Many of us on Substack have bemoaned various headlines from the New York Times. We have been appalled by what appears to be “sane washing” of Donald Trump and an astounding disregard for his abuses. I need not list them.
Many of you have cancelled your New York Times subscriptions in anger. How could the most influential “newspaper” in the world actually portray Trump as a legitimate candidate for president? Why doesn’t every article call him out for his lies and indecency?
Today the editorial board of the Times laid out the reasons why Donald Trump should not regain the presidency – with cold, hard facts. The board also fully endorses Kamala Harris (with some mild criticisms).
If you have cut the cord with the Times, here is a link that bypasses the paywall:
I am not a “car guy”. Show me your latest expensive vehicle and I will be patient as you describe the power, handling and other fantastic features of the vehicle that takes you from point A to point B in fancy fashion. For some, driving is seriously fun. Not me. A car or truck is just another expensive required line item on the family budget. Ugh.
The 1959 Saab GT had front wheel drive, a wooden steering wheel and front seats that completely reclined.
But we recently bought a vehicle and I am EXCITED! Just as excited as when I got my first car – which meant independence and freedom!
Why have I flipped? Normally we buy a reliable car for cash and keep it for 10 years. The cost of ownership after that should be about $1000/year plus gas. Efficient and boring.
Totally dependable and useful, but….
Background: For ten years we enjoyed a Honda CR-V. For us, enjoying it meant only buying a new battery and tires. “Gracie” had about 49,000 miles and was in almost perfect shape. Not sure how car lives are measured against a human standard, but after 10 years, we know things start to wear out. And the resale value really begins to fade. But we still loved and respected our trusty Honda.
This journey began as I read about General Motors discontinuing the production of their extremely popular Chevrolet Bolt – an all electric plug in vehicle that I had been admiring for years. Apparently, they are re-launching the Bolt next year with a new less expensive battery that offers even more range and super fast charging. Anyway, there are a bunch of used Bolts bouncing around the highways. And suddenly, all of the ad algorithms were showing me Bolts for sale. Every article I selected to read showered me with ads from CarMax or CarGuru. The car was wooing me.
I learned to drive in a Plymouth with a push button transmission
And…I wanted to be part of the transition away from ICEs (internal combustion engines). We may live long enough to see them viewed the way we now look at antique cars with fins.
A friend and neighbor is a sales person at the local Chevy dealer. I concluded, after clicking a zillion ads for Bolts, that the right approach to this project was to put my fate in the hands of Jim – a guy I trust. “Find me a Chevy Bolt EUV – white or grey (dirt hiding) with about 25,000 miles or less. It must be a model year that qualifies for the rebates.” Which is the segue to the next reason for us to buy a Bolt.
It didn’t cost much to buy the new ride.
It was just a few days later that Jim had found a vehicle to tempt me. A 2022 white Bolt EUV with 25,950 miles. This is now getting closer to reality.
The final issue would be the rebates. The benevolent Biden administration offers a $4000 rebate for qualified used electric vehicles sold at dealerships. And the progressive state of Massachusetts offers a $3500 rebate as well. $7500 off the top price. Net cost after trade? Less than $3000. How could we say no?
Sparky
We traded in a 10 year old SUV that gobbled gas (20 mpg around town) for a three year old EUV that will require almost no service other than tires (it came with nice Michelins). That big battery is warranted for another 7 years.
The Bolt is a great investment. I’ll miss the friendly guys who pump gas at our local station, a little. Sparky’s range with a full charge is 289 miles. Because of my limited local driving habits, I have been plugging it in overnight – once a week. And it is a lot of fun to drive. Very comfortable seats (lumbar friendly). Lot’s of leg and head room. Back seats fold down for hauling cargo (just like our Hondas). More technology than I have the patience to explore. The Bolt handles deftly. Smooth ride. Quiet. It has TORQUE! Yeow.
And it doesn’t hurt that we feel like we are doing the right thing for the Earth. When we plug in Sparky, he is getting his energy from 100% sustainable/renewable sources – thanks to a town program that employs a green energy aggregator at a reasonable kwh rate.
I think I am becoming a car guy.
Keep your eyes and ears open for the re-launch of a terrific vehicle. And most other auto makers are offering new EV models each year. Here is an article that may convince you that EVs are inevitable. The new batteries will offer a charging rate of another 124 miles in just five minutes. EVs are becoming cheaper to buy than ICE vehicles and cheaper to maintain. What’s not to like?
One of the great features of Substack is that over time you “meet” and follow fellow writers who are quite talented. And sometimes a writer just completely blows away a subject with artistic articulation. Please read below. Bob Morgan’s latest “Random Thought”.
If Republicans are for smaller government, why do they keep running for office?
If Republicans are for fiscal responsibility, why are they responsible for most of the national debt since they cut taxes without reducing spending?
If Republicans are for individual rights and freedoms, why do they constantly attack voting and reproductive rights?
If Republicans are for free markets, why do they support tariffs that affect the cost of goods and require subsidies to American producers to compensate for the unintended consequences?
If Republicans are for lower taxes, but lower them mostly for the wealthy, don’t the rest of us wind up subsidizing their lifestyles?
If Republicans are for law and order, why do they support a twice impeached, four times indicted, convicted felon as their standard bearer?
If Republicans are for morality, why do they support a philander, sexual predator, and adjudicated sex offender as their standard bearer?
If Republicans are for adherence to the Constitution, why are they dismantling the guardrails between the three branches of government, and abandoning norms, customs, and convention?
If Republicans are for a strong national defense, why do they align themselves with our most unsavory adversaries?
If Republicans are for expelling offspring of immigrants, won’t they have to expel themselves?
If Republicans are for strong borders, why do they oppose actions and safeguards that are feasible, and support ones that are just for show?
If Republicans are for making America great again, why didn’t they just leave it as great as it was and improve it from there?”
Thank you, Bob. I don’t recognize this political party that fought to hold our nation together, that fought to free slaves, that fought world wars to defeat fascism, that stood tall and strong against Soviet aggression, that sought balanced budgets.
I don’t recognize this political party of my parents and Eisenhower. It has been captured by some very dark forces. It must be defeated. It must be defeated so strongly that its members will step back and realize that in their lust for power at all costs, they have left most of the American public in the dust. The Republican Party must rebuild itself – but that won’t happen until they are KO’d at the voting booth.
There was a time, not too long ago, when we might vote for the person rather than the party. In Massachusetts, a very solidly Blue state, we elected a Republican governor. Charlie Baker was one of the most popular governors in our history. He deserved all those votes from Democrats.
If you live in Maryland, you might be tempted to vote for Larry Hogan for Senate. Another popular former governor – a reasonable Republican from what I have read. BUT DO NOT VOTE FOR LARRY HOGAN. If we lose the Senate, there will be more partisan hack judges and the Federalist Society will continue to take over our judicial system that supports oligarchy – not democracy.
It should also worry us that “good guys” like Hogan and Gov Sununu of New Hampshire still support the party of a con man and the attributes so well described above. Please send them a message:
Fortunately, there is more to life than politics. Welcome to a distraction. I’ll be back with something serious soon. For now, take a break and enter the world of the absurd.
We were raised in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts. A nice place if you stick to the suburbs and countryside. But the major cities are struggling to revive from the loss of industry over the decades. The “Big E” has been a traditional fair – 4H stuff. Each state has a house where they crow about their traditions, features and fun.
Poutine taken to another level
We live in a beautiful Eastern Massachusetts town now. It’s a region where jobs are plentiful, politics progressive, and diversity is becoming the norm. The traffic is awful and the housing is unaffordable. But at least they haven’t gone completely bonkers about food. The Big E is held in West Springfield. An otherwise normal Western Massachusetts town. Yet, every September, this place loses its mind. A local “newspaper” describes it below. Politics is not the only thing humans have gone crazy about.
I know that 108 whacky food items is a lot to digest. So if you get weary reading, please at least scroll down to number 86: The “BBQ Sunday”.
What can you eat at The Big E? Here are 108 foods you can find at the fair
Updated: Sep. 12, 2024, 9:46 p.m.
|Published: Sep. 12, 2024, 1:16 p.m.
The Big E’s new Spic-E Burger rolled in Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, available at The Emporium in the Better Living Center.(Nick O’Malley, MassLive)
The Big E is unlike any other place you can go to eat in Massachusetts. The food has no rules, no restraints and no limit on how unhealthy it can be.
It’s like the Mos Eisley of food. You’ll never find a more wretched hive. But instead of “scum and villainy,” it’s more “sugar and deep-frying.”
OK, there may be a little bit of villainy based on how I feel leaving the fairgrounds every year.
How wild is the food? The Big E has everything from pickle pizza to pickle doughnuts. There are deep-fried deviled eggs and deep-fried ice cream sandwiches.
Heck, there’s a competition for what’s the unhealthiest burger at the fair, and the frontrunner isn’t the one called “The Flatliner Burger.” (It’s either the new Insanit-E Burger or the new Quad Father).
To celebrate the 108th year of The Big E, here are 108 foods you can find at the fair this year. With that said, 108 is a lot. So we’re going to break it down into sections.
Fried Oreos from Tootsie’s at The Big E (File Photo)
Deep-Fried Foods: If You Can Dream It, You Can Fry It
When you think of state fairs, you think of oddball deep-fried foods. It started with Twinkies and Oreos. But now we’re deep-frying everything from butter to whoopie pies.
The Big E offers no shortage of deep-fried frivolities. Although, not everything is as delicious (or horrifying) as you’d imagine. For example, the Fried Butter is actually really good, especially if you load it up with cinnamon sugar.
As always, you can’t go wrong with a deep-fried Oreo.
1. Deep-Fried Oreos | Available throughout the fair
2. Giant Mozzarella Stick | From Angela’s Pizza | On Commonwealth Ave.
3. Deep-Fried Ice Cream Sandwich | From Deluca Family Foods | On New England Ave.
4. Chicken Parm Chompers | From Chompers | On New England Ave.
5. Fried Mac & Cheese Balls w/ Bacon | From E.B.’s Food For Fun | In The Food Court
6. Deep Fried Whoopie Pie | From Sugar Shakers | On New England Ave.
7. Fried Jelly Beans | From Marion’s Fried Foods | On New England Ave.
8. Deep-Fried BBQ Brisket Mac Taco from Jim’s Deep-Fried Tacos (East Road)
9. Fried Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups | From Piche’s Beignets | Near the Court of Honor Stage
10. Deep-Fried Deviled Eggs | From The Deviled Egg | On East Road
11. Fried Snickers | From Piche’s Beignets | Near the Court of Honor Stage
Fried Butter from Marion’s Fried Foods on New England Ave. (MassLive Photo)
12. Fried Butter | From Marion’s Fried Foods | On New England Ave.
13. Empanadas Tacos | From Macho Taco | On Commonwealth Ave.
14. Deep-fried Cheesecake & Strawberries | From Poppie’s | Throughout the fair
15. Fried Shepherd’s Pie | From E.B.’s Food For Fun | In The Food Court
16. Loaded Tots | From Tots-A-Lot | On New England Ave.
17. Deep-fried Meatballs on a Stick | From Deluca Family Foods | On New England Ave.
General Tso’s Colossal Fried Shrimp from the Harpoon Beer Hall on New England Ave.(Nick O’Malley, MassLive)
18. General Tso’s Colossal Fried Shrimp | From the Harpoon Beer Hall | On New England Ave.
19. Fried Camembert Cheese | From Hofbrauhaus Beer Garden | In The Food Court
20. Tempura Plate | From the Veggie Patch | On Commonwealth Ave.
21. Fried Kool-Aid | At Marion’s Fried Dough | On New England Ave.
22. Fried Banana Balls | From Pop ‘n Fresh Fried Dough | On West Road
23. Blooming Onion | From The Big Cheese | On New England Ave.
26. Mozzarella Fingers | Hot Wisconsin Cheese | On Springfield Road
A classic Big E Cream Puff from The Big E Bakery. (Nick O’Malley, MassLive)
Classic Big E Foods
There are some foods that have become institutions at The Big E. For starters, we’ve got the Cream Puff, which is produced on-site in The Big E’s own bakery.
We’ve also got fairground mainstays like fried dough and cheese curds. But The Big E also has some foods that have gained a cult following. That Baked Potato at the Maine Building? It has a separate tent to accommodate the lines that grow every year. There are also multiple spots to grab lobster rolls and kettle corn.
27. Big E Cream Puff | From the Big E Bakery | At the New England Food Center & Food Court
28. Maine Baked Potato | In the Maine Building
29. Lobster Rolls | In the Massachusetts Building, Rhode Island Building, Maine Building
30. Fried Cheese Curds | Available throughout the fair
31. Big E-clair | From the Big E Bakery | At the New England Food Center & Food Court
32. Kettle Corn | Available throughout the fair
The new Craz-E Burger from the Emporium in the Better Living Center. (Nick O’Malley, MassLive)
Crazy Burgers and Sandwiches
If you’re going to a state fair, you’re probably not planning on sitting down to eat with a fork and knife. Fortunately, The Big E is here with some of the most bizarre foods ever placed between two slices of bread — or, in some cases, between two doughnuts.
Keep an eye on the Craz-E Burger, which now has two doughnuts as buns. There are also the double-patty Insanit-E Burger and the Hot Cheeto-dusted Spic-E Burger.
33. Craz-E Burger (Bigger and crazier than before) | From The Emporium | In the Better Living Center
34. The Bear Necesset-E Sandwich | From Bear’s Smokehouse | On the side of the Connecticut Building
35. Insantit-E Burger (A double Craz-E Burger) | From The Emporium | In the Better Living Center
36. Spic-E Burger (Rolled in Hot Cheetos) | From The Emporium | In the Better Living Center
37. The Quadfather Burger | From White Hut | In the Food Court
The Flatliner Burger, West Springfield Lions Club at The Big E
38. Flatliner Burger From West Springfield Lions Club | On West Road
39. The 18-inch “German Giant” Bratwurst Sandwich | From The Wurst Haus | On Commonwealth Avenue
40. Bacon Waffle Burger from Macken’s Specialty Sliders (Outside the Massachusetts Building)
41. Spicy PB&J Burger | From SoulFully Vegan | At The Front Porch
42. Turducken Sandwich | At the New England Craft Beer Pub | On The Avenue of States
The Supreme Schnitzel Sandy from Wurst Haus on Commonwealth Ave. (Nick O’Malley, MassLive)
43. Supreme Schnitzel Sandy | From Wurst Haus | On Commonwealth Ave.
44. Apple Cider-Glazed Pulled Pork Grilled Cheese | From Sam Adams Beer Garden | On the Avenue of States
45. Mac & Cheese Grilled Cheese | From Granville Country Store | In the Front Porch
46. Bacon Bomb Sandwich | From Bacon Bomb | On East Road
47. Rattlesnake/Pheasant Sausage | From Yankee Boy/International Lobster House | On West Road
48. Kangaroo Burger | At the Yankee Boy/International Lobster House
49. Polish “Bomb” | From New England Craft Beer Pub | On the Avenue of States
The S’mores Macaron (S’macaron) from the Vermont Marshmallow Company behind the Vermont Building. (Nick O’Malley, MassLive)
Sweet, Decadent Desserts
Even with fall just around the corner, it can get pretty hot at The Big E. Whenever that’s the case, you’re never far from an easy option to cool down. When the weather says it’s 85 (but it feels like 95), don’t hesitate to grab a crazy milkshake or a doughnut filled with ice cream. Sometimes you’ve got to eat to beat the heat.
50. Blueberry Pierogi Sundae | From Moo-licious | On Springfield Road
51. Maple Bacon Waffle Sundae | From Amy’s Sweet Treats | On Commonwealth Ave.
52. Dessert Ball | From Storrowton Tavern | On Commonwealth of States
53. S’macarons | From Vermont Marshmallow Company | Vermont Building
54. Ice Cream Cake Ball | From Storrowton Tavern | On the Avenue of States
55. Moo-nut | From Moo-licious | On Springfield Road
56. Frosting Shots | From LuAnn’s Bakery | At the Front Porch
The Moo Bomb from Moolicious on Springfield Road and West Road. (Nick O’Malley, MassLive)
57. The Moo Bomb | From Moo-licious | On Springfield Road
58. Milkshakes | From Chick-fil-A | On East Road
59. Oreo Cookie Cinnamon Bun | From Cinnamon Saloon | On Hampden Ave.
60. Beer-a-Misu | From the New England Craft Beer Pub | On the Avenue of States
61. Baklava Sundae | Sam’s New York System | In the Rhode Island Building
62. Mini Donuts | Hot & Fresh Mini Donuts | On East Road
63. Special Ice Cream Flavors | From Ben & Jerry’s | In the Vermont Building
64. Colorful Chocolates | From Chocolate Moonshine | In the Young Building
65. Samoa Apples | From Red’s Apples | On New England Ave.
66. Blue Razzle Chocolate Banana | From Veggie Patch Fruit Smoothie | On Commonwealth Ave.
67. Apple Pie w/ Ice Cream | From the Cold Hollow Cider Mill | In the Vermont Building
68. Cannoli Donut | From Cannoli King | In the Food Court
69. Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches | From Wright’s Dairy Farm | In the Rhode Island Building
Giant turkey legs from The Big E. (Hoang ‘Leon’ Nguyen / The Republican)
Various Vessels: On the Bone, on a Stick, in Something Edible?
Forks? Knives? Who needs those? You’re at a state fair. Who has time to sit down and eat? You could be spending your time walking around and looking at camels and spending too long looking at the hot tubs for sale.
The Big E has evolved beyond the plate to accommodate plenty of mobile eating options. You’ve got plenty of foods on a stick. But you’ve also got a number of options where you can simply eat what the food is served in. (No, paper plates don’t count.)
70. Giant Smoked Turkey Leg | Porky’s | On Commonwealth Ave.
71. Carmel Wafful | From Waffulicious | On Springfield Road
72. Bacon Mac & Cheese in a Cone | From Agawam Lion’s Club | On West Road
73. Dessert in a Cone | From Agawam Lion’s Club | On West Road
74. Waffle Dog on a Stick | From Tripp’s Farmhouse Cafe | Inside the Maine Building
75. Chicken Pot Pie in a Bread Bowl | From Storrowton Tavern | Located on the Avenue of States
76. Milk and a Bucket Full of Chocolate Chip Cookies | From Stella’s Milk & Cookies | On New England Ave.
77. Chicken & Waffle Bowl | From the Waffle Bowl truck | Behind the Vermont Building
78. Chicken-on-a-Stick | From Chan’s Original Chicken-on-a-Stick | New England Ave.
79. Frozen Cheesecake on a Stick | From Veggie Patch Smoothies | On Commonwealth Ave.
80. Blackened Chicken Mac & Cheese in a Bread Bowl | From Storrowton Tavern | On the Avenue of States
81. Clam chowder in a Bread Bowl | From Kenyon Corn Meal Co. | In the Rhode Island Building
82. Salmon On A Stick | From Sebastian’s Smokehouse | In the Maine Building
Crazy Combinations: Who Thought of This? And Why Does it Work?
Who would have thought that pickles would pair with so many things? But that’s the way it goes at The Big E, which is sort of a mad scientist experiment for wild food combinations.
Remember, if it sounds crazy, there’s a chance it might actually be good. Give it a try. At the very least, you’ll have a fun story.
83. Burnt Bacon Ends in Chocolate | From Ultimate BBQ | In the Food Court
84. Mashed Potato Fries | From Macken’s Specialty Sliders | Outside the Massachusetts Building
85. Pickle Pizza | From Angela’s Pizza | On Commonwealth Ave.
The BBQ Sundae from Porky’s on Commonwealth Ave. at The Big E (File Photo)
86. BBQ Sundae | From Porky’s | On Commonwealth Ave.
87. DoughCo | From Anna’s Fried Dough | On East Road
88. Bacon-Wrapped Dilly Dilly Dog from The Meatball Factory | On West Road
89. Dill Pickle Cupcake | From Lu Ann’s Bakery | At The Front Porch
90. Maple Bacon Hot Dog | From Ferrindino Maple | On Springfield Road
91. Thanksgiving Nachos | From New England Craft Beer Pub | On the Avenue of States
92. Cowboys Nachos, with Pickled Eggs and Pickled Kielbasa | From Dolly’s Honky Tonk | On Industrial Ave.
93. Tater Tots Topped with Lobster | From Yankee Boy/International Lobster House | On West Road and Springfield Road
94. Caramel Apple Snicker Dessert Pizza | From Top The Crust | In The Food Court
95. Crab Rangoon Pizza | From Top The Crust | In The Food Court
S’mores Fries from Friskie Fries in the Rhode Island Building at The Big E (Nick O’Malley)
96. S’mores Fries | From Friskie Fries | In the Rhode Island Building
97. Cornbread Sundae | From Mooliious | On Springfield Road
98. Chocolate Chip Cookie Croissant | The Mick Express | The Young Building
99. Pulled Pork Stuffed Popover | From the New England Craft Beer Pub | On the Avenue of States
100. Bear Attack | From Bear’s BBQ | Outside the Connecticut Building
101. Skippy’s Dare Peanut Butter Bacon Pizza | From Randy’s Wooster Street Pizza | In the Connecticut Building
103. Chicken Tot Pie | From Tots-A-Lot | On New England Ave.
104. Porky Pretzel Bites | From Wurst Haus | On Commonwealth Ave.
105. Pickle Donut | From Fluffy’s | On New England Ave.
106. Buffalo Chicken Poutine | From Poutine Gourmet | On Springfield Road
107. Chicken Pot Pie Stuffed Popover | From New England Craft Beer Pub | On the Avenue of States
108. Tajin Candy Apples | From the Cotton Candy Stand on West Road
Here is my way of wrapping up a week that I must describe as celebratory. About time! Future letters from me are not going to be as cheery and pleasant. I am going to ask us some tough questions. But for now, I believe it is important to take our victories and be very grateful!
Lately, I have found the Guardian to be a more reliable “newspaper”. It seems to avoid the click bait headlines of the NYTimes and the Washington Post. Mostly, solid reporting. Here is a piece that followed last week’s legendary debate between a master prosecutor and a demented blow hard.
Let us not get cocky or complacent. But I recommend taking a few minutes to celebrate just a little.
And then, even more importantly, if you haven’t seen clips of VP Harris in a follow up rally in North Carolina, please do. I see and hear such energy and joy. I believe that her positivity and presentation will continue to propel the campaign to victory.
Here is the YouTube video. If you want to skip to the meat of it, slide forward to about the 11:15 minute mark. This candidate knows how to work a crowd – and obviously enjoys the process!
I am not a pundit. I am just an average old white guy who woke up this morning brimming with pride. You will read endless recaps and revelations about last night’s “debate”. Here is my take – I’ll be quick.
There was only one qualified and articulate candidate on the stage. Just one.
Old Donald revealed himself to be the same old delusional demonic former failed insurrectionist president. His grasp of issues and facts are vanishing faster than his hair. His best moments? When he was silent and not grimacing like a Cheshire cat in pain. It will be recorded as his most embarrassing performance in a fading political career littered with falsehoods and fantastic fabrications. But I was certainly grateful to learn that I should never visit Springfield, Ohio with my dog…
Vice President Kamala Harris delivered a public performance for the ages. How could any American view that presentation with anything other than respect and pride? She spoke of lifting people up. He tore them down. She spoke of helping people with their difficulties in life. She offered help with housing and child care. She spoke of protecting Medicare and Social Security. He expressed admiration for Victor Orban – the dictator of Hungary – a pariah within NATO and reviled throughout Europe. He lied about people eating pets.
Future President Harris reassured us that she and future VP Walz are the team to lead this country. They will be unifiers and smart leaders. She spoke of “turning the page because the American people are tired of this negativity” (my words). Harris defined herself as the challenger to an old wobbly depressing whiner. It was fresh air.
I slept so well last night. I WOKE up this morning with a smile. The Orange Menace showed us his true colors. VP Harris showed us how to stand confidently strong against a bully. She never wavered. Harris is tough and compassionate. I am deeply proud.
This was in my email inbox this morning. Many of you have cancelled your subscription to this rag. So here is a gifted link, if you are feeling masochistic enough to read the whole thing.
The national results are in line with polls in the seven battleground states that will decide the presidential election, where Ms. Harris is tied with Mr. Trump or holds slim leads, according to New York Times polling averages.
I tapped on this piece of click bait and here was the “story”:
”Trump and Harris Neck and Neck After Summer Upheaval, Times/Siena Poll Finds”
Here are some tidbits from this ridiculous piece of created “news”.
“I don’t know what Kamala’s plans are,” said Dawn Conley, a 48-year-old small-business owner in Knoxville, Tenn., who is leaning toward Mr. Trump but is not completely decided. “It’s kind of hard to make a decision when you don’t know what the other party’s platform is going to be.”
”Among the many recommendations in the 900-page document, Project 2025 proposes to criminalize pornography, disband the Commerce and Education departments, reject the idea of abortion as health care and shred climate protections.
Three-quarters of likely voters said they had heard about Project 2025, and of those, 63 percent said they opposed it.”
Call me crazy, but if 63% say they oppose the fascism of Project 2025, how can anyone say they don’t know enough about a “party’s platform?”
Earth to Dawn Conley: Donald Trump = fascism and the destruction of me, your planet.
According to Statista, in 2022, there were 161.42 million people registered to vote in the United States.
This is how the poll was taken: ”For this poll, interviewers placed nearly 194,000 calls to nearly 104,000 voters.”
My grade school math says that the pollers came to their conclusions by surveying .0644282 percent of registered voters – people who are willing to answer their phones when receiving calls from unknown phone numbers.
At the end of this piece, there is a CYA explanation:
“The poll’s margin of sampling error among likely voters is plus or minus 2.8 percentage points. In theory, this means that the results should reflect the views of the overall population most of the time, though many other challenges create additional sources of error. When computing the difference between two values — such as a candidate’s lead in a race — the margin of error is twice as large.”
Employing my grade school math again, I conclude based on this tiny sample – that the margin of error in this poll is therefore, by the author’s definition at least, 5.6%. Or precisely (/s) 9,039,520 votes. Essentially saying that while we believe in our process, there are good odds that the poll is completely inaccurate!
Additional perspective from the Pew Research Organization: “About two-thirds of registered voters identify as a partisan, and they are roughly evenly split between those who say they are Republicans (32% of voters) and those who say they are Democrats (33%). Roughly a third instead say they are independents or something else (35%), with most of these voters leaning toward one of the parties.”
If these polls were worth anything more than a bag of cow spit, Hillary would be completing her second term and the Climate Catastrophe mitigation process would be well under way.
But here is my optimistic spin on the NY Times article and all others like it. If the race does look like it is “neck and neck”, the terror in our hearts may motivate us, as Michelle Obama said, to “Do Something!”
Reach out to any friends or relatives that may be disillusioned, infrequent voters. Motivate them by explaining Project 2025. Ask them how they could allow someone like Trump to return to the White House. Need some talking points?
I am sharing a NY Times opinion piece. Poo Poo it. Or not.
This is a prediction from “Allan Lichtman, the American University historian who’s been dubbed the Nostradamus of presidential election predictions for his near-perfect 40-year track record…. The confidence is rooted in Mr. Lichtman’s simple, history-driven model, which tunes out polls and pollsters and instead focuses on 13 true-or-false questions that he says hold the “keys” to the White House.”
The Harris/Walz campaign is cruising! The CNN interview with Dana Bash was effective and in today’s cynical atmosphere, it achieved success by “doing no harm”. From the campaign’s point of view, it was another step in getting Americans better acquainted with and more comfortable with our Next President and her VP.
Critics complained that candidate Harris was light on details. They wanted to know more about her economic policies, etc. That would be nice. Personally, I would like to know more about her approach to the Climate Catastrophe. But that is NOT what these appearances are all about.
Just as with the events called “debates”, there is a mission. Don’t screw up and give your opponent ammunition to go viral with. Score a couple of solid points that the media can pick up on. But first and last, don’t give them anything negative to run with. That’s it. It is all theater. The best actors will win.
Fracking can be cool
However, there is one policy detail and irony that I can’t let slip through without a comment. Some of my friends on the environmental left have whined that VP Harris has changed her mind about banning fracking. Sorry. Maybe she has learned over the last four years that while we should certainly wean ourselves off fossil fuels, one of the tools in doing that is Geo-Thermal energy. Which has been made possible by guess what? Please read how fracking could be our friend.
I can wait until January of 2025 when these two fine leaders are sworn in to hear about the details of their agenda. For now, I will be fine with the idea that the MAGA Nazis won’t be taking over the White House and Project 2025 will be burned all across America in a celebratory national party. Crack open the champagne!
Meanwhile, Team Trump and Vance continue to destroy their last vestiges of any decency. How low can they go? With over two months left before the election, do they think they are in a race to disgrace?
Full disclosure: I stole the Arlington National Cemetery cartoon from a substack written by Margaret Sullivan. It’s a time lapse video by Darrin Bell. I highly recommend her thinking and writing. Margaret was a “public editor” at the NY Times and a media columnist for the Washington Post. Lot’s of awards and she is a member of the Pulitzer Board. Since January 2023, Sullivan has been a media, politics, and culture columnist for The Guardian US. The Guardian is my current go to “newspaper” for unbiased reporting and a better international view of the Planet.
Her substack is called “American Crisis”. I highly recommend subscribing.
Democrats have concluded a Convention that I call joyous, refreshing and honest. Hasn’t it felt good? After years of the news being filled with stories about the Orange Menace, isn’t it wonderful that our days and nights have been filled with hope for a return to sanity? We, the people, dominated the public square.
True, Trump and Vance will continue to launch attacks using every dirty trick and lie they can fabricate. It will be infuriating. The core MAGA crew will still believe that their millionaire “heroes” want to help them. Ha! Most MAGAs are unwavering in their worship of two con men. We shouldn’t be surprised. Con men have always been with us – and will always hoodwink the angry and the gullible.
Happy Warriors…for the people.
But there are two groups of voters that the superpowers of Harris and Walz will reach. One is obviously independents and disaffected Republicans who would normally lean right. I truly believe many of them have been disgusted by Trump and his sad partner. The authentic positive enthusiasm of Team Harris and Walz just might break through to them – especially when contrasted with the stream of consciousness babblings of their opponents. The Orange One has ignored his advisors and is running his own campaign of grievance and lie after lie. He is sounding more and more mentally unfit.
The other group is younger voters – some of whom have been apathetic – some were called “double haters”.
Some big issues have been reclaimed by Harris and Walz. Despite the common conception to the contrary, Dems are better for the economy and tougher on the border than Republicans!
The Dems have just presented a series of facts that neuter the MAGA mantras of Republicans being tough on the border and good for jobs. Use these facts when speaking to your uncertain friends. As Heather Cox Richardson noted:
“Bill Clinton explained – “since 1989, the U.S. has created 51 million new jobs. Fifty million of those jobs were created under Democratic presidents, while only 1 million were added under Republicans.”
and…
As future President Harris reminded us, there was a powerful, non-partisan immigration bill – passed in the Senate, but killed in the House of Representatives by Donald Trump’s phone call to House Leader Johnson. Trump: “We don’t want to give Joe Biden a victory.” WTF!?
The bill was endorsed by the Border Patrol. It funded more personnel at the border to control the flow of humanity. It offered more assistance in processing asylum seekers LEGALLY. It provided $millions for the latest equipment to detect fentanyl smuggling. But radical, selfish, power hungry House Republicans rejected it. Politics over people. Power over performance. Transparent irresponsibility – that’s on offer from Trump and MAGA.
And….most Americans are very freaked out about the rapidly changing Climate of our Home. All the issues we are yakking about will have little or no importance if our homes are burned down or washed away. A hurricane from the Gulf of Mexico causes drowning in Vermont? Wildfires in California burn areas larger than Los Angeles? Florida’s saltwater intrusion? The vast majority of Americans believe we should act to reduce global warming. Democrats agree. Republicans deny – in the face scientific facts, they would prefer to ignore the threat.
I believe that the Climate Catastrophe and Reproductive rights – layered with the truth about the economy and the border – these issues leave the MAGA campaign flat footed and flopping around for something to complain about. The Orange One is already babbling again about “Hunter”. What’s next? Hillary’s emails?
Yes, I am OPTIMISTIC! Not complacent. But we have positive momentum like never before. Build on it. Talk it up. Spread the word.
And sometimes, something wonderfully human and emotionally powerful just puts a cap on a terrific event. Gus Walz showed his unrestrained enthusiasm for his Dad, Tim. I bet you had at least a little more moisture in your eyes seeing his excitement. Ignore the mockery from social media MAGANAZIs. It just further reveals the emptiness of their hearts and darkness of their souls. Instead celebrate. Gus certainly did. If you missed it, here it is. Or watch it again. I can’t stop.
Bill's Focus 