Americans are complicit in their own degradation. The country's motto should be "I Got Mine, Jack". As a woman, it is terrifying to know that the country hates us enough to put Trump back in power.
They want to kill us all. And don't expect the military to stand up to Trump - anyone refusing to obey an illegal order will be cashiered and court-martialed, and then prosecuted as a civilian for "treason". Welcome to the Fourth Reich.
I agree. The most (or perhaps more accurately, the worse) he can probably do is to get red state compliant national guard to try and “police” we citizens, but I suspect that won’t work.
Agree. It absolutely will. Trump doesn’t understand this, as he doesn’t understand much about his job or the web of statutes that define what he can and can’t do, but Ive observed from 26 years of commissioned service that very senior officers, like Mattis and Kelly and Milley, are honorable men and operate under a code of honor that is anathema to a piece of grifter trash like Trump. The military in this country is not a personal army, like Hitler’s SS or the earlier SA.
Certainly this group of Opus Dei self loathing eyeliner wearing perverts hates women. It’s not a coincidence that scandals involving sexual abuse aren’t all that common in convents.
For straight women, the economic and cultural incentives to do so are very strong. We've also seen over the last few decades why many men are so dead-set against any kind of women's independence: They can't take care of themselves without the support of mothers, wives, and girlfriends. (This helps explain the declining longevity of white men.)
I am grateful for your comforting writing, Lucian. But am feeling blindsided by the trusted people I read and listen to for my information. None of them even hinted that this might happen. I feel like I've been lied to, and those in the red bubble were actually knowing the facts. Depending on how competent his angry monkeys are, we may find our artists in a situation like those in Russia. We can no longer expect ANYTHING to remain the same.
I spent 12 hours as a poll worker in Philadelphia yesterday in an African american neighborhood. The vibe was so positive. Record turn out, even higher than during the Obama years. So many young first time voters who we applauded as they stepped up for their ballots. Now I'm sure they are feeling even more betrayed that an old cat lady like I do, and I wonder if they will ever vote in such numbers again. Regardless, I am grateful for what you do.
I work at a community center in Erie, PA, serving many New American families, primarily from Africa. We registered many first-time voters this year and got them to the polls. The excitement was tangible. Today there are a lot of tough questions being asked around here.
The perception from some seems to be that a percentage of registered Democrats must have crossed over and voted for Mr. Trump otherwise he would not have taken Georgia, NC, PA, and Wisconsin. I understand the House is still in play.
I think there were a lot of registered Democrats who refused to vote for a woman for president. I looked at the precinct-by-precinct voter turnout for Erie, and it was close to 90% for wealthier neighborhoods, but as low as 35% for poorer areas -- that despite some intensive get-out-the-vote campaigns conducted by Black churches. I also think the propagandistic, no-holds-barred campaign advertising by Republicans had a lot to do with the results. I think it's time for the entire DNC leadership to step down or be fired.
The Democrat advertising in Virginia was pretty no-holds-barred which is probably why VP Harris carried the Commonwealth. It was definitely not kinder/gentler in any sense of the word. There's a comment I heard today that I found interesting. It was, "Democrats win the cities, Republicans win the states." When you examine Illinois at the county level, that seems to be a very accurate statement. There are so many people crammed into the Chicago metro area, it's enough to actually carry the state. Atlanta/Fulton County is the same way.
Fox News confirmed every lie Drumpf. And who thinks anyone who listens to Faux 'News" was going to vote for a black south asian woman married to a white guy who's a Jew. Checking all the boxes of hate!
And this is why reading multiple news sources to include international ones is so important. Too many folks in our country read only one, maybe two news sources and the one thing I learned in the military is there is a difference between legitimate information and noise.
I read the Guardian, the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Boston Globe every morning. I try to check in on Al Jazeera, the Irish Times, Ha'aretz and one of the German papers (I can read German) once a week or so. And I read this Substack faithfully, along with Ted Gioia (primarily music) and Sarah Kendzior (politics/current events). Also, Umair Haque, who used to be on Medium and now has his own platform, "The Issue," on the Ghost platform.
Judy, thank you for sharing your story. I grew up in Northeast Philly and I loved seeing how the city reacted to Vice President Harris. I thought that would be more than enough.
Going back to 2016, I recall James Carville being on MSNBC and commenting that Mrs. Clinton did not have enough votes coming out of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh to overcome the rural vote and 3-4 hours later he was proved right. Whatever that magic number is, VP Harris didn't reach it Tuesday night.
Go back to 2016 and James Carville's comments about PA. It's very simple. VP Harris' lead coming out of the two big cities did not reach the level where it couldn't be overcome by the suburban and rural vote. Some folks were also concerned that it was the Democrat Party & Machine that got her where she was because VP Harris' attempt to run for President in her own right did not pan out so well. As I recall, she was the second or third person to drop out along the Primary Trail. Also, CNN had a piece this morning where her aides stated she started to back off just a bit in mid-October after she earned those big momentum swings in August/September. It's not any particular state's fault VP Harris didn't carry the day. She gave it all she had and I am sure she learned a lot. I expect her to be the leading candidate next time. Heck, even the 1927 Yankees didn't win 'em all and most baseball experts consider them the greatest team to ever walk on the diamond.
I've been a big Stuart Stevens fan ever since he described MAGAts as "Trump-drunk." But his certainty that the Harris campaign was so flawless she'd win in a landslide reminded me that what put him on the map was his credential as President Mitt Romney's campaign manager. Neither her candidacy or its admirers convinced me that
Harris was sure to win. Transforming fondness to blind faith is risky..
Despite everything I know about the U.S., and about white people, and about where so many USians get their (what passes for) news, and about our general ignorance about economics, I thought it was possible. What the Harris-Walz pulled off against daunting odds is still incredible.
Trump voters watch Merdoch Fox et al/Muck X+truth.social. When people wring their hands over mainstream papers supposedly leaning right I rotfl. As if any MAGAts had ever even leafed through a cópy of the nyt or wapo! The Merdochs' nyPost is the closest they'll ever get to that. I agree that Harris/Walz did an amazing job in a short time, largely by undeniable personal appeal, both of them. Her concession speech—typically—was an inspiration.
Keep in mind that election after election Black women in particular have the highest turnout rate of any demographic, although they're also a demographic often ignored by the Democrats they vote for. Why is this? Lots of reasons, but one of them is that they don't have the luxury of throwing a hissy fit because they didn't get everything they wanted. "Keep your eyes on the prize -- hold on!"
I understand. I recognize this shock of the first time voter, ideals intact, head high as they voted. My first vote was for McGovern. My own surprise at the result then stunned me. But it never has dimmed my persistence in pushing that arc towards justice. All these years. My deep sadness and realization now is for our young ( and old) girls to see how deep the misogyny goes. But it will not stop me.
You say that we have survived worse than Donald Fucking Trump but we don't know that yet. I'm so afraid for America when Musk owns it. Thank you for your inspiring words anyway.
He is already in decline and will get worse. His yes men will be able to fool and flatter him and prop him up, just like they did with Reagan when he lost his mind. But remember the chaos of the 2016 admin. He fired people left and right. This might be a silver lining bc if you are constantly turning over your workforce, not much gets accomplished good or bad.
Women voted for Harris over Trump by a margin of only 8-10%. Why? Are there that many women who are so lacking in self respect, so cowed by the men in their lives, so unaware or, worse, uncaring, about the threat that Donald Trump poses to their lives?
Again, I would like to have reference to cite. Words mean things so if a person is going to make blanket statement about a large percentage of Americans having a 6th grade education, a good source citation is needed. For example, 2 months ago, a question was asked on Collegevine.com regarding education in the military. "Hey guys, I'm a junior trying to decide on potential career paths after high school. I'm considering the military, but I'm wondering, how many military members typically have college degrees? Does having a degree significantly impact your career progress in the military?"
Collegevine.com provided the following feedback. "In the U.S. military, there are various categories of service members, and the percentage of those who have a college degree can vary widely within these categories. Among enlisted personnel, which make up the majority of military service members, the percentage with a four-year degree is relatively small, hovering around 6%, according to the DoD (Department of Defense). One reason for this is that a high school diploma or equivalent is generally the minimum educational requirement for enlistment.
In contrast, officers in the U.S. military are required to have a four-year degree, so almost all officers (99%) have at least a bachelor's degree, with 42% possessing advanced degrees. Officers constitute about 16% of the total active-duty military force."
So, going back to the original question. What was the citation for the statement, "I read that a huge percentage of Americans have the education of a 6th grader. Ignorant people are easy to scare and this young control."
It's a sad commentary that so many women still don't trust other women in leadership positions. Feminism failed back when grotesque breast implants became many womens "source of confidence". Scary but...you can't fix stupid.
One pundit I heard this morning said that everything changed 1 October. I didn't catch details, but djt said something that day for the first time that eased some women's fears about his position on abortion.
A young woman I know of needs an abortion of a wanted pregnancy as the fetus has severe chromosome abnormalities. Republican women will know that they've done when it happens to them or someone they love. Too late.
We have almost 100K unwanted, homeless children in the State of Florida. Amendment 4( legalizing abortion rights) required 60% and failed by less than 3%. Our governor spent $100 million of tax payer's money to prevent Amendments 3(legalizing marijuana) & 4 from passing. Lie after blatant lie in commercials. They care about the unborn. But once you're born - you are on your own.
After crying for the first time in 2 years (after my husband died) I decided even at MY age, my work was not done. The pandemic and husband’s needs, cancelled many of my volunteer commitments. There was so much joy in it. I will do it again and hope that my efforts can make a difference for the immigrants here. I entertained running away, but there’s far too much at stake. I want to be part of the proof that this is NOT who we are.
I appreciate your acknowledgement of who WE are. I fear, though, that Trump. Musk, Bobby K Jr, and all the others are hellbent on dismantling the structures we've come to know and believe were inviolable. I think of Chile under Pinochet and worry that we're about to live that ourselves. I hope I'm wrong - I REALLY hope I'm wrong. At the same time, I'm glad to know you're able to hold some optimism. I hope YOU'RE right!
I’m not inspired or comforted. Any resistance will be crushed with bullets & tanks. Americans do not have the courage of Tienniman Square or Prague or even our own fathers who suited up to fight Hitler. No, we are a cowardly bunch who happily gave up our freedoms for more shit fast food, more cheap gas and anything more more more. The yawning maw of consumer greed … such that every penny in taxes was felt as grand larceny by disaffected whites … we are in fact beyond the pale. There is no coming back.
I’m gonna work my ass off to prove you’re wrong, then give you a hand and bring you with me.
I’m a musician, and if you’re ever somewhere and som weird bass line (be it from a Sousa march or a Grainger suite or som brass band funk) it’s me, sending tuba love.
There will be voters remorse when working class people continue to be hurt by the outcome of their choice. Unfortunately there are no returns for 2 years and the opportunity is compromised by gerrymandering. Stay focused on the struggle for freedom and progressive policies they benefit.
My husband always explained the poor white folk who voted for Trump in 2016 think of themselves as "temporarily dispossessed millionaires" who saw in him what they could become if they either won lotteries or gamed the system like he did. Ralph Kramdens (Honeymooners) who were waiting for their ship to come in anyday.
I needed your words of hope and encouragement on this dark day.
Important to remember that election do not define us.
as you say...
We are Patti Smith. We are Joan Didion. We are Bob Dylan. We are Bo Diddley. We are Georgia O’Keefe. We are Jerry Garcia. We are Jackson Pollock. We are Maya Angelou. We are Edward Albee. We are Muddy Waters. We are James Baldwin. We are Roz Chast. We are Margaret Atwood. We are Allen Ginsberg. We are Stephen Sondheim. We are Jules Feiffer. We are Taylor Swift.
We are all of them and we are even more.
Continue to chose love over hate and light over darkness.
My first thought when he won was "can I move to Europe or Asia or someplace else". Now that America is an authoritarian nation, there truly is no place to flee.
When I awakened this morning I felt like Charlie Brown, once again Lucy had pulled the football from the tee and my faith in the American people taken away. But then, the sun did come up, and you're right, we're resilient, creative, and caring. Let them all stew in their hate and nihilism, we'll still have the future and the joy of life.
Feeling a little of the strength and hope garnered from Kamala’s campaign from these words. Thanks for conjuring that up. We’ll need a lot of support for each other in the coming days. Remember to lend a hand, a kind word, deep support to anyone really suffering right now. We’ll make it through but only if we work together, lean on each other, support each other and remember we’re Americans—and owe this great experiment all we can give! Ad astra!
I spent part of this morning going over the popular vote totals for Harris and Trump. I was prompted to do this when I heard a pundit suggest that Harris lost because large numbers of Biden 2020 voters voted for Trump in 2024. That’s simply not the case. Yesterday, Trump received roughly the same number of votes that he received in 2020.—about 75 million. Biden received over 81 million votes in 2020–the largest number of votes ever recorded for a presidential candidate. What made all the difference in this election was the enormous number of voters who apparently did not vote at all. I’m reminded of that comment: “For evil to succeed, it is enough that good people do nothing.”
Americans are complicit in their own degradation. The country's motto should be "I Got Mine, Jack". As a woman, it is terrifying to know that the country hates us enough to put Trump back in power.
We are currently living through the modern version of the witch burning era. Women are powerful and scary and that needs to be remedied!
A whole tribe of weak men in panicked revolt did it unto themselves . . . and us.
They want to kill us all. And don't expect the military to stand up to Trump - anyone refusing to obey an illegal order will be cashiered and court-martialed, and then prosecuted as a civilian for "treason". Welcome to the Fourth Reich.
I absolutely do expect the military to stand up to him, especially when it comes to attacking US citizens on US territory.
Remember Kent State. They will shoot you dead in a skinny minute
Condolences if the National Guard gunning down peaceful protesters is an everyday occurrence where you live.
Excellent point. Police harassing and sometimes shooting people of color is far more common.
I agree. The most (or perhaps more accurately, the worse) he can probably do is to get red state compliant national guard to try and “police” we citizens, but I suspect that won’t work.
It ain't necessarily so.
I hope you're right.
Agree. It absolutely will. Trump doesn’t understand this, as he doesn’t understand much about his job or the web of statutes that define what he can and can’t do, but Ive observed from 26 years of commissioned service that very senior officers, like Mattis and Kelly and Milley, are honorable men and operate under a code of honor that is anathema to a piece of grifter trash like Trump. The military in this country is not a personal army, like Hitler’s SS or the earlier SA.
The Military still remembers the Third Reich and observes the "Unified Code of Military Justice.
It's never been tested the way Trump will test it.
Correct.
The country does hate women. Christians teach hatred of women. Politics act on the hatred of women.
Please be cautious about tarring all of us with the same brush. In my 85 years I’ve never heard such teaching. I’ve heard of it in certain sects.
The Catholic Church hates women.
Certainly this group of Opus Dei self loathing eyeliner wearing perverts hates women. It’s not a coincidence that scandals involving sexual abuse aren’t all that common in convents.
Except by visiting priests?
No question
In the church I grew up in even female infants were not permitted at the altar. Please…
Many women voted for him. That blows my mind! We have so much work to do to rebuild our sisterhood!
There's never really been a sisterhood. Too many women continue to buy into the patriarchy.
For straight women, the economic and cultural incentives to do so are very strong. We've also seen over the last few decades why many men are so dead-set against any kind of women's independence: They can't take care of themselves without the support of mothers, wives, and girlfriends. (This helps explain the declining longevity of white men.)
"*...Jack"; 'came to that conclusion with the Reagan administration. Well said💕
My thoughts exactly.
So many women voted for him…
I am grateful for your comforting writing, Lucian. But am feeling blindsided by the trusted people I read and listen to for my information. None of them even hinted that this might happen. I feel like I've been lied to, and those in the red bubble were actually knowing the facts. Depending on how competent his angry monkeys are, we may find our artists in a situation like those in Russia. We can no longer expect ANYTHING to remain the same.
I spent 12 hours as a poll worker in Philadelphia yesterday in an African american neighborhood. The vibe was so positive. Record turn out, even higher than during the Obama years. So many young first time voters who we applauded as they stepped up for their ballots. Now I'm sure they are feeling even more betrayed that an old cat lady like I do, and I wonder if they will ever vote in such numbers again. Regardless, I am grateful for what you do.
I work at a community center in Erie, PA, serving many New American families, primarily from Africa. We registered many first-time voters this year and got them to the polls. The excitement was tangible. Today there are a lot of tough questions being asked around here.
The perception from some seems to be that a percentage of registered Democrats must have crossed over and voted for Mr. Trump otherwise he would not have taken Georgia, NC, PA, and Wisconsin. I understand the House is still in play.
I think there were a lot of registered Democrats who refused to vote for a woman for president. I looked at the precinct-by-precinct voter turnout for Erie, and it was close to 90% for wealthier neighborhoods, but as low as 35% for poorer areas -- that despite some intensive get-out-the-vote campaigns conducted by Black churches. I also think the propagandistic, no-holds-barred campaign advertising by Republicans had a lot to do with the results. I think it's time for the entire DNC leadership to step down or be fired.
The Democrat advertising in Virginia was pretty no-holds-barred which is probably why VP Harris carried the Commonwealth. It was definitely not kinder/gentler in any sense of the word. There's a comment I heard today that I found interesting. It was, "Democrats win the cities, Republicans win the states." When you examine Illinois at the county level, that seems to be a very accurate statement. There are so many people crammed into the Chicago metro area, it's enough to actually carry the state. Atlanta/Fulton County is the same way.
Fox News confirmed every lie Drumpf. And who thinks anyone who listens to Faux 'News" was going to vote for a black south asian woman married to a white guy who's a Jew. Checking all the boxes of hate!
And this is why reading multiple news sources to include international ones is so important. Too many folks in our country read only one, maybe two news sources and the one thing I learned in the military is there is a difference between legitimate information and noise.
I read the Guardian, the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Boston Globe every morning. I try to check in on Al Jazeera, the Irish Times, Ha'aretz and one of the German papers (I can read German) once a week or so. And I read this Substack faithfully, along with Ted Gioia (primarily music) and Sarah Kendzior (politics/current events). Also, Umair Haque, who used to be on Medium and now has his own platform, "The Issue," on the Ghost platform.
Something about this election smells.
Trump said rigged all along!
Judy, thank you for sharing your story. I grew up in Northeast Philly and I loved seeing how the city reacted to Vice President Harris. I thought that would be more than enough.
Going back to 2016, I recall James Carville being on MSNBC and commenting that Mrs. Clinton did not have enough votes coming out of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh to overcome the rural vote and 3-4 hours later he was proved right. Whatever that magic number is, VP Harris didn't reach it Tuesday night.
Go back to 2016 and James Carville's comments about PA. It's very simple. VP Harris' lead coming out of the two big cities did not reach the level where it couldn't be overcome by the suburban and rural vote. Some folks were also concerned that it was the Democrat Party & Machine that got her where she was because VP Harris' attempt to run for President in her own right did not pan out so well. As I recall, she was the second or third person to drop out along the Primary Trail. Also, CNN had a piece this morning where her aides stated she started to back off just a bit in mid-October after she earned those big momentum swings in August/September. It's not any particular state's fault VP Harris didn't carry the day. She gave it all she had and I am sure she learned a lot. I expect her to be the leading candidate next time. Heck, even the 1927 Yankees didn't win 'em all and most baseball experts consider them the greatest team to ever walk on the diamond.
I've been a big Stuart Stevens fan ever since he described MAGAts as "Trump-drunk." But his certainty that the Harris campaign was so flawless she'd win in a landslide reminded me that what put him on the map was his credential as President Mitt Romney's campaign manager. Neither her candidacy or its admirers convinced me that
Harris was sure to win. Transforming fondness to blind faith is risky..
Despite everything I know about the U.S., and about white people, and about where so many USians get their (what passes for) news, and about our general ignorance about economics, I thought it was possible. What the Harris-Walz pulled off against daunting odds is still incredible.
Trump voters watch Merdoch Fox et al/Muck X+truth.social. When people wring their hands over mainstream papers supposedly leaning right I rotfl. As if any MAGAts had ever even leafed through a cópy of the nyt or wapo! The Merdochs' nyPost is the closest they'll ever get to that. I agree that Harris/Walz did an amazing job in a short time, largely by undeniable personal appeal, both of them. Her concession speech—typically—was an inspiration.
Keep in mind that election after election Black women in particular have the highest turnout rate of any demographic, although they're also a demographic often ignored by the Democrats they vote for. Why is this? Lots of reasons, but one of them is that they don't have the luxury of throwing a hissy fit because they didn't get everything they wanted. "Keep your eyes on the prize -- hold on!"
Hold on for what? I'm seeing nothing that makes me optimistic about ANYTHING!
Look around you, Charles. We are many. You are not alone. Find your strength. We need it.
Like I said, pay attention to Black women. It might be a good time to visit, or revisit, the 1619 Project.
I understand. I recognize this shock of the first time voter, ideals intact, head high as they voted. My first vote was for McGovern. My own surprise at the result then stunned me. But it never has dimmed my persistence in pushing that arc towards justice. All these years. My deep sadness and realization now is for our young ( and old) girls to see how deep the misogyny goes. But it will not stop me.
You say that we have survived worse than Donald Fucking Trump but we don't know that yet. I'm so afraid for America when Musk owns it. Thank you for your inspiring words anyway.
Musk and Trump are clowns, distractions. It’s the ones they perform for that we need to worry about.
Putin won without launching one missle. Peter Thiel is rubbing his hands in glee. No more ineficient democracy standing betwee him and his profits.
Muck has too much money to allow dismissal of his beliefs.
I’m afraid for the world. We just elected a Dirty Bomb on the world.
Musk and RFK, Jr. It's a nightmare from Pennsylvania Ave.
If Trump starts to feel like Ceasar surrounded by friends and countrymen carrying knives, Vance's head metaphorically, could be on the chopping block.
I worry more that Trump is unable to complete his term and Vance becomes president. Trump is dumb and evil; Vance is smart and evil.
The 25th Amendment is coming for DJT.
I like that!! I wonder how long it will take!
I wouldn't hope for it - Vance will be far worse than Trump.
Vance is probably planning for it already.
He is already in decline and will get worse. His yes men will be able to fool and flatter him and prop him up, just like they did with Reagan when he lost his mind. But remember the chaos of the 2016 admin. He fired people left and right. This might be a silver lining bc if you are constantly turning over your workforce, not much gets accomplished good or bad.
Drumpf thinks, "I alone can do it!" He's not good at giving over any authority to anyone. We'll have to see how his new cabinet works out!
Who will strike first?
Nixon and Ed Meese. I can go on.
Women voted for Harris over Trump by a margin of only 8-10%. Why? Are there that many women who are so lacking in self respect, so cowed by the men in their lives, so unaware or, worse, uncaring, about the threat that Donald Trump poses to their lives?
Your observation should apply equally to men, why did so many vote against their own self-interest?
I read that a huge percentage of Americans have the education of a 6th grader. Ignorant people are easy to scare and this young control.
Well, they're going to get an education now, and it won't be any picnic.
Please cite the source of your comment regarding 6th grade education. Thank you. Might be useful later.
That's been the case since I was in 5th grade
Again, I would like to have reference to cite. Words mean things so if a person is going to make blanket statement about a large percentage of Americans having a 6th grade education, a good source citation is needed. For example, 2 months ago, a question was asked on Collegevine.com regarding education in the military. "Hey guys, I'm a junior trying to decide on potential career paths after high school. I'm considering the military, but I'm wondering, how many military members typically have college degrees? Does having a degree significantly impact your career progress in the military?"
Collegevine.com provided the following feedback. "In the U.S. military, there are various categories of service members, and the percentage of those who have a college degree can vary widely within these categories. Among enlisted personnel, which make up the majority of military service members, the percentage with a four-year degree is relatively small, hovering around 6%, according to the DoD (Department of Defense). One reason for this is that a high school diploma or equivalent is generally the minimum educational requirement for enlistment.
In contrast, officers in the U.S. military are required to have a four-year degree, so almost all officers (99%) have at least a bachelor's degree, with 42% possessing advanced degrees. Officers constitute about 16% of the total active-duty military force."
So, going back to the original question. What was the citation for the statement, "I read that a huge percentage of Americans have the education of a 6th grader. Ignorant people are easy to scare and this young control."
It's a sad commentary that so many women still don't trust other women in leadership positions. Feminism failed back when grotesque breast implants became many womens "source of confidence". Scary but...you can't fix stupid.
Yes, there are. Also remember that most "Christian" churches teach women to be subservient to males.
Most? Are there any that don't?
There are plenty that don't, such as my church, the Evanston Vineyard, where we are majority minority and half the pastors are women.
Unitarian Universalists
Apparently so.
One pundit I heard this morning said that everything changed 1 October. I didn't catch details, but djt said something that day for the first time that eased some women's fears about his position on abortion.
A young woman I know of needs an abortion of a wanted pregnancy as the fetus has severe chromosome abnormalities. Republican women will know that they've done when it happens to them or someone they love. Too late.
We have almost 100K unwanted, homeless children in the State of Florida. Amendment 4( legalizing abortion rights) required 60% and failed by less than 3%. Our governor spent $100 million of tax payer's money to prevent Amendments 3(legalizing marijuana) & 4 from passing. Lie after blatant lie in commercials. They care about the unborn. But once you're born - you are on your own.
And they believed him???? I guess it's pick and choose your favorite lie
Statistically, women didn't support him before then. After that date they did. So the answer would seem to be yes.
30000 handmaids are currently birthing rapists' babies in the US
Yes. Next question.
Unfortunately there are.
After crying for the first time in 2 years (after my husband died) I decided even at MY age, my work was not done. The pandemic and husband’s needs, cancelled many of my volunteer commitments. There was so much joy in it. I will do it again and hope that my efforts can make a difference for the immigrants here. I entertained running away, but there’s far too much at stake. I want to be part of the proof that this is NOT who we are.
You are inspirational. Thank You. Christina.
Thank you Mary Pat. Today has been a roller coaster of emotion for all of us.
Sorry for your loss.
I appreciate your acknowledgement of who WE are. I fear, though, that Trump. Musk, Bobby K Jr, and all the others are hellbent on dismantling the structures we've come to know and believe were inviolable. I think of Chile under Pinochet and worry that we're about to live that ourselves. I hope I'm wrong - I REALLY hope I'm wrong. At the same time, I'm glad to know you're able to hold some optimism. I hope YOU'RE right!
You sum up my fears very well, Irna Gadd. Thank you. I, too, hope that Lucian is right!
Thank you for these kind & hopeful words on such a Dark & Dreary Morning.
The Resistance begins now.
❤️🇺🇸
I’m not inspired or comforted. Any resistance will be crushed with bullets & tanks. Americans do not have the courage of Tienniman Square or Prague or even our own fathers who suited up to fight Hitler. No, we are a cowardly bunch who happily gave up our freedoms for more shit fast food, more cheap gas and anything more more more. The yawning maw of consumer greed … such that every penny in taxes was felt as grand larceny by disaffected whites … we are in fact beyond the pale. There is no coming back.
I’m gonna work my ass off to prove you’re wrong, then give you a hand and bring you with me.
I’m a musician, and if you’re ever somewhere and som weird bass line (be it from a Sousa march or a Grainger suite or som brass band funk) it’s me, sending tuba love.
👍🏻
I’ll work my ass off too. Until I’m arrested or shot
I think you're missing our ingrained propensity for violence as a people. We're a bloody lot.
We are a very stupid people.
There will be voters remorse when working class people continue to be hurt by the outcome of their choice. Unfortunately there are no returns for 2 years and the opportunity is compromised by gerrymandering. Stay focused on the struggle for freedom and progressive policies they benefit.
My husband always explained the poor white folk who voted for Trump in 2016 think of themselves as "temporarily dispossessed millionaires" who saw in him what they could become if they either won lotteries or gamed the system like he did. Ralph Kramdens (Honeymooners) who were waiting for their ship to come in anyday.
Thank you Lucian
I needed your words of hope and encouragement on this dark day.
Important to remember that election do not define us.
as you say...
We are Patti Smith. We are Joan Didion. We are Bob Dylan. We are Bo Diddley. We are Georgia O’Keefe. We are Jerry Garcia. We are Jackson Pollock. We are Maya Angelou. We are Edward Albee. We are Muddy Waters. We are James Baldwin. We are Roz Chast. We are Margaret Atwood. We are Allen Ginsberg. We are Stephen Sondheim. We are Jules Feiffer. We are Taylor Swift.
We are all of them and we are even more.
Continue to chose love over hate and light over darkness.
This is Who we have become ? I weep for the future of our country and the World. 🙏💔
My first thought when he won was "can I move to Europe or Asia or someplace else". Now that America is an authoritarian nation, there truly is no place to flee.
Resist and persist! Keep
moving forward. Not one step
back. Regroup and stand up!
When I awakened this morning I felt like Charlie Brown, once again Lucy had pulled the football from the tee and my faith in the American people taken away. But then, the sun did come up, and you're right, we're resilient, creative, and caring. Let them all stew in their hate and nihilism, we'll still have the future and the joy of life.
Feeling a little of the strength and hope garnered from Kamala’s campaign from these words. Thanks for conjuring that up. We’ll need a lot of support for each other in the coming days. Remember to lend a hand, a kind word, deep support to anyone really suffering right now. We’ll make it through but only if we work together, lean on each other, support each other and remember we’re Americans—and owe this great experiment all we can give! Ad astra!
I spent part of this morning going over the popular vote totals for Harris and Trump. I was prompted to do this when I heard a pundit suggest that Harris lost because large numbers of Biden 2020 voters voted for Trump in 2024. That’s simply not the case. Yesterday, Trump received roughly the same number of votes that he received in 2020.—about 75 million. Biden received over 81 million votes in 2020–the largest number of votes ever recorded for a presidential candidate. What made all the difference in this election was the enormous number of voters who apparently did not vote at all. I’m reminded of that comment: “For evil to succeed, it is enough that good people do nothing.”
I really do think there are more of us than there are of them -- but they vote more.
Thank you we needed this!