President Biden has two opponents in this race: Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. The two have been trying to destroy Joe Biden since he won the election in 2020. The big question on my mind as we head into the rest of this summer and the Republican and Democratic conventions is this: why have Democrats been helping both Trump and Putin attempt to destroy not only Biden’s candidacy and legacy but our democratic form of government?
Lucian, I and a lot of people I know are working hard to get out the vote. Regardless of what else is going on, we are continuing to do the work.
Field Team 6
Postcards to Swing States
Moms Rising
Vote Forward
Postcards to Voters
Blue Wave
Common Cause
Move On
Color of Change
Black Lives Matter
Chop Wood, Carry Water.
Those are just a few of the organizations working for Democrats. Everyone can help. You can text, write, or call people. I write postcards and letters because I'm an introvert but everyone has a role to play. I also contact my representatives. Please help!
Those are the ones that do the hard work. That is where my pension goes. Voters of Tomorrow is doing great work too, getting young folks up and running for their first election.
I regularly write a Letter to the Editor in the Cape Coral Breeze local paper. She has published every one I have ever written and I will do more. Just hope I don't get shot by a neighbor. Maybe consider doing that.
Interesting....... we drive from Florida to upstate NY every summer. The traffic has gotten worse this year but we only saw 2 Trump signs and 1 Confederate flag in 3 days - no djt bumper stickers. Wonder who they are polling.
Thank you for citing these groups. Do we have any idea how many of us there are? Just curious. It feels like a lot but? I am writing letters to voters via Vote Forward and considering texting and phone banking.
Robin, I started to research this but quickly gave up because I found some out of date information and figured it could take a while to run this all down. I know these organizations are responsible for many millions of letters, postcards, and texts. If it's really important to you to know, please DM me and I'll spend some time looking. I have written letters with Vote Forward for a while now. I am also doing postcards this year. It's tedious but it's too important not to do it.
It depends on a lot of variables, Lynn, but here's one write-up from Postcards to Swing States:
"Our award-winning research proves that postcards increase Democratic turnout by 1.3%. In 2020, our postcard program added thousands of votes in states critical to President Biden’s victory. In the 2022 midterms, our postcards added 22,500 votes in key races across the nation. This impact is roughly equivalent to 45,000 hours of door-to-door canvassing!"
As far as I know, a good rate of return is between one and two percent, which is about what you can expect from a good marketing campaign or a good survey.
To all your readers: Yell this column and its truths from every rooftop. Thank you Lucian. Please keep up this work. I'd vote for a shmoo (thereby demonstrating my age) before voting for any Republican.
Not only will we be threatened by Trump and Putin, but the actual running of the country will be turned over to the whole new appointed Federal government functionaries who are all Christo-Fascists like Mike Johnson (BTW, 2nd in line after Kamala for President) and his ilk. We will be forced to live in a theocracy. These people are in a cult and will never change. Anyone not "saved by Jesus" will be inferior, ignored, and condemned to Hell forever. (I know these people. I grew up in a fundy church). The stakes could not be higher, and it is terrifying. I think Biden is our best shot at getting rid of the orange psycho grifter, and we have Kamala if he later cannot do the job. She does not suffer the Orange Fool and her performance in speeches around the country has been impressive.
As I posted below Josh Hawley just gave a speech saying he supports Christian nationalism — a speech most of the media ignored (Times ) or buried in a back section (WaPo). That a prominent Senator disavowing our constitution isn’t headline news if proof our mainstream “liberal” media — the same media that went all in on the Iraq War — is incapable of meeting this much greater threat to our democracy.
That will be the end of the Supreme Court as we know it. He will lose and so will they if the try and overturn the election. This is a scenario that has been expected. Dollars to doughnuts, there are safe guards being put in place. Also, not all the S.C. is that enamored with the adjudicated rapist who is also a convicted felon. It's not a done deal.
Thankfully, the dissection and second guessing is coming from the press and television pundits. I hope that the state campaigns are organized and enthusiastic. The success will come from what happens at the state level, not the national. I think the polls at this time are bullshit and that Project 2025 plus trmp’s ridiculous rants will result in record turnout for Biden. Bravo Lucian….
I am 74 years old and have watched the Democratic Party cut its own throat for entirely too long. The stupidity is astounding and they never learn. Apparently these assholes think that they will not be in any danger if Trump is re-elected and they don't give a damn about the rest of us. This is Weimar Germany and I'm terrified.
If we can re-elect Biden and hold Congress, the Party needs a radical rethink.
I disagree. Why do you think so many are hammering home the horrors of Project 2025? It is something people can relate to and they are. That is something the Heritage Foundation did not expect. The Democrats will rise to the occasion, Biden wasn't supposed to win last time either. Now he has a record to run and it's stellar.
I agree and have been saying this for some time.Putin is loving the dissension that is going on here over Biden.If it hadn’t been Biden’s debate debacle, there would have been some other misstep to point the finger at”old” Biden. Russian disinformation,AI , trolls and bots would have greatly contributed to this effort to discredit him. Dems need to stop this bs about Biden and start fighting the real enemy,that is Putin and his stooge-on-premises,Trump.I have said this before too-Putin is licking his chops at what is going on with Dems and our media.With America in his pocket, Putin changes the entire world order-In His Favor.
Thank you for stating that the election is about FAR more than the most pressing domestic concerns..it's beyond belief that millions of people would willingly give up their freedom for the ego of one very mentally ill man who is named Donald Trump.
They have NO idea what they're voting for, and I'm really, really afraid they don't care as long as their "Cheeto Mussolini" is elected.
They always vote against their own self-interests because they're not smart enough or have had enough education to understand the broader picture of what Trump can do in office again.
Also, Project 2025 scares the living shit out of me, even if Trump denies he has anything to do with it.
Unfortunately I know some very well educated people who vote against their best interests because they have been brainwashed by Fox News and other rightwing propaganda — much of it from their own churches — for decades. Some of them are members of my extended family. They used to be perfectly reasonable but have become twisted by the fearmongering and hatred they are regularly exposed to.
Yes it does hurt me to see someone I have so come to admire be attacked based upon so little. I really do think most people I know who think he should drop out already felt that way before,
Like the debate didn’t really change much, but gave the doubters a chance to say I told you so. OK back to work for me!! More letters to be mailed in October.
As is said in Cabaret, "Money makes the world go 'round." They throw out hearsay, the public clicks. Money in their pockets.
Democracy? That's for fools and dreamers. And they think their money and "editorial power" will protect them. Yeah, right. Conjure up the ghosts of the editors and publishers of the papers of the 1930s Germany. Ask them how it worked for them.
I have been thinking the same thing for a long time. The democrats who oppose Biden have completely forgotten the real goal here... I am sending this to my mailing list!!!
When I watch national news I lean toward PBS newshour. This week they have led with long stories about people wanting Biden to step down. If they talk about the convicted felon, it’s about how his lawyers are screwing over the justice system. Never a word about his abhorrent friendship with Epstein. Pedophiles may support him, but normal people won’t. If Democrats focus on getting out the vote, Biden wins in a landslide.
Given that prominent people in the media like Katie Couric and George Stephanopoulos were members of Epstein’s inner circle they may not want to reopen that story. Both of them participated in an intimate post-conviction dinner to help Epstein rehab his image. The media have mostly managed to keep those facts from the public — the only place I have ever seen it reported was in the Daily Beast.
I'd like to see a poll that, instead of asking whether Newsom or Whitmer is ahead of Biden in beating trump, asked what the chances are of Taylor Swift, the latest big sports star, and possibly Scrooge McDuck's beating trump. I bet they'd do well. And it would show the utter superficiality of all those who worry so much about age being the sole factor in anyone's decision.
Yes to all of that, though how to support the Democratic ticket right now, actively, when the party is in disarray is hard to figure out. I'm personally of two minds re President Biden's staying in or stepping aside, but I do know it's counterproductive for blue voters to be extending the party's dithering at the local level. My belief is that we emphasize that we're voting blue regardless of who the candidate ends up being, and that right now that means we're behind Biden. We cannot afford to discourage one voter from going to the polls on November 5th or let them think it's valid to vote for a third party candidate because it's *against* the Democratic party.
A thought occurred to me the other day re Ukraine and those who oppose our continuing to support the Ukrainians with funds and equipment: How much would those people have been willing to pay, in 1938, to stop WWII from happening?
Please remember that "the Democratic Party" and grassroots Democratic voters are two different things. For years the most effective work on behalf of Democratic candidates has been done by groups like Swing Left, Run For Something, Indivisible, and Emerge -- and, of course, the candidates themselves. This "who the candidate ends up being" is BS. Seriously. The *only* alternative is VP Harris because she's the only prospect with national name-recognition *right now* -- and unfortunately racism and sexism are very much a thing among moderates, liberals, and (gasp) even progressives. She'll make a fine president if Biden doesn't make it through a second term, and *then* the electorate might be ready to elect a woman of color as president.
Your last sentence is the scenario I would like to see and I bet lots agree with that. Including Joe who would continue to make history for women of color. 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻
I'm well aware of the fact that the Democratic party and Democratic voters are two different things. That's part and parcel of my original comment. Why "who the candidate ends up being is bs" is beyond me: my point is that we need to focus on voting blue regardless, while (perhaps sadly, perhaps not) the party dithers. Harris is clearly the heir apparent, and as I understand it she is the only potential replacement for Biden who can lay claim to his war chest of $91M. Any other candidate would need to raise that kind of cash almost immediately. That's not a small challenge.
In the meantime, since how this plays out is not up to any of us who're posting here, we have to push "vote blue" imo, and yes, regardless of who the candidate ends up being.
Right, the outcome is not up to us, but the fact that mostly male, mostly white pundits and well-endowed media outlets are leading the charge against President Biden, based on flimsy evidence (mainly the June 27 debate) and without a plausible alternative -- that's a matter of some concern, yes?
Well, most online pundits are white and male, but they're by no means the only ones leading the charge. The evidence, such as it is, is more than just the debate. The President's interview with George Stephanopoulos, Morning Joe, his NATO conference appearance, and other examples are also "in evidence," and don't illustrate a wide gap between his debate performance and his everyday (sic) status, though how one interprets that is another matter. As to "well-endowed media outlets," I'd say there are many outlets, including various online Democratic voices, that are less well-endowed (can we abandon that phrase?) but are still calling for Biden to step aside.
The lack of clarity is a concern. We can't do anything about the lack of clarity. We can, and should, push voting blue regardless while not undermining President Biden. Big him up if you're comfortable with that, or just "vote blue," but keep an eye on the bull's eye.
We will also see the demolishing of the wall separating church and state as “Christian” nationalism becomes the basis for our government. We are already funneling billions of our tax dollars to private Christian schools, many which are indoctrinating kids in Christian nationalist ideology:
“Tax Dollars Are Now Funding Christian-Nationalist Schools”
Just this week Josh Hawley gave a speech proudly boasting he believes the US is a Christian nation and that he supports Christian nationalism. There should have been bold headlines proclaiming “US Senator Hawley Rejects the Consitution in Favor of Christian Nationalism”. Instead we got endless headlines informing us of the shocking news that Biden is old. The WaPo buried the Hawley story in the Religion section. There was no coverage of his horrifying declaration in the NY Times. The Kansas City Star did feature is as top story.
Lucian, I and a lot of people I know are working hard to get out the vote. Regardless of what else is going on, we are continuing to do the work.
Field Team 6
Postcards to Swing States
Moms Rising
Vote Forward
Postcards to Voters
Blue Wave
Common Cause
Move On
Color of Change
Black Lives Matter
Chop Wood, Carry Water.
Those are just a few of the organizations working for Democrats. Everyone can help. You can text, write, or call people. I write postcards and letters because I'm an introvert but everyone has a role to play. I also contact my representatives. Please help!
Those are the ones that do the hard work. That is where my pension goes. Voters of Tomorrow is doing great work too, getting young folks up and running for their first election.
I am signed up for their emails too. It looks like they're doing great work.
They are. They are on a monthly$
I regularly write a Letter to the Editor in the Cape Coral Breeze local paper. She has published every one I have ever written and I will do more. Just hope I don't get shot by a neighbor. Maybe consider doing that.
Interesting....... we drive from Florida to upstate NY every summer. The traffic has gotten worse this year but we only saw 2 Trump signs and 1 Confederate flag in 3 days - no djt bumper stickers. Wonder who they are polling.
That is fantastic!! Good for you.
I have the same feeling. I see almost no Trump signs or flags. Four years ago that was definitely not the case. I wonder if that's really indicative.
Thank you for citing these groups. Do we have any idea how many of us there are? Just curious. It feels like a lot but? I am writing letters to voters via Vote Forward and considering texting and phone banking.
Robin, I started to research this but quickly gave up because I found some out of date information and figured it could take a while to run this all down. I know these organizations are responsible for many millions of letters, postcards, and texts. If it's really important to you to know, please DM me and I'll spend some time looking. I have written letters with Vote Forward for a while now. I am also doing postcards this year. It's tedious but it's too important not to do it.
I have written a lot of postcards. How do we know how effective that is?
It depends on a lot of variables, Lynn, but here's one write-up from Postcards to Swing States:
"Our award-winning research proves that postcards increase Democratic turnout by 1.3%. In 2020, our postcard program added thousands of votes in states critical to President Biden’s victory. In the 2022 midterms, our postcards added 22,500 votes in key races across the nation. This impact is roughly equivalent to 45,000 hours of door-to-door canvassing!"
https://www.turnoutpac.org/postcards-faq/
As far as I know, a good rate of return is between one and two percent, which is about what you can expect from a good marketing campaign or a good survey.
Maybe somebody else is looking into it? I will DM you if I can figure out how ;-) Keep the faith everyone!!
I participate in three of these.
To all your readers: Yell this column and its truths from every rooftop. Thank you Lucian. Please keep up this work. I'd vote for a shmoo (thereby demonstrating my age) before voting for any Republican.
Not only will we be threatened by Trump and Putin, but the actual running of the country will be turned over to the whole new appointed Federal government functionaries who are all Christo-Fascists like Mike Johnson (BTW, 2nd in line after Kamala for President) and his ilk. We will be forced to live in a theocracy. These people are in a cult and will never change. Anyone not "saved by Jesus" will be inferior, ignored, and condemned to Hell forever. (I know these people. I grew up in a fundy church). The stakes could not be higher, and it is terrifying. I think Biden is our best shot at getting rid of the orange psycho grifter, and we have Kamala if he later cannot do the job. She does not suffer the Orange Fool and her performance in speeches around the country has been impressive.
As I posted below Josh Hawley just gave a speech saying he supports Christian nationalism — a speech most of the media ignored (Times ) or buried in a back section (WaPo). That a prominent Senator disavowing our constitution isn’t headline news if proof our mainstream “liberal” media — the same media that went all in on the Iraq War — is incapable of meeting this much greater threat to our democracy.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/katie-couric-woody-allen-jeffrey-epsteins-society-friends-close-ranks
We have met the enemy: the billionaires and the media they own.
My big fear is a supreme court orchestrated coup if the convicted felon, rapist fascist liar loses...
That will be the end of the Supreme Court as we know it. He will lose and so will they if the try and overturn the election. This is a scenario that has been expected. Dollars to doughnuts, there are safe guards being put in place. Also, not all the S.C. is that enamored with the adjudicated rapist who is also a convicted felon. It's not a done deal.
Thankfully, the dissection and second guessing is coming from the press and television pundits. I hope that the state campaigns are organized and enthusiastic. The success will come from what happens at the state level, not the national. I think the polls at this time are bullshit and that Project 2025 plus trmp’s ridiculous rants will result in record turnout for Biden. Bravo Lucian….
I am 74 years old and have watched the Democratic Party cut its own throat for entirely too long. The stupidity is astounding and they never learn. Apparently these assholes think that they will not be in any danger if Trump is re-elected and they don't give a damn about the rest of us. This is Weimar Germany and I'm terrified.
If we can re-elect Biden and hold Congress, the Party needs a radical rethink.
I disagree. Why do you think so many are hammering home the horrors of Project 2025? It is something people can relate to and they are. That is something the Heritage Foundation did not expect. The Democrats will rise to the occasion, Biden wasn't supposed to win last time either. Now he has a record to run and it's stellar.
I take the Panglossian view, it's the best we're ever gonna get. Fight to make it better, sure, but sadly...
I keep seeing images of Chicago 1968.
That was a hard time though, much harder than now.
I agree and have been saying this for some time.Putin is loving the dissension that is going on here over Biden.If it hadn’t been Biden’s debate debacle, there would have been some other misstep to point the finger at”old” Biden. Russian disinformation,AI , trolls and bots would have greatly contributed to this effort to discredit him. Dems need to stop this bs about Biden and start fighting the real enemy,that is Putin and his stooge-on-premises,Trump.I have said this before too-Putin is licking his chops at what is going on with Dems and our media.With America in his pocket, Putin changes the entire world order-In His Favor.
Thank you for stating that the election is about FAR more than the most pressing domestic concerns..it's beyond belief that millions of people would willingly give up their freedom for the ego of one very mentally ill man who is named Donald Trump.
They have NO idea what they're voting for, and I'm really, really afraid they don't care as long as their "Cheeto Mussolini" is elected.
They always vote against their own self-interests because they're not smart enough or have had enough education to understand the broader picture of what Trump can do in office again.
Also, Project 2025 scares the living shit out of me, even if Trump denies he has anything to do with it.
He's always been such a horrible liar.
Unfortunately I know some very well educated people who vote against their best interests because they have been brainwashed by Fox News and other rightwing propaganda — much of it from their own churches — for decades. Some of them are members of my extended family. They used to be perfectly reasonable but have become twisted by the fearmongering and hatred they are regularly exposed to.
Trump must be stopped and we must do something soon. I heart hurts to see the media crucify Biden on a continual basis. That is all.
Yes it does hurt me to see someone I have so come to admire be attacked based upon so little. I really do think most people I know who think he should drop out already felt that way before,
Like the debate didn’t really change much, but gave the doubters a chance to say I told you so. OK back to work for me!! More letters to be mailed in October.
As is said in Cabaret, "Money makes the world go 'round." They throw out hearsay, the public clicks. Money in their pockets.
Democracy? That's for fools and dreamers. And they think their money and "editorial power" will protect them. Yeah, right. Conjure up the ghosts of the editors and publishers of the papers of the 1930s Germany. Ask them how it worked for them.
Plainly spoken. Thanks. I was never a big David Axelrod guy, but what the hell. STFU
You can’t say this too many times LT
I have been thinking the same thing for a long time. The democrats who oppose Biden have completely forgotten the real goal here... I am sending this to my mailing list!!!
When I watch national news I lean toward PBS newshour. This week they have led with long stories about people wanting Biden to step down. If they talk about the convicted felon, it’s about how his lawyers are screwing over the justice system. Never a word about his abhorrent friendship with Epstein. Pedophiles may support him, but normal people won’t. If Democrats focus on getting out the vote, Biden wins in a landslide.
Given that prominent people in the media like Katie Couric and George Stephanopoulos were members of Epstein’s inner circle they may not want to reopen that story. Both of them participated in an intimate post-conviction dinner to help Epstein rehab his image. The media have mostly managed to keep those facts from the public — the only place I have ever seen it reported was in the Daily Beast.
Wow. Who knew.
Jonathan Capehart was great on the PBS News Hour last night. Highly recommend it.
I'd like to see a poll that, instead of asking whether Newsom or Whitmer is ahead of Biden in beating trump, asked what the chances are of Taylor Swift, the latest big sports star, and possibly Scrooge McDuck's beating trump. I bet they'd do well. And it would show the utter superficiality of all those who worry so much about age being the sole factor in anyone's decision.
Scrooge McDuck was old so he won’t poll well.
yeah, he’s rich, too. Let’s go with the forever young Mickey Mouse.
Yes to all of that, though how to support the Democratic ticket right now, actively, when the party is in disarray is hard to figure out. I'm personally of two minds re President Biden's staying in or stepping aside, but I do know it's counterproductive for blue voters to be extending the party's dithering at the local level. My belief is that we emphasize that we're voting blue regardless of who the candidate ends up being, and that right now that means we're behind Biden. We cannot afford to discourage one voter from going to the polls on November 5th or let them think it's valid to vote for a third party candidate because it's *against* the Democratic party.
A thought occurred to me the other day re Ukraine and those who oppose our continuing to support the Ukrainians with funds and equipment: How much would those people have been willing to pay, in 1938, to stop WWII from happening?
Please remember that "the Democratic Party" and grassroots Democratic voters are two different things. For years the most effective work on behalf of Democratic candidates has been done by groups like Swing Left, Run For Something, Indivisible, and Emerge -- and, of course, the candidates themselves. This "who the candidate ends up being" is BS. Seriously. The *only* alternative is VP Harris because she's the only prospect with national name-recognition *right now* -- and unfortunately racism and sexism are very much a thing among moderates, liberals, and (gasp) even progressives. She'll make a fine president if Biden doesn't make it through a second term, and *then* the electorate might be ready to elect a woman of color as president.
Your last sentence is the scenario I would like to see and I bet lots agree with that. Including Joe who would continue to make history for women of color. 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻
I wouldn't have any problem supporting Kamala Harris. With the strong team assembled, she'd do fine.💙🇺🇸💙🇺🇸💙
I'm well aware of the fact that the Democratic party and Democratic voters are two different things. That's part and parcel of my original comment. Why "who the candidate ends up being is bs" is beyond me: my point is that we need to focus on voting blue regardless, while (perhaps sadly, perhaps not) the party dithers. Harris is clearly the heir apparent, and as I understand it she is the only potential replacement for Biden who can lay claim to his war chest of $91M. Any other candidate would need to raise that kind of cash almost immediately. That's not a small challenge.
In the meantime, since how this plays out is not up to any of us who're posting here, we have to push "vote blue" imo, and yes, regardless of who the candidate ends up being.
Right, the outcome is not up to us, but the fact that mostly male, mostly white pundits and well-endowed media outlets are leading the charge against President Biden, based on flimsy evidence (mainly the June 27 debate) and without a plausible alternative -- that's a matter of some concern, yes?
Well, most online pundits are white and male, but they're by no means the only ones leading the charge. The evidence, such as it is, is more than just the debate. The President's interview with George Stephanopoulos, Morning Joe, his NATO conference appearance, and other examples are also "in evidence," and don't illustrate a wide gap between his debate performance and his everyday (sic) status, though how one interprets that is another matter. As to "well-endowed media outlets," I'd say there are many outlets, including various online Democratic voices, that are less well-endowed (can we abandon that phrase?) but are still calling for Biden to step aside.
The lack of clarity is a concern. We can't do anything about the lack of clarity. We can, and should, push voting blue regardless while not undermining President Biden. Big him up if you're comfortable with that, or just "vote blue," but keep an eye on the bull's eye.
Get out the vote is the plan and work we ALL need to be doing. Thanks to all of you already doing it!!!!!
nothing
We will also see the demolishing of the wall separating church and state as “Christian” nationalism becomes the basis for our government. We are already funneling billions of our tax dollars to private Christian schools, many which are indoctrinating kids in Christian nationalist ideology:
“Tax Dollars Are Now Funding Christian-Nationalist Schools”
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/tax-dollars-funding-christian-nationalist-schools.html
Just this week Josh Hawley gave a speech proudly boasting he believes the US is a Christian nation and that he supports Christian nationalism. There should have been bold headlines proclaiming “US Senator Hawley Rejects the Consitution in Favor of Christian Nationalism”. Instead we got endless headlines informing us of the shocking news that Biden is old. The WaPo buried the Hawley story in the Religion section. There was no coverage of his horrifying declaration in the NY Times. The Kansas City Star did feature is as top story.
We (Democrats) have GOT this circular firing squad thing down pat. It's NOT about age. It is about national and international security.