Is Georgia on your mind?

[Toni]

I really don't understand why most Democrats don't vote by mail/drop off box.

Don't they?
I'd think that would be a major thrust.
It would definitely help mitigate the effect of closing polling places.

I'm not sure, but quite a few of my Democratic friends vote in person. Even Jobar votes in person. It's likely that more Dems vote by mail compared to Republicans, but I don't know why anyone is voting in person during this pandemic when it's so easy to vote by mail or drop off box. I guess there are still some who don't trust the absentee ballot system, which is ignorant. It's really easy to check if your ballot has been accepted and counted.

To be honest: I voted in person. My polling place is a short walk from my home. I know most of the poll workers. Indeed, the only reason I haven't volunteered to be a poll worker is that in my area, they are already well stocked with volunteers.

For me, voting in person was quick, easy and safe. Polls were not crowded, thanks in part to so many mail in voters. Everyone was well masked. I used my own pen. Hand sanitizer was conspicuously available. But to be honest, I did not trust there not to be some kind of shenanigans with mail in votes. I trust my state's voting practices (paper ballots).

If I had had any safety concerns about voting in person, I would have done it by mail. As it is, I live close enough to the polling place that I could have simply watched to see if there was a line and avoided crowds that way. There were more poll workers than voters when I voted. FWIW, my state and my city has excellent voter turnout.

 

[southernhybrid]

First time I ever heard Abrams in any detail was her interview on the Marc Maron podcast. She made this cynic want to get out and do something positive. Her candor, positivity, and framing of the issues without evoking what would have been deserved bitterness toward the GOP shenanigans flat lifted me up.

That's what I liked about her, that she doesn't descend into that emotionally blinding and satisfying, tit-for-tat hate that characterizes all of her detractors. She just oozes calm and confidence, an unflappable person. And Biden is doing the same thing, taking the high road.

Now you know why so many of us in Georgia love this woman. I'll say it again. She is the most brilliant politician I've ever known and it was thrilling to attend a rally for her when she ran for our governor. And, I don't usually get that emotional about politicians. Her life story is amazing. She has a wonderful sense of humor, and if you didn't know, her minor in college was in physics, so it's not like she doesn't get science.

Meanwhile, I heard today that the turnout for early voting was higher than it was in the presidential election at this point, and there have been well over 1 million requests for mail in ballots, so far. They can be requested up until December 31st. I shouldn't get my hopes up too much, but considering that I'm seeing more signs for the Dems on my usually more conservative side of town, does make me wonder if "a change is gonna come" to Georgia.

 

[ideologyhunter]

The Repubs have to be nuts that Trump lost Georgia. And that Virginia's not totally theirs anymore. And that Texas -- Texas -- is teetering.
A true-blue Georgia? If it happens, it's about time.

 

[southernhybrid]

The Repubs have to be nuts that Trump lost Georgia. And that Virginia's not totally theirs anymore. And that Texas -- Texas -- is teetering.
A true-blue Georgia? If it happens, it's about time.

It's probably not quite there yet, but as more people vote, it will get there. Voter apathy among young people and Black folks has been a problem here for a long time. But, thanks to our amazing Stacey, voter turnout is growing among the most disenfranchised people in the state. The state has grown by over 2 million people since I moved here about 25 years ago. A large percentage of those are from bluer states like NJ, and California. Some of them could no longer afford the high cost of living in those places. Others are moving to escape the cold winters in places like Detroit. And quite a few are transferred here by their companies.

I actually lived in Texas when it was pretty blue back in the early 70s. San Antonio was and is one of the most liberal areas in Texas. I enjoyed living there, despite having many personal and financial problems at the time. So, it's past time for Texas to turn blue too.

 

[Elixir]

The Repubs have to be nuts that Trump lost Georgia. And that Virginia's not totally theirs anymore. And that Texas -- Texas -- is teetering.
A true-blue Georgia? If it happens, it's about time.

It's probably not quite there yet, but as more people vote, it will get there. Voter apathy among young people and Black folks has been a problem here for a long time. But, thanks to our amazing Stacey, voter turnout is growing among the most disenfranchised people in the state. The state has grown by over 2 million people since I moved here about 25 years ago. A large percentage of those are from bluer states like NJ, and California. Some of them could no longer afford the high cost of living in those places. Others are moving to escape the cold winters in places like Detroit. And quite a few are transferred here by their companies.

I actually lived in Texas when it was pretty blue back in the early 70s. San Antonio was and is one of the most liberal areas in Texas. I enjoyed living there, despite having many personal and financial problems at the time. So, it's past time for Texas to turn blue too.

I used to visit the Austin area with some frequency waaaay back in the day (70s), and loved it. The music scene was as vibrant as the Bay area in the late 60s - really wished Austin could secede from Texas; let Dallas or Lubbock be the capitol!

 

[southernhybrid]

The Repubs have to be nuts that Trump lost Georgia. And that Virginia's not totally theirs anymore. And that Texas -- Texas -- is teetering.
A true-blue Georgia? If it happens, it's about time.

It's probably not quite there yet, but as more people vote, it will get there. Voter apathy among young people and Black folks has been a problem here for a long time. But, thanks to our amazing Stacey, voter turnout is growing among the most disenfranchised people in the state. The state has grown by over 2 million people since I moved here about 25 years ago. A large percentage of those are from bluer states like NJ, and California. Some of them could no longer afford the high cost of living in those places. Others are moving to escape the cold winters in places like Detroit. And quite a few are transferred here by their companies.

I actually lived in Texas when it was pretty blue back in the early 70s. San Antonio was and is one of the most liberal areas in Texas. I enjoyed living there, despite having many personal and financial problems at the time. So, it's past time for Texas to turn blue too.

I used to visit the Austin area with some frequency waaaay back in the day (70s), and loved it. The music scene was as vibrant as the Bay area in the late 60s - really wished Austin could secede from Texas; let Dallas or Lubbock be the capitol!

Austin is the city that gets all the attention as being a liberal Mecca, but San Antonio actually has more Democratic members of Congress and is every bit as progressive as Austin, from what I can tell from reading about what's going on now. It's Mexican American majority. It's where I obtained my nursing degree and if it were not for two outstanding Mexican American nursing professors and a few supportive friends, I would have never finished school. After majoring in liberal arts for three years, I had no idea how complex and challenging studying nursing could be. Anyway, Texas is like every place else in the country, a mix of people with various political views, not all red and not all blue.

I will say this. When I lived there, I was shocked at the amount of hate and prejudice directed towards the Mexican American population by many.

 

[Elixir]

I used to visit the Austin area with some frequency waaaay back in the day (70s), and loved it. The music scene was as vibrant as the Bay area in the late 60s - really wished Austin could secede from Texas; let Dallas or Lubbock be the capitol!

Austin is the city that gets all the attention as being a liberal Mecca, but San Antonio actually has more Democratic members of Congress and is every bit as progressive as Austin, from what I can tell from reading about what's going on now. It's Mexican American majority. It's where I obtained my nursing degree and if it were not for two outstanding Mexican American nursing professors and a few supportive friends, I would have never finished school. After majoring in liberal arts for three years, I had no idea how complex and challenging studying nursing could be. Anyway, Texas is like every place else in the country, a mix of people with various political views, not all red and not all blue.

I will say this. When I lived there, I was shocked at the amount of hate and prejudice directed towards the Mexican American population by many.

I have heard the rumors of San Antonio's left-leanings, but have never been there. In fact the only other part of Texas with which I was ever familiar at all (other than Austin) is Houston, also a Dem stronghold. I have visited the DFW area for business purposes, never felt even close to comfortable there and the racial prejudice seemed palpable.
It's a problem for me that white people "hate Mexicans". I don't want to confront them or endorse their bigotry so I guess I take the cowardly way out by avoiding it/them. But for some reason I "love Mexicans", having had 99% positive experiences with them both in the US and in Mexico since the day I left home at 17. OTOH, I "hate Texans", having had way too many interactions with the entitled, condescending types who are now building multi million dollar second homes all around my property and driving their shiny F350 dually pickups that have never seen a day of work as if they literally own the roads...

 

[ideologyhunter]

Austin has the ghost of Janis Joplin to keep things loose. I'm pretty sure she doesn't hang in Port Arthur.

 

[southernhybrid]

Breaking news!

https://www.ajc.com/politics/election/judge-dismisses-gop-lawsuit-challenging-georgias-absentee-ballot-rules/K3FHHKRBMRFQBPBFWP63DDRPQQ/

A federal judge Thursday rejected a Republican Party request to change the rules for absentee ballots in Georgia in the midst of the Jan. 5 runoff election.


The lawsuit by the Twelfth Congressional District Republican Committee sought to eliminate the use of absentee ballot drop boxes in Georgia and prohibit local election officials from opening ballot envelopes before Election Day. It also sought to invalidate guidance from the Secretary of State’s Office on how local officials should verify signatures on absentee ballots.

J. Randal Hall, chief judge of the U.S. District Court in Augusta, rejected the requests. He found Republican claims that the rules have abetted voter fraud to be “highly speculative” and said they did not warrant changing the rules in the middle of the election.

These assholes will never give up, will they? Georgia has been using absentee ballots the same way for many years, but until this year, when a lot of Democrats, including many Black folks have requested absentee ballots, they decide that something must be wrong. These people simply want to suppress the vote because the more people who vote in states like Georgia, the bigger chance there is that the Democrats will win. I'm not saying the two Dems will win in the runoff, but the efforts these jerks are making to suppress the vote, certainly gives one the impression that they are scared. While I'm no fan of Kemp or Raffensperger, I do give them credit for making an attempt to keep this election fair.

 

[southernhybrid]

But wait.....there's more.....


https://www.ajc.com/politics/75k-new-georgia-voters-registered-before-us-senate-runoffs/H3CXAFIKFVCKHJNW5MBFZKQDZU/

Nearly 76,000 new voters registered in Georgia since before the presidential election, enough to make a difference in the U.S. Senate runoffs if they turn out.


The number of new voters was revealed in an updated voter registration list purchased from the secretary of state’s office by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. These voters signed up before the state’s Dec. 7 voter registration deadline and are eligible to participate in the Jan. 5 runoffs that will decide control of the Senate.

They’re overwhelmingly young, with 56% of them under 35 years old. Some are new Georgia residents; others just turned 18. None has a voting record in the state.

Let's hope they are Dems and they vote!

 

[Swammerdami]

(Was this misplaced in the other thread?)

Against all odds we hope for Georgia fame.
Two heroes rose to save us from the Mitch.
So will this land of ours escape its shame?
Or will our Congress only serve the rich?

Rev, Warnock leads in polls a point or three.
Perdue trails Ossoff by a breadth of hair.
Let's pray to God if such a balm there be.
(Or is such God now foaming with despair?)

Our once great land is now a laughing-stock.
But Georgia has a chance to save the day.
Let's startt Joe Biden with a helpful bloc:
Turn out and vote, please please do vote I say!​

 

[ZiprHead]

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

I just saw that Georgia has broken early voting records, over a million votes in less than a week. That's a good thing, but the republicans in Georgia are obviously failing at measurably suppressing the vote. Will have to up their game, maybe remove a lot more ballot boxes and polling stations.

 

[Swammerdami]

This seems like a tremendous waste of money, which could certainly be put to better usage. Didn't we already learn that elections can't be bought.

If Moscow Mitch retains veto power over taxes and spending the boon to the super-rich will make $400 million seem like chicken-feed.

And what's your evidence that "elections can't be bought"? Candidates who win against an opponent who spends more are NOT proof of that claim, unless you're arguing with a strawman who insists that campaign spending is the ONLY variable that matters.

Anyway, many of the rich contribute to BOTH candidates in a 2-way race. Whoever wins, the mogul wants him/her to come to the phone when summoned.

 

[southernhybrid]

This seems like a tremendous waste of money, which could certainly be put to better usage. Didn't we already learn that elections can't be bought.

If Moscow Mitch retains veto power over taxes and spending the boon to the super-rich will make $400 million seem like chicken-feed.

And what's your evidence that "elections can't be bought"? Candidates who win against an opponent who spends more are NOT proof of that claim, unless you're arguing with a strawman who insists that campaign spending is the ONLY variable that matters.

Anyway, many of the rich contribute to BOTH candidates in a 2-way race. Whoever wins, the mogul wants him/her to come to the phone when summoned.

Where's your evidence that they can be bought? . I was referring to the fact that many Democrats in the recent election raised enormous amounts of money form people all over the country and still lost their elections. Perhaps the word proof is a bit hyperbolic, but the point was that raising huge amounts of money doesn't necessarily impact the outcome of an election. I would hope that we can agree on that. Look at the SC Senate race for one of the best examples. But, I just came to this thread to add some more info on the Georgia runoff, so I'll leave it at that.

https://www.ajc.com/politics/election/judge-rejects-another-election-lawsuit-by-georgia-us-senators/HLI4RNRDK5GYZHOXGY57UPTCS4/

A federal judge Friday rejected a request by Georgia’s two U.S. senators to segregate ballots cast by newly registered voters in the Jan. 5 runoff election.


Republican Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue and other plaintiffs said hundreds of people newly registered to vote in Georgia have previously voted in the November general election in another state. They said that potentially violated federal laws against double voting - a contention disputed by Georgia officials.

Wood rejected the request. Echoing judges in other recent election lawsuits, she said the plaintiffs had not provided enough evidence of specific harm to have standing to bring the lawsuit. She also worried about changing the rules in the middle of the election.

The lawsuit comes amid intense national interest in the Georgia runoff, which will determine which party controls the U.S. Senate. Some Georgia officials have expressed concern that people will seek to move here temporarily to vote in the election, then move back to their state of residence – a move that would be illegal.

Later in the article, Raffensperger mentions that a Republican lawyer said he might temporarily move to Georgia to vote in the runoff, yet for some reason, the two Republican candidates seem to assume that it's Democrats who plan on doing this. So far, fewer than 1000 new voters have registered to vote who previously voted in other states in November.

 

[Jarhyn]

Where's your evidence that they can be bought? . I was referring to the fact that many Democrats in the recent election raised enormous amounts of money form people all over the country and still lost their elections. Perhaps the word proof is a bit hyperbolic, but the point was that raising huge amounts of money doesn't necessarily impact the outcome of an election. I would hope that we can agree on that. Look at the SC Senate race for one of the best examples. But, I just came to this thread to add some more info on the Georgia runoff, so I'll leave it at that.

https://www.ajc.com/politics/election/judge-rejects-another-election-lawsuit-by-georgia-us-senators/HLI4RNRDK5GYZHOXGY57UPTCS4/

A federal judge Friday rejected a request by Georgia’s two U.S. senators to segregate ballots cast by newly registered voters in the Jan. 5 runoff election.


Republican Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue and other plaintiffs said hundreds of people newly registered to vote in Georgia have previously voted in the November general election in another state. They said that potentially violated federal laws against double voting - a contention disputed by Georgia officials.

Wood rejected the request. Echoing judges in other recent election lawsuits, she said the plaintiffs had not provided enough evidence of specific harm to have standing to bring the lawsuit. She also worried about changing the rules in the middle of the election.

The lawsuit comes amid intense national interest in the Georgia runoff, which will determine which party controls the U.S. Senate. Some Georgia officials have expressed concern that people will seek to move here temporarily to vote in the election, then move back to their state of residence – a move that would be illegal.

Later in the article, Raffensperger mentions that a Republican lawyer said he might temporarily move to Georgia to vote in the runoff, yet for some reason, the two Republican candidates seem to assume that it's Democrats who plan on doing this. So far, fewer than 1000 new voters have registered to vote who previously voted in other states in November.

Money absolutely impacts elections, and elections can absolutely be bought.

Rather, the issue is in how the money is spent. You could spend a billion dollars on shitty attack ads and have it blow up in your face... If you are a democrat. You could spend the same on policy ads and not see a lick of difference as a republican.

You could spend ten thousand dollars on a troll farm and see HUGE gains when people see "your opponent's" supporters being abusive assholes.

You could spend a million dollars in an online instagram and twitter campaign and create huge awareness and popular support and without being a shareholder to television/cable/NYT, get absolutely starved for press attention and see every poll that you win instead talked about in terms of how your next runner up is beating the person behind them!

Elections are not just about money, they are about who you get your money from, and how wisely you spend it. Not everyone can spend the same pile of money in the same way and get the same effect, either.

 

[southernhybrid]

Where's your evidence that they can be bought? . I was referring to the fact that many Democrats in the recent election raised enormous amounts of money form people all over the country and still lost their elections. Perhaps the word proof is a bit hyperbolic, but the point was that raising huge amounts of money doesn't necessarily impact the outcome of an election. I would hope that we can agree on that. Look at the SC Senate race for one of the best examples. But, I just came to this thread to add some more info on the Georgia runoff, so I'll leave it at that.

https://www.ajc.com/politics/election/judge-rejects-another-election-lawsuit-by-georgia-us-senators/HLI4RNRDK5GYZHOXGY57UPTCS4/





Later in the article, Raffensperger mentions that a Republican lawyer said he might temporarily move to Georgia to vote in the runoff, yet for some reason, the two Republican candidates seem to assume that it's Democrats who plan on doing this. So far, fewer than 1000 new voters have registered to vote who previously voted in other states in November.

Money absolutely impacts elections, and elections can absolutely be bought.

Rather, the issue is in how the money is spent. You could spend a billion dollars on shitty attack ads and have it blow up in your face... If you are a democrat. You could spend the same on policy ads and not see a lick of difference as a republican.

You could spend ten thousand dollars on a troll farm and see HUGE gains when people see "your opponent's" supporters being abusive assholes.

You could spend a million dollars in an online instagram and twitter campaign and create huge awareness and popular support and without being a shareholder to television/cable/NYT, get absolutely starved for press attention and see every poll that you win instead talked about in terms of how your next runner up is beating the person behind them!

Elections are not just about money, they are about who you get your money from, and how wisely you spend it. Not everyone can spend the same pile of money in the same way and get the same effect, either.

I really don't want to argue about this, but perhaps some of you missed the point I was trying to make. All I meant was that many Democrats raised a lot more money compared to their Republican opponents, but they still lost. It's always been assumed that elections can be bought, but that doesn't seem to be the case in the most recent election. But, you're right about one thing. Elections aren't just about money, and that's pretty much what I was talking about. So, whoever raises and spends the most money in the Georgia runoff isn't as important as who votes. If the ads motivate people to vote, then one can assume it was money well spent. I doubt that's what matters this time.

Both parties are spending huge amounts of money on tv ads, FB ads and probably ads on other social media. Other than this very small forum, I've left social media. I despise both FB and Twitter. They are both full of lies and misinformation. I have no idea if these ads will motivate people to vote or scare people into voting.


What I read this morning is that Black people are turning out at a high rate, but people over 65 are also turning out at a high rate. While there are many older Democrats, statistically, the over 65 White crowd tends to lean Republican, and while there are some Black Republicans in Georgia, Black people tend to lean Democrat. The younger folks aren't showing up yet in any great numbers. Hopefully, the 2/3rds that lean Democrat will vote in the runoff. I'm using that figure based on several articles that I've read that claim that about 34% of those under age 30 in Georgia lean Republican. I assume that refers to younger White people. I've yet to meet a young Black person who votes for Republicans, and I used to work with a lot of young Black women. Some never voted, despite my encouragement. But, that was a few years ago. Maybe they've wised up by now.

 

[southernhybrid]

Here's another AJC article about the money being raised and spent.

https://www.ajc.com/politics/georgias-senate-runoffs-special-interest-pacs-flood-the-zone/NOJ2N7NTVVGL5HPXU7GTYYE7DI/

Apart from the candidates themselves, political action committees have spent at least $150 million since the November general election to rally voters back to the polls for the Senate runoff, records show.


While nearly two-thirds of that spending has come from super PACs connected to either Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell or Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, the rest has come from special interest groups with business before the new Congress.

“Elections increasingly look like a battle between billionaires and millionaires. My biggest concern is what happens after the election,” he said. “Very often they expect something in return and very often they get it.”

Fischer said sometimes that’s a political favor or a listening ear. It could be something that helps the donor’s bottom line or it might be a social issue or cause that’s important to them. Either way, he said, it’s access regular voters can’t get.

or example, the Club For Growth’s top donor is Richard Uihlein, a billionaire Republican megadonor and CEO of Wisconsin shipping and packing firm Uline. Uihlein is known for his opposition to government regulations and has contributed $24.5 million to the super PAC for the 2020 election. In in the past year his company has lobbied the federal government to loosen restrictions on the hours truck drivers can be on the road and to increase the length of double-trailer trucks, according to lobbyist disclosures.

Another large donor is Jeff Yass, an options trader and founder of Philadelphia-based Susquehanna International Group. Yass sits on the board of the libertarian think tank the Cato Institute, and is a powerful advocate for school choice and the expansion of charter schools.

More broadly, the Club for Growth pushes a host of mainline, business-friendly issues, including free trade, lowering the income tax and passing tort reform.

The American Bridge PAC received millions in donations from liberal non-profits that don’t have to disclose their donors, but millions more came from wealthy donors like Indiana shopping mall heiresses Deborah Simon and Cynthia Simon-Skjodt. Since 2016, the sisters have emerged as big donors to progressive groups, reportedly due to their interest in fighting abortion restrictions and promoting issues like gay rights. In the 2020 election cycle, the two women gave a combined $7.8 million to American Bridge.

The article gives many other examples of PACS that are contributing large amounts of money to both sides, but you get the idea from what I've quoted. It does appear as if the conservative PACS are contributing a lot more money compared to the liberal PACS.

 

[lpetrich]

Jon Ossoff on Twitter: "Your daily reminder that David Perdue has fought against stimulus checks for the entire pandemic." / Twitter

Will Ragland on Twitter: ".@Perduesenate: "I'm offended" at the suggestion of eliminating or reducing student debt... https://t.co/qvnhYrw6uM" / Twitter
then
Stacey Abrams on Twitter: "Why we need @ossoff. Who doesn’t realize that costs have soared while wages stagnate? Someone who is out of touch with regular people. David Perdue should talk to folks at the supermarket, not just his trading partners on the stock market. " / Twitter


The ReidOut on Twitter: ""Georgia, do your thing. I know we're asking a lot of Georgia. But do your thing, Georgia.

All eyes are on Georgia. Mitch McConnell, Loeffler, Perdue. They are the Bonnie and Clyde of corruption. They are all same."

@AyannaPressley on #thereidout. https://t.co/6N8Ox4tDAH" / Twitter
Host Joy-Ann Reid agreed.

 

[lpetrich]

Trump 'Is the Republican Party,' Pollster Says as President Hoards Campaign Donations

Republican pollster John McLaughlin said President Donald Trump is now effectively the Republican Party as the president continues to bring in campaign donations ahead of the Georgia Senate runoffs on January 5.

His comments come as Trump's new leadership PAC, Save America, is making fundraising appeals and calling on the president's supporters to help Republican Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue win reelection.

But Save America does not appear to be spending on the Georgia Senate elections, according to ABC News, citing ad placement data and campaign disclosures.

So Trump cheats his donors also.