View Full Version : Swing State Purgatory
I live in one of the half dozen or so “swing states”. Our last couple of presidential elections were settled by majorities in the low twenty thousands.
It’s awful. My voicemail, email and text mailboxes are laden with polls, ads and appeals for contributions. Television is swarming with campaign ads of surpassing nastiness. We are having an especially ugly Senate campaign this year.
We’ve seen lawfare in the courts and the State Election Commission. The Democrats fought (unsuccessfully it turned out) to keep West, Stein and RFK Jr off the ballot.
You think candidate appearances and political conventions are good for your area? Not if you need to drive there.
I’ll be glad when it’s over.
It is sometimes convenient to live in a state/precinct where your vote simply doesn’t matter :-(
We’ve seen lawfare in the courts and the State Election Commission. The Democrats fought (unsuccessfully it turned out) to keep West, Stein and RFK Jr off the ballot.
Cornell West says the Harris campaign tried to bribe him to drop his campaign by offering a cushy job and payment of his campaign debts. It seems to me that saving democracy requires a lot of subverting democracy these days.
Cornell West says the Harris campaign tried to bribe him to drop his campaign by offering a cushy job and payment of his campaign debts. It seems to me that saving democracy requires a lot of subverting democracy these days.
That puts me in mind of the 2022 races where they spent a lot of money supporting weaker GOP primary candidates. You have to wonder what bribes and threats it took to get Biden to pull out.
iris lilies
9-5-24, 4:40pm
That puts me in mind of the 2022 races where they spent a lot of money supporting weaker GOP primary candidates. You have to wonder what bribes and threats it took to get Biden to pull out.
it was mainly ladylike Nancy Pelosi with her ladylike smile and her steely eyed intimidation that caused Biden to back down.
I’ve just decided that I love Nancy Pelosi for this if for nothing else.
Cornell West says the Harris campaign tried to bribe him to drop his campaign by offering a cushy job and payment of his campaign debts. It seems to me that saving democracy requires a lot of subverting democracy these days.
Is he as Irrelevant as RFK Jr?I have hard the same thing about him.
The last six presidential elections my state has gone Democratic, so imagine this time will be the same.
iris lilies
9-6-24, 11:24am
I was worrying about who to vote for for the president, and then it occurred to me that I’m in a red state and it’s gonna go red and I don’t need to worry about it. My vote will not “count “for that so I’m free to do what I want..
And while I thank Nancy Pelosi for giving us a viable candidate for the Democratic Party, that does not mean I want to vote for that candidate.
it was mainly ladylike Nancy Pelosi with her ladylike smile and her steely eyed intimidation that caused Biden to back down.
I’ve just decided that I love Nancy Pelosi for this if for nothing else.
I thought that “We Love Joe” sign was a nice twist of the knife.
frugal-one
9-6-24, 10:54pm
If only trump would do the right thing and pull out of the race too. Hopefully his failings will be in full view and recognized next Tuesday!
If only trump would do the right thing and pull out of the race too. Hopefully his failings will be in full view and recognized next Tuesday!
It should be a contest for the ages. Bloviating bluster versus weaponized vagueness.
It should be a contest for the ages. Bloviating bluster versus weaponized vagueness.
You’d prefer Harris be more like Elizabeth Warren? She literally had a plan for everything.
iris lilies
9-7-24, 11:49am
You’d prefer Harris be more like Elizabeth Warren? She literally had a plan for everything.
Probably Kamala’s vagueness works in her favor. it’s easy enough for voters to project whatever they want onto her. That’s one of the advantages of a fresh new face.
You’d prefer Harris be more like Elizabeth Warren? She literally had a plan for everything.
She seemed to have a lot in common with Warren up to a few months ago. Now she’s just running as a sort of feel-good emoji. It seems to be working as long as her handlers keep her under wraps and Trump runs a ridiculously undisciplined, self-indulgent campaign.
iris lilies
9-7-24, 12:54pm
She seemed to have a lot in common with Warren up to a few months ago. Now she’s just running as a sort of feel-good emoji. It seems to be working as long as her handlers keep her under wraps and Trump runs a ridiculously undisciplined, self-indulgent campaign.
“ self indulgent” indeed. I heard one of the podcasters, I think it was Jonah G, give his impression that Donald Trump talks about policy when his campaign holds his feet to the fire, but Donald treats that as eating his spinach. Getting that boring stuff out of the way, he goes on to do rally talk, the really fun stuff for Donald. Rally talk is the stupid bloviating name-calling stream of consciousness bullshit which is his signature.
I remember making a special point in years ago to sit down and listen to Donald Trump be interviewed by Rush Limbaugh, and that really wasn’t much of an interview. It was Donald Trump’s show to talk about whatever he wanted to talk about. I kept waiting for him to extol the accomplishments of his office and talks about specifics. There was precious little of that. So irritating. Irritating because he DOES have Accomplishments that would’ve resonated with me.
She seemed to have a lot in common with Warren up to a few months ago. Now she’s just running as a sort of feel-good emoji. It seems to be working as long as her handlers keep her under wraps and Trump runs a ridiculously undisciplined, self-indulgent campaign.
How well did Warren’s campaign work?
Now she’s just running as a sort of feel-good emoji. I'm sure you don't think Trump voters are for him for purely rational reasons. His campaign may not be "feel good" in the same sense as Kamala's but he has hit enough emotional hot buttons to light up Christmas trees all across the country.
it was mainly ladylike Nancy Pelosi with her ladylike smile and her steely eyed intimidation that caused Biden to back down.
I’ve just decided that I love Nancy Pelosi for this if for nothing else.
I agree. Certainly a virtue to be desired!
I'm sure you don't think Trump voters are for him for purely rational reasons. His campaign may not be "feel good" in the same sense as Kamala's but he has hit enough emotional hot buttons to light up Christmas trees all across the country.
Trump is running as the angry emoji.
How well did Warren’s campaign work?
She was upfront and specific in how she would substitute government fiat for free markets. Even Democratic primary voters had difficulty accepting her premise that Harvard Law professors are smart enough to do that.
The people handling the Harris campaign are doing their best to blur the focus on what we might expect from her. From what little has slipped out, we have heard she favors price controls and taxing income that hasn’t been earned yet. Not much by way of detail on how she’d go about doing that. If I were Harris, I’d want to obfuscate my past and conceal my intentions too.
I'm sure you don't think Trump voters are for him for purely rational reasons. His campaign may not be "feel good" in the same sense as Kamala's but he has hit enough emotional hot buttons to light up Christmas trees all across the country.
Not entirely. I think Trump has always served as a focus for resentment of an incompetent and self- righteous political elite. Only some of that resentment is justified.
And trump is running on a platform of tossing the constitution in the trash. He tried to do it the last time he was in the white house. If he gets another chance he won't make the same mistakes he made that time.
I finally found a trump policy I can agree with. I agree with him that we should be shutting down the surgery rooms in schools where they are doing gender transition surgery on students. I hadn't even realized that was happening so I'm glad he's on top of it.
And trump is running on a platform of tossing the constitution in the trash. He tried to do it the last time he was in the white house. If he gets another chance he won't make the same mistakes he made that time.
As a practical matter, what do you see as his viable path to dictatorship? Portentous forebodings aside, how would he go about trashing the constitution?
As a practical matter, what do you see as his viable path to dictatorship? Portentous forebodings aside, how would he go about trashing the constitution?
Telling everyone ‘just try and stop me, suckers.’
It is sometimes convenient to live in a state/precinct where your vote simply doesn’t matter :-(
I live in one of those and the state will always vote Democrat based on three counties. The entire rest of the State votes the opposite but those Counties determine everything because they are so large.
Telling everyone ‘just try and stop me, suckers.’
Oh please. If our constitutional order could collapse so easily, it would have happened a long time ago. It can be temporarily bent or twisted from time to time by people like Wilson or FDR, but it’s served us well over the centuries.
Now that the supremes rewrote the constitution to make the president a king anything is possible.
As a practical matter, what do you see as his viable path to dictatorship? Portentous forebodings aside, how would he go about trashing the constitution?
Just like when there was an agreed upon (by both parties) bill to curtail immigration. trump said (or threatened?) and the bill was trashed. His minions do his bidding. Look at the supreme court now. trump, if elected, will be able to get away with murder …. literally.
Just like when there was an agreed upon (by both parties) bill to curtail immigration. trump said (or threatened?) and the bill was trashed.
I don't think that bill was designed to curtail immigration, it seemed to mostly ensure quicker and more efficient processing of people entering the country illegally.
Look at the supreme court now. trump, if elected, will be able to get away with murder …. literally.
Can you explain that so those of us who don't know what you're talking about might understand?
I don't think that bill was designed to curtail immigration, it seemed to mostly ensure quicker and more efficient processing of people entering the country illegally.
Can you explain that so those of us who don't know what you're talking about might understand?[/COLOR]
The point was there was a bi-partisan agreement for a bill and trump got it trashed.
The supreme court now has changed the rules whereby the president will have complete immunity for deeds done while in office. trump already stated he will go after his “perceived” enemies. How do you interpret that?
The point was there was a bi-partisan agreement for a bill and trump got it trashed.
And you think Trump forced Cory Booker, Kristen Sinema, Bernie Sanders and several other prominent Democrats/Independents to vote against it? I had no idea he was that influential!
If you want a more nuanced explanation of why it failed, read this. https://missouriindependent.com/2024/05/24/bipartisan-border-bill-loses-support-fails-procedural-vote-in-u-s-senate/
The supreme court now has changed the rules whereby the president will have complete immunity for deeds done while in office. trump already stated he will go after his “perceived” enemies. How do you interpret that?
I don't think it's "complete" immunity, but rather immunity from prosecution for "official" acts in the performance of duties and does not extend itself any further. As an example, Barack Obama's targeting of an American citizen, who happened to be a terrorist organizer, for assassination during his tenure could be considered an act in accordance with his official duties and shield him from prosecution. The only real problem with that I can see is that it would also shield presidents you might not approve of in the performance of their official acts. However, your fear Trump may retaliate in some evil way against his critics would not be "official" and immunity would not apply, not even if Rachel Maddow tells you otherwise.
As an example, Barack Obama's targeting of an American citizen, who happened to be a terrorist organizer, for assassination during his tenure could be considered an act in accordance with his official duties and shield him from prosecution.
I remember when "Civis Romanus sum" still meant something.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Abdulrahman_al-Awlaki
frugal-one
9-9-24, 10:32pm
jp1 in posts #28 and #35 hits the nail on the head! You are naive in thinking trump, or his minions, don’t believe all of his acts are official business. he is already getting away with more than any other citizen (ie felon) should/would be allowed.
Weird that we didn't need to "protect" presidents for their actions until now. But here we are. We have a loser who promised to be "a dictator on day one" and his supporters can't imagine "I'm doing this as an 'official' act as he shreds the constitution and does whatever the f*** he wants. After all he's a 34x convicted felon so what does that loser have to lose by going big? He's got a bunch of jackasses on the supreme court who are clearly willing to support him in his efforts. But whatever. At least Dick Cheney has some honor left. Trump's sad supporters? Not so much.
Weird that we didn't need to "protect" presidents for their actions until now. But here we are.
Yep, the Supremes have never needed to react to the level of 'lawfare' the Democrats are currently enjoying. If I were you I'd look on the bright side, the "protection" provided will keep Republican prosecutors from following the same strategy in future elections.
Yep, the Supremes have never needed to react to the level of 'lawfare' the Democrats are currently enjoying. If I were you I'd look on the bright side, the "protection" provided will keep Republican prosecutors from following the same strategy in future elections.
Perhaps you have some examples of this ‘democratic law fare’ you speak of? That would be almost as nice as having ‘friends’ who took me on crazy expensive vacations and bought my parent’s home and let them live in it for free forever after. Like Clarence Thomas does.
gimmethesimplelife
9-13-24, 6:50pm
A very bored sounding young woman had the gall to call me recently here in swing state Arizona and recite from a script reasons I should not vote for Kamala Harris. When I flipped the script and gave her reasons to flee the United States under a Trump win she had the gall to get offended. Can't stand the heat - don't venture forth into the kitchen comes to mind.
Interestingly, there have been no more such calls since. Brutal honesty (perhaps?) nips this in the bud? Rob
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