54 days out from the election of November 8, 2022 - which will be, one way or the other, the most significant election since 1860 in terms of what the outcome will create in 2024 - everyone is biting their nails down to the quick. Which prediction is right? A Red Wave washes away Biden? The Democrats hold the Senate and lose the House? The Republicans come up short all around?
From what I have read, Graham mischaracterizes his own proposed legislation (on purpose?) as "banning abortion". It may be wise to emphasize that what the legislation actually does is CRIMINALIZE abortion and the crazed R radicals probably won't stop with that.
A reminder to all that Margaret Atwood didn't write "a Handmaid's Tale" as an instruction guide!
How can anyone pay any attention to the waffling and opportunistic Graham who waltzes himself into the spotlight surrounded by a posse of young women ( who are they?) thinking that makes it ok for him to tell women how it's going to be with their womb-life. He is such a pathetic creature! Well past his " sell by" date.
Good writing today TC (well, every day, IMO). Thanks for articulating a lot of the thoughts that are somewhat jumbled in my head into a more cogent form.
Sensible, clear, and measured post, TC. The Dobbs decision instinctively clarifies for most people what the Republican program truly is. Keep it in front of the voter’s minds, and they will understand the broader implications.
Graham, as with Republican politicians generally, is like the proverbial scorpion that hitches a ride on the fox’s back. He will sting you every time. It’s his nature. He can’t help it.
PREDICTING NOVEMBER reminded me that TC is a pilot in his training, thinking, actions and ? language ? In this piece, he navigated our way over the 54 days to the midterm elections.
'… Landing the airplane when conditions are challenging might well be the most difficult part of any flight. Strong winds, especially if they are crosswinds and turbulence, low clouds, low visibility, and especially with some or all of the above at night may be the most challenging part of flying today.'
Pilot, TC, set out the goals for a successful landing, which requires strategy and planning. Remember the following:
__'Trump is on the ballot, every day, in everything he does'
__'More importantly, particularly with today’s news, the fact that the three elections in which Democrats overperformed and won ALL involved campaigns that opposed the Supreme Court’s overthrow of Roe v. Wade,'
__'The issue of Roe especially since the Dobbs decision overturning it, has incredible power. PASSING the WOMEN'S HEALTH PROTECTION ACT means restoring what the Court took away. It also keeps the debate away from notional third trimester abortions that virtually never happen except in medical emergency or in cases of profound malformation or unviability. Saying you want to bring back Roe’s protections is simple, straightforward and powerful. It is the most honest answer because Roe actually allowed for significant restrictions and the best in political terms since to every scare story and misleading claim the answer is Roe allowed restrictions and I support bringing back Roe.'
__:'there will be national abortion legislation. It’s a matter of who writes it. Will it be Republicans starting with a 15 week ban and tightening restrictions going forward or will it be Democrats restoring the Roe protections which were the status quo ante?'
'This makes it all the more critical that Democrats make clear that if they keep the House and get two additional Senate seats they will pass that law in January 2023. Not just pass it. Pass it in January 2023, the first week Congress reconvenes. If they hold the House and add two Senate seats.'
'Democrats make clear that abortion is on the ballot, just as much as it was in Kansas and will be in Michigan. Every bit that becomes more clear is good for abortion rights and good for Democratic fortunes''
'Democrats need to organize around that pledge immediately.'
'I keep stressing historical events like the Battles of Midway and Guadalcanal, that changed the course of the war.
'... in both cases people buckled down and did their duty and when the breaks came, they were able to take advantage of them. Victory in both cases involved going “all in.”
'Going “ALL IN” is our only strategy now.'
Thank you, 'OPILOT'. Getting to that successful landing is up to us!
And Tuesday evening Mike Pence told the Susan B Anthony Gala that he favors advancing the "cause of life" in every state and at the national level. "Cause of Life" = Forced Birth
The helmeted dunce, he with the fly living on his head, speaks once again. He’s like a puppet, every now and then he utters something that demonstrates to all, just how abysmally incompetent he really is, and has been all along.
54 days. And 54 more opportunities for the GQP to put their true vision out there for all to see. Thanks Lindsey! And thanks TFG for the image of you wearing a "Q" pin.
TC, you are so right. This election is all about TFG and his deluded followers. Exposing the scary shit they stand for. I will predict just one thing. The turnout of young people - especially women - will be epic. And hopefully this will reveal how bogus and unpopular Republican "policies" are.
And I have a question. What if there is an even split of Dems and GQPs in the House - assuming one is not seated or dies, etc. - leaving a total of 434 members?
Absolutely. "Going all in" is our only strategy now. Graham is a fool but also a fox - he made his little splash to gin up the rabid gop base. The same kind of cynicism is at work here in Michigan where the folks the gop put at the top of the state ballot are all completely ridiculous! Who could vote for them? But of course some will based on slick ads paid for by DeVos and other right wing deep pockets, who stopped paying taxes years ago. If nothing else, we must all realize that not only is djt on the ballot, but his entire criminal band of grifters, liars, cheats, and God knows what. I feel like we're in the middle of the battle for Middle Earth all over the planet. Ukraine gives us a glimpse of heroism. Now it is up to us in the US not to let them down by letting gop folks step into leadership. That too is at stake.
Thank you, TC! This is an excellent post as usual!
I have a question, I hope you can answer.
I think that this horrendous place comes directly from the Federalist Society. As I am fill out the ballot, which has 15 judges listed for confirmation, how can I ascertain that I am NOT confirming a federalist? I am willing to do the research.
Betsy's answer is as good as I can come up with. The only thing I do with voting for judges in California is not vote for Assistant DA's when a non-Assistant DA is running for the position.
That is a very good question, Heather. When judges are running, it is next to impossible to find out their political persuasion, much less if they have been corrupted by the Federalist Society.
By the way TC - I loaned my new copy of your book "The Cactus Air Force" to a friend whose father served (and survived) in Guadalcanal in World War II. He LOVES the book!! Really meaningful for him, brings back the terrifying and brave stories his father told. And, Yes, he will write a review for me to put on Amazon, and wherever you'd like it. Thanks!
'Going all in'! I don't envy anything else with America, but that is something missing in Swedish politics. We are now in a most unstable position after the election, and things are at best being negotiated and open for everyone to see.
Olof - since this election result is so startling, could you become TAFM's Sweden Correspondent to explain how this happened and what is going on? If you hit "reply" on the next email you get from me for the next post, it will let you contact me directly and we can establish you sending material I can post. This is such a surprising development; I am sure readers would be interested in learning more about it from a knowledgeable source. Thanks in advance.
I'm not sure I am 'knowledgeable'; I just keep my eyes and ears open and reflect on that. But of course I'll be happy to respond the best I can. The outcome of the election is not startling to me, but rather foreseeable. The outcome of the coming 4 years is shaky, but not alarming.
What is new in Swedish politics is that three parties openly declared before the election that they were willing to cooperate with SD, the 'Sweden Democrats': M, the Conservatives (M is for 'moderates', which compared to the US is appropriate.), KD, the Christian Democrats (also moderate compared to the US), and L, the Liberals. Since SD was started all other parties have refused to openly cooperate with them; it has been inopportune, until now. So far all members of SD openly expressing racist, homophobic, or extreme right views, have been expelled from the party.
It is not a coincidence that SD could also be read as Social Democrats (shortened with S), which is as cunning as 'Nationalsozialisten'. Recently an investigation was published about the people forming the party, and they were largely known neo nazis and white supremacists. The scientist doing the investigation was presented as nonpartial, but after a couple of weeks it was revealed that he had been a former member of the party. By then they had already managed to present their message in public service media: this was all history, and already well known. There was no questioning of what this meant today!
Along with extremists being excluded from SD, there has been a nudging towards their policies among other parties for instance on migration, so the stage was kind of set for the election this year. What actually will come out of government negotiations is still to be seen. Liberals maybe only 5%, but even that few can possibly be divided! The majority in parliament is balancing on 3 seats, so the scene may well be open to single actors; weak government if you like, or room for negotiations and compromise, which I trust is the strongest tradition in Swedish politics. SD has by far the highest record of deviating politicians, leaving the party line or the party, which may indicate that populist messages also attract misogynists.
Personally I think it was time to involve SD for real, 15-20% of the votes cannot be ignored in the long run, and they have been gaining votes long enough by being 'victims' and not taking responsibility for anything. I considered voting for this coalition with the idea that the Liberals would keep SD at bay and still let them in for real, but decided not to. First because the Liberals are too weak. During the last years polls they have even been under the 4% limit for at all to be represented in parliament. Second, and decisive, because the conservative prime minister to be is a clown to me; incompetent and incapable. Unfortunately not a reliable leader in these times: a period of Sweden leading EU, NATO negotiations, the aftermath of the pandemic, the war in Ukraine...
Good post today, TC. For Republicans it will always be states right unless their mendacity seems on shacky ground, then go to a restrictive or unclear nation law. Truth in legislation now unknown in the company of Mitch and Lindsey.
From what I have read, Graham mischaracterizes his own proposed legislation (on purpose?) as "banning abortion". It may be wise to emphasize that what the legislation actually does is CRIMINALIZE abortion and the crazed R radicals probably won't stop with that.
A reminder to all that Margaret Atwood didn't write "a Handmaid's Tale" as an instruction guide!
How can anyone pay any attention to the waffling and opportunistic Graham who waltzes himself into the spotlight surrounded by a posse of young women ( who are they?) thinking that makes it ok for him to tell women how it's going to be with their womb-life. He is such a pathetic creature! Well past his " sell by" date.
Good writing today TC (well, every day, IMO). Thanks for articulating a lot of the thoughts that are somewhat jumbled in my head into a more cogent form.
Yer welcome, Sarge. :-)
Sensible, clear, and measured post, TC. The Dobbs decision instinctively clarifies for most people what the Republican program truly is. Keep it in front of the voter’s minds, and they will understand the broader implications.
Graham, as with Republican politicians generally, is like the proverbial scorpion that hitches a ride on the fox’s back. He will sting you every time. It’s his nature. He can’t help it.
PREDICTING NOVEMBER reminded me that TC is a pilot in his training, thinking, actions and ? language ? In this piece, he navigated our way over the 54 days to the midterm elections.
'… Landing the airplane when conditions are challenging might well be the most difficult part of any flight. Strong winds, especially if they are crosswinds and turbulence, low clouds, low visibility, and especially with some or all of the above at night may be the most challenging part of flying today.'
Pilot, TC, set out the goals for a successful landing, which requires strategy and planning. Remember the following:
__'Trump is on the ballot, every day, in everything he does'
__'More importantly, particularly with today’s news, the fact that the three elections in which Democrats overperformed and won ALL involved campaigns that opposed the Supreme Court’s overthrow of Roe v. Wade,'
__'The issue of Roe especially since the Dobbs decision overturning it, has incredible power. PASSING the WOMEN'S HEALTH PROTECTION ACT means restoring what the Court took away. It also keeps the debate away from notional third trimester abortions that virtually never happen except in medical emergency or in cases of profound malformation or unviability. Saying you want to bring back Roe’s protections is simple, straightforward and powerful. It is the most honest answer because Roe actually allowed for significant restrictions and the best in political terms since to every scare story and misleading claim the answer is Roe allowed restrictions and I support bringing back Roe.'
__:'there will be national abortion legislation. It’s a matter of who writes it. Will it be Republicans starting with a 15 week ban and tightening restrictions going forward or will it be Democrats restoring the Roe protections which were the status quo ante?'
'This makes it all the more critical that Democrats make clear that if they keep the House and get two additional Senate seats they will pass that law in January 2023. Not just pass it. Pass it in January 2023, the first week Congress reconvenes. If they hold the House and add two Senate seats.'
'Democrats make clear that abortion is on the ballot, just as much as it was in Kansas and will be in Michigan. Every bit that becomes more clear is good for abortion rights and good for Democratic fortunes''
'Democrats need to organize around that pledge immediately.'
'I keep stressing historical events like the Battles of Midway and Guadalcanal, that changed the course of the war.
'... in both cases people buckled down and did their duty and when the breaks came, they were able to take advantage of them. Victory in both cases involved going “all in.”
'Going “ALL IN” is our only strategy now.'
Thank you, 'OPILOT'. Getting to that successful landing is up to us!
Very good, Fern.
VERY GOOD, on you!
And Tuesday evening Mike Pence told the Susan B Anthony Gala that he favors advancing the "cause of life" in every state and at the national level. "Cause of Life" = Forced Birth
The helmeted dunce, he with the fly living on his head, speaks once again. He’s like a puppet, every now and then he utters something that demonstrates to all, just how abysmally incompetent he really is, and has been all along.
All he has succeeded at is avoiding being hanged by the Trumpers on January 6. He owes that to Officer Goodwin💥
54 days. And 54 more opportunities for the GQP to put their true vision out there for all to see. Thanks Lindsey! And thanks TFG for the image of you wearing a "Q" pin.
TC, you are so right. This election is all about TFG and his deluded followers. Exposing the scary shit they stand for. I will predict just one thing. The turnout of young people - especially women - will be epic. And hopefully this will reveal how bogus and unpopular Republican "policies" are.
And I have a question. What if there is an even split of Dems and GQPs in the House - assuming one is not seated or dies, etc. - leaving a total of 434 members?
I'll have to google that one.
Absolutely. "Going all in" is our only strategy now. Graham is a fool but also a fox - he made his little splash to gin up the rabid gop base. The same kind of cynicism is at work here in Michigan where the folks the gop put at the top of the state ballot are all completely ridiculous! Who could vote for them? But of course some will based on slick ads paid for by DeVos and other right wing deep pockets, who stopped paying taxes years ago. If nothing else, we must all realize that not only is djt on the ballot, but his entire criminal band of grifters, liars, cheats, and God knows what. I feel like we're in the middle of the battle for Middle Earth all over the planet. Ukraine gives us a glimpse of heroism. Now it is up to us in the US not to let them down by letting gop folks step into leadership. That too is at stake.
I feel like we're in the middle of the battle for Middle Earth all over the planet.
Exactly right, which is why I tell people to go watch "The Return of the King."
For Frodo! We are Aragorn!
Victory!
🗽
Shooting one’s self in the foot seems to be becoming a GOP sport
Team Lindsey vs Team Maggie
Thank you, TC! This is an excellent post as usual!
I have a question, I hope you can answer.
I think that this horrendous place comes directly from the Federalist Society. As I am fill out the ballot, which has 15 judges listed for confirmation, how can I ascertain that I am NOT confirming a federalist? I am willing to do the research.
I am a Californian living in Canada now.
Thanks,
Heather
Betsy's answer is as good as I can come up with. The only thing I do with voting for judges in California is not vote for Assistant DA's when a non-Assistant DA is running for the position.
Thank you, TC!
Here's a list. Not sure how complete...
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Federalist_Society_members
Thank you, Betsy. I really appreciate it,
That is a very good question, Heather. When judges are running, it is next to impossible to find out their political persuasion, much less if they have been corrupted by the Federalist Society.
Heather, here's a starting point for you: https://ballotpedia.org/State_judicial_elections,_2022 and https://ballotpedia.org/California_intermediate_appellate_court_elections,_2022. Ballotpedia is also where you can get information on other candidates, either from those people's replies to their survey or by providing their websites so you can go see their platforms and issues. Of course, there is also Google or, my preference, DuckDuckGo.
Thank you Mim. I really appreciate it
By the way TC - I loaned my new copy of your book "The Cactus Air Force" to a friend whose father served (and survived) in Guadalcanal in World War II. He LOVES the book!! Really meaningful for him, brings back the terrifying and brave stories his father told. And, Yes, he will write a review for me to put on Amazon, and wherever you'd like it. Thanks!
Thank YOU MaryPat.
You are most welcome. I suspect I will now have to order another copy for me!
'Going all in'! I don't envy anything else with America, but that is something missing in Swedish politics. We are now in a most unstable position after the election, and things are at best being negotiated and open for everyone to see.
Olof - since this election result is so startling, could you become TAFM's Sweden Correspondent to explain how this happened and what is going on? If you hit "reply" on the next email you get from me for the next post, it will let you contact me directly and we can establish you sending material I can post. This is such a surprising development; I am sure readers would be interested in learning more about it from a knowledgeable source. Thanks in advance.
I'm not sure I am 'knowledgeable'; I just keep my eyes and ears open and reflect on that. But of course I'll be happy to respond the best I can. The outcome of the election is not startling to me, but rather foreseeable. The outcome of the coming 4 years is shaky, but not alarming.
This is what I (and I suspect we) want to know.
What is new in Swedish politics is that three parties openly declared before the election that they were willing to cooperate with SD, the 'Sweden Democrats': M, the Conservatives (M is for 'moderates', which compared to the US is appropriate.), KD, the Christian Democrats (also moderate compared to the US), and L, the Liberals. Since SD was started all other parties have refused to openly cooperate with them; it has been inopportune, until now. So far all members of SD openly expressing racist, homophobic, or extreme right views, have been expelled from the party.
It is not a coincidence that SD could also be read as Social Democrats (shortened with S), which is as cunning as 'Nationalsozialisten'. Recently an investigation was published about the people forming the party, and they were largely known neo nazis and white supremacists. The scientist doing the investigation was presented as nonpartial, but after a couple of weeks it was revealed that he had been a former member of the party. By then they had already managed to present their message in public service media: this was all history, and already well known. There was no questioning of what this meant today!
Along with extremists being excluded from SD, there has been a nudging towards their policies among other parties for instance on migration, so the stage was kind of set for the election this year. What actually will come out of government negotiations is still to be seen. Liberals maybe only 5%, but even that few can possibly be divided! The majority in parliament is balancing on 3 seats, so the scene may well be open to single actors; weak government if you like, or room for negotiations and compromise, which I trust is the strongest tradition in Swedish politics. SD has by far the highest record of deviating politicians, leaving the party line or the party, which may indicate that populist messages also attract misogynists.
Personally I think it was time to involve SD for real, 15-20% of the votes cannot be ignored in the long run, and they have been gaining votes long enough by being 'victims' and not taking responsibility for anything. I considered voting for this coalition with the idea that the Liberals would keep SD at bay and still let them in for real, but decided not to. First because the Liberals are too weak. During the last years polls they have even been under the 4% limit for at all to be represented in parliament. Second, and decisive, because the conservative prime minister to be is a clown to me; incompetent and incapable. Unfortunately not a reliable leader in these times: a period of Sweden leading EU, NATO negotiations, the aftermath of the pandemic, the war in Ukraine...
Thanks for this Olof.
Lynnie Graham, a balloon filled with flatulence! A toady and dreary baffoon!
Good post today, TC. For Republicans it will always be states right unless their mendacity seems on shacky ground, then go to a restrictive or unclear nation law. Truth in legislation now unknown in the company of Mitch and Lindsey.
For sure. Again and again! I like watching the orcs run.