This blogger and author has gone through what many of his readers and others have felt: a hellish 24 hours of stress and lack of sleep as the nation waits for the results of the Presidential Election of 2020.
Five states–Pennsylvania, Georgia, Arizona, Nevada, and North Carolina–remain, as I write, unsettled as to the winner.
But at this moment before 5 AM, and having failed to post an article as usual on November 5 due to the turmoil, I am happy to report that Joe Biden is ahead in all the remaining states, except Pennsylvania and North Carolina, and is on the path to being declared President Elect!
As of 10 AM this morning, Biden has the lead in Pennsylvania and Georgia and is holding his lead in Nevada and Arizona.
Biden is on track to get to 306 electoral votes—a number we’ve heard often over the last four years, but one that this time will also come with a large popular vote margin.
Some Republicans fiercely defend Trump’s lies as others offer the weakest possible pushback.
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2020/11/6/1993287/-Some-Republicans-fiercely-defend-Trump-s-lies-as-others-offer-the-weakest-possible-pushback
Republicans are divided on how to deal with Donald Trump’s attempts to steal the election by lying, encouraging his supporters to disrupt counting, and flooding the courts with baseless lawsuits. Some, like Sens. Lindsey Graham and Ted Cruz, are enthusiastically joining in, spouting their own versions of Trump’s anti-democratic lies. A very few, like Sen. Mitt Romney and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, pushed back more or less immediately. Most chose silence and delay—though by Friday morning, some of the silence was breaking down.
“Here’s how this must work in our great country: Every legal vote should be counted,†Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell tweeted, trying frantically to balance between Trumpian talking points and the appearance of seriousness. “Any illegally-submitted ballots must not. All sides must get to observe the process. And the courts are here to apply the laws & resolve disputes. That’s how Americans’ votes decide the result.â€
Not exactly full-throated “the election is being stolen from Trump†rhetoric, but by regurgitating Team Trump’s legal vs. illegal votes claims, McConnell tried to hedge his bets. He couldn’t just come out and defend the democratic process with his whole voice.
Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey did a little better, telling the Today show’s Savannah Guthrie, “the president’s allegations of large-scale fraud and theft of the election are just not substantiated. I’m not aware of any significant wrongdoing here.â€
Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse came out with a typically self-important statement, but he did say “If the President’s legal team has real evidence, they need to present it immediately to both the public and the courts.â€
But if Trump responds as expected to Joe Biden pulling ahead in Georgia and Pennsylvania, Republicans are going to need to get a lot stronger than these weak tea statements. If they want to be remembered as having—in the final, final moments—stood for democracy, they need to actually condemn what Trump is saying and doing, forcefully and with no weasel words. As it stands now, there’s no indication they’re prepared.
Kamala Harris makes history today!!! We will have a WOMAN OF COLOR as our next Vice President!!!!
For me, it will be tense until 1/21/2021 when Biden/Harris truly lead America and IMPOTUS and his crime family face numerous trials and the rest of their lives in jail. I’m hoping that Biden appoints a real bulldog to be AG. I’m thinking of Preet Bharara, but VP-elect Harris would know who best to appoint as AG, having been AG of CA.
Mark Kelly has won his Senate seat in Arizona, making it 48 to 48.
If there’s a tie in the Senate, Harris will be the tie breaker! 🙂
Biden will be addressing the nation tonight.
Georgia is going to have a recount.
Business Insider has called it for Biden, following Decision Desk HQ’s lead:
https://www.businessinsider.com/joe-biden-wins-general-election-against-donald-trump-2020-11
The lead in PA keeps growing. I’ll unofficially call it too.
Trump’s concession song:
Takeaways From 11/3
As America girds for what is to unfold in the wake of November 3, there are three things we would all do well to remember, one item to note, and one fact to ponder.
The first thing to remember is the immortal admonition of Papa Joe Stalin: “It’s not who votes that counts, it’s who counts the votes.” Within the context of the contest for the White House in particular, he might have added, “And who gets to decide whose count counts. And, ultimately, who gets to decide that.”
The second thing is the immortal reminder from Yogi Berra that “It ain’t over til it’s over.” And within that same context, Election2020 won’t be over until January 20, 2021, when the next occupant of the Oval Office is scheduled to take his oath, and becomes the next President. There are seventy-seven days from November 3 to January 21, and a lot can happen between now and then.
The third thing to remember is that this is the first time in living memory that there is a very real perception and concern on the part of not a few people that these next two and a half months from the election to the inauguration will be anything but peaceful, orderly, and even nominally “normal,” whatever that is anymore, regardless of who is ultimately declared the next President, by whom, or how.
The item to note is an open declaration of War Against the War on Drugs, with four States joining Alaska and ten others in the legalization of Recreational Marijuana; with Oregon also showing the way toward ending America’s illegal drug problem, the crime associated with it, and the expenses of enforcement by the simple step of reducing possession of heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamines to misdemeanors punishable by a $100 fine.
The fact to ponder is that, as of two weeks ago, an estimated $14 Billion has been spent on Election2020; and that’s just on federal elections. That’s more than twice the total money spent in Election2016, including close to $6.6 billion spent to get to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, compared to around $2.4 billion in 2016. [Source: https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2020/10/cost-of-2020-election-14billion-update/%5D
All of this tells anybody who is paying attention a great deal about America’s $1 = 1 Vote system of politics, government, and governance. And a lot about exactly what is wrong with it. And how to fix it.
Omg! A real president is going to speak tonight! 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
Since we know Trump will never concede, Biden should announce that he has begun his transition process.
Ha! Ha! Good one, Rustbelt! 🙂
Need to put up one of those Thank You Jesus signs in the front yard!
Trump’s Chief Of Staff, Mark Meadows, has tested positive for Covid.