From Canada with Hurt and Anger

Jim runs a vintage radio repair shop in a small town north of Toronto. He rightly feels utterly betrayed by America right now. 

[America] has become a predator and we have become prey. . . The trust between me and Americans is gone, and it will never come back. I won't live long enough to ever trust them again. We've been played for fools by the Americans.

 

This American is deeply ashamed and totally disgusted, Jim, by what the American Tyrant is doing to your country and all our friends around the world. There is no excuse, no good reason for it, just one evil man's greed and lust for supreme power over the whole North American continent. I know saying "I'm sorry" isnt good enough. 

But please remember, all of you out there, that half of us VOTED AGAINST THE TYRANT.  We foresaw clearly what he would do if elected.  And we are all outraged at the way he is destroying our own government day by day. We share your hurt, your anger, and your dismay. We just don't know how to stop him yet.  We are sheep without a shepherd at the moment.

Notice the difference in the popular vote - only 1.5 percent.
So never forget there are many millions of Americans who oppose the tyranny.
From Wikipedia.

But you have to stand up to the bully.  The only thing any bully respects is strength, and a punch in the nose.  We know you have to protect yourselves, so do what you have to do.  Don't go down without a fight.  We'll understand, and keep praying for a speedy return to "sunny ways" between our nations.

P. S. -- I must not omit to say Thank You, Canada for all your many acts of kindness and brotherhood over the years.  I well recall that your people in Tehran sheltered some of our people during the hostage crisis back in the 70s.  And how you sheltered hundreds of our stranded citizens during the no-fly period after 9/11.  And how I watched and wept with joy when your Parliament legalized gay marriage long before it was possible down here.  This Southerner couldn't live in your fierce winter climate - but I've kept a friendly eye on Canada for many years now.  You're my secret valentine.  God bless and protect you all.

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Kamala Harris Certifies Election

In keeping with her duty as Vice President, Kamala Harris today presided over the certification of the electoral votes for President, thus ensuring the peaceful transition of power that has been a hallmark of our republic since 1789 -- with just one exception, four years ago today.

Why that exception did not result in a swift and decisive prosecution for the guilty parties is more than your Head Trucker can understand.

 

Future historians will marvel at how quietly we handed our democracy over to destruction, in faithful obedience to the Constitution and the laws. God help us all. 

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Kamala and Tim: Thanks and Hope

The light of America's promise will burn bright

as long as we never give up and we keep fighting.

--Vice President Kamala Harris

Some encouraging words from Team Blue, down but not out:

What I Say:  We all owe a great debt of gratitude to our two standard-bearers, who suddenly took on a massive, gruelling campaign they never expected to run, and did it with grace, good cheer, and unstinting effort all the way down to the finish line.  Just to think of the sheer physical effort it took staggers me - a stroll through the grocery store wears me out at this late age - to say nothing of the mental and emotional strain they and their families went through in that whirlwind campaign.

It was a damn hard job, and an uphill battle; but they took up the challenge gladly and fought to win against all odds.  That they lost is no reflection whatsoever on their courage and character.  As the old hymn goes, which inspired the likes of Harry Truman:

Dare to be a Daniel,

Dare to stand alone,

Dare to hold a purpose firm,

Dare to make it known.

And I will say this:  the idea that Kamala lost because she was a woman, or a black woman, or any other personal characterstic is utterly false:  weenie-whiney bullshit.  She very nearly did win:  the difference in the popular vote was less than 2 percent.  In my view, she lost because she wasn't selling what a slim majority of voters wanted.  They chose rotgut whiskey instead of bottled water.  It's just real simple.

'

They will have a hell of a hangover, too, when they come to their senses.  It's a damn shame that the rest of us will have to suffer along with them.

It is most interesting to study the eye-opening results of the popular vote, as well as the exit polls, broken down by sex, race, religion, education, income, and much more.  I encourage all my truckbuddies in this country and abroad to do so before you say another word about the election.  Knowledge is power.

Keep the faith, brothers.

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Trump Trifecta: Republicans Keep House Majority

Now we know that what we greatly feared would happen, will happen: on January 20th, Republicans will control the White House, the Senate, and the House of Representatives.  In addition, they already have a 6-3 majority on the Supreme Court, which last July declared that a president has "absolute immunity" from prosecution for any crimes he may commit during his term of office.

Once again, I have no words.

But here are some encouraging words I just came across from John Brideveaux down in South Texas, posted last Wednesday:

And here's today's eloquent commentary:

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The Heart of the Matter

Father David is a retired Episcopal priest.  I just came across some of his short videos made before the election.  I think they are still very relevant and inspirational.  See what you think.

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NO WORDS

Update, 11/10/24:  Final results

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Sunday Drive: Baroque Playlist

I think we all need to take a deep breath, relax, be calm, and know that the power of goodness will continue in the world, regardless of the election.  Believe.

O God of peace, who hast taught us that in returning and rest we shall be saved, in quietness and in confidence shall be our strength: By the might of thy Spirit lift us, we pray thee, to thy presence, where we may be still and know that thou art God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Are the Polls Right?

Use the ABC-538 interactive election map here.
Click to enlarge this screen shot.

The Guardian raises a question that's been in the back of your Head Trucker's mind:  how can it be possible that the American public is so evenly divided between supporters Harris and Trump, and the numbers haven't changed for the last 3 months?

The Guardian writes:  

Large numbers of surveys would be expected to show a wider variety of opinion, even in a close election, due to the randomness inherent in polling. The absence of such variation suggests that either pollsters are adjusting “weird” margins of 5% or more, Clinton and Lapinski argued – or the following second possibility, which they deemed more likely.

“Some of the tools pollsters are using in 2024 to address the polling problems of 2020, such as weighting by partisanship, past vote or other factors, may be flattening out the differences and reducing the variation in reported poll results,” they write.

Either explanation “raises the possibility that the results of the election could be unexpectedly different than the razor-close narrative the cluster of state polls and the polling averages suggest”, they added.

We can't know whether the polls are accurate until all the results are in.  Meanwhile, here are the latest forcasts from ABC/538:

Look how steady their popular vote numbers are - I never recall seeing any poll in any election that looked like this for months at a time.

And here's their probability forecast - more variation but still awfully damn close.

Here's the poll tracking chart from the Guardian itself:

And here's the chart from Wikipedia, which looks very different from the others:

The only vote I'm sure of is the one I cast on Tuesday.  The rest is up to you, my fellow Americans.

P. S. - Of course you know, a president can't get much done without majorities of the same party in the House and Senate.  Look at how often Congress stonewalled Obama when he was in the White House.  But I can't spare the energy to worry about all that just now.

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The Choice Is Life or Death

A cold front is sweeping through Texas, bringing us some much-needed rain and cooler temperatures.  Your Head Trucker is a bit under the weather today, taking cough syrup, aspirin, and a hot toddy, and may go back to bed and sleep the rest of the afternoon.

I don't feel like posting all that's been said in the political sphere the last couple of days, but the video below gives a quick summary.  The thing is, the choice is so clear, the outcome so obvious that only a child or a lunatic could waver between the two candidates.  A vote for Trump is a vote for the death of our democracy; anyone who thinks he is just kidding about being a dictator from day one is living in a dream world.  This could be the last election you will ever get to vote in.

I can't believe we are back at the same place we were in 2016, but here we are: and the peril is even greater.  I'm praying for a big blue wave at the polls to sweep the fascist threat away.  God help us all.

Update, 11/2/24:

The New York Times Editorial Board, prohibited by owner Jeff Bezos from printing a presidential endorsement, has instead published this final warning:

Click to enlarge.

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Playing to Win: All Gas, No Brakes

* * * * *  W E  V O T E D !  * * * * *

Only a week now till Election Day, November 5th.  Here's a few heads-up for you.

1.  It's straight out of a Frank Capra movie.  Gotta love Coach's do-or-die pep talk to Team Blue:

 

2.  Bernie Sanders cogently explains why you should vote for Kamala even if you disagree with her on some issues:

 

3.  Robert Reich warns us not to fall for the old Red Mirage trick that Trump exploited last time:

4.  Ragin' Cajun James Carville says, "We're gonna win, baby!"

5.  Mika from Morning Joe says "this is the election where you want to know you did everything you could when America was on the line":

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Don't Be a Sucker (1946)

America in 2024 is very different from Germany in 1933; and what we call fascist today is not quite the same as what fascist meant back then.  Still, the broad parallels and present dangers are unmistakable, and this film is highly pertinent to the choice we face in this election. 

He who has an ear, let him hear.

In case anyone doesn't get the point, here are some of today's headlines from Joe.My.God.com:

But then there's this, from Politico:

Harris is pounding Trump on fascism.

Some Dems think that’s a mistake.

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Thirty Million Votes Are In

Today's election forecast (not based on early voting) from ABC/538
shows a probability of 53-47 in Trump's favor.
Click to enlarge.

Today's election news is up and down and criss-cross, like the lines on the chart above.

1.  Thirty million Americans have cast early votes in the presidential election.  But it seems more have voted red than blue at this time.  Republican pollster and political consultant Frank Luntz explains why Kamala isn't reaching the "persuadable voters," and what she should do about that:

 

[What I Say:  Though I'm wary of Luntz's recommendations, given his longtime support for Pat Buchanan, Newt Gingrich, and George W. Bush, your Head Trucker has noticed since the first debate that Kamala has no particular agenda to sell.  It's pleasing to the base to hear her call Trump a fascist over and over, but does that win any voters who aren't already Kamala supporters?  

And her speeches around the country, what snips and bits I've heard of them, are mainly a rehash of the same rich-aunt talking points from the first debate:  she wants to help out with the grocery bills, give diaper money to new parents, and hand a big wad of cash to first-time homebuyers (which nobody ever offered me).  Along with nifty catchphrases like "Turn the Page" and "Not Going Back," that's about all I've heard of what she actually plans to DO if elected. She's been way over-cautious about telling us plainly and simply what that is, in my view.

I understand why she can't be the "change" candidate without disparaging Biden.  But that's not cutting it.  Voters need something to vote FOR, not just against.  Think Hillary, or better yet, think Margaret Thatcher.  Extraordinary women, clear -- sharp -- determined.  

But what do I know. Kamala has to be herself, not a copy of someone else.  I don't doubt that she is doing her best right now, and she's fighting for our democracy, so God bless her.]

2.  UK newspaper The Guardian, traditional supporter of the Labour Party, sent a reporter to J.D. Vance's hometown in Ohio to find out why Kamala has low support from male voters there:

 

3.  Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a Republican who broke with Trump after being fired from the White House, explains what Kamala needs to do now to "close the deal" and win the election:

 

4.  Contrary to all the above, political analysts on the Democratic side see hopeful signs in this week's early voting pattern, despite a flood of Republican-biased polls favoring Trump:

 

Well, steady on, boys.  We have to stay the course till the end, if what we believe in is worth fighting for.  No doubt there will be weeks of uncertainty and bickering and lies and maybe violence before we know the outcome of this election for sure.  But hang in there.  Don't give up the ship!  We may find safe harbor yet.

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Trump Takes Lead over Harris

Two things I want to say, briefly.  First, in the furor and excitement of the campaign, it's been easy to forget that until late July, Kamala was not a candidate and had no reason to think she ever would run for president again.  In 2020, she seemed like a great running mate for Joe Biden, nicely rounding out the ticket:  old and young(er), male and female, white and black, east and west, etc.  I expected Joe would put her to good use in his administration.

But then once they got into office, we heard less and less of Kamala way down here in the provinces, until finally she just seemed to vanish into the woodwork.  In fact, when I heard that Biden had dropped out of the race last July, and started wondering who could replace him as candidate, it was 20 or 30 minutes before I remembered Kamala at all:  she has been that invisible for most of his time in office.

All of which is just to say, in recent days it has come to my mind that she must be under a terrific strain, having to jump overnight from a quiet, nearly forgotten role into the heat of a full-fledged campaign. When you consider that, you realize just what a very fine, even astonishing job she is doing.  And I just pray the Lord will strengthen and sustain her in that mission, along with Walz and all others who are fighting the good fight now.  It's a desperate, historic fight, and uphill all the way.  The light of History will gleam upon their helmets, whether they prevail or fall.

The other thing I want to say is, how strange that for weeks we have been hearing about Kamala's slow but steady rise in the national polls; but this week, suddenly it's Trump who is pulling ahead, markedly.  And this after some of the most filthy, most outrageous, most reprehensible lies, threats, and calumnies he's ever made.  Why is that?  Yes, I get the fact that polls are imperfect, subject to all kinds of errors and adjustments, yada yada.  But why now, after weeks of being in the (small) lead, is Kamala dropping behind?  Very odd.

I guess it is just like a real horse race, where sometimes, for no apparent reason to the untrained eye, as they near the finish line one horse pulls ahead and another can't keep up.  Either that, or someone, somewhere is doing some manipulating of a kind I can't even imagine.  All I know is, the only thing that will stop Trump from taking over is a massive blue wave at the polls.  So let's do our best, fellas, and keep hope alive.  It's not over till it's over.

A few stats from the Wall Street Journal, which leans Republican:

P. S. -- Blogger tells me this is my 4600th post on the Blue Truck.  No kidding?  Hard to believe.  That's an average of about 285 posts a year since I started in 2008.  I know it's mostly boring stuff, and nothing to brag about, but it gives this old shitkicker something to do.

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History Is Calling!

 

The presidential horserace is rounding the curve into the final stretch now.  For the record, here are some video snapshots of what it's all about. There's no good reason for anyone of sound mind to be confused or unsure of what's at stake now: democracy with all its messes and successes, or a dictatorship of fools, frauds, and fanatics. 

The choice is yours, my fellow Americans.  But be careful, very careful, what you wish for.

[I sent the above video to M.P. overnight.  His reply was, "What a vile vulgar swine of a creature it is." and further unprintable remarks.]

 

Rachel says it's now or never to claim your place in history: 

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Two Weeks to Go

 

We are having delicious weather here in Texas, since autumn finally arrived last week.  The night temperatures dip down in the 50s, but the days are sunny and warm, with highs in the 70s:  lovely.

Time sure is speeding along now; seems like Biden dropped out of the presidential race just the other day, and suddenly here we are in October.  Election Day, November 5th, is two weeks from tomorrow.  Here in Texas, early voting began today, and we hope to get to the polling place sometime this week.  Have you voted yet?  The sooner, the better - this is not the time to procrastinate.  You never know what might happen between now and Election Day.

I have read that election officers all around the country have strengthened and tightened security procedures this time around. I can tell you that where we live, all the elcction staff and volunteers are remarkably kind and helpful folks, and early voting is a breeze.  They seem to have all the latest technology going, though still using paper ballots, as they should.  And they are using numbered ballots this year, so you can memorize your ballot number and look it up later to be sure it was counted.  An excellent idea.  So I feel very confident in our local voting office:  real patriots quietly doing a fine job.

As everyone knows, or should, the polling shows a dead heat, a virtual tie, between Harris and Trump.  The ABC/538 forecast, which is refreshed daily as new polls come in, actually shows a slight advantage for Trump today:

Click to enlarge.

And here is the interactive election map, which you can play with at the ABC/538 site listed in the top sidebar of this blog: 

Click to enlarge.

I haven't tried to blog all the election news here, an impossible task. And there's no point in my obsessing over every he-said, she-said thing. The essential thing is to vote, not talk, not worry, not fuss and fret over all the what-ifs. That does no one any good.

Oddly enough, now that the election is approaching, I don't feel the same drama in the air that I did in the last two presidential elections; is it just me, or does it seem to you like a dull re-run of a show you didn't like the first time you saw it?  I do earnestly pray that the Democrats win the White House and both houses of Congress, so I'm going to cast my ballot and keep my fingers crossed. This little reminder to my truckbuddies and drive-by readers is about the limit of what else I can do. 

So if you love this country, and want to keep it worth living in, get up off your duff and VOTE BLUE NO MATTER WHO. And tell your friends and neighbors to do the same. Give them a ride to the polls if they need it. Be patient with the old, the timid, and the dithering. Hope for the best, and remember the sacrifices our forebears have made in the last 250 years to keep this country on the right path.

The democracy you save may be your own.

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Take the Keys Away!

Coach had this to say about Trump's impromptu dance party the other day:

 

What I say: This is not the behavior of someone who is eager to win an election. It's more like someone who thinks it's already in the bag, and votes aren't necessary. Just sayin'.

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James Carville: Pay Attention, Please!

Electoral vote forecast, 10/13/24, from 538/ABC News.
Click to enlarge.

Longtime Democratic strategist James Carville, who was Bill Clinton's campaign manager, sounds the alarm on Trump's fascist plans for America - including using the military to round up his political enemies.

Trump declined to be interviewed on 60 Minutes last week, and has told friendly interviewers that he does intend to carry out his threats, as Morning Joe reports:

 

This report by Medhi Hassan a year ago is still a chilling forecast of the evils to come if Trump wins re-election: 

 

All these reporters and commentors tell us to believe that Trump will do just what he says he will do. It is worth noting that Hitler also spelled out everything he would do in his screed Mein Kampf, published in 1925, eight years before he came to power in Germany. Perhaps a lot of Germans who read it then just laughed it off. 

But it's no laughing matter. Be afraid, be very afraid.

VOTE BLUE, NO MATTER WHO!

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Obama Rips Trump in Pittsburgh Speech

A few highlights: 

 

The full speech: 

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Trae Crowder: A Hurricane of Lies

The Liberal Redneck recaps the lastest rightwing lies about weather, money, and politics:

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Trae Crowder: It's a Wild World

The Liberal Redneck recaps last night's VP debate between Walz and Vance.

CBS provides highlights from the hour-and-a-half debate:

 

Rachel Maddow and other political commentators react:

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