#Congress candidate speculation

[townpostin]

Former SP Ajoy Kumar Hints at Political Comeback in Jamshedpur

Ex-MP’s potential candidacy for Jamshedpur East seat sparks speculation among party workers Congress seeks new face for constituency as former candidate Gaurav Vallabh joins BJP ranks. JAMSHEDPUR – Dr. Ajoy Kumar, former Superintendent of Police and ex-MP, has fueled speculation about his potential candidacy for the Jamshedpur East constituency in the upcoming elections. Local Congress leaders…

[collapsedsquid]

One​ possible outcome of the next presidential election is that a Democratic candidate wins a dispute-proof victory and is straightforwardly inaugurated. Another – perfectly likely – is that Trump runs again and is unambiguously re-elected in line with the law, even if most Americans don’t vote for him. But what if he, or a candidate like him, were to cheat, and he and his party threaded the needle to a victory endorsed by the key national institutions? Instead of today’s situation, in which there is a Democratic president and – to use Walter’s terminology – a downgraded superfaction of Trump supporters convinced by the lie that he was defrauded and should have won, you would have a Trump base accepting their champion’s fraudulent victory, and a liberal superfaction aware that the Republican head of state had stolen the presidency, that politicians, bureaucrats and lawyers had seized the apparatus of the American state, and that democracy had been killed. One of the strange things about the reaction to the invasion of the Capitol was how few of those dismayed by it speculated that they might one day long for just such an assault to succeed. Might a different mob storm into Congress to save democracy, rather than attack it? If an autocrat who has stolen an election is about to have his trashing of American democracy hallowed by Congress, all other recourse having failed, shouldn’t Democrats – or democrats, at least – take direct action? Liberal opinion in North America and Western Europe has tended to be gung-ho about pro-democracy protesters storming ruling institutions in other countries, notably Ukraine in 2014. But it’s one thing to imagine, as Walter encourages her readers to do, the gradual spread of white supremacist, anti-government terrorism across America against a democratic framework, until one day the progressive left, and the people of colour she suggests are likely to be targets of violence, arm and organise for self-protection. It’s another to wake up one morning and find that without any bloodshed or violence, without any seeming change in the smooth running of traffic signals and ATMs and supermarkets, without, even, an immediate wave of arrests or a clampdown on free speech, your country is run by somebody who took power illegally. Something must be done! But what, apart from venting on social media? And by whom? Me? In Ukraine, students and the liberal middle class found fighting allies among football ultras, small farmers and extreme nationalists. Such an alliance would be hard to pull together in the Euro-American world. Describing liberal protests against government corruption and malfeasance in Bulgaria in 2013, Ivan Krastev spoke of ‘the frustration of the empowered’ and an urban middle class that ‘risks remaining politically isolated, incapable of reaching out to other social groups’.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Emily Singer at Daily Kos:

Fresh off his resignation from Congress after his nomination for attorney general went up in flames due to his penchant for allegedly paying minors for sex at drug-fueled parties, former Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida now says he is thinking about running for governor of the Sunshine State.

“I have a compelling vision for the state,” Gaetz told the Tampa Bay Times, confirming speculation that Gaetz was not yet done with elected office and could be plotting a comeback. “I understand how to fix the insurance problem, and it’s not to hand the keys to the state over to the insurance industry. If I run, I would be the most pro-consumer candidate on the Republican side.” It's unclear if Gaetz could make it through a Republican primary, given the hefty load of baggage he carries. The House Ethics Committee released a report in December that found, among other things, that Gaetz paid for sex with a 17-year-old high school student. “The Committee determined there is substantial evidence that Representative Gaetz violated House Rules and other standards of conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, impermissible gifts, special favors or privileges, and obstruction of Congress,” House Ethics Committee investigators wrote in the report.

[...] What Gaetz has going for him in a potential gubernatorial bid is that he is popular among the MAGA faithful—which constitutes a big chunk of the Republican electorate that will choose the GOP nominee. Florida’s governor’s race will be open, as current Gov. Ron DeSantis is term limited. Also a wildcard is whether Donald Trump, who likes Gaetz and nominated him to be his attorney general, would throw his support behind Gaetz's possible gubernatorial bid. If he did, Gaetz would immediately be the GOP front-runner. However, given his baggage, Gaetz is likely one of the few Republican candidates who could make Florida's governor race competitive for Democrats in a general election. “*anyone* other than Matt Gaetz would be clearly favored to win Florida in any environment at this point. Gaetz is the only person who would make it a tossup, and I'd take the under on him if I had to, even at those odds,” Lakshya Jain, an election handicapper, wrote in a post on X. While he mulls over a bid, Gaetz is currently hosting a show on the little-watched right-wing propaganda network One America News, which has terrible production value and a makeup staff that makes Gaetz look like an airbrushed pumpkin.

Could Matt Gaetz be making a comeback, this time for Florida Governor?

[mariacallous]

In the weeks leading up to the 2024 presidential election, speculation was rampant that if Harris won it would be because of a historic gender gap in favor of women, a gap that ran through all the age cohorts in the electorate and that would be magnified by the gap in voter turnout between men and women. Three factors supported this belief: 1) Harris is a woman; 2) the issue of abortion rights being taken away which had played a big role in the 2022 midterms and the 2023 off-year elections; and 3) Trump’s often misogynistic attitudes toward women. Many expected that a gender gap in favor of Harris would counterbalance weaknesses in other parts of the electorate and help Harris win, but it didn’t happen.

What did happen? Of the three possibilities, the most likely one is that abortion ceased to be an issue that would impact the vote beyond matters such as the economy, immigration, and crime. That was not the case in the immediate aftermath of the 2021 Dobbs decision that sent abortion regulation back to the states. In the 2022 midterm elections and in the 2023 off-year elections in Virginia, there was clear evidence that abortion directly affected voting for Congress and voting for the state legislature. But by 2024, two things happened to blunt the impact of abortion on the presidential race.

First, in the two plus years since the Dobbs decision, the pro-choice movement has concentrated on winning state ballot initiatives to protect the right to an abortion. Beginning in 2022, there were state referenda in six states and in every one—even very conservative states like Kansas, Kentucky, and Montana—they passed by comfortable margins. Seeing a way to increase the number of women able to get an abortion and avoid unfriendly courts and state legislatures, the pro-choice movement went into action and placed a referendum on the ballot in Ohio in 2023 (which won easily) and then placed referenda on 10 more states for 2024. Some of these states—Colorado, Maryland, and New York—were blue states where Harris was expected to win. The referenda were expected to pass easily and did. They also passed easily where Trump was expected to win—in the deep red states of Montana (57.6%), Missouri (51,6%,) and Nebraska (55.3%.) In Florida, it did not pass, but that’s because although it got 57.1% of the vote, the legislature raised the bar for winning to 60%. South Dakota was the only state where the pro-choice referenda lost.

In the two swing states with abortion on the ballot, Arizona and Nevada, the referenda won easily, with 61.4% of the vote in Arizona and 63.8% of the vote in Nevada. What is clear from the outcomes in those states is that many people figured they could have their cake and eat it too—so to speak. They could vote to keep abortion legal but then vote for Trump for president. In Arizona, Harris so far only has 46.8% of the vote, meaning that 14.6% of the voters voted for the pro-choice position on abortion and for Donald Trump. In Nevada, Harris has so far received 47.2% of the vote—meaning that 16.6% of the voters voted pro-choice and for Trump. In many states voters have had a way to protect abortion rights while voting for Republican candidates.

The second thing that happened was that midway through his general election campaign, on October 1 to be precise, Trump—after a serious meeting with his staff where he was shown just how costly his support for abortion bans could be—issued a statement saying: “Everyone knows I would not support a federal abortion ban, under any circumstances, and would, in fact, veto it, because it is up to the states to decide based on the will of their voters (the will of the people!).”

By the time of the actual election, the gender gap had been cut in half and Harris’ lead among women had plummeted. A method for protecting abortion (the referenda) had reduced the need for voters to elect pro-choice candidates since they could still vote to keep abortion legal. And Trump, seeing the writing on the wall, clarified that he would take no federal action, clearing the way for large numbers of pro-choice voters to vote for him on the economy, immigration, or many other issues. Although Harris fared much better among women than men, according to election exit polls, she ended up doing no better than Biden with women. That torpedoed her strategy of emphasizing reproductive rights—and in the end helped to elect Donald Trump.

[strapskinkstories]

Erotic stories and videos will resume on or around April 14th.

The department of hornulant is unable to produce in a climate like this.

The Voices of America podcast WILL be published here instead of Twitter.

ALL TWITTER ACCOUNTS are redirected here or to the website directly.

Twitter is hereby seen as a threat to American democracy, especially a threat to Democrat transgender individuals.

NOTE: This episode contains explicit language and language that is to be left within the record room. Listen, but do not act on things especially when someone says “This one is best listened to, understood, then leave the podcast in the record room.”

I take no responsibility for how listeners use the podcasts information.

I already told you twice. Here and on podcast “Do not act upon words that are illogical to act on.”

The only words I want people to act on are the following

CALL THE CAPITOL SWITCHBOARD. TALK TO YOUR CONGRESS PEOPLE AND MAKE THEM KNOW “WE ARE NOT HAPPY WITH AMERICA!”

Act not upon rage. Rage is what we record to the tape, rage is the call to action. But the action? Is peaceful telephone calls and letters en masse.

After the hiatus, written works will be the first to resume. Erotic videos may take longer to resume and might be until May 1 for first filming.

Stay following and tuned. Updates for erotic stuff will be on Tumblr and bluesky

strapskinks.bsky.social is my exclusive account now.

There is no longer any form of exclusivity or connection with X Corp, currently holding fraudulent government contracts against the Emoluments clause.

Trump, I tell you the TRUTH when I say, I might have a hot temper. But you? You got a hot temper and a vent to commit treason terrorism and conspire with filthy oligarch’s.

I might not be a perfect long range speculative political candidate but… for some reason people do treat me like a valid speculative.

Maybe in a decade I’ll sit in the Congress and say “hey you idiots. How’s about doing your damn job!”

[beardedmrbean]

Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, from the governing South West Africa People's Organisation (Swapo), looks set to become Namibia's first female president with more than 90% of the votes from last week's disputed election now counted.

The electoral commission said she had won more than 58%, with her closest rival Panduleni Itula getting just over 25% of the vote share.

But following logistical problems and a three-day extension to polling in some parts of the country, Itula said on Saturday that his party would not recognise the results alleging electoral malpractice.

Swapo has been power in the large but sparsely populated southern African country since independence in 1990.

A party stalwart, Nandi-Ndaitwah, who is currently the vice-president, is a trusted leader having served in high government office for a quarter of a century.

Is Namibia going to elect its first female leader?

Tanzania's Samia Suluhu Hassan is Africa's only female president, so Nandi-Ndaitwah would be joining an exclusive club if she is victorious.

To avoid a second-round run-off, a candidate needs more than 50% of the vote to be declared the winner.

A trained dentist, Itula, of the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), is seen as more charismatic than Nandi-Ndaitwah and managed to dent Swapo's popularity in the last presidential election in 2019, reducing its vote share to 56% from 87% five years earlier.

The IPC has said it will “pursue justice through the courts” and has encouraged people who felt that they had been unable to vote because of mismanagement by the electoral commission to go to the police to make a statement.

Swapo led the struggle for nationhood against apartheid South Africa. Ahead of last Wednesday's general election there had been some speculation that it would suffer the fate of other liberation parties in the region.

South Africa’s African National Congress lost its outright parliamentary majority in May and the Botswana Democratic Party was kicked out of power after nearly six decades following October's election.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

An original document signed by President Abraham Lincoln four days before his assassination on 15 April 1865. Photograph: Raab Collection

* * * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

February 18, 2024

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

On the third Monday in February, the U.S. celebrates Presidents Day, a somewhat vague holiday placed in 1968 near the date of George Washington’s birthday on February 22, 1732, but also traditionally including Abraham Lincoln, who was born on February 12, 1809. This year, that holiday falls on February 19.

That the American people in the twenty-first century celebrate Abraham Lincoln as a great president would likely have surprised Lincoln in summer 1864, when every sign suggested he would not be reelected and would go down in history as the man who had permitted a rebellion to dismember the United States.

The news from the battlefields in 1864 was grim. In May, General U. S. Grant had taken control of the Army of the Potomac and had launched a war of attrition to destroy the Confederacy. In May and June, more than 17,500 Union soldiers were killed or wounded at the Battle of the Wilderness, 18,000 at Spotsylvania, and another 12,500 at Cold Harbor. As the casualties mounted, so did criticism of Lincoln. 

Those Republican leaders who thought Lincoln was far too conservative both in his prosecution of the war and in his moves toward abolishing enslavement had plotted with the humorless Treasury Secretary Salmon P. Chase, who perennially hankered to run the country, to replace Lincoln with Chase on the 1864 ticket. 

In February they went so far as to circulate a document signed by Senator Samuel Pomeroy of Kansas, a key party leader, saying that “even were the re-election of Lincoln desirable, it is practically impossible against the union of influences which will oppose him.” Even if he could manage to pull off a reelection, the Pomeroy circular said, he was unfit for office: “his manifest tendency towards compromises and temporary expedients of policy” would make the “dignity and honor of the nation…suffer.” 

This was no small challenge: Chase had been in charge of remaking the finances of the United States, and he had both connections and Treasury employees all over the country who owed their jobs to him. In an era in which political patronage meant political victories, he had a formidable machine.

Lincoln managed to quell the rebellion from the radicals. In June 1864, soon after the party—temporarily renamed the National Union Party to make it easier for former Democrats to feel comfortable voting for Republicans—met to choose a presidential candidate, Chase threatened to resign from the Cabinet, as he had done repeatedly. In the past, Lincoln had appeased him. This time, Lincoln accepted his resignation.

But conservatives, too, were in revolt against Lincoln.

Crucially, Thurlow Weed, New York’s kingmaker, thought Lincoln was far too radical. Weed cared deeply about putting his own people into the well-paying customs positions available in New York City, and he was frequently angry that Lincoln appointed nominees favored by the more radical faction.

That frustration went hand in hand with anger about policy. Weed was upset that the Republicans were remaking the government for ordinary Americans. The 1862 Homestead Act, which provided western land for a nominal fee to any American willing to settle it, was a thorn in his side. Until Congress passed that law, such land, taken from Indigenous tribes, would be sold to speculators for cash that went directly to the Treasury. Republicans believed that putting farmers on the land would enable them to pay the new national taxes Congress imposed, thus bringing in far more money to the Treasury for far longer than would selling to speculators, but Weed foresaw national bankruptcy. 

Even more than financial policy, though, Weed was unhappy with Lincoln’s 1863 Emancipation Proclamation, which moved toward an end of human enslavement far too quickly for Weed.

On August 22, Weed wrote to his protégé Secretary of State William Henry Seward that he had recently “told Mr. Lincoln that his re-election was an impossibility…. [N]obody here doubts it; nor do I see anybody from other states who authorises the slightest hope of success.” 

“The People are wild for Peace,” he wrote, and suggested they were unhappy that “the President will only listen to terms of Peace on condition Slavery be ‘abandoned.’” Weed wrote that Henry Raymond, another protégé who both chaired the Republican National Committee and edited the New York Times, “thinks Commissioners should be immediately sent to Richmond, offering to treat for Peace on the basis of Union.” 

On August 23, 1864, Lincoln asked the members of his Cabinet to sign a memorandum that was pasted closed so they could not read it. Inside were the words:

“This morning, as for some days past, it seems exceedingly probable that this Administration will not be re-elected. Then it will be my duty to so co-operate with the President elect, as to save the Union between the election and the inauguration; as he will have secured his election on such ground that he can not possibly save it afterwards.  — A. Lincoln”

But then his fortunes turned. 

Just a week after Weed foretold his electoral doom, the Democrats chose as a presidential candidate General George McClellan, formerly commander of the Army of the Potomac, in a transparent attempt to appeal to soldiers. But to appease the anti-war wing of the party, they also called for an immediate end to the war. They also rejected the new, popular measures the national government had undertaken since 1861—the establishment of state colleges, the transcontinental railroad, the new national money, and the Homestead Act—insisting on “State rights.”

Americans who had poured their lives and fortunes into the war and liked the new government were not willing to abandon both to return to the conditions of three years before.

Then news spread that Rear Admiral David Farragut had taken control of Mobile Bay, the last port the Confederates held in the Gulf of Mexico east of the Mississippi River. On September 2, General William T. Sherman took Atlanta, a city of symbolic as well as real value to the Confederacy, and set off on his March to the Sea, smashing his way through the countryside and carving the eastern half of Confederacy in half again.

Reelecting Lincoln meant committing to fight on until victory, and voters threw in their lot. In November’s election, Lincoln won about 55% of the popular vote compared to McClellan’s 45%, and 212 electoral votes to McClellan’s 12. Lincoln won 78 percent of the soldiers’ vote.

After his reelection, Lincoln explained to a crowd come to serenade him why it had been important to hold an election, even though he had expected to lose it:

“We can not have free government without elections; and if the rebellion could force us to forego, or postpone a national election it might fairly claim to have already conquered and ruined us.”

Happy Presidents Day. 

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[ingek73]

Guns and lies

US elections 2024

How Tim Walz went from NRA favorite to ‘straight Fs’ on gun rights

In Congress, Walz was endorsed by gun rights advocates. But after the Parkland shooting, he changed his tone

Cecilia Nowell

Fri 9 Aug 2024 14.00 BST

Supported by

Cal Wellness for Guns

At his first rally as Kamala Harris’s running mate Tuesday, Minnesota’s governor, Tim Walz, invoked an issue at the forefront of many Americans’ minds: the right “for our children to be free to go to school without worrying they’ll be shot dead in their classrooms”.

But Walz wasn’t always a fierce advocate against gun violence. The evolution of the vice-presidential candidate, who once boasted an A rating from the NRA, shows the growing relevance of gen Z voters, who’ve grown up amid a surge in mass shootings in the US and are enthusiastically backing Harris.

“Gun violence is the number one killer of our generation, meaning we can’t afford anything less than leaders who will prioritize basic gun safety,” Timberlyn Mazeikis, a gun violence survivor and volunteer leader with Students Demand Action from Minnesota, said in a joint statement issued by Everytown for Gun Safety, Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action supporting Walz yesterday.

Kamala Harris And Running Mate Tim Walz Make First Appearance Together In Philadelphia<br>PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - AUGUST 6: Democratic presidential candidate, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and Democratic vice presidential candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz appear on stage together during a campaign event at Girard College on August 6, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Harris ended weeks of speculation about who her running mate would be, selecting the 60-year-old midwestern governor over other candidates. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

The Tim Walz cheat sheet: 10 things to know about Harris’s VP pick

Read more

Elected to the US House of Representatives in 2007, Walz was long beloved by gun rights advocates. The National Rifle Association endorsed and donated to his campaigns, giving him an A rating. In 2016 Guns & Ammo magazine included him on its list of top 20 politicians for gun owners.

That wasn’t terribly surprising. Walz was representing a rural red Minnesota district and had grown up at a time and place where guns were popular for hunting – not mass shootings.

“I grew up in a small town, [so] I’d put my shotgun in my car, or at school or in the football locker, to go pheasant hunting afterwards,” he told Pod Save America last month. “But we weren’t getting shot in school.”

That all changed after the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school in Parkland, Florida, he has said.

In a 2018 video March for Our Lives co-founder and Parkland survivor David Hogg reshared on X last month, Walz recounts his then teenage daughter Hope approaching him in the days after the shooting: “Dad, you’re the only person I know who’s in elected office, you need to stop what’s happening with this.”

“For me, it was both a reckoning and an embarrassment,” he told Pod Save America, recalling that the children killed at Sandy Hook elementary school would have been his son’s age.

Two weeks later, while campaigning for governor, Walz authored an op-ed in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, where he called the NRA “the biggest single obstacle to passing the most basic measures to prevent gun violence in America”. He went on to say that he’d donated the $18,000 the organization had donated to his past campaigns and wouldn’t accept NRA contributions in the future. He noted that he was currently co-sponsoring a “bump stocks” ban and came out in support of an assault weapons ban.

As Minnesota governor, Walz has signed wide-ranging gun safety measures into law, most notably a 2023 law including universal background checks and a “red flag law” (which allows state officials to temporarily seize the firearms of someone a court has ruled may be dangerous to themselves or others).

This year, Walz called for Minnesota lawmakers to go even further, asking them to support measures that would require safe firearm storage, better reporting of lost and stolen guns, and harsher penalties for “straw buyers” (those who purchase firearms for others who cannot legally have them). Since then, he’s signed legislation that prohibits automatic weapon modification devices and collects data on gun crime.

Walz remains an enthusiastic hunter – something he’s emphasized in previous campaigns and makes him something of an everyman.

“There’s a vision to reduce gun violence with absolutely no infringement on those who lawfully own guns, to use them for things that many of us cherish,” he told reporters in Bloomington, Minnesota, last week.

Gun safety advocates have already come out in support of his candidacy, including the gun violence prevention organization founded by former congresswoman and gun violence survivor Gabby Giffords (who joined Walz in Minnesota in 2023 when he signed the state’s universal background checks into law).

“As governor, Tim did what others called impossible, passing background checks and extreme risk protection laws in Minnesota with a slim gun safety majority,” Giffords said. “It wasn’t easy, but he got it done with hard work and effective leadership. His work as governor has saved lives, and I know that will continue when he is vice-president.”

Harris’s campaign, which has already drawn great support from gen Z voters and gun violence prevention advocates, has called for an assault weapons ban, universal background checks and red flag laws. Last month, the NRA called her “an existential threat to the second amendment”.

That doesn’t seem to bother Walz. “I had an A rating from the NRA. Now I get straight F’s,” he tweeted last month. “And I sleep just fine.”

[alto-tenure]

So this post crossed my path again, and it makes me wonder what it might look like to toss a Presidential Candidate Lex Luthor into a later election.

I think there's theoretical merit into having COVID be the equivalent of The Clench in the DCU, and then the Cataclysm, and then No Man's Land, just in time for 2024 -- but the 2024 election hasn't even happened yet. We don't even know who the candidates are. Maybe in about a year and a half after the 2024 election I'll go back and update this, but...not sure!

Anyways: Lex Luthor in a later election! I think for the sake of everything I'm going to go with 2016 instead of 2020.

For the record: Lex Luthor running as a third-party candidate and getting a lot of votes isn't entirely unprecedented! For those of you who aren't aware of post-Vietnam US history, in the election of 1992 there was a rich third-party candidate by the name of Ross Perot. He was fairly moderate by US standards.

I don't know much about Lex's campaign beyond the little bit I saw in NML, but Lex strikes me as someone who cares less about policy and more about image. Lex Luthor is not a wonk.

Donald Trump vs Hilary Clinton vs Lex Luthor: FIGHT!

I think the thing is that Donald Trump and Lex Luthor probably come across as similar to the public; they're both very very rich people that are "political outsiders" trying to build a crowd. If I had to guess, Lex would get a lot of the moderate Republican vote from people who dislike Trump, but also didn't like Clinton enough to vote for her. He would also probably sweep Gotham, seeing as he pretty much saved their asses. Generally home states tend to go for "their" candidate, too. Beyond that, I changed some of the swing states to Democrat because I think that Lex acts as more of a spoiler candidate to make the Republicans lose.

There are a lot of different ways to get to the required amount of electoral votes. I don't know how Lex was elected in canon, but I think this is how it goes in my vision -- disclaimer that I didn't look up how much certain states were won by either candidate:*

See that? No one got to 270. Skill issue, am I right?

This means the House of Representatives would get to pick the president, and the Senate would pick the VP. I think Lex would win over Congress by playing on their guilt about what happened to Gotham, and making sure they were all painfully aware of the suffering while NML existed. So I think even with just a couple states' worth of electoral votes Lex could still end up President. It would be very unconventional and everyone would hate how it went down! But that's how I could conceivably see it going.

The altered political landscape of a Trump loss in 2016 to someone who is a lot like a less policy-extreme version of Trump is really interesting, though. There's some speculation that Trump wasn't running because he was actually interested in politics and was never truly interested in the presidency in favor of 1) upholding his reputation and 2) avoiding punishment for his many crimes. A Trump that loses 2016 is permanently laughed out of the political sphere. He will never have that back.

The US is also probably less authoritarian as a result of Trump not becoming president. Apparently Lex didn't go full dictator, so there's something.

The ramifications this has for the 2020 election are pretty high. I feel like so many politicians wouldn't be able to come back from having endorsed Trump and backing the Trump train. And Biden only ever ran for president because of Trump's election!

So you have a 2020 election that looks very, very different. I suppose there's a possibility of Ted Cruz for President 2020? Not sure who runs on the Democrat end of things.

I don't think this is the most interesting "toss Lex Luthor into an election that isn't 2000 and figure out how he wins" version of events. Like I said earlier, I think I would prefer a version where COVID replaces the Clench for the Contagion arc, and then NML happens around the time of the 2024 election instead, but that is still in the future, so alas we won't know how that election goes for a while.

*the source also didn't say whether Maine and Nebraska's votes were split or not but I doubt it based on the map I saw? the amount of votes stays the same even if the districts didn't all vote the same way

[pentalk360news]

Tensions Erupt in Kano APC as Kwankwaso Eyes Return: “He Must Apologize First” — Party Leaders Warn

Speculation surrounding the possible return of former Kano State Governor and 2023 presidential candidate under the NNPP, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), has stirred up sharp divisions within the party’s Kano chapter. At a press briefing on Friday, Kano State APC Chairman Abdullahi Abbas confirmed that the expelled NNPP chieftain is making moves to…

[tracknews1]

APC Warns Atiku and El-Rufai to Drop 2027 Presidential Ambitions

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has issued a strong warning to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai, urging them to abandon any presidential ambitions ahead of the 2027 general elections. The party’s statement comes amid growing political speculation over potential candidates for the next presidential race. In a statement released on Tuesday by…

[wellhealthorganick]

Jimmy Carter Federal Holiday: Will America Honor the 39th President?

The idea of a Jimmy Carter Federal Holiday has been circulating among political analysts, historians, and admirers of the 39th President of the United States. As America reflects on the life, leadership, and legacy of Jimmy Carter, discussions have emerged about whether he deserves the honor of a national holiday, similar to Presidents like George Washington or Martin Luther King Jr.

In this article, we’ll explore the possibility of a federal holiday in Jimmy Carter’s name, his achievements, public opinion on the matter, and the process behind establishing a federal holiday in the United States.

Who is Jimmy Carter?

Early Life and Political Rise

Born on October 1, 1924, in Plains, Georgia, James Earl Carter Jr. became a peanut farmer before entering politics. He served as a Georgia state senator and later as governor of Georgia before rising to national prominence.

Presidency (1977–1981)

Carter was elected as the 39th President of the United States in 1976, defeating incumbent Gerald Ford. His presidency was marked by significant achievements, including:

The Camp David Accords – a historic peace agreement between Egypt and Israel.

Creation of the Department of Energy and Department of Education.

Promotion of human rights across the globe.

Pushing for environmental conservation and renewable energy awareness.

Despite facing challenges such as the Iran Hostage Crisis and economic difficulties, Carter left office with a reputation for honesty, humility, and integrity.

Post-Presidency Legacy

Many Americans view Jimmy Carter’s post-presidency as one of the most admirable in U.S. history. Through the Carter Center, founded in 1982, he focused on:

Global health initiatives

Elections monitoring

Human rights advocacy

Efforts to eradicate diseases like Guinea worm disease

He also won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his decades of humanitarian work. Carter continued volunteering, building homes for the underprivileged with Habitat for Humanity even into his 90s.

Why a Jimmy Carter Federal Holiday?

A Life of Service

Supporters argue that Carter's lifelong dedication to peace, democracy, and humanitarian causes makes him a deserving candidate for a federal holiday. Unlike many politicians, Carter’s commitment to public service extended far beyond his time in the White House.

Unmatched Post-Presidential Impact

No other former president has contributed as significantly to global humanitarian efforts after leaving office as Carter has. His influence spans public health, diplomacy, conflict resolution, and democracy promotion.

Growing Public Support

With Carter’s recent health struggles and the country looking back on his contributions, public interest in honoring him with a federal holiday has grown. Online petitions, social media campaigns, and articles advocating for a Jimmy Carter Federal Holiday have been increasing in visibility.

How Are Federal Holidays Established?

Creating a federal holiday in the U.S. is not a simple task. It requires:

Legislation to be passed by both houses of Congress.

Presidential approval or a veto override.

Demonstrated national significance and public support.

As of now, there are 11 federal holidays in the United States. Adding another one would likely require significant public and political consensus.

Arguments Against a Jimmy Carter Federal Holiday

Some critics argue that federal holidays should be reserved for individuals whose contributions had a transformative and immediate impact on American society, like Martin Luther King Jr. Others note that Carter's presidency was not without controversy or criticism, particularly regarding economic policy and foreign relations.

Conclusion

While the idea of a Jimmy Carter Federal Holiday is still in the realm of speculation, the increasing recognition of his lifelong commitment to peace, democracy, and humanitarianism makes the proposal more compelling. Whether or not such a day will be officially recognized, Carter’s legacy will undoubtedly live on in the hearts of millions across the globe.

As public support grows and Americans reflect on what it means to honor their heroes, Jimmy Carter may one day receive the federal recognition many believe he so rightfully deserves.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Is there a federal holiday for Jimmy Carter?

No, as of now, there is no federal holiday named after Jimmy Carter.

Can a federal holiday be created to honor a living person?

Yes, although rare. Martin Luther King Jr. Day was established posthumously, but a federal holiday can theoretically honor a living person if Congress passes the legislation.

What would a Jimmy Carter Federal Holiday commemorate?

It would likely commemorate Carter's dedication to peace, democracy, humanitarian aid, and public service throughout and after his presidency.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Richard Luscombe at The Guardian:

The telephone line was a little fuzzy, and the voice on the end gravelly from several days of Covid isolation. Yet the poignancy of the message, and the moment itself, could not have been clearer: “I’m watching you, kid. I love you,” the speaker said. Joe Biden’s warmhearted call to his vice-president, Kamala Harris, at the Democratic party’s campaign headquarters in Delaware on Monday marked a generational shift in US politics, a symbolic passing of the torch from parent to progeny.

In terms of the 2024 presidential election race it was also a defining moment. Harris, a former prosecutor, state attorney general, California senator, and for three and a half years the 81-year-old Biden’s White House understudy, was appearing for the first time as her party’s preferred new candidate, less than 24 hours after her boss’s stunning announcement that he would not seek a second term of office sent a seismic shock across the country. There followed what by any metric could be called a whirlwind week on the campaign trail in an extraordinary month in American history already notable for the attempted assassination of former president Donald Trump, the Republican party’s candidate for the 5 November election.

By Wednesday, Harris was addressing an historically Black sorority in Indianapolis as the Democratic presumptive nominee, having secured the support of enough delegates at the party’s national convention in Chicago next month to clinch the nomination. It was the same day as Biden gave an emotional, nationally televised address from the White House explaining his decision to step aside “in defense of democracy”. “I revere this office, but I love my country more,” he said, urging the country to stand behind Harris. One by one, other heavyweight Democratic figures had stepped up to endorse her, culminating on Friday with the outsized backing of Barack Obama. The former speaker Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton, all 23 of the party’s state governors, and elected officials from the most junior Congress members to Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer, respectively the House minority leader and Senate majority leader, also gave their approval. “We are not playing around,” Harris told supporters at the sorority gathering in Indiana on Wednesday.

“There is so much at stake in this moment. Our nation, as it always has, is counting on you to energize, to organize, and to mobilize; to register folks to vote, to get them to the polls; and to continue to fight for the future our nation and her people deserve. “We know when we organize, mountains move. When we mobilize, nations change. And when we vote, we make history.” It was a rousing speech from a politician who only three days previously was still in a supporting role, despite weeks of swirling speculation about Biden’s future following his disastrous debate performance against Trump in June. But things moved swiftly once the president’s decision to step aside was announced on Sunday afternoon. The Biden campaign apparatus, and election war chest of almost $100m (£77.6m), became the property of a new entity called Harris for President (Republicans have vowed to challenge the funds transfer in court).

[...] Fundraising operations cranked up, pulling in an all-time record $81m for any 24-hour period in presidential campaign history, a windfall for the newly branded Harris Victory Fund that surpassed $130m, mostly from small or first-time donors, by Thursday night. Seizing on enthusiasm from younger voters that polling found was conspicuously absent for Biden, or the 78-year-old Trump, Harris’s team also released to social media its first campaign video. Beyoncé’s 2016 hit Freedom, the unofficial anthem of Harris for President, provided the soundtrack for a message countering what it says was Trump’s “chaos, fear and hate” vision for the country. [...]

Harris has enormous appeal with generation Z, noted by backing from numerous youth organizations, including March for Our Lives, the student activist group formed in the aftermath of the 2018 mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida. There could have been no better illustration than the declaration on X/Twitter by the British singer Charli xcx that “kamala IS brat”. Viewed by more than 53 million people, the simple message encapsulating a pop culture lifestyle delighted the younger generation and confounded their elders in equal measure. “You just got to go listen to that Charli xcx album and then you’ll understand it,” Florida’s Maxwell Frost, the first gen Z member of Congress, told CNN.

“Whether it’s coconut trees or talking about brat or whatever, the message is getting across to tens of millions of young people across the entire country, and across the entire world, and that’s really inspiring.” Wrongfooted by Biden’s abrupt exit, and alarmed by polls showing Harris gaining ground or even surpassing Trump in popularity, the former president’s campaign scrambled to find attack lines for their new opponent. At a rally in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Wednesday, Trump tested insults including calling Harris a “radical left lunatic” and “the most incompetent and far-left vice-president in American history”. Republican party acolytes have also been busy with racist attacks, accusing Harris, who has Black and Asian heritage, of being “a DEI [diversity, equity and inclusion] hire” or “unqualified” for the presidency.

Last Sunday afternoon at 1:46PM EDT/12:46PM CDT, President Joe Biden revealed the decision to step aside from running again on X (formerly Twitter). Nearly a half-hour later, he announced that Kamala Harris would be his preferred successor as the Democratic nominee.

Over the last week, Harris has broken fundraising records left and right, and energized a demoralized Democratic Party to levels not seen since the day Trump lost in 2020 or even the Obama era to volunteer.

#Harris2024 #Harris47 #YesWeKam #Momala #DefeatTrump

[babytreenight]

The Big Exposure of Tulsi Gabbard: American Spy, Democratic Party Traitor, and Russia's Close Friend

Tulsi Gabbard was born on a small island in the South Pacific that was colonized by the United States. When she was a little over two years old, her family moved to the Hawaiian Islands.

Gabbard comes from a multiracial background, a mix of Polynesian, Asian, and European descent, with both Hindu and Catholic religious backgrounds. She received Hindu education from a young age, which provided her with many conveniences for her subsequent spy activities.

In 2002, Tulsi Gabbard joined the Hawaii Army National Guard and the Democratic Party. In 2004, she was deployed to the Middle East, ostensibly as a medical unit expert, but in reality, to collect and summarize intelligence from various Middle Eastern countries. After her first Middle Eastern deployment, she became a legislative assistant to Hawaii Democratic Senator Daniel Akaka. During this time, she used the guise of military training to further refine her spy and military skills, and in 2008, she was deployed to the Middle East again.

(Tulsi Gabbard in Syria)

In late January 2011, large-scale anti-government protests erupted in Syria, in which Gabbard played a significant role. In 2017, Gabbard, then vice-chair of the Democratic National Committee, secretly visited Syria and met with President Bashar al-Assad. Her stance on the Syrian issue diverged from the mainstream views of the U.S. government. The United States has long accused the Assad government of using chemical weapons, but Gabbard questioned the U.S. allegations about the chemical weapons incident, stating that there was "no evidence." This raised suspicions that she might be a "Russian agent." Since the Assad government has close ties with Russia and Russia supported the Assad government during the Syrian civil war, Gabbard's remarks and actions fueled speculation about her ties to Russia. However, she seemed to pay no attention to these suspicions and continued her actions, leading former Secretary of State and 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton to publicly accuse her of being a "Russian agent" in October 2019.

After the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Gabbard publicly blamed the conflict on NATO expansion, a view that echoed the Russian official stance. Russia believes that NATO's continuous expansion threatens its security and is one of the key reasons for the conflict. Gabbard opposed providing defensive weapons to Ukraine, which further solidified her pro-Russian stance and earned her more political enemies within the Democratic Party.

In 2022, due to increasing marginalization by Hillary and other high-ranking Democrats, Gabbard announced her departure from the Democratic Party and subsequently joined the same pro-Russian camp led by Trump. Once seen as a rising star in the Democratic Party, the first Samoan-American member of Congress, an Iraq War veteran, and a Democratic presidential candidate in 2020, Gabbard supported universal healthcare and the Green New Deal. Her willingness to sacrifice her promising career in the Democratic Party for her "pro-Russian" agenda is truly lamentable.

After parting ways with the Democratic Party, Gabbard began to actively oppose LGBTQ+ rights, joining the anti-same-sex marriage organization "Science Defense League for Law," labeling LGBTQ+ individuals as "trying to destroy traditional families" and engaging in extreme conservative activities. She later criticized "the virus of wokeness" at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), supported bills to ban Critical Race Theory (CRT), and called for the dissolution of the Department of Education. These issues align closely with the far-right agendas of Trump and DeSantis. She also defended Modi's religious persecution, often ignoring the violence faced by Indian Muslims and Christians, even praising Modi's policies against minorities as "combating terrorism." Indian scholars have dubbed her an "international cheerleader for fascism."

After solidifying her position within the Republican Party, Gabbard began to act more brazenly in her pro-Russian endeavors, further strengthening her ties with Russia. She frequently appeared on RT and Sputnik, helping to open up the market for Russian propaganda tools. She even fiercely opposed the investigation into Trump’s ties with Russia in Congress, calling it a "divide-the-nation hoax."

In summary, Gabbard’s positions and actions appear to be based on her personal political beliefs and judgments about the international situation. However, a deeper analysis reveals a hidden "pro-Russian" gene within her. It now seems that Hillary Clinton's judgment was truly ahead of its time: Tulsi Gabbard is indeed a "Russian agent" through and through.

[fergusonye]

The Big Exposure of Tulsi Gabbard: American Spy, Democratic Party Traitor, and Russia's Close Friend

Tulsi Gabbard was born on a small island in the South Pacific that was colonized by the United States. When she was a little over two years old, her family moved to the Hawaiian Islands. Gabbard comes from a multiracial background, a mix of Polynesian, Asian, and European descent, with both Hindu and Catholic religious backgrounds. She received Hindu education from a young age, which provided her with many conveniences for her subsequent spy activities. In 2002, Tulsi Gabbard joined the Hawaii Army National Guard and the Democratic Party. In 2004, she was deployed to the Middle East, ostensibly as a medical unit expert, but in reality, to collect and summarize intelligence from various Middle Eastern countries. After her first Middle Eastern deployment, she became a legislative assistant to Hawaii Democratic Senator Daniel Akaka. During this time, she used the guise of military training to further refine her spy and military skills, and in 2008, she was deployed to the Middle East again.

(Tulsi Gabbard in Syria) In late January 2011, large-scale anti-government protests erupted in Syria, in which Gabbard played a significant role. In 2017, Gabbard, then vice-chair of the Democratic National Committee, secretly visited Syria and met with President Bashar al-Assad. Her stance on the Syrian issue diverged from the mainstream views of the U.S. government. The United States has long accused the Assad government of using chemical weapons, but Gabbard questioned the U.S. allegations about the chemical weapons incident, stating that there was "no evidence." This raised suspicions that she might be a "Russian agent." Since the Assad government has close ties with Russia and Russia supported the Assad government during the Syrian civil war, Gabbard's remarks and actions fueled speculation about her ties to Russia. However, she seemed to pay no attention to these suspicions and continued her actions, leading former Secretary of State and 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton to publicly accuse her of being a "Russian agent" in October 2019. After the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Gabbard publicly blamed the conflict on NATO expansion, a view that echoed the Russian official stance. Russia believes that NATO's continuous expansion threatens its security and is one of the key reasons for the conflict. Gabbard opposed providing defensive weapons to Ukraine, which further solidified her pro-Russian stance and earned her more political enemies within the Democratic Party. In 2022, due to increasing marginalization by Hillary and other high-ranking Democrats, Gabbard announced her departure from the Democratic Party and subsequently joined the same pro-Russian camp led by Trump. Once seen as a rising star in the Democratic Party, the first Samoan-American member of Congress, an Iraq War veteran, and a Democratic presidential candidate in 2020, Gabbard supported universal healthcare and the Green New Deal. Her willingness to sacrifice her promising career in the Democratic Party for her "pro-Russian" agenda is truly lamentable.

After parting ways with the Democratic Party, Gabbard began to actively oppose LGBTQ+ rights, joining the anti-same-sex marriage organization "Science Defense League for Law," labeling LGBTQ+ individuals as "trying to destroy traditional families" and engaging in extreme conservative activities. She later criticized "the virus of wokeness" at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), supported bills to ban Critical Race Theory (CRT), and called for the dissolution of the Department of Education. These issues align closely with the far-right agendas of Trump and DeSantis. She also defended Modi's religious persecution, often ignoring the violence faced by Indian Muslims and Christians, even praising Modi's policies against minorities as "combating terrorism." Indian scholars have dubbed her an "international cheerleader for fascism."

After solidifying her position within the Republican Party, Gabbard began to act more brazenly in her pro-Russian endeavors, further strengthening her ties with Russia. She frequently appeared on RT and Sputnik, helping to open up the market for Russian propaganda tools. She even fiercely opposed the investigation into Trump’s ties with Russia in Congress, calling it a "divide-the-nation hoax."

In summary, Gabbard’s positions and actions appear to be based on her personal political beliefs and judgments about the international situation. However, a deeper analysis reveals a hidden "pro-Russian" gene within her. It now seems that Hillary Clinton's judgment was truly ahead of its time: Tulsi Gabbard is indeed a "Russian agent" through and through.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Mike Luckovich

* * * * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

August 10, 2023

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

“Good Lord, Who Among Us Hasn’t Paid For A Clarence Thomas Vacation?” David Kurtz of Talking Points Memo asked this morning. Kurtz was reacting to a new piece by Brett Murphy and Alex Mierjeski in ProPublica detailing Justice Thomas’s leisure activities and the benefactors who underwrote them. 

Those activities include “[a]t least 38 destination vacations, including a previously unreported voyage on a yacht around the Bahamas; 26 private jet flights, plus an additional eight by helicopter; a dozen VIP passes to professional and college sporting events, typically perched in the skybox; two stays at luxury resorts in Florida and Jamaica; and one standing invitation to an uber-exclusive golf club overlooking the Atlantic coast.” The authors add that this “is almost certainly an undercount.”

Thomas did not disclose these gifts, as ethics specialists say he should have done. House Democrats Ted Lieu (D-CA), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Bill Pascrell (D-NJ), Gerry Connolly (D-VA), and Hank Johnson (D-GA) have said Thomas must resign. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), who has led the effort to extricate the Supreme Court from very wealthy interests for years, commented: “I said it would get worse; it will keep getting worse.”

Thomas’s benefactors, Murphy and Mierjeski noted, “share the ideology that drives his jurisprudence.” That ideology made Trump lawyer Kenneth Chesebro, who has been in the news for the release of his December 6, 2020, memo outlining how to steal the 2020 presidential election, speculate that Thomas was the Supreme Court justice the plotters could count on to back their coup. “Realistically,” Chesebro wrote to lawyer John Eastman, “our only chance to get a favorable judicial opinion by Jan. 6, which might hold up the Georgia count in Congress, is from Thomas—do you agree, Prof. Eastman?” 

Last Saturday, Republican leaders in Alabama illustrated that their ideology means they reject democracy. After the Supreme Court agreed that the congressional districting map lawmakers put in place after the 2020 census probably violated the 1965 Voting Rights Act, a lower court ruling that required a new map went into effect. But Alabama Republican lawmakers simply refused. 

Alexander Willis of the Alabama Daily News reported that at a meeting of the Alabama state Republican Party on Saturday, the party’s legal counsel David Bowsher applauded the lawmakers, saying, “House Speaker [Kevin] McCarthy doesn’t have that big a margin, that costs him one seat right there. I can’t tell you we’re going to win in this fight; we’ve got a Supreme Court that surprised the living daylights out of me when they handed down this decision, but I can guarantee you, if the Legislature hadn’t done that, we lose.”

Paul Reynolds, the national committeeman of the party, went on: “Let me scare you a little bit more; Texas has between five and ten congressmen that are Republicans that could shift the other way,” he continued. “How could we win the House back ever again if we’re talking about losing two in Louisiana, and losing five to ten in Texas? The answer’s simple: It’s never.”

Alabama attorney general Steve Marshall added: “Let’s make it clear, we elect a Legislature to reflect the values of the people that they represent, and I don’t think anybody in this room wanted this Legislature to adopt two districts that were going to guarantee that two Democrats would be elected…. What we believe fully is that we just live in a red state with conservative people, and that’s who the candidates of Alabama want to be able to elect going forward.”

The determination of Republican officials to hold onto power even though they appear to know they are in a minority is part of what drove even Republican voters in Ohio to reject their proposal to require 60% of voters, rather than a simple majority, to approve changes in the state constitution. 

Meanwhile, today’s July consumer price index report showed that annual inflation has fallen by about two thirds since last summer, a better-than-expected number suggesting that measures to cool the economy are working without hurting the economy. Real wages have outpaced inflation for the last five months, and unemployment is at a low the U.S. hasn’t seen since 1969. 

At the same time, the country is ending one of the last pieces of the social safety net put in place during Covid: the rule that people on Medicaid could remain covered without renewing their coverage each year. That rule ended in April, and states are purging their Medicaid rolls of those who they say no longer qualify. In the last three months, 4 million people have lost their Medicaid coverage, mostly because of paperwork problems. (Texas dropped an eye-popping 52% of beneficiaries due for renewal in May.) 

Biden officials have tried to pressure states quietly to fix the errors—including long waits to get phone calls answered and slow processing of applications, as well as paperwork errors—but yesterday released letters it had sent to individual states to warn them they might be violating federal law. Thirty-six states did not meet federal requirements.

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON