Two weeks from right now, I’ll be (trying to) sleep because the following morning, November 3rd, I have to report to my town’s COVID-centralized polling location by 6am at the latest. I’ll then spend at least 15hrs serving as an election worker. Two weeks… we’re in the home stretch, folks.
According to the utterly fascinating data and interactive map at the US Elections Project that you really have to go check out after you’ve spent some quality time here with us first :-), as of about two hours before this diary publishes Americans have already cast over thirty million ballots. This is almost 22% of the TOTAL number of votes cast in the 2016 election. The New York Times reports that over 4 million ballots have been cast in Texas. That’s 45% of the TOTAL number of votes cast in 2016. In freeking TEXAS.
My social media feed is full of pictures of people getting their ballots turned in, so much so I’m not sure how many folks will actually be voting on Election Day (besides K1, who because Pandemic is at home and therefore can for the first time ever vote IN PERSON and is excited to do so). My sister-in-law in Texas, who rarely if ever posts anything political, posted a picture in line at her polling place. My other sister in law in NH called to talk politics with me, which may be a sign of the Apocalypse, as we never do that. She voted write-in in 2016 because Clinton, but along with every eligible voter in her household is Team Biden.
I am too superstitious to jinx anything by discussing what these numbers might mean. Frankly, I am not going to jinx anything at all until January 20th 2021, y’know? But I will say to you, all of you… whatever you’re doing, keep doing it. Keep encouraging people to vote, and then to encourage someone ELSE to vote.
Hop below the fold, where I’ve got today’s Tops.
Here at Top Comments we welcome longtime as well as brand new Daily Kos readers to join us at 10pm Eastern. We strive to nourish community by rounding up some of the site's best, funniest, most mojo'd & most informative commentary, and we depend on your help!! If you see a comment by another Kossack that deserves wider recognition, please send it either to topcomments at gmail or to the Top Comments group mailbox by 9:30pm Eastern. Please please please include a few words about why you sent it in as well as your user name (even if you think we know it already :-)), so we can credit you with the find!
TOP COMMENTS
Brillig's ObDisclaimer: The decision to publish each nomination lies with the evening's Diarist and/or Comment Formatter. My evenings at the helm, I try reeeeallllyy hard to publish everything without regard to content. I really do, even when I disagree personally with any given nomination. "TopCommentness" lies in the eyes of the nominator and of you, the reader - I leave the decision to you. I do not publish self-nominations (ie your own comments) and if I ruled the world, we'd all build community, supporting and uplifting instead of tearing our fellow Kossacks down. Please remember that comment inclusion in Top Comments does not constitute support or endorsement by diarist, formatter, Top Comments writers or DailyKos. Questions, complaints or comments? Contact brillig.
From inkstainedwretch:
They can NOT tell us what to do or think. Nominating BlackSheep1’s reply to Neon Mama in Laura Clawson’s diary Thousands of Twitter users respond to David Perdue's racism with #MyNameIs. The Republicans are a political party with no desire to govern. They want to rule and dominate.
From yours truly, brillig:
I liked Bring the Lion’s response to mnkh in kos’ American democracy is in tatters: Here's a 2020 'democracy agenda' to start putting it back together. I liked chimpy’s even more.
TOP MOJO
Top Mojo for yesterday, October 18th 2020, first comments and tip jars excluded. Thank you mik for the mojo magic! For those of you interested in How Top Mojo Works, please see his diary on FAQing Top Mojo.
TOP PICTURES
Top Pictures for yesterday, October 18th 2020. Click any picture to be taken to the full comment or picture. Thank you jotter!