And this is why I voted in person. The President is now harping that mail-in votes are “illegal” and should be thrown out only in the states where he lost.
He didn’t lose in Missouri, of course, a state as red as the blood of a deer machined-gunned to death by a beet farmer if the deer had hemochromatosis. Trump won by 56% in Missouri. He won by 57% in my particular county (sunburned deer with hemochromatosis).
Gary said this would happen — pressure on the electoral college — and I thought he was being paranoid. The big concern now is that either Trump will lean on syncophant politicians and win via lawsuit, or else he’ll be a martyr and win in four years.
I knew there would be *pressure* but whether it would have any chance of being *effective* pressure was something I doubted. We'll see. I feel like "New California" and "New Nevada" might reduce the likelihood of people taking the Texas lawsuit seriously, but who knows at this point, because the bubbles are so very self-reinforcing?
Posted by: KC | December 11, 2020 at 01:59 PM
I think just slightly more than half of the population absolutely loathe Trump. They will come out to vote against him in 2024 just like they did in 2020.
Also, Hooray for the Supreme Court. Trump is such a fool. He has no idea of government or what's legal and what's not. He acts as if the government (Justice Department, Supreme Court ,FBI) all exist to do his bidding. He and his family are a very good argument against inherited wealth. They seem like a different species.
Posted by: Arlene | December 12, 2020 at 05:26 PM
KC - well, thank god his Supreme Court stood up to him and ignored the Texas lawsuit. I hope it’s over, but then I am in my bubble.
Arlene - for a moment it tired to imagine what it would be like to be wealthy, to have ten times what everyone else has, then I remembered I have ten times what other people have. They probably think I’m trump-like myself. Still, I would never think the fbi was there to do my bidding. Is he rich or is a just a narcissist, and his kids have no better role model?
Posted by: TheQueen | December 12, 2020 at 08:38 PM
I appreciated that they turned it down flat. :-)
I mean, honestly, yes, probably everyone less advantaged/privileged than we are has times of frustration when *we* don't have to be afraid of calling the police, and *we* don't have to think about how to shuffle bill payments if we get some small financial blip like a fee or a parking ticket or losing a $10 bill, and *we* don't have to go in sick to work because otherwise we won't be able to pay rent and we'll be evicted and possibly lose our job and have it be ten times as hard to get one. And we don't have to deal with scornful bean-counters processing food stamp paperwork, or the limits to food stamps, or the judginess of people in grocery store lines because you had the *temerity* to buy a $5 birthday cake for your child when you're on *food stamps* the horror and waste of it all.
But for the most part, that seems to not bother people a lot *except* when we're either choosing to profit off their loss (see: people who don't tip in areas where tipping is necessary for people to even get minimum wage, or people who are exploiting their workers) or where we're telling them how to manage their resources so that they can climb out of the hole (that society has efficiently placed them in by profiting off extremely low wages while still advertising Life Of Luxury to all): buy in bulk! Like you can do when you, oh, have adequate cash liquidity and someplace to store things where they won't get stolen. Cook things from scratch instead of eating processed foods! Like you can do when you have time, energy, and a functioning kitchen with adequate equipment instead of a microwave and a dorm fridge in a slum room. Save money out of each paycheck! Like you can when your paycheck is actually larger than your necessary bills and food.
I guess, walking into a government building to get something done and expecting people to *help you* instead of snubbing or arresting you is something.
That said, it's a whoooole distance from expecting that the random government employee will make you a sandwich or otherwise do something that is really *totally* outside the limits of their job. And ordering various government employees to do actually illegal things, not just things outside their job, is... something even further than that.
So, there's a distance? But also, Trump's lifestyle is probably way more than 10x "larger" than yours - likely more like 100x? (whether his assets-to-liabilities is actually net positive or not at this time) So there is that. (and I bet his food waste is *way* more than 10x yours, catfish recipe flunks notwithstanding.)
Posted by: KC | December 13, 2020 at 01:07 AM
I really don't think it's just about being rich. There are billionaires who use their wealth improve the lives of people they will never meet. Trump just doesn't seem to be able to relate to anyone who isn't very wealthy or doing something for him. His niece's book says it's how he was raised--win at any cost. But, it takes a lot of money to believe that the rules are not made for you because you can always buy, lie or cheat your way out of any problem. Pre-presidency, Trump got away with a lot simply because his lawyers fight and countersue until the other side gives up. I just can't believe we elected a person who cares so little about the American democracy.
Posted by: Arlene | December 13, 2020 at 01:56 PM
KC - well, I did throw out an entire batch of cookie dough. I tried to make waffle cookies in a Belgian waffle press. The recipe was suspect as well. I made a fifth of the recipe and it had 2 cups of flour.
Arlene - he’s really what can happen if Normal Vincent Peale is your minister. All positive thoughts, no self-criticism.
Posted by: TheQueen | December 14, 2020 at 07:14 PM