#stop whining about election outcomes if you DON’T VOTE IN THEM

[fatbirdpics]

It’s shitting me that this article makes it sound like these bigots spontaneously appeared on the school board. THEY WERE ELECTED. The only reason all this is happening is because the people who are outraged now didn’t vote then.

[fatui-harbingers]

I try to stay away from people that say things like ”I try not to be racist” bc that tells you that they, more likely than not, are actually racist and just know it's not acceptable around you or wherever you live. Same goes for ”I try not to be sexist”.

And another thing that just bothers me is when people say ”I don't see color”. Like, I get they're trying to be inclusive and progressive (or in some cases just trying to win over young people) but it's so misguided! Of course, I would love a world where no one saw color but that's not really possible until poc are on equal footing with whites. I don't feel there's anything wrong with seeing color, but thinking/saying/doing bad things to poc bc of their skin color is wrong (duh, I mean, that's RACISM).

I was (and am) lucky as well as privileged. I was raised by a mother that made sure I didn't get brainwashed by the extremely racist and patriarchal society we live in so I had no idea there was such a thing as inequality for anyone! I didn't know about any types of oppression solely bc my mom didn't want me to treat people differently (bc she was raised by awful people).

My mom forced me to watch Iron Jawed Angels for history (bc we homeschool/homeschooled) which made me start researching women's rights (I already knew a little about civil rights but I went to public school for a while and we all know that stuff is whitewashed. It just never clicked that people were STILL being treated that way). I found feminism bc of the research I did but it was white feminism. I didn't have regular internet access then so I didn't get to look into much, which is why I was a white feminist for a while (I still feel so guilty for being a white feminist even though I didn't mean to be and I was like, 15?). But, one day, I came across an article from Teen Vogue that was explaining the difference.

It said that Black Lives Matter was a part of feminism and I just thought how is it a part of feminism? Feminism is fighting for women's rights and Black Lives Matter is fighting for racial equality and civil rights, so how do they go together? But then the article explained the difference between white feminism and intersectional feminism. I did more research to make sure I understood the term correctly and became an intersectional feminist now that I knew white feminism wasn't true feminism bc it doesn't stand for all women. I've been learning more and more since then and making sure I'm up to date on world news and politics bc that's what I feel a feminist should be doing in order to help everyone everywhere.

Now that I'm well informed on these matters, I nearly blow up when someone says something racist or sexist/misogynist. I'm very depressed by the fact that people are treated so badly for every reason but their actions. That's all that matters, someone's actions. Not their gender, sexuality, skin color, the amount of money they have in their bank account. These things are also why I get so angry about people not taking politics seriously or not caring at all.

And, I hate hearing people say ”its too political these days” (your privilege is showing!) and I HATE the term ”political correctness”. Like, you've got to be so privileged to not be affected by the outcome of any elections and just pretend politics aren't important. It's especially annoying to hear the same people that were whining about Obama ”ruining” everything and talking about how important our country's politics are turn around and just say ”not my problem, stop whining about it” to minorities when they talk about how the 2016 election is hurting them and has been hurting them.

Now, I'm white so my white privilege kept me from knowing racism was a thing bc I didn't have to (and still don't have to, obviously) experience every single day. I really don't know how y'all do it. You're all so, so strong!

Sometimes I even forget (usually not very long) that racism exists bc I just don't look at people that way. And I expect everyone to be the same, which is apparently really hard for people that ”aren't racist” or ”try not to be racist”. And, racists don't disappear when you suddenly ”stop seeing color” while trying to be progressive. They're still here, being hateful to poc and doing everything they can to keep them oppressed.

We whites need to use what privilege we have (even if it's just a little) to help rid of racism in whatever ways we can. That means you have to be quiet when poc are talking about their issues and listen so you can vote for the right people and try to talk to friends and family about how racism effects poc 24/7. It isn't that hard, especially if you actually care about these things. It's not that hard for poc and real allies to tell that you're just ”trying not to be racist” rather than actually not being racist.

Sorry about the rant, y'all. I just really needed to vent about this stuff. Especially racism considering I don't make many posts about it (I need to work on that) even though I reblog a lot of stuff regarding this horrible issue. I just needed to get my personal thoughts out here I guess!

[forsetti]

On American Politics: It’s All About Power

“It's all about power baby.” Dirty Little Secrets-My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult

For reasons that completely escape me, progressives have been unwilling to learn the most basic political lessons over the past few decades. They have been more than willing to allow conservatives to not just get power but sit by as decades of progressive policies are steadily rolled back.  They seem more content attacking people who are their allies than they are Republicans.  They often are too willing to pass along false information, bad history, even conspiracy theories about the Democratic Party and Democrats.  They mistakenly think their emotional involvement about particular issues and politics in general means they are correct and knowledgeable about both.  For many, political compromise is viewed as a betrayal and nothing will be accepted that isn't absolute, perfect adherence to whatever their political purity test de jour* happens to be (*not applicable to any politician they are currently passionate about.)  These behaviors, and a whole lot more are why I get so frustrated with progressive politics and why progressives continue to lose elections even though they have the demographic advantage in many places.  

Politics is about power.  It is this fucking simple.  Without it, all of your great, wonderful ideas aren't worth a damn.  How do you get political power?  By winning elections at the local, state, and federal levels. How do you win elections?  You don't win them by staying home and not voting.  You don't win them with “protest votes.”  You don't win them by voting for third-party candidates who have no chance of winning.  You win elections by voting in every election for the candidate who has the best chance of winning who stands for your values more than the other candidate with the best chance of winning. Period.  Full-fucking-stop.  Any strategy, any thoughts, any opinion about American politics that doesn't have this as its underlying principle is not only seriously flawed, it is a cancer that needs to be eradicated.

As simple as this concept is, it seems very difficult and problematic for many progressives to grasp.  Conservatives understand this really well.  It is the reason they have been able to steadily take control of governorships, state legislatures, many of the courts around the country, the House, the Senate, and the White House.  Republicans don't have the demographic numbers to be in control of much outside of very red states.  Yet, they do and it is ALL because progressives haven't learned what it takes to win elections-get power.   A lot of progressives are under the belief what has held back progressives from winning elections are bad candidates.  “If Democrats would put up better candidates, then they'd win more elections.”  What this really translates to is, “I won't get off my privileged ass and support or vote for someone who doesn't meet my purity test, regardless of the possible outcome.  Then, I'll bitch and moan about how progress isn't being made and it's all because of something else, someone else, but never me and my idiotic approach to politics.”  

Whenever I point out this truth, the purity progressives get their self-woven, natural fiber panties in a bunch.  They whine about how anything and everything other than themselves is to blame for the current political climate.  They have this stance because they don't understand American politics, at all.  Like it or not, American politics is a two-party system.  You have two choices.  If you choose to not select one of them or choose to select a third option, you are just as responsible for the current state of politics in America as the people who voted Republican.  

Imagine you are in a room with no windows that has a single ceiling light wired to a single on/off switch.  If you choose to not flick the switch on because your preference is a dimmer switch, you have chosen to be in the dark.  If you choose to jiggle the doorknob in hopes of opening the door to let in light, because you don't like the binary option of the light switch, you have chosen to be in the dark.  It doesn't matter how passionate you feel about the type of light switch or the number of options you think should be available if you do anything other than actively turn the switch to the on position, you are in the fucking dark and it is completely by your own choice.  You can sit in the dark bitching about how unfair it is you are dark and why the room isn't wired differently all you want but none of it is going to change the reality that you are in the dark because of your choices.

Because conservatives largely come from fundamentalist backgrounds built on binary choices-God/Devil, good/bad, men/women, right/wrong... they not only understand how the American political system works, they dutifully play their part to successful results.  It doesn't matter to them that a particular candidate in a particular election isn't their ideal.  To them, there are only two choices-the person with an 'R' after their name and the enemy.  This is why they have no problem voting for a three-time married, serial adulterer with five children from three different women, who brags about sexually assaulting women, and can't even pronounce “second Corinthians” correctly.  When put into a room with an on/off light switch, they didn't hesitate for a second about what to do in order to light up their conservative world.

This complete and utter understanding, whether conscious or unconscious, by conservatives, is why they control the majority of political power in this country even though they are a third of the population. Sure, they have purity tests but when push comes to shove, if the final options are a Democrat and a Republican, they will ALWAYS, en masse, vote for the Republican.  We can debate the merits of their reasons and approach until the free-range, organically-fed cows come home but this is how politics were intentionally designed and how they have worked in America since its inception.

This binary view of politics is not only what has allowed Republicans to consolidate power the past few decades but do so in spite of a shrinking demographic.  Because they have been so loyal to the party they identify with, because they know that if they don't vote for the Republican candidate, the ENEMY might win.  Until progressives adopt this exact voting strategy for a decade or more, they will continue to lose elections they should win.  They will continue to watch as conservatives win elections and roll back decades of hard-fought progressive policies.  They will continue to blame anything and anyone other than themselves for the consequences of their failure to understand the situation and act accordingly.

The entire Amerian political structure is intentionally constructed to be a two-party system.  Progressives can like this or not.  They can accept this or not.  They can do whatever the fuck you want with this fact but treating it as anything other than this is not a smart political strategy.  

Any progressive who doesn't think this is how progress is made needs to watch the Ken Burn documentary on the Roosevelts.  They need to pay close attention to how the far-left at the time hated FDR, tried to primary him, were always bitching about how he “wasn't progressive enough.”  FDR didn't implement the most progressive policies because of the far-left but in spite of them.  He was able to accomplish what he did because he had massive majorities in Congress throughout his presidency.  When you have more people who are your allies, it is a lot easier to get things done even when some of them don't completely agree with what you are doing or how.  

The last time Democrats had large majorities in Congress and held the White House was under LBJ.  It is no coincidence this is the last time major progressive policies happened.  Since LBJ, even if Democrats had control of both houses in Congress and the White House, the majorities were razor thin and with the filibuster in the Senate, a majority really isn't meaningful without sixty votes.  If you want a major progressive bill to get by the U.S. Senate you are going to need more than sixty Democratic Senators because a handful will not support it because of the makeup of their state/constituency.

This is why it is so important for progressives to not undermine Democratic candidates/legislators who are not as progressive as they want, especially if they are not from your state.  Doug Jones from Alabama might not be the bluest of Senators but holy-fucking-hell, he is a million times more progressive than Roy Moore or any other conservative from Alabama.  Yet, when Doug Jones was running and right after he was elected, the far-left did nothing but bitch about him and prop him up as an example of why the system is broken, why the “establishment” is the real problem.  No, idiots! Progressives demanding across-the-board purity tests are the fucking problem.  The far-left could run the most progressive candidate they can find in Alabama from now until the rising seas from climate change buries everything south of Montgomery and they will never win an election.  If you can put two and two together and come up with something greater than three and less than five, this means in order to have a Democrat elected to the Senate from Alabama, they are going to be less to the left than you would like.

It never ceases to amaze me how many times I see comments from progressives on social media or in comment sections where they are outraged some Democratic candidate/legislator from some state/district not their own, isn't supporting the “perfect progressive” agenda. They can say, “My bitching about Doug Jones from Alabama doesn't impact anything because I don't live in that state.”  Yes, it does. When progressives outside a voting area complain about the candidates involved, it has two very tangible, very detrimental effects: 1-It can depress the vote in that area from progressives who live there because they are being bombarded with opinions from other progressives telling them their candidate sucks; 2-The media picks up on this and rolls out hot take after hot take about how Democrats are in disarray and don't have a cogent strategy which becomes the accepted “truth” about the Democratic Party for a good chunk of Independent and Democratic voters.  

There is a reason why Russian online trolls spent most of their time and energy during the 2016 election NOT promoting Republican candidates and positions but PRETENDING TO BE PROGRESSIVES ATTACKING OTHER PROGRESSIVES because they know not only the importance of depressing voter turnout but how progressives are so willing to turn on their own kind.  This is why they targeted Democratic voters in swing states.  

The irritating thing is, while this was happening, in real time, some of us were not only pointing out what was going on but the dangers of it only to be mocked, ridiculed, lectured ad nauseum by the “progressives” who were gobbling up the troll bait, hook, line, and fucking propaganda sinker.  That this is what happened and went down irritates the fuck out of me.  That these same “progressives” who were so easily duped and were a big part of the problem not only haven't seemed to have learned a damn thing from the whole situation, they are adamant their shitty strategy and even shittier knowledge of politics are the Holy Fucking Grail of political power and prominence.

This is why, no matter how specific the Democratic Party is about what it stands for or how progressive the party platform is, the far-left, Independents, and the media constantly trot out idiotic claims like- “The Democratic Party doesn't know what it stands for;” “The reason why progress isn't being made is because of the establishment/corporatist Dems.”  No. No. No.  The reason why progress isn't being made is because progressives don't vote in every election, don't vote for the Democratic candidate with the best chance of winning, don't do what is necessary to defend progressive policies already won, don't understand how the simple concept of Us versus Them in a two-party system really works.

Let me give you an example of what I mean.  Recently, I had a back-and-forth about this topic online with someone who claims to be not only a progressive but one that really understands how American politics works.  When I pointed out that Hillary's campaign ran on the most progressive platform since FDR, their comeback was, “She only took this position because Bernie pushed her to the left and I doubt she would have followed through.”

Go ahead, think about this response because it a classic reason progressives suck at political strategy, winning elections, getting power.  Bernie lost to Hillary by almost four million votes in the primaries.  Yet, in spite of losing by a wide margin, his camp was given a number of seats on the platform committee.  The platform was agreed to by all factions and rolled out.  Yet, in spite of this very generous, very democratic situation and outcome, to the far-left it wasn't good enough and couldn't be trusted.  Unless Bernie won and had the complete say over everything, whatever happened could be used to rationalize/justify not supporting Hillary (I'm using this example but it applies to a lot of elections the past 30+ years.)  The whole “follow through” comment is telling, as well.  You never know what a candidate will/can do until they get into office and you see the context in which they have to work.  If Hillary would have won and the GOP had control of the House and Senate as they do now, the people who were wary of her “follow through” would be the first in line complaining how she didn't do what they thought she wouldn't do.

The reason I know this is how they would respond is that I watched them do this very thing with President Obama.  THE BIGGEST REASON WE ARE IN THE MESS WE ARE IS BECAUSE TOO MANY PROGRESSIVES SAT OUT THE 2010 MIDTERMS ALLOWING THE TEA PARTY TO TAKE OVER THE U.S. HOUSE AND THE MAJORITY OF STATE GOVERNORSHIPS AND LEGISLATURES.  Why did they do this?  Because, in spite of not having majorities in both houses of Congress, he didn't pass universal healthcare.  Never mind he did something that every Democratic President since FDR had tried to do but failed (comprehensive health care reform,) the purity left was pissed.  Never mind he only had 58 Democratic votes and even then not the entire time because of Al Franken's contested election and the death of Ted Kennedy, the purity left demanded he attains the logically unattainable.  I watched for eight years as the far-left complain, theorize, and make horrible decisions because President Obama didn't give them the unicorns they ordered in the exact color they wanted and in the perfect manner they expected.

Unless these progressives can explain to me how he was supposed to get their perfect, progressive policies passed without even a perfunctory, working majority in the Senate, they can take their views of how politics does and should work and cram them up their purity asses. Progressives allowed the Tea Party to win elections because they were more concerned with throwing a hissy fit about something that NEVER, FUCKING EVER WAS GOING TO HAPPEN than they were about getting power and making real progress.

I live in a state where this hissy fit changed the political culture from very blue to very red and we've only descended further down the cesspool the past nine years.  Every time some progressive whines about their chosen candidate not winning in the primaries, every time they bitch about how someone from some other state isn't “progressive enough,” every time they roll out idiot descriptions like “corporatist Dem,” or “establishment,” I think about the tens of thousands of people in Flint who have been generationally changed by lead in their water because of Republican choices.  I think of the hundreds of thousands of Dreamers who are suffering from anxiety and might be deported because of progressives piss poor priorities. Everything progressive claim to hold dearly is being bent over a log is getting the Ned Beatty from “Deliverance�� treatment right now because of bad political strategy.  Not bad candidates.  Not the DNC. Not “the establishment.”  All of this is happening because the concept of here are two choices, one that wants to fuck you over as hard and often as possible and take away everything you care about and another who really wants to help you as much as possible is too difficult to grasp for some reason.

Even after pointing all of this out, there are some progressives who are still adamant their strategy is the winning ticket.  They believe that if they allow Republicans to continue to win and fuck the country over enough, at some point, America will reach rock bottom and come on bended knee to them to save it.  Even if this view was true, this would mean the most vulnerable in society will be screwed six ways to Sunday, in order to prove a point.  How many people denied health care is okay?  How much worse can the environment be damaged to where it is justified?  How many more people can be pushed out of voter registrations to where this is worth it?  How much wealth is it okay to redistribute upwards in order to justify being a purist?  How many voter, women, minority...rights is it okay to sacrifice for a mythological outcome? I have spent most my adult life studying, teaching, writing about ethics and not in a heavily alcohol-induced state while on painkillers can I come up with any moral justification for this mindset.

I don't know how you can claim to be progressive and at the same time make choices that hurt the things you claim are most important to you.  I can't take seriously the political strategy views of progressives who are willing, even in the short-term, to sacrifice POC, the LGBT community, immigrants, women... for hypothetical, long-term gains.  I don't trust any progressive who tells me that the Democratic Party needs to shy away from identity politics.  I have real problems with any progressive who uses terms like, “corporatist” and “establishment” when Republicans control the levers of power. I refuse to listen to the political strategy opinions of people whose election winning percentage record around the country is in the single digits.  Pro Tip: If you aren't successful at winning elections, don't give advice about political strategy.

If you think of yourself as progressive and are upset at me, too bad. I've been at this for almost four decades and watched the same pattern of behavior happen over and over and over and over again. I've fought for universal health care longer than most o the far-left has been alive.  Change, serious, generational change only happens in America because of lots of hard, well thought out work, and having the political clout to get it passed.  If you think you can magically bypass this, you are just as guilty of progress being held back as conservatives.  Sorry if this leaves a bad taste in your mouth but it is the truth.  America had a really good shot at some serious progress after the massive fuck up that was the George W. Bush administration.  Unfortunately, too many progressives had a major hissy fit because President Obama didn't give them everything they wanted right away, even though he never had a filibuster-proof Senate and was dealing with the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.  Instead of understanding the situation and a basic grasp of a School House Rocks level of civics, a lot of progressives pouted stayed home during the 2010 midterms and allowed the Tea Party to fuck over the country in ways that are still going on today. When given the choice between Donald-Fucking-Trump and Hillary Clinton, many of these same progressives either replayed their stay-at-home role or voted for a third-party candidate.  How is that piss poor choice turning out for your progressive ideals?

Even many of the progressives who voted for Hillary really didn't help the situation.  I can't tell you how often I bring up the horrible political strategy on the left and someone will chime in with, “Look, I didn't like Hillary but I still voted for her.”  Well, la-di-fucking-da!  You did the bare minimum and you want not just a cookie but some praise?  Sorry, I'm all out of progressive, political participation trophies and orange slices for you.  You mean you had to really think about and “hold your nose” to vote for the most qualified presidential candidate in history and the first woman? Really?!  And, you want people to praise you for your effort?  Fuck you!  Knowing the choices, knowing the stakes, knowing history...you should have been eager to vote for her and should have been saying so to anyone and everyone who could hear for months.  Your half-assed, “I didn't want to but I voted for her,” attitude helped influence others whether you know it or want to admit it.  

I don't say these things to make progressives feel bad or piss them off.  If this is what happens, that's their problem, not mine.  I say these things to help progressives really understand that being involved in politics is more than voting every four years in presidential elections.  It is more than what you want and your priorities.  It is more than purity tests.  It is more than half-hearted efforts.  It is more than razor-thin majorities. Politics is about engagement, sacrifice, compromise, constantly doing whatever it takes to move the needle forward, large majorities, supporting allies even when you don't agree with everything they do. American politics is about slow, meaningful change.

Don't “Civil Rights Act,” or “Gay Rights” at me either as examples of sudden political change.  If you do, this shows you don't know a damn thing about history.  A lot of people think political change happens really quickly because they haven't been paying attention to anything that didn't happen thirty seconds ago.  People were pushing for Civil Rights since the end of the fucking Civil War but sure, go ahead and believe it happened all in the matter of a few months in the early 60s.  People were fighting for gay rights for decades before Obergefell versus Hodges made it the law of the land.  Real political progress is like a very large balloon, a lot of time and effort goes into blowing it up and when it finally pops from years of effort, a significant number of people act as if it suddenly happened because they puffed a couple of breaths into it.  Those last few breaths might have been the final thing that burst the “Progressive Dam,” but without the decades of blood, sweat, tears, life and limb from tens of thousands of progressives before you, that dam wasn't going to burst despite your best effort.  Show some appreciation and respect for those who came before you who most likely paid a much steeper price for their efforts towards progress than you can even begin to imagine.  Don't let their efforts go to waste because of your self-interests.  Learn how American politics really works and play it the best you can, not the best you demand or the best you want, but the best you can.

Just because you think you are “woke” politically doesn't mean anything without context, history, a workable strategy.  Passion is important, wonderful, necessary... but passion by itself is not only meaningless, it is dangerous.  Fascism relies on this kind of passion.  I'm not saying being a passionate progressive is the same as being a fascist but being emotionally invested in something is just the first step in a long journey.  This being said, there are a lot of similarities between the far-right and the far-left when it comes to purity tests, demonization of compromise, closed off belief systems... Just because your goals are better, doesn't mean the paths to achieve them are not unethical, moronic, dangerous.  

Until progressives learn these lessons, they will continue to fail to win elections they should win, they will continue to blame everything and everybody but themselves for their failures, they will be their own worst enemy in the fight for the progress they claim is most important to them.  If progressives don't believe me, just look at where progressive politics were in 2009, where it ended up in 2010 and where it is now.  If they still don't get it, here are a few names to consider: Neil Gorsuch, Betsy DeVos, John Bolton, Steve Bannon, Stephen Miller, Jeff Sessions, Donald Trump, Rick Perry, Greg Pruitt...  How is your half-assed support of Democrats working out for you?  How does it feel for progressives to be responsible for the undermining of environmental rights, women's rights, LGBT rights, banking regulations, taxes on the wealthy...?  Maybe, just maybe, in the future, they will think about the big picture and not so much about their pet issues.  Maybe they will finally figure out that American politics is about a choice between conservatism and progressivism.  Maybe, just maybe they will realize that fighting against people who are their natural allies while the real enemy burns everything they love to the ground is really, really, really fucking stupid.

[newcharlesentertainment]

HILLARY RECEIVED MORE POPULAR VOTES THAN ANY OTHER CANDIDATE IN HISTORY. READ BELOW!

                     November 16, 2016                                                          

                                                                                                                                                             More News                                            

Stop Obsessing Over White Working-Class Voters

Let's Talk About the Constitution – After Trump's Win, We'll Need It

How Donald Trump Became President

All Stories

I don't agree with Donald Trump on much. We both like New York City. We both believe in the importance of oxygen for sustaining living beings. Beyond that, and especially in the political realm, we don't often see eye-to-eye.

However, it has become painfully clear that one of the central claims of the Trump campaign is undoubtedly true: The election was indeed rigged. But it wasn't rigged in the direction Trump claimed – rather, it was rigged in Trump's and his party's favor. This happened in a number of ways – felon disenfranchisement, voter suppression and Puerto Rico having no say whatsoever, for instance – but one huge one that was under-appreciated by many Americans before this week is the Electoral College system.

Related

               This Election Is Being Rigged – But Not by Hillary Clinton

       Those actually trying to manipulate the election outcome support the guy who keeps whining about election-rigging      

The facts are indisputable: Last Tuesday, there was an election for president. One candidate received more votes than the other. And that candidate lost.

Right now, Hillary Clinton leads Donald Trump by over a million votes. As all the absentee ballots from California, Washington and New York are counted, experts expect that number to climb to over two million, with a margin of victory around 1.5 percent. As has been noted in The New York Times, that would be a greater margin of victory in the popular vote than the ones with which John F. Kennedy won in 1960 and Richard Nixon won in 1968.

Of course, Trump won the election because he won the most electoral votes. The U.S. Constitution allots each state a number of electoral votes based on the combined number of members of Congress each state has. Therefore, Wyoming, with one representative in the House and two senators, has three electoral votes, while California, with 53 representatives and two senators, has 55 electoral votes. In all but Nebraska and Maine, all electoral votes go to the candidate who wins the state's popular vote. Thus, a candidate who wins by one vote in a state gets the same number of that state's electoral votes – all of them – as a candidate who wins by millions of votes.

So the election was rigged in the sense that the Founding Fathers created a system that, at this point in history, tilts the playing field in favor of candidates who appeal to low-population states and a small set of contested "swing" states, rather than those who appeal to big urban centers in population-rich states that are not contested.

First, the swing states: By giving all the electors in a swing state to the candidate who wins that state, even if only by a small number of votes, the system heavily favors the candidate who appeals to those few states. All the other states, where the candidates may win by much larger margins, become less relevant.

In this election, Clinton won some of the most populous states in the nation – New York and California – by substantial margins. Texas was the largest state Trump won, but he won that by a much smaller margin. Of course, Trump won the important swing states, but also by very narrow margins. Because of the winner-take-all system, Trump's narrow advantage in those few swing states mattered much more than Clinton's massive advantage in the unconstested states.

Second, basic math illustrates the point that all low-population states, not just swing states, are favored in this system. According to the last census (in 2010), Wyoming, the nation's lowest population state, has just over 560,000 people. Those people get three electoral votes, or one per 186,000 people. California, our most populous state, has more than 37 million people. Those Californians have 55 electoral votes, or one per 670,000 people. Comparatively, people in Wyoming have nearly four times the power in the Electoral College as people in California. Put another way, if California had the same proportion of electoral votes per person as Wyoming, it would have about 200 electoral votes.

If you look at a map generated by Slate showing this difference, the states with the greatest power in the Electoral College – those whose citizens' votes count the most – are mostly low-population, conservative states. Meanwhile, the states with the least power in the Electoral College are more of a mixed bag of conservative, swing and liberal states. Importantly, among the five least powerful (most populous) states are three that deliver overwhelming Democratic majorities every four years: California, New York and Illinois.

What this means is that America's electoral system is rigged to give these smaller, more conservative states more weight. In fact, that's one of the reasons the Constitution's framers created the system in the first place: to give those smaller states a say in the process (and to help slave states). To illustrate this, think about what a pure popular vote system would do to the election. The small states would be largely ignored, and the biggest states with the most populous cities would get the most attention.

The Framers thus chose a system that would give power to the small states over the big states, a system that now favors conservative Republicans over more liberal Democrats. It's no coincidence that the two presidential candidates in this century who have won the popular but lost the election were Democrats (the other being Al Gore, in 2000).

We have to call this system what it is: rigged.

Interestingly, Trump himself recognized the unfairness of the Electoral College in a series of tweets in 2012. He called the system "a disaster for a democracy," "a total sham and a travesty," and a "laughing stock." Of course, he tweeted this commentary when he mistakenly believed that Barack Obama had lost the popular vote against Mitt Romney. Trump also said, before learning Obama had in fact won both the popular and electoral votes, that there should be a "revolution in this country," that we should "fight like hell and stop this great and disgusting injustice" and that we "can't let this happen" and "should march on Washington."

Funny how now Trump is saying something completely different. Since he won the election but lost the popular vote, he's tweeted about the "genius" of the Electoral College, saying "it brings all states, including smaller ones, into play." He also (rightly) pointed out that he would have campaigned differently if there were a pure popular vote. There's no reason to believe that the large liberal states would have turned out for Trump if only he had campaigned there. But there is every reason to believe Clinton's popular-vote margin would have been even greater had everyone in California and New York had an incentive to vote.

The root problem here is the Constitution's guarantee that every state has two senators, regardless of size. If Senate representation were proportional, so much about this country would be different. However, it isn't, and we have not only the lopsided Electoral College, but outsized influence in Congress for small, rural states – which, of course, tend to vote Republican.

So Donald Trump was right about the system being rigged. There are and always have been attempts to reform this system – un-rig it if you will – but those are likely to go nowhere in the near (nor possibly distant) future. Instead, we have to live with the reality that, with Trump winning the election while losing the popular vote, there’s no way to argue the system is anything but rigged in his favor.

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Donald Trump

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[fourteenacross]

2016 in Review

I’ve done these stupid surveys every year for the past ten years and I don’t care if LJ is dead, I’m gonna keep doing them.

The writing one is still in progress because it involves a lot of linking and thoughtful responses. Below are Fandom in 2016 and Life in 2016, mostly for my own records.

Fandom 2016

1. Your main fandom of the year?

Oh god, this has a different answer for the first time in five years, but definitely Hamilton? Up until SM, the only fannish words I wrote this year were Hamilton, most of the shit I reblogged on Tumblr was Hamilton...jesus, it’s like 2004 up in this joint.

2. Your favorite film watched this year? This is really difficult. Um, probably Ghostbusters because it blew me away and was totally unexpected as a favorite. I knew I’d probably like it, but not necessarily six-times-in-theatres level of liking.

Runners up are The Conjuring 2, which would have won without Ghostbusters, and Moana, which I found surprisingly moving and would probably see six more times without getting bored.

3. Your favorite book read this year? I’m gonna say Shadowshaper by Daniel José Older, which is an amazing modern urban fantasy set in Brooklyn about an afro-latina teenager who discovers she’s part of an old spiritual order that can channel spirits into art. IT’S SO GOOD? But I will say that The Diviners by Libba Bray and the Six of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo were neck and neck with it right up until I made my final list for our WBS year-end episode. The best middle grade book I read was George by Alex Gino.

4. Your favorite album or song to listen to this year? I honestly am not sure that I listened to any “new” albums outside of The Hamilton Mixtape this year? I spent the start of the year listening to Hamilton and Great Comet non-stop, then listened to every Dar song in order and all of the 69 Love Songs in order for a couple months...but yeah, the only ~*~new~*~ thing I can think of is The Hamilton Mixtape.

5. Your favorite TV show of the year? Prooooobably Brooklyn Nine-Nine? Or maybe the end of Gravity Falls. 

6. Your favorite online fandom community of the year? idk. To be honest, I still don’t quite ~*~get~*~ tumblr (tho I had some nice conversations via the chat function, despite my general awkwardness as a human), LJ is dead, and while I connect with fandom friends and talk about fandom on Twitter, I don’t do that as much as I whine about my life. I guess AO3 has been great via comments received, but that also feels one-sided, as chatty cathy as I sometimes get when responding to people’s comments. Most of my fandom conversations this year have PROBABLY been over text? 

7. Your best new fandom discovery of the year? I’m trying to think if there was anything new I was super into? Maybe Six of Crows, which I talked about a lot and read a couple fics for?

8. Your biggest fandom disappointment of the year? X-Men: Apocalypse, for sure. Man, after DoFP, I had SUCH HIGH HOPES for XMA, which was totally my own fault. Every time someone made a comment about how weird something looked or how dumb something sounded I rolled my eyes, because they had done the exact same thing for DoFP, which was AMAZING. But, uh...this time they were all right. The more I thought about the movie, the more it fell apart for me. 

9. Your TV boyfriend of the year? Strictly teevee,  probably...idk, Luke Cage?

10. Your TV girlfriend of the year? I don’t watch SNL regularly, but can I cheat and say Kate McKinnon?

11. Your biggest squee moment of the year? Seeing Hamilton. Seeing Great Comet. Ghostbusters. 

12. The most missed of your old fandoms? I really missed the joy I got from DoFP when I was watching XMA :(

13. The fandom you haven’t tried yet, but want to? I’m p mono-fannish, so I’m good for now.

14. Your biggest fan anticipations for the New Year? Going to Chicago in May! Heroes! DragonCon! WBS liveshow! Maybe other things! I don’t know, I haven’t planned that much of the year yet!

***

General 2016

What did you do in 2016 that you'd never done before? Voted for a woman for President. Went to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Um...probably other stuff too? Gosh, I don’t know, I’m so boring.

Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

+ Make a writing schedule and stick to it Did not do this. Like, at all. I got maybe a week on schedule over the course of the whole year /o\

+ Go on more dates Yes! I did do this! None of them really went anywhere, but I went on a whole bunch!

+ Get into the cooking habit and stay there Ish? I got better about making lunches for the week, but I wasn’t super consistent with it. Another thing to try in 2017.

+ Read more I did do this! Sort of! I didn’t keep super good track of it and I was mostly trying to read more adult books and I failed MISERABLY at that.

For 2017: + Read more adult books + Keep track of good things that happen + Make a writing schedule and try to stick to it for at least a month + Be better with money--pay off half the credit card + Go on more dates

Did anyone close to you give birth? Joni had a baby! It was so weird! One of us grew a tiny human! He’s ADORABLE.

Did anyone close to you die? My (step)grandfather.

What countries did you visit? Just this one! But within this one I went to...Charlotte, ATL, Orlando, Arkansas...and, you know, the Northeast in general.

What would you like to have in 2017 that you lacked in 2016? I'd like to feel more on top of things. I'd like more organization in my life. I'd like more sleep. I'd like a girlfriend.

What dates from 2016 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? November 8, not for good reasons, unfortunately. May 21 (Hamilton, Hadestown), November 12 (Great Comet), stuff like Heroes and DCon. 

What was your biggest achievement of the year? Finishing the goddamn ghosthunters fic, HOW DID THAT EVEN HAPPEN?

What was your biggest failure? idk what my biggest PERSONAL failure was, but I certainly know what my biggest failure as an American was :\

Did you suffer illness or injury? Brain stuff, some colds, and I broke my foot.

What was the best thing you bought? Great Comet tickets, plane tickets to visit various people. My dumb Silhouette machine that I love. Tiny John Laurens and The Washingtonians, both of which are within my sightline. This fuzzy blanket.

Whose behavior merited celebration? My friends. A lot of excellent activists.

Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? The American people as a whole and everything associated with our clusterfuck election outcome.

Where did most of your money go? Grown-up type stuff (rent, utilities, groceries), cons, and travel.

What did you get really, really, really excited about? HeroesCon, DragonCon, Hamilton, Hadestown, Great Comet, The Conjuring 2, finishing the ghosthunters.

What song will always remind you of 2016? I mean, mostly just The Hamilton Mixtape, probably.

Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? Uh. Up until November I would have said “happier,” but currently I’m definitely sadder and more anxious. b) thinner or fatter? Same. c) richer or poorer? Same.

What do you wish you'd done more of? Writing. Sleeping. Hanging out with people.

What do you wish you'd done less of? Being depressed. Obsessing over stupid shit people said on the internet.

Did you fall in love in 2016? With this fuzzy blanket.

What was your favorite TV program? Brooklyn Nine-Nine!

Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? Many, many people. THANKS, POLITICS.

What was the best book you read? Shadowshaper by Daniel José Older. See above for more details.

What was your greatest musical discovery? Nothing really new, tbh.

What did you want and get? Cons, brunch, travel, Great Comet tickets.

What did you want and not get? A female President. A girlfriend. More sleep.

What was your favorite film of this year? Spy or Star Wars or Jurassic World, I guess?

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 31! The weekend before, me and @pearlo​ and @cygnaut​ and @littledust​ saw XMA a couple times! And Laura and Erica and I went to the Gardner and then I had a party and people mostly hung out and played Drawful and drank a lot of champagne. On my actual birthday, @ginthusiastic​ and I just went out for dinner after work and I had a drink that was the same color as my dress.

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? A different election outcome. Literally anything. A box turtle could be our president and I’d be happy.

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2016? Retro-y dresses.

What kept you sane? @ginthusiastic @pearlo @caphairdadbeard @isjustprogress @intrikate88 @anachronistique @lisapizza @charmingpplincardigans @brilligspoons  and the rest of the Boston crew whose tumblrs I don’t know/remember, and the DCon crew and The Hamilton Mixtape and theatre and the cast of Hamilton and crime show marathons.

Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? I have a Daveed Diggs problem. And an unfortunate swing crush on Morgan Marcell. And Kate McKinnon was A THING that happened. And Jasmine exists and also Stephanie Beatiz and XMA was a bust, but Sophie Turner was A+.

What political issue stirred you the most? Gee, I wonder.

Who did you miss? Pretty much everyone when they are not right next to me. Sarah Bay, a lot, but I feel weird singling one person out. [This is exactly what I wrote for the last two years, but I'm keeping it because it's still true.]

Who was the best new person you met? I’m trying to think of actualfax new people I met? Boston Maja is the only IRL person who comes to mind immediately? Oh, and I met Ellen at DCon? Online-wise, I met a slew of great folks through Hamilton-related crap and you’re all lovely 💜

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2016: I’m still not sure what the lesson from the ‘16 election is. Don’t trust polls? People are more misogynistic than you think? People are more racist than you think? I don’t know. I guess I’m still learning it.

Quote a song that sums up your year: I am the one thing in life I can control

Maybe THAT’S the lesson of 2016. idk, man.

[anthonybialy]

Over-Impeached

It would be beyond easy to minimize this vulgar buffoon’s presidency. And those who dedicated their very full lives to doing so can’t pull it off. Resistance warriors would muck it up less if they only went after Donald Trump part-time. He might have quit if they didn't try at all.

A president so coarse that you don't even need to reply to his lame insults can gesture to the mental patients opposing him to look sane by comparison. His words stand on their own, which you wouldn't know from those so furious that they flip tables while screeching their one-word mantra that starts with “im” and ends with “peachment.” Say it louder for those trying to not let politics dominate thoughts constantly and wretchedly.

If life is a drag, feel grateful you don't wake up every day and decide the person more loathsome than orphanage-targeting Nazi hurricanes is going to define every waking moment. The frenzied devotion to removing a president before an election isn't as fun of a countdown as you'd think.

Blame the lack of evidence. Political sleuths just know Russia did something. Also, that particular autocratic gangster nation and central planning marvel is bad now. A country those who miss the Berlin Wall used to laugh about when others referred to an evil rival remains their best hope for removing Trump from office in handcuffs, which is to say no hope at all. But why would a little detail like evidence stop those who think the government is good at student loans?

The real way to trump Trump is through reasonable policy, but that implies neo-pinkos are reasonable people. Anti-Donald zealots from his former party went the Year Zero route instead. Principled liberalism doesn't work, of course, but it might appeal to those tired of aggressive federal action overcompensating for weak ideas from purported conservatives.

Yet it's tough to embarrass a president while pushing policies that'd make Daniel Ortega blush. A brute who often slips into strongman fantasies should be easy to embarrass. Or, give the Boston Bomber voting rights while disarming law-abiding Americans. Call to socialize the hell out of health care and education to let Trump seem devoted to small government, at least on a scale.

It's shocking true believers who think reverting to windmills will create jobs could make a mistake about how events unfolded. Yet here we are wondering how we got so sick of the word “collusion” that most refuse to talk about removing a president they dislike so much. The exhausting overreaction is either a horrid miscalculation or a demonstration of Trump’s only power, namely making his critics even more demented than he is. The lack of rationality either way sure is making self-righteous persecution junkies seem like welcome alternatives.

The furor over Trump's policies perhaps stems from him sharing so many of theirs. Take a sudden liberal revulsion to tariffs, which shows how many people's ideology is dedicated to persons. I'm glad to see who's suddenly for open markets, although I expect the conversion will reverse if there's ever a semi-conservative president ever again.

Gentle compassionate liberals are supposed to guide us into the inspiring future while they can't predict even basic outcomes. The pattern of delusion doesn’t quite speak well to their ability to govern. Claiming wild conspiracies legitimizes the last president who needs it.

Trump is the luckiest bastard to ever grace our dumb planet. The impossibly blessed loudmouth has responded to unbelievable good fortune by whining about victimhood his entire life, including through his freaking presidency. The least deserving president possible doesn't realize it because he's so used to it. You don't notice the temperature if you're born in a hot tub. I'm sure we'll never get sick of constant bitching about how unfairly he's treated, which is news to seven billion non-Trump humans who weren't handed a hollow real estate empire that gullible types could be convinced via bellowing was Earth's most successful company.

It's very muscular of our humble executive to constantly moan like someone without access to authority. He should find who's in charge and demand change. Trump's only filling the most prominent job in the world. At the same time, he has reason to believe scheming forces are illegitimately after him, and there's nothing worse than giving a paranoid person a reason to feel legitimately victimized.

Shaking with anger while fretting about the Fourth Reich's installation during a potential horrifying second term may not be registering. In fact, the best way to cope with Trump is to not reply at all. He thrives on negative reactions like a very mature adult in his eighth decade, so why not deprive him of that smug smile? They could actually give him their time and let him mouth off, as he functions as his own counterargument. Nothing hurts Trump more than Trump.

And yet those who think government can control human impulses can't help themselves. Allowing an impossible braggart to get them upset is just what he wants. Trump's business plan is to sucker others into jumping in the black hole. Anyone with even a rudimentary understanding of spacetime physics can tell you no light escapes.

The unimaginable gravitational pull explains why we live through such a dark time. But no science can encapsulate the desire to be torn apart for the sake of making an enemy feel bad. He's so used to the gravity well that he doesn't even notice the distortion. Meanwhile, everything ends up warped.

[wokefluff]

Harry Potter and the Resistance: 7 Lessons from Adult re-Reading

“Not again,” was the response I most often heard when asked what I was reading as a child. I would always reply, “Harry Potter” much to the chagrin of my parents, who might have hoped their son would read more than the same 7 books for the majority of his life. If that is their dream, it has hardly been realized at this point. Now 25, I just spent a week re-reading the entire series – a most fruitful endeavor. I learned a ton, remembered all I forgot and came away with a newly shaped perspective on the world around me. Care to learn from my thoughts? Keep reading, and learn how Harry Potter has inspired me to keep my resistance energies strong and focused. The following contains spoilers and assumptions that you are well-versed in the realm – totally not an intro-to-Harry-Potter post, just as a heads up.

1. ACCEPTANCE

Cracking the cover of The Sorcerer’s Stone is an immediate vortex into a world we only wish was a part of our own. Unlike the antagonistic Dursley’s, it is quite easy for the reader to accept the terms of this new magical world and, more noteworthy, the differing lifestyles and cultures of those that reside within it. In this subtle way, J.K. Rowling innately teaches children to view those that may be different than them with a lens of wonder and intrigue. It’s incredibly powerful to create a consciousness in children to celebrate individuality. This sense of wonderment is echoed in our protagonist, connecting him instantly with the reader. We follow Harry through the beginnings of his journey as he learns of his true identity and eventual destiny, all the while adjusting to the notions of who is he meant to be alongside him. Observing Harry’s awakening reminded me of the importance of my path, especially during this “administration.” We must all be reminded in times like this that there is no different or normal or weird. Everyone is individual and why wouldn’t you want it that way? We could all stand to take in a little bit of Harry’s wide-eyed appreciation for those that are potentially unlike him.

2. THE POWER OF WORDS & PERCEPTION

The symbiotic relationship between Ginny Weasley and Tom Riddle’s diary/horcrux was certainly the defining plot of The Chamber of Secrets for me, as an adult reader. I remember being easily swept away by the high action subplots and blood on the walls dramatics in my youth but in my re-reading I was absolutely most horrified by the diary. The way Riddle manipulated Ginny struck a chord with me – highlighting the powerful pull of loneliness and promised companionship. It struck me as an odd parallel between Trump and his loyal voter base. He was able to climb into power on twisted promises based in lies – counting most on those that had felt marginalized in the previous years of progress. Using these methods Trump became very Riddle-like, crafting his own “alternative facts” and perceptions to sway the voters. Unfortunately, there was no Harry or Fawkes to save election day – however Trump/Riddle has certainly been exposed. His treachery has now launched a new and stronger conversation about facts, gaslighting and perspective. We have to try to look on the bright side, right? I mean, Tom Riddle eventually got his so there’s that to look forward to.

3. ALL IS NOT WHAT IT SEEMS

Is there any more complete and appropriate representative for “don’t judge a book by it’s cover” than Sirius Black? The poor guy was framed for setting up the murder of his best friends AND the murder of 13 innocent muggles. That’s a hard reputation to overcome, as evidenced in the antics of The Prisoner of Azkaban. We see the dark side of crowd/mob mentality reflected in the warped communal perception of Black. They illustrate the notion that sometimes prejudices are simply inherited and are always unwarranted. It is difficult to make one person change their mind if an entire crowd tells them not to. The real world applications for a lesson like this are innumerable. While they don’t apply to Trump, a man that very clearly showed himself pre-election, I would say this notion most cleanly applies to Bernie Sanders. Initially seen as a hero of a new progressive movement, Bernie went on to do his best to emphasize and exacerbate the internal divisions within the Democratic party. Is he fully responsible for the results of the election? Of course not. But is he all that he seemed to be?

4. THE WORST CAN HAPPEN

Not exactly the lightest of vibes, but realizing that the worst scenario can be played out is a crucial life hurdle. While positivity is undeniably important in maintaining a happy lifestyle and conscious mind, it is not effective if used as a mask. Pretending the worst could never happen not only forces you into an ignorant position, it also leaves you completely unprepared. If we learned anything from The Goblet of Fire it is the importance of observation and preparation. Had anyone noticed the odd tendencies of alleged-Mad Eye, or more closely investigated Barty Crouch Jr. floating in on the Marauder’s Map outcomes could have been very different. Obviously we learned this lesson post-election in The U.S. and I will say it has been unbelievably challenging. The results forced me to question not only the ideas of who I thought were my neighbors but also to accept that sometimes the most awful things do happen. Life on this Earth is all about facing challenges and improving yourself, so a solid takeaway from this book is to treat the worst happening as a new challenge. A new way to learn, kick some ass and, hopefully, change the world.

5. THE IMPORTANCE OF INTERNAL STRUGGLE

Reading The Order of the Phoenix was actually a deep internal struggle of my own once upon a time. It is the longest and the most internally themed – most of the action occurs within Harry’s mind. I was not down for that vibe in high school. More magic, less whining I remember thinking. However, in venturing back to Harry’s mind, I found myself much more engrossed this time around. I had much more experience to relate to in terms of self discovery, so his realizations rang genuine to me – no longer confusing and far-off. I’ve also reached a place in my own journey where I realize that everything is internal and about yourself. The only relationship that truly matters is between you and yourself – that acts as the foundation for all else. Transforming and reflecting on my thoughts alongside Harry reminded me just how important introspection is for growth and improvement as a human being.

6. EVERYONE IS FLAWED

After toying with us for years, J.K. Rowling finally revealed some of the makeup of Severus Snape in The Half Blood Prince. Instantly unlikable, Snape was a kind of passive antagonist throughout the series. I felt vindicated for always mistrusting his character and allegiance after he murdered Dumbledore – but obviously we know the behind the scenes of that decision. That being said, in the space of the sixth story alone, Snape was certainly marked a villain. Interestingly enough, and certainly not by accident, Rowling also utilized this journey to explore Snape’s roots. By observing the traumas of Snape’s childhood, the reader is able to relate to him on a more human level. We’ve all felt excluded and simply odd at a certain point or with a certain crowd – this empathy makes Snape a more rounded character. That’s when it hit me – we’re all Snape. We’re all flawed with parts that are good and parts that are evil. The balance is what matters. Then I began to think of those I love that may or may not have voted for Trump. They’re flawed too, just as I am and Snape is. It would be rash to write someone off entirely based on one action or vote, however it is important to understand their thinking at the time. Knowing what we know now, of course Snape can be forgiven and understood – perhaps this is possible also for former Trumpers too? TBD.

7. FIGHTING FOR WHAT’S RIGHT IS WORTH IT

I mean, could there be a more perfect conclusion to the series than The Deathly Hallows. By perfect I do not mean that nobody died or there were no sad parts, I mean it was a totally fitting end to a wild ride. I believe in this seventh saga is where Rowling hit her hardest point home – fight for what is right. Like should-be-President Hillary Clinton famously said on the most depressing morning in my personal history, “never stop believing that fighting for what’s right is worth it.” Harry didn’t even question walking into his own death for the results of the greater good. In that way he’s the ultimate inspiration because what is more important than the good of the many? Like Harry we have to use this time to commit ourselves more deeply to the causes and fights important to us. The evils of the world want to divide us and want to stop the progress that was made over the last 8 years. We won’t let them.

All in all, re-reading was even more enjoyable and beneficial than the first (17) time(s) I read Harry Potter in my youth. I had real adult experiences to draw from and a framework to understand the social commentary dripping from every page. J.K. Rowling is one of the brightest lights this world has to offer and undeniably a true genius. She is exactly the type of strong, intelligent and persuasive woman that we must elevate and learn from during times like this. Keep resisting and stay in the lumos, my friends.

The post Harry Potter and the Resistance: 7 Lessons from Adult re-Reading appeared first on WokeFluff.

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