Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Since we are repeating ourselves, let me just say fuck that.

The gop is a fucking disgrace.

A thin legal pretext to veneer over their personal religious and political desires.

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

The revolution will be supervised.

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

Shut up, hissy kitty!

Hot air and ill-informed banter

A norm that restrains only one side really is not a norm – it is a trap.

Come on, media. you have one job. start doing it.

Not all heroes wear capes.

The republican speaker is a slippery little devil.

If you are still in the gop, you are either an extremist yourself, or in bed with those who are.

Good lord, these people are nuts.

“The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.”

Trumpflation is an intolerable hardship for every American, and it’s Trump’s fault.

This chaos was totally avoidable.

Dear elected officials: Trump is temporary, dishonor is forever.

If senate republicans had any shame, they’d die of it.

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

Jack Smith: “Why did you start campaigning in the middle of my investigation?!”

When you’re a Republican, they let you do it.

Fear or fury? The choice is ours.

Speaking of republicans, is there a way for a political party to declare intellectual bankruptcy?

You are here: Home / John Cole Presents "This Fucking Old House" / Thursday Night Open Thread

Thursday Night Open Thread

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Mom informed me today that she is lying in bed at night worrying about Trump being elected, and that about sums up the feeling here on the other side of the alley. I’m sure many of you feel that way, and you know what, that’s okay and normal. Good people worry about the things and people they love. It’s patriotic to love your country this much. You’re being a patriot by giving yourself agita.

That’s how we’re fucking framing it from here on out. I’m not freaking out, I’m being a good citizen. Murrica!

In other news, a friend I have known for 25 years said he didn’t know if he could vote for Kamala because of Gaza, and I informed him I would drive to Cleveland, kick his ass, pet his dogs, and go home. So we are all handling this election in our own ways.

***

This is my favorite new Democrat and I know nothing about her other than this (please don’t go milkshake duck on me lady):

Thursday Night Open Thread 15

That’s the sort of can’t do spirit we need. In all seriousness, why the fuck not? I wish more people ran here in WV, because you never know. And you know what else, people don’t always know what they don’t like until they are given a better option, and maybe that Democrat that runs in a district for the first time in twenty years might win.

***

I gotta get up at 5:30 tomorrow to go pick up Joelle’s sister at the airport and drive her to her mother’s, so I am gonna call it a night. Be well.

Reader Interactions

101Comments

  1. 1.

    Chacal Charles Calthrop

    Let me see if this works:

    https://wapo.st/48jVsfC

    this should be a gift link to a WaPo article allowing you to see political donations by zip code. The blogfather’s corner of WV is looking pretty blue

  2. 2.

    zhena gogolia

    WaterGirl spent the whole afternoon trying to buck up our spirits. I guess I’ll log off now.

  3. 3.

    anon

    • “Buckle up, buttercups — the Trump surrogate pitches will only get stupider over the next 10 days.”

    Apparently Mel Gibson has endorsed trump

  4. 4.

    SpaceUnit

    I believe the trump campaign is staggering drunkenly into a buzzsaw.

    I’m looking forward to waking up the morning after Election Day to watch trump’s appearance on Fox News crying and trying to pull Kamala’s shoe out of his ass.

  5. 5.

    Mousebumples

    John Nichols (@NicholsUprising) posted at 0:26 PM on Thu, Oct 24, 2024:

    Wisconsin Republican State Sen. Rob Cowles,the longest currently-serving member of the state Senate, has announced that he’ll vote for Kamala Harris for President. Cowles has deep roots in the GOP, and in Green Bay and the pivotal Fox Valley region.

    This is a very big deal.

    (https://x.com/NicholsUprising/status/1849502642638098567?s=03)

    This is the kind of Republican Liz Cheney can reach.

    I’m still full of anxiety, but deep down, I think we got this.

  7. 7.

    KatKapCC

    @Mousebumples: I keep thinking that for every one Republican officeholder who says they’re voting for her, there are probably a dozen others who are going to as well but are staying quiet about it. We can call them chickens or whatever but I’ll still take their votes.

  8. 8.

    hrprogressive

    Hope you told/tell your friend that if he doesn’t vote for Kamala, there probably won’t be a Gaza left to care about, if Trump, Elon, and the fascist/eschatological right get their way.

    It’s Kamala or Bust, for, you know. Basically Everything.

  9. 9.

    Melancholy Jaques

    Democrat that runs in a district for the first time in twenty years might win.

    Or, in some cases, might increase the total Democratic vote enough to make statewide candidates viable. Okay, probably not in West Virginia right now, but there are places it could help right next door.

  10. 10.

    geg6

    I thought this place was turning into a full-time doomerism site like LGM earlier today, which is mostly why I’ve pretty much stayed away today.  I can’t stand that here, my safe space.  I much prefer this sort of grim determination with a sense of humor.  It’s hard to explain and I’m not sure that sentence captures the feeling but it’s the best I can do.  GOTV!

  13. 13.

    Mousebumples

    @KatKapCC: 100%. I also wonder if this state Senator has been hearing from his voters. Is this the guy running against who we fundraised for? I can’t remember anymore.

    If he’s hearing that constituents are voting Harris, it might be a play to keep his seat..

    Eta – he’s not running for reelection since his seat was un-gerrymandered. (*the why is speculation, I admit)

    https://ballotpedia.org/Robert_Cowles

  15. 15.

    RaflW

    BF and I just did 20 Vote Forward letters, it’s not too late. We’re doing 20 more tomorrow (and I randomly did 5 a few weeks ago). He’s writing the letters, and I have the better penmanship (his is readable, of course) so I address the envelopes, fold, seal and stamp.

    If we breeze through those 20, then 20 more. It’s not over, but doing what we can do – together with lots of others – is what we can do.

    That said, I wake up in a state sometimes at 4 or 5 am.

  18. 18.

    Mousebumples

    @RaflW: thanks for what you do! I’m hoping to write some postcards as we drive to Minnesota tomorrow, and back on Sunday.

    Let’s #GOTV and #VoteBlue2024!

  20. 20.

    frosty

    @geg6: grim determination with a sense of humor

    Seems about right. FSM help me, I’m still wasting my day reading all the comments except for a couple of pies.

  21. 21.

    Paul in Jacksonville

    Cole, the H/W campaign is reaching so many people in so many venues that no one can keep up with it. Especially the circle jerking MSM. SpaceUnit gets it; there are going to be so many unpolled people voting blue that maybe, if we’re lucky, polls will be wiped out of existence.

  22. 22.

    RaflW

    @Mousebumples: I see people around here who’ve done 1000 postcards. I know it’s not a competition, our 45 or 65 or whatever are well above what the median, non-engaged American does so we’re making a difference.

    I think it’d be interesting to do a sound-off thread after the final mailing date for the various projects (Vote Forward, Postcard Patriots, quite a few others) to get even a rough estimate tally of how much the BJ community has stuffed the USPS full of mail!!

  23. 23.

    SpaceUnit

    @Mousebumples:

    Yup.  It’s all bullshit.  I’m going to be up all night on Election Day.  Popcorn and champaign.

     

    Okay, probably beer.  Never really cared for champaign.

    ETA:  And probably peanuts instead of popcorn.

  24. 24.

    Jinchi

    ” I’m not freaking out, I’m being a good citizen.”

    That’s a good one to add to the rotating tag.

  25. 25.

    Steve LaBonne

    Kate Barr is my new hero. I can’t imagine how hard it must be to recruit someone to run in a hopeless district, but it’s so important and she is a true patriot for doing it.

  26. 26.

    realbtl

    My friend and I dropped out ballots at the county seat.   Saw the whole red/blue state dynamic played out in a few miles, city of 35k 5 to 1 Dem yard signs, a couple of miles out of town 90% R.

  27. 27.

    clay

    I just remembered that there was supposed to be a Harris town hall on CNN yesterday, wasn’t there?  Did anyone watch it? How did it go?

  29. 29.

    Pennsylvanian

    “I wish more people ran here in WV, because you never know.”

    John Cole, you are the people you’ve been looking for. If we get all of your friends, every curmudgeon in WV + people that don’t shoot or eat their pets, that could be an organization that turns into a movement!

  31. 31.

    Ken

    @SpaceUnit: I can’t stand the doomers either.  Seriously, what’s the point?

    Win-win situation. If Harris loses, they get to say “I told you so”. If Harris wins, they can say “whew, what a relief, I was a little worried there”.

    Though I should say, #notalldoomers, lest I be accused of denigrating people’s genuine concerns. I understand them, I too have some PTSD over 2016, but I don’t let it dominate my attitude.

  32. 32.

    rk

    I’ve been rooting for a stroke for Trump for a long time now. But I’m beginning to think he’ll probably outlast me. I so want this to end!

  33. 33.

    Edmund Dantes

    My dad always did that in his local state rep election in rural Maine. Didn’t want the town town gun shop guy to run unopposed every time the election came up so he would run as the Democratic ticket if no one else filed.

  35. 35.

    RandomMonster

    I decided I’m not donating more to campaigns when I spent $300+ on postcard postage this week. Now I’m like, “Time to see what happens!”

  37. 37.

    Spanky

    @Chacal Charles Calthrop: I find it very interesting that, down here in a Confederate Maryland county (Calvert) that went for Trump 2:1 over Biden in 2020, Harris has more donors and more money in every zip code.

    I hope that means something.

  38. 38.

    steve g

    I have finished my Oregon ballot and it is ready to drop in a mailbox. I feel like I should be able to submit some billable hours somewhere, it takes some work to sit down and plow through all that.

  40. 40.

    Mousebumples

    @SpaceUnit: I’m not sure if I’ll see be up late. I need to drive to Madison that day for a big work meeting (*always on the first Tuesday of November, sigh, but I’ve been that person, reminding my coworkers to vote early/absentee). So I’ll be tired.

    But if we get good news early… Adrenaline might keep me up.

    Here’s hoping!

  41. 41.

    Spanky

    Also too, Mrs. Spanky and I voted today! The first of an eight-day Early Voting window.

    And I decided who I’m going to dress as for Halloween. I need to buy a pair of bib overalls and a melon to put over my head and go as John Cole.

  43. 43.

    RaflW

    @Mousebumples: Per WI Public Radio, he’s retiring at the end of this term. And not a wild-eyed MAGA.

    [A]s chair of the Legislature’s audit committee, he maintained that the 2020 election was “largely safe and secure,” discounting allegations from Trump and allies that there had been wide widespread fraud that lost him Wisconsin and other key swing states.

    He does acknowledge that he may face some personal risk for this, and that he maybe shoulda made his Harris endorsement earlier. I’ll take what we can get on this one.

    I’m guessing the GOPer running to replace him is a complete chud. (And alas the Dem seems to be nearly invisible?)

  44. 44.

    Betty

    Wall Street Journal is reporting that Elon Musk has been in regular contact with Putin since 2022. Should be interesting to see how much coverage this story gets.

  45. 45.

    S Cerevisiae

    Two more early Minnesota votes in the bank for team blue! Quick and easy in the heart of Minneapolis and extremely efficient, the positive energy is real!

  48. 48.

    Mary

    I believe that angry women will make a huge difference in this election.  Especially young women.  And this latest polling feels a lot like the red wave stuff in 2022. And look how that turned out.

  51. 51.

    Ohio Mom

    @Chacal Charles Calthrop: A caveat about that map: it lists *on-line* donations.

    I looked up the gazillionaire suburb around here, the City of the Village of Indian Hill (zip code 45243), and it’s light blue, with many more online donations going to Harris (though the smaller number of Trump donations raised $100k more)

    But those numbers are dwarfed by the money raised at events like the diner hosted by the Farmer family in their mansion (Cintas Corp) and headlining Vance earlier this year. Gazillionaires write checks, they funnel their money all different ways, they do not go online to make their contributions.

    That said, I was proud to see my middle-class zip code was dark blue.

  52. 52.

    Mousebumples

    @RaflW: I think his district is different. He’s District 2,but District 30 will be Green Bay with the Dem we supported in the recent Wisconsin state thermometer!

    Yay, new maps! Maybe it’ll flip!

  57. 57.

    Mousebumples

    @Mousebumples: full writeup on the new District 30 –

    https://civicmedia.us/news/2024/9/17/senate-district-30

    D: Jamie Wall

    R: Jim Rafter

    Green Bay and Brown County are going to be enormously consequential parts of the 2024 state legislative elections. There are two close Assembly races projected for the region, and District 30 will be a highly competitive race.

    It will also be an open seat, with incumbent State Sen. Eric Wimberger moving to District 2, a heavily GOP-leaning district, and a more clear path for him to remain in the Senate. In fact, the new maps drew three Republican state senators into District 30 — Wimberger, Andre Jacque and Robert Cowles — but interestingly, none of them will be running in this district in 2024.

    Instead, the Republican running here is Jim Rafter, who has served as the Village President of Allouez for the past eight years, and has served on the Village Board since 2014. Rafter has been a longtime advocate of closing the Green Bay Correctional Institution, saying it “has exhausted its lifespan and cannot provide those inside with the tools necessary to navigate a return to society.” He was part of a coalition who went to the State Capitol in April, urging the closure of the 126-year-old prison.

    Democrat Jamie Wall is a business consultant who helped form New North, a regional economic development organization in Brown County and Northeast Wisconsin. He serves as the vice president of the Green Bay Water Commission and is a past board member of the Wisconsin 4-H Foundation and the Clean Wisconsin Action Fund. In 2012, Wall ran for Congress, losing to Republican incumbent Reid Ribble, 56% to 44%.

    CNalysis: Tilt D (FLIP)

    Proj. margin: D+3

    Modeled 2022 outcome: D+5.3

    The link also has some video interviews with the candidates.

  59. 59.

    JoyceH

    @hrprogressive: No Gaza? Of course there will be a Gaza. It will consist of beautiful luxury seaside resorts and condominiums, owned and operated by Kushner Inc. And the few surviving Gazans will still be there, gainfully employed tending bar, waiting tables, and providing maid service.

  60. 60.

    Mousebumples

    @RaflW: no worries! I was digging into the changes for $$ research last week. I should see if I can find the writeup for your friend…

  62. 62.

    Mousebumples

    @Mousebumples:

    https://civicmedia.us/news/2024/9/19/2024-wisconsin-state-legislature-voter-guide-assembly-district-43

    D: Brienne Brown

    R: Scott Johnson*

    This is another Dane County-adjacent district where Democrats have a clear advantage. This district includes all of the city of Whitewater. Under previous maps, there was a line drawn right down the middle of the UW-Whitewater campus, creating two Republican districts.

    The Republican running here is Scott Johnson, more of a moderate, who bucked the party when he won a primary in 2022, criticizing the state GOP over not accepting the outcome of the 2020 election. He won an extremely close race in 2022, by less than 300 votes over Democrat Don Vruwink. Before his term in the Assembly, Johnson served on the Fort Atkinson School board for 15 years, including as board president. In the Assembly, he is the Vice-Chair of the Committee on Consumer Protection.

    The Democratic candidate here is Brienne Brown, who has served three terms on the Whitewater Common Council. She also served on the Whitewater Library Board for more than a decade, and on the board of nonprofit Downtown Whitewater. She also worked at the Whitewater Community Foundation. Brown ran for Assembly in 2022, losing to District 31 representative Ellen Schutt.

    CNalysis: Very Likely D

    Proj. margin: D+16

    Modeled 2022 outcome: D+11.7

    Also has some candidate interviews.

    She is hopefully in good shape to win!

  63. 63.

    Mousebumples

    Anyhow, we’re heading out early tomorrow, so I’m out for the night. Let’s GOTV and run up the score!

  64. 64.

    scav

    @Mousebumples: You’re probably a decent person,  but at the same time, here is a profound and and deeply meant fuck you for your blithe lumping together of those with expressed concerns about this election and russian bots determined to throw it.  I mean, how dare a jackal not leap to attention and put on the mandatory smiley emoji face demanded by the sunshine patrol convinced that our moods determine the outcomes of global events.    I sincerely hope that was just a little rhetorical venting on your part but still.  That was profoundly insulting.

  65. 65.

    stacib

    @SpaceUnit: I’ve already scheduled a vacation day for November 6th.  I’m anticipating a lot of happiness (joy) around here, and I want to be here for every single post.

  67. 67.

    SpaceUnit

    @mrmoshpotato:

    Where champaign is concerned I’m like Tom Hanks in the movie Big:

    I don’t get it.  It’s a bug that turns into a building?  Where’s the fun in that?

  68. 68.

    NotMax

    @SpaceUnit

    Fine vintage champagne (the high $$$ stuff) is liquid bliss. Instead of the inexpensive brands I prefer a refreshing very well-chilled Prosecco.

  76. 76.

    cain

    @rk:

    Imagine if he had a stroke a week before election day. A whole bunch of people will accuse God of election interference.

  81. 81.

    mrmoshpotato

    @cain: Orange Shitstain hasn’t had multiple strokes throughout the decades?  His fat, orange, fascist brain has been shit since at least the Nixon administration.

  82. 82.

    Gravenstone

    • Had an interesting experience tonight. Got notification of a text my phone had blocked as spam. On a whim I decided to answer it. It was a poll invite from an outfit calling themselves Clear Insight. Answered questions about my choice for President, Senator, a proposed amendment to our state constitution and my age cohort. All of a sudden it says “Thanks. We’ve had enough responses from your profile” and kicked me out. Unless they decided they’d had enough answers from olds,  they were pretty clearly filtering to get predetermined results. Just an example of the scammy fucks trying to flood the zone right now.
  83. 83.

    Steve in the ATL

    @RaflW:
     

    I know it’s not a competition

    EVERYTHING IS A COMPETITION!

    Or maybe I’ve just been a lawyer too long….

  85. 85.

    Jinchi

    @Gravenstone: Interesting, I’ve gotten two calls from them myself in the last 3 days, which seems weird for a polling firm. I’ve rejected the call both times, as I typically do with numbers I don’t recognize.

  86. 86.

    bjacques

    @kissel: er, thanks?

    The person in their essay repeats a lot of the Horseshoe Left horseshit about RIGGED!!1! Democratic primaries and Rapey Joe, and their story about midnight in the latrines is a good reminder that the KPD’s attitude of “nach Hitler, Uns” is partly how the concentration camp they landed in came about in the first place.

    But their vote is appreciated and may even make a difference if they live in a swing district, if not a swing state. Welcome aboard. Here’s an oar.

  93. 93.

    Barry

    @JoyceH: “And the few surviving Gazans will still be there, gainfully employed tending bar, waiting tables, and providing maid service.”

     

    IMHO, Trumanyahu will ‘clean sweep’ Gaza.  The maids and servants will be from far, far away.

  95. 95.

    Eric

    • @bjacques: the writer of this essay is a fairly famous poet and writer who is originally from Puerto Rico. My point in sharing it is that there are ways to frame the election to get people on the far left to vote for Kamala and I thought this might help.
  99. 99.

    brantl

    @scav: Oh, for god’s sake, pull that stick out of your ass, and put it somewhere the rest of us don’t have to smell it, instead of waving it around in the air, OK? JFCOAC.

  100. 100.

    Betsy

    That NC Senate candidate Kate Barr is amazing.

    I’m a firm believer that people don’t know what they like, they like what they know.

    And you’re right — we should always run a candidate to give them something to know and like.  Rock on!

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