Category Archives: Politics

Pandumbic (For the Record)

Posted on March 14, 2020 by Michael Froomkin

I assume everyone has seen this by now, but if you happen to have missed it, enjoy — to the extent it’s possible to enjoy anything about this administration.

Posted in COVID-19, Trump | Comments Off on Pandumbic (For the Record)

Something Happened

Posted on March 6, 2020 by Michael Froomkin

The other day I wrote, “Barring something strange on or after Super Tuesday, I plan to vote for Warren in the upcoming Florida primary.”

Well, something happened.  Since I haven’t voted yet I get to change my mind.  That puts me ahead of those Florida voters who already voted by absentee: they are stuck with their choices per the Miami Herald,

The candidates have the prerogative to change their minds about running. You the voter, on the other hand, are stuck. Voters in Florida don’t get a do-over in the voting booth or by mail.

“In the State of Florida, you’re only allowed to vote once,” said Suzy Trutie, deputy supervisor of elections for the Miami-Dade County Elections Department.

So, Bernie or Biden?  Likely fruitless attempts at change vs likely successful attempts at status quo (with some status quo ante thrown in)?  That shouldn’t take very long to decide.

Posted in 2020 Election | 2 Comments

Recommended Reading

Posted on March 3, 2020 by Michael Froomkin

Dan Froomkin, What should Trump be doing differently about coronavirus? Elizabeth Warren has some ideas is a twofer: it draws attention to an important statement by Senator and Presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren on what we should be doing about the Coronavirus, and it has some savvy things to say about why Warren’s well thought-out ideas weren’t very prominently covered in the news (hint: horse-race).

Barring something strange on or after Super Tuesday, I plan to vote for Warren in the upcoming Florida primary.  In primaries you vote your heart, in the general election you vote you head.  Warren is the candidate whose speeches — and whose policies — inspire. I think she’d be a terrific Chief Executive.  Sanders has virtues, and I’m grateful that he moved the Overton Window.  I’m sure he’d be infinitely better than Trump, but I have some pretty big doubts as to how effective he’d be as an executive.

That said, the only ‘Democrats’ running who would really seriously challenge my ability to fill in the oval are Gabbard and Bloomberg. I’m pretty practiced at holding my nose when I vote in a general election.

Posted in 2020 Election, Dan Froomkin, Science/Medicine | Comments Off on Recommended Reading

The Case for Bernie?

Posted on February 23, 2020 by Michael Froomkin

Bernie Sanders is not my #1 choice for the Democratic nomination — I think Elizabeth Warren would be a much better President — but stories like this one really make the case for the abolition of billionaires.  (For the record: I’m not against billionaires per se, just for real progressive wealth taxes.)

Posted in 99% | 3 Comments

Last Day to Register to Vote in the March 17 Florida Primary

Posted on February 18, 2020 by Michael Froomkin

Today is the last day to register to vote in the upcoming Florida primary, or to change party registration in order to vote in a different party’s primary. Go to www.registertovoteflorida.gov to register to vote or to change party affiliation.

The Florida primary is on March 17, two weeks after ‘Super Tuesday.’ If you’re already registered to vote, you may choose to enroll in vote-by-mail. Go to www.votefromhome.miami to request a vote-by-mail ballot. Note that this request will remain in effect until you countermand it.

Florida is very free and easy with postal ballots, which I think undermines democracy in several ways, notably that it makes ballot fraud easier (e.g. ‘ballot harvesting’ — a South Florida specialty — and forgery), and that it undermines the secret ballot (e.g. making it easier to sell votes since the seller can prove how he voted, and also enabling pressure from family members demanding to see the ballot).  But postal voting can be very convenient.  Whether they count the ballot is of course a matter of faith.

Remember: Florida has closed primaries, which means you must be registered as a Democrat to vote in the Democratic Presidential Preference Primary, or a Republican to vote in Republican primaries. If you are registered as an independent (or no party preference), you don’t get to vote in any party’s primary.

There is a state constitutional amendment making its way through the system to require open primaries, but I’m not a great fan of it.

Posted in 2020 Election, Florida | 6 Comments

Biden is Losing It (and Also Losing)

Posted on February 11, 2020 by Michael Froomkin

Skip ahead to the 4:00 minute mark on this video, and keep in mind that despite the source the footage of Biden is real:

“Lying Dog-Faced Pony Soldier”??? Stick a fork in him. Please. Before it’s too late.

Posted in 2020 Election | 1 Comment