Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Is it negotiation when the other party actually wants to shoot the hostage?

Republicans firmly believe having an abortion is a very personal, very private decision between a woman and J.D. Vance.

Giving in to doom is how we fail to fight for ourselves & one another.

Innocent people do not delay justice.

When do we start airlifting the women and children out of Texas?

I’d hate to be the candidate who lost to this guy.

One of our two political parties is a cult whose leader admires Vladimir Putin.

Bark louder, little dog.

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

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

Polls are now a reliable indicator of what corporate Republicans want us to think.

Also, are you sure you want people to rate your comments?

It’s easy to sit in safety and prescribe what other people should be doing.

Imperialist aggressors must be defeated, or the whole world loses.

Weird. Rome has an American Pope and America has a Russian President.

My years-long effort to drive family and friends away has really paid off this year.

You come for women, you’re gonna get your ass kicked.

T R E 4 5 O N

Whatever happens next week, the fight doesn’t end.

They are not red states to be hated; they are voter suppression states to be fixed.

Rupert, come get your orange boy, you petrified old dinosaur turd.

Every reporter and pundit should have to declare if they ever vacationed with a billionaire.

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Republicans seem to think life begins at the candlelight dinner the night before.

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Reader Interactions

243Comments

  6. 6.

    ArchTeryx

    From dead thread below, toward Onnes Omnibus:

    Of THAT I completely agree. The best way to make Trump go away permanently is to defeat him at the polls.

    The trouble is, enough Trumpers exist among the American people that that may not be possible. I think that’s the root of my fears. I live next to a bunch of them. There’s a gun range so close to my house I can hear it being used on a daily basis. And this is in New York State, in one of the wealther suburbs of Albany.

    There’s a lot of wisdom in what you say. But it still puts my life and the life of my fiancee on a coin flip, and the coin’s heavily weighted toward the fascists. So the next four weeks are going to be me trying to avoid a full panic-attack breakdown. It’s bad enough that one of our housemates, from rural Alabama, is arming up and preparing for these yahoos to show up at our door. (He’s NOT a Trumper, and is thoroughly on the side of the people in the house. He’s dependable, and he knows how these yahoos think)

    My fiancee, because of her multiple disabilities and being a 3 time cancer survivor, is permanently voting absentee, and she trusts me to help her fill it out. Mostly, I just explain NYS fusion voting and let her fill it out herself – she and I are absolutely on the same side politically, so we both know who she’ll vote for. But her filling out her own ballot has far too much symbolic power not to do.

  8. 8.

    Jude

    Tears of joy. Now you’re going to make it to see the Harris win. It will be spectacular!!! Oh shit, I really am crying RN. Sending all the love your way, Betty!

  9. 9.

    CaseyL

    Oh, I bet that felt really, really good!

    But do please stick around for the denouement :) …. and a good long time after that, too!

  10. 10.

    suzanne

    Also, for the latest update on MEN HATE WOMEN news, make sure to read this: Divorced Men are Falling for Trump.

    I listened to a podcast with David Frum this morning (I know)….. he said that he thinks that race is becoming a bit less of a dividing line in society/voting behavior, and sex is becoming more of a dividing line. I think that’s probably right.

    Which is, of course, not to say that race isn’t still a potent differentiator, but maybe it’s less than it once was.

  11. 11.

    Rand Careaga

    It looks as though my wife, who looked for a while as though she wouldn’t make it to the end of August, may yet survive to receive, complete and dispatch her mail-in ballot, which California should be issuing early next week.

  19. 19.

    trollhattan

    Our sample ballot and voter guides have arrived, but not the ballots. Getting itchy, even knowing the drudgery of plowing through the propositions. So many propositions. (Always helpful: finding the Cal Chamber recommendations then doing the opposite.)

  23. 23.

    Harrison Wesley

    @Betty Cracker: Yes for mail-ins.  I dropped mine off at the supervisor of elections’ office yesterday.  Early in-person voting in Manatee County starts the week of the 21st.

  24. 24.

    SFAW

    Congratulations! And hoping/keeping my fingers crossed that you get to vote against Ivanka’s kid(s) when they run for president.

  25. 25.

    HumboldtBlue

    These people are truly fucked up human beings.

    At the risk of stating the obvious, South Western’s elected school board is making some strange decisions.

    For the last two years, they’ve fixated on which bathrooms LGBTQ+ kids use. In 2023, officials in this Hanover-area district played musical chairs with school bathrooms in a misguided attempt to appease the loudest bigots among them — ending up with five different types of bathrooms.

    After a low-turnout school board election in which several far-right members joined their ranks, they hired a Christian law firm, decided to begin banning books and reopened the bathroom issue. Board President Matthew Gelazela, who was elevated to his post after previously serving as the board’s most vocal bomb-thrower, pointed to Red Lion’s discriminatory policies as something to aspire to.

    Now, upon the advice of that law firm — the Harrisburg-based Independence Law Center — the board approved spending $8,700 to cut windows so passersby can look into the so-called “gender-identity” student bathrooms.

    Yes, you read that correctly.

    These adults want to make it easier for other people to watch your children while they’re in the bathroom. It’s absolutely mind-boggling.

  26. 26.

    artem1s

    Early voting starts in OH on 10/8. I’m working the polls on election day so will vote ASAP. And also, hopefully that will stop the barrage of texts and emails. IMO this constant fundraising causes more voter fatigue than the pundits skewing the polls. It’s a bottomless hole in the internet you have to constantly throw money at.

  27. 27.

    UncleEbeneezer

    @suzanne: I’ve known several (ver Liberal/Progressive) guys who got divorced and in the immediate aftermath started spouting border-line Red Pill bullshit about how unfair all these divorce laws are for men.  Fortunately most seem to have come to their senses once some time passed and are all Kamala/Dem supporters now.  But there is definitely a strong appeal for Alt-Right, Men-R-The-Real-Victims bullshit with divorced men.  And I’m not surprised Trump/Republicans are using it.

  29. 29.

    Bruce K in ATH-GR

    My mom and dad and I filled out backup absentee ballots* this past weekend, with the help of the FVAP.gov web site. Monday morning, I handed them in to the US Embassy, where I assume they go back to the United States via diplomatic pouch.

    *Our requested New York State ballots have not yet arrived, and the deadline to drop absentee ballots at the Embassy is tomorrow.

  32. 32.

    Math Guy

    Early voting in Minnesota started September 20. My daughter and I have already voted. Go Blue!

  36. 36.

    SatanicPanic

    @HumboldtBlue: Christian conservatives might not intend to create a system that victimizes children, but if they did intend to create a system that victimizes children it would look at lot like the systems they set up.

    And maybe they do intend to victimize children, because it sure looks like they do.

  38. 38.

    Andrew Abshier

    @trollhattan: The local Republican Party helpfully sends out a voting guide to my address each year.  It’s useful for knowing who not to vote for, if I can’t research a local race to the extent I want to.

  46. 46.

    Chris

    @suzanne:

    Also, for the latest update on MEN HATE WOMEN news, make sure to read this: Divorced Men are Falling for Trump.

    My favorite part of that article is that it starts with “a law enforcement officer from small-town Ohio…”  With a resume like that, I’m not sure which is more of a foregone conclusion, that he’s the kind of guy who’d drive his wife to divorce, or that he’s a Trump voter.

  47. 47.

    suzanne

    @Belafon:

    Trump appeals to misogyny even among minority men. 

    Absolutely. There’s a lot of men of every race who aspire to patriarchy.

    I believe there’s been a significant sex gap in the voting behavior within every race in recent decades. How big that gap is is always interesting. At least for white people this year, it’s expected to be really large.

  51. 51.

    Steve in the ATL

    @Chris:
     

    he’s the kind of guy who’d drive his wife to divorce, or that he’s a Trump voter

    I’ll bet the Venn diagram of these is close to a single circle

  52. 52.

    weasel

    Congrats! Also exciting that it may well even make a difference, especially for the Senate seat

  54. 54.

    Urza

    I could be mistaken, but shouldn’t the party in power be on top for the ballots?  Or is that only for incumbents and the states decide otherwise?

  58. 58.

    Chris

    @SatanicPanic:

    It doesn’t help that they have little to no framework for what victimizing children even is.  Pretty much every aspect of it, they’re okay with.  Beating your children?  That’s just instilling respect and discipline.  Children working in factories?  It’ll be good for them, it’ll teach them a work ethic and it gives them money so they can start earning their keep at home!  Even the pedophilia that they’re constantly accusing everyone else of is largely legit in their eyes – sure, they’d hate for someone to do it to their precious princess, but as long as it’s somebody else’s and they’re the ones turned on, then it’s just another reason to bitch that #MeToo is out of control.  And really, they don’t even mind if it happens to their precious princess so long as they control who the other person is, which may be why child marriage is still legal in most places.

  61. 61.

    eclare

    Congratulations!  Early voting here starts 10/16.  And happy birthday to me and all of my fellow Libras!

  66. 66.

    WaterGirl

    PSA:

    beth, who has been our BJ Pet Calendar designer for over 10 years, lives in Asheville, NC, which was really hard hit by Helene.  She is still without power and water – and will continue to be without water for 3-5 weeks.

    I talked beth into putting up an Amazon wishlist, but she’s being very “there are people who are worse off than we are” .  So the list only has 2 items on it so far.  Anyway… if you are inclined to want to help click on the link ad see if either item grabs you.

    Her dog just barked at the UPS truck down the street, so deliveries are not a problem.

    I have never done a wishlist personally, but if you have questions I will try to answer them.

  67. 67.

    eclare

    @UncleEbeneezer:

    If you’re still here, I started that series on Hulu that you recommended, In Vogue.  I love it!  You could never tell from the way that I dress, but I am fascinated by the fashion industry.

  70. 70.

    NutmegAgain

    Hurray!  so gratifying. I hope that you’ll continue feeling better, and we’ll see your unmistakeable voice around here for a good long while yet~

  71. 71.

    suzanne

    @Chris:

    Even the pedophilia that they’re constantly accusing everyone else of is largely legit in their eyes – sure, they’d hate for someone to do it to their precious princess, but as long as it’s somebody else’s 

    I’m….. not sure this is right. Lots of abused girls are abused by their fathers.

  72. 72.

    TBone

    In the dickitude dept. of stealing ballot drop boxes and getting caught. This fucking guy is in the Finding Out stage, finally!

    What Diny doesn’t mention is that it doesn’t matter what the city council thinks or wants, the law clearly states that it is up to the city clerk and ONLY the city clerk.

    Diny is probably sweating bullets and shitting bricks by now. The city clerk made not just one, but two, reports to the District Attorney’s office, as she is compelled to do by state law. Diny responded by stating that the clerk was “out of her lane” by following the law.

    https://crooksandliars.com/2024/10/wausau-mayor-returns-stolen-drop-box-under

  74. 74.

    JerseyBeard

    My sincerest congratulations, Betty. Every new sunrise is a gift, today’s must feel extra extra special. Sending courage and peace to you.

  75. 75.

    rikyrah

    @ArchTeryx:

    The trouble is, enough Trumpers exist among the American people that that may not be possible. I think that’s the root of my fears. I live next to a bunch of them. There’s a gun range so close to my house I can hear it being used on a daily basis. And this is in New York State, in one of the wealther suburbs of Albany.

     

    There is no doubt that the other side wants to erase the 20th Century.

    Kamala Harris running for President like this is peak Black woman. They’ve put on this woman’s shoulders the responsibility for saving democracy in America with 100 days to do it.

     

    I am so tired of White people wanting to be White, rather than them wanting to live in a pluralistic society with opportunity for all.

    When people like me say that we can’t have nice things in America because of White people…we mean it.

     

    But, they must be defeated. Up and down the board.

    We must keep the Senate and win the Presidency and the House.

  76. 76.

    satby

    Congratulations BettyC on one goal being met, and may you dance in your living room at the inaugural ball!

    @Rand Careaga: Thoughts of hope and peace for you and your wife.

    @eclare: Happy Birthday! Wait till William discovers cake!

  77. 77.

    trollhattan

    @Baud: ​
     
    If that happened zombie Antonin Scalia would flip it and the state, with an added no-takebacksies caution.

  81. 81.

    Anotherlurker.

    @trollhattan: I’m still a relatively new California voter and I find the propositions to be a slog.  Thank you for the hint to find the Chamber of Commerce recommendations and vote opposite their recommendations.

  82. 82.

    True Blue Spark

    Fantastic! My wife and I just made plans to vote on the 15th, which is the first early day down here in Georgia. (And I’ve triple checked our registrations too.) Definitely looking forward to getting it done,

  85. 85.

    UncleEbeneezer

    @eclare: Oh great!  Glad you enjoyed it.  There’s also an AppleTV series called “The Supermodels” that is all about Naomi, Christy, Linda and Cindy.  It was really great as well.

    I know very little about fashion too and have a pretty dull style, but my wife loves it.  So it’s been fun for me to learn to appreciate it since I met her.  I mean, you want me to stare at Naomi Campbell and Linda Evangelista for hours…twist my arm…

  88. 88.

    scav

    @TBone: The WI DOJ has entered the building.

    Sources confirm to WISN 12 News that agents with Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation arrived at Wausau City Hall Wednesday morning and have taken over the investigation into Mayor Doug Diny moving the city’s ballot drop box into his office.

     

    It’s unclear what exactly DCI agents are looking for Wednesday, but the Portage County Sheriff’s Office told WAOW-TV Tuesday its local investigation into the matter was complete and Marathon County District Attorney Theresa Wetzsteon confirmed DCI is now serving as the lead investigator.

  91. 91.

    Ned F

    @HumboldtBlue:

    Two weeks ago I spent a weekend camping at Cordorus State Park in Hanover. That is serious Trump country with big Christian academies also.  I noticed this year the T signs are much bigger, usually on manicured country estates. There was one as large as a drive in movie screen above a nice supermarket.

    Lots of homemade signs about communists and such for those who can’t afford the billboard.

  93. 93.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @scav: I am a little confused as to why Portage County Sheriff is making a statement.  Wausau is the county seat of Marathon County.  Portage County is the next county south.

  94. 94.

    Villago Delenda Est

    Mail-in ballots (the only kind we have!) drop in Oregon in two weeks.  It’s gonna be gud!

  95. 95.

    Geoduck

    If that really is your actual ballot, I’m surprised Florida includes instructions in Spanish. Maybe a sop to the Cuban population?

  96. 96.

    eclare

    @TBone:

    Ha!  Not to mention with hair dye running down his cheek.  Rudy can’t be bothered to buy a box of permanent dye at Walgreens, like I do?

  100. 100.

    Villago Delenda Est

    @rikyrah: I am so tired of White people wanting to be White, rather than them wanting to live in a pluralistic society with opportunity for all.

    Hell, yes, and I say this as a white cishet boomer male.

  101. 101.

    TBone

    @eclare: 😆

    I used to use the temporary stuff too until I got retired and learned to be proud of every gray hair I earned.  And I never had a sweaty rivulet running down my head!

  102. 102.

    Villago Delenda Est

    My calendar notes that the 16th is “National Boss Day.”  So, take your boss to lunch and heavy on the salmonella!

  103. 103.

    Steve in the ATL

    @Omnes Omnibus: maybe the flag in the Portage  County sheriff’s office didn’t have gold fringe on it so he didn’t have the legal authority to issue a statement

  108. 108.

    Chris

    @suzanne:

    Well, also true.  Add that as another reason why, like I said, even their dislike of pedophilia is… inconsistent, at best.

  110. 110.

    frosty

    Congratulations! That’s got to be a relief.

    I guess I’m going in person because I haven’t requested a PA mail ballot yet. Still thinking about it though. I volunteered to watch the vote count at one of the polling places but it would be after I vote.

  111. 111.

    scav

    @Omnes Omnibus: hmmm, mysterious indeed.  My cut and paste must have developed a geographical fault or . . . . .  not a clue.  New WI hobby, assuming governmental powers outside of one’s purview?

  112. 112.

    MattF

    I got my (Maryland) ballot last week, filled it in, mailed it off the next day. Felt so good to vote for Harris, Raskin, Alsobrooks, and a pro-choice constitutional amendment. Got an email a couple of days ago from Maryland saying they’ve got it, so I’m all done.

  113. 113.

    HumboldtBlue

    @Omnes Omnibus: ​ 

    It may be because of a conflict of interest with Wausau sheriff (I have no idea what sheriffs in Wisconsin are responsible for) so they asked the neighboring county to handle the investigation.

  115. 115.

    Sister Golden Bear

    @Rand Careaga: Glad for both of you that you’ve had more time together.

    FWIW, if your wife is able to get there (I realized that’s a big if), early voting centers open on October 7, same day that ballots are mailed. Check with your local county’s election office.

  117. 117.

    JML

    @TBone: Apparently Rudy was well-known to be a clown as soon as he became Mayor. he handled the public facing stuff around 9/11 and the aftermath well and it papered over the litany of problems he had. Olbermann did a great bit on this where they were both at some baseball-related bit and Rudy was supposed to introduce Olbermann and couldn’t remember his name and was out of it the whole time that an aide kept whisper-screaming in his ear where he was, what he was doing, and who he was introducing right up until he stepped up on stage and “America’s Mayor” still bungled it.

    Rudy can sell it…briefly. So long as he doesn’t have to produce anything, explain more than the top line, or organize anything more complex than a 1-car parade. Total egomaniac too.

  119. 119.

    geg6

    Got mine in the morning mail and will be dropping it at the Post Office this afternoon.  Every Dem oval I filled made me happy!

  120. 120.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @HumboldtBlue: ​
      That’s an interesting guess, but Sheriff’s offices have virtually no authority inside a city limits and very few investigators. The conflict of interest with Wausau PD would explain why the state is there.

  123. 123.

    rikyrah

    @Geoduck:

    If that really is your actual ballot, I’m surprised Florida includes instructions in Spanish. Maybe a sop to the Cuban population?

     

    Cook County, Illinois here.

    All ballots here are in English/Spanish.

    And, depending upon the precinct where you live, you can get a ballot it in one of 9 additional languages.

     

    You straight up live in a place with English-only ballots?

  126. 126.

    rikyrah

    @WaterGirl:

    I talked beth into putting up an Amazon wishlist, but she’s being very “there are people who are worse off than we are” .  So the list only has 2 items on it so far.  Anyway… if you are inclined to want to help click on the link ad see if either item grabs you.

     

    She can add things for other people to the wishlist.

  127. 127.

    TBone

    @frosty: I think the deadline for mail ballot applications in Pennsylvania is already past.  But I’m not certain.

    NOPE. You’re good till Oct. 29

    5 p.m. Oct. 29, 2024: Your APPLICATION for a mail-in or absentee ballot must be received by your county election office.

  129. 129.

    Sister Golden Bear

    @Anotherlurker.: Other short cuts: Vote against anything supported by the Howard Jarvis (of Prop 13 infamy) Taxpayers Association. Also can be handy to check your local Republican Party’s recommendations, and vote against everything they recommend.

  132. 132.

    TBone

    @rikyrah: yep I revised my comment as I frequently do after the fact (it’s an unfortunate product of my years proofing and editing legal documents to put things into print and then revise).

  135. 135.

    Chris

    @rikyrah:

    I am so tired of White people wanting to be White, rather than them wanting to live in a pluralistic society with opportunity for all.

    My general theory of whiteness is that I want “white” to go the way of “WASP.”  Something that still exists and describes a shit ton of people, but isn’t really an existential identity marker or, more importantly, a barrier between yourself and the rest of the community.  Very few white Anglo-Protestants care anymore if their daughter marries an Irishman, property values don’t drop if the most common name in the neighborhood goes from “Brown” to “Mallozzi,” a Catholic can be president without immediately causing a national backlash demanding that the Real Americans take back their country… etc.  And of course, people can have their Oktoberfests, their Saint Patrick’s Days, and their Columbus Days without being accused of disloyalty and reverse racism.  (Yes, I’m aware that Columbus Day is problematic for other reasons).

    I want the “white”/”nonwhite” barrier to look like the “WASP”/”white ethnic” barrier.  Not saying that’s going to solve every problem faced by nonwhite communities, but damn if it isn’t a good start.

  136. 136.

    Mr. Bemused Senior

    @Sister Golden Bear: Vote against anything supported by the Howard Jarvis (of Prop 13 infamy) Taxpayers Association.

    That has been my strategy for years. Saves a lot of time 😁

    [ETA worry: will they eventually catch on and start faking us out?]

  141. 141.

    frosty

    @TBone: I just checked too. My County hasn’t released mail-in ballots yet. I’ll probably drive up to the courthouse, get my ballot, fill it out and give it to them in person. Could be a long line at the polling place this year.

  143. 143.

    TBone

    @frosty: good plan!!!  Mask up if necessary please, we need all of us on the good people team!

    My county has not yet released ballots either.

  145. 145.

    rikyrah

    This level of delusion is downright terrifying to me.
    Being from a group that takes White people at their word, which is why we’ve survived for over 400 years here…
    This level of delusion is baffling.

    Chicano Marine 🇲🇽🇺🇸💙
    @kingsrush
    The level of stupidity from first-generation immigrants who plan on voting for a man who wants to take birthright citizenship away amazes me.

    You are exactly who Trump is talking about stripping citizenship from Pendejos!!!
    9:06 AM · Oct 3, 2024
    https://x.com/kingsrush/status/1841842244497690928

  146. 146.

    scav

    Did find this Wausau ballot box drama heads to Madison as mayor remains calm amid investigation

    NewsChannel 7 reached out to Portage County as they are in charge of investigating this and they tell us their investigation is over. They have handed all of their information back to the Marathon County District Attorney’s Office. Portage County also told us the Department of Criminal Investigation might be investigating this case too. We reached out to the Wausau City Clerk’s Office to confirm this and they say they don’t know.

    which doesn’t explain why, but there was a county-swap.  So at least we’re not speculating a typo / brainfart.

  149. 149.

    geg6

    @TBone:

    I’m truly shocked that Beaver County got ours out this early.  We’re generally not that efficient around here.

  150. 150.

    Sister Golden Bear

    Jan. 6 cultist finds out that they’re not the only one with guns. QAnon Rioter Killed In Shooting At Her Seattle Home After Pointing Shotgun At Men Delivering Paperwork She was about to be evicted because her house had been foreclosed on, and presumably the process servers were delivering paperwork related to that.

    In other news, I’m about to play hooky and head over the hill to the beach and escape the week-long extraordinary heatwave we’re having. Temps have been 30-35 above normal, and it was 104 yesterday.

  158. 158.

    Steve LaBonne

    First day of early voting in Ohio is Oct. 7. I will vote soon thereafter (I generally avoid the first day because it can be pretty busy).

  159. 159.

    TBone

    Ringing my bell, got a hammer, gonna use it!

    I realize there’s a lot going on. But the future of the nation, possibly the world, is on the line in this election and it is the most important story right now even with the middle east on fire and a major disaster in the southeast. It’s not old news.

    FTFNYT x 10,000

    https://digbysblog.net/2024/10/03/trump-benefits-once-again/

    Brings the receipts!

  162. 162.

    Paul W.

    WHOOO! Congrats Betty!

    Just mailed in my NYC/NY ballot today as well, gotta figure out what I’m going to do to help GOTV on election day. Also, almost finished up a batch of 50 postcards and did my phonebank training so I can do that once I get a breather from some family drama…. ugh, still a long way to the finish line.

    I am excited to see the fundraising numbers for the last quarter/month though!

  165. 165.

    Sister Golden Bear

    @Chris: “Whiteness” has repeatedly been redefined over the centuries to include more and more white ethnic groups. Hasn’t stopped racism.

    Especially since those newly deemed “white” or those aspiring to be “white adjacent” (I see this among some Hispanic, Asian American and Indian American folks here in CA) are more than happy to use racism as a way of demonstrating their in-group status.*

    *And yes, folks from this groups can also bring racisms from their own cultural traditions as well.

  167. 167.

    a thousand flouncing lurkers (was fidelio)

    For anyone looking for ways to donate to Helene survivors, now we have Amazon wishlists

    That one is for western North Carolina, and looks to be the sort of stuff you’d really want in that situation, from baby needs to chainsaw oil and safety glasses. There are likely others for other areas.

    If you’re willing to spend money at Amazon, give the list a look.

  168. 168.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    We just got the emails from the PA Dept of State telling us our mail-in ballots are on the way. PA’s early-voting procedures vary by county. I believe here in Delaware County the dropboxes open on Oct 14.

    My wife, who doesn’t usually consume a lot of political media prior to elections, has been absolutely obsessed this year. She’s the one passing articles and substacks on to me rather than vice versa. She just signed us up for a second GOTV postcarding operation, this one dedicated to reaching 18 year olds. The stats on youth participation rates are still shockingly low in a lot of places.

  170. 170.

    Anotherlurker.

    Dear Betty Cracker, it is my sincere belief that there are many more elections ahead for you to cast your ballot.  I also look forward to more of your humorous, insightful commentary.

    I anticipate more beautiful photos of Spoonbills, Flamingos, various shades of Herons, Anhingas (their name always sounds like a sneeze to me), Gators  and numerous other critters.  I am also waiting for more doggie stories.

  171. 171.

    TBone

    @Ceci n est pas mon nym: I feel a new kinship, did not realize where you are – if you already told me, I’m embarrassed that I forgot. I get so homesick sometimes, especially when trying to order out for food and nobody here will deliver despite our proximity to town.  Hubby brought DelCo cheesesteaks home yesterday though.  Delivery is really important when I’m too ill to cook.

  172. 172.

    Eolirin

    @suzanne: If white women start voting for democrats like white men vote for republicans, that’s game over for the republicans. It won’t matter what percentage of minority men they end up peeling off. They won’t be able to win anywhere.

    So I’m okay with this trend. If it’s between men and women women will win, decisively. What would be problematic is if they start making serious inroads with minority men and white women stick with them.

  175. 175.

    Old School

    @Omnes Omnibus:

     I am a little confused as to why Portage County Sheriff is making a statement.

    @scav:

    which doesn’t explain why, but there was a county-swap.

    The DA turned it over.

    The Portage County Sheriff’s Office will be conducting the investigation into the removal of the Absentee Ballot Box in the City of Wausau. The Wisconsin Department of Justice will continue to be apprised of the status and findings of the investigation. Due to the initiation of an investigation into this matter, no further comment will be made by the Marathon County District Attorney’s Office or Portage County Sheriff’s Office until such time as the investigation has been completed and the District Attorney’s Office has conducted a thorough review.

    Theresa Wetzsteon, Marathon County District Attorney

  178. 178.

    sdhays

    @JML: I really can’t forgive the media industrial complex that just GUSHED over his performance as mayor when the building where he insisted the city put its disaster command center went down in flames because he wanted to be able to walk there to meet his fucking mistress.

    How many died because that fucker couldn’t pay for his own tryst cave?

  179. 179.

    Kirk

    @Baud:

    I hope Harris wins FL by one vote.

    I understand the point, but sincerely hope she wins by at least 5%, preferably 10%, with coat tails to match.

    Yours is closer to likelihood, however.

  180. 180.

    DCrefugee

    @rikyrah

    They’ve put on this woman’s shoulders the responsibility for saving democracy in America with 100 days to do it.

    This should be in rotation at the top of the home page.

  181. 181.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    @TBone: We’ve had the Delco discussion before, I think. We are not natives, moved here from MD in 2001 (we moved from the area where the DC sniper was operating, but that was not the reason). You seem a lot more plugged into Delco culture than we are, so I always enjoy reading your posts. For instance, I only just started subscribing to the Inky after living here 20+ years.

    Hubby brought DelCo cheesesteaks home yesterday though.

    See? Like that. I have no idea why a Delco cheesesteak would be different or better than what you can get in Philly.

  182. 182.

    Nicholas Gibbs

    I can’t believe America’s ding-a-ling* is still allowing the devil’s language on ballots.

    *Florida, DeSantis, Bigots in general, whatever makes you happy here.

  184. 184.

    Chris

    @Sister Golden Bear:

    Yes, which is why I said that the barrier between “white” and “not white” needed to stop mattering.  Not that it needed to expand so we could have a few more white people.

  186. 186.

    TBone

    @Ceci n est pas mon nym: it’s the use of American cheese.  No other cheese is valid in DelCo – and certainly not Whiz!

    I mean, you can order other kinds, but if you order a cheesesteak with fried onions without specifying anything else, you’ll always get American cheese!

  189. 189.

    WaterGirl

    @Sister Golden Bear: beth still has her house, which is why she is better off.  Still no power, no water expected for 5 weeks.  Everything is complicated.

    Just getting thru the the day is hard, she’s not in a position to be organizing.

  191. 191.

    suzanne

    @Eolirin:

    If white women start voting for democrats like white men vote for republicans, that’s game over for the republicans. 

    Yes, that’s my hope.

    Seems to be bearing out for younger white women. I will be interested to see how the data shakes out.

  193. 193.

    wjca

    @Urza: I could be mistaken, but shouldn’t the party in power be on top for the ballots?  Or is that only for incumbents and the states decide otherwise?

    In California, the long-standing standard is totally randomized order. Including all the fringe parties.  No preference for being the party in power, the incumbent, last name’s initial letter early in the alphabet, etc.

  197. 197.

    Mike S. (Now with a Democratic Congressperson!)

    @scav:   @TBone:  The story doesn’t say if there were any ballots in the dropbox when he stole it. If yes I think he will really FO after his FU.

  198. 198.

    StringOnAStick

    @ArchTeryx: Have you considered that living close enough to a gun range to hear it all the time is not good for your mental health?  I know it would subliminally get to me.

  200. 200.

    Citizen Alan

    @TBone: Since moving to California, I have been consistently surprised at the level of snobbery I’ve encountered towards American Cheese, which foodies of my acquaintance insist is not actually cheese at all.

  201. 201.

    Citizen Alan

    @wjca: IIRC, Mississippi changed to that after there were a number of high-profile incidents where a reasonably well-respected and competent official in a down-ticket race lost to a fringe challenger whose name came first alphabetically. I want to say that it was a factor in a former Chief Justice of the Miss Sup Ct losing to an utter jackass, but it might have already changed before then.

  203. 203.

    Jeffro

    Way to go, Betty!  Now stick around for President Harris’ extraordinarily successful and historic two terms, please.  =)

    I voted on the first day of Virginia’s in-person early voting almost two weeks ago.  Took me 10 minutes instead of the usual 5…oh, the agony! (kidding)

  204. 204.

    wjca

    @Citizen Alan: Since moving to California, I have been consistently surprised at the level of snobbery I’ve encountered towards American Cheese, which foodies of my acquaintance insist is not actually cheese at all.

    There’s a reason why, on the package, it says “cheese food” [emphasis added] rather than just saying cheese.  Because it’s only about 51% actual chesse. 

  206. 206.

    Fake Irishman

    @Sister Golden Bear:

    One of my professors at Michigan, Arthur Lupia, got his first big political science publication based on how voters used these outside cues given by endorsements to manage complicated ballot initiatives.  He showed empirically that as long as voters understood the identities of the groups  they actually could do a pretty good job navigating even really complicated esoteric issues like competing referenda on car insurance. He was at Cal Tech at the time.

  207. 207.

    Harrison Wesley

    @wjca: I haven’t bought any in a while.  Is it still officially “pasteurized processed cheese food?”

  208. 208.

    TBone

    @Citizen Alan: they are sorely mistaken, unless they’re dumb enough to buy slices wrapped in cellophane 😆

    American cheese is real cheese you order at the deli counter because it must be sliced from off of the large REAL cheese.

    Wiki

    American cheese is a type of processed cheese made from cheddar, Colby, or similar cheeses, in conjunction with sodium citrate, which permits the cheese to be pasteurized without its components separating.

  210. 210.

    StringOnAStick

    Breaking news: Tina Peters, the former Mesa County clerk who gave unauthorized access to county voting equipment to try to prove fraudulent voting, some of which ended up in Mike Lindell’s hands, has been sentenced to serve her full 9 years in prison in Colorado.  FAFO, bitch!

  212. 212.

    Msb

    @ArchTeryx: is it possible to take some comfort in the fact that cults of personality seldom survive the personality in question? I know it’s a big if, but if we can beat him this round, that may be the last round with that particular foe. There will still be lots of baddies around, but they will need to find a new grift.
    Well done, you and your fiancée, for voting. Putting my completed ballot in the mail a week ago felt great.

  213. 213.

    Eduardo

    @Geoduck: In Miami-Dade and Broward counties — only places I’ve voted — you can have your ballot either in English, Spanish or Haitian Creole.

    There aren’t too many Cubans where Betty lives in Northern Florida.

  215. 215.

    Eduardo

    @Geoduck: By the way, since you are supposed to know English to be an American citizen, I think it speaks well about the decency and generosity of the American people that they print the ballots in other languages.

    As a gesture of gratitude, I always pick my ballot in English.

  216. 216.

    TBone

    @Eduardo: I believe we should be able to request a ballot in the language of our choice but I like your effort at collegiality.  In PA, only counties with a certain percentage of minorities must adhere:

    There are currently three counties in Pennsylvania that should provide voting materials and assistance in Spanish:

    Berks County
    Lehigh County
    Philadelphia County

    There is currently one county in Pennsylvania that should provide voting materials and assistance in Chinese:

    Philadelphia County

  217. 217.

    wjca

    @Harrison Wesley: I haven’t bought any in a while.  Is it still officially “pasteurized processed cheese food?”

    It’s been a while for me as well.  But that’s definitely what it said.

    It does show why you don’t have to be some kind of foodie or food snob to be underwhelmed by it as any kind of food, let alone as cheese.

  219. 219.

    wjca

    @Eduardo: since you are supposed to know English to be an American citizen, I think it speaks well about the decency and generosity of the American people that they print the ballots in other languages.

    To become an American citizen, perhaps.  (Although there are exceptions, which allow some applicants to use an interpreter.)  But for those born here, there absolutely is no requirement to know English.  Let alone a requirement to be fluent enough to decipher the language used in various ballot propositions — which even us highly educated native speakers find challenging.

  220. 220.

    jimmiraybob

    Why are Harris and Walz on the ballot? I’ve never seen such a blatant case of election interference! Once team Trump-Vance fix things …..

    [I was going to just delete this as too obvious but then decided to go ahead and scream into the void. Feel a little better now. Thanks all around.]

  221. 221.

    Sasha

    Yay, Betty!  In Virginia the party of the previous winner is listed first so Harris/Walz are before Trump.  I hope that translates into a few extra votes.  I voted yesterday.

  222. 222.

    JPL

    GA ballots were mailed out today and hopefully they deliver Jimmy’s soon.     My son and I are going early to stand in line on the 15th.

  224. 224.

    JaneE

    Our ballots should be coming soon.  I still need to go through about half the propositions.  The first ones were easy calls, but now the issues are more complicated (rent control anyone?)

  225. 225.

    Eduardo

    @TBone:

    @wjca:

    I’m in full agreement with printing ballots in minority languages, I am still grateful we do it here.  Not taken it as a given, it is still a generous impulse with the once-stranger you took in.

    Very good point on being able to naturalize without passing the English test/citizenship exam.   As far as the amendment/proposition language,  it doesn’t matter what language the ballot is written, I always have to read about what is in them elsewhere before I fill the ballot.   I am not super smart but doubt most people would be able to read the text at the voting precinct and be sure what they are doing regardless of language.

  228. 228.

    wjca

    @Eduardo: As far as the amendment/proposition language,  it doesn’t matter what language the ballot is written, I always have to read about what is in them elsewhere before I fill the ballot.

    I find the most consistently helpful thing is to read the arguments for and against, and the rebuttals, which included with the election booklet. (Also available in multiple languages.)  Usually most of the propositions have one side or the other immediately identifiable as crazy, ill-intentioned, and/or utterly self-serving.  Leaving just a couple where there are plausible cases on both sides, and effort is required.

  232. 232.

    Ruckus

    @JML:

    Rudy is also 80 yrs old and showing at least a few signs of senility. He’s not one of the few that is going to be reasonable and in his 90s. He’ll be lucky to make it to 90.

    And of course he hasn’t been all that reasonable for over 60 yrs.

  234. 234.

    brantl

    @ArchTeryx:

    Of THAT I completely agree. The best way to make Trump go away permanently is to defeat him at the polls

     

    I suspect it’s going to take burning him in effigy, without the effigy, or throwing water on him, like the Wicked Witch of the West.

  242. 242.

    Gvg

    @Kirk: prefer yes, but it only needs to be .5% to be beyond recount. There are no requested recounts,, only mandatory by law if the margin is .5 or less.

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