#To one of the worst presidents we've ever had

[tishinada]

US politics and history time for a moment...

The people who want to claim that voting for Biden would mean they supported genocide remind me a great deal of the people in the 1830s - 1860s in the North who wanted immediate abolition because they believed slavery was a sin and God would hold them guilty of that sin if they didn't oppose slavery. This sometimes resulted in them supporting 3rd party candidates that, SURPRISE!, did nothing but push the election toward the most rabid pro-slavery candidates.

You know what most of those moral anti-slavery people didn't care about? What happened to Black Americans. They were concerned only about their own guilt, not Black Americans' welfare.

None of these people making this a moral issue now show any signs of caring what happens to Palestinians OR to all of the other groups that will suffer if the dumpster wins instead.

Biden can't wave his hand and make it go away because the US doesn't have unilateral power worldwide (though some Americans seem to believe that, sigh.) There are limits on his powers, especially since he has to negotiate with a hostile House of Representatives. He has chosen what is actually a pretty effective route and fought for at least some aid to get to Palestinians. And currently he has *some* leverage with the Israelis.

The question you should be asking yourself if you really care about genocide is which choice will do the most to help the Palestinians? Do you really think the dumpster would do even as much as Biden? Or would he be actively helping them and every other imperialist country (*cough*Russia*cough*)? And who else will suffer if he wins that would not under Biden?

If that isn't what matters most to you, then you're no different from the moral abolitionists and other Northerners who wanted slavery restricted (because it depressed wages for free white men) but also wanted to make it illegal for African Americans to move into new states like Ohio and Indiana and Illinois (racism and fears of wage competition.) Or to ship them to Africa, no matter how many generations had been in the US?

It's not idealism. You're self-centered and egotistical and actively choosing evil if you think "punishing" Biden is the result of not voting.

Vote pragmatically. Vote strategically. Vote with the welfare of the most people possible in mind.

[mcflymemes]

PORTAL 2 PROMPTS *  assorted dialogue from the 2011 video game, adjust as necessary

when life gives you lemons, don't make lemonade! make life take the lemons back! get mad! i don't want your damn lemons!

best case scenario, you might get some superpowers. worst case, some tumors.

science isn't about why. it's about why not.

the next test is very dangerous.

before the wright brothers invented the airplane, anyone wanting to fly everywhere was required to eat 200 pounds of helium.

to help you remain tranquil in the face of almost certain death, smooth jazz will be deployed in three... two... one.

please disregard any undeserved compliments.

all right, i've been thinking.

what am i supposed to do with these?

do you know who i am?

oh, i like this guy.

he says what we're all thinking.

you can head on back to your desk.

well, this is the part where he kills us.

hello. this is the part where i kill you.

i know you.

no! i'm not listening! i'm not listening!

you're lying!

you're not just a regular moron. you were designed to be a moron.

i am not! a moron!

now who's a moron?

could a moron do that?

i can't see it though. maybe it fell off.

do you want to go and have a quick look?

are you alive? that's important. should have asked that first.

i'm going to work on the assumption that you're still alive.

i'm just going to wait for you up ahead.

i'll wait one hour.

brilliant! go team!

i think we can put our differences behind us.

hi. so. how are you holding up?

good, that's still working.

here are the test results.

you are a horrible person.

i'm serious. that's what it says.

we weren't even testing for that.

don't be alarmed, all right?

good work getting this far.

i wish i could take it all back. i honestly do.

i'm in space.

if i were ever to see her again, do you know what i'd say? i'd say "i'm sorry." sincerely.

i am sorry. i was bossy and monstrous... and i'm genuinely sorry.

you made it through! well done!

okay, follow me. we've still got work to do.

what's happening?

okay... don't move.

so i've got an idea, but it is bloody dangerous. here we go.

they told me that if i ever turned this flashlight on, i would die.

they told me that about everything.

i don't even know why they bother giving me this stuff if they didn't want me to use it.

look at you, soaring through the air like an eagle.

i'm different!

prometheus was punished by the gods for giving the gift of knowledge to man. he was cast to the bowels of the earth and pecked by birds.

it won't be enough. the answer lies beneath us.

oh, it's dark down here, isn't it?

i'm proud of you.

now we are a family again.

that last test was seriously disappointing.

just work with me.

some of my best friends are actually orphans.

you look ugly in that jumpsuit.

that's not my opinion.

i'll be honest. we're throwing science at the wall here to see what sticks.

no idea what it'll do.

i knew someone was alive in here!

you'll know when the test starts.

oh thank god you're all right.

i thought you were my greatest enemy, when all along you were my best friend.

the best solution to a problem is usually the easiest one.

i'll be honest. killing you? is hard.

i had a pretty good life. and then you showed up.

you know what? you win. just go.

it's been fun. don't come back.

this sentence is false.

to be honest, i might have heard that one before.

you know, i'm not stupid.

i realize you don't want to put me back in charge.

i'm being serious. i think there's something really wrong with me.

we should get our stories straight.

no, we're not stopping!

don't make eye contact, whatever you do.

i feel awful about that surprise.

oh, that's sad. but impressive.

we're running out of time.

you've probably figured it out by now, but i don't need you anymore.

i'm afraid you're about to become the immediate past president of the being alive club.

the square root of rope is string.

okay, what you're doing there is jumping.

you know what? that's close enough.

you saved my bacon.

is this a jailbreak?

the next test is very dangerous.

it's been a long time. how have you been?

i've been really busy being dead. you know, after you murdered me.

you out having yourself a little adventure?

no, don't get up. i'll be right back.

you're unqualified!

what if this hurts? what if it really hurts? oh, i didn't think about that.

get your hands off me!

i can't see a thing! what just happened?

i don't have any bullets.

did you feel that?

you were busy back there.

that's funny. i don't feel corrupt.

i've got an idea! do what it says!

look how small you are down there!

do you have any idea how good this feels?

sorry, fellas. she's married. to science.

let me answer those questions with a question. who wants to make sixty dollars?

yes, all right, okay, this is getting tiresome.

well done. good. aren't you little miss clever. little miss smashy smash.

does it actually make you feel good when you do that?

it's not impressive.

what is this, like a hobby for you now?

i'm beginning to actually take it personally.

it's like an insult to me.

oh, there goes another one.

it's vandalism! it's pure vandalism!

it's just us talking like regular people.

are you going to open this door?

where'd you go? come back!

[anincompletelist]

rwrb fic recs! :D

I wanted to take the time to compile a few fics that have massively helped me over the last tough few months and never fail to bring a smile to my face (after the angst, of course)! thank you to everyone who takes the time to write for this lovely fandom, please keep it up! your words are so important and often change lives even when you don't realize it. I hope you're all doing well, and enjoy! <3

(please message me if for any reason you would like to be un-tagged!)

in no particular order:

he looks up grinning like the devil | @coffeecatsme | E | 38k

Henry can’t help it—he lets out a laugh and shakes his head. Beta Sigma Chi being a safe space is about as likely as the Republicans championing queer rights. “Right, and who’s this new president that somehow managed to turn around an entire fraternity?”

Pez winces. She hesitates at first, but then she must decide on something because her chin juts out. “Well,” she says slowly. “It’s Alexander Claremont-Diaz.”

Henry laughs so hard he almost falls off his seat.

Or, Henry Fox learns to fall in love with everything that is Alexander Claremont-Diaz, even if he insists on calling Henry "dude".

--

A Sporting Chance | @clottedcreamfudge | E | 126k

"Marry Henry - destination wedding. Combine all of our names so paperwork is a fucking nightmare." Henry stares at him and Pez rolls the dice, and-

"Congratulations to Alex and Henry Claremont-Diaz-Fox-Mountchristen," he says with a bright grin, and Alex punches the air and makes a 'whooping' noise. "Your wedding is attended by the Beckhams, the President, and several key members of congress. Henry is very gentle on your wedding night." Henry is going to fucking kill Pez.   "Fucking sweet," Alex says, because Henry is apparently the only one here trying not to have a coronary about all of this.

***

It had just been a party game, except now Henry is in way over his head.

--

a degree of fate | (locked) | lockedinmybody | E | 34k

Against the wishes of the palace, Henry decides to go back to university for a graduate's degree in Literature. And when you want to lay low, what's a better place than Austin University? It's not Henry's fault that Alex Claremont-Diaz is also there. Something must be his fault though, because despite having never met before and Henry only knowing him as the son of the Former President of America, Alex Claremont-Diaz clearly hates him. It's going to be a long two years.

--

the poem you make of me | @omgcmere | E | 91k

After being discovered on Instagram as a teenager, Alex Diaz is thriving as a social media influencer and model who just landed a high profile, high fashion contract with Calvin Klein. Alex can get any girl he wants, and he’s loving it. Meanwhile, British poet Henry Fox has just arrived in L.A. to kick off a North American tour promoting his new, steamy book of gay erotic poetry, and he’s attracting a lot of attention.

Bad blood is immediately sparked between them when Henry blows Alex off at their first meeting. Several tabloid rumors and an Instagram tantrum later, Alex and Henry are reluctantly thrust together to make nice, resulting in a grudging friendship and a magnetism between them that Alex can't explain. Why is Henry's poetry making Alex feel like this? And just what is it about Henry Fox that gets to him so much?

--

Mr. BodyPillow | @inexplicablymine | T+ | 21k

Two boys cuddling on a couch right on top of each other because they are in fact very gay™.

Inviting over a complete stranger for cuddles because you are touch starved might be the worst idea Henry has ever had, or the best.

--

More Amour | surveycorpsjean | E | 45k

Alex discovers something in Henry's closet that changes everything.

--

we've been here forever (here's the frozen proof) | @onward--upward | T+ | 12k

Objectively, I am aware that you – a stranger – cannot tell me my own sexuality any better than I can, however... Can you, please? Tell me? It’s 4am and I have been thinking about this for hours, and I can’t sleep.

Warmest regards, ACD *** It’s four in the morning, and Alex Claremont-Diaz has managed to follow a research spiral straight down into a personal crisis. It isn’t the first time.

--

Oblivion | milowren | NR | 31k | please CHECK TAGS & NOTES prior to reading!

What if the moment in the hospital wasn’t a false alarm and the publicity surrounding the forced bromance between Alex and Henry had the adverse effect of them being kidnapped together?

--

But I love him, whether or no. | @leaves-of-laurelin | E | 77k

Henry moves to New York City to help Pez with the opening of his new bar in the East Village. The location—fortunately for business, but unfortunately for Henry’s sanity—is directly across the street from a fire station. The sound of sirens is bad, Alex the gorgeous firefighter is worse. But when Alex helps Henry avoid a near catastrophe the night of the bar’s opening, the two form a tentative friendship that starts to develop into something more.

--

we might just get away with it | (locked) | smc_27 | E | 21k

Alex is a model. Henry is a journalist, and a bit of an asshole. Alex wants him anyway, even when it doesn’t feel good.

--

Hashtag Soulmates | @everwitch-magiks | E | 44k

Alex is perfect and handsome, the golden boy, everybody’s secret crush. So there is absolutely no way that he is the reader who screeches in caps lock every time that Henry posts as much as a drabble. There’s no way. Except Alex just closed his browser fast as fucking lightning, but not before Henry had gotten a good glimpse of the page Alex had open: AO3. ‘Don't Stop Me Now’, Henry’s current wip. The one that Henry literally just updated.

Sweet Jesus. Could it really be?

--

the rubble or our sins | weather_stained | E | 14k

As the Emperor's grandson, Henry despises the gladiator games and resents being forced to attend them — that is, until he sees Alexander fight. 

It's a romance doomed from the very beginning, as Henry's family is already pressuring him into joining the army and finding a wife, but he falls hard for Alex nonetheless. Will Henry find a way to be with him, or will he spend the rest of his life looking back on their time together?

--

that's all for now! I'd like to do this again very soon since there are so many new fics being posted that deserve love as well.

please let me know if there are any issues with the links, if you'd like to be un-tagged, or if you'd like to come and scream about these with me!

another good place for recs is @rwrbficrecs !

if you enjoy any of these (or any fic at all) please know - as someone who writes them as well - every single comment and kudos goes such a long way. it's not necessary, but it's always so much appreciated. <3

thank you for reading, and I hope everyone is having a lovely day/night! :D

-- anincompletelist / sarah

[etherealbuns]

Funniest quotes from last night's US presidential debate (That won't be funny if Trump wins) also not exact quotes:

- "I got involved with the Taliban. I got involved, they get involved with the wrong people. I talked to Abdul. He is the head of the Taliban, he is still the head of the Taliban. I told him "Abdul, you can't do that" and sent him a picture of his house and he said "why did you send this" and I said "you'll figure it out later" and-"

- Trump: "Putin would be sitting. Putin would be sitting in Moscow.. Putin would be sitting. Nobody thinks about the nuclear weapons, they have nuclear weapons, the nuclear weapons. She is the worst vice president ever"

- "I made 24 countries pay up, the head of NATO, he said he never seen it before, I made 24 countries pay up and it never happened before"

- "I don't care what she is, whatever she wants to be is okay with me" (on being questioned about his statements regarding Kamala's race)

- "They come up with things,,,, like she just said"

- "There is no state where it is legal to execute a baby after birth." -one of the moderators

- "I told my people, the top people, they're very good people, I have a lot of good people,,, just let me explain,,, do I save it or do I let it rot I did a good thing"

- "So you still don't have a plan"

"I have a concept of a plan"

I didn't quote anything Kamala said here because I only wrote down the wildest quotes. Everything she said was so well-done compared to what we've had the last decade or so. But as usual, you're gonna find a clown in a circus.

[transhawks]

Recently me and my best friend discussed how shitty BnHA ending is and since we both also followed Naruto, my friend said this :

"Why do anyone ever think that Hawks became president is a good ending? Like, imagine Kakashi, we all know Kakashi. We've shown how he loathed being a ruler of anything and he was just wanna relax. Now imagine if Kakashi was being made Hokage, BUT he didn't have a chat with and about his father whom practically abandoned him, didn't face the student whom he adored yet tried to kill, AND he didn't have closure over the fact that his idol figure is practically the worst human alive. Can you imagine how miserable Kakashi would be? Well, that was Hawks should be! Like heck, masked-faced Kakashi showed more emotion about Obito's reveal than Hawk's over Endeavor! This is ridiculous"

Then I remember that you know Naruto too and wanna share this with you. Our burn out prodigy child soldier truly deserve better and we've actually have a case when it can be better. Although I can say Kishimoto is an excellent writer but somehow Horikoshi is WORSE.

Argh

this very good! See, it's not so much Keigo being pres that bothers me - in one, sad way, I see this as an answer, not a good one, to one of his eternal struggles of being in control of himself. I thought the answer was breaking away/freedom, but Horikoshi went and said "well, you can't be controlled/taken advantage of if you're the one doing all that", and yeah, it makes sense that Keigo essentially answering his lack of agency by becoming the one who holds the reins was an option...

But I don't think it was the "best" way for him to end up. Especially as you mentioned, that he did not do the work to get there. He had SOME, but...and this is a huge issue with the entirety of BNHA and one day when I have the strength I'll write out my feelings, but... no one earned their development, me thinks. Or some characters like Bakugou and Shouto did, but so much of the work that we needed to see was off-screened or just not...adressed. It's why Deku, Ochako, Keigo, and Enji feel so damn hollow as character narratives. The work wasn't done.

Honestly, I never thought BNHA could disappoint me more than Naruto, and I'm still broken-hearted it did, and likely due to author burnout more than anything. It still feels ...unreal, in all honesty.

[rippi-17]

This is actually interesting...

In penacony, you can talk to Dr. Edward and sell "dreams" to him. One of the options is the belobog story, which gives 12k credits, the other is the xianzhou story which gives 25k, and the last one is the stellaron hunters.

As you can see, it's just a school au with the 3 stellaron hunters we've met. This is official, from the game writers.

Here is the whole text written:

In this dream, you assume the role of an ordinary elementary school student, residing in an ordinary city of an ordinary country on an ordinary planet.

Interestingly, this dream is one of the most peculiar ones you have ever had, as you have no concept of what a typical school looks like.

You have a short female classmate named Silver Wolf. From what you recall, she often plays games under her desk during class, yet she manages to maintain good grades.

There is a bad boy named Blade in your class. He is usually quiet, but even the worst bullies are afraid to mess with him. Although he frequently neglects homework and fails exams, no teacher dares to reprimand him.

The class president, Kafka, is a symbol of perfection in every aspect, be it her looks, grades or charisma. However, you always have a hunch that she conceals a dark side.

To everyone's surprise, these three individuals with such contrasting personalities are actually close friends. One day, after school, the three of them gather around your desk...

----

Various things I want to point out: The red highlighted text is very interesting as the trailblazer never went to school (or didn't remember), and didn't have a "normal" life.

Second thing, these descriptions are how the traiblazer would describe each stellaron hunter.

And finally, this is actually cut off, because edward can't purchase dreams with names of criminals. So it's OUR job to continue this dream. That's why I wrote it in text, so you guys can have it easier.

Peace.

[adelrambles]

I am so sorry I promise I’ll stop spamming you about Bishop now (maybe.)

Do you think Bishop could ever be in a healthy relationship? What would the dynamic be like with evil Bishop versus Fast Forward Bishop?

And no I don’t mean Stockshop. 😭

Oh no worries at all I'm enjoying your questions!! Please feel free to spam to your heart's desire. Sorry it took so long to get around to this one, I have admittedly not put much thought into Bishop in romantic scenarios, so I had to think on it a bit!

So, could Bishop ever be in a healthy relationship? Short answer NO. NOT AT ALL LOL

Slightly longer answer, there is some potential depending on how you like to interpret Fast Forward!Bishop. I think it's impossible for Present-day Bishop to be in any sort of healthy romance (and I'll go into way more detail than neccessary about that below 👍) but if you take FF's presentation of the character at face value, there's certainly a possibility.

So long answer, Bishop is one of the single most self-centered, unexamined people to walk the damn earth. There are a lot of factors that go into why he would be just, the absolute worst in a relationship, but the biggest issue is he doesn't give a shit about anybody but himself. If we throw everything else out and consider a hypothetical where he enters a relationship for the relationship's sake, he is not capable or willing to see things from a partner's perspective. In any disagreement he will be unwilling to consider he could be wrong, and will go to great lengths to ensure the other person concedes or backs down. He is a paranoid control freak who would not stand for anything less than being agreed with and obeyed, and he is perfectly willing to break someone down to achieve that. And in a scenario where, indeed, his interest is actually in the other person, we know he has a terrible possessive streak. As long as his interest holds, there is no out for the hypothetical partner. He is going to be emotionally and mentally abusive at best.

Moving more to the particulars of what he'd want a relationship for, it's worth pointing out that Bishop is very single-minded and relentless in his ultimate goal. I find it very difficult to consider a scenario where any single person would be considered worthwhile enough to distract him from that. We've seen him willing to sacrifice personal friends in-canon for the sake of his experiments, (if you ascribe to the theory that J. Finn was mutated on purpose to some degree,) so his work is ALWAYS going to come first. But that's the nicer option, because there is always the possibility that he would consider a relationship if it benefitted his greater goal (OR fed his ego tbh.) In which case, he's only in it for what he can get out of the other person, and the second they've outlived their usefulness to him, well-- I guess it depends on how much sensitive information they know, by that point.

But, okay! Let's consider President Bishop. He's certainly less likely to lure in a partner just to use them and then dispose of them, so he has that going for him. With him, there is a lot of room for how you want to interpret his "change of heart." You could take it at as presented in the show, or read more into his actions based on what we know about his past. Personally, I prefer the latter, but I'll examine both for the sake of thoroughness, and also for funsies.

So let's assume Bishop is being genuine in how he acts, first. In this case, I think there's a decent chance he could learn to be a good partner, though I don't think he'd start out that way and I doubt it'd come naturally to him loL. His job requires a lot of time and attention from him, and he is always going to prioritize it; he is, after all, "a bigger picture kind of guy." Kindness does not come naturally to him, so in times of stress he may default to meaner actions. However, he is also pretty effective in learning and adapting, so with good communication he probably won't make the same mistakes too often. In this scenario I think time constraint really is the biggest obstacle, given his job.

Now, assuming his Good Guy act is just a mask for politics? He's still pretty damn toxic. Bishop's tactics have changed, but his personality remains pretty similar. I'm not sure his pleasant demeanor goes that deep, once you get into more than small talk. It's a necessity for his job, but he still appears to be cold and utilitarian underneath it. He still thinks he's right about everything, and based on the insidious ways he phrases his own backstory to always shift blame away from himself, (even throwing Stockman under the bus, STILL, just to look better in comparison,) he's gotten a LOT better at making it feel like he is always in the right. What you've got is a Bishop who can lie, persuade and charm better, who also still doesn't care about much beyond protecting his territory and using the people around him. This presents us with a partner who, unlike 2000s-era Bishop, is far FAR more subtle with his abuse. And again, heaven forbid he actually genuinely has an interest in his hypothetical partner, because now he has galactic-wide surveillance and public sway on top of the immortality, and they're never getting away.

I hope that answers to satisfaction! Honestly while it's not my cup of tea it is really interesting to examine this facet of his character, so thank you for the question!!

[little-de-vil]

GOOD MORNING THIS JUST HIT ME AND I’M GOING TO CRY WRITING IT AND YOU SHOULD TOO! (or: Dance in Snowfall)

(I really should be answering my owns asks, but ehhh I’ll get to that later) Inspired by this post by @moreespressoformydepresso (amazing post!!!) (thanks @maidstew for reblogging that because now I have this), just 66 years later [because to me, the main timeline of Snowfall is at the start of the 74th Tour, but then again, this story is not linear by any means]. Actually, this segment is 34 years later after the 10th, at the Victory Tour party at the president's mansion, on the eve of Harvest, celebrating the first Cutter Victor of the Hunger Games, the 44th Victor.

The song I reference is from this post, and here are the lyrics and writing breakdown.

Ashlar Hawk Vance Sophro hates Capitol music. It's too high, too bright, too unnatural, manufactured. And the dances are even worse. Stiff and stilted and spinning with the only focal point being your partner who moves at the same snail pace as all the rest.

"But at least your partner is pretty to look at," he thinks as he steps on her foot again. Pretty and kind, because she just keeps laughing every time, taking one more step to force him upright, to keep slowly spinning with her, to not let go.

But he does the next time she smiles, for she's a great actress, but if he can't believe it then there's no point to keep trying. He hates himself for being here. He's being celebrated for the worst thing he's ever done, for now being rich and famous and loved by rich and famous people but all he can think of is how badly he wants to be home. He'll be back back tomorrow for the Harvest but that's not same because he'll be on that stage, being cheered at. He won't have the luxury of being with his people, just the hewers, the layers, the miners. It's a very different pressure to look good in front of your whole district versus your mountain folk.

How he wishes he could just run from this crowd of slowly spinning mannequins and dance in front of the stone pillar, singing a song only sung once year. And he can't even sing it now. And he knows his family is singing it now, all of Pike at the foot of the mountain, singing and spinning themselves sick, stones pressed to their foreheads, stones jumping from couple to couple. Oh, how he wishes he were like that last line, free from all of this, happy and singing.

He didn't even notice they'd stopped dancing, he guesses the song had ended as softly as it began, with nothing to bolster a difference from one to the next. She keeps holding his hands, nudges him and asks if he's done dancing, too tired. He's not. He's bored.

He grips her hands and they run off the dance floor into a labyrinth of hedges with pretty, sweet flowers. He's never been impulsive, but then again he's never been this person until the trumpets.

"Dance with me." He says, still gripping her hands, only softer. He's excited, happy to be away from the crowd, from the knowing eyes and the painfully hideous clothes and terrible, powerful people.

"We've been dancing, V. My feet can prove we've been doing something of the sort." She says, smiling.

"No Rose, we've been spinning, slowly spinning and just that. That's not dancing! That's just...sad. Dance with me." He repeats.

He pulls out their stones from his jacket pocket, his slightly edged marble to her perfectly tumbled rose quartz, placing his on her forehead. "Dance with me like we're on a mountain, singing and twirling and moving around friends, not strangers. Dance with me to bring on a better year, if nothing else. Dance with me because you love me." He barely whispers that last part.

Her finger hovers over his scar, not touching, just tracing how it moves so cleanly from his temple to his chin. "I don't know how to dance like that."

"I can teach you." He kisses the stone on her forehead. "I just don't want to be alone. Our dances need others, they need life."

He moves back from her and outstretches his arms, one rounded above his head, the other with his palm facing outward on his chest. She mirrors him and slowly they begin to spin. Not in small, tiny circles but in great leaps from one end to the other. As they keep moving, he puts his stone on her forehead, motioning her to do the same. He can barely be heard singing,

We take the crystals and the stones Our lovers and loved ones, we're not alone

But he is heard.

They keep jumping and spinning and she's still a bit confused as to how she got there in the first place and how and when to put her arms where because he keeps saying that the movements match the lyrics, but he refuses to say them. Because he can't. So she keeps going through the motions, keeps jumping and humming to a song she doesn't know and can't hear, one that's only playing in his head but he's so happy that she doesn't care. And at the end, and she is sure this is the end when they bow towards something that must be their guide, she's dizzy but happy. And he's just happy.

"You do this every year? This tradition?" She asks, handing back her stone that he carefully wraps in a small, beat up burlap bag.

"Yes and no. Yes, we do this every year on the eve of the Harvest. Every town goes to their own mine or quarry and has a real party. But it's not a tradition. It's a ritual."

She furrows her brows, "Same thing, isn't it?"

He laughs, "You city folk have all this education and no culture outside of being rich and pretty."

"I can say lots worse for you, Vance Sophro."

"You're too pretty for that, Celeste Snow."

"So what's the difference then? Enlighten me."

He bows his head, mimicking the Capitol gesture, "Traditions are customs and cultural beliefs passed down from generation to generation. Rituals are actions performed in a certain order, still very cultural but they have to be done in the exact same way. Rituals are about order, traditions are about culture, both maintaining it.”

She nods, "So the dancing is both?"

"Sure, the dancing is part of a pre-Harvest ritual. Maybe I'll take you there one of these years." He says that more like a question.

"If we last that long, my love."

"I have no doubt about it, my Rose."

For the next 30 years, they sneak off to perform this ritual in their own way, to keep it alive in the limited way they can.

It's only when everything has fallen that they perform it how has to be, bringing offerings of a small box filled with a collection of stones and a hammer and chisel with the initials M.S. to the mountain in Pike.

[deadpresidents]

Who would you say was the worst president of the 21st century so far? As much as I dislike Trump, I would argue that Bush was worse, and the war on terror and destabilisation of the Middle East were more catastrophic than the Trump administration’s biggest failures, but I’d be interested to know your thoughts.

I certainly have not forgotten what George W. Bush's Administration was like and the decision to go to war in Iraq is undoubtedly one of the biggest foreign policy disasters ever, but Donald Trump is the worst President in American history and it's not even close.

Trump was actively divisive, impeached twice, desperately tried to overthrow the results of an election, and incited an insurrection that the Cline Center's Coup d'Etat Project classified as an attempted coup. From the very beginning of his candidacy, Trump began to build a cult of personality that has not only changed American politics but which has, in a relatively short amount of time, changed the way Americans see each other every day. He has been -- and remains -- an existential threat to America's democratic republic. And that's not even considering the disastrous and dangerous policies that Trump attempted and, in many instances, accomplished -- from his disgusting immigration tactics to the right-wing control of the judiciary that he secured to the bungled response to the COVID pandemic. I could go on-and-on.

George W. Bush's failures as President were significant -- the Iraq War most of all. But there was never a single instance during President Bush's Administration where Bush actively tried to divide the nation and foment an insurrection. Trump has spent his entire political career tearing the country apart as the very basis of his political philosophy. We've had plenty of bad Presidents, but Trump is the only one who has been an enthusiastically destructive force to the institutions that our country (and the rest of the free world) have relied upon for security, stability, and prosperity for nearly 250 years.

[thenixkat]

Reading the Invasion event and this starts off not well what do you mean humans are the only sapient species in the universe that has power variation. That all other species are uniformly the same and dont have their own metas. That's bad writing

referencing the shit writing in Melinnium. Just… imagine being able to write humans as the most unique specialist fuckers in the whole universe and not being embarrassed by that at all

that every other kind of person in the universe isnt special, that they're all the same and all take notice of how special the humans are

The Thanagarians continue to be among the worst Thanagarians, the ruling ones at least, hate Earth b/c of Hawkman and Hawkwoman.

what do you mean their wings are fake and they cant actually fly why would you do that so they're just another basically human alien species? that sucks of course the key to the anti-life equation is on Earth b/c Earth is the fucking center of the damn universe

the most important planet ever

not the Thanagarians outright stated to be fascist police

Me @ DC pls hire more furry artists to design yer aliens. Shit would look so much better just ugh

just the repeated insistence that humans are the only diverse sapient species in the universe is just so fucking bad just the whole 'no one else in the universe is diverse [ignoring the new gods]' is a fantastic excuse to draw a bunch of identical aliens

I know that Australia getting fucked by aliens yet again isnt going to have any long term effects The Spectre is not allowed to do shit about aliens invading Earth and killing people b/c the Lords of Order said no. The Lords of Order are just fucking useless

The Spectre has been ordered by the Lords of Order to stop the other magic heroes from doing shit about the alien invasion

The Lords of Order are worse than useless apparently yes, evil ass warmongering aliens have come to genocide humanity but since they aren't following the Lords of Chaos magic fuckers have been barred from doing shit lest the Lords of Chaos decide to take interest and side with the aliens

Man the folks behind DC really said fuck the magic heroes they are not allowed to solve shit why the fuck did the president of the USA tell Waller to not send the superpowered slaves to go fight the aliens?

the president also told the Justice League to wait and not act

The UN debating on giving in to the invader's demands of handing over all the superheroes b/c totally the aliens will stop invading if the humans hand over their strongest defenders

The UN doesnt give up the superheroes. B/c enough of them have some amount of intelligence also why does Australia have so few superheroes?

Maxwell Lord makes aliens and people as separate categories like he doesnt have several alien coworkers and there's not a bunch of alien superheroes in the crowd he's addressing. Rude

Amanda Waller suggests that they call in the supervillains to help defend the earth from alien invaders So the alien invaders thus far have only captured one hero, the only fucking Australian superhero apparently, and killed only one hero, a member of the Doom Patrol

Also none of the superheroes have any qualms against killing aliens, especially the less humanoid ones Even Superman and Batman, the top proponents of 'no kill rule', said murdering nonhumans is a-ok Ted has bombs for some reason Ted has Beetle Bombs and its wild to me that the writers and artists had him leave the Bug to fight fuckers on the ground when he'd be more effective in his weaponized mecha airship of course the extremely human-looking Daximites get saved and dont get splatted. But the less human-looking fuckers? dead as shit

one fucker decided to actually reserch the fucking metagene and made a gene bomb to disable Earth's metahumans. Ignoring how many augmented, tech using, and straight up nonhuman supers are around huh so the Coluan we've been seeing in space jail is one of Braniac 5's ancestors?

just everyone's ok with killing the aliens that dont look exactly like humans like man if i were a person living on earth that didnt look like a standard human I'd be concerned with the nonhuman looking=not a person mentality with superheroes

of course the very human-looking (who all look like white people its disturbing) Daxamites have switched sides and are helping Earth

all the human-looking aliens are white people, very uniform looking white people, it is disturbing. Just zero thoughts by the artists of the implications of making all the human-looking aliens ALL WHITE

at least with the Earth forces there's like… 4 notwhite people, It's still very bad but like it's better than zero

Deadman possesses an alien and makes them blow their own head off

I assume he also sent the massage that dissolved the alien alliance by possessing another fucker

also you'd think Russia, Australia, Cuba, and several Pacific Islands getting befucked by war with aliens would have a major impact on the world and global economics. You'd be wrong Invasion is 3 books long but there's so much supplementary reading that fuckers think the audience should pay to see

the gene bomb detonates. ALso this motherfucker thinks every hero on Earth is a metahuman and has powers, could not be more wrong

so all the metahumans are getting sick and their powers going out of control man, the superheroes saved the day and then like an hour later are causing havoc around the world

the supervillains are feeling the gene bomb too

The nonpowered heroes and nonhuman heroes have to save the day from their ill comrades

and next phase of the illness all the meta pass the fuck out

Invasion keeps implying that the source of the metagene shit in the human body is in a gland or something in the neck

humans in the dc universe have a gland in the neck that if certain individuals are stressed enough turns them into metas

the fucking superpower gland Maxwell Lord really just kept working till he passed the fuck out

Bullshit Batman carried Major Force's large matter dense ass to the meta hospital to dump infront of the people in charge

Also Batman, the jackass, drops an ill unconscious person on the floor on purpose

The heroes get the antidote, just took a long space trip SUperman's been absent b/c he doesnt trust himself to be on Earth b/c of recent subconscious activities

and that's the end of Invasion

[takeariskao3]

Hi! I don't know if you remember me, but I won the competition on the worst week a while ago? With the bf (now ex) who cheated on me with my best friend? Well, I have some updates for you. I moved back into my parents house, which was a bit daunting since I haven't been there since they passed away. It was something I had been putting off, and I'm glad I did because it forced to deal with what I had been running from. I took my brother with me on the trip I planned for my ex. It was the best decision I had ever made. My ex and brother didn't get along, and when my parents passed away, we drifted apart even more. I realized how much I missed him, and we talked about our parents and how we were dealing with everything. It was a trip we both desperately needed together to heal. I started seeing a therapist when I got back and I have been working through everything. A couple of months later, I ended up running into my very first boyfriend. He had moved away to Germany in sophmore year, and we had a mutual breakup. He was the guy I always wondered "what if" with. I kind of freaked out because all those old feelings came back within seconds of seeing him, and I was going to run in the opposite direction, but my brother practically pushed me into his arms. Well, now we're a couple, and I'm in the healthiest and happiest relationship I've ever been in. I don't know what's going on with my ex or my ex best friend because I'm honestly too fucken happy to care. I talk to my brother regularly, and we're the closest we've been since we were kids. As for my job I applied for this job I thought I was severely underqualified for but I had one of my best interviews and landed the job! It pays a lot more, requires less work, and has more benefits than my previous job. All in all, things have gotten so much better. I know things have been hard for you, but sometimes when you feel like you hit rock bottom, a bunch unexpected doors open up. Sending you lots of positive vibes, and I hope things get better for you! 

this message honest to god put the BIGGEST smile on my face. i love that you sent me an update. i love that life decided to stop throwing punches. i love that you found a better work situation. i love that you decided to give love another chance. i just love every word of this.

rock bottom sucks. it sucks so bad. but the silver lining is there's only up from there.

life for me is settling in slowly but surely, we'll see how this summer goes. i'm cautiously optimistic about shit no longer hitting the fan. please let the shit stop hitting the fan

anyways, you are still president of the club, hope that's okay, but maybe we can be the "we had shitty weeks but maybe not every week is going to be shitty forever" club

nvm that's a mouthful. i'll just call you the president!

[justahumblememefarmer]

I will resume hope that Trump faces consequences when he is behind bars on a 10+ years charge.

When he made fun of a disable reporter, I thought his campaign was over, but he got the Republican nomination

When he said he grabbed women by the pussy, I thought his campaign was over, but he still won the presidency

When he was one of the worst presidents we've ever had, I thought that it would tear the Republican party apart, instead they just moved further towards fascism, created a right wing majority on the supreme court, and gained voters for the 2020 election

When he was impeached (twice), I thought there was a shot that he could be exposed for what he is, but the Senate majority ensured he faced no consequences

When he lost the election, I was ecstatic, but it was disturbing watching a president refuse to acknowledge his loss, and try dozens of failed lawsuits to overturn the results

When the results were confirmed, and his supporters stormed the Capitol I thought surely now the right will turn on him, but they still stopped his second impeachment, and downplayed the fact that their voters were prepared to kill politicians in a huge temper tantrum

When Democrats took the Presidency, the House, and the Senate, I thought they'd surely be able to do something but nothing concrete happened over those two years.

When the FBI raided Mar-a-Lago, I thought that they were about to get him with something big, but he was able to continually delay things, and still has not faced any real charges.

I know, I KNOW that they need to have something rock solid. No room for interpretation. No room for delays. No room for the right wing politicians to hold things up. If it went quickly, it wouldn't be done properly and he'd get off scot free.

But them taking absolutely every second of time available to them before the deadline is absolutely nerve wracking. They knew that they had 2 years before a possible shift in control of the House and they waited right up until that change to finish their investigations. Now they've got until the 2024 elections as a deadline. If Trump is the nominee for the Republican party, or god forbid the president-elect, he gets so much more insulated.

It has been almost 8 years since he announced his first run for the presidency, and I can't count how many articles I've seen stating "This is the final nail in the coffin for Trump" and by the next week it's a non-issue.

I know they're working with the balance of needing to build a solid case and having the timelines of elections as deadlines, but I just have given up on believing anything is going to happen to him. Charges were filed, yes. But can he hold up in Florida while DeSantis refuses to cooperate with extradition? Can he get this delayed? Can he get the charges to a fine instead of actually serving time in prison? Can he throw somebody else under the bus? Will he face anything meaningful that could prevent him from running for president again? How much damage can he cause with his supporters and allies if there is a whiff of him facing consequences?

If he faces any consequences at all, it might just be a fine that he gets his supporters to pay for him. The indictment is exciting but I just can't get my hopes up again. Unless he gets actual jail time for the rest of his life, I just don't have faith that he can be given any real consequences

[shinidamachu]

Whoa, thanks for your response. Well I hope you have more peaceful and NORMAL days ahead. 😂 Always fun chatting with you! ❤️

Of course! And thank you for your interest. It's nice to talk about this kind of stuff with other people, helps get rid of the anxiety. And on that note, here's a more in dept answer:

Lula was first elected president in 2002 and stayed in power until 2010, when he helped elect his successor, Dilma Rousseff. Which means that I literally grew up under the Workers' Party administration. A (center) leftist administration. An administration responsible for taking Brazil out of the Hunger Map.

"If at the end of my term, every Brazilian have the opportunity of having breakfast, lunch and dinner, I will have accomplished my life's mission." Lula, 2003, first speech as Brazil's president.

Lula's term, specifically, turned the country into the 6th biggest economy of the world. For the first time ever a metallurgical with no higher education was elected president and for the first time ever poor and black people were going to college, were going to airports, were hopeful.

"Brazilians are taken by a feeling of well-being, buying more cars, traveling more, acquiring their own houses and accomplishing dreamns until then unattainable. WE'VE NEVER BEEN HAPPIER." 2010, ISTOÉ Magazine.

I might have been a child then, but I remember it well. The concern for the environment, the very strong anti-guns policies, the inclusion of LGBT people in a society that constantly marginalized them and of Brazil as an international leader... That's the progressive environment I grew up in.

So when Bolsonaro was elected in 2018, it was quite a shock to me. Not because I didn't see his victory coming – I did and that's why I spent months dealing with the worst anxiety crisis I've ever had in my entire life – but because for the first time I was really seeing the racist, misogynistic, homophobic face of my country, something the Workers' Party administration had shielded me from in their attempt to erradicate it.

But there's no unseeing that now. It turned out the Brazil I naively thought was so gentle and accepting, so proud of its diversity, so full of love, happiness and love despite the difficulties, was... decidedly not so. The country I loved so much didn't love me and my people back. It was heartbreaking.

When Dilma Rousseff got wrongfully impeached, we knew dark times were ahead of us just by looking at who were the people happy about it and who was not.

The last six years have been hell, screaming in the dark as we watched with our hands tied a right winged and then a fascist government destroy in record time what we took more than a decade to build, like Sisyphus watching that damn boulder roll down the hill again: we're as good as starting from the scratch.

But honestly? There's something so inherently optimistic about the concept of starting over. It might sound exhausting but it's also a chance to try again and do better, to learn from past mistakes and then leave them behind.

When I look at Bolsonaro's ministers...

And at the ministers Lula has just nominated...

It's impossible not to get excited about the screaming difference. Especially concerning the Ministry of the Environment which now went from this:

To Marina Silva, one of the greatest, international acclaimed names regarding environment preservation and the fight against climate change:

Don't worry, I'm not under the impression that those guys are perfect heroes who are here to save us. Lula has made mistakes in the past. So did Dilma. But nothing – absolutely nothing – takes away from the fact that the Workers' Party indisputably has given Brazil its best years: economically, progressively, culturally.

Will they do it again? It's hard to say, especially with the terrible congress we elected. But I don't expect them to, because the next four years have got to be all about rebuilding. New mistakes will probably be made and that's inevitable but at least we're on the right path now.

You came to my inbox before and asked my what I was expecting from the new government. I replied with a joke about how after tasting four years of literal fascism all I can ask for is some well deserved normalcy and my point still stands.

But most of all, I expect to look forward to what the future holds for us after so many years of feeling hopeless. I want to feel again that we can dream. That things can change and that they do matter. I want my country to be what I once thought we were.

[bllsbailey]

Scott Jennings Drives the Final Spike Into the 'Never Trump' Campaign As Only He Can

There's been a lot of talk since Election Day about the winners and losers in the various races, but one group on the losing side that hasn't gotten a lot of attention in the aftermath of what's gone down so far has been the infamous Never Trump grifters.

We've written about them often here, and how for eight years they've betrayed their supposed "principles" every time they've opened their mouths, have cashed another check from their fat cat Democrat donors and/or media overlords, or in one group's instance allegedly looked the other way during a sexual predator scandal.

Among the worst of the lot, of course, are the co-founders of the Lincoln Project, for whom no low is too low to stoop.

SEE ALSO:Lincoln Project's Rick Wilson Can't Escape His Own Stench After Moving on to Latest Grift

With all of that in mind, we turn to more Election Day post-mortem commentary from Republican strategist/CNN political analyst Scott Jennings, who - as we previously - reported - delivered some harsh reality checks to his colleagues and Democrats in the early morning hours about the "we're fed up" message sent by voters during Tuesday's elections. 

A few hours later, Jennings proved that he was not done after a statement issued from anti-Trumper Liz Cheney regarding the president-elect's resounding victory prompted him to drive the final spike into the whole Never/Anti-Trump campaign. 

Here's how the segment started:

KASIE HUNT: Liz Cheney tweeting her reaction to Donald Trump's win just moments ago. Here's what she says, quote, "Our nation's democratic system functioned last night, and we have a new president-elect. All Americans are bound, whether we like the outcome or not, to accept the results of our elections. We now have a special responsibility as citizens of the greatest nation on earth to do everything we can to support and defend our Constitution, preserve the rule of law, and ensure that our institutions hold over these coming four years. Citizens across this country, our courts, members of the press, and those serving in our federal, state, and local governments must now be the guardrails of democracy." So, of course, Liz Cheney had devoted herself to preventing Donald Trump from ever entering the White House again, but the never- Trump movement inside the Republican Party, honestly, not borne out here today.

This was Jennings' response:

SCOTT JENNINGS: A bang-up job. I mean, I -- this never-Trump whole complex that grew over the last several years, nothing has ever failed as hard in politics as this. The Lincoln Project, all these people that built millions upon millions upon millions of dollars from Democratic donors, and all the eggs that was put in this basket. The split was amazing. Trump got like 94 percent of Republicans. I don't think they accomplished anything, except probably build a bunch of beach houses. That's about what they did. Republicans being lectured to, condescended to, browbeaten by all these folks over the last -- look, at some juncture, it's OK if we have different opinions about the election. You don't have to beat people to death over it. And the more you do that, the more it drives people away. Total failure

I don't think there's any room for argument there. 

And while Trump's "NeverTrump" detractors like Rick Wilson and the like would say "Well, we helped kick him out of office in 2020," the net effect of that effort was a) to make Trump get even louder and b) to drive even more people in Trump's direction (including bigtime movers and shakers like Elon Musk and Joe Rogan), which culminated in one of the most (if not the most) spectacular comebacks in American political history.

Something equally delicious about the voter repudiation of these types of tactics on Tuesday will be that five or 10 years down the road and beyond, very few people will remember much about the NeverTrump movement. But they will for sure remember how Trump seemingly rose from the political ashes to get his revenge in the best way possible: by way of the ballot box.

RELATED:House Democrat Drops Truth Bomb on Woke Elites in Aftermath of Party's Election Day Drubbing

[yourreddancer]

from Robert Reich

I’m hearing from a lot of people about their fears around the upcoming election, and I can’t sugarcoat this. The situation is frightening and worrying.

We have already endured four years of Donald Trump. Another term could tip America and the world into full-bore fascism. In recent days, Trump has become even more unhinged and vindictive. His fascistic personality is now on full display — his cruel lies, scapegoating of innocent people, creation of enemies and “enemies within.” JD Vance is just as bad, if not worse.

Many of you are dismayed that Trump is running almost head-to-head with Kamala Harris, given everything we and the rest of America already know about him, and given how talented and dedicated Harris is and would be — will be — as president.

I understand your dismay, but there’s no time to fret. We must simply focus on what we need to do to win.

Which brings me to the reason I’m emailing you today. The team here at Inequality Media Civic Action is producing and pushing out some of the most effective voter-persuasion posts and videos that we've ever tested. Usually, if our videos increase support for our side by 2 to3 points, that’s a win, but our latest videos have been moving people by as much as 18 points.

Now we need to get these posts and videos in front of as many people as possible. So I’m asking you today: Will you donate $10 to help educate the public and support our efforts to stop Donald Trump?DONATE

Time and again, this nation has rejected haters and demagogues — Father Coughlin, Joe McCarthy, and George Wallace, to name a few.

I admit, there have been times when I doubted America. For me, the worst was 1968, with the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and then Bobby Kennedy, the riots and fires that consumed our cities, the horrific Democratic convention in Chicago along with the protests and violent police response, the election that November of the horrid Richard Nixon, and the escalating carnage of Vietnam.

It seemed to me then that we had lost our moral compass. But the Watergate hearings showed me we had not lost it. Democrats and Republicans worked together to uncover what Nixon had done and then craft remedies for the abuses he had wrought on our system of self-government. I had much the same feeling about the brilliant work done by the House’s special committee to investigate January 6, 2021.

Today I urge you to keep the faith — especially your faith in the common sense and good-heartedness of the vast majority of our fellow Americans.

Think about the people who have helped during Hurricanes Helene and Milton — first responders, nurses, FEMA workers, firefighters, police officers, and just average people looking out for one another. Or the grand jurors, jurors, prosecutors, and judges in Trump’s trials who have taken extraordinary abuse but have not flinched from their duties.

Need more evidence? Then let me share with you some hard data from the tests we’ve been running with our latest voter-persuasion videos.

After watching our videos on key economic issues like inflation and corporate greed, people moved in our direction by startling numbers:

Former Biden supporters in Wisconsin moved our way by 19 points.

“Right-leaning” voters in Pennsylvania moved our way by 17 points.

Trump voters under the age of 25 moved in our direction by 16 points.

“Right-leaning” voters in Arizona moved 12.5 points.

Now we need to get these videos in front of as many eyeballs as possible between now and November — and your donations are absolutely critical to our success.

Will you donate $10 to help educate the public, get our videos in front of as many people as possible, and stop Donald Trump?

These last days are critical, and we must stay engaged, united, and steadfast.

Be well. Be strong. I believe that together we will prevail.

Robert Reich Inequality Media Civic Action

[thepolyamorouspolymath]

Calls for Biden to resign are frankly, one of the more irritating things I've seen my party do, and I watched them vote for the Patriot Act out of political expediency (Russ Feingold, you are a hero).

Let's walk through this. Delegates are bound to the winning primary nominee, in most situations, but not all. If Biden is not the delegate NO ONE is bound to Harris, no one is bound at all. Which means we could have a floor fight to get the nominee. Imagine the Speaker fight for Kevin Mccarthy played out every night in prime time for all the world to see. I do not care who walks out the nominee after that they have zero chance in hell of winning and Democrats spend the next 30 years fighting allegations we can't govern as a coalition.

And let's not pretend that there will not be fucking rioting outside that convention center if a floor fight is going on, bc it's in Chicago so of course there will! Fuck frankly I don't think the DNC should ever be held in Chicago but especially not a contentious one. Chicago likes riots (I can say that bc I'm fucking from here) and CPD are the least trusted people to handle one on the face of the planet. And even peaceful protests, which occur at every convention, will bring up mentions of the 68 riot until we get a fucking replay bc no one will stop mentioning it!

And now let's say that it goes smoothly -- bc oh yes the Democrats are so known for their excellent team work skills -- and we nominate Harris. She's untested having an extremely low profile the entire term and not doing well when she was out there. And since liberals can't win an election alone (bc they fucking can't, the math isn't there, neither can MAGA, it's the 30% in the middle who decides) we're going to hand the man who got elected via racism and sexism a black female opponent that the country doesn't know well, and didn't like enough for a solid primary showing 4 years ago? And if not her, who tf else? The Dems don't have a back bench ready.

None of these are pretty idealistic truths but they are fucking reality and if Democrats spent a little more time it, that'd be helpful!

Oh, the man we all knew would be 81 in 2024 is 81 and looks a bit creaky after doing a job that ages every President a decade per term? Shocking, the world's most predictable event happened. Next up, fear when sun rises in the fucking east.

Also it was 1 performance. I would invite you all to watch the first 1984 debate, a campaign centered around Reagan's age. He wandered the stage like he had fucking dementia -- bc he did, I'm not saying he's a role model. It was a fucking DISASTER. The man didn't seem to know where he was for half the questions. Mondale was leading before the debate and jumped way ahead after.

Second debate, Reagan was having a good day and on his top form -- which he was just the worst, but damn good at that kind of thing. He was sharp and cracked a single joke about his age that turned the election on its head and ended up winning in the biggest landslide since Washington was unopposed.

All this is doing is meaning that instead of Democrats getting to say the GOP is unable to lead at any level of the ticket bc they have spent 1 1/2 unable to decide on their own leadership, Dems are having to face that magnified.

Don't like Biden? I don't care. He's what we've got and we don't have other better options at this late date.