I agree with the ideas expressed by the people interviewed in this column.
From the article: “The DNC is doing a good job of winning New York and California,” said David Betras, the Democratic county party chair in Mahoning County, Ohio, home to Youngstown. “I’m not saying it’s not important — of course it’s important — but do they honestly think that people that were just laid off another shift at the car plant in my home county give a shit about Russia when they don’t have a frickin’ job?”
The column states: “It’s one thing to accuse the other side of playing politics on very serious matters and harming national security; it’s another to question whether they are acting in the interests of their country and how much they love their country.”
This is disgusting. Just because I don’t agree with Trump and his supporters doesn’t make me any less patriotic. There is room for disagreement without saying I am un-American if I don’t support Trump’s views. This is just another dangerous authoritarian action.
Sad!
Trump has repeatedly said that Democrats have an advantage in the electoral college. That’s not true.
For example (in this analysis in The Nation):
“Gallup has identified 11 “strong Republican” states where support for the GOP outstrips support for the Democratic party by at least 10 percent. These states have 65 percent more representation in the Electoral College than they would if electoral votes were distributed evenly. ”
I am in favor of ending the Electoral College. Twice in five elections in the 2000s, their results differed from the popular vote.
Here’s a column advocating keeping the Electoral College from an unexpected source – Al Gore’s former campaign chairman.
Crooked.com is looking for answers to those questions.
I sent them this in an email:
Here are my thoughts which are too long to leave on a voice message
Anti-Trump is not a winning message. We saw that in 2016. People knew he wasn’t qualified but voted for him anyway. Why? Because of issues such as abortion.
I’m sure you have polls that show what voters are interested in such as health care, jobs, gun safety, income inequality, bigotry, the environment, etc. Focus on what voters are interested in. Don’t focus on Russia and Stormy Daniels. That doesn’t affect everyday living.
I’m tired of getting email, paper mail and requests for contributions from so many overlapping groups. I disregard a lot of it because I get so much. I suggest having a central clearing house similar to the Combined Federal Campaign for federal employee charitable donations. Within the one site, you could designate which component(s) you want to send funds to. ActBlue seems like a start.
Most times when I see Democrats on TV, they are being asked about what they think of the day’s Trump tweets or action. They need to respond to that but that also need to show how Democratic positions would be different than cutting health care and taxes for the wealthy.
When he gives a speech that is part or all an election speech (which is most of them), Democrats should ask for equal time from TV networks comparable to the time they showed Trump focusing on politics rather than presidential stuff. He has a huge head start in getting his message out. Democrats should designate a few people to give the responses. (I’m thinking of something like shorter versions of the response to the State of the Union address.) Trump is brilliant at sucking up all of the TV time – Democrats need to fight this.
I think that will only motivate the Republicans and it will fail in the long run. Concentrate on supporting the Mueller investigation and we’ll see how it plays out.
Do focus on getting out the vote, fighting voter suppression and fighting gerrymandering.
Trump is already talking about voter fraud, especially in CA. Remember that he said the election was rigged and only committed to accepting the results if he won. The Republicans will never voluntarily accept the new map in PA. Make sure to point out that it was a victory for fairness, not for Democrats.
This is the scenario that concerns me:
Imagine if the Democrats win the House by 2 or 3 and pick up 4 or 5 seats in PA and/or CA. Do you really think Trump and his conspiracy theory-supporting followers will accept the results? Remember, many of these people believe in things like Pizzagate, the birther movement, and that mass shootings didn’t happen. Do you think it would be hard to convince them that there was voter fraud.
Thanks for letting me rant.
update: This looks like a good start.
From a Washington Post editorial:
“The Republican playbook is all about fear. By wallowing in wedge issues and demonizing The Other, the party hopes to frighten voters out of their wits — and into voting for GOP candidates who, like Mr. Trump, would capitalize on division by flirting with the electorate’s most noxious elements.”
Would you ask this guy for advice?
In addition, a newer story:
He paid off a Playboy model that he got pregnant.
Broidy resigned as deputy finance chairman of the Republican National Committee.
Sad!
How can you talk with people who talk like this? The governor of Kentucky said “I guarantee you somewhere in Kentucky today a child was sexually assaulted that was left at home because there was nobody there to watch them,” because Kentucky teachers participated in a protest. This is not a rational argument on issues. This is nonsense. Sad!
This article discusses a recent study on projected demographic shifts and their impact on future elections. The article notes “One conclusion is that the country should be braced for repeats of what has happened twice in the past five presidential campaigns — a popular vote outcome different from the electoral college result. ”
I am in favor of abolishing the electoral college for exactly this reason. The person with the most votes should be the winner!
The New York Times reported tonight on a second attempt by Trump to fire Mueller, this time in December 2017. He backed down when reports that Mueller had issued subpoenas about Trump’s Deutsche Bank accounts turned out to be inaccurate.
Republicans keep pretending that Trump has no intention of firing Mueller. Some Republican senators think “additional protections of Mueller’s investigation aren’t necessary…”
They won’t pass a law to protect him.
If Trump followed the law, he would have to get Rosenstein to fire Mueller. Now, he is considering firing Rosenstein and possibly Sessions. Trump could then appoint a Deputy Attorney General who would do more than Rosenstein to protect Trump and limit the Mueller investigation.
If Republicans won’t prevent this, will they do anything after the fact if it happens? I doubt it. The Republican Party is now Trump’s party.
Even a majority of Republican voters don’t think Trump should fire Mueller but that was before the Cohen raid; they may object less to firing Rosenstein or Sessions. Trump has been critical of both of them for months so I am sure his base won’t care if he cans them.
By firing Rosenstein instead of Mueller, Trump could accomplish his mission of restricting or even ending the investigation by making a move that would be less controversial among his base voters.
I don’t think Republicans in Congress will do anything to stop him or punish him if he fired Rosenstein.
Sad!
Update: Rosenstein most likely to be fired
What happens if Trump fires Mueller?
Why a proposal to protect Mueller may not work
Sad! 