176 Comments

How dare you give me hope?

But thank you.

Expand full comment

I love it when he uses logic to calm things down. Thank you for the good night's sleep!

Expand full comment

Already voted on the 19th. Just sent out another 130 postcards to voters. Went to a Harris rally in Atlanta last Saturday. The polls are no longer helpful. I'm not reading them. Reminding my friends to be sure and vote. I feel better when they send me a selfie of themselves with their "I Voted" sticker.

Expand full comment

We mailed out a thousand today.

Expand full comment

WOW!👏🏼👏🏼

Expand full comment

I have always ignored the polls, because I consider election day the poll. Until then, one has to do whatever one can. I am in Germany, and a member of Democrats Abroad. We have been told that everyone in the Democrats Abroad mailing list has been contacted and post-carded numerous times, if they have not been active for a while and we are done. Now we are told if we get a VPN and a US phone we can join in calling lists in the States, so many are figuring out how to do that. Me as well.

I have also been checking in on my family in the US who are under 30 making sure that my nieces and nephews who just lost their mom are voting. One has voted the rest are voting early this weekend. My nephew is driving to pick his sister up from college to bring her home to vote where she is still registered. I helped my daughter, who attends university in Germany to vote for her first national election. She is 19. My local group has set up times when we would be available to help people vote in local cafes. I have also been announcing it at venues that Americans might frequent. Several of the women here who are faculty at local universities are resources on campus for their American students.

I am in a Democrats Abroad Project 2025 Book club, which we are more than half way through the 30 chapters plus forward and afterward and becoming experts on the Christian Nationalist written document. We also read related materials. It has been eye opening, and it makes me look at everything I read in the news with more insight. I looked at the Hurricanes blasting through the US and knew that P2025 would have FEMA only pay around 25% of damages and get rid of federal flood insurance. They would also do away with NOAA and the national weather bureau so there would have been no tracking and no warning system, and even more would have lost there lives and even more devastation. We also know with the massive immigrant deportation program there also would not be enough people to clean up the mess, and rebuild. Actually, they are planning on child labor there as opposed to funding public education which they will stop, and let states manage it on their own. So, I spread the word on the content, and have given a speech at a rally about it.

One of our members was paying for postage herself to send post cards to swing states. Then, because she has cancer, she is using her sick leave to go to the US where she has been in North Carolina knocking on doors. So, we have all voted and are trying to do our part from abroad. We know that both Georgia and Arizona went for Biden and got in Democrats in Congress or their state governments from Votes from Abroad. We hope to have the same effect again.

Expand full comment

I have answered 3 polls in the last 2 months and never completed any of them. The first focused on Matt Cartwright. After I said I was voting for him I was asked several "what if I told you" questions so I hung up. The other two were going the same way with Harris so I hung up. How many Democrats hang up? The purpose of these polls is to give Republicans something to complain about. I don't trust the numbers I see. Especially the WSJ.

Expand full comment

I don’t even answer the phone.

Expand full comment

Thanks to all the people who are working so hard to keep our democracy.

Expand full comment

Superb, Linda! The efforts you have outlined are like a shot of B-12. Thank you to all our fellow Americans abroad. ( and to all those world-wide pulling for our Democracy!)

Expand full comment

My anxiety rages on unabated. First thought: the potential A G could be our favorite judge Aileen Cannon, who is an absolute tool of the Heritage Foundation. That’s what worries me the most; not his idiot base but the big dark money so heavily invested in Project 2025. And Putin, who’s very clearly running huge misinformation to not lose his stooge again. I am kept going hoping that young people, especially the women, of this country who are already marching to the polls will push this way over the top for Harris, but I’m also worried about all of the election deniers and other Maga faithful who have been placed in positions to create a lot of havoc. I have no problem imagining post election violence if Harris gets elected because I believe this time it will be dealt with very differently.

Expand full comment

And now we hear Musk and Putin have been in communication over the past two years according to the WSJ!

Expand full comment

Yeah, what kind of shit is that?? Elon wants to be king of the world. He could care less about the DJ Trump.

Expand full comment

It is so difficult to single out any one of the many sick, ugly, and twisted people in Donnie‘s orbit but Musk is in a class of his own. He has accomplished nothing by his own wits merely stolen from others and had the good fortune of inheritance. A loathsome man among many loathsome men with the money to do real damage.

Expand full comment

Could or couldn't? 🤔

Expand full comment

Having learned how Hitler suspended the democratic institutions, and had the parliament give him absolute power, and then proceeded to go after his list of 400, I never underestimate the power of a dictator to impose their will on the people. Hitler was throwing a tea party at his home for members of his cabinet and their families while a hit squad went out and murdered every single person on his list without a trial or judgement. We have already seen the entire MAGA party supplicate to every nasty evil thing he does. I do not see the US democratic institutions holding up under Trump, because I have watched them not be democratic when the people have not cared. I see Chuck Schumer being tortured into confessing to crimes and then been tried in imprisoned at best, killed at worst. Vigilantes like the Proud Boys can come kill him in prison like the US allowed to happen to Blacks with nary a protest. They would of course be pardoned.

In fact, I assume that Project 2025 document does not detail how they will be suspending our democratic institutions. It still has a lot of Congress has to go along with things. Will all MAGA candidates refuse to accept defeat and the Supreme Court put them in place of the Democrats that won against them?

So, I am clear that we need a blue wave. It looks like we are starting off with one, and Harris and volunteers are doing everything they can to keep it coming.

Expand full comment

It's good that you think this, but no.

Expand full comment

I’m worried that the first thing Dumbass would do is suspend the Constitution. Then he could violate any federal laws and procedures he wants.

Expand full comment

Even though I work as a ballot clerk in our tiny rural town and I expect to be at the polling place all day November 5th, I went ahead & voted today, just to get it done and to take my name off any call lists--freeing up time to call somebody who might need reminding. Get 'er done!!!!

Expand full comment

Thank You for your service, TL!!

Expand full comment

Ditto.

Expand full comment

How do they know not to call?

Expand full comment

I think those who operate phonebanks for Dems must get lists of people who have already voted? I don't really know; I have read that reason somewhere on a Substack comment board. It did make sense to me, since whenever I have phonebanked, I get lists of phone numbers for people who haven't voted recently and the like.

Expand full comment

“He (Schumer) would be released pending a court appearance for his arraignment.” / I disagree. Should Crazypants somehow become potus, all bets are off. Just look at the lawyers who did his bidding last time. Though they’re all disbarred, there are more where that crowd came from (in fact, maybe the same ones would reappear, by fiat.) If he succeeds, the law will be whatever he says it is … unless he is overthrown.

Expand full comment

On the one hand, I completely agree with you that all bets are off, and that he'll make the law whatever he wants. We've underestimated this soulless subhuman asshole time and time again.

On the other, why take the agita level up to 11 by even contemplating these scenarios before they happen? I found a traffic cam feed that is now the only thing playing on my TV until November 6, I can't tell you how soothing it is to watch!

Expand full comment

I believe in a plan A, and a plan B and in this case even a plan C, which is to be flexible and informed.

Expand full comment

I am on your track. I have (mostly) given up MSNBC and reading most political columns. Obviously not this one ...

Expand full comment

C-Span had the Al Smith dinner recently...knew it would be hilarious...it was.

Expand full comment

You found it hilarious? I think Cardinal Dolan should have been yanked off the dais.

Expand full comment

I agree! Dictators with a lot of willing people on their side always find a way.

Expand full comment

Above all else Trump is a coward. He may know little but he knows that Hitler died in a bunker as a much younger man than he is. Hitler was a true believer in the cause. Trump is a true believer in Trump. He doesn't have the energy Hitler had or his diabolical mind. Our system is set up differently than Germany in the 30s and Trump won't live long enough to change it, even if he had the strength. I would be afraid of Hitler if he were around. I refuse to be afraid of little man Trump.

Expand full comment

What if Trump, should he win, appoint Stephen Miller and Stephen Bannon to the Cabinet and they carry out his orders?

What if is a great way to worry about the unlikely ever happening but it's good exercise to remember that there was a time when everyone laughed at Hitler."He could never, ever do that." "He's not serious" "Oh, just another blow hard."

6 million people later, we know better.

I don't like to worry and I don't want to ever have to justify this worry, but I will remind everyone that:

80+ years ago there was a Nazi gathering at Madison Square Garden.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1939_Nazi_rally_at_Madison_Square_Garden

Donald Trump is going to hold a rally there.

"Doors for the Sunday, Oct. 27 event open at 12 p.m. The rally will begin at 5 p.m. Drivers should avoid the area near W. 34th St. and 8th Ave."

Be worried.

Expand full comment

6 million. That's the number we heard in School. We can toss in a few million extra for Soviet POWs, ethnic Poles, Roma, and people with disabilities, dissenters...

Expand full comment

12,000,000 total......in the camps

Expand full comment

See my listing above.

Expand full comment

See my listing above.

Expand full comment

He will appoint the most odious and sadistic people.

Expand full comment

His own Goebbels & Goring, at his service.

Expand full comment

DT is already surrounded by them, being the king of odious himself with JDV as the prince of odious. Of course, I believe there will be a battle for control of the White House and government between Trump and the Tech bros that back JDV as their proxy president that they plan on controlling. He too can as Hitler did, go after those hands how fed him with this power, so they are fools to count on that.

Expand full comment

He is surrounded by some real sickos. They are eagerly waiting in the wings.

Expand full comment

Six million dead in the Holocaust is the conventional number for that, but WWII in total killed 50 to 75 million people all over. (They still don't agree on the total death count.) It's much worse than six million, even tho' that number stands out as a singular atrocity.

Expand full comment

If I remember correctly, 6 million was just the number of Jews killed though the number was later revised upwards and the total toll was 12-20 million once you include gays, Romani, dissidents, etc.

Expand full comment

It was a lot more than 6 million people. It was 6 million Jews, and another 5+ million others killed in the death camps. Then, as a casualty of WWII there were around 27 million Soviets killed, many of them in the Ukraine (Slavs) and ethnic Poles. This text below has the death toll at around 75 million.

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-hccc-worldhistory2/chapter/casualties-of-world-war-ii/#:~:text=The%20Soviet%20Union%20lost%20around,the%20final%20battles%20in%20Germany.

Expand full comment

I wrote 6 million as the base line number. I know it was far, far more, accounting for all of the deaths in WWII of civilians has never been easy because there were so many never discovered.

Expand full comment

I'm with you. And if he wins, I am also going to Switzerland.

Expand full comment

Remember that Switzerland was such a wonderful ally in WW2 -neutral, hands off, and somehow staying solvent and thriving during a world war. Staying neutral when evil engulfs pretty much benefits the evil-doer.

Expand full comment

I think that after the war a lot of Swiss bankers just took over the dormant bank accounts of Jews who were killed by the Nazis and had no survivors to claim the money. It would have been easy to do.

Expand full comment

There are warehouses in Zurich that still contain art treasures stolen by the Nazis. Swiss bankers financed the Third Reich. Bastards!!😡😡

Expand full comment

Will you adopt us so we can get visas? We'll be perfect children!! (;-))

Expand full comment

I'm not worried. Trump is a low energy, incompetent coward. I refuse to be afraid of him. He's nothing.

Expand full comment

I'm not afraid of him, per se. I'm afraid of the people who he's surrounded with-they wrote Project 2025, and are Stephen Miller, Steve Bannon, and others who have a lack of ethics and morals the original Nazis would have found very pleasing. They're the ones who would carry out their version of what they personally believe. They're the ones we should be frightened of.

Expand full comment

It's adorable that you think that any kind of due process or Constitutional procedure would be followed here. All of that will be a dead letter the minute he puts his hand on the Bible on January 20. The more likely outcome is that Schumer (or whoever) is simply dragged out of his home by goons and taken away somewhere.

Nobody will dare prosecute this as a kidnapping, or hold anyone involved accountable. No attorney would dare file a case; even if that happened, no judge would dare to hear it. . No media will dare report it. Anyone in Congress who objected could expect that the same will happen to them, because that's how fascism works.

He's said he'd suspend the Constitution. I think we should believe him.

Expand full comment

Bible? Seriously? I'm betting he would want to be sworn in on one of "his" books, now available for $199 on, I don't know somewhere or another.

Expand full comment

Jeez, it's precious that you seem to believe there would be no resistance to fascism here in the United States. Frankly, LOL, it would be relentless.

Expand full comment

This, this is the painful truth. Thank you for posting it.

Expand full comment

What "truth," that no one will resist fascism, really?

Expand full comment

I totally disagree. The institutions would hold and Trump is just a tired old coward who is losing his mind. However, since he is going to lose we will never know.

Expand full comment

And what kind of chaos will the maggots create, many of them armed?

Expand full comment

To mix metaphors here, when you’re up to your ass in alligators it’s hard to remember your objective was to drain the swamp. No matter what happens, He will continue to be a lying shit bag fake. We must not lose faith in doing the right We have to beat this clown because otherwise our nation as we know it, is going to change radically and that’s depressing.

Expand full comment

If we still have a nation...

Expand full comment

Dumbass will suspend the Constitution so that he and his cohorts can do whatever they want. As far as breaking State laws, what if the magistrate judges are all maggots?

Expand full comment

You assume the federal judge on the Schumer case would throw out the spurious charges. Four years back, I would have assumed that, too. Now, after watching Congresscritters and Supreme Court justices cower before The Donald, I'm way less confident Schumer would walk free. I hope you are right, but I have doubts that I didn't used to have.

Expand full comment

All the unbiased judges will be replacedAll the courts will have pro-Dumbass judges.

Expand full comment

Sorry Guys, I can’t read through this. It exceeds my quota of election speculation.

Just attended a literary conference at the Ukrainian Cultural Institute and l have to sort through the post-Soviet Blues. I can’t possibly contemplate any other “what if’s!”

Just consider this: where there’s life, there’s hope!

Expand full comment

Thank you.

Expand full comment

A little early for anxiety...Dems are way too fragile, hand-wringing over every pundit expressing doubts. Only the press is clamoring for Kamala to "clarify" her positions, she's doing great with her current campaign of not getting boxed in to divisive positions. Her strategy of optimism and the future is perfect against a deranged wanna-be fascist dictator. As Ronnie said,"trust, but verify" which we can do by getting out the vote.

Expand full comment

I don't think we're too fragile, but I believe in being prepared. When I was in college, Reagan (our governor) had the national guard drop tear gas out of a helicopter over a crowd of 2000 people the guard had penned in in Lower Sproul Plaza. Always think of the worst and do what you can to be prepared for it.

Expand full comment

Sheesh. I wonder if it's too late to order a gas mask...

Expand full comment

Are there still army surplus stores? We always used bandanas over our faces, and wet them. You could walk into the restroom of the student union and girls would be at all the sinks dampening their bandanas. I have about 20 of them, all colors.

Expand full comment

My dear late husband always said "Prepare for the worst, but hope for the best." Words I still live by.

Expand full comment

That's the Florida motto, although it used to be just about hurricanes, and then DeSantis showed up.

Expand full comment

A Trump win or loss WILL bring violence

Expand full comment
Comment deleted
Oct 25
Comment deleted
Expand full comment

Maybe a good guy with a gun?

Expand full comment

Yes, that is the way it is supposed to work but as we have seen with this megalomaniac he is all about the performance and, then, moving onto the next performance to distract the mob from his incompetence and fecklessness.

My worse case scenario is what IF he and Stephen (Stop Calling Me HImmler) Miller decide to undertake any kind of deportation order mass or otherwise. What agencies and employees of the Federal government will he order to and become involved with mass incarcerations without any legal basis? Will we see deportation camps being constructed in Texas by the DOD and manned by active duty military who might be better deployed in some other part of the world?

Last time Miller actully kidnapped children and separated them from their parents. He has not yet spent a day under indictment for that criminal act. Why should we expect our increasingly feckless legal system to protect a whole new class of people who are powerless to protect themselves?

Expand full comment

I doubt he could do much of what he says he wants to, but the people that he hires will be so evil and incompetent it will take decades to recover. I've been checking out real estate in Portugal myself.

Expand full comment

Same. Also Spain, Costa Rica...

Expand full comment

Canada, France, Ireland, New Zealand -- the list goes on and on.

Expand full comment

No, Iceland is the most like the Bay Area. But if the AMOC collapses, all of Europe will be very cold. California should hope to be on its own.

Expand full comment

Maybe sign up for one of the cooler internment camps, upgrade for deportation, and then check to notice board daily to see what deals are out there for The Deportables. I hear Italy has whole villages in need of residents, so there might be some pretty sweet deals when the time comes. Hopefully they'll have brochures about the internment camp options and we can sign up for early internment so I can get a cot close to the buffet and pickleball courts.

Expand full comment

Fala Português?

Expand full comment

Thank you! Bless you. And blast tRump, preferably to Mars with Elon.

Expand full comment