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You are here: Home / Elections / Election 2018 / Friday Evening Open Thread: Fighting the Good Fight

Friday Evening Open Thread: Fighting the Good Fight

by Anne Laurie|  November 2, 20188:02 pm| 125 Comments

This post is in: Election 2018, Music, Open Threads, Proud to Be A Democrat, All we want is life beyond the thunderdome

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After poll moved to the edge of town in Dodge City, KS, folks volunteered to provide transportation for voters. ACLU-Kansas says situation "appears to be sufficiently covered"https://t.co/K1QAyX231u

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) November 2, 2018

Yep we got a bus and driver in #DodgecityKansas taking voters to the ONE polling place. Thanks to @KansasDems for their organizing! https://t.co/3LvhhrIkK5

— Melissa Etheridge (@metheridge) November 1, 2018

Was gonna add an Etheridge YouTube video, but I couldn’t think of the best one. Suggestions?

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Previous Post: « Guns, Suicide, And Starting To Change The Argument
Next Post: A Little Happy For Your Friday and I Need Your Input »

Reader Interactions

125Comments

  1. 1.

    Baud

    November 2, 2018 at 8:06 pm

    Come To My Window Voting Booth

  2. 2.

    Ruviana

    November 2, 2018 at 8:12 pm

    When I heard the ACLU lost their hearing I kept thinking about this kind of a solution. So glad it’s happening

  3. 3.

    NotMax

    November 2, 2018 at 8:13 pm

    Washington state madness – the Sheaite ‘revolution.’

    A Washington state lawmaker who moonlights as a wannabe theocrat has stumbled into FBI scrutiny over a how-to guide he wrote on killing non-believers and establishing a Christian theocracy.

    Five-term Washington state Rep. Matt Shea has been circulating a manual for holy war in the United States, the Seattle Times reported. Source

    Dunno what the rules are for beginning expulsion procedures from the state legislature, but if this doesn’t merit rapid response, what does?

  4. 4.

    Avalune

    November 2, 2018 at 8:15 pm

    Never mind lol!

  5. 5.

    guachi

    November 2, 2018 at 8:17 pm

    NY Times is doing their live polling thing where you can see polling of close House races done live.

    https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/upshot/elections-poll-ga06-3.html

    Adding up the numbers from the 11 races they are doing tonight the Dems currently have about a 3 vote lead 1321-1318. I guess these races are really close.

    All 11 are Republican districts.

  6. 6.

    piratedan

    November 2, 2018 at 8:17 pm

    here’s to hoping that Kansas starts to turn Blue. Folks that try to sit on the fence and be above the fray tend to not like it when they can’t continue to MBF everything when the other side is so egregiously cooking the books.

    A lot of us have known and suspected this for a long time, but this crap is being done out in broad daylight and showing the GOP for being what we’ve accurately accused them of, racism, bigotry, misogyny and no sense of fair play or right or wrong.

    Hoping that these elections are going to be something of a comeuppance for them.

  7. 7.

    germy

    November 2, 2018 at 8:19 pm

    Ford Co Election Clerk Debbie Cox declines to answer questions from the media after a hearing in federal court over polling locations for Dodge City. #kakenews #vote2018 pic.twitter.com/dnxqgjK1Pc— Pilar Pedraza TV (@PilarPedrazaTV) November 1, 2018

  8. 8.

    NotMax

    November 2, 2018 at 8:22 pm

    @Baud

    Only need change a single word from the original.

    :)

    Come on-a my booth, my booth a come on
    Come on-a my booth, my booth a come on
    Come on-a my booth, my booth, I’m gonna give you candy
    Come on-a my booth, my booth, I’m gonna give you everything

  9. 9.

    japa21

    November 2, 2018 at 8:24 pm

    @guachi: 5 of those have the Dem leading, another 2 are either tied or within a point. Not sure how accurate this kind of poll is, however.

  10. 10.

    guachi

    November 2, 2018 at 8:28 pm

    @japa21: It’s as accurate as any other polling. It’s nice to see the transparency and how the results change by how you weight the results.

    For example, Democrats do much if the electorate is “People who say they are almost certain to vote, and no one else” in most of those races. 8 races are better in this scenario, 2 are worse, and 1 has no estimate for the electorate.

  11. 11.

    chopper

    November 2, 2018 at 8:30 pm

    @NotMax:

    but i’m the only one who’ll drive across the county for you…

  12. 12.

    NotMax

    November 2, 2018 at 8:30 pm

    @NotMax

    Trivia about that song: Co-written by Ross (Alvin & the Chipmunks) Bagdasarian and William (The Human Comedy) Saroyan.

  13. 13.

    chris

    November 2, 2018 at 8:33 pm

    @piratedan: MBF? Google yields 1000 board feet or… EW!… from Urban Dictionary.

  14. 14.

    Mary G

    November 2, 2018 at 8:33 pm

    I always wonder if these tactics aren’t going to backfire on them. How many people in Dodge City had no interest in voting until they were blocked from doing it? I’d be hellbent to defeat this crap. Republican lies are just blatant now – “oh, the Civic Center in the middle of town will be blocked by construction.” Maddow goes there – no construction. How do they think they can get away with all the lies?

  15. 15.

    AnotherBruce

    November 2, 2018 at 8:35 pm

    I have a question, and I think while I may have looked in the wrong places. I think it’s a bit bizarre that I have not seen it asked. Who the hell did fund the caravan? I’m definitely not thinking it was not George Soros. So who was it. False Flag?

  16. 16.

    TenguPhule

    November 2, 2018 at 8:41 pm

    @AnotherBruce:

    Who the hell did fund the caravan?

    Nobody.

    Its not really a planned thing. They’re struggling to stick together because there’s safety in numbers and organically developing into something resembling an organized process on their own.

  17. 17.

    Roger Moore

    November 2, 2018 at 8:41 pm

    @AnotherBruce:

    Who the hell did fund the caravan?

    Why do you think it was funded at all? I guess somebody handed out a bit of money at the very beginning, but if they had serious funding they’d have a better means of transportation than walking.

  18. 18.

    TenguPhule

    November 2, 2018 at 8:42 pm

    @Mary G:

    How do they think they can get away with all the lies?

    Because we never make examples of Republican ratfuckers. No consequences for bad behavior ensures they continue.

  19. 19.

    Gelfling 545

    November 2, 2018 at 8:42 pm

    @Mary G: Because they’re used to getting away with it.

  20. 20.

    Bobbo

    November 2, 2018 at 8:43 pm

    Time to arrest and detain these outside agitators!

  21. 21.

    NotMax

    November 2, 2018 at 8:44 pm

    @AnotherBruce

    Don’t buy into the propaganda. That way lies madness.

  22. 22.

    Ruckus

    November 2, 2018 at 8:45 pm

    @AnotherBruce:
    Seeing as how they are walking and accepting handouts I’d guess that the cost is minimal. As most of the people in it were trying to escape a reasonable certainty of death, they’d pay pretty much all they had to do that.
    So, whose funding the caravan? Probably no one or very small donors. Yes it’s gotten pretty wide notice but how much of that notice is realistic? shit for brains thinks it’s an attack by a massive, well stocked army of marauding mercenaries who are going to attack us with their brown skin, seeing as they have nothing else.

  23. 23.

    Roger Moore

    November 2, 2018 at 8:45 pm

    @Mary G:

    How do they think they can get away with all the lies?

    Because a court just ruled that it’s too late to do anything about it. It’s an essential part of their strategy. They do stuff like this as late in the election as possible, then fight it in court in an attempt to run out the clock. We need to add real, personal penalties for this kind of thing.

  24. 24.

    Roger Moore

    November 2, 2018 at 8:47 pm

    @NotMax:

    Don’t buy into the propaganda.

    This is how the big lie works. Even people who should know better assume there must be some kind of truth behind the lie and don’t imagine that the whole thing could have been made up from whole cloth.

  25. 25.

    MobiusKlein

    November 2, 2018 at 8:48 pm

    @Roger Moore: who funds it? Could be friends and relatives abroad.
    Mexico has a vast array of cash pickup locations, and you just need your id. (And somebody to send the MXN)

    It’s not that hard in this electric world

  26. 26.

    schrodingers_cat

    November 2, 2018 at 8:52 pm

    @AnotherBruce: From what I understand it is a yearly thing. Hyped in the election years by Rs. See 2014 midterms. T tried to gin up fear last year too, but for some reason it gain momentum last year.

  27. 27.

    NotMax

    November 2, 2018 at 8:53 pm

    @Mary G

    These are people who seek clutch on to adore venerate worship short-term profit, and hang the consequences.

  28. 28.

    TenguPhule

    November 2, 2018 at 8:53 pm

    @schrodingers_cat:

    but for some reason it gain momentum last year.

    Trump’s Charlottesville “very fine people” gave his supporters the excuse to stop pretending to be human beings.

  29. 29.

    AnotherBruce

    November 2, 2018 at 8:58 pm

    Early reports on the Caravan indicated that it was being funded. I have not idea if those reports are true. So i could be wrong. But I remember reading about it being funded when the Caravan appeared about 3 weeks ago. In a way it sounded like a thing because the Caravan was large. Kinda hard to walk long distances without some money. But yes, desperate people tend to save money to get out of their situation. On the whole, I think that you are right about this. It wasn’t funded, except by the Caravaners.

  30. 30.

    JR

    November 2, 2018 at 9:04 pm

    @AnotherBruce: the fuck are you talking about. People band together for protection. These are unarmed migrants. Women and children. Without power in numbers some truly awful things could happen to them.

  31. 31.

    TenguPhule

    November 2, 2018 at 9:04 pm

    Early reports on the Caravan indicated that it was being funded. I have not idea if those reports are true. So i could be wrong. But I remember reading about it being funded when the Caravan appeared about 3 weeks ago.

    And do you remember where you saw that? Would it have happened to have been reported by a news outlet that Donald Trump had said that?

    In a way it sounded like a thing because the Caravan was large. Kinda hard to walk long distances without some money.

    Use your head and think this through. They’re walking all this way because they don’t have a lot of money. If they’re fleeing for their lives, all the cash they have will be in their hands because its more portable then taking regular stuff along. Mexican towns along the route are helping them out with food, water and other supplies to keep them going so that the refugees don’t stop and stay in those towns. They can afford to be charitable but they can’t afford to care for the refugees long term so encourage them to move on.

    There is nothing sinister about this. There is no there, there.

  32. 32.

    AnotherBruce

    November 2, 2018 at 9:04 pm

    Thanks, but I’m not buying any propaganda. I was asking a question. Thank you for your answers.

  33. 33.

    Corner Stone

    November 2, 2018 at 9:05 pm

    @AnotherBruce: I thought you were kidding.

  34. 34.

    Wag

    November 2, 2018 at 9:07 pm

    This is my favorite song by Melissa (w/ Joss Stone)
    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FXiGU3JcUPk

  35. 35.

    Mainmata

    November 2, 2018 at 9:08 pm

    @guachi: Since 2016, I haven’t trusted the NYT when it comes to political reporting. They really came down hard against Democrats in 2016 and the same is true of 2018. I’ll stick with 538.com for now.

  36. 36.

    NotMax

    November 2, 2018 at 9:08 pm

    @TenguPhule

    Nor (in terms of safety in numbers, in terms of direction, in terms of route) is this some sudden and unprecedented phenomenon.

  37. 37.

    TenguPhule

    November 2, 2018 at 9:10 pm

    @NotMax:

    Nor (in terms of safety in numbers, in terms of direction, in terms of route) is this some sudden and unprecedented phenomenon.

    “Donald Trump declares National Emergency as tides come into American harbors.”

  38. 38.

    TenguPhule

    November 2, 2018 at 9:11 pm

    Judge rules against Brian Kemp over Georgia voting restrictions days before gubernatorial election

    YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!

  39. 39.

    Mike J

    November 2, 2018 at 9:12 pm

    @NotMax:

    Washington constitution:

    SECTION 9 RULES OF PROCEDURE. Each house may determine the rules of its own proceedings, punish for contempt and disorderly behavior, and, with the concurrence of two-thirds of all the members elected, expel a member, but no member shall be expelled a second time for the same offense.

    There’s a real chance we’ll get a 2/3rd majority in the assembly this year. I wouldn’t hold my breath, but I wouldn’t faint if it did happen.

  40. 40.

    Baud

    November 2, 2018 at 9:13 pm

    @TenguPhule: You can’t explain that.

  41. 41.

    guachi

    November 2, 2018 at 9:14 pm

    @Mainmata: 538 gets its information from polls done by the NYT among other places.

    You’re getting your polling information from the NYT one way or another.

  42. 42.

    AnotherBruce

    November 2, 2018 at 9:17 pm

    @TenguPhule: So did you see my last sentence @ 29? I’m trying to agree with you. Yeah I probably got played. So I was wrong about the funding.

  43. 43.

    NotMax

    November 2, 2018 at 9:17 pm

    @TenguPhule

    “Donald Trump declares National Emergency as tides come into American harbors.”

    “Announces plan to build walls at low tide lines ‘Not an inch of sacred American land will continue to be imperiled by being underwater,’ he vows.”

  44. 44.

    AnotherBruce

    November 2, 2018 at 9:18 pm

    @Corner Stone: Damn, I might have gone that way if I knew you were on this thread.

  45. 45.

    NotMax

    November 2, 2018 at 9:21 pm

    @NotMax

    “Questioned further, Trump insisted that cost was not a concern. ‘The Atlanteans will pay for it.'”

  46. 46.

    Mary G

    November 2, 2018 at 9:22 pm

    @Roger Moore: I have certainly become a supporter of the position of Secretary of State being held by a Democrat in all 50 states.

  47. 47.

    ??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)  ??

    November 2, 2018 at 9:25 pm

    @TenguPhule:
    Good news! However, Brian Kemp isn’t the type to back down easily, even in the face of a federal ruling.

    Kemp: “The court has made it’s ruling. Now let them enforce it!”

  48. 48.

    NotMax

    November 2, 2018 at 9:28 pm

    @Mary G
    Strictly FYI.

    The secretary of state is a state-level position in 47 of the 50 states. The position does not exist in Alaska, Hawaii and Utah. In Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Virginia, the office is called the secretary of the commonwealth and differs only in name. The voters directly elect the secretary of state in 35 states. In the other 12, the secretary is appointed by either the governor or the state legislature.
    [snip]
    In 37 states, the secretary of state is the chief elections officer with ultimate oversight over state elections and voter registration. Source

    Don’t disagree with you in any manner, BTW, just providing info.

  49. 49.

    ??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)  ??

    November 2, 2018 at 9:28 pm

    @Mary G:
    I’ve come to the conclusion that the state official overseeing elections shouldn’t be partisan or elected.

  50. 50.

    TenguPhule

    November 2, 2018 at 9:30 pm

    @AnotherBruce: I saw it. I tried to act in a restrained fashion.

  51. 51.

    Chris T.

    November 2, 2018 at 9:30 pm

    @Roger Moore: Yep. Personally I think multiple people should be going to jail for this, including both the “lol lady” and Kobach.

  52. 52.

    TenguPhule

    November 2, 2018 at 9:32 pm

    @NotMax:I find it sad that Alaska and Utah are the only states as smart about this as we are.

    California and New York, step it up!

  53. 53.

    germy

    November 2, 2018 at 9:32 pm

    If all the troops are heading to the border , who will be here to protect us when the liberals start their annual war on christma….. holy shit the caravan is just a diversion!!
    — EL GLIKO (@ElGliko) November 3, 2018

  54. 54.

    TenguPhule

    November 2, 2018 at 9:37 pm

    Eat Shit, Kemp.

    Georgia must change its procedures to make it easier for some people flagged under the state’s restrictive “exact match” law to vote, a federal judge ruled Friday, dealing a blow to Republican gubernatorial candidate and Secretary of State Brian Kemp.

    The “exact match” law flags voter registrations that are found to have discrepancies, such as a dropped hyphen, with other official identifications. Potential voters are allowed to settle the discrepancy by providing proof of identity.

    But the state’s procedures under Kemp, whose office oversees elections, stipulated that those who had been flagged as potential noncitizens be cleared first by a deputy registrar when seeking to vote. In October, a coalition of civil rights groups sued him.

    U.S. District Judge Eleanor L. Ross ruled Friday that the procedures were likely to result in the violation of voting rights for a large group of people and needed to be halted immediately. She said Kemp’s restrictions raised “grave concerns for the Court about the differential treatment inflicted on a group of individuals who are predominantly minorities.”

  55. 55.

    TenguPhule

    November 2, 2018 at 9:38 pm

    @Baud:

    You can’t explain that.

    Baud 2020: “The State of Confusion will be added to the Union.”

  56. 56.

    Luthe

    November 2, 2018 at 9:39 pm

    Doing my part again tomorrow knocking on doors. Gotta keep CT-5 blue.

  57. 57.

    NotMax

    November 2, 2018 at 9:39 pm

    @TenguPhule

    California and New York would never put up with the usual practice in Hawaii of releasing the final print out at 3 in the morning.

    ;)

  58. 58.

    Redshift

    November 2, 2018 at 9:40 pm

    @guachi: Yes, but as Nate Silver often says, the polling in 2016 wasn’t actually off, what was off was how journalists and pundits interpreted the polls. So from that perspective, reading about NYT polls at an outlet other than the NYT might be a wise choice.

  59. 59.

    Corner Stone

    November 2, 2018 at 9:45 pm

    @Redshift: I, for one, do not give a shit what Nate Silver says about much of anything.

  60. 60.

    Mary G

    November 2, 2018 at 9:45 pm

    I can’t but help having a good feeling:

    Turnout among 18-29 year olds, compared to 2014 early voting:
    – AZ +217%
    – FL +131%
    – GA +415% (!!!)
    – MI +128%
    – NV +364%
    – TN +767% (!!!)
    – TX +448% (!!!)
    Data h/t: @targetsmart & @tbonierhttps://t.co/58E7PHqobF
    — Reid Wilson (@PoliticsReid) November 3, 2018

    Suppress that, motherfuckers!

  61. 61.

    schrodingers_catt

    November 2, 2018 at 9:47 pm

    Shit you can’t make up.
    Shield and Brooks on the Snooze Hour, were criticizing Ds for not standing up for diversity.

  62. 62.

    Jay

    November 2, 2018 at 9:50 pm

    @TenguPhule:

    You forgot the “and die” part.

  63. 63.

    MomSense

    November 2, 2018 at 9:55 pm

    @Baud:

    Step inside and vote for the big blue wave.

  64. 64.

    eemom

    November 2, 2018 at 9:56 pm

    @Redshift:

    Good piece re pundits “blowing smoke”. If only they would all read it and STFU. Including fucking Silver, who is in fact a pundit himself.

    Also some rather persuasive evidence that polls and poll gazers are increasingly unreliable.

  65. 65.

    NotMax

    November 2, 2018 at 9:58 pm

    @schrodingers_cat

    Dragging out the old chestnuts from the “things to say days before an election” file drawer.

    The cue cards must be yellowed and brittle by now.

  66. 66.

    Tenar Arha

    November 2, 2018 at 9:58 pm

    @schrodingers_catt:
    I can’t even, whut
    OMFG ??

  67. 67.

    gene108

    November 2, 2018 at 10:01 pm

    Got discharged today from the hospital after my kidney transplant Monday.

    There is still a lot of discomfort, around the incision area. Makes walking awkward, but they say the best way to fix it is to keep walking.

    Apparently they pump you full of fluids during the procedure. I gained 15 pounds of water weight over night. When I went to change into street clothes, it turns out I am too bloated for my pants. I will be in sweat pants for the foreseeable future or until the donor kidney “wakes up” and can start draining the excess fluid.

    A new chapter in life awaits.

  68. 68.

    tobie

    November 2, 2018 at 10:02 pm

    @Mary G: 767% increase in young voters in TN?!? Wow. I guess we’re all so focused on charismatic candidates like Abrams and O’Rourke that we don’t pay attention to all the interesting things happening on the ground. This is not to say that a 100, 200, 300 or 400% increases in millennial turnout are not impressive. They’re all amazing. But 700% is off the charts.

  69. 69.

    tobie

    November 2, 2018 at 10:04 pm

    @gene108: Be careful out there. I’m sure it’s a relief to get home but I hope you have some help. You’ve been through a major procedure. All good wishes to you for a speedy recovery! Keep us posted on your progress.

  70. 70.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    November 2, 2018 at 10:08 pm

    @Baud:

    You can’t explain that.

    Magnets.

  71. 71.

    geg6

    November 2, 2018 at 10:09 pm

    Open thread, so…

    Just got back from seeing Bohemian Rhapsody. If you ever loved a Queen song, run, don’t walk, to see it. The music is awesome. The guy playing Brian May has to be a clone. I can’t explain it otherwise. Rami Malek is great as Freddie, though the dental inserts to mimic Freddie’s overbite is distracting at first. But he really channels him in the end. I loved it. Best movie experience in years. The critics (with the exception of David Edelstein of New York Magazine) cannot possibly be a Queen fans or have a sense of humor. If you like Queen, go!

  72. 72.

    opiejeanne

    November 2, 2018 at 10:11 pm

    @schrodingers_catt: Who are they? I’m not familiar with those names.

  73. 73.

    opiejeanne

    November 2, 2018 at 10:12 pm

    @gene108: That seems a bit too quick, but what do I know. I hope you continue to heal and are soon a lot more comfortable.

  74. 74.

    Amir Khalid

    November 2, 2018 at 10:14 pm

    @gene108:
    Good to hear that you got sprung from the rumah sakit. Hope the water weight passes quickly.

  75. 75.

    Lapassionara

    November 2, 2018 at 10:15 pm

    @gene108: Take care and let us know how you are doing.

  76. 76.

    Gin & Tonic

    November 2, 2018 at 10:17 pm

    @schrodingers_catt: Nothing personal here, but does anyone under AARP age watch the Snooze Hour?

  77. 77.

    Amir Khalid

    November 2, 2018 at 10:17 pm

    @schrodingers_catt:
    For these people it’s all about projection, isn’t it?

  78. 78.

    opiejeanne

    November 2, 2018 at 10:19 pm

    @schrodingers_catt: Oh, that Brooks and Shields. Fuck ’em, say I.

  79. 79.

    schrodingers_cat

    November 2, 2018 at 10:19 pm

    @opiejeanne: Mark Shields and David Brooks.

  80. 80.

    Jay

    November 2, 2018 at 10:20 pm

    NoMoreMisterNice Blog has a post up on “privledge” at the polling place.

    http://nomoremister.blogspot.com/2018/11/privilege-at-polling-place.html?m=1

  81. 81.

    Gin & Tonic

    November 2, 2018 at 10:20 pm

    @gene108: I think that fluids thing is for almost any surgery. The night after I had my arm done I was up to pee pretty much every hour (which is tough when you’re still full of narcotics) and the next day when I got home I was still at least 10 pounds above normal.

  82. 82.

    Ruckus

    November 2, 2018 at 10:22 pm

    @gene108:
    When they scoped my shoulder the saline they pump in blimped me right up. It took a bit for all that to be carried away and taken care of. But it was still better than open surgery. Which I’ve had in other areas.
    Take care of yourself, which you probably already know, from dealing with this for some time. Best to you, a quick recovery and a working kidney.

  83. 83.

    FlyingToaster

    November 2, 2018 at 10:22 pm

    @??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)  ??: The problem is when the SoS (or SoC, like here in the People’s Republic) has “direct oversight” rather than is the executive in charge of that branch.

    Our SoC (Bill Galvin, AKA “The Prince of Darkness”) survived a hard-fought D primary against a popular Boston city councillor. But he couldn’t do any “mess with the vote” hijinks; the Election Board is career bureaucrats and the municipalities run their own damn show for precincts, ballots ordered, etc. Galvin can at most issue advisories: Yes, Gosnold (pop. 75) may close the polls once all registered voters have voted. No, you can’t have early voting after Friday before the election. Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.

    In GA, OTOH, that bastard Kemp has direct oversight and can tell the administrative divisions (county township municipality) what to do. Which is such a fucking bad idea,

  84. 84.

    schrodingers_cat

    November 2, 2018 at 10:22 pm

    @Gin & Tonic: I am not AARP age and I do, once in a while because I no has cable and it is better than network news.

  85. 85.

    opiejeanne

    November 2, 2018 at 10:23 pm

    @schrodingers_cat: Thanks. I just figured it out. I haven’t thought about Brooks in a very long time so the penny didn’t drop.

  86. 86.

    schrodingers_cat

    November 2, 2018 at 10:23 pm

    @gene108: Get better soon. {{ }}

  87. 87.

    gene108

    November 2, 2018 at 10:24 pm

    @tobie:

    Thanks.

    Staying with my mom

  88. 88.

    CarolPW

    November 2, 2018 at 10:25 pm

    @gene108: Very glad you are out, excellent news. And sorry, but regaining your previous svelte figure may not happen as fast as you may think. I had a kidney removed (tumor, which while benign was problematic) with a front incision. They rearrange a lot of your innards to get to your kidney, and when they put them back in, even if they manage to get them back in their previously efficient packing, your innards are not so happy about being messed with. It was months before I could wear anything with a waist, and I highly recommend overalls. In the overall scheme of things, waistbands are greatly overrated.

  89. 89.

    eemom

    November 2, 2018 at 10:26 pm

    @opiejeanne:

    You could not pay me to look at David Brooks.

    Surprised Shields is still alive.

  90. 90.

    Corner Stone

    November 2, 2018 at 10:29 pm

    @Gin & Tonic:

    which is tough when you’re still full of narcotics

    side-eye emoji…

  91. 91.

    CarolDuhart2

    November 2, 2018 at 10:29 pm

    @??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)  ??: I agree. Elsewhere overseeing elections is left up to civil servants with no interest in electoral outcomes at all. An Electoral Commission presided over by a bi-or-multi-partisan oversight board is the way to go at all levels.

  92. 92.

    MomSense

    November 2, 2018 at 10:33 pm

    @gene108:

    That happened to my dad after his open heart surgery. It will dissipate in time. Be gentle with yourself. You need rest to heal. Sending good thoughts to you.

  93. 93.

    geg6

    November 2, 2018 at 10:36 pm

    @gene108:

    I haven’t had a chance to say it yet, but I’m so happy for your transplant and hoping you heal as quickly as possible. I’vE had several friends with transplants (kidneys, heart and lungs) and it totally changed their lives. Not only lengthening them, but completely changing their quality of life. I am sending all my good vibes your way.

  94. 94.

    satby

    November 2, 2018 at 10:36 pm

    @gene108: wow, missed that news! Best wishes for a rapid recovery and a better quality of life with your new kidney.

  95. 95.

    Matthew McIrvin

    November 2, 2018 at 10:38 pm

    @tobie: It could be less impressive than it looks–if almost no young people voted before, a 700% increase is easy and doesn’t necessarily amount to much.

    I saw one article that was talking about how these huge numbers meant the age gap in votes was closing. But in absolute numbers, which are all that matters, that’s not necessarily true. If the youth vote is up 700% and the old geezer vote is up 100%, but the youth vote was 1/10 as large to begin with, the geezers will still widen the gap.

  96. 96.

    Yutsano

    November 2, 2018 at 10:38 pm

    @Mike J: FWIW there were sign wavers for Shir Regev hanging around a street corner. I may live in a red area now, but more and more folks around here are aiming for turning it purple. And I so hope Christine Brown Keeps trying to make that fucker Dan Newhouse unemployed.

  97. 97.

    sfinny

    November 2, 2018 at 10:39 pm

    @gene108: Hey Gene, hope you are doing well. Went through surgery last year and walking around the parking lot of my building helped a lot. Still doing it now a couple of times a week.

  98. 98.

    Cheryl from Maryland

    November 2, 2018 at 10:42 pm

    Tonight was my third phone banking for Mr. O’Rourke. Made me optimistic — 12 already voted or planned to vote for Beto, NO one tonight said they were pro-Cruz or Trump. Which was a great improvement over the last time when an older sounding gent wanted to tell me in detail about the Cruz/Trump decor in his bedroom. Yeech. I told him I was glad he found something that worked for him, and then hung up. Anyway, enthusiasm for Beto, and I got a cool T-shirt for phone banking.

  99. 99.

    Redshift

    November 2, 2018 at 10:42 pm

    @FlyingToaster: in Virginia, I’ve never heard of any direct action by our SoC (appointed by the governor, I don’t even know who it is.) The problematic part of our system is the county electoral boards, which have two members from the governor’s party and one from the opposition. So under Bob McDonnell, the head of the electoral board in our very large, very Democratic county was voter suppression activist Hans von Spakovsky, who made rulings like “voting materials have to be English-only.”

    Appointed is better than elected, but once you have one party that puts their own power above basic rights, any structure can only protect the system so much.

  100. 100.

    Mary Green

    November 2, 2018 at 10:44 pm

    @gene108: Glad you have been sprung! Your recovery seems really fast to me, but I have no experience with something that invasive.

  101. 101.

    satby

    November 2, 2018 at 10:44 pm

    I just finished watching an old Tracy Hepburn movie on Filmstruck, Keeper of the Flame and was getting chills at the plot outlining how the bad guys were planning to sow discord in the country. We knew about this in the 1940s, we’ve just forgotten.
    Link is to YouTube and it’s a bit soapy, but damn. Could have been describing today.

  102. 102.

    Amir Khalid

    November 2, 2018 at 10:49 pm

    @schrodingers_cat:
    Oh good. When you said “Brooks and Shields” I was wondering when Andre Agassi’s first wife became a right-wing pundit.

  103. 103.

    Mary Green

    November 2, 2018 at 10:50 pm

    Love the new, fighting Democrats:

    Hunter robbed voters.He should be ashamed. He’s gone from courageous Marine to coward in congress. He robbed voters of what would’ve been a worthy debate. I’ve attended 20 town halls & 5 debates. He’s attended none.We deserve better. On Nov 6, CA50 will get what we deserve. pic.twitter.com/pelUZecC08— Ammar Campa-Najjar (@ACampaNajjar) November 1, 2018

    (2) The truth is, Hunter the is both the indicted congressman AND the security risk. Indicted for stealing $250,000 from donors, a security risk for his unethical record: criminal indictment, financial instability, excessive drinking & extramarital affairs.— Ammar Campa-Najjar (@ACampaNajjar) November 1, 2018

    Two more in the thread talk about how Hunter is ripe for blackmail by foreign countries, and that he’s been in the House for 10 years with very little to show for it.

  104. 104.

    Jackie

    November 2, 2018 at 10:51 pm

    @Yutsano: I voted HAPPILY for Christine Brown!????????

  105. 105.

    opiejeanne

    November 2, 2018 at 10:59 pm

    @eemom: Shields is off the map for me, I was never aware of him, But Brooks? He can stuff it. They both can, from what I read of their commentary.

  106. 106.

    sralloway

    November 2, 2018 at 10:59 pm

    @Bobbo: From my youth in the 60s. Mitchell Trio.

    We didn’t know said the congregation singing a hymn in a church of white
    The press was full of lies about us, preacher told us we were right
    The outside agitators came, they burned some churches and they put the blame
    On decent Southern peoples names, to set our colored folks aflame
    And maybe some of our boys got hot, and a couple of niggers and reds got shot
    They should’ve stayed where they belong, the preacher would’ve told us if we’d done wrong

  107. 107.

    sralloway

    November 2, 2018 at 11:01 pm

    @chris: 1 by 12 by 12 is a board foot.

  108. 108.

    Jay

    November 2, 2018 at 11:05 pm

    “Once again David Brooks has risen from what should have been a career that died of shame 15 years ago to collect his filthy New York Times lucre by squeezing out one more Both Sideist turd, which he once again double-dips by recycling the entire thing on PBS’s Antique Pundit Roadshow”

    http://driftglass.blogspot.com/2018/11/seems-like-old-times.html?m=1

  109. 109.

    opiejeanne

    November 2, 2018 at 11:07 pm

    Oh Lord, Lawrence O’Donnell has Michael Moore on and MM is bloviating. Lawrence read a question from a 24 yo who was all fired up for Bernie, went to the first debate, volunteered for him, etc. and then when Hillary was the nominee he rolled over and endorsed her who had been running against him for 28 months he just couldn’t believe the corruption in the system, etc. rinse and repeat and didn’t know if he’d bother to vote again unless he saw a candidate who excited him. He’s a Poli-Sci major.
    and now Moore is agreeing with him that all politicians are hacks and the system is corrupt, etc. I turned it off.
    The audacity of another candidate to run against his Wilmer.

  110. 110.

    chris

    November 2, 2018 at 11:13 pm

    @sralloway: Yes, thanks, old millhand here. A thousand of them is an MBF. I don’t think that’s what PirateDan meant.

  111. 111.

    Matt McIrvin

    November 2, 2018 at 11:13 pm

    @opiejeanne: God damn it, I keep thinking Michael Moore must have learned something by now; why does he keep doing this?

  112. 112.

    tobie

    November 2, 2018 at 11:23 pm

    @opiejeanne: I’ll never understand why the gadfly inspired the young but evidently he did. Let’s hope a new generation of politicians like Abrams get millennials not only voting but also thinking. Coming up with meaningful legislation for everything from healthcare to trade to immigration to financial regulation is tough. From Reagan to Wilmer we’ve been told that what we need are common sense solutions. That’s bull. We need uncommon sense.

  113. 113.

    Mike J

    November 2, 2018 at 11:31 pm

    @Amir Khalid:

    Oh good. When you said “Brooks and Shields” I was wondering when Andre Agassi’s first wife became a right-wing pundit.

    I confused them with Shields and Yarnell.

  114. 114.

    Kay

    November 2, 2018 at 11:41 pm

    Ben Wikler
    ‏Verified account
    @benwikler
    2h2 hours ago
    More
    Study: “The New York Times and The Washington Post have run a total of 115 news stories in their print editions mentioning the caravan over the last three weeks. Each paper has run at least one such story on its front page on nine of the last 10 days.”

    What else could they do? It was a direct order from Donald Trump. They had to comply.

    On election day this story completely disappears. Bet on it. You won’t hear another word about caravans until October, 2020.

  115. 115.

    Corner Stone

    November 2, 2018 at 11:45 pm

    @Kay: If the D’s win the House it will be OPEN BORDERS for the next two years.

  116. 116.

    Ruckus

    November 2, 2018 at 11:51 pm

    @tobie:
    College prof came out with this one when someone used the term.
    If common sense was so common, more people would have some.
    Best and only thing I got out of his class.

  117. 117.

    Mike in DC

    November 2, 2018 at 11:51 pm

    I want every Democrat to win, of course. The flip side is that there are specific Republicans I particularly want to lose. A brief and likely incomplete list:
    Devin Nunes
    Dana Rohrbacher
    Dave Brat
    Steve King
    Scott Walker
    Rick Scott
    Guy defending Paul Ryan’s seat
    Guy defending Darrell Issa’s seat
    Duncan Hunter
    Ted Cruz
    Ron Desantis
    Corey Stewart
    Brian Kemp

  118. 118.

    Kay

    November 2, 2018 at 11:53 pm

    @Corner Stone:

    Health care and the economy are among the top voting issues. About three-quarters of registered voters cite health care (75%) and the economy (74%) as very important issues to their vote this year

    However, one very loud and obnoxious voter wanted to talk about caravans, so they all said “caravans it is, Mr. Trump!”

    I’m amazed there was any discussion of non-Trump topics at all. We all deserve a round of applause for talking amongst ourselves, what with the bellowing idiot and his cheering section making so much noise.

  119. 119.

    opiejeanne

    November 2, 2018 at 11:56 pm

    @Matt McIrvin: That should read 18 months that she dared to run against him.

    And yes about Michael Moore is unable to learn, but I can’t imagine why Lawrence had him on tv. His excuse was that MM was correct about the election in 2016 and he, Lawrence, was not. This was announced last night, that MM would be his guest tonight and I have no idea why he or management thought that would be a smart move.
    It’s almost as dumb as Maggie Haberman demanding that Democrats once and for all denounce Louis Farrakhan because both sides, yada yada. That’s not hyperbole, that’s what she said today. Ugh.

  120. 120.

    frosty

    November 3, 2018 at 12:25 am

    @opiejeanne: Louis Farrakhan? Does she know we’re in the 21st Century now? I can hear my 20-something kids: “Who is Louis Farrakhan?” For that matter, “Who is Maggie Haberman?”

    They know who Trump is. My youngest told us all his friends are registered and they’re all voting. I’ll lean on him on Monday and make sure he has a plan for time of day.

  121. 121.

    Beautifulplumage

    November 3, 2018 at 12:50 am

    @gene108: Yay! Best wishes to you for steady progress in your healing. Great to know you have family help post surgery. Sending good thoughts.

  122. 122.

    Matt McIrvin

    November 3, 2018 at 1:17 am

    @opiejeanne: I’m coming to be very suspicious of “was right last time” as a reason to automatically trust somebody. It has often steered me wrong.

  123. 123.

    Raven Onthill

    November 3, 2018 at 2:38 am

    My little piece on losing the black working class in the north Midwest. Seems to me the Democrats were to busy trying to flip white suburbanites to pay attention to the black working class and it cost them.

    Still not paying enough attention. :-(

    https://adviceunasked.blogspot.com/2018/11/2016-black-working-class-vote.html

  124. 124.

    Groucho48

    November 3, 2018 at 3:42 am

    @geg6:

    For fun, google Toddler sing Bohemian Rhapsody.

  125. 125.

    Raven Onthill

    November 3, 2018 at 12:31 pm

    “Dance without sleeping / I’ll dance till I’m numb / Dance till i think I can overcome.” – Melissa Ethridge

    https://youtu.be/niODCvWdgIM

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