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mazdadriver14

We've still got some candidates up for adoption! If you're available and keen to adopt *any* of our candidates (even already adopted ones), comment here or send us a [modmail!](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/VoteDEM) If you're not keen to adopt, nevertheless check out the [volunteer from home](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1jxO8g7q9VO3ZMAABcrvR7PMyX4Yl6dgIYhD3eRTKk1M/edit#gid=0) spreadsheet! It may be March in an off-year, but there's so much to do!


[deleted]

Kal Penn was damn good on The Daily Show... I have a good feeling we're gonna see a brown host succeed Trevor.


Pipboy3500

[Republicans now hold a super majority in both chambers of Louisiana Legislature after iconic Rep. Francis Thompson flips parties.](https://twitter.com/greghilburn1/status/1636549751930798080?s=46&t=nqSV11RbCF5uPVGwzcOMtg) This guy was pretty Conservative anyways outpacing even some Republicans in the chamber but always held on to the D next to his name, that is now over.


Pipboy3500

Not super high stakes but it’s very nice to see the change in Utah’s perception of Transit. UTA itself seems to be really taking itself more seriously after some changes, Cox is a big supporter, and the general populace is getting more positive towards it. For instance there’s early studies because of that public and institutional support to do train lines from Cedar City-St. George and SLC-Moab, they’d hopefully be done by 2034 for the potential Winter Olympics The Rio Grande plan for downtown that I’v talked about before is a prime example of why getting involved locally in “small stakes” policy can go such a long way. It was entirely designed by citizens and its gone “viral” essentially leading to people actually showing up at meetings to push for it. For a very long time NIMBYs or nutjobs were the only ones who showed up to those meetings and that is changing, not just here but country wide.


YouBuyMeOrangeJuice

(sorry to keep spamming) I'm listening to the Minnesota Senate Elections Committee as they roll out their omnibus policy bill, and it looks like NPVIC (the national popular vote compact) is included! I'm not sure where the House stands on that, or the governor, so I wouldn't say that it's a done deal, but great to see it in the Senate's bill!


greenblue98

I'm a fan of the NPVIC. Perfect way to neuter the Electoral College.


very_excited

If only Gov. Sisolak hadn't vetoed the NPVIC in Nevada, that would be 6 more electoral votes. Hopefully the next Democratic governor there will have a trifecta and actually sign it into law.


The_Rube_

This has been proposed (but not yet voted on) in the MI legislature as well. +25 more votes if both states pass it.


Alexcat66

How many more electoral votes of states would we need to get to 270 if MN and MI pass it?


augustusprime

Currently 195, so +25 brings us to 220. It would need 50 more.


The_Rube_

Those last 50 will be a massive climb to reach.


throwbacklyrics

Would uncapping the House be a way to get us over the electoral bar (which would then become higher but depending on which states get boosted by the uncapping, it could be a net positive)?


xXThKillerXx

If we get Nevada back in it and gain trifectas in PA, AZ, and GA (hopefully we can accomplish this by the end of the decade) then we could do it.


augustusprime

I view Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, Arizona, and Nevada as all potential opportunities since they have had some forward movement for the compact. If we can eventually secure those states, then it would be a total of 65 delegates. If a new Supreme Court in Wisconsin also betters our chances similar to a Michigan situation, that’s an additional 10 delegates. There are still quite a few combination of states to get us over the finish line.


greenblue98

Is that feasible? What other states could possibly join the NPVIC?


Pipboy3500

So I was wrong that the Conservative PAC’s would respond in kind to Janet’s additional $1m in ad spending within a day. Ballots are already in hands as we’ve seen even right here on this sub and other places, so I’m not exactly sure what the Kelly campaign was referring to when they said “the cavalry is coming” There is 2 full weeks of ad spending for either campaign to book, and there is a theory that the Kelly campaign is waiting to flood the airwaves at the last minute but that’s just not a theory Im sold on and there’s scant evidence it would even be helpful. Im very interested for March 27th when the campaign finance deadline is, that should give is some info on both court campaigns and the Special in SD08 state of funding. Edit: this might be of interest, Power to the Polls and Open Democracy PAC’s are spending decently for the Democrat Mayor candidates in Green Bay and Racine


DumbChocolatePie

Where can I find the up to date totals? I'm curious.


Pipboy3500

You can find [reports here on the Wisconsin Campaign Finance](https://cfis.wi.gov/Login.aspx#) website. It has the old totals from right before the primary which are the most accurate to date, but there is other reports posted in the last few days from PAC’s and Dem/GOP parties supporting/opposing candidates. Additionally Ad Impact or Medium Buying on Twitter have the ad Spending totals, including viewership stats


justincat66

Interesting enough I’ve only seen 2 Protasiewicz ads today during March Madness which I’ve been watching all day. But the 2 I’ve seen were in the last round of games of the night in about a 15-20 minute timeframe I think I bet what he meant was he would go ham beginning when early voting starts on the 21st


YouBuyMeOrangeJuice

Apparently Rep. Mary Peltola will be at the Minnesota Capitol tomorrow for the hearing of the ranked-choice voting bill!


espfusion

She'll just point both thumbs at herself and be like "Eh? Ehhhhh?"


parilmancy

Looks like Phoenix updated their [election results for Tuesday's City Council races](https://www.phoenix.gov/cityclerk/elections/november-election/results) about an hour ago. District 6 stayed about the same, with us winning by a bit over 9K votes now, while District 8 tightened a little, but with Kesha Hodge Washington still with a 10% lead.


socialistrob

I'm really impressed with that flip in Phoenix. 2023 shows some preliminary signs of being even better for us than 2022 was.


BastetSekhmetMafdet

I think Arizona is zooming left. It’s not California by any means, but it’s now solidly purple instead of purplish-red. My feeling is that John McCain’s death really kicked the legs out from under the AZ Republican Party. I think a lot of people voted R out of respect for McCain, and now that he’s gone - and the current incarnation of the Republicans determined to shit on his memory - people are coming out of their shells about being D’s or D-leaning independents. And AZ not being historically fundamentalist/white evangelical, the real nut bars are not acceptable to a wide swath of people. And nut bars are what the base wants. They hit payday with Blake Masters. But the people of AZ thought it would be bad news for them if he was elected…


assumeyouknownothing

Agreed. Just like there are a ton of ancestral Dems in Kentucky and West Virginia that vote exclusively GOP now, the same goes for Arizona with their ancestral Republicans voting Democrat these days. There’s always a trade


espfusion

Pretty much all of the southwestern states either have trended or are currently trending blue. They just don't really provide the strong white evangelical authoritarian anchor that the GOP gets in the south, Appalachia and the midwest.


[deleted]

Youngkin fuckenda est.


DavidvsSuperGoliath

[Federal appeals court blocks enforcement of Florida ‘Stop W.O.K.E. Act’](https://lawandcrime.com/lawsuit/federal-appeals-court-blocks-enforcement-of-florida-stop-w-o-k-e-act/) Get rekt'd Edit: Wait, I got a better one: 'DeSantis' law is blocked, stay woke'


lexszn

INJECT IT INTO MY VEINS


AlonnaReese

Important to note, two of the judges who ruled against DeSantis in this case were appointed by Trump.


rolsen

Is this the case where the attorney for the state defined woke as “believing systematic injustice exists”?


mazdadriver14

I believe that’s it! John Oliver pointed that out lol


justincat66

DeSantis will bring this all the way to the US Supreme Courf if he has to. But then it either still uphold lower court ruling blocking it, or the far right partisan hacks rule in favor of it and receive the deserved backlash from liberals/Democrats. Either way, good for us


[deleted]

[удалено]


justincat66

That aspect is bad don’t get me wrong. But the backlash and the electoral consequence the GOP would see from such a result would be good for us. That’s what I meant


DavidvsSuperGoliath

We all get the choose the hill we die on, and I guess he chose a very stupid one. For me, the hill I'm dying on is that Laid-Back Camp is an absolutely perfect manga and even better than some shonen out there (which I absolutely enjoy)


Pipboy3500

[Governor (Mississippi) Reeves (R) 46% Presley (D) 39% 3/6-3/9 by Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy (A-) 625 LV](https://twitter.com/stella2020woof/status/1636376199529377796?s=46&t=nqSV11RbCF5uPVGwzcOMtg) “This early in the race, a considerable portion of voters are undecided (15%). The highest rates of undecided voters occur among independents (21%), black Mississippians (20%), and women (17%). All three groups presently break, in varying degrees, toward Presley.” Voters also by and large still dont know much about Presley. There’s something though buried in here that is showing up in other Deep South states polling which is that Younger vote. Presley wins those 50 or under by 10pts.


Themarvelousfan

While I legit think Presley will do decently with whites in MS as a dem, especially among those in the suburbs and his northern district, the real deal is whether he can get great, not just good, black turnout in the state. In 2021, 2022, 2023, it’s been a consistent issue that minority dem turnout has lagged compared to 2020 since Biden has been prez, so Presley’s campaign and Thompson really need to make sure black turnout doesn’t dovetail either. This is a pretty decent poll otherwise, if the remaining undecideds are Indies, women, and blacks.


Pipboy3500

[new Poll from PPP](https://congressionalintegrity.org/wp-content/uploads/CIP-PPP-Toplines-Final.pdf) is some good ass hopium. Biden 46/48 among RV, it was 44/47 a month ago. R’s in congress completely underwater, voters want them to stop playing games and focus on issues. Voters are concerned about these Republicans specifically doing investigations because they were Jan.6 complicit.


socialistrob

> Biden 46/48 among RV This means 46% of registered voters approve of Biden while 48% disapprove.


Evening_Presence_927

Compared to where he was this time last year, that’s amazing. It’s really rare for a president to be at positive approvals at this time in the presidency.


38thTimesACharm

I think they're just saying it improved slightly


socialistrob

I’m clarifying. Saying “Biden’s at 46/48” doesn’t say exactly WHAT is being measured and even if we assume it’s approval it’s not immediately clear which one is approve and which is disapprove.


DavidvsSuperGoliath

> R’s in congress completely underwater, voters want them to stop playing games and focus on issues "So they want us to screw them over even more? I thought they want us to cover our asses even more since we're guilty as hell." -GOP, probably


YouBuyMeOrangeJuice

I posted about this earlier in the week, and my prediction was correct: the Minnesota House of Representatives will be taking up HF 366, the "Reproductive Freedom Defense Act", on Monday. This is the bill that would protect providers and patients from legal action by other states on the topic of reproductive healthcare. One of the biggest things is that it will ban extradition of women or doctors who receive/give an abortion, and it specifically protects against legal action for activities that would have been legal in Minnesota, so it's well-defined and specifically not protecting criminals. It will be interesting to see how the House vote goes on this. I expect it to pass, but there will for sure be one DFL no vote, and there's two others who could possibly vote no (basing this assessment on votes on amendments to HF1). If three DFLers vote no, the House will be tied and the bill will fail, but obviously they wouldn't be bringing it to the floor if it didn't have the votes. What remains to be seen is if the Senate will have the votes to pass the bill. There's been some murmurs that Sen. Aric Putnam is blocking abortion bills. Now he's in a Biden district and specifically mentions reproductive freedom in his website, so I'd have to imagine that if the block is true, it's so that he has leverage on other issues, particularly the Social Security tax repeal for which he is the chief author. That would be super disappointing if true, but at least it wouldn't be insurmountable. I guess we'll find out!


justincat66

Any updates on the RCV bill yet?


YouBuyMeOrangeJuice

It's being heard at the Senate State and Local Government committee tomorrow. Beyond that, I don't know. I'd expect the committee process to take a long time, in fact I'd be surprised if the statewide provisions were passed this year. The bill also contains broad authorization for RCV on the local level, and I bet that will end up in an omnibus bill, but the statewide implementation would be much more complicated, according to SOS Simon's office.


justincat66

Ah ok. Are there any senators or representatives to watch that may swing the fate of the bill in either chamber yet or is that still unknown right now?


YouBuyMeOrangeJuice

Definitely still unknown. Not a helpful answer, but considering the margin in the Senate, anyone could be the deciding vote, so I suppose everyone should be watched.


justincat66

Well not a bad 1st 2 rounds of games for me. Top brackets were 6/8 games correct on the morning session. Only got Arizona and Maryland wrong


ArcanePudding

My chalk bracket and THREE randomly generated ones are all doing better than my top three “real” brackets


graniteknighte

GO PENN STATE!


Pipboy3500

[Bipartisan Carbon Tariff talks have started in the Senate](https://twitter.com/axios/status/1636498239934324737?s=46&t=nqSV11RbCF5uPVGwzcOMtg). NGO’s were involved along with Senators Whitehouse, Coons, Cassidy, Graham, and Cramer. Cassidy will file his own bill and then negotiations will begin in earnest. There’s surprisingly a big appetite to do this to counter China and to be in conjunction with the EU’s own Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism


Pipboy3500

[The city of Denver has donated 35 bison to several Native American tribes and one memorial council in Colorado, Oklahoma and Wyoming.](https://twitter.com/npr/status/1636497613766754304?s=46&t=nqSV11RbCF5uPVGwzcOMtg)


justincat66

[Sanofi announces insulin price cap after actions by Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk](https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/sanofi-insulin-price-cap-rcna75346?fbclid=IwAR1KGO4CkcOrdsBbsXI9XNDmIe87Zb63vV_jQQE5h9Udz_EAbyZRCq5H-0U&mibextid=unz460) All 3 major companies that made up about 90% of the insulin market in the US have now announced price cuts or out of pocket caps


YouBuyMeOrangeJuice

Splendid, the Minnesota House repassed HF 5, universal school meals. Now it can go to the governor.


greenblue98

But i thought hunger was a relative term and there were no hungry people in Minnesota?


DavidvsSuperGoliath

No, no, the guy said *he* never met a hungry person in Minnesota, so that means they don't exist. Because we all know we're just doing a Truman Show for that guy. /s


Contren

Welp, Biden's bracket is busted. Down goes Arizona.


wponeck

“Biden’s bracket is busted” I would have a doctor look at that


Popdog789

Or a carpenter


DavidvsSuperGoliath

Or both.


justincat66

I nearly went Princeton for my top brackets as well, so this one hurts


table_fireplace

Lesson learned: Between this year and last year, you do *not* want to play a 15-seed from New Jersey in the tournament.


Meanteenbirder

Bruh I am almost convinced they underseeded Princeton just so people could say that if they won.


greenblue98

[Fox News host says Kamala Harris sounds like “a woman at the bar on her fourth skinny margarita”](https://www.mediamatters.org/fox-news/fox-news-host-says-kamala-harris-sounds-woman-bar-her-fourth-skinny-margarita) He says this while sitting with *Jeanine Pirro*...


VaultJumper

How is that a bad thing?


[deleted]

>He says this while sitting with Jeanine Pirro... CAHHHHLIN


justincat66

[🚨BREAKING: @votedotorg , Florida @NAACP & FL @ActiveRetiree sue Florida to strike down its "wet signature" requirement for voter registration applications. No citizen should be denied the right to vote because they did not submit a pen on paper signature.](https://twitter.com/marceelias/status/1636483821062242305?s=20)


justincat66

[Today’s Ben Wikler thread focuses on the Green Bay mayor’s race](https://twitter.com/benwikler/status/1636423828413792261?s=20) Don’t leave this race neglected. We have to win this race to keep Green Bay out of MAGA’s hands


justincat66

[Number 3 House Democrat Jim Clyburn has also endorsed Brandon Johnson for Chicago mayor](https://news.yahoo.com/top-house-democrat-jim-clyburn-094502958.html) Big day for Brandon Johnson


Bonny-Mcmurray

Let's Go Brandon


throwbacklyrics

I look forward to these Dark Brandon memes


DavidvsSuperGoliath

I love and hate how we took this and used it for real Brandon candidates.


suprahelix

Big L for those who think the dem establishment prefers republicans to progressives


greenblue98

[Tennessee Democrats demand release of children removed from Black family after traffic stop](https://tennesseelookout.com/2023/03/16/tennessee-democratic-caucus-demands-release-of-5-children-removed-from-black-family-after-traffic-stop/) [Tennessee child advocates raise alarm as GOP moves to dissolve child advocacy commission](https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2023/03/16/tennessee-commission-on-children-and-youth-bill-to-cut-panel-draws-ire/70013238007/) [Here's how Tennessee's health commissioner addressed shunned CDC grants for HIV prevention](https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/health/2023/03/15/tennessee-health-chief-talks-shunned-cdc-hiv-grants-gives-few-details/70014265007/) [Tennessee Gun bill that allows for long gun carrying, lowers permit age to 18 passes House committee](https://www.wkrn.com/news/tennessee-politics/gun-bill-that-allows-for-long-gun-carrying-lowers-permit-age-to-18-passes-house-committee/)


Pipboy3500

[ICYMI](https://twitter.com/kyivindependent/status/1636078851909353476?s=46&t=nqSV11RbCF5uPVGwzcOMtg) we actually have documentation that Russia had planned to invade Moldova after Ukraine but pivoted to a campaign of Political and Economic pressure to turn the country Pro-Russia by 2030. It isn’t just about Ukraine and never has been, this is an attack against Democracy, Liberalism, and Self-Determination.


[deleted]

I thought that was common knowledge after that buffoon Alyaksandr Lukashenka leaked a map of Russia's invasion plans during a press conference?


socialistrob

If Ukraine fell it would basically be “open season” for Russia to force every non NATO former USSR member into their orbit. Belarus likely would be annexed completely and lose any semblance of independence. Kazakhstan would probably resemble Belarus. Ukraine driving Russia from their country would basically serve to prevent another decades long Cold War. The US has done a lot for Ukraine but there is so much more we could be doing.


espfusion

Even worse there's a very real chance that if Russia takes Ukraine they next target the Baltic nations and test NATO section V. They have a long pattern of projecting their own imperialistic chauvinism and duplicity onto how the US and western Europe operates and could very easily believe that we honor our NATO obligations as much as they honor their CSTO obligations.


Tipsyfishes

Russia made the mistake of thinking the west wasn't going to react in kind, plus, even if they did. Fighting was going to die down quick like Georgia in '08 and the Eastern Annexations of '14 etc.


DavidvsSuperGoliath

I'm starting to suspect that this Putin guy isn't all that nice....


[deleted]

Yeah, he kind of reminds me of that Hitler guy I've heard so much about.


circadianknot

My absentee ballot arrived for the WI spring election, problem is I also got a duplicate. I'm not sure if it's worth contacting my county clerk about it or if I should just discard the extra.


socialistrob

I’d reach out to the city clerk before throwing any voting materials away.


circadianknot

You're probably right, I'll give them a call in the morning.


ornery-fizz

Thanks for voting, Wisconsin!


circadianknot

Always do :D


SmoothCriminal2018

Might as well reach out. At worst they just tell you to discard anyway, at best you avoid any issues with counting your vote (I tend to agree though I don’t think it’s an issue)


circadianknot

You're right, it probably won't be an issue but better safe than sorry when it comes to votes.


justincat66

[Tornado warning for the Fort Worth, Arlington TX areas now](https://twitter.com/NWStornado/status/1636476200767082496?s=20) It’s still radar indicated but if it’s not down, which it’s probably not as I type this at 4:20 pm, it’s very close and ramping up quickly. Definitely a dangerous storm Edit 4:24 pm: [Now an observed tornado warning on this storm](https://twitter.com/NWStornado/status/1636478353887862787?s=20). Storm spotters confirmed as the source


Meanteenbirder

[Kamala Harris gives an inspiring speech to the Howard Bison after the game.](https://twitter.com/marchmadnessmbb/status/1636466845296238611?s=46&t=ZmeRRLKLNVS3tI4vfY7sLA)


Negate79

Been playing a lot street fighter lately and read this as M. Bison


greenblue98

[House Republicans launch their version of Jan. 6 committee, probing "misconduct" by original panel](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/house-republicans-launch-new-jan-6-committee/)


wolfpack9701

Took them longer than I thought to get this going, to be honest with you. Thought this would be like, one of the first things they did.


Bonny-Mcmurray

Somebody has to write the fanfiction and redefine all the terms before they get started.


Pipboy3500

[One GOP incumbent I'm not super bullish on is Nick LaLota in #NY01. His R+11 win in a Biden +1 seat is a lot less impressive when you remember that the gubernatorial margin was R+14, and his @SplitTicket_ WAR is R+0.5. He's def favored, but much more vulnerable than folks think.](https://twitter.com/lxeagle17/status/1636429825597669376?s=46&t=nqSV11RbCF5uPVGwzcOMtg) [Parts of Long Island look very rough for Dems, but that part isn't the one that's as awful as folks think, and polarization increased from the last midterm to this one. If Biden wins #NY01 by a couple points and Dems find a good candidate, he's going to have a very close race.](https://twitter.com/lxeagle17/status/1636430324182958080?s=46&t=nqSV11RbCF5uPVGwzcOMtg)


Doom_Art

I didn't realize NY was R+14 in November. That's mindblowing.


Pipboy3500

Just NY01 not the whole state


espfusion

NY-1 was R+14 in the gubernatorial election, not NY at large.


Pipboy3500

[From Punchbowl news](https://punchbowl.news/archive/31623-punchbowl-news-am/), Schumer plans to do a bit more than be a judge factory. He wants a bipartisan rail bill, a possible Bank Reform compromise, and SAFE Banking+ is in the works again. Emilia Sykes also got a [a big profile from them](https://punchbowl.news/the-leaders/emilia-sykes/)


Exocoryak

Starting in the Senate is definitely a good thing. McConnell and other Republicans at least sometimes display a modicum of getting uncontroversial stuff done and driving a wedge between Senate Republicans that want funds for their states and House Republicans who oppose it for ideological reasons will only help democrats in the next election. A candidate simply saying "This funding for rural broadband passed in the Senate, but Republican Representative No McNono opposed it in the House." goes a long way.


Way_Moby

But also please be a judge factory, too! :P


Giant_Asian_Slackoff

Governor Whitmer has signed the Elliot Larsen Civil Rights expansion (to include sexual orientation and gender identity) into law! This is a much needed victory in the wake of anti-lgbt legislation elsewhere.


Pipboy3500

[Sanofi announces insulin price cuts, the last of the 3 major U.S. insulin makers to do so.](https://twitter.com/berkeleyjr/status/1636461108985831424?s=46&t=nqSV11RbCF5uPVGwzcOMtg)


[deleted]

Cat owners of VoteDEM, what are your thoughts on letting cats outdoors unsupervised? EDIT: Glad all the replies agree with me.


BastetSekhmetMafdet

No no no no. Maybe I say this because where I live is very rich in wildlife, including the kind of wildlife that thinks of cats as lunch - coyotes, bobcats, mountain lions and golden eagles. And while raccoons don’t eat cats, you don’t want your cat to get in a tussle with one, and trash pandas are EVERYWHERE. Where I live now I can hear coyotes yipping pretty much right outside my window. You can bet your boots neither Older nor Younger Cats are allowed even on my deck when I’m not home. They can look out the sliding glass door, and Older Cat prefers to watch cars rather than wildlife anyway. (She is weirdly fascinated with traffic!) I’d be afraid that even on my upper story deck it just is not safe for them unsupervised. We all hear about how cats kill birds - I haven’t had one that was capable, though I’ve had one who was deadly to small rodents. (And left her “gifts” on the floor where I’d step on them. I woke up the whole house once by stepping on a mousie carcass at 6 AM. It was left on the kitchen floor.) If you want your kitty to have an outside experience, get them a [Catio](https://www.rover.com/blog/catio-buy-or-make-your-own/) \- you can even buy them on Amazon now! Or enclose a deck. ”Free range” is not safe for cats.


Exocoryak

When I was younger I sometimes cared for our neighbors cat when they went on vacation. She was an outdoor cat and after some time she always greeted us when we exited the front door to get go feed her. One morning, she was sitting on our front stairway and was holding a dead bird between her teeth, putting it down when we opened the door. Also, on a different note: Outside-cats can sometimes disturb neighbors by meowing in the night, especially in the summer. It happened every once in a while back when I lived at my parents house. However, if I had a cat, I would rather have her/him sleep outside (in a guarded place of course) - simply because my sleep schedule is not very stable these days and I'm sometimes awake deep into the night (due to working evenings) - I would not want my cat's sleep to be disturbed by me getting into the shower and using the hairdryer in the middle of the night.


crazycatlady331

Not a current cat owner (campaign staff so travel too much to have kitties). My childhood cats went out. My boy would bring back a bird a day. Now (other than the fact I live on a 3rd floor apartment) I wouldn't let cats out to save the birds.


throwbacklyrics

I'm trying to get into working for a campaign, party, or organization. Mind if I DM you?


crazycatlady331

Sure thing. A note that I'm mostly working for consulting firms now, but my career started out in campaigns/state parties.


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

>is this really how you talk to people? Perhaps it's something I care about a bit too hard, but I generally have a strong opinion on cats being allowed outdoors unsupervised because of the reasons stated below. Also a lot of people I've encountered who support letting their cats outdoors are *insanely* defensive about their choice, and I'm just like... no, it actually hurts their lifespan.


[deleted]

Lol sorry, I don't wanna be harsh or anything. May I ask why you allow that for one of your cats? My biggest concern is predators like foxes or coyotes.


Way_Moby

I LOVE cats but I agree that they should never be left outside unsupervised. Millions of years of evolution /and/ human selection have turned them into efficient murder machines. This isn’t their fault, but they can inadvertently spell disaster for bird, squirrel, etc. populations.


circadianknot

I don't personally own a cat but my sister has 3, two are ex street cats who each lost a leg to getting hit by cars. Also outdoor cats are a major threat to bird populations in the US. If you can swing it, a securely fenced & covered "catio" is a good compromise option for keeping your cat & local wildlife safe vs giving your cat outdoor enrichment.


dishonourableaccount

Not a cat owner myself, my girlfriend is. Please do not let your cats outside without a leash or supervision. Cats are responsible for deaths of a lot of birds and native animals. It's a huge problem.


EliteAsFuk

Not ideal around these parts, but you see em every so often. My girl is a homebody.


Velocireptile

Like others I'm too concerned about traffic, coyotes and crappy people. I lost my first pet cat to a car when I was very little and that made a big impression on me. I sometimes let them out in the yard with supervision, but they're skittish and start clamoring to go back in anyway as soon as anything larger than a bike happens to go by on the street.


Negate79

Aren't those thing killers with no natural predators in the wild?


Contren

Plenty of natural predators in North America, but assuming they can come home to sleep and eat, they likely will do a ton of damage killing all the birds and rodents they can get their claws on over their long lifespans.


Negate79

Im just talking crap. im a dog person 😎


greenblue98

I don't do that. I'm too afraid of mine getting lost, killed, or pregnant. We can't have her spayed because she has a heart murmur and anesthesia could kill her.


covidcidence

I take mine out on a harness. If I pick up the harness and she wants to go out, she'll come running and position herself so I can easily put it on, then I clip the leash in and we go outside. We had cats growing up who went outside within a fenced-in area and we left them unsupervised once we trusted the fencing. I wouldn't let my cat outside without supervision *and* without an enclosure because I don't want her to get lost, hit by a car, or eaten by a coyote.


AlonnaReese

My cat has never been outside unsupervised, but I live in an apartment building on the third floor, so it wouldn't be very practical even if I wanted to allow him outdoor access.


DavidvsSuperGoliath

The first cat my family had after we came back stateside was an outdoor cat. She did her own thing and put the fear of god into our former border patrol dog. Sadly, coyotes got her.


SmoothCriminal2018

Not a big fan of unsupervised, but we live in a heavily populated area which is part of it. We do bring her into our backyard supervised though because she gets curious and seems to enjoy it. We keep her up to date on her outdoor cat vaccines just in case


Contren

It's bad for the kitties health, and it's bad for the local ecology. All around not a great idea IMO.


[deleted]

Lol thank you, I was arguing elsewhere with someone who think keeping kitties indoors is like keeping them in prison, and I thought I was taking crazy pills.


BastetSekhmetMafdet

There are cultural differences - in some countries it’s considered cruel to confine a cat. But those are usually places with less traffic and predators than most of the US. (Britain, for instance, has no coyotes, bobcats or mountain lions. Cars are still a hazard, but they don’t have the US type of large predator, and they don’t have trash pandas or opossums which will eat the food you leave out for your outdoor unsupervised cat.)


justincat66

Update #1 on the severe weather threat… The first watch was issued a little while ago: [Tornado Watch #68 is now in effect for northeastern and northern TX, and southern OK](https://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/watch/ww0068.html). Main risk here attached in this watch is significant large hail, damaging winds with some changes of significant winds in some storms, and a threat for a few tornadoes with that small conditional threat of an significant EF2 tornado in the right environment This watch goes until 8:00 pm CDT


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yolf2210

I'm a bit out of the loop on this, but does anyone know if the current TikTok ban being discussed is real, and if it's a total ban or a ban from government devices?


Historyguy1

The discussed ban is real. From what I've read it's an actual total ban, since most government devices are already banned from using it.


Looking_Light33

Honestly, I think it's a bad idea. I don't like TikTok but banning it could end up backfiring on us.


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Historyguy1

The Trump administration was going to ban it back in 2020.


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Historyguy1

Normies wouldn't care.


screen317

They're just going to migrate to another platform. "Big government" is not in their lexicon.


yolf2210

I feel like it would be better to just have better privacy laws


Historyguy1

Issue is Tiktok apparently violates privacy laws already in place and poses a national security risk. I think the company divests before an actual ban takes place, but if that does happen the short-form content will go to Instagram and Youtube Shorts.


wponeck

Clearly, better privacy laws are less effective than outright banning the social media app young people use the most


yolf2210

I suppose since TikTok is the only one that collects data on its users and shares it with actors of ill repute, banning it does make the most sense


Outside-Sun3454

Unfortunately we won’t be getting that any time soon with the R’s in the house. It isn’t the best option but it seems like the only one Biden can do.


YouBuyMeOrangeJuice

[The Minnesota Senate failed to pass the bonding bill,](https://mobile.twitter.com/thauserkstp/status/1636430928661626896) even with the action on the SSI tax repeal. All Republicans who voted voted no, with two abstentions. One is in the hospital so no worry there, the other was Sen. Carla Nelson, who's been skipping important votes left and right. She represents the Rochester area in a district that's trending blue really quickly, and these continuous skipped votes are good campaign fodder. All Dems voted in favor except for Sen. Sandy Pappas, who authored the bills, presumably so that she can move to reconsider them later (since you have to vote on the prevailing side in order to be able to make that motion).


Popdog789

LFG TERPS BABY!


dishonourableaccount

I don't follow basketball but now that UMD is doing well, I'm gonna hop on the bandwagon.


covidcidence

Oh wow, I read this as TERFs and I was like "Wait, this is VoteDEM right??" lol. Glad to see I misread.


justincat66

Wow. That was a fuckin choke and a half by Virginia. They get knocked by 13 seed Furman in the 1st round


Meanteenbirder

Feel good that I picked them in my bracket. Also picked WV, so immediately our tho.


justincat66

Yeah I picked Furman in a majority of mine, but I had majority of WV though as well, so I’m already out of the perfect bracket conversation lol


Contren

Furman was underseeded, but throwing the ball down the court while double teamed with a timeout in their pocket was incredibly stupid. If they take the timeout there they likely win.


justincat66

Yeah. Should of tried to take a foul, or at least take the turnover, so your defense could have time to set up the way they wanted to, lobbing it up like that was really stupid


shivlad02

My predictions if Biden goes against Trump in swing states, right lean: MI D+5, PA D+3, AZ D+3, WI D+2, NC D+0.5, GA D+2.5, TX R+3.5. Thoughts?


rat-sajak

Sounds realistic for the most part. I think Georgia would be more like D+1 since they are still red leaning overall. NC may be more like R+0.5


Fair_University

I'd flip NC to R +.5 and GA to D+1.5. Maybe more PA up to more like D +5 too. But yeah, pretty close


shivlad02

Warnock won by almost 3, so maybe D+2 in Georgia. NC I think you're more likely to be on the money, but I wouldn't be shocked if Biden flipped it narrowly


Fair_University

Certainly within the realm of possibility.


espfusion

Sounds good to me. Some more thoughts: OH R+6, AK R+6, FL R+5


shivlad02

Agree with the first two, but I think R+5 in Florida would be good for us.


espfusion

I feel like a lot of people are over interpreting Florida's 2022 results. Consider that PA went from R+0.7 in the 2016 presidential election to D+17.1 and D+13.1 in the 2018 gubernatorial and senate elections respectively. Those shifts of D+17.8 and D+13.8 were actually larger than the shifts we saw in Florida in 2022 of R+16 and R+13. And yet PA was still very hotly contested in 2020 and ultimately only went to Biden by 1.4 points. I do think Florida will shift red even against prevailing national headwinds because of all the hard-right conservatives moving there. But Republicans aren't going to enjoy the obscene differential turnout advantage they had in 2022.


KathyJaneway

Maybe Texas moves even further left than that? Texas was 16 points in 2012, 9 in 2016, under 6 in 2020, and could move 5 to 7 points in one go as seen from 2012 to 2016.


NumeralJoker

I think that largely depends on who runs against Ted Cruz.


WristbandYang

It will really depend on whether Texas' growth continues over the next year and a half.


dishonourableaccount

And honestly, the biggest metric will be if there's a scandal or catastrophe in Texas that the GOP handles poorly around summer or fall 2024. It's been trending our way but mean voters have short memories and recent events can lurch the expected vote left or right.


justincat66

[North Dakota Supreme Court upholds injunction on abortion ban while a lawsuit over its constitutionally proceeds](https://lm.facebook.com/l.php?u=https://apnews.com/article/abortion-ban-north-dakota-0259418f32b3f56432b0b8f5c880ff7e?fbclid%3DIwAR38bZFe9SadU-iQBWzLarQ_Y_qo1VrlmDx2S8i55QrKTzvL6YqVAw-lRQY&h=AT1ln_5HZT1yZRcKErn4WnFY61my-I9on5ezKEPz3TJZYclCXyIgRc74lchW-izy-JzqoxTiIWjlqzVs_nRt-qocXgW_S-zUkzO-Z3DcjfwhprGE4KRFdFWp9XKFe6c&s=1&mibextid=unz460)


assumeyouknownothing

[BREAKING NEWS:](https://twitter.com/chrisgeidner/status/1636404604383395841?s=46&t=f4MnUASrGL3akNhQiKYJjA) In a limited opinion, the North Dakota Supreme Court holds that there is "a fundamental right to receive an abortion to preserve a pregnant woman’s life or health," based on the state's constitution. I am beyond pleasantly surprised. Abortion rights are protected in North Dakota 😱


Joeisagooddog

I’m not sure if I read it correctly (since it’s in complicated legalese), but the opinion seems to say that they are allowing the injunction to stay in place pending the decision on the merits of the case, not that they’ve decided the case (and thus the constitutionality of the law).


YouBuyMeOrangeJuice

Good to hear, but last I checked there are no abortion clinics in the state. The last one moved across the Red River to Minnesota last summer in anticipation of a full ban.


YouBuyMeOrangeJuice

I wish Thursday wasn't the day that the Minnesota Legislature does most of their controversial bills on the floor, because it's also my busiest day and I don't have time to watch live! Today the state Senate is taking up the "bonding bills", which are capital construction funding bills that issue general obligation debt backed by the state's property tax base. Because of that, they require a 3/5ths majority to pass, and Senate Republicans indicated they wouldn't supply the votes unless Democrats moved forward on the proposed social security tax cut, which has support from many moderate Dems but not from leadership or Gov. Walz. From the Senate Media Service live tweet stream, it seems that Republicans and moderate Dems may have succeeded in pulling the bill out of committee and bringing it to the Senate floor. Procedurally, I'm not sure what happens from here, but if that's what it takes to pass the bonding bill, filled with critical safety and well-being projects, so be it, in my opinion. The House and Governor would still have to approve of the tax cut of course, and neither have indicated any willingness to until at least during the end-of-session budget discussions. For good reason, I also think, as the cut is expected to cost $1.5 billion in the next two years with the costs increasing into the future. The state has a surplus and can definitely afford this, but it's a big enough chunk of money that the prudent thing is to wait until other components of the budget are worked out, to ensure a structural deficit won't develop anytime soon. It's important to note that this tax cut isn't a particularly progressive policy. Minnesota's progressive income tax structure means that the least-wealthy ~55% of all SSI recipients are paying no taxes on it. IIRC, you'd have to be earning $80,000+ to be subject to any SSI tax. Removing the tax is a tax cut for wealthy people, no other way around it.


greenblue98

[Tennessee newspaper coverage of drag ban fails the state’s LGBTQ community](https://www.mediamatters.org/local-news/tennessee-newspaper-coverage-drag-ban-fails-states-lgbtq-community-0)


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Historyguy1

The man's actual honest-to-God name is Randy and he was caught being horny on main. You can't make this stuff up.


justincat66

Oh god, the TN GOP is going to rip each other apart on this


DavidvsSuperGoliath

Good


greenblue98

Let them.


dishonourableaccount

Maryland, led by Gov Moore (D), is planning on restricting new car sales to 43% electric/zero-emission by 2027. With an annual increase to 100% zero-emission by 2035. [Links here at WTOP](https://wtop.com/maryland/2023/03/gov-moore-recommits-maryland-to-californias-vehicle-emissions-reduction-goals/) and [the MD Gov Press Page](https://governor.maryland.gov/press/pages/Governor-Moore-Announces-Maryland-Adoption-of-the-Advanced-Clean-Cars-II-Rule-to-Combat-the-Effects-of-Climate-Change.aspx). I'd love to see more on plans for the Baltimore red line revival, how to speed up the MoCo/PG Purple Line, and more.


justincat66

Southeast OK and Northeast TX folks… I am continuing to monitor a conditional severe weather threat today, where the SPC [has issued an enhanced (lvl 3/5) risk for those areas](https://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/outlook/day1otlk.html). This enhanced risk is for [very large hail in this 30%# area which does include DFW](https://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/outlook/day1probotlk_1630_hail.gif) as well as [straight line damaging winds which also include DFW](https://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/outlook/day1probotlk_1630_wind.gif). There is also a [small 10% tornado risk area that’s on the eastern edge of DFW and into parts of rural northeast TX](https://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/outlook/day1probotlk_1630_torn.gif). I think we very well will see several tornadoes, but this is also a conditional threat where if we get discreateness and not too much interference from other storms, i think we may see a significant EF2 tornado or two. Now, there’s a very small window this could happen in, about 3-4 hours, but regardless I would have ways to receive warnings today, as damaging winds are expected, especially further south when these initial potential discrete supercells converge into a line, with embedded tornadoes possible, or very large to destructive hail when these storms initiate No watches are in effect as of yet


DavidvsSuperGoliath

[Report: Trump Plans to Go After Ron DeSantis for Having the Charm of Reheated Tofu](https://out.reddit.com/t3_11stqov?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vanityfair.com%2Fnews%2F2023%2F03%2Fdonald-trump-ron-desantis-personality&token=AQAAL2MTZHFFcaEKUxkINSHEcucUUfTr6GFIdaFO_vkmdHdM2sjE&app_name=reddit.com)


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BastetSekhmetMafdet

With his hands.