As We Launch Into the Final Sprint...
With Labor Day behind us and The Most Critical Election In Our Planet's History just 63 days away, it's important to stay up to date on the races happening not only nationally, but in your corner of the world, too. So we're helping pass the word along that the mighty Daily Kos Elections Team ("The Best in the Business") has gone rogue and formed their own dedicated site for all things ballot-related:
[O]ur relentless focus on downballot elections—those thousands of races below the presidency—has helped elevate these critical but often-overlooked contests, leading to crucial victories.
We've published data used in every corner of the political world, established special elections as an indispensable analytic tool, and even literally put candidates on the map. We couldn't be prouder of the work we’ve done. […]
If you've ever had the privilege of seeing the team during their appearances at Netroots nation conventions, you know David Nir and his crew are all walking encyclopedias of down-ballot knowledge. So it's a no-brainer to add them to your favorites list and consult them frequently as we head into the home stretch of the 2024 cycle.
You can also help them keep the lights on at their new site by becoming a one-time or recurring subscriber by clicking here.
[W]e know that countless people have come to rely on our work analyzing and elevating downballot elections, including journalists, activists, political professionals, academics, and enthusiasts. As more than one person has told us, we've become a public utility—a key piece of infrastructure in the political ecosystem.
And we'd really like to stay public. That means we do not want to put up a paywall—and, at least at the start, we won't. … So we're asking folks to contribute to our cause the same way you might to NPR or PBS—or Daily Kos itself. We've preached the mantra of donors getting the best bang for their buck for years. Well, we can guarantee that your contributions will be put to extremely good use, without a single wasted penny.
You'll find The Downballot site here and their social media links here. If knowledge is power, these guys are Hercules. Thanks for lending them your eyeballs and, if you're so inclined, your subscription.
And now, our feature presentation...
Cheers and Jeers for Tuesday, September 3, 2024
Note: Ninja Billeh sees you wearing white after Labor Day.
Hai!!! Judo chop!!!
My work is done here. You never saw me, and—[Poof!]—I was never here.
-
By the Numbers:
2 days!!!
Weeks 'til the Harris-Trump debate: 1
Days 'til the 50th Ayden Collard Festival in North Carolina: 2
Revised 2nd quarter U.S. economic growth, up from the original 2.8% estimate: 3%
Favorable view of Kamala Harris and the leader of the MAGA cult, respectively, among likely voters in the latest ABC News/Ipsos poll: 46% / 33%
Current Harris-Trump matchup numbers in the same poll: 52% - 46%
Number of visitors to Maine's Acadia National park in 2023, who spent an estimated $475 million in our state: 3.9 million
Years since the Nazis invaded Poland as of last Sunday: 85
-
Puppy Pic of the Day: Today's gold star goes to this Philadelphia Roto-Rooter team…
-
CHEERS to the joyful co-candidate. Sorry, not much in the mood to return from a holiday weekend and jump right back into the mud. So let’s start with a couple minutes of Minnesota Governor and Harris running mate Tim Walz making his coach’s voice heard at the Minnesota State Fair:
Okay, since you twisted my arm. One more pic…
His MAGA counterpart, meanwhile, continues his search for the meaning of the word “doughnut.”
JEERS to jumping over your own red lines. Look, you may not like Kamala Harris's opponent, but at least you know where he stands…right? If not, here's his record on the Florida ballot question that would overturn the six-week abortion ban there:
He was against it.
Before he was for it.
Before he was against it.
Before he was for it before he was against it before he was for it before he was against it….TBA
See? Perfectly simple, Perfectly clear. And if this keeps up until November? He's perfectly screwed.
CHEERS to the happiest ending...evuh! On September 3, 1783, our War of Independence ended when a treaty was signed by Great Britain and the United States:
It was signed in Paris by Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay.
Actual pen used to sign the treaty.
Under the terms of the treaty, Britain recognized the independent nation of the United States of America.
Britain agreed to remove all of its troops from the new nation. The treaty also set new borders for the United States, including all land from the Great Lakes on the north to Florida on the south, and from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River. ...The United States also agreed not to persecute loyalists still in America and allow those that left America to return.
Afterward, the founding fathers got together in a circle, held hands, and recited the Pledge of Allegiance. And then Jesus rode in on a dinosaur with news he had just finished digging the Grand Canyon. The things you learn on Conservapedia these days…
-
BRIEF SANITY BREAK
-
-
END BRIEF SANITY BREAK
-
CHEERS to pigskin fever. On this date in 1895, the first professional football game was played. The Latrobe (PA) YMCA defeated the Jeannette Athletic Club 12-0. Scandal erupted when half-time entertainer John Phillip Sousa—in the first documented "wardrobe malfunction"—reached down and "accidentally" ripped a piece of a piccolo player's stocking to reveal an exposed ankle. Thank god she was wearing a "fibula medallion" or there would’ve been a riot.
JEERS to leaving down-time on the table. Fresh off of Labor Day, we unhelpfully note that Americans are still terrible at using their vacation time, and it’s apparently getting worse. Lending firm Sorbet estimates that “62% of workers with paid time off did not use all of their vacation time, letting a third of it go to waste.” And over five percent didn’t use any at all. I think I know why. You're all too lazy to use your vacation time. Slackers.
-
Ten years ago in C&J: September 3, 2014
CHEERS to the integrity of the American voter. Republicans can shout "VOTER FRAUD!" all they want. But they'll just keep running into that pesky brick wall called reality:
So far, I’ve found about 31 different incidents (some of which involve multiple ballots) since 2000, anywhere in the country. … To put this in perspective, the 31 incidents below come in the context of general, primary, special, and municipal elections from 2000 through 2014. In general and primary elections alone, more than 1 billion ballots were cast in that period.
But in Republican Land, the only way to preserve the integrity of our voting system that works like a well-oiled machine that was among the first well-oiled machines to be inducted into the Well-oiled Machine Hall of Fame is to throw sand in the gears. Great. I think they're deserving of a new slogan: "The NEW Republican Party: We're Here to Not Help."
-
And just one more…
Due to a canceled flight over the Labor Day holiday, our Just One More feature is now stranded at Newark Airport. We apologize for the inconvenience, and we can assure you that it will return tomorrow, assuming the squirrel chauffeur we hired to drive it up here arrives on time and, more importantly, in one piece.
Have a tolerable Tuesday. Floor's open...What are you cheering and jeering about today?
-
Today's Shameless C&J Testimonial
"The secret ingredient for Bill in Portland Maine's Cheers and Jeers kiddie pool? Tabasco sauce."
—Vice President Kamala Harris
-
