In the Age of Trump, Normal People are Stepping Up
Know-nothing conservatives have brought their ignorant, hateful, anti-science, anti-common sense, and racist rotten core to the center of American politics, culminating in the shocking election of the worst president in US history, Donald Trump in 2016. To cling to power, they have sold out their fellow Americans and aided enemies like Russia and North Korea to do his bidding. They’ve amplified Trump’s lies and horrible, hateful rhetoric, and Christians who support him oddly cite the religion they’ve betrayed to justify their corruption.
If anything good comes from this long national nightmare, it’s that good, patriot Americans who hold actual American values are stepping up. 2018 was a great example, with Dems retaking the House and hundreds of women taking leadership roles all over the country. Normal people are saying that enough is enough, and today, another normal person, who is also a hero, has done the same. Astronaut Mark Kelly has announced his run for the US Senate from Arizona. This is a person of high integrity, honesty, and bravery who stepped into the breach after his wife, Gabby Giffords, had her political career cut short by senseless, easily preventable gun violence. Here’s a guy we can get behind.
Keep a box of tissues handy.
Bless Mark’s heart! He is a true hero!
1Mark Kelly is not normal.
He is extraordinary.
But in terms of what used to be considered “normal”; fidelity, belief in science and data-driven evidence, a sense of duty nd desire to serve, and relying on teamwork to solve problems – that’s what I’d love to see become normal again!
Unless something truly heinous is uncovered, he should have a lock on this.
2Yes, Mark! Let’s go take the Senate.
Kentucky, we need your help so we can help you. A candidate to beat Old Scratch McConnell, please. We can taste an ad campaign to defeat Mitch. All that is needed is a candidate.
3Tissues is right. And i just watched the season finale of The Good Place too, so the waterworks are on. I never heard of Gabby and Mark before she was shot, but their resilience in her recovery, their anti-NRA work and his positive attitude have all made them sympathetic figures for me. I wish him–them–all the luck.
4One of the things that I love about the freshman D’s is that though they would like to get along they are NOT willing to go along to do so.
5They appear to be standing strong on their issues and principles.
Unfortunately the spirit of comity for the D’s has come to mean surrender to reactionary r’s delusions.
This in part is because we are getting a group of new lawmakers untainted by past surrenders.
One must give credit to those such as Rep. Jayapal, Sen. Harris and Bernie Sanders who helped to prepare the ground in the legislature for the new legislators.
Stand firm and avoid the temptation to surrender in the name of cooperation.
K, Old Scratch McConnell is about to discover that winning at all costs comes with a big price tag. Any time he whines about a lack of bi-partisan whatever, there are two words: Merrick Garland. Or, one word: Obama. If nothing else, Mitch has taught us that there is no playing nice with the snacilbupeR.
6I got a direct email, so I’ve contributed and urged my tiny Facebook circle to send an astronaut to Congress on the Blue side of the aisle.
7Rhea #7
8I question whether continueing to feed the data to Facebook that will inevitably be used by robber barons and their minions to subvert elections, misrepresent laws and micro target voters is an effective manner of spreading the “gospel”
We all know no matter the words that facebook will continue to mine data as long as they can make even a penny on selling it to any buyer who is willing to pay no matter motive or past crimes.
Privacy is non existent for any facebook users, and by extension with improper and intrusive software tools even for those who are not on facebook but only communicaite with those that are
Just as advertisor boycotts of hate mongers in the media has at least driven many of them ( not enough) off major TV and news outlets I suggest that a organized movement to quit Facebook is overdue.
Facebook is a virus, trojan horse corrupting all that it touches.
I am amazed that any democratic candinate/official/elected continues to have any association with facebook.
9I appreviate the arguement that you know the game is crooked but it is the only game in town approach to this advertising tool.
But considering in the end that anything that one puts on facebook or communiciates with a facebook site is simply more fodder for the new robber barons.
That information will be sucked up, sliced and diced and sold to the highest bidder irrelevent of law, social mores or ethics.
It will sell it as id’ed to individuals to be used as wedges on issues.
Case in point individual in different post that was against the wall on purely personal greed claims of “private property” and affirming the basest support of the mis reading of the 2nd amendment ( for a well ordered militia, – not private purveyors of murder) if he has any association with facebook or any one he communiciates with does he can expect wedge emails, mail and calls misrepresenting the threat to well ordered militias (the National Guard) and private property from democratic candinates and platforms.
So is it for individuals who express support of organized fantasies and delusions -religion.
These are the wedges that facebook supplies to the highest bidder.
Remember facebook was originally founded as a tool to “rate” and desparage women in the Ivy league and, alas, it has not moved from its roots.
Money is its god, misogny is in its DNA and greed is what motivates it.
I am so grateful for people like Gabby, Mark, the gang here, the women and men who took over the House and all the folks who have their backs. They give me hope.
“Damn the torpedoes,
10Full speed ahead!”
I’ve read that MJ Hegar (that’s former USAF Major MJH), who ran a hard fought US House race in a red district (lost@3%, CookPVI-R+10) sort of between Austin and Waco, is considering running against US Sen. John Cornyn (R-TXass).
MJ’s a decorated helo pilot (and more) who also writes books and produces kickass campaign videos (like “Doors”).
Hell Yes! I’m aboard, pull that collective, push the cyclic and get this bird in the air…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MJ_Hegar
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