Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

Reports of protests are overblown. A few incidents around the country, but nothing major.

5 (45.5%)

A few major incidents in capitals, but nothing much in DC.

5 (45.5%)

A major incident in DC, but nothing much around the country.

0 (0%)

More than 10 capitals have major upheavals, but nothing much in DC.

0 (0%)

A major incident in DC plus more than 10 capitals with significant upheavals.

1 (9.1%)

More than half the capitals around the country have problems with protesters, but DC is quiet.

0 (0%)

DC has major problems, while more than half the capitals around the country also have considerable trouble with protesters.

0 (0%)

Huge disruption to the day.

0 (0%)

Total Members Voted: 9

Voting closed: January 19, 2021, 10:49:21 PM

[bodiddley]

In Texas the GOP undertook two big voter-registration drives. One, combined, big data, technology, and volunteers from the Texas Federation of Republican Women, College Republicans and county GOP organizations. It add 200,000 new Republicans to the voter rolls—at a cost of $7.90 each. The other, super PAC Engage Texas, used traditional methods, hiring nearly 200 workers to stand outside Department of Motor Vehicles offices and knock on doors. Before it was shut down by Covid-19, it registered over 100,000  republicans at a cost of $70.10 per.

AOC was loudly complaining about the poor use of digital media by the Dems.  Facebook and Twitter are powerful mobilizers and message-senders, at relatively low cost.   But likely you still need to combine the 2 approaches, and there's good that comes from by putting people on the payroll for voter reg drives.  You're getting money into the hands of local residents, you're getting these folks highly motivated and engaged, the money they get gets spread around their local community. 

And probably face to face contact is more effective in getting people out to vote than registering online.  I'd like to see follow-up on what % of those two groups actually voted.   Doesn't matter how cheaply you register people if they don't turn out to vote.
But the Dems could do a lot more with digital-targeting. 

Also, presenting a national message would help insulate Dems from GOP attacks.  For instance, if there is a national DEM message of Reform the Police (Expand Mental Health Services) -- which gets repeated by all candidates at all levels.  Then a GOP attack about Dems wanting to Defund the Police and Let Crime Rage is much less effective as it's defanged in advance.

[bankshot1]

The rulings against campaign limits for individuals and corporations continues to be the single most effective means to get billionaires to spend their money.

Yes, interesting.
It's too bad they spend it on consultants and strategists and media production and ad buys, more than grassroots/community organizations.  So big corporations and


educated elites pocket the money instead of people in their neighborhoods.  But maybe the balance can/would/will shift at some point.

Bloomberg in particular got little return for his mega millions.
He would have been better off starting a Coronavirus Unemployment Fund in Florida for $100M and giving money to people in need.  Get good publicity, money flowing into communities, helping people.  Hell, pay people who are unregistered $10 for registering.  That should be legal I think ... (?)

In Texas the GOP undertook...

voter suppression, making it as hard as possible for voters in Harris County, a democratic stronghold to vote as easily as other voters, in more Republican counties could.

Is this America?

An America to be proud of

I guess to Red it is.

This is the America Red is proud of, an America that cheats voters of their right to participate in our democracy because they happen to live in a democratic area,

Red's an unAmerican fascist racist piece of shit.

but even rascist fascist piece's of shit are entitled to spout their propaganda and lies

so finish up with your rationaliation for stolen elections you fascist shit-head.



two big voter-registration drives. One, combined, big data, technology, and volunteers from the Texas Federation of Republican Women, College Republicans and county GOP organizations. It add 200,000 new Republicans to the voter rolls—at a cost of $7.90 each. The other, super PAC Engage Texas, used traditional methods, hiring nearly 200 workers to stand outside Department of Motor Vehicles offices and knock on doors. Before it was shut down by Covid-19, it registered over 100,000  republicans at a cost of $70.10 per.

FTFY

[bodiddley]

It will be interesting to see over the next decade if GA and NC becoming increasingly Blue influences Florida, or if FLA is just too much of its own thing.

[REDSTATEWARD]

Not empty handed if it makes the R's play some defense.

That was what the Bloomberg camp says about FLA.
That they forced the Trumpeters to burn cash in FLA, bleeding them from being able to compete financially in the Midwest (for example the GOP abandoned MICH for months and only made a late play, and the results there weren't close)

Well except Florida got permanently red and Hispanics led the way.

TX is a long term play.
It used to be hardcore Red, and now is more pink.

No, it is bright red from top to the bottom of the ballot.

It's nearly in play.  Never going to be an easy state for the Dems.
But slowly coming around.
And if national Repubs have to spend time and money ensuring it stays Red, that's less $$ and campaigning for elsewhere. 

Well GOP strategy raised Texas money that was spent in Texas and ran the table.
You might want to pay attention.

But Kam's right, Dems just need to solidify the Southeast coast, with SC as the IND-style holdout in the region.
Dems win the MidWest and SouthEast and the GOP has no chance.

VA went from a battleground state to solidly Blue.
NC has become a battleground state and is trending Blue, with its growing suburbs, increasingly hi-tech and educated workforce, more Asians and Blacks.
And of course any election where the Dems win FLA is near-death for the GOP.

AZ, GA and NC are big news for the Dems.
Still need/want to hold on to PA and WI.
But I think the Red wave in WI is cresting.
PA has a lot of interesting local issues -- fracking and an aging population among them.

Well except for the numbers . North Carolina went for Trump and Tillis.
Georgia will elect 2 GOP Senators and Biden needed a recount, Arizona and Pennsylvania were very close.
The country went for divided government and decidedly said no to the democrat leftists .
I’ve never seen a presidential election where the winner at the top wound up with no coattails like this one.

[josh]

It remains to be seen what the cities are going to need after this pandemic.

They will need something, but we've screwed up the cities so much in our efforts to "help" them that we need to move slowly. (We can fix the 3000 places whose water is worse than Flint's while we plan.)

[josh]

[facilitatorn]

Florida GOP is deeply dug in and thoroughly corrupt. Without serious and severe ratfucking, Florida is always Democratic. Republican ratfucking was especially wanton and extensive in Florida this year, hence the results.

[bodiddley]

AZ definitely trending DEM.
2 Dem senators and voted for Biden.
Probably going to be much like Nevada, a Western state where the GOP is competitive but holds Blue.

NC hasn't flipped yet, but the fact that it's become purple is important.
Not far from a DEM breakthrough.  It's somewhat like VA 15 or 20 years ago.
Trends going the Dems way.  A cycle or two away.

OH and IA are the two states that have become significantly more Red.
OH seems to be mostly a battle over economics more than cultural issues.
If that's right, Dems should have an opening there.  But I don't have much of a good handle on what's going on in OH.  Had a friend in Cincy for a while and he was pretty down on folks there.  Seems one of those states that needs better education.
Finally he moved to the Texas hill country, bluing up TX a little.

[facilitatorn]

Remember, the Dems being an anti-homicide party unlike the fascist republicans, did not hold rallies or concerts this cycle and did not door knock. This hurt both registrations and turnout. Both of these efforts will be back up in some form next cycle.

The republicans have no winning policy ideas and no credible or trustworthy leaders. They simply pollute and pervert all the touch as they slowly circle in toward the drain.

Republicans make terrible political leaders but excellent defendants at various corruption trials.

[bodiddley]

Remember, the Dems being an anti-homicide party unlike the fascist republicans, did not hold rallies or concerts this cycle and did not door knock. This hurt both registrations and turnout. Both of these efforts will be back up in some form next cycle.

Which is another reason that they should have rolled out a huge and diverse social media, digital platform campaign to get people involved.  But it's 2020, gotta be able to do online politicking.

[luee]

Trump campaign revises Pennsylvania suit, again
The latest version of the lawsuit asks the court to declare Trump the winner in Pennsylvania.

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/18/trump-pennsylvania-election-lawsuit-437996

When does it end?

[facilitatorn]

Not long now, Luee. Not long now.

A strand of William Barr’s noose,

http://m.dailykos.com/stories/2020/11/18/1996812/-Criminal-Probe-Into-AG-Barr-s-Former-Client-SHELVED-One-Week-After-His-Nomination

[bodiddley]

The incoming administration is expected to replace nearly all of President Donald Trump’s task force leadership, in what one transition official called a “house cleaning” aimed at signaling a clear break from a federal response under Trump it viewed as nothing short of disastrous.

Good.

Only top infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci is guaranteed to be part of Biden’s pandemic team, where he’ll likely take on an elevated role as one of the administration’s highest-profile messengers.

Boo.

Still deciding what to do with Birx.
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/18/biden-coronavirus-team-deborah-birx-437923
She's got contacts and knowledge so would be a good transition team person.  After that get rid of her.  She was awful and deadly and got doormatted.  And don't need Fauci having too much of a power center.  80 year old failure Dr. F should be excised.  but keeping him and Birx is abysmal.  And likely to hamper Biden's approach.

Kind of unbelievable but Surgeon General Adams position is still IF you can't keep 6' apart in public, then face masks should be worn.  So he has strong faith in the magical 6' rule, and doesn't believe in multiple precautions to maximally reduce transmissions. 

Can't get rid of these Trump flunkies fast enough.  Including those tainted by Trumpism such as Fauci and Birx.

[bodiddley]

War itself is a crime.
But OZ troops committed war crimes too:

A shocking Australian military report into war crimes has found evidence that elite Australian troops unlawfully killed 39 Afghan prisoners, farmers and civilians.

Australian Defence Force Chief Gen. Angus Campbell said Thursday the shameful record included alleged instances in which new patrol members would shoot a prisoner in order to achieve their first kill in a practice known as “blooding.” He said the soldiers would then plant weapons and radios to support false claims the prisoners were enemies killed in action.

https://apnews.com/article/australia-war-crimes-new-zealand-7d73ce2ff249f70fb19c1c4fd522785a

- It says that none of the alleged crimes were committed during the heat of battle.
- The report recommended 19 soldiers be referred to federal police for criminal investigation.
- Some Australian troops would regularly carry “throw downs” — things like foreign pistols, radios and grenades that they could plant on those they killed so the Afghan civilians would appear like combatants in photographs.

Who'd they think they were?  US police?

Almost certainly there were more violations and unlawful killings by Aussie troops, but at least they investigated and found these, and are taking some corrective measures.

War always leads to rapes and murders and executions and torture.
The kind of stuff your heavily armed young men are good at.
Anybody who supports a war should try imagining living in that country the war will be waged in.  War is a horror and immoral and brings out the worst in many.  Usually with impunity. 

[facilitatorn]

http://thebulwark.com/the-marketing-theory-which-explains-why-trump-owns-the-gop/