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2:00PM Water Cooler 11/5/2024

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By Lambert Strether of Corrente.

Patient readers, brunch was quite something today, so please forgive any solecisms or infelicities. –lambert

Bird Song of the Day

Northern Mockingbird, The Celery Fields, Sarasota, Florida, United States.

* * *

In Case You Might Miss…

  1. Election 2024 roundup.
  2. Gram Parson’s birthday.
  3. Welding.

* * *

Politics

“So many of the social reactions that strike us as psychological are in fact a rational management of symbolic capital.” –Pierre Bourdieu, Classification Struggles

* * *

2024

Results: Handy map:

Certainly Trump’s solid win in the popular vote is legitimizing, and makes the kind of spook manipulations I was concerned about, like a color revolution, far less likely, though the nature and role of the Intelligence Community as an extra-constitutional entity remains a question. (Sadly, CIA Democrat Elissa Slotkin may yet pull out a win.)

Trump’s popular vote win was also unexpected:

“Harris to concede Wednesday afternoon” [Associated Press]. “Vice President Kamala Harris will deliver a concession speech Wednesday at 4 p.m., her office announced. Harris will speak at Howard University, her alma mater in Washington, where her supporters watched returns Tuesday night before being sent home after midnight as President-elect Donald Trump pulled ahead in battleground state results.” • In the election Live Blog, I published a schedule of returns from the Harris campaign: “Thursday, 11/07 & Beyond: If results are very close in any state, the race still may not be called.” But events moved much, much faster than the Harris campaign expected!

“Harris congratulates Trump on winning the presidential race” [Politico]. “Kamala Harris has called Donald Trump to congratulate him on winning the 2024 presidential election, according to a senior Harris aide. The vice president talked about the importance of a peaceful transfer of power and being a president for all Americans, the aide said.” • Oh. Hopefully she’s not lying on the “peaceful transfer” part; I still don’t see how you just hand the keys to the White House over to someone you devoutly believe is a fascist. (unless they were lying all along). RussiaGate was launched, IIRC, in the Clinton campaign plane the day after the election, so maybe Kamala’s people were hatching the same sort of plot before 4:00pm today. We shall see.

* * *

A compendium of reactions. –lambert

Class: Harris always did well in the Hamptons:

Shoutout to Ferguson and Storm:

Trump being an expert in sniffing out weakness. Turns out the Democrat weakness was class, as one would expect from a party whose base is the PMC. Sadly, the only way to express this is through immigration. “Lived experience,” doncha know.

Universal concrete material benefits:

* * *

Missouri:

Counties: “Early Results Show a Red Shift Across the U.S.” [New York Times]: “Of the counties with nearly complete results, more than 90 percent shifted in favor of former President Donald J. Trump in the 2024 presidential election.”

Kamala’s underperformance:

See the community note. There are 3.144 counties in the United States, and 58/3,144 = 0.01844783715, which is zero for all practical purposes. (I also think Twitter, or, I suppose, Musk, deservers credit for the “Community Notes” feature. I find it useful.)

Data point (1):

Data point (2):

The Blob: I wonder how the “thirty five year national security expert” is feeling?

Perhaps all the endorsements from generals and spooks and national security goons were — hear me out — a negative?

Our Democracy: Misery:

One party’s candidate was chosen in primaries; the other’s was selected by a small cabal. One party’s base hated its leadership, and used the primary mechanism to get rid of it. The other party wouldn’t even consider such a thing, and operates strictly by seniority. Which party is more democratic?

Democrat Leadership: The entire Democrat leadership ought to be purged, for starters:

Of course, that won’t happen, and the entire party has been made over in the image of the failed leaders (Exhibit A: AOC), so even if it did happen, it would make no differenece.

Identity Politics: “A historic realignment” –Trump

Abortion: “Reproductive Freedom” outperformed Kamala:

This suggests, perhaps counter-intuitively, that the Supreme Court in Dobbs, which left abortion up to the states, will in fact maximize poltically feasible codification (assuming Trump keeps his promise not to push for a national ban. No doubt the Christianists will push for a national ban when Congress reconvenes, so we’ll see what happens. Personally, I think Trump would like the whole issue, and its zealots, to go away).

Our Famously Free Press:

The “dark” meme reappears:

Fascism:

I disagree with scholar-of-fascism Paxton’s claim that this is a fascist moment (see extended discussion here). I don’t think it’s evidence-based, let alone based on scholarship. That said, I agree wholeheartedly with him here: “Whatever Trumpism is, it’s coming ‘from below as a mass phenomenon, and the leaders are running to keep ahead of it.'” Democrats will, of course, be incapable of even perceiving this “mass phenomenon,” let alone analyzing it. Ditto RINOs. Today’s Republicans? I don’t know.

Liberal Inability to Self-Reflect: “Would it not in that case be simpler for the government to dissolve the people and elect another?” — Bertolt Brecht

The sad thing is that even though Kolbert is at The New Yorker, I’ve enjoyed her writing on climate.

Schadenfreude: The Bidens (1): Ouch!

The Bidens (2): Biden’s counter-programming, whatever the cause, cannot have been helpful:

(“I want her to know it was me” is a Game of Thrones reference.)

Get the word “Lincoln” out of your mouths:

The fall of House Cheney:

* * *

Lambert here: This post brings Water Cooler’s daily election 2024 coverage to an end, although the election will continue to be a rich vein of inquiry as the transition to a Trump administration takes place (assuming, of course, that there is not a third, successful assassination attempt, or some late-breaking lawfare imbroglio). Let me briefly review my methodology. Since this is not my blog, I don’t make “calls” and certainly don’t make endorsements. Rather, I lay out my evidence and thinking and trust the readers to make use of them as they may. Back in December 2023 I wrote, looking forward, or at least ahead, to the year’s coverage:

340 days is a long time in politics. In the formulation of stability vs. volatility — that is, the view that the race is a “regular order” of Trump v. Biden, vs. the view that it is by no means certain that Trump and/or Biden will nominated[1], elected, and allowed to assume office[2], and further, that the means by which the parties will select their candidates is unknown[3], and even the nature of victory is unknown — I am firmly on the side of volatility[4].

[1] In fact, Biden was defenestrated. [2] We can’t be sure: The transition period is a long time of politics. [3] Kamala was selected not in a primary, but by a small cabal. [4] I think the upheaval on election day comes under the heading of volatility (in addition to Trump being the second President since Grover Cleveland to serve two non-consecutive terms). Further:

Hence my grimly detailed and methodical pointillist method; we need to know as much about all the players and fields as we possibly can, because we cannot know who will emerge from the pack[5], or even, at this point, why[6]. The powers that be can rig the election all they want, but if the dogs won’t eat the rigging, what then? And if they will, what then? So strap yourselves in.

[5] Robert Kennedy. [6] Uncommitted and Stein re: genocide.

I feel that the “grimly detailed and methodical pointillist method” cannot but have given readers insight into splendor and miseries of electoral politics, the strengths and weaknesses of the parties and the players, and “vibes.” What I did not anticipate, going into 2024, was the sheer volume and solidity of the bullshit I would have to contend with, and the overwhelming commitment of the press to the victory of one candidate/party. These two factors made the daily task of plucking nuggets from the news flow much more time-consuming and, indeed, risky than I have become accustomed to, because literally every data point had to be “assessed,” as if I were some sort of spook myself. Another way of saying this is that the PMC are my people, the press being a subset thereof; and I have been accustomed to being able to apply a proper discount to a large array of PMC work products, venues, etc., shortcutting the assessment process. Not so this year! Another methodological issue was representing the ebb and flow of candidate support in the campaign. Here, I decided to use the RealClearPolitics (RCP) poll averages every week. RCP is a conservative source, but and so its averages protected me (and you) from polling error and manipulation. Throughout, potential paths to victory for the ultimate winner were always clear. I’m also happy to have kept drawing that red box around Pennsylvania, where the Blue Wall first cracked. (I was surprised that Trump won the popular vote, but I never did track it, since it wasn’t relevant to victory). Here endeth my criticism/self-criticism for Water Cooler’s election coverage.

Syndemics

“I am in earnest — I will not equivocate — I will not excuse — I will not retreat a single inch — AND I WILL BE HEARD.” –William Lloyd Garrison

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Covid Resources, United States (National): Transmission (CDC); Wastewater (CDC, Biobot; includes many counties; Wastewater Scan, includes drilldown by zip); Variants (CDC; Walgreens); “Iowa COVID-19 Tracker” (in IA, but national data). “Infection Control, Emergency Management, Safety, and General Thoughts” (especially on hospitalization by city).

Lambert here: Readers, thanks for the collective effort. To update any entry, do feel free to contact me at the address given with the plants. Please put “COVID” in the subject line. Thank you!

Resources, United States (Local): AK (dashboard); AL (dashboard); AR (dashboard); AZ (dashboard); CA (dashboard; Marin, dashboard; Stanford, wastewater; Oakland, wastewater); CO (dashboard; wastewater); CT (dashboard); DE (dashboard); FL (wastewater); GA (wastewater); HI (dashboard); IA (wastewater reports); ID (dashboard, Boise; dashboard, wastewater, Central Idaho; wastewater, Coeur d’Alene; dashboard, Spokane County); IL (wastewater); IN (dashboard); KS (dashboard; wastewater, Lawrence); KY (dashboard, Louisville); LA (dashboard); MA (wastewater); MD (dashboard); ME (dashboard); MI (wastewater; wastewater); MN (dashboard); MO (wastewater); MS (dashboard); MT (dashboard); NC (dashboard); ND (dashboard; wastewater); NE (dashboard); NH (wastewater); NJ (dashboard); NM (dashboard); NV (dashboard; wastewater, Southern NV); NY (dashboard); OH (dashboard); OK (dashboard); OR (dashboard); PA (dashboard); RI (dashboard); SC (dashboard); SD (dashboard); TN (dashboard); TX (dashboard); UT (wastewater); VA (wastewater); VT (dashboard); WA (dashboard; dashboard); WI (wastewater); WV (wastewater); WY (wastewater).

Resources, Canada (National): Wastewater (Government of Canada).

Resources, Canada (Provincial): ON (wastewater); QC (les eaux usées); BC (wastewater); BC, Vancouver (wastewater).

Hat tips to helpful readers: Alexis, anon (2), Art_DogCT, B24S, CanCyn, ChiGal, Chuck L, Festoonic, FM, FreeMarketApologist (4), Gumbo, hop2it, JB, JEHR, JF, JL Joe, John, JM (10), JustAnotherVolunteer, JW, KatieBird, KF, KidDoc, LL, Michael King, KF, LaRuse, mrsyk, MT, MT_Wild, otisyves, Petal (6), RK (2), RL, RM, Rod, square coats (11), tennesseewaltzer, Tom B., Utah, Bob White (3).

Stay safe out there!

* * *

Stats Watch

There are no official statistics of interest today.

* * *

Today’s Fear & Greed Index: 57 Greed (previous close: 43 Fear) [CNN]. One week ago: 57 (Greed). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Nov 6 at 2:00:00 PM ET.

Musical Interlude

Gram Parsons’ birthday was the other day:

Book Nook

“Report finds ‘shocking and dispiriting’ fall in children reading for pleasure” [Guardian]. In the UK: “Children’s reading enjoyment has fallen to its lowest level in almost two decades, with just one in three young people saying that they enjoy reading in their free time, according to a new survey. Only 34.6% of eight- to 18-year-olds surveyed by the National Literacy Trust (NLT) said that they enjoy reading in their spare time. This is the lowest level recorded by the charity since it began surveying children about their reading habits 19 years ago, representing an 8.8 percentage point drop since last year. It is also part of a broader downward trend since 2016, when almost two in three children said that they enjoyed reading.” • That’s a steep drop-off!

Gallery

What color!

Zeitgeist Watch

Finally!

News of the Wired

“Only 5.3% of welders in the US are women. After years as a writing professor, I became one − here’s what I learned” [The Conversation]. “Recognizing the good pay and job security, U.S. women have moved in greater numbers into skilled trades such as welding and fabrication within the past 10 years. From 2017 to 2022, the number of women in trades rose from about 241,000 to nearly 354,000. That’s an increase of about 47%. Even so, women still constitute just 5.3% of welders in the United States.” • Worth a read, particularly if you’re a woman thinking of entering the field.

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Contact information for plants: Readers, feel free to contact me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, to (a) find out how to send me a check if you are allergic to PayPal and (b) to find out how to send me images of plants. Vegetables are fine! Fungi, lichen, and coral are deemed to be honorary plants! If you want your handle to appear as a credit, please place it at the start of your mail in parentheses: (thus). Otherwise, I will anonymize by using your initials. See the previous Water Cooler (with plant) here. From Milton:

Milton writes: “Fall Colors around of Big Pine along Hwy 395 in the Eastern Sierra. This was taken as I took the turn off to the Bristlecone Pine forests.”

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Readers: Water Cooler is a standalone entity not covered by the annual NC fundraiser. Material here is Lambert’s, and does not express the views of the Naked Capitalism site. If you see a link you especially like, or an item you wouldn’t see anywhere else, please do not hesitate to express your appreciation in tangible form. Remember, a tip jar is for tipping! Regular positive feedback both makes me feel good and lets me know I’m on the right track with coverage. When I get no donations for three or four days I get worried. More tangibly, a constant trickle of donations helps me with expenses, and I factor in that trickle when setting fundraising goals:

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About Lambert Strether

Readers, I have had a correspondent characterize my views as realistic cynical. Let me briefly explain them. I believe in universal programs that provide concrete material benefits, especially to the working class. Medicare for All is the prime example, but tuition-free college and a Post Office Bank also fall under this heading. So do a Jobs Guarantee and a Debt Jubilee. Clearly, neither liberal Democrats nor conservative Republicans can deliver on such programs, because the two are different flavors of neoliberalism (“Because markets”). I don’t much care about the “ism” that delivers the benefits, although whichever one does have to put common humanity first, as opposed to markets. Could be a second FDR saving capitalism, democratic socialism leashing and collaring it, or communism razing it. I don’t much care, as long as the benefits are delivered. To me, the key issue — and this is why Medicare for All is always first with me — is the tens of thousands of excess “deaths from despair,” as described by the Case-Deaton study, and other recent studies. That enormous body count makes Medicare for All, at the very least, a moral and strategic imperative. And that level of suffering and organic damage makes the concerns of identity politics — even the worthy fight to help the refugees Bush, Obama, and Clinton’s wars created — bright shiny objects by comparison. Hence my frustration with the news flow — currently in my view the swirling intersection of two, separate Shock Doctrine campaigns, one by the Administration, and the other by out-of-power liberals and their allies in the State and in the press — a news flow that constantly forces me to focus on matters that I regard as of secondary importance to the excess deaths. What kind of political economy is it that halts or even reverses the increases in life expectancy that civilized societies have achieved? I am also very hopeful that the continuing destruction of both party establishments will open the space for voices supporting programs similar to those I have listed; let’s call such voices “the left.” Volatility creates opportunity, especially if the Democrat establishment, which puts markets first and opposes all such programs, isn’t allowed to get back into the saddle. Eyes on the prize! I love the tactical level, and secretly love even the horse race, since I’ve been blogging about it daily for fourteen years, but everything I write has this perspective at the back of it.

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62 comments

    1. griffen

      I can remember in 2008 when John McCain gave his speech as the losing candidate to Barack Obama, our twice elected 44th President….” My friends, my friends …” That’s about all I can remember, fwiw. Since that time & onward, I’ve lost jobs and gained jobs, switched jobs… seemingly and just maybe highly independent of whomever was in the WH.

      Obama was not the human embodiment of the book of the Revelations all time villain, the Anti Christ after all, upon reflection… Offering a mere, suggestible counterpoint.

      Reply ↓
  4. Louis Fyne

    >>>Donald Trump just won Anson County, North Carolina. The county is 40% Black.

    Exit polling has been “crap-ified” so dunno if this can be proven—–but look at the votes of regular church-going Christians. I’d bet Harris got mauled in that demo across all groups.

    Combo of a tone-deaf campaign staffed by bicoastal, secular non-humanists and own-goal gaffes by Harris at rallies denying Jesus Christ that went viral on social media. (when Kamala is a self-reported Christian)

    Reply ↓
    1. griffen

      Remarkable stat that is, and to think that I quite frequently drive through that particular county, en route to visit family in nearby Moore county…a rural but not remote stop on the way to the beaches of Wilmington and Wrightsville….

      My two cents, the popular vote just proves how so not close this result turned out. High prices leaving a mark…and not the nonsensical reactions by say , I dunno Stephen King or Mark Cuban. Please just pipe down, or maybe stay in your lane for goodness sake.

      Added, that I do not immediately presume a Trump win is the sudden, effective tonic on say housing costs and ongoing inflation pressures. Watch the worm turn in 2025 if these past months of solid appearing GDP or mostly solid employment numbers begin to reflect more statistical variations.

      Reply ↓
    2. Randall Flagg

      >Combo of a tone-deaf campaign staffed by bicoastal, secular non-humanists and own-goal gaffes by Harris at rallies denying Jesus Christ that went viral on social media. (when Kamala is a self-reported Christian)

      I think you could add that Harris got a lot of the wrong kind of help from Biden calling half of US citizens garbage, Clinton saying that immigration should have been tightened on who is allowed in (think Laken Riley),Mark Cuban saying Trump does have any strong women around him, the media defending Biden (he’s sharp as a tack, runs circles around younger staffers) the media again C’mon, it’s only a handful,A HANDFUL of apartment complexes taken over by Venezuelan gangs, likely dozens more. Never mind Harris going from zero to hero in a week with the MSM help. And worst of all, they still won’t get it.

      Reply ↓
      1. IM Doc

        And you must never forget Whitmer and the Dorito Eucharist. I am STILL hearing about that one in church circles. I think that was one of the most damaging events of this entire race.

        Reply ↓
        1. Randall Flagg

          How many WTFs were yelled after Jill walked out in that?

          Oh well, Harris and Hillary can get together over a beer and compare notes.

          Reply ↓
      3. Verifyfirst

        I think the Republican ad where Kamala is talking about every prisoner having a right to transgender surgery also had an impact.

        Reply ↓
  5. Jason Boxman

    In the end, Donald J. Trump is not the historical aberration some thought he was, but instead a transformational force reshaping the modern United States in his own image.

    …

    Populist disenchantment with the nation’s direction and resentment against elites proved to be deeper and more profound than many in both parties had recognized. Mr. Trump’s testosterone-driven campaign capitalized on resistance to electing the first woman president.

    Bzzt. Wrong. It’s never about material benefits. Already lying about what’s happened.

    https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/06/us/politics/trump-america-election-victory.html

    Reply ↓
    1. Louis Fyne

      I was wrong about Jill Biden. Whether via skill, intuition, or just plain luck—-the history books will end up being very kind to Biden along the lines of Jimmy Carter (despite the death toll via US munitions shipped around the world in the last 3+ years).

      Jill deserves the Rasputin of the Decade award.

      Reply ↓
  7. AG

    Thanks, some excellent items.

    Abortion: “Reproductive Freedom” outran Kamala:
    Will be very useful for discussions in Germany!

    Ryan Grim is actually funny (Cheney now stole 2 elections from the Dems)

    and Peter Daou: “Notice how WaPo and NYT use the term “dark” to describe Trump, but never used that for Biden and Harris while they spent a year bombing babies?

    Yes, Trump is bad, but this kind of media whitewashing of Dems has to stop.”

    p.s. Stephen King – why is it that by design as soon as you have a famed member of the “arts” – (call me arrogant, I read 2 books neither of which I liked) – they sing the same idiotic tune. If they do not, well they end up with Taibbi! ;-P

    Reply ↓
      1. AG

        Thanks for the info.

        But: look at that image by Teen VOGUE!

        Why is it that today even on social issues i.e. real life issues, they offer photographic work which is made with too-obvious fashion models posing as what – here Teen VOGUE – believes to be young people under financial hardship.

        I said it before: Once photography used to give a sense of reality and non-photoshoped human beings.

        Today however the world in the streets has nothing to do with the world the people are being presented when they have left those streets for the privacy of their homes and tune into media.

        Yet that doesn´t change the reality in the streets. Dems need to learn that lesson. Either they change that reality for good. Or at least they acknowledge it.

        Reply ↓
    2. lyle

      On national bans on abortion, I suspect that would take an amendment to the constitution , just like it took to ban alcohol. Of course with dobbs the reverse it true, and with the requirement that 37 states would mean that neither could be passed. If a national ban was passed it would be the best thing that happened to drug dealers, and pharmacies outside the us. (Since we can not even stop Fentanyl at the borders).

      Reply ↓
    3. jsn

      I didn’t have time to fact check the abortion tweet, but the Florida law didn’t pass so I’m not sure what the % refers to.

      So either I’m misunderstanding something, which is quite likely, or there may be additional misrepresentations in that graphic.

      Reply ↓
  9. Kurtismayfield

    Do you think this is finally the election that the DNC stops courting the Rs and bragging about Cheney supporting them? Maybe they will go back and finally shore up their base?

    Who am I kidding!

    Reply ↓
    1. griffen

      Think of the very deep bench of candidates for 2028… I’ll suggest those current governors of largely Dem leaning states to ratchet up the totem pole to grab the proverbial conch shell. Newsom, or Whitmer, or Shapiro….naming just a few.

      Lord of the Flies man…Lord of the Flies. One hopes that Trump and Vance, Senate Republicans, etc …just have not been handed the keys to the Titanic….\sarc

      Adding that it’s understandable to mix my metaphors.

      Reply ↓
        2. NYMutza

          One can be sure that Gavin Newsom is happy with the results. He need wait only four years for a chance at the prize. Eight years in the political wilderness may have ended his political career.

          Reply ↓
    2. Lefty Godot

      But Chuck Schumer assured me the Democrats would pick up more than enough suburban Republican voters to make up for losing the hated white working class!

      We could make it through a complete flip of party identification from where we were in the immediate post-World War II years, as long as the Musk “government efficiency” commission doesn’t kill SS/Medicare/Medicaid: the Democrats will have become the socially liberal, foreign interventionist Rockefeller Republicans while the Republicans will have become the lower class, big government Dixiecrats.

      Good luck in 2028. The Democrats have no bench strength. All they have is geriatric gnomes and high society dames like Schumer, Pelosi, the Clintons, Biden, Obama, and a host of slightly less superannuated mental midgets selling the same tired brand.

      Reply ↓
  10. dave -- just dave

    Will Bunch’s analysis seems accurate to me – that each side is living in a bubble of delusion.

    https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/trump-elected-president-meaning-america-20241106.html?id=t0CPj8uwcdyTv&utm_source=social&utm_campaign=gift_link&utm_medium=referral

    Katharine Lee Bates wrote these words in 1893, and during the twentieth century I had the good fortune to hear Ray Charles sing them in person:

    America! America!
    God mend thine every flaw
    Confirm thy soul in self-control
    Thy liberty in law!

    In the 21st century, will America the country “hit bottom” and re-evaluate our approach to public life? One never knows when something surprising might happen, and it could be that the Trump Restoration will eventually be seen as an inspirational counterexample on how to do things. As Krishna points out, people have both divine and demonic tendencies.

    Reply ↓
    1. Lambert Strether Post author

      Bunch concludes:

      We need to build both a culture of democratic resistance and also a new political movement that provides a true alternative to Trump’s reactionary autocracy, and we need to start quickly.

      Unfortunately, the Democrat Party stands in the way of that. I don’t know what the solution is, there.

      Reply ↓
  11. jo6pac

    There is some good news with the trumpster winning. He can fire the kitchen staff and have McDonalds installed. I’m sure musk can do this a cost saving.

    I’m just trying to be helpful/s

    Reply ↓
    1. griffen

      The Hooters chain of noted fame ( for their food and chicken wings, I’m told ) could use the helpful boost as well ! You know, it’s not like the McDonald’s chain is really needing to add locations I suppose. Bill Clinton gave them plenty exposure in the 1992 race, I thought.

      Hold the onions of course !

      Reply ↓
  12. Lambert Strether Post author

    I have added orts and scraps (basically more election snippets), and also a self-assessment of Water Cooler coverage (big methodological issues this crazy year).

    I will resume — assuming nothing blows up — the regular order tomorrow, with more syndemics coverage. H5N1 is as bad as ever, if not worse, and I keep seeing anecdotes go by that say Covid is getting worse again.

    Reply ↓
  13. Verifyfirst

    It seems likely the lower income workers who benefited from the pandemic programs under Trump (he having been in office when the pandemic hit) are going to be sorely disappointed–Trump and the Republicans are not going to bring back anything like that!

    Reply ↓
  15. Tom Stone

    Fear is the most contagious emotion, followed closely by rage.
    I expect we will see rage exhibited by many people over the next few months with unfortunate consequences.
    I have people I care about who have TDS, I will be having coffee with some of them this weekend and will listen quietly and then suggest something positive they can do.
    A lot of this fear and anger comes from feeling powerless, taking positive action of almost any kind helps a great deal.
    Teach an adult to read, volunteer at the local foodbank, work with “Habitat for Humanity” or your local creek cleanup group…Physical action where you can see that you are making your world a better place.

    Reply ↓
    1. Screwball

      Yes, in my travels there are people having a very difficult time today, very difficult. My ex girlfriend is one of them. He changed her Facebook page to all black instead of pictures, and told everyone she is out and off Facebook. Many who were in her support group (started with Trump 1) are the same way. They are completely distraught and emotional. I’m guessing there are millions like them. They are scared to death, even suggesting they will get killed in their house by Trumps army.

      It would really be difficult if she was still here as I feel just the opposite. I’m glad the dems got smoked for what they have done over the last x amount of years. We probably would never make it if she was still here. I feel bad for her, but at the same time, I can only blame her. I had her weened off this stuff over 10 years ago, and then came Trump. She was off and running. Became a political junkie and watched nothing but CNN, MSNBC, The View, The Talk and every other propaganda outfit she could find, and it made her insane. So sad.

      I don’t understand how people can allow that to happen to themselves.

      Reply ↓
  18. psv

    A little late to the game, but I have to give a big thank you to Lambert, Yves, and the commentariat for the live blog last night. It was the only place I had the desire to check in on, and you made me laugh too. I so appreciate having had an oasis of sanity over these days and months.

    Also, Lambert, love the paintings, those are beautiful violets today!

    Reply ↓
    1. Mark Gisleson

      Just got done watching her.

      She has the gospel preacher cadence down. Other than that seems to have learned nothing.

      Reply ↓
    2. divadab

      Heh heh. Give the girl a break – she thought she would win. Having a smoke before reading her concession speech is something I might do. That said, I started listening to her speech and just couldn’t hang in there for more than a minute. A half hour of empty podium followed by empty platitudes from an empty pantsuit. Worst candidate ever following the worst President ever.

      Seriously, who the frap is running the Dem party – Mr. frapping Magoo? The whole bunch of idiots and losers and traitors, anyone who thought Hillary, then Biden and now Kamala were the right choice for President, should get the heck out of Dodge. Seek employment somewhere more suited to their skills – like dishwasher or walmart greeter.

      Reply ↓
  22. Bazarov

    Surprised by the lack of rage among those in my social circle that suffered this symptom in 2016.

    Mostly they’ve reacted with a shrug. After all, the country got through 2016. Life goes on.

    Tells you how excited they really were for Kamala, though. Not an ounce of mourning in them, lots and lots of criticism.

    Reply ↓
  23. AG

    I just got off the phone after a fight over all this shit.
    Damn…
    I said “You call yourself a true leftist yet you describe American whites and non-white working-class who voted for Trump “idiots and morons”!?
    What a day…

    btw Garland Nixon was right yesterday:

    Scholz just dismissed his finance minister Lindner.

    Parliament now has to decide in January. If they vote against the government we got new elections.

    I wouldn´t have thought It would come to that.
    I don´t know what either man´s plan is.

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  24. .Tom

    This Harris concession is painful. Long-winded platitudes seasoned mixed with hypocrisy and seasoned with sanctimony.

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  25. Mark Gisleson

    My feed didn’t show any crowd shots. If Harris was conceding at Howard University, I’d love to know if Nikole Hannah-Jones was there.

    Reply ↓
  26. Boris

    Harris in her concession speach: Keeping up that grinning mask we know of her, while she can impossibly feel like it—either she is insane or she is on some substances that I would really love to know about.

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  28. JCC

    The Conversation and women welders… I have a female friend (my age and retired now) who started her career as a welder in central NY back in the late 1980’s and never looked back.

    She loved her job, made good money, had no problems at all with male co-workers, and told me often that it was the best career move she could have made.

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  30. Lou Anton

    Bernie’s at least giving introspection the old college try.

    “It should come as no surpise that a Democratic party which has abandoned working class people would find that the working class would abandon them.”

    “First it was white working class, and now it is Latino and Black workers as well.”

    “Do they [the Democratic party] have any ideas as to how we can take on the increasingly powerful oligarchy which has so much economic and political power? Probably not.”

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