You have to admire the mental gymnastics required to be a republican. black man takes unemployment from 10 percent to 4 percent and Dow from 7600 to 22000. Worst president ever.
white guy shows up and takes unemployment from 4 to 3.7 and Dow from 22000 to 24000. Best president ever.
Whatever helps you all sleep at night.
24
We wish you well, American voters. So much depends on what you will do tomorrow.
6
In addition: The Supreme Court!
I hope Breyer & Ginsberg can hold out until we can get a different President, but we’ll be stuck with a conservative majority on the court for a very long time!
Women who believe in feminism & are victims of sexual assault are completely appalled with what happened with the Kavanaugh hearing.
We’re past due for some change!!!
4
I would like to get back to a time not that terribly long ago when I could talk to all of my neighbors regardless of our political differences. We may have debated each other about this or that, but we never hated each other like we now do.
And frankly Trump has no intention of returning me to that time and place. He is in fact willing to sacrifice the actual fabric of America for his own grasp on power and with it, gains to his personal wealth.
No president that put love of country first, would have done this to our United States.
So for those that like their tax breaks regardless of the damage it has done to the debt only our children will pay.
To those that are thrilled with de-regulation that strips the earth of essential protections, those that our great grandchildren will have to live with.
To those that really believe that those with less should have to put up or shut up when it comes to the health of their family.
To those that don't mind the raping of our resources and productivity as long as they get a sliver.
To those that are frivolous with the fact that simple persons fleeing persecution don't get a second chance at life because while that was the opportunity afforded to others way up their family tree, there is no longer room for the dream of America.
And for all of those that think infighting fear against persons of color is OK.
Well then be my guest and vote Republican.
I for one will vote "D" for decency. Because this is what I most long for.
8
Please, don't vote. Voting is immoral. In voting you are calling upon the government to do your bidding, and everything government does, from collecting taxes, to providing security from imagined enemies, to punishing law breakers, is predicated on violence. The trouble with this modus operandi--the iron rule of law--is that violence begets violence, and can never serve to reduce or eliminate it. In the long run, no good ever comes from government, and no good comes from voting.
The seemingly intractable and growing divisions between Americans is caused by the fact of violent government. Those who control the three branches and their multiplicity of government agencies can exercise forcible control over many aspects of the lives of all Americans, many of who will strongly disagree with the dictates of the successful voting majority. The electoral winners capture the forces of government and its associated police power to enact laws and punish lawbreakers. Even within the framework of the Constitution, those in power can and do severely inhibit the freedom, rights and privileges of minorities.
The time has come for Americans to dispense with violent government and install a regimen of true self-government, with no individuals having authority to govern others by force. A voluntary society would be safer, more secure and prosperous than we dare imagine.
4
Because of Trump’s tariffs soybean orders are down ....94%! Trump had to bail out American farmers with $1.7 billion is subsidies! This is not sustainable!
Because of Trump’s and the GOP Tax Scam...our nation’s deficit has ballooned by one TRILLION in a mere....17months!
Because of Trump our nation is more divided than even during the Viètnam War! His vitriol, his dog-whistle to white supremacists by proclaiming AFTER the Maasacre at the Synagogue that he is a ....nationalist! NBC, CNN and other networks have had to pull a Republican political ad because of its obvious racism!
Because Trump, praised a Montana congressman who assaulted a journalist , because he has offered to pay for the legal fees of anyone beating up protesters at his ego-rallies....there is a huge RISE in hate crimes according Southern Povery Law Center who keeps tabs on hate crimes across our nation.
These are just a few of the reasons to vote every single Republican out of office.
Lastly, Republican voter suppression is rampant! All this and more are reasons to send a very strong and definitive message to Donald J. Trump! We, the People, REJECT the politics of hate, lies, fear and division....once and for all!
6
Don't vote if there's no one you can, in good conscience, vote for. If all you're given is a choice between 2 candidates both of whom are owned by wealthiy corporations & the military/industrial complex, don't vote.
4
Mr. Blow, you are right on every count. And let us not forget the butchering of the journalist Jamal Kashoggi, whose body has not been returned to his family and for which Trump did not stand up to Saudi Arabia and demand answers.
3
I am voting straight republican tomorrow ! Sorry Chuck I reject your tribalism and your bankrupt notion of collectivism . I am tired of one trick ponies like Blow who cant write anything other that racism everywhere and hate against the white working class bogeyman. The Democrat party offers me nothing except demonization of my race and religion . It offers no solutions except name calling , temper tantrums , and political hero worship of charlatans like Obama. Obama was biggest fraud that the global oligarchy ever put forth to a gullible public.
6
Okay Boris.
5
Is this Op-ed built on Fear, Anger and Division? And The Times accuses Trump's campaign of being built on fear anger and division?
I'd love to see Democrats be better than Trump. But I see too many corrupt, lying Democrats like Cuomo, Menendez, Ellison and, of course, Hillary. Two sides of the same unfortunate coin.
5
GDK
Please do not omit in your praise of trump's ideas the following:
I like to encourage harm to minorities...all minorities.
I like to lie. So much that I do it all the time.
I like to threaten and bribe the GOP into flattering me.
I like to accuse my opponents of my very transgressions.
I like to harness the religious (Christian only) to further my
un-Christian everything.
Above all, I like myself at the cost of harm to all others.
The GOP bears an unspeakable burden of guilt for enabling the most despotic politician any living American has experienced.
You have a right to have and to express your opinions only because of a constitution that protects those rights. A constitution that trump ignorantly tramples daily.
How do you like that, Sir/Madame?
13
@Chac Thanks for letting the world know that you are a heretic whose over the top rhetoric validates our votes for Trump and sanity.
1
It's the religious discrimination which gets to me. The anti-Semitism and the Muslim ban. Trump doesn't seem to understand the Constitution and its amendments.
9
@Letitia Jeavons
You forgot to mention the outright racism.
2
@N. Smith
There is no outright racism. There is no inside racism. And you know it.
But you will argue that there is, as long as it remains a useful rhetorical tool. Word to the wise: its usefulness is declining, rapidly.
4
I haven't voted for any Republicans since my first election in 1976. I stopped even considering a republican since the party gave Newt Gingrich a microphone. I am while, college educated, and female. The Republican party may not be made of racists, but they are the party chosen by racists. I want no association with people who can look away from that fact.
14
@Jody
So you want to be associated with racists like Louis Farrakhan? Good for you. I don't want to be associated with the party chosen by racists like him.
2
@Tony
Farrakhan isn't an elected official. He is the only name you can come up with?
3
@Jody
The Klan has no elected members in Congress but that doesn't prevent the left from banging on Trump for its endorsement.
In a delusional, fantasy world like the one that many people live in, eligible voters can sit out elections because of their principles and not vote because neither candidate represents all of their values. In this warped world, social media brainwashes people into thinking it's good NOT to vote, and by not voting you're making a moral statement. In the real world, you act like an adult and get out there, hold your nose, and vote for the candidate who is more qualified and more likely to do more good and less harm. (Bernie fans who sat out the last presidential election take note.)
18
@Martha Very well said. If you haven’t seen, “Active Measures” I highly recommend it.
3
What's funny is Blow thinks all blacks still vote in lock step with Democrats. Not any more! #BLEXIT #WalkAway
6
@whoiskevinjones How many black people do you know personally, or are you just going by Kanye. Or perhaps not even Kanye, but what Dear Leader tells you.
P.S. Even Kanye is "blexiting" from the Trump camp...
7
@whoiskevinjones Blows job is to keep racism alive for Democrat votes. Blows party will soon dump blacks for a new hispanic victim class. A one trick pony like Blow will be out of work.
2
Hilarious. Poor Charles. He wants back to the Obama economy.
7
Would that be the same “Obama economy,” that took unemployment from almost ten percent down to 4.7, stocks from maybe 8500 to about 19, 500, while cutting the deficit by more than half? The one that created more jobs in its last 21 months than Trump in his first 21? The one that had wages rising at about the same levels as now? The one with the several quarters of higher GDP increase?
That economy? Or are you talking about the one you lot made up, and like to stand around shouting at?
8
I find it sad that some Americans can no longer distinguish truth from lies, morality from amorality, common good from selfishness. Truly deplorable people.
17
@Mark Paskal
And I find it sad that these very same people have used every trick in the book (and then some...) to derail what should be a free and democratic election.
A truly deplorable situation.
1
Voting in America is a privilege, but it is also a responsibility. If you don't vote, you don't get to complain about how our country is being destroyed by a jerk, who thinks he is the only person in the country. Get off your keister and VOTE. NOW.
15
This is the one time annually when we all get to wear an "S" on our chest.
If everybody that was eligible to vote actually voted, we could take control of the congress and senate.
We control our destiny and our fate, not the GOP and not Trump.
Don't you want to be a superhero for a day?
All you have to do it vote.
13
I am a Republican, support Trump's policies (in most cases) and I am definitely going to vote.
Thanks for the reminder, Charles!
10
@Wine Country Dude
And thank you for reminding the rest of us who don't support him or his policies to vote ... not that we really need it!
1
It's about the lies.
It's about the contempt one party shows for its own voters and those who vote for other parties or don't vote.
It about the utter contempt one party has for science and the threat caused by fossil fuel consumption.
The Republican Party seems determined to become a nation-wide Jonestown level cult, with oil and money substituting for cool-aid.
Vote, if not for you, for your grandchildren.
13
Much preferred to a ‘news’ room that spend a majority of their time blaming non-college educated whites for their insecurities. Here’s an idea, write a background piece on why the economy is responding to deregulation and business tax cuts, driving economic indicators to record levels. Or go the easy way and call everyone that you disagree w/a racist.
8
Yeah, and say goodbye to potable water! Some communities have already done so!!!
1
@MTM
Yes. Kneejerk accusations of racism are the last refuge of scoundrels.
1
@MTM FYI: Trump has done nothing for the economy! He inherited a strong economy still recovering from the last Republican President! Stay tuned, because Trump’s tariffs will devastate the economy!
1
Trump's latest "Scaravan" stunt is so pathetic, it's downright embarrassing for the Republican Party.
Trump: "They're going to be camping on your lawn!"
Only Republicans benefit from trying to scare
American voters right before the election about a group of "immigrants" seeking asylum at our border right.
This whole scam is organized and funded by a right wing group.
If voter suppression laws, gerrymandering and foreign government interference don't work, hire a Scaravan!
5
I voted democrat because we care about the poor. I voted democrat, because all Americans should have access to affordable healthcare. I voted democrat because the American dream should be for all Americans and not just for the wealthiest 1%. I voted democrat because women should have control over there own bodies. I voted democrat, so politicians shouldn't separate children from their parents at the border. I voted democrat because we can impeach a corrupt man known as Donald J. Trump. I voted democrat because we can have a government that is transparent and accountable to the American people. I voted democrat because our party put forth women and people of color to hold the highest elected office in the land. I voted democrat, because we can kick Putin in the teeth with tough sanctions. I voted democrat because we can bring our men and women serving abroad home to our country. I voted democrat because we can bring honor and prestige back. I voted democrat because we are and still the greatest nation on earth. I voted democrat because to crush dictators and not cozy up to them like Trump. Finally, I voted for democrats because I believe in," Yes, we can!"
15
I feel as if I am living in the 1960s when I was a child, and need to go to GA and drive black people to the polls. I am still working, so instead, I am going out tomorrow to help do whatever the Ds what me to do: make phone calls, leaflet, drive people to the polls.
8
Thanks for the reminderr. Almost forgot to vote for my Republican candidate.
7
Remember how you felt watching states pick away at the 15th amendment to deny people of color the right to vote. Remember how you felt when Trump said he could obliterate the 14th Amendment by executive order. Remember how you felt when Kavanaugh demonstrated totally inappropriate behavior when he blamed Democrats, liberals, Clinton lovers, and anti-Trump voters for the investigation into his alleged sexual misconduct?
8
I guess Mr Blow didn't learn the lesson of Mrs Clinton calling people she didn't agree with deplorables. I didn't vote for Mr Trump but I don't think demonizing someone you disagree with going to win a lot of votes or friends.
9
@Ed IF you have been paying attention you’d know that Mrs. Clinton was correct! Anyone who supports a man who lies, who praises a congressman for assaulting a journalist, who calls himself a nationalist......is deplorable! Trump stand against everything that has made America the envy. Of the world! He is Putin’s puppet!
1
Rationale for anchor babies, other than the poor interpretation of the 14th amendment (it was intended for freed slaves, not for pregnant women flying in from Russia or China, or driving in from Canada or Mexico). The writers of the amendment could not have envisioned planes, cars and buses.
Actually, there is no rationale.
6
Funny how they could envision semiautomatic rifles, bumpstocks and large magazines but not modern means of travel.
10
Beyond noticing that this selfsame “argument,” popped up from about six different posters this weekend—Hannity must have been running sale—i have to say that if I enjoy anything on this earth, it’s the spectacle of right-wingers talking themselves into pretzels as they flip helplessly back and forth from being strict construction, original intent readers of the Constitution to being full-on living document leftists ,ike Steven Breyer.
It’s really something.
2
@Ralph Möllers Are you suggesting that we go back to the single-shot rifle?
1
I will be voting for Republicans who will not destroy our economy. I will be voting for Republicans who do not hate the state of Israel. I will be voting for Republicans who do not use race as a tool to divide. I will be voting for Republicans who believe in borders.
7
So your implication is that Democrats hate the state of Israel? Then how do you explain Trump inviting Rev. Jim Jeffers to give a prayer at the groundbreaking for the embassy in Jerusalem. He has said that Jews will go to hell unless they accept Jesus as their personal savior. So who hates Israel when our president said there were good people in Charlottesville chanting, "Jews will not replace us."
10
@Jake
Did you somehow manage to forget that it was a Democratic president who gave Israel one of its largest military aid packages without moving the American Embassy to Jerusalem?
Be honest.
You are voting for walls and separation -- both here and in Israel.
1
Too late! Ask soybean farmers who has destroyed their economy? Hint: it wasn’t the Democrats!
1
We have the worst the Republicans have to offer with the worst trump has to offer combined. By definition that is as bad as it can get.
Mr. Blow’s list of awfulness about trump is way too long for any mere mortal to remember. What’s worse is the fact that we need to contend with a Congress full of GOP puppets and about 1/3 of Americans puppets too, that share, endorse and enable trumpian style morality and hate. They’ll all still be here even if and only IF we can finally vanquish trump.
“There is now no daylight separating the Republicans in Congress from the [black hole of a] man who occupies the presidency” and where no light can escape. Everything just collapses into the abyss.
I’m sure trump would side on Germany’s side while claiming all sides are very fine indeed. He’d likely sell weapons to all sides too, but no “fine people” if you’re a refugee or in a concentration camp.
7
I have never understood how people can say they are apolitical with pride. It's an abdication of responsibility for influencing how their country, their state, their county, their city are all run. And now, thanks to them, we have a criminal con artist in the White House who is not upholding his oath of office, but instead spending his "energy" on rallies, "executive time," tweeting, golfing, and spewing insults and lies. I will never forgive the GOP for allowing his candidacy to survive the primary season, when he should have been sent home to New York early on as blatantly unqualified.
9
@L. L. Nelson
And yet the Democratic Party gave us such a lying, corrupt, deplorable candidate who couldn't even beat Trump in states carried by Obama. Congratulations.
1
I refuse to vote out of fear or anger.
I will be voting for the honest and well-qualified Democrats who were democratically nominated in Michigan to run tomorrow to run our government.
Because the antidote to this creeping poison is
- good schools
- good medical care
- well-managed economy
- good public safety and national security
Funded by fair taxes
And it goes without saying, my new government will respect and enforce our Constitution
12
I wish I remembered whom to give credit to for this very real statement: "If you're not at the table, you're on the menu." Isn't that what DJT and his ilk are doing...pushing everyone but white, rich males away. You're right, Mr. Blow. VOTE VOTE VOTE.
7
Cogent. Excellent writing. When you write your post-election column, please talk about the negative effects of Pelosi, Clinton and Perez on the Democratic results. And find out where they spent their money, for what, and when. Perez is lucky that the indendent turnout efforts by 18-29s, minorities, women and Tom Steyer were so successful. If anything, Pelosi depressed turnout, and lot of people continued to vote for Trump because they don't want to have anything to do with Hillary Clinton's and Nancy Pelosi's party. Both of them should get out of politics. Pelosi's crowing about winning on Saturday may have cost Ds to lose in Missouri and Tennessee. America is tired of the people that bring the past into the future. Both political parties should be renovated.
3
@Rapid Reader I do agree about Mrs. Pelosi, needing to retire. But really anything she has said pales in comparison to the hate and lies spewed by Trump!
Good article but the title should be "do you want to continue to have a Congress of trump puppets?"
4
"So, you have to ask yourself: Do you want a Congress full of Trump puppets?"
Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
5
@Mogar no, not Trump puppets....Putin’s! Hell no!
1
Nobody gets the Trump Trolls going quite like Charles. (wonder why....hmmm) Keep at it Mr. Blow.
15
Charles Blow's checklist of Trump and Republican horrors should echo in the minds of all voters of conscience on Tuesday. For Americans, this Election Day is a moment like no other. Never in the annals of human history has an individual, holding such survival-threatening military power, been so ill-equipped to exercise it reasonably. On display for all to see, virtually on a daily basis, are Pres. Trump's profound mental ineptness, grave psychological instability and moral bankruptcy. Trump openly, repeatedly and defiantly flaunts the very underpinning of America's democracy--our basic institutions of balanced governance, the rule of law and the primacy of truth.
Let's not be fooled. Of his self-touted achievements, any economic gains, including employment boosts, spring from a Treasury-crippling tax cut lavished by Republicans on their wealthy handlers. The bill for this outrage will diminish the futures of nearly all Americans.
No matter the effort or inconvenience, Americans must vote on Tuesday, applying the fruits of serious reflection, clear-mindedness and courage. The paramount issue on Election Day is whether we can check the power of a patently unfit demagogue to squander what, in fact, really makes America great.
10
However many people turn up to vote against Republicans, it won’t be enough to save me from being severely depressed about how many votes they still got anyway. Save me if Republicans actually hold on to the House.
6
I spent the weekend canvassing for Jared Polis in a reliably red county. I was partnered with a fourteen-year-old intern who has four more friends volunteering for Polis. She decided to take the internship to protect her education.
A lot of people didn't answer the door to us; some said they weren't going to vote, or said they already had even though they didn't know who Jared Polis even was. We were able to extrapolate when someone had voted Republican because they dodged all of our questions. Not a single person admitted to being a Trump supporter (although plenty are).
It would have been discouraging except for a handful of passionate voters who were very well-informed and proud to tell us every eligible voter in their household had voted straight Democratic, and then they told us why they did so, and wanted to know how the canvassing was going. Out of 220 doors spread out over 12 miles and two days, we weren't able to confirm very many blue voters, but those we did are speaking to their friends and neighbors, so I hope each vote is compounded accordingly.
My impression was these Evangelical Christians supporting Trump keep their eyes closed and fingers in their ears, lest they learn that they are voting against Christian concepts of tolerance, empathy, and helping the less fortunate.
I'm still hopeful, however. I think El Paso county is purple right now, and with so many military bases here, that's very encouraging.
10
Trump and his GOP voted the wealthy and businesses a $1.5 trillion tax break and charged it to the public debt. That's really all we need to know about the last two years. Well, that and the cheating and lying that accompanied their self-dealing.
10
@Shillingfarmer
You are spot on! And our children and grandchildren will have to bear the responsibility for this debt that is going to widen because....the GOP and T want to grow the debt so the Democrats will have their hands full when they are the majority.
1
You can be sure by the end of the week if the republicans maintain control of the house and senate the following will happen:
1. Jeff Sessions will get fired
2. Rosenstein will get fired
3. Mueller will get fired
And is you think Donald Trump is despicable, you ain't seen nothin yet !
11
@Robert Haberman true! Also, when the Democrats win....between November 7th and January when the new Congress is sworn in, Trump and his puppets will do as much damage as possible!
Yes, emphatically yes! The economy is the best it’s been in decades and everything else works when the economy works.
5
@Karen Tripp
The economy is working because it was the previous administration that pulled our country out of a recession.
But in the end does a country's working economy mean when it has sold its soul and betrayed its own morals and Constitution in order to maintain it?
And where will we stand when it all ends?
Think about it.
2
@Karen Tripp just wait until the full consequences of Donald’s tariffs take hold! Say goodbye to the Obama economy!already there are signs of a weakening economy!
1
I would prefer the puppets of Pelosi and Schumer even less.
7
@JOK
This is where it becomes obvious that you know little of free and democratic thought.
"Puppets" are the mainstay of being Republican, which in turn is the same as being a puppet of Trump.
Now you know. Lesson over.
1
Good points but unfortunately I think Mr. Blow is preaching to the converted. The vast majority of NYT readers are probably on board with what he is suggesting. It's the people that watch Fox and read Breitbart that need to be convinced. Unfortunately, those voters are Trump's puppets.
5
@Steve
I tune into Fox. I also watch MSNBC about equally. I like to hear both sides as far as opinions and policy direction. CNN is a waste of time unless you just like “Never Trump”, and Breitbart is the same unless you just like to hear Right leaning talking points. I preen what I find useful in deciding how I vote from a number of sources including the NYT and the WP. With all this information at my disposal I still have NO idea what the Democrats plan for this country is. They talk improving healthcare but give no specifics. Anybody for more ACA amd even higher premiums? They admit they’ll raise taxes on the wealthy, but who do they classify as wealthy? Are your taxes going up? They talk about climate change, but what do they plan to do about it? Are they going to improve the economy, increase the GDP numbers, or further lower unemployment by doing the opposite of what’s been implemented the past years? Anybody?
While I definitely don’t agree with everything Trump or the Republicans do or say, but I won’t vote for the Dems when I have almost no idea what they bring to the table, and unfortunately witnessed what they tried to do to Kavanaugh. I suppose that makes me a deplorable, racist, misogynistic, nationalist. But, I’m a well informed deplorable, racist, misogynistic, nationalist. When the Dems come up with a clearly definable plan for the country they’ll be given equal consideration.
I’ll vote Republican this midterm.
4
If the election on Tuesday does not point a clear direction back from the swamp then America is almost assuredly lost for generations to come!
6
Thanks for the laugh! As if someone who wasn't in a fetal position the day after Nov 6, 2016 isn't already primed to vote tomorrow.
If there's a less persuasive columnist than Charles who doesn't already preach to the NYT's progressive choir of readers and Believers, I don't know who that might be.
But I enjoyed the challenge of trying to imagine someone who didn't march, who didn't despair, over Trump who somehow won't vote tomorrow. Only someone as thick as Mr. Blow could conjure someone up. And that's all we need to know for tomorrow. People this thick are always surprised and devastated aren't they?
3
@Trans Cat Mom There are many people who don't get involved until voting day; and, fence sitters need a nudge before an election. So, this column is right on target.
4
@Trans Cat Mom wow....really?! This article is brilliant!
Ran into my first flaming, all-out Trumper yesterday while out door-knocking. The guy yelled, demanded I get out, called my the word that rhymes with 'witch', and flipped me the biird. Also brought up Kavanaugh. Did everything except thump his chest.
Smiled and slowly walked away; my being calm and uncaring of his antics, along with his significant other's attempts to reassure him, just made him angrier. I joke, but I really do not want these people in charge of me.
15
I don't want a Congress nor a White House nor a Supreme Court full of Julian Assange, Rodrigo Duterte, Abdel el-Sisi,Recip Erdogan, Mitch McConnell, Benjamin Netanyahu, Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un Mohammed Salman and Jeff Sessions dummy pawn pet puppets.
10
“Remember that Nazis, white supremacists, white nationalists and all manner of racists seem to be quite pleased with Trump’s ascension.”
Enough said. The dangers are real. Vote.
12
Precisely the kind of partisan vitriol that incites radical violence. The NYT has no business posturing for civil discord as long as this columnist continues to be published in its pages. Mr. Blow is emulating Mr. Trump as he criticizes him. It represents the height of hypocrisy.
9
Is there an Ignoble Prize for lying? Trump should have won it hands down every year for the past umpteen running. There is no one---absolutely no one --- other in his quality, quantity or class. He would view that prize as a great honor.
Remember: 'Bigly' = 'big lie'.
6
Thank you Mr. Charles Blow. As always, eloquent and 100% spot on in my opinion. I believe you will reach some of those moderates that are on the "fence". While it's hard to understand how so many fall for Trump, it's clearly akin
to Hitler.
6
Some of US are still blazing hot angry that a lying sexual predator president nominated a lying drunken frat boy sexual predator to the United States Supreme Court and a lying thieving GOP majority in the Senate plus one elevated him to the highest court in the land for a lifetime.
We the People of the United States get the government we deserve and we deserve better than this.
Support the student Election Day walk-out.
Take a personal day off work if you can
Support efforts to make Election Day a national holiday!!
8
I am heartened by many of the reader comments here. For two years we have been reading Charles Blow's steady stream of hateful bile here in the NY Times. Many of the readers have had enough of the bile and are calling out the obvious. Blow writes (incessantly) about the lies and the lack of honesty from President Trump - and now on the eve of the election it is all dredged up again - all recycled bile from his many columns. It must have taken 10 minutes to put this column together.
In the mean time, Blow makes no mention of the hard facts about job and wage growth, a robust and growing economy, great progress with our trading partners, a stronger military, and so much more positive developments. These positives raise all boats. This is not of interest to Blow and it destroys his hateful and biased narrative. The lack of balance and honesty is staggering.
8
Myself, I just get staggered by seeing Trumpists hurl this many invented “facts,” at the wall, and then smugly declare sweet, sweet, VICTORY!!!
The economy’s doing well, sure, but at what price? Has Trump created more or fewer jobs these last two years than Obama did his last two years? Didn’t unemployment drop six points under Obama, and one point under Trump? Didn’t the market go from about 8000 to about 19,000 under Obama, and then up only about 6000 more these last two years?
How exactly is the military “stronger?” Are you not aware that NAFTA was in negotiations before Trump, he got some smallish changes, and then stuck in a new title and declared VICTORY!!!!
Oh, and what’s happened to deficit and debt? We got more people with insurance, or fewer? Are China and Russia expanding, or not?
But here’s what I really wanna know: how many secretaries of the Interior we gonna go through?
5
@Robert
And I'm staggered by just how many Trumpists forget it was the Obama administration that pulled this country out of a recession without immediately propelling us into the next ridiculously expensive war, and a massive future debt.
1
Well Charles I've seen you on tv and I don't think I'm in your league intellectually but I'll give it a try. Trump's bombastic behavior is intentional to shock the average American out of their state of apathy and into a state of action. His first 18 months were spent REPAIRING the incompetent macroeconomics of Obama. Yes, Obama inherited a mess but he plunged us into a 20 trillion dollar national debt because of his ego and incompetence. Never willing to admit he was wrong or to compromise. Trump has also filled judicial vacancies, sent notice to the world that we will no longer shoulder the burden as policeman of the world alone and not be taken advantage of on trade deals, energy, and by NATO. The Russians are not coming, there are not poised to invade Europe so NATO can pay their fair share. This midterm election is about keeping this nation on track so that we can now use the economic success for programs at home. A win by Democrats to take back the House will result in attempts at Impeachment, endless partisan hearings, more national debt, and attempts to undermine a booming economy to punish Trump even if it erases progress in communities affected by poverty and unemployment. Give me ten alleged racists with poor hair because Trump is doing and attempting to do more than Obama ever did for blacks. Obama had 8 years and never even attempted to help the genocide in Chicago. Nov. 6 is about phase II of Trump(schools, gun violence, immigration) or back to do nothing Obama.
8
The guys I work with say the pipe bombs sent to Democrats were fake.
Oh you bet I voted.
7
Mr. Blow, I'd guess you're a straight ticket voter, no?
4
Vote like YOU could get pregnant.
Vote like YOU are going to suffer a massive cardiac event and you don't want to lose every single thing you own paying off fraudulent bills with no hope of government intervention.
Vote like YOU are casting a vote that will actually be counted, not like the ones in Georgia that are already suspect because of one candidate's corruption. (It's so bad that Jimmy Carter said the man should drop out of the race).
Vote like YOU are the child or grandchild or great grandchild of immigrants or slaves.
Vote like YOU are not racist, bigoted, or otherwise anti-American.
Whatever YOU do, VOTE!
10
If you don't believe Charles Blow, then please look to the piece by Daniel McCarthy (Pg.A27/Nov.5) for your final wake up call before tomorrow's election. He's basically told us the midterms are over, it's now the Trump Party and we'd better get used to it, suck it up and quit whining about it. Game Over for you and me.
But don't just take my word for it, read it for yourself.
Prove this guy wrong, prove yourself right.
Vote!
2
Mr Blow, I hear you screaming "racist, racist, racist" however the only racist I see is you. You say we are puppets but when a black man supports Trump, you berate and chastise him. So all blacks must vote in lock step, I am sorry Mr. Blow, who are the puppets again. I am confused
11
What I'd like to know is WHO is paying for all of Trump's campaign stops? He's using Air Force One, but these certainly are partisan, political purposes. Do we fund it when any president uses government resources for political purposes??
7
No matter what happens Tuesday, shun anyone who supports this monster who currently occupies the White House and his Republican accomplices. They’ve earned it.
7
For the first time in a long spell, I can totally agree with Mr. Blow's opinion.
First and foremost, GET OUT AND VOTE!!
How you vote is up to you. I suggest you consider each and every race independently of the other ones, independently of the party affiliation of each candidate, and vote for the best candidate for the particular office no matter what other members of the party (or the other parties) have done. If that is too hard for you, then take the lazy way out and vote a straight party ticket if you choose.
But above all, GET OUT AND VOTE tomorrow.
I would love to vote but my absentee ballot evidently got lost in the mail and my pleas for another have gone unheeded. This will be the only election I've missed out on since I turned 21 and became eligible to vote. I can only hope that my district in Brooklyn remains Democrat!
Vote for our wounded hearts and America. Please
3
November 5, 2018
Think, Think, Think your vote means everything to America's culture and its the most enjoyable right universal. Happy Election Day, America.
jja Manhattan, N.Y.
4
A perfect shill for the disgruntled Leftist Trump haters. I look forward to his further disgruntlement when the Republicans keep both houses of Congress.
7
Not voting means you are voting that your vote doesn't matter
2
"Someone has to protect this country, our institutions and our traditions. We have to stand up for honesty, principles, equality and civility.
The Constitution offers avenues for political change in this country, but the paramount one is at the ballot. Seize your opportunity on Tuesday. Vote, vote, vote!'
Exactly.
And to be totally clear...don't just vote, but vote to save this country from fascist takeover by the white supremacists, Trump and the republicans. Think I'm exaggerating? Think again.
Tomorrow, go to the polls and...
VOTE OUT ALL REPUBLICANS WITHOUT EXCEPTION!!!!
4
For the love of humanity; vote! vote! vote!. Make sure for all those who died for your right to vote to vote! And vote a straight Dem ticket.
Charles Blow listed the litany of horrors very well. And yet he did not mention the poisoning of our air and waters and land, the $2,000,000,000 tax cut for the top %1, the melting of our Mother Earth, and the horror of threatening to bring "fire and fury like the world has never seen--- nuclear annihilation to 25,000,000 people. Vote! No matter what it takes. Go out and vote for the love of our world.
3
"Pretend i'm on the ballot" - Donald Trump 10.3.18
You're darn right we will.
5
It is possible that the Times has been inadequate in its reporting on Charlottesville. Trump referenced a protest of "the night before" in the same comments he mentioned "very fine people" on both sides of the statue controversy. I have no idea if there was such a protest or who attended and what their demeanor was yet I think it a reasonable understanding of his remarks was that this "night before" protest was different in nature than the terrible conflict of the next day. Was it? That is something the Times as a responsible and influential new organization ought to have investigated. Did it? My guess is that there is a collective of probably older Virginians that have lead very decent lives that were not happy to see the public monuments they were familiar with their entire lives removed. That would not make them Nazis or white supremacists.
1
Just from one Jew's perspective, I would like to understand why so much American political fervor is anchored in what was meant to be our nation's role as mediators, in a conflict that has lasted for longer than anyone could even possibly know.
Nevertheless, I can't do much about this most recent desecration of the Noble's Sanctuary, and if the people want the next crusades, they certainly have helped ensure that Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem have all been occupied.
Personally, I'd rather take the leap off of Mount Masada than bow down to Herod's minions. But that's just me.
I'm the GOP's worst nightmare.
A Democratic white guy with an active picture I.D, and it even has the added bonus of a valid street address.
And I intend to use it on Tuesday.
2
Vote Blue! Stop Trump and the destruction of the greatest nation on earth.
1
If you don't vote, you don't count
Erastus Corning, Albany's Mayor for Life
We Americans will vote in the millions tomorrow because our future depends on our votes. Two years of lies, chaos, daily dramas from the most ignorant and unfit president in our history is too much.
The turnout for the Mid-term elections tomorrow will be enormous. Far greater than predicted, as all who didn't vote in the 2016 Presidential Election -- to their horror -- go to the polls to roll back the 45th president.
Charles Blow, you say "we have never seen liars of the quality and scale" of this president. But some Americans have indeed witnessed the like -- in the Third Reich that wielded genocide through lies -- 85 years ago.
Millions of voters across America have already voted well ahead of tomorrow's seminal election -- mailing in their ballots. We have all borne in mind and hearts that our votes are for equality, Democracy, not for the president who rallies his base with orders to "remember you are voting for ME", (though his name isn't on the ballot this time).
We pray GenXs, Gen Ys, Millennials will pick up the battered torch we are passing to them. If they don't vote for Democracy, there will be more catastrophes ahead for America. If Mr. Trump's people are elected tomorrow, we will all suffer the consequences of this election. Our futures from here on depend on our votes tomorrow. As President Barack Obama has urged us, "Don't 'Boo'! VOTE!"
3
If within the two and a half years that Donald Trump has been in office, if Americans don't recognize or remember all the things he has done, and the vale of darkness he has brought upon this country with his racist and inflammatory rhetoric, now is the time to remember.
Remember all the out of control mass gun shootings and his refusal to hold the NRA responsible.
Remember the G.O.P. tax bill that granted the über-wealthy and corporate elite cuts that average hard-working Americans will be paying for.
Remember his all out assault on the Affordable Care Act that will leave MILLIONS of poor and working-class Americans, and those with pre-existing medical conditions to fend for themselves.
Remember Charlottesville, where this president equated tiki-torch carrying white supremacists and neo-Nazis with those who demonstrated against them by calling them "very fine people".
Remember his silence whenever unarmed Black people were gunned down by racists, whether in a South Carolina Church or more recently, in a Kentucky parking lot.
Remember the anti-Semitic banter he has allowed to persist which recently cost 11 people in a Synagogue their lives in Pittsburgh.
The list is a long one. And the list goes on.
Just remember, this is OUR country. We are the ones who live in it, have fought for it, and sometimes died for it.
And if you love it.
Get out and VOTE.
2
Mr. Blow, I am disappointed that you did not mention this in your editorial: "Remember: Nearly 500 migrant children taken from their parents remain in U.S. custody"
2
Yes. Vote, vote, vote. Vote in Democrats. This is an election where the choice is easy. There is only one issue to be considered. Stop or at least make Trump a lame duck. Or otherwise, Trump's megalomania and the enabling Republicans would be the end of citizen rights, our Constitution, our Democracy and our Country as we know it.
@NNI
I love what President Trump has accomplished:
1. Great Economy, highest growth in decades
2. Lowest unemployment in decades, especially for Blacks and Hispanics.
3. Isis on the run, virtually decimated.
4. Trade deal with Mexico and Canada
5. Enforcing immigration laws that are already on the books.
6. Massive job creation
NNI, you don't mention any specifics other than calling the President a megalomaniac, and that he is enabling Repbublicans. As a Republican President, it would be his job to enable Republicans.
3
History will judge this the greatest OpEd ever published by the NYT. (Apologies to Dr Krugman who has my vote for the next 24).
1
Has Trump stoked hate against someone you love? Then please, don't forget to vote Tuesday.
1
@Tony Glover Or, Has Trump made the life of someone you love better? Then please, don't forget to vote Tuesday.
1
Last weekend, self-avowed “nationalist” Donald Trump described “the beautiful sight of barbed wire,” on our southern borders.
This a president who praises body-slamming of political opponents, calls the mainstream media “enemies of the people,” keeps migrant children in cages, and calls white supremists “fine people.” If, given a free hand, you think he isn’t itching to use that “beautiful barbed wire” metaphorically or literally, elsewhere in America- you AREN’T listening.
I’ve never been one for conspiracy theories and I’m no paranoid liberal snowflake, but I do believe in the evidence of my eyes and ears.
VOTE against Trump and his enablers while you still can!
1
The writer clearly holds his beliefs very tightly and believes his wisdom is greater than ours, and thus deigns to tell us how to vote. Gosh, Thanks Blow for blowing so many words my way. I shall follow my own wisdom, and I hope others do also.
4
"Not voting is like letting your grandma pick your clothes out." -Michelle Obama
2
"Vote! Vote! Vote!"
Charles: In my precinct they only let you vote once. Where should I go if I want to vote three times as you suggest?
2
Mr. Blow, you really don’t get it.
You can’t smear someone without any evidence and expect an enthusiastic endorsement in return.
2
“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” - Oscar Wilde,1892
Think not of how you got there, but dream a better dream for you and your children, by the simple act of voting your conscience, your heart and for your beloved country. - FunkyIrishman, 2018 .
3
Millineals don't tip and they don't vote. More 40,000 year.old white men in office.
Remember when Hilary Clinton called him a "Russian Puppet" in the debates and he butted in like a typical 5 year old "no you are". The time is about to tell. Vote to let Mueller's investigation come to mean something. Let freedom ring.
2
@Matt586
He must have already known that Hillary and the DNC had conspired with Christopher Steele, Fusion GPS, and the ........ Russians against the Trump campaign.
Did you miss that part Matt?
2
@Good
I wasn't watching Fox news that night.
Remember how ashamed and outraged you are that your beloved country, the United States of America, is being led by an amoral, misogynistic, constantly lying, corrupt conman, who could care less about the singular existential threat facing the entirety of humanity, the accelerating warming of the planet caused by harmful human conduct. Then look at your children, grandchildren, and all the other kids around you. Don’t they deserve to live out a full, rewarding, and safe life also? Never has your vote embodied such a moral imperative! Never!
2
@John Grillo LBJ has been dead for years. So has FDR.
I voted early to insure that Democrats lose in Texas. I'm working hard to get voters to the polls in other congressional districts to keep control of the house. The NYT and its hatred for the president and attempted illegal coup against him have been one of my strongest motivations to make sure Democrats lose.
2
“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” - Oscar Wilde,1892
Think not of how you got there, but dream a better dream for you and your children, by the simple act of voting your conscience, your heart and for your beloved country. - FunkyIrishman, 2018.
1
Yes, Charles....but only once....not twice or thrice.
Sinema is not running in "nevada"! She is running in ARIZONA!
Vote but know what you are doing, don’t rely upon others to think for you nor vote because you are upset. Think.
A great many Americans are enamored by fascism. Oh sure, they are offended that you would refer to what they support by that word, because they know the word refers to something bad. But if you called fascism “MAGA,” they will vote for it in a heartbeat. In fact, they already have and will again in two days.
The only question is who else will vote.
Both the left and the right are appealing to our darkest angels: fear and hatred.
To the right (Trump), fear the immigrants who are coming to kill you, or at least take jobs you wouldn’t want anyway. Fear Muslims who want to blow up airplanes and buildings. Fear minorities and their violent gangs. Fear the media (except Fox) whose only job is to oust republicans. Fear democrats who want to take your money and guns away.
To the left, fear the white, male supremacists and Neo-Nazis who want to return this country to the pre-civil war south, subjugate minorities and woman, and kill blacks, Jews and democrats. Fear republicans who want to deprive you of your income and health care so as to make their rich corporate sponsors richer, and your right to sexual freedom.
I’ll just stop here and wonder:
Does anyone have a positive message anymore?
“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” - Oscar Wilde,1892
Think not of how you got there, but dream a better dream for you and your children, by the simple act of voting your conscience, your heart and for your beloved country. - FunkyIrishman, 2018.
1
Yes, much more so than a bunch of leftist sock puppets that see George Soros as a visionary and forward thinker.
2
May groupthink and hyperbole reign! Let the mob believe the hyperbole and the fear-mongering by the journalists. "The country is in turmoil' but only in the pages of the newspaper.
"Donald Trump is openly trying to weaponize racism,..."
Funny, that's what I see YOU doing, Charles. What's racist and what's not has become a joke.
When I see Trump's add showing a repeat offender illegal immigrant who killed to police officers, I see an illegal immigrant criminal. You apparently see a Hispanic man, then you and too many others use that fact as "proof" Trump and his supporters are pushing a racist agenda.
No, we want some serious attention to the fact that the USA is a legitimate nation with real borders and a real need to protect and serve its many law-abiding citizens. So there.
Get on board the Trump train. Leave the race card at home.
2
"The Character of our country is on the Ballot... Don't "Boo'! Vote!" (Barack Hussein Obama, 4 November 2018). And so we shall. Huge voter turnout tomorrow from coast to coast in America will clinch the election for Democracy. Or else.
Charles Blow, we all bear in mind today that our votes are for Democracy, equality and freedom, and not for the president who has split America into vicious warring halves of our 50 United States.
We have seen liars of the quality and scale of Trump 85 years ago. They wielded power and genocide in Europe. Our futures depend on our votes tomorrow. We pray Gen Xs, Millennials and young voters will pick up the damaged torch we are passing.
1
Yes, VOTE, and for all that is good and true don't run around in circles and pull the lever for some third party crank!
(Really, who are the 5-10% of utter fools who think the likes of Greg Orman in Kansas is a good choice to make?!!!! What in the world would make someone go down that rabbit hole? Get a grip!)
1
You are preaching to the choir Mr. Blow. I doubt nearly anyone who informs their opinions with the NY Times won't vote.
It's millennials you should reach out to. How to do that? I have no idea. There are a perfect representations of the times in which we live and getting them to move is nothing short of impossible.
“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” - Oscar Wilde,1892
Think not of how you got there, but dream a better dream for you and your children, by the simple act of voting your conscience, your heart and for your beloved country. - FunkyIrishman, 2018.
1
Don't vote for your country on Tuesday, vote on your feelings. Got it! Never mind you should be feeling pretty fine! The American economy is zipping forward! The progress at home is moving at a progressive rate not seen in decades. Unemployment down, wages up! You can tune out the torrent of lies you heard from the last president, you didn't build that, 2% growth is the new normal, healthcare will be more affordable for all, if you like your plan you can keep your plan, period, and there's so many more. Most certainly vote, vote, vote, but please be responsible with your one and only vote, its more about your country, and less about feelings...to be continued...
1
I am opposed to socialized medicine (Sanders wants "free" Medicaid for all), 65% tax rates, open borders, anchor babies (the law was intended for freed slaves), banning fracking, liking Hamas more than Israel, forcing low-income housing into affluent neighborhoods, obsession with transgenders (transgender boys should be able to shower with the girls), accusing people you don't like of being serial rapists, etc.
That is why I and tens of millions of others will vote Republican.
1
In the same New York Times today appears an article describing in detail the folks who make up Trump's base. It seems obvious a cult has been fully created in these United States. Fully frightening, deaf to facts, truly fascist in its defense of Dear Leader, and demonstrative that the folks who make up this cult are identical to the hordes that supported Fascists throughout human civilization at the expense of decency.
I fear for my children and their children. America has truly lost its way under this abomination masquerading as a President. I fear we may never find our way fully back to anything resembling the light.
And how did we lose our way? By enriching the very rich at the expense of everything else. Its called losing your soul. And the rich have known all along that the right mix of lies (and the great help of television and the internet conspiracy channels) can swing the hordes in their direction with the right conman at the helm.
1
I can't believe I'm quoting Diddy: VOTE OR DIE.
As opposed to a Pelosi or Schumer puppet? You are darn right.
1
Mr Blow, Please stop the Hate Speech. This is a time for our nation to come together and Move On.
2
“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” - Oscar Wilde,1892
Think not of how you got there, but dream a better dream for you and your children, by the simple act of voting your conscience, your heart and for your beloved country. - FunkyIrishman, 2018
1
Blow cant come up with a single reason t vote for Democrats because of their ideas on the economy. Not one. Its all vote against Trump because hes supposedly a racist. Would a racist be responsible for the lowest black and hispanic unemployment in history? Just this past Friday we had a blowout jobs number, with incomes rising the most since 2009. Pay no attention to the economy. And pay no attention to the now 12000 foreigners marching toward to the border to demand their right to live in America. The mere mention of that caravan means your a racist. And then you wonder why Trumps approval among blacks is now 40%, and why so many folks have left the Democrat Party - including myself. I grew up Democrat. My grandfather has tons of pics with himself and Mario Cuomo, as he worked on every one of his campaigns.
2
“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” - Oscar Wilde,1892
Think not of how you got there, but dream a better dream for you and your children, by the simple act of voting your conscience, your heart and for your beloved country. - FunkyIrishman, 2018 .
1
"We have to stand up for honesty, principles, equality, and civility". Does Blow mean
1. voting to reelect Senator Menendez with his history of corruption and ethical violations?
2. the denial of due process and condemning the accused without corroboration?
3. falsely smearing many Americans who disagree with Blow as "racists" or "closet racists"?
4. considering Bill Clinton and Ted Kennedy Democratic heroes?
3
Rather than repeatedly writing these pitiful columns excoriating the "puppets" who support Trump, wouldn't it be more honest, and more effective, Mr. Blow, for you to just write what your inner feelings really are: you and your fellow Progressives want to be back in power. Period.
Ironically, the longer that you make personal attacks against your opponents your exclusive message, the less likely it is that you will regain power.
3
Charles I asked myself and I answered. Yes I want Republicsn adults versus Democratic perpetually outraged hair on fire socialists who seem to not understand simple economics or truth. He’s guilty we don’t need no stinking truth. The NYT has done this country a great disservice not keeping up on the ever erosion of the Kavanaugh liars over time. Thanks a lot for standing by your mast head “ all the news fit to print” what a joke. But hey you keep up the good work you never know when you might make more sense.
2
I didn’t vote in 2016, but wish I could go back and vote for Trump.
5
They used to say the caravan was "over one thousand" miles away; then they said "a thousand"; now Mr. Blow says it is "over seven hundred." What is he going to say when it is "over one mile away"? Well...catch and release of course! And people are crazy for feeling it is a threat?
4
@toddchow They are not running over the border and not all illegal immigrants are caught and released. Under Obama they had far more deportations than before him. Please read some facts. Really? Women and children in flip flops are a threat to you?
@toddchow
How are they a threat?
1
Remember how you felt when Trump wouldn’t release his tax statements, but wants ordinary chumps to pay theirs, so there’s more money for he and his family can fleece. Like being a chump for Trump?
3
For regular readers of the NYT there is nothing new in the very complete column by Mr. Blow. He is therefor preaching to the converted. The frustration is getting the message to the Trump loyalists who get their information from Fox and from presidential tweets.At this stage the media influence is virtually over. I sense that there are more Democratic voters than Trump/Republican voters.Therefor it is all about voter turnout.If you cannot stand Trump Charles is correct.Vote! Vote! Vote!
1
I'd like to remind Charles Blow that Republicans and Trump supporters are going to the polls on 11/6 too. Well, someone had to say it. It's a dirty job but someone had to do it.
3
I am a very old lady. I’m terrified for what future I have left and for the future of my children and grandchildren. The rag tag supporters of our horrendous President and Congress must surely be ignorant of the rest of the World. Do they REALLY believe that America is “A shining city on a hill?” There are other countries (Canada for one) where people are free....We are way down the list and falling in many areas: healthcare, public transportation, support for the poor, etc. Freedom is not exclusive to the United States of America any more (if it ever was). Unfortunately, Trump lovers are either ignorant, or willfully ugly and mean. God help us.
2
Even as we all preaching to the choir on this board, it's very important for each of us to express our deep frustration, to say the least.
We've been inundated with the most blatant lies for the past several years, and it continues unabashedly to spill all over, poisoning the brains of multitude of unstable, angry people who can't fit in a reasonably democratic society.
There're plenty of grievances that each of us can come up with, yes we don't have a perfect system, does anyone?
Name one country if you can.
Yes some societies do it better, but some are much worse.
But what is society, isn't the people, and if it is don't we all have ourselves to blame to allow our systems of government and believes to deteriorate to the point, where the country elects self- proclaimed white nationalist, clearly xenophobic, racist, stalking fears dismally pathetic president and his GOP clique.
Yes, complacency is the real enemy of free society.
As we can see, the most outrageous propaganda always works through the history of the world and it leaves devastating effects, people die, wars start, chaos spreads, lies prevail along with human misery and depravation.
VOTE for the TRUTH!!!
There's no democracy without TRUTH.
3
Sadly, most of the non-voters don't read The New York Times--and many of them don't read anything else.
Red wave coming. If not now, then building to a tsunami by 2020. Democrats going into the wilderness for a generation.
3
Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me. Trump was able to bulldoze millions of voters in 2016. But he has flagrantly showed us his true colors. If we support his GOP minions, shame on us. Like he has repeated ad nauseum at his rallies: A vote for (the Republican candidate) is a vote for ME. Now's the time to send him a message: We are appalled by what you are doing to this country.
2
This hysterical essay speaks only to true believers. What about the rest of us? I guess in Mr. Blow’s world we should stay home, or better still, be subjected to an endless stream of meaningless invective until our critical faculties are totally numb. Well, newsflash: we vote too. I already have by mail and I’m glad that my vote would probably disappoint Mr. Blow’s one-man Ministry of Propaganda. I was born in the USSR. I know a demagogue when I see one - right or left, no difference.
4
I fear you are preaching to the choir.
1
Already voted two weeks ago!
I was taught to only vote once. It would take every Democrat voting three times, to beat The Donald!
It is admittedly a tough choice between a Congress of Trump supporters or jejune dorm-room socialist know-nothings following in the wake of Charles Blow's calm writings for the past three years or so.
Therefore, I think the decisive factor has to be whether the aforementioned Charles Blow followers will be honest, and carry through to its logical conclusion their asserted firm conviction that "Russia" was an attack on the U.S. as great as Pearl Harbor and 911, and when they take majority control of both houses of Congress, and introduce and pass an actual war resolution against that nation, missiles to follow.
Magnificent and patriotic column. Vote everyone. Save our democracy. Use your voice. No more lies! The GOP is a party of sell outs.
1
I could never figure out why people didn’t vote.
Do they think of themselves that unimportant? Do they think voting is just silly, mechanical, worthless? Do they minimize people getting beaten and murdered for the right to vote? Are they just lazy?
Don’t stoop to this, people. You are important. Your vote is not silly, it counts, it means you are someone who has a voice and uses it through voting. People have won elections by one vote - really! Those beaten and murdered people went through that not just for themselves - they did it for you, too. Drink your coffee - get up and get going down to the polls, it’s nice to see others there, too, this is your time to be you, and you alone in that voting booth.
It can be a momentary rush, voting. You can come out saying
“I tried.” Sometimes trying to make things right has great surprise, depth, and betterment for our future generations - not just us.
Go for it! Vote! You’ll be glad you did!
1
“Donald Trump is openly trying to weaponize racism”
This from the man who penned. “White Male Victimization Anxiety”, “White Extinction Anxiety”, “The White Rebellion”, “The Lowest White Man”, “Trump: Making America White Again”, “Trump’s Rural White America”, “Trump Reflects White Male Fragility”, “Gun Control and White Terror”, “Woe of White Men, Again?”, “War Against Whites? I Think Not” and many more anti-white articles whose titles were not as transparent.
-----
"Someone has to protect this country, our institutions and our traditions. We have to stand up for honesty, principles, equality and civility.”
This is hilarious. The left has no interest in protecting our institutions or traditions, only in tearing them down as racist and misogynistic. Both sides are entirely devoid when it comes to honesty, principles and civility, and the left doesn’t want equality, they want uniformity of thought, and that’s not the same thing.
Republicans and Democrats are asking voters to ignore the candidates and vote their party. If they do, the few truly moderate representatives serving constituencies of the opposing party will be replaced, burning the few remaining bipartisan bridges and further distancing the country from any chance at reconciliation.
2
And when I read all that i should remember, Charles Blow, I remember your relentless and unflinching columns. At first I thought, "Maybe he should let it go once in awhile," but now I appreciate the fact that you didn't, kept reminding me not to get complacent about my country's plunge into moral turpitude in the name of supposed prosperity. If anyone influenced me to get out and canvass and hit the phone banks, it was you.
2
This is my final comment for the day: everyone, let's turn off our computers and hit the pavement or the phone banks.
Even if your local races are safe and don't need your help canvassing, you can make calls for Andrew Gillum, Stacey Abrams, Aftab Pureval, Beto O'Rourke, and many, many other fine candidates who need our help to cross the finish line.
Let's do this! Signing off now. See you on Wednesday.
As a lifelong Conservative who has not missed a vote since my first in 1980 for President Reagan, I am always amused by how hard the Left/Dems seem to try to get the vote out.
This points out the simple fact that Conservatives are more engaged and more knowledgeable about issues than the base of the democrat party. The leaders of the Left/Dem party are rabidly engaged, but their followers.... not so much.
It has never occurred to me to skip a vote, especially in a major elections like tomorrow's. However the Left/Dems rely primarily on what has been rightly dubbed as the "uninformed voter". So I chuckle when I see all the celebrities recruited to "get out the vote".
I have a simple rule of thumb. If you have to be convinced of the importance of voting, you are probably not qualified to make the decision about which candidate to choose.
But again, these are the voters the Left/Dems rely on in their quest for power.
So to answer Charles Blow's question, yes, I do want a bunch of people who approve of President Trump to be voting tomorrow. In Charles' Leftist world view if you disagree with him you are a puppet.
This is Left... This is who they are...
4
@Good Informed Trumpers? You are too funny. Things are flipping-try to keep up!
@Palcah
Could be, and that will be a bad result
IMHO
I intend to vote. I doubt you will like my choices.
4
The thing about Tuesday's results is that it will tell us who we now are. 2016 was frightening enough, but no one who votes Republican this year in support of Trump can still say they had no idea what they were getting. We know what Trump is in all his ugly nakedness and we know just how spineless and unprincipled the GOP members of Congress have been during his reign of terror. We have seen the enemy and it is them.
Vote! Vote Blue! Drain the swamp!
1
I'm a concerned Canadian who takes this opportunity to urge her American relatives & friends to go to the polls on Tuesday, and vote to put the USA back on track!
1
No. Only vote once.
“Epitaph on a Tyrant”
Perfection, of a kind, was what he was after,
And the poetry he invented was easy to understand;
He knew human folly like the back of his hand,
And was greatly interested in armies and fleets;
When he laughed, respectable senators burst with laughter,
And when he cried the little children died in the streets.
- W.H. Auden
VOTE!
1
It's time for us to come to our senses and repudiate Trump and all he stands for.
1
No Charles I don't. I voted,though in Texas my vote was probably changed to Republican by the voting machine. The Republicans are evil and capable of anything.
In the words of Ma Joad
We're the people and we're a comin!
2
If the voter turnout of people of color is less than 90% they have rocks in their heads, cotton in their ears and blinders on their eyes. There will be no excuse that makes any sense and there will be no mulligans for them. This is it.
Vote Democrat and save yourselves from people who want to take advantage of you.
We The People Vote Trumpism Out!
Charles, if any citizen in America doesn't want another two years of Trump and his Trumpism, he or she should vote out his Republican party from power.
G.O.P. should now be called Trump Party because their leaders have lost their spine as well as their slivers of dignity that the Maverick had shown throughout his stint as a Republican Senator until he gave up trying to save his life from cancer as well as saving his party from heading towards Armageddon under the tutelage of a president who made a pact with a Russian Devil called Putin to put him in the White House.
If Trump had known how much he hurt John McCain by saying "I don't care for people who're captured", maybe he could attend his funeral after apologizing to Sen. McCain personally and to all of us standing in front of tv cameras.
But Trump being Trump didn't think there was any need to say sorry to John McCain or any soldiers who went to Vietnam which he escaped by citing a phantom bone spur.
He's still not sorry that he knowingly cheated his medical exam while millions of Americans without rich daddies like him were forced to go to Vietnam in the 60's and '70's.
All he said was "Gonorrhea is my personal Vietnam" ignoring the fact that thousands of dead Americans came back in body bags and 50,000+ are still M.I.A. long after the infamous war of Vietnam.
That is the main reason why we've to curb Trump's power next year by making his party lose each and every elections they're fighting in this year's midterms.
Thank you, Charles. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Charles M. Blow - my answer to your question is YES !!
Do we want to return to the dismal economy that was held hostage by the democrats for eight years?
I think not.
3
What I don't wan't, and am very tired of having for the last two years, is 50% of the country + most of the print and television media in denial about Trump's fair-and-square 2016 election night victory.
Until you folks on the left (New York Times included, all you folks in Manhattan included) stop denying the legitimacy of Trump's election victory and stop insulting the voters that put him in the oval (stupid, uneducated, racist), Trump's base is simply going to grow and dig-in.
The ultimate result will be a Trump reelection in 2020.
4
As my Chicago friends used to repeat: "Vote early. Vote often."
And ask yourself: If not Trump's, then whose "puppets" ?
2
I am 70 years old. This is no longer the country I was born as the son of a WWII Air Force vet who was proud of his country. This is not the country that I want to die in. Let the decent, moral, fair minded people of this country take it back tomorrow and save the trumpinistas and ourselves from the moral depravity that is the GOP.
2
Vote, because you didn't vote in 2016.
Please, please, please may we find out on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning that most Americans do remember a kinder, gentler, more competent government and a legislative -- and judicial -- branch that will check the executive. ...And that we know that truth and facts matter. You assembled a numbing list, Mr. Blow. May we begin a return toward normalcy this week.
1
Always remember, the "R" after a candidate's name means REJECT!
Yup. Voting Republican down the line.
2
The GOP wanting one party rule is not healthy- trump needs checking. His values are not American.
In another article I read that a West Pointer “won’t lie, cheat or steal or tolerate those who do”.
Man whatever happened to all those type values? This president is a pathological liar and his Congress is totally ok with it. He even has preachers lying up a storm to keep him in power. Weird. Not good enough.
I agree with David Duke on absolutely nothing, but I will echo these words: We are determined to take our country back. And when we do, the Nazis and white nationalists can slither back to the far fringe where they belong.
I read the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Gettysburg Address last night. Their sentiments are the expression of America, and they will stand fully again.
Not voting is a paralyses of citizenship.
This election has been referred to as a referendum on Trump. It's much more than a popularity contest. It's about control of a cretinous president who flaunts the Constitution on a daily basis.
Fear & Lies = Republican Playbook. And that works on white people who believe people with brown & black skin have taken away their jobs & are all murderers & rapists. As John Oliver explained last night: It’s not that they don’t want them to come in because they’re criminals; it’s that they call them criminals because they don’t want them to come in.
Charles Blow......you are a National Treasure! Tragically, and that is NOT a strong enough word, the other side will casually brush off what you honestly state. Today, people must remember how they felt November 9th, 2016. I haven’t figured out how to reach across the divide. Jefferson once said the voters get what they deserve. Will November 6th, 2018 live in infamy?
Schumer puppet or Trump puppet...I choose Trump!
1
In answer to Mr. Blow's question--yes if the alternative is a return to economic stagnation, an overbearing Federal government who has little regard for federalism and the diverse priorities of citizens with varying priorities and interest that are best solved locally, and a Federal government that is uninterested in protecting individual and economic freedom, preferring group hink and the subordination of self.
2
Heck, I thoroughly get your point of view. Who needs those crazy old-fashioned virtues of honor, decency, honesty, self-control, concern for the environment, concern for the poor and disadvantaged, openness to new ideas and respect for others—not to mention respect for knowledge and science—when, by golly, you can have moral turpitude, open corruption, stupidity, gross venality and ugly vulgarity all wrapped together in one man and his groveling, morally obscene followers?
@Emile Well done, if poorly thought out. You have aptly demonstrated the regional differences in how people in the country might think. Some of us feel; others think.
Since our memories don`t seem to relate to reality much past last week it is the job of our media to remind us of our past both good and bad every day, like eating breakfast. If we don`t remember our past mistakes we will be trapped in a world of re-occurring mistakes, much like the one we are in with the Agent Orange from Chaos.
Wow, that crackpot in Georgia is out accusing Democrats of hacking his election! You'd think he could have blamed it on China or some other country Trump doesn't like. Republicans believe that accusations of hacking are just a sorry excuse for losing, so what does that say about what Kemp thinks about his chances? He's running the game, he's stacked the deck in his favor, and he's already making excuses for losing! I honestly didn't think his chances were that slim.
At least 40% of this country only gets their news from Trump/Fox network. Those people have no idea what the hysteria is all about. They have been blinded by right wing propaganda and this will not change soon. Democrats/liberals have a very difficult task in taking back our place in the government. It has to start now. Make America a Democracy Again. VOTE!
Vote, Vote, Vote, yes, and not for ANY Republican! Thank goodness my husband switched his registration in the midst of mounting evidence of Trump's intent to rile up the racists, bigots, and haters of all stripes. I married a principled man.
I have never voted for a Republican in my life. As a woman and a minority, I could never see associating myself with a party that, in general, does not celebrate our diversity by lifting up and protecting everyone in the melting pot. Sometimes I felt that maybe I was narrow minded - some Republicans support abortion rights, civil rights, gun laws, right?
Wrong. The party that has closed ranks around a demagogue while Democratic ideals are shoved aside as inconvenient, needs a swift reminder that We, The People, care about principles too.
I am hopeful that, on the whole, we care more about saving democracy than the government sanctioned free pass which has led to mounting expressions of our basest instincts in a barrage of bullets, bombs and twitter bombast.
1
I voted absentee (expat Australia).
I can’t stand trump but he was elected as pretty much all politicians are puppets. This is not a Democrat- Republican issue it is a systematic corruption of all politicians. People understand that and were willing to vote for anybody but a politician. The dems should do the same thing, find a decent non politician to run against him.
The bottom line is do you stop this now? Or wait until you are standing there with your hand over your wide open mouth with stunned eyes and muttering "We never thought it would go this far." My only response is: You probably never though it would get to this point in the first place and to now think it can't get any worse, it certainly can and it certainly will unless the voters draw the line in the sand and yell "NO FURTHER". Because, very clearly, no one else is going to do that for you.
1
"You have to ask yourself: Do you want a Congress full of Trump puppets?"
No, but I don't want to have a Congress full of Democratic puppets, either.
2
If you know a young person who is registered to vote, but has decided not to, explain why this election is important!
I agree with many of these comments. But let's thank Trump for being so clueless, so blatant, so infantile. Imagine someone bright and cunning with a similar agenda but also surreptitious. Don't forget: the republicans are doing what they've aways done. 'The harlem welfare queen with 5 babies from 5 fathers' - a gem from Ronald Raegan. Same old song; divide. The primaries; Trump disrespected John McCain, the Syrian parents, disabled reporter, women ... The Republicans were silent ... After Obama's election the tea party; blatantly racist posters of Barack and Michelle; cowards spat on John lewis, Michelle Bachman; 'armed and dangerous' ... 'You Lie' ... 'One term president'.
I used to think the 2 parties could work things out. Now I think the Republican party is guilty of a horrendous level of anti democratic policy beginning way before Trump.
The Democrats ? Start with those white, conservative, 'christian' folks who still feel entitled and make them understand something: The entire country is better when everybody's abilities are maximized. It is not a zero sum equation but one of endless potential. Show how Trump's economic 'growth' is a step backward which will cost future generations. Education. Infrastructure to reverse global warming. New technology to generate employment.
No more 'If it ain't broke don't fix it', our mantra of complacency over the last few decades.
Real growth requires investment, commitment and vision.
We can do it.
We have Trump because of Obama's elections in 2008 and 2012. Now the election's common denominator is White Privilege or Common Sense.The people who want to go back to the days where every one knew their place will vote one way. The people who want to save the planet and be a part of the world community will vote another way.To say Trump is racist is falling on deaf ears because like minds think alike.Wednesday the world will see who we truly are.
2
I don't think you have to worry about people on either side voting
If the GOP holds the House after the elections Trump will be emboldened to up his game of dividing the country stoking hate and fear. The Trump family will rule the country for 6 years while cashing in on the presidency unchecked by a complicit Gop congress. The new administration will us the levers of power to stay in power and crush opponents and with a new Attorney General and Sec of Defense under his thumb Trump will rule as an authoritarian despot. The Bannon / Dictator playbook will unfold faster and corruption of the rich and powerful will fester and oppression of minorities will expand ending democracy as we know it.
1
A number of months ago, I heard you speak at the Nourse Theatre in San Francisco. During the question and answer period, try as I might, I was unable to get to ask my question. So I am now going to ask it, and due to the amount of time since I thought about it, I have also come up with the answer, which I will share herein. Question: The Democrats, née we all, need a candidate who has compassion, has something to say, is articulate, and to whom people will listen to, and hopefully follow. Barack Obama was a great example of these qualities. Who is that candidate who will put an end to this Trump debacle? The answer that I arrived at is that unfortunately, or even better, fortunately, there is no Democratic politician who is that standout candidate. However, the person that I believe would be a great candidate is not a politician, but does possess all of the traits that I listed above, and so many more, and in all seriousness, that candidate is you Charles M. Blow.
Two years later and still alive kicking after being vociferously denounced and pronounced DOA by none other, the man certainly knows what he’s talking about. Everybody: Vote, Vote, Vote! Prove it was no accident. The silence will do us all good.
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Dear Young Americans of Voting Age,
Don't make excuses. your future is at stake – whether you're aware of it or not! Put down the latte macchiato, turn off the Netflix, dispense with the vaporizer, and be really cool and GO OUT AND VOTE! Sorry if you have to be "inconvenienced" by standing in a line at polling place. Bring your smartphone, iPad, laptop, maybe a book or magazine (one of those weird relics with pages and words, no memes or emojis) to keep yourselves entertained. Just please, no excuses, VOTE!
1
Do we want a Congress full of Pelosi puppets?
I voted to continue on the path to real world results Americans have seen over the past two years. I don't like everything Trump says or tweets, but I certainly can't condone the direction Dems have taken over the past two years. If the Dems are so "all inclusive", if they truly want to embrace all Americans, why didn't they scold Clinton for calling half the country "deplorables"?
The Left has made it well known that anyone who doesn't adhere to their vision is a racist, a misogynist, and/or anti-immigration. Great strategy to embrace those outside your party.
Trump is by stretch perfect. Not even close. But, I voted for "Promises Made, Promises Kept". Can the Dems show any evidence that they've done the same in the past?
2
Don't listen to Trump's last minute lies and fear mongering. Vote Democrats into office so that there are some checks and balances on this Administration.
I agree Charles, tomorrow is our last, best hope of reigning in the GOP Monster that seeks to destroy our Republic. Failure to vote them out of office will continue America's downward spiral. The vile, ugly rhetoric of the right must not be allowed to stand unchallenged.
As you can see by many of the comments, it’s become much easier to divide us than unite us. Trump only has to use fear of minorities and immigrants to maintain his base while the democrats are criticized for not having easy talking points. But they do. They are running as a check on trump’s fascist tendencies. They are running on good old fashioned love your fellow man, freedom of religion, equal rights for all people. Fair taxes that don’t favor the rich. Healthcare as a right not a privilege. I could go on but most people’s minds are made up. Vote tomorrow and may the best party come out victorious. We get what we deserve.
Thank you Mr. Blow, I doubt anyone needs to be reminded.
There's an excellent opinion piece in the Seattle Times today by Tyrone Beason about how this election is not about issues, but rather about the soul of the country. I'd encourage all to read it as a complement to Mr. Blow's column. I don't know if NYT allows links so I won't include one, but it's easy to find on their website.
1
I'm voting because that's why I became an American citizen to exercise my right to vote.
"You have to ask yourself: Do you want a Congress full of Trump puppets?"
We already have that. Vote on Tuesday as if our democracy depends on it.
I remember how I felt the morning after Richard Nixon won the presidency in 1968.
I remember how I felt the morning after Ronald Reagan won the presidency in 1980. And 1984.
I remember how I felt the morning after George H.W. Bush won the presidency in 1988.
I remember how I felt the morning after the Supreme Court declared that George W. Bush won the 2000 election.
I remember how I felt the morning after W. won re-election in 2004.
But none of those disappointments began to approach the seismic, atavistic despair that I felt the evening of November 8, 2016, when it became clear that Donald Trump would be the 45th president of the United States.
Today, nearly two years later, it's still a difficult process. The mind automatically rejects the result as some anomaly that cannot be fathomed.
What Donald Trump has done is the equivalent of being the guy with the keys to all the locked cages at the zoo. The KKK and the white nationalists and supremacists and the alt-right and the "religious evangelical "Christian" conservatives, all of them sneeringly and unabashedly anti-democratic in tone, in speech and in action, are the monsters in the cages that Trump, the "keeper," unlocked.
He has loosed all the hate in all the dark corners of America, happily demonizing everyone who is opposed to him. He has singlehandedly neutered the free press, sent it cowering into paroxysms of defense and diminishment.
We're on the final frontier of perhaps the final battlefield.
Vote.
Remember the days, when only racists tried to undo an election?
Remember the days, when the FBI didn't try to mastermind a coup with an "insurance policy"?
Yeah, Edith, those were the days.
1
We are with you, Charles, in our last best hope for preserving democracy.
Canvased for Harley Rouda in Costa Mesa yesterday. On one block I was directed to two homes were three voters lived. As I walked up to both I noticed a Marine Corps Flag (2) and an Air Force Flag (1). I talked at length to two fathers who were not citizens (residents) -- their sons were the voters and all three were overseas in service to their country. Tonight I saw blatantly racist add on NBC against the very people who are sacrificing so much to really make our country great. Trump's despicable adds demonizing our latino brothers and sisters is enough to make this great grandson of Irish immigrants continue fighting to the last second. VOTE!
1
Learn, work, cooperate and love!
I really get tired of hearing people say that they will not vote because one vote doesn’t matter. Well guess what? One vote, you’re vote, could make a difference between two more years of racism, misogyny and weaponized language, or setting our country back on a path to democracy. No more excuses, vote your conscience!
as long as we're watching politics, I hope the NY Times reports on the Kavanaugh accusers that are recanting. The journalists enjoyed the page views on the accusations, let's hope we see intellectual honesty and reporting on the recanting of those accusations. Mr.Blow, let's step up?
Meanwhile the Dems overstepped on their underhanded attacks on Kavanaugh, and it may haunt them on Tuesday.
4
"If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything"
----Alexander Hamilton, Malcolm X and others.
"Do you want a Congress full of Trump puppets?"
If that means the economy keeps roaring along, my taxes don't go up, Obamacare gets repealed, we get a border wall, increased border security, immigration reform to end chain migration in favor of merit and an immigration category for dreamers, originalist judges, better trade deals, a nuclear free North Korea and Iran, then
YES!!!!!
3
As one who makes one's entire living intellectualizing and amplifying racial divisions, it is interesting the way in which you characterize the President. Almost every day, you argue that the "browning" of America will bring progressives to power so they can enact a redistributive, identity-based utopia that is at odds with virtually every principle upon which this county was founded. And then you act outraged that anyone would object.
Actually Charles, Republicans would prefer for voters to look at the performance of the economy since Trump began reversing Obama's anti-business, anti-growth agenda. We would like voters to focus on the return to Constitutional governance under the new Supreme Court. We would like to talk about how ISIS and Rocket Boy have been diminished as threats to our security. We would like to talk about how Europe is now paying more of its fair share for our common defense and how both Europe and our NAFTA partners have negotiated significant trade concessions.
You are the Vlade Divac of journalism. Just like the great NBA flopper, you stir up racial division and strife and then cry racism when others respond. I'm Black and see nothing racist about pro-growth economic policies, a conservative judiciary and a sober, pro-American foreign policy.
4
Do I want a Congress full of Trump puppets?
Actually, yes.
The economy is booming, the growth of the GDP is doubling, U3 and U6 unemployment is falling, and wages are rising. Who wouldn't want all that to continue?
"Donald Trump is openly trying to weaponize racism..."
Actually, it's the Left that's been trying for decades to "weaponise racism." Basically, they try to end every bit of opposition to their policies by calling someone a "racist." The truth of the matter is that, these days, most Americans are pretty much racially indifferent, but that's apparently not enough for the Left--if you're not stridently pro-black and are white and don't run around in a state of abject self-abasement, you're a "racist."
"Focus on the numbness you felt on Election Day 2016, the feeling of horror and disbelief that Trump would actually assume the presidency..."
What's Mr Blow trying to do here? Convince Democrats to vote against Republicans? Hardly necessary, I would think.
"Do you want a Congress that will be a rubber stamp for Trump’s ... policies and will help him remake the American judiciary in ways that could take generations to undo?"
Yes.
"Do you want a Congress that has continuously voted to do precisely what Trump wants to do: destroy the Affordable Care Act?"
Yes
"Is this the country you thought it was or could be, or are Trump and Republicans in Congress making a mockery of your America?"
Actually, it's the Democrats who want to make a mockery of my America.
5
I would substitute the word puppets with 'parrots' (repeating Trump's lies and insults), pertinent mainly to his disinformed (worse than misinformed, by the way) and prejudiced mob (his base, that believes any and all that comes out of big mourh egomaniac Trump, a true cult of personality). Fear and hate and division will remain undisturbed...as long as this unscrupulous bully is allowed to abuse the power of the presidency, exclusively for his own benefit.
My wife and I voted last Friday. If Trump could read my ballot, he'd be very disappointed.
Mr. Blow, if as you suggest, the choice comes down to Trump puppets versus Schumer/ Pelosi puppets, I'll take Trump puppets every time. Trump "puppets," as you call them, were not united in a DACA fix, nor in an Obamacare replacement. Trump "puppets" are not united on tariffs or how to deal with our foreign allies and enemies. Trump "puppets" have taken an evenhanded approach to the Mueller investigation, stating over and over, "we'll see what comes out of it." Trump "puppets" even managed to slow down the Kavenaugh confirmation, with three calling for a limited FBI investigation, one in the end voting no, and another voting yes with a thoughtful, reasoned, fact-based explanation.
Now Schumer / Pelosi puppets... those are real puppets. I won't bother explaining why. If you won't see it, you can't see it.
4
Charles, you are a beacon of hope in a sea of despair. Keep speaking, writing and fighting until the nightmare is over. Thank you.
I’d like to think that General Mattis, Secretary Pompeo, Melania, Ivanka and Kellyanne Conway have already instituted suitable measures to insure that President Trump is prevented from having direct access to his nuclear football prior to Tuesday.
1
Amen. Vote like your life depends on it
Because, for many Americans, it does.
Vote for higher taxes, vote for gun restrictions, and vote for gridlock!
Preaching to the choir sir. Living in a district that snakes and coils in a blatent and successful attempt to dilute my vote, I can only hope for a blue tsunami to crash through these gerrymandered walls. Every year they hold power is a year they are given by us to entrench that power.
We are watching our country descend into pre apartheid South Africa where a minority of citizens will control and tyrannize the majority of us.
Will it be possible to stop this UN American autocracy? Or is this the natural state that every society evolves into as the powerful and wealthy few once again rise to the top?
In our Great Experiment is 250 years the maximum that a government for the people by the people can be sustained? Maybe so.
Vote! Vote! Vote!
The naked vote suppression by GOP candidate Brain Kemp in Georgia shows the lengths Republicans will go to in order to hang on to power.
Everywhere they can the GOP is trying to discourage the 'wrong' voters and gerrymandering districts to tilt the playing field as far as they can. They're packing the courts with judges who will go along with these efforts.
Vote now while you can still make a difference.
So far, Trump has told over 4,000 lies during his presidency. He makes up reality. His "reality" is an illusion, a tissue of falsehoods bombastically presented as truth. The congressional Republicans realize this but they say nothing. They have no principles, no guts, no moral fiber. They are timid pawns of an authoritarian bully and fear-monger. Vote Democratic tomorrow!
Thank you, Charles for expressing my thoughts without using cuss words! I am glad they have early voting in Georgia so I could get it done & just wait and pray for the positive outcomes.
"Remember how you feel every time you see a Trump rally and recoil as his hyped-up base falls further into his thrall, excited and entertained by his animus and depravity."
I have never considered Donald Trump to be the President. The foolish left-wing media persist in treating him like the President, and they wonder why they get nowhere with their rational appeals to Trump and his true believers. I am always looking for a fresh view and this weekend I stumbled upon it: Donald Trump is a cult leader. His true believers live in Trumptown just as Jim Jones's true believers lived in Jonestown. I would like to see someone in the left-wing media interview Donald Trump the same way they would interview Jim Jones or David Koresh.
Do I want Congress full of Trump puppets? Absolutely!
2
Why yes, yes I'd love to see more Trump puppets instead of more Pelosi puppets that are even more annoying!
The media is filled with Trump hating puppets as is the academy, Hollywood and tech world. The only place that the people can actually exert power on what type of people we want there should be filled with Trumpists so at least there is one area free from the insanity of the incoherent "resistance".
More Trump , please.
1
"Cry, The Beloved Country"-Just felt right to say.
trump was not elected president. You do not lose by almost 3 million votes and believe you are America’s choice. trump was handed the presidency by Russia and Fox News and an absurd Electoral College (how can we allow such a ridiculous method of electing someone to the most powerful office). trump is the least American thing we can offer as a leader. If we want a democracy, if we want respect, if we want to live our lives as we choose for ourselves, VOTE BLUE.
So the time has come. It's time to Vote. It's time to Vote for the future of your children, our planet, and our place once again as an admired and emulated world partner.
Some voters in our country seem to think that closing borders, closing minds, and closing hearts will Make America Great Again. This dark view of our country will not stand.
Vote out the GOP hate mongers, the zealots shouting racism and antisemitism, the anti-scientist with their heads in the sand, and the isolationist bullies who turn their backs on the world unless their is personal monetary gain to be had.
America, Our greatest days are in front of us.
thank you Mr. Blow for your incisive comments...you are a model of what ethics, conscience and honest journalism is
all about....
Absolutely not. But they are certainly better than Obama puppets. At least they advocate individual rights as opposed to group rights.
T’was the Night before Voting
T’was the night before voting when all thru the land,
anger rose, such emoting, with keyboards at hand.
Should we take to the polls, asked one, comfy at home?
No, tho conscience cajoles, we’ll just tweet on the phone.
Then the kids gathered round and looked into their faces,
Cried “not stepping up is the worst of disgraces”
But apathy rules, nothing else quite displaces
So, when it’s all done and the prospects look grim,
will we look in the mirror, admit our sad sin?
See, we know what is right, but we act like we’re weak,
Tho democracy totters and futures look bleak.
Those crafty, slick conmen preached “moral and just”,
Then doubled our debt, breeding hatred, disgust.
Cried “health care’s for fools”, as they fattened their pocket,
Attacked our top schools and poor science, did block it.
Ten comMANDments got snubbed, as they cherry picked virtue,
Facts, they got clubbed, Middle class? Feels like we’re thru
The air and the water were seen as quite needless,
Old, outdated tech, could foul them, quite heedless
Yes, earth and next gen will be plumb out of luck,
as more things hit the skids, if we choose to stay stuck
Or wait, listen up! We could write a new ending,
for one and for all, broken hearts we’d be mending,
Let’s change from the passive, Let’s do it right now,
The imPACT could be massive, by voting, that’s how!
1
No se ofenda, but article is a campaign pitch posing as informative journalism, and we, author's many readers, are entitled to more thoughtful writing! Voters r focusing on their pocket books, and like him or despise him, which author appears to do, Trump's policies are good for the economy, appeal to fear of citizens of being submerged by illegals, and our vox populi's response to NATO, given members "what for" who are not paying their fair share. President has also reminded us that 1 caravan of several thousand WILL lead to a deluge of interlopers if it is not stopped!The more illegals who enter the work force, the lower the wages, a cause and effect correlation. As 1 local wag pointed out, Cesar Chavez regarded illegal immigration as a threat which would harm his own constituency's chances of improving their lives!
1
Good Morning America, tomorrow is our opportunity to make America "Sane Again".
Your vote matters!
Lower taxes and fewer regulations are not going to help the middle or working class. Also, we have thrown out or overturned many regulations that helped protect clean water, environmental degradation and consumer protection, even automatic weapons. I prefer getting the services I expect in a democratic nation where we should expect these rights. In order to have good roads and safe bridges, safe housing etc we need to pay taxes to keep these protections in place. Republicans have a Pavlovian response to the mere mention of taxes!
Charles: You seem to have forgotten that tomorrow's elections are about choosing state and local officials, not about Trump. I despise Trump but my early voting choices were based for the most part on consideration of matters that affect Florida specifically. I would take any interpretation of the results of tomorrow's election as a confirmation or repudiation of Trump with a large grain of salt (or at least a large asterisk).
2
My compliments on a great piece as usual. Superb. Agree with every single needed word.
8
Most respectfully, Sir, of all the things you advise us to remember, I, for one, have not forgotten any one of those ghastly transgressions. All those who enjoy our magnificent democracy had better help salvage it before it becomes too late.
14
Are you unhappy with our current government? Then vote. It is too late to choose a better candidate in the primary - should have voted then, too - but all you can do is vote.
And if you plan to vote for a Democrat, don't let others do it for you! The actual numbers show that a GOP House member represents about 255K people, but a Democrat represents about 312K. EVERY Democrat's vote counts, every Democrat needs to turn out, especially in gerrymandered districts. Democrats have to win the majority of seats by winning a super-majority; the GOP can take the House - and has - by winning a minority.
So if you are disgruntled, vote. If enough do it, we might finally get a government that needs to debate and win bi-partisan support for anything they do.
8
Thank you for this reminder of what is at stake during these elections and (hopefully) the final years of this presidency. Donald Trump showed us what we were in store the first time he walked up the stairs to the White House as the newly elected POTUS. Chest thrust forward like a mini Mussolini, leaving his wife unattended in his wake, he has from the beginning been concerned with one thing only - himself. I watched as Michelle & Barack Obama - elegant and poised to the end - rushed to assist Melania as anyone raised with the bare minimum of manners and civility would. And it's only gotten worse from that self-centered start of this administration. I've sat through countless news conferences scarcely able to believe the lies being told by the President's surrogates, representatives, and co-horts. This could not possibly be the country I was taught to respect (with all its imperfections) as a place where justice could and usually did prevail. In a perpetual state of numbness, I have had to talk myself down from not reading another article about the wrong doings in the nation's capital, or force myself to stay atop the latest spin by republican opportunists masquerading as statesmen. It is so easy to dismiss it all as "the way it is." But, when we stop thinking we deserve better, that's when we're done. So I am voting, and fighting against accepting the current state of our country as normal. These are not normal times, and we deserve so much better. Please vote!
11
Yes. But - how do we get the disillusioned to pay attention, to register, let alone come out to the polls? So many people, too many people, do not know who their Senator is, or frankly, WHAT the Senate is. It's horrifying. When did schools stop teaching this, or are the young so self-involved they just don't care? I don't think so. I think they're not engaged, so they're written off. This, and every election, affects everyone. We all have a lot of work to do to engage all potential voters. It is our right. It is our life.
3
"Remember that the Russians attacked our election".
Remember Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan were both personally briefed about Russian hacking and election interference and they did nothing.
The leaders of Congress stood idly by and allowed this to continue. The GOP did not see fit to protect America.
McConnell and Ryan chose the Republican party over the United States.
Vote Democratic tomorrow.
Every seat, every office.
Changing Majorities in Congress is our best course of action.
Vote Democratic for Governor.
Turnout.
Use your citizen's voice.
Vote.
7
@D. DeMarco Remember who was president during the last election and did nothing.
1
@Rumpole
President Obama briefed Congress, expecting them to do their job.
But the GOP led Congress (McConnell and Ryan) did nothing.
Congress dropped the ball.
Congress is responsible.
Vote for a better future, vote for a society that is open and inclusive and concerned with justice, the truth, and equality, vote for our better angels, vote for policies that enhance health care, fight poverty, build infrastructure, preserves social security and Medicare, vote for a world that rejects anger and denounces fear, vote for voter liberation not suppression, vote for a tax system that serves the average man not corporations and the ruling elite,
vote for a cleaner environment and climate control, vote for an interconnected world of alliances and peace not nationalism and the glorification of war,
vote for borders with neighbors not with walls and
despised strangers, vote for the future where every person is judged by their character not the color of their skin, vote for compassion and love not rage and anger, vote for a hopeful vision of light not darkness and carnage. Vote and get your neighbors and friends to vote too! Then pray for the better world our children deserve!
8
Charles, as I'm sure you know, you're preaching to the choir.
It's not enough to vote. We have to encourage others to vote.
American democracy is worth preserving.
5
Every vote cast is a vote for democracy.
Every refusal to vote is a vote against democracy.
In 2016, democracy in the U.S. was soundly defeated by a coalition of non-voters and anti-American Republicans.
Those who are reasonably able to vote but refuse to do so do not deserve to be living in a democracy -- and won't be much longer.
4
Approximately 2 years ago I was totally shocked and turned off the TV and tried to get some sleep. When the morning began I was in the state of total confusion.
What happened?
Charles, you summed it up the last 2 years.
Tuesday I will vote and watch the results knowing full well that our country is at the opening of an abyss.
I am uneasy and frightened.
Friends and family laughed at me 2 years ago when I said I wanted to leave the U.S.
I'm surely not laughing tonight.
8
These midterm elections will go down in history as the event that started the move from the DE JURE emancipation of women and people of color to DE FACTO emancipation. There will be no going back. Ever.
1
Voting at this point will only go so far. The Republicans have ripped democracy to shreds, for forty years, and we're in their endgame.
If there's not enough will out there to try to flip the House..... well, we then know what kind of country we're living in. One where there are far too many people who share the bigotry, hatred and love of fear and division that the Republicans do.
Short of armed revolution, the remaining things to be done, should the puppet show of voting go nowhere, is extensive: strikes, walkouts, businesses with any conscience not bankrupting state economies by lapping up lavish tax breaks to move to corrupt states like North Carolina, and Texas; disruptions of all sorts. Consumer boycotts are effective; moratoriums of companies and products benefiting from the ring of racist conspiracy are effective.
There's plenty to do, even if elections should, once again, prove a farce.
As to whether we have any semblance of a democracy left, whether we have any chance left of saving the human species from imminent extinction, well, all that will be answered fiercely in the negative if the GOP continues its pillaging.
The rich want to save a small circle of the planet for themselves, deluded in believing they can survive, while billions perish.
We must stop them, by any means necessary.
2
As President Lincoln said, “a country divided against itself cannot stand.” All political parties must come together as one America, under God, and maintain correct decency and morality for the sake of our little children and the future of our country.
Why does separation of church and state exist? Blessed be those that believe in His name: who are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
"Do you want a Congress that will be a rubber stamp for Trump’s ill-conceived policies and will help him remake the American judiciary in ways that could take generations to undo?"
Well, no, and it is that "remake the American judiciary" thing that has me most concerned, because by all appearances he has already succeeded in doing so.
But there is a way out, and perhaps, when and if Democrats regain control of both Houses of Congress, we should exercise this option.
The Constitution, in the first sentence of Article III (the Article that defines the powers of our Federal courts), Section One, states: "The judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish."
Nowhere in the Constitution is the configuration of our Federal courts defined. It does not ordain District Courts or Circuit Courts of Appeal as they are presently constituted, nor does it mention the number of judges on any particular court, including the Supreme Court.
In 1937, FDR tried to enlarge the Supreme Court and his effort failed (although he was subsequently reelected twice). This is NOT 1937 and FDR's predecessors had not made such a concerted effort to fully and deeply politicize our courts as Republicans have done in recent years.
Furthermore, remaking our court system requires only Congress, and not the president's signature, to achieve.
Perhaps the time has come.
1
This government is merely a reflection of the state of our democracy. The sooner we can come together and repair it, the less likely we are to lose it. Because this democracy rot is of the people, its correction must be by the people, it must come from a democratic effort of a majority of us to unite and determine the future path of our democracy.
2
It is inconceivable to me that those who declare themselves NPA (no party affiliation) would cast a ballot for Republicans. It is, therefore, my hope that this chunk of the electorate will be the adults in the country that will settle this squabble.
1
I am a liberal progressive and I voted straight D in early voting. I will not be surprised if the Dems lose or its so close a meaningful counter to Trumps white nationalist protection of a criminal racket finds the critical mass necessary to break the iron grip of corruption. The reason is the Dems haven’t defined a vision concurrent with the threat because the upper reaches are in on it. It was Obama’s failure to reach an FDR moment that got us here. Too bad our justified hysteria in reaction to white supremacy v whatever still doesn’t get the heart of the engine and until we do, misery can get a lot worse and most likely will.
I am a 64 yr old white man, I vote in every election. I tend to vote left center on social issues and right center on financial issues. Integrity is a big deal to me, I will vote against a favorite candidate if they have integrity issues.
If you don't vote you are saying "I like the way he thinks, I'm going to let him speak for me." Thank you, but realize you are giving away your power. If enough people give away their power, democracy dies.
2
There has never been an election in my lifetime in which EVERY VOTE COUNTS with as much impact as this one.
If you have ever wondered if your vote really makes a difference, wonder no more: It does.
Trump has brought this country to a place so ugly, so bereft of beauty and dignity and common purpose, that most of us scarcely recognize it as the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave, where all Americans considered Liberty and Justice for All to be goals worth striving for.
Remember those values. Embrace them. Hold them close. They will comfort and strengthen you as you stand in line to cast your vote for the America you love.
Vote against hate and fear by voting out the haters and fear mongers. Do it for yourself. Do it for the future. Do it for everything in this country that is worthy of preservation: its landscapes, the gorgeous diversity of its people, its imperfect history, its mistakes and its triumphs.
Do it. VOTE.
3
Mr Blow I have asked myself. Do I want a Congress full of people who would take advantage of a clearly troubled woman to try and derail the nomination of person hwho had been vetted by the FBI 6 or 7 times? Do I want a Congress that will continue to promote illegal immigration? Do I want a Congress that will continue to mandate a health insurance plan that is for me affordable and largely useless? Do I want a Congress that will continue to not invest the money to ensure we have a well maintained and modern military? Do I want a Congress that will continue to push divisive identity based policies? Do I want a Congress that will enact laws that stifle economic activity and collect even more taxes? Do I want a Congress that will continue the Russian interference circus? No I want none of that. That's why I will be voting Republican and for the first time in my life gave money to the Republican party. I suspect many others feel the same.
2
Unfortunately, all signs are pointing to a Republican victory. No victory for Abrams, Gillum or Beto. No Democrat control of the House. No more slim Republican Senate majority that can be overpowered whenever two Republicans decide to listen to their consciences. The Democrats need a massive lead to win anything at all, and their lead is now very small and shrinking by the minute. Trump's desperate spiral into white supremacy, his intensifying calls for his followers to commit violence against Americans, his ever-growing horde of imaginary enemies, his tilting at windmills and transformation of every molehill into a mountain... all of it is working. It's working more effectively than any political strategy ever seen before in the history of our planet. There is no defense against it. If Democrats win a single victory, if they manage to flip the House or a single red state governorship, I will be a hundred times more surprised than anybody was about the 2016 election. We fought the good fight, America. I would certainly be delighted if the majority finally made the effort to use the voice that Democracy has provided for us one last time before it's all taken away forever. But I'm not holding my breath. Prove me wrong, America.
1
On October 25th there were lines the first day of early voting here in Maryland. The last time there were lines of all ages was the 2008 presidential election. Vote as if our lives, freedom, and our democracy depend upon it...because it does.
3
Best election sign I've seen: "Bad people are elected by good people who don't vote."
6
Let’s see those tax returns. That in itself would start an avalanche against Trump.
3
It is easy to be discouraged right now, because there is a nagging feeling that these midterm elections are going to end badly for Democrats.
Millions of Americans who are disgusted by Donald Trump and by the Republicans who accept his racism, dishonesty, misogyny, greed, partnership with Russian oligarchs and utter incompetence in basic areas of governing, may not show up tomorrow to vote.
Either they neglected to register or were daunted by the obstacles placed in their paths by the Republican voter suppression tactics or they rationalize that their single votes will make no difference or, among the millennials, they talk a good game, but ignore the most important step – voting.
A nation which misses the chance to vote a dictator out of office before the dictator becomes a dictator, deserves the government it gets.
The same principle is true for a country which passes up the opportunity to vote out the rascals who are essential to the rise of a tyrant wannabe.
Vote tomorrow – if only to be able to look at yourself in the mirror on Wednesday.
1
At 81, and a long-retired Family Therapist and Lutheran pastor, I
see “President” Trump as as an interloper who seeks to be, not
a National Servant, but as one who seeks to Control. Mine may be a Quiet Voice....but it Always Votes.
7
Uh, is this supposed to persuade anyone? Is that the intent? If it is, it is perhaps the worst attempt at persuasion I have ever read.
I am on the same side generally as the author, and yet it’s obvious that this is the ultimate expression of preaching to the choir, in a hugely slanted manner; and if the piece has any impact it is only to move the needle in the opposite way of what the author intends. It will convince no one who disagrees with him and will only tick them off and harden them.
But it will perhaps serve as a palliative to the author and to those who agree with him. Maybe that is the intent?
2
red vs. blue. oh, the manchester derby. i vote for watching that. Voting on tuesday, not feeling it.
Just answering the headline, YES, that would be a step in the right direction.
1
I'm not in Congress but puppet of Trump is a derogatory term for someone who likes Trump's ideas but don't like his personality.
Here is a short list.
I like only legal immigration.
I like a growing economy.
I like lower taxes,regulations.
I like strong military.
I like Jerusalem being the capital.
I like rising blue collar wages 5% at the lowest rung.
I like hispanic and black unempoyment at historic low.
42
@GDK For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Matthew 16:26
81
@I accidently hit recommend for this reader's comments. So, respectfully, I don't support this person's ideas. When most Americans can courageously look at the inequality and injustice that afflict so many people, especially children, with creative new problem solving ideas and love, then we will be headed to a day where goodness can shine on all.
42
@GDK Regarding this oft repeated low Black unemployment Black unemployment was decreasing every year since 2011 and it just continuing a trend, When the Dems touted these numbers Trump called them "phony". The decrease in Black unemployment was largely because of Janet Yellin and the Federal Reserve- actions that Trump opposed. Black underployment and the wage gap is still a problem that he never mentions. There is a reason that over 90% of African Americans oppose him. He never fails to take credit where credit isn't due. Glad you have faith in the "growing economy" after Trump and the Republicans blew a trillion dollar hole in the federal budgement. Trump has bankrupted every business he has been associated with and its just a matter of time before he bankrupts us with China taking Fred's place,
74
The ballot has been corrupted Charles. By all means we must vote against this abomination. In the 2020, the state legislatures will redraw congressional district boundaries. 34 states are controlled by Republican legislatures. The Koch bros. used money to elect them and then to enable template legislation (ALEC) across all 34 states to lock down Republican power and fossil fuel hegemony in American government. Now we have oligarchy and global warming deeply embedded in the socio-biological system that threatens everyone and everything that lives on the planet. Vote Democrat if you want to save yourself and your posterity.
1
I despise Trump/the GOP and I’d love to vote for Democrats, but despite researching DNC materials and candidates websites, I’m still honestly confused about what their policies are exactly:
- On Health: I get it that they want to keep Obamacare and Medicaid subsidies going, but outside of pre existing condition protections, what about everyone else? What about those of us who already have insurance costing $25-30k for a family, and is rising every year? They rarely talk about reigning in costs.
- On taxes, get it they will raise them on the wealthy, but again what about everyone else? There seem to be eight different ideas out there, with no cohesive framework among Democrats.
- On SS and Medicare, get it they will protect these, but how? Plus, we barely hear a peep from Democrats about tackling costs, particularly of prescription drugs.
- On immigration, what’s their policy? Talk to five different Democrats and you get eight different policies.
- Infrastructure, what’s the plan besides the same highway transport bills we’ve been passing ($50-60 billion per year) over the past 20 years?
I could keep going, but the point is made. I simply don’t know what I’m getting with Democrats these days.
22
@Joe Arenna Yes and I will still never vote for the evil that Trump and his minions manifest.
19
@Joe Arena
I don't see this as a weakness. I feel that the most common criticism pointed at the Democrats, that they don't have a clear and unified policy message, is needless worry. Representing the vast array of districts in this country means that each representative is going to approach a situation differently, with a mind toward how it will impact their unique constituency.
I'd prefer that our representatives take a more nuanced approach that reflects their district, rather than ascribing to a blanket set of values or policies pushed down from the top. We can see what that's doing to the GOP, and to me, it's unsettling. Watching the Republicans reluctantly and submissively embrace the politics of Donald Trump has been frightening. He's eccentric and provocative, but what if he were a serious and dangerous person? Would they still carry his water? It certainly seems so. He's like a reality TV fascist, what if he were a real one?
No, I'll take the Democratic approach where problems are multi-faceted and solutions hinge on working to balance positive outcomes with negative impacts. Policy is simultaneously extremely difficult and extremely boring. If that leads to message or brand confusion from Democrats so be it. I'd rather policy be generated through complexity and compromise, than through nonsense like purity tests or tax pledges.
Donald Trump's bumper-sticker policy might sound great in tweet form, but real solutions are hard. Democrats acknowledge that fact.
36
@Joe Arena Take it from many who have reviewed various policies - the worst Democratic proposals are better than the best that Trump will offer.
37
Yes, by all means VOTE, but remember it’s how your VOTE is counted, or NOT -
The only reason the rebugs might achieve office, is by tossing your uncounted ballot! Make sure that your BALLOT was received, and counted, by either an on line feature from your county’s registor of voters office, or make a phone call, if they don’t have a record of your mail in ballot, go to your polling place, and VOTE with a provisional ballot. That has to be counted, and do make sure you have the receipt.
Yes, you are right Mr. Blow: Vote! I will be voting. I will vote for Marsha Blackburn for the Senate, Scott Desjarlais for the House, and Bill Lee for Governor. I do not want the progress made since Donald J. Trump became the president of the United States to come undone. Thank you.
2
@Southern Boy
So, you "do not want the progress made since Donald J. Trump became the president of the United States to come undone" -- which is basically a nod to racism, white supremacy and anti-Semitism.
Thanks for clearing that up.
But most Americans say NO, thank you.
2
Remember when you didn't feel that you had to keep your eyes on the news all the time to see what idiocy was next to come?
Remember when you felt more comfortable at family dinners and book club meetings - when you didn't have to worry about everything you said or heard for fear of an argument erupting and ruining the evening?
Remember never hearing about armed teachers, armed guards at churches and synagogues, or being reminded that if things didn't go the way one party wanted the "Second Amendment people would know what to do?"
Remember when education was a good thing, something worth having or wanting for others?
Remember when people who lied all the time were ridiculed rather than being turned into folk heroes?
1
And also remember that the message, such as it is, that Trump and his Grotesque Odious Perps are attempting to foist on America is so hollow, bankrupt and mean-spirited they engage in everything from voter suppression to gerryrigged gerrymandering to prevent you from even considering, much less casting a ballot on, the flimflam they’re slinging. Think about it! If the political philosophy they advocate is so “great” for America, why are they going to such lengths to disqualify voters, throw out voter registrations and ballots, twist districts into pre-rigged pretzels, and not simply let the chips fall where they may? Such illegal and unethical tactics are an admission on their part that even they don’t have faith in what they ostensibly stand for. Otherwise, why don’t they want thousands, if not millions, of you to look at, consider, and vote on, it?
I wish I could. And I don't understand anyone who doesn't!
Remember how he went down the escalator and delivered his awful opening to his presidential campaign? Remember how you thought he is a very bad person and there is no way he can get the nomination? Remember how you misjudged the hidden evil in our souls? He won! He is being liked by enough of our fellow Americans so he can win this ballot tomorrow. Remember how his clones keep winning overseas? Remember how masses of people opposed Hillary 20 years ago when she wanted health care reform? Remember how masses of people opposed ACA in 2009? ACA is on the ballot again and we might lose it forever. People now have jobs, many of them the same jobs they had in 2016. Somehow enough people had no hope in 2016, but today they are optimistic for the future because DJT is in the WH. Because factory jobs with low wages are coming back at a slow rate. No matter the tariffs, wrecking the world order and the rampant corruption and embezzlement by corporations and politicians who brag that they are business people and have the advantage that they are not professional politicians. I know many people of different backgrounds who think that it is fair to pay through the teeth for health and child care, college and all other emergencies as long as they don’t have to wait in line at the hospital and as long as ‘these people’ don’t have access to it. Remember how post communist countries are now democratic dictatorships set against he EU? This is where we are now. Go vote, be vigilant! We lost!
A Congress full of Trump puppets or wealth puppets. Either way, the nonsense word of the week is still that much-hallowed 'democracy'
The kleptocracy will not allow it to be taken away - it is too far along.
1
Being a solid democrat I will vote blue but... the republicans have a clear message. It is one for greed, anti abortion and pro-racism and it works to energize a large base. I cannot point to a single thing that will mobilize a country in the democrat party. The wealth divide should be key and it isn’t. The health care position got destroyed by ACA. The Dems selected an old republican plan to try to get some of their votes Ana’s we were totally played. We lack any form of leadership in our party and we are just the party of not trump. While a valid goal it certainly isn’t inspiring.
No election results will change the country unless the media stops behaving as a puppet that jerks at every prompting of the president.
The fundamental change we need is silence and intelligence.
He will not silence himself and he won't become intelligent.
No matter what the outcome, he will continue bellowing and trying to dominate.
The news is not disciplined to be useful.
The Times is constricted by standards of fairness which aren't fair on the balance. Showing fairness to people and ideas which have no merit is distorting. Even to publicize them is to abdicate balance.
Gossip is not a productive pastime, or an ethical one, in a time of emergency, if ever.
At what point will the media, the punditry, the cable news, stop empowering him by being his personal publicist and advertising agency?
He is so assured of publicity that we can see him, as though in slow motion, forming policy, by throwing out a handful of ideas, and choosing to support that which has the most kick. A contravention of integrity. Everyone is aware that the caravan hoax is pure propaganda, even as they convey the hoax and discuss it endlessly.
Something has to change, we have to use our organs of sense differently, and connect to our brains.
How can we stop participating in our own mugging?
I would but my city is too busy wasting my tax money recruiting non-citizens to vote so I don’t have to!
3
Your message is the same as Trump’s and that is to vote out of fear rather then hope. Sort of what got the Democrats and the country into this mess. Where is the message of hope?
1
One more thing, Charles...voters need to stay off their cell phones and be alert to what's going on around them. There's little reason to believe that voting day will be peaceful. That would be wonderful, but we're not that America anymore.
Remember how you felt when Trump withdrew us from the Paris Accords.
Remember how you felt when Pruitt started dismantling the EPA.
Remember how you felt when Zinke began threatening public lands.
Remember how you felt when climate-related disasters struck nationally and globally.....wildfires, flooding, hurricanes, droughts, etc.
Remember because everything we need for survival.....air, water, land, food, other species, society, economics, politics and national security......all of everything is built on the backbone of the environment.
Vote and remind your friends and family to vote as if the future of humanity depends on it. Because it does.
216
@gw
This is ludicrous. You are blaming climate-related disasters on Trump. You are correct that the future of humanity depends on this election. We need people voted in who will support Trump's policies.
4
@gw There were no "climate related disasters" and thank god Trump did the first three things you listed. Any marginal benefit, assuming it was needed in the first place, that may have come from the draconian environmental regulations the Obama Administration put on us by executive fiat were so far outweighed by the economic an individual harm they wrough it is laughable.
2
Yes!! Thank you, well said.
8
“Tune out, for the moment, the torrent of lies coming from Trump.”
How do we do that, Blow, when the media won’t give us a moment of Trump respite? Since that fateful day of June 2015, it’s been Trump Trump Trump day and night; it’s as if there were no one else in politics. Trump himself has bragged about not having to spend as much money as his opponent on advertisement during his presidential campaign because you people gave (and still give) so much oxygen to his every single word. The press has turned even people who are not Trump followers into Trump followers! You’ve helped pass his message on to millions and millions and millions of people with your wall-to-wall coverage. In the process, you folks have, knowingly or unknowingly, stumped with him and supported his candidates.
Charles, the question is not, "Do (we) want a Congress full of Trump puppets?" --- but, "Are we smart enough to want a Congress full of Anti-Empire Revolutionaries" (as America was 242 years ago?)
2
If there was ever a time before this, when a crazy president who celebrates his craziness and cruelty to wild applause of at least half of Americans, who is a clear misogynist, a supremacist, a self-avowed nationalist, and is actively working to destroy everything good about the country starting with education, justice, and the environment - has made a mid-term election entirely about a referendum on him, then I don't know when it was.
If America affirms him in this referendum, and democrats find yet another reason to not vote or vote for obscure third party candidates to make some point, then we will richly deserve this president and everything he does to the country. If America affirms him in this referendum, the democratic party is pretty much done, and will lose spectacularly in 2020.
Clearly the Republican Party is independent of President Trump, or Obamacare would be gone by now.
Ditto for there already being a wall between Texas and Mexico.
The generic Democratic claim that a vote for a Republican is a vote for Trump is simply wrong.
A vote for a Republican is a vote to continue pro-business policies, which have resulted in more and more jobs being created, increased wages, and a focus on pro-American policies.
A vote for Democrats is a vote for $15 minimum wage which, while sounding supportive of workers, will ultimately end up reducing jobs, because in certain businesses, it just is not worth paying a worker $15 per hour for that hour of output.
It may sound mean, but that's the way the real world works.
Ditto for illegal immigration. It would be nice if we could allow the entire world's refuges into this country, but we can't afford the cost in schools, jobs, and health care.
Mr. Blow's thesis is just plain wrong.
2
I can’t imagine it will be better to have Nancy Pilosi’s puppets running the House. The lack of statesmanship in both parties is stunning,
1
Remember 9/11. Remember how you felt, and the hurt we still feel. NOW, just imagine another 9/11, or even Worse. With Trump in the Oval Office, and a Congress full of his Collaborators.
Extremely frightening, the stuff of my nightmares.
Seriously.
1
Yes, 'Trump and the Republicans in Congress are making a mockery of our America", and I am so glad you made this argument today. We have been listening to well meaning people talk about government leaders working more together and working together for ALL Americans. Yet, like others have said, there is no way people can work with Trump or Republicans who have denigrated our institutions and scapegoated our neighbors to lift themselves and supported the most corrupt and nasty candidate for president ever. We can't get back to any normalcy or begin to heal until this breach in civility is confined and confronted. This 'so-called' president needs to be held accountable and so do the Republicans that have allowed this 'race to the bottom' of our politics, before we can ever work together and be the united United States. Trump, may not be beholden to Putin, but the Russian leader is getting everything he wants for making Russia great again, while America gets flushed down the toilet, with the most vile lies imaginable coming out of the leader of the free world's mouth. Justice will be served. The day of reckoning is coming. Enough is enough!
1
I ask people why they don't vote or get a flu shot and the answer is that they can't be bothered.
There is no significant difference between the religious people and the voters. In both groups there are the people of strong faith.
The former group believes if they regularly prayed, God would protect them. The latter believe if they voted regularly, the politicians would protect them.
The truth is diametrically opposite.
The essence of the true faith is to believe in the prescribed principles. If you do that, those just principles are going to protect you.
Don’t believe in the clergy and the politicians!
They just like to pretend and act as if they were the Gods.
Allegedly, they will open the heaven’s door for you, make you wealthy, defeat the world enemies, and revive the economy, all of that with their ten fingers and single tongue.
In the real faith and economy, it only matters how hard the dozens million people work, not any politician…
"Animus and depravity", and so much more as you have so thoroughly informed, and so, so much more as this venomous Tin Man continues to hide behind a curtain of lies, deflections, distractions seizing every opportunity to plant the cancerous seeds of fear in the minions who continue to hold hope he will promise things he is incapable of or unable to do. Too many of us, myself included, have in past years dismissed the importance of these midterms feeling they were not worthy of much attention but this is a very different, urgent state of affairs, a clear opportunity to regain and recoup some of the losses. It is an opportunity to send Black, Brown, LBGT and other decent, honest, committed people to Washington where their voice and actions will make a difference and actually start to drain Trump's Swamp. At the risk of being redundant, and as Mr. Blow implores, … vote, vote and vote. Otherwise we'll have no one to blame except ourselves and we'll see an even more engorged, omnipotent, and dangerous version of the Tin Man.
1
If Blow (or anyone else, for that matter) votes one way or another because of their own opinion of Trump - they are fools.
We are choosing senators, representatives, governors, etc. , who will affect our lives for at least two years.
The Democratic National Committee would love us all to forget about our own needs for representation, and make this a vote on Trump.
But it isn't. That happened in 2016.
They will be laughing up their sleeves if voters fall for hate filled rants like this, and ignore the fact that their own lives wil be affected by choices made for the wrong reasons.
The agendas and stances of our elected representatives in local, state, and House positions are much closer to our daily lives than anything Trump does.
Don't be a fool.
Vote. But for the right reasons.
Four months ago, my partner and I were having dinner and I pitched him on an utterly insane idea: I was going to ditch my tenure-track teaching job and take a big pay cut for a temporary position as a political organizer in the heart of Trump Country. We agreed that if there was any time to leverage our white privilege, it was now.
What an insane year it's been. Andrew Gillum won the primary. Pipe bombs, Nazi robocalls, Red Tide, a hurricane... it never seems to end.
But I'll tell you, it's been the everyday folks that have inspired me. The tireless volunteers. The women putting their lives on hold to run long-shot campaigns. The working-class folks who say "nice shirt" (I wear Gillum shirts every day) under their breath.
And also the occasional Trump voter who doesn't know how to respond when I listen patiently to them, then politely voice my disagreement.
I had one man in the office yesterday. At first he was harassing the volunteer staffing the front desk. Within 10 minutes I'd learned he was on a fixed income, was terrified because he'd been diagnosed with dementia, and was really just lonely because his wife had passed. He then listened carefully and attentively as I explained why I support Medicare-for-All.
He might not vote for Democrats this year. But I got to understand the fear that's driving his decisions, and he got to see that I'm not an infanticidal communist on acid. That makes a difference.
Truly it's been an extraordinary experience.
9
Having canvassed and encountered many who will not vote democrat and are not reading your column, I now only hope that enough of us, believers in truth and justice for all (including the only planet we have) will vote in greater numbers than they, who have been duped by this president or are themselves racists.
I’ll be out canvassing again tomorrow, right after I vote. I keep in my heart the words of our candidate here in NY 19: lean into love.
4
I certainly don't want anti-American Marxist Socialists who will try to crush the American standard of living with a return to Obamaesque economy crushing policies. I surely don't want fence sitting American apologists handling foreign policy again. Why would I want yet another gov't health insurance debacle after Obamacare cancelled my insurance and it's been unaffordable ever since?
I haven't seen too many "Trump Puppets," the Republicans had a lot of splits on their own, that is until the Democrats pushed "Guilty Until Proven Innocent," another very un-American concept via the Kavanaugh debacle where they were co-conspirators in the wholly contrived false accusation made by Ford.
Trump became elected because Obama's leftists went too far left, then in response, they went crazy left and want my vote? Never.
3
There ain’t none so blind as those that can’t see!
@Steve Mason Great point, and yet when America rejected the stagnation economy coupled with the the incessant regulation of individual liberty of the Obama years, it is certainly apparent that memories are short and blinded to the painful history of liberal polices.
@Constance Underfoot: Lindsay Graham, Ted Cruz, Mitch McConnell, Paul Ryan, Jeff Flake, Bob Corker: All knuckled under, and became Trump puppets.
Not only vote, but petition and put pressure on elected officials to streamline the voting process. More mail ballots, make it easier. Maybe, perhaps, make big voting days, like the general election and the mid-terms, national holidays.
2
I'm just hoping we are a country of like-minded people, Mr. Blow. The alternative would be devastating ,if voters do not prove that we value honesty, equality, and the rule of law and that we abhor a charlatan.
5
Mr. Blow,
Great article! Thank you so much for the inspired writing.
4
Remember how you felt when the tax cut passed, and you suddenly had more money in your paycheck.
Remember how you felt when you saw the news that ISIS had basically been defeated.
Remember how you felt when there was hope for the first time in nearly 70 years that there could be peace between North and South Korea.
Remember how you felt when North Korea stopped testing nuclear weapons.
Remember how you felt when you saw unemployment at 3.7% and the economy growing at a rapid rate.
2
David Ricardo
Remember how you felt when Greed Over People blew up the national debt and passed a giant 0.1% tax cut on a middle-class credit card instead of investing in the nation's 3rd world infrastructure while relieving their bladders on the masses.
Remember how you felt when Greed Over People came within a vote of eradicating healthcare for 15 million Americans and pre-existing condition coverage for 325 million Americans.
Remember how you feel when you know that the Republican Party works full time to ban poor people, blacks, Latinos and college students from registering and voting so they can continue to hijack the nation into a sewer of greed and white supremacy.
Remember how you felt when the Republicans suspended the Constitution for Merrick Garland's nomination until they properly rig the Presidential vote.
Decent Americans vote Democratic, not for Russian-Republican vote riggers and Reverse Robin Hood Robber Barons who don't give a damn about democracy.
17
Yes, I can't wait to vote ... to repudiate the identity-based, victim-focused agenda that Mr. Blow champions. I will be voting Republican.
4
Yes, mr. Blow , I did vote .
Since trump took over by storm this country, I have never felt so embarrassed , ashamed and disappointed about the state of affairs of the United States of America.
Even the acronym USA sounds false , United (?) ...
we have never been so disunited , with a president always using a sledgehammer to chop up whatever decency, morality and living by the rule of law , we have been following our entire life.
I am fed up with this administration, self centered, immoral and in the hands of a capricious toddler, who thinks he can reign over one of the largest democracy in the world , like this was his personal kindergarten play room.
8
The contemporaneous article on Trump followers says it all: "The country is no longer divided into Red America and Blue America. It is cleaved cleanly between two realities — Trump’s America and everyone else." The problem IS the voters. No elected official is going to "unite" them. The current economic prosperity (or lack thereof at the micro level in many places) is the only thing real--and it's dubious that D...ump and company had anything to do with it, other than passing a big tax break for the uber-wealthy and corporations, none of which trickles down to the hoi polloi.
4
What we see in the press and on pop culture media is an entitled group of Americans -- insulated from the real world at large --thinking that the United States has *changed* under Trump when, in fact, it hasn't. What has changed is that the bubble in which they live has burst, and they are being forced to confront the fact that living together in a diverse nation of over over 300 million people means that they can't always get what they want. These *other* Americans -- the ones who have religious beliefs, who think in most instances abortion is immoral or unethical, who support the right of law-abiding people to own guns, who believe that civility and free speech ought to co-exist, who think that immigration should be through lawful means, and who are tired of being falsely accused of racism -- are voting now, and our system of government gives them a very real voice in politics (including via the Electoral College, which wisely prevents the accretion of power in concentrated population areas). I thought the election of Trump would cause them to sit up and recognize that governance, going forward, needs to take into account this large group of *others* they pretended didn't exist or they viewed as troglodytes. But, apparently, it wasn't enough. Watch for lesson number two tomorrow. We'll see if it has any effect.
6
Good morning my American neighbours.
Please vote tomorrow.
Your future depends on it.
10
@ibivi Hey, the world's future depends on it! (I'm a fellow Canadians, BTW.)
1
@ibivi
Thank you. And yours does too.
1
Dear Mr. Blow, there is ONLY ONE reason I am even considering voting for Dems tomorrow and it's not because of Mr. Trump. It's because the Republicans have abandoned all of its principles on free-trade, deficit reduction, and above all, strong international alliances in combating the rising antagonist of China in AsiaPac and a re-assertive Russia. I could again cast a vote for a third party, but that will hardly send a message to Republicans that have lost their way. As such, until Republicans find their way again, I will cast my vote for the opposition party.
10
Given that Democrats have failed to offer any thoughtful alternative, the answer, inexorably, must be yes. On the economy, no one can dispute the great numbers, and the best the Democrats can offer is the claim that President Obama shares credit for blazing growth and record-breaking employment numbers. Many are now seeing the impact in their own lives, and the lives of close family and friends. People are leaving jobs for better ones, finding more jobs to choose from, and earning more. The alternatives to *Trump puppets* are candidates who seem unconcerned entirely with the economic impact of wild spending programs, like Medicare for all. On the foreign policy front, we've have a rational foreign policy that has, unlike the prior three administrations, involved no overseas adventurism in places like Iraq and Libya, coupled with peace talks with North Korea, a rational approach to Iran, and the steady hand of a stellar Secretary of State (Mike Pompeo). What alternative is being offered? None. The one issue that seems to lie at the core of opposition to Trump is abortion. With domestic and foreign affairs going so well, it seems strange, indeed, to base a vote on something that, in comparison, matters relatively little.
5
Tax cuts for the middle class, protection of preexisting conditions, a $15 an hour minimum wage, protections for women who want to make their own choice about their own bodies, making it easier for people to vote.
Yeah, you're right.
Democrats don't offer anything to anyone.
17
@Stos Thomas I said *thoughtful* alternatives. Tax cuts for the middle class? Hot air. The Democrats have never provided such cuts, and their campaigning on the issue is based on the idea that a meager tax cut is better than dramatic economic growth and rising salaries. Upping the minimum wage? The minimum wage isn't an issue for most people, and the only reason the Democrats favor governmental-mandates to increase it is because it flows through to union members with wage escalation clauses in their collective bargaining agreement. What we have now is real wages going up because of economic growth. Abortion? If this matters more to you than better jobs and higher wages, say that to the middle class who you claim to defend. And the idea of making easier for people to vote? It takes no more effort to vote now -- in any state -- than to show up for work on time, open a checking account, or get a driver's license. Not too much to ask, and certainly not enough make a difference.
2
@Titian..this must be straight out of the Onion...a rational foreign policy...right, that's why the assembled world leaders at the UN were laughing.
1
Most recent polling looks to indicate a 7% general voter preference for Democrats instead of Republicans. That is good news. But to overcome republican implemented voter suppression and Russian interference- we really need a figure more long the lines of 11%.
So to me- that means that we are still on rather shaky ground- and there is no way to tell whether we shall have a "wave" or another low tide. This is why Republicans never wanted to do anything to insure election security, since they knew they would actually need whatever interference they could benefit from to safely win elections these days.
Their cult of core voters will never be large enough to win honestly.
5
ENOUGH IS INDEED ENOUGH! The way to save our democracy is to live it. VOTE! And if the parties were reversed, and there were a Democratic president behaving this way, and a Democratic majority in Congress supporting him or her, I would say the same. Congress’ most significant Constitutional role is to contribute to the balance of powers and serve an oversight role on the executive branch. So, forget party and this is not a personal attack on Trump. This election is a decision to stand for our democracy, which is being threatened by the party in power and a Congress that has abdicated its duty. (Nod to Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell) Whatever party or president tries to uproot our foundations needs to be voted out. VOTE
4
This is the best way to get people out to vote - to remind us all of the travesty that has been the Trump presidency. I always agree; today, I applaud your call to action . VOTE!
6
For me it's very simple. I have young children, so I have to vote for the party that is not in denial about climate change. Hard to fathom why this isn't already the defining issue of our political times .
14
It is the issue that will never go away, but will grow and grow...until even Trump will have to recognize we are doomed without prompt action. And maybe even WITH prompt action.
2
Funny that this editorial is titled "Vote, Vote Vote!". When I climbed the stairs to walk over the tracks to get to the southbound side of the railroad I saw the word Vote written in chalk on 4 stairs. I agree. Voting is a right that we should exercise. It's the one time all of us can have a profound effect on who governs the country and where the country is going. It's important to vote if we do not like what is happening in America. It's important if we do and want to keep it going.
I've voted in every presidential election since I was eligible. I voted in midterm elections and yearly elections. I have voted because it's important to me to see America respect my right as a woman to choose whether or not I want to have an abortion. It's important for every other woman as well. I vote because there are people I don't want to see in office and if I don't vote and they win I have, indirectly, contributed to their win. I vote because I'm an adult and it's part of being responsible adult.
So, as the op-ed says and the stairs said: Vote! It does matter.
7
Here is why I am voting on Tuesday - it is my privilege as an American to get to have a say in how this country is governed and I will exercise my right to do so proudly. I vote because I believe in climate change caused by human activities and I want to vote for candidates who will protect our planet. I vote because I believe that a woman should always have the right to choose when she becomes a mother and that that choice is hers and hers alone. I vote because I want everyone to pay their fair share of taxes to build better infrastructure, modern roads and public transport and help this country truly be a global leader. And last but not least - I vote because it matters - every single vote. You don't get to sit this one out . Democracy is precious. Your kids are watching - and they are fearful of the changes they see occurring and the climate of the current regime. Get to the polls and vote them out. Take a friend with you!
339
@Dana
Well said. Thank you.
8
Voting is our only chance to change the trajectory. Vote. No excuses.
14
Those who decide the result of a election is those who don't vote.
7
The president is no more a leader of the country than the man behind the curtain was a wizard in oz.
Pay no attention to him.
Vote his cohort out - every one complicit in the racist rants and numerous lies - even if it derives from silence.
But why can’t we get term limits for congress as is the case for the president?
Sure - some institutional memory is important, but not when the body that is supposed to provide checks and balances on other government branches spends less and less time doing their jobs and more of it trying to keep their jobs.
Isn’t it obvious to everyone - yes, both sides - that the stagnation that results from officials who remain in office for decades hurts the country and reduces the effectiveness of the body?
8
Not to mention the explosion of the deficit and the attacks to come on the safety net programs
7
Remember the past and vote for our future.
A Facebook post or meme won't cut it.
4
There's one more thing to remember, for Democrats in many districts: that every vote is needed in order to defeat gerrymandering with superabundant turnout.
That's not a reason to give up, but to give somebody a ride, give somebody a gentle nudge or an urgent talking-to, give the final effort all you've got.
7
"focus on your principles"
Sure, as long as I vote "D" or "R". I voted last week, and I remembered all too well what occurred the last time I was true to my principles, voting Green because, as a scientist, I am clear about the major issue facing not only the US, but the planet: clearly, environmental degradation in all its permutations, loss of species diversity, disappearance of clean water from community after community, and of course, planetary warming. And then I recall how I and my friends in the Green Party were endlessly blamed for Hillary's loss. Yeah, I've got ya, Mr. Blow —vote according to my principles, but only as narrowly defined by our duopoly. Bring us ranked-choice voting, and perhaps I can both satisfy my principles and also the desperate push for electing Democrats to oppose Trump, many of whom were indistinguishable from Republicans in functioning as sock-puppets in approving items like increasing the absurd bloat in our military budget, while offering little or no push-back on the president's failures on the environment.
Fortunately, I was able to vote enthusiastically for local bond items like several to improve my city's libraries. As for the rest of the ballot, mum's the word.
4
@Vincenzo Thanks for supporting Republicans by voting Green. Reality is the here and now, not the idealistic future.
1
@Vincenzo
I'm with you. But I fear the righteous tendency to put the perfect before the good will only deliver more trumpism.
Yes, our electoral system is a disgrace. Yes, our political parties are corrupt. Our Justice system mocks justice. We have so many problems to address and our political system has not evolved to deal with the issues of the 21st century.
Having said all that, Trump is ripping this nation apart, and cynicism is understandable but not helpful.
I'm glad you voted.
@Vincenzo...as you are a scientist, I assume you are a rational thinker...voting for a third party is a vote for those who deny climate change and seek to destroy what is left of our wilderness and natural beauty. This is our reality...voting for the anti-vaccination candidate Stein was not a very rational thing to do. The blame is deserved.
1
"There is now no daylight separating Republicans in Congress from the man occupying the presidency."
There are no checks and balances anymore and barely lip service being paid to the Constitution.
In Georgia like 2 million others, I was purged from the voter registration list, happened to notice it the day it happened, and was reinstated the next day after I objected to Kemp's office, but it shouldn't take eternal vigilance to have the right to vote. Democratic leaders and donors shouldn't have to practice eternal vigilance against Trump supporters who try to kill them.
Descending into banana republic darkness and corruption should not have happened. The speed and scale was due to Republicans embracing bigotry, Trump immorality, and cruelty and their complete rejection of American norms that call for representative government.
I grieve for my country. Hope lies in the wave of protests, new candidates, investigations by journalists and Mueller, and the new civil rights movement that is rising.
Last week I proudly voted for Stacey Abrams and a straight Democratic ticket with many women's names as well as a familiar one--John Barrow for Secretary of State, the last Blue Dog Democrat in Congress.
Funny as the meme was, I sadly do feel as though I'm on the front lines of a Second Civil War. Will my vote count? Will the Georgia election be stolen?
303
@smb
Your vote will may not be counted in Georgia -- but it will ALWAYS matter.
In the name of our country and Democracy, Thank you.
11
@smb: I think your sentiments speak for so many of us! Thank you for writing. I hope we are not too late and can make a correction for the political travesty that is happening in the United States. We have seen this happen in the world before. This man cannot be allowed to turn America into a cauldron of hateful white supremists who want to "Make America White Again." I am afraid if this election does not make a change we will have a dictatorship in the making. I, too, voted straight democrat. To everyone who is scared at what is happening, do not be complacent about this election. Our freedom and our country is literally at stake! VOTE!
15
@smb - so if you win, all is in order. If you don't it was stolen?
Well done, Charles. I view this as the most wretched administration in my lifetime, and I will be voting blue on Tuesday.
14
@Truthiness We need to hear this sentiment from rural America, who cancels out NY's vote.
If Trump's GOP enablers do well in these crucial midterm elections, Americans will have to admit that their nation is no longer what they thought and hoped it was. The greatness of its traditional aspirations will be gone, the best of its people will have been outnumbered by its worst -- lost to insecurity and ignorance, nativism and racial prejudice, hostility to science and intellect. Gerrymandering and falsehoods will have carried the day. Such would be disheartening far beyond the borders of the U.S.A.
There are conservatives who feel obliged to vote for this divisive President, and for Republican candidates, only because they can't abide voting for Democrats. There is always an alternative -- if not to vote for an independent then at least to withdraw that vote from both parties.
1
@John Goodchild
Now is not the time to withdraw a vote in protest.
And voting for independents and third-party candidates is what helped Trump to get elected in the first place.
Help your country.
Now is the time to VOTE!
@N. Smith
You seemed to have missed my point -- I was addressing voters on the right who are uneasy with Trump and his candidates but refuse to vote Democrat. Withdrawing their votes from him/them would be helpful under the circumstances. I will vote of course, your pious scolding wasted on me.
Remember when one party didn't control all three branches of government?
On Tuesday, we can vote to return that reminiscence into our January reality.
13
I wholeheartedly agree that we must vote to rid ourselves of the current government by Donald Trump, but that is only the beginning of the real task at hand. We need also to rid ourselves of the world's system of beliefs that allow for people like Trump to gain control and account for all the evil in the world. In the near future, we will program the human mind in the computer, and this will be based necessarily on a "survival" algorithm. When this is done, we will have irrefutable proof as to how we trick the mind with our ridiculous beliefs about what is supposed to survive - producing minds programmed de facto for destruction. With this understanding, we will begin the long trek back to reason and sanity.
See RevolutionOfReason.com
3
We’ll find out tomorrow what America really stands for. I suspect the outcome will confirm that the America we used to know (or thought we knew) is merely a relic of the past or of our imagination.
4
Remember when the US President didn't make childish names and chants his calling card.
Remember when every American already knew who we are and exactly what we stand for.
Remember when Americans were skeptical of a non-specific promise like better and cheaper healthcare and could formulate their own opinion about who benefited greatly from tax cuts and who holds the new risk, when revenues fall short.
Remember when a weirdo told a creepy story about a rich friend's penchant for the yachting life and shared his adult wisdom of "Well, you know life" with thousands of Boy Scouts.
Remember when Republican leaders stood by silently while one ethical impropriety after another went unanswered, including the US President's relentless, hate-mongering attacks upon our free press and our Department of Justice.
Embrace Mr Blow's conclusion: "Seize your opportunity on Tuesday. Vote, vote, vote!"
9
Trump knows his base wants only one thing -- an America where they, as white Christians, are considered the "real" Americans, and the rest of us are to be second-class citizens.
So he plays on the imaginary fears of his base. And they are the last people who should feel afraid. Trump supporters are white, Christian, mostly male. They will never be targeted for their skin color or religion. And yet this "president" tells them that they are somehow the "victims". What Trump is doing is no less than setting up the circumstances that will unleash ethnic cleansing in this country.
As whites, particularly white males, make no progress under his presidency, they will not blame Trump, of course. Instead, he will point to brown-skinned Americans, or religious minorities, as the people his base should really punish. Trump has never taken responsibility for his own failings, and neither does his base. They cannot accept that they might not have good jobs or good educational opportunities because of their own lack of effort. Instead, they want to think that these opportunities were "taken" from them by the neighbors who aren't "like them".
With each passing day, citizens in this country who are Hispanic, African American, Jewish American, or Americans of Middle Eastern or Asian ancestry continue to be the targets of Trump's base. Any of us in any of these groups should vote like our very lives, and the lives of our families, depend on it. Because they do. Get ready.
14
Voting is legalized and nonviolent revolution. It’s protesting. It’s speech. It’s a way all Americans can express a view without fear. We all know another 2 years of untrammeled Trump GOP control of the government might irreparably harm our country and destroy the future of our children and harm the world. Let’s do it!
VOTE!
9
Ever since the 2016 election, I have felt like a stranger in my own country. I refuse to believe that we are not better than this. If you find voting too inconvenient, then stop your whining when things don’t go your way. Infact we DO get the government we deserve. Vote!
6
These are my thoughts: There is a big blue wave coming. Governorships and the house are going to be in the dems win column. Gerry wandering is the only thing to keep repubs in play. After the governorships are taken back, let the redistricting begin!
2
I humbly suggest that we do more than remember. I suggest that we use our power of creation and imagine a nation of equality and liberty for All. However you see this in your imagination creating a vision of it will manifest it.
A little understood fact of physics is s that energy follows thought.
How do you think we got hereto begin with?
3
Please be sure to vote and vote Democratic this election. In previous years any one of the things listed in the article would be a huge thing.
Do right by your country and Vote!
6
Our democracy is now facing a hugely powerful and destructive perfect storm whose components overt racism and hatred of immigrants, white Christian Evangelism into the Red State phenomenon. This storm derives enormous strength from propaganda machines like Fox News and Breitbart. Added to this mix is money flowing into extreme right wing politics from Citizens United corporate sources like the ultra-right super-wealthy Kochs, Adelsons and Mercers. Republicans have used this massive amount of dark corporate money to finance sophisticated gerrymandering and nationwide voter suppression.
The Republican strategy for winning with small margins depends on low voter turnout. Minorities, people of color, Millennials...the people that have the most to lose in a Trumpian world..must all go to the polls and vote. It is the only salvation for our nation.
6
I voted because my quality of life depends on it. As a seventy-one year-old Democrat, I cannot remember a period of time in my life where I have felt so exhausted, depressed, frightened, angry, and shocked. i’m so disillusioned and disappointed in the lack of humanity in so many Americans. I thought of the USA as a mostly hopeful place and a basically moral and good place. A country that was welcoming; that others in the world looked up to.
I knew we weren’t perfect, but the complete lack of moral fiber of the Republicans has stunned me. Nobody has really stood up to Trump, so they are all party to his lies and bigotry. I did not think I would witness unchecked evil like this in my lifetime in my country. So, yes. By all means - VOTE. Two more years of an unfettered Trump and we’ll never get our country back. With Trump at the helm, whatever “greatness” we enjoyed is long gone. May Tuesday be the start of a course correction.
9
Usually, a president makes an effort to appear presidential. Such a man uses the status of the White House to convey high intentions, caring, and good faith. Contrariwise, Trump has recently turned the White House into a raucous rallying ground. He sprinkles his rallies, even in the White House, with a claque that raises gutter cheers. Thus, there us now only one Trump--the man to whom culture and civilization are foreign concepts, the man to whom humanism is something out of an ancient Dutch painting. It is our lot to live in the rancid wake of this man's mad careening journeys across America.
5
Remember that since 2010, the Republicans gerrymandered themselves into the majority, struck down the Voting Rights Act and have been systematically working to prevent their fellow Americans from voting through a multitude of voter suppression activities in competitive states.
We need to vote in record numbers to overwhelm the cheating and then make laws to keep it from happening in the future.
And remember when everyone would care if our elections were attacked by a foreign government? Let's get real about thwarting those efforts, too.
4
One gets a D in terms of economic history if one votes D, because the history of Socialism is quite clear; big government, suppression of rights and lower quality of life.
Hugo Chavez' policies were disastrous, but Warren, Feinstein and Bernie's policies are actually quite close.
1
@Joe yohka - You seem to have missed all of the recessions Republicans have treated us to.
btw, it's Republicans who are trying to deny people the right to vote, marry, and make their own medical decisions.
It really does help to pay attention.
2
@Joe yohkaes, because Republic economic policies have benefited the middle-class SO well. Think again. Blue wave.
1
@Joe yohka - "It seems the economy always does better when the Democrats are in charge." - Donald Trump
________________________
There is video of Trump saying this. I'm sure you can find it on the internet.
1
Do you want a Congress full of Trump puppets? Interesting question. Don't be surprised if the answer is yes.
Good complete review of why we should get out the vote. Hard to imagine that your op-ed would have any impact in the unlikely event it were read by Trump supporters in red cap states which are implacably tethered to their hero.
You can save yourself the trouble of arguing so strenuously for your point of view when you're "preaching to the choir." It would be an interesting exercise to hear a convincing rebuttal to your column in an op-ed from a newspaper from one of the flyover states.
Maybe we would be pleasantly surprised to find out that we have something (anything) in common with our American brethren. Maybe not. It is just too depressing to think that we have to continue living with angst in this divided nation even after the presidency of Donald Trump.
That said, the article does serve as a cathartic reinforcement that we NYT readers are part of your "choir."
59
@Helen
I have an idea: This opinion article should be published on Fox News' website and the rebuttal to this article should be published by the NYT's website.
We need less echo chamber, tribal news and more crossover dialogue.
I don't think either side could get any angrier; Everyone is pretty angry already.
@RB
The NY Times has essentially already done this. See today's editorial by the pro-Trump partisan Mr. Buskirk. Fox, however, is Trump Republican state propaganda TV. They are not part of the Constitutionally mandated free press. They would never run Mr. Blow's piece. You might not have noticed--the situation is asymmetric. The Times has the monopoly on truth and decency, and Fox has cornered lies, racism and fear.
RB wrote:
"@Helen
I have an idea: This opinion article should be published on Fox News' website and the rebuttal to this article should be published by the NYT's website.
We need less echo chamber, tribal news and more crossover dialogue.
I don't think either side could get any angrier; Everyone is pretty angry already."
2
Well done! I usually dislike your columns but feel this is truly well written and convincing. The problem is that voting didn't work for your side two years ago and won't this time around either. The evil puppets will win again.
Folks, it should not be made difficult to vote, who benefits? Think about that, really think about it! This barrier exists because you let it. Enough to accepting minority rule, let's all fix it.
I now live in Colorado (2+ years). Colorado is a purple state, more or less, yet it has >74% voter turnout, yes 74%! Why because here in Colorado we have vote by mail; it is a very regulated, monitored, and, transparent process. If a purple state can use this method, why can't yours?
3
FYI Mr. Blow: I agree with everything you are saying except that those people you mention as brown are actually of mixed race, not a race. Puerto Ricans are of European and African descent, mostly. Those coming from south of the border are mostly of Native American descent. Many Mexicans, and others living in countries colonized by Spain are white or of European descent. All of America is just like the USA, a melting pot. If the federal government did not respond to the needs of Puerto Rico adequately, even before the hurricane, is only because it is a territory and not a state. To claim it was based on color is divisive as well because many Puerto Ricans are white or black.
The answer to the question is, "Yes." I would strongly favor the election of Trump puppets over Pelosi puppets. If you are a Democrat, you have to ask yourself if you want the Russia collusion story and the Kavanaugh accusations to be the subject of endless hearings that will mean nothing.
2
@Dougal E - I'm a Democrat and I want justice, a clean environment, affordable health care and education for ALL Americans.
1
@DR What kind of "justice" do you want? The kind that was afforded Judge Kavanaugh? "A clean environment?" At what cost? Based on which science? And can you not see that the environment is hugely better than it was fifty years ago? A government monopoly in health care will give us the medical equivalent of the post office or the DMV. As for education, it seems to me that all Americans are offered it and it is up to them to take it as far as they desire. It also seems to me that there is too much useless higher education that is not preparing students for anything but lives seething with envy and resentment. When I see parents paying $60k a year for what is called an "education" it astonishes me.
@Dougal E It seems to me that a little education on critical thinking is missing in your education.
Mr. Blow:
I remember all those things. It is hard to forget with the media reminding us 24/7.
I also remember that the people that voted for trump are the same racist, angry people that will be voting tomorrow, if they haven't already voted. Nothing has made them less racist or less angry in the past almost 2 years. Those "Christians" who don't know how to read the entire Bible still need their conservative judges.
I also remember gerrymandering, voter restriction (look at Georgia, North Dakota and many of the other states) and all the other things that contribute to an election that is rigged. I also remembered to vote. Soon we will see if all those things you remember will make an effect. Think not.
2
The apparently insoluble problem is that Trump supporters, Fox News and the WSJ ignore this list and will not ever acknowledge its existence. We live in and experience diametrically opposite universes and I do not have an answer for that. Help, Piglet, Help!!
2
My wife and I have been canvassing for local candidates---and my take away from knocking on doors is: 1) the democratic base is energized---really energized; 2) Trump has transformed mild mannered Republicans into the really ugly people. On the last point, I'm ok with an individual disagreeing with democratic policies and candidates. What I am not OK with is comments that question my intelligence or even worse, a string of vulgarities that are freely tossed around in front of women and children.
163
Take a step back and think about what led to this.
This is a response to individuals being called racists when they argued against leftist policies.
What goes comes around.
2
@ACJ Yeah, one might say such responses would be deplorable.
5
@ACJ -- Yeah, they're so deplorable.
2
Charles, you have provide me with the script for my phone banking duties today. I will have this column directly in front of me when I make my calls. Thank You.
2
Mr Blow. Thanks for weighing in on your opinion. Not that I didn't expect it, but I know that tomorrow, as an independent, I will vote directly opposite of your recommendations. But thanks for making your case!
3
Is this the country you thought it was or could be, or are Trump and Republicans in Congress making a mockery of your America?
What makes this election different is the dead certainty that a winning Trump will do everything possible to ensure, whatever else, there will be no peaceful return to this particular, and crucial fork, in the road.
3
Thankfully I do not fully remember the horror and despair that I felt when I first learned that Trump had won the election. If I did I would have already abandoned all hope for this country's future.
Vote against all Republican candidates if you value diversity, fairness and inclusion. Vote against them if you believe all American citizens deserve access to quality healthcare. Vote against them if you want the power and the wealth of the country to benefit normal Americans and not the ultra wealthy.
Stay home or vote for them and you will be approving of a bigoted, heartless country which abuses people here and around the globe for the benefit of wealthy white folks.
The choice could not be more clear and no matter which side of this divide you find yourself on, VOTE.
3
Dear Charles:
I remember, and the answer is wholeheartedly “no.” No to all Republicans and no more of Trump. Enough is enough. The horror must end tomorrow. I will vote yes for democracy.
4
"Do you want a Congress that has continuously voted to do precisely what Trump wants to do: destroy the Affordable Care Act?"
No, I don't want a Congress like that and I wish there was a hero like John McCain in the Congress. He stymied their attempt at killing the ACA and spoiled their "Rose Garden Beer Party" when the Republican controlled House thought they had the job done and celebrated prematurely. The Chicago Sun Times front page on the day after the House voted showed a smiling Paul Ryan, Kevin McCarthy, Steve Scalise, and President Trump celebrating in the Rose Garden. The caption? "They win, 23 million lose." A USA Today editorial accounted for the 23 million figure in that same issue, citing how many Americans would lose their health care coverage if these Rs had been successful. I made copies of that front page and it is posted in the campaign headquarters of several Democratic candidates.
Yes, we remember that as well.
160
@tom boyd The "Affordable Care Act" has made my individual health care insurance very unaffordable. Only one company remains in the market for people who do not "qualify" for "subsidies." Nonetheless, as an independent, I'm voting for Democrats all the way down the ticket.
4
@tom boyd The only ugliness I've witnessed is from formerly mild-mannered Democrats. Extreme ugliness, that strangely coincides with no discernible alternative plan other than to expand Medicare to the point of disabling it.
@tom boyd What Americans are remembering and the Dems are ignoring is that they took a bad system and made it worse. Find one person you know that isn’t paying substantially more for a health care policy that relievers less b/c the deductibles don’t ever allow you to utilize it. Weren’t we supposed to ‘save’ $2,500/family? Another McCain legacy, punting on fixing something that is so badly broken for all Americans
The only way Republicans in Congress will stand up to Trump ironically is if Democrats do well in the mid-terms. The hazy view of history is that Republicans stood up to Nixon but the facts don't support that. They only told him to resign shortly before he actually did. They are scared of Trump now because they are afraid of being primaries; in other words, they will have to face someone even far more on the right. So Democrats must come out to vote. We will see on Tuesday.
186
@Mal Stone
He has not gotten complete funding of the wall, and he did not get complete repeal of Obamacare. It would seem that the Republicans did stand up to him. I am a supporter of President Trump's ideas, so I was upset that he did not get what he was elected to accomplish. Check the facts before you make silly statements
Whether or not you've already voted, go to a polling place tomorrow and talk with people. This is not the end of something. This is another beginning. It is another opportunity to renew dialogue. We need to continue the conversation. That is the only way to find out how we got here, and how we can move on.
115
Let me clarify my comment. Where I live in Pima County, Arizona, we have a "75-foot" electioneering law. Check your local law, for example, in some places it's 100 feet. Do not violate that; it can be a misdemeanor. The point is, these distances are not that far from the entrance to the polling station, and beyond that limit you can talk, have a sign, etc. (again, check on that locally) Of course, if you are voting, and the line is long, then you are free to talk to people right there at the polling station. The point I'm trying to make is that an election is a special time when most people are laser-focused on candidates, judges, propositions, and so on. It is a time when we all can have more impact than usual, and it is typically only once every two years. So why not make the most of it?
7
@Blue Moon
Here it's illegal to do any campaigning close to the polls.
2
@kwb
Agreed. In IL you cannot politic within something like 100 feet of a polling place. Be careful.
1
Take Grandma, your grown kids, your neighbors, their grandma and grown kids and go vote!
Know a dejected person, millennial or not, who's going to skip voting? Tell them about all the things Trump, the GOP, and oligarchs did in two years and ask them if they really want to allow him to finish the job?
Democracy is slipping all around us in the world, in South America, Europe, and here too.
In my county, people are turning out. From an email sent out by my county Registrar of Voters:
"Early In-Person Voting Surpasses Presidential Volume
Our early in-person voting continues everyday through Monday, November 5th. As of last evening total early in-person ballots cast is 18,476 versus 8,389 during 2016 presidential. This represents a 120% increase (we had 5 locations in 2016 versus 8 in 2018)."
Not happy with your senator or member of Congress? Go vote! Then, attend county Democratic Party meetings and Town Halls. Take them to task. Bring your neighbors. Make them accountable! But vote. Now!
Things Trump Did While You Weren’t Looking https://wp.me/p2KJ3H-2ZW
289
@Rima Regas. Krysten Sinema is running in Arizona, not Nevada. Green Party candidate Angela Green remains on the ballot. And there is a Green Party candidate on the ballot in Missouri, where Claire McCaskill is in an extremely tight race. It’s hard to see how Stu Freeman’s admonition amounts to propaganda.
21
@NA
Thanks for correcting where Sinema is running.
The green party does not pose any kind of danger to Democrats. They are not anywhere near the point where they pose a danger numerically. Everyone knows that. Green voters have a right to vote for their candidate and we should not assume that in the absence of a green candidate on the ballot these people would automatically vote for a Democrat, nor should we force them by either removing their choices from them or propagandizing to shame and guilt them into different choices.
6
@NA
These candidates were duly elected and earned their right to be on those ballots democratically. At a time when Republicans are using every dirty trick in the book and then some, Democrats should be guarding freedom and democracy jealously, not helping destroy it.
Democrats can't both be in favor of freedom of choice and its suppression. You can't both be in favor of plurality and against it.
7
"Donald Trump is openly trying to weaponize racism, to inflame passions and stoke fear. " True, but time to focus on the real culprits -- the Republican leadership. McConnell, Grassley, Graham, Collins, Ryan and others. Trump's the front man but they are the enablers -- the people who are aiding, abetting, and benefiting from this, and will be remembered by history as such. And in our fixation on Trump, they keep getting mostly a free pass. They're our very own Chill Wills riding the bomb down at the end of Dr. Strangelove.
7
A fine use of anaphora (repetition of words or phrases to make a point).
My congratulations on an almost perfectly constructed op-ed.
As for its effect, 2 days will tell.
6
Despite the venality of the personality of the man in the Oval Office, there has been a record of solid accomplishment in the first two years of the Trump administration. From a new focus on border security to a booming economy, from the end of kangaroo courts in colleges to the embassy in Jerusalem, from negotiations with North Korea to a new NAFTA, from the enforcement of red lines in Syria to Gorsuch and Kavanaugh, that's more in 2 years than many presidents accomplish in 8. Meanwhile, the Democratic party has skidded to the illiberal left. I fear that left more than I fear venal tweets. Sorry, Mr. Blow. Our votes will cancel each other out.
22
@Observer of the Zeitgeist
What he has "accomplished" is to bring the light of this country, the spiritual, not religious light, the values that once were envied by the world and bankrupted them like his businesses. That is why we are going en-masse to the polls, because Trump's values and the values of the GOP are not American values: what Trump and the GOP represent are hedonistic, selfish, greed-walking, and exclusive. They are white, patriarchal, narrow-minded, and empty of enlightenment. Change is coming, and it is blue.
29
@Observer of the Zeitgeist
Sorry but the venality outweighs the record of Trump and how you can so casually leave that out is just a shame. Border security? False fear factor. Yes, the economy is booming, but at what cost? The embassy in Jerusalem? Other than that embassy in Israel, how is the rest of the Middle East, sir? And the Supreme Court and women and their right to choose? The Democratic Party is not far left and you have nothing to fear but fear itself. Lying, no income tax returns from Trump, running business whle president, a cabinent with the departure of how many due to scandal? That's a record you think is great? We all have our biases. My current one is this president is the bottom of the barrel--after Iran/Contra, Iraq, and how many other misguided effort, after VietNam--for his hateful rhetoric, his adolescent behavior, his lack of empathy for anyone but himself, his entire presidency from his run for the office, his speech after he was sworn in, and his entire tenure. Shameful.
31
@Observer of the Zeitgeist So I hear all these people talk about the scary left and I wonder what they are talking about. I look at the 8 years of Obama (though maybe I should look at the first 2) and see the economy turn around from a disaster created by Republicans and the implementation of the ACA, which imperfect as it is and was, made millions of peoples lives better.
Everything on your list has the element of making people's lives worse:
1)The booming economy due to a stimulus which is ballooning the deficit,
2)The embassy in Jerusalem damaging the peace talks between Palestine and Israel,
3)Negotiations with NK which is just window dressing as nothing concrete was agreed to allowing their dictator to gain legitimacy on the world stage,
4)Gorsuch and Kavanaugh are Right Wing idealogues who damage the legitimacy and fairness of the court,
5)Ending kangaroo courts in colleges so young women lose the ability to hold accountable their sexual assaulter,
6)Focusing on immigration though not trying to come up with a policy that could fix the problem - just making blanket false claims that create anger more than solutions.
Add to that the venal tweets and the rise in racial tensions and hate crimes and I can completely see the left is so much scarier. And we didn't even get into Emoluments!
17
Hear! Hear!
And for those who fall for voting for a third party because they say "a pox on both houses"...think twice. This is not a time to potentially allow another republican to get into office because the third party candidate split the democratic vote. This election we need to unify, elect democrats , clean up the swamp , and try to regain some of America's moral goodness.
6
While I do not share all the columnist’s opinions, I did indeed vote last week and I will have a clear conscience come Wednesday, even though I expect everyone I voted for in the state election to lose. I also had a clear conscience after I voted in 2016. I can truthfully say that I did not endorse policies that will cause more harm than honor to the state and country. People should vote so they can look themselves in the mirror and have the right to complain for the next four years.
3
People who are fed up with the political process and think their vote won't matter should remember that there's more on a ballot than the races that make the news. The candidates and initiatives on ballots that make the biggest difference in people's lives are the state and local elections. Your state legislation can have more of a direct impact on your wallet and your way of life than the big, important federal elections ever will. Initiatives can lower or raise your taxes, change your access to medical care, affect your 2nd amendment rights, and even affect the food you buy. Who you elect to your local school board can affect your child's education. There's so much more on a ballot than just the big campaigns that get all the press. Don't ignore the races and initiatives that can have a real, local impact on you and your family.
4
Vote --- yes --- but spend an hour deciding how to vote.
Part of the problem is that many of the people who rush to the polls don't bother to spend even 5 minutes reviewing the ballots. These are available for counties and districts from the League of Women Voters and elsewhere. Read up on the candidates and the ballot measures. Decide carefully! This is especially true of the so-called non-partisan judicial nominees. It is often hard to find out how these nominees think.
I spent an hour at lunch a few weeks back reviewing cases before deciding on judicial nominees.
When I went to vote early I had a list of nominees I selected in my notebook. It was a simple matter of keying in my selection. Consider doing the same.
7
The caravans of Central Americans making their way to the US border are an immeasurable gift to Trump, his supporters and the GOP. The determination of thousands of non-citizens to simply ignore US immigration law will be a motivator for those who are affronted by the idea that our laws are irrelevant.
It didn't have to be this way. The Democratic candidates and leadership who are ignoring this issue could have undercut Trump by simply borrowing David Leonhard's words in a recent column:
"The smarter approach for Democrats would be a few simple statements of the obvious...: This is a country of laws. We are not going to admit thousands of undocumented immigrants traveling in a caravan. We do not have open borders. But we are and have always been a country of compassion as well, and we are working with Mexican authorities to protect the safety of these men, women and children."
6
@Ed Mer
It is not illegal to apply for asylum. There are laws for processing the people who reach the US.
The people who reach the borders are not "ignoring US immigration law" as you state in your first paragraph. Rather they are beginning the process of LEGAL immigration.
1
@Ed Mer
The only reason why these "caravans of Central Americans" are a gift for Trump and his supporters, is because it allows him to demonize and vilify two groups with one stone -- and he has taken full advantage of making it a topic of hate for both.
1
I have little doubt that there will be far more votes cast for Democratic candidates for the House--and probably for Democratic Senate candidates as well (though the latter may not be distributed optimally).
What I worry about is whether such votes will be COUNTED as such.
Gerrymandering and voter suppression tactics aside, I worry that too many close races are in areas in which there are only electronic voting records and no back up paper trail, and in which the electronic recorders are vulnerable to hacking. And I have no doubt at this point that unscrupulous hackers will attempt to alter the vote counts if they can--the Republican reactionaries have already, as David Frum points out, rejected democracy in favor of power.
If you are a voter in one of those non-hard-copy areas, make your own copy of who you voted for and store it safely. Screen shots ballots, time and date stamped, are probably the quickest way to go. I don't know if that will help, but we have to try to ensure that there are accurate voting records. I expect there to be a lot of disputed results; we may have to break out those personal records, compare notes, and protest very loudly in the streets if there are evident discrepancies.
And, use those same devices to come prepared for long waits with entertainment (brings snacks and water, too)--and be ready to use them to document any attempts to deny people the right to cast ballots, which should be recorded and posted on-line in real time.
12
Charles makes an excellent case for bringing back Civics into our educational curriculum. From elementary through university level, all our citizens need to know how our government functions, the intracasies of the 2 party system and the role money plays in our democracy.
10
@John
In NYS kids have a unit on the Constitution in both 8th and 11th grades. They also are required to take a Participation In Government class in 12th grade. My guessthat a lot if kids gave a better idea of how Government functions than adults do.
2
I didn't think that voting rights were being violated in Connecticut, a typically liberal state, until I read an article in the Connecticut Post that the GOP candidate running for governor, Bob Stefanowski, requested that vote challengers are appointed to certain polling places tomorrow. It is odd, since no one in a long while has invoked this law in Connecticut (the article did not make it clear the last time it was used). It is clear to me that this is an intimidation tactic towards certain voters and makes me realize how important it is to vote in this election in particular. I ask that voters in Connecticut come out -- we also have Election Day Registration, which means you can go to a designated EDR location, register, and then go to your designated polling location to vote... so it is not too late!
19
It took all of human history until around 1800 for world population to reach one billion, the second billion was achieved in only 130 years (1930), the third billion in 30 years (1960), the fourth billion in 15 years (1974), and the fifth billion in only 13 years (1987).
Immigration is the unsurprising result. Trump is a by-product.
What's the fix? No one is talking.
Finite world, finite space, finite resources. War, pestilence and famine is the natural result. Time to talk?
6
@TOM
No quick fix. Colonies in space have been suggested abs as environmental disaster approaches this may be one option but the mid term election is not a problem
Malthus had it right I guess
@Brassrat strap on those Malthusian belts, the epsilons are now in charge. Huxley had it right too.
"Nobody will ever deprive the American people of the right to vote except the American people themselves, and the only way they could do this is by not voting." (Franklin Delano Roosevelt)
"The struggle for the Voting Rights Act taught us that people who love this country can change it. Don't give away your power. Go vote." (Barack Obama)
"If American women would increase their voting turnout by 10 percent, I think we would see an end to all the budget cuts in programs benefiting women and children." (Coretta Scott King)
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." (Martin Luther King Jr.)
24
@Blue Moon: How many times must a person watch their vote vaporized by the Electoral College before they realize the whole stinking political scene in the US is play-act?
Fear. When you fill out that ballot, do not fear. Do not fear immigrants, do not fear minorities, do not fear Russians or North Koreans or Chinese, although we must work together to protect ourselves.
We have a choice on Tuesday. Vote for hope and compassion or be dragged into the mire of fear, panic and hatred. It’s our choice.
17
@Steve Kazan
I am, that's why I voted RED, Remove Every Democrat,
The hate from the left is disgusting...
Citizens choose their government every election.
People complain about government and then vote the same people back into office, hoping things will change for the better.
It's fairly simple to change our government
... change the the people representing us.
My rule:
Vote Democratic if Republicans are the majority
Vote Republican if the Democrats are in the majority.
Simple!
No person or party becomes too powerful.
We won't always get what we want, we never can.
We might get people who understand that they represent the people and that their time in office is limited - make the most of it and GOVERN or the next person elected will.
2
Do you want a Congress full of Trump puppets? Yes, as a matter of fact I do: job growth, economic opportunity for all, limited government, border enforcement, affordable and abundant energy which results in a lack of dependancy on foreign oil imports, a shift to the center vs a lurch to the left, etc, etc.
10
@Sady
Shift to the center? I wish. The current administration is anything but. And electing the puppets won't make it centered!
1
@Sady
...and totalitarianism, racism, xenophobia, income disparity, mounting deficits, crumbling health system,
more rapid climate change.
2
I spent the day in Modesto canvassing registered Democrats and Independents for Democrat Josh Harder, who is in a tight race against Tea Partier Jeff Denham in California's 10th
District.
Judging from the tiny sample of 60 households I covered in a mixed income neighborhood, mostly white, the energy on the Democratic side is off the charts. At least half of the folks I spoke with were effusive and no one disagreed with my pitch that there's a national emergency and the nation is on fire and we need firefighters in Congress not more firebugs.
One woman said her husband is a firefighter and his colleagues at the fire station often referred to Trump as the "Arsonist in chief." Quite a few said they had already voted because on Tuesday they planned to contact friends, relatives and neighbors.
These were registered Democrats and the entire 10 blocks seemed solidly blue but -- having canvassed in numerous elections -- never have voters seemed so charged up or conversant about politics. I spent more time listening and nodding than I did cajoling people to show up and vote.
One guy in a Raiders jersey said he was about to retire and planned to move to Wyoming or Montana where his blue vote would be equal to thousands of votes in California.
Another football fan in an University of Michigan polo shirt said Trump has given Michigan's "Go Blue" cheer a whole new meaning.
I can't agree more: Go Blue!
135
@Yuri Asian Yuri, such good news. And thank you for canvassing in our state’s more cnservative districts! There is so much “noise” coming from the other side of the aisle that it is easy to lose sight that we are indeed working hard, relentlessly, and civilly to return sanity and equality back to our democracy. Good luck to our candidates across our 50 states. And thank you, fellow Dems, for true patriotism. To us!
10
@Yuri Asian
Not a bad idea to move to a red state so we can turn blue.
What better gift to our children's children.
4
@Yuri Asian
Thank you for your efforts. Go Blue!
2
Three things to remember on Election Day:
Not voting is a vote for Trump and all he stands for.
Voting for a third-party candidate is a vote for Trump and all he stands for.
Voting Democratic, for every office, is the only way to vote against Trump and all he stands for.
Got it? Good. Go vote!
38
@John Graubard
I voted RED because of what President Trump has done, not the hate filled lies of the democrats
I cried when Trump won because I was so scared for our country. I am hoping that tomorrow night that the Dems take the House and I will be crying again-this time for joy- because democracy will be protected. I know that sounds melodramatic but after almost two years of Trump you know it isn't.
VOTE BLUE!
22
@Mueller Fan
I LAUGHED as you cried, I'll laugh again as the "blue wave"turns out to be a tidy bowl ripple, and I'll LAUGH again as Mueller reveals he's got NOTHING...
@Phil: Yes, "destructive" to the freedom to go bankrupt with medical bills. "Destructive" to the freedom to get killed by someone with an assault rifle. "Destructive" to the freedom to live in poverty in old age. And you've forgotten about Republican attempts at voter suppression.
1
Thanks for once again helping us, all Americans, to recall the events and the feelings that those events call forth that have taken place in the seemingly endless time of the past two years. Your article will, unfortunately not change minds. Perhaps it will change some behavior and get a few off the couch. The dizzying tidal wave of disorienting, continuous destruction and distractions need to be countered by sober assessments like yours, Mr. Blow. We need to occasionally be reminded of how low we have been taken and unfortunately be cajoled into taking action to rescue ourselves from this descent. Though it may feel hopeless, the obvious remedy that democracy provides the vote,is available to us if we aren't prevented or gerrymandered from exercising it. For that reason, this election may be harder than ones before. But harder is not impossible, and you have reminded us why harder just means it is more important than ever. Thanks again.
24
I am going to take your article with me tomorrow when people make the wrong decision that they are to busy to vote.
No one is to busy
The polls are not to be trusted however I believe that we will all show up across the nation and be counted.
Thank you Charles for all that you do to keep us educated on the issues. We know it isn't easy.
Everyone go out and VOTE tomorrow because our lives do depend on it.
27
This is not just an election. It is a war for for the soul of America that us being waged at the ballot box. It is not a choice between two differing political philosophies. It is a choice between liberty and the established of a white male aristocracy. This is essentially a redo of the civil war.
What? Hear me out. The institution of slavery created an enormously wealthy white male aristocratic South. The monetary value of the slaves was incredible. Back then, a slave may have cost $1000. In today's money, that's like $20,000. There were millions of slaves. That war was fought over the money and the power slavery brought.
This is what is happening today. White males want to regain the money and power they once had. They are threatened by women and immigrants. They do not support free market capitalism. They support a rigged system that oppresses others in order to give them dominance in the marketplace.
The gun is the instrument of white power. That's why guns are always part the sales pitch. Guns bring the power of subjugation and dominance.
White supremacy and fascism go hand in hand as fascism is the formalized political platform of the white supremacist.
The Republican party has always had an undercurrent of racism. It is now out in the open and pounding our shores.
Trump lit the fuse. He brought them to the table. That's what this election is really about. Vote to kick them out of our house, our government and out of power.
879
@Bruce Rozenblit I agree, I agree!
10
@Bruce Rozenblit
Well said Bruce. The inflation rate 1860 to today is more like 30 to 1. So a $ 1000 slave would be $ 30,000 today.
10
@Bruce Rozenblit
Wow, all those words, and every one a lie...
Even the punctuation marks
great points and I agree.
I'm guessing that most readers of the NYT already vote in most if not all elections.
I've been glad to read about get out the vote efforts that target non-voters.
6
Thank you for reminding us of specific instances that made us who are human beings go crazy. We are all going as a group to the polls and then we are going to assist seniors and others to the polls.
Democracy needs us to show up, we know the issues and finally the day of reckoning has come.
I am going to take your article with me tomorrow when people make the wrong decision that they are to busy to vote.
The polls are not to be trusted however I believe that we will all show up across the nation and be counted.
Thank you Charles for all that you do to keep us educated on the issues. We know it isn't easy.
Everyone go out and VOTE tomorrow
10
We've all seen quite a lot of attention paid to this election. A lot of energy, enthusiasm, and explanations geared to why this is a critical time. The American people have been warned and advised. It's now time to vote. Low turnout, unless caused by outright suppression, is ultimately the fault of the voters. If the GOP holds both houses of Congress, then this country really will get what it deserves.
10
Charles, I'd say you've covered it all. I voted as soon as the early voting started and there were many, many other people there voting too.
Let's go, America, we have a country to save.
50
Already voted. Remember when decency, respectability, compassion, outreach and the rule of law largely defined us as American. Remember when they were important enough to maintain and adhere to.
35
@Rick Beck oh, please. Since Liberals are the ones exhibiting the lack of the decency, voting for more Liberal candidates will not mandate a return to that state. I suggest you all learn how to behave like good losers.
I wish all American children were taught the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution--in depth--as soon as they could read at that level--say, 5th or 6th grade. I know it's not fashionable these days to talk about civics in education, but these are the founding documents of our republic, they are the bedrock of our democracy.
If more emphasis were placed on their supreme importance in the lives of every single citizen, perhaps more Americans would grow to adulthood with a much deeper comprehension of their significance and relevance. If more Americans were truly literate about their very own civil rights and responsibilities, we would have a much healthier nation and a far more active citizenry.
53
@Jan
In high school in1968 we had an entire year of studying the Constitution. We studied and debated cases. Best high school experience.
14
@Jan Agreed. When I was a kid growing up in NY many decades ago, in sixth grade we HAD to memorize the preamble to the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. It was a year long project in teaching both and memorizing both, and then reciting them in front of the class. Each and every student was required to do it. In Massachusetts, they recently passed an education requirements to have a civics class taught prior to high school graduation. I never understood why they stopped teaching. Oh wait...yes I did. It was money and the beginning of "the dumbing down of America". It worked. Vote America Vote!
1
Your comment has very little to do with the opinion piece. Knowing the Constitution is irrelevant to Trump. He only follows rules that he likes. He only pays attention to the parts of the Constitution that allows him to troll the American people. Being aware of the Constitution would not stop people from voting for Trump.
This election, more so than any other in recent history, is not a test of the character, integrity and compassion of our political leaders. It is a test of the character, integrity and compassion of the American people. The past few years have left me dazed and confused. I don't know what will happen tomorrow. I can only pray that honest and good Americans will vote in unprecedented numbers.
79
@Disillusioned
I feel the exact same as you; however, I refuse to let the despair define me. I can only do my civic duty and vote, vote, vote. The outcome will be the outcome. In voting I am hoping enough sound-minded individuals say ENOUGH! It is time to resort back to solving the issues of the PEOPLE.
1
I already voted. You don't have mail-in ballots? Get with the times. Polling stations are a terrible idea. They've been a terrible idea for over a century now. Cutting edge technology like the postal service has rendered polling stations obsolete. A truly democratic Democratic party would campaign to see them abolished. Universal vote-by-mail is the future.
ID laws are a moot point because registration is controlled through the DMV. 5 points of identification. Valid registrations are a moot point because address information is automatically updated when you update your address with USPS. Hacking is a moot point because there's a hand signed paper trail with a receipt. As an added bonus, voting at home significantly increases voter turnout. Oregon regularly experiences turnout close to 70 percent compared to a national average of about 50 percent. This is true for primaries, midterms, and presidential elections. More people vote when they don't have an excuse not to vote.
Explain to me again why anyone is going to a polling station this Tuesday? This is the 21st century. Time for Democrats to get on it.
25
@Andy
For the earliest of modern democracies with our history of the Revolution, the Declaration and Constitution, we are doing a lousy job of ensuring that voting should not be a difficult process.
The USA is among the most difficult of all developed nations in terms of casting a vote: http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/05/21/u-s-voter-turnout-trails-most-developed-countries/ ("U.S. trails most developed countries in voter turnout," 21 May 2018).
This goes along with the idea that so many states show elements of voter suppression in their processes: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2018/10/22/low-voter-turnout-is-no-accident-according-ranking-ease-voting-all-states/?utm_term=.0072b4a588f9 ("Low voter turnout is no accident, according to a ranking of the ease of voting in all 50 states," 22 Oct 2018).
Here in Virginia, we are 49th of 50 in difficulty of voting. Only Mississippi is ranked worse. Although there are absentee ballots, there is no more general early voting process in the state.
11
@Andy You write: "Explain to me again why anyone is going to a polling station this Tuesday"
Probably varying combinations of laziness (we've always done it this way) and deviousness (bwa-ha-ha, so easy to hack especially if missing paper audit trail). At least in New York we have paper ballots that are scanned and purportedly kept on hand.
Mail has never struck me as particularly secure, but it's certainly better than the computer-based technology we see being used in elections. My day gig is in medical IT and we're very properly absolutely obsessed with security - and I concur that paper ballots and at least the option of not having to stand in line for hours is the way to go.
3
How did such a sure thing become so close? What happened to the Blue Wave?
"Focus on the numbness you felt on Election Day 2016, the feeling of horror and disbelief that Trump would actually assume the presidency"
However you feel about Trump, and however right you are to feel that way, the flat refusal to honor the election outcome was misconduct. That was the first. There were many to follow. That is how the Democrats wasted what should have been a sure thing.
Consider the Kavanaugh hearing. He's a bad appointment. The late hit, and dirty tactics, and assumption of guilt, all wasted what should have been a very strong opposition. Blatant tactical abuse colored a very strong strategic position. You can't say it was the only way to stop him, because it did not stop him either.
When they go low, we go high? Great idea. The repeated rejection of that in favor of "realism" only brings on the color and flavor of being no better than a Republican.
This shouldn't be close. It is. Examine that. It is a failure, another Democratic failure, from the same navel gazing cause as failed in 2016.
You don't have to like the other voters, but you have to respect them.
12
@Mark Thomason
"You don't have to like the other voters, but you have to respect them."
No, I don't. Trump spent the first 70 years of his life telling us exactly who he is: a racist, a liar, a con man whose grifts are as subtle as a slap on the face. His "businesses" included scams that preyed on the poor and the desperate; his "charity" was a slush fund he used to pay the lawyers he needed to fend off thousands of lawsuits. That was all on the record.
Trump spent his entire campaign telling us what he would do: pit us against each other, frame the news media as the real liars, make extravagant promises (whatever happened to The Glorious Infrastructure Plan? Has Mexico sent us a check for the wall yet?) that he would never be able to keep, push away our allies and draw us closer to our enemies.
Military leaders, statesmen, America's intellectuals, many of them Republicans, warned us that Trump was dangerously unfit for the office, that he lacked the necessary skills and temperament.
And Trump voters--including one of my beloved relatives--ignored it all and voted for him. I don't respect people who disregard flashing red lights and blaring alarms; I worry about them.
Finally, let us recall that Trump lost the election by nearly 3 million votes. Tell yourself they were cast by illegal aliens if it helps you sleep at night, but it's a fact as hard and bright as a diamond, and a thousand times more valuable.
2
@Mark Thomason o
Kavanaugh is a liar. I will not give the details about why Dr. Ford ought to be believed. Suffice it to say, see the NBC report about text messages among Kavanaugh's Yale classmates talking about contacts from him and his people wanting them to refute the Ramirez allegations BEFORE the New Yorker article was published.
Kavanaugh testified that he did not know of the Ramirez allegations until AFTER the New Yorker article.
1
@Mark Thomason There was ample reason to believe that Kavanaugh committed the acts alleged. Not doing anything would have been preposterous. I suppose Democrats are damned if they do and damned if they don't. All the second guessing and criticisms are foisted their way and not toward the party that stole a seat, put forth a sexual predator for another seat, and continuously lies each and every day about everything.
In Pa. and most of the mid Atlantic states , the weather will be against a big turnout. That favors the R's . So we must work to get out the after work voter. Vote and take a neighbor to the polls.
31
@tom: Don’t people have umbrellas and raincoats anymore? I think if they find voting important, they have voted already or won’t let the weather keeping them from voting. If they didn’t intend to vote in the first place, the weather is a convenient excuse...
1
Well said Mr. Blow.
How I hope we have enough people left in our country that have the fortitude to keep the true values of community, decency and love in mind tomorrow when we vote.
Thank you for an inspirational summary of why we must keep on fighting for a better world.
49
This is a referendum on Trunp and what his House and Senate enablers have done. Got it. But if I were a borderline Trump voter, I would ask the following:
Where’s my big beautiful wall?
Where’s my great healthcare?
Where’s my middle class tax cut?
Where’s comprehensive immigration policies?
Where’s the trade war victories?
Where’s the respect from abroad?
Those things were promised to happen in days, yes DAYS if Trump got elected. Two conservatives on the Supreme Court. Easy. Move an embassy to satisfy a big donor and your evangelical base? Fine. The rest? Where’s that?
57
@Desert Rat My brother loves Trump and his answer to your questions would be "It doesn't matter. I love Trump, plus I got a nice tax break for my business. No, I didn't give my workers a raise."
Hope this helps.
5
@Desert Rat
The wall takes time because democratic obstruction they want open borders.
Obama care was imploding
There is a middle class tax cut and corporate tax cuts energized the economy.
Can't have comprehensive immigration policy without secure borders
Japan,Mexico,Canada,European Union and now China is putting out feelers.
Obama was a joke in Europe Trump is respected and NATO countries finally accept their share of the burden.
I'm not evangelical or not a donor but Bush and Obama promised to move the embassy and Trump did it.
Since Trump came into office the Sunni Arabs are getting closer to accept Israel.
@GDK...Really.?..the GOP controls all levels of government... there is not need for the votes of the Democrats. So where is the big beautiful wall that Mexico will pay for then? Where is the beautiful comprehensive and cheap health care? Why not ask yourself these questions? This is no longer about Obamacare...where is Trumpcare? And respect internationally? I saw and heard world leader laughing at Trump...openly, loudly...at the UN. Moving an embassy surely did not improve my lot in life.
2
One matter that will be at the top of my mind tomorrow is how the Republicans want us all to be quivering in fear over the so-called caravan yet are led by a president who believes that freedom means needing armed guards in front of every place of worship in order to be safe in the U.S. We are not just electing lawmakers tomorrow. We are electing a vision of our nation. Is it one where we can navigate freely to worship, study, watch a movie and grocery shop without fear and a true presumption of safety, or do we envision the nation as a battlefield, where we all need to either be armed or have armed protection at all times, ever in "situational awareness" mode like soldiers deployed to a conflict-ridden part of the world? Which legacy are we going to leave future generations? We choose tomorrow.
57
Tomorrow we are going to discover what kind of nation we have become. I have never felt such hope and trepidation at the same time.
I'm pinning my hopes on all the Democrats and left-leaning independents who stayed home in 2016 because they thought Clinton had a lock on the election and/or had misgivings about those emails, (how they now seem microscopic in signifigance!) will get themselves to the polls tomorrow.
One also hopes that the silver lining to the dark cloud of Trumpism is that the chronic indifference of many Democrats to getting to the polls, especially for mid-term elections, will evaporate.
We are the majority party but that doesn't matter if everyone doesn't vote.
So vote!
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@Ralph Averill
I've been living for Election Day 2018 since Election Night 2016.
3
@Ralph Averill, those emails were micrsoscopic at the time too. Just sayin'.
"Lock her up" was not because of the emails. But rather because of deep seated hate and misoginy. Pelosi gets the same treatment. Tough being a strong Liberal woman leader in American politics to be sure. Things are said that would never be said about men ("the voice!" "the hair", "the pant suits", etc.)
3
Our Constitution is beautiful because it promises to uphold the idea of limited government with checks and balances. Taking back the House of Representatives tomorrow night will be decisive for our country.
It won’t happen unless we vote.
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Another reader suggests that readers of this column are likely to be voting and the need to speak to moderate Republicans. Speak to the young, those who know right from wrong but don't yet understand/believe that their vote(s) is what will change the future. The first candidate to harness the young voters to turn out in numbers that they should, will have cracked the holy grail!
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@Andy Miller
Andy
Have you watched Beto down here in Texas?
2
In 2 weeks, we have had shootings--murders--at a supermarket and its parking lot, a synagogue, and a yoga studio. White males, brazened by rhetoric, flashing vans, flashing guns, kill and rage in silence while Trump tells America that desperate, poor families walking with their children away from violence will be met with armed soldiers and ICE officials who will hide behind bureaucratic semantics and strip children from the arms of mothers and put them in cages they call summer camps. Despite the orders of the courts, the children, guilty of no crime, their parents not charged with any criminal conduct, have not been returned. The media has dropped the story.
Remember chemistry? Adding a catalyst to dormant or latent conditions, previously primed, can cause explosive, unpredictable results. Trump is the catalyst.
For the safety of the world, for the peace of the nation, for the protection of the children, vote out those who endorse his once removed death squads by remaining silent about their growing threat and witnessed carnage. Vote out those who silence endorses killers. Vote out those who applaud death by their support of Trump's policies--his lies and hate. Civilians are being killed by misogynists and racial extremists, but for Trump, violence is a ethnic fairy tale embedded in poverty-laden families.
Vote out the law makers who silently endorse the starvation and deaths of children in Yemen, where, through American military aid, a child dies every 15 minutes.
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@Walter Rhett...love the catalyst analogy...sadly true.
4
This election should be a blowout for the Dems. Three months ago it was looking that way. But it's actually become a serious, still iffy, horse race. Dems are panicking because their tactics to win are coming apart. It's been one blunder after another. The messy judicial hearings, calls to impeach,the Heidi Heitkamp apology, Elizabeth Warren DNA tests, Hillary & the caravan. If this election is a referendum on Trump then it also referendum on the viability of progressive politicians. If they lose...and all indicators are they will...then it will strengthen the hand of Democratic moderates. From the GOP's perspective losing the House is irrelevant. They're are going to win the Senate. Control the Senate & you control the most important lever of power: the judiciary. The GOP is playing the long game. Trump will be gone soon. They will still be here. The GOP can wait him out & achieve all of their objectives. Their goal is to nominate 3-4 very conservative Supreme Court justices. Trump has gotten two SCOTUS appointments, he may get more. He’s moved much faster on lower-court appointments than Obama did. The legal arm of the conservative movement is the best organized & most far-seeing sector of the Right. They truly are in it — and have been in it — for the long term goals. Control the Supreme Court, stack the judiciary, and you can stop the progressive movement, no matter how popular it is, no matter how much legislative power it has. Nothing will get in the way of that goal.
20
@Bill Brown. “From the GOP’s perspective the House is irrelevant.”
Someone should tell that to Paul Ryan, because his political operation recently sounded the alarm about the many committee chairmanships that would go to Democrats if they turn the House: for example, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, the House Intelligence Committee, the House Judiciary Committee, the House Financial Services Committee. That shift of oversight responsibility would have huge implications for Trump’s agenda and for investigations into possible wrongdoing. The Supreme Court and judiciary are important, but there are other levers of power that can and will be deployed if the Dems win the House.
40
@Bill - Let's see what happens when the House Judiciary Committe, led by a Dem, wants to see the FBI files on Kavanaugh - or decides there are some more credible witnesses the FBI should have talked to. The House can't impeach a sitting Justice, but a public hearing of relevant evidence could force the Senate to do the job.
43
Trump “moved faster” because the GOP would not allow those judgeships to be filled by Obama- it was not from lack of trying - it was a calculated move.
3
The readers of this opinion are for the most part not Trump supporters and unlikely to vote for his minions. The best audience would be moderate republicans.
8
We change laws when the underlying logic of those laws are exposed as exclusionary or discriminatory; we have so many people in this country wanting to do what is best for our democratic ideals; and we change in a relatively stable process. After almost 250 years of History's greatest experiment, we are still at it, still inspiring. In my lifetime, state-sanctioned segregation outlawed, womens's reproductive rights affirmed, health care secured for those who could not afford it, and the right of same-sex couples to enjoy the rights and responsibilities of marriage codified. Each of these taken separately advanced the rights of people the world over. Our democracy is so unique, so very special. Vote.
43
Vote as if the future of our democratic republic depends on it.
It does.
Many feel in their bones that the U.S. is already a “competitive authoritarianism,” a system which retains the appearance of democratic institutions, but within which government officials abuse state power to aid their plutocratic friends and disadvantage their opponents—a system in which the preferences of the majority of citizens are ignored and abuses of state power go well beyond levels of traditional patronage.
President Trump, who disdains ethical, constitutional and traditional political norms, provides the extreme case. I believe “family first” and "the end justifies the means" and are the sole points on his "moral" compass.
Senate Majority leader McConnell is also a blatant opportunist. "The GOP and its donors first" is McConnell's primary guiding principle. This is evident in his procedurally unprecedented efforts to undermine Obamacare and in the GOP’s rush-job tax “reform”. "The end justifies the means" also provides the sole justification for McConnell’s and the GOP's anti-constitutional Scalia-replacement strategy.
Trump and McConnell are equal in their desire to see their respective "families" prosper, regardless of the cost to democratic institutions and the public welfare.
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@Andrew G. Bjelland, Sr.
Thank you, very well written
1
It’s good to remember where you stand and where you were. It’s also necessary to remember what you stand for. Here’s a partial list.
Fix immigration. Deprive the right of the oxygen that fuels the spread of their fire, enflaming the fears of other people. It’s a matter of simple justice for DACA folk. It’s a matter of consistency in law for the rest of the 11 million unauthorized immigrants who reside, work, and pay taxes here.
Protect health. If you want to keep ACA, make it spread by mandating Medicaid expansion and create transparency in costs for services and drugs. If you want even more accountability and transparency, establish a single-payer health system.
Restore education. Fund public education adequately. Quick measuring stick: When teachers do not routinely have to pay for supplies out of their own pockets, our schools will have adequate funding. Beyond that, raise teacher salaries to encourage our best students to become teachers.
Build infrastructure. Our transportation and communications structure is decrepit. It’s more than potholes. We need to rethink how to move things and information more efficiently. Building toll roads in cyberspace or on our lands is not an answer.
Tax carbon. Our society is on a collision course with calamity. It’s more than melting glaciers, it’s droughts and famine. It’s storms of greater severity flooding our coastal cities. You owe it to those yet to be born.
Like Mr. Blow, remember your feelings. But act for our future.
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@David Potenziani
Yes, feel the pain, understand the dire consequences of our current trajectory, but act.
Disturbing comments highlighted in the Times article " Thirteen Political Secrets People Kept from Family and Friends" - included this: "I care deeply about the toxic culture we’re living in but I can't make myself DO anything about it."
And this: "I don’t know enough about politics to understand the importance of voting in every election — and I don’t care to inform myself because I don’t feel like my vote makes a difference."
Defeating ourselves is the worst way to go.
10
@David Potenziani
Dear David,
Your list is comprehensive and necessary for our nation. None of those things will happen when Republicans are in power. They're just not interested.
13
If/when the Democratic party disintegrates and finally disappears, it would be interesting to see how quickly progressives would take over the Republican party and make it into a gerrymandered far left position, booting out the cadre of billionaires in there now. For today, the suddenly low gasoline prices and suddenly higher interest rates seem to have mixed repercussions on public spending and pricing of real estate, and travel to name just two. Whether an infra structure bill will provide sustainable job growth into 2024, as it should, no one knows quite yet. If the economy overheated and tanked in the next two years, don't know what voters would do. A shock becomes a shock, and disappointment clouds the public outlook. If race riots rolled in over in the next two years, Republicans could gerrymander the race card, just to be sure. Your message of "vote" is infectious, yet could be Republicans responding en masse to their media icon in chief with lasting loyalty, particularly in good times, in this "feel good" momentum of the moment. Voters seem to feel that things are not as good as promised, and updating the balance of power in the House, is the only insurance available now. Those races in key states are unbelievably close, and Trump is a master showman with tireless energy for destroying the opponent.
1
If you think the past two years have been an absolute nightmare, wait until you have to suffer through the next two and probably the next four after that if you don't vote tomorrow. It's that frightening, it's that simple. And if that doesn't work, pretend it's the 30s and you're in Germany. Yes, the sky is falling. But yes, you can raise it back up. But only if you vote. It's the only way to make sure our two year hangover is finally over.
137
As I am old and white-haired I do want
affordable Health Care.
I want Immigration Reform that protects
Immigrants documented and un-documented
from those who use and prey upon them.
I would like to see a far more fair Tax System.
A complete reform of the ( lack of ) - Justice System
and the end of Privatized Prisons.
Finally and end to Homelessness.
But do either the Democrats or Republicans
really intend to carry our those reforms or programs.
If, somehow, neither the Senate or the House turn Democratic, what then Mr. Blow, what then ?
38
Vote for sanity, decency, and skepticism. Vote for science and education. Vote for the ideal of public service. Vote for an independent judiciary. Vote for proper Congressional oversight. Vote for the separation of church and state. Vote for voting rights. Vote for civil rights. Vote for good and affordable health care for all Americans. Vote for ethical government. Vote for the wellbeing of our democracy. Vote for truth, love, and courage. Because Trump is on every line of every ballot.
130
Charles has certainly given us a good deal worth remembering but allow me to add a few reminder items of my own: Remember who your own ancestors were and where they came from. The U.S. is a nation of immigrants: most of them came here "legally," but many came running for their lives and were admitted as refugees. Not always, however: FDR, of all people, kept the nation's borders closed to European Jews even when Adolf H. invited us to take them in. Why is this happening again- to Syrian Sunnis fleeing the depravations of Assad and Putin and ISIS? To Honduran children threatened with execution by drug-gangs who wouldn't be making any money if Americans weren't buying their product? Also remember how America's Kitty-Grabber-in-Chief libeled our last popularly elected president by announcing, without a shred of evidence, that he was born in Kenya. The fact that Mr. Obama felt compelled to submit his U.S. birth certificate didn't stop the lies emanating from this vile man who has exactly as many U.S.-born parents as his predecessor had. So where's Trump's birth certificate (who says he wasn't born in Scotland?)- and why hasn't he submitted his tax returns? And why has he allowed his wife's parents to enter the country at the same time as he's denouncing "chain immigration"? And why is anyone betting that he/she can easily tell the difference between a legal resident with a brown complexion and an undocumented one? When the riots begin, will "collateral damage" follow?
135
@stu freeman
Yeah, now that you mention it, do we know Trump wasn't born in Scotland? Hmmm. Is this how memes start?
3
@stu freeman
Most of our ancestors came here legally because there was no such thing as "illegal immigration" -- it's only been about 100 years that there were laws prohibiting others from making their homes here.
2
I am sure that Democrats will view a Republican House and a Republican Senate as the end of world, and either head for the exits, or start thinking about how to accomplish the dissolution of the Union (hopefully without a civil war). Alas, I am equally sure that Republicans will view a Democratic House and a Democratic Senate in exactly the same way. So maybe a split decision might keep us together a little longer.
Remember, too, that the 2020 primaries are only 14 months away, so registered Democrats have lots of time to change their allegiance to the Republicans, to ensure that The Big Sleazy can be denied the nomination, and allowed to slink off quietly into the night.
5
Remember how Trump was determined to get Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court, no matter his character? How about him mocking Dr. Ford's testimony at a rally, as if her trauma were a punchline? And the nominal FBI investigation, with absurd limitations and a forgone conclusion that there would be no findings? Lindsey Graham's melodrama about the nominee's life being ruined? Or Mitch McConnell smirking about the eventual confirmation and describing those of us with doubts as believing in mob justice?
This is what it means to have the Senate in Republican control. Kavanaugh won't have been the last Supreme Court placement under Trump, either. Want to block unacceptable lifetime seats on our highest court, or sickeningly shallow scrutiny of candidates? Then let's take back the Senate!
162
@NM--As long as Mitch McConnell remains Senate Majority Leader he will have the final say on which potential Supreme Court nominees will go on to the promised land of the Senate Judiciary Committee and then the full Senate for confirmation. That's why Brett Kavanaugh is now a Supreme Court Justice and Merrick Garland had the door slammed in his face.
Welcome to Mitch McConnell's Supreme Court.
35
@NM: Not only as Sharon states "as long as McConnell remains Majority Leader . . . ", but we can never McConnell is the person WHO BROKE AMERICA and his name will be mud as historians illustrate how he managed to kill our democracy. I can't believe this is the same America I grew up in as it is definitely NOT a country to be proud of, a country that has a heart or a country that helps the downtrodden, tired or hungry and as long as Trump is in charge, it is a country to be avoided at all costs. Who would want to come here?
5
Is this the country I thought it was? Sadly, yes, because trump's America is not a surprise. He is merely the leader that hard core Republicans have dreamed of all along.
While the Democrats have been regularly outvoting the Republicans, a slow-motion coup d'état has established conservative, and now far-right, control over the country before our very eyes. Part of the problem is that the revered Constitution has been hi-jacked and used as a weapon against "we, the people" that it was meant to shield.
The facade of democracy is still in place, but the reality behind it is not one person, one vote (which was never quite accurate anyway). It's a hybrid of one-dollar-one-vote and one-acre-one-vote.
And besides, the Confederacy has never been dead, just dormant. Now the south has risen again and lives on well outside its old boundaries.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/04/the-american-civil-war-didnt-end-and-trump-is-a-confederate-president
74
I voted early on Oct 22nd. I keep hearing about people who are waiting hours to vote. I walked to my polling place, went straight to the table and gave my name, got checked off, completed my paper ballot, put it in the box and walked out in under 8 minutes. My city’s election commission serves over 100,000 people in a space of about 7 square miles and they still make it easy to vote year in, year out. If you’re waiting in long lines or going through some long process to get registered your government officials don’t want you to vote, period. They need to be voted out of their jobs because they’re not doing them.
162
The most important reason for all Americans to vote is because one political party is working very hard to make sure that Americans don't vote and that certain votes don't get counted.
The Russian-Republican Party works hard every day to ensure that the 1st Amendment (free speech), the 15th Amendment (citizen rights protection regardless of race), the 26th Amendment (voting rights for college age citizens), the Civil Rights and the Voting Rights Acts are systematically violated by voter suppression laws, voter file purges, poll closings and black-box voting machines all across Republistan.
Republicans suspended the Constitution in 2016 and rejected the will of the American people when they denied a hearing on Merrick Garland until they could rig the next Presidential election in their corrupt favor.
These are not partisan sour grapes; these are well-researched, well-supported facts that demonstrate that the Republican Party has no interest in democracy, representative government or the will of the people.
It's a right-wing political hijacking which sustains Greed Over People and their comprehensive corrupt public policy for robbing America blind - corrupt elections, corrupt campaign financing, corrupt healthcare, a corrupt 0.1% tax code, and a corrupt Guns Over People public safety policy...all dipped in a racist Whites R Us hate-covered frosting.
Republicans have abandoned America and the Constitution for a white nationalist oligarchic hellhole.
Vote them all out !
586
@Socrates
I wonder how many Republican voters realized that Trump attacked the Constitution's validity when he threatened to issue an executive order denying birthright citizenship which is well defined in the 14th amendment. Are they that stupid not to know that? I think I know the answer.
9
@Socrates
Yes, vote them all out and rain eternal shame on Gorsuch and Kavanaugh for cravenly and shamelessly accepting the nomination from the hands of a lowlife like Trump. By that very act they rendered themselves unfit.
8
@Socrates: The most important reason for all Americans to vote is because its our civic duty.
"The Russian-Republican Party works hard every day..."
Both parties work hard every day trying to convince you that the other party is solely responsible for the terrible mess you find yourself in. And both parties work very hard to acquire and maintain power no matter how much they have to lie and cheat to do it.
"Republicans have abandoned America and the Constitution for a white nationalist oligarchic hellhole."
The political class and their respective self-absorbed special-interests groups abandoned the Constitution long ago.
Here in Australia ex-pat USA citizens are lining up to vote in your mid term election. They are eligible to do so and for many of our more long term USA residents it is the first time in many years they have done so. This is because they believe that this election is so important that every vote counts, even if they come from half a world away.
142
@TrevorN
Ironic, isn't it, that American citizens are entitled as absentees to full voting rights in their elections from distant lands the world over, but not if they live in places like Washington DC and Puerto Rico.
And those same ex-pats who are voting in Australia could move to PR tomorrow and not even be able to vote as absentees.
60
On the other hand, hopefully a lot of Puerto Ricans who moved to the US after the hurricane vote. Either for decent human rights or against just receiving paper towels and be told to "Have fun"
9
@mancuroc What?
Thanks, but I prefer the Republican Party over the party that has been taken over by Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris, and other hardcore leftists.
20
@Erik
Be careful what you wish for. If you hate today's "hardcore leftists", you wouldn't have cared for the Republican Party of the Eisenhower era, either; and you would have detested it when it was led by Abe Lincoln.
Only one party is controlled by extremists, and it's not the Democrats.
275
@Erik: I hope you're enjoying that tax cut. That's about all you'll be getting from the GOP. And the more the Republicans cut the taxes of billionaires (some of whom, like our feckless leader, are allergic to the IRS in any case) the more the rest of us have to contribute in order to make up the difference.
112
@Erik, you have no idea what a leftist is, much less a "hard-core leftist". You are a victim of Fox News, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, and other ranters of fear and hatred. But you don't realize it.
134
I will be voting. So will my family. I know the friends I often interact with will be voting.
But we are all in New York. A blue state. So the outcome in New York is pretty much a foregone conclusion.
Whether you live in of the Red states or Blue states, if we all vote and vote FOR The UNITED States of America, we will be all right in the end.
77
@RK
I live in South Carolina where my vote will not count either because I vote Democrat. I am still voting no matter what. It is the principle of it all.
205
@JuniorK, in some parts of S.C. a Democratic vote does count. Maybe not in Spartanburg, but every vote for decency is some evidence for it.
53
@RK
Here in Upstate New York some Congressional races are NOT a "foregone conclusion" for Democrats. Nor are elections for State Supreme Court, Family Court, and City Court judges, not to mention NYState legislators.
27
And please don't let long lines at the polls deter you from voting.
I spent 1 hour and 20 minutes waiting in line on an early vote Friday at about 2 p.m.
It was time well spent.
Vote Democratic November 6. Our rights depend on it, and yes, our lives depend on it.
353
In my other residence all voting is done on paper ballot with pencil, no computer, no punching holes. The wait is nowhere more than 15 min and all votes are counted by hand within 5 hours of poll closing, The place is only 8% of the size of the US, but usually 40 million cast their vote (30% of US) and all votes are counted by midnight. No one ever doubts there is foul play.
Just saying it is possible.
61
@scrim1
I find your wait to vote encouraging. I'll be out tomorrow morning, hopefully before the line is long.
I'll be voting Democratic.
The one thing I want for Maryland and the rest of America, is for a majority of our citizens to turnout and vote. Even if your party differs from mine.
When only a third of us vote, our democracy is governed by a few, not the many.
Use your citizen's voice tomorrow.
Turnout.
Vote.
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@scrim1
Thank you for voting! When some people can vote in 5 minutes and others have to wait for hours in line; when some people can mail in a ballot and/or register on the spot while others have their registrations thrown out because of a subjective judgement about the quality of their signature or because they don't have a street address when none exists, then we need to vote in record numbers and work to correct these voter-suppression problems.
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"Is this the country you thought it was?"
This is the key phrase in your entire column. Sadly, right now, I would have to answer it "no." And if the Democrats do not win at least one house of Congress it may be for as long as it lasts as a country, Trump's US.
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What this president has done in two years is the near destruction of America. Over the past two days there has been one long piece and another today in the Times on how the the alt-right, the neo-nazis, and assorted racist groups have been, dare I say it, inspired by the president. The president brags that he is a nationalist, and of course he gets the support of the white nationalists and many other like-minded groups. He wants to do away with the 14th amendment giving all born in this country citizenship. There is nothing that this man will not do and yet he is adored by hordes of people. Why? If the Congress remains in the hands of the GOP we will be in a various dangerous place. If there was ever a time when it was important to vote it is now.
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@Jordan Davies current administration has really brought this all to a head but plenty of groundwork laid by the GOP ever since Nixon. This election is a test of whether or not we can be an inclusive society, the GOP except Eisenhower - and also before WWII - never wanted that.
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Autocrats are often slavishly adored,something about the human response of some to perceived power. Even Hitler was apparently obeyed subserviently without criticism. They feared him for their lives and those around Trump fear him for their jobs, he often fires people immediately if they step out of line. He has no tolerance for other opinions. In this White House it appears to be all about Trump,all the time. At least that is what we see from outside. His base loves the show and likes the noise and believesTrump when he chants to them. They must not have much experience with independant thinking. They love his attention. He loves their cheers. Simple. No questions. Questions have no tolerance from Trump. He does it His way.
3
If it rains bring an umbrella. If it's cold wear an extra sweater. Sooner or later the weather breaks, but if we don't vote our discomfort will be long range. Vote like your life depends upon it, because it does.
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I really like choices. If there is no diversity of views, we don't need a democracy! I can honestly say that our diversity is what makes us stronger.
However choices should be based on values, some basic core human values, truth, justice, compassion, kindness, fairness, equality and so forth.
And my heart cries for a catharsis to shake the GOP out of their collective kowtowing to a man without any moral compass fomenting the divisive forces that is truly against any core conservative value that I know of!
And the only way to let McConnell and company know they have sharply veered off the path shown by Lincoln is to vote each and every incumbent Republican out, so that they will come to their senses and be better for it.
And only we, the voters can do it for them. Let's tell them that their compromise on conservative values, their callous attitude to climate change, their contempt for the democratic process, their divisiveness, their dereliction of duty and their dismissal of decorum and support of blatant lies, is not acceptable.
Vote wisely and America, we may yet correct our course and get a real choice for 2020!
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@Phil, the GOP is not owned by Trump but by the collected billionaire class, and they never give up. (There are a few decent billionaires and centimillioniares, but only few.)
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My own Congressional district is safely Democratic (the GOP did not even put up a candidate).
So on Tuesday, after voting I will be heading up to NY Congressional District 19 to canvass for Antonio Delgado in a very close race against an incumbent Trump puppet where every vote matters.
Many of us who feel as Mr. Blow does probably live in "safe" Congressional districts. We must do all we can, now and for every election that follows, to spread our wings and reach out to other districts and candidates where assistance is desperately needed.
We need this for the sake of our democracy, our democratic institutions and the general health of our country.
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@Jon
Also, if you can, send some last minute cash to a swing district Democrat. Get out the vote efforts cost money. And they are critical tomorrow.
Don't leave any stone unturned. Don't have any regrets on Wednesday morning. Do all you can tomorrow.
VOTE
1
If Trump holds the house, it's goodbye Democratic Republic.
This is not hysteria, folks. it will be the end of Mueller, the end of birthright citizenship, the end of healthcare, and the end of our free press.
Quite frankly, it will be the end of the rule of law.
Think I'm kidding? Who would stop him?
In just two years, he's done real damage with all 3 branches of government and now the court. What he'll be able to do in the next two is horrible to contemplate.
The corrupt Republican party is willing to sacrifice freedom for fascism if they maintain control.
If this nightmare isn't enough to get you to the polls, then you clearly haven't been following reality.
And if you like to comment here, then just imagine how you'll feel when you can't.
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@ChristineMcM
Just like others, when the press is silenced, I will be on a street corner holding a protest sign. I might get hauled away, but I will not be silenced. Persistent action brings about change. We all need to look to Nelson Mandela for inspiration. VOTE!
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It will be the rule under new law! Law where corporations are people who can do no wrong. Where church rules the state. Where people are locked up in large numbers because they are smoking pot or are illegal immigrants, or talk against the rich and powerful. We have been there. We are getting there. We are peeping through the open door. We must shut it close tomorrow.
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@ChristineMcM By now I think most voters know how bad Trump has been, but the remedy is not simply to get out the vote.
With candidates of both major parties now accepting unlimited anonymous bribes from a few billionaires, it is long past time for our political pundits to stop merely ticking off Trump's blunders and demand repeal of Citizens United.
Evidently none of them. including Mr. Blow, have the courage to even bring the subject up.
12
"Someone has to protect this country, our institutions and our traditions. We have to stand up for honesty, principles, equality and civility."
Amen, now vote people. No excuses, just do it.
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Thank you for this, Mr. Blow. May this listing of all the horrors we, in our country, have endured since this person went into the Oval Office - be a chilling reminder — a reminder, that sadly, we should NOT need, make a difference. Finally a chance to take action that will make real difference —- through our vote.
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Bravo. I am extremely puzzled why more people don't see through the Trump circus act to the widespread rot underneath. Part of me is glad, too, though, because he has inadvertently exposed the extent of the rot, which has a far stronger hold than many of us had believed. Donald Trump learned his craft - how to engage people with substance-free material - through several seasons of "The Apprentice". When he is no longer in office (I predict he'll be out shortly after Mueller's report gives the Republicans the cover they seem to feel they need, to turn on him), we need to face up to the fact that he exposed deep problems that were already there. Starting by cleaning house by getting the money out of politics should be job one.
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Job one - as you call it - will be close to impossible. Stronger democracies than our’s have a problem with that. But we certainly can dial it back.
9
@Champness Jack
"I predict he'll be out shortly after Mueller's report gives the Republicans the cover they seem to feel they need, to turn on him."
I hope you're right, but I'm voting like you're not -- we need a lot more Dems in office to nudge any Repubs with an ounce of integrity (are there any left?).
1
For two years, we have waited for this moment--our chance to speak out against the senseless death in Puerto Rico, the senseless killing of reporters, the senseless murders of school children and people practicing their freedom of religion in the church and synagogue of their choice. The dead have no voices with which to cry for justice.
We have to speak for them. But how do we, the ordinary, working men and women of this country find our voice?
We do it through our vote.
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Don't forget the disgrace that this Commander-in-Chief has been too busy golfing, planning his D.C. parade, going to parades in Saudi Arabia, France and England to make even 1 visit to our troops in the war zones.
And look ahead to Nov. 7 - with Lindsey Graham ready to take over Chuck Grassley's Chairmanship of the Senate Judiciary Committee, the Mueller Report being imminent, Gorsuch and Kavanaugh at SCOTUS, don't you want Dems in the House taking over Devin Nunes's chairmanship of the House Intelligence Committee ?
After all, we need a counterbalance to Lindsey Graham's promise to investigate the FBI handling of Hillary's emails, in the years leading to Graham's 2020 re-election bid.
And everyone knows as soon as the election results are in, His Weaselness 45* will embark on new mischief-making trying to overwhelm the news cycle's fresh details of his last 2 years of awfulness.
Remember: things are never so bad that they can't get worse (especially with this One) - in all likelihood, we haven't seen anything compared to what's afoot.
Vote Democratic, and take your friends; with 20+ GOP'er Senators up for re-election in 2020, GOP'ers could try to cancel that POTUS election, rather than risk losing power.
" If conservatives become convinced that they cannot win democratically, they will not abandon conservatism. They will reject democracy. " - David Frum, former Dubya speech-writer
" The state of our union is lawless. " - Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Ca), Jan 30 2018
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When you read the list of things that have been said and done by this President and administration in less than two years, it makes it hard to believe that even 40% support this path we are on. And, I say that as a conservative who respects the Constitution and diversity.
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@jeff
Yes, what was a fringe before, now is 40%... scary ratio, to say the least.
Even if democrats take house the fight should continue, young generation is the hope for the future of our country.
Don't stop fighting it's only the beginning.
Courage is badly needed, organization and persistence to defeat this desperate backward path.
Our children's life depends on all of us!
Resist, Fight, Vote!!!
6
What I remember is, We used to fly the American Flag on the 4th of July. We don't do that anymore.
And we won't until our Democratic Ideals are returned to us with a future President that represents "All The People"
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@cherrylog754
I still fly the flag on the 4th of July, on Memorial Day, Flag Day (June 14h), Veterans Day, and last but not least, LABOR Day. Those that fly their flags morning , noon , and night are declaring themselves to be more patriotic than those that don't fly the flag.
2
@cherrylog754
Get out of the Perimeter; lots of flags on the 4th and other days as well.
3
@tom boyd
Not flying the flag is my way of demonstrating my opposition to the President and his policies. To me he is unqualified to serve, for a multitude of reasons.
Regarding oneself as more patriotic than another because one flies the Flag on holidays is incorrect thinking in my book.
Case in point, my brothers and I all served in the Navy, two of us during the Vietnam War. Two of my Uncles were fighter pilots during WWII. My father and his brother served in the Merchant Marine, sailed the North Atlantic enduring the U-boat attacks.
8
Maybe we need to consider a few more steps. Not just voting but reminding others to do so. Offering to provide childcare for someone if they need to head to vote before rushing home to feed the children. Walking someone's dog, so they can stop to vote. Give them a lift, if they don't have a car.
299
@A Those who have an Uber app can be taken, free of charge, to the polls. Take someone with you.
2
@A
Do all that, and if it's not enough, shame them. Any person sane enough to understand that Trump is debasing our country who hasn't made plans to vote should be ashamed of themselves. Should I encounter any friends or colleagues who hem and haw about voting in this election, I intend to give them a piece of my mind. We all should. Failure to make the effort to defend our democracy is not something I can politely let slide.
2
His hobbledehoy hands at the helm
Egregious orders overwhelm
Profusion of lying
Murdered Jews dying
Non-whites main victims of the realm.
Latin immigrants at the gate
Are the villains the rust belters hate
Trump dares demonize them
Helps work folk despise them
We’re led by a decerebrate.
Low cunning is Trump’s sole possession
And with himself a deep obsession,
A non-reading fool,
In practice a ghoul,
A Nation led into regression!
If on Democracy you dote?
Then get out to the polls and vote!
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@Larry Eisenberg
Brilliant, sir! Thanks for sharing your gift with us.
4
@Larry Eisenberg
You must live in a different Massachusetts than I do.
You need to get out more.
@Larry Eisenberg love your poem-lets and this one particularly nails it! Thank you
4
Remember when Presidents, the good ones and the bad ones, the conservatives, the liberals, and the moderates, the ones you liked and the ones you didn't, remember how you never had to wonder if they believed in democracy? believed in America?
Remember how it felt to be at least certain of THAT?
This is the first of two referendums on whether we want an inclusive democracy and still believe in American ideals.
Let's get it right.
690
@LT I remember respecting a President whether he was of the party I chose or not. I remember, where Democrats and Republicans worked across the aisle. I remember where I thought my country would be protected. I remember where even though my choice was not selected that my party would be respected. I am not feeling that, now.
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@LT
Tricky Dicky's tapes showed what he believed in and valued. He projected an outward image of believing in democracy and America, but this image was false.
Those who gave him the respect due the president were wrong.
We thought we had to admire the emperor's new clothes to keep things from falling apart. But if the clothes do not exist and the emperor is naked, he and we will have other problems, since imagined clothes do not protect from the elements of reality.
19
@sdavidc9
Yes, and he was forced out when it became clear that both Democrats and Republicans were not going to tolerate an "imperial presidency".
The Republican party of today is devoid of that level of patriotism.
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