Four years of the COVID-19 pandemic

Today is the fourth anniversary of the WHO declaring COVID-19 a global pandemic. ABC 7 News - WJLA in Washington, D.C., observed the occasion with 7News marks 4 years since COVID-19 pandemic declaration with survivor's harrowing tales.

By March 11, 2020, there were more than 118,000 cases and 4,291 worldwide deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Four years later, 7News is reflecting on how the pandemic impacted local communities.

That's a graphic and terrifying retrospective of how fast the disease spread, how much it disrupted everyday life, and how that felt to everyone affected. I had half-forgotten all of that, but realized how important it was to be reminded. The last time I felt like that was watching the opening of season 2 of The Morning Show, when my reaction was "You poor people. You have no idea what you're in for."

That's the past. Fox 5 New York described the effects of the pandemic on the present when it asked COVID-19: 4 years later: Where are we now?

NYC's health commissioner, Dr. Ashwin Vasan shares the progress we have made since COVID hit our nation four years ago.

That's good news and bad news. The good news is that we are better able to protect ourselves against COVID-19. The bad news is that people have become more vaccine-skeptical, not only about the COVID-19 vaccines, but about the MMR vaccine as well. That's led to a measles outbreak. WDIV talks about all of the above in 4 years of COVID: Michigan's top doctor on COVID today, measles & more.


I live in Metro Detroit, so of course I'd include a local report when I can find a good one, even if it was about bad news.

Vaccine skepticism is not the only bad effect of the reaction to the pandemic. MSNBC uploaded ‘COVID stole our optimism’: Reminding Americans how bad things were four years ago.

Polls show a big difference between what Americans think of President Biden’s economy compared to what we had under Donald Trump. Now the GOP is reminding everyone what life was like four years ago - when the COVID pandemic transformed our country. Molly Jong-Fast, Maya Wiley, Christine Romans, and Mary Harris discuss with Stephanie Ruhle on this week’s Nightcap.

Are you better off now than you were four years ago? No? Really? Feelings are not facts!

Today is also the 13th anniversary of the Fukushima triple disaster, but I've had enough of tragedy. Stay tuned for this year's edition of Marching music for the Washington, Mississippi, Democrats Abroad, and Georgia primaries.

Examinations of Disney v. DeSantis from CNBC, Wall Street Journal, and Yahoo! Finance

I told my readers to "stay tuned" yesterday, "as I plan on updating the Disney-DeSantis feud as tomorrow's Sunday entertainment feature." It's tomorrow, so I'm following through on my program note with the financial channels' examination of the conflict, beginning with CNBC's Disney V. DeSantis: Why Florida’s Governor Took On America’s Media Giant.

The political feud between Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Disney has been heating up for the last few months. In April 2023, Disney filed a First Amendment lawsuit against DeSantis, accusing the governor of waging a ‘targeted campaign of government retaliation.” DeSantis, who’s preparing for a 2024 presidential campaign on the GOP ticket, says he isn’t backing down. So how did this all begin? And who will come out on top, once it’s all done?

I'm being a good environmentalist by recycling my reaction from last week.

[DeSantis is] "making himself look even worse while getting liberals to side with a big corporation. Nice trick, but not the one he's trying to pull."

Another trick he's pulling is continuing the trend that I saw developing more than a decade ago and summarized in DeSantis to sign replacement for Reedy Creek Improvement District, Disney World's own government.

Aren't Republicans supposed to be the business-friendly party? Well, they were, but this split has been building for a decade since I wrote about how Newt Gingrich threw big business under the bus while campaigning against Mitt Romney. Ten years later, the rift between Republicans and big business has opened up wide enough for everyone to see. Who knows? Maybe the Republican Party or at least DeSantis will fall into it. Break out the popcorn.

At the time, I thought DeSantis and the Florida Republican Party hadn't fallen into the rift between them and big business. Now, I think they haven't just fallen, but jumped into the widening and deepening chasm. That calls for more popcorn.
...
[The] observation that Republican primary voters are more interested in cultural issues than economic issues fits the shift in “the Republican Party’s base moving from country club to country” as CNN quoted Tom Davis, a former Republican representative from northern Virginia, in 2017. That's what I've been seeing since 2012.

[M]ajor U.S. political parties don't have consistent ideologies. They do, however, have consistent core interest groups and Gingrich is throwing one of them, the northeastern business interests, which have been with the GOP since it formed out of the remains of the Whigs in the 1850s, under the bus. That ended up being smart in the short run, given that he was angling for the votes of Southern populists, who don't care much for the northeastern business interests and haven't since before the founding of the republic.

DeSantis is hoping that will work in his favor.

Based on the polling data CNBC showed and the interviews with DeSantis supporters in Florida, it has so far. It remains to be seen how well it will continue to work now that Ron DeSantis is officially running for President against Donald Trump for the Republican nomination, and, should he actually get the nomination, in the general election.

Follow over the jump for videos by The Wall Street Journal and Yahoo! Finance on the subject.

Recycled drink suggestions for Bloomberg and Patrick

I promised drink suggestions for Michael Bloomberg and Deval Patrick, who might or have already joined the race for the Democratic presidential nomination.  Since tonight is the November debate, today is as good an opportunity as any.

Since both the candidates entered the contest late and are from states that have already produced candidates, I'm going to be a good environmentalist and recycle my drink suggestions.  For Bloomberg, I'm reusing three recipes from Drinks for Republican candidates: Graham, Pataki, and Gilmore that I suggested for George Pataki.  Since Bloomberg used to be a Republican, I think it's appropriate.

First, the New York Sour.

This is a crazy cocktail the mixes red wine, lemons juice and whiskey to create and sweet tasting layered cocktail.
...
NEW YORK SOUR
2 oz. (60ml) Bourbon
1 oz. (30ml) Lemon Juice
1 oz. (30ml) Simple Syrup
Tops with Red Wine (Shiraz or Malbec)

Next, The Manhattan.

Ladies and gentlemen a classic cocktail....THE MANHATTAN. This is an old school cocktail that is still relevant today. It is the perfect mix of whiskey, sweet vermouth and bitters. If you love whiskey then you must try this drink.
...
MANHATTAN
2 oz. (60 ml) Whiskey
0.5 oz. (15 ml) Sweet Vermouth
2-3 Dashes of Bitters

2 oz (60 ml) Whisky
0.5 oz (15 ml) Sweet Vermouth
2-3 Dashes of Bitters

If that's not enough, About.com has a recipe for a New York Cocktail.

Ingredients

    2 ounces blended whiskey
    1 ounce lemon juice
    1 teaspoon superfine sugar
    1/2 teaspoon grenadine
    Lemon twist for garnish
...
Preparation

    Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice cubes.
    Shake well.
    Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
    Garnish with the lemon twist.

I'm also going to steal Saveur's recipe for the Billionaire Cocktail from Drinks and drinking games for Donald Trump and the GOP debates.

Ingredients
2 oz. high-proof bourbon, such as Baker's
1 oz. fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz. simple syrup
1/4 oz. absinthe bitters or absinthe
1/2 oz. grenadine syrup made from pomegranate, such as Employees Only
Lemon wheel, for garnish
Instructions
Combine bourbon, lemon juice, absinthe bitters or absinthe, and grenadine in a shaker over ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with the lemon wheel.

Bloomberg deserves this drink more than Trump.  Besides, Tom Steyer already has the Billionaire's Margarita.

Of course, if one wants something non-alcoholic to toast Bloomberg, one can always drink the soft drink of one's choice in a Big Gulp cup.


For Deval Patrick, I'm recycling my suggestion for Seth Moulton Spoon University's unofficial cocktail for Massachusetts, the Cape Codder.

With Ocean Spray cranberry juice headquartered in Massachusetts, their signature cocktail MUST feature this yummy drink. What’s better than a basic as f*ck vodka cranberry? Add a lime and call it a Cape Codder.

Yes, I'm taking this drink out of retirement for Patrick.  Surprise!

Enjoy tonight's debate and enjoy these drinks, although not at the same time.  I have my doubts either candidate will make the December debate or any other, for that matter.

Stay tuned for graphs of their ideological positions from OnTheIssues.org.

News and Documentary Emmy Awards for the seventh year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News

I plan on posting the next installment, which will be on the most read News and Documentary Emmy Awards entries, tomorrow.  Stay tuned for a Flashback Friday retrospective!

That's how I concluded Verge Science updates bees on the endangered species list plus environmental policy for the seventh year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News and that's exactly what I'm doing.

The most read entry in this review of the seventh year of this blog isn't actually about last year's News and Documentary Emmy Awards; it's about this year's.  'Putin's Revenge' on Frontline: Looking forward to next year's Emmys 3 from November 30, 2017 is a prediction of an Emmy nominee.  Even so, it earned 3509 raw page views for the blogging year, enough for it to rank 20th overall and 18th among entries actually posted between March 21, 2017 and March 20, 2018.  It was also the fourth most read entry during December 2017 with 3261 default page views after maxing out at 3360 default and 3393 raw page views on December 19, 2017.  Before being shared at the Join The Coffee Party Movement Facebook page at 11 P.M on December 2, 2017, this post had 105 default page views.  It earned 1557 default page views in the first two hours and ~3000 in the first 24 hours after being shared.  It, along with "Vox explains how proportional representation can solve gerrymandering and help minor parties" and "Ezra Klein of Vox explains how third parties are the Underpants Gnomes of U.S. politics" helped attract 10,073 page views to the blog on December 3, 2017, which set a record for daily page views that lasted until February 5, 2018, when John Oliver on stadiums and NFL cheerleaders for Super Bowl Sunday and Two Emmy winners examine youth and high school football together earned 10,681 page views for a new record.  That high-water mark only lasted a month, when Suit against John Oliver and HBO dismissed helped attract 16,732 page views to the blog, setting a new record for daily page views on March 4, 2018.  That record only lasted a month itself until April 8, 2018, when Facebook knows your political affiliation and much more helped attract 23,947 page views to the blog the day it was shared, the current record.  Sic transit gloria mundi.

I plan on blogging about this entry in September, when I will once again train my gaze on the News and Documentary Emmy nominees.  Until then, follow over the jump for the actual News and Documentary Emmy nominees and winners from last year along with an entry that I missed when I put together The Primetime Emmy Awards for the seventh year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News.

Examiner.com article on Martin O'Malley in Ann Arbor

Martin O'Malley stopped in Ann Arbor for a fund raiser on his way to campaign in Iowa, where he is seen here at the Iowa State Fair.

Martin O'Malley stops in Ann Arbor on way to Iowa

Donald Trump was not alone in visiting Michigan this week.  One day after Trump spoke at a Republican event in Birch Run, Democratic contender Martin O'Malley paused in Ann Arbor for a fundraising event Wednesday evening.

O'Malley, a former Governor of Maryland, held his fundraiser at the Ann Arbor Brewing Company.  On his way in, he spoke to reporters about what he hoped to be able to do in Iowa.

“The history of our presidential primary shows us that usually there is an inevitable (early) front-runner, but only up until the very first contest. And then, especially in the Democratic Party, usually a candidate emerges who represents the voice of a new generation of Americans." O'Malley told the Detroit News.

Click on the link in the headline for more O'Malley quotes, remarks Debbie Dingell about Donald Trump at the event, and a video of O'Malley saying that Trump should campaign for the nomination of the Know-Nothing Party.  Even the Democrats can't stop talking about Donald Trump!

Agenda 21 paranoid Ted Cruz is officially running for President

I told my readers to "stay tuned for a delayed entertainment entry about "Insurgent," the sequel to Divergent as well as more retrospectives" at the end of Top post for the fourth year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News: James Robertson.  My readers will have to wait, as breaking news is shouldering that planned post aside.  What's the story?  It's time to break out the manatee, as ABC News reports Ted Cruz First Out of the Gate in 2016 Presidential Race.

Cruz is expected to announce his bid, while the Boston Globe urges Elizabeth Warren to run.

Ted Cruz, Agenda 21 paranoid, promises to be the first of many Republicans playing the roles of maniacs promising American voters that they can keep their cars, McMansions, and commutes this year and next.  Expect a lot more "Green is the New Red" and "Agenda 21 is the new black helicopter" coming from the campaign trail until November of next year.

As for what I think of Cruz's qualifications or lack thereof, I'll outsource that to Governor Jerry Brown of California as (ETA: He says) Chuck Todd Tees Up Jerry Brown To Slam Ted Cruz As 'Unfit' For Office Ted Cruz 'Unfit To Be Running' For President.

Ahead of Texas Senator Ted Cruz’s expected Monday announcement declaring his candidacy for President of the United States, NBC’s Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd on Sunday teed up California’s Democratic Governor Jerry Brown to blast the Republican as “absolutely unfit to be running for office.”

Todd teased Brown’s attack at the top of the broadcast: “Climate catastrophe. Jerry Brown, the governor of drought-stricken California, on why there should no longer be a debate about climate....Plus, find out which 2016 contender he thinks is unfit for office.” California Gov. Jerry Brown said in an interview with NBC's "Meet the Press" that Republican Texas Senator Ted Cruz's position on climate change makes him "absolutely unfit to be running for office."

Thank you, Governor, I couldn't have said it any better myself, although I've tried several times.

Second Year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News: Eastwooding

The second most viewed entry of 2012, at least according to the primary counter, is Old man yelling at chair accidentally reveals a deeper truth, which I posted on Aug 31, 2012. The primary counter, which the site uses to give the daily, weekly, monthly, and overall top ten at any time, says it has 386 page views. Not only is that good enough for second place for the second year, but it puts the entry in seventh place overall.* However, it still has no comments.

This entry took off like a rocket, as it had more than 100 page views the first day. In fact, it got 50 page views in the first hour or two. It looks like I got lucky and hit a hot topic/meme at just the right time.

I promoted the entry at Kunstler's blog, but that was after it had already gone viral. Instead, it did a much better job of describing what Clint Eastwood's monologue with a chair revealed.

I've blogged about the conventions already over at Crazy Eddie's Motie News. In particular, my entry about Eastwooding earned more page views than any other entry posted last month. It turns out that his stunt with the chair made a perfect metaphor for what the Republicans have been doing to Obama all along--engaging with the Obama of their imaginations, not the real person in the White House.

A few days later, I followed this post with National Review ironically reveals another deep truth about the current GOP, which described how what was intended to be another joke for internal consumption by the GOP faithful ended up revealing a lot more about them than it intended.

[P]eople who are supposed to be the messengers of the GOP are unintentionally showing the authoritarian reality behind the party's republican facade.
...
"Eye spy the GOP's authoritarian impulses on display."

By the way, that entry earned 203 views according to the secondary counter, enough to earn it 20th place among the entries from the second year of this blog. I credit that to good promotion, including at Kunstler's blog, where I got 436 page views from Zeitgeist Failure, the most from any of Kunstler's entries for all of 2012. That tide lifted another boat higher, though, and it will get an entry of its own later.

I finish with an ironic salute to the topic of the original post, Clint Eastwood by Gorillaz.


*The secondary counter lists it as having 441 views, which places it behind three other posts that never made the official top ten. Those entries will get a post or two of their own later on.

Previous entries in this series:

• Happy birthday to the blog and Happy Nowruz to all of you
• Second Year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News: Statistics
• Second Year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News: Top post of 2012

Lon Johnson elected new MDP chair after a tense and spirited convention

I spent yesterday at the Michigan Democratic Party (MDP) Convention, which is why I posted nothing after midnight.  I have my own observations, but I'll let the media have their say first, beginning with this video report from WOOD-TV.

Mark Brewer on Saturday withdrew from the race for party chairman at the state Democratic Party convention in Detroit. He said he wishes challenger Lon Johnson all the best.

Brewer announced his decision to thousands of delegates rather than continue an uphill climb to retain his seat after unions and Michigan's Democratic congressional delegation got behind Johnson. Brewer said he wishes Johnson all the best.

I was sitting in the front rows when this happened.  I was both surprised and relieved, surprised because Brewer had given all the signs of fighting up to the bitter end, relieved because it got me the result I wanted deep down without leading to conflict and inflaming old wounds.  Instead, the MDP could say nice things about both Brewer and Johnson while looking forward to a better era, at least for now.

Speaking of old wounds, the Detroit Free Press included the airing of old grievances at caucus meeting I attended, one that began the night before.

A nasty credentials fight Friday night went Johnson’s way, but it burst into a heated exchange Saturday between U.S. Rep. Sander Levin, D-Royal Oak and a Johnson supporter, and Ed Bruley, Macomb County Democratic Party chairman and a Brewer supporter.

Levin accused the Brewer camp of lying and Bruley said the UAW was muscling its way into sustained power by rigging the rules.

“It’s not fair when a major organization wants to dominate so heavily that they change the rules because they have the votes at a particular meeting,” Bruley said.

With Brewer’s entourage playing bagpipes outside the 9th congressional caucus meeting, Levin delivered a blistering rebuke.

“Don’t give me this damned stuff about changing the rules,” Levin said. “The rules says you don’t have to pay in order to be a member of this party. We don’t have a poll tax in this party.”

After the shouting died down, Levin called for unity in the party, but one of Brewer’s supporters shouted, “It’s too late.”

I had no idea about the fight between Bruley and Levin the night before, but it explains what I witnessed, which went beyond an argument between Bruley and Levin to one between Bruley and Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel.  Hackel recounted how Brewer did not support him for Sheriff or County Executive the first times he ran for both offices, which led to an angry rebuttal from Bruley.

This altercation explains why I was relieved that Brewer withdrew, as all these grudges against Brewer that have accumulated over the past 18 years would have erupted on the floor.  It's bad enough hearing the that leader of Macomb County's Democratic Party had issues with the County Executive and the Democratic U.S. Representative for his county; I didn't need to hear more.  I learned enough to conclude that not only is all politics local, it's personal, too.

At least the MDP avoided a floor fight and adjourned early.  The Republicans had a very closely contested election for their state party chair between Bobby Schostak and former State Board of Education candidate Todd Courser.  Schostak held on to his chairmanship by only 52% to Tea Party favorite Courser's 48%.  That was the good news, as much as someone relatively sane won.*  The bad news is that the convention supported Right to Work and changing the allocation of the state's electoral college votes.  However, neither of those is really a surprise.

*I concluded Examiner.com article on educational boards with a recommendation.

I recommend reading the City Pulse's endorsement editorial. It lists their favorite candidates from the top of the ticket to the bottom. The editorial writer is both mean and funny. I quoted some of the best lines both here and in Proposal endorsements of alternative weeklies favor change over status quo. They're both scathing and hilarious.

Here is what City Pulse had to say about Courser and his fellow Tea Party candidates.

But the nominations of fruit loop Jeff Sawka and what-can-I-run-for-today Rob Steele along with X-Files cast members Jeff Courser (Mulder) and Melanie Kurdys (Scully) is so frightening, we can understand why a voter would give up bothering to pick through this sad lot and go straight Democratic.

As I wrote, Schostak looks sane compared to his competition, who nearly won.

Top energy stories of 2012

In Rewind YouTube Style and science year in review 2012, there was one topic I intentially omitted--energy.  I did that because I already knew that the Nablopomo theme for January would be energy, so I was saving the stories.  I also held off because the the best list of stories available had not been finalized yet; it was still being voted on by readers.  It's now January and the top ten has been announced, so I no longer have any reason to delay.  Without any further ado, here are The Top 10 Energy Stories of 2012 as voted on by the readers of the Christian Science Monitor and Consumer Energy Report.

1. Revolution in US oil and gas production continues
...
 2. Hurricane Sandy and the Aftermath
...
 3. New CAFE standards doubled to 54.5 MPG by 2025
...
 4. India blackouts leaves 680 million people in the dark
...
 5. Low natural gas prices stimulate US economy
...
 6. California Implements Cap and Trade
...
 7. China in North America’s Oil Sands
...
 8. Obama Rejects Keystone XL Extension, Endorses Southern Leg
...
 9. Obama reelection
...
* 10. US Carbon Emissions Plummet

The five stories that were voted on but which didn't make the cut were:

• Rigs shifting from natural gas to oil,
• EPA rejects RFS waiver request
• Sanctions on Iran
• California gasoline shortage
• BP settlements

The common theme among all these stories was that they had to do with fossil fuels and the effects of extracting, transporting, and burning them, not with renewables, except maybe the last two, which still have major fossil fuel components to them.  In the short run, that's good, as it means we have enough fossil fuel to make the transition away from them.  In the long run, it's bad, as we could definitely pump enough greenhouse gases to really heat up the planet.

Follow over the jump for more energy stories from Overnight News Digest: Science Saturday (Science in 2012 edition) on Daily Kos.

The Force was with Elizabeth Warren tonight!

Daily Kos: Elizabeth Warren wins Massachusetts Senate race!

MSNBC and CNN are calling the Massachusetts Senate race for Elizabeth Warren. Big grins and huge celebration at Daily Kos headquarters and I'm sure where many of you are as well.

Time to recycle!


Now to see how the presidential contest turns out. Yes, I know that all the networks have called the election for Obama, but Romney hasn't conceded Ohio yet and two other states, Florida and Virginia, that could put Obama over 270 without Ohio haven't been called yet.

Johnson and Stein in final third party presidential debate on Russia Today

I made three predictions in Free and Equal Debate tonight. How did they turn out? Here's the first one.

Maybe a coherent response could be cobbled together [from] the positions from [of] Gary Johnson, Jill Stein, and Rocky Anderson. I don't hold out much hope for anything useful coming out of the mouth of Virgil Goode.

Now The Atlantic's report on the debate: Shift-Alt-Debate: Meet 4 Presidential Candidates the Press Mostly Ignores

What do Libertarians, Greens, and Justice Party supporters agree about?

• It's urgent to rein in the military-industrial complex and reorient American foreign policy away from bellicose interventionism.
• Civil liberties are being trampled on by Democrats and Republicans.
• The drug war is a failed policy. Some combination of decriminalization, legalization and regulation is needed.

It says something powerful that people so ideologically diverse agree on those significant points.

Not just one, but three coherent positions from Johnson, Stein, and Anderson. That's even better than I expected.

What about Goode?

Goode wants to halt immigration. And along with Johnson, he wants a constitutional amendment to impose term limits on the legislature, imagining that it would weaken special interests.

No and no. First, I'm not in favor of restricting legal immigration any more than it already is, as I wrote in Happy 4th of July from James Howard Kunstler's Tea Party! Second, I've seen what term limits have done here in Michigan; they've actually made special interests more powerful, not less.

What else do Goode and Johnson agree on?

Gary Johnson and Virgil Goode believe America's deficits have put us on the edge of fiscal collapse. For them, balancing the budget is an urgent priority, and they're actually serious about it -- unlike the fake fiscal conservatives in the Republican Party, Johnson and Goode fess up to the fact that they'd try to make substantial cuts to everything from entitlements to the bureaucracy to the military.

I have my doubts about the wisdom of this version of austerity as well. There is a reason why I have an "anti-austerity" label.

That's two predictions that came true. What about the third?

I suspect it will be Jill Stein vs. Gary Johnson in the final debate.

And the finalists are...

Winners of October 23rd Presidential Debate Have Been Announced

“The voters have spoken, and we are pleased to announce that Gary Johnson and Jill Stein will advance to the second debate,” stated Christina Tobin, founder and chair of Free & Equal.

I'm three for three!

So, where can people watch the debate? I have a hint.

"[F]or unclear reasons, Russia Today"--snork! Russia Today loves to broadcast dissenting American voices, including tinfoil hat wearer Alex Jones. This event is right up their alley.

Take it away, Russia Today!

RT Presents Final US Third-Party Presidential Debate

RT is proud to host the final US presidential debate between Libertarian Party candidate Gov. Gary Johnson and the Green Party's Jill Stein. The two will go head-to-head and discuss foreign policy live from RT's Washington, DC studio on Tuesday, October 30. Voters can catch the show-down live on RT America, RT.com and right here on YouTube from 9:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Eastern Time, (October 31, 1:00 a.m. -- 2:30 a.m. GMT)

I have this feeling the two candidates will agree as much on an anti-interventionist foreign policy just as much as Obama and Romney agreed on an interventionist one. Russia Today couldn't ask for a better pair of candidates.

Examiner.com article on renewable energy events at U of M

Former U.S. Representative Joe Schwarz will be one of the members of a panel on Proposition 3 at the U-M School of Public Health Thursday, October 25th.
Credit: Wikipedia/Public Domain

U of M to hold two events Thursday on Proposal 3 and renewable energy

On Thursday, October 25th, voters in Washtenaw County can attend two events at the University of Michigan about Proposal 3 and renewable energy.

From 4:30 P.M. to 6:00 P.M., the School of Public Health will host Michigan's Renewable Energy Proposal: A Health, Science and Policy Conversation. This event is billed as a discussion on the health, environmental, and policy issues and impact of Michigan Proposal 3, which will amend the state constitution to require 25% of Michigan's electricity to be generated from renewable sources by 2025.

Then beginning at 7:00 P.M., four activists and scientists will hold a panel at the Dana Building titled "A Cure for the Common Coal." The panelists will discuss the problems associated with mining and burning coal, as well as options for cleaner, more humane sources of energy.

In Examiner.com article about Free Press referendum endorsements, I wrote that "I'll have more to say about Proposal 3 in particular." The article above makes good on that promise.

Examiner.com article about Free Press referendum endorsements

Caption: The Detroit Free Press issued its endorsements of the six referendums on Michigan's ballot.
Credits: Scott Olson/Getty Images

Detroit Free Press referendum endorsements maintain status quo

On Sunday, the Detroit Free Press issued its endorsements for the six proposals on the statewide ballot, recommending a yes vote on Proposal 1 and no votes on the other five.

Voting as the paper suggested would maintain the status quo. There would be no changes to Michigan's constitution and no laws would be repealed.
...
The Free Press agonized over both Proposal 2 and Proposal 3, as the paper has supported both labor and renewable energy over the years. On the other hand, it easily dismissed Proposals 4, 5, and 6.

For a summary of the Freep's editorial, click on the link in the headline.

For what it's worth, this is not how I would vote. I'm voting no on Proposal 1, as I think the assault on democracy and local control is a cure worse than the disease. I'm also voting yes on Proposals 2, 3, and 4. I'll have more to say about Proposal 3 in particular. Until then, I recommend reading Brian Dickerson: Why I'm voting for renewable energy.

However, I agree with the Detroit Free Press on the rest. I'm voting no on Proposals 5 and 6. My stance on Proposal 6 should come as no surprise, given what I've already posted in New Detroit-Windsor Bridge: Up with Snyder and down with Maroun and Video updates from WXYZ and WOOD on "Vagina" and bridge. Matty Maroun can go to Hell.

Free and Equal Debate tonight

Last night wasn't really the last presidential debate. There will be at least two more, including this one.



While the candidates may be from minor parties, the debate does have a major league media star, as the L.A. Times reports.

Larry King to moderate third-party presidential debate

Larry King will moderate a debate among the third-party presidential candidates on Oct. 23, the Free and Equal Elections Foundation announced on Tuesday.

The debate, which will be held in Chicago, will feature Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson, Green Party candidate Jill Stein, Constitution Party candidate Virgil Goode, and Rocky Anderson of the newly formed Justice Party. The event will be broadcast live on Ora TV, the digital programming service where King launched his online talk show, “Larry King Now,” earlier this year. The Free and Equal Elections Foundation and, for unclear reasons, Russia Today will also stream the debate online.

"[F]or unclear reasons, Russia Today"--snork! Russia Today loves to broadcast dissenting American voices, including tinfoil hat wearer Alex Jones. This event is right up their alley. In fact, I found out about this debate from them.

[A] third party candidate debate is getting some much needed attention. Christina Tobin, founder of Free and Equal, joins us to discuss why she organized a debate for third party candidates and how the two party system is hurting America.

Tobin mentioned Al Jazeera, and, yes, they're joining RT America in covering the debate, as the Huffington Post reports.

Third-Party Debate To Be Broadcast By Al Jazeera English, RT America, But Not Major Cable News Networks

Al Jazeera English plans to broadcast the debate live, an editorial decision that Bob Wheelock, executive producer for newsgathering for the Americas, calls a "no-brainer."

"We've covered the presidential debates and vice presidential debate thus far," Wheelock told The Huffington Post. "Our philosophy is to treat this one the same way. It's another voice in this country that we respect and believe should have a forum and an outlet."

Wheelock said that part of Al Jazeera English's mission is "to try to provide the voice and be in places where other people aren't -- to cover areas, countries, states, cultures that aren't routinely covered by the traditional broadcast networks and cable networks."
... Link TV will also carry Al Jazeera English's broadcast in areas where the network still isn't available on the cable dial.

That's where the debate stood yesterday morning. Then, a U.S. outlet finally joined in: C-SPAN will cover Free and Equal Presidential Debate Tomorrow. I checked C-SPAN's website, and sure enough, the debate is on the schedule for 9 PM tonight.

Oct 23 at 9:00 PM - C-SPAN 1 (01:30 HR)
Free and Equal Elections
Third party presidential candidates Gary Johnson, Jill Stein, Virgil Goode, and Rocky Anderson hold a debate.

As for what this debate will accomplish, other than giving the minor parties the attention they deserve, it might just air issues that the major parties and the mainstream media didn't bother to ask, as Tobin herself was quoted as saying in the L.A. Times.

“The previous debates between President Obama and Gov. Romney have failed to address the issues that really concern everyday Americans. From foreign policy, to the economy, to taboo subjects like our diminishing civil liberties and the drug war, Americans deserve a real debate, real solutions, and real electoral options.”

I echoed those sentiments myself over at Kunstler's site yesterday.

Honestly, if you want people who are willing to take on those tough issues, you might have to wait until the Free and Equal debate featuring the four top minor party candidates. That will take place tomorrow night and will be televised by Al Jazeera English. The U.S. networks aren't touching it. Too bad. Maybe a coherent response could be cobbled together the positions from Gary Johnson, Jill Stein, and Rocky Anderson. I don't hold out much hope for anything useful coming out of the mouth of Virgil Goode.

Free and Equal will sponsor one last debate featuring minor party candidates.

Second 2012 Presidential Debate October 30 in Washington, DC

Viewers of First Debate to Determine Which Candidate Advances to the October 30 Debate via Instant Runoff Voting
...
Following the initial October 23 debate, viewers can vote for the candidates online, ranking their first and second choices. This form of instant runoff voting (IRV) — a method used in numerous countries, United States jurisdictions, and private organizations — allows voters to submit their top two choices, so they aren’t “throwing away” a vote. Voting ends 24 hours after the end of the debate. The top two candidates with the most votes will be announced Thursday morning and will advance to the final debate on October 30.

“This is an example of how a Presidential debate and election should work,” stated Christina Tobin, founder and chair of Free & Equal. “Instant runoff voting removes the spoiler effect and promotes more positive, issue-focused campaigns. This method brings neutrality and fairness to electing the leader of our country and eliminates the “lesser of two evils” problem.”

I suspect it will be Jill Stein vs. Gary Johnson in the final debate. There are enough Libertarians online to make sure of that.

The importance of the Latino vote from Purdue University and Nate Silver

In the spirit of ABC News panel on presidential debates, Rock the Vote in Madison, Wisconsin, today and Last U.S. Senate debate in Virginia tonight plus state of the race, here are two more press release about elections I included in the tip jar of Overnight News Digest: Science Saturday (2012 Nobel Prizes edition), followed by what Nate Silver had to say about this topic on Saturday.

Purdue University: Prof: Latino electorate largest ever; yet expect influence from those not voting
October 10, 2012

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The large Latino electorate is expected to play a key role in this year's presidential election, but so will the influence of Latinos who don't have U.S. voting rights, says a Purdue University political science expert.

"Voting is just one way actors in a democratic society can make a difference, and interest in politics and party politics comes well before naturalization," says James McCann, a professor of political science who is leading a large study to follow Latino interest and civic engagement in recent presidential elections. "We see a lot of civic interest before someone acquires voting rights, and it's important to track this too. Just like economists track aspects of the undocumented workforce, we need to gauge and model similar effects in politics."

His research focuses on Latinos who don't have citizens' rights. About 40 percent of Latino adults in the United States are noncitizens, and the Pew Hispanic Center recently reported that a record 24 million Latinos are eligible to vote.

Purdue University: Prof: Democratic Party will capture Latino vote in 2012
October 8, 2012

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The 2012 presidential election will solidify the Latino electorate's support for one party, says a Purdue University political science professor.

"The Republican Party made some strides with the Latino electorate when George W. Bush ran for office because he was from the southwest and understood the Latino culture, but Republican candidates have been losing ground since then," says James McCann, professor of political science who focuses on public opinion and Latino political participation. "The discourse during this year's Republican primary contests, as the potential nominees competed for support among grassroots activists, was alienating to many Latino voters. Mitt Romney's statement about 'self-deportation' for immigrants set a very negative tone that can alienate Latino voters."

The Latino electorate favored Democratic candidate Barack Obama in the 2008 election when he won 67 percent of the vote and the Republican candidate received 31 percent. McCann says he expects that gap to grow even more this election.

The Latino vote is becoming important enough that Nate Silver devoted a major portion of a post to the topic: Oct. 13: Arizona and the Spanish-Speaking Vote. Follow over the jump for the relevant excerpt.

Last U.S. Senate debate in Virginia tonight plus state of the race

In the spirit of ABC News panel on presidential debates and Rock the Vote in Madison, Wisconsin, today, here's another press release about a campus event about elections I included in the tip jar of Overnight News Digest: Science Saturday (2012 Nobel Prizes edition).

Virginia Tech: Virginia U.S. Senate candidates hold final debate on campus Thursday, Oct. 18
Oct. 11, 2012

BLACKSBURG, Va., – Virginia Tech and WSLS-TV will co-host the third of three U.S. Senate debates between Democratic candidate and former Virginia Gov. Timothy Kaine and Republican candidate and former U.S. Sen. George Allen on Thursday, Oct. 18, beginning at 7 p.m. in Haymarket Theater at Squires Student Center on the Virginia Tech campus.

WSLS senior political reporter and anchor Jay Warren and WSLS political analyst Robert Denton, the W. Thomas Rice Chair and professor of communication at Virginia Tech will moderate the one-hour televised debate.

The debate will be broadcast live on WSLS TV; the Virginia Tech community can view the debate on campus cable channel 10 or on WSLS-HD on channel 66. CSPAN (campus cable channel 17) will also televise the debate; the broadcast time has not yet been determined.

Where's what I wrote about the state of the race on Saturday night at Daily Kos.

As of October 13th, the presidential swing states are Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio, Virginia, and Wisconsin, while the states with competitive races for the U.S. Senate are Arizona, Connecticut, Indiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, and Virginia. Since last week's report, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Wisconsin have moved back into the competitive column with 60-80% likelihoods of Obama wins, while North Carolina has moved out with an 80+% chance of a Romney victory. Also, Virginia's senate contest has returned to the competitive column because Tim Kaine's likelihood of being elected dropped to just under 80%. That's the bad news. The good news is that Heidi Heitkamp now has more than a 20% probability of winning North Dakota and Nate Silver gives Tammy Baldwin more than an 80% chance of victory in Wisconsin.

Over at FiveThirtyEight, Nate Silver estimates a 52.6% of Romney winning the presidential contest in Virginia, while Tim Kaine has a 79.5% likelihood of being elected as Senator. Here's to Kaine leaving Allen in his dust tonight.

I'll leave you with video of the second Kaine-Allen debate.

Rock the Vote in Madison, Wisconsin, today

In the spirit of ABC News panel on presidential debates, here's another press release about a campus event about elections I included in the tip jar of Overnight News Digest: Science Saturday (2012 Nobel Prizes edition).

University of Wisconsin, Madison: Rock the Vote returns to the campus area on Oct. 16
By Liz Beyler
October 10, 2012

Rock the Vote, its colorfully wrapped bus and its message of voter involvement are heading to the campus area for an outdoor event on Tuesday, Oct. 16.

It will take place where the State Street Mall meets the north end of the East Campus Mall, entirely on city property. The event runs from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

This will be the third time that Rock the Vote has visited UW-Madison in a presidential election year in an effort to get students to register to vote and to cast their ballots.

Rock the Vote has been busy this year. They showed up where I teach the first week of this month, right before Michigan's voter registration deadline. Unfortunately, I was in office hours and missed their visit. Too bad. I heard it was fun. May the Badgers have at least as good a time and may Rock the Vote register a lot of students and convince them to vote.

Democrats are paying attention to Michigan, too, plus follow-up on the VP debate

In this morning's post, I documented how Willard the Rat's mate and running mate visited Oakland County this week. They weren't alone, as former President Bill Clinton was in town yesterday. The headline in the Detroit News read Bill Clinton a big hit at Royal Oak fundraiser.

An otherwise sleepy residential neighborhood became the stage for political heavyweights Friday, including former President Bill Clinton, during a fundraiser for Sen. Debbie Stabenow.

Clinton arrived at the swank, post-modern home of Stabenow supporter Michael Chetcuti in a black Chevrolet Suburban to the astonishment of neighbors. He was joined at the event by nearly 150 guests for an hour-long appearance.
...
Among the guests, who paid at least $1,000 apiece, were U.S. Rep. John Dingell and his wife, Debbie, and Mark Bernstein of the Law Firm of Bernstein & Bernstein. He's running for University of Michigan regent.

The event, which the campaign said raised $350,000, was part of the senator's get-out-the vote efforts.
...
Clinton shook hands, posed for photographs and talked to supporters briefly about the auto bailout.

Speaking of the auto bailout, it was the subject of President Obama's weekly address.

Weekly Address: One Million American Jobs Saved and a Stronger American Auto Industry

President Obama talks about his choice to rescue the American auto industry from collapse and save more than one million American jobs.

While he actually wasn't in Michigan, he was definitely making sure that the voters here knew he was paying attention to them.

Finally, here's a follow-up to Nate Silver and others on the VP debate, in which I mentioned in passing that "MSNBC also had a focus group. That one gave Biden a clear victory." Here's the video from MSNBC and Daily Kos post featuring it.

Undecided voters: Joe Biden won

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Biden took a 50-31 win in CBS's snap poll of uncommitted voters and a 5-1 win in this NBC focus group.
...
Biden delivered the kind of performance that thrilled Democrats—and enraged Republicans, who were torn between blaming Martha Raddatz and the expressions on Joe Biden's face. But as amusing as the GOP's spin may be, it doesn't matter. Democrats needed a strong performance from Joe Biden, and they got it.

And among the voters who count—uncommitted and undecided voters—Biden won, both in a CBS snap poll of uncommitted voters who watched the debate and in an NBC focus group of undecided voters in Virginia. So last night was a good night. Democrats got what they wanted and Republicans didn't.

The Reuters/Ipsos poll also showed Biden winning the debate.

Vice President Joe Biden came out on top of Thursday night's vice presidential debate with Republican challenger Paul Ryan, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll.

The energetic Biden claimed a seven-point victory - 42 percent to 35 percent - among registered voters, with a similar margin among independents. Nearly a quarter of registered voters and about a third of independents were unsure who did a better job during the debate at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky...

Voters said Biden was more qualified to be president, as the vice president moved from 43 to 45 percent on that question over the course of the debate, and Ryan stayed at 35 percent. The Wisconsin congressman's presence on the Romney ticket may also cause trouble for the Republican Party: 27 percent of registered voters said Ryan made them less favorable toward Romney, up from 21 percent before the debate.

As I wrote before, it was a clear win for Biden.

WXYZ thinks Michigan is being left out, then Ryan and Ann Romney visit

WXYZ asks "Why aren't the candidates spending money or time in MI?"


The answer to the question is that Michigan has not been competitive for most of this year, even after Willard's the Rat's improved standing in the polls after the debate. Advertising and campaigning here would be a waste of money better spent elsewhere.* However, Michigan isn't being completely ignored. After all, Paul Ryan made an appearance here Monday.


Ryan's visit included a rally at Oakland University, where the debate for the Michigan Republican primary was held. Much to my amusement, I received two robocalls inviting me to it. Of course, I didn't go. After watching the WXYZ report, I had no regrets.


In addition to Eddie Munster and Kid Rock rallying the troops, Ann Romney made a stop here.

Ann Romney visited familiar ground Friday afternoon when she stopped at the Franklin Cider Mill to address about 300 people supporting her husband, Mitt Romney, for president.

Romney said it was her first visit to the cider mill since she was "16 or 17" and the warm doughnuts "tasted exactly as I remember."
...
"Every fall it was our family tradition to come here," Romney said, drawing applause. "My husband and I both grew up, just not far from here."

She didn't discuss policy at the stop, which focused on Romney's ties to Michigan. His father was a governor and ran American Motors.

I drove within a mile of Franklin Cider Mill yesterday. I had no idea she had even been there until now.

So, even though there are no TV ads being run here by the two major party campaigns and Willard the Rat hasn't shown up, Michigan is not being ignored. I suppose that the Romney campaign would like to at least win Oakland County. It's my job to frustrate that desire.

*Speaking of wasting money, there is one candidate whose ads I saw on MSNBC--Gary Johnson. His ad money is wasted in Michigan because he is not on the ballot here. Thank you, Ruth Johnson. Also, the states where those advertising dollars are better spent are still Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Virginia, with the addition of Wisconsin since Wednesday.

Nate Silver and others on the VP debate

Last night, I wrote that "I should post something for tonight's VP debate, but I'm not up for it right now." I'm up for it now.

Nate Silver's first read of the debate was "In Polls, Biden Gets a Hold."

News media narratives tend to group horse-race developments into one of the three basic categories: win, lose, or draw. Sometimes, however, a political event falls into the awkward middle ground between those realms.

Thursday night’s vice-presidential debate in Danville, Ky., is a potential example of this. Instant polls conducted after the debate are suggestive of something between a tie and a modest win for Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.

A CBS News-Knowledge Networks poll of undecided voters who watched the debate found 50 percent giving the advantage to Mr. Biden, 31 percent to the Republican, Representative Paul D. Ryan, and 19 percent calling the debate a tie.

A CNN poll of debate-watchers, however, had 48 percent giving the debate to Mr. Ryan, and 44 percent to Mr. Biden.

That CNN poll was among all viewers, not just among undecided voters. For a comparable sample to the CBS Snap Poll, here is a video of CNN's focus group of undecided voters.

Erin Burnett is with a Focus Group of undecided voters in Norfolk, Virginia with their reaction to the V.P. debate.

The good news for Biden is that he won when it came to beating expectations, while Ryan underperformed what the viewers expected of him. Also, Biden won the empathy question. However, Ryan won on substance. The end result was that it was a tie, with a third saying that Biden won, a third that Ryan won, and another third declaring the debate a tie. As for who won the most important prize of the night, votes, that was a tie, too, with each candidate gaining three votes.

Erin Burnett is with Focus Group of Virginia undecided voters as they review the best and worst moments of the debate.

The best thing about this debate for Biden is that his low point was on foreign policy while Ryan's was on abortion. I suspect abortion is a bigger deal for most people.

MSNBC also had a focus group. That one gave Biden a clear victory.

What about enthusiasm among already committed partisans?

The social media sentiment during the debate also seemed to flow along these lines. The liberals in my Twitter feed seemed a bit more satisfied with Mr. Biden’s performance than the conservatives were with Mr. Ryan’s, but it wasn’t a slam dunk.

That difference in enthusiasm can be seen in this WXYZ interview with the heads of Michigan's Democratic and Republican parties. Brewer is much more enthusiastic about Biden's performance than Schostak is about Ryan's.


As for how it affected me, check out this idea from Nate.

There is a plausible hypothesis, however, that some of Mr. Romney’s recent surge in the polls reflects a growing “enthusiasm gap” between Democrats and Republicans. To the extent that Mr. Biden’s performance re-energized Democratic partisans, he may have left President Obama in a slightly better position than where he started the night.

That's how I feel. I saw this debate as a clear win for Biden, and it helped me feel less panicked than I did Tuesday morning. Nate, on the other hand, isn't convinced.

My best guess: perhaps Mr. Biden can be credited with what in baseball statistics would be termed a “hold”: something a bit shy of either a win or a save and which will probably seem perfunctory with the passage of time, but which might have done his team a bit of good.

I'll take a hold over the slide of the past week, thank you very much.

Finally, I have this to say to Eddie Munster and Willard the Rat--Malarkey and stuff!