#Perry Bacon Jr. and

[tomorrowusa]

« The contest between former president Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris seems so high-stakes and fraught because it is: One vision of American culture will prevail, and another will be defeated. »

— Perry Bacon Jr. at the Washington Post.

Make sure that it's our vision which prevails. Get people you know registered and to the polls. Be a precinct captain to your friends

If you live in or close to a swing state, your help is especially needed. But you can be of great assistance even in a deep red or deep blue state.

Volunteer | Kamala Harris for President

[2bpoliticallycurious]

Perry Bacon Jr. makes a strong case for shaming far right justices as the only way to rein them in, given that Democrats don’t have enough votes in Congress to pass legislation to reform the judiciary (such as imposing term limits or an ethics code for the Supreme Court).  Below are some excerpts [all emphasis added]:

Democratic politicians, left-leaning activist groups, newspaper editorial boards and other influential people and institutions need to start relentlessly blasting Republican-appointed judges. A sustained campaign of condemnation isn’t going to push these judges to write liberal opinions, but it could chasten them toward more moderate ones. [...] With little ability to formally limit the power of conservative judges, there are only informal means left. 

So when lower-court Republican-appointed judges suspended Biden’s student loan cancellation policy, the president should have immediately brought some people struggling with college debt to the White House for a news conference where both he and the college debtors would blast those judges by name (Ralph R. Erickson, L. Steven Grasz, Mark T. Pittman and Bobby E. Shepherd, all appointed by Republican presidents). 

He should do the same to the Trump appointees (Kurt D. Engelhardt, Don R. Willett, Cory T. Wilson) who last year issued a ruling, which is being appealed, that would cripple the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the three judges who recently decided that people under restraining orders because of domestic violence accusations should have the right to buy guns. (The three judges include Wilson and Trump appointees James Ho and Reagan-appointee Edith Jones.)

[See more under the cut.]

There will be arguments that such high-profile criticism would put judges in physical danger. I obviously oppose violence. But judges are powerful figures setting policy — they should get as much scrutiny as elected officials. No one argues that Biden is imperiling the life of Florida Republican Rick Scott, even though the president has repeatedly named Scott while criticizing the senator’s Social Security proposals.

While the president should highlight the worst rulings, he doesn’t have time to attack them all. So there should be a high-profile Democratic politician in a safe seat (perhaps House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York) who each week holds a news conference to slam the most extreme rulings by GOP judges.

And Senate Democrats should hold hearings on the judiciary in the mold of the Jan. 6 commission, with compelling witnesses and videos. Republican-appointed judges have been just as damaging to American democracy as Trump has been (if not more so), just in a less obvious way. That needs to be explained to the American public.

The criticism of these judges should be plain-spoken. We should end the veneer that judges are somehow separate from partisanship. So it’s important to say, “Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., a Republican,” not “conservative-leaning Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr.” or “Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., a Republican appointee. (This is an idea from legal writer Jay Willis of the website Balls and Strikes.)

We should describe the impact of Republican judicial rulings in straightforward terms. For example, “The Republican judges are making it easier to discriminate against gay and lesbian people” (what the judges describe as protecting religious freedom).

And there is no need to wait until the rulings are issued to start the criticism. The Supreme Court seems poised to rule against affirmative action policies this summer. So, Democratic politicians should be holding events at college campuses, with a message along the lines of “I want this to be a diverse school, with sufficient numbers of Black and Latino students. Samuel A. Alito Jr., Amy Coney Barrett, Neil M. Gorsuch, Brett M. Kavanaugh, John G. Roberts Jr. and Clarence Thomas, why don’t you want that, too? What’s wrong with you?”

There is a group of judges, mostly appointed by Trump, who regularly issue extreme rulings.

For example, conservative activists constantly steer cases to Texas-based Trump appointee Matthew Kacsmaryk, knowing he will always take the Republican position. People on the left should make judges such as Kacsmaryk as infamous as, say, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R). After all, these judges have way more power than the Georgia congresswoman does. [...] But the real goal is to make Republican judges less conservative in their rulings right now. Why would that happen? Because many judges care deeply about their reputations. They want to be seen more as umpires than politicians. I’m not guessing — several Republican-appointed Supreme Court justices have complained about being cast as Republican partisans.

This kind of shaming has already been shown to work. After intense criticism from liberals about the court’s usage of the shadow docket to issue conservative rulings without even hearing arguments, the court has stopped using the practice as often. Many of the opinions of Kavanaugh, who is now the court’s swing justice, seem almost intentionally written to minimize public blowback. He seems to want to be respected by people across the political spectrum as a fair-minded judge. People on the left need to make clear he won’t get that respect if all he does is issue opinions that align with what the Republican Party wants. [...] In their thinking about the judiciary, Democrats should be more like Trump. While in office, Trump criticized a ruling he didn’t like by casting the judge who wrote it as an “Obama judge.” Roberts then issued a sanctimonious statement, “We do not have Obama judges or Trump judges, Bush judges or Clinton judges.”

But at least right now, Trump is right. Roberts and his colleagues are acting like Republicans, not judges — and Democrats should say that loudly and often.

[emphasis added]

[joe-england]

Do Kentucky's Residents Agree With KY's Extreme Laws? Desi Lydic Investi...

[protoslacker]

Direct link to thread.

Thomas Zimmer is a German academic and visiting professor of history at Georgetown.  Perhaps his, “So far, the response has been utterly inadequate.” isn’t comming off as his hair’s on fire. But he really does seem shocked by the lack of mainstream outrage over this assualt on democracy. On  the Is This Democracy podcast Zimmer along with Lilliana Mason and Perry Bacon, Jr. discuss this issue: 13. The Murder of Tyre Nichols, the Authoritarian Takeover of Florida Education, and the Case *for* Teaching “CRT” --the  Florida  stuff begins around the 25 minute mark

[sporadiceagleheart]

You're Tears the lord Jesus Christ will wipe It all away He's gonna wipe all of your tears away and make everything alright you got to hold on You can hold on school shooting victims including that Perry high school victim in January 2024 God healed them all and put wings and Halo on them lifted them up towards heaven we all can see then in spirit they may not be here with us anymore but they can still be here in our hearts it's alright to cry sometimes Because they are angels above us every year in heaven believe that here's the names of the victims Jeremiah Small, Dr Eugene P “Gene” Segro, Delano B Middleton, Sophie Jane “Soph” Lockwood-North, Charlotte Bacon, Charlotte Louise Dunn, Daniel Barden, Dr Liviu Librescu, Emily Morten, Jonathan Martinez, Russell Dennis King Jr., Emily Maureen Ellen Keyes, Rachael Elizabeth Hill, Kelly Ann Fleming, Paige Ann Herring, Demetrius C. “D” Hewlin, Randy Michael Gordon, Robert Nicholas “Nick” Creson, Ryan Christopher “Stack” Clark, Vivian Oletta Hart, Iola Irene Hart, Todd Terrell Brown, Shana Lorraine Fisher May 9, 2002 ~ May 18, 2018 16 Years Old, Adriana “Adri” Dukić, Kayla Renee Rolland, Natalie Danielle Brooks, Hallie Scruggs, Hana St. Juliana, Alyssa Miriam Alhadeff, Olivia Engel, Makenna Lee Elrod, Annabell Guadalupe Rodriguez, Maite Yuleana Rodriguez, Rojelio Fernandez Torres, Eliahna “Ellie or Elle” Torres, Jailah Nicole Silguero, Layla Marie Salazar, Alexandria Aniyah “Lexi” Rubio, Alithia Haven Ramirez, Eva Mireles, Maranda Gail Mathis, Tess Marie Mata, Jayce Carmelo Luevanos, Uziyah Sergio “Uzi” Garcia, Irma Linda Garcia, Jacklyn Jaylen “Jackie” Cazares, Nevaeh Alyssa Bravo, Cassie René Bernall, Corey Tyler DePooter, Melissa Helen Currie, Dr Maria Ragland Davis, Rachel Marie D'Avino, Kevin Allan Hasell, Josephine Grace “Joey” Gay, Dawn Alyson Lafferty Hochsprung, Madeleine Feng “Maddie” Hsu, Catherine Violet Hubbard, Stephanie Dawn Johnson, David Charles Kerr, John Alfred Klang, Jesse McCord Lewis, Mhairi Isabel Macbeath, Ana Grace Márquez-Greene, Grace Audrey “Gracie” McDonnell, Abigail Joanne “Abbie” McLennan, Anne Marie McGowan Murphy, Emilie Alice “Em” Parker, and I'll mention the rest in my next same edit

[bowlsbowlsalltypeabowls]

Why do I listen to the stupid 538 podcast when their SCOTUS reporter obviously didn't read anything to do with the student debt case?! She didn't even know the correct amount of forgiveness! Also, she didn't know any of the standing issues or legal authority. Do! Your! Job! Disney laid off their science reporter that I actually liked but kept this bitch?!

Ugh I listen because the idea of having current events contextualized with polling kind of appeals to me because I totally live in a bubble but I don't think I've really enjoyed an episode since Perry Bacon Jr left like 2 years ago.

[dabrean]

Check it out

[sarasa-cat]

Opinion | Post columnists respond
The newspaper’s refusal to endorse a presidential candidate is a mistake.

Opinion by 11 Post Opinions columnists
October 25, 2024 at 3:50 p.m. PT


The Washington Post’s decision not to make an endorsement in the presidential campaign is a terrible mistake. It represents an abandonment of the fundamental editorial convictions of the newspaper that we love, and for which we have worked a combined 275 years. This is a moment for the institution to be making clear its commitment to democratic values, the rule of law and international alliances, and the threat that Donald Trump poses to them — the precise points The Post made in endorsing Trump’s opponents in 2016 and 2020. There is no contradiction between The Post’s important role as an independent newspaper and its practice of making political endorsements, both as a matter of guidance to readers and as a statement of core beliefs. That has never been more true than in the current campaign. An independent newspaper might someday choose to back away from making presidential endorsements. But this isn’t the right moment, when one candidate is advocating positions that directly threaten freedom of the press and the values of the Constitution.

Perry Bacon Jr.
E.J. Dionne Jr.
Lee Hockstader
David Ignatius
Heather Long
Ruth Marcus
Dana Milbank
Catherine Rampell
Eugene Robinson
Jennifer Rubin
Karen Tumulty

Ann Telnaes is an editorial cartoonist for The Washington Post. She won the Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning in 2001 and was a finalist for the prize in 2022.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/10/25/ann-telnaes-cartoon-donald-trump-kamala-harris-washington-post/

[contemplatingoutlander]

An important commentary by Perry Bacon Jr. writing for The Washington Post. Here are some excerpts:

But I hoped that the threat of Trumpism might reverse these patterns, for a simple reason: The post-2020-election Republican Party has gone crazy. Many of the party’s leading figures refuse to acknowledge President Biden’s victory. A wave of GOP-controlled states has passed laws to make it harder to vote and to learn about the United States’ racial history. Numerous GOP leaders have fought policies such as mask-wearing to limit the spread of covid-19.

[....]

But Virginia and New Jersey contradict what happened in California and suggest that many voters aren’t too bothered by a Trump-like Republican Party as long as Trump isn’t in the White House.

[....]

But even though Youngkin isn’t as bad as Trump, he has nonetheless flirted with some of the worst of Trumpism, at one point refusing to acknowledge Biden won the election and throughout the election casting critical race theory as a threat. It would have been great if Virginia decisively rebuked a candidate who traffics in even small amounts of Trumpism.

[....]

But at least right now, the results from New Jersey and Virginia suggest a reversion to normal — that the 2022 election will feature a GOP base that is more motivated than the Democratic one, along with a small bloc of voters swinging to the GOP. In normal circumstances, I’d see that as a bad thing, since my policy views are closer to the Democrats. A person with traditional Republican policy views would no doubt disagree. But in our current abnormal circumstance, with U.S. democracy on the precipice because of the extremism of the current GOP, everyone needs to understand that normal could well be catastrophic.

[poor-boy-orpheus]

You know you don’t get out much when you’re reading a news piece and recognize the journalist just by the writing style.

[tomorrowusa]

I will not give up on living in a country that respects the votes and power of Black Americans. You shouldn’t either.

Perry Bacon Jr. at the Washington Post. 

People in the civil rights movement persisted for many years. The US never would have passed the monumental civil rights legislation of the 1960s if activists had looked at occasional setbacks and given up because the obstacles seemed insurmountable at the time.

When barriers are put in the way of progress they should be seen as a challenge to work harder and more creatively to get around them.

The Republican white supremacist voter suppression laws in some states can be undermined by organizing to help people vote in large numbers the old school way. It does require more effort and time to do things like that – but so do necessary detours to get around road hazards.

There is a way forward, even if it’s not always the most uncomplicated path. 

[greenjudy]

“White appeasement leads to policies that hurt people of color. It incentivizes public humiliations of prominent people of color. It results in civil rights causes and candidates of color being sidelined. And it’s of limited and diminishing electoral value. The party needs to stop and think hard — every single time — before it turns to this deeply troubling, increasingly outmoded reflex.”

An excellent piece by Perry Bacon, Jr. 

I first got to know his work when he was a senior writer for Five Thirty-Eight - I think he’s just gotten cooler since then. 

Note: this is a ‘gift’ article I received as a subscriber; you should be able to get there through the link without getting paywalled. 

[odinsblog]

“Democratic centrists suffered setbacks that should keep them in check

Because the Republican Party is so terrible, I want Democrats to win any seat they can. That said, I am often leery of the tactics of some Democratic candidates, particularly from the party’s more centrist bloc. Many of those tactics failed this week — which should ensure that they don’t spread within the party.

Rep. Tim Ryan, running for a Senate seat in Ohio, sharply criticized Biden’s student loan cancellation and implied (inaccurately in my view) that the Democratic Party is writing off states that don’t have lots of college graduates.

If Ryan had won in this red state, his approach would have been hailed as what Democrats must do to win, even though it’s really just pandering to moderate and conservative-leaning White men. But Ryan lost to Republican J.D. Vance by about 7 percentage points.

In Florida’s U.S. Senate race, the Democratic candidate, Rep. Val Demings, emphasized her tenure as Orlando’s police chief and repeatedly rebuked activists who have called for defunding the police. I hope Demings’s crushing defeat (by more than 16 points) shows Democrats that whatever electoral problems they have related to crime, policing and race, those aren’t going to be solved by trying to out-cop the Republicans.

Democratic policies did even better than Democratic candidates

South Dakota voted to expand Medicaid. Kentucky rejected an antiabortion amendment to its constitution. Missouri voters legalized marijuana. Democratic candidates resoundingly lost in these states.

There were a lot of progressive ballot initiatives this year adopted on those issues and others, in both red and blue states. This continues a pattern — Democratic policies were passed by referendums throughout the 2010s even as Republicans kept winning elections.

I would trade in a heartbeat Michigan and Minnesota going blue at the state level and all of those successful progressive ballot initiatives in exchange for Democrats keeping the House and Senate. Congress is just hugely important. I’m not sure a party can consider it a good election cycle if it loses a house in Congress, as still seems very possible for Democrats.”

— The 2022 Midterms in Review (by Perry Bacon, Jr.)

(continue reading)

[marvelsmostwanted]

Hey American voters! 🇺🇸

Guess what?!!

🚨 It’s time to start worrying about the 2022 and 2024 elections. 🚨

(Yeah. We really gotta do this. It's... not looking great.)

Long story short:

Republicans have been working hard since the 2020 election to enact voter suppression laws, overturn election results, and set themselves up to steal the 2024 presidential election if necessary.

You’ve probably heard about the Georgia voter suppression law. But did you know that “Stop the Steal” conspiracy theorist Republicans are running to be election officials like Secretary of State in several swing states, setting themselves up to overturn future elections? They are dismantling democracy before our eyes.

So what’s the worst case scenario?

...Well, let’s start with the realistic scenario.

Republicans are likely to take back the House in 2022. They are possibly capable of doing it through gerrymandering alone. Is it possible for Democrats to keep the House? Yes, but it will take a huge effort.

Republicans could also win back the Senate since it's currently 50-50 and Democrats only have a narrow majority because we won the presidency.

Even if Republicans only win back the House, the Biden administration would legislatively accomplish very little from 2022-2024. Republicans would have the power to impeach Biden for no reason and cause another constitutional crisis, enable gerrymandering and voter suppression laws, and block any Democratic priorities from becoming law (gun control, climate change, and healthcare are just a few things that would be off the table entirely).

Then comes 2024.

Donald Trump is the most likely Republican candidate to run and win in 2024. In a recent poll (May 2021), 66% of Republicans indicated that they would vote for Trump again.

Yes, Trump can run even if he’s indicted on criminal charges. He can run even if he’s in prison!

Remember, although Biden won by 7 million votes, it was really a difference of about 44,000 votes in three swing states that prevented Trump from winning the Electoral College and becoming president again. That is a frighteningly small margin.

Even if the candidate isn’t Trump, this is still going to be a close election. 85% of Republicans say they would vote for a Trump-aligned candidate (same poll as above).

If Republicans win back or maintain control of Congress in 2024, this could set up an even more dangerous scenario:

The House has the power to choose the president if Congress does not award 270 electoral votes to either candidate.

How could that happen? Well, those "Stop the Steal" Republican election officials in swing states could refuse to certify the election, claiming fraud, and a close election could end up with neither candidate getting enough electoral votes. House Republicans could literally choose the next president without any input from voters and effectively end American democracy as we know it.

Because you know that Republicans will never let go of that power once they have it.

This is not far-fetched.

This is a realistic, highly likely scenario that will happen if we don’t do something to prevent it. Journalists and election experts are trying to sound the alarm, and we should listen:

New York Times - How Republicans Could Steal the 2024 Election

Washington Post - American democracy is in even worse shape than you think

Pod Save America - Stop the 2024 Steal (Discussion at 29:00)

LA Times - Trump’s allies are prepping to steal 2024 election

The only way to prevent this from becoming reality is to fight like hell against it. And I know we just did that in 2018 and 2020. But this fight isn't over until we restore and protect our democracy.

This isn’t about how much you like Biden & Harris, or even if you’re a Democrat in general. It’s about saving democracy in America.

What can we do about it?

Unfortunately, it’s going to be an uphill battle. But if we all engage in this fight, then we can make a difference.

TLDR, we need to raise awareness about the threat to democracy, encourage Democrats to end the filibuster and pass H.R.1 immediately, and organize, organize, organize to get voters back out there in 2022 and 2024.

Specific ways to help & additional resources below the cut.

How to help:

National Level:

*High priority: Call your Democratic Senator(s) right now and tell them to pass H.R.1, the For the People Act, with urgency.

*High priority: Call your Democratic Senator(s) right now and tell them that you are strongly in favor of ending the filibuster (Especially if your Senator is Manchin or Sinema.)

Call your Democratic Senator(s) and tell them to vote for the John Lewis Voting Rights Act.

Call your Republican Senator(s) and tell them you are in favor of all of the above, especially if you live in a swing state.

State Level:

*High priority: Find out who is running for state legislature and other positions that have control over elections, such as Secretary of State. Donate or volunteer for their campaigns. Spread the word amongst your family and friends and make sure they know who to vote for and the date of the election.

If no one is running against the Republican, consider running! I’m not joking. Or if you know someone who is qualified and/or interested in running, encourage them to do so.

Local Level:

*High priority: Same as on the state level: Find out who is running and support the person who is supporting democracy. Local election officials can have a huge impact, especially in swing states and counties. Spread the word about this candidate, the election date, registering to vote, where to vote, etc.

Again, if no one is running, consider running! Incumbents often stay in power because they are unchallenged. And a local position is a great way to get involved in politics and help your community.

Additional ways to help:

Make sure you are registered to vote.

Check in with 3 friends/family members and help them register to vote if they are not already.

Send reminders to friends/family to vote on Election Day - not just in November, but for special elections, local elections, etc.

Volunteer with a group specifically working to help progressives win elections: SwingLeft, EMILY’s List, etc.

Donate to the candidates you support early and often! One of the reasons Democratic House candidates struggled in 2020 was that a lot of money came in at the last minute. Donating early and/or on a monthly basis ensures that they have the funds to run a long, successful campaign.

More Info & Resources:

Read: Washington Post - American democracy is in even worse shape than you think

Excerpt/TLDR: "The radicalization of the Republican Party has outpaced what even most critical observers imagined,” Georgetown University historian Thomas Zimmer told me. “We need to grapple with what that should mean for our expectations going forward and start thinking about real worst-case scenarios." - Perry Bacon Jr.

Read: New York Times - How Republicans Could Steal the 2024 Election

“It occurred to me,” [Erica Newland, counsel for Protect Democracy] told her colleagues then, “as I dug into the rules and watched what happened, that if the current Republican Party controls both Houses of Congress on Jan. 6, 2025, there’s no way if a Democrat is legitimately elected they will get certified as the president-elect.”

Listen: Pod Save America - Stop the 2024 Steal (29:00-36:27 covers the bulk of it, and they go on for about another 10 minutes after that)

Excerpt: "If you just watch what's happening... it is a very clear indication of a minority party that knows it has no path to majority status rigging elections at every level to set the stage for minority rule in this country. (...) People are not alarmed enough about [this]. The great asymmetry in American politics is that Republicans view power as an end in itself, and Democrats view power as a means to an end. Republicans are using the power they have to put in place laws that allow them to hold onto political power. (...) We need to raise the alarm. There are disturbing signs of complacency in our party." - Dan Pfeiffer

Register or check voter registration: Vote.org

Support H.R.1: VoteSaveAmerica.com/ForThePeople

[sporadiceagleheart]

Rebecca Kaye Toone, Kiera Marie Pulaski, Savannah Rose “Vanna” Hardin, Arianna Savannah Carmack, Christen Lynn Anderson, Elizabeth Cary “Lillie” Gilbert, Sarah “Sally” Burr, Anne “Annie” Caton, Adrianna Elaine Hutto, Amália Alves and Amanda Alves, Alithia Haven Ramirez, Amerie Jo Garza, Maite Yuleana Rodriguez, Makenna Lee Elrod, Saffie Rose Roussos, Lily Peters, Olivia Pratt Korbel, Elizabeth Shelley, Sara Sharif, Charlotte Figi, Charlotte Bacon, Charlotte Louise Dunn, Riley Faith Steep, Jayce Carmelo Luevanos, Adriana Dukic, Mercedes Losoya, Sidra Hassouna, Sloan Mattingly, Audrii Cunningham, Athena Strand, Athena Brownfield, Macie Hill, Emily Grace Jones, Ava Jordan Wood, Leiliana Wright, Star Hobson, Inez Clarke Briggs, Annie Kerr Aiken, Gracie Perry Watson, Mei Leung, Avery Jean Lane, Madison Charlotte Weeks, Judith Barsi, Heather Michele O'Rourke, Catherine Violet Hubbard, Norah Lee Howard,Sarah Payne, Alicia Lynn Clark, Tristyn Bailey, Aubreigh Paige Wyatt, Nicole Lynn Clark, Jean Marie Warhola, Luna Mandic, Jennifer Kranz, Margaux Hende, Julissia Batties, Megan Hally, Chloey Ann Stoudt, Jadyn Rhea “JJ” Basinger, Kinsley Ann “Anny” Basinger, Reera Esmaeilion, Brooklyn Koy Saechao, Kylie Ann “Ky-Ky” Gonzales, Finley Puleo Boyle, Emily Hope Mason, Kara Elizabeth Hartrich, MaCali Elizabeth Marie Cormier, Annayah Rosa Balmer, Colby Curtin, Jaquita Mack, Bella Bond, Opal Jo Dace Jennings, Amber Rene Hagerman, Jessica Eileen Knott, John Earl “Littlejohn” Strickland Jr., Alannah Louise Mikac, Madeleine Grace Mikac, Ciara Nicole Floyd, Mikayla Brianne Lewis, Megan Elizabeth Kraft, Shae Mattie Keats-Hammond, Kylie Ann Rosset, Pamela Jean “Pam” Allen, Margaux Larissa van den Hende, Ophelia Magdalena Rose “Opie, Philly” Fitz Fitz, Jennifer Lynn “JLK” Kranz, Paisley Joyce “PayPay” Collins, Amberly Bernice Northern, Adelynn Nichole Merrell, Shanda Renée Sharer, Alex and Lydia Mater, rest in peace tribute for all angels and Alithia Haven Ramirez and Amerie Jo Garza

[filmsnoire]