Biden is certainly the better man. I am very heartened by what the Biden administration is accomplishing in spite of the fascist blockers found everywhere. Let's cheer him on to a second term and keep working to oust Magas from our political life.
I live in a swing township in Montgomery County in Pennsylvania. Presidential campaigns always locate an office here every four years. So we’re a bellwether. What’s happened here is all the old guard politicos left the local Republican Party. They were replaced by MAGA people so new to politics that they were asking me, a Democrat, about election mechanics when we were both at the polling location, because I was the only one with institutional knowledge. Lately these new MAGA folks are finding their footing. They managed to elect a J6 insurrectionist as our State Senator, because she hid her background during her campaign to look like a normal person. I door-knocked hundreds of Independents to warn them of her duplicity, but all I accomplished was to depress voter turnout among Independents. I confused them, so they stayed home. The Republican won that race. Recently the MAGA folks got even more organized when Democratic township Commissioners voted for an affordable housing project. You would think we were bringing in drugs and crime just because rents for 60 families will be 30% of a person’s income. It was crazy, but effective at organizing the MAGA folks to become more cohesive as a unit - not just atomized consumers of right wing media. MAGA as a political movement is gaining organizing skills and momentum. Polls aren’t designed to capture this shift. MAGA as a movement is here to stay. If you read this column, PLEASE GET INVOLVED at the local level and don’t just be a keyboard warrior or give money. We need every person - your commitment of time and enthusiasm, not just every 4 years, but every election.
Thank you for this astute observation. My reservation here is in New Jersey the rigged party line ticket arrangement. The state to local Democratic and Republican Party Chairs all sleep together. The system IS rigged and inherently gerrymandered. Why bother? I’ll just show up and vote.
Nihilistic attitudes lead to disengagement in our communities, which leaves a vacuum open for a authoritarian to rush in and offer to fix things. The local Democratic Party where I live also has its share of corruption. But I’m working as a volunteer at the county level, and am inspired that other volunteers also want to change the system driven by big money. It’s inspiring how far we’ve gotten to move things forward towards reforming the County Party with a little organizing, and caring enough to try to make a difference. This feels better, gets you out to meet well-meaning people, and gives you a goal to work towards with others. In short, it’s life-giving. Hopeless attitudes in today’s politics are all too common, and lead to backsliding and ultimately the death of democracy. The choice is stark, and it’s yours to make. The good news about all the nihilism out there is that it takes so many people out of politics, that you can make a huge difference as just one person, since no one else is stepping up. Think about it. You have more power to make change than you imagine. The media help to keep you frozen in indecision and hopelessness. Try not to engage in a diet of too much mainstream media. You can turn over your power to them if you don’t watch it. All politics is local, as Tip O’Neill said, and that means we - not the media or the sellout politicians are it’s authors. The whole point of my post is that the MAGA folks have found their individual and collective power. If we don’t as well, then they take over.
Wow. You blew me away! A thoughtful and powerful response to my cynical posture. You’re right I need to show up. God knows when it comes to saving democracy ‘doing’ is my responsibility. I’ll let you know.
I'm in Ohio, but a native Californian. We are hoping to move back home, but I am rather hoping we are still here come November 2024 so we can vote Democrat in this crazy state.
I don't pay attention to polls. The only person I know who is totally obsessed with them is Trump. You just know that if he loses in 2024, he'll again claim the election was rigged, stolen, invalid, etc. etc... He'll probably also state that the polls were rigged, too.
The only "fair" election to Trump is one that he wins.
I agree that we should not let our emotional state mirror the anxiety that comes with these polls. This could cause a descending spiral: the more depressed or angry people get the more people want to either vote mindlessly out of spite for Trump to bring the house down or to tune out, stay home, hide, think about relocating and pack their bags. I read comments expressing how tired of all of this people are. Yet they come for the low down as well as commiseration. We are at a critical moment. We are waiting for a tipping point with these court cases. I don't expect that the polls will reflect what the outcome will be. When it comes down to voting I can't imagine that decent people, people with families that are looking to the future, would want to vote for Trump. I guess I still have faith in the majority and that it must prevail.
In many ways I hope there is a rematch. There is nothing more satisfying than watching the Trump/GOP grift get griftier. (Griftier will be a new wikipedia word entry in 2024). There seems to be no problem with republicans burning through money supporting no ideals nor principles.
When people say they're reluctant for a Trump/Biden rematch, I believe they're still reeling from the 2020 debacle. They currently feel a contest between ANY two other players would be preferable.
At runtime next Nov, (48 months later,) our political climate will look entirely different. A "new and improved" Trump/Biden pairing may be just the ticket our Country needs by then.
Trump on a ticket is never anything our country needs. Saying “May the better man win“ is an aspect of bothsiderism, and attempt (even if unconsciously), to normalize Trump’s radical criminality, because it assumes both are good men. And that just isn’t true.
Biden is certainly the better man. I am very heartened by what the Biden administration is accomplishing in spite of the fascist blockers found everywhere. Let's cheer him on to a second term and keep working to oust Magas from our political life.
I live in a swing township in Montgomery County in Pennsylvania. Presidential campaigns always locate an office here every four years. So we’re a bellwether. What’s happened here is all the old guard politicos left the local Republican Party. They were replaced by MAGA people so new to politics that they were asking me, a Democrat, about election mechanics when we were both at the polling location, because I was the only one with institutional knowledge. Lately these new MAGA folks are finding their footing. They managed to elect a J6 insurrectionist as our State Senator, because she hid her background during her campaign to look like a normal person. I door-knocked hundreds of Independents to warn them of her duplicity, but all I accomplished was to depress voter turnout among Independents. I confused them, so they stayed home. The Republican won that race. Recently the MAGA folks got even more organized when Democratic township Commissioners voted for an affordable housing project. You would think we were bringing in drugs and crime just because rents for 60 families will be 30% of a person’s income. It was crazy, but effective at organizing the MAGA folks to become more cohesive as a unit - not just atomized consumers of right wing media. MAGA as a political movement is gaining organizing skills and momentum. Polls aren’t designed to capture this shift. MAGA as a movement is here to stay. If you read this column, PLEASE GET INVOLVED at the local level and don’t just be a keyboard warrior or give money. We need every person - your commitment of time and enthusiasm, not just every 4 years, but every election.
Thank you for this astute observation. My reservation here is in New Jersey the rigged party line ticket arrangement. The state to local Democratic and Republican Party Chairs all sleep together. The system IS rigged and inherently gerrymandered. Why bother? I’ll just show up and vote.
Nihilistic attitudes lead to disengagement in our communities, which leaves a vacuum open for a authoritarian to rush in and offer to fix things. The local Democratic Party where I live also has its share of corruption. But I’m working as a volunteer at the county level, and am inspired that other volunteers also want to change the system driven by big money. It’s inspiring how far we’ve gotten to move things forward towards reforming the County Party with a little organizing, and caring enough to try to make a difference. This feels better, gets you out to meet well-meaning people, and gives you a goal to work towards with others. In short, it’s life-giving. Hopeless attitudes in today’s politics are all too common, and lead to backsliding and ultimately the death of democracy. The choice is stark, and it’s yours to make. The good news about all the nihilism out there is that it takes so many people out of politics, that you can make a huge difference as just one person, since no one else is stepping up. Think about it. You have more power to make change than you imagine. The media help to keep you frozen in indecision and hopelessness. Try not to engage in a diet of too much mainstream media. You can turn over your power to them if you don’t watch it. All politics is local, as Tip O’Neill said, and that means we - not the media or the sellout politicians are it’s authors. The whole point of my post is that the MAGA folks have found their individual and collective power. If we don’t as well, then they take over.
Wow. You blew me away! A thoughtful and powerful response to my cynical posture. You’re right I need to show up. God knows when it comes to saving democracy ‘doing’ is my responsibility. I’ll let you know.
I'm in Ohio, but a native Californian. We are hoping to move back home, but I am rather hoping we are still here come November 2024 so we can vote Democrat in this crazy state.
I don't pay attention to polls. The only person I know who is totally obsessed with them is Trump. You just know that if he loses in 2024, he'll again claim the election was rigged, stolen, invalid, etc. etc... He'll probably also state that the polls were rigged, too.
The only "fair" election to Trump is one that he wins.
The only “fair“ election to ANY Republican these days is one where they win.
I agree that we should not let our emotional state mirror the anxiety that comes with these polls. This could cause a descending spiral: the more depressed or angry people get the more people want to either vote mindlessly out of spite for Trump to bring the house down or to tune out, stay home, hide, think about relocating and pack their bags. I read comments expressing how tired of all of this people are. Yet they come for the low down as well as commiseration. We are at a critical moment. We are waiting for a tipping point with these court cases. I don't expect that the polls will reflect what the outcome will be. When it comes down to voting I can't imagine that decent people, people with families that are looking to the future, would want to vote for Trump. I guess I still have faith in the majority and that it must prevail.
In many ways I hope there is a rematch. There is nothing more satisfying than watching the Trump/GOP grift get griftier. (Griftier will be a new wikipedia word entry in 2024). There seems to be no problem with republicans burning through money supporting no ideals nor principles.
When people say they're reluctant for a Trump/Biden rematch, I believe they're still reeling from the 2020 debacle. They currently feel a contest between ANY two other players would be preferable.
At runtime next Nov, (48 months later,) our political climate will look entirely different. A "new and improved" Trump/Biden pairing may be just the ticket our Country needs by then.
May the better man win.
Trump on a ticket is never anything our country needs. Saying “May the better man win“ is an aspect of bothsiderism, and attempt (even if unconsciously), to normalize Trump’s radical criminality, because it assumes both are good men. And that just isn’t true.
This made my day!!!! Thank you for having an open mind and heart. 😄