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Archives for October 2015

Poll Analysis: Clinton versus Trump

by Darryl — Monday, 10/19/15, 9:14 pm

Clinton
Trump
96.6% probability of winning
3.4% probability of winning
Mean of 315 electoral votes
Mean of 223 electoral votes


Electoral College Map

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Lousiana Maine Maryland Massachusettes Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia D.C. Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

Electoral College Map

Georgia Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Delaware Connecticut Florida Mississippi Alabama Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia D.C. Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

There still too many states that have yet to be polled for this match-up for this analysis to have teeth. I count 27 missing states (plus D.C.) and that number includes the possible swing states of Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Maine, New Mexico and more. We have no polls for Washington state yet, but I don’t think Washington is likely to swing in Trump’s direction.

So why do this analysis? Quite simply, because Clinton and Trump are in the undisputed position of leading in their respective primaries.

Even lacking many state polls, this analysis is instructive for the states we have, and for how Trump’s performance compares to the other candidates. A couple of days ago, a similar analysis of Clinton v. Bush showed Bush leading with a 65% chance of winning an election held now. Trump does significantly worse against Clinton than does Bush.

After 100,000 simulated elections, Clinton wins 96,573 times and Trump wins 3,427 times (including the 952 ties). Clinton received (on average) 315 to Trump’s 223 electoral votes. In an election held now, Clinton would have a 96.6% probability of winning and Trump would have a 3.4% probability of winning. In other words, Clinton would almost certainly win an election held right now.

There are a few surprises at the state level. Both Wisconsin and Virginia heavily lean toward Clinton in the two polls in each state conducted within the past month. Now compare those two states to their geographical and political neighbors Minnesota and North Carolina. There we see things nearly tied. In the “classic” swing states, Trump leads in Florida in four of five polls, but Clinton leads in both Ohio polls and in two of three polls in Pennsylvania. Clinton leads in Kentucky, too, but the poll is from way back in mid-June.

Here is the distribution of electoral votes [FAQ] from the simulations:

[Read more…]

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Open Thread 10/19

by Carl Ballard — Monday, 10/19/15, 8:01 am

– What is Future Responsibilities and why did they give $10k to Tim Eyman’s latest initiative?

– Endorsements from Geov Parrish

– Endorsement from Seattle Transit Blog for Seattle and the suburbs.

– Worst startup ever

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Civil Liberties Roundup

by Lee — Sunday, 10/18/15, 2:15 pm

Ideologies tend to get caught in a pattern where whatever set of data points you conjure up, there’s always a way to tie it back to the underlying ideology. That was my thought after reading these two posts from Cato and NRO on Bernie Sanders and Denmark. In the posts, the authors point out that Denmark isn’t what you’d expect if you think of it as a socialist paradise. Sure, they have high taxes and a robust welfare system, but they’re freer than the U.S. when it comes to doing business, and they have roughly the same levels of overall economic freedom.

In this telling, the data is supposed to convey the point that Denmark’s high levels of economic freedom aren’t ideal for someone with a more socialist outlook. But the data is telling us something very different – that bigger government and high taxes don’t automatically lead to a less free environment for people to start and run businesses. There’s an underlying assumption that less economic freedom is somehow an actual goal of the left, rather than a consequence of poorly conceived policies. It would be similar to arguing that if more restaurants open in Seattle, the left should view the minimum rate hike as a failure (“Haha! It didn’t kill people’s economic freedom like you hoped it would, silly liberals!!”).

The main distinction that separates smarter libertarian thinking (which I do believe exists) from this nonsense is understanding that it’s silly to be concerned solely with the size of government instead of focusing on the specific types of powers we allow government to have. Government using taxpayer dollars to provide affordable health care, education, housing, or a high quality transportation system shouldn’t be seen as a threat to liberty in the same way as turning police into a standing army, funneling billions into a system of mass incarceration, or building up a gigantic infrastructure for public surveillance. All are “big government” in a way. The threat posed to our freedom – both economic and otherwise – by each of these things varies widely.

The success of Bernie Sanders’ campaign so far is a growing recognition that the relationship between big government and economic freedom is far more complex than the tired notion that higher taxes and a bigger government automatically leads to less freedom. Looking at someplace like Denmark is a confirmation of that.

News from the last two weeks:
[Read more…]

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HA Bible Study: Luke 19:23-27

by Goldy — Sunday, 10/18/15, 6:00 am

Luke 19:23-27
Why didn’t you put my money in the bank? On my return, I could have had the money together with interest.”

Then he said to some other servants standing there, “Take the money away from him and give it to the servant who earned ten times as much.”

But they said, “Sir, he already has ten times as much!”

The king replied, “Those who have something will be given more. But everything will be taken away from those who don’t have anything. Now bring me the enemies who didn’t want me to be their king. Kill them while I watch!”

Discuss.

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Poll Analysis: Clinton versus Bush

by Darryl — Saturday, 10/17/15, 12:42 pm

Clinton
Bush
35.2% probability of winning
64.8% probability of winning
Mean of 263 electoral votes
Mean of 275 electoral votes


Electoral College Map

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Lousiana Maine Maryland Massachusettes Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia D.C. Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

Electoral College Map

Georgia Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Delaware Connecticut Florida Mississippi Alabama Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia D.C. Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

There have only been something over a dozen new state head-to-head polls since the previous analysis of a general election match-up between Secretary Clinton and Gov. Bush. Previously, the race was, essentially, tied with Clinton having a slight edge. This month, the race is, well…tied. But now Bush has a slight advantage.

The trend can be seen from this graph created from a series of elections simulated every seven days using polls from 16 Oct 2014 to 16 Oct 2015, and including polls from the preceding month (FAQ).

In the month and a half since the previous analysis, the race has remained a tie, with a bounce in Bush’s favor followed by a bounce in Clinton’s favor. There isn’t much we can make of these bounces statistically. All of the data in the recent polls were collected before the Democratic debate, so we cannot even pretend the uptick in favor of Clinton is related to the debate. What is clear, however, is that this past summer, Clinton lost a significant edge she held over Bush.

For the most recent period, the 100,000 simulated elections, puts Clinton ahead 35,187 times and Bush ahead 64,813 times (including the 2,215 ties). Clinton received (on average) 263 to Bush’s 275 electoral votes. In an election held now, Clinton would have a 35.2% probability of winning and Bush would have a 64.8% probability of winning.

Here is the distribution of electoral votes [FAQ] from the simulations:
[Read more…]

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Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganza!

by Darryl — Friday, 10/16/15, 11:52 pm

Red State Update meets Ann Coulter, James Carville, Paul Begala, “Edward Snowden” at Politicon.

Gulahallat Eatnamiin: We Speak Earth.

A Congress in Chaos:

  • WaPo: The top 5 House speaker choices.
  • Josh Earnest: No White House endorsement in Speaker race.
  • Mark Fiore: Conservatives gone wild!
  • David Pakman: Chaos as Kevin McCarthy withdraws from speaker race
  • Thom: The GOP speaker job sucks
  • Young Turks: Republicans are desperate for Speaker of the House.

Adam Ruins Everything: The real reason jaywalking is illegal.

Stephen Colbert and Jack Black: My Kind Of America:

Mental Floss: Misconceptions about hiccups.

The 2016 Clown Show:

  • Farron Cousins: Sit back and enjoy the GOP shit show
  • Young Turks: Does Ben Carson really want to be President?
  • What a Ben Carson ad should look like
  • Young Turks: Did Ben Carson lie about “Popeyes organization” robbery.
  • David Pakman: Ben Carson in 2nd place is scarier than Donald Trump in 1st
  • Maddow: New Scandal for Carson–he’s only been a Republican for one year.
  • Your drunk neighbor…Donald Trump.
  • Trump’s debate tweets were a cry for help
  • Young Turks: Trump calls Sanders a commie maniac.
  • Trump: World Trade Center came down on George Bush’s watch.
  • Maddow: Old campaign rules out the window for 2016.
  • Farron Cousins: Jeb! Bush sends plant to Trump event–who looks stupider?
  • Young Turks: Is Mike Huckabee a Twitter troll or a presidential candidate?
  • Maddow: GOP candidates escalate war threats to Putin?

Young Turks: FAUX News “terrorism expert” arrested for pretending to be CIA.

Tina Fey for President.

Alabama Disenfranchisement:

  • Farron Cousins: Alabama is still living in the 1960s–The return of Jim Crow
  • Matthew Filipowicz: Alabama Republicans make it harder for Black people to vote.

Larry Wilmore’s big gay ice cream sitdown with Nancy Pelosi.

Young Turks: Republican politician wants guns taken away from Black people.

Dems Debating:

  • Larry Wilmore: This week in Blacklash 2016
  • Stephen: Waiting for Joe-dot.
  • Farron Cousins: Childish Republicans could learn from Democratic debate.
  • Trevor Noah is pumped for the debate
  • PsychoSuperMom: When the Grown-ups Take the Stage:

  • Red State Update feels The Bern & The Chafee at CNN Vegas Democratic debate
  • Clinton answers the tough debate questions.
  • Democrats discuss the greatest threats to the U.S.
  • Young Turks: Debate assessment.
  • Stephen: How about that Democratic debate!
  • Hillary weighs in on the first debate
  • Farron Cousins: FAUX News stupid debate response for their low-information viewers
  • Little Democratic debate.
  • Jonathan Mann: The Jim Webb Equal Time Supercut Blues
  • Democrats debate gun control.
  • Memorable quotes from the first Democratic debate
  • Seth Meyers weighs in on the Democratic debate
  • Liberal Viewer: Biggest blunder using the word “blunder”?
  • Maddow’s take on the first Democratic debate.
  • Trevor Noah: Democalypse 2016:

  • Young Turks: The biggest FAYLE of the CNN debate.
  • The Democratic Debate spin room (in 360)
  • James Rustad: Bernie Sanders is sick and tired of hearing about damn emails.

Thom: The Good, the Bad & the Very, Very Demersally Ugly!

Mental Floss: 22 Brian Facts.

David Pakman: Presidential predictions you can bet on.

Political Planned Parenthood:

  • Young Turks: Why Planned Parenthood shouldn’t try to appease Republicans.
  • David Pakman: Republican admits no wrongdoing by Planned Parenthood found

Young Turks: One toddler shooting each week in 2015.

Chris Hayes: Seth Meyers and political comedy.

White House: West Wing Week.

Benghaaaaazzzzzzzzzziiiiiiii!!!!11!1!!

  • Rep. Cummings (D-MD) asks if Benghazi committee is a “taxpayer-funded effort to derail” Clinton.
  • Thom: Is this the end of the new McCarthyism witch hunt?
  • Farron Cousins: Louie Gohmert goes on Benghazi tirade during Planned Parenthood hearing

Seth Meyers: Jokes of the week

Congressional Hits and Misses: Best of Paul Ryan.

Back To The Future in actual 2015.

Last week’s Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganza can be found here.

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Open Thread 10.16

by Carl Ballard — Friday, 10/16/15, 7:59 am

– You may have heard of the Mother Jones – Frank VanderSloot lawsuit. Well, even though Mother Jones won, they could use your money.

– The gender-swapped Twilight sounds like it doesn’t do what it set out to do.

– I know Banks wants to win this election, but “you’re not from here” is so not OK.

– The GOP staffers on the Benghazi committee buying guns on taxpayer’s time is the most GOP story imaginable.

– I think there ware some 13th amendment issues.

– Lamar Odom is not a punchline. He’s someone who has lived in a state of self-medication as a means of self-preservation. Now he’s fighting just to live. Unless you are sending out prayers for his survival, please just shut the hell up. That goes for everyone from the bottom-feeding Piers Morgan to the random Twitter egg. Too many people are too destroyed by this to have to sense your bile. Be better than that for them. Be better than that for Lamar Odom. Be better than that for everyone who carries the weight of tragedy yet still makes others happy to be alive.

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Did the $200,000 Anti-Jon Grant PAC Ever Intend to Spend $200,000?

by Goldy — Thursday, 10/15/15, 2:47 pm

Civic Square rendering

Architectural rendering of Triad Development’s ironically named “Civic” Square.

When two independent expenditure campaigns were announced last week, one explicitly pro Seattle City Council president Tim Burgess (“United for Tim”) and one explicitly against Burgess’s challenger, former Tenant’s Union leader Jon Grant (“Seattle Needs Ethical Leaders”), I wasn’t the only one to read this as a sign that Seattle’s business establishment was very nervous about Burgess’s reelection prospects. Seattle Needs Ethical Leaders was on the record promising to spend about $200,000, while the insider buzz had United for Tim budgeting at least the same. That’s an awful lot of money to spend on an incumbent who is already outspending his challenger by six to one.

But now in the wake of the Triad shakedown scandal it appears we all may have been half-fooled: that “Seattle Needs Ethical Leaders” was never more than an unethical ruse.

Of course, the PAC’s threatened $200,000 war chest never appeared—and it never will appear—and while some might attribute this collapse to fallout from the shakedown scandal, it is reasonable to suspect if the committee’s sole purpose was to facilitate a shakedown in the first place. Think about it. The committee has its spokesperson go public with a $200,000 budget, while whispering that it would be accusing Grant of some sort of personal ethical lapse. Was the money ever real? Or was it just an elaborate political bluff created by those hoping to profit from a potentially lucrative real estate deal?

(Or even more conspiratorially, perhaps it was an effort to entrap Grant in an ethical lapse? Hmm. That might explain the otherwise inexplicable creation of a text message trail.)

To be clear, Burgess’s backers are clearly nervous. United for Tim has already raised $218,000, most of it from a Chamber of Commerce funded PAC. But that other $200,000? I wouldn’t be surprised if it was always a fiction. Which means this shakedown scandal could be a lot more scandalous than it first appears.

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Open Thread 10-14

by Carl Ballard — Wednesday, 10/14/15, 8:01 am

– But there was not a single mention of the Duwamish people — by Mr. Williams or by the host — in the entire seven-minute interview. There was no talk of violence, greed, or racism, despite the fact that the rivers the Duwamish had used for sustenance and travel for thousands of years were either filled with dirt from the razed hills or poisoned by all of the rapid “progress.”

– I don’t know enough about the Export-Import bank to have much of an opinion. But this discharge petition story makes me think maybe we don’t need a Speaker of the House. Maybe we just do discharge petitions to get all legislation to the floor.

– What the crap is going on this City Council election cycle?

– I haven’t read them yet, but here are The Stranger’s endorsements.

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First Democratic Debate Open Thread

by Darryl — Tuesday, 10/13/15, 5:53 pm

Have at it!

5:54: I’ll throw in some random stuff like…

Martin O'Malley looks as much like a Democratic president as Mitt Romney looked like a Republican president.

— LOLGOP (@LOLGOP) October 14, 2015

It was hard for him, but Jim Webb remembered all his daughter’s names. That will get the women’s vote.

— Amanda Marcotte (@AmandaMarcotte) October 14, 2015

I like Bernie but he makes want to throw spitballs and make fart noises in the back of class.

— Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) October 14, 2015

Quick fact: Jim Webb and Hillary are the only candidates this cycle who have personally killed people

— David Burge (@iowahawkblog) October 14, 2015


You know…Vincent Foster.

6:00: Anderson is to Hillary as Megyn was to Donald?

6:06: Republican Debate: “Raise your hand if you believe in Evolution.
Democratic Debate: “Raise your hand if you believe in Capitalism.

Chafee wants Democrats to become the Party of Lincoln

— Darryl Holman (@hominidviews) October 14, 2015

Seattle's Roanoke Park Place Tavern is filled with folks paying rapt attention to the #DemDebate. Is it like that at bars nationwide?

— Goldy (@GoldyHA) October 14, 2015

Jim Webb should offer to place ads on his forehead. Might sustain the campaign for a little while.

— Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) October 14, 2015

TFW you've convinced your opponents to attack each other while you sit back and watch: pic.twitter.com/xc2le2JbS9

— Scott Bixby (@scottbix) October 14, 2015

Will someone please ask Chafee about the metric system?

— Taegan Goddard (@politicalwire) October 14, 2015

"I know guns. Guns are friends of mine. You, sir, are no gun." — Jim Webb, basically. #DemDebate

— Chris Cillizza (@TheFix) October 14, 2015

6:25: Goldy: “She is better than anyone else in the room.”

Does Webb's head actually pivot on his neck? Serious question. #DemDebate

— Goldy (@GoldyHA) October 14, 2015

I will vote for anyone who answers a yes or no question with "yes" or "no."

— Dave King (@DaveKingThing) October 14, 2015

Jim Webb and Herbert Hoover: Separated at birth? #DemDebate pic.twitter.com/JXa2MOL1q7

— Dan Savage (@fakedansavage) October 14, 2015

Seriously… has anybody seen Jim Webb's head pivot? This is really distracting. #DemDebate

— Goldy (@GoldyHA) October 14, 2015

This is a terrible answer from Sanders. This is a candidate who was not prepped on foreign policy. Clinton is way out in front, here…

— JeffreyFeldman (@JeffreyFeldman) October 14, 2015

IALL GOING ACCORDING TO PLAN. MT @jbarro: Sanders is here to make Hillary look like a moderate; Webb to make Sanders look like a non-crank.

— Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) October 14, 2015

This #DemDebate is like being speed-interrogated by an inquisitor on meth.

— John Fugelsang (@JohnFugelsang) October 14, 2015

Cyberwarfare? Really?

6:46 Back from intermission. Time for some emails.

Clinton: "This [Benghazi] committee is basically an arm of the Republican National Committee."

— HuffPost Politics (@HuffPostPol) October 14, 2015

6:48: “The American people are sick and tired of hearing about the damn emails!” An that was not Clinton…

6:49: Bernie just earned himself an Ambassadorship.

6:50: “Secretary Clinton, do you want to respond?” “No.” We have ourselves a WINNER!

6:52: ‘Black lives matter” question interrupted by a “Child Abduction Emergency”.

6:54: Where do the get the Atari computers to run those Amber Alert notices?!?

LITERALLY NOBODY HAS CARED ABOUT A CHILD LESS THAN THE PEOPLE IN THIS BAR

— Alithea (@alithea) October 14, 2015

If all lives actually mattered we wouldn't need #blacklivesmatter #DemDebate

— John Fugelsang (@JohnFugelsang) October 14, 2015

#DemDebate I would love to hear Bernie order a meal. "1st of all, let's understand that I want cheese on my burger."

— Paula Poundstone (@paulapoundstone) October 14, 2015

O'Malley: Reinstate Glass-Steagall. (Thanks to Cooper for explaining to stoopid American public what that means.) #DemDebate

— Goldy (@GoldyHA) October 14, 2015

The fact that the #DemDebate had to tell us what Glass-Steagall is kinda shows why the crash happened in the 1st place.

— John Fugelsang (@JohnFugelsang) October 14, 2015

Between "five point plan" and Glass-Stiegel, I think a bunch of folks just fled to @Mets and @Dodgers. #DemDebate

— David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) October 14, 2015

7:08: Chafee just had a slow motion “oops” moment trying to explain his vote.

Linc Chaffee just about pulled a Stockdale with that answer "Who was I, what was I doing there?" #DemDebate #DebateDebateLA

— Lizz Winstead (@lizzwinstead) October 14, 2015

IT WAS HIS FIRST DAY https://t.co/YCZEMWIquE

— Chris Cillizza (@TheFix) October 14, 2015

Why the hell haven't any of these people tried to scare me over Mexicans yet. #DemDebate

— John Fugelsang (@JohnFugelsang) October 14, 2015

RNC Rapid Response email count: 8 #nprdebate

— Scott Detrow (@scottdetrow) October 14, 2015

If Don Lemon can only ask about black people and Juan Carlos Lopez can only ask about Hispanics, Wolf Blitzer only gets to ask about wolves.

— Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) October 14, 2015

Shorter Hillary: any of us is better than those assholes on the other side!

— Michael Maddux (@michaeljmaddux) October 14, 2015

Gonna go ahead and predict that Chafee/Webb/O'Malley all stay below 1% after this debate.

— Conn Carroll (@conncarroll) October 14, 2015

Gonna go ahead and predict that Chafee/Webb/O'Malley all stay below 1% after this debate.

— Conn Carroll (@conncarroll) October 14, 2015

Sorry, watching cartoons with a 3-year-old, but did they really ask candidates if they've *used* pot, but not an actual policy question?

— Lee Rosenberg (@Lee_Rosenberg) October 14, 2015

Whenever I start feeling sleepy, I realize Jim Webb is speaking. #DemDebate

— Dominic Holden (@dominicholden) October 14, 2015

Talking time (so far): Clinton 21:40 Sanders 21:16 Webb 12:29 O'Malley 11:47 Chafee 7:44 (via @meridithmcgraw)

— Ryan Struyk (@ryanstruyk) October 14, 2015

Webb and his views serve as reminder that the older Democratic Party is not gone, only eclipsed. #nprdebate

— Ron Elving (@NPRrelving) October 14, 2015

Enemy question: Does Jim Webb still suffer from PTSD?!?

— Darryl Holman (@hominidviews) October 14, 2015

Chaffee Bumper Sticker: No scandals and only two mulligans!

— Sam Seder (@SamSeder) October 14, 2015

The debate had many highlights but Jim Webb’s slow grin at the mention of killing a man will *haunt my dreams.*

— Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) October 14, 2015

Chafee: "I did my homework… except for that first vote I took. I winged that one." #DemDebate

— Dan Savage (@fakedansavage) October 14, 2015

"The enemy soldier that threw that grenade that wounded me, but he's not around anymore." So, Jim Webb, gonna whack Congress members?

— Daniel Robinson (@daguro) October 14, 2015

Enemy you're most proud of making? Chafee: Coal lobby O'Malley: NRA Clinton: GOP Sanders: Wall St, Pharma Webb: An enemy soldier #DemDebate

— PBS NewsHour (@NewsHour) October 14, 2015

I'm hoping for his closing, Jim Webb will loosen his tie, and his head will fall off. #DemDebate

— Goldy (@GoldyHA) October 14, 2015

A solid A- for Cooper tonight. Tough questions and, even more surprising, tough follow-ups… 1/2

— Brent Bozell (@BrentBozell) October 14, 2015

I think Clinton’s numbers are gonna jump after tonight. She balanced being warm and fierce — what holdouts were waiting to see. #DemDebate

— Dominic Holden (@dominicholden) October 14, 2015

If Jim Webb had played the I-Killed-A-Guy card earlier, he might have had more success getting Anderson to give him more time.

— Josh Barro (@jbarro) October 14, 2015

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New York Alki

by Goldy — Tuesday, 10/13/15, 9:43 am

So, first there was this. And now, this:

Seattle City Council candidate Jon Grant claims the developer of a project across from City Hall tried to shake him down, and a text message sent to former Mayor Mike McGinn reveals some of what went on.

Grant says Brett Allen, a senior vice president at Triad Capital Partners, approached him at a Saturday campaign event and asked for help settling a lawsuit brought by Grant’s former employer.

Grant says he was told the payoff could be that a new political committee gearing up to spend heavily against him would go away.

On the one hand, I appreciate the way Seattle’s political establishment is attempting to make me—an expatriate of Philadelphia and New York’s corrupt political machines—feel right at home. But on the other hand, what the fuck?

It’s one thing to use the threat of a big independent expenditure campaign to intimidate a council candidate, but it’s another thing to preserve the details of that threat in a goddamn text message. That’s just incompetent. I mean, if Seattle’s cabal of downtown developers can’t even shake down a politician correctly, how can we trust them to properly develop downtown Seattle?

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A Debate Edition of Drinking Liberally — Seattle

by Darryl — Tuesday, 10/13/15, 6:18 am

DLBottle

This evening there will be a special Debate Edition of the Seattle Chapter of Drinking liberally. Please join us at the Roanoke Park Place Tavern, 2409 10th Ave E, Seattle, for a Democratic debate-watching party.

You’ll find us in the small room at the back of the tavern. Our normal starting time is 8:00 pm, but the debate “pre-game show” starts at 5:30 PDT, and the debate itself starts at 6:00 PDT. So join us early for this one.




Can’t make it to Seattle tonight? Check out one of the other DL meetings happening this week. Tonight the Tri-Cities and Redmond chapters also meet. On Wednesday, the Bellingham chapter meets. On Thursday, the Tacoma chapter meets. And next Monday, the Aberdeen and Yakima chapters meet.

There are 183 chapters of Living Liberally, including eighteen in Washington state, four in Oregon and two in Idaho. Chances are good there’s a chapter meeting near you.

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Open Thread 10-12

by Carl Ballard — Monday, 10/12/15, 8:02 am

– Had a more interesting conversation about Mara Willaford and Marissa Johnson with my Real Change vendor than with like 90% of Bernie Sanders supporters.

– At a certain time, the GOP are going to have to find a new fake Clinton scandal. Maybe they can go back to crack pipe Christmastreegate.

– Yet, because the party has leaped so far to the right, they have been unable to perform basic functions of government, and have to end up relying on Democrats to keep them propped up, requiring that the fantasies they’ve promised base voters have to stay off the table to keep those votes.

– It’s too bad that Disability Rights Washington is suing Seattle, but sometimes those sorts of suits are necessary.

– Seattle radio gets a mention in Obama’s press pool report. Oh, also the President was in town.

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HA Bible Study: Isaiah 34:7

by Goldy — Sunday, 10/11/15, 6:00 am

Isaiah 34:7
And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness.

Discuss.

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Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganza!

by Darryl — Saturday, 10/10/15, 12:39 am

Matthew Filipowicz: Wall Street reacts to TPP agreement.

Both sides of the Clinton email scandal make their case.

David Pakman: Alabama passes voter ID, then closes ID offices in black Counties

The 2016 Clown Festival:

  • Trevor Noah: Not so pro-life afterall.
  • We collectively are answerable
  • Chris Hayes: The Las Vegas Trump rally you can’t unsee!
  • Donald Trump approves of Russia’s military activities in Syria.
  • Coming Soon: The Republican Spooktacular

  • The GOP answer: “Stuff Happens”
  • Marco Rubio weighs in on his missed votes
  • David Pakman: Ben Carson would wait “for the next one”
  • Ben Carson controversy over Holocaust and Oregon shooting comments
  • Trevor Noah: Ben Carson blames the victims.
  • Dr. Ben Carson’s Self defense course.
  • Trevor Noah: Ben Carson, Popeyes Survivor
  • Sam Seder: Ben Carson wants armed kindergarten Teachers!
  • Young Turks: Ben Carson doesn’t know what the debt ceiling!?!
  • Michael Brooks: Carly Fiorina–my medieval history degree will help me fight ISIS!
  • Farron Cousins: Isn’t it time for Jeb! to pull the plug?
  • Matt Binder: Jeb, “Stuff happens.”
  • Ann Telnaes: George W may help Campaign for Jeb!
  • David Pakman: Presidential candidates ranked by supporter’s grammar

Mental Floss: Misconceptions about the ocean.

Farron Cousins: Racist right wingers are the biggest threat to America today.

Vladimir Putin can do anything he wants to do.

Congressional hits and misses of the week.

Tom Hartman: California to vote on Citizens United.

The New (Anti-)McCarthyism:

  • Stephen: We need a Benghazi hears hearings
  • Maddow: McCarthy bails:

  • A GAFFE
  • Clinton campaign releases funny ad responding to McCarthy admitting true purpose of Benghazi investigation
  • McCarthy surrenders.
  • Young Turks: Kevin McCarthy’s Benghazi gaffe cost him big time.
  • Matthew Filipowicz with Julianna Forlano: The GOP fight to replace John Boehner as Speaker
  • Who is McCarthy’s Next Target?:

  • PsychoSuperMom: Speaker of the House
  • Ann Telnaes: Republicans keep kicking themselves
  • Young Turks: The real reason McCarthy dropped out.

Roy Zimmerman: Roy’s birthday AND the end of the world.

Young Turks: Brisol Palin needs to STFU about free birth control.

David Pakman: Legal group representing Kim Davis is declared a hate group.

Thom: ALEC’s 2016 agenda.

Matthew Filipowicz with Julianna Forlano: The problem with gerrymandering.

Honest Political Ads: Health Care costs.

Gunz:

  • Red State Update: Arm Christians, beg God not to smite us
  • Mark Fiore: Gun Logic
  • Larry Wilmore: America’s conversation about not talking about guns.
  • Thom Politically Corrects Rush on guns
  • Obama speaks after meeting with Oregon victim families
  • Jonathan Mann: Gather all the guns.
  • Ann Telnaes: Want real gun reform? Get money out of politics
  • Young Turks: Bystander opens fire on shoplifter

Ann Telnaes: Which way will the Supreme Court swing this term?

Mental Floss: 24 ridiculous lawsuits.

Last week’s Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganza can be found here.

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Recent HA Brilliance…

  • Wednesday Open Thread Wednesday, 5/7/25
  • Drinking Liberally — Seattle Tuesday, 5/6/25
  • Monday Open Thread Monday, 5/5/25
  • Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganza! Friday, 5/2/25
  • Friday Open Thread Friday, 5/2/25
  • Today’s Open Thread (Or Yesterday’s, or Last Year’s, depending On When You’re Reading This… You Know How Time Works) Wednesday, 4/30/25
  • Drinking Liberally — Seattle Tuesday, 4/29/25
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  • Monday Open Thread Monday, 4/28/25
  • Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganza! Saturday, 4/26/25

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