Maybe it’s because I recently became a father, but I can’t help but notice the contrast between the families of the candidates for the two major political parties. Look, families are complicated. I don’t assume to know anything about family dynamics - especially of those I don’t know IRL.
HOWEVER….
It does appear that the Democrats have nominated ordinary people to do extraordinary jobs with loving families who just want what’s best for them. Again, I’ll refer to the caveat above BUT…just watch Ashley Biden with her dad on night 1, or Doug’s family on night 2.
And then we have the Walz’s. Tim’s son, Gus, exemplified what I’m talking about last night.
“That’s my dad!”
Damn right it is, Gus. You should be proud. People are going to mock you online and share clips of you crying tears of joy but know that those people don’t matter. At all.
I confess to being someone who had questioned the legitimacy of the Democratic “deep bench” argument. Not anymore. The array of talent on display this week has been more than reassuring, and it stands in stark contrast to what the GOP rolls out in its ongoing war of anger and negativity that assaults the American eyes and ears with every new campaign rally and media appearance. The list is long and necessarily incomplete, but several people have stood out in particular to me. We’ve already discussed how Josh Shapiro has a future. But Wes Moore does not get enough attention. He has both the substance and the style to get the job done. Pete Buttigieg impresses me more and more every time he speaks, as a natural leader and someone who can cut through GOP deflections and untruths with a particularly sharp knife. And of course there is Tim Walz, who reminds us of who we are no less than who we want to be. (If only every son and daughter appeared so loving and positively impacted as the Walz children demonstrated toward their father. Perhaps the GOP will use the footage as some sort of warped weapon as they continue to double down against childless cat ladies.) As noted, the list could go on and on.
It is a pleasant problem to have, looking to see who can play what role in the future. If indeed Bill and Hillary Clinton, and Nancy Pelosi, and of course Joe Biden, are moving gracefully toward the exit door of their political careers, at least they are seeing that the party and the movement are in very capable hands. If the team can stay unified, they could be dominant for years to come, especially if the GOP continues its current pathway of trying to scare us into conversion and convince us that we all are going to a fiery date with Hell and soon if we do not unflinchingly embrace their plans for America and the world. The contrast between the two parties cannot be greater right now, and only one seems to have the best interests of the American public at heart. Even before tonight there have been so many enduring memories of this convention, as Team D proves that it has risen to the magnitude of the moment. It will be interesting to see what kind of polling bump they get out of this, as America takes stock of what they’ve got. If the worst thing the GOP can show from it is the film of Chuck Schumer teaching us how not to dance, the Democrats appear to be in pretty good shape.
I agree. I have been impressed by many of them. One concern I have is that there is a lot of talk about who can run in 4, 8 or 12 years for President. Well and good, but let's make sure that the Dems are building their people for roles as Cabinet members, House and Senate members, Governors, State Assembly and Senate members, down to the local level. For those that want the big prize, support them. For those that don't, support them. We need these guys at all levels of government.
As always...great post. Stephen Colbert captured the moment in his DNC post-late night show with the Walz family perfectly as he showed that video clip of the children so moved by their dad. He (Colbert) then turned back to the audience sniffing and slightly sobbing and complained..."Thanks DNC for making me emotional...Hulk Hogan didn't make me do that!" It was classic.
Colbert also ended with a great line about the Coach showing what real locker room talk is. I hope and pray, not just for political reasons, that we can guide the young men and boys who are being sucked into a vortex of hatred of all kinds--misogyny, anti-semitism, homophobia, racism, xenophobia for starters--to embrace a kinder, more competent masculinity that what Josh Hawley and JD Vance are offering.
“Even before tonight there have been so many enduring memories of this convention, as Team D proves that it has risen to the magnitude of the moment. It will be interesting to see what kind of polling bump they get out of this, as America takes stock of what they’ve got. If the worst thing the GOP can show from it is the film of Chuck Schumer teaching us how not to dance, the Democrats appear to be in pretty good shape.”
Agreed! This is one amazing DNC. Compared to the RNC, it’s the difference between a top notch professional campaign and the T-ball league. My instincts tell me the bump will be tremendous, and the new voters drawn to the campaign will dwarf all records by the time the voting ends, and the votes are tabulated.
Harris has caught lightning in a bottle, while Trump continues to light himself on fire. It’s a difficult choice this November. We can choose joy, democracy and freedom, or fear, hate and projection.
The first time I heard the term "deep bench" to describe Democrats came Sarah longwell. I had thought of this before. JVL is irked that pundits now are using the term "double haters" and not crediting who came up with. (Sarah again) There is a reason there is a tee shirt that says; Sarah is always right. As another commenter said; "Sarah sure knows how to read the room". One last point, I teared up when Tim Walz (proudly my governor) spoke about the birth of his children and Gus (his son) stood up tearfully saying "That is my dad".
I felt the same way about last evening. The sight of his children reacting said it all. It reminds me of a line from my favorite Dan Fogelberg song; "And he gave to me a gift I know I never can repay".
I just tried thinking about how the great Harry Chapin's "Cat's in the Cradle" lyrics could be modified for Trump and Ivanka, but then I tasted a little vomit and stopped.
Back in the day (of turntables), I had most of his albums. I've seen him in concerts twice. Fabulous. Every once in a while, I'll u tube one of his acoustical performances. I think "Make Love Stay" is his best
My favorite varies, depending on my mood. As a Mainer, I love The Reach. Old Tennessee is sweet. Dancing Shoes is up there. Such a talent. So versatile. I wept when he died.
Fogelberg is one of my favorites. He belongs in that pantheon of great song writers. He once said in an interview that "Leader of the Band" is his best song. Of course my wife and I got married to "Longer".
Agreed, the bench is impressively deep on the Dem's side! The articulate, competent and accomplished people we've seen speak over the course of the convention perfectly convey that. Then, when I think of who is up and coming in the GOP, what are the names that come to mind? Lessee now, we got some MTG, Boebert, Jim Jordan, Matt Gaetz, Kristi Noem, JD Vance, Kari Lake... When Trump finally goes away, somebody going to have to take out the rest of the trash!
I'm a lifelong Dem, but I really long for the return of a sane and functional Republican Party. Anyone with any integrity and half a brain has been purged though, so I really hope y'all have a plan to take your party back from the dingalings.
On the other side, the Republican bench is so thin and extreme that I can honestly see some kind of new party forming in the future.Kind of like what happened to the Whigs in the 1850's evolving into the Republican party. (of Lincoln)
Great post...especially with the laundry list of the GOP names. What's really sad to me are the names not on there...of the GOP politicians who did NOT stand up when their country desperately needed them to.
A bench develops when you have elected officials who are allow to chart their own course, develop their own style. On the Republican side, you don't have a future unless you bow down and kiss the Trump ring, doing whatever he wants you to do. Plus, that sort of approach attacks the wrong people to public service. Strong-minded, independent thinkers don't want to kow tow to Trump.
Yes, the Dems deep bench includes a SLEW of Congress people. Watch a committee hearing, and you'll see that the questions from the D side are (almost) always serious and germane to the issue at hand, while the R side is usually a lot of jackasses preening for the cameras. The Ds have their performance junkies, and there are some serious R Congress people, but take a look at who is usually promoted by each party.
"Bob Bauer, a top Democratic election lawyer, wrote in the Atlantic this week that the RNC has asked the Supreme Court to issue an emergency ruling in furtherance of their goal to “allow the state of Arizonas to impose a ‘proof of citizenship’ requirement as a condition of a person’s right to vote for president.” Bauer wrote that even if SCOTUS disagrees, the suit 'risks achieving some success in sowing doubt about the integrity of elections.'"
We can no longer count on this partisan court disagreeing.... They've shown their inclination to run interference for their dear leader....
SCOTUS is not really being Trump specific. They are supporting Barr's case for unlimited executive power for the purpose of bringing on a Christian state. Trump is just a beat up old vehicle that may or may not last through November. JD is in the wings and there others. If this contingent of the GOP has shown us anything, they have patience. Lots of patience.
Not for a very long time. Whether the Dems really want to or not, something is going to have to be done to defang SCOTUS. I'd really like to hear what Comrade Kamala's plans are to deal with this problem.
Surely the RNC is aware that it's already illegal for non-citizens to vote. In PA you can't register to vote without proof of citizenship. I can't imagine that AZ is different.
The rules differ state by state. I think all states require you to swear/affirm it on penalty of perjury, and that's all that many states require. Logically speaking, a non-citizen would be taking such a risk -- and leaving behind such permanent, incontrovertible evidence of their crime (which would also cost them their chance at citizenship in the future) -- that it seems extremely unlikely that anyone would do that (especially since, once you go into the voting booth, nobody can see who you voted for).
Arizona requires documentary proof of citizenship in order to vote in state and local elections. If you haven't got the right documents -- which can be hard for citizens to acquire, especially on short notice -- they'll still print you out a "federal only" ballot. It's weird and complicated and may change again before November, so if you ask Uncle Google, be careful where he points you and what date the article has.
I doubt a person's word for it is simply taken at face value. At least look at the driver's license to make sure it's valid. If people don't have one there are other forms of identification the elections officials can ask for and check. Government databases exist that can be accessed and checked. We aren't in the 19th Century anymore.
Swearing or affirming is not “some one’s word for it.” Violating it is a crime. We don’t ask witnesses in court (who swear or affirm) for proof of citizenship either.
I’ve been a poll worker for years and only in 2023 did we move from people just writing down their license numbers.
Undocumented immigrants don’t try to vote. Voter fraud is so infinitesimal that it’s not even a statistical blip.
And in 2020 the few cases were people who voted 2x for Trump.
I grew up voting by signing my name. It was that way in OH until 2008 and GOP gerrymandering. Figures.
Yes - that is when there were small government conservatives. Now, that they are losing elections to people they deem unworthy they are singing a different tune.
It’s legal theater designed to stoke violence. They know, and they don’t care. If it gets someone to pick up a baseball bat and go smash something, that’s the objective.
It is my understanding the AZ citizens in question by the GOP are Native American Indians who didn’t have a birth certificate. They followed the law of AZ and swore they were citizens of the US. It is helpful to remember how difficult life is on the Reservations.
That does not matter. The House with Trump's goading is putting forth a bill to make voting by non-citizens illegal, despite this being extremely rare and disallowed by the Constitution. They are sending a message.
I can’t remember which group it was, and it may have been Republicans, reviewed elections from the 60s to 2020 and found 1600 instances of voter fraud. All but four, if I’m remembering correctly, were US citizens, and most were not fraud as much as making mistakes. Isaac Saul at Tangle reviewed every law suit coming out of the 2020 election and found no valid claims. It’s just a dog whistle. We have very clean elections, and anyway undocumented people are trying to blend in, not risk being deported. That’s where I started my teaching career, with undocumented adults learning English.
This is very true, but a fact that the GOP cannot acknowledge.
Re: voter fraud, all of the ones that made national news in the past few years have been committed by GOP voters or, in regards to ex-felons voting, set up by GOP members. My personal favorite is the NC 9th district vote in 2019 with some issues around absentee ballots that were deemed to be suspicious. The GOP did not speak up to condemn this since the results were in their favor. The election must have had integrity! The courts had to force a revote.
It's already illegal with stiff penalties. It's like the "security theater" at the airport. Passing laws that are already in effect to claim you actually did something is on brand for Republicans. If you wait long enough or have the right conversation around him, Trump will claim he invented anything. Same thing here. It's Steve Jobs' reality distortion field applied to politics.
You know what's funny. Replace "non-citizen voting" with "gun control". GOP claims that we don't need new laws regarding guns, just enforce the ones currently on the books. Well, do the same with voting. We have good laws that actually result in extremely rare instance of fraud and errors.
In Missouri, there's a ballot initiative put forth by the legislature that would ban ranked choice voting in the state.
The Republicans knew it would probably fail, so they also stuck a ban on non-citizen voting right at the top of the ballot description. Something that is already not allowed under Missouri law. But you've got to give the racists and rubes something to stoke their passions.
The Constitution does not prohibit voting by non-citizens. It doesn't address the issue. It's up to states and so far no state has allows non-citizens to vote in state elections, though some allow voting by non-citizens in local elections. But that is rare.
I am sure that they are aware. But this preening and this court case is being made so that when/if Republicans lose in November they can cast aspersions on the election by ranting that non-citizens voted. Part of the Trump strategy for dealing with a loss. The Republicans know it is not really a problem, but they are trying to sow doubt here.
Some forms of ID are very hard and/or nearly impossible to get, unless you have access to transportation and time to track down different state offices and then wait while your documents get authenticated. Things like getting certified birth certificates are not trivial to obtain. You must provide some type of proof about who you are and why you are requesting a certified copy of the birth certificate and then wait for it to be processed.
Although theoretically some arch-fiend/evil fraudster might attempt to obtain these documents for devious purposes by stealing someone's identification, those criminals are usually attempting to use stolen identification to open credit accounts and then "steal" money from unsuspecting people.
There idea is that if you harass some low-income, marginalized citizens enough, you can prevent them from voting. These Republicans know that “their” people do not have these problems, but broad coalition parties like the Democrats are likely to encounter these problems.
When I registered in SC 40+ years ago, I had to show my birth certificate and one other ID to the registrar. Same when I registered in NC after college, and in Virginia when I moved here. All of this is smoke, mirrors and lies to get the rubes spun up and scare people from legally voting.
Not only do birth certificates lack photos, they contain physical descriptions that do not in any way fit the adult version of the person described. This is the basis for proof of citizenship? And the basis for playing Little League (in my town), getting a driver's license, and getting a passport? It's absurd when you think about it.
I don't recall my birth certificate having a physical description. Some states used to identify the race on birth certificate. I don't think they do that anymore.
At least last May when we were a day from flying from Virginia to California and my son informed me his driver's license was expired, we were told you could use an expired ID to board a flight for one year after the expiry date. And yeah, that phone call was just as fun as you imagine!
Even without a photo of you as a baby, your birth certificate proves citizenship because it has your legal name and your place of birth, and can be cross-referenced to your SS#. Most states (I think) require two forms of proof when you get a driver's license, one usually being your birth certificate. Which is why requiring a government-issued form of ID can be an onerous voting requirement for older people of color. Not as much as the years go by, but it hasn't been that long since people who were born slaves or born to slaves and had no proof of anything were active voters in America.
It's up to the states whether non-citizens can vote but all states have made it illegal for non-citizens to vote in statewide elections. There are a few localities where non-citizens can vote in local elections. But that's rare.
All states have voter registration. That's the process where citizenship should be and I'm sure is addressed. And for those few undocumented or green card holders that do get registered somehow, do they actually vote? I doubt it. Many citizens who are registered don't bother to vote. Why would someone who isn't a citizen risk getting in trouble to do it? Most people will avoid anything that might attract attention to their status.
See, that's the kind of logic that Reps just don't want to hear. Why would someone here illegally go out of their way to do something that could have dire consequences for them if they are caught? That brings them close to government officials? No one is going to do that. And certainly not in mass numbers.
Of course logic and reason have no role to play in MAGA minds.
Documentary proof of citizenship is not required by all states. (An oath/affirmation is.)
The stage where noncitizens would get in trouble (and leave proofs behind that could get them in trouble for the rest of their lives) is at registration.
If you ever have to argue this with a doubter, base your argument on facts and studies and the like, not on what seems reasonable to assume, or you could be setting yourself up for trouble. Some of the on-the-ground realities of this seem counterintuitive at first glance, although the vast bulk of the evidence and analysis supports your basic POV. If you make 100 points and 1 of them is factually wrong, that's all they'll see and they'll pound it into the ground.
Be especially careful with arguments based on statistics because there is a lot of spurious but convincing-sounding xit out there. I tried to read up on it recently and my head exploded ... though I did learn a new term, "P-hacking" (has a technical meaning, but can be generally used to mean making up BS with statistics).
My question is is there checking upon receipt of the registration form? Why assume there isn't?
We don't really have "proof of citizenship" in the US. A birth certificate? I don't know about yours, but mine says I weigh 7 1/2 pounds, am 20 inches long, and have blue eyes. The adult me has none of those things. The 16 year old me had none of those characteristics either. Yet I got a drivers license and a passport based on that piece of paper. So what good is it?
In Indiana, you don't have to show you are a citizen to register to vote. At least you used to not have to. I used to register voters, but it's been a few years.
This isn't really related to anything directly in the article. But I have a friend who breeds foxes as exotic pets, and I was discussing a previous morning shots with her. Her primary breeding vixen looks up if I ever mention something like "the article by Andrew Egger" presumably because she loves eggs and doesn't realize it's a name.
As Bill Clinton reminded us last night, when the party of Comrade Kamala was in power since 1989, 50 million new jobs were created. The other party, one million.
And yet, in their infinite wisdom, most of the electorate somehow believe that the Republicans are better stewards of the economy. I've never understood that - the GOP tanks the economy time after time, the Democrats have to come in, clean it up, and put it on a stronger than ever footing.... Go figure!
I will always remember the budget debacle in Kansas under Brownback, where the GOP was going to usher in the GOP economic utopia. They had to scuttle much of their plan because it was damaging to the state. I had always heard from the GOP that, if they could just implement their ideas, then we would all see how great they were Well, they did and they were not.
Agree, and too many people in KS who voted for him, and continue to vote for GOP candidates, forget about that malpractice. I don't get why ANYONE votes for a GOP candidate, who always promise utopias of deregulation and low taxes, and also rank at the bottom of all ratings. Texas to me is just Saudi Arabia with different headwear.
Yeah. I don't get that either. It's one thing to get some of these policies through, but when they get the full package through, with the negative fallout, that tells me their policies are crap.
Brownback left the governor's office for some obscure job in government, never to be seen again
and people who worked for him have had a hard time getting that stench off them--a few have tried to get elected and failed, Dems know to paint them as a brownback staffer and people go "no way"
I think Democrats neglect bragging about the topline economic statistics. I cited the job creation numbers, but a similarly dramatic story can be told about GDP growth. (Something like 3.0% for Democrats and 1.9% for Republicans, which over 20 years or so makes a huge difference in the size of the economy.) Bragging about these numbers is a powerful refutation of the charge that Democrats care only about wealth redistribution, the charge implied by the use of the word "comrade."
How can the Democrats brag? Every mainstream news story in the last 4 years has said that there was a growth in employment, but a crash is coming, beware!
Yes, every time someone, no matter who, tries to say the economy isn't that bad, they get pounced on and bullied. It's a little ridiculous. JVL has had a lot to say about that phenomenon.
I noticed yesterday at Walmart that my favorite wine went up by a dollar since I last bought a bottle a month ago. Yet other items now cost less. Walmart has to keep their stock prices and net profit up. Otherwise the billionaire Waltons complain. Not a damn thing to do with who's the president and what he wants to do. Harris wants to attack price gouging like she did in "failing" CA. Of course, the MAGA politicians will scream.
I know that's so ridiculous. For the price of a cardboard box full of air you can buy a lb of potatoes(1.20) and a dozen eggs ($3). Much better breakfast.
This is any family gathering I have attended the last few years. We start by making sure everyone present knows that our home is paid for, our SUV is large, our vacation is upcoming, and the price of cereal is crippling.
I read quite a few years ago an article that compared economies of Democratic and Republican presidents from 1900 to Obama. Democrats lead in job creation and economic growth by a good margin.
Yep. One time I was bored and plugged in a bunch of numbers including partisan makeup of the house/senate, president, GDP growth, unemployment, and a few other variables into a graph.
I was a pretty staunch libertarian at the time, so it was somewhat surprising to see that the economic gains were correlated with Democratic control of the country. Probably one of the experiences that helped me deconstruct.
I kind of agree with this concise parlance, but IIRC the budget deficit shrank during both Clinton's and Obama's tenures (more under Clinton)--largely as a result of the increased tax revenue downstream of economic growth. Certainly correct me if I'm wrong.
How most Americans believe that republicans are better for the economy is beyond me. Look at every major recession, including the Great Depression, and republicans are always the cause.
The Great Depression happened under Hoover; a republican. FDR then created the middle class with the New Deal. Making lemonade out of lemons.
Reagan tripled the national debt and caused three recessions. HW Bush would inherit the recession and with Clinton create the longest economic expansion in the US history: 120 months or ten years. Clinton would leave office with a $300 billion surplus.
The Great Recession occurred under W. Bush; a republican. He squandered our $300 billion surplus and increased the deficit by $2.1 trillion. Bush would double the debt from $5.6 trillion to $11.8 trillion by the time he left office. Not to mention two wars, one was manufactured and between the two wars, we would spend over $6 trillion.
Donald Trump inherited a robust economy with 7 years 7 months of economic growth at over 2.8% (average) under Obama. Donald Trump would add three more years and one month of economic growth, combining with Obama for the longest economic expansion in US history: 128 months or ten years and eight months. That is before he squandered it by mismanaging the COVID virus. In the end, he would leave us in a recession and lose 7 million more jobs than when he was inaugurated for president. Not to mention, he added $8.2 trillion to the national debt in just four years; more than any president before him who served eight years. And Trump increased the deficit from $536 billion to $1.88 trillion a year.
So please tell me how republicans have been able to manipulate the American electorate into believing that they are fiscally conservative, and financially responsible people when in power, even though all evidence points to the contrary? Just asking for a friend!…:)
I think a lot of this is due to policies that help people up and not have to scrabble so hard to make a living. Funny how that can lead to a better economy and job growth. Look to all the countries that adopt austerity measures and how poorly they do.
Did the financial aid from Covid show people that the policies help the people and the economy in general? Having the money to keep paying the rent or the mortgage or buying groceries kept so many people safe. Imagine the homelessness problems had no cash been available.
I understand the implication of the stimulus checks during COVID, but as you say, people were helped significantly in their time of need. Not losing your job, not losing your house, these are significant. One thing that carries on from that is the value of the child tax credit. When it was given over the course of the year rather than once when taxes are done, child poverty went down. Ambivalent on universal income, but our economy is constantly evolving and I am fine with policies that can help people stay afloat so that they can focus and contribute to the economy. Such policies, done well and appropriate to the circumstance, have good pay backs on the investment.
It's an absolutely gob-smacking statistic. One would think it would be disqualifying for Republicans every election, but rightwing media has been an incredible success.
That 1/6 video needs to be packaged into TV ads across the country. I missed it last night, but my God, I am absolutely livid at these people all over again. 1/6 is the one event in the entire Trump saga when I came very close to not speaking to my family again because they refused to believe what they had witnessed with their own eyes and instead choose to believe Fox's BS. It still pisses me off.
There are kids voting this election who were only 14 and 15 when 1/6 happened. They had school and sports and all the teenage things that likely made them not really pay attention to what happened that day. There are adults who have memory holed it along with all of the other trauma that came from 2020. People need to be reminded and I hope the Dems, along with giving us the joy are willing to remind us of the pain, and yes, terror.
It's an event that made a fair number of lifelong Republicans say "no more" - especially when the GOP quickly shifted from condemning to whitewashing it, and even turning the perpetrators into victims.
J6 needs to be viewed in combination with Trump's pressure on state officials to change their election results. The audio of his call to Raffensperger is shocking, and the MAGA claim that he only wanted to get an accurate vote count is transparently disingenuous.
I agree with the view of Michael Luttig, a deeply thoughtful conservative, that Trump's effort to stay in power was probably the worst crime that a U.S. president has ever committed against the Constitution - and grave enough to justify his first-ever vote for a Democrat for president.
Your comment is EXACTLY what I came here to say. I hope Harris' comms people put that video into ads and shower the states we need. I was in tears by the end of it. The reminder of what I watched on that horrible day was powerful, and putting Trump's words & voice over it was masterful.
Egger captured the feeling I had upon watching the 1/6 video yesterday. I watched it unfold on tv live when it happened and thought I'd never forget the feeling. But seeing it again from the various angles including interior surveillance cameras brings it all back. I just wonder if younger voters felt the same way I did upon seeing it. They may not remember any election except for 2016 and 2020. They may think 1/6 is merely an exaggerated version of normal.
It is actually one area where I'd like to go back. Back to normal elections. When the opportunity presents itself, I do remind my kids, that this (gestures) isn't normal and isn't the way it is supposed to be.
1. Stevie Wonder is a god of music and there should a Convention Night 5 that is just him. And maybe Sheila E. And the guitar player.
2. I’m a nice Jewish girl and I’m still not sorry about Shapiro. Great guy, super speaker, but he’s no Tim Walz.
3. Pete Buttigieg and Wes Moore should share a presidency or take turns. I’m hoping they don’t wait too long. “You might know me from Fox News.”
4. Bill is an old man now. He was our young, brilliant, vital President (and granted, a hard dog to keep on the porch) but even with the tremors and the strained voice the man could explain quantum physics to kindergartners. Jobs 50:1. Bill always lands the plane.
5. Oprah. In the post-game wrap up, Joe explained to Andrew (who is waaaay too young to get Oprah) that he watched her on TV when he was home sick from school, and then waxed rhapsodic for minutes about her speaking and interviewing and presence and kindness and it was enchanting.
And she was perfect, of course. She’s like Billy Graham if he’d been a rich black lady. She raises those rafters. And watching Dems (and her independent self) reclaim “freedom” in such a relief.
6. Republican patriots. I’m glad they’re voting for Kamala but I wish they wouldn’t say “Democrat” like we are one step above ring worm and bankruptcy.
7. Walz should win just for raising a son who weeps and shouts, “That’s my dad!” What a moment, and the absolute pinnacle of the evening. I reluctantly assign Ella Emhoff to the second seat in the lifeboat.
What a great guy. We all had that dad or grandpa or uncle or husband. No pretensions, looks good in camo (or at least not stupid) and makes me wish I understood football. A whole country is saying, “Where have you been all my life, Coach?”
8. Post-game (I keep swearing I’m gonna quit these people but I’m like that boyfriend Hakeem Jeffries talked about): JVL!!! Joe and Andrew!!! No Bitter Tim!!!
It was great. Upbeat, funny, and JVL is Walz-pilled and tough enough to say so in The Bulwark, where everybody is still sitting shiva for Josh Shapiro two weeks past time. Uncover the mirrors already.
Good times. I’ve got just enough wine left for Night Four.
[What a great guy. We all had that dad or grandpa or uncle or husband. No pretensions, looks good in camo (or at least not stupid) and makes me wish I understood football. A whole country is saying, “Where have you been all my life, Coach?” ]
I think the problem is that way too many kids did NOT have that dad, grandpa, uncle, or husband. Especially on the grandpa / uncle front. A lot of people need someone who isn't their parent to help reinforce and augment what a parent is trying to do (or in some cases, not trying to do). My son had a football coach who is very much cut from the Tim Walz cloth and everything you'd want from a coach as a 'shaper of young men'. I am eternally grateful to him, because he helped me shape my son into the good young man he is becoming in ways I couldn't. And that's not to sell myself short or anything, just that a non-parent helper can be extremely valuable in the process.
Seconding AB Stoddard's warning about Trump laying the ground to claim the election was stolen if he loses.
I'm in Georgia and have attended the last three Georgia State Election Board meetings, ever since the last of Trump's three "pitbulls" was appointed. The Republican state General Assembly, in all its wisdom, passed a bill to allow citizens to directly propose changes to state election rules, and the Trumpy Trio is passing everything that comes over the transom.
Even in places like California there are groups of people in red counties going to their boards of supervisors demanding that we go back to hand counting ballots and ending early voting time periods. The latter is by state law so the counties can't change it and the former is allowed only in precincts where there are 1000 voters or less, also by state law. But those groups don't seem to know it or think they can bamboozle the boards into breaking state law.
And really ironic part is that MAGAs demand hand counting and no computers, and the Orange Snake wants the results as soon as the polls close. "I was leading at night, and then, in the morning, I wasn't." Anyone who can figure out how 150,000,000 votes can be hand counted seconds after the polls close should win a Nobel Prize.
I fear you are right. After all in 2020 Trump had big rallies with lots of people attending while Biden hid in his basement. That seemed to be something people brought up to explain their denialism. But in 2024, is that argument going to move anyone? They'll just come up with something else.
Trump is still trying the same argument by claiming that all of Kamala's crowds are fake and AI-generated, while his crowds are massive and real. But the way his rally attendance is dwindling, he's the one who will need to generate fake AI crowds.
A couple of weeks ago Maureen Dowd mentioned that he is a transaction and numbers guy. Whoever has the most money on hand wins! So the number of floors in his high rise buildings and the number of people attending his rallies is very important to him and perhaps is the only thing that matters.
"Seconding AB Stoddard's warning about Trump laying the ground to claim the election was stolen if he loses." No offense to AB, but this Trump strategy was obvious to everyone.
So have we settled on Comrade Kamala? Is that what Trump is sticking with? It's not laughin' Kamala anymore? Great. Now the part of the electorate that will base its vote on the best spiteful and dishonest nickname can finally figure out whom to vote for.
And I like this line from Duncan: “If you vote for Kamala Harris in 2024, you’re not a Democrat, you’re a patriot.” That's got to sting for all the Cult 45ers walking around at Trump rallies in their Dictator on Day One tees and their American flag underpants.
It's hard to believe that Clinton was last president 24 years ago and yet he's still younger than both Biden and Trump. I did not realize that.
I’ve watched more of the Democrat convention (and have loved every minute) than all previous conventions combined. By the end of tonight, I won’t remember ever being a Republican.
The elephant in the room is that the Republican nominee for president is as mad as a hatter. I won't recite all the examples of abnormal behavior or all the petitions signed by clinicians attesting to that fact. It's all in the public record. But it appears that we're going to just go on as normal with the campaign with this reality only whispered about sotto voce and not discussed out in the open. Extraordinary.
As if we don't have enough problems with automation, jobs being shipped overseas, AI and the like; now we've got Colleen casually suggesting we wipe out thousands of fact-checking jobs.
Knowltok have you been JVL pilled? Fact checkers could also spend time exposing their right wing corporate bosses and their bizarre notions of 'both sidesism'. That would keep them busy.
The two conventions could not give any intelligent person clear and unequivocal signs as to where the parties and the people in charge stand. On the one hand you have the DNC, unified, all inclusive, coherent, intelligent, and with a viable plan and focus. On the other hand, you have a bunch of misogynist, insecure, momma's boy, racist, man-children led by the ultimate 4th grader himself (no insult to 4th graders intended, just a reference to his use of silly ass nicknames), ripping their shirts off and grabbing their crotches with no clear plan other than to destroy this country. It really isn't a difficult choice as to who to vote for - if you're intelligent and want what's best for this country.
Maybe it’s because I recently became a father, but I can’t help but notice the contrast between the families of the candidates for the two major political parties. Look, families are complicated. I don’t assume to know anything about family dynamics - especially of those I don’t know IRL.
HOWEVER….
It does appear that the Democrats have nominated ordinary people to do extraordinary jobs with loving families who just want what’s best for them. Again, I’ll refer to the caveat above BUT…just watch Ashley Biden with her dad on night 1, or Doug’s family on night 2.
And then we have the Walz’s. Tim’s son, Gus, exemplified what I’m talking about last night.
“That’s my dad!”
Damn right it is, Gus. You should be proud. People are going to mock you online and share clips of you crying tears of joy but know that those people don’t matter. At all.
Nothing in my life has made me prouder than hearing a "that's my Dad." I can think of no higher honor that I aspire to.
My daughter can't talk yet, but I look forward to that day!
Rest assured it will happen. It's one of the wonderful things about being a parent.
Hearing that pays for all the heartache, worry, sleepless nights, sacrifice, and expenses with interest!
That kid made the room so dusty. I may have watched that moment more than once.
Gus was a highlight for me. I cried with him for his unabashed pride. How can we tell Gus we love him?
You can contact Walz online, just Google. I told him I was proud of his son.
I confess to being someone who had questioned the legitimacy of the Democratic “deep bench” argument. Not anymore. The array of talent on display this week has been more than reassuring, and it stands in stark contrast to what the GOP rolls out in its ongoing war of anger and negativity that assaults the American eyes and ears with every new campaign rally and media appearance. The list is long and necessarily incomplete, but several people have stood out in particular to me. We’ve already discussed how Josh Shapiro has a future. But Wes Moore does not get enough attention. He has both the substance and the style to get the job done. Pete Buttigieg impresses me more and more every time he speaks, as a natural leader and someone who can cut through GOP deflections and untruths with a particularly sharp knife. And of course there is Tim Walz, who reminds us of who we are no less than who we want to be. (If only every son and daughter appeared so loving and positively impacted as the Walz children demonstrated toward their father. Perhaps the GOP will use the footage as some sort of warped weapon as they continue to double down against childless cat ladies.) As noted, the list could go on and on.
It is a pleasant problem to have, looking to see who can play what role in the future. If indeed Bill and Hillary Clinton, and Nancy Pelosi, and of course Joe Biden, are moving gracefully toward the exit door of their political careers, at least they are seeing that the party and the movement are in very capable hands. If the team can stay unified, they could be dominant for years to come, especially if the GOP continues its current pathway of trying to scare us into conversion and convince us that we all are going to a fiery date with Hell and soon if we do not unflinchingly embrace their plans for America and the world. The contrast between the two parties cannot be greater right now, and only one seems to have the best interests of the American public at heart. Even before tonight there have been so many enduring memories of this convention, as Team D proves that it has risen to the magnitude of the moment. It will be interesting to see what kind of polling bump they get out of this, as America takes stock of what they’ve got. If the worst thing the GOP can show from it is the film of Chuck Schumer teaching us how not to dance, the Democrats appear to be in pretty good shape.
I agree. I have been impressed by many of them. One concern I have is that there is a lot of talk about who can run in 4, 8 or 12 years for President. Well and good, but let's make sure that the Dems are building their people for roles as Cabinet members, House and Senate members, Governors, State Assembly and Senate members, down to the local level. For those that want the big prize, support them. For those that don't, support them. We need these guys at all levels of government.
A thousand times YES!
As always...great post. Stephen Colbert captured the moment in his DNC post-late night show with the Walz family perfectly as he showed that video clip of the children so moved by their dad. He (Colbert) then turned back to the audience sniffing and slightly sobbing and complained..."Thanks DNC for making me emotional...Hulk Hogan didn't make me do that!" It was classic.
Colbert also ended with a great line about the Coach showing what real locker room talk is. I hope and pray, not just for political reasons, that we can guide the young men and boys who are being sucked into a vortex of hatred of all kinds--misogyny, anti-semitism, homophobia, racism, xenophobia for starters--to embrace a kinder, more competent masculinity that what Josh Hawley and JD Vance are offering.
Excellent point and I have to confess that it took me a moment before I got the double entendre of that locker room line.
“Even before tonight there have been so many enduring memories of this convention, as Team D proves that it has risen to the magnitude of the moment. It will be interesting to see what kind of polling bump they get out of this, as America takes stock of what they’ve got. If the worst thing the GOP can show from it is the film of Chuck Schumer teaching us how not to dance, the Democrats appear to be in pretty good shape.”
Agreed! This is one amazing DNC. Compared to the RNC, it’s the difference between a top notch professional campaign and the T-ball league. My instincts tell me the bump will be tremendous, and the new voters drawn to the campaign will dwarf all records by the time the voting ends, and the votes are tabulated.
Harris has caught lightning in a bottle, while Trump continues to light himself on fire. It’s a difficult choice this November. We can choose joy, democracy and freedom, or fear, hate and projection.
What to do?????????…:)
The first time I heard the term "deep bench" to describe Democrats came Sarah longwell. I had thought of this before. JVL is irked that pundits now are using the term "double haters" and not crediting who came up with. (Sarah again) There is a reason there is a tee shirt that says; Sarah is always right. As another commenter said; "Sarah sure knows how to read the room". One last point, I teared up when Tim Walz (proudly my governor) spoke about the birth of his children and Gus (his son) stood up tearfully saying "That is my dad".
I can’t abide the term “double haters” and hope it’s on its way to the dustbin of history.
Walz’ son was the most moving part of the evening. Strive to be a parent whose child is as proud of you as Tim Walz’ boy is of him.
I felt the same way about last evening. The sight of his children reacting said it all. It reminds me of a line from my favorite Dan Fogelberg song; "And he gave to me a gift I know I never can repay".
Not even trying to be snarky but the Cat's in the Cradle dad was a Father of the Year candidate compared to Trump.
The proof is Don Jr and Eric. And there is three marriages and multiple affairs.
Trump gives off a “Cat’s Cradle” vibe but without the regret or actually remembering the kid’s name.
That is Trumster's creed; never apologize, never admit to mistakes never regret anything, always blame others.
I just tried thinking about how the great Harry Chapin's "Cat's in the Cradle" lyrics could be modified for Trump and Ivanka, but then I tasted a little vomit and stopped.
I saw him live in college. I can’t believe how long he’s been gone.
Don’t do it with Trump and Don Jr.
Dan Fogelberg is one of the few artists that I love as much now as I did when I was in junior high, when I bought my first album (Souvenirs).
Back in the day (of turntables), I had most of his albums. I've seen him in concerts twice. Fabulous. Every once in a while, I'll u tube one of his acoustical performances. I think "Make Love Stay" is his best
My favorite varies, depending on my mood. As a Mainer, I love The Reach. Old Tennessee is sweet. Dancing Shoes is up there. Such a talent. So versatile. I wept when he died.
Leader of the band…. I love that song about his father
Fogelberg is one of my favorites. He belongs in that pantheon of great song writers. He once said in an interview that "Leader of the Band" is his best song. Of course my wife and I got married to "Longer".
Nice. Fogelberg’s version of Since You’ve Asked was played at our wedding. Lesser known than Longer, but super-romantic.
The "bench" thing can change quickly. Remember when Cantor, Ryan and McCarthy were the Republican "Young Guns"?
I'm from Mn. and Vim Webber was also a member of the young guns. Of that group McCarthy turned out to be such a dip
Agreed, the bench is impressively deep on the Dem's side! The articulate, competent and accomplished people we've seen speak over the course of the convention perfectly convey that. Then, when I think of who is up and coming in the GOP, what are the names that come to mind? Lessee now, we got some MTG, Boebert, Jim Jordan, Matt Gaetz, Kristi Noem, JD Vance, Kari Lake... When Trump finally goes away, somebody going to have to take out the rest of the trash!
I'm a lifelong Dem, but I really long for the return of a sane and functional Republican Party. Anyone with any integrity and half a brain has been purged though, so I really hope y'all have a plan to take your party back from the dingalings.
On the other side, the Republican bench is so thin and extreme that I can honestly see some kind of new party forming in the future.Kind of like what happened to the Whigs in the 1850's evolving into the Republican party. (of Lincoln)
Great post...especially with the laundry list of the GOP names. What's really sad to me are the names not on there...of the GOP politicians who did NOT stand up when their country desperately needed them to.
ex-GOP guy
A bench develops when you have elected officials who are allow to chart their own course, develop their own style. On the Republican side, you don't have a future unless you bow down and kiss the Trump ring, doing whatever he wants you to do. Plus, that sort of approach attacks the wrong people to public service. Strong-minded, independent thinkers don't want to kow tow to Trump.
I think Hakeem needs a shout here too. And Cory always seems to be a rung away but has a lot to offer.
Yes, the Dems deep bench includes a SLEW of Congress people. Watch a committee hearing, and you'll see that the questions from the D side are (almost) always serious and germane to the issue at hand, while the R side is usually a lot of jackasses preening for the cameras. The Ds have their performance junkies, and there are some serious R Congress people, but take a look at who is usually promoted by each party.
That's a great point and his speech was clever and articulate too. The passing of the baton between he and Nancy was textbook.
Absolutely. Thanks for the worthy additions to the list.
"Bob Bauer, a top Democratic election lawyer, wrote in the Atlantic this week that the RNC has asked the Supreme Court to issue an emergency ruling in furtherance of their goal to “allow the state of Arizonas to impose a ‘proof of citizenship’ requirement as a condition of a person’s right to vote for president.” Bauer wrote that even if SCOTUS disagrees, the suit 'risks achieving some success in sowing doubt about the integrity of elections.'"
We can no longer count on this partisan court disagreeing.... They've shown their inclination to run interference for their dear leader....
SCOTUS is not really being Trump specific. They are supporting Barr's case for unlimited executive power for the purpose of bringing on a Christian state. Trump is just a beat up old vehicle that may or may not last through November. JD is in the wings and there others. If this contingent of the GOP has shown us anything, they have patience. Lots of patience.
You are absolutely right, which is downright scary. It means this fight for a continued Democratic Republic will not be over for a very long time...
Not for a very long time. Whether the Dems really want to or not, something is going to have to be done to defang SCOTUS. I'd really like to hear what Comrade Kamala's plans are to deal with this problem.
The GOP has become all of the things that Jesus warned his disciples of.
They have certainly flunked the Temptation in the Desert test big time, amongst a host of others. The Sermon on the Mount comes to mind.
"All the kingdoms of this world and the glory of them." (Matt 4:8)
Surely the RNC is aware that it's already illegal for non-citizens to vote. In PA you can't register to vote without proof of citizenship. I can't imagine that AZ is different.
The rules differ state by state. I think all states require you to swear/affirm it on penalty of perjury, and that's all that many states require. Logically speaking, a non-citizen would be taking such a risk -- and leaving behind such permanent, incontrovertible evidence of their crime (which would also cost them their chance at citizenship in the future) -- that it seems extremely unlikely that anyone would do that (especially since, once you go into the voting booth, nobody can see who you voted for).
Arizona requires documentary proof of citizenship in order to vote in state and local elections. If you haven't got the right documents -- which can be hard for citizens to acquire, especially on short notice -- they'll still print you out a "federal only" ballot. It's weird and complicated and may change again before November, so if you ask Uncle Google, be careful where he points you and what date the article has.
The Brennan Center (https://www.brennancenter.org) is a great resource for election info.
I doubt a person's word for it is simply taken at face value. At least look at the driver's license to make sure it's valid. If people don't have one there are other forms of identification the elections officials can ask for and check. Government databases exist that can be accessed and checked. We aren't in the 19th Century anymore.
Swearing or affirming is not “some one’s word for it.” Violating it is a crime. We don’t ask witnesses in court (who swear or affirm) for proof of citizenship either.
I’ve been a poll worker for years and only in 2023 did we move from people just writing down their license numbers.
Undocumented immigrants don’t try to vote. Voter fraud is so infinitesimal that it’s not even a statistical blip.
And in 2020 the few cases were people who voted 2x for Trump.
I grew up voting by signing my name. It was that way in OH until 2008 and GOP gerrymandering. Figures.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't it Republicans who were adamantly opposed to a national ID for several decades?
Yes - that is when there were small government conservatives. Now, that they are losing elections to people they deem unworthy they are singing a different tune.
Don't speculate; check out the facts.
An oath or affirmation "on penalty of perjury" is a serious requirement that is not equivalent to just taking something at face value.
For many states such an oath is sufficient to register to vote.
You don't have to be a citizen to get a driver's license.
See my response later in the thread. Didn't see this when I wrote it. Don't want to waste space and people's time with multiples.
Ditto.
It’s legal theater designed to stoke violence. They know, and they don’t care. If it gets someone to pick up a baseball bat and go smash something, that’s the objective.
It is my understanding the AZ citizens in question by the GOP are Native American Indians who didn’t have a birth certificate. They followed the law of AZ and swore they were citizens of the US. It is helpful to remember how difficult life is on the Reservations.
That does not matter. The House with Trump's goading is putting forth a bill to make voting by non-citizens illegal, despite this being extremely rare and disallowed by the Constitution. They are sending a message.
I can’t remember which group it was, and it may have been Republicans, reviewed elections from the 60s to 2020 and found 1600 instances of voter fraud. All but four, if I’m remembering correctly, were US citizens, and most were not fraud as much as making mistakes. Isaac Saul at Tangle reviewed every law suit coming out of the 2020 election and found no valid claims. It’s just a dog whistle. We have very clean elections, and anyway undocumented people are trying to blend in, not risk being deported. That’s where I started my teaching career, with undocumented adults learning English.
This is very true, but a fact that the GOP cannot acknowledge.
Re: voter fraud, all of the ones that made national news in the past few years have been committed by GOP voters or, in regards to ex-felons voting, set up by GOP members. My personal favorite is the NC 9th district vote in 2019 with some issues around absentee ballots that were deemed to be suspicious. The GOP did not speak up to condemn this since the results were in their favor. The election must have had integrity! The courts had to force a revote.
Yes Trump asked them to review because....he didn't win by a big enough margin and he suspected that was because immigrants voted for Hilary.
It's already illegal with stiff penalties. It's like the "security theater" at the airport. Passing laws that are already in effect to claim you actually did something is on brand for Republicans. If you wait long enough or have the right conversation around him, Trump will claim he invented anything. Same thing here. It's Steve Jobs' reality distortion field applied to politics.
You know what's funny. Replace "non-citizen voting" with "gun control". GOP claims that we don't need new laws regarding guns, just enforce the ones currently on the books. Well, do the same with voting. We have good laws that actually result in extremely rare instance of fraud and errors.
In Missouri, there's a ballot initiative put forth by the legislature that would ban ranked choice voting in the state.
The Republicans knew it would probably fail, so they also stuck a ban on non-citizen voting right at the top of the ballot description. Something that is already not allowed under Missouri law. But you've got to give the racists and rubes something to stoke their passions.
The Constitution does not prohibit voting by non-citizens. It doesn't address the issue. It's up to states and so far no state has allows non-citizens to vote in state elections, though some allow voting by non-citizens in local elections. But that is rare.
Thank you. I will dig into this so that I don't make this mistake again.
Surely they are, but I've lost all faith in this SCOTUS after their ridiculous Immunity ruling.
I am sure that they are aware. But this preening and this court case is being made so that when/if Republicans lose in November they can cast aspersions on the election by ranting that non-citizens voted. Part of the Trump strategy for dealing with a loss. The Republicans know it is not really a problem, but they are trying to sow doubt here.
Some forms of ID are very hard and/or nearly impossible to get, unless you have access to transportation and time to track down different state offices and then wait while your documents get authenticated. Things like getting certified birth certificates are not trivial to obtain. You must provide some type of proof about who you are and why you are requesting a certified copy of the birth certificate and then wait for it to be processed.
Although theoretically some arch-fiend/evil fraudster might attempt to obtain these documents for devious purposes by stealing someone's identification, those criminals are usually attempting to use stolen identification to open credit accounts and then "steal" money from unsuspecting people.
There idea is that if you harass some low-income, marginalized citizens enough, you can prevent them from voting. These Republicans know that “their” people do not have these problems, but broad coalition parties like the Democrats are likely to encounter these problems.
It is called voter suppression or Jim Crow 2.0.
When I registered in SC 40+ years ago, I had to show my birth certificate and one other ID to the registrar. Same when I registered in NC after college, and in Virginia when I moved here. All of this is smoke, mirrors and lies to get the rubes spun up and scare people from legally voting.
What’s proof of citizenship? I don’t have anything.
I’m in OH, which is perfectly content with drivers’ licenses and state IDs.
Passport or birth certificate certainly work.
My passport is expired. Birth certificates don’t have photos.
If someone showed up at door demanding that I prove citizenship, I don’t believe I could.
Expired passports are usually considered to be a legal form of proving citizenship, since you had to prove citizenship to obtain it.
Good to know. I just don’t think passports are that common, expired or not.
Not only do birth certificates lack photos, they contain physical descriptions that do not in any way fit the adult version of the person described. This is the basis for proof of citizenship? And the basis for playing Little League (in my town), getting a driver's license, and getting a passport? It's absurd when you think about it.
I don't recall my birth certificate having a physical description. Some states used to identify the race on birth certificate. I don't think they do that anymore.
I'm no expert, but I think an expired passport can still be used as an ID, you just can't travel with it. But, you'd probably want to verify that. :)
Depends on the state.
At least last May when we were a day from flying from Virginia to California and my son informed me his driver's license was expired, we were told you could use an expired ID to board a flight for one year after the expiry date. And yeah, that phone call was just as fun as you imagine!
Even without a photo of you as a baby, your birth certificate proves citizenship because it has your legal name and your place of birth, and can be cross-referenced to your SS#. Most states (I think) require two forms of proof when you get a driver's license, one usually being your birth certificate. Which is why requiring a government-issued form of ID can be an onerous voting requirement for older people of color. Not as much as the years go by, but it hasn't been that long since people who were born slaves or born to slaves and had no proof of anything were active voters in America.
It's not. It's more bull shit Trump is spewing so he can say he really won. He's such an ass.
It's up to the states whether non-citizens can vote but all states have made it illegal for non-citizens to vote in statewide elections. There are a few localities where non-citizens can vote in local elections. But that's rare.
All states have voter registration. That's the process where citizenship should be and I'm sure is addressed. And for those few undocumented or green card holders that do get registered somehow, do they actually vote? I doubt it. Many citizens who are registered don't bother to vote. Why would someone who isn't a citizen risk getting in trouble to do it? Most people will avoid anything that might attract attention to their status.
See, that's the kind of logic that Reps just don't want to hear. Why would someone here illegally go out of their way to do something that could have dire consequences for them if they are caught? That brings them close to government officials? No one is going to do that. And certainly not in mass numbers.
Of course logic and reason have no role to play in MAGA minds.
You are exactly correct. No one who is here illegally is going to risk getting caught by registering to vote.
Documentary proof of citizenship is not required by all states. (An oath/affirmation is.)
The stage where noncitizens would get in trouble (and leave proofs behind that could get them in trouble for the rest of their lives) is at registration.
If you ever have to argue this with a doubter, base your argument on facts and studies and the like, not on what seems reasonable to assume, or you could be setting yourself up for trouble. Some of the on-the-ground realities of this seem counterintuitive at first glance, although the vast bulk of the evidence and analysis supports your basic POV. If you make 100 points and 1 of them is factually wrong, that's all they'll see and they'll pound it into the ground.
Be especially careful with arguments based on statistics because there is a lot of spurious but convincing-sounding xit out there. I tried to read up on it recently and my head exploded ... though I did learn a new term, "P-hacking" (has a technical meaning, but can be generally used to mean making up BS with statistics).
My question is is there checking upon receipt of the registration form? Why assume there isn't?
We don't really have "proof of citizenship" in the US. A birth certificate? I don't know about yours, but mine says I weigh 7 1/2 pounds, am 20 inches long, and have blue eyes. The adult me has none of those things. The 16 year old me had none of those characteristics either. Yet I got a drivers license and a passport based on that piece of paper. So what good is it?
There are factual answers to all these questions and you can easily look them up. My point is, don't assume.
That's right, don't assume one way or the other.
And what about the second half of my post?
In Indiana, you don't have to show you are a citizen to register to vote. At least you used to not have to. I used to register voters, but it's been a few years.
GOP always play the long game.
trump will one day be gone but they have planted the seeds that will sow their rise back up again.
This isn't really related to anything directly in the article. But I have a friend who breeds foxes as exotic pets, and I was discussing a previous morning shots with her. Her primary breeding vixen looks up if I ever mention something like "the article by Andrew Egger" presumably because she loves eggs and doesn't realize it's a name.
Actually that fox and I are just longtime pals.
:-)
As Bill Clinton reminded us last night, when the party of Comrade Kamala was in power since 1989, 50 million new jobs were created. The other party, one million.
And yet, in their infinite wisdom, most of the electorate somehow believe that the Republicans are better stewards of the economy. I've never understood that - the GOP tanks the economy time after time, the Democrats have to come in, clean it up, and put it on a stronger than ever footing.... Go figure!
I will always remember the budget debacle in Kansas under Brownback, where the GOP was going to usher in the GOP economic utopia. They had to scuttle much of their plan because it was damaging to the state. I had always heard from the GOP that, if they could just implement their ideas, then we would all see how great they were Well, they did and they were not.
Agree, and too many people in KS who voted for him, and continue to vote for GOP candidates, forget about that malpractice. I don't get why ANYONE votes for a GOP candidate, who always promise utopias of deregulation and low taxes, and also rank at the bottom of all ratings. Texas to me is just Saudi Arabia with different headwear.
But they still have a D governor, who was elected after the Brownback fiasco.
Yeah. I don't get that either. It's one thing to get some of these policies through, but when they get the full package through, with the negative fallout, that tells me their policies are crap.
Brownback left the governor's office for some obscure job in government, never to be seen again
and people who worked for him have had a hard time getting that stench off them--a few have tried to get elected and failed, Dems know to paint them as a brownback staffer and people go "no way"
Good. Consequences.
Sounds a bit like Communism.
I think Democrats neglect bragging about the topline economic statistics. I cited the job creation numbers, but a similarly dramatic story can be told about GDP growth. (Something like 3.0% for Democrats and 1.9% for Republicans, which over 20 years or so makes a huge difference in the size of the economy.) Bragging about these numbers is a powerful refutation of the charge that Democrats care only about wealth redistribution, the charge implied by the use of the word "comrade."
How can the Democrats brag? Every mainstream news story in the last 4 years has said that there was a growth in employment, but a crash is coming, beware!
Yes, every time someone, no matter who, tries to say the economy isn't that bad, they get pounced on and bullied. It's a little ridiculous. JVL has had a lot to say about that phenomenon.
What about the price of breakfast cereal?!?! Have you seen that lately!?!?!
I noticed yesterday at Walmart that my favorite wine went up by a dollar since I last bought a bottle a month ago. Yet other items now cost less. Walmart has to keep their stock prices and net profit up. Otherwise the billionaire Waltons complain. Not a damn thing to do with who's the president and what he wants to do. Harris wants to attack price gouging like she did in "failing" CA. Of course, the MAGA politicians will scream.
I know that's so ridiculous. For the price of a cardboard box full of air you can buy a lb of potatoes(1.20) and a dozen eggs ($3). Much better breakfast.
And a person can have a new car and a new boat and complain that groceries are expensive.
This is any family gathering I have attended the last few years. We start by making sure everyone present knows that our home is paid for, our SUV is large, our vacation is upcoming, and the price of cereal is crippling.
I’ve seen those charts! Thanks for the reminder, Lewis.
If there is a way to puncture what "everyone knows," I have yet to find it.
All the voices in Trump’s head agree.
Republicans have been pretty effective in creating the narrative of lowering taxes for a very long period of time. That is it in a nut shell.
I read quite a few years ago an article that compared economies of Democratic and Republican presidents from 1900 to Obama. Democrats lead in job creation and economic growth by a good margin.
Yep. One time I was bored and plugged in a bunch of numbers including partisan makeup of the house/senate, president, GDP growth, unemployment, and a few other variables into a graph.
I was a pretty staunch libertarian at the time, so it was somewhat surprising to see that the economic gains were correlated with Democratic control of the country. Probably one of the experiences that helped me deconstruct.
Me neither. I’ve known since Clinton was president that Dems are better job creators and neither party cares a whit about the deficit.
I kind of agree with this concise parlance, but IIRC the budget deficit shrank during both Clinton's and Obama's tenures (more under Clinton)--largely as a result of the increased tax revenue downstream of economic growth. Certainly correct me if I'm wrong.
Absolutely. Every tme.
How most Americans believe that republicans are better for the economy is beyond me. Look at every major recession, including the Great Depression, and republicans are always the cause.
The Great Depression happened under Hoover; a republican. FDR then created the middle class with the New Deal. Making lemonade out of lemons.
Reagan tripled the national debt and caused three recessions. HW Bush would inherit the recession and with Clinton create the longest economic expansion in the US history: 120 months or ten years. Clinton would leave office with a $300 billion surplus.
The Great Recession occurred under W. Bush; a republican. He squandered our $300 billion surplus and increased the deficit by $2.1 trillion. Bush would double the debt from $5.6 trillion to $11.8 trillion by the time he left office. Not to mention two wars, one was manufactured and between the two wars, we would spend over $6 trillion.
Donald Trump inherited a robust economy with 7 years 7 months of economic growth at over 2.8% (average) under Obama. Donald Trump would add three more years and one month of economic growth, combining with Obama for the longest economic expansion in US history: 128 months or ten years and eight months. That is before he squandered it by mismanaging the COVID virus. In the end, he would leave us in a recession and lose 7 million more jobs than when he was inaugurated for president. Not to mention, he added $8.2 trillion to the national debt in just four years; more than any president before him who served eight years. And Trump increased the deficit from $536 billion to $1.88 trillion a year.
So please tell me how republicans have been able to manipulate the American electorate into believing that they are fiscally conservative, and financially responsible people when in power, even though all evidence points to the contrary? Just asking for a friend!…:)
Because most Americans have no understanding of 1. History, 2. Economics, and since the Orange Snake, 3. Facts.
Well said…:)
Please tell me you write for the NYT or WaPo.
God no! Why?…:)
Brilliantly stated R J.
I think a lot of this is due to policies that help people up and not have to scrabble so hard to make a living. Funny how that can lead to a better economy and job growth. Look to all the countries that adopt austerity measures and how poorly they do.
Did the financial aid from Covid show people that the policies help the people and the economy in general? Having the money to keep paying the rent or the mortgage or buying groceries kept so many people safe. Imagine the homelessness problems had no cash been available.
I understand the implication of the stimulus checks during COVID, but as you say, people were helped significantly in their time of need. Not losing your job, not losing your house, these are significant. One thing that carries on from that is the value of the child tax credit. When it was given over the course of the year rather than once when taxes are done, child poverty went down. Ambivalent on universal income, but our economy is constantly evolving and I am fine with policies that can help people stay afloat so that they can focus and contribute to the economy. Such policies, done well and appropriate to the circumstance, have good pay backs on the investment.
It's an absolutely gob-smacking statistic. One would think it would be disqualifying for Republicans every election, but rightwing media has been an incredible success.
That was a jaw dropping statistic.
I can't bring myself to watch Bill Clinton. Such a repulsive character. He wasn't Harvey Weinstein, but he was really bad in how he treated women.
That 1/6 video needs to be packaged into TV ads across the country. I missed it last night, but my God, I am absolutely livid at these people all over again. 1/6 is the one event in the entire Trump saga when I came very close to not speaking to my family again because they refused to believe what they had witnessed with their own eyes and instead choose to believe Fox's BS. It still pisses me off.
There are kids voting this election who were only 14 and 15 when 1/6 happened. They had school and sports and all the teenage things that likely made them not really pay attention to what happened that day. There are adults who have memory holed it along with all of the other trauma that came from 2020. People need to be reminded and I hope the Dems, along with giving us the joy are willing to remind us of the pain, and yes, terror.
It's an event that made a fair number of lifelong Republicans say "no more" - especially when the GOP quickly shifted from condemning to whitewashing it, and even turning the perpetrators into victims.
J6 needs to be viewed in combination with Trump's pressure on state officials to change their election results. The audio of his call to Raffensperger is shocking, and the MAGA claim that he only wanted to get an accurate vote count is transparently disingenuous.
I agree with the view of Michael Luttig, a deeply thoughtful conservative, that Trump's effort to stay in power was probably the worst crime that a U.S. president has ever committed against the Constitution - and grave enough to justify his first-ever vote for a Democrat for president.
Your comment is EXACTLY what I came here to say. I hope Harris' comms people put that video into ads and shower the states we need. I was in tears by the end of it. The reminder of what I watched on that horrible day was powerful, and putting Trump's words & voice over it was masterful.
Egger captured the feeling I had upon watching the 1/6 video yesterday. I watched it unfold on tv live when it happened and thought I'd never forget the feeling. But seeing it again from the various angles including interior surveillance cameras brings it all back. I just wonder if younger voters felt the same way I did upon seeing it. They may not remember any election except for 2016 and 2020. They may think 1/6 is merely an exaggerated version of normal.
It is actually one area where I'd like to go back. Back to normal elections. When the opportunity presents itself, I do remind my kids, that this (gestures) isn't normal and isn't the way it is supposed to be.
NOTES ON NIGHT THREE:
1. Stevie Wonder is a god of music and there should a Convention Night 5 that is just him. And maybe Sheila E. And the guitar player.
2. I’m a nice Jewish girl and I’m still not sorry about Shapiro. Great guy, super speaker, but he’s no Tim Walz.
3. Pete Buttigieg and Wes Moore should share a presidency or take turns. I’m hoping they don’t wait too long. “You might know me from Fox News.”
4. Bill is an old man now. He was our young, brilliant, vital President (and granted, a hard dog to keep on the porch) but even with the tremors and the strained voice the man could explain quantum physics to kindergartners. Jobs 50:1. Bill always lands the plane.
5. Oprah. In the post-game wrap up, Joe explained to Andrew (who is waaaay too young to get Oprah) that he watched her on TV when he was home sick from school, and then waxed rhapsodic for minutes about her speaking and interviewing and presence and kindness and it was enchanting.
And she was perfect, of course. She’s like Billy Graham if he’d been a rich black lady. She raises those rafters. And watching Dems (and her independent self) reclaim “freedom” in such a relief.
6. Republican patriots. I’m glad they’re voting for Kamala but I wish they wouldn’t say “Democrat” like we are one step above ring worm and bankruptcy.
7. Walz should win just for raising a son who weeps and shouts, “That’s my dad!” What a moment, and the absolute pinnacle of the evening. I reluctantly assign Ella Emhoff to the second seat in the lifeboat.
What a great guy. We all had that dad or grandpa or uncle or husband. No pretensions, looks good in camo (or at least not stupid) and makes me wish I understood football. A whole country is saying, “Where have you been all my life, Coach?”
8. Post-game (I keep swearing I’m gonna quit these people but I’m like that boyfriend Hakeem Jeffries talked about): JVL!!! Joe and Andrew!!! No Bitter Tim!!!
It was great. Upbeat, funny, and JVL is Walz-pilled and tough enough to say so in The Bulwark, where everybody is still sitting shiva for Josh Shapiro two weeks past time. Uncover the mirrors already.
Good times. I’ve got just enough wine left for Night Four.
[What a great guy. We all had that dad or grandpa or uncle or husband. No pretensions, looks good in camo (or at least not stupid) and makes me wish I understood football. A whole country is saying, “Where have you been all my life, Coach?” ]
I think the problem is that way too many kids did NOT have that dad, grandpa, uncle, or husband. Especially on the grandpa / uncle front. A lot of people need someone who isn't their parent to help reinforce and augment what a parent is trying to do (or in some cases, not trying to do). My son had a football coach who is very much cut from the Tim Walz cloth and everything you'd want from a coach as a 'shaper of young men'. I am eternally grateful to him, because he helped me shape my son into the good young man he is becoming in ways I couldn't. And that's not to sell myself short or anything, just that a non-parent helper can be extremely valuable in the process.
Absolutely. My third-grade teacher and my ninth-grade bio teacher left impressions I’ve passed on to my own children.
And they were women.
I’m not a nice Jewish girl but I’m married to a nice Jewish guy and we agree with everything you said!
Seconding AB Stoddard's warning about Trump laying the ground to claim the election was stolen if he loses.
I'm in Georgia and have attended the last three Georgia State Election Board meetings, ever since the last of Trump's three "pitbulls" was appointed. The Republican state General Assembly, in all its wisdom, passed a bill to allow citizens to directly propose changes to state election rules, and the Trumpy Trio is passing everything that comes over the transom.
Just a hurricane of crazy.
Even in places like California there are groups of people in red counties going to their boards of supervisors demanding that we go back to hand counting ballots and ending early voting time periods. The latter is by state law so the counties can't change it and the former is allowed only in precincts where there are 1000 voters or less, also by state law. But those groups don't seem to know it or think they can bamboozle the boards into breaking state law.
And really ironic part is that MAGAs demand hand counting and no computers, and the Orange Snake wants the results as soon as the polls close. "I was leading at night, and then, in the morning, I wasn't." Anyone who can figure out how 150,000,000 votes can be hand counted seconds after the polls close should win a Nobel Prize.
Easy. We all know who won. Why waste time with actual counting?
Well, he's also told them they don't even need to bother voting. Example of HUBRIS: Donald J Trump AKA the Orange Snake.
I fear you are right. After all in 2020 Trump had big rallies with lots of people attending while Biden hid in his basement. That seemed to be something people brought up to explain their denialism. But in 2024, is that argument going to move anyone? They'll just come up with something else.
Trump is still trying the same argument by claiming that all of Kamala's crowds are fake and AI-generated, while his crowds are massive and real. But the way his rally attendance is dwindling, he's the one who will need to generate fake AI crowds.
A couple of weeks ago Maureen Dowd mentioned that he is a transaction and numbers guy. Whoever has the most money on hand wins! So the number of floors in his high rise buildings and the number of people attending his rallies is very important to him and perhaps is the only thing that matters.
"Seconding AB Stoddard's warning about Trump laying the ground to claim the election was stolen if he loses." No offense to AB, but this Trump strategy was obvious to everyone.
So have we settled on Comrade Kamala? Is that what Trump is sticking with? It's not laughin' Kamala anymore? Great. Now the part of the electorate that will base its vote on the best spiteful and dishonest nickname can finally figure out whom to vote for.
And I like this line from Duncan: “If you vote for Kamala Harris in 2024, you’re not a Democrat, you’re a patriot.” That's got to sting for all the Cult 45ers walking around at Trump rallies in their Dictator on Day One tees and their American flag underpants.
It's hard to believe that Clinton was last president 24 years ago and yet he's still younger than both Biden and Trump. I did not realize that.
I’ve watched more of the Democrat convention (and have loved every minute) than all previous conventions combined. By the end of tonight, I won’t remember ever being a Republican.
Seee!!! They're brainwashing people! Next you'll be telling us how good soylent green is!
;) j/k
The elephant in the room is that the Republican nominee for president is as mad as a hatter. I won't recite all the examples of abnormal behavior or all the petitions signed by clinicians attesting to that fact. It's all in the public record. But it appears that we're going to just go on as normal with the campaign with this reality only whispered about sotto voce and not discussed out in the open. Extraordinary.
Yet if Biden stumbles in any way, it's headline news on all the media.
That's because a dog biting a man is not a story. (Trump doing something crazy). A man biting a dog is a story. (Biden doing something crazy.)
Folks, it’s not JUST Kamala demanding we not go back. I’m demanding it too. I think many people here are, and at the DNC, and across the country.
We're not going back.
Fact checkers would have a much easier time if they just reported the true things Trump says. Should take them about five minutes a day.
That's only if they break for coffee and lunch.
As if we don't have enough problems with automation, jobs being shipped overseas, AI and the like; now we've got Colleen casually suggesting we wipe out thousands of fact-checking jobs.
;)
Knowltok have you been JVL pilled? Fact checkers could also spend time exposing their right wing corporate bosses and their bizarre notions of 'both sidesism'. That would keep them busy.
Just like OJ kept busy trying to find the 'real killers'.
;)
Or Trump's minions proving Obama's birth certificate was fraudulent.
I expect a report on that any day now. Probably stapled to Trump's audited tax returns.
The two conventions could not give any intelligent person clear and unequivocal signs as to where the parties and the people in charge stand. On the one hand you have the DNC, unified, all inclusive, coherent, intelligent, and with a viable plan and focus. On the other hand, you have a bunch of misogynist, insecure, momma's boy, racist, man-children led by the ultimate 4th grader himself (no insult to 4th graders intended, just a reference to his use of silly ass nicknames), ripping their shirts off and grabbing their crotches with no clear plan other than to destroy this country. It really isn't a difficult choice as to who to vote for - if you're intelligent and want what's best for this country.
"The highly overrated Jewish Governor of the Great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania"
Looks like someone has a new Twitter bio.