2020 Presidential Election

[Cin]

Trump doesn't like the subjects to be discussed during the debate Thursday. The topics are Fighting COVID-19, American Families, Race in America, Climate Change, National Security and Leadership. Apparently he wants more focus on foreign policy, the long standing central focus of the last debate. Except this isn't the actual last debate since Trump opted out of the 2nd debate. So some flexibility ought to be exercised. Although foreign policy according to Trump might be a bit amusing to unpack. He's such a whiny baby.

[BullDog]

Yeah, the topics are fine. Even if they were going to discuss foreign policy Biden is very knowledgeable and experienced in that area and would blow Trump out of the water. I thought Biden's best response at the townhall was his answer on foreign policy where a person asked if Trump should get credit for there being more peace around the world.

I think Trump thinks foreign policy means talking about Hunter Biden.

[Cin]

Originally Posted by BullDog

I think Trump thinks foreign policy means talking about Hunter Biden.

LOL. No doubt.

[C0LLETTE]

The highlight of Trump's foreign policy experience was harassing the contestants at his Miss Universe competition in Moscow in 2013.

[~ocean]

Trump's foreign policy " ridding double on a horse with Kim Jong un and then ridding double on one of Kim's missiel's " isn't dump the trump just amazing !! ~

[homoe]

President Donald Trump's wife Melania canceled a rare joint appearance with him at a campaign rally Tuesday due to a "lingering cough" following her infection with the coronavirus, a spokeswoman said. "Mrs Trump continues to feel better every day following her recovery from COVID-19, but with a lingering cough, and out of an abundance of caution, she will not be traveling today," Stephanie Grisham said in a statement.

The first lady's appearance with Trump in Erie, Pennsylvania, was to have been her first at a campaign rally in more than a year.

Right, I'm S U R E that's the reason! She just didn't want to be with that L O S E R!

[Orema]

I love the local political tv ads in my area. I catch most of them on PlutoTV. They are great. Very dramatic and very amateurish—exactly what's needed. We don't need all the glitter and shine.

Usually the ad is taped locally with music that's cheery and up with puppies and children and parks, then when they talk about the conservative candidates the clouds turn gray and dark and the music is gloomy. I love it! And I watch every liberal-leaning commercial from start to finish.

And it's even better when it's in Spanish.

[Cin]

If you haven't mailed your ballot yet, don't. Drop it off or vote in person. Try to make sure your vote counts.

https://www.commondreams.org/news/20...tates-counting

President Donald Trump on Wednesday once again openly voiced hope that U.S. courts—now packed with his right-wing judges—will intervene and stop states from counting legally submitted ballots after November 3, remarks that came just before the U.S. Supreme Court suggested it could invalidate late-arriving Pennsylvania votes after Election Day.

"Hopefully the few states remaining that want to take a lot of time after November 3rd to count ballots, that won't be allowed by the various courts because as you know we're in courts on that," Trump said during a press conference in Las Vegas.

Trump went on to tout as a "big victory" the Supreme Court's ruling earlier this week barring Wisconsin from extending its absentee ballot deadline past November 3 at 8:00 pm local time.

"The president is essentially saying he will litigate to try and stop the count of absentee ballots (the count of which is never completed on Election Day)," tweeted Sherrilyn Ifill, president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. According to one estimate, "about 10 percent of all votes" cast in the 2016 election were counted after Election Day.

"Also, when is he imagining that military mail-in votes will be counted?" asked Ifill. "He is trying to make this sound normal. It's not."

The Supreme Court late Wednesday permitted North Carolina and Pennsylvania to extend their arrival deadlines for mail-in ballots, blocking Republican efforts to require strict Election Day deadlines.

But, the high court left open the possibility of invalidating late-arriving Pennsylvania ballots shortly after the election. Conservative Justice Samuel Alito, joined by Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch, said he only "reluctantly" denied the Pennsylvania GOP's push for the rejection of ballots that arrive after Election Day and said the high court could take up the case again after November 3.

"The Supreme Court may throw out ballots that arrive after Election Day—even though they are valid under current law," warned Slate's Mark Joseph Stern. "DO NOT MAIL YOUR BALLOT. Drop it off or vote in person. Don't leave your vote in the hands of the Supreme Court."

[Cin]

Citing Widespread Election-Related Delays, Federal Judge Invokes 'Extraordinary Measures' to Ensure On-Time Delivery, Counting of Ballots

A federal judge on Friday ordered the United States Postal Service to take "extraordinary measures" at numerous processing centers in order to guarantee the timely delivery of millions of ballots by Election Day.

Reuters reports U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan said the order is in line with the USPS's October 20 "Extraordinary Measures Memorandum," (pdf) which states that "the proper handling and timely delivery of election mail... remains our number one priority."

USPS said the measures include, but are not limited to, "expedited handling, extra deliveries, and special pickups... to collect blank ballots entered by election officials to voters, or completed ballots returned by voters."

Affected locations include: Alabama; Alaska; Atlanta; central Pennsylvania; Colorado; Detroit; Fort Worth, Texas; Indiana; Louisiana; the mid-Carolinas; Mississippi; northern New England; Oklahoma; South Carolina; and other areas.

Sullivan said the measures apply to places where election mail processing scores did not exceed 90% for at least two days between October 26 and 28.

The Washington Post reports Sullivan also ordered the Postal Service to provide written explanation for each district where less than 80% of ballots are delivered on time each day. Attorneys from the U.S. Department of Justice blamed staffing issues and increased mail volume for such delays.

"At the same time that staffing unavailability has become a factor, there has been an increase volume in package and market dominant products," John Robinson, a DOJ lawyer, said in a legal filing reported by the Post.

Friday's order comes three days after Sullivan directed postal employees to complete as many late trips as needed to boost USPS's on-time delivery rate. Earlier this month, the judge—who is an appointee of President Bill Clinton—ruled that it is in the public interest to block USPS policies that have caused widespread delays since July.

Earlier this week, USPS urged voters to mail their ballots by October 27 in order to ensure on-time arrival and counting eligibility by Election Day, which is November 3.

While postal workers have tried to keep up with deliveries, the sheer number of early ballots cast, as well as what critics call politically motivated delays caused by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, have resulted in major issues affecting delivery times.

Last week, the USPS inspector general issued a report (pdf) that found changes made by DeJoy—including reducing extra delivery trips and changes in the way mail is sorted—"negatively impacted the quality and timeliness of mail delivery."

On Thursday, USPS said it had delivered over 122 million ballots, both blank and completed, as Tuesday's election fast approaches. Early voting has occurred at a record pace in 2020—according to the U.S. Elections Project at the University of Florida, more than 85 million Americans have already cast their ballots.

https://www.commondreams.org/news/20...-extraordinary

[Martina]

I just learned that if a contingent election of the President ends up in the House, it's decided by state, not by congressperson. There are more red states than blue. It would be the incoming Congress that decides, but there will still be more red states than blue. So if various states fail to certify the election results or, less likely, Congress questions a state's decision, or there is a legitimate tie, there could be no majority of electoral votes won and a contingent election would go to Congress, the House electing the President and the Senate the VP. In the Senate, the decision is made by individual Senator's votes. So, if Dems win the Senate, Congress could elect Trump but not Pence.

[theoddz]

Originally Posted by Martina

I just learned that if a contingent election of the President ends up in the House, it's decided by state, not by congressperson. There are more red states than blue. It would be the incoming Congress that decides, but there will still be more red states than blue. So if various states fail to certify the election results or, less likely, Congress questions a state's decision, or there is a legitimate tie, there could be no majority of electoral votes won and a contingent election would go to Congress, the House electing the President and the Senate the VP. In the Senate, the decision is made by individual Senator's votes. So, if Dems win the Senate, Congress could elect Trump but not Pence.

Now THAT, my friend, is scary. I mean S-C-A-R-Y.

Thanks for posting that. I had no idea how that scenario would play out.

~Theo~

[theoddz]

How things might pan out and what the United States has the propensity to become, post 2020 Election:



It's all up to the American voter to decide now.

~Theo~

[Kätzchen]

Here at home, we've already seen a tide of destruction to work campus property: big glass windows shattered out of the east side of our building and buildings nearby also are missing big panes of glass windows. Many buildings were also spray painted with graffiti (violent memes by right wing members of the metro area).

It was a nerve wracking day at work today and downtown, people have been feverishly boarding up business and other building with key offices to our state infrastructure. It's getting real ugly here and it is going to get worse before the week comes to a close.

So tonight, I came across a well written op-ed, over on CNN.

I hope others find this author's opinion as refreshing, well stated, and filled with hope, as we wait to usher in a Biden-Harris Administration.



(To read the original article, please click on this LINK)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


CNN Opinion: The Only Decent Choice In The Election

by Halie Soifer.

(CNN) My Jewish husband grew up in 1970s Germany. When asked to give up his seat on public transit for senior citizens, he would often hesitate, wondering whether those individuals played passive or active roles during the Third Reich. While perhaps unfair, younger generations judged Germans who lived through the Nazi era as though they were complicit and could have changed the course of history.

Similarly, we will all be judged by what we do -- or do not do -- at this moment in American history. This is not in any way to compare the atrocities of the Holocaust with what we are seeing in the US today, but there are similarities to this moment and the rise of Nazism in the 1930s. Today, we stand at a precipice, yet unlike Germans in the lead-up to World War II, we have the chance to vote a rising authoritarian out of power.

For four years, President Donald Trump has increasingly threatened our country and our future. He has assaulted, undermined, and weakened our democracy, using hatred and disinformation to divide Americans, sow confusion, and incite domestic unrest. He has repeatedly aligned himself with America's adversaries and alienated our allies. Amid an unprecedented public health crisis, he has demonstrated a wanton disregard for human life, intentionally misled us, and denied science as Americans die in record numbers. He's explicitly threatened Americans exercising their First Amendment rights, including his political opponents and the media, issued statements widely viewed as calls to arms and incitement to violence.

Trump has a clear record of fanning the flames of hatred, including equating neo-Nazis with peaceful protestors in Charlottesville, using racist epithets, repeating anti-Semitic tropes, and fueling xenophobic conspiracy theories, which I have argued contributed to the worst anti-Semitic attack in American history. At the first 2020 presidential debate, Trump had a chance to demonstrate to the American people where he stood on the issue of racially motivated violent extremism, which his own FBI director recently warned is one of the greatest threats facing Americans.

Instead of denouncing this virulent form of hatred, Trump pointedly refused and instead encouraged a far-right extremist group to "stand back and stand by." He later tried to walk back his remarks, after they were celebrated by the far-right. Less than three weeks later, Trump repeated the same offense at a presidential townhall when he legitimized a QAnon conspiracy theory, and refused to denounce this dangerous movement that has infiltrated the Republican Party.

The threat posed by Trump to our democracy has become even clearer in the lead-up to the election. In July, he suggested the illegal postponement of the election. Despite constitutional term limits, Trump has asserted he's entitled to more than two terms as president. He's refused to commit to the peaceful transfer of power if he's defeated, and questioned the validity, without proof, of mail-in ballots, which he himself previously used to vote.

He has baselessly repeated claims of voter fraud, as the Justice Department has loosened its 40-year policy on launching an investigation on voter fraud during an election cycle, and indicated he expects the Supreme Court to rule in his favor if the election is litigated. All of this comes at the end of a presidential term that was rife with illegality, impropriety, and his impeachment by the House.

Now, on the eve of the election, reports indicate that Trump plans to prematurely claim victory if it looks like he is close to 270 electoral votes on election night. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany and Trump have denied that the claims are true, but Trump and his team have signaled their plans to litigate the counting of mail-in ballots after Election Day.

But if the President is indeed planning on do this, it would improperly disregard postmarked mail-in ballots in states like Pennsylvania. According to the Pennsylvania secretary of state, there may be as many as 10 times the number of mail-in ballots in 2020 than there were in 2016 in this critical swing state, which can legally accept mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day until November 6. The dubious legal groundwork for this position was recently laid by Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who served on the Republican legal team that stopped the presidential election recount 20 years ago.

Though some of us have become numb to the daily outrages, we cannot forget this simple fact: Trump's behavior is that of an authoritarian. What may feel like a tumultuous and frenetic daily news cycle is the clear erosion of our democracy during Trump's presidency.

As this monumental election comes to a close, it's important to remember what's at stake and how future generations will view the choice facing Americans at this critical crossroads. Will we choose the path of authoritarianism and hatred with Trump, or will we choose decency and democracy with Joe Biden? While we cannot know the outcome at this point, we do know that history will judge those who abandon their values and allow rise of bigotry and hate. Your children and grandchildren will someday ask whether you stood up for your values or whether you were a passive bystander, and a vote for Biden must be part of your answer. It's the only decent choice.

_________________________________

Editors Note: Halie Soifer is executive director of the Jewish Democratic Council of America (JDCA), which is a national organization that endorses Democratic candidates for elected office and advocates for progressive policy. She previously served as national security adviser to Sen. Kamala Harris, as foreign policy adviser to Sens. Chris Coons and Ted Kaufman, and as senior policy adviser to U.S. Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power. The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author. View more opinion articles on CNN.

[C0LLETTE]

The Banality of Evil (Hannah Arendt )

... when we do not examine in depth the sources and reasoning for our "moral" choices .

[Kätzchen]

How is everybody holding up tonight?

I've had CNN streaming live on my phone all day long. I could not even listen to NPR on the way home. I have no idea if anybody else has noticed a shift in content and coverage by National Public Radio but after this week, I may never listen to that station again.

I am worried and very anxious and my anxiety level is off the charts.

There is some good news, though. Tonight, Maricopa County in Arizona is turning the state blue. I seriously hope Arizona will be a Democratic state.

Pennsylvania is not even no where close to being done with ballot counting but there is reason to believe that Pennsylvania will turn Blue (Democrat).

My heart hurts to learn that certain states will remain under the control of the GOP. It hurts to see that not only is it a close race for the Presidential race but it is also a close race in the House and the Senate.

I can hardly watch or hear what I am hearing tonight.

I will be heart sick and heart broken if America remains under the control of the authoritarian dictator who currently occupies the WH.

I anxiously await for any good news that we as a country are liberated from the toxic hold of poisonous political strongholds.



PS/ I will never live in any state that is controlled by the GOP. I just won't and can't and it's a deal breaker for me if a person's politics aligns with the Republican Party. I left my home state years ago (Idaho), because of the mindset of those who are Republican (GOP) and the toxic stranglehold that has held that state hostage, for years.

[Cin]

So from what I am looking at here at the associated press map Biden has 270 as long as nothing changes in Wisconsin, Michigan and Nevada. And it doesn't look like there is enough votes left for Biden to lose Michigan or Wisconsin. Michigan is 96% reporting, Wisconsin is 95% the only problem would be Nevada at 67% reporting. But since it's all mail in votes now I believe, chances are Biden will hold that lead. This map is interesting in that it shows what's going on in the Senate and the House as well.

https://www.google.com/search?q=who+...hrome&ie=UTF-8

[BullDog]

Originally Posted by Cin

So from what I am looking at here at the associated press map Biden has 270 as long as nothing changes in Wisconsin, Michigan and Nevada. And it doesn't look like there is enough votes left for Biden to lose Michigan or Wisconsin. Michigan is 96% reporting, Wisconsin is 95% the only problem would be Nevada at 67% reporting. But since it's all mail in votes now I believe, chances are Biden will hold that lead. This map is interesting in that it shows what's going on in the Senate and the House as well.

https://www.google.com/search?q=who+...hrome&ie=UTF-8

Yeah, I agree with this. I think Biden is going to pull it out based on the above.

I am extremely angry and depressed. How the hell could over 65 million Americans vote AGAIN for that monster. What does that say about our country? How is anything going to get done if we don't have the Senate? The Repugs will want Biden to fail.

Maybe Biden will win Georgia. That would be a bright spot. I will feel a bit better once Biden wins.

[Cin]

From NowThis Politics:
LIVE RESULTS—BIDEN WINS MORE VOTES THAN ANY CANDIDATE IN U.S. HISTORY: We’re tracking the latest 2020 results. Overnight, Joe Biden developed narrow leads in key battlegrounds Wisconsin and Michigan, with Trump’s path in both states ‘looking bleak,’ according to a NY Times analysis of the outstanding votes. If Biden were to capture Michigan, ‘he would have the advantage in states that would push his total past the 270-electoral-vote threshold’ to win, the Times noted. Nationally, Biden has now received more votes for president than any other candidate in U.S. election history, with over 69.5 million. He leads Trump by roughly 3 million votes total, with millions more left to be counted. If the current trend holds, Democrats will have won the popular vote in 7 of the last 8 presidential elections (1992, 1996, 2000, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020), despite not holding the White House for 12 of those years.


I think we need to look at changing this ridiculous electoral college. I do agree with BullDog though, it is depressing to realize that so many American could vote for Trump...AGAIN. But looking at the popular vote is heartening.

Another thing I think that could use a tweak is polling. I think we can all agree polls are not terribly reliable.

[Kätzchen]

Originally Posted by BullDog

Yeah, I agree with this. I think Biden is going to pull it out based on the above.

I am extremely angry and depressed. How the hell could over 65 million Americans vote AGAIN for that monster. What does that say about our country? How is anything going to get done if we don't have the Senate? The Repugs will want Biden to fail.

Maybe Biden will win Georgia. That would be a bright spot. I will feel a bit better once Biden wins.

I got to thinking about that last night. The how and why, the many reasons why people will vote for someone who deliberately incites violence at the expense of others and assaults women, assaults the very social institutions that comprise the frame work of our society.

I think it can be traced back to ones roots: like, where you grew up, maybe.

I think it is traceable to ones perception of social rules and decorum, maybe even other reasons too.

But I feel there is an incredible burden to teach people why authoritarian values and tenets is not a good way to live life or such.

We have many examples of why authoritarianism is not the answer to solving problems in life.

Not sure if others would process this like I do. But this is just my thoughts.

Thank you Cin and Bulldog for uour posts today.

[Kätzchen]

Just saw that Wisconsin went Blue. Way to go, Wisconsin!!

Now to pick up more senate seats. Atm, we have 44 vs 47 (gop). We need to be in the majority, in the senate too.

Go Blue!!!