Chapter 120: July 2020 – December 2020
“Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny.”
– C. S. Lewis
She started out as the daughter of a coal miner and ended up the personification of the John Denver line “Mountain Momma.” Charlotte Pritt, whose candidacy hinged on the success of her tenure as Governor of West Virginia, was increasingly viewed as a “Worker Warrior” after winning the Democratic nomination for President, and as the 2020 DNC approached, her populist ideals and personal charm slowly but surely won over Democratic primary voters who has opposed her in the interparty contests held just a few months prior.
The biography aspect of her candidacy – her humble origins as a schoolteacher, her father passing away from the effects of Black Lung Disease/Coal Lung, and her life-long pragmatic involvement with labor unions – highlighted she was truly determined to promote education, prevent workers from dying from hazardous workplaces, and protect worker rights. Her enthusiasm for the issues central to her candidacy came from a personal place, which led to voters finding her to be sincere and relatable.
Furthermore, Pritt was one of only a few Presidential candidates of the modern era who had both a popular policy platform and the “success story” to back it up. Since becoming Governor in 2013, West Virginia’s industrial hubs were noticeably changing for the better, with empty factories being renovated into promising business centers, public market spots, and housing complexes. The Mountain State’s physical landscape and ecological conditions were improving thanks to Pritt expanding the state’s economy beyond mining, to tech services, retail, Green Energy projects, and tourism.
With only a soupcon of emphasis on her most far-left proposals, Pritt’s campaign team touted the Governor’s additional successes in promoting mental health, responsible recreadrug use, and tax reform. They also touted her replacing her gubernatorial predecessor’s lackluster “clean coal” initiative with efforts to diversify her state’s economy in order to wean the state’s workers off of mining later on down the line – which, in the aftermath of the 2013 recession, yielded an economic boom for the state and led to her winning re-election in a landslide despite 2016 being an overall very poor year for Democrats…
…Pritt had served as a State delegate from 1984 to 1988, then as a State senator from 1988 to 1992. While working as legal advisor for several local unions from 1992 to 2000, she was the unsuccessful Green Party nominee for Governor in 1992 and an unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic nomination for her old state senate seat in 1996. But despite these election losses, she refused to bury her political career, and in 2000, successfully ran to be West Virginia’s Secretary of State, and served a single term from 2000 to 2004. In 2004, she was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, and won re-election in 2006 and 2008, but lost re-election in the “red wave” year of 2010…
…The only “weakness” they saw in her candidacy was her lack of experience in military affairs…
– Marianne Halperin’s Uncharted Waters: Dynamics and Destiny in The 2020 Election, Penguin publishing, 2021
“I’d like to wish everyone a happy Independence Day. …The ideals and the people of our nation will always prosper because our brave citizens in uniform will always defend them. So I’d like to make a toast [opens beer bottle with the edge of the Theodore Roosevelt desk] to all who have ever served in the US military, and that goes for all the good people at the Veterans Administrations, all the nurses, all the desk clerks, and all the swabbies – everyone who’s ever played any small part in keeping America safe, sound and secure.”
– VP Harley Brown in a video posted onto his official VP netsite, 7/4/2020
The Democratic National Convention was held in Charlotte, North Carolina from July 17 to July 20. On July 7, Pritt formally announced that she had selected Kwame Raoul to be her running mate. Pritt’s campaign team was enthusiastic for the selection. Selecting Raoul, who was retiring from a safe US Senate seat he had held since 2009, would potentially bolster the ticket with foreign affairs credentials, as Raoul had served on the US Senate Foreign Affairs Committee for the past eight years, and had Chaired it for four years. The selection, they believed, would also shore up support among minority voters, as Raoul was a Haitian-American lawmaker popular among Illinois’s African-American population. Plus, Raoul’s urban hometown of Chicago, Illinois complicated Pritt’s rural home town of Hurricane, West Virginia quite nicely. However, to Pritt herself, the key factor in his selection had been Raoul’s support for a Federal Freedom Fund as a means to minimizing poverty issues brought about by the effects of automation…
– Penelope Miller-Martin’s For Now: The 2020 Election, Ascension Book Center, 2021
The 2020 NDRR Presidential Election was held in the National Democratic Republic of Russia (Natsional’no-Demokraticheskaya Republika Rossiya) on July 13, 2020, with a runoff election being held on July 27, 2020. Incumbent President Vladimir Nikolayev, endorsed by the National and Iron Fist parties, was facing scrutiny at home and abroad for his handling of Russia’s 2019 recession, his aggressive relationships with other world leaders, and, most notably, for his involvement in the Russia-Eritrea Nuclear Scandal, along with investigations into multiple allegations of corruption and mafia ties. Despite these controversies, Nikolayev’s approval ratings fluctuated between 35% and 45% until the eve of the election, when the continued economic impact of the recession led to his ratings waning further. However, as opposition to Nikolayev’s bid for a second five-year term remained divided, with most of the candidates being hostile to one another, the race was left without a clear favorite ahead of the first round.
Candidates (8):
Alexander Beglov, b. 1956 (independent) was a former Governor of St. Petersburg and former ally of Nikolayev who supported the President’s tax reform laws but opposed nearly all of his other policies
Oksana Dmitriyeva, b. 1958 (Motherland) was center-right “rising star” of the National Assembly whose campaign centered on combating corruption and defending socially conservative talking points
Sholban Kara-ool, b. 1966 (Protectionist) was a former champion wrestler and the leader of the Tuva people as First Chairman of the Government of Tuva since 2007, and had shifted politically from right to center-left over the past decade
Sergey Mitrokhin, b. 1963 (Democratic) offered a more professional and experienced version of Nikolayev’s administration, touting his record as Mayor of St. Petersburg (2013-2017) and in the National Assembly (1993-2013)
Oleg Mitvol, b. 1966 (Green) was an eco-friendly businessman and former Chair of Russia’s Environmental Protection Department at the start of the decade
Boris Nemtsov, b. 1959 (Progressive) was a longtime academic who ran for President in 2015; a leading Nikolayev critic and the race’s initial frontrunner
Vladimir Nikolayev, b. 1973 (National) was the scandalous incumbent accused of corruption, but his poor response to the economy was what was truly hurting his standing in the polls
Valentina Petrenko, b. 1955 (Strong Arm) was a senator in the National Assembly since 2001 who wanted to invest in biotechnology, improve child protection programs, and negotiate “fairer” international trade deals
[snip]
Results:
The 13 July primary results were considered a major upset in light of election-eve polling showing Nemtsov in second place and Kara-ool in fourth. Instead, Kara-ool made it to the runoff, with Nemtsov coming in third place, Mitvol in fourth, Petrenko in fifth, Beglov in a distant sixth, and Dmitriyeva and Mitrokhin coming in a very distant seventh place and eighth place, respectively. These results thus pitted the incumbent against a politician that had been a highly obscure figure just eight months prior.
Upon the results being made official, Nemtsov immediately endorsed Kara-ool and urged all of the other candidates to back the Tuvan’s candidacy. …On a more trivial note, many on social media noted that both Nikolayev and Kara-ool had receding hairlines, putting into question and leading to ontech debates over the details, semantics, and continuity of Russia’s “Bald-Hairy” pattern…
– clickopedia.co.usa
BROWN SELECTS FLORIDA GOVERNOR JENNIFER JOHNSON FOR RUNNING MATE
…The selection is surprising given the frequent talk of Brown selecting Montana Governor Rocky McCain for running mate. However, according to the former Communications Director of the RNC, “Those two were just too similar. Both were governors from the north Rockies who impressive military backgrounds. The logic here is that Rocky’s selection likely wouldn’t bring in enough undecided and independent voters as Johnson would.” [1]
Brown also may have selected Johnson in response to Pritt selecting US Senator Kwame Raoul of Illinois to her running mate; both Johnson and Raoul are Caribbean-American, with Johnson being of Trinidadian descent and Raoul being of Haitian descent. If true, then this year’s Presidential nominees are both attempting to win over minority voters with their respective running mates…
– The Washington Post, 7/15/2020
ELVIS CANCELS LAST 4 TOUR STOPS AFTER PNEUMONIA DIAGNOSIS!
…the weeks-long tour was to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the release of the iconic singer-songwriter’s 1970 album “That’s The Way It Is”…
[pic: imgur.com/eo3qY30.png ]
Above: Elvis Presley, then and now
…According to his doctors, Presley is expected to recover but needs time to recover…
– usarightnow.co.usa, 7/16/2020
“…Americans are tired of companies turning their backs on workers and embracing automation without a care in the world for the jobs and livelihoods lost in the process. They are tired of the past eight years of ‘Do-Nothing’ Libertarianism actually causing more harm than good. …During my tenure as Governor, dependence on welfare dropped as businesses were held accountable for pensions, while nationwide, the federal government has turned its back on the long-lived, the differently-abled, the mentally and physically ill. …When we win in November and truly begin the 2020s decade, we will increase federal funding for research in agricultural, medical and technological innovations, such as hydrogen power, land fertilization techniques to maximize crop yields, and leading the fight against cancer and mental illness. We will lift farm workers, factory workers, and retail workers out of the wells of hopelessness, recreadrug abuse, and suicide that the effects of small government, automation and income inequality have placed them into. And we will restore the hope and the faith and the promise on which with country was built…”
– Charlotte Pritt, accepting the Democratic nomination for President at the DNC, 7/21/2020
CUBA WELCOMES NEW PRESIDENT
…In his inaugural address, 59-year-old Oscar Elias Biscet of the Progressive party laid out plans to reinvigorate Cuba’s economy in response to recent hiccups, and reminded the cheering masses of his career as a physician and as an effective champion for human rights and democratic freedoms… Biscet won the Presidential election over General Leopoldo Cintra Frias of the National Coalition…
– The Miami Herald, 7/24/2020
SUMMER OLYMPICS OPEN IN SANTIAGO
– The New York Times, 7/24/2020
…After several more days of mudslinging, Russian citizens went to the polls on July 27. Amid rumors of voter suppression and intimidation from Nikolayev supporters, Kara-ool doubled down on his morally-correct “strongman” persona by encouraging his supporters to visit polling stations in large groups in order to “match” any intimidation. This action, however, possibly contributed to several minor non-lethal skirmishes a several polls...
– Maskim Gorky’s After the Iron Curtain: Eastern Europe, 1984-to-Today, Academic International Press, 2010 edition
NIKOLAYEV LOSES!
…With a diverse ad-hoc alliance of anti-incumbent citizens behind his candidacy, Governor Kara-ool has unseated the scandal-riddled President Nikolayev in tonight’s Russian Presidential election by a margin of over 11%… According to exit polls, the top issue on the minds of most voters was not Nikolayev’s alleged criminal connections, but his poor handling of the Russian economy…
– The Guardian, UK newspaper, 27/7/2020
COLONEL SANDERS WOULD-BE KILLER OSAMA BIN LADEN AGAIN DENIED PAROLE
…his vitriolic ideology clashes sharply with his actions while in prison. Many of his fellow prisoners regard him as bright and calm, but many reportedly respect him either out of admiration of his fame and rhetoric or out of fear. “He speaks like preacher, but he has the eyes of a demon and the smile of a madman,” says one anonymous ex-con who served time with bin Laden at the Mario Biaggi Correctional Center in upstate New York from 2000 to 2004; “he wants to cause as much trouble as he possibly can for everyone more powerful than him. And given that he’s in prison, probably until he dies, there’s a lot of people more powerful than him.” …Prison guards that testified before the parole board swore that the would-be assassin’s attitude to authority figures “repeatedly alternates between quietly compliant and unapologetically unruly,” as one of them put it…
…Bin Laden, age 63, was transferred to another prison for garnering a small and violent cult following in 1991. After converting a handful of fellow prisoners to Wahhabist (Puritanical) Muslim and reportedly being supportive of a prison riot held at the height of the SARS virus permeating prison systems in the early aughts, bin Laden was again transferred to another prison in 2004. For this and several other infractions, bin Laden served time in solitary confinement from 1991 to 1992 and again from 2004 to 2008…
…However, the Number 1 issue for the board was bin Laden’s lack of any remorse for trying to kill a former US President, though he seems to have never expressed remorse for his activities in prison, either. …bin Laden became eligible for parole in 1991, one year after Colonel Sanders’ death; this marks the sixth time that the attempted murderer has been denied parole…
– washingtonpost.co.usa, 8/1/2020
“So here’s an op-ed from The Washington Post penned by someone named Nancy Pelosi (pause) Who, apparently, is a wealthy Democratic elitist – her father and brother held public offices way back when – sorry for sounding like Jim Croce there for a second – but Nancy couldn’t cut it, losing a congressional bid in 1987 to BLUTAG Rights champion Harry Britt and losing efforts to run for other offices in the 1990s. So she became a political lobbyist (pause) And in this op-ed, she tries to go after Governor Pritt for, quote, abandoning core Democratic values, unquote. (long pause) The problem Pelosi has with Governor Pritt, the thing she complains about specifically, by the way, (pause) Is the fact that in a speech she gave a few days ago, she praised President Harland “Colonel” Sanders for producing jobs without depriving workers of their human dignity, and then Pritt noted that The Colonel embraced the sentiment expressed in a Bible quote – let me pull it up here – “Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven,” Luke 18:22. (pause) The Colonel was a refreshingly sincere politician, and Harley Brown is tapping into that nostalgia. So Charlotte Pritt is doing the same, to remind voters of the policies of Colonel Sanders instead of just the personality of Colonel Sanders. (long pause) And Ms. Pelosi is against that. (very long pause) she is an elitist who is upset that her party’s nominee is trying to win over Republicans from Brown in order to win the election. Even though the whole point of an election – even an election held under the prior system of the Electoral College – is to win over a majority of the people, and that means reaching out to people outside of your base! (such a long pause that most viewers mistake it to mean the video is over and “flip” to the next video at this point). You know, I’m not familiar with this Pelosi person, but I think I know why she kept losing elections.”
– political analyst Kyle Kulinski, OurVids.co.can, 8/3/2020
KFC RETURNS TO FIJI AFTER INGREDIENT ROW RESOLVED
…government reform in Fiji recently resulted in the deregulation of imports used in making KFC products, including salt, milks, eggs, and, according to KFC, “most of the secret herbs and spices.” …The multinational corporation shut down KFC activities in Fiji in 2003, citing “restrictive” importation tariffs and regulations. “Requiring more documentation to fit the island nation’s narrow government standards threatened to infringe on our ability to serve customers top-quality food,” Herman Cain, who was the CEO of KFC at the time of the withdrawal, claimed about the incident in 2004. At the time of the withdrawal, Fiji’s government counterclaimed that the global company was “abandoning” Fijian supporters of KFC amid rising costs, compounded by the effects of the SARS global pandemic and Cain’s conservative fiscal spending habits. Additionally, Fiji commerce secretary Mason Poulos claims, “KFC was concerned that the government was trying to force them to reveal the 11 secret ingredients, despite the fact that such a demand would go against already-established rules regarding international trade secrets.”…
– Associated Press, 8/4/2020 [2]
SHARON TATE, B-MOVIE STAR TWICE NOMINATED FOR AN OSCAR, DIES AT 77
Sharon Marie Tate Polanski Hart Hartman Smith, known professionally as Sharon Tate, passed away from the long-term effects of emphysema yesterday evening, according to a comment posted on her FriendChat page by her youngest son, Lenny Hartman.
Born in Dallas, Texas on January 24, 1943, Tate made her film debut in 1961, and played small roles in films and TV shows during the 1960s. She also modeled regularly for magazine magazines. In 1967, she was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance in the cult classic “Valley of the Dolls.” However, despite being initially considered a promising actress, she failed to land high-profile roles in the 1970s, during which time she gave birth to and raised three children with her first husband. After playing one of J.R. Ewing’s secretaries in the first season of TV’s soap drama series “Dallas,” Tate disappeared into relative obscurity in the 1980s and 1990s, appearing intermittently in several low-budget and independent films, before having a career comeback in the early 2000s. In early 2002, she was nominated for her performance in a supporting role in the 2001 neo-noir thriller “Before Midnight.” Tate retired from acting entirely in 2015.
Tate is survived by three of her four ex-husbands, five of her six children, and all of her 12 grandchildren. Funeral arrangements have yet to be announced.
COMMENTS SECTION:
Comment 1:
I’ve never heard of this person. I’ve never heard of these titles either, but they sound interesting; I’ll check them out. My condolences to her family.
– theguardian.co.usa/obituaries/5August2020
“…Coming up next, we review the ontech drives and rising calls for the major party nominees for President to debate the third party candidates in the race…”
– CBS Evening News, 8/7/2020 broadcast
“…Gabe Kaplan, retired from both acting and politics, is now making more money as a professional poker player than he ever did as the star of ‘Welcome Back, Kotter’ or as a US Senator… While Hilton-Jacobs and Travolta continue to act, Ronald Padilla tragically died in 2015 from a heart attack at the age of 66. The event prompted Epstein to continue his health advocacy until passing away from many years of heart-related health issues this past February. …The fact that many members of the show’s cast have died five years apart – Melonie Haller in a private plane crash in 2000, John Sylvester White from a heart attack in 2005, Marcia Ann Strassman from pneumonia and SARS complications in 2010, Palillo in 2015, and now Epstein – has become known ontech as ‘The Kotter Curse,’ though technetters have wildly different and contradictory theories about its cause, ranging from serious and conspiratorial to self-aware and fun…”
– Special Guest Host (former regular host, ret.) Leeza Gibbons, TON’s Entertainment Daily, “Where Are They Now?: The Cast and Crew of Welcome Back, Kotter” segment, 8/9/2020 broadcast
“There’s this ‘free and equal’ debate organization thing held every four years that hosts a debate among all the Presidential candidates, but it’s basically a debate for the third-party candidates because the Republican and Democratic nominees always get invited but never show. I don’t think that should be the case this year, especially when I keep being told that RCV is going to make third-party voting more important or prominent than ever before. It’s also dumb on a basic level. When you’re in a competition, like in a battle, you confront all your opponents, you don’t just go after the boss and ignore all the little ones. I got invited to this little debate of theirs next month. And you know what? I have decided that I will accept their invitation, and I will debate the minor party nominees.”
– Harley Brown, 8/11/2020
PRITT CAMPAIGN STILL SILENT ON IF SHE WILL DEBATE 3RD-PARTY CANDIDATES OR NOT
– The Washington Post, 8/16/2020
KARA-OOL SEEKS “JUSTICE” IN LAUNCHING NEW INVESTIGATION: Two Days Into Office, Russia’s New President Seeks “Real Answers” To Nikolayev’s Role In The Russia-Eritrea Missile Affair
– The Guardian, UK newspaper, 19/8/2020
…After intensifying into a tropical storm on the 21st, Laura moved across Hispaniola, ultimately killing 28 in Haiti and 2 in the Dominican Republic…
– clickopedia.co.usa
– ourvids.co.can
…Laura devastated large swaths of Louisiana, with severe flooding and extreme damage to houses in several parishes. With Texas and Arkansas also being impacted, the storm killed 35 people in the US and cost roughly $17billion in damages…
…the storm was used as a talking point by Democratic candidates, ahead of that year’s Presidential and congressional elections in the US, as an example of why the country needed a stronger and more centralized federal government during multi-state emergencies, as opposed to the small-government policies of the Grammer administration…
– clickopedia.co.usa
“At the very least, people should treat Ranked Choice Voting like how Black people should treat the police – respect the rules, but know your rights, and fight back against all the rules that oppress your rights!”
– Utah Governor-turned-political analyst Karl Rove, KNN roundtable discussion, 8/26/2020 broadcast
TUMBLEWEEDTV ANNOUNCEMENT: Ty Burrell To Star As 1940s Business Leader Wendell Willkie In Drama Mini-Series on FDR
– thehollywoodreporter, 8/29/2020 “e-alert”
...After much internal debate over the best way to respond to Vice President Brown accepting an invitation to debate McMillan and other third-party candidates, Pritt announced on September 2 that she would accept her invitation to debate said candidates as well…
– Penelope Miller-Martin’s For Now: The 2020 Election, Ascension Book Center, 2021
SNL FAILS TO TOP REALITY
…the long-running show’s latest depiction of Presidential nominees Charlotte Pritt (recurring guest Katy Mixon) and Harley Brown (guest Jim Cummings) bombed, with Mixon giving a passable performance and Cummings lending his iconic voice to a lackluster script. Tonight’s sketch, in which Pritt challenges Brown to an arm-wrestling contest, demonstrated how SNL’s efforts to satirize the two candidates – especially Harley Brown – continue to hint at potential at the start only to miss the mark by the end of the segment…
– variety.co.usa/tv/reviews, 9/5/2020
Legacy
[snip]
MEMORIALS TO COLONEL SANDERS [note: this section is incomplete; you can help by expanding it]
Airfields and Airports
Colonel Sanders Airfield – opened in North Corbin, Kentucky in 1992, roughly 30 years after Sanders’ initial efforts to build an airport for the region
Col. Harland Sanders International Airport – opened in Louisville, Kentucky in 1995; often referred to as simply “Colonel Airport,” “Harland Airport,” or just “The Harland”
Bridges
Harland D. Sanders Memorial Bridge – opened in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1999
Sanders Family Bridge – opened in 1977 near the same ravine in which Sanders and his son almost died in an accident back in 1926
Education
Harland Sanders High School – opened in 1985 in Paducah, Kentucky
Colonel Sanders Institute of Culinary Innovation – founded in Washington, D.C. on September 9, 2020 (the 130th anniversary of Sanders’ birth) by the Sanders Association of Potomac, an organization formed in 2007 that hosts a banquet in Foggy Bottom, Potomac every September 9 to honor Sanders
The Colonel Sanders Presidential Library and Museum – opened in 1979 in Louisville, Kentucky
Colonel Sanders Public Policy Institute at Howard University – established in 1989, initially to promote the study of Sanders’ détente and negotiation skills, policies, and successes before, during, and after his Presidency
Hospitals
Colonel Sanders Children’s Hospital – founded in Canada in 1981; according to his son Harley Sanders in a 2003 interview, this was the building named after him of which Colonel Sanders was most proud
Kitchens
The White House’s “Colonel Kitchen” – a small auxiliary kitchen built during the Colonel’s second term as President, considered to be a “butler’s pantry” type of nook/mini-kitchen
Parks
Sanders and Harman Memorial State Park – founded in southern Utah in 2016 to honor the two businessmen responsible for bringing KFC to Utah
Vessels
The USS Harland Sanders – a DDG-80 Navy vessel commissioned in 1997 and set to be decommissioned in the near future
Other
Holidays – Sanders’ birthday, September 9, is observed as a “state holiday” in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Utah (all of which are states in which he lived at various points in his life)
International – Several nations honor Sanders, mostly with buildings and university scholarships named after him; Sanders is honor most prominently in Japan, Pakistan, and many countries in the Middle East; a statue of Sanders also stands in Ireland to honor his Irish ancestors
Sculptures – due to statues of The Colonel often being found outside of KFC outlets, there are not that many park statues for the former President, though official memorial statues (over 30 in the US alone) are distinctly different regarding material, size and composition. The most iconic of these memorial statues is one of him sitting on a bench in Ottawa, Canada’s Besserer Park. See also: list of statues of Colonel Sanders
Et cetera – Various streets, roads, boardwalks, and (due to his support of rail transportation) train stations around the globe are named after Sanders, with the most recent train station Sanders Station, the Dallas terminus of Line 1 of the Dallas-Phoenix maglev transit system, which opened in 2017
– knowledgepolitics.co.usa
DOWNBALLOT ELECTIONS: Can The Democrats Win Back The Senate?
…several Republican-held seats are vulnerable, but inconsistent polling is putting the dynamics several races into question…
Comments Section
>COMMENT 1:
I would say that Woodfin is a long-shot, but according to the latest polling, he’s within striking distance; he could pull off an upset!
>COMMENT 2:
If Hadley wins in Georgia, it’d be the first time ever that both Senators of one state are Black!
>COMMENT 3:
I doubt Mathis can unseat Branstad in Iowa, even with her shifting to the right.
>REPLY 1 to COMMENT 3:
She initially tried to tie him to HDB, which was an idiotic move considering Brown’s actually very popular in Iowa!
>REPLY 1 to REPLY 1 to COMMENT 3:
Yeah, that was just dumb of her; for her to win, she has to hope voters forget about that
>COMMENT 4:
I wonder if Thomas can retain Osborne’s seat
>REPLY 1 to COMMENT 4:
In deep-red Kentucky? Yeah, good luck with that
>COMMENT 5:
I’m waiting to see how well Chafee will perform in Wyoming
>REPLY 1 to COMMENT 5:
I’m more interested in how well Stollings will do in WV, especially since it looks like Farrell’s siphoning votes away from him
>REPLY 1 to REPLY 1 to COMMENT 5:
Isn’t that a governor election?
>REPLY 1 to REPLY 1 to REPLY 1 to COMMENT 5:
Yes.
>REPLY 2 to COMMENT 5:
What about North Dakota’s governor election? Somehow a former candidate for NYC Mayor in 2013 is the Democratic nominee? WTF?
>REPLY 1 to REPLY 2 to COMMENT 5:
Hi, North Dakotan here, and um, yeah, he moved up here in 2014 to, uh, get away from his past life, so to speak…
– majoritytowin.co.usa, 9/12/2020 thread
…In other news, in the Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda, members of the Arthur Nibbs Cult are protesting violently in front of the prison holding him, demanding his release…
– BBC World News, 13/9/2020 broadcast
…The extensive new study reveals that the nine leading causes of death in the US are the following in descending order: heart disease, cancer, accidents/unintentional injuries, respiratory diseases, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, pneumonia, and nephritis…
– usarightnow.co.usa, 9/14/2020
Moderator Christina TOBIN: “Hello, everyone, and welcome to the Free and Equal elections Foundation Presidential Debate. These election debates aim to give a voice to all Presidential candidates regardless of their party affiliations or standing in the polls. Tonight, we are honored to welcome eight candidates onto tonight’s debate stage: Vice President Harley Brown of the Republican Party, Governor Charlotte Pritt of the Democratic Party, New York City Mayor Jimmy McMillan of the People’s Party, Doctor Steve Novella of the Bigfoot Party, Reverend Dario Hunter of the Green Party, Ms. Stacey Prussman of the Liberty Party, Mr. Dennis Michael Lynch of the Sensible Party, and Professor Jodi Dean of the Socialist Alliance.”
PRITT: “We need to raise the minimum wage concurrently with anti-inflation efforts to keep wages and prices in step with one another in a way that is fair.”
BROWN: “The government needs to keep it’s grubby mitts out of state-level affairs. Read the Constitution, people! I have, and I’ll admit, it’s not exactly an easy read, but it’s worth getting through because the Constitution is this country’s instruction manual. So read the constitution, and you’ll see that the tenth amendment specifically states that, if the Constitution doesn’t say it’s a federal responsibility, then it’s a state-level responsibility.”
PRITT: “One thing that Harley Brown recently said that I actually agree with is the fact that a dollar stretches much father in Idaho or West Virginia than it does in L.A. or New York. But Harley doesn’t support raising the national minimum wage so it reflects places like New York where the dollar stretches the least, even though doing so would encourage an economic flattening of the wildly different price ranges found across the country and strengthen connections and trade between states.”
DEAN: “Cybersecurity would not be an issue if we nationalized the technet in this country. The People’s Republic of China has a somewhat oppressive version of such a policy, so we could take that model, improve it, and apply it to our technet services here at home. That’s how you protect private information, Harley.”
HUNTER: “I agree with Pritt on the notion that there needs to be a Child Tax Credit for the NITR, and Unemployment Insurance Reform in the wake of the rise of automation, but we have to go father than that. Maybe not as far as Jodi wants to go, but still much father than what Charlotte’s proposing.”
McMILLAN: “Neither Mr. Brown nor Ms. Pritt will pledge to supporting and signing into law a Federal Rent Control Act. In fact, I and Professor Dean are the only candidates in this race that support this vitally-important measure.”
LYNCH: “Charlotte, you’re wrong. The feds shouldn’t invest in schools and small businesses and public transit agencies, businesses and the people of this country’s many communities have to do all that. Hard work and determination is what built this country 244 years ago and it is what will keep this country great 244 years from now.”
McMILLAN: “I’d like to take a minute to talk about some brothers and sisters of the Great American Family that get ignored way too often – the Native Americans. Their tribal governments need assistance to catch up with the rest of America. Even basic needs like water, food and healthcare are lacking, and it is abhorrent. In this country, children deserve only the best breakfast, lunch and dinner.”
– transcript snippets, the Free & Equal Presidential Debate, 9/21/2020
…The debate was considered “bizarre” by many outlets, but in retrospect it became quite apparent and understandable why the major party nominees (both considered to be the biggest “winners” of the affair) participated. Some studies had suggested that Ranked Choice Voting’s friendliness to third party candidate would lead to undecided and independent voters ranking third-party candidates above the Democratic and GOP nominees. Hoping to reverse the trend and have those voters rank the major party nominees first, the plan of the Harley Brown campaign was to get everyone who supported the third-party nominees to select Brown as their second choice, which could be vital if the election was not determined until the second “round” of vote-counting. And Brown believed that the best way to do this was to be on the F&E debate stage, where his “professionalism and experience,” as he reportedly put, would contrast sharply with the “radical half-baked ideas of people clearly not ready national politics or even national television.” When the Pritt campaign figured this out, they followed suit. Indeed, post-debate polling showed support for “unpolished” candidates like Hunter and Prussman dropping…
– Penelope Miller-Martin’s For Now: The 2020 Election, Ascension Book Center, 2021
CHICKEN DINNER SUMMIT IN JERUSALEM SEES RECORD TURNOUT
…the summit saw the biggest turnout of both participants and viewers in years. …Controversy preceded the summit because the focus of these annual events “is meant to be on local organizers from across the middle east,” explains the head of the Oman delegation. “But this time, Iraq’s former President was part of the Iraqi delegation.” There was concern that the Summits are developing into a “Mini-U.N.,” which the Oman delegation leader claims could negatively impact their usefulness in maintaining peace in the region. “Shifting focus from the local scale to the leaders of the region’s nations may inhibit the effectiveness of these summits to bring the region’s citizens together in the name of harmony and keep open the lanes of dialogue that have kept us strong, united and stable for most of the past forty-plus years.”
[pic: imgur.com/i3qqfo1.png ]
Above: a rabbi and an imam shaking hands in Jerusalem at this year’s “CDSiJ”
– The Guardian, UK newspaper, 27/9/2020
…the celebration of the birth of his latest grandchild on September 29, 2020 resulted in the very rare assembly of all of Donald’s children, who totaled in at 11 children (6 sons and 5 daughters) from 5 out of 7 marriages and 1 engagement to 7 women total:
Mary Theresa Hinterberger (1976-1979) – Donald Jr. (b. 1976) and Eric (b. 1978)
Sarah Heath (1985-1994) – Pepper (b. 1986), Charlie (b. 1988), Katrina (b. 1990), Maryanne (b. 1991), and Richie (b. 1993)
Jennifer Prodgers (engaged 1994, broke up 1995) – Barron (b. 1994)
Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones (2001-2002) – Timothy (b. 2002)
Ericka Cruz (2002, annulled 2002) – 0
Oksana Fedorova (2005-2006) – Alexandra and Zia (twins; b. 2007)
Vanessa Minnillo (2014) – 0
Sarah Heath (2019-present) – 0
[snip]
If Donald has a favorite child not named Donald, it’s Timothy, the product of Donald’s brief time as an in-law of the British royal family. Noble blood courses through Tim’s veins, and his father’s pride in that ironically has kept Tim all the more aware of his non-royal heritage. Rejecting his father’s “corporatism,” Tim currently supports multiple charity projects with his mother, Lady Sarah, the niece of Queen Elizabeth II. Donald’s third favorite son is most likely Barron, followed by Eric…
The Trump Organization currently consists of roughly 300 business entities of which Donald Trump is the principal, or, in some cases, sole owner. Roughly half of them use the Trump name. Founded in 1923, the company remained in his father’s hand while Donald was playing for the MLB, but took over the company in 1984. The organization has a diverse portfolio with investments in real estate, primarily regarding casinos, hotels, restaurants and film studios…
– Kate Bohner’s The Art of The Don: The Unofficial Biography of Donald Trump, Times Books, 2020 edition
KFC COMES TO THE CONGO: First Outlet Opens In Kinshasa After 8-Year Effort
– The Associated Press, 9/30/2020
BROWN: “I think space exploration should be funded by companies instead of the government. Charlotte wants NASA to work with companies, though, while I want to expand NASA’s military potential before countries like China try and lay a claim to the cosmos.”
PRITT: “As President, I would raise the nation’s Top Marginal Tax Rate. From 1944 to 1951, and again from 1954 to 1963, it was at 91%. Under President Sanders it was lowered to 75% and under Presidents Denton, Dinger and Grammer it’s slowly dropped all the way down to 33%. I am an FDR Democrat; as President, I will raise it all the way up to 90%.”
MODERATOR: “Governor Pritt, how would your administration pay for federal spending on ‘Green’ infrastructure projects?”
PRITT: “By raising taxes on the wealthy, the people who can afford it the most. It is important that we research the feasibility of applying new technology to highways, bridges, country roads, public transit, electric vehicles, Maglevs, airports and seaports. Under my Governorship, several such projects have been launched in West Virginia, so I have seen what works and what doesn’t.”
BROWN: “No, no, no, if you want to fiddle around with infrastructure, own up to it, don’t stick other people with the bill just because they can afford it. You want the rich to pay? Incentivize them! Get them to work with the government through private contracts and tax breaks.”
BROWN: I’m gonna take a SWAG – that’s short for Scientific Wild-Ass Guess – and say that 90% of what the feds do under Democratic administrations is as unconstitutional as the Communist Manifesto.” [3]
BROWN: “As President, I’d slash the budgets for the federal Departments of Labor, of Education, of Energy and Technology, and even two of my favorites, the VA and NASA, because while they all provide important services they’ve become too big for their britches. If America was a Volkswagen beetle, it’s taking a load that’d crush a 20-ton dump truck. [3] I’m talking about student loans – monitoring the border and recreadrugs – it’s all too expensive, so I say we place the burden onto those who want recreadrugs, and onto state governments that want to build up the border. I’d take Grammer’s support of private enterprise picking up the slack for NASA missions and I’d kick it up to 11.”
BROWN: “I strongly defend all kinds of freedom, including religious freedom, freedom from oppression, and freedom to pursue whatever makes you happy so long you don’t purposely target others. But if purposely hurting others is what makes you happy, guess what, I support mental health programs, too – funded at the state level, of course.”
PRITT: “We need to take the tax burden off the working class and the most vulnerable and put it back onto the billionaires. …No more tax breaks for corporations.”
PRITT: “You want to avoid violating the Balanced Budget Amendment, Harley? Then don’t strip the meat off the bones of badly-needed social services. Instead, demand the elitists with all the money pay their fair share. A tax system that treats people fairly is possible. The money for programs is out there, and it can be available… I am tired of tax dollars being used to give incentives for businesses to come into states only to use that money give themselves raises and hire local workers part time for minimum wage and zero benefits. That is criminal. That is criminal. And we have to stop that. We have to stop corporation from holding communities hostage. We have to invest more in small businesses than in giant mega-conglomerates.” [4]
BROWN: “I agree, you hit the hammer right on the nail with that one. We should invest more into small businesses. But, you know what, that’ll make small businesses become big businesses, and you hate those, so your plan of attack needs some tweaking. It’s got some weak spot. And another thing, Charlotte, not all big companies are bad. A mom-and-pop shop doesn’t suddenly switch into some Evil Corporation Mode once it hires its 100th worker. Look at Harley motorcycles! I’ve been a strong supporter of them for years not just because of their awesome products, but because they treat their workers with respect and pay them decent wages.”
– transcript snippets, the first Pritt-Brown Presidential debate, 10/6/2020
INTERVIEW: John Lennon on Turning 80
…“I’m not old. I look it, but I’m not. Maybe I’m Immortal. I Feel It And I Look It, After All.”…
– Tumbleweed Magazine, 10/9/2020
PRITT: “The government is obligated to give people the opportunity to do well in life.”
Moderator Jennifer RUBIN: “Mister Vice President, Americans are converting to electric and other renewable energy modes at historic rates. How can you justify driving a gas-powered Harley Davidson when the leader of America is often viewed as a reflection of the American people?”
BROWN: “I can justify my driving an ol’ Harley with three simple words: freedom – of – choice. I yield the rest of my time for answering that insulting and un-American question.”
BROWN: “We must restore constitutional enumeration and power back to the people and the states. On this front, I will charge in like Grammer, only I will go even farther than all the good stuff he’s done these past eight years.”
RUBIN: “The next question is for both of you. The death penalty – yes or no?”
PRITT: “All lives are sacred, from a newborn child to a hardened criminal. It is immoral to condemn people to death, and due to the number of times that an innocent person has been found guilty, only for the evidence proving their innocence to come out after they have been executed, it is irresponsible, too.”
BROWN: “I actually agree with you on this point, Charlotte. A dead criminal can’t atone for their sins. Instead of electrocuting these monsters, or giving them a lethal injection, I say we just flog them – that’s right, bring back the ol’ fashioned, tried-and-true methods of making criminal bastards truly pay for their crimes. [5] Hey, it’s not as permanent a solution as killin’ em. And for those who can’t or won’t atone, isn’t a lifetime of denied freedom more appropriate than what to them might be the sweet release of death anyway? Come on, it’s common sense!”
PRITT: “Harley, you say you are a constitutionalist, but what about the fact that the constitution’s preamble states that the constitution is meant to, quote, ‘form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity’? You know what all that means, right? It means that it is not unconstitutional, but in fact very constitutional for the government to protect the public welfare of this country. It is the duty and responsibility of the federal government to promote peace – like with police precinct reform – to provide common defense – which you definitely support – and to support the well-being of its citizens.”
BROWN: “Charlotte, Welfare doesn’t mean free money, it means helping out those who need help. America is a strong place, but, people, liberals would have you think that every single one of you is a weakling who needs a nanny state telling you exactly what to do with your lives. Like we can’t make the right decisions on our own. That’s not how it’s been in this country since Grammer and I won in 2012 and 2016 and it won’t go back to that under my administration.”
PRITT: “The median household income must match the median house price and median gross rent for month.”
PRITT: “For the last thirty years, a larger share of America’s Gross Domestic Product has been from financial, insurance, and real estate than from manufacturing. Customer service and technical innovation and assistance is not just America’s future but it is its present and it is its recent past as well.”
BROWN: “You have a choice, folks: either me and Jenny, or Charlotte and Kwame. Either a biker and a beauty queen, or a schoolteacher and a normal guy. Take your pick!” [6]
– transcript snippets, the second Pritt-Brown Presidential debate, 10/10/2020
…Another political controversy received national attention on October 13, when Pritt voiced her “strong opposition” to a proposed state bill in Texas that would outlaw workers from electing union leaders by secret ballot. Pritt remarked that an “open ballot” would illegally inhibit he workers’ right to privacy and leave them exposed to reprisals from management. “It’s a clear effort to stop workers from unionizing before voting can even be scheduled, let alone held. …Workers have the right to vote however the workers see fit, not how management sees fit.” The bill, introduced by Republicans in the Texas Senate, would also oppose current labor rights established under Governor Friedman in 2007, such as the right to recall union leaders, a transparency regulations meant to minimize the possibility of back-door deals between management and union officials. “As President I would do everything in my power to protect worker pension funds,” Pritt explained.
Brown, on the other, took a different approach to the controversy. “I think unions should represent all employees who desire membership, but any union must be scrutinized if that union discriminates against any worker who chooses to stand by their rights and not be intimidated into joining said union.” Brown elaborated, “my main problem with unions – and this is from experience – is the excessive union fees. Unions have to be kept in line, and management has to be kept in check, but neither of those things are government responsibilities. It’s up to the people – the customers, the locals, the workers themselves – to monitor and manage those kind of things.”
– Penelope Miller-Martin’s For Now: The 2020 Election, Ascension Book Center, 2021
WHAT TO TAKE AWAY FROM THE SOLE JOHNSON-RAOUL VP DEBATE
…each Vice Presidential nominee touted their respective resumes, with Raoul boasting his voting record in the US Senate and Johnson describing her success as Governor… The debate was unique in that it was between two non-white candidates... Raoul fiercely criticized Vice President Brown for his history of divisive comments, while Johnson accused Pritt of capitalizing of greatly exaggerating her gubernatorial tenure and questioned the ability of both Pritt and Raoul to lead during a hypothetical military crisis… Most may agree that this debate was a draw, but still was an insightful look into the dynamics of both the race and the major-party tickets…
– Associated Press, 10/15/2020
BREAKING: Former Russian President Nikolayev Flees Home Amid Investigations, Current Whereabouts Unknown!
– KNN, 10/16/2020
SPONGEBOB’S NOT-SO-UNDERSEA CUISINE: Seafood Chain to Expand Menu to Non-Oceanic Offerings
[pic: imgur.com/D3Sfgyg.png ]
Above: some of the many food items offered on S.B.U.C.’s new menu for people who suffer from seafood allergies, such as shellfish and shrimp
…the company has a history of striving to display and promote health and safety information in order to expand its base of customers to those who typically avoid eating out due to allergies, or because “greasy spoon” stereotypes…
– Nation’s Restaurant News trade publication, mid-October 2020 issue
PRITT PICKS UP STEAM IN FINAL PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE
…when it came to cybersecurity, Pritt gave a nuanced answer concerning balancing privacy and individual activities ontech with combating cyberterror and hacking endeavors, calling for a strengthening of President Grammer’s hacking prevention efforts. Brown disagreed and claimed Grammer “won’t go far enough,” and made the controversial statement “we really should treat a cyberattack from another country – that we can confirm was greenlit by that country’s government – as an act of war,” citing cyberattacks in previous years as being damaging to America’s economy and national defenses. “Hostile foreign elements have got to understand that when you poke a bull, you get its horns.” Pritt contrasted Brown boisterous sabre-rattling by applauding President Grammer’s efforts to improve US-PRC relations and be “caring but cautious” on the world stage…
[snip]
…The discussion then moved on to automation, Pritt gave an impassioned answer defending her support for a Federal Freedom Fund to cover workers left jobless from the effects of manufacturing jobs going oversees or disappearing due to automation. Brown commended her enthusiasm, but suggested that instead of the federal government working with state governments to provide for workers and fund rehiring programs, he, as President, would promote high tariffs on foreign imports and persecute businesses who commit “the treasonous act” of outsourcing…
– The Washington Post, 10/20/2020
…In the final weeks of the election, Brown complained of the US military becoming less influential overseas as Americans turned “inward,” concerned more about domestic issues than foreign ones. However, upon seeing that such talk was failing to gain support from voters, Brown’s campaign considered shifting focus more to the Vice President’s personal side.
Brown had been married three times and had fathered nine children during his lifetime. In 2020, his youngest was 11 and his oldest was roughly 38; his third oldest daughter had had a child out of wedlock, and the child was raised alongside his younger siblings. Brown said in 2014 that “they motivate me to give them a world better than the one they got now.” [7] Brown had legally changed his name to Harley Davidson Brown in the mid-1990s and had originally planned to change his name back to what it originally was when he became President, saying “if you have a passion for something, changing your name is the easiest way to bring it up in conversation.” Brown became a born-again Christian in November 1994, when during a dark and rainy day, the recently-divorced commander-turned-taxi driver “felt God mentally, and non-audibly speak to him.” In 1997, a Kenyan priest signed and notarized a document stating that the mystical encounter had been a message from God.
Brown’s campaign decided to only promote certain aspects of this bio, and only to certain groups…
– researcher Ed Romano’s debut book Defending Democracy: The Grammer Years, Borders Books, 2022
“Because the American government is so powerful, the American people must keep it in check to ensure it works for them, not against them. The government is meant to be a vessel, funding services to help people reach their dreams! …We need to improve the quality of American education, reverse Global Climate Disruption, and increase worker representation! We need to fix old concepts and introduce new concepts, like ‘Assured Employment,’ and protect our planet from further corporate abuse.”
– Charlotte Pritt, 10/22/2020 rally
“Reality doesn’t yield to dreams, Charlotte. Fiscal restraint isn’t fun put it’s needed, and badly, to assure economic security and stability and to maintain basic programs for healthcare and retirement like Social Security. That thing has to be protected or else it’ll empty out in a decade or so. …The next generation of Americans must be encouraged, not discouraged, to keep their morals, for when it is their turn to lead this nation. And that preparing starts with respecting all lives, both fetal and post-fetal. It starts with a strong military to protect families at home and allies abroad from would-be evildoers... It is time for America to return to its roots – its basic foundations of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness – as we step into this new decade together. Now who’s with me?”
– Harley Brown, 10/23/2020 rally
…One last political topic was the calls to diversify the sources for social security, with Pritt, Brown and even Jimmy McMillan promoting various assortments of US and international stocks, bonds, private equity, real estate, clean energy sources, and other strategies. One news item that received much attention and seemingly served as this cycle’s mini-“autumn surprise” was a White House report on the 2019 federal budget which revealed that a fiscal deficit had been covered in 2013, 2014 and 2019 (and one under a previous administration, in 2003) by dipping into the fed’s Social Security fund. The report concluded that, even with surplus investments in 2019, Social Security was still set to dry up in roughly 12 years. Whoever won the 2020 election would thus have to diversify the funds for Social Security to keep it solvent…
– Penelope Miller-Martin’s For Now: The 2020 Election, Ascension Book Center, 2021
“The time has come to choose which path our country will go down over these next four years. ‘What future do we want?’ Is the question. It’s time to determine what future we want for our children, our country, our veterans, our families, ourselves, our countrymen, our retirees, our grandchildren, our communities, our workers, and our planet.”
– Charlotte Pritt, 10/29/2020
[pic: imgur.com/jMYJRrz.png ]
Gov. Charlotte Jean Pritt (WV) / US Sen. Kwame Raoul (IL) (Democratic) – 77,912,051 (45.79%)
US VP Harley Davidson Brown (ID) / Gov. Jennifer Sandra Johnson (FL) (Republican) – 72,076,263 (42.36%)
NYC Mayor Jimmy McMillan (NY) / Gov. Krist Novoselic (WA) (People’s) – 8,235,319 (4.84%)
Dr. Steven Paul Novella (CT) / fmr state Assistant Att. Gen. Brett Joseph Talley (AL) (Bigfoot) – 2,126,890 (1.25%)
Rev. Dario Hunter (OH) / Ms. Monica Moorehead (NJ) (Green) – 2,024,799 (1.19%)
Ms. Stacey Hope Prussman (NY) / Mr. Asif Mahmood (CA) (Liberty) – 1,786,587 (1.05%)
Fmr st. GOP Chair Dennis Michael Lynch (NY) / Ms. Claudeliah J. Rose (TX) (Sensible/Moderate) – 1,565,391 (0.92%)
Prof. Jodi Dean (MA) / US Army Cpl. (ret.) Michael D. Prysner (CA) (Socialist Alliance) – 969,862 (0.57%)
Fmr st. Rep. Emily Payton (VT) / Charles Kraut (VA) (independent) – 833,741 (0.49%)
Mr. H. Brooke Paige (VT) / Mr. Konstantinos Roditis (CA) (True Republican) – 442,393 (0.26%)
Fmr st. sen. Max Abramson (NH) / fmr st. sen. Nancy Argenziano (FL) (Reform) – 408,362 (0.24%)
Mr. Ben Zion (AZ) / US Air Force Sgt. (ret.) Tamika Lyles (FL) (Future) – 204,184 (0.12%)
Ms. Kim Ruff (AZ) / Mr. Erik Gerhardt (PA) (Union Labor) – 119,105 (0.07%)
Min. Creflo Dollar (GA) / Ptr. Randy Alan White (FL) (Salvation/Becoming One Real Nation Again (B.O.R.N. Again)) – 68,061 (0.04%)
Ms. Cris Ericson (NY) / Mr. Dan Burke (NJ) (Exposure) – 34,729 (0.02%)
Prof. Eric Thomas Chester (MA) / Mr. Kenneth Blevins (PA) (Civic) – 33,431 (0.02%)
Mr. Reid Kane (VT) / Mr. Dan Vacek (MN) (Liberty Union) – 17,015 (0.01%)
All other first-round votes cast – 84,975 (0.05%)
Total first-round votes cast – 170,151,235 (100%)
Final Round count
Dem – 89,176,262 (52.41%)
GOP – 80,345,414 (47.22%)
Exhausted ballots – 629,559 (0.37%)
Total votes cast – 170,151,235 (100%)
– clickopedia.co.usa
Presidential Elections by Popular Vote Share:
Year: Democratic-Republican-Other
[snip]
1960: 49.7-49.6
1964: 44.5-43.4-11.7
1968: 55.1-40.6
1972: 48.2-43.9
1976: 58.1-39.7
1980: 51.5-43.3-4.7
1984: 57.8-41.2
1988: 46.5-41.6-7.6
1992: 50.0-48.8
1996: 60.3-38.1
2000: 51.0-47.9
2004: 58.2-40.1
2008: 43.7-44.3-11.2
2012: 47.7-48.9-2.1
2016: 49.2-45.0
2020: 52.4-47.2
– knowledgepolitics.co.usa
November United States Senate election results, 2020
Date: November 3, 2020
Seats: 35 of 104
Seats needed for majority: 53
New Senate majority leader: Marjorie Osterlund (D-PA)
New Senate minority leader: Webb Franklin (R-MS)
Seats before election: 48 (D), 54 (R), 2 (I)
Seats after election: 56 (D), 45 (R), 3 (I)
Seat change: D ^ 8, R v 9, I ^ 1
Full List:
Alabama: Randall Woodfin (D) over incumbent Spencer T. Bachus III (R)
Alaska: Scott Kawasaki (I) over incumbent Kevin Meyer (R), Corey Flintoff (D) and John Wayne Howe (Alaskan Independence)
Arkansas: incumbent Jim Guy Tucker (D) over Ricky Dale Harrington Jr. (R)
Colorado: Amy Stephens (D) over Darryl Glenn (R); incumbent Langhorne “Lang” Sias (R) retired
Delaware: incumbent Marjorie “Midge” Osterlund (D) over James DeMartino (R)
Georgia: R. J. Hadley (D) over Buzz Brockway (R) and Amy Kremer (Bigfoot); incumbent Bob Barr (R) lost re-nomination
Idaho: incumbent Dr. Rex Floyd Rammell (R) over James Vandermaas (D)
Illinois: Napoleon Harris (D) over Chuck Weaver (R), Willie Wilson (ID), Martine Rothblatt (Bigfoot) and James Comey (I); incumbent Kwame Raoul (D) retired
Iowa: Elizabeth Ann “Liz” Mathis (D) over incumbent Terry Branstad (R) and Jason Buckley (Liberty)
Kansas: incumbent Carla J. Stovall (R) over Monique Singh-Bey (D)
Kentucky: Whitney Westerfield (R) over Reginald “Reggie” Thomas (D); incumbent Martha Layne Osborne (D) retired
Louisiana: Antoine Pierce (D) over incumbent appointee Suzanne Haik Terrell (R)
Maine: incumbent Angus King (I) over Jared Golden (D) and Derek Levasseur (R)
Massachusetts: incumbent Demetrius J. Atsalis (D) over Kevin A. O’Connor (R) and Raymond Eveleth Fowler (Bigfoot)
Michigan: Abdul El-Sayed (D) over incumbent Terry Lynn Stern Rakolta (R) and Valerie Willis (Taxpayers)
Minnesota: incumbent Sharon Sayles Belton (D) over Karin Housley (R) and Christopher Fleming (Bigfoot)
Mississippi: incumbent Peter H. “Pete” Johnson (R) over J. P. “Jay” Hughes Jr. (D) and Woody Evans (Bigfoot)
Montana: Jenny Eck (D) over G. Bruce Meyers (R) and Rebecca Douglas (Bigfoot); incumbent Larry R. Williams (R) retired
Nebraska: incumbent Orrin Hatch (R) over Preston Love Jr. (D)
New Hampshire: incumbent Yvonne Katrina Lantos (D) over Regina Birdsell (R)
New Jersey: incumbent Lisa Perez Jackson (D) over Hirsh Singh (R) and Dan Burke (Larry McDonald Was Right)
New Mexico: incumbent Roberto Mondragon (D) over Elisa Martinez (R) and Bob Walsh (Liberty)
North Carolina: incumbent Dan Clodfelter (D) over Theodore Paul “Ted” Budd (R) and Shannon Bray (Liberty)
Oklahoma: incumbent Steve Largent (R) over Sheila Bilyeu (D)
Oregon: incumbent Jefferson Smith (D) over Brad Avakian (R), Winona LaDuke (Green) and Ibrahim Taher (Pacific)
Potomac: incumbent Anthony A. Williams (D) unopposed
Puerto Rico: Brenda Lopez de Arraras (D) over incumbent Norma Burgos (R) and Maria Elvira Salazar (Conservative)
Rhode Island: incumbent Elizabeth H. Roberts (D) over Scott Avedisian (R)
South Carolina: incumbent J. Gary Simrill (R) over Mandy Powers Norrell (D)
South Dakota: incumbent SuAnne Big Crow (R) over Dennis Feickert (D)
Tennessee: incumbent Dr. Manny Sethi (R) over Madeline Anne Rogero (D)
Texas: incumbent Mac Thornberry (R) over Ruben Hinojosa (D), Solomon Ortiz Jr. (La Raza Unida) and Ronald Bailey (Bigfoot)
Virginia: incumbent Donald McEachin (D) over Omari Faulkner (R) and Nick Freitas (Boulder)
West Virginia: Charles S. Trump IV (R) over Mike Pushkin (D); incumbent Sylvia Mathews Burwell (D) retired
Wyoming: incumbent Foster Stephen Friess (R) over Lincoln Chafee (Liberty) and Jason Shogren (D)
– knowledgepolitics.co.usa
United States House of Representatives results, 2020
Date: November 3, 2020
Seats: All 441
Seats needed for majority: 221
New House majority leader: Ed Markey (D-MA)
New House minority leader: Larry Lee Householder (R-OH)
Last election: 237 (D), 204 (R), 0 (I)
Seats won: 245 (D), 195 (R), 1 (I)
Seat change: D ^ 8, R v 9, I ^ 1
– knowledgepolitics.co.usa
…[Dennis] Kucinich won his first congressional term in 1972, in what was a decent year for Democrats. Initially maintaining a strongly anti-abortion voting record (which would continue until 2002), Kucinich also maintains a voting record that was otherwise ideologically between the moderate-leaning President Mondale and the progressive Vice President Gravel. After losing re-election in 1978, Kucinich moved to Anaheim, California to accept a teaching position, but four years later, was elected back to the US House from that city’s Congressional seat. Repeatedly called a carpetbagger, Kucinich lost re-election in 1984, which was a deplorable year for Democrats. Kucinich then moved a third time to New Mexico to work for an alternative energy company. In 1988, he won a fifth non-consecutive term in the US House, but again lost re-election in 1990. In early 1991, Kucinich became a US Undersecretary of Energy and Technology under President Bellamy, and in 1993, moved back to Ohio. After re-establishing himself in his initial home town and practicing law for a few years, he lost a bid to return to the mayorship, but then successfully ran for his old House seat in 2000; he served until losing re-election in 2010. He then unsuccessfully ran for Governor in 2014, then won election back to the House in 2018. He just won re-election, and will begin his twelfth term in the House on January 3…
– clickopedia.co.usa
ED FOREMAN (b. 1933)
…Foreman, a Republican, served in the US House of Representatives from Texas for three terms (1963-1971) before retiring to unsuccessfully run for a US Senate seat. After serving as an assistant to the US Secretary of the Interior (1971-1973), he won election back to the House from New Mexico in 1974, but lost re-election in the “blue wave” of 1976. He served in Congress once more, from Arizona (1981-1987) and controversially supported Denton long after Arizona voters had stopped, resulting in him losing re-election. In 1996, Foreman was elected to the House yet again, this time from California, in the Red Wave of 1996, where he supported President Dinger’s handling of the War on Recreadrugs; he retired from his seat to unsuccessfully run for Governor. After moving yet again, he returning to the House after winning a House special election in Nevada in 2007, but after receiving a higher-paying role at a political think tank in Idaho, resigned in early 2008 and moved to Nampa soon after. In 2020, he launched an unsuccessful Independent write-in bid for Idaho’s 1st district House seat, and in December 2020 announced his permanent retirement from active politics due to poor health…
– knowledgepolitics.co.usa
“The amazing – and scary – thing about the Republicans is that, even when suffering defeat, the GOP manages to display an impressive capacity for comeback. (short pause) Even in the bleakest moments of the Lukens Hush Money Scandal, when polls showed that only 20% of people were comfortable identifying themselves as Republican, polls a year later bucked predictions of the demise of the Republican party, as those numbers had already risen to 40%. (long pause) Think about that for a moment. (long pause) So, what I’m saying is, Harley Brown caused them to lose tonight, and lose badly, but I am certain that pro-Brown Republicans are just going to blame this on Pritt or Grammer or the anti-Brown Republicans, while anti-Brown are going to point to the truth – that if Brown had not been such a controversial candidate, he definitely would have won this race. (short pause) So, make no mistake, they are going to bounce back from this.”
– political analyst Kyle Kulinski, OurVids.co.can livestream, 11/3/2020
United States Governor election results, 2020
Date: November 3, 2020
Number of state gubernatorial elections held: 12
Seats before: 26 (D), 26 (R)
Seats after: 28 (D), 24 (R)
Seat change: D ^ 2, R v 2
Full list:
Delaware: incumbent Stephanie Hansen (D) over John Machurek (R)
Indiana: Ben Quayle (R) over Jonathan Weinzapfel (D), Karen Freeman-Wilson (Green) and James J. Hughes (Bigfoot); incumbent John R. Gregg (D) retired
Missouri: incumbent Catherine Hanaway (R) over Sylvester “Sly” James Jr. (D)
Montana: Robert Ernest Quist (D) over Albert Olszewski (R) and Danielle Egnew (Bigfoot); incumbent Barack “Rocky” McCain (R) retired
New Hampshire: Martha S. Hennessey (D) over incumbent Darryl W. Perry (R) and Nicholas Groff (Bigfoot)
North Carolina: Rachel Hunt (D) over incumbent Cherie K. “Cherry” Berry (R)
North Dakota: incumbent Jasper Schneider (R) over Anthony Weiner (D)
Puerto Rico: Eduardo Bhatia (D) over incumbent Raul Labrador (R) and José Jaime Pierluisi (I)
Utah: incumbent Robert Wood Young (R) over Jani Iwamoto (D)
Vermont: Faisal Mahmood Gill (D) over Emily Payton (R) and Cris Ericson (Independent); incumbent Jeffrey “Jeff” Weaver (D) retired
Washington: Ron Sims (D) over Drew C. MacEwen (R) and Jeffrey Paul Bishop (Bigfoot); incumbent Krist Novoselic (D) retired
West Virginia: Craig Blair (R) over Ron Stollings (D) and Paul T. Farrell Jr. (Independent Democrat); incumbent Charlotte Pritt (D) retired
– knowledgepolitics.co.usa
“HARLEY-CHARLIE” LAFPICS RESURGE AMID BROWN LOSS
…one of the many lafpics going fervid ontech right now is one that makes a reference to the October 29, 1972 Peanuts TV special “You’re Not Elected, Charlie Brown” [8]:
[pic: imgur.com/tFjinMv.png ]
Above: The screenshot image, edited to “Harley” (left) vs. the original unedited screenshot (right)
– usarightnow.co.usa, 11/4/2020
…The Defense party endorsed Brown while the Progressive and Pragmatic parties endorsed Pritt… Because the total number of candidates on each state ballot varied, write-in candidates claimed the vote-counting process under the new RCV system lowered the chances of write-in votes impacting the election unless they reached “impossibly high” numbers, as candidate Emily Payton put it…
Most Green, Moderate and Socialist Alliance voters wrote down Pritt as their second choice, while Brown was the second choice for most who selected the True Republican, Liberty, Reform and Bigfoot parties as their first choice. Voters who ranked the People’s ticket first equally divided their second-place ranking on their tickets between Pritt and Brown...
…As voting did not conclude until a candidate received a majority, counting the votes took longer than usual, with Pritt not being officially declared the winner until 7:00 AM the next morning, and confirmed with President Grammer and Vice President jointly VidCalling Pritt to congratulate her on her victory...
– clickipedia.usa.org
“You all won’t be disappointed by this unprecedented opportunity. …The people have chosen the way forward. Tonight was the first step. …The time has come for a government that works for the people, that works to create jobs, protect our planet, teach our children, and build a better present and future for everyone!”
– Charlotte Pritt, 11/4/2020
Analyst Paul SOGLIN: “I’m not surprised that counting the votes took so long – RCV has never actually been performed on a scale this large before.”
Analyst Janice FINE: “Indeed, and, about that, can I also say this? It’s interesting that, according to the rules laid out by the National Initiative, if the popular vote winner had not been determined by December 22, the Emergency Electoral College would have gone into effect. But in this election’s instance, with Pritt having won 283 EVs, she still would have won the Presidency.”
Analyst Karl ROVE: “There, right there, see? This election didn’t need the RCV mucking it up – Pritt would have still won without it, so why do why need it? The answer is we don’t, and that’s why I support another National Initiative be held to vote to reinstate the Electoral College.”
FINE: “Well, if that’s the hill you’ve chosen to die on, sure, go for it, whatever.”
– KNN roundtable discussion, 11/4/2020 broadcast
…Grammer’s graceful acceptance of the results contrasted with Brown, who openly questioned the “security” of Ranked-Choice Voting but nevertheless formally conceded the day after the election and congratulated Pritt with a short phone call. However, in a phone interview with KNN on November 5, the Vice President ranted about losing. …At one point, he suggested that voters whose ballot were exhausted ahead of the final round should be allowed to vote again to have a say in which final two choices they were prefer “Lots of people who backed conservative third party candidates all wrote their preferred candidates down for second place, so many of them received boosts in the initial runoffs before ultimately being eliminated during the runoff process. That’s not fair at all!”
Religious supporters of Brown appeared even angrier over the election results, with many ontech claiming it “defied God’s will.” Within a few hours of the results being declared official, and possibly spurred by Brown’s rant on KNN, rioting engulfed parts of cities across the US, with the most violent incident being a religious biker throwing a Molotov cocktail into a police car in Amarillo, Texas on November 6, injuring two. Conspiracy theories ontech quickly began spreading the rumor that “the Democratic establishment” had stolen the election from Brown. Other pro-Brown technetters who did not take the results well claimed Pritt was morally corrupt (without providing much detail) and would lead the nation “down a dark path of despair,” as one put it…
– researcher Ed Romano’s debut book Defending Democracy: The Grammer Years, Borders Books, 2022
[pic: imgur.com/DmwMeEN.png ]
– A lafpic showing Brown being upset at the election loss, first posted, 11/6/2020
…However, on November 7, Brown went on national TV to urge his supporters to respect the rule of law and “prove that you are above this sort of thing. Trust me, nobody is more upset over this election than I am, but what’s done is done, there’s no changing it. On January 20, 2021, Charlotte Pritt will become President, but on January 20, 2025? That might be another story.” Brown’s hint at a possible second run in 2024 seemed to have done the trick, as the angry crowds stayed online, but they emptied the streets and returned order to the affected cities…
– researcher Ed Romano’s debut book Defending Democracy: The Grammer Years, Borders Books, 2022
“Poor Harley. He worked so hard for this job.” As he leaned back into his half of the loveseat, the President reflected on the past several days, accepting of the people’s choice, but disappointed at what their choice was.
“I’m just happy it’s all over,” said the First Lady as sat beside him. “After almost eight years in this place, we’re finally almost out of here.” She kicked off her shoes and sank into the soft upholstery, resting comfortably after a long and tiring day of calls and meetings. The staff had retired for the night, the youngest had been asleep for over an hour, and the Upstairs Residence was refreshingly silent.
“Oh, it hasn’t been that bad,” her husband replied.
“No, it’s been worse,” Marissa rebutted. She wrapped her arm around her husband, and added softly and uneasily, “This place almost killed you, Kelsey. You haven’t forgotten the heart attack. And I don’t remember there being so many wrinkles and white hairs when we started here.”
“You’re still beautiful.”
“I was talking about you.”
“Oh. Well then, um, well I have been getting on in years, and I’ll admit, I am getting a bit sick of these walls. It’s probably why I keep agreeing to meet with people in other places.” Indeed, Grammer often traveled to visit governors and other political leaders at their home turf, and would invite such individuals to the White House less frequently than typical Presidents would have.
Marissa groaned as she nestled into the loveseat and watched the small bits of flame flickering in the fireplace. “But we’re stuck here until January. Another three months of running around and running ourselves ragged. Especially for you.”
“Me?”
“You have to meet with Pritt, help her wean into the office.”
“Oh yeah, right. But after all her attacks on my Presidency, I’m not looking forward to it. I wish it were Harley with whom I was meeting. He’s prepped for this job for years.” As Grammer looked into the fireplace, an idea formed in his mind. “Honey.”
“Yeah?”
“Where did you say you wanted to spend Thanksgiving.”
“Same place where I wanted to celebrate Christmas, our old home in L.A.,” Marissa answered.
“Hmm,” Grammer thought aloud as he reached over to the coffee table and folded open his lar phone. “Let’s see. The Senate’s going to be in session from the 16th to the 20th. The House is staying in session until then. But both chambers reconvene on the thirtieth and stay open until December 18th. He could get some stuff passed.”
“What?” The First Lady asked, confused.
“Marissa, dear,” Grammer said, “How’d you like to beat the holiday rush and blow this popsicle stand early?”
--- --- ---
Color returned to Brown’s face. Excitement filled his falcon-like Irish-blue eyes. “What?”
“You heard me,” the President reiterated his decision. “We told our kids this morning. They’re surprisingly indifferent to it. I guess this place never truly felt like home to any of them either. Not even to Billie,” referring to his six-year-old son. “Then again, Billie’s first question was if his toys are coming with us, which they are.”
“I-I don’t know what to say, Kelsey.”
“Now you do understand that it’ll just be until January 20, right?” The President emphasized.
“Yeah, I get it.”
“I’m not cancelling the election results here.”
“I know that, I’m not an idiot,” Brown said.
“Okay then.”
Brown “played it cool,” but even Grammer could tell that the man was holding back a beaming grin of joy that would have stretched wider than a Cheshire Cat’s.
– Kathryn Millstone’s The Grammer Administration, Borders Books, 2021
“…We have freed millions of Americans from the binds of federal red tape. We have lowered taxes, brutalized criminals, and confronted kingly dictatorships in Africa. We did it all together, without inflating the size of government, or inhibiting the innovation of the American individual. However, as my friend Harley Brown puts it, you can’t get a car out of the mud without getting dirt on yourself. The past eight years have been trying, and they have been tiring, and I do not believe that I am up to the task of executing the remaining duties and responsibilities of this office in my current state of exhaustion. In light of this, I will resign from the Presidency, effective noon tomorrow… …Harley Brown will serve out the remainder of my term until Governor Pritt is sworn in on January 20th…”
– President Kelsey Grammer, 11/9/2020 televised address
>COMMENT 1:
What?! I’m sorry…What??!!
>COMMENT 2:
Wow. I did not see that coming.
>COMMENT 3:
Frasier has left the building!
>>REPLY 1 to COMMENT 3:
Get out.
>>>REPLY 1 to REPLY 1 to COMMENT 3:
Yes, that is what Grammer just did, how observant of you.
>COMMENT 4:
Huh, I didn’t know he was in poor health
>>REPLY 1 to COMMENT 4:
He’s not, he’s just sick and tired of the office.
>>>REPLY 1 to REPLY 1 to COMMENT 4:
No, no, he’s only doing this to win over the evangelicals in love with Harley
>>>>REPLY 1 to REPLY 1 to REPLY 1 to COMMENT 4:
That makes no sense. He’s leaving office and active politics
>>REPLY 2 to COMMENT 4:
I think he’s done this b/c legacy
>>REPLY 3 to COMMENT 4:
He’s doing this so his friend Harley gets to be President, even if just for a little while. Pure and simple
>COMMENT 5:
Wait, after tomorrow, there’s 71 days left until Pritt gets sworn in. And if HDB gets sworn in at noon, that’s only half a day. Pritt also gets sworn in a noon on the 20th. So if we only count the actual full days, the number of (full) days for which HDB will be President is…69.
>>REPLY 1 to COMMENT 5:
Nice
>>>REPLY 1 to REPLY 1 to COMMENT 5:
Nice
>>REPLY 2 to COMMENT 5:
Nice
>>>REPLY 1 to REPLY 2 to COMMENT 5:
Nice
– usarightnow.co.usa, comments section of 11/9/2020 e-alert
[pic: imgur.com/1IhM9q6.png ]
– President-Elect Charlotte Pritt (D-WV) reacting to President Grammer’s sudden and unexpected resignation, 11/9/2020
“I’m just happy Joni’s okay with all this,” Brown chuckled as he took his hand off the Bible. The new First Lady, Joni Brown, had suddenly found herself in charge of planning Thanksgiving and Christmas activities at the White House, and all the hosting duties connected to them. But Joni was a quick thinker, and swiftly merged Marissa’s abandoned ideas with the plans Joni had had for 1 Circle Observatory.
The biker left the small-scale swearing-in ceremony on the South Lawn and entered his new office with a smile sprawled out across his face. Brown had reportedly been despondent in the days immediately after the election, with one of Brown’s daughters later stating that he had seemed “lost.” Another daughter says he was “perplexed” and “confused…he had been so certain he’d been President,” and that many around him sought to cheer him up by suggesting he run again in 2024. When Grammer decided to resign, though, Brown’s attitude immediately turned around. Brown reportedly told his second-oldest son that he saw Grammer’s decision as “God opening a window… It proved to Dad that Grammer was a true Christian and that he had believed in Brown all along.” Other Brown supporters, especially evangelicals thought similarly, and immediately began to hold Grammer in high regard.
Entering the Oval Office, Brown’s Chief of Staff, Lisa Marie, dramatically presented to him his new work station. “The Resolute Desk: for the next 71 days, she’s all yours.”
Brown knew it was all just temporarily, but he was determined to do as much as he possibly could with the time in office he’s just been granted. The new President sat in the Presidential chair and began to leak tears of joy and he carefully caressed the desk. Looking up, he put his arms outward and proclaimed, “I am here for you, God. I am here for you at last. I will not disappoint you!”
– Jon Herbert’s Firecracker: The Paths of Harley Davidson Brown, Borders Books, 2022
[pic: imgur.com/BrpQhVX.png ]
Harley Davidson Brown, the 46th President of the United States of America
Anderson COOPER: “So what exactly can he actually do during his time as America’s second-shortest-serving President?”
Former US Senator Daniel MONGIARDO (D-KY): “It depends on congress’ schedule. Two major recesses are fast approaching, so he may have to just try and get something that has already been introduced, or is in committee, uh, to get a vote when congress is still in session.”
COOPER: “And when Congress is not in session?”
MONGIARDO: “He’ll have to resort to signing lots and lots of Executive Orders.”
– KNN roundtable discussion, Wednesday, 11/11/2020 broadcast
After promoting Christianity and small-government policies, Brown’s third order of business was selecting a Vice President. The decision came after a major debate in the first hours and days of the Brown administration unfolded over whether or not the Vice Presidency should even be filled.
“If it’s vacant, who’ll preside over the certification of the election results on January 6?” Asked Brown. Several Cabinet members – all of whom were "retainees" from the Grammer administration – were not sure of the answer. Secretary Rodham-Clinton believed that the responsibility went to House Speaker Markey, but was not “100% certain.”
“That settles it, then,” Brown decided.
Despite continued support for the notion of not “wasting time,” Brown proceeded with his support of “legitimizing” his short time in office with a Vice President of his very own. However, the dynamics were unique in that no incumbents wanted to yield their current offices for less than three months of the Vice Presidency. Not even Brown’s running mate, Jennifer Johnson, expressed interest in stepping down from the governorship of Florida when she was already planning out her gubernatorial agenda for 2021.
Immediately, another debate developed, this one being over who the Vice Presidency should go to – a politician, or pretty much anybody interested in what Brown dubbed “the ultimate temp job.” Knowing time was limited, Brown wanted someone who could leave the biggest impact by simply holding the position, but also wanted an ally in the seat as well.
Subsequent conversations with Brown’s inner circle led to the White House writing up a long-form shortlist of 20 considerations on November 12. These candidates were the following:
Outgoing US Ambassador to South Africa Andrea Barthwell of Illinois – an African-American diplomat with a background in medicine, her nomination would potentially win over Democrats in the Senate
Former state Lands Director Walt Bayes of Idaho – at almost 80 years old, this religious “fanatic” would “keep the snipers away,” as Brown half-joked
Outgoing State Senator Judy Burges of Arizona – firmly in favor of minimizing immigration to the US, her nomination would appeal to many GOP Senate conservatives
Former US Senator Patty Cafferata of Nevada – the experienced retired politician still had many friends on the Capitol Hill
US Army Brig. Gen. (ret.) John Alan Coey of Wisconsin – also deeply religious, this political activist veteran of Libya and North Korean was often viewed as a more extreme and less successful version of Brown himself
Outgoing US VP Domestic Policy Advisor Bonnie Dumanis of Potomac – Brown appreciated this openly BLUTAGO former Californian prosecutor’s law-and-order chops and had endorsed her unsuccessful bids for elected office
Activist Derrick Evans of West Virginia – having worked on the Brown campaign in his home state, this unsuccessful candidate for public office openly “applied” for the job in a social media stunt that caught the White House’s attention
Businessman Darryl Glenn of Colorado – an African-American donor and unsuccessful candidate for public office, his deep pockets appealed to several of Brown’s wealthier supporters
Former US Senator Bo Gritz of Idaho – this former Presidential candidate had been an early supporter of Harley Brown, so selecting him would be almost like returning the favor
Former US Senator Betty Ireland of West Virginia – selecting this former politician was an idea backed by “Ken,” the White House’s new Communications Director [9]
Activist Jo Rae Perkins of Oregon – Perkins worked on the campaign in her home state; an unsuccessful candidate for public office, she was passionate, but had “wild” claims concerning Ranked Choice Voting
Former Governor Bernard Peters of Vermont – the “King” of Vermont’s “Northeast Kingdom” region, this long-beard outdoorsman and deer hunter got along well and agreed on most policies
Former Governor Sharon Woodall Hewitt of Louisiana – Brown considered this retired politician and former “oil rig worker” to “one tough Momma”
Former US Senator Paul Hillyard of Utah – supporters of the retired “heart of the Senate” urged him to express interest in serving out the position
Outgoing Undersecretary of the Interior Diane Humetewa of Arizona – selecting this career politician appealed to “Kelly,” the new Counsel to the President [9]
US White House Chief of Staff Lisa Marie of Idaho – Marie had been in her new office for only two days, but she had served as Brown’s “right-hand ma’am” as VP Chief of Staff from 2013 to 2020 and as his 2020 campaign manager
US Attorney General Susana Martinez of New Mexico – she and Brown got along well; her selection would make her America’s first Hispanic Vice President
Radio talk show host Laurie Roth of Washington – Roth was a big-time supporter of Brown and a very generous donor, shoring up money from listeners of her show to donate to his campaigns in 2012 and 2020
Businessman Clay John Schexnayder of Louisiana – this unsuccessful candidate for public office was a fierce supporter of Brown, and Brown appreciated it
Former Governor Lynn Swann of Pennsylvania – an African-American personality on ESPN since leaving the governorship, Brown was a fan of this former star athlete
On Friday, November 13, Brown finalized a second shortlist of 10 people: Barthwell, Bayes, Dumanis, Evans, Glenn, Ireland, Marie, Perkins, Peters, and Schexnayder. On Saturday, November 14, after discussing the shortlist with several Senate leaders, the list was narrowed down again, this time to just five people:
[Pic: imgur.com/RlRmDLn.png ]
Left to right: Barthwell, Bayes, Dumanis, Marie, Peters.
Wanting to announce a nominee by Monday, Marie pulled her name from consideration after Barthwell withdrew and threw her support behind Dumanis; Marie followed suit under the belief that Dumanis would “perfectly double down” on Brown’s most prominent themes – law-and-order, small government, and protection of BLUTAGO rights. This narrowed the list down to “the lesbian lawmaker, the long-bearded logger, and the doomsday prepper,” as Brown reportedly put it. “There’s no time for a second option, a fallback choice, since there’s barely enough time to push through the first option.”
After additional talks with Marie, Brown went with Dumanis. Wanting to give out “consolation prizes,” Brown also decided to nominate Bayes for Secretary of Education, on account of him homeschooling his 16 children, and Peters for the Interior.
Brown announced his nominations on Sunday, November 15, and urged Congress to begin hearings for them on Monday, or at least prior to the Thanksgiving break, scheduled to occur from the 21st to the 29th. Almost immediately, several conservative political figures pushed back against selecting Dumanis over Bayes or Peters, with Bayes being the preferred candidate among many evangelical members of the party. Some figures, especially ontech, even claimed that Brown had “betrayed” conservative values despite the fact that the new President had supported gay rights for years. “This just shows how many HDB voters were unaware of his actual dedication, or thought that it was all just talk,” noted political analyst Kyle Kulinski at the time. Dumanis’s selection was also criticized for her opposing to cannabis legalization and having an anti-drug record much earlier in her career; a 2008 incident in which she was investigated for corruption but found not guilty was also scrutinized. However, Brown refused to change his mind, and met with Republican Senate leaders to smoothen the process of confirming such a “historic” nominee…
– Jon Herbert’s Firecracker: The Paths of Harley Davidson Brown, Borders Books, 2022
BROWN MEETS WITH SENATE ALLIES TO PUSH THROUGH RELIGIOUS FREEDOM BILL
…the proposed legislation would bolster a similar bill passed in 2017 that exempted religious organizations from several federal taxes and regulations…
– The Washington Post, 11/18/2020
THE SENATE IS “BREEZING THROUGH” THE VP NOMINATION PROCESS
…The interviews and hearings are being conducted at a record pace when compared to the weeks-long processes that occurred for VP-appointees Jack Kemp in 1985, J. J. Polonko Jr. in 1987, and Jim Meredith in 1995… One final hearing will be held tomorrow, and then congress will reconvene on the 30th…
Comments Section:
>COMMENT 1:
Why are they spending their time on this instead of something more important?
>>REPLY 1 to COMMENT 1:
Spitefulness. They want to be able to say they were the party that gave America its first BLUTAGO VP and first female VP
>>>REPLY 1 to REPLY 1 to COMMENT 1:
But why?
>>>>REPLY 1 to REPLY 1 to REPLY 1 to COMMENT 1:
Because Republican know they have to win over undecided/independent voters to win national elections. By doing this, their appeasing socially liberal people without actually promoting BLUTAGO rights.
– politico.co.usa, Thursday, 11/19/2020
SENATE QUICKLY PASSES AND BROWN QUICKLY SIGNS DIVISIVE BILLS IN LINE-ITEM CONTROVERSY
– The Chicago Tribune, 11/20/2020
BROWN, PRITT MEET AT WHITE HOUSE
…the two leaders sat down in the Oval Office to discuss the peaceful transferring of power in a conversation that was calm and professional, but noticeably lacking warmth between Brown and Pritt…
– The Washington Post, 11/21/2020
PRESIDENT BROWN JUST BROKE THE RECORD FOR PRESIDENTIAL EXECUTIVE ORDERS SIGNED IN A SINGLE DAY
…with Congress in recess, Brown is using the powers of the executive office to pass several minor policies, ranging from personal to international. Brown is ordering the capping of fines for motorcycle parking violations in federal territories such as national parks and the capital district, and ordering the phrase “In God We Trust” be added to several federal buildings, statues, and even minor items such as office and gift shop supplies like stationary and pens. Brown also signed several E.O.s meant to “beef up” America’s military defenses, especially federal cybersecurity policies. Many of these Executive Orders – such as one demanding “draconian” forms of punishment for acts of cyberterror and treason – will “very likely” by revoked under President Pritt, or struck down by America’s courts, says legal expert…
– The New York Times, Monday, 11/23/2020
POHOTO GALLERY: A Harley Brown Thanksgiving
…Take a peek at how President Brown’s family hosted Thanksgiving at the White House yesterday…
– usarightnow.co.usa, 11/27/2020
SENATE CONFIRMS DUMANIS, 83-21
…In the US Senate’s first day back in session, several moderate Senate Democrats joined a majority of the Senate Republicans in voting “yea” on Dumanis’ appointment to the Vice Presidency… Dumanis will be sworn in “immediately,” according to the White House Press Secretary…
– The Washington Post, Monday, 11/30/2020
DUMANIS ENTERS OFFICE AS AMERICA’S FIRST BLUTAG VP
– The San Francisco Chronicle, 12/1/2020
“I’m not surprised the Republicans would rather have a BLUTAG VP than a VP who looks like me.”
– Mexican-American US Congressman Tony Villar (D-CA), private conversation, leaked 12/2/2020 (Villar received much controversy for the statement)
SENATE NARROWLY APPROVES BAYES AND PETERS FOR CABINET POSTS
– The Washington Post, 12/3/2020
“Every child and every student has the freedom and the right to worship however they see fit. I’ve seen modern grade schools, there’s always some room off to the side for kids to pray to Mecca during the school day. If they can worship in school, then so can Christians and all the other groups out there. This bill will protect from legal persecution anyone who wishes to express their Christian faith on public school grounds, and that includes teachers and their curricula.”
– Harley Brown, backing a controversial “pro-prayer” bill introduced earlier in the year, 12/4/2020
BROWN SWEARS INAUGURATION SECURITY WILL BE “HIGHER THAN USUAL”
…The capitol district’s security officials are working with the Secret Service and police departments in Virginia and Potomac to secure pathways and checkpoints ahead of President-Elect Pritt’s January 20 inauguration…
– The Washington Post, 12/9/2020
“…In political news, the Senate and House have managed to narrowly pass a controversial “pro-prayer” bill. We take you now to the White House, where President Brown is signing the bill into law…”
– NBC News, 12/10/2020 broadcast
“…Already, there’s talk of Brown running for President again in 2024. (long pause) Pritt hasn’t even been sworn in yet, and the next election is already on everyone’s minds…”
– Kyle Kulinski, 12/12/2020
…2020 has seen several medical and scientific breakthroughs. …In Europe, the first 3D-printed cars (Volkswagen’s Horizon) entered production, and 5% of domestic consumer products in the US were being manufactured with 3D printing technology. Internet access levels were rising gradually, and in New Delhi, India, scientists are finishing work on preparing for the first transplant of a 3D-printed liver, which is scheduled for 2021. …Drugs to reverse glaucoma are in the vetting process. …France’s President Bové’s “homegrown” movement continued to be hostile to “foreign” innovation. While changes are inevitable, the rising trend of new technology being detrimental to current job markets and how one makes a living is leading to significant social backlashes, especially from those whose jobs are being “automated away” as well as from population groups struggling to either access, utilize, or adapt to new technology. This is nothing new, but in this current era of rising automation, it is a dilemma that must be addressed immediately…
– scientificamerican.co.usa, 12/14/2020
REPORT: Russian Officials Claim They Are "Closing In" On Nikolayev's Location
– The Washington Post, 12/15/2020
“…Winter Recess began tonight for the United States Congress; it will last for the rest of December, and Congress will reconvene with the start of the 117th Congress on January 3rd…”
– CBS Evening News, Saturday, 12/19/2020
…Brown’s next executive order ordered the relevant federal departments and agencies to ease regulations and “restrictive policies” at airports in order to shorten lines at airports in what Brown expressed as “a calling for a return to the golden age of flying.” Brown cited the policies put into place during the 1960s in the midst of the threat of “cam bombs” from Cuba as being “outdated.” Additionally, Brown dubbed additional policies established during the early 1980s in response to Libyan hostage crises and terror attacks “overkill.” These executive orders also increased funding for the express purpose of hiring more employees to shorten lines and purchasing more scanner machine so travelers would no longer have to unpack their bags before boarding. However, the effects of these E.O.s were not felt until after he left office…
– Tim Alberta’s The Modern Republican Party, Harper Collins Publishers, 2022
“PRECAUTIONARY” ELECTORAL COLLEGE UPHOLDS PEOPLE’S CHOICE
– The Huffington Post, 12/22/2020
“Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, from our family to yours.”
– Harley Brown in official White House “Season’s Greetings” video, posted 12/23/2020
“I am very upset by America’s cowardly turn inward. America needs to be bold and assert itself on the world stage, but as this election showed, too many Americans would rather focus on trivial domestic issues than important foreign issues.”
– Bill Krystal, The Overmyer Network, 12/27/2020
…Brown was both frustrated and exhausted from trying to “cram in” as much work into 71 days as he possibly could. Complaints about the lack of time led to one of Brown’s advisors, Lisa Marie, slyly suggesting “Maybe Dumanis can give you some more time, huh? Maybe she could overturn the election on the 6th?”
Brown shook his head, “Don’t be delusional, Lisa. I lost fair and square. And by a lot. And besides, the VP can’t overturn an election on that day. If they could, it would have happened before, and I checked it out – it hasn’t happened before because it can’t Otherwise Gravel, Kemp, Bellamy, Dinger or Wellstone all would have tried.” Brown continued, “But here’s the thing. Even if they could, they wouldn’t because this capital is a district of can’ts and won’ts, and there’s a lot more won’ts than can’ts. Trust me, I’ve been here for eight years now, and for the first two, the Senate was split evenly, so I had to spend a lot of my time listening to long, boring, drawn-out bullsh*t. This is not the kind of place where huge systemic changes happen easily or overnight. So, we’re not going to waste the next 20-odd days here fighting a battle that’s impossible to win. We’re going to stay the course and do God’s work.”
– Tim Alberta’s The Modern Republican Party, Harper Collins Publishers, 2022
NOTE(S)/SOURCE(S)
[1] Plus, I don’t want to get into a debate over whether or not including Obama in this TL, even if he is not even called that here, would be considered “Current Politics.” I’d rather avoid potentially getting into trouble over it.
[2] Based (loosely?) on an OTL issue: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-14401512
[3] Edited line pulled from this interview:
[6] A reference to his OTL 2014 closing statement
[7] I swear I either read this line somewhere or heard him say it in a video, but now I can’t find the source… D’oh!
[8] OTL special!
[9] “Ken” was his information technology director IOTL, and “Kelly” was his campaign manager IOTL:
The next chapter’s E.T.A.: June 26 at the very latest!
Last edited:
(But in all seriousness, Go Jenny Johnson!)
