Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Republicans: The threats are dire, but my tickets are non-refundable!

Republicans: “Abortion is murder but you can take a bus to get one.” Easy peasy.

Trump should be leading, not lying.

So it was an October Surprise A Day, like an Advent calendar but for crime.

Live so that if you miss a day of work people aren’t hoping you’re dead.

Of course you can have champagne before noon. That’s why orange juice was invented.

the 10% who apparently lack object permanence

Let me eat cake. The rest of you could stand to lose some weight, frankly.

Usually wrong but never in doubt

The Supreme Court cannot be allowed to become the ultimate, unaccountable arbiter of everything.

They punch you in the face and then start crying because their fist hurts.

It is possible to do the right thing without the promise of a cookie.

Democracy cannot function without a free press.

“Just close your eyes and kiss the girl and go where the tilt-a-whirl takes you.” ~OzarkHillbilly

The worst democrat is better than the best republican.

Hey Washington Post, “Democracy Dies in Darkness” was supposed to be a warning, not a mission statement.

Republicans cannot even be trusted with their own money.

Relentless negativity is not a sign that you are more realistic.

Second rate reporter says what?

My right to basic bodily autonomy is not on the table. that’s the new deal.

We’re watching the self-immolation of the leading world power on a level unprecedented in human history.

Republicans don’t lie to be believed, they lie to be repeated.

When you’re in more danger from the IDF than from Russian shelling, that’s really bad.

Accountability, motherfuckers.

You are here: Home / Elections / 2022 Elections / Wednesday Morning Open Thread: Running & Gunning

Wednesday Morning Open Thread: Running & Gunning

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In Japanese folklore (and much modern anime / manga), fox deities are capable of assuming human form — not always to make mischief, but foxes are foxes.

Since non-mythical foxes are the urban British equivalent of trash pandas in America, there are much nastier quips being made!

Meanwhile, in election news…

Kerry Washington for Stacey Abrams:


(Yes, it’s worth watching — Abrams is great at messaging!)

In Texas:

And, [ugh] ICYMI…

Reader Interactions

133Comments

  1. 1.

    Baud

    If the clips of Fetterman I saw this morning are any indication, his verbal stumbles were a lot less bad than the comments here indicated.

  6. 6.

    Marmot

    Gonna take a wild guess here that The Atlantic’s John G Hendy never ran for office, never worked for a campaign.

  7. 7.

    opiejeanne

    @rikyrah: Good morning.

    I’m awake at this ungodly hour on the west coast because of a stubborn baby granddaughter who isn’t ready to be born, but I get to say good morning to you as a result, so that’s good. Been awake since 2:30 am, need to go back to sleep soon.

  9. 9.

    Ken

    Can’t wait for local governments to tax abortions & use the revenue to cut property taxes.

    It only sounds crazy until you look at how quickly they rolled out the licenses for the cannabis stores.

  11. 11.

    Baud

    @schrodingers_cat:

    The comments last night were made during the debate, not based on the news media reporting of it.

    I think it’s just nerves.  Any imperfection could be an excuse for some normie voter to choose GOP. Who knows? Maybe voters will respond negatively to Fetterman’s debate performance.  I just didn’t find it that bad, and I assume the media would have aired the worst clips.

  12. 12.

    Baud

    @hells littlest angel:

    There’s a lot we could improve on.  But I actually find that we have improved a lot from where we were before Trump.  Hopefully, it’ll bear fruit, if not this election, over the long term.

  14. 14.

    Mousebumples

    @Baud – I’ve also read that Fetterman has never been a gifted debater, historically. He does much better one-on-one. The stroke and associated aphasia probably exacerbate things.

    **Disclaimers – I didn’t watch, I’m not from Pennsylvania, etc.

  15. 15.

    Betty Cracker

    There’s a big female Belted Kingfisher perched on a branch outside. She’s not very good at fishing so far this morning — she’s hit the river a few times and come up empty. But her crest is fabulous!

  18. 18.

    Dorothy A. Winsor

    It’s hard for me to believe anyone would choose Oz over Fetterman. Actually, it’s hard for me to believe anyone would choose Oz at all. He’s a TV huckster. Didn’t anyone learn from the last one

    ETA: Forgot to say I love seeing all those people eager to vote

  20. 20.

    Benw

    We like to run

    We like to gun

    We run and gun for fun

    When we run and gun our fun is never done!

     

    I like the fox

    When I leave I pack my socks

    I pack my socks in a brown box

    It’s my brown fox socks box!

  21. 21.

    Baud

    @Dorothy A. Winsor:

    To be fair, I’d probably vote for a Dem TV celebrity over a Republican pol.  I think the difference is that a TV celebrity that is shady has a harder time winning a Dem primary, so I’m spared that choice.

  22. 22.

    Jay

    Starting day 3 at the new job. Still beat from the gig job, 14 hours a day, 6 days, but made bank for the month. Crew at the shop is small, (3 full time Techs, including me, 1 part time, 3 front counter, an Ops Manager and Admin Manager)., 1 part time, a shipper/receiver, truck driver, all nice people. The shop is quiet and all I have to do is fix tools.  Hours are early, but I get to see daylight, and commute is counterflow.

  23. 23.

    Geminid

    @Baud: Political engineer Rachel Bitecofer found one big plus in last night’s debate:

    “I hope people appreciate what an EPIC gaffe this is from Dr. Oz:

    Pat Dennis @Patdennis

    Holy shit: Oz says his abortion position: should be between a woman, her doctor, and local political leaders.

    Bitecofer also found a smaller, personal plus:

        Gotta say, as the mom of a son with a lifelong disability that affects  his ability to communicate, John Fetterman just made me so proud. What an achievement!

  24. 24.

    BenCisco 🇺🇸🎖️🖥️♦️

    @schrodingers_cat: Agreed. I’m NOT nostalgic for the days of Russert pere either – in my opinion, they’ve ALWAYS been trash.

    All I’ve seen of them post-Dobbs is them giving time and space to people “warning” Dems to not make the election all about abortion. Or about anything ELSE that our side is motivated by.

    Funny how that works.

  28. 28.

    Soprano2

    @schrodingers_cat: True, but we also have to be careful that we don’t have on blinders that keep us from seeing problems with our candidates. Unfortunately, Fetterman’s stroke is probably an issue for some people even though we all know it hasn’t affected him mentally at all. Plus, Oz is slick and knows how to appear on TV to best advantage, although I agree that saying a woman’s health care should be between her, her doctor, and local politicians was a brutal mistake for him. No one wants a politician in their doctor’s office!

    ETA – the other problem is that “undecided” voters tend to be more shallow, and vote based on shallow things. Nothing we can do about that.

  30. 30.

    Soprano2

    @Baud: No, they want politicians in those other people’s doctor’s offices, not theirs! They think they are the exception.

  34. 34.

    schrodingers_cat

    @Soprano2: I don’t have blinders on regarding Fetterman. He would not be my choice if I was voting in the PA primary. IIRC he had the stroke before the primary election date. And saying that would be a problem was met with hostility from his supporters

    Black Twitter pointed out his other liabilities as well and were told that the WWC vote would make up for any shortfall and that he was popular with them.

    I hope he wins because we need that seat and OZ is a charlatan.

  35. 35.

    New Deal democrat

    Lots of questioning recently about Democrats doing poorly in some polling, including in a thread last night.

    One of the best and most neutral commentators on polling is Dan Guild. He has two important things to say about the current situation:

    1. The Presidential races of 2016 and 2020 “broke” polling, because they systematically under-represented GOP performance. But polling has also had systematic errors in the other direction. This year the truth is that Democrats are very much in contention in States where the economic and other fundamentals say they should not be:

    https://www.bleedingheartland.com/2022/10/25/how-2016-and-2020-broke-political-reporting-and-forecasts/

    2. Right wing pollsters are now lavishly funded, and have learned how to game averages like 538. “ if you think right-wing polls are flooding the zone and changing polling averages – you are right.”

    https://mobile.twitter.com/dcg1114/status/1585101524640092160?cxt=HHwWgMDS0YfctP8rAAAA

    Bottom line: as others have pointed out, pollsters have *no* idea who “likely voters” are this year.

  37. 37.

    eversor

    I like our trash pandas better.  Raccoons are crazy smart and funny.  We have a family around here now because someone gave them cat food once and that was that.

  39. 39.

    MazeDancer

    Stacey Abrams video with Kerry Washington felt so normal. I know it’s absurd to say a TV star talking with a political star feels normal, but it does.

    All those white guys spouting hate feels like a cruel performance. Two women having a lovely discussion feels real.

    Maybe none of it is real, but nice women feels more normal to me than absurdly nasty men.

  40. 40.

    Geminid

    @schrodingers_cat: Fetterman’s stroke occured so close to the primary I think it could have little affect on the result. His two opponents wisely did not raise it except to wish him a swift recovery.

    I was a Fetterman detractor before the primary, but the margin by which he won over two good candidates showed the Pennsylvania Democrats were behind him, and that was good enough for me.

    Also, Fetterman’s image as a “progressive” warrior-bro was exaggerated by some of his supporters. In a recent, long interview with a state newspaper, Fetterman said he intended to vote much like Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey Jr., and I think he meant it.

  43. 43.

    sdhays

    @Baud: The first Gore v. Bush debate broke me from taking debates seriously. It opened my eyes to the fact that whatever happens IN a debate is meaningless – it’s what happens AFTER the debate. At the time, what happened was that the press, who hated Gore, declared, against all evidence, that Bush had won because he didn’t drool on his podium or get confused which way the audience was. It was absolutely disgusting.

    So my takeaway is: if Oz saying that “local political leaders” belong in women’s examination rooms is getting equal play in the news, Oz isn’t winning the after-debate.

  49. 49.

    WaterGirl

    @Geminid: Nothing against Rachel Bitecofer, but what the hell is a political engineer?  That just sounds like pompous bullshit.

    *not directed at you, I suspect that’s what she wants to be called.

  50. 50.

    Anyway

    @Geminid:

    What is a “Political Engineer”? Is it your coinage? Or Bitvofer’s?  How does it differ from political “scientist”/consultant/poll-watcher..

    ETA  Every time I see “political engineer” in your comment my mind wanders to the meaning and etymology of the term and I lose track of the content of your comment.

  51. 51.

    kalakal

    Well the Great British Media are doing their bit for the Tories. You’d think Sunak ” the safe pair of hands” ” Mr Stability” had just turned up from Mars. The last 12 years are swept under the rug, everything is either Truss’ or the evil woke commies fault and the newly annointed one had nothing whatsoever to do with the clusterfuck that the Tories have made of the country. He’s a die hard austerity freak hedge funder married to a billionaires daughter, who’s boasted of moving funding from poor Labour areas to rich Tory ones.

    On the other hand fresh from their “Lettuce Liz” triumph the Daily Star has the perfect cover

    https://twitter.com/LiamThorpECHO/status/1584655634762723328?s=20&t=HCIbq1uABxK8jOR_Wxzmxw

  52. 52.

    Barbara

    @opiejeanne: I read your post last night — I hope everything is on track.  It’s so scary to receive news that things aren’t going as planned.  BTDT.  Very best wishes to you and your family.

  54. 54.

    Geminid

    @WaterGirl: No, I’ve never seen Bitecofer call herself a “political engineer” I call her that because  she is a political scientist who left academia and now works as a consultant for campaigns. Her profession is now applied political science, so to speak.

    Bitecofer does call herself an “adslinger,” though.

  57. 57.

    evap

    Early voting turnout in GA making the national news is a good sign.  My spousal unit is in Ireland and he tells me it even made the news there!  Digging into a WaPo article it says at lot is driven by an increase in women and Black voters.  I’m trying not to get my hopes up too much…

  60. 60.

    Geminid

    ..@Anyway: Now you hurt my feelings!

    As I said in comment #54, I’m just making a distinction between political science and applied political science.

  61. 61.

    Jackie

    @opiejeanne: Her stubbornness has allowed you to be there, in time, after all! Hope DIL is doing ok! Stubborn grandchildren are fun! Not so much for the parents, though! LOL

  63. 63.

    Barbara

    @evap: Yep, me neither.  I have given up trying to decode or predict outcomes, and I have totally given up trying to figure out polling.  Trends with the same polling outfit are probably the best way of judging where things are headed, but once they get close  then any kind of blip, even a small one, in predicting likely voters or adjusting for demographics, can seriously throw off results.

    I have been diverting myself by following the Oath Keepers trial currently going on in DC.  It’s being reliably live tweeted by Roger Parloff.

  64. 64.

    Tony Jay

    @kalakal:

    HE IS THE BRITISH OBAMA AND YOU SHOULD BE PROUD WITHOUT BEING LOUD!!!

    Sorry, sorry. I came over all ‘centrist Media’ then. Must be all those out-of-date prescription drugs I scored off Treeza Coffey.

  65. 65.

    Gin & Tonic

    @Anyway: In modern Ukrainian, “політтехнолог” is a common word – mash-up of “political” and “technologist” but probably better translated as “technical practitioner” than “technologist.” Likely very close to this “political engineer.”

  66. 66.

    jonas

    Seeing the strong demand for early voting is nice, but a few pictures of lines in some urban/Democratic strongholds in places like Atlanta or Houston should not lead us to sit back and think this is in the bag. We do this every time — get all excited about the early voting numbers, and then Election Day comes around and that’s when all the MAGA chuds suddenly surface. Still two weeks to go and that’s a long time in politics…

  68. 68.

    Geminid

    @Anyway: I can see I will have to be more careful in the future as to how I describe Dr. Bitecofer. She triggers people here enough as it is!

  69. 69.

    Baud

    @jonas: Agree.  The problem is that without good data points, people fall prey to the media’s negative spin.

    Even if we end up losing, it matters how much we lose by when it comes to seats in Congress and the state legislatures.  Frankly, the fact that we even feel competitive is remarkable in light of how badly things were going into the 1994 and 2010 midterms.

  74. 74.

    Sure Lurkalot

    @BenCisco 🇺🇸🎖️🖥️♦️:

    Oprah is no oracle – she’s as capable of being fooled as anyone else.

    Yes, some of her book recommendations were also crap. I remember people saying Oprah should run for president. We have a fetish with celebrity in this country, maybe world.

  75. 75.

    Ken

    @Cameron: How about “political astronaut?”

    Sounds a little like when they ask the kindergarten kids what they want to be.  “A doctor ballerina”, or “a cowboy astronaut”.

  76. 76.

    WaterGirl

    @Geminid: I didn’t man to start a pile-on! :-)  You are so respected here for your knowledge and experience, I guess you can probably live with some jibes about your term for Rachel B.

  77. 77.

    JML

    Early voting is way up for a midterm, turnout models are suggesting this will be closer to a presidential year than a normal midterm turnout. Democrats have struggled to get younger voters out in midterm elections…is this the year that turns around? And could that be why polling is looking rockier for Democrats? (polls are generally going to miss any surge in younger voter enthusiasm, because they are difficult to predict voter enthusiasm vote and historically are erratic voters that fall out of “likely” voter screens)

    Hmm…

  80. 80.

    UncleEbeneezer

    @jonas: As we say in tennis: All we can control is our side of the court.  It looks like our voters are showing up and voting.  We’ll see if it’s enough but being encouraged =/= thinking we have it in the bag.

  82. 82.

    James E Powell

    @Baud:

    I think it’s just nerves.  Any imperfection could be an excuse for some normie voter to choose GOP. Who knows?

    That’s the thing right there. Considering the events & trauma of the last 10 years, any Democrat can be forgiven for nerves.

  84. 84.

    eversor

    @cain:

    Yerp we had a night crew of animals that raided the dumpsters as they are all outside.  Our neighbor ejected cat food off the balcony and sure as hell we had a crew on the ground floor the next day.  I made it worse.  After the scratching at the door I walked out with hotdogs and handed them out.  Now I am the most popular person for miles.  The poor cat is horrified.

    Also you can totally hand out hotdogs to raccoons and not get bitten.  You will get climbed on and the box will fall to the ground and then there will be a free for all.  I’d feel bad but I didn’t cause this.  They were here.  I blame the cat food thrower.

    Also they will totally scale the walls to neighbors (floor above) deck and beg for more cat food.

    Harmless though and only show up at night.  I called animal control to relocate them and was mostly laughed at cause they are rampant.

    We also have a rabbit colony here, yes skunks, and other randoms.  And this place is really urban.  I dunno I like our trash pandas.  People complain but we aren’t getting rid of them.  They are really, really, really good at urban areas.  We have a raccoon problem roughly means “we have an outdoor dumpster”.  Yeah no shit.

  85. 85.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @UncleEbeneezer: Too many seem to equate confidence and/or optimism with complacency.  Also, we need need to remember that there are a number of bandwagon voters, people who wait until late and then vote for the perceived favorite.  It is one of the reasons (among many) that I dislike doomers.  Let’s get the fucking weaselly bandwagon dipshits to vote for our side; all it takes is faking confidence for a little while.

  86. 86.

    JML

    @UncleEbeneezer: I don’t think gas prices are really the problem in my area, they’re just a symptom for people to complain about. Things have gone back down to around $3.50/gallon in most places, but you can find them for as low as $3.09. We were paying roughly those prices 7 years ago in the upper midwest. It’s heating bills & groceries that are making people twitchy, even if it’s not what they’re complaining about.

    When the price of eggs jumps so much that the grocery store puts up a sign apologizing for it…that’s not good. And my heating bill doubled from a year ago, despite my usage remaining the same. Not that the next governor of our state will be able to do much to fix it; the quack doctor running for the job for the GOP is simply lying about that like he does about everything else. But it’s definitely hurting us in the suburbs, which is where democrats have been making all of their gains.

    And yet, the GOP’s radical social pogrom and catastrophic overreach may still wipe them out.

  88. 88.

    Matt McIrvin

    @JML: Gas prices just had a second huge peak on the West Coast. Here it wasn’t much. The geographic difference was extreme.

  90. 90.

    UncleEbeneezer

    BREAKING: South Carolina Judge rules that Mark Meadows is a material and necessary witness and must testify before the Fulton Co., GA special purpose grand jury after Meadows tried to block his testimony

  91. 91.

    opiejeanne

    @Kristine: Mama-to-be was reported to be dilated 1 cm at 7am, and it’s nearly 8 now so we should probably head over pretty soon and see what’s up.

  94. 94.

    Matt McIrvin

    @Omnes Omnibus: Speaking personally, I just have a really extreme emotional aversion, that probably came from some deep childhood shit, to being the Pollyanna who doesn’t see the next gut-punch coming. So I lean over hard to believing bad things in order to not be that person, and to be emotionally prepared for the punch if it comes.

    People talk about ways to fend off despair and maintain a positive attitude, and my knee-jerk reaction is “Oh God, why would I want to do that? Blind myself to the next punch on purpose?”

    It’s a me problem. I’ve been trying to keep it out of these threads. But sometimes it comes up anyway because somebody took it there.

  95. 95.

    Betty Cracker

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    Also, we need need to remember that there are a number of bandwagon voters, people who wait until late and then vote for the perceived favorite.

    Are you aware of any data that supports this notion? I hear some folks say the exact opposite, i.e., if voters are sure Candidate A is going to win, they won’t bother turning out. I guess both could be true, but maybe it’s a wash? Anecdotally, I’ve seen more evidence of the latter than the former.

  96. 96.

    opiejeanne

    @Jackie: My son tells me that everyone is fine, now. The blood pressure issue has been resolved, the cervix is thinning, and dilation has begun. He scurried home for a few minutes to check on her kids and pick up some things she wants; no idea, but I think she’s very bored, which I remember being between contractions.

    I should wake up my husband and get some breakfast.

  97. 97.

    Matt McIrvin

    @Betty Cracker: I think it’s different bunches of people. The first group are low-info “undecided” voters, the second group are long-term partisans but not the biggest political junkies. The question is just how many of each there are.

    I suspect in much of the country, there are more in group 1 but their votes are less gettable, whereas the people in group 2 you can turn out by nudging them a bit.

  98. 98.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Matt McIrvin: And I think Pollyanna is loaded term.  It implies that those who are optimistic are are unaware of the challenges that we, on the left, face.  We see the problems just as well as you do.  We just think that they are surmountable.

  100. 100.

    opiejeanne

    @CaseyL: I don’t think a c-section is being considered now, since both she and the baby are currently stable. It was my guess if they couldn’t be stabilized that the c-section would happen.

  102. 102.

    eversor

    Oddly  I’m in the final stages of a not a contract job with an asset fund of all things.   IT stuff.  It’s sort of a global helpdesk management, sysadmin, local network engineer (for the DC office), INFOSCEC combined job.  The hours are brutal.   12pm to 9pm which is going to translate into 11 to 12 as usual.  But the pay and benefits are great.  They pay is good and they aren’t trying to cheap me out because “we are going to hit a recession so accept this now” they are offering to beat my ask.  A few stages left in this.

    The SO is not happy because home late, but really happy as it’s what we needed.

  103. 103.

    schrodingers_cat

    @Matt McIrvin: I always hope for the best but prepare myself for the worst. Not just politically speaking.

    Fear can be a mind killer. Hope is defiance in the face of insurmountable odds. Just because I choose hope doesn’t mean I don’t know what the odds are. YMMV.

  105. 105.

    gwangung

    Yeah, likely voter models will definitely miss new voters, and they will definitely miss black swan events. The last time that the ruling party didn’t lose seats was in 2002—which was right after 9/11.

    Any “analysis” that doesn’t take those two factors into account isn’t worth the electrons it spent getting out into the world….

  106. 106.

    Soprano2

    @Omnes Omnibus: One reason I like to listen to Pod Save America is because those guys have run campaigns; I think they have a decent take on how these things work. They aren’t doomsayers, but they aren’t Pollyannas either.

  107. 107.

    Jackie

    @opiejeanne: The hurry up and wait of delivery. Glad her BP is under control! My daughter had early deliveries via c-section with both her kiddos – due to BP complications – so I always got there after the fact. Flying from WA to TN. Her second baby was very premature, elevated BP PLUS ruptured placenta. We almost lost him (he was stillborn and revived.) Helicoptored  to the nearest Childrens Hospital where he spent his first 6 weeks in the NIC unit. Now he’s a hell on wheels 11 yr old!

  108. 108.

    Baud

    @schrodingers_cat:

    Fear can be a mind killer.

    I can attest to that.  Nothing has ever stopped me from voting, but it has affected other actions in my life

    ETA: Also put me down as someone who thinks normies don’t want to associate with people who think they’ll always lose, or who can’t bounce back from losing.  I can’t think of any other endeavor in life where such an attitude would be considered inviting.  I sometimes have negative thoughts and feelings too, but I fight to not indulge in them for the greater good.  YMMV.

  109. 109.

    schrodingers_cat

    @Baud: Agreed. The constant whining and complaining that Ds are not doing this or that is off-putting. OMG we are all going to die is not a good rallying cry.

    Also people who whine about having to vote in every election are not going to stage a revolution. That is way more work than voting.

  110. 110.

    Betty Cracker

    @Matt McIrvin: I agree it’s two sets of people: A) those who are motivated to vote by concern that their preferred candidate might lose and therefore needs every vote, and B) those who are demotivated to vote by overconfidence.

    I have no idea which group is larger. If they’re roughly equivalent (a big IF), it’s possible that since group A requires personal action and group B doesn’t, more people would follow the path of least resistance, but I really don’t know.

    @Omnes Omnibus: Thanks!

  112. 112.

    Matt McIrvin

    Another factor is that Democratic campaign messages aimed at supporters within the party always accentuate the negative in the final run-up because they’ve found that screaming “EMERGENCY” is a reliable way to solicit donations. Though I do wonder sometimes if they overdo it and are having bad side effects. If you keep telling me every day that you’re losing, no matter what, why should I put any effort into trying to save that sinking ship? Convincing people that they’re within the “margin of effort” is very hard.

  113. 113.

    Mousebumples

    @Matt McIrvin: lol, I have the opposite mindset. If we get shellacked in the midterms, it’ll suck. Does making myself miserable in the leadup help? Nope, just makes me miserable longer, dreading the unknown.

    I’m going with “it’s close, but we can do this!” – it’s get out the vote time. How many friends and family can you get to the polls?

  114. 114.

    Barbara

    @Matt McIrvin: The number of emails I get is basically out of control and I assume that I am not alone.  At this point I am deleting nearly all of them.  I set up recurring donations to a number of candidates and organizations — in some cases beginning last February — and have simply resisted the “emergency” appeals without a guilty conscience.

  115. 115.

    Tony Jay

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    S’all about the respect, and terminology can play a part. I myself prefer to be titled a Rhetorical Volume Adjuster, but so far no takers.

    Then again, if the journamalists we’re continually irritated by started referring to themselves as Information Quality Experts then I’d have a problem.

  116. 116.

    Matt McIrvin

    @Barbara: These days I do basically all of my campaign donations through the ActBlue thermometers on this site! I think the people here who put them together put a lot of thought into focusing effort where it will make a difference. The thing about paying attention to the emergency appeals is that it usually means the money goes to higher-profile races that are already getting more money than most.

  118. 118.

    Elizabelle

    @Baud:

    I sometimes have negative thoughts and feelings too, but I fight to not indulge in them for the greater good.  YMMV.

    I appreciate that, Baud.  I truly do.

    This thread is a sea of pies, because of a few “let my hair hang out” types.

    It’s demotivating and debilitating.

  119. 119.

    Betty Cracker

    @Barbara: You’re not alone — it really is annoying. Here’s a funny piece on the phenomenon from McSweeney’s — “If I Emailed My Parents Like the Democrats Email Me”

    SUBJECT: I’m DESPERATE, Mom

    Mom, did you see this?!?

    FIRST: I got a $300 traffic ticket because I forgot about alternate side parking.

    THEN: I saw this really cute shirt and it was $95, but that’s actually a good deal because I’m definitely going to wear it a lot.

    NOW: Rent is due, and according to my most recent calculations, we’re about $395 short.

    Mom, we don’t have a moment to spare. I’m asking—no, BEGGING—for you to chip in ASAP. If every parent reading this email contributes just $197.50 by midnight, we can defend the shirt I just bought from being returned this November

    Much more at the link.

  120. 120.

    James E Powell

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    We just think that they are surmountable.

    And they are. If we get the people who agree with Democrats to vote, we will win in the places where it is possible. AZ, GA, NV, OH, PA, & WI are all winnable senate races.

    Gloom & doom suppresses turnout. Banish it.

  121. 121.

    James E Powell

    @Gin & Tonic:

    Speaking of which, what ever happened to Russert fils? Career went in the toilet, no?

    His father wasn’t the kind of name one could trade on forever. He had nothing else going for him.

  124. 124.

    J R in WV

    @schrodingers_cat:

    Hey, Ms Cat…. Could you explain the Indian  numbering system? I see  numbers like 47,3,749,213 in articles about covid  case counts, which doesn’t compute for me at all!

  126. 126.

    J R in WV

    I just got a fundraising  call from a wonderful young woman running for congress in the Philly area, we have supported her in the past.

    I politely declined, as we’ve gone over the budget already, but we chatted a little, and I told her I believed we were seeing the beginning of a blue wave this year. She agreed, and said the earliest  numbers in PA were supporting that viewpoint, many woman, many young people, more early voters than ever before! So she was also optimistic.

    Hurray for our side!

  128. 128.

    StringOnAStick

    @Baud: Sad to say, but most people don’t watch debates.  I’m a political junkie and I don’t watch them because my husband hates watching conflict and fighting.

    The kind of people who make a voting choice strictly on a debate performance and nothing else, are also a lot less likely to actually watch them, because seriously, who uses just a debate as their final determining factor?  Its the spin afterwards that is more likely to have an impact, so that’s where Fetterman’s strong comms game will help.

  129. 129.

    StringOnAStick

    @Jay: Are you finding the new job to be a good fit for you?  I hope so.  Not having to deal with the public is a plus in my book; that was the hardest part of the last job I had.

  130. 130.

    schrodingers_cat

    @J R in WV: They just put commas different places remove all the commas and then put commas where you usually do.

    1000 is hajar or thousand

    100 hajar  = one lakh

    100 lakhs = one crore

    100 crores is =1 abj

    BTW the number you reported doesn’t make sense to me either.

  131. 131.

    WaterGirl

    @Betty Cracker: I don’t have hard data, but I know from making calls years ago for Wesley Clark that a whole boatload of people from TN said “I really like Wesley Clark best but I think X is going to win, so that’s who I am voting for.”

    [insert head-banging emoji here.]

    so I do think that for a lot of people who aren’t paying attention like we do here most definitely vote for the perceived upcoming winner.

    That’s a separate process from when folks think it’s in the bag so they stay home.

  132. 132.

    WaterGirl

    @Mousebumples: Speaking of which, it’s my opinion that Friday is the last day for candidate donations to actually be able to make a difference, so if you’re so inclined, thermometers are in the sidebar.

    *that if directed at the “general” you, not the specific you!

  133. 133.

    dnfree

    I think of engineering as a discipline with hard science behind it.  I don’t picture any kind of social or political scientist as being an engineer, no matter how pragmatic they may be.

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