OK. So, Georgia imposed a restriction on the use of ballot boxes, requiring them to be inside building during office hours. In 2020 I only ever saw one person drop off a ballot outside a polling location likely because she could not be bothered to stand in line or mingle with the voters. Since, I have read the rationale that, just as postal drop boxes have had to be removed because people deposited inappropriate stuff, there was a real concern that the contents could be set afire or blown up. I do think that many of the election deniers do not realize that authoritarians are about deep-sixing government by the people. 50% of the electorate, who now declare themselves independent, have recognized that the major parties have not served them well, but the fact that factions are extra-legal entities which have hijacked candidate selection for the benefit of (mainly) the commercial sector, is not yet obvious. Indeed, since the federal corporation was set up to protect property and promote trade, the extra-legal efforts seem purposeless. And they, unless one considers that the object is not property or wealth, but power. What does it say when one of the most moneyed men on earth carries a sink into a building to make a point?
I became an Independent when I saw how screwed up the Dem party really is. Most of all, it has kept me off a lot of party lists, so I don’t get emails, texts and calls throughout donation season. That does not mean I would vote for Republicans…! I used to vote for Sen. Jim Jeffords, as he was an old school Republican and a Vermonter of integrity. But I haven’t even voted for Gov. Phil Scott, (R-VT) despite his fine handling of the pandemic that first year, his loathing of DT and his vote for Biden. I think there must be a lot of Independents who, like myself, are just sick and tired of being inundated with messaging and party politics.
The most recent (I don’t want to say “last”) Democratic presidential nominee for whom I truly wanted to vote was Walter Mondale in 1984. The most recent for whom I voted was Al Gore in 2000. In 2004 I had almost talked myself into voting for John Kerry (despite the way he treated Howard and his supporters) when he chose John Edwards a his running mate (whom I had pegged as a phony, and boy howdy, was I right). That year I wrote in Howard, knowing it wouldn’t count because he wasn’t a registered write-in candidate in California. After a great deal of soul searching I registered (coincidentally on St. Patrick’s Day) as a Green because their official platform suited me better than any other recognized party in California. By and large they are disorganized and inconsequential in California, but one can’t have everything. Non-Democrats can vote in Democratic primaries, but I usually temporarily change my registration to do so, then back to Green. Since I vote by mail I think that voting as a Green in the Democratic primary is more complicated and might miscarry. My impression is that in California most, or at least many, “decline to state” voters are former Republicans and still vote that way. [One must be careful talking about "Independent" voters in California because the American Independent Party still has ballot access.] Since California now votes so strongly Democratic in the general election I can safely cast a protest vote then (it’s about the only time I can, with our new jungle primary plus top-two election system).
I was thinking about the potential charges for that guy who attacked Paul Pelosi; it sounds to me like he ought to qualify for life without parole at Pelican Bay (California’s supermax prison), and something similar in the federal system. I looked at the San Francisco online news to see if there was an update and found this story about mud slinging in Democratic runoffs in Los Angeles. [Click] The argument for California’s jungle primary and top-two runoff system was that it would freeze out extremists, but it seems not to have worked out quite as planned.
New tropical disturbance likely to soak the Southeast U.S. next week A large and very unusual low-pressure system is forecast to form early next week, as the counterclockwise flow around a sprawling low near the Bahamas is predicted to cause the trade winds over much of the central Caribbean to reverse from their usual easterly direction to blow out of the west. This nontropical low may acquire some tropical or subtropical characteristics early next week as it wobbles to the northwest toward the Southeast U.S. coast. The low is likely to bring a multiday period of strong onshore flow and intermittent heavy rains to much of the coast from Florida to North Carolina, Monday through Friday.
The Atlantic: Why Democrats Are Losing Hispanic Voters [Click] I was struck by this bit: “. . . I found is Earl and Mary Rose, a couple in their mid-70s and the twin bosses of a Phoenix political machine, reckoning with the same awful conclusion I have heard from so many Hispanics, both here and around the country. “The party doesn’t care about us,” Mary Rose tells me. “They pretend to care every two years.” My immediate thought was “Gee, every other year? That must be awful nice.”
The parties are extralegal factions which hijacked the candidate selection function from the same cadre af non-performing elitists. They even refer to each other as "elites." I will never forget Judd Gregg turning down to offer to be Secretary of Commerce because "populism" was on the rise. Populism is supposedly the fancy way of saying "government by the people" which both the elected and appointed bureaucracy and the press abhor. I don't know what they expected from the civil rights decade from 1963 to 1973, which, of course, included fair wages and FOIA, but they do not like what they got and have been trying to put the genie back in the bottle ever since. Donald Trump did a pretty good job imitating a populist and then turned to piracy as soon as he got into office. It could have been much worse. After all, the dollars he accumulated are pretty much worthles except for hiring lawyers who have no incentive to keep him out of the slammer.
I don't see how his assailant can effectively be defended with a claim of insanity. I also think his own statements make a terrorism charge obvious. I forget how it works when a malefactor faces both state and federal charges; maybe I will look into that.
This sheds some light on the situation. [Click] Often the state and federal charges will be a little different. I recall cases where the state defers to the feds because the federal punishment is more onerous.
I got a pretty good bit of weeding done in the front yard this afternoon. Next I need to cut back some plants and spray weeds, the order depending on tomorrow's weather forecast and how the spirit moves me. The weeds really enjoyed themselves during our hot weather this year, when we left them alone.
OK. So, Georgia imposed a restriction on the use of ballot boxes, requiring them to be inside building during office hours. In 2020 I only ever saw one person drop off a ballot outside a polling location likely because she could not be bothered to stand in line or mingle with the voters.
ReplyDeleteSince, I have read the rationale that, just as postal drop boxes have had to be removed because people deposited inappropriate stuff, there was a real concern that the contents could be set afire or blown up.
I do think that many of the election deniers do not realize that authoritarians are about deep-sixing government by the people.
50% of the electorate, who now declare themselves independent, have recognized that the major parties have not served them well, but the fact that factions are extra-legal entities which have hijacked candidate selection for the benefit of (mainly) the commercial sector, is not yet obvious.
Indeed, since the federal corporation was set up to protect property and promote trade, the extra-legal efforts seem purposeless. And they, unless one considers that the object is not property or wealth, but power.
What does it say when one of the most moneyed men on earth carries a sink into a building to make a point?
I became an Independent when I saw how screwed up the Dem party really is. Most of all, it has kept me off a lot of party lists, so I don’t get emails, texts and calls throughout donation season.
DeleteThat does not mean I would vote for Republicans…! I used to vote for Sen. Jim Jeffords, as he was an old school Republican and a Vermonter of integrity. But I haven’t even voted for Gov. Phil Scott, (R-VT) despite his fine handling of the pandemic that first year, his loathing of DT and his vote for Biden.
I think there must be a lot of Independents who, like myself, are just sick and tired of being inundated with messaging and party politics.
^ {listener}
DeleteThe most recent (I don’t want to say “last”) Democratic presidential nominee for whom I truly wanted to vote was Walter Mondale in 1984. The most recent for whom I voted was Al Gore in 2000. In 2004 I had almost talked myself into voting for John Kerry (despite the way he treated Howard and his supporters) when he chose John Edwards a his running mate (whom I had pegged as a phony, and boy howdy, was I right). That year I wrote in Howard, knowing it wouldn’t count because he wasn’t a registered write-in candidate in California. After a great deal of soul searching I registered (coincidentally on St. Patrick’s Day) as a Green because their official platform suited me better than any other recognized party in California. By and large they are disorganized and inconsequential in California, but one can’t have everything. Non-Democrats can vote in Democratic primaries, but I usually temporarily change my registration to do so, then back to Green. Since I vote by mail I think that voting as a Green in the Democratic primary is more complicated and might miscarry. My impression is that in California most, or at least many, “decline to state” voters are former Republicans and still vote that way. [One must be careful talking about "Independent" voters in California because the American Independent Party still has ballot access.] Since California now votes so strongly Democratic in the general election I can safely cast a protest vote then (it’s about the only time I can, with our new jungle primary plus top-two election system).
DeleteNote: Californi's jungle primary plus top-two runoff doesn't apply to the Presidential election.
DeleteI was thinking about the potential charges for that guy who attacked Paul Pelosi; it sounds to me like he ought to qualify for life without parole at Pelican Bay (California’s supermax prison), and something similar in the federal system. I looked at the San Francisco online news to see if there was an update and found this story about mud slinging in Democratic runoffs in Los Angeles. [Click] The argument for California’s jungle primary and top-two runoff system was that it would freeze out extremists, but it seems not to have worked out quite as planned.
ReplyDeleteGeorge Will in the Washington Post: For the good of the country, Biden and Harris should bow out of the 2024 election. [Click] My long-standing opinion has been that George Will has an excellent command of the English language, but is too smart by half. But I agree that Kamala Harris would not be a satisfactory president.
ReplyDeleteHomelessness has risen 70% in California’s capital. Inside the staggering emergency [Click] Sacramento used to be something of a backwater, but has seen a huge influx of businesses and people in recent decades.
ReplyDeleteNew tropical disturbance likely to soak the Southeast U.S. next week
ReplyDeleteA large and very unusual low-pressure system is forecast to form early next week, as the counterclockwise flow around a sprawling low near the Bahamas is predicted to cause the trade winds over much of the central Caribbean to reverse from their usual easterly direction to blow out of the west. This nontropical low may acquire some tropical or subtropical characteristics early next week as it wobbles to the northwest toward the Southeast U.S. coast. The low is likely to bring a multiday period of strong onshore flow and intermittent heavy rains to much of the coast from Florida to North Carolina, Monday through Friday.
~ Yale Climate Connections
Have to wonder how that might impact voting.
DeleteI suppose that might discourage some late voters.
DeleteThe Atlantic: Why Democrats Are Losing Hispanic Voters [Click] I was struck by this bit: “. . . I found is Earl and Mary Rose, a couple in their mid-70s and the twin bosses of a Phoenix political machine, reckoning with the same awful conclusion I have heard from so many Hispanics, both here and around the country. “The party doesn’t care about us,” Mary Rose tells me. “They pretend to care every two years.” My immediate thought was “Gee, every other year? That must be awful nice.”
ReplyDeleteThe parties are extralegal factions which hijacked the candidate selection function from the same cadre af non-performing elitists. They even refer to each other as "elites."
DeleteI will never forget Judd Gregg turning down to offer to be Secretary of Commerce because "populism" was on the rise. Populism is supposedly the fancy way of saying "government by the people" which both the elected and appointed bureaucracy and the press abhor.
I don't know what they expected from the civil rights decade from 1963 to 1973, which, of course, included fair wages and FOIA, but they do not like what they got and have been trying to put the genie back in the bottle ever since.
Donald Trump did a pretty good job imitating a populist and then turned to piracy as soon as he got into office. It could have been much worse. After all, the dollars he accumulated are pretty much worthles except for hiring lawyers who have no incentive to keep him out of the slammer.
FBI says it has ‘credible information of a broad threat’ to synagogues in New Jersey
ReplyDeletePaul Pelosi released from hospital
ReplyDeleteI don't see how his assailant can effectively be defended with a claim of insanity. I also think his own statements make a terrorism charge obvious. I forget how it works when a malefactor faces both state and federal charges; maybe I will look into that.
DeleteWell, maybe an insanity defense *could* work. [Click] But he could spend the rest of his life in a secure psychiatric hospital.
DeleteThis sheds some light on the situation. [Click] Often the state and federal charges will be a little different. I recall cases where the state defers to the feds because the federal punishment is more onerous.
DeleteIt always seems absurd to me that someone who identified themselves during the crime and was witnessed doing the crime can still plead Not Guilty.
DeleteCasts of Mary Anning's ichthyosaur found in US and Berlin [Click] Original fossil, discovered around 1818, was destroyed in the Blitz.
ReplyDeleteI got a pretty good bit of weeding done in the front yard this afternoon. Next I need to cut back some plants and spray weeds, the order depending on tomorrow's weather forecast and how the spirit moves me. The weeds really enjoyed themselves during our hot weather this year, when we left them alone.
ReplyDeleteIs your word "spray" an adjective or verb, where you speak of "spray weeds"?
Delete‘A joke that went out of control’: crowdfunding weapons for Ukraine’s war [Click] In just nine hours, the Prytula Foundation raised $5.5m from private donors to buy 50 surplus FV103 Spartan armored personnel carriers.
ReplyDeletedonations page [Click]
DeleteThat is AMAZING!
DeleteDOJ mulling potential special counsel if Trump runs in 2024
ReplyDelete^ READ THIS! It's juicey!
Delete