Post Election Aftermath: Denial and Hope

 

Pandemic Diary - Day 230

Dear Diary,

The best present I ever got for my birthday - on November 7th - was when Joe Biden was declared the next President of the United States.

The nation said YOU'RE FIRED!

To no one's surprise Trump is in deep abject denial and claims he's been cheated. He unleashed a pack of lawyers to challenge results in different states with no results.

That's because there was NO FRAUD

There's a few feeble cases (with no evidence) hanging on until the end of this week. Trump supporters and GOP lackeys in Congress have been afraid to say he lost the election, although most know he has.

In a pathetic effort to hang on to the dream of a Trump dynasty, they all claim to be waiting for the final count in Arizona later this week before admitting reality. 

To be sure, his core supporters will never admit to reality, but there's a chance some Republicans will move on and try to restore their party which Trump transformed into a populist cult.

In spite of all of this, America has hope now.

I enjoyed reading the international headlines congratulating Joe Biden and mocking Trump. More than one banner head ran "YOU'RE Fired!"

The next 72 days are going to be more chaotic than than ever as Trump continues to lash out like a wounded hyena, right up until the last moment when they have to drag him out of the Oval Office.

On January 20th, 2021, the majority of Americans will set about healing the country, and trying to unite the nation. 

Quote for the Day: "But the world moves on, even when you don't want it to, even when change feels like the end of everything. It never stops." -Ann Aguirre 

   

Democracy Wins! WAY TO GO JOE!

 

Dear Diary,

It's over! After waiting anxiously since Nov. 3rd we know that Joe Biden is our next presidency.

Joe won convincingly. More people voted for him than any other American president in history.

I can breath now. Millions of Americans feel the same way this morning. Today is my 70th birthday and Joe's win was the best gift I could have been given.

I'm not going to worry about what Trump does before Jan. 30th. I fully expect him to continue being hateful and spiteful. 

Today is a day of celebration!

Let's all celebrate the saving of our republic!

Election Day 2020 is Here: Will We Still Have a Democracy When the Results Are In?

Pandemic Diary - Day 229

Dear Diary,

It's never happened before in modern history.

Store owners have boarded up their windows across the country in anticipation of riots on election day. Riots. On. Election. Day.

It's like hearing about Banana Republics that routinely have riots during elections, as one strongman after another gets overthrown. But I'm talking about America.

I never thought it would come down to this. An election that is going to decide the fate of democracy in the United States of America. If Trump wins, the republic loses.

We can only hope Joe Biden wins in a landslide today. Anything close is going to be contested by Trump's army of lawyers. Trump will refuse to accept defeat unless it's a total blowout.

In defeat, we can expect the worst lame duck presidency in history. Donny doesn't play nice when he loses. He never has.

I went to bed last night and had trouble sleeping. So much depends upon who wins. I think Biden will pull it off however. 

When I tune in to the news this evening, I'll be watching from the edge of my rocking chair while white knuckling a glass of Tequila. I have a hunch I'll be joined by millions of Americans drinking their alcohol of choice...

and waiting to witness the fate of our nation.

Quote for the Day: "Talk is cheap, voting is free: take it to the polls..." -Nanette L. Avery

Election Day Skepticism, Denialism, and Intimidation

 Pandemic Diary - Day 228

Dear Diary,

I'm not surprised Trump supporters in pickups with flags in the back, surrounded a Biden campaign bus a couple of days ago almost bringing it to an entire stop prompting a 911 call.

Naked intimidation.

The FBI is supposedly investigating the scary incident.

 Meanwhile a Texas GOP chairman claimed the whole thing was "Fake News" and "propaganda."

It didn't matter that the entire episode was video-taped and that anyone watching it could see what was happening. Anyone, but the Trump campaign minions.

That's denialism. They have no good answer for showing up at polls with weapons, waving Trump flags, or why they're making it hard for people to vote. 

Trump's minions shamelessly tell falsehoods that they think will defy our lying eyes (reality) regardless of the evidence.

Skepticism is sweeping through the country like the Grim Reaper as overwhelmed and confused Americans try to slog through layers of daily lies.

Out of the chaos that Trump has created this election cycle, Americans must vote in record numbers... 

if we want to save our democracy and defeat this pandemic with science.

We must vote like our future and lives depend upon it on Nov. 3rd. 

Because they do.

Quote for the Day: "Confident and proficient people are virtually impossible for a bully to intimidate in any environment." -Kilroy J. Oldster

'Out Damn Polls! You're Predictions Are Polluted:' Here's Six Reasons Why

 

Pandemic Diary - Day 228

Dear Diary,

Polls show such a different story on the same subject (person or issues) that it's hard for most people to believe them. 

I'm one of those doubters of the accuracy of polling predictions.

There's myriad reasons why there's discrepancies in polling results.

Six examples:

1. Partisanship. Who conducted the poll? If one party polls mostly its own supporters, the result will be seriously flawed.

2. The sampling. Whose being polled? All Americans? Or, just segments like minorities? What age? Gender? Is this information included in the researcher's analysis? 

3. There's often a difference between national polls and state polls, with state polls considered to be more accurate. The reason being state polls focus on counties and other factors not always considered by national polls.

4. Methodology. What were the questions asked on the poll? Were they "loaded" to get a preordained results? 

5. Polls are just a snap shot in time - some over days and others longer. The poll's results are only informative for a brief period of time before new results appear.

6. How was the poll conducted? On the phone? In person? Texting? Zoom?

There's other reasons why no one should count on any particular poll's accuracy. They are merely a source of amusement for political wonks and clueless 5:00 o'clock news watchers.

Keep this in mind; Millions of Americans in 2016 believed Hillary Clinton was going to win the race against Donald Trump easily.

When Trump won the election, the country went into mourning and was so stressed out that people still have PTSD from the trauma.

Don't believe the polls this time around. Get out and vote, if you already haven't done so. Encourage your family and friends to vote.

Too much depends upon the results of this election to become complacent.

Quote for the Day: "Democracy is not only the right to vote, it is the right to live in dignity." -Naomi Klein

Trump's Last Stand: Voter Suppression and Red Death Rallies

 
Pandemic Diary - Day 227

Dear Diary,

It's another split screen 2020 moment as Americans attend red and blue rallies days before the election.

One screen shows a Biden rally with supporters safely distancing in cars and wearing face masks. The former vice president is talking about science, unity, and reality.

On the other screen we see a Red rally with supporters packed together like sardines and not wearing face masks. Trump is pumping his tiny fists up and down and ranting about how the pandemic is over.

Trump has been holding as many as three super spreader rallies a day. His plans for holding a rally in Fayetteville, North Carolina, were cancelled due to bad weather. Ahhhh....it may save a few lives.

It's sad watching Trump supporters freezing and being hospitalized, or passing out from extreme heat, in super spreader rallies to see their TV celebrity president.

Meanwhile,

Republicans are doing their best to suppress votes, especially in swing states. The courts have been inundated with challenges to voter's rights in every state. 

The intelligence community is warning every state electoral board about cyberattacks from Russia, Iran, China and parts unknown. The frequency of the attacks have increased this week.

During these desperate waning days of the election, Trump's minions are seeing the writing-on-the wall, and it's indicating the liar-in-chief is losing the race.

They realize it's Trump's last stand even as they attempt to suppress voters from going to the polls.

Quote for the Day: "If voting didn't matter much, foreign governments wouldn't try to influence it. And if voting doesn't matter much, we wouldn't see the efforts in America to make it harder for certain people to vote. Your vote does matter. --Kim Wehle 

White House Claims the Pandemic is Over

Pandemic Diary - Day 227

Dear Diary,

After reading a press release from The White House today on how the pandemic is over, I didn't know whether to laugh, or lose my shit!

Lying this blatantly while the coronavirus is surging out of control nationwide six days before the election is nothing short of astonishing.

Especially in the light of what Trump's chief-of-staff Meadows said two days ago: "We can't control the pandemic." That's a surrender if I ever heard one.

Ignoring reality, Trump's minions repeat his lies despite pleas from professional healthcare workers who are on the front lines battling COVID-19 every day.

In the wasteland between reality and Trump's TV reality show presidency, bodies are building up in besieged hospitals in cities across the country.

Trump doesn't care. He never did. He's spent a lifetime opposing science and selling snake oil to unwary Americans. 

The latest revelation about Trump and Jared Kushner's political strategy in dealing with the pandemic comes as no surprise. He told Bob Woodward (April interview in Rage) that Trump took the US back from doctors.

For the start, their plan was to rush reopening states and pin any failures on the governors. The main component however, was DENIAL of how deadly the virus was.

From the moment Trump told Bob Woodward (January interview in Rage) that he was aware of how deadly the virus was, until he told Americans the "virus would magically go away," the game plan hinged on deception.

In a final act of denial and desperation Trump is holding up to three super spreader rallies daily. 

During his Nebraska spreader his supporters were left freezing for hours until they were bussed back to their cars. Seven people were hospitalized, and over 30 treated for weather related health conditions.

No apologies came from the Trump campaign or Trump himself. Instead, they blamed the problem on a vendor.

In summary, the pandemic is NOT over and Americans will have an opportunity to kick our liar-in-chief out of office in six days.

If you haven't already voted, please do. The nation's counting on you.

Quote for the Day: "The biggest liar in the world is They Say." -Douglas Malloch

Election Stress: It's Time to Take a Deep Breath and to Slowly Exhale

 

Pandemic Diary

Dear Diary,

Election stress is off the charts this chaotic cycle:

The anger. The lies. The steady increase of deaths from a pandemic out of control. A berserk president on a COVID-19 spreader tour across the country. 

Foreign powers trying to disrupt the election.

 A White House that admits it can't control the pandemic. 

A fight against systemic racism that's divided the country. Voter suppression and intimidation.

                              STOP!

It's time to take a deep breath and to exhale slowly. Healthcare professionals point out there's scientific reasons why it's a good idea. It doesn't take a scientist to discover how good. Just try it.

That deep-cleaning breath will allow you to pause and bring down your blood pressure. Your brain will appreciate the temporary break. The very act stimulates your brain's reward system - giving you a shot of pleasurable dopamine.

Instead of reacting in anger to every horrible thing Trump says or does, just take a deep breath. When your done, if that doesn't help, go into hibernation until the election is over.

Quote for the Day: "No one can hurt me without my permission." --Mahatma Gandhi

Trump's Scorched Earth Tactics Threatening Chaos On Election Day

 Pandemic Diary - Day 225

Dear Diary,

With one week to go Americans have to endure  blatant attempts to suppress their votes daily.

You can feel the tension on the 5 o'clock news when reporters describe armed Trump supporters lurking near polling places. 

Two days ago, armed Biden and Trump supporters stood across a street in Michigan heckling one another. It could have gone beyond that, but thankfully didn't.

Yesterday, Texas governor Abbott decided to deploy the state's National Guard troops in five major cities in case there's trouble on Nov. 3rd.

It's unclear how many troops would be sent to each city and where they would be stationed while deployed. Guard spokesman Brandon Jones said the troops might not be sent to polling stations. 

That means they could be sent to various places around the cities where protests and flare-ups are possible.

The rest of the states are girding themselves for a tough week ahead by consolidating local authorities and government agencies into action plans to protect voters.

Everyone expects trouble on Election Day, and possibly for days afterward. How scary is that? I've never seen anything like this relentless assault on our democracy by a sitting president.

Trump's minions are in the courts trying to stifle voter turnout in several swing states with decisions due this Friday.

The great divider himself has already put the nation on notice; he's not going to respect the results and plans on contesting them.

His twisted plan to take his grievances to the Supreme Court to contest the election was aided by confirming Amy Barrett days before the election.

He's planning on Barrett and the conservative majority to overthrow the election results and to crown him king.

As Trump continues to hold multi super spreader rallies daily amid a surge in the pandemic, the message is clear... Trump is counting on his good old friend CHAOS.

Quote for the Day: "It turns out that an eerie type of chaos can lurk just behind a facade of order - and yet, deep inside the chaos lurks even eerier type of order." -Douglas R. Hofstadter

McConnell Successfully Packs Supreme Court: But It's Too Late for Trump

 

Pandemic Diary - Day 224

Dear Diary,

With Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation today Mitch McConnell has achieved his lifetime dream...packing the Supreme Court with Conservatives by using every dirty trick in the book. And, adding a few new ones.

Despite getting credit for it, Trump wasn't the one who engineered the last three appointments to the Supreme Court. It was Mitch and the Federalist Society.

Trump was a useful idiot who benefited from being in the right place at the right time. 

That luck is running out for our whiner-in-charge.

Early voters - primarily Democrats and Independents - keep breaking turnout records in every state. Over 59 million people have already cast their votes.

Political pundits are predicting a voter turnout higher than anything the country has ever experienced in a presidential election. The signs of a "blue wave" are coming into focus.

Appointing a Supreme Court judge one week before Election Day is not going to turn the tide and save Trump's toupee.

His 2016 base (somewhat thinner now) was already going to support him regardless of his achievements, or failings. 

The way Barrett's confirmation was shamelessly pushed though by the GOP Senate enraged - and motivated - Democrats to turn out and vote in historic numbers. 

As if people needed anymore motivations after suffering through a pandemic with a commander-in-chief who is an ego maniac and sociopath who doesn't believe in science.

I wouldn't be surprised if McConnell could care less if Trump got re-elected.

The orange moron served his purpose and Mitch has got his legacy of packing courts.

McConnell's hypocrisy will always be his brand, and I'm confident history will show that.

As for the Supreme Court; only time will tell how much damage he did to the credibility of the nation's highest court.

Quote for the Day: "And then it seems, it's all too late..." -Petra Hermans

Democrats Break Out Their Own October Surprise: Barack Obama

 

Pandemic Diary - Day 223

Dear Diary,

After watching  our former President Barack Obama speak at a rally for Biden/Harris in Florida yesterday... I got goosebumps.

Obama is going to go down as one of the great American orators in modern times. Period. End of story. The guy can motivate a mule to vote.

Hearing him talk about nearly every important issue in America today in a 30-minute speech, was a tour de force. A master's lesson on  public speaking.

As much as I admire Joe Biden, he's never going to go down in the history books as one of our great speakers.

But, he's what America needs right now; someone with empathy who wants to unite our country.

Holding Obama back - like a secret weapon - until the waning days before Nov. 3rd, was a masterstroke by Biden's campaign.

Obama's inspirational speeches in swing states, with days left before the election, is the Democrats October Surprise for Trump and his minions.

I particularly enjoy knowing Trump is aware that Obama is part of the campaign that's going to get him kicked out of office. Knowing how much Trump hates Obama, makes the smack-downs so much sweeter.

Trump will continue to search for an October Surprise and he'll redouble his efforts to suppress voter turnouts with each passing day.

However, Americans are turning out for early voting like never before in history. Mail-in votes are being returned in record numbers in every state.

Despite Trump's vile efforts to disrupt this election, the writing is on the wall: America is sick and tired of Trump's tweets and chaotic administration.

Make sure your vote is counted. It matters that much.

Quote for the Day: "The wiser you become, the lesser you will be surprised." -Mehmet Murat ildan