The (no longer) much too early 2024 election thread

[RoseMorninStar]

A distinction between a reporter and a journalist, perhaps?

In my humble opinion, a reporter is an information gatherer, an observer. They give us the nightly news. Local news. Weather. Fairly straightforward stuff.

A journalist should be able to gather a lot of information by doing the right interviews, asking the right questions, and being able to distill and disseminate that information (which the general public does not have the time or expertise to do) in a way the public can understand and take in so they can make informed choices/opinions.

[N.E. Brigand]

Nearly 50% of voters don't know about Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s general opposition to vaccines. When voters are informed about RFK's views, Republican support for him goes up and Democratic support for him drops.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

[N.E. Brigand]

[Tweet from Rick Hasen: "Three-judge court, breaking along party lines, says Louisiana impermissibly created a second Black congressional district."]

So the Republicans who control Louisiana's state legislature, faced with the likelihood that a court would force the creation of a second Black congressional district (in order to comply with the Voting Rights Act), created that district on their own, but they deliberately made it gerrymandered in order that a court would strike it down.

President Biden should send in the national guard to enforce the district as created by the legislature.

(At least no one can tell me my suggestion makes less sense than all the calls for the national guard to be sent to college campuses!)

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Professor who correctly predicted 9 presidential elections weighs in on Biden vs. Trump

Allan Lichtman, a distinguished professor of history at American University who has accurately predicted 9 of the last 10 presidential elections, tells CNN's Laura Coates why he thinks President Joe Biden has an advantage in 2024 despite polling that shows him trailing former president Donald Trump.

The one election that he did not correctly predict was 2000, and but for Sandra Day O-Connor, he would have been right about that one, too.

[RoseMorninStar]

Yeah, I think I saw that piece. Polling doesn't always accurately predict elections.

On another note, we (more specifically our Prius) was coal-rolled yesterday. That hasn't happened in awhile. I'm guessing Trump supporters are ramping up.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

I'm not familiar with that term. What does it mean? Is your Prius okay?

[N.E. Brigand]

Sen. Mitt Romney, Republican of Utah, says: "I didn't eat my dog. I didn't shoot my dog. I loved my dog and my dog loved me."

[Frelga]

To think that we live in the timeline where politicians feel the need to say that they did not shoot their puppies.

Rose, are you OK?

[RoseMorninStar]

Oh, I'm sorry. Yes, we are fine. I didn't realize that was not a familiar term (in less 'red' parts of the county). Here's the Wikipedia definition.

We were at a stop light perpendicular to the truck so the people behind him got most of it. It was also much thicker and darker than in this video because it was in town at slower speed on a calm day, so the smoke didn't disapate quickly. I believe it's illegal here. Prius, and now Teslas are prime targets. It's so childish.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Professor who correctly predicted 9 presidential elections weighs in on Biden vs. Trump

Allan Lichtman, a distinguished professor of history at American University who has accurately predicted 9 of the last 10 presidential elections, tells CNN's Laura Coates why he thinks President Joe Biden has an advantage in 2024 despite polling that shows him trailing former president Donald Trump.

The one election that he did not correctly predict was 2000, and but for Sandra Day O-Connor, he would have been right about that one, too.

Thanks to N.E.B. for pointing out my typo, which I have fixed. While I find this somewhat encouraging, I'm not sure that the standards which he applies still hold. After all, by any normal standards, Trump would have been long since eliminated from contention, yet here he is.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

So the Republicans who control Louisiana's state legislature, faced with the likelihood that a court would force the creation of a second Black congressional district (in order to comply with the Voting Rights Act), created that district on their own, but they deliberately made it gerrymandered in order that a court would strike it down.

I'm curious to know why you believe that is what happened. My understanding is that Louisiana properly followed the Supreme Court's dictates in Allen v. Milligan in response to litigation brought under the Voting Rights Act and that these two Trump-appointed judges (David C. Joseph and Robert R. Summerhays) are basically thumbing their noses at the court and daring them to reverse that decision and completely invalidate what is left of the Voting Rights Act. Can you explain why you believe that Louisiana improperly created this district?

Here, by the way, is the decision by Judges Joseph and Summerhays and the dissent by Judge Carl Stewart.

[N.E. Brigand]

Could have been worse:



Edited to add: "infrastruckersureparauhee."

[N.E. Brigand]

Donald Trump today said that on "Day One of the Trump presidency" he will be "restoring the travel ban" and "suspending refugee admissions".

(Video at link. It's from the Biden campaign. I hope they blast that clip all over Dearborn, Michigan.)

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Do you think it will matter? People seem to have lost their collective minds.

[N.E. Brigand]

Do you think it will matter? People seem to have lost their collective minds.

It is our business to help them find them again.

[RoseMorninStar]

I don't know if that is possible.

[N.E. Brigand]

I do think there are people trying to turn us all into nihilists.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Do you think it will matter? People seem to have lost their collective minds.

It is our business to help them find them again.

Aṣẹ!

[RoseMorninStar]

We were biking on one of the bike paths in Waukesha county. We didn't realize that there was a Trump rally there today. Loads of .. erm. * cough * supporters. The area is very wealthy. Huge homes. Because our economy is so bad. They sure don't look like they are hurting. At all. *sigh*