#the united states does it on the first tuesday of may EXCEPT for massachusetts where it's on the first sunday of june

[crookedlyinnernightmare]

Happy father’s day to Matsuzaki!!

hm? what do you mean he doesn’t have kids...? the entire school is right there?

[theliberaltony]

via Politics – FiveThirtyEight

Saturday was Joe Biden’s first-ever win in a presidential primary or caucus. It was an awfully big one: Biden won South Carolina by nearly 30 percentage points over Bernie Sanders. And it made for one heck of a comeback: Biden’s lead over Sanders had fallen to as little as 2 to 3 percentage points in our South Carolina polling average in the immediate aftermath of New Hampshire.

What explains the big swing back to Biden in South Carolina? And what does it mean for the rest of the race — and in particular for Sanders, who had entered this weekend as the frontrunner?

Here are five possible explanations — ranging from the most benign for Sanders to the most troubling for his campaign.

Hypothesis No. 1: This was a “dead cat bounce” for Biden because voters were sympathetic to him in one of his best states. It may have been a one-off occurrence.

Remember Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire in 2008? Left for dead by the national media after she lost Iowa to Barack Obama in 2008, she overcame a big polling deficit for an upset win in the Granite State. It didn’t do her much good, though; she won Nevada the next week but badly lost South Carolina two weeks later, eventually losing the nomination to Obama.

There are some similarities to Biden’s position in South Carolina. Like Clinton before New Hampshire, the media all but counted him out of the running after Iowa. Like Clinton in New Hampshire, Biden had a strong debate a few days before the primary along with some emotional moments on the campaign trail. Furthermore, some of the reporting from South Carolina suggests that certain South Carolina voters — especially older whites and African-Americans — felt deep loyalty toward Biden and wanted to keep him in the running.

Degree of concern for Sanders if this hypothesis is true: Low to moderate. If this were truly just a one-off sympathy bounce, then Sanders can live with it. Sure, Bernie missed an opportunity to put the race away with a win — or perhaps even a close second — in South Carolina. But voters rarely just hand the nomination to you without creating a little bit of friction. But if voters in other Super Tuesday states feel the same way that South Carolinians did, the sympathetic moment for Biden may not be over yet.

Hypothesis No. 2: The disparate results so far are simply reflective of the geographic and demographic strengths and weaknesses of the candidates. The notion of “momentum” is mostly a mirage.

If this is the case, you could wind up with a very regionally-driven primary, with Biden doing well in the South but perhaps not so well everywhere else. This is more or less what our model expects to happen, for what it’s worth; it now has Biden favored in every Southern Super Tuesday state except Texas, and he’s an underdog everywhere outside of the South.

The counter to this: Biden clearly did much better in South Carolina counties and precincts that weren’t as emblematic of his base than he had in those kinds of districts in other states. The counter to the counter: Geographic factors pick up a lot of information that demographics alone miss. So his strong performance in certain parts of South Carolina may bode well for how he’ll do in Alabama or North Carolina or Georgia. It may not say much about his performance in Michigan or California, however.

Degree of concern for Sanders if this hypothesis is true: Low to moderate. Sanders led Biden by about 12 points in national polls heading into South Carolina. Moreover, our model — which uses demographics in its forecast — has Sanders ahead. So although Biden has some strong groups and regions, Sanders’s coalition looks as though it’s slightly bigger and broader overall — although a post-South Carolina bounce for Biden or swoon for Sanders could eat into that advantage.

Hypothesis No. 3: The party is finally getting behind Biden. It may or may not work.

Almost half of South Carolina primary voters said that Rep. James Clyburn’s endorsement of Biden was a big factor in their decision. There are some questions about the cause and effect: It may be that Biden voters were pleased with the endorsement and said it was a major factor, even though they were planning to vote for Biden already. Still, Biden did get a big, late surge in the polls following the debate and the endorsement.

Clyburn is also one of the few party bigwigs to have endorsed a candidate. While lots of U.S. representatives, mayors, lieutenant governors and so on have endorsed, not many senators, governors or party leaders have. That leaves open the possibility there could be a surge of endorsements for Biden in the coming days. He’s already scored several major endorsements in Virginia, for instance, which is a Super Tuesday state.

Degree of concern for Sanders if this hypothesis is true: Moderate. The “Party Decides” view of the race treats endorsements and other cues from party leaders as being highly predictive and important. And a surge of endorsements for Biden seems reasonably likely. This could reverse a longstanding period of seeming indifference by party leaders toward Biden as they hoped for Michael Bloomberg or some other alternative to emerge.

But it’s not clear how effective an endorsement surge would be, as few legislators command the respect in their states that Clyburn does. Moreover, although we’re not going to cover it at length here, there’s plenty of room to question how empirically accurate the “Party Decides” is. Meanwhile, endorsements aren’t necessarily what Biden needs; an influx of cash would do him more good.

Hypothesis No. 4: Voters are behaving tactically. Biden was the only real alternative to Sanders in South Carolina, and he may be the only real alternative going forward.

Tactical voting is something you hear a lot about in multi-party systems like the United Kingdom’s, where voters are trying to find the most viable candidate from a number of similar alternatives (for example, from among the various parties that opposed Brexit). The same dynamics potentially hold in multi-candidate presidential primaries, and we’ve already seen evidence of it. In New Hampshire, voters flocked to Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar in the closing days of the campaign and away from Biden and Elizabeth Warren. In South Carolina, tactical voting may have worked in Biden’s favor, instead. Biden was fairly clearly the most viable alternative to Sanders, so voters for candidates like Tom Steyer and Buttigieg may have gravitated toward him in the closing days of the campaign.

Degree of concern for Sanders if this hypothesis is true: High. First, if voters are actively looking for alternatives to Sanders — but just can’t settle on which one is best — that can’t be good news for him, and gives some credence to the “lanes” theory of the race in which the moderate vote could eventually consolidate behind one alternative to Sanders. The South Carolina exit poll had Sanders’s favorability rating at just 51 percent, which is some of the stronger evidence for a ceiling on his support so far.

Moreover, Biden’s strong finish in South Carolina, along with improved debate performances, endorsements, and increasingly favorable media coverage, could make it clear to voters that Biden is the best alternative to Sanders after all, possibly with some exceptions where there are home-state alternatives (Klobuchar in Minnesota and Warren in Massachusetts). If Biden picks up support from tactical voters who had previously backed candidates such as Bloomberg and Buttigieg in polls, that could lead to a larger-than-usual South Carolina bounce.

Hypothesis No. 5: There has already been a national surge toward Biden that is not fully reflected in the polls.

It didn’t get much notice, but polling outside of South Carolina was also pretty favorable to Biden toward the end of last week, including polls that showed sharp improvements for him in states such as Florida and North Carolina. He’s also gotten better results in some national polls lately — climbing back into the low 20s — along with other, not-so-great ones.

The data isn’t comprehensive enough to know for sure. Between the dense cluster of events on the campaign trail (primaries, debates, etc.) and the different races that pollsters are surveying (South Carolina, Super Tuesday, national polls), everything is getting sliced pretty thin. But we do know that Biden made big improvements since the debate in South Carolina polling, the one state where we did have enough data to detect robust trendlines.

Degree of concern for Sanders if this hypothesis is true: High. Suppose that Biden gained 5 or 6 percentage points across the board nationally and in Super Tuesday states as a result of this week’s debate (or other recent factors such as voters’ reaction to coronavirus), but it’s gone largely undetected because there hasn’t been enough polling. If that’s the case, then Biden may already be in a considerably better position than current polling averages and models imply — and then he could get a further bounce from winning South Carolina on top of it. This is a scary possibility for Sanders, and although there isn’t enough data to prove it, there also isn’t much that would rule it out.

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Health Alert

Monkeypox poses higher risk for these students, San Diego health officials warn

More than 100,000 San Diego Unified students will head back to in-person learning in coming weeks as the rare monkeypox disease spreads in the region.

County officials declared the disease a public health emergency last Tuesday, following Gov. Gavin Newsom’s lead to bolster vaccination efforts. Parents say they’re not too worried about monkeypox spreading in schools, but a health expert says schools and families should take precautions. Student athletes who participate in close-contact sports are at highest risk, but the district has no plans to discontinue sports, a spokesperson said.

Monkeypox cases have increased throughout the country since mid-May, when the first case in the U.S. was detected in Massachusetts. There are 8,934 confirmed cases in the U.S. and 1,310 in California as of Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.

San Diego County data shows that the region has 98 monkeypox cases as of Sunday. None of those cases are children. According to the CDC, children younger than age 8 are at an increased risk of experiencing severe outcomes. But so far, at least four children in the United States have confirmed cases of monkeypox, including three cases in California.

The viral infection can be transmitted from an animal or human to another human through close contact with skin lesions, respiratory secretions and objects that an infected person or animal has touched, according to the World Health Organization.

Symptoms typically last up to four weeks and include a fever, an intense headache, swollen lymph nodes, back pain, muscle aches and a rash on the face and or body parts.

Despite the county’s decision to declare a public health emergency, guidance for San Diego schools may likely go unchanged. Instead, the district will send families a fact sheet about monkeypox and strategies for preventing the disease in their back-to-school packets, said Maureen Magee, communications director for San Diego Unified.

Schools may not be the primary place where students get monkeypox because it’s spread through close contact and it’s not moving quickly among school age populations, said Dr. Howard Taras, a pediatrician at UC San Diego who advises the county and school districts on health policies.

“In school, very close skin to skin contact is not all that frequent,” he said. “But there are important exceptions.”

Student athletes that participate in wrestling, rugby and certain types of dancing – where exposed skin and close contact are likely – are at an increased risk of getting monkeypox, Taras said.

Other sports, such as football, also carry a risk of spreading monkeypox, Taras said, but the risk is lower because athletes wear long sleeves and helmets. He said at this time he has no additional guidance for schools.

“I think what really may be more important to do is to re-emphasize a lot of the public health precautions that we asked schools to take for other skin transmitted diseases,” he said.

Workout mats should be cleaned, and athletes especially should check their skin before playing, he said, adding that other skin infections like staph, hand, foot and mouth disease and boils also can be prevented by following these precautions. Children should avoid touching each other, being near individuals that may be ill and sharing utensils, drinks and smoking devices.

Monkeypox may also spread through droplets in the air, so a mask may offer some protection for anyone in a room for a long time with an infected person, Taras said.

San Diego Unified students and staff will be required to wear a mask indoors as long as COVID-19 transmission levels remain high.

Magee said the district had no plans to discontinue close contact sports.

The district, which is the second largest in the state, also will not track monkeypox cases in schools publicly as it does with COVID-19 cases, and there are no plans to offer testing at school sites, Magee said.

A health care provider would be able to test for monkeypox, but Taras said results tend to take a long time and there are limited labs available to process them.  

“It’s going to be up to the student’s own doctor about how much they feel that this child or staff member has the chance of having monkeypox,” he said.

The risks for children

Vaccines for monkeypox are not widely available, but that should not worry families, Taras said.

“It’s not going to become a school-required vaccine anytime soon because there’s just not enough of it, and school age children are really a very low risk group at this point,” he said.

Days before the county announced the public health emergency, San Diego health clinics ran out of monkeypox vaccination appointments after going through its supply of the JYNNEOS vaccine, one of two vaccines used for the prevention of monkeypox.

There’s currently a larger supply of the ACAM2000 vaccine in the U.S. compared to the JYNNEOS vaccine, but the CDC does not recommend the ACAM2000 vaccine for everyone because of its more severe side effects.

The supply of JYNNEOS is expected to increase in the following weeks and months, the CDC reports.

Jessica Vasquez, a San Diego Unified parent, isn’t worried about children catching monkeypox in schools.

“I’m not very concerned about monkeypox,” Vasquez said. “I feel like most of the COVID-19 mitigation in place right now will definitely help with reducing the chance of monkeypox transmission as well.”

If cases crop up in schools, it’s unlikely that schools will close or transition to remote learning as they did for COVID-19, Taras said, adding school closures happen if there’s an outbreak of a respiratory illness or disease like COVID-19 or chickenpox.

“Monkeypox is rarely respiratory, although it can be,” Taras said. “I don’t think that you’ll see that around the world. It’s going to be a different kind of epidemic.”

For now, Taras advises parents to avoid sending their ill children to school. If lesions begin to appear on the body, parents should notify their doctor immediately, he said.

“I think now it’s more worthwhile to bring your doctor into the conversation (early on),” Taras said.

San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria has asked the public to take monkeypox seriously.

“Take a moment to educate yourself about monkeypox, understand the risk factors that are involved and make sure you take the proper precautions for yourself and for your loved ones to make sure we stop the spread of monkeypox within our community,” he said. *Reposted article from  inewsource by Andrea Figueroa Briseño, August 10, 2022

[patriotsnet]

Are Any Republicans Running Against Trump

New Post has been published on https://www.patriotsnet.com/are-any-republicans-running-against-trump/

Are Any Republicans Running Against Trump

Sarah Huckabee Sanders: Governor Of Arkansas

Trump takes aim at Republicans who have spoken out against him

Outgoing White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders hugs US President Donald Trump during a second chance hiring and criminal justice reform event in the East Room of the White House

Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced her plans to run for the governor of Arkansas on January 25, and Trump gave her his endorsement the same day.

Sanders has a long and positive history with Trump, having served as his White House press secretary from 2017 to 2019.

In Gop Poll From Hell Republicans Say They Want Donald Trump Jr To Be President In 2024

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A recurring nightmare among millions of Americans is that come 2024, Donald Trump will forget the fact that he actually hated being president, decide to run again, and win. Seriously, can you think of a more horrifying scenario, except perhaps falling through a sidewalk into a rat-filled chasm,;which some people might still prefer? We maintain that you cannot. But an equally terrifying, skin-crawling situation would definitely be to turn on the TV on January 20, 2025, and see Donald Trump Jr. being sworn in as president of the United States, which a number of Republican voters apparently actually want to happen.

The poll, which was conducted between July 6 and 8, did not include Donald Trump Senior, who maintains an inexplicable grip on voters despite the mass-death stuff, an attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election, and a mental state that suggests he should be in a home or studied by a team of Swiss doctors.

And the fact that Don Jr. came out on top is not where the scary news ends. Because apparently if Republicans cant have Sheep Killer over here, their second-favorite choice is Florida governor Ron DeSantis, the man currently responsible for this:

If you would like to receive the Levin Report in your inbox daily, click;here;to subscribe.

More Great Stories FromVanity Fair

Academics Journalists Authors Commentators

Reuel Marc Gerecht, writer

Michael Gerson, columnist and speechwriter for George W. Bush

Peter Mansoor, military historian

Meghan McCain, commentator, daughter of Senator John McCain

Charles Murray, political scientist and commentator

Ana Navarro, strategist and commentator

Tom Nichols, national security affairs scholar

, co-founder of Netscape; founder of Andreessen Horowitz

Mike Fernandez, founder of MBF Healthcare Partners

James Murren, Chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts International

William Oberndorf, Chairman of Oberndorf Enterprises

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Sen Mitt Romney Of Utah

A Gallup poll last March found Romney, 74, has a higher approval rating among Democrats than Republicans, so you might figure he doesnt have a prayer in taking his partys nomination again. A February Morning Consult poll, though, had Romney polling ahead of Republicans like Pompeo, Cotton and Hawley. So, youre telling me theres a chance? Yes, a one-in-a-million chance.

The 2012 GOP presidential nominee and his wife, Ann, have five sons. He graduated from Brigham Young University and Harvard Law. Romney is a former Massachusetts governor, and the first person to be a governor and senator from two different states since Sam Houston, who was governor of Tennessee and a senator from Texas. Romney is this years JFK Profile in Courage Award recipient.

Georgia And Arizona Senators Show Progressive

Walker, the 1982 Heisman Trophy winner and a Wrightsville, Ga., native, has long lived in Texas after a professional football career that ended in Dallas, but he changed his voter registration last week to an Atlanta house owned by his wife, Julie Blanchard. Blanchard is under investigation by the Georgia secretary of state’s office over potential illegal voting after The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported she voted in Georgia despite living in Texas.

Walker has also repeated false claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election despite elections officials finding no evidence of widespread fraud that affected the outcome.

It’s unclear when Walker will make a formal Senate announcement. The campaign paperwork filed Tuesday ends months of speculation about his political plans, including a prediction in June from Trump that the former football star would soon suit up for the Republican primary.

“He told me he’s going to, and I think he will,” Trump said on the conservative talk radio Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. “He’s a great guy. He’s a patriot. And he’s a very loyal person, he’s a very strong person. They love him in Georgia, I’ll tell you.”

Some national Republicans have been wary of Walker’s candidacy, though. The first-time candidate comes with potential baggage that could harm his chances in both the primary and general elections, including his Texas residency.

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John Boozman: Senator Arkansas

WASHINGTON, DC FEBRUARY 02: U.S. President Donald Trump applauds at the National Prayer Breakfast February 2, 2017 in Washington, DC. Every U.S. president since Dwight Eisenhower has addressed the annual event. Also pictured are Rep. Robert Aderholt , television producer Mark Burnett, and Sen. John Boozman .

Trump announced his endorsement for Republican Arkansas Sen. John Boozman on March 8.

INBOX: Trumps Endorsement of Senator John Boozman

Henry Rodgers

Senator John Boozman is a great fighter for the people of Arkansas. He is tough on Crime, strong on the Border, a great supporter of our Military and our Vets, and fights for our farmers every day. He supports our Second Amendment and has my Complete and Total Endorsement! Trump said in a statement.

Trump Ally Herschel Walker Is Running For Us Senate In Georgia

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Then-President Donald Trump elbow bumps Herschel Walker during a 2020 campaign rally in Atlanta. Walker filed paperwork Tuesday to run for U.S. Senate in the key swing state of Georgia. John Bazemore/APhide caption

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Then-President Donald Trump elbow bumps Herschel Walker during a 2020 campaign rally in Atlanta. Walker filed paperwork Tuesday to run for U.S. Senate in the key swing state of Georgia.

Herschel Walker, a former University of Georgia football standout and a friend and ally of former President Donald Trump’s, is running for U.S. Senate in Georgia, setting up a high-profile Republican primary next year in the crucial battleground state.

Walker enters a growing field seeking to unseat Democrat Raphael Warnock, Georgia’s first Black senator, with strong encouragement from Trump, who has been fixated on Georgia politics since narrowly losing the state’s 16 electoral votes in the 2020 presidential election.

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Sen Josh Hawley Of Missouri

Though controversial, Hawley, 41, is a fundraising machine and hes quickly made a name for himself. The blowback Hawley faced for objecting to Bidens Electoral College win included a lost book deal and calls for him to resign from students at the law school where he previously taught. His mentor, former Sen. John Danforth of Missouri, said that supporting Hawley was the biggest mistake Ive ever made in my life.

Still, he brought in more than $1.5 million between Jan. 1 and March 5, according to Axios, and fundraising appeals in his name from the National Republican Senatorial Committee brought in more cash than any other Republican except NRSC Chair Sen. Rick Scott of Florida. Just because youre toxic in Washington doesnt mean you cant build a meaningful base of support nationally.

One Republican strategist compared the possibility of Hawley 2024 to Cruz in 2016. Hes not especially well-liked by his colleagues , but hes built a national profile for himself and become a leading Republican voice opposed to big technology companies.

Hawley and his wife, Erin, have three children. He got his start in politics as Missouri attorney general before being elected to the Senate in 2018. Hawley graduated from Stanford and Yale Law.

List Of Registered 2024 Presidential Candidates

Democrats introduce article of impeachment to stop Trump from running again

The following table lists candidates who filed with the FEC to run for president. Some applicants used pseudonyms; candidate names and party affiliations are written as they appeared on the FEC website on the date that they initially filed with the FEC.

Candidates who have filed for the 2024 presidential election Candidate

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Former Trump Aide To Run Primary Challenge Against Kinzinger

Representative Adam Kinzinger will face a primary challenge from a former Trump administration aide as the pro-Trump faction of the GOP looks to oust Republicans, such as Kinzinger, who voted in support of the former presidents second impeachment.

Catalina Lauf, who served in the Department of Commerce under the Trump administration, launched a bid Thursday to oust Kinzinger from his seat in the 16th congressional district of Illinois.

I never thought Id primary a fellow Republican, but is Congressman Kinzinger really a Republican anymore? He isnt and we have the proof, the 27-year-old challenger said in a campaign announcement video.

Lauf said her 42-year-old opponent is a weak-kneed, establishment Republican who cares more about his next MSNBC appearance than the voters who elected him.

She claimed Kinzinger does not support the America First movement, noting his one in three votes in Congress that have sided with House speaker Nancy Pelosi

Instead of being in our fight, Adam betrayed his constituents for a life in the D.C. swamp, said Lauf, who branded herself the anti-AOC.

She blasts her Fake Republican opponent for backing the phony impeachment hoax for a president who has already left office.

He said impeachment was necessary to save America. What? Lauf said. You know what I think is necessary to save America, Adam? Setting term limits for people like you and the rest of your friends out. Six terms in Congress is enough.

This Republican Is Running Against Donald Trump Is Anybody Listening

Bill Weld thinks GOP voters should bail on the president. So why is he making his case to independents?

Erick Trickey is a writer in Boston.

MANCHESTER, N.H. â Bill Weld leans back in a chair, hand on his hip, and talks about the Republican Party like someone whoâs been away for a while and is trying to get used to all the new developments. âI know a lot of the Republicans in Washington, and theyâre good people,â says the sandy-haired, ruddy-faced primary challenger to Donald Trump. âTheyâre just cowed by this president somehow.â

This was three days into his long-shot bid for president, and the former Massachusetts governor is talking in a Hilton Garden Inn lounge that looks out on the New Hampshire Fisher Catsâ minor league baseball field. On his campaignâs opening day, Weld declared heâd chase Trump as ferociously as a fisher cat, the weasel-like native of New Hampshire known for eating porcupines. But the president seems not to have noticed he has an angry 73-year-old on his tail, at least not one from his own party; Trump hasnât aimed so much as a tweet at his erstwhile opponent or bothered to taunt him with a nickname. Weld, however, is basically screaming at the TV. Heâs worked up over a news report that Trump aides fear the presidentâs âwrathâ because they talked to special counsel Robert Mueller.

The question is: Are they listening?

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Republican Party Presidential Primaries

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First place by first-instance vote

;;Donald Trump

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Presidential primaries and caucuses of the Republican Party took place in many U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories from February 3 to August 11, 2020, to elect most of the 2,550 delegates to send to the Republican National Convention. Delegates to the national convention in other states were elected by the respective state party organizations. The delegates to the national convention voted on the first ballot to select Donald Trump as the Republican Party’s presidential nominee for president of the United States in the 2020 election, and selected Mike Pence as the vice-presidential nominee.

President Donald Trump informally launched his bid for reelection on February 18, 2017. He launched his reelection campaign earlier in his presidency than any of his predecessors did. He was followed by former governor of MassachusettsBill Weld, who announced his campaign on April 15, 2019, and former Illinois congressmanJoe Walsh, who declared his candidacy on August 25, 2019. Former governor of South Carolina and U.S. representative launched a primary challenge on September 8, 2019. In addition, businessman Rocky De La Fuente entered the race on May 16, 2019, but was not widely recognized as a major candidate.

Who Is Trump Reaching

If the former president proves to be a kingmaker in the 2022 midterms, his allies say he may seek reelection in 2024.

The Republican Party is just a name, Steve Bannon told me last week. I had called him to ask about the influence he believes his old boss still carries inside the GOP. The bulk of it is a populist, nationalist party led by Donald Trump. As for the rest of it? The Republican Party, pre-2016, are the modern Whigs, he added, referring to the national party that collapsed in the mid-19th century over divided views on slavery.

Bannon might not be the most reliable barometer of the political moment, but some of Trumps fiercest Republican critics share his belief that the former president maintains a strong grip on his party. He sparked this , and now others are going ahead and taking the baton of batshittery, Representative Adam Kinzinger, a Republican from Illinois and a staunch Trump critic, told me last week.

After losing badly in 2020, the GOP wants candidates who can win in 2022. But the partys biggest star seems less concerned with fellow Republicans electability than with their fealty. Trump aims to punish incumbents who voted for his impeachment and reward those who support the culture war hes stoked. Republicans want to talk about Joe Bidens liberal leanings and how inflation is making life more expensive for most Americans. Trump wants to talk about himself and his personal woes.

What will voters want to hear?

Also Check: Obama Is Republican

Business Executives And Leaders

“Former Republican National Security Officials for Biden”. Defending Democracy Together. Archived from the original on August 20, 2020. Retrieved October 8, 2020.

^“About Us Republican Political Alliance for Integrity & Reform”. Republican Political Alliance for Integrity & Reform. Archived from the original on December 28, 2020. Retrieved October 8, 2020.

^“Republican Voters Against Trump”. Archived from the original on December 28, 2020. Retrieved October 8, 2020.

^“George W. Bush says he wrote in Condoleezza Rice for president in 2020”. Axios. Retrieved April 22, 2021.

^“Peter Allgeier”. 43 Alumni for Joe Biden. Archived from the original on December 28, 2020. Retrieved October 23, 2020.

^

Korecki, Natasha . “‘He’s Going to Be Unleashed’: Republican DOJ Appointees Urge against Trump Second Term”. Politico. Archived from the original on September 20, 2020. Retrieved August 26, 2020.

^

“Why Joe?”. Politico. 43 Alumni for Biden. Archived from the original on August 28, 2020. Retrieved August 27, 2020.

^Epstein, Kayla. “Obama Is Staying Silent on the 2020 Democratic Primary, but Some of His Top Advisers Are Endorsing Joe Biden”. Business Insider. Archived from the original on July 26, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2020.

^“General Michael Hayden: If Trump Gets Another Term…”. October 6, 2020. Archived from the original on December 28, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020.

^

^“43 Alumni Endorsing Joe Biden”. Archived from the original on October 5, 2020. Retrieved August 31, 2020.

‘the Stars Have Aligned For Both Parties’ Interests’

Trump employed a scorched-earth brand of politics throughout his presidency, and often undercut his own efforts. In 2019, he abruptly pulled out of infrastructure talks with Democrats as they started investigating his administration. “Infrastructure week” soon became a running gag referring to his repeated failures at passing a new bill.

Biden, on the other hand, is applying the opposite approach. He’s had an unyielding faith in bipartisanship and repeatedly sought compromise with Republicans. That hasn’t always panned out Biden muscled through a $1.9 trillion stimulus law earlier this year without any GOP support once negotiations collapsed.

Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, the second-ranked Senate Republican, serves as a barometer of where many rank-and-file Republicans stand. Thune pushed back against Trump’s recent criticisms, saying he believed each side’s political interests have aligned recently. Infrastructure has long been something popular with voters.

“I disagree with former President Trump on that,” he told Insider. “You want to celebrate successes no matter when they happen. It just so happened the stars aligned right now for both sides to come together on this.”

“As is always the case up here, timing is everything,” he said.

“I’m not sure the nature of his objections,” Cassidy said in an interview with Insider, referring to Trump. “Somehow, he says it’s a win for I view it as a win for the American people.”

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Rand Paul: Senator Kentucky

Republican Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul.

Trump announced his endorsement for Republican Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul on April 8, praising the longtime politician for his war against the swamp in Washington.

Rand Paul has done a fantastic job for our Country, and for the incredible people of Kentucky.; He fights against the Swamp in Washington, the Radical Left Liberals, and especially the destructive RINOS, of which there are far too many, in Congress, Trump wrote in a statement. Rand will continue to stand up for our great AMERICA FIRST policies because he believes in stopping wasteful spending, defending our Second Amendment rights, and taking care of our Military and our Vets.; I am proud to be working with Rand in our battle to Make America Great Again.; He has my Complete and Total Endorsement for another term in the U.S. Senate. ; The Commonwealth of Kentucky has a true champion in Rand Paul.

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American History, American Heroes and American Identity

My first Tuesday Thoughts post and it’s kind of all over the place. Sorry it’s so long, but please let me know what you think. As always my messages and asks are open for civil discussion.

“I fell in love with Harriet Tubman because I admired her actions, I admired her actions because I respected her character, I respected her character because we shared the same values.”

My dad is a huge history nerd. Growing up we didn’t go on your typical summer vacation to the beach or an amusement park, we went to battlefields and museums. I learned a lot on these summer trips, and at a young age I was very interested in and passionate about history. I wasn’t subscribed to Girl’s Life, I was subscribed to the Cobblestone history magazine where I was introduced to Ulysses S. Grant. I wasn’t asking my parents to buy me dolls, I was asking for books on Martin Luther King Jr. When I was in elementary school (and still to this day) one of my favorite people in history, one of my all time inspirations who I admired was Harriet Tubman. I had books on Tubman and the Underground Railroad, I would go to the library and rent the same old VHS that has a 30 minute show about Tubman over and over and over. Why was Harriet Tubman such a hero to me at seven years old? She was tough. She was determined. She overcame the odds. She helped others. She didn’t back down. She was a leader fighting for the best causes there are: freedom, liberty and justice. I fell in love with Harriet Tubman because I admired her actions, I admired her actions because I respected her character, I respected her character because we shared the same values. In today's culture I often hear about focusing on people's characteristics such as race, sexuality or gender. I often hear slogans and praise when someone is a “strong, independent woman”. We focus on groups of people who have historically been denied “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”, who have been unjustly targeted by the government and other citizens. We don’t have to be, nor should we be, colorblind. Without question Harriet Tubman would have lived a very different life if she was born a white male. I don’t think we should be colorblind but I also don’t think that we should view people exclusively as the sum of their race, gender or sexuality. I think it is a good thing to learn about people of all walks of life who have fought for “a more perfect Union”, and it is an important discussion to have. In history classes and during these discussions I think it would be good to remember the values this country was founded on and what we have been working towards, and look at countries that do not believe in the same values. If we lose our nation’s values, if we just go looking for “strong, independent women” we might start finding people like Patty Cannon, Rose O'Neal Greenhow, and Belle Boyd who were all in their own respects “strong, independent women” but are also about as anti-American as they come. If we take a minute to look at where we have failed, but what we have been moving towards since 1776, and think about why Elizabeth Freeman sued the state of Massachusetts in 1780 for her freedom, why Robert Smalls stole a Confederate ship, escaped to freedom and went on to be a member of the House of Representatives, why Susan B. Anthony voted illegally and refused to pay the fine she was issued, why thousands have participated in civil disobedience, marches and protests, signed petitions and raised awareness about problems in the country since our founding up to this day. It’s because our nation is built on an idea. Not a race, religion or ethnic traditions. Our culture is our freedom. And before we jump to completely burn down the system, take a look at some other countries where there have been different systems and different values. Look at Cambodia where infants were smashed against a tree during their genocide, in Nazi Germany where activist Sophie Scholl and other college students were beheaded because they distributed anti-war pamphlets, in the Soviet Union where secret police were used and people were thrown in gulags overnight if they said the wrong thing, in East Germany where people were shot in the back if they tried to escape. Now those are all past examples, so what about today? In North Korea where the government is God and people have their personal diaries read to see if they write down anything anti-government, in China where people have a social credit score and Muslim minority Uighurs are forced into concentration camps if they give their child the wrong name, where women are being forced birth control. Admittedly, those are all very extreme examples. So let’s look at our first ally: the French. In the French Declaration of the Rights of the Man and of the Citizen of 1789 it states “Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions may be based only on considerations of the common good.” The Founders were very scared of mob rule. That’s why we are not a democracy. If 51% of the people decided the “common good” is one thing, what happens to the rest of the people and their rights? If people are equal, why does the majority's rights outweigh the minority’s rights? Also, the French Declaration says “The principle of any Sovereignty lies primarily in the Nation. No corporate body, no individual may exercise any authority that does not expressly emanate from it.” So, your rights are given to you by the government, unlike in the United States where people are “are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights”. If you accept that the government is the one giving you rights, then don’t be surprised when the government decides to take your rights away because the majority voted for it. The French Declaration mentions “The Law is the expression of the general will.”, “No one may be disturbed on account of his opinions, even religious ones, as long as the manifestation of such opinions does not interfere with the established Law and Order.”, “The free communication of ideas and of opinions is one of the most precious rights of man. Any citizen may therefore speak, write and publish freely, except what is tantamount to the abuse of this liberty in the cases determined by Law.” The majority and the collective can overpower individual rights, and the government has the power to take rights away because they are the one who recognizes those rights in the first place. The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are unique documents in that they state that people are born with certain rights simply because they are born and the government is put in place to protect those rights from threats coming from both the fellow citizens and government itself. In the past America has failed at ensuring that everyone has their rights recognized and honored, we have without a question failed at living up to our values. But I don’t believe that makes our values wrong. I don’t believe that we need to entirely tear down the system. I think we can and should work to better our nation, but that can’t start at the top. Government and laws make you have to do something, relationships make you want to do something. We need to be better family members, friends, neighbors and community members. We need to look at our heroes and see what they did in the face of adversity. We need to be the change we wish to see. 

[topsolarpanels]

Death, marijuana and condoms: a complete guide to US ballot questions

Besides voting for president and other elected official, there are more than 150 statewide measures on Americans votes Tuesday. Here are some key issues

American democracy is tortuously indirect. On Tuesday, citizens will not exactly cast their votes for the first female nominee of a major party or a real estate developer turned reality Tv starring, but for generally unknown candidates who are members of the electoral college: the people who will cast votes for president sometime in December.

But when it comes to the really important issues life, demise, marijuana and condoms direct republic rules the day. There are more than 150 statewide measures on the ballot on 8 November, and scores more city- and countywide initiatives for voters to decide on.

Here are some of the key issues that voters will address on election day.

Marijuana

Nine states will vote on decriminalize pot on election day. Photo: Jason Connolly/ AFP/ Getty Images

We talk a lot about red states and blue states, but arrived Tuesday, the entire western coast could go green. California, Arizona and Nevada will vote on whether to join Washington, Oregon, Colorado and Alaska in decriminalize recreational marijuana use. Maine and Massachusetts are also voting on recreational marijuana measures. Four other states will vote on whether to join the 25 states that have legalized medical marijuana.

California, the worlds sixth-largest economy, is the real prize here. Analysts already set the size of the states legal marijuana market at $2.7 bn and project it could grow to $6.4 bn by 2020.

Solar power and carbon tax

Two key climate-related vote measures with wildly different objectives will take place on the east and western coast of the US on Tuesday.

In Florida, a proposition called Amendment 1 would change the states constitution to restrict the ability of homeowners to sell electricity they generate through rooftop solar panel to the grid. The measure, backed by Floridas big utilities, has been attacked as fundamentally dishonest by green groups because it appears to be superficially pro-solar. Energy experts have predicted a serious downturn in Floridas already struggling solar industry, should the measure pass.

How does the US electoral college work ?

The idea of a national cost on carbon was shot down early in Barack Obamas presidency, but the nation of Washington may follow a different path. A measure called I-7 32 calls for the establishment of the first carbon taxation in the US, which would expense emitters $25 for each ton of carbon dioxide from 2018, rising gradually over the course of 40 years to $100 a ton. The revenue-neutral idea has, however, split the environmental movement, with some activists unhappy that it does not funnel fund to clean energy projects.

Slavery

The 13 th amendment of the US constitution abolished bondage for the most portion. As Ava DuVernay demonstrated in her new documentary 13 th, the ban on involuntary servitude does not apply to convicts.

Colorados state constitution includes a ban on bondage that mirrors the federal language: There shall never be in this nation either bondage or involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime, whereof the party ought to be duly convicted. Amendment T would remove that key exception.

Its a timely, if symbolic, measure that comes in a year that find a prison strike spread across 22 states.

Progressive experiments

Bernie Sanders may have lost the Democratic nomination, but the spirit of his political revolution lives on to an extent.

Colorado

In Colorado, proponents of a single-payer healthcare system gathered 100,000 signatures to place Amendment 69, dubbed ColoradoCare, on the ballot. The measure would create a $36 bn health system to insure every resident of the state, paid for by a new 10% payroll taxation. ColoradoCare would be designed to replace private health insurance. Opponents, including private medical providers such as Anthem and Kaiser, have expended more than$ 4m trying to defeat it.

As with Sanders campaign, the liberal reforms have faced considerable opposition from mainstream Democratic legislators, in addition to the big business interests they challenge.

Death penalty

Connie Johnson urges a voter to choose no on a referendum that would enshrine the death penalty in Oklahomas state constitution. Photo: Bobby Ross Jr/ AFP/ Getty Images

A quarter of United States death row captives are in California. On election day, voters will choose between executing them more quickly or mandating that they succumb of other causes in prison.

Two vying vote measures will address the fate of the states 741 demise row inmates. Proposition 62 would abolish the death penalty in the nation and induce life in prison without prospect of parole the maximum punishment for assassination a sentence that would be applied retroactively to current demise row inmates. Proposition 66 would keep the death penalty, and speed up the notoriously slow appeals process.

Going against the tide of the rest of the western world, Nebraska will vote on whether to reinstate the death penalty, which was repealed by the nation legislature in 2015.

Oklahoma is also voting on the death penalty to reaffirm the states commitment to it. In 2015, the states us attorney general suspended executings following a botched endeavor at a lethal injection. State Question 776 would enshrine the nation legislatures power to carry out executings by any method not prohibited by the United States constitution.

Minimum wage

Workers with Living United for Change in Arizona canvas in Phoenix to advocate for the passage of Proposition 206, which would increase the states minimum wages. Photo: Astrid Galvan/ AP

The series of work stoppages and protests known as the Fight for $15 movement set off a wave of minimum wage increases around the country either through parliaments or vote initiatives. The movement faces decisions on election day, when Arizona, Colorado, Maine and Washington will vote on whether to increase minimum wages above the $7.25 federal rate.

An outlier is South Dakota, where voters will hold a referendum on whether to lower the minimum wages for employees under age 18. In November 2014, South Dakotans voted to increase the minimum wages from $7.25 to $8.50, with an annual cost-of-living increase. State legislators then decided to pass a law taking away the wage increase for youth under 18. Opponents of the two-tiered system gathered signatures to place it on the ballot, and now voters will have another shot at addressing the question.

Of course, everyone who votes on the minimum wages is eligible for the highest one. South Dakotans under the age of 18 will not have a say on the matter.

Homelessness

A human stands outside his tent on Division Street in San Francisco. Photo: Eric Risberg/ AP

Homelessness is crisis in many western coast cities, and some are taking to the ballot to try to make a difference.

Los Angeles is hoping to make a $1.2 bn investment over 10 years in support of housing units and programs through the issuance of bonds. The measure will require a two-thirds super-majority to pass and is being supported by Mayor Eric Garcetti, who has called homelessness the greatest moral crisis we face.

Meanwhile, San Francisco, a city that have all along prided itself on being the progressive equivalent to LAs Hollywood superficiality, has a vote measure that would prohibit the tents that many homeless people sleep in. A group of tech billionaires and millionaires venture capitalist Michael Moritz, angel investor Ron Conway, and hedge fund director William Oberndorf have each donated $49,999 to the anti-tent campaign.

Though its backers refer to the proposition as Housing not Tents, the measure does not include any additional funding for housing or services.

Miscellany

Californias Proposition 60 would require pornography performers to wear condoms during cinema shoots. The proposal is broadly opposed by the performers themselves, who argue that industry testing protocols keep them safe and that a government mandate would push production underground or into Nevada.

Then theres the movement to enshrine a constitutional right to hunt and fish. Since 1996, 18 states have amended their constitutions to elevate hunting and fishing to the level of life and liberty, as far as inalienable rights go.

Indiana and Kansas hope to join their ranks this November, though many local editorial committees have advised otherwise. No sentient human being can believe that the nation of Indiana would actually ban hunting and fishing, wrote the editorial board of the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette.

The measures seem politically popular. Indianas right to hunt and fish amendment was endorsed by governor and vice-presidential nominee Mike Pence.

Read more: www.theguardian.com

The post Death, marijuana and condoms: a complete guide to US ballot questions appeared first on Top Rated Solar Panels.

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[epacer]

Hello, It’s Me… Monkeypox

What the monkeypox outbreak means for San Diego students

More than 100,000 San Diego Unified students will head back to in-person learning in coming weeks as the rare monkeypox disease spreads in the region.

County officials declared the disease a public health emergency last Tuesday, following Gov. Gavin Newsom’s lead to bolster vaccination efforts. Parents say they’re not too worried about monkeypox spreading in schools, but a health expert says schools and families should take precautions. Student athletes who participate in close-contact sports are at highest risk, but the district has no plans to discontinue sports, a spokesperson said.

Monkeypox cases have increased throughout the country since mid-May, when the first case in the U.S. was detected in Massachusetts. There are 8,934 confirmed cases in the U.S. and 1,310 in California as of Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.

San Diego County data shows that the region has 98 monkeypox cases as of Sunday. None of those cases are children. According to the CDC, children younger than age 8 are at an increased risk of experiencing severe outcomes. But so far, at least four children in the United States have confirmed cases of monkeypox, including three cases in California.

The viral infection can be transmitted from an animal or human to another human through close contact with skin lesions, respiratory secretions and objects that an infected person or animal has touched, according to the World Health Organization.

Symptoms typically last up to four weeks and include a fever, an intense headache, swollen lymph nodes, back pain, muscle aches and a rash on the face and or body parts.

Despite the county’s decision to declare a public health emergency, guidance for San Diego schools may likely go unchanged. Instead, the district will send families a fact sheet about monkeypox and strategies for preventing the disease in their back-to-school packets, said Maureen Magee, communications director for San Diego Unified.

Schools may not be the primary place where students get monkeypox because it’s spread through close contact and it’s not moving quickly among school age populations, said Dr. Howard Taras, a pediatrician at UC San Diego who advises the county and school districts on health policies.

“In school, very close skin to skin contact is not all that frequent,” he said. “But there are important exceptions.”

Student athletes that participate in wrestling, rugby and certain types of dancing – where exposed skin and close contact are likely – are at an increased risk of getting monkeypox, Taras said.

Other sports, such as football, also carry a risk of spreading monkeypox, Taras said, but the risk is lower because athletes wear long sleeves and helmets. He said at this time he has no additional guidance for schools.

“I think what really may be more important to do is to re-emphasize a lot of the public health precautions that we asked schools to take for other skin transmitted diseases,” he said.

Workout mats should be cleaned, and athletes especially should check their skin before playing, he said, adding that other skin infections like staph, hand, foot and mouth disease and boils also can be prevented by following these precautions. Children should avoid touching each other, being near individuals that may be ill and sharing utensils, drinks and smoking devices.

Monkeypox may also spread through droplets in the air, so a mask may offer some protection for anyone in a room for a long time with an infected person, Taras said.

San Diego Unified students and staff will be required to wear a mask indoors as long as COVID-19 transmission levels remain high.

Magee said the district had no plans to discontinue close contact sports.

The district, which is the second largest in the state, also will not track monkeypox cases in schools publicly as it does with COVID-19 cases, and there are no plans to offer testing at school sites, Magee said.

A health care provider would be able to test for monkeypox, but Taras said results tend to take a long time and there are limited labs available to process them.

“It's going to be up to the student's own doctor about how much they feel that this child or staff member has the chance of having monkeypox,” he said.

The risks for children

Vaccines for monkeypox are not widely available, but that should not worry families, Taras said.

“It's not going to become a school-required vaccine anytime soon because there's just not enough of it, and school age children are really a very low risk group at this point,” he said.

Days before the county announced the public health emergency, San Diego health clinics ran out of monkeypox vaccination appointments after going through its supply of the JYNNEOS vaccine, one of two vaccines used for the prevention of monkeypox.

There’s currently a larger supply of the ACAM2000 vaccine in the U.S. compared to the JYNNEOS vaccine, but the CDC does not recommend the ACAM2000 vaccine for everyone because of its more severe side effects.

The supply of JYNNEOS is expected to increase in the following weeks and months, the CDC reports.

Jessica Vasquez, a San Diego Unified parent, isn’t worried about children catching monkeypox in schools.

“I’m not very concerned about monkeypox,” Vasquez said. “I feel like most of the COVID-19 mitigation in place right now will definitely help with reducing the chance of monkeypox transmission as well.”

If cases crop up in schools, it’s unlikely that schools will close or transition to remote learning as they did for COVID-19, Taras said, adding school closures happen if there’s an outbreak of a respiratory illness or disease like COVID-19 or chickenpox.

“Monkeypox is rarely respiratory, although it can be,” Taras said. “I don't think that you'll see that around the world. It's going to be a different kind of epidemic.”

For now, Taras advises parents to avoid sending their ill children to school. If lesions begin to appear on the body, parents should notify their doctor immediately, he said.

“I think now it's more worthwhile to bring your doctor into the conversation (early on),” Taras said.

San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria has asked the public to take monkeypox seriously.

“Take a moment to educate yourself about monkeypox, understand the risk factors that are involved and make sure you take the proper precautions for yourself and for your loved ones to make sure we stop the spread of monkeypox within our community,” he said. *Reposted article from inewsource by Andrea Figueroa Briseño, August 10, 2022

[patriotsnet]

Can Registered Republicans Vote In Democratic Primaries

New Post has been published on https://www.patriotsnet.com/can-registered-republicans-vote-in-democratic-primaries/

Can Registered Republicans Vote In Democratic Primaries

Arguments On The Open And Closed Methods Of Electing Leaders

Independent Voters Can Cast Ballot For Democratic Primary, But Not Republican In March

Political and social analysts have discussed extensively the manner of conducting open and closed primary elections. Some argue in favor of the open primary election. Some also argue in support of the closed primary election. Let us look at their various views to understand what the electoral process stands to benefit from the use of these forms of elections.

Proponents of the closed primary elections are of the view that only members of a political party should be able to vote for the candidate that the political party presents. In this regard, their opponent political party will be unable to influence who the party presents in a general election. They believe that in open primaries, other political parties could play dirty to control the candidate that emerges on the platform of a particular party at the primaries. That way, they can ensure that the candidate representing the other party is the one not likely to draw the popular vote from voters at the general elections.

Thus, the advocates for a closed primary election are of the view that only those of a political party should participate in deciding who represents them as a political party.

Over 150 Companies Sign Letter Supporting John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act

One reason Republicans in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts may have focused their initiatives solely on voter ID laws, rather than including other election changes, is because public polling has shown those requirements have broad backing by members of both parties. A recent Monmouth University poll found that 80 percent of Americans back requiring voters to show photo ID in order to vote.

The struggle with ballot initiatives are always getting the actual initiative on the ballot to start with, said Garrett Bess, vice president of Heritage Action for America, a conservative advocacy group. But if the question is put to the voters, then I think its an almost certainty to pass.

Still, the effort marks a new chapter in the broader national Republican effort to advance new limits on elections following former President Donald Trumps campaign of lies about last falls vote. A number of leading backers of the ballot initiatives have boosted Trumps false claims of fraud.

Voter fraud in U.S. elections is exceedingly rare. Although there is no evidence of widespread malfeasance in last falls election, more than a dozen states have so far enacted changes this year.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 36 states already ask voters to provide some form of ID, with most of them allowing voters without ID to cast ballots if they sign a form under oath.

Mischief In Open Primary States

Allowing voters of any party to take part in either the Republican or Democratic presidential primary often invites mischief, commonly referred to as party-crashing. Party-crashing occurs when voters of one party support “the most polarizing candidate in the other party’s primary to bolster the chances that it will nominate someone ‘unelectable’ to general election voters in November,” according to the nonpartisan Center for Voting and Democracy in Maryland.

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A Look At The Democratic Party And The Republican Party

The Democratic Party and the Republican Party are the major political parties in America. They are based on different philosophies and thus hold different views on public policies. To understand their operations, we need to understand the standpoints of each of these parties.

The ideology of the Democratic Party centers on modern liberalism. It believes in the promotion of economic as well as social equality. Thus, it tilts toward increasing the rate of the involvement of the government in economic affairs.

The Republican Party, on the other hand, is a political party that centers on the principles of conservatism. It believes in securing individual rights, giving the people more power to determine their affairs. Thus, it considers that the efforts of the government should protect the welfare of individuals.

Does California Have An Open Primary

In California, under Proposition 14, a measure that easily passed, traditional party primaries were replaced in 2011 with wide-open elections. Proposition 14, known as the open primary measure, gave every voter the same ballot in primary elections for most state and federal races, except the presidential contest.

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Political Primaries: How Are Candidates Nominated

Article two, section one of the United States Constitution discusses the procedures to be followed when electing the president of the United States, but it does not provide guidance for how to nominate a presidential candidate. Currently, candidates go through a series of state primaries and caucuses where, based on the number of votes they receive from the electorate, they are assigned a certain number of delegates who will vote for them at their party’s convention.

Earlier party conventions were raucous events, and delegates did not necessarily represent the electorate. Mrs. J.J. McCarthy describes her convention experience:

I can picture … the great Democratic convention of 1894 at the old coliseum in Omaha… right now I can hear the Hallelluiahs of the assembled. Oh how I wish I had back the youth and the enthusiasm I felt that night, I jumped on a chair and ask that by a rising vote the nomination be made unanimous, how the people yelled, how the packed gallories applauded, it cheers an old man now to think about it.

Politics played a big part in the life of this town years ago. Campaigns were hot, and there was always a big celebration afterwards. … Votes used to be bought — that is before the secret ballot was adopted. Some sold ’em pretty cheap. I remember one old fellow who sold out to one party for a dollar — then sold out to the other for the same price.

Can You Start A New Political Party

Forming a new national or state political party organization: New party organizations must register with the FEC when they raise or spend money over certain thresholds in connection with a federal election. A local party committee is presumed to be affiliated with the other federal party committees in its state.

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Can I Vote In Super Tuesday

Super Tuesday is the United States presidential primary election day in February or March when the greatest number of U.S. states hold primary elections and caucuses. Approximately one-third of all delegates to the presidential nominating conventions can be won on Super Tuesday, more than on any other day.

What Are The Two Main Political Parties In The United States Today

California Primary 2020: Why independents can vote for Democrats, but not for Republicans

The United States has only two major political parties: the Democrats and the Republicans. There are also smaller parties that aren’t as well known. These parties have a duopoly, meaning that they share almost all the political power in the country. Most democratic countries have more than two parties.

Recommended Reading: How Many Electoral Votes Do Republicans Have

Will I Need To Show Identification

Possibly. Poll workers will ask for ID if you are voting for the first time in Massachusetts in a federal election; if you are an inactive voter; if youre casting a provisional or challenged ballot; or if the poll worker has a reasonable suspicion. Acceptable identification must include your name and the address at which you are registered to vote.

What Does It Mean To Be Registered As An Independent

An independent is variously defined as a voter who votes for candidates on issues rather than on the basis of a political ideology or partisanship; a voter who does not have long-standing loyalty to, or identification with, a political party; a voter who does not usually vote for the same political party from election

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Heres How You Can Vote In Nj Primary If Youre Not Registered With Either Party

Primary elections

While primary elections are meant to give registered Democrats and Republicans a chance to say who will appear on the ballot in November, New Jerseys more than 2.4 million unaffiliated voters can have a say in the process.

The deadline to change from Republican to Democrat or from Democrat to Republican ahead of the primary elections has already passed. But unaffiliated voters are exempt from it and can cast a ballot in either the Democratic or Republican primaries on Tuesday.

Heres how it works:

An unaffiliated voter can walk into their polling station Tuesday and request a Republican or Democratic ballot and then cast their vote.

But theres a caveat.

That person is then registered under that party affiliation.

That means if you vote in the Democratic primary, youre now a registered Democrat. If you vote in the Republican primary, youre now a registered Republican.

But an unaffiliated voter who declares a party by voting in the primary can return to their unaffiliated status after the primary by re-registering as an unaffiliated voter, according to the states Division of Elections.

New Jerseyans can check whether theyre registered to vote at the Department of States Division of Elections website. If voters want to look up their party affiliation, they can create a free online account with the Division of Elections that allows them to access their detailed voting information.

With No Republican Primary Gop Supporters Are Free To Vote For Chaos

With no Republican presidential primary this year,;Republicans are free to make what political scientists call;negative strategic votes for Democrats without having to sacrifice the chance to;vote for their own party.

Voters can cast ballots in only one primary per election, but they can vote however they choose in general elections despite the primary they choose.

A large crowd of candidates means smaller vote counts can swing elections and being early in the national process could also be expected to add to a particularly strong chances for crossover voting, said D. Sunshine Hillygus, a Duke University political science professor who has studied crossover and negative strategic voting.

She said the crossover votes can be negatively strategic, trolling or throwing a wrench in it, or they can be positively strategic as a backstop.

The only cost for Republicans who are so inclined to instigate chaos? Theyll get on a Democratic mailing list.

And, indeed, crossover votes could;be a factor in the primary, said David Woodard, a retired Clemson University professor who has consulted with;Republicans for decades.

Republicans who otherwise wouldnt want to interrupt their Republican voting record could actually brag about crossing over this year, Woodard said. Fueled by impeachment and memories of Supreme Court confirmation hearings, Republicans will be highly motivated this year, Woodard said.

Also Check: What Do Democratic Republicans Believe In

Who Has The Right To Vote In New York

To be able to cast a ballot in New York, you need to be a U.S. citizen who has lived in the city/state for at least 30 days, not currently incarcerated for a felony conviction and at least 18 years old.

If you turn 18 on or before , youll be able to vote, so make sure you register now. And remember, all 16 and 17 year olds can pre-register to vote, which means you automatically become a registered voter the day you turn 18.

How Do You Choose

When you show up to your polling location, youll decide whether you want a Democratic or Republican primary ballot.

But after choosing a side in the primary, you have to stay in that lane through the runoff. You cant vote Republican in the primary election and then participate in a runoff election between top Democratic candidates.

That said, voting in a primary does not commit you to vote for a particular candidate in the general election. You can vote for either partys candidate in the November election.

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Democrats Plan To Keep Their Primary Strategy

Morgan Carroll, chairwoman of the Colorado Democratic Party and a former state Senate president, said a proposal to forgo primaries would never receive serious consideration among state Democrats.

She called the idea ridiculous and undemocratic.;

If we had a candidate that recommended it, I think theyd be driven out of town, Morgan Carroll said.;

She sees the push as part of a larger pattern by Trump and his loyalists to basically move in an authoritarian direction, take away choices from voters, make it harder to vote, make it hard for the people to decide, and make it easier for them to install whoever they want in whatever position they want.

Want exclusive political news and insights first? Subscribe to The Unaffiliated, the political newsletter from The Colorado Sun. Thats where this story first appeared. Join now or upgrade your membership.

If the Republican proposal passes, she said its hard to know whether more unaffiliated voters would participate in 2022 Democratic primaries because they would be the only primary left they could vote in.;

She thinks the move would backfire for Republicans as theyve struggled to win elections in Colorado in recent years. If I were a rank-and-file Republican person, Id be furious.

Colorado Sun staff writer Jesse Paul contributed to this report.

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Oh You Dont Want My Vote In Nov

How Independent voters can vote in the Democratic primary

Im an Indy that votes Dem. My state has closed Repug primaries/caucuses. If I were Right leaning Id be insulted that I have to change my affiliation to them and back afterward to have a say in who the best candidate to run for GE is.The Dem party is now smaller than the Indies, and will be even smaller in a few months after Hillarys scorched earth antics. I dont think you want to disinvite us all at this point.

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Is It Common For Democrats To Participate In The Republican Primary And Vice Versa

In short, no. According to Elizabeth Simas, a political science professor at the University of Houston who spoke about this with Texas Standard, cases of strategic voting dont happen much in primary elections. Certainly, there are people who do it but we just dont see it happening as much as theres potentially this fear for it to happen, Simas said.

In areas dominated by one party, especially rural areas, voters might cross party lines in the primary to have more of a say in their local races.

In my county, all the local races are Republican. Judges, sheriff, district attorney, Martha Mims, a Democratic voter who lives Williamson County, wrote in The Texas Tribunes Facebook group, This is Your Texas. If I want to have a say in local government, I have to vote in the Republican primary.

Voters like Mims can do that, thanks to Texas open primary. Do you have more questions about voting in Texas? Submit them to our Texplainer series.

Disclosure: The University of Houston has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribunes journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

Get Rid Of Superdelegates Completely

Superdelegates had some of their power stripped from them after the contentious 2016 Democratic primary contest. Now its time to finish the job: They ought to be neutered entirely.

Selina Vickers was a delegate for Sen. Bernie Sanders at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. She is a candidate for the West Virginia House of Delegates, in District 32.

Superdelegates debuted at the 1984 Democratic convention, after the party reworked its rules to respond to President Jimmy Carters calamitous defeat in 1980. The idea was that these special delegates typically politicians and senior party officials wouldnt be bound by the decisions of state primary voters and caucusers: They could throw their weight behind whichever candidate they thought would perform best in the general election. This year, there are 771 superdelegate votes and 3,979 pledged delegates . The problem is that there can be a chasm between the judgments of party insiders and the grass roots about which candidates are most electable.

A certain number of elected party leaders could retain the title of automatic delegates, but they should not have a free or wild card vote at any stage. Instead, they should pledge to a candidate before their states primary or caucuses. If their candidates dont earn votes at the state level, they wouldnt have a say so they couldnt interfere in the democratic selection of a nominee.

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Invite Independents Into The Process

The Democratic Party ought to open the nominating process to voters registered as independents, allowing them to sign up as Democrats on primary day. Sixteen states have created open primaries through laws or referendums, according to the nonprofit group Open Primaries, although the parties have the authority to do so unilaterally. Yet Democrats have done so in only six states, the group notes.

James Zogby is president of the Arab American Institute and a member of the Democratic National Committees executive committee. Bernie Sanders appointed him to the partys primary reform commission.

Reaching out to such voters currently alienated by the two major parties would increase the chances that the Democratic nominee can win in November. At the same time, the party needs to work to strengthen its bonds with its existing members.

The sad but simple truth is that being a Democrat no longer means very much to many Americans. According to the most recent Gallup poll, only 27 percent of voters identify as Democrats, and 30 percent say they are Republicans. At the same time, 42 percent call themselves independents, including half of millennial voters . This share of American voters who dont identify with any party has held constant for well over a decade.

The Democratic Party needs to give voters, including independents, a reason to become engaged in party-building. Since we need the votes of independents in the fall, shouldnt we give them a voice in the spring?