3 days left until the election (#4291)

      If the republican party thinks that they can disallow millions of ballots due to their voting obstruction agenda then they will find that we the people won't let them. They can try to add some authority to their nefarious attempts but we will not allow them to delegitimize our right to vote. Authority is gained through trust and if trust is taken away then the backlash to that is chaos. We the people will not sit idly by while a handful of power hungry individuals hijack our democracy. I do not expect things to get to that point but let it be known that those who try will face consequences that are far more severe than ridicule.
     We have 72 hours left until we wake up and begin the last full day of voting across America. The early vote total for this morning is nearly 90 million, 65% of the total votes cast in 2016. Which is still shattering the record from 4 years ago which was around 58 million early votes. We are still early voting so we could possibly get to 100 million but that would be amazing if it happened. I would not be shocked now at all if we had over 170 million total votes for this election which would be 32 million more than the about 138 million that voted in 2016. All indications are is that 170 million might not even be the ceiling but we will see about that. The voters who have voted and who are going to vote do not want a trump disruption that nullifies our votes.
     So we must make sure that when we do vote we not only vote straight blue ticket for our democrats, even our allies in other parties/no party should vote straight blue, but that we leave no vote behind. So get your vote in however you have to do it regardless of circumstance because the republican party is trying desperately to keep our votes from being delivered and counted. The mail option is probably not a good idea anymore so hand deliver however you have to to get your ballot secure with election officials in your jurisdiction. There is no time to waste if you are early voting so have a plan that supersedes all other things in your life for whatever time frame is required to make your voice heard through our elections. Good luck to all of us who are determined to keep democracy above the greed and selfishness of the republican party!

4 days left until the election (#4290)

      96 hours folks. Single digits on the hours and counted another way, less than one handful of fingers as days. It is so exciting counting the days down to the end of this nightmare that the living of it becomes less unbearable somehow. Yet it is real, the nightmare, and if what we are seeing in the voting of this election so far we democrats have some hope that the nightmare will start to end after the vote counting. The pandemic has changed how we vote in stark ways and that may account for the early voting records being smashed but the voters who are doing the smashing are from all ages and groups. Which in normal times is not the case.
     Today, Saturday, and Sunday are the main last days for early voting left and if I am not mistaken they will be a busy 3 days. We are at about 82 million early votes in already and I had hoped last week that we would hit 100 million votes in the early period but I kind of gave up on that and instead hoped for 80 million. Well it looks like the early vote will be closer to my original 100 million mark after all. We will see. Either way though if not 100 million the action of that many voting prior to our traditional election day is still quite impressive.
     In 2016 we had a total of 58 million early votes and 138 million in all. So it seems reasonable to assume that with 4 years of expanding our voter registrations that 150 to 170 million votes this election is clearly possible. If that many turnout it will be a good night for democrats and likely allies, independents. For there are not enough republican voters out there to equal the sheer volume of voters we have. I am feeling a bit optimistic that the trends are consistent much like the polling has been for the last several years. That trump has spent his capital on himself and now has little to no capital to spend on convincing American voters that he is worthy of another appointed term.
     

5 days left until the election (#4289)

     120 hours until we begin the end of trump. From an appointed president trump, to an elected one, Joe Biden. I have to keep my neck above all the fraying at the edges trumps are perpetrating on us and focus clearly on getting people to realize just how important this election is. It isn't my job to do that but it is my duty to the democracy that I love. Never in the history of our human existence has a concept like democracy proven to be so effective a governmental ideal if protected and improved. So for me to do all I can to make sure we keep it intact is the minimum of which I expect of myself. I try through my advocacy and never relenting enthusiasm for the better or best of our natures.
     The only way to express the true worth of a thing is to live it and glory in it. Our democracy is such a thing and will be threatened if we don't protect it right now. The trumps are all in on taking it from us because their actions and behaviors are threatened by democracy. So unless they can keep power and then dismantle our democracy they will suffer for their choices. So we must make them suffer for their choices as the effect of their wrongful deeds that take from us without our consent. They would take our uplifting of all and replace it with uplifting only a few. It is anti-democracy that they are hoping to install and if we let them then we are all fools.
     I am getting toward the end of my life so the effect on me is not as great as those who are just starting out in life. Which should motivate younger citizens to fight all the more to protect our democracy. I will fight as well as if I am a young man who is outraged! But many who are lazy and too distracted to know the danger this time presents will need to be shown the error of their ways. Nothing in life at all! I mean nothing in life at all is of more importance than protecting our democracy. We are not quitters nor cowards who love our democracy. We are fighters who will not quit at any bribe or coercion. The trumps of this world need to be stopped and in 5 days we will do just that!

6 days left until the election (#4288)

      Yes that is 6 days, 144 hours left for us to do what we have wanted to do for the last 4 years. I for one am so ready for this time to pass as quickly as possible and the only thing I want to see done before then is for all of us to vote. I have no doubt that more of us want trump and his acolytes gone than don't but the only civilized way we have is for us to vote him out. Much better and less deadly than armed insurrection against an illegitimate government authority. We Americans have the best democracy on Earth and you know how I know that? Because all other democracies on our planet emulate our national constitution.
     Not one of the new democracies has a better constitution than ours. We are the standard, although we can be improved upon. Which is exactly what we must do once we end the malicious reign of trump. Never again can the same dynamics play out that led to the appointment of trump nor shrub either. Our popular vote has to be the deciding factor in all elections going forward. The time of the majority being ruled by the minority must end with this election. There are other matters that must also be addressed but our manner of electing must be right there with any other top priority. The worst of what happens to our nation has come when a president has been appointed instead of elected.
     In 144 hours we will begin to vote on the last day of voting and trump will begin his lame duck period. The time when stated in hours really does bring home to me the closeness to the time when our agony begins to stop. We will have 78 more days of trump until Joe and Kamala are sworn in but just knowing that trump will be no longer in our futures makes for an easier endurance of his volatile behavior. There will be no more waking up on a Wednesday morning knowing that trump has a shot at a second term. I know that is a jinx worthy statement but I am not much into superstition when so much is based upon the reality of our voting and the voting is happening in incredible numbers.
     

7 days left until the election (#4287)

     Okay, we are at one week now before the election. Over 64 million of us have already voted in the early period with several days left for early voting. I had hoped we would get to 100 million early votes but that isn't looking possible as of this moment. Yet the 64 million votes already cast is about 6 million more than all pre election day votes cast in 2016. We may get to around 80 million early votes cast and that would be really cool. The pandemic has changed our habits for voting that is for sure but the mess that trump has wrought has also invigorated our electorate to turn out in far greater percentages than any other normal voting cycle.
     Joe Biden, our democratic candidate, is a good man with good policies going forward but the real underlying motivation for the many of us is to see the monster that is trump defeated in such a way as to make no doubt about how we feel about him. He has done so much to harm our society yet he doesn't seem to understand that. He is at loggerheads to figure out why we all don't just prostrate and sing hallelujahs at him. So the depth and distance of his misunderstanding of our American experiences is breathtakingly deep and long. It is like he is devoid of the ability to see beyond his own mirror. Along with his lack of understanding is his own need for adulation.
     We have had enough of all of it and his 15 minutes of fame is about to find the door. I wish it were a metaphorical 15 minutes instead of the grueling long 4 years that has been so painfully smothering. He is still fighting though to keep his appointed presidency and is not beneath cheating, stealing, and lying to make it happen. His attempts to negate our votes so that he can declare himself the winner with the help of his newly installed 6-3 conservative advantage on the supreme court is his last desperate strategy. But if like is happening now that we come out and vote like our blue wave election has been expected then his pleas for a false redress will not be able to withstand our tsunami of votes.

8 days left until the election (#4286)

     This is the last full week before the election. If anything crazy were to happen it would be during this week. This is also the last full week of early voting and all states that participate will be collecting ballots. It will be interesting to see how many who will show up on election day after this historic early voting period. I had hoped that about 100 million of us would have early voted but the numbers are not coming in like I had hoped over the weekend. Yet there still could be a surge of early voters that get us close to that never before attained benchmark. Either way it is just amazing how many have taken advantage of the opportunity to get our votes banked.
     With 8 days to go I am also feeling a bit light on my feet. As if I am expecting a good thing about to happen. Yes, I do expect at this point we democrats will have a good evening on November 3rd. What I don't know is if it will be a great evening. The senate appears to be on it's way to flipping over to we democrats and then again it will by either a small margin or a bigger margin. Depending on the percentage of democrats and independents who vote straight blue ticket. There has not been much push back these days about voting straight ticket and that is what may well make election day evening great. But I must not get caught up in our blue wave enthusiasm just yet.
     There is much work to be done before election day arrives so we need to focus on getting our vote out and trying to convert fence sitters, such as there are any left at this point. But the opportunity is there for us set up by many courageous and dedicated democracy lovers. I have never been more proud of our democratic party for it's coming together and working with a patience and precision to elect democrats and like minded independents to elective office. This election will go down in history as one of the most exciting and pivotal in regards to if America is to survive a home grown and foreign helped decay that would infect and endanger the very lives of our citizenry.

9 days left until the election (#4285)

      9 days left to vote for our democracy. 9 days is like a dream to me. Single digits until we know that Joe Biden is our next president, hopefully. The turnout so far has been encouraging yet does not definitively ascribe to one candidate or the other. Yet with the rhetoric and duplicity coming from trump we can use Occam's Razor to more probably suppose trump may think he is in trouble. Still no proof since in 2016 trump thought he would lose then. Which should be enough to tell us all we need to know about whether he was motivated to being our president.
     Rather than using his campaign to just bolster his economic image, he should have been running to defend and protect us. His lack of leadership skills and just basic human decency has left our nation far worse off than if we had voted in Hillary Clinton. Which to me would have been a great pick. Yet no turning back the clock and wishing for a different outcome. Reality is our existence and what is real is 8 days, plus a wakeup, until we hit that precious 24 hour period where we finalize our choices for who will lead our nation for the next 4 years. The early voting has been critical this the year of Covid-19 and for rallying our troops to make sure nothing like 2016 happens this time.
     Nearly 60 million of us have already early voted and the significance of that is that trump only received about 63 million votes in 2016. 8 days left of early voting and then we hit the 9th day and that is election day. I expect we will have at least 100 million or more early votes and then on election day another 60 to 70 million more votes. I expect our blue wave tsunami to have the larger share of votes this election and on Tuesday night before midnight on November 3rd eastern time we will know the winner of this election. As you can see I am for Joe and the only one who can pull off a massive victory is Joe. If it is real close and we don't know for days then trump has opportunities to steal the election through hook or crook and that must not be allowed to happen.

10 days left until the election (#4284)

      The last block of 10 days are here. As well is the writing on the wall that trump is behind by all indicators. There is no indicator that he is ahead except his talking heads claiming so. Without proof I will add. However, nothing is taken for granted given the unbelievability of the 2016 outcome. So there will be no crowing nor arrogant pompousness from our democratic party! This thing has 10 days to go and if we all vote then we have done everything we need to have success. So let us continue to make the case for all of us voting without trying to be predictors of the present future.
     That time for beaming with delight should it happen is after this block of 10 days has passed, not before! 55 million of us have already early voted because we can and because of Covid-19. Yet the high turnout is emblematic of our desire to get our votes recorded as quickly as possible. For myriad reasons we are voting in mass and for the sake of democracy we are vibrant. A tell if you will about the passion on both sides for our candidates. Yet, this is more than about our candidates, this election is about who we are and who we want to be. It isn't easy even with the early voting the obstacles that have been placed in front of us are still working their ill to prevent voting for all. So it is especially significant that the many of us are turning out to vote.
     This vote this time is about so many things that will either remain broken and continue to become broken or it is about fixing our brokenness and improving on those things that are near broken. The stark difference is obvious and those who wish to remain in the broken America are voting for trump and all his like minded accomplices. Those who want the broken fixed are voting for Joe Biden and a new crop of leaders who feel like Joe. I will not predict what my fellow American citizens will do after having spent 4 years under the likes of trump but I know what I did in my vote and the votes around me in this domicile. We are not ready to give trump and his cronies anything more and the manifest destiny of our nation will be well placed if we are correct.

11 days left until the election (#4283)

      I didn't watch the final "debate" last night because nothing about trump is worth my time. I have already voted so it didn't matter to me as a factor for changing my mind. As if I would anyway, lol. So I have been reading what other people have said about it and I have come to the conclusion that my life is better for not watching. All of this is just marking time for me because I have been waiting over 1,400 days to decide the next new president. I really didn't mind whom would be nominated as long as trump goes! Which it is on the cusp of happening if all those voters are voting early because they want trump out of office or worse.
     With trump showing so much desperation these last few months it is apparent that he thinks he is on the losing side of things. Which is important in that he is coming to grips with reality. I wasn't sure he had any grips left to use to bring himself back to reality. The last 78 days of his appointed presidency after he loses in November 3rd, may well be a transition of some normal degree but I am being hopeful in that his realizing he is going to lose may temper his arrogant temper. But in the meantime we have 11 days to keep our noses to the stone and focus solely on the job at hand. Removing trump requires that all of us vote in record numbers. We are doing that but we must keep doing that right up until we cross the finish line.
     We cannot stop short of keeping the pressure on trump by getting all our eligible voters to casting ballots. No excuses, no lies. Just do it now and be part of the greatest uprising and defeat of an inner attack on our democracy. We have all got to push hard against the trumps without fail until we see Joe Biden declared the victor! 11 days is but a few in the overall scheme of things so take a deep breath and then get back to work exposing trump for his criminal and civil acts while highlighting the best of what Joe Biden will bring to our society. Our economy, our health, and our hope have all taken a hit from the trumps but we are stronger than being hit. We must shake it off and then keep fighting to get rid of the worst appointed president in our 200 plus history!

12 days left until the election (#4282)

      It sure seems to me that there are a lot of republicans voting for Joe Biden and very few democrats voting for trump. In my mind the blue wave was already going to overwhelm trump but if more republicans are joining it will be an overwhelming indeed. Nearly 45 million of us have already had our early ballots accumulated by election officials which is getting closer to the amount of votes either candidate in 2016 received. And we still have 12 days left of early voting. I am still confident that we will have between 150 and 170 million votes overall with the number, hopefully, closer to the 170 figure than the 150 figure. Either way the number would be at minimum 12 million more voters than in 2016.
     Over 231 million voters were eligible in 2016 and that number for 2020 is estimated by me at least to be closer to 250 million. If by fortune the number of voters this time is at 170 million then the percentage of voters would break all records with a 68% participation rate. Now that may sound foolish of me to expect that which is why I expect about a 60% to 65% participation rate. So likely about 160 million of us will vote this time. Which is about a 64% participation rate. Even at that rate it sounds ambitious but since we have been voting like crazy these last couple of years because of our disdain of trump it isn't to me wholly unexpected.
     The voter turnout rate in 2016 was 53.1%. with 138 million of us casting a ballot. That was probably the worst I remember in many cycles being that low. In 2018 we reversed and started turning out in droves. Since then we have not backed off our desire to vote like nothing else matters. So getting to a 64% participation rate with 160 million of us voting out of approximately 250 registered voters would be historic yet not unexpected by me. Again I think we will even increase voter participation above 160 million but that would even surprise me a bit. Yet the stakes are so high in this election and the thought that we could lose should scare every eligible voter to their core and motivate them to vote at all costs.

13 days left until the election (#4281)

      13 days left until the election. I have to make sure I am awake and that this is real. I have been waiting, like the many of us, for this for so long that it just seems unreal that the voting time is finally within our grasp. We have not disappointed, the many of us, either. Almost 40 million early votes and still just under 2 weeks left of early voting. We are smashing records with the participation in this election and that is exactly what we need to do. There can be no doubt as to the victory for Joe Biden and the loss for trump! I don't care what the polls say, despite me constantly posting about them. If we don't take the precious time to vote the polls will all be wrong.
     So no taking anything for granted. We each must pick our democratic candidates and vote for them on our ballots and then deposit those ballots securely with the post office or the elections commission in each of our jurisdictions. Nothing is more important in this particular time than to be a voter! Nothing! So if you think you can ride on the coattails of the rest of us you are only letting yourself down and the many of us as well. Don't be that person who is so lazy that they would allow the opportunity of a vulture to come pick at our decaying bodies if trump is able to keep his appointed presidency. I will shame you and call you out by name if I find out that you are of the lowest of our species because you don't care to be responsible for your life or our lives.
     I don't think too many will choose not to vote but for those who are thinking about it stop right now. Get to your polling place or fill out your mail in ballot and document your experience and see how the many of us rally to your action of decency and honor. Never before has one act like voting been so appreciated by the many of us. Do this for yourself and for us and then you will know the inclusiveness of participation like never before. Proudly wear your I voted sticker and post it online with pride. Because it is a badge of courage and care unlike any other. We need all of us on this one to make sure that our democracy and our possibilities within it are maintained and improved. Thank you. :)

14 days left until the election (#4280)

      2 weeks is all that is left of the most horrendous president this nation has had to endure in the modern times. He won't be done with his reign until January 20th 2021 but he will be made to be inconsequential on November 3rd, 2020. On January 3rd, 2020 the new Congress is sworn in and that will be the beginning of trump's descent into oblivion. What awaits him after January 20th is still questionable, but it won't have anything to do with our national government. 14 days is all he has left of his appointed presidency to himself. After those 14 days he will know that Joe Biden is also a president of the United states but for those next 78 days, although Joe will only be the president elect.
     How will trump handle having another president taking his place before he could continue with a second term? They say if trump loses this race, which is tilting against him, then he would run again in 2024. Well I think by then trump will have other problems to deal with like all the lawsuits and criminal proceedings he has entangled himself in. The likelihood of trump being available to run again in 2024 is less likely than his daughter or son being the candidate for republicans in 2024. Pretty much zero in my estimation. His brand has been one of smoke and mirrors but that time has come and gone. He will be made to answer for the charges against him and for that our society will be spared any more of his greed, hatred, and selfishness.
     I don't know if we could have gotten to a place like we are without having to have suffered as we have even if Hillary had been named the president. The absolute disdain our society now holds against the republican party is so great that we democrats have a once in a lifetime chance to change the dynamics of our society and our politics. So maybe the likes of trump is what we had to endure in order to get to this moment where the ills of our society will be at our fingertips to heal. No more obstruction from republicans in either our government nor our courts if what is about to happen actually does. I wouldn't wish these past four years on anyone but since they are 14 days from being behind us then we must make the most of it.

15 days left until the election (#4279)

      Okay, it is getting close isn't it? Everyday seems a bit shorter as we close in on the end of the reign of trump. I say that not as a way to jinx the Biden campaign but as a confident voter who has had way too much of trump. My confidence notwithstanding there is evidence to buttress it. The early voting numbers are exponential in their difference between now and 4 years ago. Today there are more than 28 million votes already cast and this is October 19th. On October 21st in 2016 only 4 million votes were collected. Now I can't say who all these votes are for this year but the vast majority of them come from democratic and independent voters. This year the likelihood of democrats voting for trump is insignificant whereas the likelihood of republicans voting for Biden is much higher.
     Anyway, my confidence isn't brimming or even a bit arrogant. My confidence is resolute in that I have but one single focus this year and it is to make sure that I do what I can to make trump go away. Where he goes is up to other factors but him going away from our politics is my mission. I have no time at all for doubts or second guesses, I am angry and that anger isn't subsiding. 15 days is nothing compared to the over a 1300 we have had to endure him. So regardless of the gut punch stolen court seat of Ruth's, I will keep my confidence in tact and push forward to make my best effort. As should all of us. We have one purpose on this planet at this time and nothing is of any value unless we vote. Vote first and then do all those things you can to help others vote.
     Voting is our weapon and the battle has already begun. I expect between 150-170 million of us to vote and the majority of us will be voting for Joe Biden. Of that I have no doubt. The battleground states will be watched closely and there is always the chance that this race could be close in them but I see too much daylight between what trump may do and what Joe will do. With 15 days left there is little trump can conjure from his acolytes to change the current dynamics and a 10 point difference in the final vote may well be exactly what will be. If not then a 5 point lead will most likely occur if a huge wipeout doesn't materialize. Either way both scenarios ensure a Biden victory and a well earned win for those of us who have fought the good fight since day one of trump's appointment to our presidency.

16 days left until the election (#4278)

      No bombshell election deciding event will occur before the election coming from republicans. Because they are the ones who are ripe for an election scandal type event. So the days keep winding down. We are at 16 days until election day and over 26 million have already early voted. I expect that the around 138 million who voted in 2016 will be heavily surpassed with more than 150 million at least expected to vote. Out of approximately 238 million registered voters in 2016, only about 58% of them actually voted, 138 million.
     The standard assumption here is that about 5 million citizens are added to the voter rolls every year so from the four years since the 2016 election approximately 20 million new voters have registered. If we deduct about 2 million from that total to account for Covid-19 disruptions in 2020 we still get about 18 million new voters. Added to the 238 million registered voters in 2016 we get about 256 million eligible voters. If 65% of these 256 million cast ballots this year which is consistent with many prognostications, the total would be about 166 million ballots cast. An increase of 28 million more votes from 2016. It would be anyone's guess as to whom was voted for but the increase in percentage of voters in this election would more likely benefit democrats for various reasons.
     All this to say is that the outlook and opportunity is there for we democrats and like minded independents to control our own destiny this election if we all get out and vote. It is that simple. The republican party knows they are not in a good position but there are a couple of things they are good at and they being trying to disrupt our voting and their own history of actually voting. We can overcome both as early voting gives us that ability to make sure our votes get counted before the election and also make sure that we all vote. We are so close to having a nation that can and will put it's people first but we have to want it like nothing else matters in this moment of moments. Vote and let us then declare that we are ready again to join the civilized world where democracy is our banner!

17 days left until the election (#4277)

      As the last few days click off the calendar more millions are early voting. The last number I saw last night was 22.2 million ballots have been turned in with a few states not ready to send numbers to the total. So at least that many already with about 15 states about to begin early voting and we still have 17 days left for early voting. There are far more citizens ready to vote this year as opposed to 2016. In fact we are expecting historic numbers of voters on par with the 2008 election of Barack Obama. Many of the early votes are presumed to be democratic since they were turned in by democratic party members. But early voting is not a talisman for the future, it is just early voting.
     So we take the good news of an early lead with some caution. We need to keep voting right up until the last minute of election day to make sure our early lead can withstand the trump barrage of voters on election day. I sense that the republican voting block is not as concerned about their candidate as we are of ours. We have much too lose if Joe Biden is not elected whereas the trump voter, unless it is his hard core base, is not as enthusiastic about him remaining in office. Yet knowing that there are still enough concerns for our election, the more votes we get to defeating trump the better it will be to get him out without him throwing our election into disarray if he loses by a close margin.
     We need our base and our first time voters, along with a large majority of Independents to vote for Joe. the Independent affiliation has the most members of any political group by far so winning over independents is crucial and a high priority. I like our chances but remain concerned enough to make sure all efforts are being given to getting our voters to the voting booth. Still there is republican obstruction to deal with but with the 17 days time we have we can overcome the republican anti democratic agenda. I still hope for a crushing blue wave tsunami and in my heart know it is coming but my head tells me that all efforts to the very last minute of voting must be our path forward if we are going to have a very good day on November 4th, 2020.

18 days left until the election (#4276)

     Last night I only watched the Joe Biden town hall. I know what trump is like and I know he doesn't care about you and I. Furthermore, I cannot stand seeing his face and especially cannot stand hearing his voice. So instead of wasting my time being uninformed and building even more vitriol toward him I went the other route and listened to Joe explain and discuss his ideas for our futures. Sure like all candidates who are condensed for time he fudged, and embellished a bit and also omitted some, but in those instances the core of his message remained the same. Health care improvements, race relations and policing improvements, growing the economy with efficient and smart technology, and most importantly defending our constitution and it's giving of rights to all.
     I was indeed pleased to hear Joe speak with passion and urgency. His care for all of us is beyond dispute by now and for that we must vote for him for doing so. The past 4 years have taught us that without compassion as a baseline in the executive branch the will of our people will be subverted. Despite the reasons, no excuse can be offered, that disrespects the citizenry and it's dreams as valid. In 18 days it will become official that Joe and Kamala Harris will be our next president/vice president elects and that will be a monumental moment in the history of our nation. Pulling back from the brink of democracy being destroyed to instead reinforce our democracy beyond any such attempts again.
     It is always good for our nation when our leaders address us for their own guidance. Instead of like trump telling us what we should be doing. No one is that smart and if there ever was one that smart we wouldn't need to think at all. Well I cannot imagine a life without thought so let us just put that one down as absolutely impossible. Instead then we need leaders who not only trust their own moral and ethical principles that are not only consistent with our constitution but consistent with the spirit of our constitution. Our constitution is an evolving document that has a strong, albeit imperfect, foundation beneath it and openness to change above that allows for the evolution of our species into the unknown.

19 days left until the election (#4275)

      On the morning of blog post 4294 we will be at election day. So 19 more days and then we get to make history once again by electing not only Joe Biden our president but Kamala Harris our first African/Asian woman vice president. The steamroll to victory, or as we all know it as, the blue wave tsunami, is coming! In 19 days we will finally be done with the mistaken presidency of trump and all his hangers-ons will also leave with him. There will be no doubt as to Joe's victory so any last minute whining from trump will be of no avail. With more than 15 million votes already in the hands of elections officials from a large majority democratic and independent voters the sense is that Joe and Kamala are leading by a large percentage of these early votes.
     Now there will be a republican pushback on election day with in person voting for those who support trump but my sense is that we democrats will also do well on in person voting on election day. Meanwhile we keep racking up sensical advantages. There is one thing I can't seem to shake this morning and that is that the supreme court seat being nominated is not a done deal. Now I know they passed her out of graham's committee but the full senate must vote her in with at least 50 senators saying yes. But as it becomes clearer that she is a woeful candidate for the court and the remaining senators after this election who vote for her will wear that tag come their next elections.
     Anyway, I see a glimmer of hope that they will not readily pass her confirmation in the full senate if they perceive their own seats will be lost because of her. We will see and it may be last minute wishful thinking on my part but there will be a cost/benefit analysis on their vote and with new democratic control of all things legislative and executive I would hope that the more sensible republicans left in the senate would be wise to not give her a yes vote. Anyway, back to those of us who have already voted and those of us who are standing in long lines I say that the will of the American people is being expressed and any who stand in our way will surely find themselves on their backsides!

20 days left until the election (#4274)

      I knew these last few days before the election were going to be hard but with Ruth passing the time is becoming almost unbearable. I refuse to watch the shit show replacement circus offered by the greedy self serving republicans but it still hurts knowing there is nothing we can do for now to stop it. They have no conscience about what they are doing so there is no appealing to their better natures. I have been saying for decades that republicans really don't have better natures but through the years no one could see what I was seeing or at least not enough of us to stop them from power. Regardless though we are in the muck of it and until the election we won't really have any good news to keep us soothed.
     So I distract myself with other responsibilities in my life while keeping up on current events outside the republican back clapping parties. I have been watching the courts and their decisions on voting rights in individual states leading up to election day. We are mostly doing well against the vote suppressors but they have a few key victories for now. All told though this election is coming off in the voting department as I had hoped. Many are early voting and many are voting despite any and all obstruction. It is marvelous to watch our American society step up and defend our democracy by participating in it. This is how we will overcome the republicans and their choice to hijack this election.
     We vote in such a way as to make damn sure any contested court decision about who won the election that goes trump's way will be met with a revolutionary zeal that will bring about enough pressure as to nullify any court thievery. Those who would make our lives worthless as to our democracy will find that the bridge too far is not just a movie. But I doubt any chicanery will develop as we the democratic party have built such a large coalition as to leave little to no doubt as to who will win when we all vote as we should. 20 days left until trump receives his verdict and then it is left to find his sentence. He will stand in court for his actions and the depth of his complicity will not be negated.

21 days left until the election (#4273)

      3 weeks left until we know that Joe Biden will win Tuesday night/Wednesday morning. There is getting to be less and less doubt about it even though republicans are still working overtime to suppress votes. The problem though that republicans have is that they are not catching us unawares. Despite their efforts we have a plan to get our votes counted anyway. What republicans don't get is that our vote is more important to us then their attempts to sabotage them. What that also does is eliminate any chance republicans have of receiving our votes. Not only that but the straight ticket voting for democrats will be a much larger percentage of ballots cast than in the past.
     All democratic candidate voting is because the republican party has become so insanely tied to trump and his illogical rhetoric about voter fraud as with mail in voting. There are numerous other reasons for not voting for trump but it is the following of him by other republican candidates that will seal their eventual losses on November 3, 2020. The voting has begun in earnest with over 10 million votes cast already, with many many more to come in the next few days. It is crazy to me that the republican party waited so long before really trying to pitch some alternative reality to voters in order to shore up their base. Whatever it was before today that they thought would bring voters in is now proving to be a fantasy.
     Which is just as well because nothing trump has done is of a real benefit to any of us in the working middle poor class. So our minds are already made up and we are just waiting for our ballots to either come to us in the mail or be available for filling out at early polling stations. We have had enough of the erratic and abhorrent trump reign. It is time for a change and not only in the White House but in the Senate as well. When we do get the White House and the whole of Congress back the bearing fruit time for change will be ripe and ready for picking. There are many issues we need to address and when Joe and Kamala Harris are sworn in the change will begin forthwith!

22 days left until the election (#4272)

      I have to focus my mind on other things than politics today as the republican controlled senate is bastardizing Ruth Bader Ginsburg's Supreme Court seat. So other interests will occupy my day as I can't stomach the hypocrisy republicans are employing. Nothing new really but this one hurts. However there is a remedy after the election if things go accordingly. Joe Biden will win and control of the Senate will flip to we democrats. The House will stay in our hands and will as well increase in our majority. Yet the real power will be with Joe as he decides to increase the size of the sitting court to at least 13 justices. With a 6-3 republican majority once the sham justice of now gets Ruth's seat, we need to add four more liberal justices to countermand any possible republican attempts to interdict into our legislative dominance in the coming years.
     Joe is being as silent about court packing right now as he can be in order to keep republicans from using his presumptive decision to fuel their base. But make no mistake, we democrats are going to do everything legal we can to nullify the republican attempt to hijack our democracy. I would prefer the court go to 15 members and that may be a legitimate option. Yet 13 at minimum will take care of the current disadvantage. We cannot stop the coming nomination of the horrible trump pick but we can negate it after the inauguration in a series of quickly orchestrated moves. Removing the legislative filibuster, adding to the courts as quickly as possible will allow us to get s stimulus package together that is now long overdue while ensuring all legislation going forward cannot be struck down by a partisan Supreme Court.
     There are 22 days left until the election so the main job of all of us is to get registered where still possible and then vote for all democrats on our ballots, both federal and state. I know that this current gut punch from republicans will pass but the anger I feel inside me for them doing this is nearly impossible to overcome. The republican party will be charged a heavy price for their selfish and reckless nature and the price will be too much for them to pay. So the end of the republican party will be marked by them welching on the supreme court decision today when they refused to adhere to the same standard under President Obama. Nothing republicans do is of honor or principle. So out they go to the trash bin of history!

23 days left until the election (#4271)

      Like whether un in North Korea is dead or alive, trump is also hiding whether he has tested negative for Covid-19. The playbook trump is like his dictator buddies. Even the taliban are rooting for trump because they share common themes. Like religious leaders running our government and less personal freedoms. It is amazing to me that our non college educated sector is so uninformed as to why they choose to keep following the madman. He wants to hurt them but that isn't what they see. They for one thing don't even know what is in our national constitution so have no idea how trump is destroying it. I doubt that all of them vote because if they did they would be subject to jury duty and that wouldn't sit well with them since many of them probably have something illegal in their past that they are trying to hide.
     The ones that do vote are fanatics to some degree who belittle society as a mockery and feel like they need free reign to master those around them. A psychosis of some form that has to do with their own lack of self worth. It is this group that has little to no education of value that is trumpeting the madman more than any other. Their reckoning of education as being unnecessary, equating it with who needs education when they are having limited financial success. Why do I need to know all the things I never use is an often spouted refrain. Their laziness at even trying to know more than they do is either fueled by a lack of ambition or a hatred of hard work. Either way they will not stop supporting the madman because he doesn't expect anything of them except to be his henchmen when the opportunity arises.
     Their numbers are not huge but their voices are loud. No need to fear them but there is a need to fight against them. Best fighting is done at the ballot box with all democrats marked for choice. Because if there is one thing we have learned under trump, it is that the republican party is complicit with him so when trump goes so do his acolytes need to go. These non college and high school less educated white men are a problem as they are not going to disappear after the election so some policy that addresses them to deter, rehabilitate or punish must be advanced. Ignorance is their commonality so education, the thing they despise, must be part of what brings them to a cure.

24 days left until the election (#4270)

      24 days left until election day with about half the states early voting and nearly 10 million votes already cast. We are in it folks and although trump thinks he has some little time left to change the inevitable outcome he is dreaming! The votes are coming in fast and furious and it is we democrats and independents who are casting them by a large margin. Even with trump expecting a big turnout on election day the news keeps getting worse for him as his party is beginning to distance themselves from him. The turnout on election day will not be large for him because many will think to themselves that he has lost and won't bother to venture out into Covid-19 land just to cast a losing ballot. His base is old and easily manipulated so expect them to follow the path of least resistance and turn the page on trump.
     The Senate is going to switch parties as well by a surprising amount so that isn't going to influence many of his base to show up at the polls and the House will also lose more republican seats this cycle so there is another reason for the republican leaning voters to stay home. This election is on it's way to being over and the outcome will be that Joe Biden will be our next elected president, not appointed one like trump. It is just as well deserved that republicans are getting booted out of government at all levels because of their hatred for the working middle poor class. We have had to endure their love for the wealthy to a point of fanaticism and it is time for it to end!
     24 days left is like a dream for me and it is a sweet dream. The days are flying past now and that is a beautiful thing. From way back when it started to now has been a most excruciating journey. But we survived which is now better odds than trump surviving, literally with his contraction of the virus as proof. We who are the backbone of our civilized nation need to have a new fresh breath of air and it will be coming shortly. The stench of trumpism over these last 4 years has been enough for any of us, which is why our electorate is turning it's back on the republican party. They had their chance to lead and all they did was punish. Their time is coming to an end and it is happening right now!

25 days left until the election (#4269)

      Back when there were over 1000 days left until the next presidential election the only real hope I had to grasp onto was the midterm election. Even then that was hundreds of days away. Yet as each day ticked off the calendar I kept my hope alive by reminding myself that to overcome the tragedy of trump I had to keep fighting against the policies and hatred he provided. I could never give up and accept his betrayal to democracy. So each day became another grind in the absence of continuity and happiness. But that is what it is like to be underneath a heavy weight that will not be moved. However, a blue wave tsunami is coming and that heavy weight will be shifting off of us in 25 days.
     Yes, we will have 78 days more to exist in the lame duck period with trump as our appointed president, but his power will have begun to be neutered. I would like to think that those over a thousand days ago had just zipped by but they didn't. Each one was a hardship that seemed to defy time. Yet here we are and for that I am beginning to feel existential again. Like my whole life is again out in front of me despite my age and loss of some physical ability. My happiness is still on hold somewhat but the lips on my face are slowly rising up into a smile. I know that these last 25 days will not be easy but they will pass soon and then we are into an era where the best of who we are will build a new promising foundation.
     This election as it is right now seems to be one sided with Joe Biden commanding all the polling and trump doing himself no favors by railing against the normalcy of things and not helping anyone who is struggling with the pandemic. It is excruciating to watch but it is what it is correct trump? However these last 25 days play out the voting has already begun with over 6 million votes already cast. If there were going to be some incredible intervention to change the hearts and minds of our electorate it is very late in the process to be of great help. This election is coming to it's end in 25 days and if things stay relatively the same over that time then we will be calling Joe, Mr. President.

26 days left until the election (#4268)

      Last night may well be the last debate between the two parties in this years election. Covid-19 has made any of the two remaining presidential debates difficult if not impossible. Especially since the shrinking violet trump is refusing to do a virtual debate. Which is fine with me and most of us Americans as trump would only show the world once again that he cannot debate but instead create chaos so as not to answer questions. We all pretty much have known that we were going to vote against trump since the first women's march in early 2017. Just after trump's inauguration the many of our women and we supporting men took to the streets to let trump know that we were not going to take his brutish rule quietly.
     So any thing like a debate more than 3 and half years later was and is not going to change what we have already determined as our future vision. In that trump will not be in it, except as a sideshow within our court system. We have little patience for him now especially since he is hiding his medical condition from us like a third world tin pot dictator. His delusions since his treatment at Walter Reed and return to the White House has been like a scene out of the Twilight Zone. His enablers are just as bad since they have sold their soul to him. Much like last night with pence being the parrot on the shoulder of trump, repeating his untruthful and disingenuous rhetoric.
     By the end of this week I will not be surprised if 10 million of us have already cast our ballots. by the end of next week the number could well be over 25 million. Because we already know who we are voting for and anything trump may need to say at any debate is moot for us. When trump is not lying to hide the harm he wants to do to us he is actually telling the truth of the harm he wants to do to us. So what could he possibly think or say that would now, just 26 days before the election, make us suddenly reverse and vote for him? Many say that it is too early to predict the winner here but I have no problem at all knowing who the loser is and it will be the selfish, creepy, one term trump.

27 days left until the election (#4267)

      Got my ballot in the mail yesterday. I have been waiting for this on edge for nearly 4 years and yesterday it happened. If you remember the movie "The Jerk" there was this one scene where Steve Martin gets excitedly happy and says "The new phone books here, the new phone books here". That is how I felt when I went to my mail box and got my ballot. I didn't waste much time either filling it out. I had already gone through the voter guide pamphlet and preselected my choices on the propositions and measures so voting for my slate of democratic candidates and yea or nay on the propositions and measures was easy and quick. Making sure that I signed and dated the outside of my ballot envelope I sealed it up and it is sitting aside for delivery today. No postage required here in California.
     On November 8th 4 years ago I had no idea if I would survive long enough to be able to cast my ballot in this years election. I have always been a lifelong democrat who got his Bachelors degree from the University of Washington majoring in Political science. This has been my passion, understanding the nuances of politics as well as defining my principles within the liberal/progressive policy arena. I am no genius nor critically acclaimed personality but in my own little world have a grasp of how democracy should work for all. So naturally I would rail against trump when he was elected as I knew his mission for his administration would be to harm more than help.
     Knowing that trump has a disdain for those who don't agree with him it was logical for me to assume he would go after those who didn't toe his personal party lines. Look at what he did to the opposition he had within the republican party and see how they fearfully pretzeled themselves into being his supporters. But I am no shrinking violet when it comes to standing up for my values and principles. I am no perfect example but I am no no trump apologist either. So that others and I like me made it to this point without gestapo like tactics being deployed against us is no minor accomplishment. I can relax only a bit though because getting my ballot filled out is only one step of two, the other is getting it verified to having arrived at the election office safely and secure.

28 days left until the election (#4266)

      4 weeks left until election day. More than half our population is now early voting with more on the way in the next few weeks. The republican party is still in court working to make voting harder for we the American electorate and if justice has any say in it they will lose many more votes because of it. We the American people are tired of the republican party and their brazen attempts to remain in power in order to dictate our lives, instead of helping us live them. The only reason they are still a questionable choice for too many is that they have lied and cheated to keep their followers. It is insane that even one American citizen is happy with what the republican party is doing to our nation.
     But the writing is on the wall for them and it isn't poetic. It is a downright warning that we have had enough of their grave decisions that put too many of us at their mercy. We are coming to reestablish a democratic republic that represents the best of who we are not the most controlling we can be! 4 weeks and the verdict will be given. I do not expect to have to wait much longer than when the polls close for us to definitively know that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are our new executive branch leaders. Then all the criminal cronies of trump will be kicked out of our White House branch of government and we can then rejoin the civilized world as a true leader of democracy.
     In four weeks we can then throw off this terrible yoke that trumps have placed around our necks and feel the weight of the world lifted from our shoulders. We will have to survive the last throes of trumps for the 78 days after the election until Joe and Kamala are sworn in on January 20th but nothing can be done about that except we will know that trump has mostly been neutered by our democratic processes. The House and Senate will be sworn in on January 3rd at noon eastern time so 61 days after the election our new democratically controlled Congress will begin it's work. Setting up some great bills for our new President Biden to immediately sign. The dream is coming true for us while the nightmare that trump has put us through will be on his head instead.

29 days left until the election (#4265)

      Yay! Ballots are coming in the mail for early voting in California! Early voting in person locations open on October 24, and October 31, in Sacramento County. Check your local zip code for where and when you can in person vote if that is your preference. If not and you are voting by mail, as soon as you get your ballot in the mail and fill it out you can then send it right back out in the mail or find a local drop box in your area to deposit it. However we do our voting here in Sacramento County, just vote. Other California Counties have their own requirements for in person, time and place voting, so check with your California County to find out what your options are, https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/county-elections-offices.
     I have no doubt that at least half of our electorate here in California will vote early in some form. At least half and likely more than I claim here. The stakes for this election are not only intense but will define the future of our working middle poor class as to social norms and economic opportunity. The future of our planet is also on the ballot as we continue to build toward the worst climate crisis in the history of our human civilization. Without a change in vision toward cohabiting with our planet in efficient and healthy ways we are steadily dooming our race to a planet that will be merciless to our existence. This is not some hyperbole to scare or frighten, the destruction of climate norms are already under way and to stop them and eventually reverse them we need new leadership throughout our nation.
     The rest of the world who are civilized and believe in our democracy are anxious about the future of our nation as well. They generally see us as the pillar of hope and equality for the world and since we have abdicated that position after the 2016 election they have been as fearful of a world collapse as we the many have been here in America. But the time for anxious and worry are over. Instead the time for casting our ballots for our new president and down ballot democrats is upon us and nothing is more satisfying and enjoyable than participating in the coming blue wave election that will soothe the hearts of the fearful and encourage the hearts of the brave.
     

30 days left until the election (#4264)

     30 days in the hole more appropriately. Like being banned off Facebook for 30 days or like actually singing along to the song by Humble Pie. Either way 30 days will blow by in a bat of an eye. Tomorrow we here in California officially begin to receive our ballots but some have already gotten theirs. Which is great in my viewpoint. We here in California should have updated our election laws this past legislative term to increase our early voting days to at least 40 instead of 29. Given that we have the largest state by state electorate and our official count usually takes about 14 days after the election to be finalized it would have been nice to have a more updated set of rules to tabulate our early votes.
     Yet it is what it is and we will likely be all over the count given the significance of getting our vote out there for the rest of the nation to know. That trump is sidelined due to his own ineptitude and arrogance is not a concern for we democrats. I am okay with Joe Biden not running negative ads against trump for a period of time because now we get to see ads that focus on our policies for we the working middle poor class. Which is how political campaigns should be run anyway. Attacking our personal lives is not a measure of the needs we have out here in the real world of our society.
     Regardless of all of that though getting our votes in and secure is our number one priority. I say that because in my heart, mind, and soul I know we the many will blue wave the vote beyond anything trump can muster. So getting those votes into the final count everywhere as quickly as possible is paramount. We the many have much to lose if we all aren't laser focused on our duty to make sure we are counted. Just like with the census, we have to be counted. 30 days left until the election is just a moment in time and for all those who haven't made a plan yet to vote as soon as possible, I say do it now and then get your vote in because when the history of this time is written it will shine gloriously on those of us who fought back against the forces that would have destroyed our democracy. You want your name written in amongst those of us who cared for all of us and saved our democracy.

31 days left until the election (#4263)

      Not so much about the election at this time as we are marking time watching the Covid-19 virus spread throughout the White House taking it's toll. There are more to follow as tests are checked and double checked. With so many republicans leaving themselves vulnerable to the virus it is no wonder that it finally caught up with them. It was like they thought they were immune to the virus. Which is quite irrational considering that no one is immune to the virus not even those who have had it before. The trouble is that the virus can mutate and keep it's existence from being subdued. You have to think of the virus as a living entity with a will to survive much like our own human will to survive.
     Yet the republican party for the most part has been playing russian roulette with the virus and the virus is winning. The trump diagnosis at this moment is at best guarded but there is a real chance that given trump's penchant for not staying in shape and his preexisting conditions are proving to be troublesome as to avoiding the worst the virus can accomplish within him. What is ironic is that trump is in a lawsuit in the courts to eliminate preexisting conditions. Thus attempting to make preexisting conditions a burdensome cost factor when applying for health coverage from private insurers. It is a good thing he has government health insurance as he would himself be forced to pay out of pocket because of his affliction.
     It has always been with him that he expects preferential treatment while denying that same treatment to others. A sense of entitlement and privilege he carries with him as a given for himself. I won't dump on him now that he is in dire straights but I will keep talking about the facts of his policies and how that affects the many rest of us. He was on the verge of being thrust from office in 31 days and even though he is off the campaign trail with his affliction the cruel and dishonorable policies he has stood by are still affecting us and continue to do so regardless of his current status. He must be defeated and along with him his republican allies who have made our lives as miserable as he has made too many of us.

32 days left until the election (#4262)

      The big news from last night/this morning is that trump has the virus. It seems only fair since he didn't protect himself and others like he should have. Actions have consequences and his are in line with his actions. Now at first I was happy that he finally is going to realize that the virus is real and scary. Although I think he deserves his predicament I also am a good and kind person. However, when someone like him allowed the deaths of over 200,000 souls that otherwise could have been prevented had he taken the virus seriously it is hard not to be comforted by his current predicament.
     I will not enable people like him who think they can skirt the laws and traditions of civilized behavior for their own gain and then find forgiveness at the worst turn for themselves. I do forgive but not until I see rehabilitation and punishment applied in fair amounts. If I forgave trump his selfishness toward applying cruelty what is to stop the next person from doing the same thing? A deterrence must be in place in order to modify this type of behavior trump has coddled over these many years of being the appointed president. My own personal feelings about him aside, he does get no kindness from me. If somehow over some lengthy period of time he does revert to normal and acceptable behavior I can then find room to forgive him his deathly past.
     There are more than 200,000 people whose lives are lost who cannot do anything and for that trump holds the guilt. Having a couple of hours to calm down from my initial karmic reaction I do hope that his bout with Covid-19 is not fatal. But he will have some effect of it having contracted it. So maybe now he will understand the need for helping Americans through this crisis with more than just an admonition to get back to work while being at risk of infection. Every life is of value and no life should be discounted under normal circumstances. Having said that there are times when the life of some so conflict and abuse the lives of others that they cannot hold the same equality of protections that they otherwise should so if trump dies from this I will not shed a tear nor dance in the streets, but I will remain solemn over all the deaths that didn't need to happen.

33 days left until the election (#4261)

      We begin the last full month before the election. Although many states are already voting, October is the last month of days we have to get through until November and it's 3rd day where every state will be voting. As of now still some states have no early voting and that is the effect of voter suppression. Even some states that only have a few early days to vote are the effect of voter suppression. Ask yourself why would anyone not want all of Americans to participate in our nation's direction? Because the republican party has their own agenda and it does not include all Americans, actually does not include most Americans! Which is why all of us need to make sure we have a voting plan and then successfully execute that plan.
     We here in California begin our early voting in 4 days, 29 days before the election. With around 21 million citizens registered to vote as of last July https://www.ppic.org/publication/californias-likely-voters/, we here in California are the motherlode of voters. As our state has shifted to the democratic party in an overwhelming way we should see far greater turnout this year as we have had to endure the trump barrage of disrespect for the last nearly 4 years. Not that Joe Biden is not a good man with great policies for our nation, but the downright disgust we have for trump is at levels that have us motivated to our very genetic makeup to end his reign over our forced misery!
     As we here in California are done with trump so is the rest of our nation for the most part. There are still pockets of ignorance that will never let the truth of things enter into their reasoning and that is not a good thing for our democracy. Yet the trouble with our education system is not our greatest concern at the moment. The greatest concern is our Democracy and holding onto it from the clutches of trump and his agenda to crush it into an authoritarian putin like regime. What this reality has done to the red states usual voting patterns is turn them upside down. Now with many usually reliable red states in play we democrats are excited to see just how purplish blue those red states can become.