but will now stop this. You are so right, Robert when you say the courts cannot save us and now may I add that Jon Stewart cannot save us,Taylor Swift cannot save us. The only thing that can save us is our coming out in gargantuan numbers and crushing this fascist dictator-for-life traitor at the ballot box. I believe we are all up to this task.
I agree with everything you said except for Taylor Swift 😉 ... she (and Travis) will be a GOTV Machine for younger voters. She has demonstrated her commitment to democracy and has a GOTV track record❣️
No.I am not dissing her or dismissing her either.My point is we cannot rely on her endorsement of Biden.It would be great if she did it like she did in 2020 but we cannot hitch our star on that.I love her commitment to our democracy and her engagement of younger people. She is a fabulous young woman.
"...crushing this fascist dictator-for-life traitor..." Them's fightin' words, Victoria. Love it!
Amen, Victoria!
So, which FB page do you think he reads? He seems to have 4. Or 6. Or something. Do you suppose he reads any comments on any of these pages? Or his team (I assume he has a team)? Now that I'm a little more awake, I suppose the same might hold true for his twitter account. Thanks for any help.
Regarding Jon Stewart, etc / it’s time to start calling out all this talk about candidates’ age for what it is - the latest fashion in pure bigotry.
I absolutely agree with your take on this, Mike. There is no excuse for the kind of dismissive language around age in this campaign. It is legitimate to ask the question, but the question of ability has already been answered. In going after Biden, the Republicans apparently did not reckon that the argument would inevitably turn on Trump (who has been selling power, not ability). I haven't been a fan of Jon Stewart for some time, because of his tendency to go for the cheap shots. This turn around, he jumped on that bandwagon right out the chute.
Very disappointing.
I may not like Nikki Haley much --- but I love her as a viable and better qualified candidate for our next President than Trump. And Trump mocking her husband's absense from the campaign trail because of his active service overseas is beneath contempt. And, while beneath contempt - it is vintage President Bone Spurs. Never having served, he nonetheless had the utter indecency to mock John McCain incarceration in a North Vietnamese prison. How low does Trump have to go before a groundswell of revulsion rises up even in the deep South surrounded by military bases?
I know I sound like a broken record on this subject, but we have a window of opportunity to turn MAGATs on this issue. The SOB stole from disabled war veterans. Called people like me suckers and losers. We can do outreach -- at the VA, the American Legion, VFW, AmVets, that are cesspools of MAGATs and turn enough of them to make a difference.
E.G. Fred Wellman, who set up the Lincoln Project ads in 2020. He's all over this issue. West Point and Harvard graduate. https://www.instagram.com/fpwellmanofficial/?hl=en
https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17965768234628578/?hl=en
I won't give Nikki any credit until she says she won't vote for Trump if he is the nominee. I'm not holding my breath.
Or pardon Trump if she's (crazily) elected.
She is still the better person between the two. It’s not even close
She is a hyper-conservative and has said, before these last few months, that she would place a National ban on Abortion. She's less poisonous than Trump, but just as bad for women!
But smarter and more interested in the nation's interests than her own.
We are not choosing between Haley and Trump. We will be voting for either Trump or Biden.
I keep wondering about that. I also wonder about the police. Actually, I wonder about anyone who continues to support The Abominable Showman at this point.
And how about active and retired military ?
They are not all the same! See StoneKettleStation.com, a blog by Jim Wright (also has a presence on Facebook and X).
And, see Malcolm Nance.
And, see Ryan McBeth on Youtube and Substack.
And in Upstate NY there is that interesting creature Elise Stafanik. She of the flexible standards.
For through coverage of "Elise," check out Ken Tingley's substack newsletter, "The Front Page:" https://kentingley.substack.com
TY
There is to no "low" to which he and his followers will not go. There is no bottom to that cesspool. That was actually my feeling about the Republican Party when "Shrub" (to quote the inimitable Molly Ivins) was in office. Will admit that even that low has gotten worse.
Good question! Apparently, very low indeed! Some waffling individuals may experience revulsion and do the right thing! While we can hope, we must WORK and call people, write postcards and make donations to organizations we know will spend the money well! Onward!
The nature of memory is that the more you have going on in your life the more overextended your memory is. So, if you are managing many things your memory works well for the immediate things you are dealing with, and one tends to store the things that one is not dealing with currently far back. Age also affects memory, and that is why when people get older, one their brains do more pruning of synapses, so that it sorts out the important from the mundane, and even with this pruning retrieval time is slower. Stress also affects memory. Thus it is hard to tell whether Trump is mentally deteriorating from stress alone or from dementia, but no one I know has worries about Biden having dementia. If he were to develop it, his wife would notice. My mother-in-law was the first to notice my father-in-law's dementia. When you are around someone all the time you just notice the deterioration. Jill also is in a good position as an educator to diagnose this. I am sure there are contingent plans. Thus we have a vice president. Harris has been training under the experienced statesman Biden for these 4 years, and all of the ones that he will hopefully have in the future, just as Biden has had his training both from his years in Congress since 1972, and at Obama's side as his VP. If the press were to discuss the election they could be discussing Biden and Harris as a team, and compare that to Trump who is not a team player. He is a willful child at his best and a LUNATIC at his worst. A lunatic or the team of Biden and Harris. The fact that the press is ignoring this, is sexist and racist, as well as ageist. Who is choosing to major in journalism should not be determining the outcome of this election, we the people should. I spend most of my year in a German city where more than half of the people are over the age of 60. I am in 2 art groups. In one, a woman who is 91 is very vital and engaged, and has lots to say about politics, her very interesting art, and the ideas of others in our group. If you are well taken care of, your older years can be wonderful. My 90 year old mother, who had a stroke 3 years ago, and has suffered memory loss from that, says, the alternative to getting old is worse. Putin certainly has pushed alliances to the brink, but his own too. North Korea gains legitimacy as they send him weapons for cash. So, is Iran. However, they are all in a cabal of people who have no loyalty to anyone but themselves, so they have earned the company they keep. I imagine stress is effecting Putin's memory as well. However, his stress is induced by being unwilling to cede power, and unwilling to stop engaging in war around him as he attempts to recreate Russia's role in the Soviet Union. USSR II is not a thing, but he would have it so. It is the only entity that gave his paranoid spy-mongering legitimacy.
You make an excellent point about Jill Biden. She would never let him run if he were not up to the task.
One just has to look at the accomplishments he has achieved and the way he is fighting back, finally aiming his comments directly at Trump and the Republican party, who can't move away from Trump due to cowardice. I expect more of the same from President Biden throughout this election period.
Exactly! Yet, is this an analysis that the NYT kiddies running the election coverage are able to make? Apparently not! That is why they are blowing the election and the coverage, and will not do well when history looks back on this.
All good points, but as an “aging” reader, please break up your posts into shorter paragraphs. Your writing will have much greater impact and readibility.
I cannot figure out how to paragraph. Last time people told me methods they did not work. Nothing I can find on Substack advice helps with this. So, if I write with paragraphs they all run together in publication. So, your advice on that would be appreciated.
My reply on Twitter: @TheDailyShow I have been looking forward to your return but this monologue was a total disappointment. I was hoping that you would come out swinging to protect our nation from a return to maga. You fell into the false equivalency trap. What a disappointment
I wonder what Mr. Colbert thinks of this? I know I’m disappointed in Jon Stewart.
What do the NATO story and the Lara Trump dog rescue story have in common? They are both transactions. What are transactions? They are offerings to someone or some entity given with the expectation of getting some benefit in return. It is not a gift which is given freely. It is not a donation whereby the recipient solely benefits by your generosity. A transaction is a calculation that formulates how much more of what I give can be returned to me in benefit and advantage.
“‘You didn’t pay? You’re delinquent?’ ” Trump recounted responding. “ ‘No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You gotta pay. You gotta pay your bills.’” If Trump supporters understood this, they would also understand that their participation in elevating Trump is not and will never be to their advantage. They will gain nothing. They will win nothing. "Lara Trump-linked dog rescue charity spent $2m on Trump properties, "a dog rescue charity hosted lavish fundraisers at Mar-a-Lago, which generated millions in revenue for Mar-a-Lago. Lara Trump served as the chairwoman of fundraising for the charity and just coincidentally thought her father-in-law’s private club was the perfect place to spend millions to help rescue dogs."
These actions are what is meant by deplorable - shameful, lamentable, and scandalous. Worse, to those entranced by Trump's allure, they are literally self-denying and self-destructive. All sense of individuality, all sense of personal autonomy, all sense of independence evaporates as personal will and personal power absolves in delegation to the leader. One becomes nil. No sense. No soul. Vacant. That is why, with all sympathetic intent, it becomes nearly impossible to dissuade the stolen and misbegotten. They know not what they do.
Well said. This is old school mob boss intimidation. "He's going to take care of us..." Until he doesn't. Mafia god fathers have more principles, more loyalty.
These actions are what you expect from a snake oil salesman con artist Ponzi schemer POS. What makes the POS so powerful is his ability to control with a phone call. That is mafia style control. "Big Boss" style intimidation. The fact that this has infected an entire political party suggests a stunning lack of historical knowledge and a stark revelation of the lack of values from the party of family values.
Time to start running some newsreels from WWII. Use your imagination. The parallels are powerful.
David, I have a somewhat different take, starting from your premise here. See my comment below.
There also distractions away from Biden
Regarding the NATO comments: My husband is from England and his family still live there. They are far less political than we are, and I'm not even certain how they vote. Probably Labour, but I could definitely see them straying. Anyway, we have a weekly call, and they were all very aware of and horrified by Trump's NATO comments. They also have gotten the memo that Biden is old and infirm, which my husband did a really good job of calmly responding to (yes, he is old, but he has been a very effective president, and is almost certainly the person best positioned to beat Trump). Now, they don't vote here, and most people don't hear from horrified European relatives, but I think this shows how shocking the comment was. It isn't really new for Trump, but it was extremely direct. I think that if his handlers could get him to stop saying it it would blow over and just become part of the giant blob of insane things Trump has said that people dismiss. But I don't think he will stop saying it. It is fundamental to what he believes. I think it is going to be a very big political problem for Trump and for the whole Republican apparatus that is saying that they are on board with it.
Let’s hope.
One can only hope!
Wow, Jon is making himself irrelevant. Glad I missed it. He's getting pretty beat up on Xitter. My favorite so far:
Helping facism isn't funny. #Pass
With this link:
https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-features/jon-stewart-the-daily-show-host-both-sides-approach-donald-trump-politics-1234965272/
It seems that the mean spirit that Trump shows, has infected the whole party. They have forgotten that unity belongs to the fundamentals as well as liberty and justice in a democracy. And unity or fraternity if you will, means that although one may differ about politics, one is still bound together by an oath to protect and serve everyone in that union. That has nothing to do with blind loyalty, it is rather based on respect for different opinions and being available to act in times of a threat against that democratic union. Most GOP members of Congress need a lesson on.this and the extremes here in Europe as well. Thanks Robert for your inspiration.
Some truth in that, but more accurate, I think, to say that Trump adopted their coloration.
I was so looking forward to Jon Stewart’s show but had to turn it off after 10 minutes. I sent a tweet saying so & let him know that more of this will bring us Trump 2.0.
I want to know where the line in the sand or the red line is that Trump crosses over that finally turns the tide on his support. I don’t believe that line exists or that it ever will. There has been tons of responses and comments in this newsletter and other media outlets regarding the bias reporting regarding Biden, his age, accomplishments and polling. I have recently discovered after lots of soul searching that the people who read this newsletter and other similar newsletters are not the voters we need to win over or turnout. The issues such as NATO, the legal gyrations of the Trump trials, immigration and several other major issues are not being followed closely by the voters we need to win in the election in November. In my everyday retired life recently I was asked a plumber, a restaurant worker and a gardener what they knew and thought about or were following the news about immigration, the economy or the war in the Middle East. Interesting the responses were pretty consistent in that they were too busy working and taking g care of their families and were not vested in or following these issues on the same level as we are. For them the threat to democracy is different than it is for us and a part of me believes that many people have not internalized or thought about what it would mean to them personally and their lives. Trump is a threat to our country and now our allies and the Democrats and President Biden have to make it personal and real to a vast number of voters who are not yet engaged and enraged.
I am beyond irritated with the media. If Trump wins they will have themselves to blame. And maybe they want him to win as he generates news. They have given up their civic responsibilities in pursuit of profit—a problem we can identify in so many corners of American life from politics to education to healthcare. We are an imploding society. Europe is right to worry.
Here is Senator Rubio as quoted in an NPR report on how Republicans are cleaning up after Trump’s comments. It is truly incredible that they continue to say such things after all we have seen and heard since 2015 and after his loss in 2020.
https://www.npr.org/2024/02/12/1230950457/trump-nato-haley-south-carolina-primary-rubio-gop-lawmakers
Floridians can contact Senator Rubio and tell him to stop normalizing Trump’s behavior and endangering his constituents ! I swear Rubio’s ears get bigger with every lie.👂🏻
https://www.rubio.senate.gov/contact-rubio/
Rubio is the automaton for Norman Braman. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Braman
Thanks,Daniel. You may know, there’s a proposed bill in the Fl House to study eliminating property taxes and replacing with a consumption tax.( I’m sure yachts,Bentleys, Bugattis, and BMW’s would be exempt). Sounds like a Norman Braman kind of plan.
Oh, what a tangled web.
What will be the rewards of Marco Rubio and Lindsey Graham for abasing themselves as they have before Trump?
My husband and I are both supporting and voting for Biden, but we did laugh out loud a few times during Jon Stewart's Daily Show return. And honestly, I think it may be better in the long run that he is not perceived to be a partisan comedian. Over the next several months, I'm sure he will find much to mock about Trump. Maybe he can persuade a few voters in the middle or on the sidelines by not appearing to be completely in the tank for Biden his first night out. We plan to watch again next week. From browsing Twitter, I see that my husband and I are probably in the minority of Democrats. On another topic, Markers For Democracy is hosting a Special Election Night Zoom tonight while we wait for the returns in #NY03. We'll have live updates from campaign headquarters. Many of us will be writing postcards for NEAZ, EVP, PTV, and other groups but you don't need to be a postcard writer to join us. Here is the Mobilize: https://www.mobilize.us/markersfordemocracy/event/605269/