Do you look or feel like this?
And not from fretting, or from reading social media. If so, thank you for everything you have done.
How about the rest of you? Is there anything else you can do? A canvass shift. Phone calls for ballot curing. Text banking.
Having a conversation with a neighbor. Sharing something compelling with someone who is wobbly. Taking food to a campaign office.
Anything?
NO REGRETS.
Let’s keep this thread about what you have done, what you are doing, and opportunities for folks who want to do…
Just. One. More. Thing.
JML
I’m working my union members. Union households should go 100% for Harris, but there’s also a lot of that “wishing for an easier time” BS and lack of understanding that the reason things are tough on their household is management keeps their wages down and who does TFG support? The bosses.
They say our day is over; they say our time is through,
They say you need no union if your collar isn’t blue,
Well that is just another lie the boss is telling you,
For the Union makes us strong!
Avalie
Canvassing in Yuma today and tomorrow. Will be in Nevada Monday and Tuesday. Keeping myself busy to avoid the worrying.
Tony Jay
As a foreign type who doesn’t own a global news and entertainment corporation I can’t actually – do – much of anything to help, but I have made the effort to sacrifice a passing stranger to the Blood God and said all the necessary rites to harness battle-luck to the Harris/Walz campaign.
So there’s that.
Omnes Omnibus
Canvassing in Madison today. The margin of victory in WI averaged out to three votes per precinct in 2020. Every little bit helps.
dc
Canvassing today and tomorrow and maybe Monday too.
Shana
I took a meal to the Vindman office on Thursday: flank steak, homemade rice a roni, green beans and a homemade cake. And will be at my polling place all day Tuesday
Anoniminous
From the Great Orange Satan
GOP Early Voters Jumping Ship: Battleground State Defection Rates
Another indication we’re looking at a Harris landslide.
frosty
Leaving for another canvassing shift in an hour or so. Looking forward to seeing if this year’s GOTV is better than 2008, when they told me they’d already covered all the walk lists by the time I showed up.
Unusually, I’m not consumed with introvert dread this time! Too many positive waves (Moriarty)??
Cheryl from Maryland
@Tony Jay: Perhaps you could also get a new demon to finish the job on Tucker Carlson? I don’t understand why the one who attacked him (per Tucker) couldn’t finish the job. I guess it is true that no one wants to work anymore.
As for me, I’ll be canvassing for Alsobrooks Sunday and Monday.
TBone
@Tony Jay: thank you for your service.
Frankensteinbeck
@Anoniminous:
I can’t find data on what the normal rate of crossover voting is, dang it. That’s incredibly encouraging in Michigan.
EDIT – The total seems to be going our way, anyway. I think that’s what they’re measuring here, the balance of swing rather than individual defections, so that’s nice.
rekoob
@Anoniminous: The Iowa Electronic Markets would agree:
iemweb.biz.uiowa.edu/market/2024-u-s-presidential-election-markets/
Unlike Polymarket, IEM has been around for a while and is not as easily manipulated by non-US actors.
Voted early (Delaware), wrote postcards for Matt Cartwright (PA-08), gave to thermometers (go Jon Tester! Go Four Directions!). Feeling sanguine.
WaterGirl
Just heard back from the head of field organizing for Dan Osborn.
Phonebanks:
Daily Statewide Phonebank: mobilize.us/s/D6IYuZ
Election day Statewide Phonebank: mobilize.us/s/1uJwMz
la caterina
Just checked in with my family group text to make sure we’ve all voted. It looks good.
WaterGirl
@Omnes Omnibus:
Holy shit, Batman!
That’s crazy! (in an inspiring way)
Tony Jay
@Anoniminous:
Am I reading that right? Around a quarter of GOP voters in Michigan and Arizona might flip to vote Democratic. Smaller but still substantial chunks in the other swing states?
Those are big numbers. Those are the kinds of numbers the corporate media could only dream of reporting in Stench/Snowball ‘24’s favour.
Msb
I’ve been dealing with my anxiety by trying to do one thing for democracy every day, focusing largely on overseas voters (like me), giving info and advice on how they can vote this year. Vote from Abroad has been going a great job, but so have the Federal Voting Assistance Program and the US Vote Foundation, as well as my much smaller group.
I have a question. I still have a few bucks for donation, and wonder where they will be most useful. I have heard about an outfit called Ride2Share to give domestic voters rides to the polls. Are they legit? Any other useful GOTV groups? (I do know about the BJ thermometers.)
Anoniminous
@Cheryl from Maryland:
Impossible to invoke high quality demons these days. Slackers show up, do a half hearted job, and then start playing games on their iPhones.
(Wi-Fi in Hell is – well – hellish)
I blame Obama.
WaterGirl
@Anoniminous:
What does this mean?
la caterina
@WaterGirl: Thanks for the tip! He’ll be my last contribution and I can phonebank tomorrow and election day. We gotta leave it all on the road, as they say.
Omnes Omnibus
@WaterGirl:
Obviously the votes are not evenly distributed, but every vote we can pick up in Madison and Milwaukee makes up for one we don’t get somewhere else.
Kristine
@rekoob:
Also wrote postcards for Cartwright as well as Sherrod Brown and Georgia (Postcards to Swing States). Gave $$.
I like postcarding. I hope it helps as much as I’ve heard it does—every %age point helps.
BlueGuitarist
Virtual phone-banking today (12:30-3) and Election Day (3-5) for one of our Pennsylvania State House Candidates, Hadley Haas
mobilize.us/mobilize/event/676631/
Democrats have a 1-seat majority in the state house, which includes a Biden -29 district.
Hadley’s district, PAH-44, is a super swing district — overlaps a swing state senate seat and swing US House seat, in a swing state in the Electoral College and US Senate.
Each voter there can cast 8 different votes in swing elections up and down the ballot:
For the swing district candidates:
Hadley Haas, to flip PA-House 44
Nicole Ruscitto, to flip PA-Senate 37 (Ruh see toe)
Chris Deluzio to hold US House PA-17.
And, like every voter in Pennsylvania, 5 swing statewide votes:
for electors for Kamala & Tim
Bob Casey for US Senate
Eugene DePasquale for Attorney General (D open seat)
Malcolm Kenyatta for Auditor (vs R incumbent)
Erin McClelland for Treasurer (vs R incumbent).
Unlike her Republican opponent, Hadley is pro-public safety, pro-public education, pro-environment, pro-union, pro-reproductive freedom, pro-LGBTQ+ equality, and pro-children.
Hadley has an impressive array of endorsements. Getting out the vote for her will boost the rest of the Democratic ticket in this Democratic-trending area in Western Allegheny County, around the Pittsburgh airport.
Hadley says, “Knocking doors is my favorite part of campaigning”
here she is canvassing with Kerry Washington and Brian Tyree Henry
x.com/Hbeckhaas/status/1851784032864080041
(Sorry for twitter link)
Based on their campaign websites, most candidates for state legislature seem to be on twitter and/or Facebook, sometimes Instagram; have seen one candidate (the oldest one i’m following closely) is also on TikTok.
Has anyone seen state legislative candidates on BlueSky, Mastodon, etc.?
One of our PA state senate candidates, Jim Wertz, has virtual phonebanking most of the day Tuesday. Will add info later.
Love all y’all
Anoniminous
@Tony Jay:
These aren’t 2020 GOP votes who might vote. These are 2020 GOP voters who have already voted Harris.
Warning: given the problems with polling we need to see this as only an indication of some voting behavior not a prediction of all future voting behavior.
realbtl
I just realized here in MT there have been no TCFG ads and almost no pro-Sheehy. All R ads are aimed at tearing down Tester. Flipping MT (unlikely but a boy can hope) would be the cherry on top of the icing on the cake.
WaterGirl
I am pretty sure that watching this over and over and over does not count as taking action.
Anoniminous
@WaterGirl:
Voters who voted for Trump in 2020 and who have now actually voted for Harris
KatKapCC
@WaterGirl: I don’t know why, but the accent makes it even better.
BeautifulPlumage
Canvassing in the rain today & tomorrow in my blue state to run up the numbers & help down ballot races!
Tony Jay
@Anoniminous:
I see. Those are large numbers.
WaterGirl
@WaterGirl: Great quotes from the short clip above (from commenter BR)
.
followed by…
We would only see that kind of coverage on a late night comedy show. I don’t know who the Australia guy is – maybe it’s a late night show there?
Captain C
@Cheryl from Maryland:
Tucker won’t admit it, but by ‘attacked’ he meant ‘seduced’ and he was a very willing participant.
WaterGirl
@Anoniminous: How can they KNOW that? These people have access to individual voter records?
eclare
Anecdata: I just ran some errands, including the liquor store, and the manager there (he’s been there for years) softly said to me, “I need to remember to order more champagne for next week.” So we got to talking, he feels pretty good about our chances too. I told him that I wrote postcards to NC, and he gave me a high five.
Here’s hoping he sells out of 🍾
Captain C
@Tony Jay:
Is ‘snowball’ a British term for couchfucking?
Anoniminous
@WaterGirl:
3Sice
#TrumpIsGoingDown
WaterGirl
@Anoniminous: Sorry, reading comprehension.
Tony Jay
@Captain C:
Animal Farm reference. Most famous quote, “Four legs good.”
Seemed apt for a couchfucker.
Anoniminous
@WaterGirl:
No problem.
What I’d like to know is the man/woman percentage break. My guess is most of them are women but …. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
IF they are mostly women that COULD favor us taking the House and holding the Senate.
But no real way of finding out. Have to wait for Tuesday.
the pollyanna from hell
Summerville, GA, Kamala signs in town. I’m not alone!
oldgold
Last night Trump may have been at his weirdest. At a rally in Wisconsin he ranted and raved about a poorly performing microphone for 4 straight minutes. During this unhinged tirade he once again drifted into violent rhetoric by threatening the technicians with physical violence: “Fix the mic huh. You gotta be kidding. Do you want to see me knock the hell out of people backstage?” Then, unbelievably, he simulated oral sex with the microphone.
How can this be close?
BlueGuitarist
@Tony Jay:
@Anoniminous:
The Michigan numbers are very large!
Partisan defection rates 2016 and 2020 were under 10%, (as in both Obama elections).
Frankensteinbeck
@BlueGuitarist:
If I’m reading this correctly, this is net rather than raw partisan defection, so that’s a big deal. There’s always a significant number of side switchers, but they usually even out.
Steve LaBonne
Deep gratitude to all the people knocking, calling, and postcarding.
Frankensteinbeck
@oldgold:
I am told that 55%-45% has historically been about the limit in even the most one-sided blowouts in 2 party American presidential elections. The partisanship seems ingrained in the American soul. It’s always close, no matter how wildly uneven the match up.
Joe Falco
I had a knock at the door this morning by a Harris/Walz canvasser. I informed the gentleman that we had already voted but thanked him anyway. We’re not leaving any stone unturned!
KatKapCC
@oldgold:
Actually, yes. I would love to see him make that attempt. I would pay to see that decrepit sack of fetid meat try to land one single hit on someone.
Steve LaBonne
The Guardian has a story about the possibility that pollsters are herding their results towards a tie to cover their asses. I’ve seen people like Josh Marshall talk about this but seeing it in a mainstream publication is new.
zhena gogolia
@oldgold: I, on the other hand, watched Kamala’s rally in La Chute, WI. I was so heartened by the audience response. There are a lot of good people in this country!
As for what I’ve done:
I’ve been on a monthly contribution for a year (went from Biden to Harris upon transition).
300 postcards to Nevada.
Yard sign.
I can’t say I’ve evangelized, since everyone I know is voting or has voted for Harris, except for one couple who should know better but are impervious.
Oh, and I sent a contribution to Chris Murphy yesterday.
Harrison Wesley
In fairness to Vance, he only signed on due to a misunderstanding when they told him he’d be working under a lazy boy.
zhena gogolia
@Joe Falco: We had a nice man and woman come to the door this morning. They were happy to see our reception — they said they’re doing union people, but one of our union neighbors didn’t want to talk to them. Sigh.
lowtechcyclist
@Frankensteinbeck:
Yeppers. In the post-WWII era, only Ike (1956), (fuck) LBJ (1964), and Reagan (1984) have won by 11% or more. That’s it.
K-Mo
Right on! Just finished up another canvassing stint, 88 doors knocked. With my NO REGRETS. t shirt on!
MagdaInBlack
@oldgold: I am convinced he has added alcohol to his drug regimen. I know the story is he doesn’t drink, but that door handle ” miss and stagger” sure looked like a drunk to me. And his way of “growling” his words when he speaks these threats now, also seem……drunk speak.
Just sayin’
eclare
@Harrison Wesley:
Hahaha…
PAM Dirac
@Frankensteinbeck:
They have the partisan breakdown of the early voters and the polling to (somewhat) get how the total vote goes, so you can make some assumptions to estimate how the various groups voted. I’ve seen examples where registered Ds made up ~44% of the voters, but Harris was getting ~60% of the vote. The calc I saw assumes ~5% D defection and then looks at what kinds of R defection and “other” Harris voting rates will give the observed Harris totals. IIRC even “others” going 60-70% for Harris means R defections of 15-20%. Of course it might mean “others” are going 100% for Harris, but that doesn’t seem plausible. Anyway, the numbers do point to significant votes for Harris coming from non-D sources.
Anoniminous
@BlueGuitarist:
We know women are going for Harris. Even the lying sacks of shit scumbags in the Right Wing Noise Machine admit women are going for Harris.
Like.
Bigly.
We know Trump is leading the GOP crucial white women only by 2% compared to 9% in 2020. We know women are dominating early voting in general 54 percent to 44 percent men. We know in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Georgia and North Carolina there is at least a 10-point gap between men and women in the early voting.
So the defection numbers are consistent with what we know about 2024 women voters in general but I don’t have any specifics telling us these early voters ARE women switching.
Betsy
I am currently out knocking doors in NC – at the moment taking 5 for a quick lunch break in my car, thought I’d to check in at BJ while I am munching.
Hello fellow volunteers!
TBone
@3Sice: love it, after yesterday’s display at the mic.
Misswhatsis
I got this text from a friend this morning:
”I plan to phone bank for Kamala in PA this PM. I asked my friends and family to do the same.
Thanks for your conversation and support on this. We’re doing what little we can.
We wanna avoid any untoward surprise Wednesday morning.
🙃😊🌹🌹🕊️🍀🍀”
He had planned to not vote for Kamala because of Gaza. I spent about hour on the phone with him in several sessions.
Keep talking to your friends!!
Ceci n est pas mon nym
@Anoniminous: I didn’t even know till I read it here this morning that the TFG campaign was whooping it up, thinking they’d won, because there were so many Republican early voters.
Number 1, there are a lot more Democratic early voters than Republican.
Number 2, have they forgotten the Republican primary and how many votes their guy didn’t get, even when he was unopposed?
Number 3, in every state I’ve checked (I like the Election Lab’s early voting tracker) women outnumber men early voters 55-45%. It’s remarkable how repeatable that stat is. And somehow I doubt that voting for TFG is what is motivating those large numbers of women.
Number 4, and we didn’t know this till the last week, people who claimed not to have made up their minds are breaking overwhelmingly for Harris-Walz according to everything I’m reading.
ArchTeryx
@Tony Jay: Blood for the blood god! Skulls for the skull throne! All hail Khorne!
TBone
@MagdaInBlack: either that or Seroquel
eclare
@Betsy:
Yay you!
Ceci n est pas mon nym
@Tony Jay: Conservative I hope?
Betsy
@frosty: hey fellow door-knocker 👋 In my rural county we have been canvassing for weeks and currently have 7 or more canvassers out today.
I’ve already flushed out 2-3 voters on my walk list who “planned to vote early” and were surprised to learn early voting ends today at 3.
catclub
@Anoniminous: like they say: Important if true!
Ceci n est pas mon nym
@WaterGirl:
I think it’s exit polling data. So the info comes from the voters themselves.
As always, it’s a poll only of people who are willing to talk to pollsters. But I choose to believe based on nothing in particular that exit polling is a more unbiased sample than people who answer the phone for pollsters.
catclub
well done!
dc
@Betsy:
I’m about to go out in Durham. The more we can run up the Durham vote, the better for Dems in the state.
3Sice
The campaign got stuck in concrete after the debate. He says and does crazy shit at the rallies he shows up for, damage control next morning on FOX makes it worse, rinse, repeat.
He neded another debate, but that was off the table, so they have been fishing about for anything analogous (Rogan, MSG) to change the narrative.
Fail.
catclub
There are also reports of early voters in districts that had a lot of Haley voters in the GOP primary.
Harris has been putting tremendous effort into convincing those voters for a reason.
Omnes Omnibus
I am leaving to go canvass now.
H.E.Wolf
I wrote postcards right up until the mailing deadline last Tuesday, inspired by everyone who’s been reporting their totals.
I’ve been doing a few hours of data entry from home for our state Democratic Party, every day. In this year’s database, I’ve probably done 10K entries or thereabouts. Apparently I’m something akin to the ghost in the machine for the Field Organizers. :)
Last Monday I brought cookies to the campaign office.
Two days ago, I walked one of the staff members at my optician through the process of getting her son registered to vote at his first year of college in a different state.
This morning, I asked the very nice, politically-disengaged person at the deli counter (whom I’d asked last week also) if they had voted yet. “No….” So I asked in a friendly way, shall I come in on Monday and buy something at the deli, so I can ask you again?
Yes, I understand the assignment! Run through the tape…..
Almost Retired
Heading out to my cousin’s place in Palm Springs to canvas in the desert. Such a sacrifice…..
kalakal
@Cheryl from Maryland:
I think he was attacked by his portrait
Been assisting mrs kalakal with letters to voters – my handwritings appalling so we had a little production line she wrote, I did the rest
206inKY
Doing more GOTV canvassing here in KY. Won’t impact federal elections, but Amendment 2 would destroy public education, we have a true moron running for school board, and the Dem slate for city government is great this year. The more we build outside Louisville, the stronger the foundation when Mitch’s seat is up for grabs.
ETA: We can sleep when we’re dead!!!
Anoniminous
@Ceci n est pas mon nym:
The only campaign tactic the Republicans have left is lying. Expect more of it over the weekend and into Tuesday.
munira
I’ve given what money I can give – not a lot – but I also helped a friend organize postcard parties and we wrote 1700 postcards. My daughter-in-law flew to Arizona yesterday (from Seattle) to spend the weekend knocking on doors for Kamala, but I suppose I can’t take credit for that.
Ruckus
@KatKapCC:
That style of speech can make it seem like the person speaking has a clear view of the situation and is very plainly speaking the truth. English v American speech often has that effect. And yes I saw he is Australian – I mean the use of the English language. They speak English – we speak American. The words are the same – mostly, but the delivery just sounds, is different.
Anoniminous
@catclub:
Another indication to add to the stack!
kalakal
@WaterGirl: Thank you for that! Hilarious
Ruckus
@Anoniminous:
Shitforbrains is his own worst enemy. He has zero control over himself and he really isn’t all that and a loaf of bread. (Very old saying I believe I first heard over 65 yrs ago) His humanity has left the ship, I’d say over 70 yrs ago. He is all about himself and really has not one iota about what that means, other than he believes the world rotates around the stick stuck up his exit orifice. Unwarranted self assurance, delivered in a completely asinine manner, never really goes over well. As he proves on a minute by minute basis.
Another Scott
Meanwhile, …
(Emphasis added.)
Good, good. Run up the score!!
Forward!!
Thanks everyone, for all you’re doing. It’s important!
Cheers,
Scott.
Ruckus
@oldgold:
How can this be close?
I believe that is mainly because not everyone over 18 is a grown up adult. Some at 75 or above are not grown up adults. Their level of self importance is higher than the highest mountain. trump is one of them. He pretty much displays pompous, very unearned arrogance 24/7.
Actually that’s all he displays.
ArchTeryx
@WaterGirl: “Make America Garbage Again.” Gives the term “MAGAt” a whole new meaning, doesn’t it? 🤣🤣🤣
KatKapCC
@Ruckus: There are indeed many people who only grow up biologically.
CatFacts
Forgive me if this has been posted before, but I thought this was an interesting thread about women (mostly white) who are afraid to tell their husbands they support Harris. The author acknowledges the social pressures these women are under while also calling out systemic misogyny and white supremacy.
threadreaderapp.com/thread/1852070921756119231.html
Nelle
All the Harris-Walz signs in our neighborhood were stolen overnight. My husband had bought one that said Veteran for Kamala and he is pissed. So much for Thank you for your service.
Ruckus
@MagdaInBlack:
People who are mentally aging out seem to act out in a few ways. For some it is the background understanding that they are no longer the person they always assumed they were. (What’s that old saying about assuming?) They never were/are who they thought they were, they just thought that. shitforbrains is the prime example of someone who thinks that way, and has been most of his life. He’s well educated, grew up with money (which only bought him arrogance) and has all the skills of a cast iron skillet and none of the usefulness.
Tony Jay
@ArchTeryx:
All Hail Khorne
And his massive horn
He’s the bestest God
‘Cos he’s been in porn
@Ceci n est pas mon nym:
Bit of an uncomfortable subject. You see, the Blood God requires at least the trace of a soul…
ArchTeryx
@Tony Jay: Can you tell I’m a Warhammer 40K fan?
It’s funny, because I have the miniature painting skills of a chimpanzee that ate a bottle of pot gummies. But the tactical aspects of the game always appealed to me. The lore is pretty deep, but like most such games, it’s less important – and interesting – than the actual gameplay.
Tony Jay
@ArchTeryx:
An old friend used to work for Games Workshop and would bring painted sets around of an evening to hone his skills for when he had to show kids at the store how to play. Turned out getting his arse handed to him repeatedly by yours truly and borrowed troops of Orks and (Epic sized) Eldar wasn’t the practice he was thinking of. I enjoyed it, though.
The boy recently went to a Warhammer painting session with Scouts and developed an interest in getting a Necron army. My wallet is cringing at the prospect.
Ruckus
@Nelle:
As a veteran myself I’ve found that some people think veterans are people who were stupid enough to risk their lives for their country and deserve nothing positive for being stupid enough to do that. It seems to me that this is not an insignificant number of citizens. It is possible that things have changed or that it actually is an insignificant number. I wouldn’t count on it.
Argiope
Today, I’m virtually handholding someone doing her first phone bank shift ever. Tomorrow I’m door knock canvassing for Brown again. On Monday, I’m doing the Dem voter protection hotline. Tuesday I’m a credentialed D poll observer for 15 hours. From Wednesday to Saturday, I imagine I will be doing shifts for ballot curing. Thanks to everyone who is door-knocking and doing things! We are an awesome amazing team, y’all.
citizen dave
@Nelle: That is terrible–sorry you had to experience tangible action from one of these MAGAts. Hopefully someone has some doorbell footage, etc.
I’m seeing an opportunity for a sign-security product. Some kind of locking–dug-deep thing with lights to light up the sign at night, and a howling alarm if anyone messes with it. (Or maybe an apple airtag)
E.
@citizen dave: Or just a sticker that says, “Protected by SignAlert(TM) Political Sign Anti-Theft Device.” (A lot cheaper.)
wmd
I’ve been phone banking daily. Not going to stop, and not going back.
A couple of good calls restores morale – it was a tonic to have a young woman in Nevada pick up as I was leaving the voting info voicemail. She didn’t want to say who she voted for, I said that since I was working for Kamala and getting no feedback (90% voicemail) that my morale was flagging. She immediately told me she had early voted for Kamala, and that the young folks in her posse (she didn’t use this word, I’m taking poetic license) were all fired up and organized. I told her she had just recharged my resolve – I’m an old man and feminist and we can’t go back, and now I’m ready to leave more voicemails.
The previous day one to an older man in Georgia – he had already voted for Kamala and declined to volunteer – he is a disabled vet and is trying to get health issues handled. I thanked him and said he has two fantastic senators that might be able to help him with the VA – that Rev Warnock should have his back.
Those quality calls remind us why we stay in it.
JPL
For those that are skeptical about the mic, reember that he did hump a flag?
Betsy
@dc: absolutely. And we are out here in the red “sticks” keeping our loss margins down so you can swamp us 👍 !
Geminid
@BlueGuitarist: Washington DC all-news station WTOP had an interesting report on Virginia’s 2nd CD race. A Christopher Newport University poll showed Democrat Missy Cotter Smazol only one 54percentage point behind Republican Rep. Jen Kiggans in the Virginia Beach-centered district. I think the CNU/Wason Center poll taken a month ago showed Smazol down by 4 points, so the trend here could be significant.
Elaine Luria flipped the 2nd in 2018, then lost to Kiggans in 2022. Luria, Kiggans and Smazal are all1ß retired Navy officers. The district is full of active and retired military and Democrats are pounding Kiggans hard on a vote last year to cut Veterans Administration funding. WTOP played a clip from an ad slamming Kiggans’ vote and reported Kiggans’ defense, which is that in the end no funds were actually cut despite her voting to cut them.
That vote was an unforced error on Kraven McCarthy’s part. It came during the Debt Ceiling fight in Spring of 2023. Republicans wanted to show what big spending hawks they were by passing a budget bill with 14% cuts for everybody but the Department of Defense.
Republicans realized how bad cutting VA funding looked, so a few days later they passed another budget that exempted the VA. That might have been too late for Kiggans though.
And ultimately McCarthy caved on the Debt Ceiling, so they never really cut anything, just talked big.
The Virginia 2nd CD is rated R+2; Kiggans won it by a little under 4 points in 2022 (I think), so it will be worth watching Election night .
Ruckus
Just got back from voting.
When I checked in someone seemingly had voted for me. I’ve heard this is a problem this year, and I have a more common name than I would have expected but still, this is the first day of voting at my nearest voting place. I have 3 other locations I could have used, only one of which was open prior to today and my name is not that unusual but I’ve never seen/been told this when checking in to vote.
I wouldn’t mind being a member of the firing squad if the person is ever found and was actually using my name. I’ve never been arrested, haven’t had a ticket in decades, have only had one in my almost 60 yrs of driving, I’ve served my country during a war, I’ve voted since the first day I was able. Had to show my DL to check in and that verifies name and address. So it is possible that someone with the same name is registered in a county with an over 9 million population. I did get to vote, a provisional ballot. If I’ve been screwed I will likely remain pissed the rest of my life. BTW I am the II, have the same name as dad. Have told this here before but dad was in the Shiners and was on a trip to Las Vegas for a big “meeting” and another man sat down and introduced himself. Same name as dad, had a son also the second, not junior. Middle initial same but different name and son was also the II, rather than Jr. They lived 2-3 miles from us. I’ve seen others with my same name in the USN. I was told in school that my name was not seen all that often. Teachers may have been misinformed. It was well before computers and the internet. Oh well with over 345 million of us and living in a county with well over 9 million people, I imagine not all that unusual.
Geminid
@Geminid: Two corrections. Christopher Newport University’s mid-September poll showed Democrat Missy Cotter Smazal trailing Rep. Kiggans by 5 points; the poll CNU just released showed Kiggans trailing by 1 point, 46-45% with 8% still undecided.
And the Republican budget bill Kiggans voted the Spring of 2023 would have cut Veterans Administration funding by 22%, not 14%.
Ruckus
@Geminid:
As a vet that uses the VA, this kind of crap pisses me off. We got crap pay even back the 50+ yrs ago I was in the military, and because I actually worked till I was 72 I had to pay to use the VA. I think the health care I get is first rate and at this time my health care is paid for. I can imagine that if vets that use the VA found out some politician who never served, rather likely actually, is trying to destroy it or at least cut the budget massively, that will not go over well. And sure my perspective is biased a bit but still, I’ve seen folks at the VA who really don’t have an alternative and need healthcare in ways unlike much of the general population. And it’s more than body parts missing, or damaged, I’ve seen levels of need for mental heath in some more than physical. (As stated here prior I was a trained mental health counselor a few decades ago and some I’ve seen at the VA make anyone or anything I saw there pale in comparison. I have stories. I doubt anyone wants them shared.)
Shana
@KatKapCC: Landing a punch on a Teamster backstage? I’d almost pay to see that.
What I don’t hear anyone talking about is the fact that in addition to field organizers on our side, the vast majority of our canvassers are volunteers but the Rs need to pay people to do it, and get piss poor results out of the effort.
Ruckus
@realbtl:
All things considered, I’d bet that republicans really don’t want djt but really don’t seem to have any other choice. Which of course means they really have zero choice for any actual leadership.
I often wonder why anyone is a republican these days because 1. They really have zero policies other than NO. 2. They really have zero candidates – I mean shitforbrains – really? 3. I’m an old, no not super old, just old, and really cannot see any rational reason for the rethuglican party any longer. I have been around politics before I could vote – I turned 21 before the age was lowered to 18 – and it has seemingly changed an immense amount in some ways and not at all in others, but one way is that what conservatives today seem to want to conserve is a way of life that really no longer exists. And actually really didn’t over 1/2 a century ago, but that has accelerated even more since the advent of the internet. And a lot of that change comes from what we are doing here, right now. Our world is no longer the neighborhood. It is the entire country, no, most of the actual world. It’s what we are doing right now, talking over the world’s biggest back fence. In my lifetime one had neighbors and a back fence but a back yard was much smaller than the internet. And I don’t even have a back yard any longer. We can communicate from most anywhere in the world. This is not the same world I was born into. It’s better.
bookdragon
@Anoniminous: you never know. All three out of the four GOP to Harris flips in my neighborhood are guys. All vets who are disgusted with Trump.
Also just got back from canvassing and feeling upbeat – people in my neck of PA are enthusiastic about voting Blue!
beth
i serve as a chief judge for election day, which means once i take my oath, i’m done doing anything publicly partisan. i had signed up for as many canvassing shifts as i could fit in my schedule, with some phone banking and poll greeting for early voting to round things out and took the latest training/oath swearing session.
then hurricane helene came through and changed those plans.
buncombe county nc dems were offered a chance to canvass in mecklenberg (which is the focus of a big GOTV effort to knock on every democrat or independent door) while they figured out what to do at home. by the time canvassing etc resumed, i’d taken my oath.
thank you so much to all you folks volunteering! i’ve received three Be A Voter postcards (first time i’ve ever gotten any postcards). i’m spending my time trying to hook up friends looking for ways to help with ways to gotv as a way to calm my nerves and not feel as useless in the last few days.
beth
i serve as a chief judge for election day, which means once i take my oath, i’m done doing anything publicly partisan. i had signed up for as many canvassing shifts as i could fit in my schedule, with some phone banking and poll greeting for early voting to round things out and took the latest training/oath swearing session.
then hurricane helene came through and changed those plans.
buncombe county nc dems were offered a chance to canvass in mecklenberg (which is the focus of a big GOTV effort to knock on every democrat or independent door) while they figured out what to do at home. by the time canvassing etc resumed, i’d taken my oath.
thank you so much to all you folks volunteering! i’ve received three Be A Voter postcards (first time i’ve ever gotten any postcards). i’m spending my time trying to hook up friends looking for ways to help with ways to gotv as a way to calm my nerves and not feel as useless in the last few days.
Another Scott
@Ruckus: Yikes! :-(
I’m glad that there’s a system to get a provisional ballot. And that you weren’t hassled for exercising your franchise.
My J and her sister are twins. Their first names are similar. Their middle initials differ. Their Social Security numbers differ by 1 digit. They kept their last names on getting married.
Of course, their credit reports get mixed up all the time, as does their mail from various charities that they both support.
:-(
I’ve learned that having a very uncommon name can be a blessing!
Hang in there. :-)
Cheers,
Scott.
mvr
Drove to Omaha with spouse and phone-banked at one of 3 Harris offices (2nd time calling at the Omaha Harris office) then drove back today. May have nudged a couple of Harris people toward Vargas in a couple of hours. Heard about some Osborne ads from one of the shift leaders that she didn’t like and I would not have liked if I saw them. Aimed at Trump voters so they emphasized positions in common. Can’t really blame him for talking about it in this state but the positions in common I heard about were all bad.
Was at the Douglas County Dem office in Omaha yesterday, Thursday and the previous Friday. Stamped handwritten postcards the first time and called voters reputed to have absentee ballots the past two days to tell them to put them in dropboxes rather than mail them.
Will go again on Tuesday and drive voters to the polls if they call the Douglas County Dem office for a ride.
I have to admit to hating phone canvassing, so I’d rather write/stamp cards, drive people, do bookkeeping or whatever. But sometimes the only thing they want done is phone calls so then I make myself do them. Still not my greatest skill, . . .
mvr
@Misswhatsis: You deserve a prize for convincing this friend.
mvr
@mvr: To be clear, I’m not saying don’t support him. But I do think it worth knowing that not all of his positions are ones you are going to like and take that into account when you decide between options. I generally can afford to give to both Tester, et al while also sending money to Osborne. But if I had to do just one, Tester would get my money.
WaterGirl
@mvr:
I like that he’s pro-choice and pro-labor and even though i shake my head when I hear that he is i favor of the border wall, he also thinks we need more immigration judges etc that will allow our immigration system to function.
My favorite thing about Osborn is that he has the potential to deprive republicans a majority in the Senate!
RevRick
@WaterGirl: I hate posts like this that ask if we have given our all to the cause. For me, the question is loaded with judgment and guilt making. Because when do we ever give everything? What is the limit?
The ancient rabbis concluded that people should not give more than half their income to charity, because their first responsibility is to care for their families.
Ultimately, for me, questions like this are exhausting and dispiriting.
Flaying myself to do more would only be self-defeating. I need grace and mercy in my life, not judgement and guilt.
For me, a far better question would be to ask what has given you joy in working for a better world, whether it’s ways you’ve contributed to the election of Kamala and Democrats or something you’ve done in your local community?
Josie (also)
@Betsy: Thank you for your work.
WaterGirl
@RevRick: I love it when people tell me I am doing it wrong. No grace for me because you didn’t like my tone?
What you have suggested would be a fine post, but it’s not the one I wanted to write.
edit: I will try to read what you wrote, again, in the morning with a more open mind because I’m sure your intentions in writing that were good.
RevRick
@WaterGirl: I tried to make it clear that this was me. I get where we’re all coming from, because I fully understand the stakes, and how the urgency of this matter can make us feel frantic and desperate. But for me there’s a chasm between the former First Lady’s commission to “Just do something,” and “everything.” For me, the latter is an impossible task.
I understand that anxiety is a killer to deal with, and God knows these are anxious times. But at this stage of the game there’s nothing we can do that will change the outcome. In fact, the one who will earn Kamala Harris the most votes will probably be Trump himself.
If the Selzer poll means anything, and I think it does, we should just let the segment of the voters deciding at the last minute settle into their realization that Trump is a dead end.
One final thing: you do yeoman’s work on this site and the whole BJ community owes you a huge debt of gratitude. I know I do.
WaterGirl
@RevRick: I don’t think I can agree with this part of what you wrote.
I don’t think that so many candidates would be adding thousands of canvass shifts and phone banking shifts if there’s nothing we can do to change the outcome at this point.