For the love of god or whoever … VOTE!

[Ponzio]

The headline and synopsis, on Sunday morning, in my daily Washington Post newsletter.

In historic early turnout, more than 90 million ballots cast as of Saturday

The massive early turnout is roughly 65 percent of the 139 million votes cast in 2016, and it essentially guarantees that, for the first time in history, a majority of ballots will be cast before Election Day.

Hopefully this trend continues into the future and we don’t need a national emergency, like the mishandling of the COVID-19 crisis this time, or the ‘Great Recession of 2008’, the last banner year where close to 48% of the electorate voted.

And also as the self-confessed Republican fellow voter I talked to last week, after we voted 'early', commented during our conversation; why does voting have to be so dam hard and only on one day and it took a national health crisis to ‘early’ vote here in PA? This should be the norm. He was absolutely right.

Why not dedicate & codify a whole week nationally for walk-in's and 'early' voting, so the elderly and people who work aren’t penalized for trying to put food on the table, when their employer doesn’t or refuses to pay them to take time off to vote.

 

[davidscott]

Thankfully we are finally here at election day. We can sigh in relief that this is finally over. Unless it gets tied up in court for the next few weeks (or longer)

 

[KEW]

Good to hear.

I honestly think that this "all or nothing" approach people seem to think both parties have is incorrect. You have conservative democrats, you have moderate and even progressive republicans. (Please don't start a debate here. Let's be civil. We are adults after all). I also think that more of us have things in common than we do differences.

First thing being we're all Americans. We want this country to be good for everyone. Sure, there are plenty of people that just want things the way they want and screw everyone else, but those aren't the majority. They may be the loudest so it seems like it.

The fighting between parties is sad and silly. People are acting like children because someone isn't on their favorite team. Except this isn't a sport that has no real world consequences, this is choosing who runs our country. The party shouldn't matter in the slightest, but policies and character should.

Who cares if a republican votes for a democrat because they just happen to like their policies more? Towing the party line makes no sense. I find it totally impossible that someone can say a particular political party encompasses their values so totally that they need not look elsewhere. I also find it impossible that someone can say that a particular party agrees with and cares about everything their constituents care about and need.

There will always be disagreements between party members and between people of the "opposite" party. There should be. That's how we discuss things and make change happen. Hopefully for the better.

I just hope we see record turn out for elections this year. I haven't voted since I was 18 (so 18 years ago) and I plan to today. I want us to come together as a country again and get sh!t done for all of us. Screw this infighting nonsense we've dealt with for so long.

I'm going to vote for whomever I think will make good changes (or keep good things in place) and I don't care what party they are. Good people are good people.

You took the words right out of my mouth brother.

This constant drumbeat of fear, anger, hatred for the ‘other’ and divisiveness gets old and serves no one but the professional politicians, the same people we need to weed out of our system of government, as much and soon as possible. Without the false promise of revolution ... ‘drain the swamp’ my ass; there’s more alligators now than I can remember ... which always seems to go tits up anyway.

Agree to disagree and then compromise and let’s fix the country, at least domestically, like we used to in the 50’s & early 60’s. Stop making unrealistic promises and give us some positive results that we can see and feel. And if it doesn't work, fix the mistakes and try again.

Yes we had baked in racism, women were discounted and other issues but things got done at the end of the day at least.

And No! I don’t have any desire to go back & recreate the past. To repeat, I just want us to compromise, get things done and stop acting like petulant children. It’s possible, we’ve done it before. Learn from our mistakes and try to fix them. With the operative word there being ... try. They’re not even pretending to do so now.

Our infrastructure is a mess. Railroads, bridges & roads, communications and the plundering of our natural resources right under our feet that we’ve been blessed with. Without any thought whatsoever for how we’ll need them to stay afloat in the future.

A quick-buck economy that serves only but a few and the looming existential threat of climate change. Just look at what’s happening in the Arctic & Antarctica kiddies to start with. Even the Pentagon has made contingency/war plans for, since they agree with the scientists.

The ‘Effin Pentagon! One of the most staid and conservative members of our society that I can think of. If that doesn’t convince you, I don’t know what will.

I don’t see why we don’t see this and act accordingly.

Why? Because the politicians know this and rather give us bread and circuses to distract us, than deal with the issues at hand. They’d rather ‘downplay’ it, as some dangerous moron recently said, like we're little children who can't handle the truth.

Wake up folks!

I generally agree totally with "voting for the person, not the party"; however, at this point I feel it is more important to send a message to the republicans in congress, which makes me a party voter in this election at least. The republicans left are the ones that did not have the spine to stand up to the obvious immorality and lack of honor and integrity Trump brought to the presidency. The few that stood up to him (and continued to stand up to him) have been eliminated as the rest of the republicans rolled over and let Trump redefine the office of president as a us vs them position. If more had honor and integrity, Trump could not have picked off the few that did so easily (Mark Sanford of SC is a good example of someone who held steady against Trump and had his career ruined after the president publicly destroyed him, giving his position to the democrats in the 2018 election).
I don't like that I find myself in this position, but right now, I believe it is important for a political party to find that there are long term repercussions to taking the party line to such an extreme as Trump has. Maybe I am wrong and no one else looks at it he way I do, but Trump has been allowed to interpret too many things the way he wants without any accountability and Congress (especially the senate) is the organization intended to keep a check on the president. Trump knew how to control them using "you're either my enemy or my friend" mob-boss techniques to hurt his enemies and not allow room for anyone with a different opinion to stay.
For me, it is too important for the Trump debacle to be a net negative so either:
1) Future strategists for the parties will recognize the need to not repeat allowance of such a shift towards dictatorship, or
2) Congress will provide new restrictions/interpretations of what a president can do/control. Most of these were things that no one before considered would be attempted and certainly things that no republican would want a democratic president to be able to do!

 

[Out-Of-Phase]

My inner id today [PG Rated]

Just what is he getting at?

 

[panteragstk]

Reports that record number of gen x through gen z voters turning up in Texas. This is going to be interesting.

 

[lp85253]

I generally agree totally with "voting for the person, not the party"; however, at this point I feel it is more important to send a message to the republicans in congress, which makes me a party voter in this election at least. The republicans left are the ones that did not have the spine to stand up to) the obvious immorality and lack of honor and integrity Trump brought to the presidency. The few that stood up to him (and continued to stand up to him) have been eliminated as the rest of the republicans rolled over and let Trump redefine the office of president as a us vs them position. If more had honor and integrity, Trump could not have picked off the few that did so easily (Mark Sanford of SC is a good example of someone who held steady against Trump and had his career ruined after the president publicly destroyed him, giving his position to the democrats in the 2018 election).
I don't like that I find myself in this position, but right now, I believe it is important for a political party to find that there are long term repercussions to taking the party line to such an extreme as Trump has. Maybe I am wrong and no one else looks at it he way I do, but Trump has been allowed to interpret too many things teh way he wants with out any accountability and Congress (especially the senate) is the organization intended to keep a check on the president. Trump knew how to control them using "you're either my enemy or my friend" mob-boss techniques to hurt his enemies and not allow room for anyone with a different opinion to stay.
For me, it is too important for the Trump debacle to be a net negative so either:
1) Future strategists forthe parties will recognize the need to not repeat allowance of such a shift towards dictatorship, or
2) Congress will provide new restrictions/interpretations of what a president can do/control. Most of these were things that no one before considered would be attempted and certainly things that no republican would want a democratic president to be able to do!

i'll summarize my thoughts on Donny... he is a self serving con mam/ tax cheat/ misogynist / racist / nationalist / racist (it's worth extra mention)/ trust fund / never worked a day in his life / dochnozzle...with virtually no redeeming qualities .. but on the bright side his personal lawyer is just as corrupt as he is...EDIT: my apologies i left out election stealing/ traitor .. but i digress

 

[lp85253]

Reports that record number of gen x through gen z voters turning up in Texas. This is going to be interesting.

i gotta feeling we get to say bye--- bye to our dear leader

 

[Ponzio]

i gotta feeling we get to say bye--- bye to our dear leader

From your mouth to God's ballot.

 

[John Parks]

 

[Jeff R.]

i'll summarize my thoughts on Donny... he is a self serving con mam/ tax cheat/ misogynist / racist / nationalist / racist (it's worth extra mention)/ trust fund / never worked a day in his life / dochnozzle...with virtually no redeeming qualities .. but on the bright side his personal lawyer is just as corrupt as he is...EDIT: my apologies i left out election stealing/ traitor .. but i digress

So your thinking about voting for Biden?


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[lp85253]

So your thinking about voting for Biden?


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iv'e given it a passing thought... actually voted by mail last week.. here in az it's been sop for years ... been voting by mail for at least 5 years...

 

[Jeff R.]

Nice. I voted Friday. In person early and was a seamless process. Quick easy and distanced.


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[lp85253]

Nice. I voted Friday. In person early and was a seamless process. Quick easy and distanced.


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i'm glad.. been watching the news i see there are some "fans" of a certain incumbent that are out voicing support for him at polling places.. i wouldn't define it as "intimidation" just yet though.. interesting development...

 

[lp85253]

lol.... just was watching the news.. saw a guy "bless" his ballot for the camera as he cast it.... people seem to really care....i'm starting to see the upside of loving my country today... thanks America!...

 

[highfigh]

Reports that record number of gen x through gen z voters turning up in Texas. This is going to be interesting.

I bet that if most were asked about the rest of the world, they would have no idea what's happening out there. For that matter, I doubt they would have much of an idea about how the US operates.

 

[IansDad88(Don)]

Well, I live in TX so it's not difficult to think my vote is wasted, BUT I just put my registration in the mailbox and wifey is already registered.

Yay us. Too bad we can't get mail in ballots.

It might not be this year. And certainly won't be in the future. TX demographic changes may help shape the future of this country. If not this year, in many cycles to come.

 

[lp85253]

I bet that if most were asked about the rest of the world, they would have no idea what's happening out there. For that matter, I doubt they would have much of an idea about how the US operates.

ignorance is universal.. even more so with access to the internet ... there's no sane person to intervene when a crazy basement dweller seeks affirmation via the internet...

 

[lp85253]

It might not be this year. And certainly won't be in the future. TX demographic changes may help shape the future of this country. If not this year, in many cycles to come.

same in Az..it was red....then purple .. and now maybe blue.. all in the last 10 years...

 

[Trebdp83]

I'l steer clear of the news. I want to enjoy my day. I'll let you yahoos entertain me for a bit before I go get the car smogged and then come home to work in the yard. This election is the worst "reality" show on TV. But, the ratings are good so we're f#%ked. Do one small project today guys. You will have accomplished something productive in just one afternoon. That's more than our government has accomplished in decades.

 

[KEW]

I bet that if most were asked about the rest of the world, they would have no idea what's happening out there. For that matter, I doubt they would have much of an idea about how the US operates.

I'd agree with that. I imagine their choices are mostly directed by the stuff that is in their face - like:
1 Covid 19
2 Civil unrest/BLM/Law & Order/Floyd (however you want to characterize it)
3 Racism ("Stand Back and Stand By", but also as reflected in travel bans, DACA, children in cages, etc)
4 Gender equality (extended to include LGBTQ)
5 Global Warming

This is the rare presidential election where the sh!t on the surface is so deep that kids are voting even though they may realize they do not have a deep understanding. In the past, I think people tended to not vote because they were "not into politics", but Trump has done an impressive job of teaching them that politics can have a very significant role in their lives!