2020 Election Results

[fromderinside]

it's mandatory to drive with your headlights on when it's raining in Sweden.

How the fuck am I supposed to know when it's raining in Sweden?

You don't need to if you lease or buy a Toyota Venza Hybrid. It can be configured to turn on lights when it detects rain on the wind screen. The Venza also works with Alexa if you pay a bit.

Now we're getting into Pig Heaven.

 

[Elixir]

it's mandatory to drive with your headlights on when it's raining in Sweden.

How the fuck am I supposed to know when it's raining in Sweden?

You don't need to if you lease or buy a Toyota Venza Hybrid. It can be configured to turn on lights when it detects rain on the wind screen. The Venza also works with Alexa if you pay a bit.

Now we're getting into Pig Heaven.

What a relief!
Oh, wait....
OPINION: Rain-Sensing Wipers are an Abomination

I've used systems from Mazda, Lexus, and now, it's equipped on my Kia Stinger.

In each car, I found that setting the dial to maximum sensitivity would, at best, get me a few wipes before the wipers would just let my windshield flood with water. I would then have to fiddle around with the dial to get the wipers moving again. This is way more troublesome than just having preset, intermittent speeds.

I also find that it can be unpredictable. There was freezing rain on my way to work today and in the span of 1 minute, the wipers on my Stinger went from slow-intermittent, to the highest speed, and then to completely stopped in unchanging conditions.

The worst part is that some cars don't even have the option of turning off the Rain-Sensing feature. Out of all the cars I've driven with Rain-Sensing Wipers, only Mazda has given me the option of turning it off and using the traditional preset speeds. Hopefully they don't remove this in the future.

Oh well... maybe the Toyota system is better. Knowing the area where you live lends some credence to your opinion.
But the problem persists. Maybe I can buy a Venza in Sweden, leave it running outside and get Alexa to call me when it rains in Sweden so I can turn on my wipers?

 

[crazyfingers]

Oh well... maybe the Toyota system is better. Knowing the area where you live lends some credence to your opinion.

The rain sensor on my wife's 2011 Toyota Sienna van works very well. It adjusts the intermittent speed between very light and heavy rain at least as well as I could do manually.

I have not checked it if also turns on the headlights but I suspect that it does.

 

[Gun Nut]

Ya. My headlights come on automatically when the wipers are on. Not for just a squert of wiper fluid but if they are set to intermittent or on, headlights are automatic.

My headlights come on when I start the car and stay on for 30 seconds after I turn it off... I never even think about them.

Ya those are probably your high beams running at low power. But your red back lights are probably still off. Mine does that too. But when my wipers go on the car switches to low beams at regular power and the back lights turn on.

you're right that it does not illuminate my brake lights at all, which is a technicality that might get me in trouble within such a headlights required jurisdiction. I never noticed if my wipers activated that - guess I should check (thanks). Darkness must activate the regular lighting... I would have been ticketed by now (or rear-ended).

My rear-view mirror has an illumination feature that I have no idea how it works... the old fashioned "dimmer" of the rearview was a lever that changes the angle of the mirror in a certain way. Now it just disallows overly bright lights by automatically dimming via some black magic.

 

[fromderinside]

But the problem persists. Maybe I can buy a Venza in Sweden, leave it running outside and get Alexa to call me when it rains in Sweden so I can turn on my wipers?

Hoot maan you should be living in Texas-ah

Thanks for the green. Reminds me of Christmas.

 

[lpetrich]

Iowa Democrat Rita Hart Ends Challenge In House Race Lost By 6 Votes : NPR

She tweeted:
Rita Hart on Twitter: "Running to represent the people of #IA02 in the U.S. House of Representatives has been one of the greatest honors of my life. I could not have done it without all of you. Read my statement from today here: (pic link)" / Twitter

"I wish Mariannette Miller-Meeks all the best as she serves the people of this great state as Congresswoman," she said. "This has been a difficult process for all of those involved and it's incredibly important that we work together to reform the system so this does not happen again in the future."

She added: "Despite our best efforts to have every vote counted, the reality is that the toxic campaign of political disinformation to attack this constitutional review of the closest congressional contest in 100 years has effectively silenced the voices of Iowans."

This led to the House ending its review of the 2020 IA-02 Congressional race.

"The contest before the Committee on House Administration was proceeding under the Federal Contested Election Act, which requires a contestant," said Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., in a statement. "There being no contestant, there is no longer a contest, and the committee will, accordingly, recommend that the whole House dispose of the contest and adopt a dismissal resolution reported out by the Committee."

"We are glad Rita Hart finally came to her senses and admitted the truth: the people of Iowa chose Dr. Mariannette Miller-Meeks to represent them in Congress," said Mike Berg, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee.

This brings to and end the 2020 US Congressional elections.

 

[bleubird]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/poli...320b72-a3a4-11eb-a774-7b47ceb36ee8_story.html

OMG!

 

[Swammerdami]

"We are glad Rita Hart finally came to her senses and admitted the truth: the people of Iowa chose Dr. Mariannette Miller-Meeks to represent them in Congress," said Mike Berg, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee.

Even after a routine concession in a routine but VERY close election, the Rs couldn't pass up a chance to speak like snarky assholes.

 

[funinspace]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/poli...320b72-a3a4-11eb-a774-7b47ceb36ee8_story.html

OMG!

Arizona Repugs are struggling to not loose their grip on the state. Over the last few election cycles, their level of support has been slipping. Now they just barely control both chambers. Instead of changing their tune and ways, they are doubling down on the Stupid. The demographics will eventually tilt the state to Democratic control, between dying old white people and the higher Hispanic growth rate. The 2020 Presidential race and both US Senate seat races were harbingers of the future Repug train wreck there...

 

[ideologyhunter]

They have ninjas on their side!

 

[Ford]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/poli...320b72-a3a4-11eb-a774-7b47ceb36ee8_story.html

OMG!

Arizona Repugs are struggling to not loose their grip on the state. Over the last few election cycles, their level of support has been slipping. Now they just barely control both chambers. Instead of changing their tune and ways, they are doubling down on the Stupid. The demographics will eventually tilt the state to Democratic control, between dying old white people and the higher Hispanic growth rate. The 2020 Presidential race and both US Senate seat races were harbingers of the future Repug train wreck there...

Arizona resident checking in...

They've still got a good hold on the state legislature, and the Democrats haven't been able to field a solid candidate for Governor in a long time...since Janet Napolitano. It isn't as if our last few GOP Governors were geniuses, either. Mark Kelly won handily, but Sinema has gone off the rails, but she's got a few more years to pull it together. And while the demographics are changing, the red areas in the state (Prescott, for example) are getting even deeper red...if that's even possible.

As for the audit, it's a stupid political stunt. For starters, there have already been 2 audits, the vote counts were watched by Democratic and Republican observers, and the counting was even live streamed. What's more, this effort has no legal authority. The election has already been certified, the electoral votes were cast, and if they find a wildly different result (Trump lost by almost 10,500 votes) it would be immediately suspect.

 

[ideologyhunter]

Maybe... but the Big Lie is to keep their nutcase base fired up. And it has inspired all kinds of right wing legislation in -- what -- 20 states now? Some of the legislation seeks to transfer the all-important vote counts and certifications away from independent commissions and over to politically appointed bodies. Don't put anything past today's righties.

 

[fromderinside]

Four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie .....

Republicans in the house open up a an Old King Cole investigation.

 

[TV and credit cards]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/poli...320b72-a3a4-11eb-a774-7b47ceb36ee8_story.html

OMG!

Arizona Repugs are struggling to not loose their grip on the state. Over the last few election cycles, their level of support has been slipping. Now they just barely control both chambers. Instead of changing their tune and ways, they are doubling down on the Stupid. The demographics will eventually tilt the state to Democratic control, between dying old white people and the higher Hispanic growth rate. The 2020 Presidential race and both US Senate seat races were harbingers of the future Repug train wreck there...

Don’t underestimate the voting power of the migrating Californian. They’ve been moving to Arizona for years and show no signs of slowing.
It cost $1000 to rent a U-haul from Orange County to Phoenix. $100 going the other way. Basically, they just want their truck back.

 

[funinspace]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/poli...320b72-a3a4-11eb-a774-7b47ceb36ee8_story.html

OMG!

Arizona Repugs are struggling to not loose their grip on the state. Over the last few election cycles, their level of support has been slipping. Now they just barely control both chambers. Instead of changing their tune and ways, they are doubling down on the Stupid. The demographics will eventually tilt the state to Democratic control, between dying old white people and the higher Hispanic growth rate. The 2020 Presidential race and both US Senate seat races were harbingers of the future Repug train wreck there...

Arizona resident checking in...

They've still got a good hold on the state legislature, and the Democrats haven't been able to field a solid candidate for Governor in a long time...since Janet Napolitano. It isn't as if our last few GOP Governors were geniuses, either. Mark Kelly won handily, but Sinema has gone off the rails, but she's got a few more years to pull it together. And while the demographics are changing, the red areas in the state (Prescott, for example) are getting even deeper red...if that's even possible.

I shouldn't have said 'tilt the state to Democratic control', I should have said 'tilt the state to competitive'. The governor's position will be harder to take, but either congressional chamber can be taken by taking just 2 seats in a future election cycle. And the margins have been getting tighter for the Repugs in Arizona for the least 4 or so election cycles. Maybe it will stop, maybe not... It gets harder to know the actual trend by registration as the nones/independents have become more popular there...

 

[Elixir]

Arizona resident checking in...

They've still got a good hold on the state legislature, and the Democrats haven't been able to field a solid candidate for Governor in a long time...since Janet Napolitano. It isn't as if our last few GOP Governors were geniuses, either. Mark Kelly won handily, but Sinema has gone off the rails, but she's got a few more years to pull it together. And while the demographics are changing, the red areas in the state (Prescott, for example) are getting even deeper red...if that's even possible.

I shouldn't have said 'tilt the state to Democratic control', I should have said 'tilt the state to competitive'. The governor's position will be harder to take, but either congressional chamber can be taken by taking just 2 seats in a future election cycle. And the margins have been getting tighter for the Repugs in Arizona for the least 4 or so election cycles. Maybe it will stop, maybe not... It gets harder to know the actual trend by registration as the nones/independents have become more popular there...

Perspective from the diagonally opposite four corners State...

The AZ Republicans appear to have pulled out all the stops, conferring upon themselves the right to overturn the will of the voters at their own whim. From my meager understanding of the limits of federal power there doesn't seem to be anything anyone can do about it. Obviously, turning the State legislature blue would do the trick, but what prevents the current party controlling it from overturning any electoral result that threatens their primacy?
AZ is apparently a test-bed for the limits of Republican corruption of democracy, and the experiment is turning out splendidly for them AFAICS.

 

[funinspace]

Arizona resident checking in...

Not that it matters much, but I bugged out of the state when Bruce Babbitt was still governor...

 

[Ford]

Arizona resident checking in...

They've still got a good hold on the state legislature, and the Democrats haven't been able to field a solid candidate for Governor in a long time...since Janet Napolitano. It isn't as if our last few GOP Governors were geniuses, either. Mark Kelly won handily, but Sinema has gone off the rails, but she's got a few more years to pull it together. And while the demographics are changing, the red areas in the state (Prescott, for example) are getting even deeper red...if that's even possible.

I shouldn't have said 'tilt the state to Democratic control', I should have said 'tilt the state to competitive'. The governor's position will be harder to take, but either congressional chamber can be taken by taking just 2 seats in a future election cycle. And the margins have been getting tighter for the Repugs in Arizona for the least 4 or so election cycles. Maybe it will stop, maybe not... It gets harder to know the actual trend by registration as the nones/independents have become more popular there...

Perspective from the diagonally opposite four corners State...

The AZ Republicans appear to have pulled out all the stops, conferring upon themselves the right to overturn the will of the voters at their own whim. From my meager understanding of the limits of federal power there doesn't seem to be anything anyone can do about it. Obviously, turning the State legislature blue would do the trick, but what prevents the current party controlling it from overturning any electoral result that threatens their primacy?
AZ is apparently a test-bed for the limits of Republican corruption of democracy, and the experiment is turning out splendidly for them AFAICS.

The "audit" is a legal dead end on that front. The election is a settled matter and this recount carries no legal authority.


Will the GOP leaders in the state come up with some half-baked (or even fully baked) mechanism by which the majority party in the legislature can simply overturn the election by fiat? I wouldn't put it past them. I've watched our state legislature in action and it is largely a collection of nut-cases on the right. Think of a bunch of people trying to out-crazy Paul Gosar. Such a measure would certainly be challenged in the courts, and if Democrats gained a majority it could go all "law of unintended consequences" but our elected leaders don't exactly look much farther than the next election cycle. As for the Democrats, they almost never pull out all the stops...or even a majority of them.

The party is weak, and apart from a few standouts like Ruben Gallego and Raul Grijalva they tend to be (IMO) more about appealing to independents and moderates rather than going full liberal. Sinema is kinda the poster child for the state of Arizona's Democrats. Without a unifying event like the teacher's strike (the Red For Ed protests) they struggle to put up stronger candidates, especially for Governor. It's a David and Goliath situation, and David doesn't use his slingshot very well.

 

[Elixir]

Perspective from the diagonally opposite four corners State...

The AZ Republicans appear to have pulled out all the stops, conferring upon themselves the right to overturn the will of the voters at their own whim. From my meager understanding of the limits of federal power there doesn't seem to be anything anyone can do about it. Obviously, turning the State legislature blue would do the trick, but what prevents the current party controlling it from overturning any electoral result that threatens their primacy?
AZ is apparently a test-bed for the limits of Republican corruption of democracy, and the experiment is turning out splendidly for them AFAICS.

The "audit" is a legal dead end on that front. The election is a settled matter and this recount carries no legal authority.

Legal schmegal. The point is to keep the rubes convinced of The Big Lie. The Big Audit Charade carries more than sufficient "authority" for that purpose.

Will the GOP leaders in the state come up with some half-baked (or even fully baked) mechanism by which the majority party in the legislature can simply overturn the election by fiat?

Yup. So far the baking is incomplete, but they're working on it. The experiment shows great promise.

Proposed law would allow Arizona Legislature to overturn presidential election results

I've watched our state legislature in action and it is largely a collection of nut-cases on the right. Think of a bunch of people trying to out-crazy Paul Gosar. Such a measure would certainly be challenged in the courts

That goes to what I have been wondering - WHICH courts? Certainly the 'pugs will argue that it belongs under that purview of whatever court they feel they have most effectively packed.

if Democrats gained a majority it could go all "law of unintended consequences" but our elected leaders don't exactly look much farther than the next election cycle.

Why bother? If they can control just this next one, maybe they can get their law passed giving themselves the authority to decide elections without having to pay attention to those annoying voters.

As for the Democrats, they almost never pull out all the stops...or even a majority of them.

The current rumblings indicate that at least some of them know it's time to either put a stop to this nonsense, or roll over entirely.

The party is weak, and apart from a few standouts like Ruben Gallego and Raul Grijalva they tend to be (IMO) more about appealing to independents and moderates rather than going full liberal. Sinema is kinda the poster child for the state of Arizona's Democrats. Without a unifying event like the teacher's strike (the Red For Ed protests) they struggle to put up stronger candidates, especially for Governor. It's a David and Goliath situation, and David doesn't use his slingshot very well.

I agree, and that's why I despair.

 

[ZiprHead]

Reporter Swarmed By Fake Police At Arizona Fake Audit
CNN's Kyung Lah was initially allowed into parking lot for this phony audit, but was met by phony police telling her she was "trespassing."

CNN knows how to set up a story.

First, reporter Kyung Lah showed an actual carnival on the Arizona State Fairgrounds, complete with rides, games, clowns, and flashing lights. The name? "Crazy Times Carnival." No joke.

On the other side of the literal fence? Trump supporters holding an alleged "audit" of Arizona's largest county's votes from the 2020 election. That's where the real clowns are, and guaranteed, games, too.

Lah tries to interview outwardly partisan vote-counters entering the parking lot, and is rebuffed multiple times by mistrustful OAN fans. When she tries to enter herself, the security guard allows it, directing her to the parking lot section for media, but as soon as she parks, a bunch of wanna-be cowboys with dime-store sheriff's badges swarm her. These moops are the "Arizona Rangers," who are a pretend-police private security group hired by Cyber Ninjas.

"That's the Florida-based company being paid $150,000 by the GOP-controlled state senate to conduct this election review," explains Lah. Cyber Ninjas. Got that? There's a name that inspires confidence, no? Nothing screams "INTEGRITY!" and "TRUST US!" like the Japanese term for someone specially trained for espionage and assassinations.

Informed she was trespassing by the "Ranger" fellas, Lah cuts to her interview with Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chair, Jack Sellers, who's a Republican, for the record.

"Everything they're doing is just so unprofessional, that it's really bothersome," he tells her. "I don't really feel that it benefits me to get into the weeds too far, all the craziness that I see going on." Sellers and the Board of Supervisors conducted their own bipartisan audit of the County's election, twice, finding no evidence of widespread election fraud either time.

Video in the link.