brainwave
Not just Polish and other third-party ones, but Germany herself will also deliver. Sorry, not yet available in English. My translation of the lede:
After months of debate, Chancellor Scholz has finally found it in himself to deliver main battle tanks to Ukraine. The allies will apparently follow suit as well. From the US, Abrams tanks might come.
It’s clear that Biden’s decision to send the Abrams was what allowed Scholz to do what he must have been wanting to do for months, but refused to do alone. Even if sending the Abrams is probably more symbolic, since as a weapons system they remain somewhat impractical for Ukraine.
It finally all makes sense, though not in a good way:
Most Republicans in a January 2020 survey agreed that “the traditional American way of life is disappearing so fast that we may have to use force to save it.” More than 40% agreed that “a time will come when patriotic Americans have to take the law into their own hands.” (In both cases, most of the rest said they were unsure; only one in four or five disagreed.) I use 127 survey items to measure six potential bases of these and other antidemocratic sentiments: partisan affect, enthusiasm for President Trump, political cynicism, economic conservatism, cultural conservatism, and ethnic antagonism. The strongest predictor by far, for the Republican rank-and-file as a whole and for a variety of subgroups defined by education, locale, sex, and political attitudes, is ethnic antagonism—especially concerns about the political power and claims on government resources of immigrants, African-Americans, and Latinos. The corrosive impact of ethnic antagonism on Republicans’ commitment to democracy underlines the significance of ethnic conflict in contemporary US politics.
Emphasis mine. Link to article. My interpretation: White men were just hunky dory with democracy as long as they perceived democracy to work in their favor. Which meant among other things as long as minorities and immigrants were largely shut out from it and women voted for whom they were told to (or so the dudes thought). But now these same White guys have come to view democracy as benefiting women, minorities, and immigrants more than themselves — and so they abandon democracy in droves in favor of something like Trump. (Full disclosure: I’m a White guy, but also an immigrant.)
Implications:
Caveat: the decline of support for democracy over the last couple of decades is not restricted to the U.S., as data from the World Values Survey shows. So a parsimonious explanation should take into account the possibility that what’s been going on in this country might be just a special case of a global phenomenon.
Most important conclusion: Trump supporters’ loss of faith in democracy and embrace of authoritarianism (not just cultural authoritarianism, but actual political totalitarianism) is endangering us all. How can we share a planet with these yahoos? What can we do about them?
The first African American President of these United States has once again made history tonight. Not just by becoming the first African American President to win reelection, but also by running once again an innovative and trailblazing campaign – one that will hopefully change Democratic playbooks for decades to come. Let me explain below the Fleur de Kos. But first, even though it may be too early to let our guard down, I think we’ve earned ourselves a random, I-sneer-at-your-pedestrian-demands-of-scientificness 2016 contenders poll. And no, for half of these people, I have no evidence whatsoever that they have ever considered running. And I’m leaving out a few folks who I assume/hope have made peace with not running, because tonight is about the future of course (Feinstein, Gore, Warner, ...).
Poll 361 votes Show Results Your favorite for 2016? Joe Biden Julian Castro Hillary Clinton Howard Dean Janet Napolitano Brian Schweitzer Kathleen Selebelius Somebody else/don’t know Pie (d’oh) 361 votes Vote Now! Your favorite for 2016? Joe Biden 6% 21 votes Julian Castro 5% 19 votes Hillary Clinton 194 votes Howard Dean 6% 20 votes Janet Napolitano 0% 1 vote Brian Schweitzer 6% 21 votes Kathleen Selebelius 2% 7 votes Somebody else/don’t know 62 votes Pie (d’oh) 4% 16 votes
The amount of energy being wasted by Obama loyalists and Obama critics tearing into each other is getting depressing and disheartening. This isn't the primaries or the Great Fraudster Wars of 2004/5 or even that stupid original pie fight - this has a different quality. The two sides seem more or less evenly matched, and there are reasons to think that neither side is going anywhere anytime soon. So if we don't do something, this place is going to become uninhabitable. Analysis and a proposal below the flip.
Poll 69 votes Show Results Are you ready to take the Disengagement Pledge? I am an Obama loyalist, and I'm willing to give it a shot. I pledge to indefinitely refrain from confronting Obama critics unless in the utmost need of trolldom. I am an Obama loyalist. You mean well, but this won't work. Sorry. I am an Obama loyalist and you are full of sh!t. I will continue to flame firebaggers wherever they show their ugly mugs. I am an Obama critic, and I'm willing to give it a shot. I pledge to indefinitely refrain from confronting Obama loyalists unless in the utmost need of trolldom. I am an Obama critic. You mean well, but this won't work. Sorry. I am an Obama critic and you are full of sh!t. I will continue to flame Obamabots wherever they show their ugly mugs.I am an Obama critic and you are full of sh!t. I will continue to flame Obamabots wherever they show their ugly mugs. Pie I stole the missing poll option 69 votes Vote Now! Are you ready to take the Disengagement Pledge? I am an Obama loyalist, and I'm willing to give it a shot. I pledge to indefinitely refrain from confronting Obama critics unless in the utmost need of trolldom. 9 votes I am an Obama loyalist. You mean well, but this won't work. Sorry. 7% 5 votes I am an Obama loyalist and you are full of sh!t. I will continue to flame firebaggers wherever they show their ugly mugs. 7% 5 votes I am an Obama critic, and I'm willing to give it a shot. I pledge to indefinitely refrain from confronting Obama loyalists unless in the utmost need of trolldom. 7% 5 votes I am an Obama critic. You mean well, but this won't work. Sorry. 14 votes I am an Obama critic and you are full of sh!t. I will continue to flame Obamabots wherever they show their ugly mugs.I am an Obama critic and you are full of sh!t. I will continue to flame Obamabots wherever they show their ugly mugs. 6% 4 votes Pie 15 votes I stole the missing poll option 12 votes
It seems that the passage of the Senate HCR bill has brought about one of the sharpest turns in the prevailing sentiment expressed in the diaries and comments on dKos I have observed in the five years I've been an active user. This sea change began when news of the White House-orchestrated Lieberman appeasement hit the wires and culminated with the passage of the bill. Prior to this turn, the general mood seemed to be that a bill without a public option or at least medicare buy-ins is unacceptable. Now, those people who voice an opinion mostly pronounce themselves strongly in favor of the Senate bill - without a public option or medicare buy-ins, and even with the provisions added to secure Senator Nelson's vote, which among other things significantly undermine Roe v. Wade. Critics seem to have largely fallen silent - in no small part due to exhaustion, no doubt, but likely also because by voicing their opinion they now run the risk of getting flamed as purity trolls. The Jane Hamsher/FDL brouhaha hasn't helped - it has generated a tremendous pressure on people on the left who don't agree with the FDL tactics to either denounce them or remain silent. So here's a poll, because I'd like to know what the sentiment is really like out there is Kosland. Below the flip a few more thoughts on the apparent shift on the board.
Poll 256 votes Show Results Your view of the HCR bill that has passed the Senate? The greatest social achievement of our time With all its flaws, ... getting this bill would be much, much better than watching health care reform fail Withholding judgment, still waiting to see what comes out of Conference Built on Obama's broken promises A bigger bailout for the insurance industry than AIG ... essentially the collapse of health care reform 256 votes Vote Now! Your view of the HCR bill that has passed the Senate? The greatest social achievement of our time 5% 13 votes With all its flaws, ... getting this bill would be much, much better than watching health care reform fail 110 votes Withholding judgment, still waiting to see what comes out of Conference 53 votes Built on Obama's broken promises 7% 18 votes A bigger bailout for the insurance industry than AIG ... essentially the collapse of health care reform 61 votes
Until a few short months ago it was the wet dream of virtually every politics junkie - now, as it is becoming more likely by the day to happen this year, the dream is turning into a nightmare. Below the flip: why a brokered convention is becoming increasingly probable; why this is bad news especially for us Obama supporters; and what can be done to avoid it and win outright.
Poll 230 votes Show Results Can we? Yes, we can No, we can't We won't have to Go Hillary!!! Go Magoo!!! Pie 230 votes Vote Now! Can we? Yes, we can 130 votes No, we can't 30 votes We won't have to 7% 17 votes Go Hillary!!! 24 votes Go Magoo!!! 1% 3 votes Pie 26 votes
With h/t to RobertInWisconsin, Rasmussen's daily Presidential Tracking Poll now has Mike Huackabee at 20% to Giuliani's 17% in the race for the Republican nomination. Choice quotes and comments below the fold.
I'll keep this short. Let's suppose Turkey "invades" Iraqi Kurdistan tomorrow. What do you think will happen? If you've recommended this diary or any of a fair number of like minded that have been posted during the last 12-18 months, chances are it's not what you think will happen. I'll explain below the flip.
Seems simple enough. How does your stance on the two most controversial policy issues discussed on dKos, immediate withdrawal from Iraq and impeachment, predict who you support for Prez? Take the damn poll! But first read the damn instructions :-)
Poll 114 votes Show Results Well??? Clinton supporter, pro immediate withdrawal, pro impeachment Clinton supporter, pro immediate withdrawal, contra impeachment Clinton supporter, contra immediate withdrawal, pro impeachment Clinton supporter, contra immediate withdrawal, conta impeachment Edwards supporter, pro immediate withdrawal, pro impeachment Edwards supporter, pro immediate withdrawal, contra impeachment Edwards supporter, contra immediate withdrawal, pro impeachment Edwards supporter, contra immediate withdrawal, contra impeachment Gore supporter, pro immediate withdrawal, pro impeachment Gore supporter, pro immediate withdrawal, contra impeachment Gore supporter, contra immediate withdrawal, pro impeachment Gore supporter, contra immediate withdrawal, contra impeachment Obama supporter, pro immediate withdrawal, pro impeachment Obama supporter, pro immediate withdrawal, contra impeachment Obama supporter, contra immediate withdrawal, contra impeachment 114 votes Vote Now! Well??? Clinton supporter, pro immediate withdrawal, pro impeachment 4% 5 votes Clinton supporter, pro immediate withdrawal, contra impeachment 3% 3 votes Clinton supporter, contra immediate withdrawal, pro impeachment 3% 3 votes Clinton supporter, contra immediate withdrawal, conta impeachment 4% 4 votes Edwards supporter, pro immediate withdrawal, pro impeachment 31 votes Edwards supporter, pro immediate withdrawal, contra impeachment 4% 5 votes Edwards supporter, contra immediate withdrawal, pro impeachment 2% 2 votes Edwards supporter, contra immediate withdrawal, contra impeachment 2% 2 votes Gore supporter, pro immediate withdrawal, pro impeachment 30 votes Gore supporter, pro immediate withdrawal, contra impeachment 3% 3 votes Gore supporter, contra immediate withdrawal, pro impeachment 3% 3 votes Gore supporter, contra immediate withdrawal, contra impeachment 2% 2 votes Obama supporter, pro immediate withdrawal, pro impeachment 12 votes Obama supporter, pro immediate withdrawal, contra impeachment 5% 6 votes Obama supporter, contra immediate withdrawal, contra impeachment 3% 3 votes
I can’t believe I’m posting a frikking horse race diary! What is the world coming to? Anyway, so the NYT and CBS NEWS have a massive (pdf!!!) new poll out. There’s all sorts of stuff; some good (Dems liked lots better than Repubs), some not so hot (Bush’s approval numbers ticking up 5 points in the last two weeks, WTF?). What I thought interesting: favorability ratings for some of the declared and undeclared presidential contenders of both parties. Pretty good news for us Gore supporters: Al now has the second-highest favs among the Dems, losing only narrowly to Obama, and the latter of course has many more DK responses. He’s also beating the ‘pubs except for Giuliani who has higher net-favs.
Poll 185 votes Show Results If Al Gore were to declare his candidacy, would you immediately donate $20.08 to his campaign immediately donate more than $20.08 to his campaign consider donating closer to or during the primaries immediately donate $20.08 to a different campaign pledge to volunteer on his campaign donate and volunteer get a stiff drink other (explain in comments) 185 votes Vote Now! If Al Gore were to declare his candidacy, would you immediately donate $20.08 to his campaign 19 votes immediately donate more than $20.08 to his campaign 46 votes consider donating closer to or during the primaries 8% 14 votes immediately donate $20.08 to a different campaign 3% 5 votes pledge to volunteer on his campaign 6% 12 votes donate and volunteer 60 votes get a stiff drink 24 votes other (explain in comments) 3% 5 votes
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