Just Wondering

Thats why I dont like using Republican and Democrat instead of liberal and conservative.

Not everyone is honest in their characterization.

JW if anyone else is sick and tired of all this political BS and false facts going on in this election

I think everyone is aware where the southern Democrats migrated to 50 or more years ago (that 'Southern strategy' was effective). The fact remains that at the time they were Democrats.

Just two points.

Southern Democrats have all migrated to the Republican party. So referring to Democrats doing something 40 or 50 years ago is something of a misnomer.

Republicans in highly democratic areas are not the same as those in Alabama.

We have had Republican mayors in San Diego, and they have all been moderate.

"JW why it's always Republicans who are fighting to limit voter access....."

I'll take the bait.

There are about 40% in our country who identify with Democrats, 40% who identify with Republicans, each by whatever they choose to call themselves, and about 20% who say they're independent, libertarian or just politically agnostic. Either of the Big Two alternatively go after the 20% and spend huge amounts of money to get their vote, but the truth is that most of them never cast a ballot. The Big Two are left with attempting to galvanize their voters by disparaging their opponent to get their 40% to actually get off their ass and vote. The Democrats have taken it a step further, they want people to be able to vote from their sofa, without any impediments, no showing ID, not restrictions, nobody verifying anything, and if it means having someone come to your door to collect the ballots what's the big deal? The Republicans see this as an affront and realize that if they don't prevent this they will lose every election from now on.

The reality is that DJT and Quid Pro Joe are probably the worst POTUS candidates we've ever had, and it's tempting for most people to just mail it in for this election. The Democrats saw that and acted on it, trying to allow their voters to do exactly that. Pelosi has repeatedly put in writing to ban ID verification by using the last 4 numbers of your SSN to cast a ballot in the covid stimulus bills, and it's one of her main reasons to stymie the latest.

What rationale would anyone have for banning states from requiring the very simplest and minimally invasive ID verification a few weeks before the election? She's been in Congress for how long and now it's a major issue?

"JW why it's always Republicans who are fighting to limit voter access, whether registration, roadblocks , restriction of vote by mail options, drop locations or deadlines.

<snip> Well, the Democrat's campaign literature says that he hopes (to become the first Democrat elected to the office of Washington Secretary of State in sixty years"."

A lot of voting restriction legislation was enacted by Democrats, back when southern Democrats were fighting a vicious rearguard action against full enfranchisement by Black people. I suspect the overriding theme is "rearguard action" rather than political party.

I moved to Washington state in 1989 and have consistently voted for every Republican Secretary of State on the ballot ever since. The worst that could be said about any of them is that they were highly competent.

As far as the issue of cutting off voting early, I have no idea why anyone thinks that's a good idea, but I'm particularly fascinated by Republican efforts to do so. I've watched more than one race that was too close to call because the Democrat's margin wasn't greater than the number of outstanding GOP absentee ballots. I went looking but couldn't find anything saying that this Democrats vote early, Republicans vote late tendency has changed.

My point is, simple is good.

@ currentrider

My point was (post below) that the Michigan Supreme Court upheld what has the norm for years.

This is not a new decision it is simply overturning a extension from a lower court and reestablishing the existing rules.

I don't ever remember the deadline being an issue in the past for those voting by absentee ballot.

And this post will engage in politics so feel free to ignore it.

JW why it's always Republicans who are fighting to limit voter access, whether registration, roadblocks , restriction of vote by mail options, drop locations or deadlines. The logic seems to be (and as Trump explicitly said) that if more people are somehow able to vote it will be bad for Republicans. Does this strike any self described Republicans in here as a bizarre notion that is both defeatist and something of a self fulfilling prophecy? I can tell you I am so pissed at DT that I am not voting for anyone this year who choses to put an R by their name (they need to pay a price for laying down with this dog in my view) - with only one exception. Kim Weyman, our Republican Secretary of State. She has consistently done her job with integrity and efficiency and recognized that her job is all about making it easy for every entitled citizen to register and vote. No purges of voter roles. No ridiculous hysteria about about rampant fraud. Should she be worried about getting re-elected? Well, the Democrat's campaign literature says that he hopes (to become the first Democrat elected to the office of Washington Secretary of State in sixty years".

2 in UP

Quick and easy? I find dropping my ballot in the mail pretty easy. Mine came in yesterday's mail. My voter pamphlet came about ten days ago, so I've already looked at the judicial candidates which were the only question. I'll mail it tomorrow. Come to the light side. This is the way to go. Cheaper for the taxpayers. Incredibly convenient, non stressful and, in case bad weather comfortable. It's also hands down the most secure and verifiable system I am aware of.

All that aside my JW had to do with the deadline. If I was a terrible procrastinator, and dropped my ballot in the mail on election day, it might take 1-2 days to arrive at the County Auditors office and another day to be counted. It would only matter in the most razor thin of race margins. What in hell is the problem with that that rises to the level of requiring some kind of alternative arbitrary deadline? Postmark your ballot by election day and it counts, just like your tax return. Miss the mail cutoff that day and too damned bad. Seems pretty simple to me.

@Oneforthebucketlist

The info you are missing is that this was a decision by the Michigan supreme court to overturn a lower court's decision and return to the previous rules that had been in place for when absentee ballots were to be returned.

(I am not entering into any conversations about party politics.)

@2inUP ... while there may be multiple options to vote in Michigan it still leads one to question why are the Repub. legislators trying so hard to not count ballots that would seem to have been legally submitted?

@currentrider
In Michigan we have the option to vote by mailing in an absentee ballot, early in person voting and in person voting on election day.

(Absentee ballots can be dropped off at drop boxes at the clerk's office instead of mailing them too if someone is living locally)

Lots of different voting options.

If someone is concerned that the absentee ballot time line doesn't work for them they can arrange to vote early in person. (No lines, quick and easy)

Current: My JW, It didn’t last long at all. It was funny. I got her tires on her car without her knowing, the missus made me laugh, daughter made me laugh. I’m happy overall.

When I arrived at her apartment, I parked her car in between two cars and pulled forward a little more so the wheels weren’t obvious. I distracted her by telling her I filled her car up for letting me use it. She responded that I even put the rear seats back up and thanked me. I got in my car and left.

Mrs. 888 was wanting her to know what we did so badly. The conversation went like this:

Me: It’s done, now let’s see how long she goes without noticing.

Mrs. 888: You’re not going to tell her?! What if her not knowing causes her to slide off the road and wreck, how would you feel?

Me: Baby, tires were got to keep her on the road and considering the tires are new, they shouldn’t be sliding anywhere and if so, she would have an operator or steering issue. :Laughing loudly:

Mrs. 888: That’s not funny.

Daughter comes over to visit a few hours later.....

Mrs. 888: Make us a Christmas list so we can get some ideas what you can really use. By the way.....How’s your tires?

Daughter: It’s pretty simple this year, how about a gas card, grocery card or a bill paid, now that I am living alone. I saved back enough to get some tires next month. Can I put those on my list too? :chuckling with a smirk:

Mrs. 888: You better check your tread depth. You don’t want to be out driving in the rain and slide off the road. I don’t want an officer visit one night.

Me: :WTF: :sigh:

Daughter: Don’t worry mom, I’ll get new ones, the Goodyear me and dad were looking at last month.

Mrs: 888: You better check your tread depths, sooner the better.

Me: :WTF baby, look:

Daughter: Yes mom! I’ll do it right now........

We three walk out to her car. Standing there.

Daughter: Mom, I know I need new tires, I’ve been saving for those Goodyear tires I wanted. I can’t remember the exact model, dad knows which ones.

Me: :Pointing to the wheel: They look like these?

Daughter: :Looking at wheel: Yes, that’s the ones. I will set up an appointment in two weeks to get some put on.

Mrs 888: :Laughing, Taps daughter on head: Hello? You’re looking at them on your car, why would you go get more?

Daughter: What? Huh? Aww shit, yeah, but how, when......! Nevermind! Dad asked to borrow my car and I was wondering, his car is as big as mine, but he said he needed it, so I don’t even ask why. Thank you so much, you guys are so sneaky! :joyful laughs: Oh my gosh, I didn’t even notice them, I’m so blind!. This is great! Tires and a tank of gas! I love you both so much!

~Allen

@Allen,

Your post reminded me of one of my all time favorite "Car Talk" shows where a woman in her forties called in to ask if driving her dad's car with the oil light on for several hundred miles on a college getaway weekend could have been the cause of his engine failure a week later. After giving her the obvious answer, the Magliazzi Brothers called up her father - on the air - and made her come clean after decades of guilt. He basically said he had figured that out at the time what had probably happened and didn't want to stress her out by confronting her about it.

Happy belated Father's Day.

Michigan Republican legislative leaders are praising a court ruling disallowing counting of absentee ballots postmarked the day before the election but subsequently delayed in delivery by the Post Office.

JW how these folks would feel if the IRS considered their tax returns late if they were postmarked, but not delivered, by April 15th. This seems more like a WTF to someone like myself who lives in a civilized vote by mail State.

JW: How long it will take my 20yr old daughter to realize she has new tires on her Passat........

I am borrowing her car to pick up a package about an hour away that supposedly won't fit in my trunk space, but I really have an 1st A.M. appointment locally to have a new set of Goodyear Assurance put on.

:-D

~Allen

I think "dating" is a widely acknowledged polite synonym for "fucking" among adults, even in vanilla circles. E.g. "Are you dating anyone?" I wouldn't read too much into it, and there may be no expectation of sex, but clearly is the possibility (hope?) of future sex should everything go swimmingly. So that's really no different from a traditional vanilla "date" between two people. Being up front is always good though, so calling it an "NSA meet and greet" is fine. Lately we have expressed interest in meeting people, outdoors and NSA, partly because we're not comfortable playing with people right now that we don't know really well (Covid wise), partly because we crave socialization, and partly because we prefer to socialize with lifestyle folks.

The ability to improve Communication between yourselves and with others is one of the major side benefits of the lifestyle.

For me if it is a first time meeting someone I consider it a "meet and greet" with a potential for play. However if it is an ongoing FWB then they are "play dates".

If sex is potentially on the menu, I think of it as a date and prepare for the meeting as if it is. You can call it whatever you want. ;-)

"Why is this called dating?"

I guess that would be dependent on who is calling it that and set it as their own definition. We've referenced it as meeting and don't ever recall us using it as "dating" even when we spent weekends away with others.

~Allen

Really? I guess I assumed that someone I had blocked went off the rails. But then most of them are Trump supporters so that didn't sense. I could see Wayne shutting it down if someone was making death wishes or some such. Otherwise it seemed pretty innocuous.

How about "Covid-19 Darwin ward Nominations"?

Maybe because the Covidiot in Chief has Covid, and it was anticipated the thread would quickly become a circus?

It would also be at home on the curb next to the old dented metal garbage can I had in the eighties. My current model is plastic and much more "Muskian".

Elon has stated that Robert Heinlein's science fiction has been a huge influence on his real world career. It's only natural that he'd have one of his spaceships designed in such a way that it would be at home on the cover of one of RAH's juvenile pulp scifi novels.