138 Comments
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Jul 30
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This latest ad kicks ass! Thanks for posting.

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That’s terrific, Peter! Thanks for sharing.

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Wow! What a great ad. The Democrats are finally willing to take on the BS which is MAGA!

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The Lincoln Project is a PAC founded by moderate conservatives and former Republicans who oppose Trump.

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The LP is not made up of Democrats. That’s why these ads take the fight directly to Trump, never letting up. They are fantastic at messaging. As proud as I am to be a Democrat; my ongoing frustration with them for the past 24 years is that they rarely fight back, nor go on offense, thus allowing so many right wing lies go unanswered over the years (like with the ACA in 2009 and 2010). Fortunately, it looks like Kamala Harris is doing so, in addition to the Lincoln Project. I hope other Dems will follow. I am proud of Kamala.

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Another great month for Biden-Harris Team in terms of layoffs. The fewest layoffs in a month since 2022.

Joe Biden has now overseen 31.8 million fewer layoffs than Trump to equivalents months in their presidency. The Biden-Harris admin is on track to over see the four lowest years of record for layoffs with this year on tract to be the third lowest.

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Excellent news! I would, however, suggest rephrasing – referring to *Team Biden-Harris* rather than just *Joe Biden* or *President Biden*. Emphasizing the Team gives due credit for accomplishments and good news to Kamala Harris, conferring as much "incumbency advantage" on her as possible. In these 100 campaign days, that really matters!

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You may enjoy this uplifting and informative article by Markos Moulitsas, founder of the progressive website DailyKos:

"Trump’s Awful Week Gets Capped by a Worse Weekend"

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/7/29/2259046/-Trump-s-awful-week-gets-capped-by-a-worse-weekend

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Thanks, Arctic, for the link

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A THOUGHT...

"Stopping Trump is a short-term solution. The long-term solution, and it will be more difficult, is fixing the educational system that has created so many people who are ignorant enough to vote for Trump."

. – Andy Borowitz

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yes

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I’ve been saying this for years. 😉

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For a hilarious glimpse into the outrageously surreal cult of the ever-whining Trump world, may I suggest today’s article by Jeff Tiedrich:

*“Stop Calling Us Weird,” Whine the Weirdest Weirdos on the Planet*

https://www.jefftiedrich.com/p/stop-calling-us-weird-whine-the-weirdest

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This is truly too hilarious not to share widely! Thank you!!

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This is SO GOOD, Arctic Stones! Thank you for sharing. I’m sharing widely as well!

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Very funny stuff!

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Thanks, Artic. GNR at Dailykos was good today also. :)

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Thanks for the heads up!

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Great article, Arctic Stones ! Have you seen the great new Harris “ad”, an updated version of the well-known Avengers movie clip. It’s epic !!

https://x.com/yourlittldogtwo/status/1816219541313077596

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That made me laugh. Well done!

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Love it!

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Thank you, Arctic Stones. I have a story about Markos Moulitsas. My mom was a lifelong liberal who read the Daily Kos religiously. She turned 80 a number of years ago and we asked Markos to wish here Happy BD in the Daily Kos. Instead, he sent her a bouquet of flowers. What a great human! Mom passed three years ago and I feel she's on the other side cheering on our Kamala. Mom was elected a delegate to the 1968 convention, so now she'll finally have a front row seat. (Hopefully without any riots, tear gas, or brokered deals.)

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Nice! What a beautiful story. That’s the act of a true mensch.

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I'm loving the enthusiasm behind VP Harris and her social media presence is *chef's kiss*! It's great to feel joy about an impending presidential election for the first time since...Obama? Bonus points for that joy making Orange Baby Man even more miserable than he usually is.

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I lived near Mesa ... and believe me, the is a Big Deal.

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Add more train engines. Add more rail cars. Add Georgia. Add Florida. I hear Kamala’s train a coming…and Trump’s legal bills ate his cash. The Harris campaign and Georgia Democratic officials have 24 offices across the state, including 2 added last weekend in metro Atlanta. Trump and the Republican National Committee opened their FIRST Georgia offices only recently.

Expand the battleground. Add Georgia. Add Florida. Every article that I see lists the factions in play, except for women. No one mentions the import of indignant women, a political force that is huge in this upcoming election. Abortion is on the ballot and women will not make the mistake of 2016 when 54% of women went for Trump. Trump won Georgia by only 212,000, we need to swing only 106,000. It is a new ballgame now. Why are women not seen by the pundits?

Women should be seen… They will be seen voting for Harris in numbers too big to ignore. That makes every close state a viable target. Further, our ground game is Advantage Harris. Let’s jump on that advantage by adding to it with 300,000+ new volunteers. Think offense.

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Jul 30
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Jul 30
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My apologies. I thought you were referring to 2020.

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Carl we won Georgia in 2020 and it is a core 2024 battleground state. We also added both Senate seats since 2020.

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It was a close election in 2020. (I only need 11,780 votes.) We lost in 2016. This is not a blue state. My point is I got from 538 polls we were down 6 points on 7/21/2024. Indicators were that we were conceding the state. ALL I AM SAYING is we need to UP our game there as we have volunteers out the ying yang. We need a blowout everywhere.

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Where have you seen any key Democrat state or hint that they were conceding Georgia? I would be interested, for I have not.

What I have read indicates a consensus that Georgia is likely to be more difficult in this election – partly because of systematic "voter challenges" and other shenanigans.

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It was common sentiment. Numerous article headlines today with Harris’ Atlanta trip point to that sentiment.

Fear not. Kamala is on it and adding to the ground game there.

https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/national-international/democrats-georgia-lost-cause-biden-harris-campaign/3607821/

https://www.wsfa.com/2024/07/30/democrats-had-feared-georgia-was-lost-cause-with-biden-running-harris-will-campaign-there-tuesday/?outputType=amp

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AP article today.

“ Little more than a week ago, Georgia appeared to be slipping out of the Democrats’ reach: President Joe Biden’s campaign pledged to concentrate more on holding the Midwestern “blue wall” states and indicated they might be willing to forsake “Sun Belt” battlegrounds.” we have 360,000 new volunteers. Adding 70,000 per day.

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I love the fact that a banner showing her in Wisconsin is included in the ad. We all know how we lost it in 2016. And last night the "White Dudes for Kamala" Zoom event had ~140,000 attendees -- it was so big they did not send the Zoom link to a lot of those who registered, but I found it on YouTube. I And they raised $4 million. Jeff Bridges was great, the entire event was way cool and well produced. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnnKXuYcDU0

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Focus for Democracy raised more than $5MM the other night for Galvanize and Accelerate Change. IMHO Democrats would be golden if FT 6 raised that kind of money. https://www.fieldteam6.org/fund-the-mission

Also Forgotten Democrats meeting is Friday, August 2 at noon. https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEscOCopjsqG9JzrFKgkbSrklap79NQnBeJ#/registration

Just donated and registered to hear Heather Cox Richardson Wednesday, August 7, 7:00pm – 8:00pm ET through Force Multiplier, to support the Blue Surge Turnout Fund, a partnership with America Votes. https://secure.actblue.com/donate/forcemultiplier2024bluesurgerichardsonevent?refcode=News_2407&cdmc=2jNugvlusEtDQ2dX7mDlhEYIYOD&refcode2=2jNugvlusEtDQ2dX7mDlhEYIYOD&refcodecdmc=2jNugvlusEtDQ2dX7mDlhEYIYOD

I hope they partner with Field Team 6, which is active in the same races and which is re registering folk purged from the roles.

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I understand from X users (I don't have an account myself) that Musk has banned the White Dudes for Kamala group from X.

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That is correct. I "think" Simon won't censor me when I say Musk is quite the jerk -- and hypocrite. I do think he has impulse control issues but that doesn't forgive his veering to the right of even libertarians. I love being green with my 6 yo Tesla but next car could very well be from another manufacturer, and I know many people who are saying the same thing.

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Doesn’t surprise me. Musk is the epitome of self indulgence. (That’s my “clean”description).

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The Twitterverse got them reinstated! We are united and we are powerful.

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Was it Tim Walz who started the 'they are weird' thing? it's really landing. Highlights well the difference between our constructive candidates interested in governing and their crazies.

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Yes, it was Tim Walz. He really knows how to deliver a message.

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I've been very impressed with Tim Walz's speaking. Intelligent, friendly, and really a way to get people off the fence on deciding who they want to vote for.

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Pretty typical for someone who spent a career in the classroom. People think you can just mail it in, but that's not true. If you can't command attention and explain things so that kids can understand, word gets around quickly and you find administrators hanging outside your classroom door eavesdropping.

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Exactly, I taught U.S. History and Women's History at a community college, so I know what it takes. Probably why I liked him so much.

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The first place I saw it was in a Harris campaign press release last Thursday, after Trump’s loopy Fox and Friends” appearance. The release read, in part: “Trump is old and quite weird?”

Question mark included.

Don’t know if Walz’s use of the word precedes that July 25 press release, but whoever originated it: A+

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I think Walz “he-man women haters club” interview was first.

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Yeah, I heard the "weird" term from Tim. When I first saw a photo of him, I felt like, hmm, he's much older than Kamala, but that might be good because he could evoke Joe and be a great complement to her, maybe appeal more to older white working-class men. Then I heard him speak...wow! He is, to me, the best, most dynamic speaker of all the VP hopefuls. Doesn't sound like a politician. He grabs my attention, and doesn't let go. What a teacher he must've been. He's quick and smart, and on point. And he's got this "bubbly kid" vibe going on. Love him. Plus...he's only 60!

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Believe it or not, at 59, Kamala is only one year younger than Tim Walz.

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Only six months younger!! That's what shocked me when I checked out his age.

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I was shocked too. He is terrific. I didn't know anything about him until now.

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I also like that he was in the Army National Guard. Checks a lot of boxes. Funny, good communicator, governor, record of getting stuff done, veteran, teacher, and turns more progressive each year! By the time he's 80, he will rival Bernie.

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Tim Walz is terrific. He is folksy, charming, funny and smart! I didn't know who he was until this campaign.

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Yesterday morning I was sitting in a coffee shop in St. Louis, MO. Two older white guys were behind me, yapping about the election (which is fine, we’re Americans, it’s our sacred right to yap about stuff). Meanwhile I was just sitting there knocking out another 10 handwritten postcards to targeted low-propensity voters in Michigan.

Excited to see which of those two activities carries the most electoral punch come November.

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Kamala knows that FEAR is just

False

Evidence

Appearing

Real

right? She IS fearless! So great.

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The data tell the story and back Kamala. We need to see simple ads with simple charts showing the difference; showing all the growth from Biden/Harris in every area compared to Trump. The numbers don't lie. I wish we could see more ads like that. The people who can't/don't see it, need to see it now. in simple charts or simple lists. My two cents. :-)

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Good new polling out today too: FAU/Mainstreet - Kamala +2, Ipsos (from mid last week, but released today) - Tied.

25 more calls last night for me, plus on the White Dudes for Harris call which was so wonderful to see tens of thousands of dudes on the call to show support and raise over FOUR MILLION dollars in three hours.

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One week ago, Harris trailed by 5 in that same FAU poll.

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I read she was ahead 1 in Morning Consult too. But we only seem to hear about CNN and NYT/Sienna. Wonder why. What is the MSM gonna do without trump when he loses?

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Given the timing of those polls relative to Harris' nascent candidacy, they were good polls showing real movement in our direction.

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I fear no one, and I yield to no one.

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Simon, although we will, I believe, win the election. But I was watching Rachel Maddow last night and Trump is telling people in swing states that they don't have to vote, and he has people in the swing states that could refuse to certify the various counties, according to the reporting. What happens if he does that? Does it go to the current House of Representatives or to the Supreme Court? Mark Elias better have an army of lawyers ready for this.

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Trump is largely just lying and trying to appear strong. We do not have to buy his lies.

To the point that there may be those who refuse to certify the election, in virtually every swing state they would be lower level people that do not have determinative power. If they choose to go that route, the courts will compel them to do their jobs.

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I would like some information on this, too. I know there was talk of gearing up for legal challenges and other scenarios but I’d like to get a sense of whether they’re wargaming for situations like polling place shenanigans and lower-level GOP people refusing certifications. I feel quite sure there will be “alternate” elector slates. I’m hoping they’re gaming all this out.

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Our best defense is a Blue Tsunami, a victory so overwhelming it cannot be benied.

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The primary goal of all this talk is to have us become scared, believe there is nothing we can do to win, that our work is futile, to "obey in advance" and let them win. In general we are not going to focus on this chatter here. Our goal is go win the election by a big enough margin that none of their bullshit matters. That is the best way to counter this - do the work, help us win.

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💯

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Agree! Let us do our part and let the lawyers do theirs.

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I just chalk it up to Corporate Media using fear and anxiety to get us to tune in. Always trying to shape shift a new monster to jump scare the audience. I'm really disgusted with TV hosts I used to admire.

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Tagging on to Simon's comment. For those who aren't familiar with the term "obey in advance," it's a term used by Timothy Snyder, author of the book On Tyranny. https://lithub.com/resist-authoritarianism-by-refusing-to-obey-in-advance/

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Here is something I wrote in early 2023 - https://www.hopiumchronicles.com/p/not-obeying-in-advance?utm_source=publication-search

Been a major theme of our work here at Hopium from the beginning.

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And here is a relevant passage from my launch post -

I am calling it Hopium Chronicles because I want this to be a journey guided by hope and optimism, of belief in ourselves, in love of country and a clear understanding of the nature of the conflict we are in. I have become convinced that part of Greater MAGA’s strategy is to intentionally poison our discourse with negative sentiment every day. They want us to feel bad about America, our democracy, our leaders, our institutions, our success, each other, ourselves. We cannot let them do that any more. While they talk American down every day, we need to talk it up. While they spread lies, we respond with truth and data. Hopium is a rejection of the darkness they are trying to spread. It is a way of standing up for our great country and its remarkable people. It is the key to how we win

https://www.hopiumchronicles.com/p/welcome-to-my-new-home-hopium-chronicles?utm_source=publication-search

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I saw that episode, too, and for a few minutes my heart sank. Then Elizabeth Warren came on and Rachel asked her opinion about it. Warren basically swept it aside, said that the lawyers and others will do their jobs, but the most important thing to do is vote, vote, vote. Get as many people to the polls, in numbers as big as possible. It seemed that she didn't want people worrying and feeling discouraged and not voting. She wanted them to ride the wave of excitement to the polls. I thought about that and realized I'd gotten caught in fear mode again...and got myself out of it.

Rachel has admitted that she feels "haunted" at times by her prodigious research on fascists/authoritarians. So it tends to come through sometimes, and I have to guard against that. I'm so grateful for the work she and others are doing to educate us; at the same time, I have to work to not forget how much more powerful our light is, and to focus on it to the exclusion of all else. 💪☀️💙🌊

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I hope you will interview Rudy Salas, California Democratic House candidate in CA22. He is in a very competitive race. His district is the poorest in California so he relies on outside donations.

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I hope you will interview Rudy Salas, the Democratic House candidate in CA22. He is in a key race and needs outside donors because his district is the poorest in California.

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