A downward channel for the last half of Obama’s presidency? Like how it fell from under 13,000 to over 18,000 between 2012 and 2016?

If you think about it, we’ve never needed the koans more.

True story: I heard a Trump voter interviewed on NPR earlier this week and she said that she could tell Trump was already doing a good job because she checked her 401k balance and it was much higher.

I wager very few Trump voters (or at least the die-hard Trumpanistas) have stocks. Something like half of Americans have any money in the stock market, including in retirement plans. A good chunk of his base is in the half that doesn’t have any stocks, I’m sure. The rich bastards who always vote R already have vast…

I’m not saying you are incorrect, but bear in mind that a woman slinging mud — especially a woman like Clinton who we have been trained to revile — is going to get a lot more criticism for “going low” than a man would. That’s just how it is.

Bernie is still a senator. Hillary is not. Why would she make more headlines?

There is also the minor issue that there is essentially nothing the Dems can do to stop these appointments — at least not without some help from whatever non-insane Republicans are left in Congress. (I think there are like, a half a dozen or so.)

But no one is suggesting or at least providing actual information to say that people were threatened to stay away from the polls

Um, ok. That’s your read, and I already pointed out there is more than one reasonable reading of that phrase, depending on who is speaking and other context. So I don’t really know what your point is.

There is more than one way to manipulate an election. Tampering with ballots — which I agree does not appear to have happened — is only one method.

I hear you. I’m willing to work, here, it just seems like you have to know the right people to even hear about when meetings happen or when they need volunteers for stuff. So many times I read about something after the fact, but despite signing up for everything I can think of and reaching out to them on social media,…

Genuine question: How did you do that? I live in an area with a strong Dem machine, which I am largely grateful for. But the downside of that is it feels like you already have to be an insider and have gone to school with the mayor and babysit for the ward leaders, etc., if there is any chance of getting heard.

Check out swingleft.org. They are helping people in safe blue Congressional districts organize to flip the nearest “purple” district, meaning, a district that just barely went red this election. You’re still working locally, just not in your immediate neighborhood, and it’s targeting seats that are not entrenched so…

Don’t know why I didn’t think of that.

The makeup is also ... noteworthy.

While I agree with this child’s overall sentiments, I think there’s a pretty good chance he’s a future serial killer.

Yup. We are fighting a hydra. A dumb, but aggressive hydra. I have no idea how you do that and win.

Oh, contraire! In my personal experience the very rich tend to be the most thin-skinned of us all. It’s not enough to have literally every material want and need taken care of — they need us all to love them and tell them how smart and good they are. It’s kind of sad.

Yup. I have an Amazon card (and my husband is an authorized user) but our jointly used Prime account is in his name (because both things predate the marriage.)

This. We once spent close to an hour going through security because one agent told me to grab my husband’s stuff after it was screened (he was getting screened separately due to a medical implant). I got his stuff, stood quietly off to the side waiting and then a second, clearly insane agent SCREAMED at me, made me…