After the brilliant recent victories by President Biden and Democratic legislators, the narrative is changing in rather astounding ways. Just consider these two Axios headlines, and the articles themselves:
Simon, I am genuinely curious: What do you think would it take to make Jill Stein give up her career as a spoiler of Democratic candidates – and an unwitting (or witless) enabler of vile Republican candidates such as Trump?
That's a good question. Is her relentless running based on her philosophy or is it just ego? I'm betting on ego, because Stein has no sense of political realities or she would be all in for Biden.
I wondered if you could talk at some point--maybe you already have--about the effects voter suppression laws will have on the 2024 election. When I lived in CA, I either voted by mail or waited less than 5 minutes in line or not at all. It's been as efficient in OR. Apparently, this is not the case in some states where Rs are trying to suppress the vote ever further. Thank you for your work. PS Wrote my two US senators yesterday on Ukraine.
LJ, I don't really know what this means. We have voted without incident in recent years in elections across the country. I know Rs are fevering dreaming stuff this November but I am not really focused on that. I just want to win this election by as much as we can so none of their BS will matter. Onward, S
"Planned Parenthood’s community organizers have said that they will focus specifically on reaching suburban white women in the early months of their canvassing, arguing that they are among the most persuadable voters on the issue. The group has also hired organizers who will focus specifically on mobilizing young, Black and Latino voters. The first phase of its organizing began in earnest on Saturday, with a daylong training near downtown Raleigh that taught canvassers how to communicate to voters, in less-than-20-minute conversations, the ways that North Carolina’s politics are part of the regional battle for reproductive rights."
So we have Stein, West and RFK as third party candidates. I have a hard time seeing how this augurs well for Biden. Stein and West will draw off some votes, and although I think a good case can be made that RFK will draw more from Trump, is it really a sure thing? I ask only because there is a solid base of uninformed cultists who are solid for the Orange Menace, so RFK remains, I think, something of a wild card.
Stein is probably widely disliked by Dem leaning voters due to 2016 and her rather obvious Russian ties, and West is a hard guy to like, on a good day, and I would have said the same about him at the height of his popularity decades ago. Being a great scholar doesn't translate to people skills and votes, necessarily. Timothy Snyder pulls it off, the late Carl Sagan did too. But West never could. So I don't see him having much impact. I think the contrast between the effective Joe Biden and tfg is just gonna be too hard for most voters to ignore. RFK was always going to appeal to the kinds of voters trump did; I heard this anecdotally a few months back, and it's turning out to be true. He has all the CT voters looking at him.
The news is good! No labels is history and it looks like RFK could spoil Trump (more than Joe). West is a non factor - he’s on the ballot in Oregon, South Carolina and Alaska (don’t see how that matters - although I really hope Team Biden keeps an eye on Oregon) plus he has no money. The only real issue we have is Jill Stein (and that is not a new story).
A little bit ago Trump jumped up on Truth Social and started calling RFK Jr. a communist democrat and how the far left should love him, he’s exactly what they want- I thought at the time he’d gotten some bad internal polling about RFK Jr’s impact on his candidacy.
I said back in August that the RFK Jr. gamble would get away from Trump/MAGA and Trump would wind up having to pick him as a running mate to neutralize him. It’s a farcical opinion, but also…not.
I love Hopium! I was already optimistic but felt in a small group. You are so upbeat. You offer hope. In Hopium you prioritize issues and tasks and clearly but succintly why that day they come first. Then you say what exactly we need to do. The end is always the positives we'll achieve. I'm ending now because I lost my first 3 tries somewhere in the clouds (Internet)! Cathy
PS: I'm almost 80 years old and a lifelong Democratic activist (marched and pocketed in Wallace's '60s Alabama and then on to Women's Rights, etc.) Now age and medical conditions limit me. I'm so excited to find this group!!!
I'm thinking with Biden headed to FL they must see something in the internal polling they like; just heard a Dem strategist on Bloomberg saying don't write FL off. If Biden wins FL, he's not losing any states he got before, and the election will be over by 10 PM EST.
Grumpy comment - the fact that SE Cupp is billed as a “political expert” is ridiculous and exemplifies what is wrong with our political media. I am sure she’s a very smart person but she’s essentially a right wing reporter whose main qualificationsis that she once wrote for (and probably still uses it as her main source) politico. She hasn’t run campaigns, raised money, run for office, bought media, organized etc. This is the problem with our political media these days - it’s filled with people pretending to be professionals who are really amateurs. That’s why they all chase the same story. It is also why it is really good news, Simon, that you are getting more and more media appearances.
I've gathered by post cards and stamps and am all set up to start send them out this week. Also, signed up for vote forward to do letters as well. Will keep it up until election day!
I called my reps re: Ukraine and will keep on doing so. Yes We Can!
Would you please balance the horrible antisemitism that you posted here with a video of the lovely Passover Seder that took place in the encampment at Columbia? Anti Jewish hate is certainly frightening and must be opposed and shut down. And also there are so many more peace loving people protesting the horror in Gaza. This reminds me of how much focus was on violence at BLM protests when the vast majority were peaceful.
Please take this post down. It's ridiculous and insulting to all of us.
Never mind. I took it down.
After the brilliant recent victories by President Biden and Democratic legislators, the narrative is changing in rather astounding ways. Just consider these two Axios headlines, and the articles themselves:
. . "How Republicans castrated themselves" (Today)
. . "Hakeem Jeffries emerges as Congress' shadow speaker" (21 April)
After all, as recently as 5 April, this very same news outlet described Trump as the Shadow Speaker!
.
https://www.axios.com/2024/04/23/republicans-speaker-motion-vacate-rules-committee
https://www.axios.com/2024/04/21/hakeem-jeffries-speaker-mike-johnson-israel-ukraine
https://www.axios.com/2023/04/05/trump-house-republicans-shadow-speaker
Our small group just mailed about 2000 postcards for Ruben in Arizona! Now we’re doing Michigan. Onward. 💪
I regularly donate to Gallego, and now that I've actually heard about Anderson, I've begun donating to her as well.
I 💙 Anderson Clayton! I'm hoping to get a chance to meet her in person at one of the NCDP events or fundraisers.
You rock! 😎🇺🇸
That's amazing! My small group will get a few hundred postcards out for Ruben next week, but you've blown us away! Keep going! We will too!
Very Impressive!!
Simon, I am genuinely curious: What do you think would it take to make Jill Stein give up her career as a spoiler of Democratic candidates – and an unwitting (or witless) enabler of vile Republican candidates such as Trump?
That's a good question. Is her relentless running based on her philosophy or is it just ego? I'm betting on ego, because Stein has no sense of political realities or she would be all in for Biden.
Hello SImon:
I wondered if you could talk at some point--maybe you already have--about the effects voter suppression laws will have on the 2024 election. When I lived in CA, I either voted by mail or waited less than 5 minutes in line or not at all. It's been as efficient in OR. Apparently, this is not the case in some states where Rs are trying to suppress the vote ever further. Thank you for your work. PS Wrote my two US senators yesterday on Ukraine.
LJ, I don't really know what this means. We have voted without incident in recent years in elections across the country. I know Rs are fevering dreaming stuff this November but I am not really focused on that. I just want to win this election by as much as we can so none of their BS will matter. Onward, S
Okay, I'll stop worrying (or try!) and continue to do what I can in my corner of the country.
As always, thank for your insights on what the Cavalry can do. I've shared HC with many people.
On top of the nice news about where Josh Stein is at in the polls, Planned Parenthood just committed $10 million to knock on doors in North Carolina, https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/23/us/politics/planned-parenthood-north-carolina.html
"Planned Parenthood’s community organizers have said that they will focus specifically on reaching suburban white women in the early months of their canvassing, arguing that they are among the most persuadable voters on the issue. The group has also hired organizers who will focus specifically on mobilizing young, Black and Latino voters. The first phase of its organizing began in earnest on Saturday, with a daylong training near downtown Raleigh that taught canvassers how to communicate to voters, in less-than-20-minute conversations, the ways that North Carolina’s politics are part of the regional battle for reproductive rights."
So we have Stein, West and RFK as third party candidates. I have a hard time seeing how this augurs well for Biden. Stein and West will draw off some votes, and although I think a good case can be made that RFK will draw more from Trump, is it really a sure thing? I ask only because there is a solid base of uninformed cultists who are solid for the Orange Menace, so RFK remains, I think, something of a wild card.
Stein is probably widely disliked by Dem leaning voters due to 2016 and her rather obvious Russian ties, and West is a hard guy to like, on a good day, and I would have said the same about him at the height of his popularity decades ago. Being a great scholar doesn't translate to people skills and votes, necessarily. Timothy Snyder pulls it off, the late Carl Sagan did too. But West never could. So I don't see him having much impact. I think the contrast between the effective Joe Biden and tfg is just gonna be too hard for most voters to ignore. RFK was always going to appeal to the kinds of voters trump did; I heard this anecdotally a few months back, and it's turning out to be true. He has all the CT voters looking at him.
Good points. I feel better already!
The news is good! No labels is history and it looks like RFK could spoil Trump (more than Joe). West is a non factor - he’s on the ballot in Oregon, South Carolina and Alaska (don’t see how that matters - although I really hope Team Biden keeps an eye on Oregon) plus he has no money. The only real issue we have is Jill Stein (and that is not a new story).
A little bit ago Trump jumped up on Truth Social and started calling RFK Jr. a communist democrat and how the far left should love him, he’s exactly what they want- I thought at the time he’d gotten some bad internal polling about RFK Jr’s impact on his candidacy.
I said back in August that the RFK Jr. gamble would get away from Trump/MAGA and Trump would wind up having to pick him as a running mate to neutralize him. It’s a farcical opinion, but also…not.
I love Hopium! I was already optimistic but felt in a small group. You are so upbeat. You offer hope. In Hopium you prioritize issues and tasks and clearly but succintly why that day they come first. Then you say what exactly we need to do. The end is always the positives we'll achieve. I'm ending now because I lost my first 3 tries somewhere in the clouds (Internet)! Cathy
PS: I'm almost 80 years old and a lifelong Democratic activist (marched and pocketed in Wallace's '60s Alabama and then on to Women's Rights, etc.) Now age and medical conditions limit me. I'm so excited to find this group!!!
Thank you for your service!
same here....thank you for saying this.
Welcome Catheryn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm thinking with Biden headed to FL they must see something in the internal polling they like; just heard a Dem strategist on Bloomberg saying don't write FL off. If Biden wins FL, he's not losing any states he got before, and the election will be over by 10 PM EST.
Congratulations on your daughter’s upcoming graduation. That’s a big step forward so enjoy the festivities.
Are you coming to NC to speak.
Grumpy comment - the fact that SE Cupp is billed as a “political expert” is ridiculous and exemplifies what is wrong with our political media. I am sure she’s a very smart person but she’s essentially a right wing reporter whose main qualificationsis that she once wrote for (and probably still uses it as her main source) politico. She hasn’t run campaigns, raised money, run for office, bought media, organized etc. This is the problem with our political media these days - it’s filled with people pretending to be professionals who are really amateurs. That’s why they all chase the same story. It is also why it is really good news, Simon, that you are getting more and more media appearances.
I've gathered by post cards and stamps and am all set up to start send them out this week. Also, signed up for vote forward to do letters as well. Will keep it up until election day!
I called my reps re: Ukraine and will keep on doing so. Yes We Can!
Would you please balance the horrible antisemitism that you posted here with a video of the lovely Passover Seder that took place in the encampment at Columbia? Anti Jewish hate is certainly frightening and must be opposed and shut down. And also there are so many more peace loving people protesting the horror in Gaza. This reminds me of how much focus was on violence at BLM protests when the vast majority were peaceful.
Enjoy every second with your almost-graduate. How did they grow up so fast and how did we all get so old?
I have two coming up in June; MA and BA. You turn around one day, 25 years have gone by.....
Senate has cleared the procedural hurdle to go to final passage on Ukraine Aid 80-19!