Welcome 😄 to Friday’s Roundup of Good News
“If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run…”
(from If, by Rudyard Kipling)
I ran track in high school and college. And one thing we learned is that, especially at the end of a race, you have to kick into high gear and to sprint with all your heart. Don't look behind you, just run faster; don’t slow down before the finish line, just run faster; go as fast as you can, and then somehow, go faster. Ignore the cheers (the pundits); ignore the boos (more pundits); ignore the shiny objects being thrown at you (caravans, bombs, and Kavanaugh).
Just run faster.
Of course, that metaphor only goes so far. Looking around can apprise you of dangers, threats, someone trying to cheat. So stay vigilant. And make people aware of the following:
Election Protection Hotline: (866) OUR-VOTE -- (866) 687-8683
They rely on a suite of voter helplines: 866-OUR-VOTE (administered by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law), 888-Ve-Y-Vota (administered by the NALEO Educational Fund), 844-Yalla-US (Arabic/English) – administered by the Arab American Institute, and 888-API-VOTE administered by APIAVote & Asian Americans Advancing Justice-AAJC) and
Voter protection field programs across the country (both legal – managed by the Lawyers’ Committee, and grassroots – managed by Common Cause)
And, if there are still GOTV activities that you can do at this point, please do them! Let’s leave nothing on the table!
Regular Scheduled Programming
No one here is naïve; we are aware of the very bad stuff that is happening. Some of us expected it: the cheating, the lying, and yes, even the bombs. (The bombs are even more reason to push back, because if we don't, do you think they’ll suddenly be nicer? Hardly.) But we are here to read the efforts and the positive results of those (including ourselves) who are working so hard to save our country from those very bad people. We are furious with them for what they are doing and we are letting them know. And you know what? Anger and fury are pretty good motivators, and are reasons that a blue wave is predicted for November (which is coming very soon). Remember:
💚 There are more of us than there are of them.
💛 They are terrified when we organize. THERE IS LOTS OF EVIDENCE THAT THEY ARE TERRIFIED!
💔 They want us to be demoralized. We have to keep demoralizing them. Name, blame and shame!
💙 The best way to keep up your spirits is to fight. So, take the time to recharge your batteries, but find ways to contribute to the well-being of our country and our world.
💙 Toxic 🍄 Trump Matters 👎 & Russia, Russia, Russia 🐻
🍄 Even Giuliani has ties to Russia
"Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani has a new side gig: conference headliner in Armenia. The 74-year old Trump defense attorney spoke Tuesday in Yerevan at the International Forum of Eurasian Partnership, a conference aimed at promoting the Eurasian Economic Union – the Russia-organized economic bloc."
🐻 We now have a good idea why Skripal was poisoned
Connecting the dots because he was connecting the dots with respect to the misinformation.
🍄 A stronger (Summer) defamation case against Trump, heading for deposition
🐊 Tales from the Swamp 🐊
🐊 Facebook, which profited from encouraging the Russians in our elections, has received a record fine in the UK
Britain’s information watchdog has slapped Facebook with a maximum possible fine of £500,000 ($644,000) for its behavior in the Cambridge Analytica scandal. The Information Commissioner upheld a decision made in July to fine the social media giant for giving app developers access to data from at least one million British users without their informed consent. The fine was the maximum allowed under the law at the time the breach but it would have been significantly higher if it took place now that new EU data protection rules are in effect.
If they get caught doing it again, take all their money and shut them down!
💙 Democrats Are Great 🌊
Republicans 🐘 Got Nothing 👎
💙 🌻 💙 Good news from 538 on some governors’ races
From the launch of our governors forecast, three purplish states with no incumbent governor running — Maine, Michigan and Minnesota — have all sat firmly in the Democratic column. Democrats’ chances of winning have remained at or above 89 percent in all three races.
They point out the tightening of Minnesota. Of course, we’ve seen lots about other states, but those are the three covered in that article.
💙 After the election, 538 predicts an increase in the number of D governors than there are now. It may not be a majority of the states, but it after the election, it should be a significant majority of the people (196 million under D and 133 under R). Nearly 60% under the D. That’s good.
💙 Sabato moved three out of four gubernatorial races in the D direction (one in the R direction). Good news for KS, SD, and RI which are now toss-ups or better. Not as good news for OR, also now a toss-up. Kansas and South Dakota? Wow! But get with it, Oregon!
💙 And from a comment by hpg in yesterday’s GNR
THERE ARE NOW — NEARLY 100 REPUBLICAN SEATS — AT RISK !!!
(38) (39) (42) (44) 46 TIER 1 — SEATS
WE HAVE NOW (14) 17 REPUBLICAN SEATS THAT LEAN D OR BETTER !!!
4 SEATS ARE LIKELY DEMOCRATIC !
13 SEATS LEAN DEMOCRATIC !
OCT 24 TOSSUP & LEAN D SEATS & LIKELY D SEATS BY COOK POLITICAL: OKT 24 FIRST TIER congressional races Tossup Lean D and Likely D seats from cook political report
(27) (27) (26) (25) 26 TIER 2 — SEATS
OCT 24 LEAN REPUBLICAN SEATS FROM COOK POLITICAL REPORT: OKT 24 federal congressional races SECOND TIER Lean Republican seats from cook political report
(25) (26) (25) (26) 26 TIER 3 — SEATS
OCT 24 LIKELY REPUBLICAN SEATS FROM COOK POLITICAL REPORT: OKT 24 federal congressional races THIRD TIER Likely Republican seats from cook political report
THERE ARE NOW (4 +13 + 29 + 26 + 26) == 98 REPUBLICAN SEATS AT RISK !!!
🌻 Some morsels from the Maddow Blog
💙 In Florida's closely watched gubernatorial race, the latest Quinnipiac poll found Andrew Gillum (D) leading Ron DeSantis (R), 52% to 46%. The poll was conducted before recent coverage of the Tallahassee mayor receiving "Hamilton" tickets from undercover FBI agents.
💙 In Montana's competitive U.S. Senate race, a new poll conducted by Montana State University Billings found incumbent Sen. Jon Tester (D) with a nine-point lead over Matt Rosendale (R). 47% to 38%. Most other recent polling shows a much tighter race.
💛 The Congressional Leadership Fund, a Republican super PAC with close ties to the House Republican leadership, is launching a new investment in Virginia's 5th congressional district. For the right, that's not good news: Virginia's 5th, which was represented by Thomas Garrett (R) before his recent resignation, has generally been seen as a fairly safe "red" seat.
💙 Georgia — and we’re all worried about Crooked Kemp — is voting its heart out
So far in 2018, 845,170 people have voted early.
At this point in 2014, that number was 295,266.
Total turnout for 2018 is 186.2% higher.
💙 🌻 💙 Cook Political Report has some numbers to make you 😄
- 59% disapprove of Trump (46% strongly)
- 70% disapprove of Congress (40% strongly)
- 58% said their representative does not deserve re-election
- 65% said Trump deserves to be voted out of office in 2020
- Generic ballot: Democratic 48%, Republican 36%
- Words which apply to Trump presidency: Frustrated 56%, Angry 45%, Helpless 33%, Hopeful 26%, Proud 15%, Excited 13%
- Trump is 58% Not at all likeable, 56% Not at all honest, 56% Not at all ethical etc.
💛 Getting to Know Scott Walker Means Getting to Despise Him 👎
Peter Bildstein, Gov. Scott Walker’s (R. WI) now former secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, has a brutal piece out in The Atlantic that highlights what a colossal fuck up Walker has been.
🌻 Dallas Morning News endorses Beto O’Rourke
In looking at the race for United States Senate in Texas, we recognize that this country stands on a precipice. Whether we fall off the edge depends on how we answer this question: Can we set policy differences aside, even for a moment, and agree to treat each other with the respect befitting a great nation, with acknowledgment of the humanity of each person? ✂️
In looking at the race for United States Senate in Texas, we recognize that this country stands on a precipice. Whether we fall off the edge depends on how we answer this question: Can we set policy differences aside, even for a moment, and agree to treat each other with the respect befitting a great nation, with acknowledgment of the humanity of each person?
💜 Even Fox and Friends’ voter panel rejects fear-mongering with respect to that caravan 🚚
Fox News' narrative about the Central American migrant caravan doesn't seem to be resonating with independent voters. :scissors:
At least, that's what a Fox & Friends discussion with four independents seemed to discover on Monday. Host Steve Doocy, along with his co-hosts and guests, have recently been promoting the idea that the approaching caravan of migrants from Central America is dangerous, with host Brian Kilmeade warning of "security issues" and nodding along as a guest described the caravan as "an act of war," and host Pete Hegseth calling for a military deployment to stop the migrants.
But when Doocy talked to a panel of voters about the caravan, the very first panelist didn't seem to agree with any of this. "This is the mightiest country on the planet," one voter said, per Mediaite. "I think we can handle a caravan of people, unarmed, coming to this country." The very next panelist decried the fact that immigration has been used as a "partisan football," and another pointed to the "humanitarian crisis taking place in Central America."
🐍 Schadenfreude Files 🍎
🐍 Pennsylvania racist in trouble after bothering school bus driver:
A bus driver who did not happen to be lily white was harassed by a racist who then decided to call the cops and accuse that bus driver of lots of stuff. But it turns out that school busses are equipped with lots of cameras (a sensible place to put them; little should be more precious than the children) and so the racist, a complete liar, is in trouble for a false police report.
🐍 Megyn Kelly out after defending blackface
NBC should have never hired her. Maybe she didn't like the sexual harassment at Fox, but she was never a good fit for NBC.
🍎 More about Steve Bannon’s unpopularity, in a diary from our own Goodie!
None of the candidates showed up at a rally was throwing for those candidates. But see what the other side (our side 😄) is doing!
📎📎📎 Odds and Ends 📎📎📎
⚡️ Myth of whiteness in classical statues — most of the statues we see today are white because the paint chipped off.
👩 Online abortions — cheap, private, and safe, avoiding the right-wingers — get an online consultation, get your medicine in the mail. This is a great solution, so that poor young women in places where abortion has been restricted can get help without hassle. 💊
⚖Rep. Gianforte will have legal problems if he keeps lying about his assault on a reporter
Stuff from pr0gressivist, shamelessly borrowed (stolen):
⚡️ Yahoo! has to pay out $50 million to users affected by the hack
⚡️ NY sues Exxon over climate change coverup
⚡️ Saudi Arabia admits truth
⚡️ New flu treatment
💙 What You Can Do to Rescue Democracy 💙
DONATE TO A CAMPAIGN YOU HAVEN’T GIVEN TO YET
You’ve probably given to the big marquee races, but Democrats at every level across America could use a little help getting across the finish line. ActBlue has a comprehensive index of all candidates who use them for fundraising. Check it out and find a few extra dollars to grow the Blue Wave.
find volunteer opportunities at dkos’ “mobilize america”
Our own favorite political site includes a great page that makes it easy to offer your services, even at this late hour. Just enter your location, or skip that step and find opportunities nationwide.
CAN’T WRITE POSTCARDS, UNCOMFORTABLE MAKING PHONE CALLS? TRY TEXTING!
I like this one. I can’t walk door-to-door, and I can’t hand write anything at the moment, but I can still send text messages. And so can you. Check out Resistance Labs to find out how you can interact with voters directly.
SPREAD THE WORD—FREE RIDES TO THE POLLS ARE AVAILABLE
Many local Democratic parties offer rides to the polls on election day. (Call your local Democratic party if you want to volunteer; you may even be able to help with early voting.)
🍀 “My experience has been that work is almost
always the best way to pull oneself out of the depths.” 🍀
Eleanor Roosevelt
🔥 If you’re going through hell, keep going! 🔥
Winston Churchill
🌹 🌹 🌹
TRUTH MATTERS. LOVE MATTERS.