Stand still while I dump this bucket of ice over your head, or I’ll keep doing it till you do. As of tonight, Democrats control the Senate with 50 votes and the Vice President breaking tie votes. It Warnock is re-elected on December 6, that gives a 51 vote majority.
Good morning to you, TC. I'm the new kid on your block, but that hasn't stopped me yakking back at you yet. I'm an old teacher of literature and I put together and taught for years a course in the essay. Our text books were things like The New Yorker and the old Harpers back when Lewis Lapham was editing. So that's where I'm coming from when I tell you this one today is one of the hard-hitting, sharp, clean, focused best I've read. I could go through, sentence by sentence and tell you all the ways you've made that happen on a thorny subject, but you're a writer and I expect you already know that. I'm glad to know you as well, and us workers and voters are, indeed, the heroes of this near-miss with the end of the world. But we'll be gone, and even Nancy Pelosi, who has saved all our rear-ends, will be gone. What will remain is good writing. Thank you
Yes Lewis Lapham, whose writing manages to be both deliberate and promiscuously lovely. I have an especially wonderful Lapham story if I can figure out how two make it short. The 1980's, an independent secondary school, the essay class. My scruffiest-looking student (not a future English major) falls in love with Lapham's monthly essays, gets a subscription to Harper's and, with access to their archives hunkers down and reads just about every word Lapham has ever written. His family goes to NY for Christmas and, as disreputable-looking as ever, he walks into the office of Harpers and announces to the woman at the front desk that he needs to see Mr. Lapham. The obvious question, "Do you have an appointment?" The answer, less predictable, "No ma'am, but I need to tell Mr. Lapham that he changed my life."
Lewis Lapham spent half an hour with that young man, who graduated from high school, went away to college and grad school, and has had a remarkably successful career as a writer/essayist/reviewer in New York, where he has attended the occasional social event whose guests included Lewis Lapham
THE END
(One day TCinLA is going to kick me off his Substack for using the comments section to write essays
Thanks Dean for that story. I hope to read more of such on this Substack. The 30 (or 5) minute talk with a student which you much later find out changed a life is, finally, what teaching (and, actually, life itself) is all about. (Well, there is a lot more, but if you get down to the essence, it is about the well-lived life and how to manage that for each of us, which means in community and sharing.)
Over the past seven years, I got in touch with and became adult friends with Mr. Field, my sixth-grade teacher and the person who opened the door to the path I took that led to here and now. A couple months ago I gave him a set of all my books, which he's working his way through. He called a couple weeks ago to tell me he'd finished the first, and ended by telling me reading it had proven to him that he had been right to become a teacher. That's pretty cool that each of us thinks the other is one of the best things that ever happened to them.
I did and chose a topic designed to either offend or bore, then discovered that teaching a subject is very different than writing about it, also decided to take the learning on the job approach (that's a 'no'), started in my usual charming slapdash manner, made all kinds of errors simply because I had all sorts of assumptions about the platform based on my previous experience with writers' groups, etc. I do want a platform for writing. I seem to be unable to not write and it's much more satisfying to have a platform. I'm not sure Substack is the right one for me, have to drink chai latte and wait. I do see that, with their burst of growth, they are scrambling to attempt some changes in the very areas that I found incompatible, so who knows"
I was thinking maybe some like "Notes of a Failed Substack Writer." What sayest thou?
Or possibly One Day in the Life of a Grumpy Old English Teacher
no he won't. I'm the living proof. and while I'm here, I might as well use this post to praise him for exactly what you've already praised him for.
and let's also remember that he was the only one I read ( with the exception of a few outliers, like Michael Moore et al) who came close to predicting what happened.
I'm enjoying watching these Repugs suddenly discover that TFF is suddenly the shit they've stepped in with their brand new Nikes...you know...the ones with the elaborate deep patterns on the soles that require a good scrub brush and lots of time. where were these assholes three weeks ago? where were they a week after 1/6, when they could have doubled down on their repudiation? it's my impression that this MAGA base isn't as automatically in the Repugnant Party as much as people assume it is. I'm more inclined to think that they're more inclined to stay home once the cult leader is gone.
and if he wants to set up his own party (as has been rumored), that's gonna be a lot of fun to watch. god knows, it won't be OUR votes he'd be draining.
and I know Tom, that you've been saying he WON't declare this week. he wouldn't if he gave two fucks about the party, but....anyone can finish the sentence. he'll do it. the more his lawyers warn him not to, he'll still do it. right now, I'm pretty sure he'd flunk a five-minute mental status consultation. one of the questions is usually "who's the president?"
TAFM’s Town crier doesn’t carry a handbell and shout “Oyez, Oyez, Oyez! to get our attention -- oh no -- it’s a BUCKET OF ICE OVER OUR HEADS if we don’t stand still and listen to WHERE WE STAND NOW . The news is a lot better than we expected; the Democrats control the Senate, and we are going back to Georgia to get Warnock re-elected to the Senate for a 51-vote majority.
One of my favorite lines in WHERE WE STAND NOW, ‘’What we won is the Republicans won’t get to blow up the planet with a debt default, and we won’t leave the Ukrainians to face Putin alone.’ That is BIG. Don’t we like standing with the Ukrainians against Putin?
Another favorite , “If you want nice things, don’t vote Republican.” Our goals are the ‘John Lewis Voting Rights Bill, more solid action on climate change, codifying Roe’. As for the House, it’s unlikely that the Democrats will run the table to win, but that’s okay, it will be a gas to watch McCarthy in the middle of the Republicans’ clown show in the House.
So, TC went from threatening us with an ICE BUCKET to comparing us to the ‘guys who landed on Omaha Beach.’ ‘You got cauliflower ears calling, hand cramps filling out post cards, and your feet got sore walking neighborhoods.’ ’You people are amazing. You are fully the equals of the people I write about in my books.’ ‘Because of what YOU did, we’re able to live to fight another day. That’s victory.’
Isn't that music to our ears? TC sang our song. We the people delivered for WE THE PEOPLE. Good one! Hey, remember what ‘they’ told us was going to happen to the Democrats as a result of the midterm elections? We showed them, didn’t we?
Well said. Now it is time to do two big things. Secure those voting rights. And then gussy up the Democratic Platform with some real changes that help people and get votes. Restructure Social Security for a raise, expand Medicare for folks 50 or 55 and older, and start helping people pay for child care and housing. Make serving in the military lucrative with lifetime health benefits and guaranteed education and jobs.
Do some helpful stuff and gain the votes of seniors, mothers, corporate slaves and those who are Veterans and love Veterans. Where is the money for all that? It's no secret.
Democrats were the party of the worker - the average citizen who is struggling. Let's prove that we can be that again and stick it in MAGA's ear.
You've got a wish list, baby. My mind is on climate, children, the free-press and social media. Real financial support for Public School Education; how to stop Republicans robbing our children of the education that they require and putting straightjackets on teachers; pay teachers much more, much, much more and support AFFORDABLE HOUSING for real We have to put much more effort in getting the states to serve the people and REGULATE SOCIAL MEDIA!
I have been thinking about the Twitter debacle. While it didn't achieve the numbers of some other SM platforms, it served a public forum purpose. Heather and many others refer to it regularly. It has now been trashed.
So how do we regulate Social Media? Some sort of Fairness Doctrine? How do we prevent insane ultra libertarian madmen like Musk from controlling what was truly the Public Square or at least the Soap Box in the best spot of the Square? Ideas?
The voters staved off total disaster. Thank God Catherine Cortez Masto won in Nevada. Now to help Raphael Warnock win in Georgia. That that race is even a contest proves how gullible some people are. A brain injured former football player, really?!
TC, this post is a fine piece of writing. I disagree with one thing. I would say that if you want to eat and live indoors at the same time, vote for Democrats. Democrats want to help people advance so they can look after themselves. Republicans want to keep their feet on people's necks to hold them down. I watched a Guardian reporter ask two women at a tRump rally if they were ok with poverty wages. One said yes; the other said, "I agree with her." If so many people are struggling HARD in a system rigged by the Republicans, that discontent doesn't bode well for the country overall.
I agree with you, Bill and Fern. I'd like to add developing some reasonable approach to aid immigrants and refugees as well. And since the GOP has made it clear they don't have a platform except to pout and act like spoiled brats, anything the Dems do is going to be progress!
With our current climate changes & the increasing water problems, we really need to address immigration. I keep thinking about the dust bowl of the 1930s and the immigration of "Okies" to California and the upset that caused. Now add in immigration from other countries! (Or maybe it will be us immigrating to other countries.)
One other good thing: Democrats continue appointing judges on federal benches. The GOP made that their #1 priority for a reason, and we’re just beginning to see that reason. Beyond “originalist” SCOTUS justices, hundreds of others appointed to federal benches. The GOP also blocked judges appointed by Democrats- Merrick Garland is the most prominent example- when it suited them using bogus reasons that they dropped when it suited then. McConnell called it his signature accomplishment, a legacy that will have impact for years to come. He’s not wrong.
'After a defeat in Nevada, every election denier who tried to become the top election official in a battleground state has lost at the polls.' (NYTimes) Gifted link below.
I agree! This is a very important point and has huge implications for future elections. I'm so grateful the American people voted for 'normal' , not radical!
Sizzlin' TC, sizzlin'! Rising to the top of my favorite sentences in this piece is this: "That is not enough for McCarthy to successfully drive the clown car while the other passengers are throwing their shit out the windows at passers-by. This would actually work in our favor, to be able to point at the clown show and tell voters “This is why you can’t have nice things.” "
I am watching my Reich Wing Nut Job friends bemoan the election, the success of Democrats in Oregon (especially their darling Alek Scarlotos) and wondering "where has my country gone?" I used to think these were reasonable people. Now? They're on the streets, grabbing the shit thrown out the windows and groveling for more. Sad.
Excellent and thank you for launching this site!! In addition to all the crucial tasks ahead let us add another — nurturing the great ignoring of 45. Sounds oxymoronic but he will shrivel even more in a total lack of oxygen. News media will continue to obsess over his every fart-icism. The rest of us need to resolutely erase him from our discourse and boycott advertisers who support the media who continue to give him air!!
I agree. His name came up in headlines only FIVE times this morning on my browser which is a decline from this past week. In my opinion, that's five times too many.
Your best. A reminder that we are not engaged in a hobby. For some, I suspect this is now a avocation. And, for recognition given to all the summer soldiers who wrote post cards, annoyed with phone calls, knocked on doors, spoke up at town and school and campaign stops, chipped in their coins and bills helped get folks ballots and to the polls, who spent hours ensuring voting was safe and honest, and to all those who made the rules work for more voters than in the past, and finally those who got off the couch to either fill out and mail in their ballot or stood in line to make sure their voice is heard. My hat's off to you patriots and defenders of this democracy. Now, back to work. Let's make the elected deliver.
America is split 50:50 because Democrats play by the rules and Republicans do not. As an outsider looking in, anything that can be done to force rules on Repubs at voting time should take priority, though I understand passing any beneficial legislation is good. The American people have done an incredible job in staving off fascism for another couple of years. Much to the relief of democracies everywhere. Thank you, especially all the readers of your column and that of HCR.
I really believe many people got what President Biden was saying: democracy was on the ballot. Every single Trumpist candidate for secretaries of state lost their elections, which tells me there are bipartisan majorities that believe in our system of elections and respecting the results. To their credit, most of the candidates have accepted the results and have not made trouble. Then again, the Congressional race in Colorado with Lauren "MORGUNZZZ" Boebert hasn't been called yet and you KNOW she's going to be in full meltdown mode if she loses.
I want to thank Donald Trump and Rick Scott for their contributions to the election: Trump for recruiting terrible candidates, and Scott for rolling out an absolutely evil platform and burning thrugh the RSCC's money like a drunken sailor early in the cycle. We had great candidates on our side but as we know being a great candidate often isn't enough. J.D. Vance had to be dragged across the finish line; every other Trumpist Senate candidate lost.
We need to get Warnock re-elected. 51 seats means true control of the Senate, including committees. The 50-50 split caused problems last session in the committees.
When I was writing regularly for local publications, I would do just that if Democrats did well: Do a piece on how they really didn't do that well. And, of course, we didn't, numerically, but we did historically.
It's almost worth it to have republicans win the House just to watch them eat one another alive. As they will do.
A thought: Since we won't have the votes to get Roe codified, how about we do state initiatives wherever it isn't in the state constitution?
Florida has that as a possibility. Run an amendment to the state Constitution codifiying abortion rights, and I guarantee D's will turn out in droves. Will it be enough for Biden to carry the state? Maybe not, but it could help some downticket races.
A dual purpose: Doing the right thing AND attracting Democratic voters--and maybe some republicans when, inevitably, republicans there remind us that to them, women are good for cooking and, um, you know.
You may think this is off topic, but the USA doesn't live in a vacuum an I hope you will address this concern in relation to the lack of
direct participation of the USA in Putins war/Ukrainian genocide/attempt to make Empire of the European Union, which he plans to do by 2050. At least that was his plan untill the Ukrainians objected ..
See:
Russia Population 2022 (Live)
World Population Prospects (2022 Revision)
Also plug in climate change, which could see St Petersburg with about 20% of the total population flooded in the not too distant future (scientists constantly in a dither about predicting anything).
Well, TC, when you decide to give a pep talk, in my admittedly brief experience knockin' back shots at the TAFM bar, it's usually a good one. Because it's pretty much two-parts reality mixed with one part pragmatism, flavored with a dash of hope and a drop or two of optimism. And though I usually take my liquor straight, that's a tasty cocktail, and a nice break from some of the bitter spirits being served up elsewhere.
Props to the bartender on this one. I'd leave ya' a tip, but you already plied me with enough of your libations that I stumbled over the paid subscriber button on the way out the door here not too long ago. Reckon' I'll just have to owe you one...
Good morning to you, TC. I'm the new kid on your block, but that hasn't stopped me yakking back at you yet. I'm an old teacher of literature and I put together and taught for years a course in the essay. Our text books were things like The New Yorker and the old Harpers back when Lewis Lapham was editing. So that's where I'm coming from when I tell you this one today is one of the hard-hitting, sharp, clean, focused best I've read. I could go through, sentence by sentence and tell you all the ways you've made that happen on a thorny subject, but you're a writer and I expect you already know that. I'm glad to know you as well, and us workers and voters are, indeed, the heroes of this near-miss with the end of the world. But we'll be gone, and even Nancy Pelosi, who has saved all our rear-ends, will be gone. What will remain is good writing. Thank you
Amen, Dean Robertson. You said it well. Praise to TC, to you, and to good writing. (The old Harpers was one great magazine; the New Yorker still is.)
Yes Lewis Lapham, whose writing manages to be both deliberate and promiscuously lovely. I have an especially wonderful Lapham story if I can figure out how two make it short. The 1980's, an independent secondary school, the essay class. My scruffiest-looking student (not a future English major) falls in love with Lapham's monthly essays, gets a subscription to Harper's and, with access to their archives hunkers down and reads just about every word Lapham has ever written. His family goes to NY for Christmas and, as disreputable-looking as ever, he walks into the office of Harpers and announces to the woman at the front desk that he needs to see Mr. Lapham. The obvious question, "Do you have an appointment?" The answer, less predictable, "No ma'am, but I need to tell Mr. Lapham that he changed my life."
Lewis Lapham spent half an hour with that young man, who graduated from high school, went away to college and grad school, and has had a remarkably successful career as a writer/essayist/reviewer in New York, where he has attended the occasional social event whose guests included Lewis Lapham
THE END
(One day TCinLA is going to kick me off his Substack for using the comments section to write essays
Thanks Dean for that story. I hope to read more of such on this Substack. The 30 (or 5) minute talk with a student which you much later find out changed a life is, finally, what teaching (and, actually, life itself) is all about. (Well, there is a lot more, but if you get down to the essence, it is about the well-lived life and how to manage that for each of us, which means in community and sharing.)
Over the past seven years, I got in touch with and became adult friends with Mr. Field, my sixth-grade teacher and the person who opened the door to the path I took that led to here and now. A couple months ago I gave him a set of all my books, which he's working his way through. He called a couple weeks ago to tell me he'd finished the first, and ended by telling me reading it had proven to him that he had been right to become a teacher. That's pretty cool that each of us thinks the other is one of the best things that ever happened to them.
in that situation, I've been on both sides. either one is wonderful.
No, Dean, I never will. Write on! Especially when it's a story like this.
Actually, I'd encourage you to get your own Substack, because I know I for one would subscribe.
I did and chose a topic designed to either offend or bore, then discovered that teaching a subject is very different than writing about it, also decided to take the learning on the job approach (that's a 'no'), started in my usual charming slapdash manner, made all kinds of errors simply because I had all sorts of assumptions about the platform based on my previous experience with writers' groups, etc. I do want a platform for writing. I seem to be unable to not write and it's much more satisfying to have a platform. I'm not sure Substack is the right one for me, have to drink chai latte and wait. I do see that, with their burst of growth, they are scrambling to attempt some changes in the very areas that I found incompatible, so who knows"
I was thinking maybe some like "Notes of a Failed Substack Writer." What sayest thou?
Or possibly One Day in the Life of a Grumpy Old English Teacher
I vote #2.
I'd subscribe to either one.
I appreciate it. I need to come up with a publication that just allows me to rant about whatever occurs to me. All suggestions welcome
no he won't. I'm the living proof. and while I'm here, I might as well use this post to praise him for exactly what you've already praised him for.
and let's also remember that he was the only one I read ( with the exception of a few outliers, like Michael Moore et al) who came close to predicting what happened.
I'm enjoying watching these Repugs suddenly discover that TFF is suddenly the shit they've stepped in with their brand new Nikes...you know...the ones with the elaborate deep patterns on the soles that require a good scrub brush and lots of time. where were these assholes three weeks ago? where were they a week after 1/6, when they could have doubled down on their repudiation? it's my impression that this MAGA base isn't as automatically in the Repugnant Party as much as people assume it is. I'm more inclined to think that they're more inclined to stay home once the cult leader is gone.
and if he wants to set up his own party (as has been rumored), that's gonna be a lot of fun to watch. god knows, it won't be OUR votes he'd be draining.
and I know Tom, that you've been saying he WON't declare this week. he wouldn't if he gave two fucks about the party, but....anyone can finish the sentence. he'll do it. the more his lawyers warn him not to, he'll still do it. right now, I'm pretty sure he'd flunk a five-minute mental status consultation. one of the questions is usually "who's the president?"
TAFM’s Town crier doesn’t carry a handbell and shout “Oyez, Oyez, Oyez! to get our attention -- oh no -- it’s a BUCKET OF ICE OVER OUR HEADS if we don’t stand still and listen to WHERE WE STAND NOW . The news is a lot better than we expected; the Democrats control the Senate, and we are going back to Georgia to get Warnock re-elected to the Senate for a 51-vote majority.
One of my favorite lines in WHERE WE STAND NOW, ‘’What we won is the Republicans won’t get to blow up the planet with a debt default, and we won’t leave the Ukrainians to face Putin alone.’ That is BIG. Don’t we like standing with the Ukrainians against Putin?
Another favorite , “If you want nice things, don’t vote Republican.” Our goals are the ‘John Lewis Voting Rights Bill, more solid action on climate change, codifying Roe’. As for the House, it’s unlikely that the Democrats will run the table to win, but that’s okay, it will be a gas to watch McCarthy in the middle of the Republicans’ clown show in the House.
So, TC went from threatening us with an ICE BUCKET to comparing us to the ‘guys who landed on Omaha Beach.’ ‘You got cauliflower ears calling, hand cramps filling out post cards, and your feet got sore walking neighborhoods.’ ’You people are amazing. You are fully the equals of the people I write about in my books.’ ‘Because of what YOU did, we’re able to live to fight another day. That’s victory.’
Isn't that music to our ears? TC sang our song. We the people delivered for WE THE PEOPLE. Good one! Hey, remember what ‘they’ told us was going to happen to the Democrats as a result of the midterm elections? We showed them, didn’t we?
Well said. Now it is time to do two big things. Secure those voting rights. And then gussy up the Democratic Platform with some real changes that help people and get votes. Restructure Social Security for a raise, expand Medicare for folks 50 or 55 and older, and start helping people pay for child care and housing. Make serving in the military lucrative with lifetime health benefits and guaranteed education and jobs.
Do some helpful stuff and gain the votes of seniors, mothers, corporate slaves and those who are Veterans and love Veterans. Where is the money for all that? It's no secret.
Democrats were the party of the worker - the average citizen who is struggling. Let's prove that we can be that again and stick it in MAGA's ear.
You've got a wish list, baby. My mind is on climate, children, the free-press and social media. Real financial support for Public School Education; how to stop Republicans robbing our children of the education that they require and putting straightjackets on teachers; pay teachers much more, much, much more and support AFFORDABLE HOUSING for real We have to put much more effort in getting the states to serve the people and REGULATE SOCIAL MEDIA!
Yes, yes, yes and more yes!
I have been thinking about the Twitter debacle. While it didn't achieve the numbers of some other SM platforms, it served a public forum purpose. Heather and many others refer to it regularly. It has now been trashed.
So how do we regulate Social Media? Some sort of Fairness Doctrine? How do we prevent insane ultra libertarian madmen like Musk from controlling what was truly the Public Square or at least the Soap Box in the best spot of the Square? Ideas?
The voters staved off total disaster. Thank God Catherine Cortez Masto won in Nevada. Now to help Raphael Warnock win in Georgia. That that race is even a contest proves how gullible some people are. A brain injured former football player, really?!
TC, this post is a fine piece of writing. I disagree with one thing. I would say that if you want to eat and live indoors at the same time, vote for Democrats. Democrats want to help people advance so they can look after themselves. Republicans want to keep their feet on people's necks to hold them down. I watched a Guardian reporter ask two women at a tRump rally if they were ok with poverty wages. One said yes; the other said, "I agree with her." If so many people are struggling HARD in a system rigged by the Republicans, that discontent doesn't bode well for the country overall.
Maybe those two women thought the reporter meant “proper” wages. Duh!
I agree with you, Bill and Fern. I'd like to add developing some reasonable approach to aid immigrants and refugees as well. And since the GOP has made it clear they don't have a platform except to pout and act like spoiled brats, anything the Dems do is going to be progress!
With our current climate changes & the increasing water problems, we really need to address immigration. I keep thinking about the dust bowl of the 1930s and the immigration of "Okies" to California and the upset that caused. Now add in immigration from other countries! (Or maybe it will be us immigrating to other countries.)
We did.
TC, this piece of yours was a lot of fun, like a show tune, better than The Music Man.
One other good thing: Democrats continue appointing judges on federal benches. The GOP made that their #1 priority for a reason, and we’re just beginning to see that reason. Beyond “originalist” SCOTUS justices, hundreds of others appointed to federal benches. The GOP also blocked judges appointed by Democrats- Merrick Garland is the most prominent example- when it suited them using bogus reasons that they dropped when it suited then. McConnell called it his signature accomplishment, a legacy that will have impact for years to come. He’s not wrong.
How's this as a postscript to WHERE WE STAND NOW?
'After a defeat in Nevada, every election denier who tried to become the top election official in a battleground state has lost at the polls.' (NYTimes) Gifted link below.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/12/us/politics/jim-marchant-nevada.html?unlocked_article_code=XVS7pQiK2UAssSPV04eRlG56CNSYoOgtqfrXinGzG4vGlN_uTUTmWcb1uYrFpSoyBfIJhmWjpOdmnVotEEGq1Itccctpo9ApNA-qZjatn-mCf1t_AqG6edn5LGgP5Ukct-X70zMSJsFy5m26YEQwhMPJkkMoLkeguRcX1ZBRlqGwkMkuP0JvTv_IuSmZxj12-rISIiJFfCZd4hxEo8X9NLNywXNTI2Ff_ElZBYTE0R9EHTcR7NNEbA1Cq5ZLF7yOpr7MU27cXWx2JnYP1O14_9oHWgjzTMmc3r93xWsU-j12AJx-DR9ZM1qWs-wlVP38_0c5fceqyVZEjD1y-ylept0&smid=share-url
Could be the most important news story of the entire election cycle.
Yes, Bill, and emotionally, Warnock reelected to the Senate, oh, let my heart sing!
I agree! This is a very important point and has huge implications for future elections. I'm so grateful the American people voted for 'normal' , not radical!
Sizzlin' TC, sizzlin'! Rising to the top of my favorite sentences in this piece is this: "That is not enough for McCarthy to successfully drive the clown car while the other passengers are throwing their shit out the windows at passers-by. This would actually work in our favor, to be able to point at the clown show and tell voters “This is why you can’t have nice things.” "
I am watching my Reich Wing Nut Job friends bemoan the election, the success of Democrats in Oregon (especially their darling Alek Scarlotos) and wondering "where has my country gone?" I used to think these were reasonable people. Now? They're on the streets, grabbing the shit thrown out the windows and groveling for more. Sad.
Excellent and thank you for launching this site!! In addition to all the crucial tasks ahead let us add another — nurturing the great ignoring of 45. Sounds oxymoronic but he will shrivel even more in a total lack of oxygen. News media will continue to obsess over his every fart-icism. The rest of us need to resolutely erase him from our discourse and boycott advertisers who support the media who continue to give him air!!
I agree. His name came up in headlines only FIVE times this morning on my browser which is a decline from this past week. In my opinion, that's five times too many.
fart-icism - what a perfect way to describe the flow of crap drizzling out of him (well, him, and MTG and all those other dweebs)
Your best. A reminder that we are not engaged in a hobby. For some, I suspect this is now a avocation. And, for recognition given to all the summer soldiers who wrote post cards, annoyed with phone calls, knocked on doors, spoke up at town and school and campaign stops, chipped in their coins and bills helped get folks ballots and to the polls, who spent hours ensuring voting was safe and honest, and to all those who made the rules work for more voters than in the past, and finally those who got off the couch to either fill out and mail in their ballot or stood in line to make sure their voice is heard. My hat's off to you patriots and defenders of this democracy. Now, back to work. Let's make the elected deliver.
America is split 50:50 because Democrats play by the rules and Republicans do not. As an outsider looking in, anything that can be done to force rules on Repubs at voting time should take priority, though I understand passing any beneficial legislation is good. The American people have done an incredible job in staving off fascism for another couple of years. Much to the relief of democracies everywhere. Thank you, especially all the readers of your column and that of HCR.
I really believe many people got what President Biden was saying: democracy was on the ballot. Every single Trumpist candidate for secretaries of state lost their elections, which tells me there are bipartisan majorities that believe in our system of elections and respecting the results. To their credit, most of the candidates have accepted the results and have not made trouble. Then again, the Congressional race in Colorado with Lauren "MORGUNZZZ" Boebert hasn't been called yet and you KNOW she's going to be in full meltdown mode if she loses.
I want to thank Donald Trump and Rick Scott for their contributions to the election: Trump for recruiting terrible candidates, and Scott for rolling out an absolutely evil platform and burning thrugh the RSCC's money like a drunken sailor early in the cycle. We had great candidates on our side but as we know being a great candidate often isn't enough. J.D. Vance had to be dragged across the finish line; every other Trumpist Senate candidate lost.
We need to get Warnock re-elected. 51 seats means true control of the Senate, including committees. The 50-50 split caused problems last session in the committees.
When I was writing regularly for local publications, I would do just that if Democrats did well: Do a piece on how they really didn't do that well. And, of course, we didn't, numerically, but we did historically.
It's almost worth it to have republicans win the House just to watch them eat one another alive. As they will do.
A thought: Since we won't have the votes to get Roe codified, how about we do state initiatives wherever it isn't in the state constitution?
Good ideas all around.
Florida has that as a possibility. Run an amendment to the state Constitution codifiying abortion rights, and I guarantee D's will turn out in droves. Will it be enough for Biden to carry the state? Maybe not, but it could help some downticket races.
A dual purpose: Doing the right thing AND attracting Democratic voters--and maybe some republicans when, inevitably, republicans there remind us that to them, women are good for cooking and, um, you know.
You may think this is off topic, but the USA doesn't live in a vacuum an I hope you will address this concern in relation to the lack of
direct participation of the USA in Putins war/Ukrainian genocide/attempt to make Empire of the European Union, which he plans to do by 2050. At least that was his plan untill the Ukrainians objected ..
See:
Russia Population 2022 (Live)
World Population Prospects (2022 Revision)
Also plug in climate change, which could see St Petersburg with about 20% of the total population flooded in the not too distant future (scientists constantly in a dither about predicting anything).
Basically, you look at all of that, and Russia is a "fading power." Probably why Putin moved as he has, while there's still something there to move.
You are really TOO Much TC! Yes - we've lived to fight another day and the fight begins now! Thanks.
Well, TC, when you decide to give a pep talk, in my admittedly brief experience knockin' back shots at the TAFM bar, it's usually a good one. Because it's pretty much two-parts reality mixed with one part pragmatism, flavored with a dash of hope and a drop or two of optimism. And though I usually take my liquor straight, that's a tasty cocktail, and a nice break from some of the bitter spirits being served up elsewhere.
Props to the bartender on this one. I'd leave ya' a tip, but you already plied me with enough of your libations that I stumbled over the paid subscriber button on the way out the door here not too long ago. Reckon' I'll just have to owe you one...
Welp ... busy, emotional few days in the neighborhood, just catching up and I shed a tear 😢, back to the script ...