Weekend comments from readers.

November 11, 2023

          Happy weekend, everyone! Making it through this week was a major accomplishment!

          The purpose of this short newsletter is to open the Comments section (to everyone, including free subscribers) through Noon Pacific on Saturday (unless trolls spoil it for everyone before that time!). The Comments section will then revert to paying subscribers only starting at Noon Pacific on Saturday.

          There is a lot to discuss. Now, more than ever, it is imperative that we treat one another with civility and respect. While there is a legitimate role for expressing strong feelings in this difficult moment, the purpose of this newsletter—and its community of readers—is to lift and sustain one another during a challenging time. Let’s do our best to remain focused on that goal.

          As always, “like’ worthy comments to promote them to the attention of others. If anyone posts abusive comments, click on the three dots (. . .) to the bottom right of the comment to “report” the comment so that I can take appropriate action.

          I note below just a few domestic political developments of interest:

The double standard in covering Trump.

          Trump gave a campaign speech on Wednesday that was filled with so-called “errors” that reflect a break from reality or shocking ignorance for a man who served as US president. For example, Trump said that North Korean President Kim Jong Un ruled a nation of 1.4 billion people—an “error” that would mean that North Korea contains 17% of the world’s population. In fact, North Korea’s population is 26 million people (or about 0.003% of the world’s population). See Daily Kos, Donald Trump's latest speech was riddled with blunders. You shouldn't need Daily Kos to tell you.

          The major media did not take note of Trump's gross errors. But if Joe Biden said that tiny North Korea contained one-sixth of the world’s population, how would the major media have treated that story?

          So, “No,” it’s not your imagination. There is a double standard in which the media uses every perceived misstep by Biden as proof of senility but ignores gaping errors by Trump on the grounds that . . . well, why? Is it because the media accepts that Trump is a fundamentally ignorant person? Or because, “That’s just the just the way Trump talks?” Or because he makes so many errors every day they are no longer “newsworthy?” None of those explanations excuse the silence of the major media.

          Even worse is the “once-over-lightly” that most outlets gave Trump's comments on Wednesday to Univision that he would use the DOJ “to indict” his political opponents. If Biden made that statement, the media would never let him live it down; he would be hounded in withdrawing from the 2024 presidential race, at the very least. But the press is giving Donald Trump a “soft pass” on this story because . . . why? Because we shouldn’t take him seriously? Or because, “That’s just the way he talks?” Or because a second Trump term will be good for media revenue?

Whatever the reason, it is shameful and dangerous.

Ohio Republicans threaten to strip courts of jurisdiction to enforce the constitutional amendment passed on Tuesday.

          Four Ohio Republicans have issued a letter saying they will sponsor legislation to strip Ohio courts of jurisdiction to enforce the constitutional amendment passed as Issue 1 on Tuesday of this week. See The Hill, Ohio GOP lawmakers call to block courts from implementing new abortion amendment. Their statement said, in part:

To prevent mischief by pro-abortion courts, Ohio legislators will consider removing jurisdiction from the judiciary over this ambiguous ballot initiative. The Ohio legislature alone will consider what, if any, modifications to make to existing laws based on public hearings and input from legal experts on both sides.

          The actions by Republican legislators in Ohio demonstrate contempt for the citizens of Ohio and the rule of law. We can’t count on Republicans to defeat themselves, but they are giving it a good try in Ohio.

Grassroots Leadership Forum.

          More than 260 grassroots leaders have signed up for the forum on responding to “burnout” scheduled for November 30, 2023, at Noon Pacific / 3:00 Eastern. I will be reaching out to everyone over the weekend with more information, a survey questionnaire, and requests for panel members.

          To clarify, the purpose of this forum is to hear from grassroots leaders about the strategies they have used to fight burnout. In other words, it is about the actual practices and lived experiences of leaders of grassroots organizations. We won’t impinge on the role of mental health professionals in diagnosing or treating burnout in individuals.

          I have approximately 40 remaining slots on my Zoom account for the forum. The signup sheet is here: Grassroots Leaders Forum.

Concluding Thoughts.

          Find some time to rest over the weekend, even if only for a few hours. And by “rest,” I mean focusing on something other than the news—preferably family and friends. We have a lot of work ahead of us, but we are in a position of strength. Use the confidence inspired by that knowledge to let go of the worry that seems to be the steady state of our lives. We are going to win; it is just a matter of time!

Talk to you on Monday!