Today, we present an election map with some very promising polling data, also some comments on the state of the election, Trump & his pre-post Covid actions and a couple of corrections to our down ballot election recommendations.
Down Ballot Election Recommendations Corrections: I stated that all Santa Fe state legislators were running unopposed. This is not accurate. What I should have stated was that none are being seriously challenged. Even that statement might be a tad misleading, as both Sen. Liz Stefanics and Rep. Matthew McQueen face reasonably challenging opposition, as their districts while capturing parts of Santa Fe also wind far south into more conservative communities. Both these candidates deserve your support. Apologies to Sen. Stefanics and Rep. McQueen; we need them both in the Roundhouse.
We have several folks doing research on Doña Ana, Rio Arriba, and Bernalillo counties as we had simply not gotten as much input as we would like to post recommendations on any Rio Arriba races and would also like to have more to say about Doña Ana and Bernalillo counties. Stay tuned. The Down Ballot Recommendations can be found here and will be updated as we get more information. We will also try to get better, more consistent information on how, when and where to vote. The Down Ballot Recommendations page has a link to where you can get voting information directly from your county clerk, the most reliable source.
Ruminations on Trump & the Election & Reasons to Hope
After the November 3 Blue Tsunami, Trump will continue to Tweet about how he was robbed, but we won’t care. He will have been banished convincingly. Democrats will have a 52-48 Senate majority and will have a mandate to develop a COVID strategy based on data, science and sufficient funding for PPE, testing, safe vaccines, and the like. McConnell will be banished from leadership, albeit most likely still in the Senate, moping.
We will have turned a corner and our thoughts will return to policies and legislation that can heal America and begin to address the systemic racism, economic injustice and gross wealth imbalance in this country. Also, so importantly, we will begin to revitalize our regulatory agencies to protect our land, water, air, health, medicines, etc. Lastly, we will rejoin the Paris Accord and with pressure from climate activists and the new breed of legislators that are sweeping the country, we will push past those accords and press for a just transition and a Green New Deal.
But the most important thing we will restore is our hope and we will be released from paying attention to the madman now resting in the hospital. After the election, he may continue to Tweet, but if anyone but Fox News reports on anything coming from Trump, we should boycott those news outlets. We’ve suffered more than enough from this tyrant. The only news I want to hear about Trump is about his arrest, his trial and his imprisonment.
And for those of you who are struggling with concerns about your karma due to less than empathetic thoughts about the president, don’t. We have suffered from this man’s abuse of science and reason and his utter lack of empathy for others to feel justified in any and all thoughts you may harbor. All by himself, he has caused the deaths of over 150,000 Americans and by any definition I know, that is a crime against humanity. Go easy on yourself if you are harboring ill will for this man.
Apparently, the US is starting to tire of this act, as yesterday’s national polling showed Biden up by 14%, the largest lead thus far. As the map below illustrates, in the states in which he either has insurmountable or significant leads, he has 279 electoral votes (enough for a narrow win), but in some of those light blue leaning states Biden’s lead is only 3-4%. He is also leading in many of the tan states, but still, as 2016 illustrated, we must take nothing for granted and besides, there is a Senate to flip, as well. And several of the key Senate races are very tight. So keep making calls and texts. Nonetheless, this is heartening and hope is good.
News In Briefs: Two pieces from the New Mexican on bills that could be transformative in 2021. To achieve this we must win a whole lot of races in November and below, we have a link to our election strategies that highlight seven of them.
- From The New Mexican: “PBS to Spotlight Green Amendment in New Mexico” This is something New Mexicans need to learn about and this piece does a good job of highlighting how some legislators are coalescing around this bill. We interviewed Maya Van Rossum, the leader of the Green Amendment, just two weeks ago. Click here to get to Retake Conversations and skip, past Roxanne and my conversation to get to Maya, immediately below.
- From The New Mexican: “Think Tank, NM Legislator Hope to Lower Interest Rate of 175%.” There will be some bills in the 2021 legislature that will be moral litmus tests and this is certainly one. Freed from the shackles of a half dozen Senate Dinos, we should be able to fight off the strong lobby for predatory lenders and get this done. How on earth can you justify a 175% interest rate and just who do you think this lending industry preys upon. The article does an excellent job of laying out how rates of up to 1000% (not a typo) were prevalent in NM. In 2019, we sought to lower the rate to 36%. but under pressure from predatory lenders, the legislature signed off on 175% out of sheer moral cowardice. So while the privileged can get loans under 10% to pretty up their landscaping, those who needs loans most desperately can pay 175%…..for a lifetime. Must read.
Election Recommendations
A link to our Down Ballot Election recommendations is included below, as we now are housing them as a page under the Election menu, purged of promotions of our Zoominar (above) and other commentary. We have also updated it. Click here.
A Look Back at Last Week
As we do each Monday, we bring back the posts from the prior week. And I often offer suggestions as to what to read. There is no question but that the report on the NM State water crisis is the most important piece to read, not just from last week, but from any week. It needs to be read and then it needs to be shared with your legislators. Last Monday’s post, immediately below, includes links to three important posts, including our analysis of The Atlantic piece, “The Election That Could Break America.” It is frightening to behold what could be in store for us, but this is no time for heads in the sand. Read on!
A Brutal Week, Yet Again. And So Today We Focus on Hope & Humor with Stevie Wonder, Lewis Black & Sarah Silverman
Monday, Sept. 28. In case you missed them, this post includes links to three important pieces from the week before last. In addition to a message of hope, this post offers summaries and links to three pieces on:
- How aberrant our judicial system is with its monarchic commitment to lifelong appointments and the consequences of this approach to appointing federal judges;
- How Trump is trying to steal the election with an extended analysis of The Atlantic’s “The Election That Could Break America.” If you missed this post, you absolutely must read it to be prepared for what the GOP has up its nefarious sleeve.
- Another piece that ties together the threads of GOP strategizing to suppress the vote and the count….But if you must choose one of these two pieces, the one analyzing The Atlantic piece is more important.
We finished with inspiration from Stevie Wonder with a spoken word message and Sarah Silverman and Lewis Black with a hilarious spoof on white privilege and fear of ….oh my, there is a black man in my park, with his kids, and they are…..eating. 911.
Click here to read the full post.
Health Security for NM: A Well-Reasoned Guest Post
+ Debate Reactions
Tuesday, Sept. 29. We purged this post of a litany of announcements, although we retained the News In Brief and some commentary on the nausea-inspiring debate debacle. As a result, we have a short post worthy of your review, if you missed it. Sherry Robinson was given the stage as she penned a thoughtful piece in support of the Health Security Act. We must keep informed and begin preparing for the 2021 legislative session.
Click here to read the full post.
NM Running Out of Water and Time:
Our Analysis Illustrates Why and What We Can Do
Friday, October 2. NM water laws were crafted a century ago when water was plentiful, the population sparse, and climate change far in the future. Laws were designed to protect “first users,” not to conserve water, protect the planet, or plan for the future. Today, state agencies are hamstrung by these antiquated laws and appear unable or unwilling to fight hard to change them. While the Governor featured her “50 Year Water Plan” and she asked the legislature to fund it in 2019, the legislature failed to do so. Climate change and an extended drought have worsened the crisis, and one result, is our inability to meet our Supreme Court sanctioned water commitments to southern NM and Texas. We can’t afford to continue to use water as if it were an endlessly renewable resource. It isn’t and our failure to act will cost us severely. This is a critically important piece unadorned with other announcements and news. Please read, share and then share this with your legislators.
Click here to read the report.
In solidarity and hope,
Roxanne and Paul
Categories: Election, Political Reform & National Politics
Regarding Karma: Those who show respect to others deserve our respect. Those who are kind to others deserve our compassion. Those who are cruel to others deserve what they get.
After wearing my Bad Buddhist t-shirt for two days and wishing 45 might expire or at the very least suffer a great deal of pain, i have turned it inside-out, having determined that i do not wish that he make me like him.