Khan

If I know black women, this is the point where we all need to run for cover. Am I wrong for wishing Floridians would be prohibited from all future voting? ("We'll send you your leaders -- and you'll like it!")

Jeff Sessions had no idea that Whitaker was "self-dealing" behind his back? Well. "No honor among thieves," and all the rest.

We need to. However, many from the right have been complaining all along about things becoming "too p.c." in our society -- which, as we all know by now, is another, less inflammatory way of saying "too black." So, if these voters were lying to pollsters about voting for Gillum, then I have to believe that they did so, because they wanted to lull him and his true voters into states of false security. It's either that OR, the votes have been rigged. And since this IS Florida we are talking about, I'm almost inclined to believe the latter. (Have you found another saw yet, Roman?) Does Trump and his minions look like they even CARE about finding an official replacement for Jeff Sessions? Because, it sure doesn't look that way to me.

Sometimes, though, I think Democrats play a little TOO nicely; and that Republicans, self-entitled bullies that they are, behave as they do, because they see Democrats as being too wimpy to fight back. I think that's also why Republicans hate the Clintons so much, because the Clintons were/are two Democrats who never appear afraid of them. No matter how much dirt the GOP had or THOUGHT they had on the two, Bill and Hillary were always willing to get down in the mud with them and fight. And if there's one thing that a bully despises and fears most, it's a victim who refuses to be one. So, in a way, it's fitting the GOP now has two problems -- Trump, who is the ultimate bully, and the people who love him -- that are out of their control. Don't get me wrong, they LOVE what Trump is doing on some level, but there have been times when we KNOW they wanted to pull the reins on him. Doing so, however, would have meant alienating his base; and they know that w/o those voters -- who, on any other day of the week, they'd disparage just as much as we do (even as they secretly agree with them ideologically) -- they would be nowhere. At best, Trumpists are tearing down facades that the GOP has worked decades to erect. At worst, they're outright killing the party, and the country.

I, too, find it terrifying, lol. From the WSJ article: When the Justice Department accused John Edwards, a former senator from North Carolina, of using illegal campaign contributions to conceal an affair during his 2008 presidential run, he argued the money was meant to hide his mistress from his wife, not to influence the election. I'm sorry, but I could never argue something like that w/o collapsing into laughter afterward. Not even if it were the truth.

Frankly, Julia, I'm not entirely sure of the benefits either. But, if our present society says you are too young and immature at age 18 to be trusted to "drink responsibly," why don't we go further and say you're too young and immature to be trusted to vote responsibly as well? By the way, these are only questions that I'm asking. I want to apologize and correct myself if I look as if I am actively advocating for raising the voting age or lowering the drinking one.

You know...people like Rick Scott are going to look really stupid if/when they do the recounts and it actually favors them. I mean, what are they going to say then, after accusing just about everyone and their cousin of "rampant fraud"? "Never mind"? Instead of turning this into another, alleged conspiracy from liberals, why not instead show some class and say, "I agree with my opponent(s), the citizens of Florida deserve to have every vote counted"? Perhaps, it's because...there's still a chance for things NOT to go their way? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Good point. But *my* point was, why not go ahead and raise the voting age to 21 as well?

Sit on this.

Well, my transformation, as you call it, might not have happened had the soaps not gone completely down the drain.

You know, I will never understand why 18-year-olds are old enough to vote and serve our country in the armed forces, but not old enough to gamble or get their drink on Friday nights at the Bada Bing. (sigh) This country.

Which is REALLY good, I think. But you know what I think is the greatest lesson to be learned from this past week (aside from the fact that -- win or lose -- Beto, Stacey and Andrew have now made their respective states more competitive ones for Democrats)? Ballot initiatives, ballot measures, referendums, state questions and propositions -- passing (or not passing) those, and not simply relying on judicial reviews to go our way, are what's going to help cement more progressive legislation at the state and local levels. If you don't believe me, look at the passage of Amendment 4 in FL, or the really janky state questions that (praise God) were voted down here in OK.

People like me get so caught up in what's happening here, in the U.S., that it's easy to forget how other countries are also going through enormous social and political turmoil. Honestly, is there ANY country right now that's doing reasonably well?

That's pretty much Michelle's "taking off the earrings" moment.

Well, like the song says, welcome to the new age. Exactly. Why should the rest of the country be the only ones who's [!@#$%^&*] miserable?

Seriously, what in the hell is WRONG with Florida? I know what our (Oklahomans') problem is: as one of my FB friends said, we're just a bad electorate. But, Florida. Dear God, Florida. You can't ever pick decent people to run your state AND the way you go about picking 'em almost always ends up being a big, honking mess. I'm with Roman: hand me a saw, too, and let's cut Florida from the map like the dead weight that it is. And when I see it, I'm going to unleash a Pointer Sisters playlist that the world has never known.

When I read the article, I thought of you immediately and knew you would have that reaction, lol.

That is REALLY good to hear. Okay, so I'm back, lol. And here's why: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/11/08/florida-senate-elections-scott-nelson-2018-recount-975805

Oh, no. That's it, I'm taking a break from the news for the time being. See y'all whenever.

Oh, dear God. Not again.

Well, "Brokeback Mountain" would be too obvious, especially with that "I wish I knew how to quit you!" line. Truly, though, you just KNOW that Donald Trump's vision of Hell is being questioned for all eternity by Jim Acosta.

Does that include West Plains? My ex-sister-in-law's mother and father are from there, along with many of her extended relatives. Do you have any idea at all about what kind of town WP is? I'm just being curious.

I'm not saying he doesn't. But how many times have he and Trump had words at press conferences and the like? Theirs has been an interesting relationship to witness -- almost like watching the arc of a great love affair. Trump hates CNN, but more than that, he REALLY hates Jim Acosta.

Maybe -- but who's to say that he's the truly guilty party here? You know, the creative writer in me wonders whether Trump is going all-out, because his self-appointed golden child, Ivanka, was/is the true mastermind. I'm just saying. Compared with 2018 (and 2017, and the last few months of 2016), it was practically our finest hour.

Frankly, I think we can, and should. You said so yourself: no matter how Trump spins it, he is PISSED that the Democrats succeeded in regaining control of the House. Not just because they'll be a check against his power, but because matters like the Mueller investigation fall squarely within their domain.