Thursday, November 10, 2016

The Letter Aaron Sorkin Wrote His Daughter After Donald Trump Was Elected President


The Oscar-winning screenwriter of The Social Network and mastermind behind The West Wing reacts to Donald Trump being elected the 45th president of the United States in a moving letter written to his 15-year-old daughter Roxy and her mother Julia Sorkin.

Sorkin Girls,

Well the world changed late last night in a way I couldn’t protect us from. That’s a terrible feeling for a father. I won’t sugarcoat it—this is truly horrible. It’s hardly the first time my candidate didn’t win (in fact it’s the sixth time) but it is the first time that a thoroughly incompetent pig with dangerous ideas, a serious psychiatric disorder, no knowledge of the world and no curiosity to learn has.

And it wasn’t just Donald Trump who won last night—it was his supporters too. The Klan won last night. White nationalists, sexists, racists and buffoons did as well. Angry young white men who think rap music and Cinco de Mayo are a threat to their way of life (or are the reason for their way of life) have been given cause to celebrate. Men who have no right to call themselves that and who think that women who aspire to more than looking hot are shrill, ugly, and otherwise worthy of our scorn rather than our admiration struck a blow for misogynistic shitheads everywhere. Hate was given hope. Abject dumbness was glamorized as being “the fresh voice of an outsider” who’s going to “shake things up.” (Did anyone bother to ask how? Is he going to re-arrange the chairs in the Roosevelt Room?) For the next four years, the President of the United States, the same office held by Washington and Jefferson, Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt, F.D.R., J.F.K. and Barack Obama, will be held by a man-boy who’ll spend his hours exacting Twitter vengeance against all who criticize him (and those numbers will be legion.) We’ve embarrassed ourselves in front of our children and the world.

And the world took no time to react. The Dow futures dropped 7,000 points overnight. Economists are predicting a deep and prolonged recession. Our NATO allies are in a state of legitimate fear. And speaking of fear, Muslim-Americans, Mexican-Americans and African-Americans are shaking in their shoes. And we’d be right to note that many of Donald Trump’s fans are not fans of Jews. On the other hand, there is a party going on at ISIS headquarters. What wouldn’t we give to trade this small fraction of a man for Richard Nixon right now?

So what do we do?

First of all, we remember that we’re not alone. A hundred million people in America and a billion more around the world feel exactly the same way we do.

Second, we get out of bed. The Trumpsters want to see people like us (Jewish, “coastal elites,” educated, socially progressive, Hollywood…) sobbing and wailing and talking about moving to Canada. I won’t give them that and neither will you. Here’s what we’ll do…

…we’ll fucking fight. (Roxy, there’s a time for this kind of language and it’s now.) We’re not powerless and we’re not voiceless. We don’t have majorities in the House or Senate but we do have representatives there. It’s also good to remember that most members of Trump’s own party feel exactly the same way about him that we do. We make sure that the people we sent to Washington—including Kamala Harris—take our strength with them and never take a day off.

We get involved. We do what we can to fight injustice anywhere we see it—whether it’s writing a check or rolling up our sleeves. Our family is fairly insulated from the effects of a Trump presidency so we fight for the families that aren’t. We fight for a woman to keep her right to choose. We fight for the First Amendment and we fight mostly for equality—not for a guarantee of equal outcomes but for equal opportunities. We stand up.

America didn’t stop being America last night and we didn’t stop being Americans and here’s the thing about Americans: Our darkest days have always—always—been followed by our finest hours.

Roxy, I know my predictions have let you down in the past, but personally, I don’t think this guy can make it a year without committing an impeachable crime. If he does manage to be a colossal jerk without breaking the law for four years, we’ll make it through those four years. And three years from now we’ll fight like hell for our candidate and we’ll win and they’ll lose and this time they’ll lose for good. Honey, it’ll be your first vote.

The battle isn’t over, it’s just begun. Grandpa fought in World War II and when he came home this country handed him an opportunity to make a great life for his family. I will not hand his granddaughter a country shaped by hateful and stupid men. Your tears last night woke me up, and I’ll never go to sleep on you again.

Love,

Dad 


https://mail.google.com/mail//0/?hl=en#inbox?compose=1585037023c5ed68

BREAKING: ACLU Announces MASSIVE Legal Action Against Donald Trump, Buckle Up


BREAKING: ACLU Announces MASSIVE Legal Action Against Donald Trump, Buckle Up

On Tuesday, Nov. 8, Donald Trump became the president-elect of the United States, and women, religious and racial minorities, and members of the LGBT community immediately began to worry about the injustices they may face under President Trump, especially as he is helped along by the Republican-controlled House and Senate. Fortunately, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has a message for Donald Trump and all those who are concerned about how they will fare under his reign. Their message is simple: “Should President-elect Donald Trump attempt to implement his unconstitutional campaign promises, we’ll see him in court.”

In Vermont: 68% Clinton 33% Trump

In Massachusetts I am sure the percentage breaks down similarly. Because that is so, however, will not matter. The Federal Government's hateful policies under a Trump presidency will prevail and those states that stayed blue will have to conform under Federal law to its mandates.

We have a serious serious problem because Trump's Republicans, even the ones who opposed him, will tow the line and most, in the end, already do. They will control every branch of our federal government -- the congress, the courts and the presidency. That means every minority group under our sun in this nation could face discrimination, arrest, imprisonment, or deportation if Trump is successful in putting through all the rancid things he said he would. We do not know what he will do because he flipped policies, to the extent that he had any, constantly. It is, therefore, incumbent upon us to watch him and his supporters vigilantly.

The majority in this nation thinks liberal blue but now must conform to an archaic electoral system that subverted its will twice and now elected a man who is fascistic-like in nature. The consequences, depending on Trump's whim, and those who support him could be dire. The question is what do we do about it?  Answer:  Elections, Elections, Elections!


Wednesday, November 09, 2016

Still Stunned

I am still stunned, sad, and yes, angry, at the underbelly of our nation that has SO much hate to elect this charlatan, racist, misogynist with NO experience and who 71% of the time lied. What about all the investigations that are ensuing around him? I am ashamed, embarrassed that we present this face to the world.

I called Hillary's headquarters and thanked her for all her decades of service to the poor, the powerless, the disenfranchised and the dispossessed. Trump will now have to work with the ENTIRE world who have their own interests at heart. The fact that Putin, a murderer times 10, a dictator sent his congratulations to him speaks volumes. Moreover, she won the popular vote. Sound familiar?

I say stay strong, do not give up our ideals for anyone or any circumstance. Some day we shall overcome, we have in the past and, I believe, we will in the future!

Hit by a Mack Truck

We feel here like we've been hit by a Mack Truck. We feel like we have the flu and we are sick. My friend who knows the markets thinks it was rigged and Russia played a part. Another felt like he got a diagnosis of cancer. I hate conspiratorial theories especially ones that could never be proven but my mind wonders if he does not have a point about Russia. How could so many get it so wrong? I do not even place the result on HRC's server or Huma Abadein's email. They are saying on Morning Joe that it was the WHITELASH and that the polls got it wrong. They are saying that people who voted for Trump did so but would not admit it to pollsters or in exit polls. Educated whites were ashamed to say they were voting for Trump, too, so nothing was accurate.

I was afraid if Hillary won big that I would have nothing to write about. Well this outcome renewed my efforts. We go on, still the same people we are, and we work another day. Howard Zinn would say to me change comes from the bottom up when we so seldom got what we wanted. This change is from the middle and the white working class who are the ones who hated that they felt ignored especially emanating from the Great Recession of 2007 and that Wall Street got it all and that they got nothing but fewer jobs and a bank account on empty.

Let's hope Trump does not ruin our international standing, that the Dow comes back from its 700 point drop yesterday, that another Great Recession will not occur, create more war or even god forbid nuclear war!

Susan B. Anthony never lived to see women get the vote. Now they did as did Hispanics, as did persons of color and so many whites, too, like we voted but not for Trump. Even most of Hollywood was on her side How much more of a grassroots effort could there be by us? My eyes opened today and the first thought I had was that there was something wrong. There is Trump is president. I think even he is shocked!

Tuesday, November 08, 2016

A Little Humor: "TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE ELECTION" ~ 2016

blogged by Becky Werner ~

Twas the night before the election and all through the house, Little Donald wasn't tweeting, Kelli Anne took his mouse. (And keyboard, the meanie)

The children were nestled in their gilded gold beds,while dreams of daddy's fascism danced in their heads

Melania in the nude and Donald in his toupee
Dreamed of all the dumb crap he would say the next day.

When on Trump tower roof there arose such a clatter, His "Orangeness" fell out of the bed and screamed "what the hell is the matter?!?"

Away to the elevator, he stumbled and sniffed
He hit the up button on his 14 carat gold lift.

He thought about the fake breasts on his wife, so hot. What was he thinking? Sniffle brain had forgot.

When, what do you know, what should appear, But a "Nasty Old Woman" and what looked like a reindeer.
(Hard to tell with *sniff* bad vision)

Now Biden, and Barack, I'll continue your vision
Now Jay-Z and Beyoncé and all my nasty women,

Through the glass ceiling - there won't be a wall
Now dash away, dash away! Dash away all.

And the glass, like rain, started falling down
They looked like crystal tears that on Drumpf's face slid down.

Away to the White House, Air Force One flew
With a whole lot of votes and Ex-President Bill, too.

And Trump's shriveled little fingers, like after a bath, Curled into tiny little fists, so great was his wrath.

He pouted, cried and growled about fixed elections
About how "Bigly" were his hands and also his erections.

But it did not matter. The die was now cast.
America's present would not be like Germany's past.

And the only wall that Trump would be currently building, was the one around his bank accounts that were rapidly wilting.

Hillary went to the Oval Office to continue her work, and Drumpf got his Twitter back and remained a big jerk.

America took a deep breath and enjoyed the great fall. Get a good night's sleep and "Happy Election Day" to All !!!!

Monday, November 07, 2016

IF

If the presidential election result is as I think it will be Hillary Rodham Clinton will be elected the 45th and first woman president of the United States making history.

If that is so my comment is brief and that is thank you, thank you and thank you again to our Hispanic, African American and the community of women for pulling this nation and, indeed, the world, from the precipice of Trumpian destruction. You who have suffered the arrows of so much hurt for so long a period of time are ironically the groups who will lead us again from the dark of night into the joy of light in the morning.

I stand with you -- the poor, the rejected, the downtrodden and the dispossessed because I am human and can empathize with those whose fate did not align with the stars of luck. As my hero Franklin D. Roosevelt said:
"The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little."
May your fate, Secretary Clinton, align with the stars of luck tomorrow so we can call you President Elect Hillary R. Clinton!

An Empty Room

Trump is a petulant child who in his youth needed not to be sent away to a cold military school but to have a father who cared more about loving his son then creating a money machine imparting values that valued over zealous discipline instead of love.

He was asked by someone yesterday what would make him happy and he said going around the country speaking in front of groups who love him. Sorry, Donald, that is not love. The love of an amorphous group of persons with whom you have no relationship is no match for the love a father that is so important especially to a male. 


Though I am not a Christian I love many New Testament preaching like "What profit a man if he gain the whole world but lose his soul." Donald, you are a mean, cruel seemingly pathological narcissist who cares about no one but himself. You have no soul. You are surrounded by many people but you live in an empty room. Maybe there is a God who has spared this nation your terrible onslaught!

Tapping My Foot

I'm waiting for Republicons to pull another dirty trick out of their slimy hat with one day to go before the election of Hillary Rodham Clinton to the presidency. I have no doubt they will think of something.

Every investigation of the Clintons by Republicans has failed every single time except it has not failed to spend hundreds of millions of taxpayer bucks by a Party that says it cares about frivolous government spending so much.

My vitriol against them goes against my natural grain. I do not like to fight, I do not like to get into hostile verbal exchanges but I believe if progressives do not, then a rancid universe of anti-science Republican policies benefiting the mega rich while spitting in the face of the poor, the sick, the minority, and the downtrodden's civil rights will ensue. If Republicans gain power their true allies, the very wealthiest 1%, will reap the benefits from their corrupt alliance with them.

I am not, I hope, by nature a mean person but they, I believe, force me to be something that I am not -- a vitriolic loather of right wingnut religious anti-science extremism into which the Republican Party has morphed. We must stop them every time they try to gain power or as sure as is the truth of Darwinian natural selection we will perish.

They have only themselves to blame for this Trumpian fiasco excuse for a campaign that has been created by using their own cannon to blast their Party into bits. Still, I am tapping my foot waiting for yet another waste of taxpayer money by them to advance their cause and make the wealthiest 1% even richer then they already are.

As I have said and printed in my local paper--Email investigation OVER!!!!! :)

Hillary's email frenzy was the biggest abridgement of civil liberties since the infamous J. Edgar Hoover's pathetic career of secret phone taps and bugs on figures like MLK, JFK, RFK other Democrats and progressives. 

It continues to be "conservatives" who decimate the Constitutional requirement to safeguard a human being from government overreach. This was much ado about nothing and indeed Republican Comey's motives certainly were suspect. The Trump/Pence sign on his upscale home are just more evidence that this man of high level FBI stature was significantly biased and should be pursued under the Hatch Act. Let him feel what it means not to have one's rights protected. Mr. Comey, say hello to Madam President Hillary Rodham Clinton the next President of the United States to make history again.

I'm thrilled the Abadin emails were much ado about nothing. I am for now a very happy person and when the electoral college finally certifies her presidency I will be delirious with joy!

Baruch Hashem -- Translation -- Please God!

Sunday, November 06, 2016

Read and Heed -- A Letter from Germany


Read and everyone should heed. This letter comes from a nation which fell for a cruel demagogic beast -- Result: WWII and 80 million dead. For us it will be more than that as Trump's itchy trigger finger on the nuclear button will be too much for him to resist. Remember, other nations have WMD's too. We are NOT the only ones. Some of those nations are downright hostile to us and some, formerly our friends, will turn hostile after God forbid an election of Trump!
Trump is risky Russian roulette at which most will not win! Do NOT be insane to vote for this con if you want you, your children and their children to remain above and not below the ground!  Pass on to anyone you choose!



Inline image 1

Saturday, November 05, 2016

The Chickens Come Home to Roost


If this beast Trump does not win, at some point his name will mean poison as now his 65 story Trump Tower in Toronto goes belly up. More Trump signs will be removed from buildings to which they were attached and he will not be able to sell his name to a Mafia don. Ultimately, he is such a rotten businessman running on bankruptcy and non payment of workers like a car that is running on fumes, he will lose his ill gotten gains because no one will lend him money since he does not in full pay back his debts. Would you?

After his resounding loss, which may, in fact, happen, the only one he will have in his corner is the KKK and the National Alliance f/k/a American Nazis. Good luck with that, Donald. Do you think they will spare a dime when you, god willing, end up on the street. Nope, they will be super angry with you! Have fun with that as non-violence is not a word in the right wingnut extremist's dictionary.

Oh yeah, by the way, is Melania going to be deported or jailed since she lied about her visa card as she allegedly initially entered this country and worked when she was NOT authorized to do so but said she was. That is a felony, I believe, and she can either have her citizenship taken away, end up in jail or be deported. The chickens come home to roost!

Republicans Terrified As Latino Voter Turnout Skyrockets To Stop Trump



http://www.politicususa.com/2016/11/04/republicans-terrified-latino-voter-turnout-skyrockets-stop-trump.html


By Jason Easley on Fri, Nov 4th, 2016 at 11:56 am


Latino voter turnout is skyrocketing, as Republicans are facing a rout with Latino voters thanks to Donald Trump.


Latino voter turnout is skyrocketing, as Republicans are facing a rout with Latino voters thanks to Donald Trump.

Gabriel Sanchez of Latino Decisions broke down numbers that paint the picture of a growing and energized Latino electorate that is out to stop Trump.

Sanchez told reporters in a conference call:

– Latino enthusiasm is up 10 points over 2012. 13.1-14.7 million Latinos estimated to vote. 71% of Latino voters said the election is very important.

– In 2012, Latino turnout was 48%. The projection for Latino turnout is projected to increase to 51%-53% for 2016.
– Early voting turnout with Latinos is increasing. Latino early vote in Florida is up 100% over 2012. The Latino early vote in North Carolina is up 60%. Latino early voting in Colorado and Nevada are up 20%. In Texas Latino early vote up 60% over 2012.

Latino enthusiasm is being driven by blocking Trump and increasing enthusiasm and support for Clinton.

Hillary Clinton has the most lopsided lead with Latino voters in history. Clinton is projected to beat Trump in 2016 by a margin of 80%-7%, with 3% of the vote going to third-party candidates. Clinton’s over Trump is higher than Obama’s lead over Romney. Clinton is dominating with Latino voters in all swing states. Hillary Clinton’s smallest lead is a 40% lead over Trump in FL.

Republicans warned in their autopsy report after the 2012 election that they needed to improve their performance with Latino voters or face even larger defeats in the future.

Instead of taking this advice to heart, Republican voters nominated the most anti-Latino presidential candidate in modern American electoral history.

Latinos are chronically underrepresented in the mainstream media and academic national polling, but what is shaping up in the detailed Latino polling is a complete bloodbath for Republicans.

The impact of Latino voters will be felt beyond the presidential race. Latino voters could swing several Senate seats to Democrats.

Republicans are about to pay a steep price for nominating Donald Trump and ignoring the lessons of 2012 as the rising political power of Latinos is about to flex its muscle for Hillary Clinton.


Latino Decisions, Latino poll, Latino support for Trump, Latino turnout 2016, Latino voting for Hillary Clinton, Latino voting in 2016

Friday, November 04, 2016

Be Angry With Donald Trump, But Not Afraid! | The Closer with Keith Olbermann | GQ -- NO ONE SAYS IT BETTER!!


NO ONE BUT NO ONE SAYS IT BETTER THAN THE CHARISMATIC KEITH OLBERMANN -- A MUST VIEW!  PASS IT ON TO ANYONE YOU LIKE THEN GET OUT AND VOTE, VOTE, VOTE FOR HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON AND CONVINCE OTHERS TO VOTE FOR HER TOO!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IeQCDMN6Rc
Trump is a Moron. And we can beat morons with the weapons still left to us — the ballot CONNECT WITH GQ Web: http://gqm.ag

Putin loves Trump Why? The Trumpurian candidate | The Closer with Keith Olbermann -- Please view

Keith Olbermann explains all you need to know why Putin loves Trump. Simply click on the link below.


MY COMMENT

Trump, the useful idiot, plays right into the KGB savvy Putin's plans. Putin is NO dope but Trump, who really cares about one thing -- MONEY and the power he can derive from the Presidency to get more of it, is. 


I was going to write an explanation of Trump's potential ruination of our NATO alliance and the handover of the Ukraine and Eastern Europe back to Putin so Putin's dreams of glory by retrieving the old Soviet empire that Russia lost when the Soviet empire fell can come true. Even nations in western Europe are spending sleepless nights worrying that Trump will win the presidency and their nations will ultimately devolve into a dystopian WWII-like nightmare or worse for their survival.

Trump loves Putin for different reasons having to do with his business connections in Russia than Putin loves Trump for empire building purposes through the destruction of NATO. They can use each other and gain gobs of money and oodles of power that is at the very heart of who they both are.

Olbermann's rendition of the etiology of this bromance contains all I could ever say and say it so well about this potential international alarming Manchurian Candidate-like consequence. Please listen. You will not be disappointed!

https://youtu.be/zPlqaBMUTzU

Preview YouTube video Is Donald Trump a Russian Agent? | The Closer with Keith Olbermann | GQ

Thursday, November 03, 2016

New Polls Show Hillary Clinton Leading In Most Key States



http://www.huffingtonpost.com/…/state-polls-clinton-leading…


New Polls Show Hillary Clinton Leading In Most Key States


Plenty of people seem ready to freak out, but the race remains as it was.
huffingtonpost.com|By Natalie Jackson

CHEERS, TEARS AND LUCK

CONGRATULATIONS CUBBIES!!! It was too late for me to stay up to watch and stupid me I did not tape it like I meant to. So this a.m. first thing I checked and was SO happy to see the outcome. I can't believe it but this Boston fan is crying for the Chicago Cubbies. I love it when the underdog wins! The 108 year series curse of the goat is over for them. I can relate to the Boston curse of the Bambino. I am so happy for Chicago and yes probably it was the best World Series ever! WOW.

Finally something to cheer about in a presidential season that has had me crying NOT out of happiness but of supreme sadness for our nation having to go through the sick profanity of the worst presidential candidate in US history having at least 40% of our nation buy his con. Worse too is the profanity, race and other hatred, crudity, lewd verbiage, ignorance not to mention Drumpf's assault on SO many women that staggers my mind. Trump is the most unqualified cerebrally unfit human who has approached the sanctity of the oval office.

The greatest sadness for me is not his candidacy, though, but the fact that so many in the nation love the horrendously rude statements that come out of his mouth and that they hate so many who cannot help that they were born into a certain race, religion, sexual orientation and yes even with a handicap. Worse still is they are so violent harboring that hate. That hate threatens our nation to an extreme we have not seen since the 19th century Civil War.

I had two good things happen yesterday and one was the Cubbies win. A win for the presidency of Hillary Clinton would be, for me, the third. I hope, this time, I get lucky again!



YES, PRAY FOR ALL OF US THAT A SIGNIFICANT WIN HAPPENS FOR HILLARY CLINTON. WORK YOUR HEART OUT TO SAVE OUR NATION FROM ITS OWN CURSE OF THE GOAT, DONALD J. TRUMP; WORK TO GET OUT THE VOTE FOR HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON THE ONLY SANE LIFE AND NATION SAVING CHOICE FOR THE PRESIDENCY!!!


Wednesday, November 02, 2016

CNN confirms James Comey violated FBI policy today by trying to sabotage Hillary Clinton

FIVE REASONS NOT TO PANIC ABOUT HILLARY CLINTON RIGHT NOW

There are plenty of justifications for losing sleep ahead of Election Day. But five key indicators tell us Hillary Clinton is still the favorite to win.

By: Michael Tomasky -- The Daily Beast

Worry? Hell, yes, worry. A man who just got the official endorsement of the Ku Klux Klan is close to becoming president of the United States. If that doesn’t worry you—and if it doesn’t make Republicans finally and fully ashamed—then nothing will.

Hillary Clinton isn’t running against just that man. She’s running against the Kremlin—yeah, I know, our government just said that those hacking into our electoral process aren’t necessarily favoring a candidate, they’re just trying to make mischief; but it’s a funny thing, isn’t it, that they didn’t hack any Trump campaign email accounts.

She’s running against Julian Assange, who claims neutrality but obviously despises Clinton because she was secretary of State when WikiLeaks got started and she opposed what he was doing (in other words, because she was doing her job as the world’s most important diplomat).

She’s running against right-wing legislatures and governors and electoral black-arts operatives in a number of states who’ve done everything they legally could—and, as we’ll no doubt learn on Election Night, illegally, too—to keep black people, who will back her at a rate well north of 90 percent, from voting.

And she’s running against a rogue FBI director about whom more devastating information came out Wednesday morning. We now learn that the bureau refrained from issuing subpoenas over the summer in probes involving both the Clinton Foundation and Paul Manafort because it was too close to the election. But Oct. 28 wasn’t too close to the election for Jim Comey to try to derail Clinton’s campaign.

So yes, worry.
But don’t panic.

Clinton’s still the favorite, and there are reasons why. Here are five of them:

1. Early voting. Those going to the polls before Election Day tend to favor Democrats, in some states to such an extent that Clinton and down-ballot Democrats are building leads that may be close to insurmountable. The most striking example so far seems to be Nevada, where Clinton’s early-voting lead, says FiveThirtyEight, is enough that Trump would have to win by a huge margin on Election Day.

North Carolina is another state where Clinton has zoomed to an early-voting lead. Around 1.8 million people have already voted, out of a total 4.4 million expected to vote. The Upshot estimates that Clinton leads by 11 percentage points among those who’ve voted so far. If that’s accurate, again, Trump would have to over perform the polling by pretty huge margins to overcome that.

The news wasn’t as good from Florida, but one poll popped late last night showing Clinton with an 8 percentage-point lead among early voters, propelled by her getting 28 percent of early-voting Republicans. I don’t know. It doesn’t seem crazy that her GOP crossover vote in Florida would be higher than in most states—Florida has a lot of Jeb-like, country-club Republicans in places like Boca Raton and in the wealthier cities of the Suncoast. If that number is right, the race in Florida, and nationally, is a done deal. But of course we won’t know til Election Night.

One early-voting problem: Black turnout is low. This is probably because of the voter-disenfranchisement issues I cite above. The Clinton campaign and its surrogates will need to be sure that word circulates in black communities that states are trying to block them from exercising their right to vote against the man with the KKK endorsement. (The Trump campaign renounced this endorsement, which is lovely, considering he spent more than a year earning it).

2. The Electoral College math. It remains daunting for Trump as for any Republican. Unless something really weird happens, Clinton has 246 Electoral Votes she just shouldn’t lose (I’m counting Michigan and Wisconsin here, and Pennsylvania, but not Virginia, which is probably being generous to Trump). Trump has 180. Of course crazy things could happen. People are worried about voter suppression in Wisconsin, and Clinton will need a solid black turnout in Michigan. But just remember: Clinton can lose Florida, Ohio, North Carolina, Colorado, Arizona, and Iowa and still hit 270.

3. Latino turnout seems to be going through the roof. Hispanic voter-registration numbers spiked like crazy all through the spring and summer. And early signs are that Latino early-voting turnout is wild high. If the pattern holds on Election Day, it should make a difference in the obvious states: Florida, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, and New Mexico. If you read “Florida” and are thinking “but Cubans,” bear in mind: In 2012, Obama and Romney split the Cuban vote roughly 50-50. Also the Cuban vote is about half the state’s Latino vote. The other half is mainly Puerto Rican. So Clinton should get half of the first half and 85 percent of the second half for an overall margin among Florida Latinos of about two-to-one.

4. Black turnout should spike on Election Day. Some states are making it as hard as they can for black people to vote, but there’s little evidence to suggest that means black voters just won’t bother. Black turnout has been increasing steadily with every presidential election in recent years. There will probably be some falloff because Barack Obama isn’t on the ballot, but experts like Ruy Teixeira think it will be small (or perhaps won’t happen at all). And if anything, Trump is going to do worse among black voters than even Romney, who got 5 percent.

Warning note here: If black turnout is heavy on Election Day itself, this will lead to really long lines, because in addition to early-voting suppression, these same states usually put far fewer voting machines in black neighborhoods than in white ones. This means people will be standing in lines well after the polls close. Under law, anyone who shows up before closing time has a right to vote, even if it takes three or however many more hours. This always involves court orders and the like. And this year, given Trump’s vicious rhetoric, it might involve violence. I hope the Clinton people and local leaders are ready for this in every way they need to be.

5. Ground game. Clinton hired campaign manager Robbie Mook basically to do this—run the most extensive and sophisticated ground game in presidential history. It seems as if a formidable machine is in place. And it seems as if the Trump campaign hasn’t built anything like the same kind of network.

If swing voters are put off by Clinton in these closing moments by what Jim Comey did, that makes pulling out the base voters all the more important. Again, we’ll have to wait until Election Night to see. But the Obama track record from 2008 and 2012 would suggest that the Democratic ground game—which at the local level will involve many of the same party and union and other activists who powered Obama’s operations—generally works as advertised. This was especially so in Florida, where, in polling, Obama was tied with or actually trailed Romney by a point or so on the morning of Election Day.

Feel better? You should. I do! But only a little. We’re in a dark place as a country, and strange things can happen in the dark, but the numbers tell us that a hell of a lot of them would have to happen for disaster to befall us.

Democratic Presidential Convention--On to November

  I watched the Democratic convention last evening until my body's demand for sleep overtook me around midnight.  Having followed thin...