Posted in2024 election Joe Biden

I’m a Dem eager to see Biden withdraw. Tell me why I’m wrong.

Maybe obsession for what I'm experiencing is too strong a word. But maybe it isn't. Because I can't stop thinking about how much better it would be for the country, and also for Biden, as I argued in a recent post, if he withdrew from the presidential race. My anxiety about Biden losing to Trump, which is looking increasingly likely, as I'll describe below, only increased after yesterday's Supreme Court ruling that basically said a president can't be held criminally liable for official acts during a presidency. I have zero worries that Biden will get all gangster'ish. I have a…
1
Posted in2024 election Joe Biden

I abhor the cult of Trump, and I won’t join the cult of Biden

As I said in my preceding blog post a few days ago, "Why Biden should withdraw from the presidential race (but he won't)," along with countless other Democrats I consider Biden's debate performance to be an unmitigated disaster, so much so, another candidate should be chosen to replace him. Over the weekend I've seen nothing that would make me change my mind. If anything, I'm even more committed to dumping Biden from the presidential ticket, though unfortunately that requires the willingness of Biden, since at the moment he's the Democratic nominee. I'm irritated that so many Democrats are behaving just…
No Comments
Posted in2024 election Joe Biden

Why Biden should withdraw from the presidential race (but he won’t)

I recorded the Trump-Biden debate last night, as I wanted to go to my Tai Chi class. When I got home at 7:30, about when the debate was over, it wasn't a good sign when my wife told me, "Got a text from a friend. She says it's a train wreck." Optimistic me thought Laurel was referring to Trump being his usual lying belligerent self. But no, it was Biden's poor performance that elicited the train wreck judgment. Which, when I watched the debate myself, I heartily agreed with. So much so, this morning I sent this message to the…
No Comments
Posted in2024 election Donald Trump Joe Biden

With the presidential debate looming tomorrow, the race currently is a toss-up

Suddenly the 2024 presidential race is seeming real. Well, make that much more real, because I've been fretting about the race for a long time.  But tomorrow's debate between Biden and Trump marks the genuine kickoff of the campaign to lead our country. Until now, there just have been skirmishes between the major party candidates. The debate will be an all-out war.  Being a Democrat, I worry a lot.  Will Biden stumble and fall on his way to the podium? Will Biden make some faux pas that will lead undecided voters to decide that he's senile? Will Trump summon up…
2
Posted in2024 election Donald Trump Joe Biden

Why liberals have more to fear from the 2024 election than conservatives

Last Saturday my wife and I hosted the monthly meeting of a Salon discussion group that we've been part of for many years. Everybody in the group leans liberal, some more than others, naturally, because us liberals, like cats, are notoriously resistant to being herded. One thing that we all agreed on is that it's going to be tough to maintain a semblance of calm between now and the 2024 election this November. President Biden is roughly tied nationally with Donald Trump, but Trump has the edge in some of the all-important swing states. I tried to be as understanding…
No Comments
Posted in2024 election Donald Trump

Donald Trump is a convicted felon. I’m so happy.

Yesterday I was putting my socks and shoes on after an acupuncture treatment when the acupuncturist, who either knew my political leaning or made a good guess, stuck her head in the door and said, "Trump has been convicted on all 34 counts!"  I said, "Thanks so much for telling me. You've made my day." Also, my week, my month, and if that well-deserved felony conviction ends up helping Biden to beat Trump this November, my entire year. Lifetime, even, because if Trump is elected, I fear that our beloved democracy is in mortal danger. A day later, I'm still…
No Comments
Posted in2024 election Donald Trump

Here’s 241 scary words about what another Trump presidency would be like

I've read lots of TIME magazine cover stories. None has scared me as much as the May 27, 2024 issue, which featured "If He Wins" by Eric Cortellessa. The "he" is Donald Trump. Though the cover story is lengthy, at the beginning of it Cortellessa summed up the main things he learned Trump plans to do if he was elected to a second term as president this November. Here's those scary 241 words. How any patriotic American could vote for Trump after reading them baffles me. Everything that Trump wants to do is either illegal, morally wrong, or ethically dubious. …
5
Posted in2024 election Chris Hoy City Council

Looks like Chris Hoy has lost to Julie Hoy in Salem Mayor race

The initial results are in for today's primary election in Oregon. Final results will take a while, since mail-in ballots are counted so long as they're postmarked on or before election day. "Primary" doesn't apply to Salem mayor and city council races if a candidate gets 50% of the vote plus one, because then they win outright and are unopposed in the November general election. So it sure looks like Julie Hoy will be the next Mayor of Salem. This is the combined initial result for Marion and Polk counties. Not a huge surprise. Julie Hoy outspent Chris Hoy by…
No Comments
Posted in2024 election

Here’s the local candidates to vote for in the May 2024 election

Salem residents, I urge you to do two things: (1) Cast your ballot in the May 21 Primary Election. Be sure it's postmarked on or before election day, or placed in an official collection box. Postage is paid for.(2) Vote for these local candidates for Mayor and City Council.  Check out their web sites if you want more information about the candidates. Just click on a name. Chris HoyPaul TiganNathan SoltzIrvin BrownVanessa Nordyke
2
Posted in2024 election Chris Hoy City of Salem

All I know is that a Hoy won the Mayoral Debate

Last Tuesday the Salem Reporter and Salem City Club held a debate between the two candidates for Mayor. One thing is clear: Hoy won. I can say that with complete confidence because the candidates were incumbent Mayor Chris Hoy and his unrelated opponent, Councilor Julie Hoy.  Given Chris' much longer political experience, and his incumbency, I figured that he would dominate the debate. But though I think Chris was sharper and more on point with his answers to questions posed by people from the sponsoring organizations, which earned him a win in my utterly personal opinion, Julie performed better than…
No Comments
Posted in2024 election Chris Hoy

Realtors and homebuilders love Julie Hoy for Mayor, not Chris Hoy

There's an almost foolproof way to tell which candidate for Mayor or City Council here in Salem is the most conservative. Check out ORESTAR, Oregon's campaign finance reporting system that's part of the Secretary of State office, and see who is getting contributions from realtor and homebuilder organizations. Whoever they're supporting, that's the conservative candidate. On Facebook this image is being shared by people who favor incumbent Mayor Chris Hoy, a progressive, over his opponent in the May election, Julie Hoy (no relation). Now, being a progressive myself, my sympathies are with the Chris Hoy backers. There's nothing wrong with…
2
Posted in2024 election Chris Hoy

Chris Hoy deserves to be re-elected as Salem Mayor

Ballots for the May 21, 2024 primary election will be mailed on May 1. So it's time to start thinking about who to vote for. Keep in mind that when it comes to local races -- such as Salem mayor and city councilors -- usually the "primary" ends up being the actual election, since a candidate who gets 50% plus at least one additional vote in the primary won't face an opponent in the November general election. There are only two candidates for mayor: Incumbent Chris Hoy, shown above, and Julie Hoy, a city councilor who is unrelated to Chris.…
No Comments
Posted in2024 election Donald Trump

Trump falling asleep in court is amusing, yet also disturbing

Donald Trump likes to call President Biden "sleepy Joe." That's one reason I find the reports of Trump falling asleep in court yesterday on the first day of his hush money/campaign finance violation trial so amusing. Forbes has a summary of the reports of Trump's dozing that should put to rest any suspicion that this is fake news. Here's excerpts from "Trump Fell Asleep In Court -- Twice -- Reporters Say." The New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman was the first to report on Trump’s seemingly exhausted manner, writing in the Times’ live blog of the trial around 12 p.m.…
No Comments
Posted in2024 election Joe Biden

Biden gives vigorous State of the Union speech, depressing GOP

Wow. No, let's make it a double Wow-Wow. That's how pleasantly surprised I was at President Biden's State of the Union speech tonight.  Though I'm a proud progressive Democrat, I've been among those Biden supporters who worry that he's too old to run for a second term. Hey, I'm six years younger than Biden is, and I have trouble getting out of bed in the morning (damn sciatica!), much less lead the United States.  But there Biden was, standing tall at the podium for 68 minutes, giving a highly energetic and captivating speech, jousting with catcalls from Republicans in the…
No Comments
Posted in2024 election Donald Trump Joe Biden

Supreme Court gives Trump a big victory. But voters will decide his fate.

For progressives like me, or indeed anyone who wants to see Trump held accountable for his actions during the January 6 insurrection at the nation's capitol, today's Supreme Court decision was hugely disappointing. Trump asked the court to put on hold the January 6 case being overseen by U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan until the court could rule on his bizarre contention that a president has immunity for whatever  he or she does while in office. Since it took the Supreme Court about two weeks before issuing a ruling on that request, many legal observers expected that the delay was…
No Comments
Posted in2024 election Chris Hoy Larry Tokarski

Julie Hoy has much more money than Chris Hoy in Salem Mayor race

As I noted in the title of a post from last November, "It'll be Hoy vs. Hoy in 2024 Salem Mayor race. Marvelous!" Julie Hoy and Chris Hoy City councilor Julie Hoy and incumbent Mayor Chris Hoy aren't related. They also aren't in the same ballpark when it comes to the current state of their campaign finances, according to the ORESTAR system that tracks this in Oregon. It's a familiar story when it comes to local races in Salem. Almost always, the conservative candidate (in this case Julie Hoy) raises more money than the progressive candidate (in this case Chris…
1
Posted in2024 election Donald Trump National politics

Trump owes $454 million in civil case penalty. Don’t vote for this fraudster.

Justice is finally catching up to Donald Trump. He's spent his whole adult life, and surely part of his childhood, feeling like he can get away with anything, thanks to the power of money he inherited from his father and subsequent business dealings that not only skirted the law, but sometimes broke the law. He's been found legally liable for defrauding people who signed up for Trump University. He's been found legally liable for defaming E. Jean Carroll, who he sexually assaulted and then lied about her making the story up. His list of other lawsuits and indictments goes on…
No Comments
Posted in2024 election International issues Joe Biden

Recent poll finds Biden in big trouble against Trump. Hamas war is one reason.

I enjoy watching Meet the Press on Sunday. But today's episode disturbed me when results of a new NBC poll were presented by Steve Kornacki.  For one thing, Biden trails Trump nationally by five points, with his poll numbers steadily declining. Also, Trump is seen as more competent than Biden on most policy issues. It's astounding that Biden only has a two point lead over Trump on protecting democracy. A NBC News story about the poll describes the bad news for Biden. Despite a growing economy and little opposition for his party’s nomination, President Joe Biden confronts a dissatisfied electorate…
No Comments
Posted in2024 election Donald Trump Joe Biden

After New Hampshire, it’s almost certainly Biden vs. Trump

Following tonight's vote in New Hampshire, it seems clear that Nikki Haley's odds of beating Donald Trump for the Republican presidential nomination are about as strong as me winning a billion dollars in a lottery. Same is true of Dean Phillips beating Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination, though his odds are even lower. Phillips is on track to get about 20% of the vote in New Hampshire, where Biden wasn't even on the ballot due to his commitment to have South Carolina be the first state to award Democratic delegates.  Losing so badly when votes for Biden had to…
No Comments
Posted in2024 election Donald Trump Joe Biden

Trump wins big in Iowa. May he lose big to Biden.

Living as I do in a vote-by-mail state where ballots are filled out in the comfort of one's home, then put in a mailbox with postage paid by Oregon's enlightened government, it baffles me why a state would vote in any other way. Like, by traveling to a site where you may have to stand in line for a long time before being able to vote. But that makes more sense than choosing a candidate in the Republican primary for president by having people attend caucuses in bitterly cold weather in mid-January where a couple of hours of discussion precedes…
No Comments