We blew way past our 50K goal, and now past our 75K goal. Let’s keep it going.
NO ONE COULD HAVE PREDICTED
This is hilarious:
The Trump campaign built a large policy shop in Washington that has now largely melted away because of neglect, mismanagement and promises of pay that were never honored. Many of the team’s former members say the campaign leadership never took the Washington office seriously and let it wither away after squeezing it dry.
Donald Trump often brags about having experts and senior former officials advising him. Wednesday night in a forum on national security, he said, “We have admirals, we have generals, we have colonels. We have a lot of people that I respect.” It’s true that Trump is getting high-level policy advice on a regular basis from senior experts such as Rudy Giuliani and retired Lt. Gen. Mike Flynn. But Trump has never acknowledged the policy shop based in Washington that has been doing huge amounts of grunt work for months without recognition or compensation.
Since April, advisers never named in campaign press releases have been working in an Alexandria-based office, writing policy memos, organizing briefings, managing surrogates and placing op-eds. They put in long hours before and during the Republican National Convention to help the campaign look like a professional operation.
But in August, shortly after the convention, most of the policy shop’s most active staffers quit. Although they signed non-disclosure agreements, several of them told me on background that the Trump policy effort has been a mess from start to finish.
“It’s a complete disaster,” one disgruntled former adviser told me. “They use and abuse people. The policy office fell apart in August when the promised checks weren’t delivered.”
Awesome.
One Vote in Florida Banked for Hillary Rodham Clinton
Today is the first day of early voting in Florida, and I was there within an hour of the polls opening. I was more moved and excited about the chance to vote for the first woman president than expected this morning. To mark the occasion, I decided to wear all white in honor of the suffragettes — as Hillary herself has done.
I was much less fancy, of course — decked out in white shorts, white t-shirt and white oxford button-down against the 70-degree morning chill. This being Florida, anyone who noticed my snowy ensemble probably assumed I’m a surprisingly Caucasian-looking Santeria initiate. But it meant something to me.
Anyhoo, our election day polling place is right around the corner at a church, but the early voting location is at a library several miles away and near a fairly sizable retirement community. There were no lines before 8 AM, but the polling place was doing a brisk business. There were signs for candidates lining the driveway and thickly planted in every grassy median in the parking lot, mostly for Republicans.
There were two electioneering ladies in the parking lot, one holding a conventional sign for the more conservative-leaning candidate running for a non-partisan circuit court seat, and the other holding a three-tiered tribute to Trump-Pence. The latter featured a standard yard sign plus two homemade signs fore and aft, all held aloft on a single yardstick.
I suspect the holder of the Trump-Pence sign compelled her grandchildren to construct the homemade components, given the quality of the penmanship and the volume of glitter and streamers. That lady was wearing Mickey Mouse ears; I shit you not.
So, I voted. And for the next 15 days, I’m going to do whatever I can to make sure other Democrats vote too. Let’s win this thing — bigly.
One Vote in Florida Banked for Hillary Rodham ClintonPost + Comments (157)
Monday Morning Open Thread: We’re Great Already (Could Always Be Better, Though!)
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Another Canadian, the editor of TNR:
1. I really hate to say I told you so (me August 26, 2016). pic.twitter.com/kSgfZne2R0
— Jeet Heer (@HeerJeet) October 24, 2016
2. But I told you so. https://t.co/3jcJmSrUvo
— Jeet Heer (@HeerJeet) October 24, 2016
For Republicans Abandoning Donald Trump, Obama Has a Message: ‘Too Late’ https://t.co/Bfhp2ZqBUs
— NYT Politics (@nytpolitics) October 24, 2016
***********
Apart from all that, what’s on the agenda as we start another week?
It’s 11pm. Do You Know Where Your Dog Is?
This goober likes to sit on my lap and look back up at me:
He’s a really weird dog.
It’s 11pm. Do You Know Where Your Dog Is?Post + Comments (58)
Pet Photo Pro-Tip
Genius idea:
It wouldn’t help with the quality of the photo, but it would keep the pet’s attention.
Where is everyone today? Getting out the vote, I hope. I was helping turn Florida blue this weekend. And tomorrow, I’m looking forward to voting early.
Open thread!
Sunday Afternoon Open Thread: WASP Humor
athenahealth CEO Bush on election: "If you can't stand the nut on the left & you can't stand the nut on the right, go for the Johnson" pic.twitter.com/vvlOYhLvpG
— Steve Kopack (@SteveKopack) October 21, 2016
Yep, another Bush cousin. Thanksgiving at Kennebunkport is going to be a barrel of laughs, this year.
Speaking of barrels and their bottoms, Curt ‘Wave the Bloody Sock’ Schilling held the weekend’s saddest Trump rally…
Tens of people at Curt Schilling's Trump Rally! Must be the weather! pic.twitter.com/1BywnepYyo
— Ted Cooper (@tedcooper) October 22, 2016
… but at least he’s found his true media home, according to NYMag:
… On Monday, Breitbart plans to announce former Red Sox pitcher and Trump supporter Curt Schilling will begin hosting a daily online radio show featuring political commentary and calls from listeners. The broadcast will eventually include a video livestream. The show marks Schilling’s return to media six months after ESPN fired him for sharing an anti-transgender Facebook post with a message that read: “A man is a man no matter what they call themselves. I don’t care what they are, who they sleep with, men’s room was designed for the penis, women’s not so much. Now you need laws telling us differently? Pathetic.”…
Schilling’s jump to Breitbart will give him a national platform as he prepares to challenge Elizabeth Warren for her Senate seat in 2018…
Senator Warren’s reaction?
Sunday Afternoon Open Thread: WASP HumorPost + Comments (338)