Patterico's Pontifications

11/23/2022

Bad News Round-up, Thanksgiving Edition

Filed under: General — JVW @ 10:38 am



[guest post by JVW]

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday every year, so why not ruin it by dumping a lot of recent bad news the day before? Here we go:

Item One:
Keeping with what has become a hallowed holiday tradition, the Democrats are fixin’ to have their voters argue politics at the Thanksgiving dinner table. And since they don’t expect them to be conversant on current events, they have once again provided a handy cheat-sheet of talking points.

Proving that those who are obsessed with politics inevitably ruin holiday harmony, and then blame mean old right-wing Uncle Fred for being so bull-headed.

(But you have to laugh at bewildered political hack Ron Klain trying to adopt youthful slang but then butchering it with weirdly misplaced quotation marks: “at you.”)

Item Two:
Oregon just elected its seventh consecutive Democrat as governor, extending a streak which dates back 36 years. The state has become a lefty haven, as the highly populated and woke coastal areas dominate the more remote and conservative interior (sound familiar, Californians?). And Portland has of course become synonymous with trendy, brainless, self-defeating radical leftism. So much so, that on Monday the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office released a list of 300 people whose criminal cases had been dismissed by judges because the county can’t find public defenders to handle their cases. Most of these cases were run-of-the-mill car thefts, fleeing from law enforcement, and illegally possessing weapons, as you might expect, but some dropped charges include assault, drunken driving, hit-and-run driving, identity theft, and other more serious crimes. Way to create that progressive paradise, Oregonians.

Item Three:
To no one’s surprise, California’s harsh lockdown and school closures have led to a clear decline in learning for California schoolchildren.

Before COVID-19 hit and authorities closed schools to limit spread of the deadly disease, California’s students were largely failing to meet the state’s own standards of skills necessary for productive adult lives, as well as faring poorly in nationwide testing. That was particularly true for the 60% of those children classified as poor or “English learner.”

On Monday [October 24], both federal and state governments released results from the latest tests, indicating that the pandemic’s makeshift efforts to teach homebound students reduced learning even more and widened the already yawning “achievement gap.”

Now we know why the teachers’ unions were pushing so hard to have testing postponed in the aftermath of COVID lockdowns. How bad is the state’s performance? Compare it to two conservative-leaning states which progressives like to mock and which sent kids back to school far earlier than did the Golden State:

[Gelatinous-maned Governor Gavin] Newsom cherry-picked the data to claim that “California’s students experienced less learning loss than those in most other states during the pandemic” but conceded that the “results are not a celebration but a call to action — students are struggling academically and we need to keep getting them the resources they need to thrive.”

Newsom neglected to mention that students in the two red states he often singles out for scorn, Florida and Texas, scored much higher in the NAEP tests. Florida was 6th highest overall and Texas was well above national averages.

State-by-state data also indicated — not for the first time — that there is no direct correlation between academic achievement and school spending.

How did other large and diverse blue states who also kept students out of school for longer than average fare? Turns out, not so well:

New York, the nation’s highest-spending state on education, came out lower than California, while several states on the low end of the spending list are leaders in achievement. Wyoming, No. 2 to New York in spending, is No. 1 in academics while neighboring Utah, the lowest spending state, is No. 5 in achievement.

Ominously for our nation, the states which were considered to have the best-performing public school systems pre-pandemic showed the highest slippage rate in test scores post-pandemic. This is not going to bode well for our future.

Item Four:
It would seem we are on the verge of sending climate reparation payments to — uh, really? you sure? well, ok then — China. From NRO:

At the COP27 climate summit in Egypt earlier this month, American diplomats appointed by President Biden agreed to pay poor countries for supposed damage caused by America’s emitting carbon dioxide.

This represents a major reversal in U.S. climate policy. Similar agreements had previously been blocked by both the Obama and Trump administrations, and for good reason: The “loss and damage” fund is both incredibly expensive and could be used to create a legal liability for greenhouse-gas emissions.

[. . .]

But, China won’t be paying.

That’s because “the United Nations currently classifies China as a developing country. . . . Even [sic] though it is now the world’s biggest emitter of greenhouse gasses as well as the second-largest economy,” according to the New York Times. “China has fiercely resisted being treated as a developed nation in global climate talks,” and it makes sense why.

[. . .]

Biden’s diplomats originally demanded that China (which emits three times more carbon dioxide today than it did in 1990, generated more than half of their energy in 2020 using dirty coal power, and has more new coal plants set for approval through the year 2025 than the U.S. has in total) and other large polluters currently classified as developing countries pay their own way, but ultimately gave in when some European countries issued a “final offer” that included reparations to prevent poor countries from walking away from an agreement.

Special Climate Envoy John Kerry, who earlier had rejected the idea that the U.S. would send reparations that will inevitably make their way to China, has allegedly flip-flopped and is now aboard the scheme. Yes, it’s kind of hard imagining a Republican House agreeing to fund this, and Joe Manchin and at least one other Democrat Senator might not be great with these optics either, but given the Biden Administration’s predilection for unlawful Executive Orders don’t be surprised if your tax dollars wind up in Beijing even earlier than they normally do.

Item Five:
President Biden continues with his illegal practice of extending student loan repayment freezes, claiming that it would be unfair to resume mandated payments until the issue works its way through the court system. Let us recall that the President claims authorization for his actions under the emergency powers granted to the Executive in times of crisis, even though he himself has publicly declared the COVID crisis to be over. Why would he take such a step? Writing at The Spectator, Oliver Wiseman has a solid theory:

After the midterms, Biden appears to know which side his bread is buttered on, heaping economic benefits on loyally Democratic sections of the electorate to keep them enthused and engaged. Young voters broke Democrat in overwhelming numbers earlier this month, and young voters with a college degree even more so. After the Democrats’ surprisingly strong showing, White House chief of staff Ron Klain said that Biden “kept his promises to younger Americans (with action on climate change, student loans, marijuana reform, etc), and they responded with energy and enthusiasm.”

A Tufts study bears this out. It found that not only did young Democrats turnout in historic numbers this cycle, but they also had an outsized influence on key races. In Pennsylvania, John Fetterman did especially well with younger voters, who broke 70 percent to 28 percent in his direction. In Arizona, the gap was even bigger, at 76 percent to 20 percent. The study attributes Catherine Cortez Masto’s tight victory in Nevada to younger voters.

Betting on youth-vote turnout has generally been a losing game in American politics. But it worked for Biden this month. And so don’t expect the White House to feel any kind of embarrassment about the absurd act of extending emergency Covid measures if it helps lock up a crucial cohort of younger voters for the party led by an octogenarian.

—-

That’s it! Now that I have ruined everyone’s weekend let me wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving dinner, which of course costs a lot more this year than it did even last year.

– JVW

265 Responses to “Bad News Round-up, Thanksgiving Edition”

  1. Biden’s team knows that there are 20yo nieces and nephews without any worldly experience who are easy fodder for their lies.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  2. Biden’s team knows that there are 20yo nieces and nephews without any worldly experience who are easy fodder for their lies.

    It’s why Dems are so hell-bent on lowering the voting age to 16. And once they do that, they’ll argue that it ought to be 13. The party that is all about handing out taxpayer-funded goodies is going to appeal to those who have grown up dependent upon mommy and daddy for everything.

    JVW (15c733)

  3. But wow, when the youth vote is breaking 7:3 or even 3:1 for Dems, then the GOP has a lot to worry about.

    JVW (15c733)

  4. I advocate partitioning many states into smaller states where there is no urban domination of other cultures. Make it 100 states instead of 50. CA becomes 5 states, TX 4, NY and FL 3, etc. Also helps make the Senate more representative. As it is, CA’s mountain north, central valley and inland desert areas have utterly no say in state or national affairs. NY is run by NYC, WA by King County, OR by Portland, Florida could be split into South Central and North. Illinois becomes Chicago and everywhere else. Etc.

    I also advocate having legislative maps be drawn by the minority party in each state, as there is a negative feedback in that.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  5. As it is, CA’s mountain north, central valley and inland desert areas have utterly no say in state or national affairs.

    To be fair, the next Speaker of the House is from Bakersfield. But you raise a salient point nevertheless.

    JVW (15c733)

  6. New Mexico beats out Puerto Rico in test scores! Hurrah!

    But this misses the real deal. Public schools in the ABQ area are better than typical in an urban area, on par with Boston and Atlanta and above most metro areas. But there are a lot of poor folk out in the hinterlands, particularly on the reservations, so the state-wide scores suck as do every other state-wide average (e.g. income and employment).

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  7. @5: Yes, the House is the place where these dominated regions have some say, to the degree that the state legislature doesn’t gerrymander.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  8. Walmart manager kills 6 in work place race. I drive two walmart workers to work and both said they were surprised it wasn’t the workers shooting the manager! Dem. AG candidate kris mayes wins AZ AG race by 510 votes out of more then 3 million cast. Recount coming ;but unlikely change with that big a vote difference. AZ now purple state thanks young republican hating latinx a 100+ turn 18 every day in az while 35 goppers die every day.

    asset (4c794c)

  9. 510 votes out of 3 million is not a lot. 0.017% Counting systems typically have more error than that.

    Lauren Boebert leads her race by 500 votes out of 300,000 (one tenth the number of votes) and they are recounting.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  10. Arizona will not elect another Democrat to any statewide office in the next decade, and probably longer. All the GOP has to do is learn from their mistakes and vote early/absentee like the Democrats do. Waiting until the day-of is a loser these days.

    Alternatively, they can restrict early voting time periods and make mail votes by proven need. Justification: Too hard to validate mail-in votes and too early and you miss some of the campaign.

    I’d prefer the latter but the former is easier.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  11. @9 Only 3 state wide races in AZ have been over turned by recount and all well under a 100 vote difference. However mohave and cohise counties run by trumpsters are refusing to certify election.

    asset (4c794c)

  12. @10 Nope! 90% of arizonians vote by mail now including election day drop offs. Pissing off 90% of voters will not get you many votes and we have voter initiative in this state. Also demographics besides large number of republican hating latinx reaching voting age (nearly half of high schoolers and more then half of grade schoolers are latinx) For many years this was countered by republicans from california moving here ;but now more democrats who can’t afford rent are moving here turning az blue! I have actually lived long enough to see it!

    asset (4c794c)

  13. Kevin M (1ea396) — 11/23/2022 @ 12:26 pm

    510 votes out of 3 million is not a lot. 0.017% Counting systems typically have more error than that.

    It’s 0.17% (17 basis points) not 0.017% (less than 2 basis points)

    I think you get reversals when it is less than 1/20th of 1% (0.05% or five basis points)

    Sammy Finkelman (9905c7)

  14. Counting systms either have small errors or glaring ones, On Election Day, the tabulating machines (which if I had to call something a voting machine) were rejecting ballots printed on site for voters from other precincts who had a different list of things to vote on.. The printers were not set up right. They needed some kind if different markss on the side,

    Sammy Finkelman (9905c7)

  15. Item 4: The GOP ought to find a way to make the Senate vote on this, like they did with the Kyoto treaty. The House ought to censure Biden for this agreement. They don’t need a single Democrat vote.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  16. @13: It is 1.7 x 10^-4, or 0.017% according to my HP calculator. I’m going to bet you got your error in your head.

    5×10^2/3×10^6 = 5/3 x 10^-4 or 0.00017. In percentage it is 0.00017 x 100 or 0.017%

    And, Jesus wept, basis points?

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  17. Nope! 90% of arizonians vote by mail now including election day drop offs.

    Oh, bullsh1t. What’s your link? Hardleftferverdreams.com?

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  18. There was an Op-ed piece in the Wall Street Journal yesterday which says that the Anti-Inflation Act would destroy Medicare startu=ing on January 1, 2025 and people would find out about it in the September before the November 2024 elextion. I don’t think it can be that bad. Maybe it will take a year or two to destroy Medicare Part D and virtually force most people on Medicare into worse than currently available Medicare Advantage plans.

    I can believe into terribly designed policy. We’re on a course to mandate electric cars without enough electricity to charge them all.

    The Anti-Inflation Act makes Medicare Part D uneconomic, unless pharmaceutical companies are bargained into reducing prices (which has its own problems, given drug FDA drug regulation) , and therefore pushes people into Medicare Advantage, while reducing its utility.o

    https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-inflation-reduction-act-comes-for-medicare-ira-elderly-voters-payments-benefits-cuts-revenue-losses-subsidies-11669060307

    Sammy Finkelman (9905c7)

  19. I am offended by your latinx term. Try Hispanic. You seem to be saying that all Hispanics are trans. I know for a fact this is not true.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  20. 10 votes out of 3 million:

    3 million divided by ten is 300,000

    300,000 divided by ten is 30,000 = 1%

    30,000 divided by ten is 3,000

    3,000 divided by ten is 300 – or one part in 10,000

    That’s 1 basis point. 1% of 1%.

    You’re right that’s written 0.01% But I think recounts can reverse the result at 1/20th of 1%

    0.5 parts per 10,000

    Sammy Finkelman (9905c7)

  21. No, 1/20 of 1% is 0.05%

    Sammy Finkelman (9905c7)

  22. Another way of putting it is 5 basis points

    Sammy Finkelman (9905c7)

  23. Traditional Medicare members face a difficult choice in 2025: Either take drastic cuts in drug coverage, or switch to Medicare Advantage plans that cover prescriptions but may not cover the hospitals and doctors who are currently providing them care.

    The intent is to force everyone into “choosing” Medicare Advantage HMOs and dropping traditional Medicare, even if they would be willing to pay more premiums for Part D. The law will indeed force all Part D plans to end, as there is no way to make them work with the constraints imposed. Or they will go without drug coverage and pay list price for their drugs (which they absolutely must have)

    I looked at the Medicare Advantage plans available here a couple weeks ago. OMG are they terrible. They are very broad in coverage, but an inch deep. They cover dentistry, for example, but in my Zip code there are 10 dentists who are on the plans I looked at, and that is fewer than the number of dentists within walking distance. Similarly with physicians. A plan administered by the medical group most of my doctors are with does not cover any of those doctors.

    Luckily, seniors will find this out October 15, 2024 when they look for their next year’s Medicare options. And you will be amazed how fast Congress reconvenes to fix it.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  24. Sammy, use a flipping calculator instead of the patented Sammy-drill-down.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  25. Definitions from Oxford Languages · Learn more
    Search for a word
    ba·sis point
    /ˈbāsəs ˌpoint/
    noun//

    FINANCE
    plural noun: basis points

    one hundredth of one percent, used chiefly in expressing differences of interest rates.
    “the Treasury will be paying an overall rate just 75–100 basis points above bill rates”

    Sammy Finkelman (9905c7)

  26. basis points? Why not mils? Or furlongs/fortnight

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  27. Math nerd throwdown!

    norcal (b6c6de)

  28. Kevin M (1ea396) — 11/23/2022 @ 1:33 pm

    Thank you, Kevin. I ignore that troll, so I was spared the grief. So inconsequential to me, are most of those comments, that I cannot be troubled to add the name to my block script. If all objected to such silliness, would there be repentance, or a doubling down? The question answers itself.

    felipe (484255)

  29. norcal (b6c6de) — 11/23/2022 @ 1:55 pm

    Ha!

    felipe (484255)

  30. Most Hispanics don’t even know Latin.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  31. @norcal

    Kevin “the man” M and Sammy “the machine” are two of my favorite commenters. But which one is Fred Sanford and which is Aunt Esther? (this is me NOT dating myself)

    felipe (484255)

  32. Democrat president gives away billions to his voters. “Just the way the game is played” — all the usual suspects.

    GOP president gives away billion to her voters. “IMPEACH!!!!1!!” — same usual suspects.

    I suggest that the next GOP president waive capital gains taxes for a year. Who has standing to sue?

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  33. felipe,

    take a calculator and do the math. I’m going to assert that it will agree with my calculator. Or you can follow Sammy’s endless word-problem method, but his train never gets to Philadelphia.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  34. Oh. WORDLE in 3 using my standard starting word.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  35. I had a choice of 4 words on the second try, but picked the wrong one.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  36. Young people will be showing up for work less prepared than ever (and that is saying a lot). Employers will adapt and will be looking to keep the quick on the job training learners, cutting those who are slow. The least skilled, least teachable, least competitive will take an even bigger hit in the pay scale than usual. I’ve seen people overcome lack of skill, seen them learn they must compete, but if they have lost any connection to teachability in the workplace, they wind up in the most dumbed down of jobs.
    Then there are the kids who apprenticed themselves to crime during the lockdown rather than attending zoom school…

    steveg (7f97df)

  37. Kevin M (1ea396) — 11/23/2022 @ 2:11 pm

    Ha! I like it. But Sammy would never disparage your mode of transportation.

    felipe (484255)

  38. 18,=. A link to the Medicare article without the possible paywall problem:

    http://www.ruthfullyyours.com/2022/11/22/the-inflation-reduction-act-comes-for-medicare-it-will-cut-benefits-and-increase-premiums-upsetting-millions-of-elderly-voters-by-casey-b-mulligan-and-tomas-j-philipson

    She also has this editorial from the Wall Street Journal:

    http://www.ruthfullyyours.com/2022/11/22/the-progressive-paradox-on-marijuana-tobacco-bad-vaping-bad-marijuana-good-for-some-strange-reason/

    BTW, did you know marijuana licenses are suspended in Brooklyn and the mid-Hudson valley (and maybe some other places) because of a court case. You see people convicted of violating marijuana sale laws, or people whose close relatives were convicted, are given preference presumably on the premise they were the ones harmed by its criminalization or maybe it is that they have experience (although not experience in running a business on the books)

    I can see them being harmed by its legak=lization.

    One person sued because this preference only applies to convictions in New York State, “What about people convicted in other states?” is the plea.

    https://gothamist.com/news/ny-cannabis-licenses-to-land-monday-but-federal-injunction-court-ruling-could-exclude-brooklyn

    The temporary restraining order was requested by a company called Variscite NY One, which sued the state of New York and its Office of Cannabis Management in late September. Variscite alleged that the state’s cannabis equity program violates the “dormant commerce clause” of the U.S. Constitution, which is meant to protect interstate commerce, by discriminating against out-of-state applicants. The state’s Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary program, or CAURD, is prioritizing people with past drug convictions and their family members for the initial dispensary licenses.

    Sammy Finkelman (9905c7)

  39. GOP candidate for Arizona attorney general sues to reverse results

    Abe Hamadeh, the Republican candidate for attorney general in Arizona, on Tuesday sued his Democratic opponent and a wide range of state and county officials in a bid to block certification of his loss and force them to declare him the winner in the Nov. 8 contest.

    His race, in which he trailed Democrat Kris Mayes by just 510 votes of more than 2.5 million cast, was already headed to a mandatory recount, triggered when no more than 0.5 percent separates the two candidates. Hamadeh argued that the election was mishandled in a way that made a difference to the outcome. …….
    ……..
    The Republican National Committee joined Hamadeh, a former prosecutor and U.S. Army captain, in his lawsuit, which was filed in Maricopa County Superior Court. The defendants named include Mayes, a former chair of the Arizona Corporation Commission, which regulates public utilities, and Katie Hobbs, the Democratic secretary of state and governor-elect, in addition to the county recorders and boards of supervisors in all of Arizona’s 15 counties.

    The suit asks the court to issue an injunction preventing the secretary of state from certifying Mayes as the winner and requiring her to declare Hamadeh the winner. It also asks that the court order the various county officials to correct procedural and tabulation errors it claims they made and amend the final vote count, which it argues will make the Republican the winner.
    ……..
    Notably, Hamadeh’s suit opens with a statement that he and the RNC “are not, by this lawsuit, alleging any fraud, manipulation or other intentional wrongdoing.” It is focused specifically on the race for attorney general, not other statewide contests, such as the governor’s race, in which Republican Kari Lake has refused to concede.
    ……..
    Hamadeh’s suit asks the court to require Maricopa County to process and tabulate 146 provisional ballots and 273 mail-in ballots it claims were improperly excluded when voters failed to “check out” of a polling place after encountering the mechanical problems, thus preventing them from voting in a different way. A spokesperson for Maricopa County declined to comment Tuesday.

    The suit also asks the court to order the various counties to correct what it asserts were problems with duplication of ballots and inaccurate adjudication of ballots and to exclude ballots with incorrect signature matching. The suit did not provide evidence of widespread errors sufficient to sully the result.

    Jim Barton, a Democratic election law attorney in metro Phoenix, said the lawsuit does not allege enough specific problems to change the outcome of the election.
    ………

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  40. “What about people convicted in other states?” is the plea.”

    Since interstate trafficking in pot is illegal, the court should observe that and dismiss.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  41. Nope! 90% of arizonians vote by mail now including election day drop offs.

    Oh, bullsh1t. What’s your link? Hardleftferverdreams.com?

    Kevin M (1ea396) — 11/23/2022 @ 1:32 pm

    In 2020, 1.9 million votes were made by mail (out of a total of 2.1 million) and 200,000 voted in-person in Maricopa County.

    (Ken BENNETT (Minority Witness), Arizona State Senate Audit Liaison, Arizona State Senate, Arizona. In Maricopa County, there were about 1.9 million ballots that were submitted by mail out of the 2.1 million total.

    Mr. (REP. GLENN) GROTHMAN (R-WI). Almost all were by mail?

    Mr. BENNETT. Almost all what? I’m sorry.

    Mr. GROTHMAN. All were by mail, you are saying?

    Mr. BENNETT. About 1.9 million by mail, and a little shy of 200,000 who voted at a polling or a voting center they now call it.

    Mr. GROTHMAN. Could you compare that to four years ago?

    Mr. BENNETT. Well, that ended up being about 88 percent vote by mail, which is up from about 80 percent four years ago.

    Source, p. 32.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  42. Algebra got its name from a person, al-Khwarizmi, who gave answers with words. It’s been completely twisted.

    Now here’s a problem:

    estion 1032342: A train leaves Philadelphia at 1:00 PM. A second train leaves the same city in the same direction at 3:00 PM. The second train travels 20 mph faster than the first. If the second train overtakes the first at 9:00 PM, what is the speed of each of the two trains?

    It takes six hours for the second train to overtake the first train. It travels the same distance in in 6 hours that the first train does in 8.

    It is therefore traveling 1 1/3 times as fast (8 divided by 6)

    1 1/3 times faster = 20 MPH faster 20 mph = 1/3 of the slower speed so the speed of the slower train is 60 mph (3×20) and the speed of the faster train is 80 mph.

    Check:

    8×60 = 480
    6×80 = 480.

    The trains meet somewhere near Sandusky, Ohio,

    Of course this was probably in the late 1940s.

    Now trains take about 15 hours to get from Philadelphia to Sandusky, Ohio

    https://www.wanderu.com/en-us/train/us-pa/philadelphia/us-oh/sandusky/

    There are 5 daily trains from Philadelphia to Sandusky. Traveling by train from Philadelphia to Sandusky usually takes around 15 hours and 44 minutes, but the fastest Amtrak train can make the trip in 14 hours and 59 minutes.

    You could ask Joe Biden.

    )

    Sammy Finkelman (9905c7)

  43. It’s not the past trafficking this concerns but the current discrimination, Person A say, sold marijuana in New Jersey or Pennsylvania and was convicted there and has now presumably partnered with a big business which sees a lawsuit as the cheapest way to get into the marijuana dispensary business,

    Sammy Finkelman (9905c7)

  44. A train leaves Philadelphia at 1pm at 55mph
    A second train leaves Philadelphia at 1:20pm at 70mph

    The distance from Philadelphia to NY City is 95 miles. Which train gets to NY City first?

    A: Neither. One train is going to Atlanta and the other is going to Chicago.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  45. The Brits have a better set-up; screw up, under perform– and you’re swept aside for the most part in their parties. Their elections are tidy and usually polite, too.

    And thankfully: no Thanksgiving.

    In America, you’re stuck with stale leftovers for decades– peaking of which- that means you Hillary, Lindsey, Chuckie, Nancy, Steny, Mitch… w/side dishes of stale Grassley, Biden, Clyburn, Waters with a bowl full of Christie w/a dollop of CruzO on top. Little wonder Uncle Sam and Lady Liberty have perpetual indigestion.

    Storm the castle.

    DCSCA (96d7a5)

  46. Dems as is their ongoing tradition serve up a side of lies with the turkey.

    Comanche Voter (a15ae2)

  47. Lisa Murkowski and Mary Peltola win Alaska races, defeating Trump-backed opponents

    After the final round of ranked-choice voting, Murkowski had 53.7 percent of the vote to 46.3 percent for (Kelly) Tshibaka. In the House race, Peltola had 55 percent of the vote to (Sarah) Palin’s 45 percent.
    ………
    This year’s elections were Alaska’s first under the state’s new voting framework, which residents narrowly approved in a 2020 citizens’ initiative that was partially funded and run by Murkowski allies. The system overhauled primary elections by eliminating partisan races and advancing the top four vote-getters from a single open ballot to the general election.
    ……….
    A number of Alaska conservatives, led by Palin, have attacked the new system as complicated and untrustworthy, though there has been no evidence of any technical problems or foul play. At an event last week, the former governor was the first person to sign a new petition to get rid of the system.

    The repeal campaign might face an uphill battle. One path for critics is a repeal by Alaska’s legislature — where a number of seats will now be filled by candidates who won races this year at least partially because of the new voting process.

    Residents could also repeal the system through a citizens initiative. But polling released by supporters after the August primary election showed that more than 60 percent of Alaskans approve of it.
    ………..

    Rip Murdock (6e5f95)

  48. In 2020, 1.9 million votes were made by mail (out of a total of 2.1 million) and 200,000 voted in-person in Maricopa County.

    Kevin M specifically wrote “Arizonans.” Are there residents outside of Maricopa County who vote in the Grand Canyon State?

    JVW (15c733)

  49. In 2020, 1.9 million votes were made by mail (out of a total of 2.1 million) and 200,000 voted in-person in Maricopa County.

    Kevin M specifically wrote “Arizonans.” Are there residents outside of Maricopa County who vote in the Grand Canyon State?

    JVW (15c733) — 11/23/2022 @ 9:14 pm

    Given that Maricopa County includes over 60% of the Arizona population (and presumably a similar proportion of voters), how it votes would probably control the overall results in the state. I believe mail in votes represented 89% of votes cast.

    Rip Murdock (6e5f95)

  50. In 2020 there were 4.2 million registered voters in Arizona, with 2.4 million in Maricopa County (57% of the total).

    Rip Murdock (6e5f95)

  51. Arizona registration numbers.

    Maricopa County numbers.

    Rip Murdock (6e5f95)

  52. In 2020 3.2 million voted in the Arizona general election, so the Maricopa County vote of 2.1 million represents 65% of the total Arizona vote.

    Rip Murdock (6e5f95)

  53. That’s it! Now that I have ruined everyone’s weekend

    Dude! You seriously overestimate the size of the rat’s ass we give for all those things you listed. When we’re with our families at Thanksgiving and when we’re not.

    Happy Thanksgiving, everybody! Illegitimi non carborundum!

    nk (fabbef)

  54. Happy thanksgiving, to you, and you, and especially, You!

    felipe (484255)

  55. 47 The problem with ranked choice voting is that the later choices of the person who comes in second do not count, They should eliminate the l78ast few in every whc=ich way and see who winds up eith more.

    Sammy Finkelman (747c07)

  56. Data from 2020 needs an asterisk.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  57. Palin lost because she made it clear that her voters shouldn’t put Begich 2nd, and enough of Begich’s voters returned the favor to stop the 2 Republicans from combining their numbers.

    Murkowski, otoh, was the 2nd choice of many voters for the other two — centrists benefit from ranked choice voting. I hear that some Trumpies are upset that people were not forced to make a binary choice.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  58. Happy Thanksgiving.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  59. Happy Thanksgiving you guys!

    Dustin (a87c64)

  60. I don’t have bad news. My life is like a rom-com with cartoon birds in it.
    Happy Thanksgiving all.

    Paul Montagu (b351b8)

  61. Happy Thanksgiving to all.

    lurker (cd7cd4)

  62. My life is like a rom-com with cartoon birds in it.

    Like, say, “Enchanted“?

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  63. The House is now 221-213, with only CA-13 left to be decided. Duarte(R) leading Grey(D) by 600 votes out of 130K cast. By asset’s rule this is a slam dunk for the Republican. Likely final total 222-213, as I said 2 weeks ago.

    And, yes, Boebert was re-elected.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  64. @63, There were a lot of close elections. I think independents and moderates stayed away from the election deniers, but partisans stayed true. It’s not clear what any of the politicians want to actually do. The agendas are getting smaller and smaller….and it’s just about shuffling the chairs and jockeying for who gets more TV/internet time. I’ve always been a fan of divided government but it does also mean paralyzed government and the President and Courts pushing the boundaries on their powers.

    Anyways, happy Thanksgiving to all. This was a wonderful day, even with politics erupting here and there. I remain thankful that we have a pretty darn good country, with opportunities and the freedom to chart our own course and enjoy our passions. I will continue to hope that we dial back the hate and rhetoric, and try to get along better. Hopefully family and friends are a reminder that we all don’t have to think the same to have enough in common.

    AJ_Liberty (6a18fd)

  65. I remain thankful that we have a pretty darn good country, with opportunities and the freedom to chart our own course and enjoy our passions.

    …and Jinping smiled.

    DCSCA (cda190)

  66. Data from 2020 needs an asterisk.

    Kevin M (1ea396) — 11/24/2022 @ 8:28 am

    Does that apply only to Arizona or the entire election?

    Rip Murdock (6e5f95)

  67. A mind-boggling demonstration of the malleability of perception. (H/T @AkivaMCohen, as retweeted by Popehat.)

    A smarter man than I might find a lesson in that.

    lurker (cd7cd4)

  68. I “liked” the “geniuses” in the the third tweet down who “thought” they could “entertain” the soccer fans in Qatar by wearing full Crusader costumes.

    nk (9b2693)

  69. Does that apply only to Arizona or the entire election?

    The entire year, down to popcorn sales.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  70. Valadao (CA-22) who voted to impeach, won his election.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  71. Just for today, I will not shop.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  72. I shop entirely online, so I don’t need to deal with crowds, surly store personnel, parking, or shipping. Life is good.

    Rip Murdock (6e5f95)

  73. #63 It’s unlikely, but maybe Boebert will be “scared straight” by that close election.

    #64 AJ – Thanks for saying what needs to be said, regularly.

    #70 Still more good news. As was the earlier win by Dan Newhouse.

    FWIW, both Valdao and Newhouse are farmers.

    Jim Miller (f29931)

  74. Not quite the history you want to make;

    Qatar makes history as earliest host country to get eliminated

    Rip Murdock (6e5f95)

  75. We all know about crisis actors, and now Putin has actor mommies to spin his debacle of a quagmire of a war.

    Paul Montagu (b351b8)

  76. Just for today, I will not shop.

    Needed a printer cart; had to go to a Walmart this morning for just the one thing.

    Chaos, In the store and on the roads.

    The veneer of civilization is, indeed, very thin.

    DCSCA (912543)

  77. I online-ordered some struts for the back door of my Landcruiser.
    That’s all Black Friday will get from me.

    Paul Montagu (b351b8)

  78. Ninth Circuit Rejects Claims That YouTube’s Blocking of Content Was Compelled by or “Entangled with” Government

    From Doe v. Google LLC, decided (11/20/22) by the Ninth Circuit (Judges Margaret McKeown (appointed by President Clinton), Consuelo Callahan (G. W. Bush), and Lawrence Vandyke (Trump)):

    Appellants are fourteen self-described “conservative” content creators who spent years growing their YouTube channels and amassing more than 771 million views. These channels discussed topics such as “Hunter Biden and the Ukraine Scandal,” “the ongoing corruption probe,” “social media censorship,” “race relations or protests in America,” and “anonymous posts on political issues by someone identifying themselves as ‘Q.'” Appellants’ videos were hosted on YouTube, a video sharing platform whose Terms of Service give it discretion to terminate accounts under certain circumstances, including if YouTube believed that there was “conduct that create[d] (or could create) liability or harm to any user, other third party, YouTube or [its] Affiliates.”
    ………
    In their claim for a First Amendment violation, which is the premise for federal court jurisdiction, Appellants asserted that YouTube and Google—the parent company of YouTube—either conspired with the federal government, or were compelled by the federal government, to take down their video content. This, they argue, constitutes an activity akin to state action and supports the assertion of a constitutional claim against a private company for its conduct.

    ……. In support of their assertion, Appellants cite seven events involving federal officials regarding YouTube, Google, or general social media platform moderation policies that took place between 2019 and 2020:

    (1) statements by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on possibly removing the protection provided to social media platforms under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act;

    (2) a letter by Representative Adam Schiff to Google’s CEO and YouTube’s CEO encouraging the curbing of COVID-related misinformation on social media platforms;

    (3) a statement by Speaker Pelosi at a Georgetown University forum on COVID calling for greater accountability for “the division and the disinformation proliferating online”;

    (4) the Senate Commerce Committee’s vote to compel the testimony of Google’s CEO regarding content moderation;

    (5) the House of Representatives’ passage of House Resolution 1154, a non-binding resolution condemning the “QAnon” conspiracy theory, encouraging Americans to “seek information from authoritative sources,” and acknowledging social media platforms efforts to remove “QAnon groups and their content from their platforms”;

    (6) a Department of Justice antitrust lawsuit against Google for maintaining monopolies in general search services and search advertising; and

    (7) the questioning of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg by the Senate Judiciary Committee concerning programs used to “to coordinate censorship efforts targeting content creators and others who expressed disfavored viewpoints.”

    …….. Appellants argue that YouTube’s removal of their content comes within the state-action doctrine and that YouTube can be held liable for a First Amendment violation, because YouTube was either (1) compelled by the federal government to remove the content, or (2) so entangled with the federal government that there is a sufficient nexus between the government’s conduct and YouTube’s conduct….

    Under the compulsion theory, a private entity’s conduct may constitute state action “when the government compels the private entity to take a particular action.” …….

    The government actions alleged in the complaint do not meet this standard. …….. Appellants have not alleged facts that suggest that the government compelled Appellees’ actions.

    Another fundamental problem with Appellants’ compulsion theory is that the state-action doctrine only allows plaintiffs to hold the government liable for a private entity’s conduct and does not support a claim against the private entity itself. ……..
    ……..

    Rip Murdock (6e5f95)

  79. For Harry Wu:

    I want to see the word laogai in every dictionary in every language in the world. I want to see the laogai ended. Before 1974, the word “gulag” did not appear in any dictionary. Today this single word conveys the meaning of Soviet political violence and its labor camp system. “Laogai’ also deserves a place in our dictionaries.

    Laogai

    As AJ said, we have much to be thankful about, here in America.

    (I found that quotation in a Kindle verison of The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations by Subject. They were quoting from a May 26th, 1996 article in the Washington Post.)

    Jim Miller (f29931)

  80. @78: Yes, but there is a line that can be crossed here. The problem is the word “compelled.” If it means the government sends officers with guns to force the company to take certain actions, then that’s a very high bar. If it means that threats are made, and there is a pattern of “regulation” consistent with those threats, then we will eventually get to such a case. There is also the possibility that enough badgering by the government will get the action they want without having to send Guido down to make things clear.

    It is also possible that there is some distance between what the 9th Circuit sees as compulsion and what some other circuit or the Supremes might see. That has happened in the past.

    I’m also a little discomfited by the idea that the private entity is immune from such suits and the government may itself rely on its sovereignty. Censorship by proxy is still censorship.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  81. I also think that the Court’s and Congress’s reliance on the QAnon thing is prejudicial. The place where one MUST defend free speech is when it’s speech that all right-thinking people abhor.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  82. Justice Thomas, although he is often a court-of-one, has also suggested that private censorship by large media companies who have control of communications means will eventually be an issue when it results in throttling public discourse.

    Elon Musk may save them though.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  83. The top 10 GOP presidential candidates for 2024, ranked
    ………
    10. Sen. Rick Scott:
    ……..
    (Previous ranking: 8)

    9. Gov. Chris Sununu:
    Sununu is the only entrant on this list who has really leaned into criticizing Trump. To the extent there’s any appetite for that kind of candidate, he’d be the odds-on favorite for that lane. (Not coincidentally, he also notched one of the country’s biggest statement wins on Election Day, winning reelection in New Hampshire by 15 points — even as the GOP lost the state’s Senate race.) ……..
    (Previous ranking: N/A)

    8. Mike Pompeo:
    …….
    (Previous ranking: 9)

    7. Nikki Haley:
    After the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, Haley was one of the biggest voices making a pragmatic case that the party needed to move on from Trump. (Like others, she quickly backed off.) But even as Trumpism suffered another big setback on Election Day and some in the party make a similar argument, the former United Nations ambassador has been remarkably quiet. ……..
    (Previous ranking: 7)

    6. Sen. Ted Cruz:
    Few were as wrong about the 2022 election as the senator from Texas. In a Fox News interview published a day before Election Day, he offered, “I think this is going to be, not just a red wave, but a red tsunami.”
    …….
    (Previous ranking: 6)

    5. Sen. Tim Scott:
    ……….
    (Previous ranking: 4)

    4. Gov. Glenn Youngkin:
    ………
    (Previous ranking: 5)

    3. Mike Pence:
    ……… He’ll need lots of Trump backers to forgive him for the sin of not overturning American democracy. Maybe that’s more possible now, but he probably needs the party to break with Trump much more completely to have a shot.

    (Previous ranking: 3)

    2. Donald Trump:
    ……… Trump is the first president since the Great Depression to lose the House, the Senate and the presidency in a single term. Indeed, he’s looking more and more like the man who last did that: Herbert Hoover. Democrats kept running against Hoover even after he left the presidency, and turned that into the best midterm of the century for the president’s party. …….

    (Previous ranking: 2)

    1. Gov. Ron DeSantis:
    ……… [T]he Florida governor’s stock has never been higher, as he emerged from Election Day as perhaps the biggest winner on the GOP side. Among the stats: He defeated Rep. Charlie Crist (D) by nearly 20 points, won the Latino vote handily and became the first GOP governor candidate to carry Miami-Dade County since Jeb Bush two decades ago. …….

    (Previous ranking: 1)

    Rip Murdock (6e5f95)

  84. “Needed a printer cart; had to go to a Walmart this morning for just the one thing.

    Chaos, In the store and on the roads.”

    I go to Walmart maybe once a year and it’s always an awful experience. The stores are a mess, they’re crowded, and it just seems to take forever to find something and then check out.

    Davethulhu (02f479)

  85. Even Breitbart has issues with Trump dining with a documented white nationalist and antisemite at his private country club. Fuentes and Kanye are not “very fine people”.

    Paul Montagu (b351b8)

  86. Top Florida lawmakers want to change state law so DeSantis can run for president in 2024 without resigning as governor
    ………
    “I think that’s a great idea,” Florida House Speaker Paul Renner said in a press conference with reporters at the state capitol, when asked about potential changes to the state’s so-called “resign to run” election law in the forthcoming legislative session. “I think we’ll look at that.”

    Senate President Kathleen Passidomo echoed Renner’s comments, saying it would be an “honor” to have someone from Florida running for president. She agreed with Renner it would be a “good idea” to change the law. “If an individual who is from Florida, who is a Florida governor, is running for president, I think he should be allowed to do it,” she said.

    Under current Florida law, if DeSantis were to run for president then he would have to resign his post as governor — even if he eventually lost the presidency. Candidates have 10 days to resign after they qualify for federal office, but how exactly that is defined when it comes to the presidency isn’t clear and has been open to different interpretations, according to The Miami Herald.
    ……….
    …….. The text of the law reads, “Any officer who qualifies for federal public office must resign from the office he or she presently holds if the terms, or any part thereof, run concurrently with each other.”

    Either way, a clarification from the legislature would make it easier for DeSantis to run for president and return to his post in the governor’s mansion if he doesn’t succeed. The legislature loosened the law in 2008 when then-Gov. Charlie Crist, a former Republican, was a running mate contender for GOP presidential candidate John McCain — but then changed it back in 2010.
    ……….
    ……… If he were to resign the governorship then Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez would replace him, becoming the first woman to become governor of Florida.
    ##########

    Rip Murdock (6e5f95)

  87. Trump dining with a documented white nationalist and antisemite at his private country club

    I find that perfectly understandable and unsurprising.

    That’s our Trump!

    Do you think that Putin ordered Trump to announce his candidacy now in order to coordinate with the terror bombings in Ukraine? To additionally frighten and demoralize Ukraine and the other NATO countries?

    nk (ceb18f)

  88. #83: I love these rankings by someone who knows no Republicans personally. It is marginally better than betting odds from Europeans.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  89. I go to Walmart maybe once a year and it’s always an awful experience. The stores are a mess, they’re crowded, and it just seems to take forever to find something and then check out.

    If you go in on a weekend, then maybe, but your real problem in finding things is that you don’t go there enough to know where anything is and/or you aren’t using the app that will tell you if you ask, tailored to the store you are in.

    Me, I really like Walmart. They made them illegal in Los Angeles (literally illegal), but they are a pleasant surprise here in NM. My experience is that liberals hate them on principle, even though they hire the handicapped, the retired and the young, which union stores will not do and the workers generally have better take-home pay. But the union propaganda must be taken as gospel.

    What I find hilarious is that liberals will avoid Walmart, then go to Costco — a store literally from Hell.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  90. I should know better but does young Nick go by FWENTAYCE or FYOONTZ? Probably the Frankenstein of the 2 successive waves of a Cicero gangster (outfit mob then gangbanger)

    urbanleftbehind (00379c)

  91. Today, I’ll be celebrating this centennial:

    This year, the headquarters of Team Peanuts in Santa Rosa, Calif., has another reason to hold gatherings at its museum and library and ceremonies at its ice rink: It’s the centennial of the birth of “Peanuts” creator Charles M. “Sparky” Schulz, who was born Nov. 26, 1922, and raised in St. Paul, Minn.

    Among others, Schulz inspired late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, figure skater Scott Hamilton, and astronaut Mike Massimino.

    (Today, many cartoonists are joining in the celebration.)

    Jim Miller (f29931)

  92. Yeah, BC, Drabble, and Wizard of Id, that I saw, have crossovers.

    nk (44a239)

  93. “No American has been more revered by the media in the COVID era than Anthony Fauci, President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser and the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Since early 2020, TV and print profiles have deluged Fauci with endless adulation, spurring the sale of Fauci votive candles, Fauci bobbleheads and #trustFauci Twitter hashtags. But Wednesday, Fauci’s mind vanished.

    Or at least that’s what he claimed. A federal judge compelled Fauci to answer questions from lawyers suing toreveal the role of “dozens of federal officials across at least 11 federal agencies “ to suppress “disfavored speakers, viewpoints and content on social-media platforms.” That lawsuit is exposing how Biden’s war on disinformation is demolishing Americans’ freedom of speech.

    Fauci was deposed on Wednesday by Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt and Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry. Landry labeled Fauci the “man who single-handedly wrecked the US economy based upon ‘the science, follow the science.’” But “over the course of seven hours, we discovered that he can’t recall practically anything dealing with his COVID response,” Landry said.“

    https://nypost.com/2022/11/25/all-knowing-dr-faucis-memory-suddenly-vanishes-when-he-has-to-testify/

    There were Conservatives who voted for all this bad news…..

    Obudman (a1c23a)

  94. I go to Walmart maybe once a year and it’s always an awful experience. The stores are a mess, they’re crowded, and it just seems to take forever to find something and then check out

    I feel that way about a number of Walmarts, but I went to a Walmart north of Bainbridge Island and it was wonderful. Super clean and organized. I’m sure that was due in part to a smaller population, but I think too shoppers there simply don’t want to see the store or parking lot trashed.

    Dana (1225fc)

  95. Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt and Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry

    would have to stand on each others’ shoulders to kiss Fauci’s ass. Whatever you may think of Fauci’s policies, he is a highly accomplished man and they’re just a couple of shysters who pandered their way into being their states’ top lawyers. And conservatives voted for them.

    nk (44a239)

  96. Dana is right. The shopping experience varies from store to store in response to (at least) two major forces; the size (and quality) of the population’s behavior and civic practices, and, the ability of management to allocate human resources between client service and upkeep needs.

    Yes, it can be argued that everything boils down to client service, but the shelves don’t stock themselves and the parking lot trash just sits among the scattered carts while multiple clients conduct a conversation with any captured employee at hand. I’ve seen this happen right before my eyes. The most amazing thing I witnessed was a long line of clients waiting to use the self-checkouts located on one end of the store while an equal number of self-checkouts sat turned off on the other end of the store.

    I understood that there were only two sentinels with remote devices to handle individual check-out issues, but logistically, it would have been more efficient to allocate only one to each end of the store to cut the visible line size in half. Sure, there would still be issues at each end with half as many sentinels to deal with them, but there would be twice as many self-checkouts running smoothly, increasing throughput. I’m guessing that policy dictated the inefficiency in favor of theft prevention.

    But what do I know?

    felipe (484255)

  97. nk (44a239) — 11/26/2022 @ 9:57 am

    Yep. My library contains a copy of Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine (12th ed) and Fauci’s name appears on the cover between Martin and Root.

    felipe (484255)

  98. #77

    What year is your Landcruiser

    steveg (c9085d)

  99. Stupid book weighs a ton – not worth a heart attack. I remember taking my mother to see her lake house (it turned out to be the last time). She insisted on climbing the nine steps unassisted in order to enter. I swear she was going to have a heart attack – so out of breath was she at the top. We waited together until she recovered before we entered; now I know how she must have felt.

    felipe (484255)

  100. This isn’t Walmart, but he starts in on Ross at minute 1:50. The first 1:50 is funny

    https://www.facebook.com/standup/videos/shopping-for-irregular-clothes-sebastian-maniscalco/2426436101013387/

    steveg (c9085d)

  101. Emerson College Poll: Biden’s Approval Remains Underwater As Majority of GOP Voters Support Trump As Republican Nominee for 2024

    The November Emerson College Polling national survey of US voters finds that 52% disapprove of the job Joe Biden is doing as president while 39% approve.……..

    ……..(F)ormer President Donald Trump leads with 55% support in a hypothetical 2024 Republican Primary, followed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis with a quarter of Republican support (25%). No other candidate reaches double-digit support for the Republican (nomination).

    Spencer Kimball, Executive Director of Emerson College Polling noted, “There is a stark education divide among Republican primary voters. A 71% majority of voters with a high school degree or less support Trump in 2024 whereas 14% support DeSantis. A 53% majority of those with a college degree, some college, or associate’s degree support Trump while 28% support DeSantis. By contrast, Republican voters with a postgraduate degree are most split: 32% support Trump, 29% support DeSantis, and 18% support Mike Pence for the Republican nomination.”

    Kimball added: “There is also an age divide in the Republican primary: younger voters under 50 break for Trump over DeSantis 67% to 14%, voters between 50 and 64 break for Trump 54% to 32%, while Republicans over 65 are more split: 39% support Trump and 32% DeSantis.”
    ………
    In a potential 2024 Presidential Election between President Biden and former President Donald Trump, Biden holds a four-point lead over Trump, 45% to 41%. Nine percent would support someone else and 6% are undecided. If Florida Governor Ron DeSantis were the 2024 nominee, he trails Biden by four, 39% to 43%; 11% would support someone else and 8% are undecided. ……..
    ……..
    A majority of voters (52%) think that Congress should continue to investigate the events of January 6th, while 39% think they should not.
    ……..

    Rip Murdock (aec99e)

  102. Full results to Emerson poll.

    Rip Murdock (aec99e)

  103. How is Goldilocks doing with finding the porridge that’s “just right” this time?

    nk (44a239)

  104. “just right” porridge is easier to find if you bring your own seasonings/sweeteners

    steveg (c9085d)

  105. From the poll:

    Non-binary or other .6%

    steveg (c9085d)

  106. Hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving. I agree with this essay by a Texan, of course.

    DRJ (44a85e)

  107. Quinnipiac University National Poll -11/22/22

    One week after former President Donald Trump announced he was seeking to return to the White House with a 2024 presidential bid, Americans 57 – 34 percent think Trump running for president in 2024 is a bad thing, according to a Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pea-ack) University national poll of adults released today.

    Democrats (88 – 8 percent) and independents (58 – 32 percent) think it’s a bad thing, while Republicans (62 – 27 percent) think it’s a good thing.

    A majority of Americans (55 percent) think Donald Trump has had a mainly negative impact on the Republican Party, while 37 percent think he has had a mainly positive impact. Republicans 70 – 24 percent think Trump has had a mainly positive impact on their party.

    Roughly one-third of Americans (35 percent) consider themselves supporters of Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, while 60 percent do not consider themselves supporters. Nearly 8 in 10 Republicans (79 percent) consider themselves supporters of the MAGA movement, while 16 percent do not.
    ………
    Republicans 60 – 26 percent say they would like to see DeSantis run for president in 2024 with 14 percent not offering an opinion.
    ……….
    Americans 43 – 29 percent say they prefer Ron DeSantis win the Republican nomination for president in 2024 over Donald Trump, while ……..Republicans are evenly split over who they prefer to win the Republican nomination with 44 percent preferring Trump, 44 percent preferring DeSantis and 11 percent not offering an opinion.
    ……..
    Americans 68 – 25 percent say they do not want to see Joe Biden run for president in 2024.……
    ………
    Americans were asked whether they had a favorable or unfavorable opinion of:

    Joe Biden: 38 percent favorable, 52 percent unfavorable, 7 percent haven’t heard enough about him;

    Donald Trump: 37 percent favorable, 54 percent unfavorable, 5 percent haven’t heard enough about him;

    Ron DeSantis: 33 percent favorable, 29 percent unfavorable, 36 percent haven’t heard enough about him;

    Kamala Harris: 28 percent favorable, 48 percent unfavorable, 22 percent haven’t heard enough about her.
    ……….

    Poll questions and answers.

    Rip Murdock (aec99e)

  108. RIP Irene Cara (63).

    Rip Murdock (aec99e)

  109. What year is your Landcruiser

    Younger than my son, older than my daughter. In other words, ’93. We love it, but less so the gas mileage.

    Paul Montagu (b351b8)

  110. I’ve got a FJ40 old enough to be exempt from CA smog rules. Put a Chevy 350 short block with a Chevy 5 speed in it which improved the gas mileage from 11-12 mpg to 13-14 mpg.
    I think merging on the 101 takes at least 1 gallon, so I just drive it on the backroads that bypass town and drive like I’ve got nowhere to be anytime soon

    steveg (c9085d)

  111. Talented woman, thanks for taking time for that salute Rip. I hesitated to post earlier because of the cultural undertones of Fame and an unfortunate resemblance, in her younger years, to a reviled modern politician.

    urbanleftbehind (00379c)

  112. @107 thanks This is for those here who think trump is not popular in republican party 79%! This is with worts and all. Primary not national voters count to get gop nomination. If desatan get the floriduh legislature to rescind the resign to run law so he can stay gov. trump and the media will call it slimy. Also desatan putting black people in jail for voting after authorities told them they could didn’t even go well in floriduh! Don’t say gay bill will have activists demonstrating against him or even worse. Remember what happened to cancun trud cruz in red state. Voters outside of floriduh might find his antics appealing in primary ;but not the negativity and possible violence. Gays and pro-abortion activists will be gunning for him (hopefully not literally) as he campaigns in blue and even purple states as trump and his supporters slime him. Remember the trumpster who kept calling cancun turd cruz lying ted in 2016 indiana primary? It will be fun to watch. Gavin newsom says he wont challenge biden for nomination ;but in biden doesn’t run?

    asset (36a114)

  113. @94 and others walmart workers who I drive to work say tuesday followed by sunday is the best days to avoid crowds and last to weeks of the month because walmart shoppers run out of money.

    asset (36a114)

  114. @113. Given the supply chain problems and America’s strained issues w/China- as pretty much everything in Walmart is imported from same, product availability becomes an issue as well.

    DCSCA (307361)

  115. R.I.P. Irene Cara, whose two smash singles “Fame” and “Flashdance…What A Feeling” were huge

    Icy (2cbc76)

  116. There was a Pavilions near (of all places) the Brentwood section of Los Angeles that was so terrible that people called it “ghetto Pavilions”. And yes, there are Walmarts in ABQ that look terrible and have many things locked up. But there are others that are really great stores.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  117. Kimball added: “There is also an age divide in the Republican primary: younger voters under 50 break for Trump over DeSantis 67% to 14%, voters between 50 and 64 break for Trump 54% to 32%, while Republicans over 65 are more split: 39% support Trump and 32% DeSantis.”

    If true, the GOP is dead.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  118. Early Voting Has Already Begun In Georgia’s Senate Runoff. Here’s How Dems Pulled It Off

    Georgians have many reasons to be grateful this Thanksgiving, but a runoff election free from partisan lawsuits is not one of them. Amid its contentious campaign between Democrat Sen. Raphael Warnock and GOP challenger Herschel Walker, Georgia Democrats called in Marc Elias — the lawyer behind the 2016 Russia collusion hoax — to force Georgia to allow an extra day of early voting on the Saturday following Thanksgiving.

    Elias shopped around for an activist judge likely to grant him an easy win, and he found one. The GOP eventually appealed, but the day before Thanksgiving the Georgia Supreme Court refused to block the lower court’s opinion.

    That’s a disappointing outcome that sets aside the black-and-white text of the law. As the Honest Elections Project pointed out in our brief, Georgia’s election code clearly states that if the second Saturday before the runoff election follows a Thursday or Friday public holiday, early voting should not take place on that Saturday.

    Partisan tactics like this one are nothing new for the former top lawyer of Hilary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign.

    After 2020, Elias tried to overturn election results in two U.S. House races lost by Democrats, and this year fought mightily to keep North Carolina’s Green Party off the ballot in order to deny progressive Tar Heel voters an alternative to voting Democratic.

    JF (7e1a57)

  119. If true, the GOP is reborn.

    FIFY

    DCSCA (1246b8)

  120. There are twenty-eight comic strips in today’s Seattle Times. One is the continuing “Peanuts” rerun, nine ignore the centennial, and eighteen are tributes, of varying quality.

    Here’s my favorite.

    Jim Miller (f29931)

  121. Peanuts had some moments (e.g. the football thing) but for the most part is was almost as dull as Nancy.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  122. @122. … cursed the Red Baron shot down in flames by a beagle.

    DCSCA (ce7699)

  123. Me, I really like Walmart. They made them illegal in Los Angeles (literally illegal), but they are a pleasant surprise here in NM.

    When I lived there years ago, the one on Menaul and Wyoming was always pretty well-stocked, although I always felt like I didn’t have the minimum number of tats to shop there. The one on Eubank was trash, and the one on San Mateo, by Highland High School, even more so. So I usually went to Target, although that first Walmart was great if I needed an emergency item at 11 pm.

    Factory Working Orphan (82f5aa)

  124. @119 Why do you oppose people voting on saturday? Voting on tuesday was put into place so employers could stop their workers from voting or get fired. That is why laws had to be passed to allow time off to vote. Mostly two hours thats why voting lines are so long in many places. As for keeping green party off ballot which cost trump the presidency in 2020 democrats used laws in az, ga. and wi. put in place by republicans to keeps libertarian party off ballot. Trump won president in 2016 with green party on ballot in mi. pa. and wi. Republican party allow as few people as possible to vote democrat allow as many people that are citizens as possible to vote. Only republicans who can prove they are not insurrectionists should be allowed to vote otherwise

    asset (3a6670)

  125. @118 glad you noticed! Younger republicans loathe desatan for his racism, homophobia and anti-abortion stance there are a lot of older retires in floriduh. Democrats not running latinx for gov. or senate didn’t help.

    asset (3a6670)

  126. FWO, well you pretty much shopped in methville then. The ones over west, like at Cottonwood, or over to Unser & Southern are just dandy. The San Mateo store was really sketchy, I have to agree. The one on Carlisle isn’t too bad.

    The worst store I’ve ever shopped at in ABQ was a Smiths at Coal & Yale. Actively scary.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  127. Voting on tuesday was put into place so employers could stop their workers from voting or get fired.

    You do know that the Tuesday date was set in 1787, when the “workers” didn’t even vote. Matter of fact the whole economy was different with a much higher proportion of shopkeepers and tradesmen working for themselves.

    The Tuesday date was to avoid religious issues.

    But sure, I’d change the date to the first Friday-Sunday after the first Thursday. But weeks of early voting is a terrible mistake. Things happen and people have already cast their votes. Absentee should require a reason (“The Covid pandemic” is a reason).

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  128. Younger republicans loathe DeSantis for his racism, homophobia and anti-abortion stance

    1. Not wanting to bother 8 year olds with sex ed is not “homophobia.” It’s, well, decency. Maybe you aren’t acquainted with that.
    2. Florida’s abortion law allows abortion-on-demand throughout the entire 1st trimester, just like Roe demanded. It’s a bit more liberal than France’s. But go ahead and believe every screed on DU.
    3. How is he a racist? Point to a link. And how is TRUMP not a racist, if all these young’ns are flocking to him on that basis?

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  129. @127, only the PRs and not-Cubans in Orlando are in play for the Dems. Also, who’s to say Latinos are not playing Nth level chess by giving DeSantis such a huge margin he decides to go for POTUS in 24 and in turn lets Jeanette Nunez ascend to Gov.

    The then-young Cuban-American vote for Obama in 2008 is reminiscent of the young Italian-American vote for JFK in 1960, more of a pay it forward than a genuine vote. Or maybe they just grew up.

    urbanleftbehind (00379c)

  130. The House GOP’s Agenda for the Next Congress Isn’t Particularly Popular-Morning Consult
    ……….
    Republicans are poised to take control of the House with grand plans for base-driven investigations into the Biden administration and advancement of a conservative policy agenda to draw contrasts with Democrats ahead of the 2024 elections.

    While a handful of these action items are popular with the majority of Republican voters, a new Morning Consult/Politico survey conducted after the 2022 midterm elections shows meager interest among the overall electorate, which also roundly rejects proposed cuts to Medicare and Social Security in exchange for raising the federal debt limit.
    ………..
    Among 17 potential inquiries tested, only one — fentanyl trafficking into the United States — was ranked a top priority by a majority of voters. Next on the investigative wish list is U.S.-Mexico border operations, followed by the infant formula shortage that happened earlier this year.

    Less than 3 in 10 voters said Congress should focus on a presidential impeachment investigation, as sought by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), or the first son’s politically uncomfortable business dealings — though there is zeal among over half of the GOP electorate for such probes.
    ……….
    Of the GOP-leaning priorities presented to voters, increasing border security, a long-held conservative policy aspiration that in the past has found support among Democratic officials, topped the list, with 45% saying Congress should make it a top priority, driven by 3 in 4 Republicans but also backed by 1 in 5 Democrats.
    …………
    Just around 1 in 5 voters said lawmakers should prioritize cutting U.S. support for Ukraine as it fights Russian aggression, which House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy of California has threatened, or banning abortion nationwide at 15 weeks as sought in the Senate by Republican Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.
    ……….
    ……..(S)ome (Republican) leaders suggested using the fight over the country’s statutory borrowing cap to extract concessions from Democrats, including changes to Social Security and Medicare eligibility. Just 6% of voters think Congress should focus on cutting those safety-net programs, and once provided an explanation of the stakes involved, very few want to see them used as leverage to avoid a federal default.

    Roughly 7 in 10 voters, with little divide between Democrats and Republicans, said Congress should raise the debt limit without making cuts to Social Security and Medicare, compared with about 1 in 10 who said lawmakers should take the action only if entitlement cuts are made.
    …………

    Top five issues for Congress (all voters/Democratic/Republican):

    Fentanyl Trafficking-57/48/69
    Mexican Border-40/19/66
    Infant Formula Shortage-33/28/40
    Misuse of ARP Money-32/27/41
    Effects of COVID-19 Lockdowns-31/24/40

    Top five Republican Issues:

    Fentanyl Trafficking-57/48/69
    Mexican Border-40/19/66
    Biden Impeachment: 28/6/55
    Hunter Biden: 28/7/52
    DHS Disinformation Board: 29/12/48

    Other Issues:

    Afghanistan Withdrawal: 28/15/45
    Dr. Anthony Fauci: 26/13/41
    2020 Elections: 22/13/37
    Impeach DHS Secretary: 20/9/34
    Trans Athletes: 18/9/29

    Rip Murdock (aec99e)

  131. What’s going on here? Who’s misinterpreting this law?

    …….. The text of the law reads, “Any officer who qualifies for federal public office must resign from the office he or she presently holds if the terms, or any part thereof, run concurrently with each other.”

    To qualify means to be selected. Either elective office, or an appointed position. The provision takes effect when the only remaining step to holding a particular federal office is to take the oath.

    See the same word “qualify” used in the 20th amendment:

    https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-20

    Section 3

    If, at the time fixed for the beginning of the term of the President, the President elect shall have died, the Vice President elect shall become President. If a President shall not have been chosen before the time fixed for the beginning of his term, or if the President elect shall have failed to qualify, then the Vice President elect shall act as President until a President shall have qualified; and the Congress may by law provide for the case wherein neither a President elect nor a Vice President elect shall have qualified, declaring who shall then act as President, or the manner in which one who is to act shall be selected, and such person shall act accordingly until a President or Vice President shall have qualified.m

    Sammy Finkelman (32de3e)

  132. Qualify may even mean to be sworn in. Governor Rick Scott did not resign as Governor and was sworn in late as a U,S., Senator,

    https://www.orlandosentinel.com/politics/os-ne-rick-scott-governor-senate-20181204-story.html

    TALLAHASSEE – Gov. Rick Scott, recently elected to the U.S. Senate, will not resign as governor five days before his term ends to be sworn in along with his fellow senators, his office said Tuesday.

    Scott’s term as governor will end at midnight Jan. 7, five days after his term as U.S. Senator was set to begin…. “Governor Scott will remain Governor until Jan. 8, 2019. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has agreed to hold the ceremony for Governor Scott’s swearing-in as U.S. Senator from Florida that afternoon.”

    The move means Scott’s lieutenant governor, Carlos Lopez-Cantera won’t assume the governorship for five days before Gov.-elect Ron DeSantis is sworn in.

    Sammy Finkelman (32de3e)

  133. More from the Morning Consult/Politico Survey:

    Top five issues for Congress Moving Forward (All Voters/Democratic/Republican)

    Border Security: 45/19/75
    Immigration: 38/27/53
    Banning LGTBQ Instruction (K-3): 35/12/61
    Welfare Work Reqs: 34/22/49
    Extending Trump Tax Cuts: 26/9/49

    Top Five Republican Issues:

    Same as a above.

    Other Issues:

    Banning Medicare drug price negotiation: 22/23/24
    Cut Ukraine Funding: 21/14/31
    Ban Abortion at 15 weeks: 21/11/35
    Ban Abortion at 6 weeks: 18/11/30
    Repeal Obamacare: 18/10/30
    Cut Medicare/Social Security: 6/9/4

    Rip Murdock (aec99e)

  134. Florida’s abortion law allows abortion-on-demand throughout the entire 1st trimester, just like Roe demanded. It’s a bit more liberal than France’s. ……

    Who cares what the abortion laws are in France or other countries? Americans set their own laws.

    Rip Murdock (aec99e)

  135. See post 132 for link to Morning Consult survey.

    Rip Murdock (aec99e)

  136. Anti-abortion groups seek to overturn FDA approval of abortion pill
    ……..
    Lawyers from the conservative Christian legal group Alliance Defending Freedom filed the suit in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas in Amarillo on behalf of the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American College of Pediatricians, the Christian Medical & Dental Associations and four doctors.
    ……….
    “The FDA’s approval of chemical abortion drugs has always stood on shaky legal and moral ground, and after years of evading responsibility, it’s time for the government to do what it’s legally required to do: protect the health and safety of vulnerable girls and women,” Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Erik Baptist said in a statement.
    ………
    Last year, the FDA permitted doctors to prescribe mifepristone via telemedicine and to send the pills by mail.

    Abortion rights advocates want the agency to assert that its decisions to approve drugs preempt state abortion bans and restrictions.
    ……….

    Rip Murdock (aec99e)

  137. @136. ‘Florida’s abortion law allows abortion-on-demand throughout the entire 1st trimester, just like Roe demanded. It’s a bit more liberal than France’s. ……

    Who cares what the abortion laws are in France or other countries? Americans set their own laws.’

    ‘America First,’ eh, Rip!

    … as The Donald and his populists smiled.

    _______

    Biden admin scrambles to track $20B in Ukraine aid as House Republicans warn of audits

    President Biden’s administration is scrambling to track the nearly $20 billion in military aid it has sent to Ukraine as Republicans warn of impending audits when they take control of the House in January. Likely future House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has said his party will not be giving Ukraine a “blank check” to fend off Russia’s invasion. A potential audit would determine how much, if any, of the U.S. aid is ending up in the wrong hands. The Biden administration’s previous tracking efforts have inspected only a fraction of the aid provided to the country.

    While some staunch Ukraine allies fear Republicans will cut off aid to the country, there remains widespread support for ramping up oversight efforts in Congress.

    Firebrand Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., has vowed to “hold our government accountable” for Ukraine spending, and some of her colleagues across the aisle are echoing the message. “The taxpayers deserve to know that investment is going where it’s intended to go,” Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., told the Washington Post. “In any war, there can be missteps and misallocation of supplies.” [War? When did Congress declare war?] The lawmakers agree that current monitoring efforts appear woefully inadequate, with the Biden administration inspecting just 10% of the 22,000 weapons the U.S. has provided to Ukraine between February and November 1, according to the Post.

    U.S. allies in Europe have expressed hope that Republican skepticism of Ukraine aid will not lead to a widespread cutting of funding, however. – FoxNews.com

    [Golly. Fiscal conservativism?? Guess wealthy, Euro-laden, modern Europe, with their slick, interdependent infrastructures, daunting militaries, spiffy social safety nets and comprehensive healthcare systems– all safe and snug, protected behind NATO’s umbrella- would have to figure out how to carry more of the burden on their own to manage a trash fire in their own backyard- the third kinetic conflict on their continent in 115 years. How did they survive before there was a United States piggy bank to shakedown… =sarc=]

    DCSCA (b71d7f)

  138. See post 132 for link to Morning Consult survey.
    Rip Murdock (aec99e) — 11/27/2022 @ 9:10 am

    FYI, in Ripspeak a push poll is called a survey

    JF (da5052)

  139. Younger republicans loathe DeSantis for his racism, homophobia and anti-abortion stance

    I am not really as invested in politics as I used to be, but as far as I can tell, Desantis hasn’t ever expressed anything racist or otherwise bigoted. I think he’s actually moderate, a successful governor, with experience in the military, who does govern.

    I don’t think his social politics are that different from Bill Clinton’s in the 90s. And I think if he quoted Obama from 2008 a lot of folks would pretend that’s extreme.

    Nobody here is confusing me for a Trump fan or alt-right. I’d happily vote for Desantis. What am I missing? I’m guessing I’m not missing a thing, and the hysterics around Desantis are no different from the hysterics around Bush being a chimp+hitler.

    I imagine the Trump fans who love America will like Desantis, and the ones who hated it and were gleeful about the damage will hate him.

    Dustin (a87c64)

  140. Dustin, my biggest complaints about Desantis are the authoritarianism; using the government to attack people for speech he doesn’t like, pandering to the homophobia in his base and the elections denial, and his one sided attacks on “voting fraud” that only seemed to impact demographics that typically oppose him. But it’s the speech stuff that really bothers me.

    Time123 (8ea409)

  141. DeSantis is short burst copy in a War and Peace world.

    DCSCA (bc5ace)

  142. pandering to the homophobia in his base

    Do you have an example?

    Is this kinda like how Obama used to say marriage is between a man and a woman, or saying public schools need to be democratic and responsible, or did he say something along the lines of ‘I don’t like gay people, you should fear them all.’

    Pandering to homophobia sounds like promoting hatred and fear of gays generally, and I just don’t know of any examples of this behavior.

    using the government to attack people for speech he doesn’t like

    I am not a big disney fan and as far as I know, they should be treated the same as everyone else. Using the bully pulpit is a good thing if the people support it (and we just had an election… I think they did support it). This is how Trump happened… there was a perception no one else was going to speak out. Same draw Newt used to have. We do want leaders to lead.

    Dustin (a87c64)

  143. pandering to the homophobia in his base

    homophobia, or racism, or white supremacy, or xenophobia, or misogyny is the only way Time123 can explain to himself why anyone disagrees with him

    JF (da5052)

  144. “Any officer who qualifies for federal public office must resign from the office he or she presently holds if the terms, or any part thereof, run concurrently with each other.”

    This is just badly written. Depending on the meaning of “qualify” every US citizen in Florida over 25 years of age is qualified to be a Representative.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  145. Who cares what the abortion laws are in France or other countries? Americans set their own laws.

    Other countries have had 50 years to work these things out. Looking at the resolutions in other first world countries makes sense.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  146. Kevin,

    As all the lawyers here can attest to, state laws can be REALLY poorly written.. As you pointed out above

    EPWJ (650a62)

  147. See post 132 for link to Morning Consult survey.

    Who cares what 800 idiots think? Americans prefer to make up their own minds.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  148. Who cares what 800 idiots think? Americans prefer to make up their own minds.

    Kevin M (1ea396) — 11/27/2022 @ 2:17 pm

    Touché, but don’t think how other countries deal with abortion (or any other issue) should be relevant to American lawmaking.

    And the survey consisted of 1,983 registered voters, not 800.

    Rip Murdock (0be58f)

  149. Dustin, my biggest complaints about Desantis are the authoritarianism; using the government to attack people for speech he doesn’t like

    Which people were these? If you mean “companies,” say so.

    pandering to the homophobia in his base

    Barring gender discussions in 2nd grade is not homophobic, but just plain decent.

    and the elections denial,

    Really? Does he say that Trump won?

    and his one sided attacks on “voting fraud” that only seemed to impact demographics that typically oppose him.

    By “demographics”” you mean felons.

    But it’s the speech stuff that really bothers me.

    In an era where companies impose sanctions on states who “get out of line”, pushing back was an important thing to do. Brian Kemp should have reamed MLB after the All-Star Game thing. Tripling the income tax on out-of-state athletes or some such.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  150. And the survey consisted of 1,983 registered voters, not 800.

    How many voted?

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  151. Sore Winner:

    ……….
    Liz Harris, recently elected to represent Legislative District 13 which encompasses much of Chandler (AZ), issued the statement on Instagram and her campaign website saying in part “it has become obvious that we need to hold a new election immediately.”

    Despite winning her own election, Harris alleges that there were “clear signs of foul play” which necessitated her demands. There has been no evidence of this.

    “Machine malfunctions” were cited as one such sign. On election day, 60 of the 223 polling places in Maricopa County saw issues with their ballot printers, leading to some ballots not being counted immediately.

    The issue was resolved within a few hours, and election officials say that they were able to ensure that every legal ballot was successfully counted.

    Harris also questioned the fact that Treasurer Kimberly Yee (R) won her election with a greater count of votes than any other candidate.

    “How can a Republican State Treasurer receive more votes than a Republican Gubernatorial or Senate candidate?” Harris asked.

    In Arizona, voters are allowed to cast a split ticket. This means that they don’t have to vote exclusively along party lines. Yee also received more votes than any Democratic candidate running for office.
    ………….

    Rip Murdock (0be58f)

  152. I love baseball, but the MLB needs to be taken down a peg. Removing the anti-trust exemption and letting them figure out how to deal with independent minor league clubs would be an interesting change. Just a whiff of that grapeshot might get their minds right.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  153. Liz Harris has an easy way to get a new election in her district, at least. Just resign.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  154. How many voted?

    Kevin M (1ea396) — 11/27/2022 @ 2:29 pm

    Actually the better question is why do think it is important to compare Florida abortion law with the French law. No available American comparisons? Our constitutional and legal history (decentralized among the states) is very different from theirs (centralized in the national state).

    Rip Murdock (0be58f)

  155. The issue was resolved within a few hours, and election officials say that they were able to ensure that every legal ballot was successfully counted.

    Except that some percentage of people who attempted to vote did not, or could not, wait for the issues to be resolved. This is evidence, whether you think it’s sufficient or not. So saying “there is no evidence” is NOT true.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  156. Rip, I actually compared it to Roe’s first trimester guarantee. I’m pretty sure that was an American ruling, although I’m willing to see evidence to the contrary.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  157. BTW, I picked “France” as an example. Things vary a bit in Western Europe, but 13-15 weeks is pretty much the rule. To get to the total bans that you prefer I have to go to sub-Saharan Africa or Islamic states.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  158. But the real reason I look outside the US, which I normally would not do, is that US law has been frozen for 50 years by usurpation. Other countries have worked through this and looking at those who basically share our values is instructive as to what is reasonable, and where the final compromise will lie.

    The argument I was responding to, long lost in this discussion, is whether DeSantis was an anti-abortion fanatic and the law in his state is no indication of that.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  159. How many voted?

    Kevin M (1ea396) — 11/27/2022 @ 2:29 pm

    Here the political and social demographic crosstabs for each question.

    Rip Murdock (0be58f)

  160. Rip, the number isn’t important to anyone except maybe Sammy.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  161. BTW, I picked “France” as an example. Things vary a bit in Western Europe, but 13-15 weeks is pretty much the rule. To get to the total bans that you prefer I have to go to sub-Saharan Africa or Islamic states.

    Kevin M (1ea396) — 11/27/2022 @ 2:42 pm

    There are plenty of US states that ban abortions—at least 13; only 4 are at 15, 18, or 20 weeks, so 3 times as many states have a full ban than have a limit short of full legalization. And in many states courts have blocked them from enforcing stricter limits.

    Rip Murdock (0be58f)

  162. Rip, the number isn’t important to anyone except maybe Sammy.

    Kevin M (1ea396) — 11/27/2022 @ 2:47 pm

    You asked the question.

    Rip Murdock (0be58f)

  163. Kevin, Gov. kemp Saying mean things about the MLB would be fine. Modifying tax/regulatory structure as punishment for speech is not.

    Also, dismissing what Desantis did to fight “voter fraud” in the same thread you complain that some ppl had to wait a couple hours to vote really makes it seem like your concerns are based mostly in how you feel it impacts your side. But the fact that voting wait time in minority voting districts never seemed to bother you already did that.

    Time123 (f3bc72)

  164. Rip, thank you for posting that. Kevin’s response was hilarious.

    Time123 (f3bc72)

  165. Dustin, The “Don’t say gay” bill was ambiguously written, despite requests for the legislature to clairify the requirements. This was likely intentional as a way to avoid legal challenges.

    In application it’s resulting in exactly what it’s critics warned.

    https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/floridas-dont-say-gay-law-takes-effect-schools-roll-lgbtq-restrictions-rcna36143

    Representatives of the Orange County Classroom Teachers Association accused school officials Monday of verbally warning educators not to wear rainbow articles of clothing and to remove pictures of their same-sex spouses from their desks and LGBTQ safe space stickers from classroom doors. The district’s legal department confirmed in a statement provided to the teachers’ association, which covers the Orlando area, that staff members who come into contact with students in kindergarten through third grade were cautioned about LGBTQ issues.

    And late last month, the School District of Palm Beach County sent out a questionnaire asking its teachers to review all course material and flag any books with references to sexual orientation, gender identity or race, said a Palm Beach County high school special education teacher, Michael Woods. Several weeks previously, the district removed two books — “I Am Jazz” and “Call Me Max” — that touch upon gender identity, he said.

    Time123 (f3bc72)

  166. https://hotair.com/jazz-shaw/2022/11/27/biden-eases-sanctions-on-venezuela-yes-seriously-n513693

    Corrupt, fraudulent socialist government supports corrupt, fraudulent socialist government.

    NJRob (eb56c3)

  167. The district’s legal department confirmed in a statement provided to the teachers’ association, which covers the Orlando area, that staff members who come into contact with students in kindergarten through third grade were cautioned about LGBTQ issues.

    be careful Time123, there’s a homophobe under every bed

    JF (caf749)

  168. Also, dismissing what Desantis did to fight “voter fraud” in the same thread you complain that some ppl had to wait a couple hours to vote really makes it seem like your concerns are based mostly in how you feel it impacts your side. But the fact that voting wait time in minority voting districts never seemed to bother you already did that.

    Time123 (f3bc72) — 11/27/2022 @ 3:07 pm

    Leftists run minority districts completely and entirely. Your supposition is based upon a false premise. But you knew that already.

    NJRob (eb56c3)

  169. https://therightscoop.com/biden-and-buttigieg-pressured-trudeau-for-crackdown-that-treated-freedom-convoy-like-al-qaeda/

    Totalitarian Biden administration pressured Trudeau administration to engage in fascist tactics against freedom convoy.

    Keep supporting them.

    NJRob (eb56c3)

  170. NJRob, it’s not supposition, it’s pretty well documented. See here.

    While minority districts are usually administered by the dems, funding and infrastructure are much more complicated then that.

    Voting access is a real opportunity for the US to improve. At least it is if you’re concerned about democratic process. YMMV.

    Time123 (5d1082)

  171. You aren’t the slightest bit concerned with access. You care about results. And that’s why you love ballot harvesting which requires no documentation or proof of identity.

    NJRob (eb56c3)

  172. JF, I think telling a happily married gay person that they can’t put a picture of their family on their desk because they’re in a SS relationship is homophobic. You’re free to continue cheering that on and dishonestly representing the situation. The 1st amendment protects your right to do so.

    Time123 (5d1082)

  173. @173, That’s a lie. I’ve made a bajillion comments here and not one of them remotely supports your assertion about what I think.

    Please retract and apologize.

    Time123 (5d1082)

  174. There are plenty of US states that ban abortions—at least 13; only 4 are at 15, 18, or 20 weeks, so 3 times as many states have a full ban than have a limit short of full legalization. And in many states courts have blocked them from enforcing stricter limits.

    49 years to go to get to other countries’ experience.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  175. 5 years from now, elective abortions will be legal in every state for much of, if not all of, the first trimester.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  176. Kevin, Gov. kemp Saying mean things about the MLB would be fine. Modifying tax/regulatory structure as punishment for speech is not.

    Pulling the MLB All-star game is not “speech.”

    It is a corporation sanctioning an elected legislature. Anything bad that happens to MLB as a result is covered by Truman’s “kitchen” principle.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  177. But the fact that voting wait time in minority voting districts never seemed to bother you already did that.

    That’s a lie. I’ve made a bajillion comments here and not one of them remotely supports your assertion about what I think.

    Please retract and apologize.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  178. @177, very likely so. I also expect definitions of “life and health of the mother”to more closely resemble what’s in place in EU.

    Time123 (8e0723)

  179. DeSantis’ voter fraud case involved felons who were actually not eligible to vote, and a bureaucracy that told them they were. I’m not sure who looks worse here, but it the only similarity to Phoenix is the incompetency of election officials.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  180. Kevin, have you previously had any criticism or comments on that subject? Do you feel that the wait times documented in the link I provided are evidence GA elections may be fraudulent?

    I think they’re an opportunity to improve but I don’t think it’s evidence the outcomes are fraudulent. But Stacy Abrams does so you wouldn’t be alone i your feelings.

    If you tell me this is something you’ve written about before I’ll take your word for it, retract and apologize. But I don’t think you have.

    Time123 (8e0723)

  181. @180:

    I expect that “life” will mean LIFE and health will mean “long-term physical injury” and not “might have a nightmare tomorrow.”

    The point is that there needs to be a reasonable period for a woman to realize she is pregnant and then to obtain an abortion, but not to procrastinate about it. Three months is sufficient. Even for rape. Incest is another matter as the victim is often a child and not a free person. As for medical complications, only a monster would demand that a woman die to bear a child.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  182. Pulling the MLB All-star game is not “speech.”

    It is a corporation sanctioning an elected legislature. Anything bad that happens to MLB as a result is covered by Truman’s “kitchen” principle.

    It’s freedom of association, it’s a right. In most cases the Government can’t punish you for that.

    Also, as a small government type I like the idea of private citizens telling the government to pound sand when they feel their is cause, but I probably read too much Heinlein as a kid.

    Time123 (8e0723)

  183. @183, we agree again.

    Time123 (8e0723)

  184. If you tell me this is something you’ve written about before I’ll take your word for it, retract and apologize. But I don’t think you have.

    I have not said “Who care if they have to wait.” I’m mainly pointing out I dislike people reading my mind and putting beliefs in my head as much as you do. We’re good.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  185. In most situations where the polling place screws up and people have to wait for hours, a judge leaves the precint(s) open for additional time. In this case the judge refused. Not that it rectifies the situation for the guy who only had his lunch break to vote, but it was colorably different from most such cases.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  186. It’s freedom of association, it’s a right. In most cases the Government can’t punish you for that.

    No, but a government that gives you a special privilege, like you can drive over the speed limit or ignore anti-=trust laws, may retract that privilege if you piss them off too much. And that’s not quite the same as clubbing you to the ground.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  187. Government punishing you for legitimate exercise of your rights is wrong, and violation of your rights.

    You seem to want the government to punish MLB because you don’t like how MLB used their rights of speech and association.

    Do I have that right? Not trying to put words into your mouth. Just trying to understand what you’re saying.

    Time123 (8e0723)

  188. MLB speech was a lie. They deliberately incited people against the State of Georgia with lies. They deserve to be held accountable for those lies. Lie down in bed with fleas…

    NJRob (eb56c3)

  189. Hey Rob, wondered if you were going to retract your erroneous statement about me?

    Time123 (8e0723)

  190. @144. I am not a big disney fan and as far as I know, they should be treated the same as everyone else.

    So sez ‘the Pepsi Generation’ 😉

    Jeep, Disney, Coca-Cola top survey list of America’s most patriotic brands

    https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2018/07/02/americas-most-patriotic-brands-jeep-disney-coca-cola/36439965/

    DCSCA (f4c5e5)

  191. MLB is a government sanctioned monopoly – and their ‘playgrounds’ built and financed w/bond issues on the backs of taxpayers. The game of baseball: poetry in motion; the business of baseball: a racket.

    DCSCA (f4c5e5)

  192. Time123 (5d1082) — 11/27/2022 @ 4:24 pm

    Of course, you accept the claim of the teacher’s association at face value without evidence.

    And, even if the claim was shown to be nonsense, you’d still cling to your laughable homophobia finger wagging, so why not quit the BS.

    JF (caf749)

  193. JF, if it’s accurate would you agree the result is homophobic? Would you agree that a policy of telling ppl in SSM not to put up a family pictures is homophobic?

    Time123 (8e0723)

  194. JF, I think telling a happily married gay person that they can’t put a picture of their family on their desk because they’re in a SS relationship is homophobic.

    Where’s the desk? In their private office or a third-grade classroom?

    nk (7537bc)

  195. How is pulling the MLB All-Star game different from refusing to bake Georgia a wedding cake? Homophobes!

    nk (7537bc)

  196. Anyway, if I want to help some billionaire support his hobby, I’ll sign up for Amazon Prime and subscribe to WaPo. At least, there, I get some value for my money.

    Professional sports are a scam for the rubes.

    nk (7537bc)

  197. JF, if it’s accurate would you agree the result is homophobic? Would you agree that a policy of telling ppl in SSM not to put up a family pictures is homophobic?
    Time123 (8e0723) — 11/27/2022 @ 5:23 pm

    Not going to play your game. Let’s decide based on what the actual policy is, so get the facts on it first. Back it up.

    JF (caf749)

  198. MLB can do whatever it wants with it’s MLB all star game, as long as they pay for the broken contracts.
    Here in CA the government decided that no state funds were to be spent for travel to or in Montana. But of course Gov. Newsom went on vacation to Montana and took his state bodyguards, aides, etc. All were paid by the State of CA but it was OK because it was a personal vacation https://www.insider.com/newsom-vacation-montana-which-is-banned-ca-state-funded-travel-2022-7

    I’ll say that Newson is smarter than Trump with this sort of thing because Newsom has his well connected enablers take care of things which gives Newsom layers of protection and deniability. Newsom is the consummate CA insider. Obama was an outsider that the insiders rallied around and shepherded. Trump was an outsider and got treated as such day one. (See Comey and the advantages he took day one with the unschooled, outsiders in the Trump Admin)

    steveg (f0c973)

  199. Nothing erroneous. You’ve name called me countless times Time. You are what you are. I call you out for it.

    NJRob (eb56c3)

  200. https://www.unionleader.com/opinion/columnists/patrick-hynes-dems-reclaim-election-denier-mantle-from-trump/article_50ba7e21-e183-580e-8031-5243fb22a2ca.html

    Just a reminder how leftists have no problems trying to openly and blatantly steal elections. But accusing them of fraud is beyond the pale.

    NJRob (eb56c3)

  201. Teachers should dress business casual at minimum, know the subject they are teaching pretty well, and not talk about their love life whatsoever to 9 year old kids.

    Felons shouldn’t vote, for the most part (the probationers who don’t get a conviction should keep their vote).

    But reasonable people can disagree on these social issues Time123 mentioned. Therefore they aren’t disqualifying. Shoving all issues all the way to the edge, destroying nuance, is very typical internet politics, and it’s how we lose sight of our culture and community.

    I don’t even really like Desantis, but I just don’t see how he’s this terrible nightmare of a candidate. I’ll grant the point about elections. Trump lost, that’s just reality, and a lot of politicians are politicians on this basic issue, which is selfish. Unfortunately, I imagine our options will be limited to candidates to play that game. And I mean it when I say that’s unfortunate.

    We’ll see who else runs and if they are any good.

    Dustin (a87c64)

  202. https://nypost.com/2022/11/26/st-louis-mayor-tishaura-jones-quits-twitter-over-elon-musk-tweet/

    Leftist mayor quits twitter because truth isn’t censored.

    NJRob (eb56c3)

  203. If biden and the leaders of the democrat party are leftist socialist/communist as you claim and not corporate establishment stooges as I claim they are. Why don’t they knock out desatan over don’t say gay bill with a teachers union general strike and ask all teachers to leave the state as there is a large teacher shortage in every state. Biden could find jobs and relocation costs help and tell desatan if he trys to stop it the federal government will “deal” with him! If biden and democrat party were actually leftists as you claim they would have no problem doing this and also gun control. They don’t do it because they are not leftists ;but corporate establishment stooges more interested in controlling the left base of the party like sanders and AOC. Most teachers hate desatan and would like biden and democrat party support that will never come to please the donor class.

    asset (a71a84)

  204. Dustin, I mostly agree with your comment in 205 that much of this is within the zone of reasonable disagreement and it wasn’t my intent to say that Desantis is a Hitleresque figure who shouldn’t hold office.

    I doubt I’ll vote FOR Desantis, but I’m not sure at this point that I’d need to vote /against/ him in the general.

    There are a couple of areas where I could see concluding that’s necessary, specifically around how he uses the power of the state to punish people for using their rights in a way he dislikes. But it’s not at the point where I’d say it was better to vote for Biden just to keep Ron out of the Oval Office. Which is where I was at for Trump.

    Time123 (5d1082)

  205. NJRob, It’s unfortunate that given all the areas where we legitimately disagree you’d feel the need to accuse me of something I’ve never said or endorsed. I’ll just chalk it up to your general character & rage at the world around you and move on.

    Time123 (5d1082)

  206. @201 JF, Seems like a pretty easy question to answer. Either you think a gay person should be able to put a family photo on their desk just like a straight person or you don’t. But maybe you’ve never thought about that before in those terms and you’re not sure how you feel about it.

    Time123 (5d1082)

  207. @202 SteveG, Gov Newsome is detestable on many levels, I hope he never gets any closer to the White House then Sacramento.

    Time123 (b27463)

  208. asset, are you familiar with the concept of “productive labor”?

    If not for the “donor class”, Bernie would be a cab driver and AOC would still be hustling tips in a bar. It’s the “donor class” who put them where they are and is maintaining them there, and most of their cohorts as well.

    As for the teachers, they are part of the apparatchiki. They cannot exist outside the system. They will sooner lynch every gay than endanger their pay, their benefits, their tenure, and their pensions. Whatever power they have is through their voting bloc which is weighty only at the local level.

    nk (ea2ea6)

  209. Time123 (5d1082) — 11/28/2022 @ 5:28 am

    I’m sorry that your claim is complete BS and you want to pretend otherwise, and also pretend it has any bearing on your homophobia smear

    JF (9fd0b0)

  210. @210

    @201 JF, Seems like a pretty easy question to answer. Either you think a gay person should be able to put a family photo on their desk just like a straight person or you don’t. But maybe you’ve never thought about that before in those terms and you’re not sure how you feel about it.

    Time123 (5d1082) — 11/28/2022 @ 5:28 am

    There’s nothing stopping the teachers from placing their pictures of their spouse on their desk. The district lawyers, reading between the lines, is being super conservative with the mindset to avoid future confrontation.

    What they should recognize, is that shouldn’t be the pretext to discuss their relationship to the students.

    That’s all, and it shouldn’t really be all that controversial.

    That’s not bigotry, that’s recognizing boundaries.

    whembly (905885)

  211. The Florida law does limit itself to “instruction”. Technically.

    But we’re talking about a State where you could not say “evolution” in a classroom until 2008 and still only as “the scientific theory of evolution”. To be fair (sarc), you were allowed to say “changes over time” before that.

    Now, a person who can be elected Governor of such a State, you sure you want him for President of the United States? Has Trump reduced us to that level?

    nk (ea2ea6)

  212. @214, Whembly, the law also allows for parents to sue the school directly. Absent clear guidance in the law and any precedent I’m not surprised that school district lawyers are being highly risk averse.

    Time123 (8e0723)

  213. 5 years from now, elective abortions will be legal in every state for much of, if not all of, the first trimester.

    Kevin M (1ea396) — 11/27/2022 @ 4:27 pm

    I’ll take that bet.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  214. No.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  215. MLB is a government sanctioned monopoly – and their ‘playgrounds’ built and financed w/bond issues on the backs of taxpayers. The game of baseball: poetry in motion; the business of baseball: a racket.

    A government-subsidized, government-permitted monopoly should not sanction a freely-elected legislature and then stand on its “rights” to continued subsidy and forbearance.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  216. Time,

    My feeling is that you have overstated all the arguments against DeSantis. The school rule was not homophobic. It simply kept some strident activists out of the primary school classroom. There are other things I would also keep out of the primary school classroom, such as climate change fearmongering and political indoctrination. The labors of Hercules, perhaps.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  217. MLB can do whatever it wants with it’s MLB all star game, as long as they pay for the broken contracts.

    The MLB is a public-private partnership and as such does not have the same freedom to act as does, say, Microsoft. They have explicit exemption from anti-trust and most of their stadiums are built with government funds.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  218. We’ll see who else runs and if they are any good.

    What I see with Internet politics is a form of narcissism — the attitude that only a candidate who believes EXACTLY as I do is worthy of my support. Everything is judged by litmus tests, and all issues are black and white. It’s really quite discouraging and the reflection of this attitude can be seen in most legislatures; no one can compromise as their base is the extremists.

    Our system is designed to work with a normal curve, left to right. Instead we have a bimodal distribution and we lurch along, getting nothing done until one side has all the votes, then WHAMMO!

    It doesn’t take Hari Seldon to forecast how this ends.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  219. They will sooner lynch every gay than endanger their pay, their benefits, their tenure, and their pensions.

    On a less extreme level you can look at the public schools in the inner cities and see what happens to every additional dollar. There is very little interest at HQ for passing the dollar to the classroom. Educating the kids is not the primary goal.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  220. Has Trump reduced us to that level?

    No, but he HAS set the bar.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  221. @218: Agreed. And it won’t happen. I cannot tell you the hostility in the Intelligence Community or the State Department towards Assange, and most of that is shared throughout the federal government. It will happen over Hillary’s dead body.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  222. Kevin, I think highly gerrymandered districts are a huge part of the problem you highlight in your comment at 10:37.

    Time123 (5d1082)

  223. Trump demands election loser Kari Lake be “installed” as governor in late-night Truth Social rant

    “Massive numbers of ‘BROKEN’ voting machines in Republican Districts on Election Day. Mechanics sent in to ‘FIX’ them made them worse. Kari had to be taken to a Democrat area, which was working perfectly, to vote. Her opponent ran the Election. This is yet another criminal voting operation – SO OBVIOUS. Kari Lake should be installed Governor of Arizona. This is almost as bad as the 2020 Presidential Election, which the Unselect Committee refuses to touch because they know it was Fraudulent!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

    Journalist Jeremy Duda noted that virtually everything Trump claimed is “inaccurate”.

    “Lake didn’t have to switch voting centers because there were no printer issues at PV Town Hall. Her opponent didn’t run the election. Technicians didn’t make the printer problems worse. No ‘voting machines’ were broken,” Duda tweeted.
    ………
    On Election Day, Republican Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Bill Gates said that 60 polling sites experienced printing problems with the ink not printing dark enough to be readable by tabulators. But the issue was resolved before polls closed and all valid votes were counted, he said.

    Maricopa County officials added that the malfunctioning ballot-counting machines did not indicate any instances of “fraud” and did not deny anyone the opportunity to vote.
    ……..

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  224. Rip,

    One can object to the Phoenix voting machine issue, and even point to it as a cause of a loss. But one still has to accept it. Only the most egregious fraud results in a re-vote. And this does not rise to that level. My points earlier were that to say there is “no evidence” of irregularity isn’t correct. More accurately, there isn’t enough evidence.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  225. @266: Chicken vs egg.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  226. In the past we have had gerrymanders (and probably more in the past). What we haven’t had so much have been highly polarized parties where the nominations are controlled by a radical base.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  227. Watching some FIFA WC football. And they say baseball is boring.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  228. 230, 226…still got to show up and pick for everything else. I’ve only been in one swingy CD (2018, Lauren Underwood, plus the epic Dold-Scneider-Dold-Schneider battles in 2010-16) but have been stuck in Bobby Rush’s sinecure my first few elections and then 2004 in the south ligament of the Luis Gutierrez gerrymander. At least Illinois’s day of voting party declaration makes it fun to “cockblock” really objectionable candidates.

    urbanleftbehind (d69183)

  229. Trumpsters on luzerne county pa. election board refuse to certify election. Also my pillow mike lindell will run for rethugliKKKan national committee chair.

    asset (ff9fdb)

  230. Qatar makes history as earliest host country to get eliminated

    If it wasn’t the host country, it might not have been in the competition.

    Idon’t know the exact rules for qualifying to play.

    Sammy Finkelman (1d215a)

  231. Whop came up with the idea that DeSantis needs to resign as Governor in order to run for federal office? One of Donald Trump’s lawyers?

    He has to move out of state (which entails resigning as Governor) in order to get Florida’s Electoral votes if he and Donald Trump are on the same ticket. Dick Cheney moved out of Texas and changed his legal residence back to Wyoming in 2000; Trump is not going to move to New Jersey.

    Sammy Finkelman (1d215a)

  232. Technicians didn’t make the printer problems worse. No ‘voting machines’ were broken,” Duda tweeted.

    I called the printers, printers and not voting machines.

    . But the issue was resolved before polls closed and all valid votes were counted, he said.

    But this did cause longer lines, and some people gave up and/or did not trust Box 3.

    The ballot-counting machines did not malfunction. The printers werent set to print some ballots right.

    Sammy Finkelman (1d215a)

  233. A comparison with France is also probably apt here, too:

    https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/27/upshot/road-deaths-pedestrians-cyclists.html

    Other developed countries lowered speed limits and built more protected bike lanes. They moved faster in making standard in-vehicle technology like automatic braking systems that detect pedestrians, and vehicle hoods that are less deadly to them. They designed roundabouts that reduce the danger at intersections, where fatalities disproportionately occur.

    In the U.S. in the past two decades, by contrast, vehicles have grown significantly bigger and thus deadlier to the people they hit. Many states curb the ability of local governments to set lower speed limits. The five-star federal safety rating that consumers can look for when buying a car today doesn’t take into consideration what that car might do to pedestrians.

    These diverging histories mean that while the U.S. and France had similar per capita fatality rates in the 1990s, Americans today are three times as likely to die in a traffic crash, according to Mr. Freemark’s research.

    It’s people outside of cars they are talking about.

    https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/us-traffic-fatalities-rising-what-would-it-take-save-lives

    To identify potential recipes for success, we compared changes in traffic fatalities in the US over the past few decades with those in France, whose per capita death rates were similar as recently as the 1990s. The French government’s investment in better enforcement against speeding, reductions in speed limits, and creation of safer walking routes, such as in pedestrianized city centers, have successfully reduced traffic deaths there far more quickly than stateside, saving thousands of lives. American states and cities can look to the French example for approaches to improving road safety…

    …It’s easy to assume these data are the result of Americans simply driving more than French people. In 1990, when residents of France were about as likely as Americans to die in traffic overall, that might’ve been true: French people then drove half as many miles per capita as Americans. That means, per mile traveled, French people were twice as likely to die on the roadways.

    But the situation has dramatically changed in the years since. French people continue to drive significantly less than Americans, but they now are 40 percent less likely to die per mile driven.

    In California, they just more or less decriminalized jaywalking.(heavy fines were California’s method of protecting pedestrians. But some people now argued that was racially unfair.

    https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/26/us/california-jaywalking-decriminalized.html

    But there was one extra thing holding him back: Nearly $5,000 in fines for jaywalking and similar offenses.

    He recalled one ticket vividly. He had looked both ways for oncoming traffic on a street in Novato, Calif., and then crossed to a Goodwill store, only to find a police officer waiting for him with a ticket in hand.

    “I couldn’t afford to pay it,” Mr. Sarris said. “I was well known as a homeless person, and I got targeted.”

    California has long had a reputation for strict enforcement of jaywalking laws. That is about to change with a new law decriminalizing the offense that goes into effect on Jan. 1. Under the “Freedom to Walk” act, signed on Sept. 30 by Gov. Gavin Newsom, pedestrians will no longer be given a moving violation with a fine of up to $250 if they cross outside of designated intersections.

    Sammy Finkelman (1d215a)

  234. nk You seem to not know how different Bernie Sanders, AOC and the squad financed their campaigns as opposed to corporate establishment democrats. They only take small donations from their supporters averaging usually around $27 dollars. They get a lot of them however. The donor class wont donate to them and think they are a threat to them which they are! As for teachers like all workers conservatives believe they wont join together to fight them. Most teachers are liberals and leftists as conservatives wont put up with the low pay. I don’t attack other posters here and hope you don’t take this as an attack on you.

    asset (ff9fdb)

  235. 170. NJRob (eb56c3) — 11/27/2022 @ 3:38 pm

    Leftists run minority districts completely and entirely.

    And they regularly lose votes, because it doesn’t matter for local elections.

    Sammy Finkelman (1d215a)

  236. Rip,

    One can object to the Phoenix voting machine issue, and even point to it as a cause of a loss. But one still has to accept it. Only the most egregious fraud results in a re-vote. And this does not rise to that level. My points earlier were that to say there is “no evidence” of irregularity isn’t correct. More accurately, there isn’t enough evidence.

    Kevin M (1ea396) — 11/28/2022 @ 11:42 am

    The problem is Trump and his ant-democratic rants.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  237. 135.

    Top five issues for Congress Moving Forward (All Voters/Democratic/Republican)

    …Banning LGTBQ Instruction (K-3): 35/12/61

    This is a federal issue???

    This poll is contributing to confusion.

    Also it probably selected a few Republican talking points, but maybe gave a wider choice of Dem issues

    Sammy Finkelman (1d215a)

  238. Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 11/28/2022 @ 1:27 pm

    The problem is Trump and his anti-democratic rants.

    He’ll take any election criticism that comes along and then distort it.

    Sammy Finkelman (1d215a)

  239. Mass protests in China over Covid lockdowns and CCP rule. The US should warn them if troops are mobilized.

    And in Belgium over losing a soccer game.

    Sammy Finkelman (1d215a)

  240. Cutting Off Your Nose to Spite Your Face.…..

    ……..
    ……..(O)nce the voters have spoken, it is the duty of the board of supervisors in each (Arizona) county to canvass the election results within 20 days of the election (this year, Nov. 28) and to send the certified results to the secretary of state so that the statewide canvass can be completed by the fourth Monday following the election (this year, Dec. 5).

    This duty is not optional − it is mandatory. The law gives the board of supervisors no authority or discretion whatsoever to refuse this mandate. ……
    ……..
    If the board has still refused to certify by the Dec. 5 deadline for state certification (which can be extended to Dec. 8, but no later), the law requires that the secretary of state still move ahead with the statewide canvass of results. In that case, the statewide canvass would not include the results from Cochise County, which is heavily Republican.

    This mass disenfranchisement of Cochise County voters − at the hands of their own board of supervisors − could result in flipping the final results in a number of tight races, with Republican candidates and voters paying the price. For example, Republican Juan Ciscomani would likely lose his congressional race to Democrat Kirsten Engel.

    That decision could prove decisive in the race for state superintendent, handing Democrats a win over their Republican opponents. This outcome would be even more likely if another heavily Republican county, such as Mohave County, followed the lead of Cochise County and likewise refused to certify.
    ………
    ………(I)t is particularly ironic that a Republican-controlled board of supervisors could end up disenfranchising their own voters and hand Democrats even more victories in the midterms. ……

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  241. It doesn’t take Hari Seldon to forecast how this ends.
    Kevin M (1ea396) — 11/28/2022 @ 10:37 am

    I like the Foundation reference.

    felipe (484255)

  242. The US should warn them if troops are mobilized.

    To what end? It is an internal Chinese matter. The US (and the West in general) is too preoccupied with Ukraine/Russia, and there is nothing the West could do to support the protests.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  243. This says that the Florida resign to run law applies (only) to state offices:

    https://www.votebrevard.gov/Candidates/Resign-to-Run-Information

    IMPORTANT! RESIGN TO RUN INFORMATION (99.012, F.S.)

    The “resign-to-run law” essentially prohibits an elected or appointed “officer” from qualifying as a candidate for another state, district, county or municipal public office if the terms or any part of the terms overlap with each other if the person did not resign from the office the person presently holds.

    Qualifying would mean recognized as a candidate.

    Sammy Finkelman (1d215a)

  244. It might protect some lives, or scare the Chinese government, at least for awhile, and maybe thigs will work differently than they did in 1976 or 1989. And the more trouble inside China the safer Taiwan is.

    Sammy Finkelman (1d215a)

  245. Kevin M (1ea396) — 11/28/2022 @ 10:37 am

    It doesn’t take Hari Seldon to forecast how this ends.

    Congress allowing unlimited legal immigration – and then reversing itself with six months notice, resulting is 50 million legal immigrants in one year.

    Sammy Finkelman (1d215a)

  246. @232:

    When I moved into Westchester (CA), I was in a swing district that had close fights with Jane Harmon (D) winning narrowly several times. Then in 2000, they decided that there were too many GOP votes in the district and scooped my whitebread SFH area into Maxine Waters district. This drove her 80% wins down to 70% wins, and let the Democrats hold the old district forever.

    Despite the “Independent Commission” redistricting in CA has become more gerrymandered not less, as the commission members are largely picked by the powers that be. The last one was 5 solid Democrats, 5 left-leaning Independents and 5 left-leaning Republicans. When they were done this time, they prided themselves on DEI and creating more Hispanic districts.

    A suggestion for actual independent commissions: The partisan members are selected purely by the party itself, independent members by lot, and the final map has to be approved by 2/3rds.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  247. Cutting Off Your Nose to Spite Your Face.…..

    Alternate title: “Civil War Moves Closer”

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  248. It might protect some lives, or scare the Chinese government, at least for awhile, and maybe thigs will work differently than they did in 1976 or 1989. And the more trouble inside China the safer Taiwan is.

    Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 11/28/2022 @ 1:49 pm

    In other words, more Western performance art. If the Chinese government would be willing to use its troops against its own citizens, I doubt a warning with no consequences would have much of an effect. The CCP has shown it is willing to make the tough choices despite Western condemnation-Tiananmen Square and suppression of the Hong Kong democracy protests. The ability of the West to influence CCP behavior is almost non-existent.

    And I disagree that the Chinese protests make Taiwan safer. An attack on Taiwan would be a good way to whip up nationalist fervor and distract the Chinese population.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  249. China has a real problem. Back in 1989, they were dealing with the first generation of educated masses demanding political participation. Now there are 2 more generations being treated as if they were peasants from 1949. There is an increasing break between governors and governed, with the social contract based on “we’ve make things better, you’ll see.”

    And things are noticeably worse with all these infinite lockdowns. The economy, based on export, is also running up against their customers’ distaste for Xi, his system, and his genocidal policies. This will all combine for a huge recession in the next few years. At that point the social compact collapses fully and the can govern only by the gun.

    Prediction: the lockdowns will end soon. Xi may not be in charge when they do.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  250. The ability of the West to influence CCP behavior is almost non-existent.

    We can ban all their goods and they would fold up like a house of cards.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  251. The ability of the West to influence CCP behavior is almost non-existent.

    We can ban all their goods and they would fold up like a house of cards.

    Kevin M (1ea396) — 11/28/2022 @ 2:19 pm

    Fat chance of that happening.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  252. @252. The ability of the West to influence CCP behavior is almost non-existent.

    Yep.

    _______

    @254. ‘We can ban all their goods and they would fold up like a house of cards.’

    “We can ban all their goods… and America’s economy would fold up like a house of cards.”

    FIFY:

    Why Is The U.S. So Ridiculously Dependent On China?

    – Take pharmaceuticals for example. Over 70% of active pharmaceutical ingredients used in the U.S. market are produced overseas. Almost all of the ibuprofen sold here comes from China.

    – The leading supplier of 5G equipment — and largest owner of patents — is Huawei, not Cisco Systems. Huawei is the poster child of a China that has graduated from Happy Meal toy makers to Polo stitch-and-sew factory worker to the guys who created the TikTok app.

    Why is the U.S. so ridiculously dependent on just one country, a country which shares almost no social values with the U.S., and surely does not share the same political system.

    [=drumroll= Start w/your hero, The Big Dick]:

    China was being groomed to become a low cost producer for U.S. multinationals since the time of Republican President Richard Nixon. That got the ball rolling. The idea was not to turn it into a manufacturing hub at the expense of the U.S., but an open China would become a more middle class China and a middle class China would overthrow the Communist Party elite. So the “experts” believed.

    [more Elitist Egghead Salad, served in all think tank cafeterias and university lounges to the tenured, leather-patched elbow set.]

    All of this happened during the Cold War. U.S. business owners had to placate labor because labor had an alternative model — Soviet communism. If business owners didn’t work with labor, it added credence to the Soviet model, and that put businesses at risk of labor disputes and potentially even revolts.

    Then the Cold War ended, and labor was kicked to the curb. It all went abroad in the late 1980s and 1990s, culminating into a mass exit once China joined the World Trade Organization under Democratic President Bill Clinton.

    Both parties were pro China because the business industry constituents wanted more certainty regarding U.S. China trade relations. Prior to joining the WTO, China’s favored nation trading status was up to the political whims of the American Congress. A recent whitepaper prepared for a policy conference, “Policies to Improve the Competitiveness of U.S. Manufacturing”, organized by Indiana University and the Hudson Institute, also notes that an increase imperative of shareholders over labor equated to cost cutting labor in order to maximize shareholder profits.

    Of course none of this ends will. It leads to the kind of inequality that Bridgewater Associates Ray Dalio is always talking about, something he has gone on the record as saying he fears could upend and unravel the Western capitalist system. Davos Man has been bemoaning this for years at the World Economic Forum, while rolling out the red carpet for Xi Jinping during his first appearance in January 2017 as a loosely veiled swipe to newly elected president Donald “Tariff Man” Trump.

    For corporate America traded on the stock exchange, the easiest way to cut costs was to cut jobs, and the easiest way to do that was to move production to China.

    It started with low-skill, high labor content industries such as apparel. China wasn’t alone in this. Mexico was also a beneficiary of this move. [That ‘giant sucking sound’ Populist Perot perpetually parroted.] Then consumer electronics followed, which is another sector China is dominant. In the early years of China’s role as budding manufacturing hub, American color television manufacturers RCA and Zenith moved all production to Asia — mainly China — because assembly was labor intensive, requiring little skill, and American firms believed the industry had reached maturity so innovation was less of a competitive factor than low cost. South Korea now pretty much leads on the innovation side of television sets.

    Worth noting, Brazil had a free trade zone in Manuas, a city in the Amazon, designed to do this kind of work. But China was much cheaper, labor laws were much weaker. Brazil lost out.

    In a report titled “Invent Here, Manufacture There” published the University of Indiana, University of Michigan professor Sridhar Kota and Thomas C. Mahoney, the associate director for MForesight, an industry think tank, wrote that U.S. dependence on foreign suppliers, and loss of domestic suppliers, is not limited to lower cost trinkets and widgets. It runs way up the value chain, and China is key to most of it.

    “Across multiple industries, the U.S. has lost its industrial commons, the collective R&D, engineering, and manufacturing capabilities that sustain innovation in physical products,” they wrote. “Outsourcing production over multiple decades has left the country without the means or ability to innovate, let alone produce, the next generation of high-technology products. The country has lost suppliers, skilled trades, and the product and process design and engineering knowledge that can only be built and renewed through hands-on production.”

    A recent study found that the United States is now dependent on foreign suppliers and producers for not only cheap components and consumer goods like sneakers and plug-in headphones, but also high-end electronics, major pharmaceutical inputs and medical equipment, and also defense supplies and technology. The latter does not single out China.

    U.S. defense contractors like Raytheon and Lockheed Martin have manufacturing in strong ally states like India, which makes the wings for the C-100 Hercules, and numerous weaponry electronics are made in Mexico. Those factories are now closed, so the U.S., if it needed C-100s, would have to rely on the Tata Group to get its factory workers back to work…

    Dan DiMicco, former chairman of steelmaker Nucor and author of the book “American Made: Why Making Things Will Return The U.S. To Greatness”, says China has taken a cue from 1980s Japan. Back then, Japan was the bad guy. Their currency was artificially cheap. The U.S. couldn’t compete. A currency deal with the U.S. — the Plaza Accord — changed that. Then came China, full bore.

    “The Chinese just did what the Japanese did times a million,” he says. “It’s spider to the fly stuff. Why is everything made there? You have to ask every board and CEO of big pharma and big industry. They were told ‘come to China and we will give you a 50% devaluation of the currency, plus cheap labor, plus free land, plus no interest rate loans, no safety or environmental regulations that are going to drive up your costs 30%.’ Over here you have labor unions and the EPA and OSHA and the Japanese making their lives difficult, so they just went to China to make it all there. Then the Chinese middle class got bigger. Greed puts blinders on you.”

    For Kota and Mahoney, the coronavirus crisis has revealed that broad-based, multi-industry dependence on foreign sources has reached a tipping point. China is front and center in all of this.

    China’s plans for future technological development in its Greater Bay Area — their version of Silicon Valley — will one day attract American tech talent and venture capital. They will move out of Palo Alto, and go there if the pastures are greener. The Chinese, Indian and Russian tech talent that comes to the U.S. may very well find the tropical south of China just as appealing, just as global, if China decided it was strategic to let them in.

    China’s Made in China 2025 plan, which includes plans to expand in areas such as blockchain technology, artificial intelligence, robotics, semiconductor and chip making technology, along with biotech, should have the same effect on the U.S. government as Russia sending a man into space, Kota and Mahoney write.

    In the Cold War heyday, the Sputnik program forced Washington to rev up investments in order to win the space race, ultimately getting John F. Kennedy to focus a nation on landing a man on the moon. “A similar national effort, encompassing both the public and private sectors, is needed,” the University of Indiana report authors wrote.

    The alternative is a continued erosion of innovative capacity, gaping inequality, and the very real chance that a dependence on China turns into a dependence on government to make ends meet…’

    https://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapoza/2020/04/30/why-is-the-us-is-so-ridiculously-dependent-on-china/?sh=7c24e1856b5c

    So the immediate future for any United States/PRC policy is in the hands of the doddering doofus mayor of Brandon Falls, now a week into his 81st year on Earth.

    … and Xi Jinping smiled.

    “Stay out of B-29s, Frank, my boy…” – ‘Doc’ [William Powell] ‘Mister Roberts’ 1955

    DCSCA (2530c3)

  253. The Peter Principle “strikes” again: ol’Amtrak Joe; Mister Choo-Choo -Charlie, says let Congress play with his trains and work out avoiding a rail strike.

    Ahhh, the sweet smell of “leadership…” as only the chemical cracking towers a puitz from Delaware could provide.

    DCSCA (2530c3)

  254. @244 Mohave county supervisor said he voted to certify election because he would be arrested on felony charge if he refused.

    asset (ff9fdb)

  255. Fat chance of that happening.

    Perhaps. But our ability to influence them is not “non-existent.” We just choose not to do it.

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  256. Mohave county supervisor said he voted to certify election because he would be arrested on felony charge if he refused.

    Odd use of the word “voted”

    Kevin M (1ea396)

  257. Perhaps. But our ability to influence them is not “non-existent.” We just choose not to do it.

    Like when America repeatedly complains to deaf-if-not-defiant Chinese ears when large, spent PRC booster rockets plummet in an uncontrolled manner to Earth.

    Influence on parade: October 19, 1950: MacArthur’s Greatest Blunder, China Invades Korea

    ‘On October 19, 1950, the worst fears of President Truman came true, when despite General Douglas MacArthur’s confident assessment that the Chinese would not cross the Yalu River and interfere with the Korean War, 200,000 Chinese soldiers streamed across the river and attacked UN/South Korean forces. MacArthur had told Truman only about 100,000 Chinese soldiers were near the Yalu, a gross underestimate. Even after initial fighting with Chinese, MacArthur did not grasp the scope of the disaster… With Soviet dictator Josef Stalin’s urging, Chairman Mao of China authorized his army to intervene on behalf of their North Korean allies, and the unprepared Americans were pushed back deep into South Korea once again. General MacArthur threatened the destruction of China, seen as a threat to use nuclear weapons, and demanded an enormous increase in US forces along with permission to invade China. MacArthur’s blunder, disrespect of President Truman, and the military reverses led to his dismissal in April of 1951 and the appointment of Lt. General Matthew Ridgway as American commander.’

    https://www.historyandheadlines.com/history-october-19-1950-macarthurs-greatest-blunder-china-invades-korea/

    But hey, no mean tweets!

    DCSCA (40d6c7)

  258. DCSCA,

    Were you in Chicago this morning?

    urbanleftbehind (00379c)

  259. @262. Meh. Landing to kiss the local blarney stone: seems even the ghosts of Chicago’s rat-a-tat-tat-Moran/Capone gang fight still draws a bunch of buttinsky Feds.

    “All right now… let’s do some good!” Eliot Ness [Kevin Costner] ‘The Untouchables’ 1987

    DCSCA (40d6c7)

  260. Biden draws backlash for greenlighting Chevron to resume pumping oil in Venezuela

    ‘President Biden‘s shift on energy and foreign policy has sparked outrage. Critics are accusing the administration of hypocrisy for promoting a green agenda domestically while lifting oil sanctions on an adversary and allowing Chevron to resume production in Venezuela… The Treasury Department branded the move as “important steps in the right direction to restore democracy in the country.” The White House insisted it had nothing to do with trying to lower inflated gasoline prices. Republicans found the explanation hard to believe.

    “We have ample, untapped natural resources to make the U.S. energy independent,” tweeted Sen. James Risch of Idaho, the ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee. “The President simply refuses to use them.”

    The Treasury Department granted a license to Chevron to pump Venezuelan oil in partnership with the country’s state-run oil company that will need to be renewed every six months, marking the first time the company can operate there since the Trump administration implemented sanctions in a bid to oust its dictatorship.’

    https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2022/nov/28/biden-draws-backlash-greenlighting-chevron-resume-/

    B-b-b-b-ut what about the environment, Squinty? Did you clear this with jet-setter Kerry?

    “Stupid is as stupid does.”- Forrest Gump [Tom Hanks] ‘Forrest Gump’ 1994

    DCSCA (40d6c7)

  261. The Biden Administration may have changed the rationale from pumping more oil (that doesn’t disturb the “green” people because it’s not being done in the USA and they don’t bother about foreign oil drilling, leaving tat to the Paris agreement)

    They may have changed the rationale to promoting democracy in Venezuela.

    Sammy Finkelman (1d215a)


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