#anyways Biden was going to lose in November

[shedontlovehuhself]

Seeing all the folks who were lashing at Misha a few weeks ago now have all forgiven him and forgiven themselves for forgiving him is funny as hell. Even the big cockles blogs who claim to be Misha fans. Y'all are always on here claiming people shouldn't treat Misha like a puppet but that's exactly how y'all behaved when he stated his opinion on Biden. Y'all were mad he didn't say what y'all wanted and lashed out. And some of y'all still acting like he hurt you physically. Talking about "I'm still disappointed". So yes, you acted the same way as those y'all judge.

[qqueenofhades]

I just feel like even if we all vote and Biden wins, Trump won't accept the loss, and eventually they'll just put him in anyway. And then there won't be another real election. Even if Biden wins and somehow is actually confirmed (which again, I think is unlikely) we're going to have to do this for 30 more years because of the SC, and that isn't at all sustainable.

All this isn't to say I won't vote but I just think people are being way too optimistic about what happens if Biden wins. I don't think him winning will keep Trump out or the horrible fascist future at bay.

Look, I get the fear. I do, I do... but this is also one of the times when you have to ask if it's actually telling you something true, or if it's just preying on that generalized feeling of doom to make everything seem hopeless even if we win again. And that is... there is absolutely no actual mechanism for Trump to be installed as president if Biden wins the Electoral College (since as we have repeatedly seen, the popular vote is immaterial). SCOTUS is horrible and evil and are trying to interfere as much ahead of time for Trump as they can, but part of that is because they can't simply issue an order for Biden to be removed and Trump to become God King By Fiat. That is not how it works. If Biden wins in November, he will be president until his term ends, he steps down, Kamala takes over, or anything else.

Trump tried a coup with all the entire overwhelming might of the US government as the sitting president last time; fortunately, it failed. Reforms to the Electoral Count Act have been made to prevent another January 6. The Department of Defense and the military are still under (and would be on another January 6) Biden's command, not Trump's. That's not to say that Trump won't try some shit with his insane cult followers, but he is just a late 70s conman from Queens out on bail and under sentence for a criminal trial, who is already the biggest and most disgraced loser and asshole in American political history. He is so desperate to cheat his way back into power because in a real sense, this IS the last-chance saloon for him. He can't put off the legal proceedings, however long they take, for another four years. He's losing his marbles at a rapid rate. I'm just saying: we don't know what or when, but there will be (and already have been) real consequences for him. That is why he is scrabbling so hard.

"Even if we vote, nothing matters and Trump will win anyway" is another of those insidious lies that works to make you feel as if the battle is endless and pointless and none of its victories matter. Of course it will not all be magically fixed forever if Biden wins. We will still have to figure some godforsaken fucking way to expand SCOTUS or kick Alito and Thomas off it. But we will have bought ourselves, our democracy, our country, and the world time to do that, and put another nail in Trump's coffin. That matters. It matters a lot.

Fascism wants to present itself as overwhelming, irresistible, inevitable, and ready to happen no matter what you do, and that's what your brain wants you to buy in now. But that's not the case, Trump is not inevitable or some all-powerful monolith (in fact, another of the debate takeaways seemed to be that Biden looked bad but people still hate Trump too much for it to really shift anything). He is a loser, a fraud, a conman, a liar, and a crook, and he WANTS you to fear him like an almighty god. Don't give him or the MAGAGOP the satisfaction.

Frankly, having to endure another four months of this might kill us all, and I know that we are tired and scared (me too). But IT IS NOT INEVITABLE THAT WE ARE DOOMED. Not at all. Let's hang onto that and tell that anxiety doom voice to shove it.

Hugs.

[fairuzfan]

I never claimed Biden's policies never hurt anyone, but it is unfair to blame Biden for Covid when Covid began under the Trump administration and it was Trump's actions that led to its severity and damage. Biden at least attempted to mitigate Covid during the first year of his administration, but by then the damage was already extensive and the politicized culture around it made it impossible for Americans to cooperate and regulations to have any real affect. But blaming Biden for Covid is like blaming Hoover for the Great Depression.

Don't get me wrong, I hate Biden too. But no matter how awful our 2024 presidential choices are, they are our only possible choices for president. Our voting systems are messed up. 3rd party votes only work against us and lots of people also just opt out of voting, which is about as equally affective. The electoral college was founded on literal racism and slavery and is still imposed to this day. But that's the system we have to work with. It's rigged. It's awful. I KNOW.

And like I said voting is not the end all of political action, and reading some of these comments, I can understand your anger. For most elections, yes, a vote IS an endorsement and support for a politician. But presidential elections just don't work that same way. When you vote 3rd party, you might as well just handed over your right to vote to your representative. And I guarantee you your representative is either going to vote for Trump or Biden.

The presidential election is NOT the only election on the ballot. And all other elections in the US make it possible for 3rd party candidates to win. I will vote 3rd party wherever possible locally, and I encourage you to do so too.

Still, reading through all these comments, I have yet to hear an actual solution to this problem that is achievable by November. Our choices are Biden or Trump. That's it. I hate it too, but if you have any better, feasible ideas, please let me hear it.

Except it is an endorsement. Biden literally thinks "they'll get over it" (it being the genocide of palestinians) by the time election comes. He thinks that we will vote for him anyways so he'll do whatever he wants. That's literally an endorsement. The reason the Vote Uncommitted campaign is gaining traction is to threaten Biden into doing something. If he doesn't feel threatened, then he assumes we are going to vote for him no matter what. So that means it's an endorsement.

If Biden doesn't listen to us, that's on him for losing the election. Not on the people who want him to do something else. And I don't want trump to win. I don't. But I will never vote for a person who so brazenly killed my friends and family, lied to my face, and was so unbelievably arrogant in that he thinks he can do whatever the fuck he wants. Feel free to vote for Biden. Just don't say it's for anyone else.

[cctinsleybaxter]

anyway if you live in the US go vote 'uncommitted' in the primaries on tuesday 3/5 (in these states); i know a lot of people aren't going to bother because it's not going to get biden removed from the ballot, but it shows dems that they're in danger of losing the election if they don't start actively courting their voter base; that fear is more likely to push us toward a ceasefire than any other within-the-system political gesture. From the Times:

...two of the Michigan cities with the highest concentrations of Arab Americans. With nearly all ballots counted, Dearborn gave 56 percent of its Democratic primary vote to “uncommitted.” In Hamtramck, “uncommitted” drew 61 percent of the city’s Democratic vote.

Perhaps more worrisome for Mr. Biden was his performance in Ann Arbor, a college town 30 miles to the west. There, where most students and faculty members at the University of Michigan live, “uncommitted” earned 19 percent of the vote. In East Lansing, home to Michigan State University, “uncommitted” got 15 percent of the vote.

While no other battleground states have Arab American communities the size of Michigan’s, they all have college towns where young, progressive voters are angry about American support for Israel. It is in those places — Madison, Wis.; Athens, Ga.; Chapel Hill and Durham, N.C.; Tucson, Ariz.; and State College, Pa., among others — where Mr. Biden faces a general-election threat if he does not attract overwhelming support and turnout among students in November.

[phoenixyfriend]

I feel like I need to look at a lot more analyses of the recent Chuck Schumer speech.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday called on Israel to hold new elections, saying he believes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has “lost his way” and is an obstacle to peace in the region amid a growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Schumer, the first Jewish majority leader in the Senate and the highest-ranking Jewish official in the U.S., strongly criticized Netanyahu in a 40-minute speech Thursday morning on the Senate floor. Schumer said the prime minister has put himself in a coalition of far-right extremists and “as a result, he has been too willing to tolerate the civilian toll in Gaza, which is pushing support for Israel worldwide to historic lows.” “Israel cannot survive if it becomes a pariah,” Schumer said. The high-level warning comes as an increasing number of Democrats have pushed back against Israel and as President Joe Biden has stepped up public pressure on Netanyahu’s government [...]. Schumer has so far positioned himself as a strong ally of the Israeli government [...].

There are... I want to say four? possible interpretations, generally:

A moral shift in response to circumstance: The situation in Gaza has escalated to such a point that he feels morally obligated to change his rhetoric, whether for Palestinians' sakes or Israeli's own sakes.

A moral shift in response to persuasion: Fellow Democrats and Independents have successfully begun to convince him that a change in rhetoric is needed.

A pragmatic shift in response to constituents: Voters from New York State have been blowing up his phones to argue him into putting conditions on aid to Israel, and he felt this was a good 'middle ground' to appeal to them without losing his pro-Israeli base.

A pragmatic shift in response to national trends: Continued protest votes like Michigan are starting to worry him and fellow 'traditional' Dems.

Or, most likely, some combination thereof.

Ethically, I hope it's one of the first two, and the Schumer has realized how ethically barren Israel's government currently is.

...in terms of 'can we actually affect things,' though? I hope this is a pragmatic shift. We cannot predict how individual Senators will change up their morals and philosophy, but if this change is in response to pressure from voters, then that means we can push them farther left.

Anyway.

Call your reps. Here's some suggestions on what to say.

EDIT: To clarify, I am not saying that Schumer is concerned about his own reelection. He is old and he isn't up for reelection until 2029, so it's even odds if he'll even run again. However, as the Senate Majority Leader, he is at least in theory required to take his party's opinions into account, and to worry about what is going to happen to the executive branch in November. Whether or not Schumer has any real power come 2025 is very heavily dependent on who the president is, and he is very aware of that.

He may also be worried about his actions causing backlash against Gillibrand (NY's junior senator).

[sirfrogsworth]

The Pretty Average Trump Trauma

I really picked the wrong week to have a controversial post go viral.

The appeal deadline for my disability case is very soon and we just recently got the last of the medical records. My lawyer can get very busy and hard to reach. And I have been freaking out trying to get a hold of him to make sure everything is ready to be submitted. Thankfully he just emailed and said everything is on track and will be sent in for the appeal.

But having this weighing on me behind the scenes while also dealing with the blowback from my "vote for Biden" post caused me to enter into some unhealthy arguments and lose my temper on several occasions.

I didn't actually think about what would happen if that post went viral. Sometimes I write things and a hundred people see it, and it serves as a catharsis because I was able to get my thoughts and fears out of my brain.

And sometimes it gets reblogged 6000 times and I can forget I have a platform where that happens from time to time.

I wish I had written a better initial post. I think my thoughts in subsequent posts, along with the inclusion of what I think is a better strategy, would have gone a long way to help people understand my point of view. Looking back, that original post feels incomplete.

The post that ended up going viral was not inspired by reason or logic and it was never really meant to convince anyone of anything.

I thought I was preaching to the choir.

It was a representation of my fears. It was the result of two years of panic and trauma from the pandemic which ended in my mother's horrible death.

Let me explain...

On November 9th, Shaun, a YouTuber I respect, posted this.

And it scared the hell out of me.

A very popular leftist with a huge platform wrote this to 5 million people and I freaked out.

Shaun wasn't necessarily saying not to vote for Biden at the time. But he thinks people should all say they won't vote for him unless he calls for a ceasefire. I get the strategy. But I feared that nuance would be lost on many people and they would only see it as "don't vote for Biden... no matter what." Which was an accurate prediction on my part. The guy from Eve 6 has been going nuance-free for weeks now.

The one thing I greatly disagree with Shaun about is this...

Before the pandemic, I might have understood his argument. For the first two years, Trump was mostly an ineffectual goof. He had trouble getting a lot of his worst ideas to manifest. Most of the border wall he built ended up being repairs of existing barriers. And Obama droned civilians and kept kids in cages too—though Trump kept them in cages indefinitely and made up a rule that we can't actually know how many civilians he was droning.

So, a lot of the same, but turned up to 11.

But nothing about the pandemic response was pretty average.

There is something I have been choosing not to say during all of these discussions. I felt like saying it would be poor timing. I was worried people wouldn't actually agree with me. I worried it would make people think I was turning suffering into a competition. I didn't want to make it look like I valued certain lives over others. But then people accused me of all of that anyway. I was called evil and a collaborator and a supporter of genocide.

So I'm going to talk about it. Because the fact that few have mentioned it in these discussions has been bothering me. And the fact that the majority of society does not mention it makes me feel very alone in this belief.

I have long believed Trump and the majority of US conservatives committed a genocide of the disabled and elderly. I was never really comfortable calling it that word. I wasn't really sure how a genocide got classified as such. So I would just say things like, "40% of people who died during COVID should still be alive" and "Trump is responsible for hundreds of thousands of COVID deaths" and "Trump killed my mom" and hoping people would make the connection or at least see it as mass murder. I mean, this country judges everything by how many "9/11s" something is, but not the pandemic?

Donald Trump was the leader of the Republican party. When he refused to wear a mask due to vanity, his followers looked for something to excuse him. And I feel that directly birthed the "masks don't work" movement among conservatives. Donald Trump, having enormous influence among his acolytes, refused to correct this dangerous rhetoric. And he probably welcomed the cover so he could continue going maskless and not smear his makeup—even after he nearly died.

It is my belief this was the beginning of a genocide of apathy, deliberate and accidental incompetence, and non-compliance. And the reason for that non-compliance was not freedom as many claimed.

Conservatives did not like being inconvenienced.

They didn't like having to consider others.

And if competence requires effort and vigilance, they'd prefer doing the bare minimum.

Trump was famous for not filling vital administrative positions in the executive branch. Not only that, his turnover rate was 5 times higher than previous administrations. People were asked to do the job of several people because they didn't staff properly, and so those people quit. Thus creating a cycle of inexperienced new-hires that were out of their depth and asked to do much more than they bargained for. There is no way they could succeed in their jobs.

I think people forget that part of the role of the executive is the day-to-day boring administrative shit that is required to run a country. And when this day-to-day work isn't valued, it creates a crisis of incompetence. Which then creates things like not enough tests, not enough testing, Trump saying "if you don't test, it doesn't count", botched vaccine rollouts, rampant misinformation, poor education of the populace, and abysmal improvised press conferences where the President does a quick riff on injecting bleach.

This competence aspect is one of the hugest reliefs I had with the Biden administration. Not Biden. Not his policies. I'm talking about the regular workers getting shit done. This is the reason I am desperate to get my shit worked out with Social Security before the election. I once called Social Security during the pandemic and I literally got a recording saying to try calling back the next month.

Trump didn't care. People criticized him for not hiring people. He was aware of the problem. He just did nothing about it. And many conservatives praised him for "trimming the fat" or whatever. This idea that all of these government workers were useless burdens on the taxpayer fell apart during the pandemic.

There is incompetence caused by ignorance but it can also be a deliberate act. Trump was extraordinary in all forms of incompetence. He wasn't qualified to manage a pandemic. But he could have easily appointed experts and then gotten out of the way. But his narcissism would not let him cede power to anyone. He has always been convinced "only Trump can save you" and so his ego helped kill nearly half a million people.

Once the incompetence ball got rolling, that's when malicious apathy reared its ugly head. It was time to choose who they cared least about dying—who they felt was most useless. Conservatives decided it was time to devalue lives and start making sacrifices to save politicians' money laundering fronts small businesses.

Popular conservatives were going on TV and saying it was okay if Grandma died. It would be a worthy sacrifice to protect our freedoms.

The Lt. Governor of Texas, Dan Patrick, basically offered up the elderly for sacrifice all while claiming that he spoke for them and was also willing to die. Though I don't take his personal willingness very seriously, since he has the money and resources to get the best medical care and probably had no expectation he was in any danger.

“No one reached out to me and said, ‘As a senior citizen, are you willing to take a chance on your survival in exchange for keeping the America that all America loves for your children and grandchildren?’ But if they had? If that is the exchange, I’m all in. So my message is let’s get back to work. Those of us who are 70-plus, we’ll take care of ourselves.”

But you cannot just sacrifice the elderly. You may justify it by saying they have lived a long life, but many of the same health risks were shared by the disabled. Many of whom still had normal lifespans, but just needed extra care and protection.

There are countless elderly who cannot "take care of themselves" but they are still of value to our society. They are still loved. They watch and teach their grandchildren. They are the keepers of the family stories. They bake cookies and give you two dollar bills. They have random bowls of butterscotch all throughout their house.

But some need help. Some are sick. Some can't drive. Some can't walk. I guarantee not all of them were prepared to die for the cause.

And none deserved to die for a sports bar.

Oh, didn't I mention?

Dan Patrick owned a chain of sports bars that were losing money from the lockdowns. Did you really think he was sacrificing old folks "for the children"?

Thankfully Dan's sports bars are gonna be okay. He ended up receiving a $179,000 PPP loan... that was forgiven.

Then they started saying COVID deaths weren't COVID deaths.

"Well, they had a bad heart." "They were obese." "They had cancer."

They dropped the elderly excuse and began to openly devalue the disabled as well. If you were sick, what good were you? They considered us the next sacrifices for their convenience. If we wanted to survive, we shouldn't have gotten sick. It didn't matter that we could survive for years or even have a normal lifespan as long as we were protected by our communities.

And then began the non-compliance.

Trump's followers ignored masks and lockdowns and eventually vaccines. They were unwilling to protect the vulnerable and so many of us just... died.

Again, 40% of the US COVID deaths could have been prevented. Hundreds of thousands of people should still be here. Malicious apathy, incompetence, and non-compliance were the direct cause of this genocide.

The United Nations Genocide Convention identified 5 acts that typically constitute genocide. Only one act is required and in the pandemic 3 of the 5 acts happened.

Killing members of a group. Causing members of a group serious bodily harm. Imposing living conditions on that group that would destroy them.

I'm looking at that third one just now and realizing why we have advocates to remind us of vulnerable groups that need protection. I was thinking about how the elderly and disabled were trapped in hyper-contagious nursing homes and care facilities, but I completely forgot about prisons and the concentration camps at the borders.

I am not trying to diminish the awful things happening in Palestine right now. This is not a comparison of suffering—but a reminder. When a current terrible thing is happening, it can be hard to focus on anything else. But I do wish more people recognized what happened as a genocide and that the leader of that genocide, the one with the power to stop it, was Donald Trump. If we are going to base this voting decision entirely on acts of genocide, why is this not part of the consideration?

It is an awful moral calculus we have to figure out. One president is supporting and asking for funding for a genocide and I feel the other was the direct cause of another genocide. That's why I said both choices sucked. And the only way I could resolve this moral calculation was by asking what path would cause the least harm for everyone involved.

And the most disappointing aspect of all of these debates was the ableism. People told me if Trump was elected and I lost my benefits I should grow my own food and learn about medicine. They said I valued disabled lives above those in Gaza. They told me to imagine myself in Nazi Germany as a collaborator despite the fact I would have been euthanized.

But I felt like they weren't considering the disabled at all.

I am a disability advocate. So of course I am going to remind people to consider us in their voting decisions. But I'm tired of hearing I value lives differently just because I speak on behalf of a vulnerable group more often. I'm tired of continually having to justify my existence. And I'm tired of people dismissing the very real trauma caused by Trump.

It was not pretty average.

I'd like to tell you the full story of my mother's passing. All of the details. Even the ones I can't bear to type. But this isn't just my story. This is the story of countless others who had to watch their loved ones slowly die behind glass or over the phone or on an iPad.

I spent two years in constant anxiety trying to protect my two very sick parents. It was always assumed that my father was the most at risk. And that he was probably going to die long before my mother. But she had started a treatment for her psoriatic arthritis that turned the volume down on her immune system. Something that would normally not be a huge risk... but a pandemic changed that. A vaccine needs a functioning immune system to protect someone.

She could either accept the agony of stopping treatment or risk getting COVID. If people would have been willing to protect her, it would have been an easier choice. And she would still be around today. And I wouldn't have to worry about being homeless right now.

I don't know for sure when she was infected. I kept her inside as much as possible. But she needed those treatments and we had to pile into a crowded waiting room every time. And I remember a man in his fifties who seemed preoccupied with having to wear a mask. And when he thought no one was looking, he'd pull it down below his nose. A few days later she was being taken away in an ambulance.

A few weeks before my mother died, she called me on the phone. She was heavily medicated and they had two different breathing devices assisting her. The nurse was holding the phone up to her ear and she was trying to speak over the volume of the air rushing into her face from the masks. I could not hear her no matter how loud she yelled. So she asked the nurse to take the masks off for just a second so we could talk.

Her only concern was for my father. We all contracted COVID and she was so worried he would end up just like her. Thankfully the vaccine worked for him and he was okay at that moment. But she kept yelling, "Is Dad okay? Is Dad okay?" And I kept trying to tell her he was fine, but she was hard of hearing and the phone could not be held very close to her ear.

Unfortunately, the yelling made it harder and harder for her to breathe. She started gasping for air. The nurse kept insisting she put the breathing equipment back on, but my mom refused. "I want to talk to my son! I need to talk to my son!"

I knew there wasn't much we could do to communicate. And so I kept trying to yell "I love you, Mom. Everyone is fine. I love you!" I then asked the nurse to tell her that. And when she finally understood what I was saying, she burst into tears.

Her oxygen levels were getting dangerously low and she was fighting the nurse. And she just yelled out, "I'm so scared! I think I'm going to die! Tell Dad I'm sorry I can't take care of him! I don't want to die!" She kept repeating that over and over. The nurse had no choice and had to put the masks back on. My mom screamed and shouted "No! Please no! That's my son!"

And those were the last words I ever heard from my mother.

Gasping for air. Scared of dying. Worried about her family.

This moment has intrusively popped into my brain on a regular basis since it happened. It happens when I'm awake. It happens in my dreams. I have no control over it. I just have to keep experiencing it like it is happening for the first time.

After I saw that tweet from Shaun and then many others expressing the same thing (without the strategic aspect), my dread and trauma resurfaced with a vengeance. I've been reliving my mom's final words in my dreams. That moment keeps popping into my head. I feared the man I feel is most responsible for my mother's death may regain power and kill me and the last of the family I have left.

I keep asking myself the same questions over and over. What if there is another public health emergency? What happens to my trans friends if he turns the US into Florida and Texas? What will happen to the migrants at the border?

All I have is my two best friends. Katrina is gay and Delling is trans and disabled. All of us are vulnerable.

I wrote that post to help deal with the nightmares. Writing is part of my coping process. I didn't really expect it to go super viral. I just needed to get that out of my brain. But when people pushed back and started calling me evil and a collaborator and that I was valuing my life above those in Palestine, all with a huge heap of ableism, I found myself unable to let it go and not respond. I couldn't choose the healthy thing and step away.

While I feel I made some good arguments and put forth some solid ideas for other ways to handle this, I also got angry and lost my temper and stayed in arguments for way too long—all to my mental detriment.

My little world felt like it was collapsing and the world at large also felt like it was collapsing. I had personal horrors in my mind mixing with the horrors of this global conflict.

It was too much.

I don't regret what I posted. Many felt the same as I do. And I think my subsequent posts did a good job of expanding on my thoughts while also offering hope for alternate solutions.

But I do regret the timing and I wish I hadn't lost my temper. Especially in a reply I left with a lot of cussing.

People might disagree but I am hoping that people can understand the fear and trauma that influences my point of view.

I am actually willing to risk quite a lot to protect other people. Even people in faraway lands I don't know.

But I refuse to offer up the vulnerable to be sacrificed if it won't actually help anyone. That's what a Texas Lt. Governor would do.

[anotherdayforchaosfay]

Lucky for the Republicans who run the House, few Americans are paying attention to their antics of late, given the focus on the presidential race. Here’s what they’re up to: busily exemplifying the definition of insanity — doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

“Led” by Speaker “MAGA Mike” Johnson, Republicans yet again are threatening by their actions to shut down the government. After their extended summer recess, they returned after Labor Day and set out to score preelection points — egged on by Donald Trump — rather than seriously trying to pass legislation to keep the government funded. And they’re doing this just weeks before the Oct. 1 start of a new fiscal year, though they’ve had months to pass regular bills funding federal operations to avoid a last-minute grab-bag.

Their doomed strategy — and they know it’s doomed — is a familiar one: Attach a pet right-wing priority onto the funding package and try to force the Democratic Senate majority and President Biden to accept it under deadline pressure. Except the House Republicans don’t have enough votes to pass the package, given the opposition of party defectors as well as Democrats.

In past years, Republicans’ “poison pills” on funding bills have included proposals targeting Obamacare, abortion rights, immigrants and transgender people. This time immigrants are their target again. They are demanding a law requiring Americans to show proof of citizenship when registering to vote. Voting by noncitizens is already a crime and one that virtually no one commits.

Yet for this meritless cause, House Republicans would bring the government to a halt.

There is a silver lining. The fiscal follies are a welcome preelection reminder of Republicans’ inability to govern, and why voters should strip them of their majority in November.

The current saga is also a reminder that, if Republicans do keep their majority and Trump becomes president, they’ll act as an extension of his sorry White House — not as the independent branch of government the founders intended.

Trump publicly issued his all-caps marching orders just hours ahead of his debate last week with Kamala Harris. In a social media post Tuesday, he characterized the proof-of-citizenship requirement as an “Election Security” measure necessary to prevent Democrats from cheating. Consider it a preview of his fraud claim should he lose to Harris.

Without the citizenship proof, Trump wrote, Republicans in Congress “SHOULD, IN NO WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM, GO FORWARD WITH A CONTINUING RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET. THE DEMOCRATS ARE TRYING TO 'STUFF' VOTER REGISTRATIONS WITH ILLEGAL ALIENS. DON’T LET IT HAPPEN - CLOSE IT DOWN!!!”

The speaker complied, though you’d think Johnson would be getting tired of being humiliated by his party and its leader, just to stay in Trump’s good graces. His Trump-blessed bills never seem to be extreme enough for the farthest-right faction in the House (they never vote for spending bills anyway), and yet the measures are too extreme for endangered Republican moderates. (Moderates is a relative term when it comes to House Republicans.)

Lacking enough support for his budget bill, Johnson canceled a House vote on Wednesday, saying he needed more time for “family conversations” with Republicans. If he corrals his slim majority and the bill does pass, it’s DOA in the Senate.

And the follies continue.

Only last November, just after his election as speaker, the all-but-impotent Johnson addressed a Christian nationalist group and compared himself to Moses, divinely chosen to lead House Republicans — and America — to some political promised land.

At the Museum of the Bible in Washington, Johnson told the group a lengthy tale about how, amid House Republicans’ jockeying to replace ousted Speaker Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield, God awakened him in the night and told him to be ready for a “Red Sea moment.” Then, after Republicans rejected other speaker candidates over several weeks, God awoke him again, Johnson recounted. “The Lord said, ‘Now step forward.’”

“Me?” Johnson asked. Him. He did God’s will, and he’s been doing Trump’s, or trying to, ever since.

We know how the funding fight will end: with Republicans’ retreat. They won’t pass the bill, Johnson will accept a compromise — just as McCarthy had to, relying on Democrats’ votes — and they won’t shut down government right before an election. They’re eager to get home to campaign.

After two more weeks of partisan scuffling, right up to or beyond the midnight Sept. 30 deadline, Congress likely will pass a three-month bill, free of partisan add-ons, funding the government until mid-December. Biden will sign it. Then the House and Senate will return after the election for a lame-duck session and fight right into the holiday season over a longer-term spending measure, against the backdrop of the new Congress that starts in January.

And there’s where the follies could end. Democrats have long been favored, slightly, to regain control of the House, and their takeover prospects improved after Harris replaced Biden atop the party’s ticket. If voters strip House Republicans of the majority, the far-right extremists will be relegated to the backbench where they belong. “Moses” Johnson will be retired as speaker. And Democrats, led by their leader, New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, will school the Republicans on how a bill actually becomes law.

A Democratic House, and the first Black speaker. That’s the ticket.

[marxism-leninism-meowism]

calling it now: joe biden is going to lose Badly in november, and democrats are going to become enraged at people who refused to vote for him (primarily arab-americans, young people, and leftists in general) rather than asking themselves a few questions:

Why did Joe Biden run again for president knowing full well that his polling was doing badly, even before support for him dropped drastically due to his actions in support of Israel?

Why does Joe Biden's reelection campaign contain virtually no political stances other than "I'm not Donald Trump"?

Why—and this is purely assuming that Joe Biden is 100% self-serving with no empathy, sympathy, compassion, or any other shred of care for other human beings—is he still refusing to push for a permanent ceasefire knowing that is what his constituents want? Knowing that he will lose due to his handling of the genocide in Palestine?

Why, as an American that surely knows how useless public opinion is in affecting politics, are you blaming individuals for refusing to vote for a genocidal politician, rather than blaming the politician for being genocidal?

Do you finally feel unsafe? Is this what it took to make you feel unsafe in this country? Have you spent all these years living in relative comfort only to finally have that comfort put at risk, and now you're pinning the blame on the people who have been suffering for years regardless of who the president is? Is that why you care so strongly about this and keep your lips shut the rest of the time?

just some things to think about. but knowing liberals, the people that really need to reflect on these questions aren't going to listen anyway.

[mariacallous]

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1810387774329204925.html

Joe Biden headed into the 2022 midterms with historically high numbers of voters saying the country and the economy were headed in the wrong direction. His approval ratings were at, or near, historic lows for a President in the midterms. Yet Dems did historically well. Why? Voters on both sides of the aisle believe their worldview is under threat and attack. The threat is existential. The candidates and party’s who lead the fights to protect them are far less important than the world view they’re trying to preserve.

This is why Republicans vote for the most flawed candidate in US history. No matter his deficiencies Trump is the candidate who fought and won for their side. Same for Biden. Elites and the media have been fueling an apocalyptic narrative for a decade. Why are they surprised that the base resents being told who they should be supporting because of a stylistic, or even substantive failing? For many pundits this is just a DC parlor game. Another exercise in following the insider herd mentality of politics. This hierarchal structure of politics has worked for most of our country’s history - but it’s collapsing in the digital age where voters are tired of being bullied by these gatekeepers. All politics is national now. The hierarchical structure of politics is gone. Republicans went through this process in 2016. A horrifically flawed candidate won a multi candidate field and became the nominee. The pundits & media said he could not win. The polling showed he could not win. Historical trend lines showed he could not win. He won.

Trump won because his base was intact. All campaigns in a negatively charged environment are base elections. If you don’t have a secure energized base you don’t have a campaign. You can’t appeal to swing or Independent voters until your base is secure. Ironically, the backlash of Dem base voters to the media and pundit meltdown might have the effect of firing up the base for Biden in a way nothing else could have. And if you have a fired up base four months before an election anyone saying you can’t win isn’t a serious person Biden has consistently outperformed his polling on Election Day throughout 2024, usually by wide margins. Trump has consistently underperformed his polling on Election Day throughout 2024, usually by wide margins. These are significant data points in assessing base support.

The recent polling shows Trump picking up GOP support. Ok, that’s expected. Same polls show Biden picking up Independent support. Extremely important data point. But what about Democrats? The after debate polls show Biden losing Dem support and going to…undecided. It’s a damn good bet that this vote comes back - probably very soon - but just in November. What’s the best way to get them back? Attack. Attack. Attack. For all the reasons outlined above there is every reason to believe that Biden begins to close the polling gap as Trump becomes the issue in the campaign. So when the naysayers point out Biden’s weaknesses and hammer them home continually they’re driving down Dem support levels

The WSJ poll shows Biden getting 86% of Dem voter support. Good numbers but down from 93% in February. If Biden consolidates this 7%+ of the base AND continues to pick up IND voters (both more likely than not) the race becomes not only competitive but begins to advantage him So when people ask “What’s the plan?” That’s the freakin plan. It all happens when the issue becomes Trump and the campaign goes on offense rather than listening to the arsonists lighting their own house on fire. This isn’t hypothetical btw. It’s predictable voter behavior. This isn’t some grand bank shot theory. It’s how voters are predisposed to vote anyway. The race is gonna bounce around for a bit. That’s normal. But it will consolidate along these lines and narrow.

Throwing a Hail Mary pass is sometimes a good idea in the last desparate throes of imminent defeat. But that’s never the case at the start of the second quarter. That’s essentially where the campaign is at.

[redplasticup]

"It’s either Palestine is free, or no one is free.

It’s such a simple Maxim, such a simple slogan, one could say that it’s hyperbolic, but American piglets voting tonight to shit in their trough then eat from it has proven this maxim to be true in so many ways. Because Palestine and your position on it, says so much about your moral character and politically.

If you believe in social, economic, women, human, etc. justice and human rights, you stand with Palestine.

If you believe in a world run by laws and standards and not a barbaric nazi jungle, you stand with Palestine.

Your stance with Palestine, will then reflect back on the government you elect and bring to power, and whether you like it or not, you cant separate how that governments attitudes towards Palestine will reflect back on its behavior towards you. On certain fundamental human issues, there is no negotiation to be had, the nature of the kinds of people who would be opposed to Palestine will force itself on how they behave towards you.

The Democrats, and quite frankly the entire white western world with their position on Palestine and how they’ve behaved, made their slogan clear:- We are with Fascism, we are with racism, we are with apartheid.

And they’ve made their position clear:- We believe in a future where there are no human rights, no rule of law, we are back to a future where there is nazi-style genocides and total war crimes against humanity. We actually believe in bombing hospitals, killing children on an industrial scale, etc.

You might be looking at this and thinking “wow that sounds like a rightwing nutjob nazi position for the democrats to have.”

Yes. Yes it is.

Biden, Kamala, the democrats, every white western government, in 2023 onwards, have turned around and told their population that this is their stance.

In comes the other nazis, who say “ok, if we’re going to go down this road anyways, and you guys don’t believe in any of this human rights crap, lets turn it up to 11, and we will make promises and pledges towards improving prices in the supermarkets and sweets and treats in the store, and yeah your dumb wifes gonna lose her rights and those wierdo LGBT’s are gonna get hunted down, you don’t give a shit about those human rights anyways, but you can actually afford food and thanks to our protectionist policies and mega-imperialism you can get jobs and opportunities again!”

So I ask you, when you’re going to make a choice, between two nazis, one who promises you nothing, and one who promises you sweet yummy treats for your trough, who are you going to pick?

You don’t give a shit about the women or LGBT’s in your life, because you never gave a shit about human beings anywhere to be honest.

If Palestine doesn’t get human rights anyways, what’s the difference if your neighbors don’t you have mouths to feed you’ll take anything.

The white west looked at where the democrats are taking them, to a world where human rights don’t exist, where you can commit genocides and crimes against humanity, and have decided if they’re gonna do it anyways, they might as well try to benefit from it instead of being promised nothing.

If you elect people who think Palestine should be free, you’re gonna end up electing people who think you should be free, if you don’t, well, you’re gonna get nazis, and they’re gonna hate you as much as they hate Palestine.

It’s either Palestine is free, or no one is free."

-posted by forums user Al-Saqr to the Something Awful forums, November 5th at 11:18 PM, EST

[walks-the-ages]

Hey, 'Vote Blue No Matter Who' crowd, you keep saying every 4 years that "after the election of the newest democrat is when we should push for ranked choice voting and more parties on the ballot", but please explain to me why on FUCKING EARTH you think the "lesser evil" Democrats you keep screaming we need to vote for (while they're actively commiting genocide) --

-- why exactly do you think "99% Hitler" will have any motivation to give you more options to vote for in the next election???

How else is his party going to continue to get votes by holding your future safety at gunpoint while continually bombing other countries which you will forgive because its not your house being bombed???

In a ~perfect~ world according to the Vote Blue No Matter Who's Being Butchered crowd, Biden gets reelected in November 2024.

Okay then, blue crowd, please tell me exactly why you think he's going to do anything other than continue to gleefully commit genocide and fund police brutality and further militarize the police and allow trans and queer rights to be attacked and abortion rights to be further degraded???

July 2024, Biden is losing almost every single fucking poll.

1 in 3 Democrats want Biden to drop out of the running.

Screaming and crying on Tumblr about how people need to vote for Genocide Joe, Biden the Butcher is not going to sway the entire rest of the country and older demographics not on Tumblr or Instagram who are completely sick of Biden and don't want a shuffling zombie 2 steps from deaths door to be the most powerful man in the country.

Anyways, if genocide is your red line and you refuse to vote for a man gleefully commiting said genocide, look into third party, look into the green party.

[laemperatrizmariana]

I've known too many people who say, "Please tell me what I did wrong, so I can fix it. That way you won't unfollow me." And then, when you tell them what they did that you disliked or made you feel uncomfortable, they completely lose it and try to gaslight you and claim you're the one who is wrong for disagreeing with their bigotry and toxicity.

So I'm very much in favor of soft blocking. Besides, people often reblog what they like or agree with. So all their rancid opinions and shitty humor is sincere. They're not going to change, and because of this, any apologies are false, since they're simply trying to save face. There's no use telling people to change, if you hardly talk to them anyway. They're nothing to you, and vice versa.

Normally, I go through my watch list and unfollow people at the beginning of the year. But I'm going to wait until after the US Election Day, November 5. The worst people, who I'm considering unfollowing, are absolutely going to shit themselves over the results. They very much hate Harris/Walz (formerly Biden) and have been silent on Trump/Vance, but they'll likely pretend to be upset if the latter wins. So yeah, this will be the perfect time when the trash shows itself.

[nokingsonlyfooles]

Uncommitted!

Still getting coverage - although AP tried to dilute the message by saying the reasons for the protest "may differ," they are still centring Palestine!

And, of course, the denial and resistance is strong, and rooted in confidence that we hate Trump enough to OK a genocide.

Biden’s allies believe disaffected Democrats will return to the president’s fold when faced with a choice between him and Trump, who the president’s campaign has argued is a threat to democracy and is planning a sweeping set of policy changes that would attack liberal priorities.

I'm not making it up. If you listen, they will tell you they don't have to do anything because Trump has their back. These "uncommitted" and "leave it blank" campaigns are one of the last non-violent and non-Trump-electing forms of effective protest, and the higher-ups are broadcasting their intent to ignore and the reason why.

The response so far has been flogging another hypothetical six-week pause as a "cease fire," dropping expired MREs on people, and building a port that won't be ready for deliveries until way more people die. All the while, we are sending more weapons to continue the slaughter. This isn't "working tirelessly" for peace, it's "working tirelessly" to continue the genocide while avoiding political consequences.

If your primary works in a way that will register a protest vote (mine doesn't) PLEASE PROTEST VOTE. And if it doesn't, the only thing you can do is keep threatening to withhold your vote in the general. SCARE THEM OUT OF THEIR COMPLACENCY. You don't have to register an actual vote until November, and there are so many more human lives we're going to lose if we let this continue until then.

I can't walk up and bully US politicians in person anymore. We took our money out of the system at the cost of being less visible when we object. We were in a reliably blue district in a reliably red state, so we weren't getting much visibility anyway, and Democratic strategy is clearly ignoring AZ this cycle, in spite of the swing to blue last time. If you can be seen, especially if you're in the South or a historic swing state, please do whatever you can to be seen. Don't sleep on this! We've still got time to make a difference!

[cksmart-world]

SMART BOMB

The Completely Unnecessary News Analysis

By Christopher Smart

November 28, 2023

MIKE LEE: DEAR SANTA STUFF MY STOCKING WITH MAGA $$$

Utah Senator-for-Life Mike Lee asked Santa for donations from the fake electors who he hoped would throw the 2020 presidential election to Trump. Not long after Joe Biden's victory the Utah senator had sneaky tête-à-têtes with Santa's helpers — state legislators, congressmen, senators and the White House — scheming to keep Donald Trump in power. The ruse was to use fake electors in swing states to throw the election into chaos that would lead to the House of Representatives choosing the president. Voilà Trump is reelected. The scam fizzled, such a shame, but on the bright side Christmas came early for Lee. Fake electors donated at least $25,000 to his campaign fund and PAC stockings. Recently, Lee pushed the debunked accusation that FBI agents were spearheading the Jan. 6 capital insurrection. Right, when Trump told his supporters to come to D.C. on Jan. 6 because “it's going to be wild,” he was really saying federal agents would overthrow the government. That should be worth a lot more cash for Lee. You see, Lee's caught on to the Trump strategy perfected by Marjorie Taylor Greene: say crazy stuff and watch Santa make your coffers grow and grow. Once squeaky-clean Mike Lee has drunk the Kool-Aid and Christmas is now year-round. Deck the halls!

OH COME YE, 'TISS THE SEASON FOR THE WAR ON CHRISTMAS

Yes, it's that time of year again when festivities abound with giving and brotherhood and the celebration of a White Christian Nation Christmas. But wait, there is something sinister a foot — yes it's The War on Christmas by liberals, the ACLU, Jews, Muslims, and Klingons. For them saying,“Merry Christmas” is like saying, “Hang Mike Pence,” and they insist the First Amendment is about freedom of religion for Jews and Muslims, too. If elementary kids say, “Merry Christmas,” it's a slur against non-believers. Luckily we have a Christian warrior against the War on Christmas — the newly anointed Speaker of the House Mike Johnson. He fights so school kids can say, “Merry Christmas,” instead of, “Happy Holidays” — a very un-Christlike salutation that undercuts White Christian Nationalism. “The ultimate goal of the enemy is silencing the gospel of Jesus,” Johnson said. “This is spiritual warfare.” Some of those liberals say that, “Happy Holidays” is more inclusive and allows Jews and Muslims to feel included in the festivities. But former Fox host Bill O'Reilly set the record straight in 2016: “That (Christmas) culture war issue ignited and we won,” adding, “Donald Trump is on the case.” So, if you want a beautiful White Nationalist Christian nation, vote Trump. Merry Christmas!

RANKED CHOICE VOTING AND ITALIAN SATELLITES

Hey Wilson, have you and the guys in the band heard of this thing called ranked choice voting? Well, someone somewhere decided the voting system that we've been using since 1789 wasn't good enough. It's not that things weren't working as they should, except maybe for the election of Trump, but some folks like to change things just for the sake of change or maybe they got tired of losing. Anyway, it goes like this: voters rank the candidates in order: first, second and third. If a candidate wins a majority of first-preference votes, they win. But if none get a majority then the candidate with the least first-preference votes bites the dust. OK, so this is where you really have to be sober to grasp this. All the first-preference votes for the failed candidate are erased and the second-preference votes on those ballots are elevated to first-preference. Then a new count of first-preference votes is tallied and so on. You're right Wilson, Republicans would immediately be screaming “voter fraud from Italian satellites.” If they don't comprehend the old way of balloting how will they ever accept results from the ranked choice system. You can guess what'll happen when the Freedom Caucus and Marjorie Taylor Greene get ahold of this: Jan. 6 will actually look like a patriotic family picnic.

Post script — That's going to do it for another carefree week here at Smart Bomb where we keep track of Paris Hilton so you don't have to. Hey Wilson, do you know what Paris Hilton named her new baby daughter? London. London Hilton. Yes, we know you and the band once stayed at the London Hilton. Her first child is a boy named Phoenix. So there's Paris, Phoenix and London. The staff got to thinking about possible names for her next kid. One of the staff's favorite choices is Tooele — Tooele Hilton. It has a ring to it. Another staff pick is Beaver, which could be for a boy or a girl. Beaver Hilton. Well, maybe not for a girl. The best one for a girl is Tabiona. Tabiona Hilton. How sweet. Changing gears, here's an example of why Americans are in a bad mood. Topher Olive went to a McDonald’s in Post Falls, Idaho, according to The Washington Post, and ordered a limited edition “smoky” double quarter pounder BLT with fries and a Sprite — total $16.10. It sticks in the craw. Even though unemployment is down and wages are up, Americans remain bummed out. Inflation. Of course, it's Joe Biden's fault. But the White House has a plan called “Burgernomics” where, theoretically, fast food will trickle down to people jonesing for burgers and fries and McNugget Happy Meals.

Well Wilson, like it or not Christmas is upon us. There's Black Friday and Cyber Monday and people spend a lot of money and businesses make beaucoup bucks. But where in all this is the guy from Nazareth. He preached to the poor and discouraged hoarding earthly possessions. So Wilson, if you can, please take us out with something with love and salvation — we need it:

Suzanne takes you down to her place near the river You can hear the boats go by / You can spend the night beside her And you know that she's half crazy / But that's why you want to be there And she feeds you tea and oranges / That come all the way from China And just when you mean to tell her / That you have no love to give her Then she gets you on her wavelength / And she lets the river answer That you've always been her lover / And you want to travel with her And you want to travel blind / And you know that she will trust you For you've touched her perfect body with your mind.

And Jesus was a sailor / When he walked upon the water And he spent a long time watching / From his lonely wooden tower And when he knew for certain / Only drowning men could see him He said "All men will be sailors then / Until the sea shall free them" But he himself was broken / Long before the sky would open Forsaken, almost human / He sank beneath your wisdom like a stone And you want to travel with him / And you want to travel blind And you think maybe you'll trust him

For he's touched your perfect body with his mind.

Now Suzanne takes your hand / And she leads you to the river She is wearing rags and feathers / From Salvation Army counters And the sun pours down like honey / On our lady of the harbour And she shows you where to look / Among the garbage and the flowers There are heroes in the seaweed / There are children in the morning They are leaning out for love / And they will lean that way forever While Suzanne holds the mirror / And you want to travel with her And you want to travel blind / And you know that you can trust her For she's touched your perfect body with her mind.

(Suzanne — Leonard Cohen)

[bllsbailey]

Kamala Demonstrates Why She's Losing Black Men and People Across All Demos With Remarks in Arizona

The more Kamala Harris and Tim Walz talk and do events, the more the momentum seems to shift to former President Donald Trump. So please, guys, keep it up, it's working...for Trump. 

How are they so horrible after all this time? Hasn't anyone taken any time with them to say, "Here are some reasonable answers," to some of the questions they keep blowing over and over again? Why can't she seem to say much beyond "middle class," and talk about "ambitions and dreams and desires" (which isn't supposed to be what the government takes care of anyway)? They have a fundamentally warped view of what the government is supposed to be about. 

Kamala Harris was in Scottsdale, Arizona, at an event with "Republicans" for Harris on Friday. If you say you're for someone who has historically held such leftist views, then I have to think you aren't much of a Republican. She's likely doing that because she's behind in Arizona, and there are a lot of red state folks there. It's one of the few events she's done where she's supposedly reaching across the aisle. 

But what she had to offer wasn't much. 

Let's listen to her explain what "world leaders" have told her: 

She says world leaders--allies--have been saying, "Kamala, I hope you guys are going to be okay." 

I believe that about as much as I believe a Jussie Smollett story; that isn't how world leaders talk except in her head. But if they had said it, does it occur to her why? Has she checked who is currently occupying the Oval Office, and what world leaders think about him, particularly given his cognitive decline? I'm sure world leaders and allies have been worried. 

But Kamala Harris hasn't been straight with us about that. We've seen how Biden and Harris chucked allies under the bus when they pulled out of Afghanistan in complete chaos. We saw it also when she couldn't even bring herself to say that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was an ally during her recent "60 Minutes'" interview. 

READ MORE: Kamala Trips Over Huge Word Salad and Throws Bibi Under the Bus in '60 Minutes' Interview

Then, talk about the projection here, when she tries to convince them that Trump wants to weaponize the DOJ against the opposition:

Kamala Harris — who is currently weaponizing the DOJ against her political opponent, President Trump — warns that President Trump will weaponize the DOJ against his political opponents if he wins in November. pic.twitter.com/tgFZ7kSib0— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) October 11, 2024

She talks about how she likes to lead:

"I bring folks in my office all the time and they know, I don't want any yes people," she asserted. 

"I want people to come in and first of all, be prepared (cackle). Yeah, no time to waste!" 

Yet, there have been a number of stories about how she has had a lot of staff turnover because of how bad she is. That's a good reminder on not only how little she knows, but how bad she is in dealing with staff. Another reason she shouldn't be hired for the job. 

READ MORE: New Report Reveals Even More Trouble in KamalaWorld as the Dam Breaks

Then, welcome to the Cackle Dome; people go in, but I'm not sure any sanity comes out after someone has to listen to the crazed cackle. Oh, and when you think about what's at stake in this election, it's just "packed with some stuff." Fundamental, don't you know? What does that even mean? 

"Stuff." She doesn't know what it is enough to communicate, but just know it's "stuff." You don't need to know what the "stuff" is. 

Former Trump Ambassador Ric Grenell couldn't believe that one:

How can anyone vote for that? And Obama wonders why Harris is losing black men. 

[dgcatanisiri]

Fuller thoughts regarding the debate.

Okay, let's just take this with rational brain on.

The debate was never going to change hearts and minds at this point, and honestly, I don't even see much point to them in this realm of polarized politics but we're probably not getting rid of them anyway. So this was really just political posturing.

Which means this was an experiment in optics.

And the optics were not good for the Democrats.

Let's be clear. Trump lied with every breath like he always does, and that should be addressed more - particularly by THE MODERATORS, because those moderators abandoned their duties by not even bothering to attempt to fact check him in real time and their failure to do so definitely needs to be called out by A LOT more people, but instead their bosses seem to be "proud" of their performance...

But on the optics level, we saw Joe Biden have a serious Grandpa moment, where he looked unable to stand up in the fight. He seemed more like the man unable to retire because he needs his health care plan he'd lose otherwise (which, absolutely, this is 1000% an indictment of the average age of the Democratic leadership, who have historically been VERY resistant to guiding the young Dems into leadership position, just LOOK at all the hostility AOC and others like her received on their arrival), and so for the audience who are supposed to be on his side... This looks like going into a wildfire with just a water bottle to try and put out the fires of fascism.

It's looking at the fight that we need to fight, the fight we need to win... and seeing that the people who are supposed to be leading this fight, the people who are arming us, the people who are making the strategy... don't seem equipped to fight it, don't seem ready to fight it. That they'll fight the symptom but ignore the cause.

Let me be very clear about this. I will still vote for Biden in November. Nothing about this makes a difference in who I'm voting for.

But it concerns me that our "leader" against the fascism doesn't seem capable of standing against that opposition. That's an issue. And it is an issue that is ONLY going to get and appear worse as time goes on.

The fight is not actually against Trump. He's just the most visible symptom. The fight will continue after him. Looking at the Dems now, they're ONLY looking to November and no further.