Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

We will not go quietly into the night; we will not vanish without a fight.

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

I desperately hope that, yet again, i am wrong.

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

There are consequences to being an arrogant, sullen prick.

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

If you still can’t see these things even now, maybe politics isn’t your forte and you should stop writing about it.

Our messy unity will be our strength.

The fundamental promise of conservatism all over the world is a return to an idealized past that never existed.

I’ve spoken to my cat about this, but it doesn’t seem to do any good.

If rights aren’t universal, they are privilege, not rights.

I don’t recall signing up for living in a dystopian sci-fi novel.

People really shouldn’t expect the government to help after they watched the GOP drown it in a bathtub.

I did not have this on my fuck 2025 bingo card.

You’re just a puppy masquerading as an old coot.

This must be what justice looks like, not vengeful, just peaceful exuberance.

There are some who say that there are too many strawmen arguments on this blog.

Stop using mental illness to avoid talking about armed white supremacy.

Republican speaker of the house Mike Johnson is the bland and smiling face of evil.

President Musk and Trump are both poorly raised, coddled 8 year old boys.

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

This is dead girl, live boy, a goat, two wetsuits and a dildo territory.  oh, and pink furry handcuffs.

Russian mouthpiece, go fuck yourself.

When I was faster i was always behind.

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A Bit of Wisdom from Joyce Vance

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TODAY

Some of the news is concerning today: Fencing was erected at the White House and the VP residence as D.C. braces for unrest. But we should not face this moment with fear. This is a moment for courage, not alarmism. The fact that our government is preparing for a storm is good news, much better than in 2020 when they were taken by surprise.

This is a good day to be a smart, careful consumer of news and information and to be a voice of reason for those around you. Avoid the drama-la. Are there some scary possibilities out there? Of course there are, but they’re unlikely to materialize, and if they do, we’ll take them as we find them. Make sure you stick to news you can trust and critically examine the rest.

On Saturday, the FBI issued a statement advising the public that they were aware of two fake videos being circulated on social media. One involved a fake claim the FBI had determined three groups were committing ballot fraud. The second involved Kamala Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff.

Statement from the FBI regarding two videos falsely claiming to from the the FBI relating to election security.

NBC News reported that Russia was behind a fake video claiming Haitian immigrants voted illegally in Georgia. It looks like Putin’s government and Trump’s campaign are both involved in efforts to undercut Americans’ confidence in our elections. That’s something we know and have known for so long that we don’t always pay the attention that we should to it.

But it’s Donald Trump who has created this crisis of confidence in our elections—it did not exist before him, and he continues to fan the flames. The half-truths and lies are so pervasive that people beyond his base may have doubts too. That is not the conduct of someone who belongs in the White House. Let’s make sure we say that today to encourage people to vote for democracy tomorrow. And let’s avoid the speculation and the hype.

This is good advice not just for today, but for whatever period of time it takes for the election to be resolved.

I am so glad that we have a community here – whatever comes our way, joyful or scary, we will face it together.  Except for the people we lost during the great not-so-civil war in July.  I hope those folks come back.

Oh, and a bit of information from Philly.  F around and find uut.

I could watch that on repeat.  You might have to pull me away to do things like eat, and shower.

Open thread.

 

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Keep Calm-ala and Carry On-ala (Open Thread)

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Post title from the SNL cold open, which 99% of you have probably seen:

As shared in previous threads, I’ve been pretty calm(ala) during the runup to the election. It’s not confidence. Although I think we’ll win, I’m not anything like sure about it. I fully understand the existential nature of the outcome, which will affect me and mine in direct and indirect ways.

It’s more of a que sera sera attitude I’ve developed over this year during which, sometimes, it seemed the universe was personally shitting on me and mine. And which also revealed notes of grace, love and support that I didn’t fully comprehend and appreciate before.

Yesterday, my placid veneer cracked a bit while Bill and I were watching a football game and grilling hot dogs (Sahlen’s — the best!) outside. If you watch sportsball, you’re bombarded with political ads, so we’re used to it, but a particularly obnoxious Trump ad pushed me off the ledge briefly, and I started ranting about how disastrous it would be if that ambulatory anal abscess actually won.

Bill did not disagree but expressed surprise at my outburst because I’ve been so outwardly unbothered by the turd maelstrom of this election season. (We’ve been together nearly 30 years so have weathered a few bumpy elections, hoo boy!)

I regained my composure as quickly as I lost it because I think, for me, at least, freaking out is a choice. I choose calm-ala.

***

Valued commenter Baud said something in the morning thread that bears repeating:

So I hate to be negative but I want to say something and today is the only good day to do it. We are likely to win, but there’s a possibility that we might lose. If we lose, a lot of abusive people will come out of the woodwork to blame Dems or some component of Dems for not being good enough. Please give those attacks the back of the hand. None of us are responsible for the depravity of others. Liberal guilt only hurts liberals.

Hopefully, in 36 hours, this comment will be moot.

Co-signed!

BTW, I don’t know how our Baud came up with the nym (and it’s none of our business, really), but the handle always reminds me of this Umberto Eco novel, which is one of the books we took with us when fleeing the flood:

Book cover: Baudolino by Umberto Eco

Thanks, Baudolino!

***

Meanwhile, at our temporary pet-friendly headquarters in town, the host thoughtfully provided a cover for the WHITE loveseat (why???) for folks who allow their pets on the furniture. (Of course mine are allowed on the furniture; they live here too.)

Here’s Pete using the loveseat as intended:

Dog lounging on covered loveseat

And here he is as a lump who has burrowed under the cover, defeating the purpose.

Pete is undefeated.

***

Just one more day, y’all. We can get through this.

Open thread!

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Voting Access for All (VAAC) Report from the Field!

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We raised $25,000 for VAAC, and I just got an update from them via text.

So much shorter than the the update from NCAAT in Action, but so great!

Soooo much goodness happening – so far:

– 7500 doors knocked
– 1 million phone calls.
– 3,000 postcards to jails
– 300 people driven to the polls so far.

More today and tomorrow.

TONS of materials distributed at events.

The stories are incredible.
Person after person.

Just one story:

Woman who voted for first time after 49 years who didn’t know she could vote because she had a record.

Open thread.

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NCAAT in Action – Report from the Field!

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You may recall that we raised $25,000 for NCAAT in Action, and then another $25,000 for their ballot curing effort.

Here’s an update from them!  Thought you guys might to see it?

Overall positive, but the intimidation they are facing makes me angry.

Dear Friend,

Happy Diwali to all who celebrate the Festival of Lights! Here at NCAAT in Action, we carry this hope for good fortune and prosperity as our team wraps up the last day of Early Voting in North Carolina and as we draw ever closer to Election Day.

I know our efforts wouldn’t have been possible without your support, and I want to express my sincere gratitude.

This is what we have been working toward all year, and it’s so close we can almost see the finish line!

Our canvassing team has been going strong and will finish knocking 100,000 doors this weekend! Throughout this season, NCAATIA has hosted numerous Community Canvass Days with local Community Partner organizations, all with the aim of mobilizing the progressive Asian American vote. On October 27th, we hosted a Diwali-themed canvassing event with music, lights, and plenty of fun! Over 70 folks from across North Carolina came together to help knock 2,000 doors in the Triangle area – an incredible effort!

We were joined by a number of elected officials, including Congressman Wiley Nickel, Congresswoman Debroah Ross, Representatives Ya Liu and Maria Cervania, Senator Jay Chaudhuri, Councilman Steve Rao, Mayor Pro Tem Satish Garmilla, Mayor TJ Cawley, and Councilwoman Anne Robotti. A major shout out to White House Domestic Policy Advisor Neera Tandan and public speaker and advocate Nina Devaluri for knocking doors alongside us!

Intimidation and Protection at the Polls

Unfortunately, one challenge we have faced during the Early Voting period has been stark and brazen intimidation targeting Asian American voters at the polls. This has included the appearance of people wearing “Asian MAGA” shirts, yelling derogatory things about transgender people, and fearmongering about non-citizen voting. Similar harassment has also targeted me directly, through phone calls and emails to my work and home lines. This election year is proving deeply personal on many levels, and the targeted harassment only strengthens NCAAT in Action’s resolve.

Although NCAAT (our c3 affiliate organization) had not intended to put on a full-scale election protection project, we have pivoted to provide poll protection throughout various sites in Wake County. In addition to looking out for incidents that may need to be reported, we have brought in musicians and distributed food to liven up the atmosphere. While this pivot has meant unanticipated expense and the stretching of staff capacity, I feel it necessary to protect our community.

Casting your vote should not only be protected, but it can and should also be fun!

 

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Monday Morning Open Thread: Keep Working…

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Remember, folks: Sharing is caring!

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Cruel Grey Dawn Open Thread: Elon, When the Wheels Fell Off

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It is a fact universally acknowledged that what Musk craves most from the world is attention — more than health, comfort, family, friends, or even the wealth that serves to draw attention and to mark its worth. His new BFF Donald Trump seems to be another attention addict, albeit one molded by an earlier and less social-media intensive era. If we are fortunate, we may be about to witness the political equivalent of every physicist’s fantasies: Two black holes of toxic neediness colliding, with presumably catastrophic results…

Per NBC News, “‘All hell has broken loose’: Inside Elon Musk’s high-stakes pro-Trump door-knocking effort”:

Nine Republican operatives and canvassers connected to the Elon Musk-backed America PAC told NBC News that they’re worried the high-profile grassroots operation on behalf of Donald Trump’s presidential bid may hamper his chances in states decided by slim margins.

America PAC has been tasked with much of the pro-Trump canvassing operation as his campaign focuses its efforts on a more limited effort targeting so-called low-propensity voters. In turn, the Musk-backed organization is going door to door in all of the major swing states to help turn out Trump supporters and have them fill out surveys about their voting intentions.

But the people who spoke to NBC News, many of whom have years of experience in GOP field operations, said the operation may not be the well-oiled machine many in the party might hope it is, especially considering how much money is behind the effort.

In particular, they raised concerns about canvassers’ submitting an inordinate amount of suspect data. That data, some of which NBC News has reviewed, includes entries submitted far from the home or while canvassers are logged into Wi-Fi networks — telltale signs that a door was not knocked on, sources said. In addition, a video explaining how to “spoof” one’s location while submitting data drew attention in Nevada and Arizona, raising further concerns.

“I know it’s been flagged for America PAC that this has been transpiring,” an operative formerly on the effort said.

As some of that data spilled into public view last month, an operative close to the effort said: “All hell has broken loose” inside the PAC…

This goes beyond what the GOP might once have dismissed as uppity Black hirelings complaining about working conditions. It suggests that some portion of the Permanent GOP Party has told the Very Serious News Media that Musk’s cack-handed efforts to become Trump’s ‘shadow president’ / puppetmaster will be blamed if (when) Trump loses the popular vote again. A newly installed Harris / Walz administration has little reason to accommodate Musk as he’s become accustomed to being accommodated; the image of having an angry mob of pitchfork & torch laden Republicans gunning for him can’t be helping his fragile mental state.

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Things That Might Help You Sleep Tonight, Part II

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What we know so far:

[image or embed]

— Dan Chaon (@danchaon.bsky.social) November 1, 2024 at 10:40 PM

Hiighly reliable map of state by state voting based on our best polling data.

h/t Kelly

.

https://twitter.com/davidsirota/status/1852952770891919537

If someone finds this on YouTube, I will gladly post the link.

Who’s for Eva Braun here?  Who wants to burn books?  Who wants to spit on the Constitution of the United States of America?  Anybody?

Alright. Now, who’s for the Bill of Rights?  Who thinks freedom is a pretty darn good thing?  Come on, let’s see those hands!  Who thinks we have to stand up to the kind of censorship they had under Stalin?  Alright, there you go!

I’m gonna have to watch that movie again.

This is one of the bright lights we funded in Wisconsin.  We are the ones who have the best people.  Not all of the people we supported will win, but I hope this bright light does.

.

https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1853246284599050378

 

This is a sweet picture drawn by a little one for her mom.
I saved the image so even the folks who don’t want to click on twitter can see it.
But I got distracted and lost track of the original tweet, so I can’t credit it.

Things That Might Help You Sleep Tonight, Part II

I believe this man will be president some day.

How great would it be to win Georgia?  Again!

https://twitter.com/KamalaHQ/status/1852753026991214612

Sleep tight, Bj peeps!

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