DemocraticPatriot
DemocraticPatriot's JournalRFK Jr. qualifies for Michigan ballot
Source: NewsNation
Hanna Trudo, The Hill
Updated: APR 19, 2024 / 04:47 AM CDT
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks at a Cesar Chavez Day event at Union Station on March 30, 2024 in Los Angeles.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has qualified as a 2024 presidential candidate in the battleground state of Michigan, his campaign announced Thursday.
Kennedy is backed by the Natural Law Party in Michigan, which worked to collect signatures and file paperwork to support his independent White House bid.
Read more: https://www.newsnationnow.com/politics/2024-election/rfk-jr-qualifies-for-michigan-ballot/
My comment:
Goddammit! sliding onto my state ballot via one of our too-many qualified 'parties'....
Well, the stupid little nut said a few months back that he would be willing to sign an abortion ban after the first trimester--- so we should hammer him with that until the cows go home....
The Fall of Wake Island... and Donald Trump's tooth brush...
(reposted in full from General Discussion, after someone located this forum for me) https://democraticunderground.com/100218826582
(in reference to a judge's comment that Donald Trump should be prepared to pack his toothbrush, on the way to jail-- reminded me of one of my favorite books)
If Donald Trump is allowed to carry a toothbrush with him to jail,
he will be luckier than a few United States Marines....
Many (or all?) of the American Marines captured at the fall of Wake Island by the Japanese in late December 1941, were not allowed to bring toothbrushes with them when being shipped out for prison camp.
Their commander himself, Major James Devereux, was prohibited from carrying one in his personal baggage. The Japanese officer in authority explained,
'Many of the Japanese people do not own toothbrushes'.
~from 'The Story Of Wake Island' by James P.S. Devereux
(Old book but a simple, quick, and epic read, if you can find a copy. Check eBay-- I found an old hard-cover copy there, after wearing out my paperback version--- I read it about once a year!)
So. if Trump is allowed to carry a toothbrush to jail, he should count himself fortunate!
Of course, I am quite sure that Donald Trump would consider the American defenders in the battle for Wake Island,
the most incredible story of the defense of a military post by a small force against incredible odds since the battle for the Alamo,
to be "LOSERS" ---
since they eventually had to surrender
(a decision which was made by the Naval commander of the island, not the Marines--- they could have continued to spend casualties, but there was nothing they could buy with them--- surrounded by a good number of large Japanese navy ships who could have leveled the island with their shells, while staying safely out of range of the Marine's smaller artillery...)
and the U.S. Naval task force which had been sent to reinforce and defend Wake had been ordered to turn back. Navy pilots on the carrier wept on the deck, when they were informed of the orders...
However, the spirited defense of Wake Island for more than two weeks in December 1941 by a tiny detachment of U.S. Marines (who numbered less than half of the 'training allowance' they were supposed to have for their units), was one of the most important ((and only)) war news stories that would build up American morale after the Pearl Harbor disaster, because it proved that Americans could and would fight!
Less than 400 Marine defenders, using their artillery to advantage, caused more than 5,000 Japanese casualties, sunk up to nine ships, and turned back the first Japanese task force sent to take the island, while being bombed almost every day between December 8th and December 22nd, 1941. A second Japanese task force more than a week later landed troops under the cover of night and overwhelmed them, which resulted in the surrender just before Christmas 1941.
'Losers' ?
We all know who the REAL "loser" is....
---an orange guy who most probably has no idea where Wake Island is,
or what happened there in December of 1941....
and will probably be permitted to take a toothbrush with him to jail.
(I never served, but I say God Bless Those Who Have---
and Semper Fi to all current and former United States Marines,
for whom I have the utmost respect!)
The Fall of Wake Island, and Donald Trump's toothbrush....
https://democraticunderground.com/100218826582The Fall of Wake Island, and Donald Trump's toothbrush
(Trump is lucky if he can carry a toothbrush with him to jail....
a few U.S. Marines could not)
https://democraticunderground.com/100218826582
(Is there no US History forum? if there is, I couldn't find it,
so this seemed to be a spot for this)
The fall of Wake Island, and Donald Trump's toothbrush
(in reference to a judge's comment that Donald Trump should be prepared to pack his toothbrush, on the way to jail-- reminded me of one of my favorite books)Many (or all?) of the American Marines captured at the fall of Wake Island by the Japanese in late December 1941, were not allowed to bring toothbrushes with them when being shipped out for prison camp.
Their commander himself, Major James Devereux, was prohibited from carrying one in his personal baggage. The Japanese officer in authority explained,
'Many of the Japanese people do not own toothbrushes'.
~from 'The Story Of Wake Island' by James P.S. Devereux
(Old book but a simple, quick, and epic read, if you can find a copy. Check eBay-- I found an old hard-cover copy there, after wearing out my paperback version--- I read it about once a year!)
So. if Trump is allowed to carry a toothbrush to jail, he should count himself fortunate!
Of course, I am quite sure that Donald Trump would consider the American defenders in the battle for Wake Island,
the most incredible story of the defense of a military post by a small force against incredible odds since the battle for the Alamo,
to be "LOSERS" ---
since they eventually had to surrender
(a decision which was made by the Naval commander of the island, not the Marines--- they could have continued to spend casualties, but there was nothing they could buy with them--- surrounded by a good number of large Japanese navy ships who could have leveled the island with their shells, while staying safely out of range of the Marine's smaller artillery...)
and the U.S. Naval task force which had been sent to reinforce and defend Wake had been ordered to turn back. Navy pilots on the carrier wept on the deck, when they were informed of the orders...
However, the spirited defense of Wake Island for more than two weeks in December 1941 by a tiny detachment of U.S. Marines (who numbered less than half of the 'training allowance' they were supposed to have for their units), was one of the most important ((and only)) war news stories that would build up American morale after the Pearl Harbor disaster, because it proved that Americans could and would fight!
Less than 400 Marine defenders, using their artillery to advantage, caused more than 5,000 Japanese casualties, sunk up to nine ships, and turned back the first Japanese task force sent to take the island, while being bombed almost every day between December 8th and December 22nd, 1941. A second Japanese task force more than a week later landed troops under the cover of night and overwhelmed them, which resulted in the surrender just before Christmas 1941.
'Losers' ?
We all know who the REAL "loser" is....
---an orange guy who most probably has no idea where Wake Island is,
or what happened there in December of 1941....
and will probably be permitted to take a toothbrush with him to jail.
(I never served, but I say God Bless Those Who Have---
and Semper Fi to all current and former United States Marines,
for whom I have the utmost respect!)
The Lawyer that Trump deserved to have defending him in the Carrol case...
(Gotta love the unintended foreshadowing, with the "Coach" star as the prosecuting attorney years before "Coach" was created, and the final line of his opening statement:
"Let's make THIS our 'goal-line stand'! " lol)
(( And if you have never seen this movie, the clip is definitely worth your time---
afterwards you are guaranteed to want to see the whole thing.....))
History and Analysis of Florida/Ohio Presidential votes over the past 3/4s of a century
or something like that....
Florida
1976: The last instance of the Democratic "Solid south"-- because we nominated a southerner from Georgia... before that, we won Florida in the 1964 landslide, but Kennedy lost it in 1960.
1980 through 1992, the Republicans won Florida. Even Bill Clinton in 1992, with his "all-southern ticket" did not win in Florida--- although as the incumbent in 1996, he did manage to win it.
In 2000, the Democrats "officially" lost Florida, thanks to the Supreme Court ruling, although in all fairness it seems that we actually won it.... A huge number of Democrats punched the ballot for Al Gore, but also wrote in his name, which 'legally' spoiled their ballots-- even though their intent was "doubly clear"....
Democrats lost Florida in 2004.
In 2008 and 2012, Barack Obama won Florida--- I credit those victories to a huge increase in the black vote, for the first African-American presidential nominee and President, as well as the effective landslide for the candidate in both of those years.
Democrats lost Florida in 2016 and 2020, and the state seems to have moved further right in those years. Most professionals no longer consider it to be a 'swing state'--- and personally, I believe the Democratic victories after 1976 to have been 'anomilies', due the strength of our candidates in those eight elections when we won the state. (Bill Clinton and Barack Obama)
OHIO
Ohio had a habit for a few cycles of always going for the winner of the popular vote--- for 60 years, they were known as 'the bell-weather state--- whoever won Ohio won the presidential election'---
but in the long-term of history, they were a more Republican state who gave us several Presidents-- Grant and Taft, for a start. Not sure who else at the moment...
Ohio is somewhat similar to Florida, in that extremely strong Democratic candidates in their year, were able to win it.... but not all of them....
Jimmy Carter won Ohio in 1976, which was a close election and therefore somewhat surprising to me--- but it did enforce 'the rule', "whoever wins Ohio wins the election".
After that, the Democrats lost Ohio, until nominating Bill Clinton, who was a strong candidate and won it in 1992 and 1996.
Afterwards, Democrats lost it in 2000 and 2004,
but Barack Obama won it in 2008 and 2012
(again, I credit that to increased African-American turnout, as well as the general strength of the candidate...)
Since 2012, the Democratic candidate has not won Ohio.
>>>Notably, President Roosevelt lost in Ohio in 1944, while easily winning the rest of the country (432-99 electoral votes).
(WTF, ohio?? LOL)
President John F. Kennedy also won the presidency in 1960, while losing Ohio. After that, President Joe Biden in 2020 also won the Presidency, while also losing Ohio--- the first presidential candidate in 60 years to do so...
Luckily, the Democrats are no longer dependent upon Ohio--- but I can't quite figure out what has happened to that state... The majority of their voters have obviously shifted to the right, although the majority also clearly support abortion rights. If we are to make any fight in that state (and all the rest for that matter, ) we must do so on the basis of reproductive rights as Issue number one!
But WTF about voting against Roosevelt in 1944?? That still boggles my mind.... lol
In either instance, I would not categorize either Florida or Ohio as "swing states" over the past half-century or more--- they would only swing to the Democrats when we had particularly strong candidates-- and otherwise would revert to voting for some weak Republican candidates... (Ford, Bush 1 and Bush 2...)
However, I think we have a particularly strong candidate with President Joe Biden---
especially when compared to 'the alternative' !!!!
(Not making an argument for making a serious fight for either of those states---
but "just saying"...)
Still, if we make a fight in those states, the Trump campaign will need to respond---
and they have a major financial problem going into the General election....
Thoughts?
Should US keep arming Israel? Poll finds most Americans want weapon shipments to stop
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/national/article286584265.htmlMost Americans want the U.S. government to stop supplying weapons to Israel, according to new polling.
A narrow majority of U.S. adults, 52%, said American arms shipments should be stopped until Israel ends its attacks in Gaza, according to a YouGov poll released on March 11.
Less than one-third of respondents, 27%, said the shipments should not be halted, and 21% were unsure.
The poll, commissioned by the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) — a think tank in Washington, D.C. — sampled 1,000 U.S. adults, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. The question over additional military aid revealed a strong partisan divide among respondents.
Read more at: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/national/article286584265.html#storylink=cpy
Count me among the majority! --- and the vast majority of Democrats, according to this poll....
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