My husband is watching college football right now, flipping between several games. During the past half hour I’ve seen two different Democratic candidates for Virginia state office running ads on how they will protect abortion rights and calling out their GOP opponents for criminalizing women. I’ve never seen anything like these ads before with candidates, one a man, openly & proudly supporting reproductive healthcare rights, in a southern state, during football no less. I don’t know how widely these ads are running, perhaps only in the DC suburbs, but it feels significant.
The Yost analysis is actually a good thing, because its publication will make it much more difficult for Republicans to argue in court that the amendment should be read narrowly. It is another example of Republicans shooting themselves in the foot.
Passing the ballot measures in Ohio, Missouri, and Florida - and let's get some other red states where it's possible on this list - is only the beginning. Because here's what's next: Dave Yost is saying one thing about the amendment now, but when it passes, he will switch 180 degrees to saying that (for some absurd reason) the amendment doesn't actually affect Ohio's abortion laws at all. Republican attorneys general and administrations are going to argue that the abortion laws which Republican legislators in these states passed are still constitutional, and they'll be making those arguments to Republican judges. There's no particular reason to think they won't try to create an alternate reality, one very different from what the voters want and put into place. Postulating nonsensical realities is what they do. It's ALL they do.
That wouldn't surprise me, when we passed the right to re-enfranchise voting rights for non violent felons here in FL, gov Deathsantis ignored it, then got his trolls to think up a poll tax (which is illegal). The R's would never win again if re-enfranchising was allowed to happen and they know it. They also made it much harder to get any citizen issues on the ballot.
Yes, that and the fair districts amendment were exactly the two I was thinking of. At least in Ohio voters get to elect the justices themselves, although the state recently required them to run under party labels, to try to make it less likely Democrats would win. But you could at least imagine a pro-choice Republican voting for a Democratic justice if the court doesn't enforce the amendment. Whereas getting Republicans to vote D for governor and legislator is much harder.
Yeah, I agree. This is a case where "let the states decide" really means "let fascist theocrats force everyone else to live by their decree."
And his reason isn't absurd (to him.) He believes the Bible is God's literal word and law. Any law humans make that violates Dave Yost's interpretation of God's word and law is inferior to God's word and law. Therefore, he believes he has every right to disregard it. In fact, he believes he will receive stars in his heavenly crown for it.
I wish more people understood how much this thinking propels the Christian nationalist faction of the far-right.
Well, there's a sense in which I think Christianity ought to be "exposed" in the way big newspapers or 60 Minutes would have done an investigation in the pre-internet era. But the references I'm making show how bygone those days are. Everyone is able to cultivate their own information bubble now, and can keep out anything they don't want in. And then of course the whole basis of Christianity is the idea of being persecuted, so if anyone so much as questions one of them they howl like demons.
I think though it may be that Americans will resist authoritarianism regardless of whether they understand the reasoning or motivation of the oppressor. After all, does Donald Trump believe in God (other than than you know, "God's said some very nice things about me, He says He's really impressed and that He's looking forward to meeting me.") It's the what they do and not the why they do it. Or at least I hope so. The question is just whether we resist before or after they take over.
My husband is watching college football right now, flipping between several games. During the past half hour I’ve seen two different Democratic candidates for Virginia state office running ads on how they will protect abortion rights and calling out their GOP opponents for criminalizing women. I’ve never seen anything like these ads before with candidates, one a man, openly & proudly supporting reproductive healthcare rights, in a southern state, during football no less. I don’t know how widely these ads are running, perhaps only in the DC suburbs, but it feels significant.
The Yost analysis is actually a good thing, because its publication will make it much more difficult for Republicans to argue in court that the amendment should be read narrowly. It is another example of Republicans shooting themselves in the foot.
Yeah, I thought of that. But these people are shameless so idk.
Passing the ballot measures in Ohio, Missouri, and Florida - and let's get some other red states where it's possible on this list - is only the beginning. Because here's what's next: Dave Yost is saying one thing about the amendment now, but when it passes, he will switch 180 degrees to saying that (for some absurd reason) the amendment doesn't actually affect Ohio's abortion laws at all. Republican attorneys general and administrations are going to argue that the abortion laws which Republican legislators in these states passed are still constitutional, and they'll be making those arguments to Republican judges. There's no particular reason to think they won't try to create an alternate reality, one very different from what the voters want and put into place. Postulating nonsensical realities is what they do. It's ALL they do.
That wouldn't surprise me, when we passed the right to re-enfranchise voting rights for non violent felons here in FL, gov Deathsantis ignored it, then got his trolls to think up a poll tax (which is illegal). The R's would never win again if re-enfranchising was allowed to happen and they know it. They also made it much harder to get any citizen issues on the ballot.
Yes, that and the fair districts amendment were exactly the two I was thinking of. At least in Ohio voters get to elect the justices themselves, although the state recently required them to run under party labels, to try to make it less likely Democrats would win. But you could at least imagine a pro-choice Republican voting for a Democratic justice if the court doesn't enforce the amendment. Whereas getting Republicans to vote D for governor and legislator is much harder.
Yeah, I agree. This is a case where "let the states decide" really means "let fascist theocrats force everyone else to live by their decree."
And his reason isn't absurd (to him.) He believes the Bible is God's literal word and law. Any law humans make that violates Dave Yost's interpretation of God's word and law is inferior to God's word and law. Therefore, he believes he has every right to disregard it. In fact, he believes he will receive stars in his heavenly crown for it.
I wish more people understood how much this thinking propels the Christian nationalist faction of the far-right.
Well, there's a sense in which I think Christianity ought to be "exposed" in the way big newspapers or 60 Minutes would have done an investigation in the pre-internet era. But the references I'm making show how bygone those days are. Everyone is able to cultivate their own information bubble now, and can keep out anything they don't want in. And then of course the whole basis of Christianity is the idea of being persecuted, so if anyone so much as questions one of them they howl like demons.
I think though it may be that Americans will resist authoritarianism regardless of whether they understand the reasoning or motivation of the oppressor. After all, does Donald Trump believe in God (other than than you know, "God's said some very nice things about me, He says He's really impressed and that He's looking forward to meeting me.") It's the what they do and not the why they do it. Or at least I hope so. The question is just whether we resist before or after they take over.
It's the height of grandiose narcissism.
Which is why they and Trump were perfect for one another.
I needed that end bit, with the good news about those women running for office in Tennessee and Louisiana.
And, Mike Lee is a despicable creep. Let's not forget; he was also up to his eyeballs in Trump's slow-motion coup after the 11/2020 election.
Excellent as always, thanks Jessica!
As always 🙂
"These Doors Stay Open" = a powerful message
They are amazingly brave caregivers who deserve all the love and support!