Category: Politics and Government

At the Intersection of Domestic Terrorism and Voter Intimidation

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The Next Three Weeks Could Get Ugly – Don’t Flinch

 

An Introductory Note About “Militias”

These groups that call themselves militia are not a new phenomenon. Legitimate groups existed in our earliest history. They evolved into state organizations, then into the National Guard.

What we see running around now is something very different. There was an explosion of such groups following President Obama’s inauguration. Gee, that must have been a coincidence…. They began growing again and got more visible with the encouragement of Donald Trump.

For an excellent look into militias,

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Two Short Observations on Two Big Deals

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You’ve Heard Plenty About the VP Debate and Our Infected President – Let’s Cut to the Chase

 

1) The VP Debate

Who won? That fly. It got the most press, most of it favorable.
Followed closely by Pence’s mysteriously red, runny eye.

Other than that, Harris did the better job on several counts. But unlike a lot of folks, I think it was mostly a draw. Both of them got out the messages they felt needed to be delivered. Pence hurt himself with the constant interruptions (these folks really are determined to lose every last female voter,

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Who Knew? “October Surprise” is a Month-Long Event

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Planning and Timing are Taking a Beating – Typical of 2020

October as a Mix of Surprise, Karma, and Unknowns to Come

We expect surprises, ambushes, and breaks of luck in any election October. But, boy did we get a full load this time around. And we are less than a week into it! What fun awaits us between now and the first Tuesday in November? Let’s take a fresh perspective on what we have on our plate so far.

Medical News, Social Responsibility (NOT), & Transparency (None)

The deliberate carelessness of Trump and company is finally catching up with them.

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It was an Awful Debate – But It’s Not All Bad News

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There are Silver Linings to this Mess

I said earlier that these debates rarely make a difference, but there are exceptions. This may be one of those exceptions. Let’s look at why that may be so.

Was It That Bad?

Yep, it was. By all accounts, this was the worst such debate in history. Even Moderator Wallace agrees. This was even worse than those awful Republican primary debates in 2016. Whatever standing we had left as a leading country and an exemplary democracy took a merciless beating. The international media coverage and comments from people all over the world were brutal – and deserved.

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The First Presidential Debate is Tonight

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What to Look For. What’s at Stake. What’s at Risk

Do Debates Make Any Difference?

Generally, they do not. But there are exceptions. The first one televised, between Kennedy and Nixon, advantaged Kennedy. The impact of that one debate alone, since the election was so close, was large. The Reagan-Mondale debates might be another one that counts for big impact, all in Reagan’s favor.

Vice Presidential debates rarely tip the balance. But I bet those of us who were around at the time still remember Lloyd Bentsen’s devastating comment to Dan Quale. “I knew Jack Kennedy.

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Trump Damaged So Much. These May be the Two Worst

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One Domestic, One International “Legacy” That We Will Cost Us for Many Years

 

In case you missed it yesterday, Happy Constitution Day. September 17 is the day we celebrate the ratification of our constitution by the delegates assembled in Philadelphia in 1782. A timely reminder, given what follows in this blog today. Would that more of us read the thing.

If We Were Making a List…

Were we to write out a list of everything Trump has done that has harmed this country, we would be here for a very long time.

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The Number of Key Election Variables is Narrowing

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Anything Could Still Happen, but Probabilities are Narrowing to Three Key Variables

 

 Approaching the Home Stretch

We are now in the lower double digits until Election Day. Many thousands of citizens are already voting via absentee ballots. Millions more will vote well before Election Day. Some estimate that more than 50% of the electorate will vote before NOV 3.

Still, 49 days is forever in politics. October surprises are always possible, this time on both sides. As noted below, there are known variables still at play. The number of wild cards are getting crowded out by time and probabilities.

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Joe Biden Was Right All Along

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The First Words from Joe Biden as a Candidate Are at the Heart of This Election

Take Note

 

Political campaigns are full of forgettable phrases. They also can contain words for the ages. As it turns out, Joe Biden uttered two of the latter when he declared his candidacy. They proved to be the defining issues of this campaign and what we will be as a nation going forward.

History rarely puts that large a stamp on a few words, but it did this time. If Biden wins, it will be largely because most Americans came to agree with him.

 

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So, There Was This Other Convention

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It Was an Interesting Experience, If Not Altogether Surprising

 

Why Would Someone Watch That Thing?

I committed early on to watch the entire Republican convention. As it turned out, that was only a 1-day affair. They closed out their business on Monday by unanimously (shocking!) nominating Trump and Pence. While they were thinking about it, they decided they did not need a platform. They just stand for whatever Donald wants on a given day. And so, they adjourned. The following 3 evenings of TV were basically an ad.

So, a lot of people asked why I bothered to watch all this.

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Hey, How About That Democratic Convention?!

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More Than a Few Surprises, Mostly Good Ones

Anticipation and Apprehension

I suppose we were all more than a little curious as to how this thing might go. We have all been to enough Zoom meetings of late to know the digital, virtual format has some advantages and loads of opportunities for misfires.

So, a lot of people were hoping for the best but feared this could be a sterile, dull event. Turns out, they need not have worried.

A Lot Went Very Right – Here Are My Top 10

Time Limits,

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