The hour(s) has finally arrived. It’s presidential Election Day in the U.S.
For all us political junkies here, it’s "last call" for your 11:59:00 pm predictions.
For example:
Will the polls be accurate? I.e., will the vote be razor thin?
How long before the race gets called (later tonight … tomorrow … next week)?
Will there be any riots/violence in the aftermath?
Other (you tell me)
Give your last-minute assessment of what you are expecting.
(by PrimalSoup)
In the history of modern polling, there’s never been a race where the final polls showed such a close contest. If the poll averages are exactly right down to the decimal (they will not be), Ms. Harris would barely need to outperform the polls to prevail.
Q: Have oner 100 lawsuits been filed by Republicans to lay the groundwork for fomenting chaos if Trump loses the election? Apparently that has happened, but it is being poorly reported by the MSM.A: It appears that Republicans and the Trump campaign have indeed filed a significant number of lawsuits related to the 2024 election, though the exact number is not explicitly stated as over 100. However, the information suggests an aggressive legal strategy aimed at challenging various aspects of the election process.Republican Legal Strategy: The Republican National Committee (RNC) and the Trump campaign have adopted a more aggressive pre-election legal strategy compared to 2020. This strategy includes: Implementing an "election integrity" program with 100,000 volunteers and attorneys in battleground states. Engaging in over 130 election lawsuits across 26 states, according to an RNC official.The lawsuits filed by Republicans cover various aspects of the election process: Challenging voter registration procedures, contesting rules for overseas voting, questioning the certification of voting machines, and attempting to restrict mail-in voting.
In conclusion, while the exact number of lawsuits is not confirmed to be over 100, the search results indicate a significant and coordinated legal effort by Republicans to challenge various aspects of the election process. This strategy appears to be more extensive and organized compared to 2020, potentially setting the stage for contesting the election results if the outcome is unfavorable to Trump.
Groups backing former President Donald J. Trump recently sent messages to organize poll watchers to be ready to dispute votes in Democratic areas. Some posted images of armed men standing up for their rights to recruit for their cause. Others spread conspiracy theories that anything less than a Trump victory on Tuesday would be a miscarriage of justice worthy of revolt.
“The day is fast approaching when fence sitting will no longer be possible,” read one post from an Ohio chapter of the Proud Boys, the far-right organization that was instrumental in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. “You will either stand with the resistance or take a knee and willingly accept the yoke of tyranny and oppression.”
A New York Times analysis of more than one million messages across nearly 50 Telegram channels with over 500,000 members found a sprawling and interconnected movement intended to question the credibility of the presidential election, interfere with the voting process and potentially dispute the outcome. Nearly every channel reviewed by The Times was created after the 2020 election, highlighting the growth and increased sophistication of the election denialism movement.
To put that into perspective, the World Bank estimates global GDP as around $100 trillion, which is peanuts compared to the prospective fine. Google would therefore have to find more money than exists on Earth to pay Moscow - but on Tuesday fell a little short of that mark when it posted $88 billion quarterly revenue.
The bizarre amount has been calculated after a four-year court case that started after YouTube banned the ultra-nationalist Russian channel Tsargrad in 2020 in response to the US sanctions imposed against its owner. Following Putin's illegal invasion of Ukraine in 2022 more channels were added to the banned list and 17 stations are now suing the Chocolate Factory, including Zvezda (a TV channel owned by Putin's Ministry of Defence), according to local media.
"Google was called by a Russian court to administrative liability under Art. 13.41 of the Administrative Offenses Code for removing channels on the YouTube platform. The court ordered the company to restore these channels," lawyer Ivan Morozov told state media outlet TASS.
The court imposed a fine of 100 thousand rubles ($1,025) per day, with the total fine doubling every week. Owing to compound interest (Einstein's eighth wonder of the world), Google is now on the hook for an insane amount of money, or what the judge on Monday called “a case in which there are many, many zeros.”
Florida sent a reminder to the U.S. Department of Justice that they are not allowed to send monitors to polling locations after the DOJ sent a press release announcing the planned visits.
The Justice Department announced Friday that it “plans to monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in 86 jurisdictions in 27 states for the Nov. 5 general election.”
The DOJ said they “regularly deploy” staff to “monitor for compliance with federal civil rights laws in elections in communities all across the country.”
Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd wrote an email to the Deputy Chief at the U.S. Department of Justice Voting Section, Jasmyn Richardson, that said: “As a reminder, Department of Justice monitors are not permitted inside a polling place under Florida law.”
He cited 102.031 (3)(a) of the Florida statutes, which lists those who are allowed inside of a polling place.
“Department of Justice personnel are not included on the list,” he wrote.
“Even if they could qualify as ‘law enforcement’ under section 102.031 (3)(a) of the Florida Statutes, absent some evidence concerning the need for federal intrusion, or some federal statute that preempts Florida law, the presence of federal law enforcement inside polling places would be counterproductive and could potentially undermine confidence in the election,” he said.
All those who remain in northern Gaza — especially children — are “at imminent risk of dying” from disease, famine and ongoing bombardments there, UNICEF’s executive director warned.There we have it. The IDF didn't do it. Someone else did blew up the health-care center where polio shots were being administered to children. Since he is a rabid anti-vaxx crackpot, I think RFK Jr. did it.The World Health Organization reported an attack Saturday on a health-care center in Gaza City, where a polio vaccination drive was taking place. At least six people, including four children, were injured, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, adding that the attack took place during a humanitarian pause that Israel agreed to.
The IDF said that it was “aware of claims” that civilians were injured at the clinic, but that “an initial review determined that the IDF did not strike in the area at the specified time.”
“It’s the only thing they do well, they cheat. Their policies are no good. Their government is no good. Their management is no good, but they cheat like nobody can cheat.” — Former president Donald Trump, remarks about Democrats in Wilmington, North Carolina, on Sept. 21Here’s an assessment of the claims made by Trump and his allies — some repurposed from those he made in 2020, and some newly conjured for 2024. Be alert for projection, a hallmark of Trump claims: He likes to accuse others of what he himself has done or would try.1. Migrant noncitizens will vote in droves2. Polling places will have lax rules3. Media coverage will favor Democrats4. Prosecutions are election interference5. ‘Americans’ abroad will cast illegal votes6. Democrats will harvest ballots7. GOP poll watchers will be obstructed8. Voting machines will be rigged and hacked9. Private money will favor Democratic voters10. Dead people will vote (my favorite!!)11. The weather will be used against Trump (yeah, go figure that one out)12. The Fed’s rate cut is election interference13. The Democratic nomination was a coup
Believe me when I say this: I really enjoy the back n forth on this channel. I enjoy arguing with those who disagree with me, because - most of the time - we do it respectfully.
Yet, I have made a decision about the upcoming week. I will NOT be present. Probably starting Tuesday.
What has irked me in the last couple of weeks is how much worse it has gotten and how much worse it is GOING TO GET regardless of the election results.
In fact, I don't know which will be worse........
Trump winning, or Trump losing.
A win will usher in weeks of machismo from one side, lots of gloating, rubbing salt into our wounds.
BUT can we honestly say, we won't be tempted to do the same if our side wins? Rubbing their noses in it?
I do attend other debate forums, and the vile has become more vile than ever. Especially around stories like this one:
https://www.wesa.fm/politics-government/2024-10-31/mount-pleasant-parade-kamala-harris-pennsylvania
Which garbage remark was more offensive? Pick a side. Never mind they were BOTH offensive. One side says their garbage comment "was a joke" while the other side says Joe Biden just "misspoke."
I have a question too for our friend Germaine. Have you considered posting any guidelines about election night or the day after? Reason I ask: refugees from other Disqus channels that could come on here gloating if Trump wins or making threatening comments if Trump loses?
Worse: Will we automatically attack anyone who celebrates Trump's victory, even if they are within the rules? I suspect we know better, but it's still a question worth asking.
I have - ALMOST - lost faith in the American people. But I also remain an eternal optimist. But I will NOT be watching coverage on election night, nor likely next day, I will even avoid turning on any Canadian news channels. Me and my lady have already told all we know don't be calling us with results. We will watch movies or some of our favorite TV shows.
I know - as pretty much everyone else here knows - that it is going to be ugly. Even to the point - dare I say it - where a lot of people, both out there AND on debate forums and social media are going to lose their cookies.
I hope that the regulars here and Germaine will understand my reluctance for being on here and I will probably not even take part in any discussions on my own channel.
I hope Kamala wins. I hope civility survives. I hope we can all move forward after this election.
I also hope I will win a lottery, and what are the chances of that?
Be back some time in the future, till then, cheers to all my friends (or otherwise) on here.
Peanut 1. Not good. Not good at all. The EDVA [Eastern District Virginia trial court decision] seemed very solid to me.
Peanut 2. That's because it is. It's literally against federal law to purge the voter rolls this close to the election. The fact that they're ignoring that is more proof that they'll interpret the law anyway they want.
3. Does ignoring federal law open then up to impeachment? Wouldn't that be the only check on the power of the Supreme Court left since legislation does not seem to have an effect?
4. Problem is impeachment doesn't mean shit without one party in control of both Chambers sadly ....3 again. I still think there would be some benefit to just carrying out the impeachment process (even if it failed) to remind these Justices and more importantly the public that there is a mechanism by which to remove these corrupt judges once the tide turns against them.2 again. If. If the tide turns against them. That's this election. This is the best chance to change the course of this country. I don't know when we'll get another if we miss this one. Presidential immunity is a hard one to overcome. (emphasis added)
5. Thank everyone who voted for any Republican after the Federalist Society was founded in 1982 in order to create exactly these sorts of legal outcomes.
On Friday afternoon, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit handed down a shock decision declaring that states may not count ballots that are mailed by Election Day but received shortly thereafter. By its own terms, the ruling applies only to Mississippi, throwing the legality of its voting procedures into question just 11 days before the election. Nationwide, however, 18 states and Washington, D.C., accept late-arriving ballots; the 5th Circuit’s reasoning would render all these laws illegitimate and void, nullifying hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of ballots. The court’s obvious goal, aside from destabilizing a close election, is to tee up a Supreme Court decision that could wipe out all these laws in one fell swoop.
The Republican National Committee manufactured this dispute as a test case to end the widespread practice of accepting ballots that come in after Election Day, but are postmarked by Election Day. (Republicans believe that these ballots are disproportionately likely to support Democrats.) The RNC filed its lawsuit in Mississippi because the state counts late-arriving ballots and falls within the 5th Circuit; conservative lawyers knew they could get a favorable ruling from the far-right court.* RNC lawyers argued that federal law requires all votes to be received by Election Day, not just cast by Election Day. And they claimed that this federal rule overrides, or “preempts,” state laws to the contrary.U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola Jr. sharply rejected this argument. He pointed out that under the Constitution, “the times, places and manner” of federal elections “shall be prescribed” by the states, though Congress may “make or alter” the state’s laws. Congress has not prescribed specific rules for mail ballots, instead leaving those decisions up to the states. The fact that Congress created one “Election Day” does not mean that it intended to void ballots that are cast by that date but, for whatever reason, arrive shortly thereafter.
Now the 5th Circuit has disagreed. The three-judge panel that decided this case is made up of extremely far-right, ultrapartisan appointees of Donald Trump: Andrew Oldham, Kyle Duncan, and James Ho. In his majority opinion joined by Duncan and Ho, Oldham latched on to federal law setting out “the day for the election.” He then declared that this is “the day by which ballots must be both cast by voters and received by state officials.” Oldham asserted that a ballot is not actually “cast” until “the state takes custody of it”—a contested question on which federal law is silent. By fabricating this atextual rule, he was able to insist that late-arriving ballots are actually “cast” after Election Day.
But the 5th Circuit has now created a vehicle for the justices to visit this issue after the election and potentially strike down nearly 20 states’ laws, making voting exponentially harder in the future.
It turns out Sam Alito hates the Constitution as much as you thought he didThe Intelligencer has a story today that actually happened several years ago but — not unlike Alito’s Upside-Down Flag nonsense — didn’t register with the public at the time. As we noted last week, Alito has been taking expensive gifts — as the conservative Supreme Court justices are wont to do! — from a right-wing German princess, but it turns out he’s been cultivating more ties to the European aristocracy.It turns out the last time Donald Trump was president, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, author of the Dobbs decision setting women’s health care back a few centuries, added a knighthood to his own résumé, pledging an oath to the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George. The knighthood, bestowed in 2017, wasn’t widely reported at the time, but the order’s website was updated in July with Alito’s investiture on the front page.
May we present, Sir Samuel of Blackacre! We don’t know his sigil, but it’s meant to be flown upside-down.
Alito’s “An Appeal to Heaven” flag is a reference to John Locke’s argument in favor of a right to rise up against monarchists. Alito himself accepted a knighthood from an order managed by the House of Bourbon–Two Sicilies. The grand prefect of the order’s son is a pretender to the Imperial Throne of France.
Q: What is the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George?A: The Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George is an ancient equestrian order with origins dating back to the time of Emperor Constantine. It is considered one of the oldest orders of knighthood, tracing its roots to Emperor Constantine after the appearance of the Cross at Saxa Rubra. The main purposes of the order are to propagate the Christian faith and glorify the Holy Cross. It is also involved in social welfare and charitable activities. .... The current Grand Master is H.R.H. Prince Charles of Bourbon Two Sicilies, Duke of Castro and Head of the Royal House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies
