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Elizabeth Tiller (Beth)'s avatar

That Kamala has a heart that breaks, that is her essential and critical qualification to serve the vast diversity of people comprising this nation.

I have a delightful great niece, 16 yrs, who is 1/2 Haitian descent. She is watching all this unfold at a distance. Her father at age 13 got in a small boat with other Haitians and made it to Cuba and from there to the US. He put himself through high school and college and got an MBA and works in management at a hospital. He became a citizen just in time to vote for Obama. Oh heart.

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DOUGLAS CALDWELL's avatar

This comment is aimed at a narrow audience, but one with which you are familiar, Steve. Let us talk about microphones. And not the microphones in front of a raging Trump (or Vance) but the microphones clipped onto the lapels of television anchors. I include their producers and newscast directors by extension.

If those microphones do not hear the anchors say that the sound bites of Trump/Vance that were just played (or are about to be played) are lies or are riddled with inaccuracies, then the listeners – the often millions of listeners – may well accept the lies as truths.

Such anchors, their producers and their writers do not deserve to be called journalists. Instead, call them propagandists.

As to talk show directors, those who pick the shots for programs, why are you showing file b-roll of Trump/Vance and, yes, Harris/Walz when you have a talking head, well, talking? Your viewers know what Trump,Vance, Harris and even Walz look like. The b-roll video too often contradicts or at least weakens what your live talking head is saying.

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Rita Richards Newhouse's avatar

How could one ignorant, cruel, selfish man, a man without the ability to speak in intelligible language or maintain one train of thought at a time, have the ability to put a lock on half of the American people, including those who were elected to effect the betterment of us and lead us forward to prosperity and happiness? He, indeed, is a pandemic. A sick body with no soul that has spread malevolence not only to this land but also to the world. He is a contagious monster who has escaped punishment even though charges against him have been proven. He continues to walk free among us, wrapping himself in our flag spewing hatred and division among us. What wide shoulders must Kamala Harris have to bear the burden of defeating this colossal affliction. We must convince our fellow citizens that she will fill their hopes and dreams for a good, productive life and that of our children to follow. She has shown herself to be this person. We should be thankful she was in the right place to take over the leadership that will carry up onward to the freedom and democracy so many have died to save. We are walking now through the valley of the shadow of death and we do fear evil. It abounds.She must truly win and once again, bring joie de vivre to a united people of America.

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Ann Sharon's avatar

I think VP Harris takes “Are you better off now than 4 yrs ago?” to greater heights. The human dimension she calls upon (like school pictures) are common experiences that resonate with all Americans (even childless cat ladies and grumpy old men 😊). Treasured memories or values people do not want trashed. People want to know how politics and candidates will affect their lives. She makes that connection.

I also believe the GOP has gone from mostly confident to panicked. North Carolina governor’s race was slipping away from them. Now it is even more likely to give a boost to VP Harris. They have no facts to convince people to vote for them. This is all they have: fear based on lies.

It is not convincing to anyone outside the cult like undecideds to spout things like non-citizens stealing elections and when asked for the evidence give the equivalent of the old joke

“I don’t know if it’s a fact. I just know it is true.”

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Michelle Best's avatar

I like the approach of the Harris/Walz campaign. Focus on people.

I would like more information on the Save Act - I read online there was a poison pill in the legislation that would federalize elections giving T more power in a P2025 scenario. Please comment. Thank you.

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Elizabeth Tiller (Beth)'s avatar

The SAVE act is also predicted to disenfranchise many women who changed their surnames via marriage and have multiple hoops to go through to match up birth certificate with other documentation. I myself got an "enhanced license" when I first moved to Minnesota after a recent marriage followed quickly by the death of my beloved husband. It took me 4 trips to the license bureau (preceded by phone calls and procuring documents with the official stamp) to accomplish the feat of procuring and bringing all the needed information to get this license. Most men do not face this huge barrier. And because the program was "new" to Minnesota it was well nigh impossible to get the proper information of what to procure. As Ann already said, the people administering the law would not be able to do so accurately and effectively. Real ID laws are initially a bureaucratic nightmare.

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Susan Linehan's avatar

I tried to get a certified copy of my birth certificate to get an enhanced license. It took forever and came back with my father's name and my name misspelled. Luckily I got my renewed passport in time to go on the trip that needed the enhanced DL. Even more luckily, my state doesn't try to "cull" voter rolls.

I can't IMAGINE what would happen in the SAVE act passed and we all suddenly had to prove citizenship. If it actually applied to VOTING, as opposed to registration, basically, the only people who would be able to vote in November are those with passports or enhanced DLs and naturalized citizens (who likely DO have their naturalization papers; no one else would have time to get the paperwork. As I mentioned in my own comment, the chances this will get through the Senate or signed by Biden are nil.

The GOP seems to think that their own voters all have correct paperwork at the ready. Somehow I doubt it.

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Ann Sharon's avatar

Exactly right. And it strikes me as redundant. When our names change we have to go through a process with Social Security. Frankly, this could be more political theater to please Donnie. He likely hasn’t thought about how many of his own voters would have problems with it as he flails for votes. The Speaker knows it is a pointless fail. He & McConnell want to avoid a fail that would shut down the government & drown them in the backlash.

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Ann Sharon's avatar

Good point. It’s why I didn’t jump through all those Real ID hoops. I’m retired and don’t need to fly for work. My husband has never & will not ever get on a plane. I have a birth certificate and current docs but would have to obtain more. Seems rather redundant since we do all this with Social Security when our names change which is a federal system.

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Ann Sharon's avatar

First of all it is illegal to vote in federal elections if you are not a citizen. I guess they want to make it “double illegal.” I don’t know about more power to Mr. T but another potential election advantage. Certainly P/R that the GOP wants. I saw a congressman who I didn’t recognize sounding very reasonable about it until the reporter asked what kind of evidence he’d seen of non-citizens voting. “I haven’t seen any evidence but I know it is true.”

— There is no evidence that non-citizen votes are a problem.

— This is too close to an election to be monkeying around with national unfunded mandates with new administrative hoops.

— Unfunded being a key word. Election officials would have to be re-trained and there should be advertising and outreach to the public on how to comply.

— It can take a while to obtain a birth certificate or other documents with place of birth - which means additional hoops for naturalized citizens.

— I wonder why we need this new law ? Is it so the GOP has new petty “violations” to sue over from the rush to implement? Are we on the path to being required to carry “our papers”?

— In the past such laws have mostly affected students and other “transient” populations. Possibly Native Americans, people in urban areas who don’t drive, and so on.

States are usually the land of last minute legislation so it can’t be dealt with easily before the election. Things like this that can take years to fix: https://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/2020/02/no-street-address--no-vote--nd--native-americans-settle-voter-id/

I can only imagine the number of requests that would be received by states. My disabled son could not get an ID where he lives because the worker said a fold or crease in his birth certificate made 1 letter in his name uncertain, despite his Soc Security card and other documentation with matching DOB, name and so on. A lot depends on how these things are administered and how much time there is to solve issues.

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Susan Linehan's avatar

I think Johnson himself said something about how he can't prove voter fraud but knows "intuitively" that it is a problem.

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Ann Sharon's avatar

He sure did. I’ve forgotten how many of them dared to voice the stupidity.

Here’s at least one of Johnson’s Gems from May:

— We all know, intuitively, that a lot of illegals are voting in federal elections. But it’s not been something that is easily provable. We don’t have that number. This legislation will allow us to do exactly that — it will prevent that from happening. And if someone tries to do it, it will now be unlawful within the states” —

https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/4657038-mike-johnson-illegal-voting-voter-fraud/

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Homi Hormasji's avatar

So it all comes down to this: we have to defeat this malevolent thug, this reprehensible traitor, resoundingly at the polls.

Rest assured, however, that an overwhelming defeat will not be enough to silence these fascists. They will resort to sporadic violence while trying to muddy up the waters with a deluge of legal challenges. Be prepared. We must stay united against this evil.

But how did we reach this sorry pitch where millions of our fellow citizens would vote to turn themselves into canon fodder? We have lost sight, it seems, of our larger purpose. Love and happiness should be the stars that guide us, not unquestioning loyalty to an unjust economic system that counts the accumulation of wealth as its only goal. Let us make a start with the realization that healthcare and education are birthrights, not commodities for sale.

Kamala has it exactly right with her focus on joy. And that is why she is seen as such a threat by the fascists.

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Rita Richards Newhouse's avatar

It is so true that where once Americans strove to lift up all citizens to enjoy a happy, prosperous brotherhood, we have instead become a nation where money reigns, a land of Hemingway's haves and have nots, of wants and needs that become the reasons for the poor, the uneducated, to be conned by the likes of a donald trump and an elon musk. (Some people are so poor, all they have is money.)

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Homi Hormasji's avatar

Well said, Rita. We have to understand, though, that this is all by design.

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Ann Sharon's avatar

Very true.

As for economics, most people literally have no idea. (Actually most American adults can’t meet 6th grade literacy standards, 54%). They’ve never studied economics beyond, maybe, balancing a checkbook. They know how to read price tags and their check stubs.

I was told a long time ago Americans buy ‘trickle down’ and billionaires know best because they hope to get a piece of that pie. As with all things that don’t happen, there is a scapegoat not reality in the way.

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Nightmaher's avatar

It’s time for all people to insist that Trump is not a candidate in any way,shape or form. His mental health makes him ineligible to lead our country to the bathrooms much less to victory over the sickness that he and Vance and the Heritage Foundation are to our country.

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Bob W's avatar

Good piece Steven. I for one will not relax until the 2024 Election (Hard won) is in our rear view mirror! Of course, also it must require that major steps are planned/underway to ensure that everything possible is being done to turn what’s wrong now…to the better for upcoming elections. Make no mistakes …that will be a really massive undertaking. Just remember where we were when Joe Biden came into office and where we are now. Then project where we want to be in the 2025 + Election Cycle under Kamala/Walz! Nothing lives on successfully without constant attention and the fixing of that which has demonstrated it is not working as originally designed. It has to meet the challenges and needs of a current society. Many are “hot button” items that will require much effort to enact successfully…for example, reasonable, realistic, and fair Gun Control. Another, “realistic modernization” of the Principle Branches of Government. A specific item, look what SCOTUS has become as one example.

With any luck at all…The Convicted Felon will be incarcerated and the rest of the Repugnant MAGATS exiled to some third world Hellhole where they regret daily what they lost, after all it was they who proposed the deportation of criminals!Perhaps the Republican Party can be reborn as a legitimate political party with members who don’t forget what might have been without revitalized American principles and possibilities.

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David (Dave) Jaspers's avatar

I was born and raised in Ohio. My family has deep roots in the Buckeye State. I am so angry at what the GOP, specifically Trump and Vance, are doing in my home state, that I have trouble putting it into words. That is not the Ohio I grew up in.

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SPW's avatar

Don’t forget that Jim(gym)Jordan helped plow the ground for all this mess. Were I the mayor of Springfield, I’m afraid I’d be having to tell trumpy that no one representing the party would be welcome in Springfield. Who in their right mind would?

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David (Dave) Jaspers's avatar

I wish DeWine would show a little fortitude and denounce this entire line of attack. But he won't. What an embarrassment.

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Lynn Geri's avatar

"But the truth doesn't matter..." when too many people read the sly press named fox and it's lurking offspring... because the readers never get the truth. Information omitted, distorted, outright lies rolled into a paper tube whacking freedom of the press.

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HI2thDoc's avatar

Of course the fascist wannabe dictator dehumanizes the Haitians and everyone he seeks to scapegoat. Hitlerian playbook right there. Why is his hateful shtick so effective in America in the 21st century? Have we learned nothing from history?

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Ann Sharon's avatar

To learn from history we would need to know it and agree on the basic facts. Somewhere along the line Americans decided history was not important and started rewriting it to suit themselves.

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Todd Hess's avatar

A minor point for which there are countless examples is Trump declaring he'll investigate. He already did when he was President--the voter fraud commission led by Kris Kobach came up with nothing. Like with Zelenskyy and Hunter Biden it was about the investigation not uncovering truth.

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Ann Sharon's avatar

Like the Hillary investigations that lasted for years (and they began investigating Biden each time he was a potential candidate.) Keven McCarthy bragged about the real reason when Hannity challenged him to name accomplishments the GOP achieved.

— What you’re going to see is a conservative speaker that takes a conservative Congress, that puts a strategy to fight and win,” McCarthy told Hannity, referring to himself as the future top House Republican. “And let me give you one example. Everyone thought Hillary Clinton was unbeatable, right? But we put together a special Benghazi committee, a select committee.”

He continued, “What are her numbers today? Her numbers are dropping. Why? Because she’s untrustable. But no one would have known any of that had happened had we not fought to make that happen.” —

As I remember Hannity’s response was “I give you credit for that.”

https://rollcall.com/2015/10/01/mccarthy-gets-earful-from-both-sides-for-benghazi-remarks/

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SPW's avatar

I am sick to death(almost. I’m not dead yet)of trump, vance, republicans, religious nuts, unfounded conspiracies, non assassinations, corrupt supreme court justices, corrupt judges, corrupt law enforcement agencies and everything else that has almost brought us to our knees. That’s not to say, however, that I’m not going to vote because it’s just the opposite. I intend to vote and vote all BLUE. To Hell with their nasty negativity and dystopian wet dreams for us all. They have stomped on my last nerve and I’m going to be doing my part to send each and every one of them back to the Hell they’d have for us.

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Pat Eisenberg's avatar

Thank you so much for this.

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Cicada's avatar

Both citizen Phlegm(former president), and virulent Vance, should be held accountable to what amounts to a form of “SWATting”. The “dangerous prank that involves someone making a false report to emergency services about another person, resulting in an armed response from law enforcement such as a SWAT (Special Weapons And Tactics) team”.

The costs for such egregious a hoax certainly is beyond the monetary. And, anyone responsible ought to be held accountable. Punitive damages taken into consideration ought to incur such a penalty beyond just the monetary. Prison time…? If it were up to me….

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Susan Linehan's avatar

I just read the statute, https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/8281/text. I will say that the SAVE Act only seems to apply to people newly registering to vote. At this point in the election cycle the main people hurt will be those who are trying to register now, or whose registrations have been culled. For those people, this would be a nightmare.

The bill would be effective "upon enactment" but since it is clear that Biden would veto it even if it miraculously passed the Senate, so the chances of its getting enacted before this election are essentially nil.

This then is a purely performative move--Johnson wants to SHUT DOWN THE GOVERNMENT over a law that has no chance of being enacted in time to affect the election.

Think about that.

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