It's The Scariest Time of Year; The Period Just Before the Election
This Week in PurpleAmerica, through November 1st.
Well fellow PurpleAmericans, we made it. We endured what was originally a very boring election season, rocked by a change in Democratic Candidate, only to fall back into it being a relatively dull election season. In spite of that, Donald Trump and the Republicans have done pretty much everything humanly possible to give the election to Democrats and are still at 47%. Kamala Harris, who did not run well for President in 2020, has run a near flawless campaign, has united the party has had one incredibly positive event after another and has done everything humanly possible to win this campaign. And yet she is still at 47%.
This is the worst period in American history. A time when Nazis, actual Nazis, are running for office and they still not only have a plausible path to winning, they are 50% odds. Ugh. WTF.
On top of that, the chances are that the winner will not be determined on election night. Why? Glad you asked. Most of the swing states allow for early voting by absentee, and the bulk of those, from large urban population centers, do not begin to be counted until election night. On election night, you should see Pennsylvania close, Wisconsin close, Georgia close, maybe Michigan close, but you’ll see it with Trump slightly ahead (if you don’t, Harris is likely a shoo-in). Once those absentee ballots start being counted and included in, that’s where Harris will take the lead. It will also be the point Trump and everyone else on the right screams “Fraud” and “Cheaters!” You know they will. Trump is going to declare victory on Tuesday, win or lose, which will be like Yoko Ono adding a bonus track to her greatest hits album.
My best guess? Pennsylvania and Arizona, two states largely determinative of the outcome, won’t be decided until Thursday at the earliest. That’s enough for the Stop the Steal wackos to lose it again. We’ll go through all the hoops we did in 2020 but with one major difference; many of the Secretaries of State, Federal District Level and Appellate level justices AND THE SUPREME COURT, will have been appointed by Trump four years ago, and the only value he understands is allegiance and loyalty.
It’s enough to make anyone scared, the week after Halloween.
PurpleAmerica’s People of the Past Week
The Good
Freddy Freeman. Man, not since Kirk Gibson has an injured player made such a huge impact on the World Series. Kudos on the WS first walk off Grand Slam in MLB history.
Kamala Harris. You’ve been pitch perfect. You’ve run as good a campaign as could be expected coming in relief half way through the election. It’s out of your hands and in those of the voter now. Good luck.
Jayden Daniels. Some QBs don’t go their entire careers with a 70 yard hail mary completion. Congrats. That is and will be the play of the year.
Teri Garr. Fantastic actress who graced the screen in Young Frankenstein, Mr. Mom, and Tootsie among other films. R.I.P.
This family. Which NAILED the 2024 Election to the tune of Freddy Mercury and Queen.
The Bad
This Yankees fan who half near ripped off Mookie Betts’ arm.
The Ugly
Jeff Bezos. Coward.
Without further comment, Anything and Everybody associated with the Donald Trump rally at Madison Square Garden last weekend.
Have a nominee for us to consider? Send an email to purpleamericanunity@gmail.com!
PurpleAmerica Pop Culture Random Top Five
This week: The Top 5 Halloween Candies
OK. Everyone has one. That candy that you would get every Halloweeen. The one you would trade your friends to get. Today, we go through the best candy for Halloween.
Pop Rocks
Nerds
Skittles
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
This stuff. PURE SUGAR.
PurpleAmerica’s Cultural Corner
I’m going to strongly encourage you all to check out our Election Playlist! It’s packed full of Election oriented or adjacent songs that will make you feel good about our country again. PurpleAmerica Election Playlist 2024
However, one comment this week asked a real simple question: “The Kinks? Why did you start off the playlist with this obscure song?”
Very simple. The Lyrics. Here they are:
Can you think of any other song that better describes an election than this one?
PurpleAmerica’s Subscriber Mail
When we here at PurpleAmerica Respond to the Teeming Millions (well, we’re still working on that first million)
Have a question you want us to answer? Email us at purpleamericanunity@gmail.com
So I did something I never had to do before: I blocked a commentator from the site. The reason? He called me a MAGA DICKWAD and a gaslighter.1 I don’t mind disagreeing with me. In fact, I like a smart disagreement because it makes me reconsider and fine tune my thinking. But that kind of shit I don’t tolerate, especially from someone who clearly doesn’t read the articles and instead just pick and chooses what to troll about. Ugh. I digress.
But that’s not to say my piece on the realignment happening in American politics didn’t go unnoticed. In fact, it was the most commented/ email responded article I’ve ever had. Most of the commentators were decidedly negative about it. OK. That doesn’t mean it’s not actually happening. In fact, most of the dissatisfied commentary I read about it only confirmed what was in the article itself. Liberals are educated but can also be elitist and condescending. They can be alienating and self-righteous. I have a feeling that four years from now, even if Trump is out of the picture, we’ll still be seeing more of this.
Some respectable Republicans who regularly read me commented as well, saying I kind of nailed the dynamic. They mentioned that they hate Trump, are never Trumpers, but are currently politically homeless. “The Republican Party is not what I remember it used to be anymore,” said one. “It has become so extreme in it’s rhetoric, I just don’t recognize it; to say to people I was once Republican has become a source of great shame,” said another. The general sense of these emails were that they hate what the GOP has become, but look to the left and don’t feel welcome…yet.
Some strong positive comments on my endorsement of Kamala:
“That’s how you do it Bezos!”— MissouriGurl
“This was the easiest choice in the history of endorsements. For Bezos to pass on it is like Phil Hellmuth spotting some rube with $10 million on a poker table and going ‘Nah, I don’t gamble.’”— PurplePrideVike11
“I guess you don’t have any interests Trump can lean on you with.”
“Well, couldnt be any clearer than that. Thanks. Sometimes I wonder about ya but you always come through in the end.”
And that’s really what we are here. We’re not in the bag for either side. We look at the parties, the issue and the positions objectively. We consider what’s best for ourselves, our communities and our country. We have good discussions. We take in different perspectives. We have the conversations that the parties don’t. This is why we are PurpleAmerica.
PurpleAmerica’s Historical Note from This Week
No looking back this week everyone. It’s time to look forward.
Vote for sanity. Vote your conscience. Vote for the future of your kids and grandkids and vote for Kamala Harris on Tuesday.
And by that, you’ll be making history.
PurpleAmerica’s Dad/Uncle/Cheesy Joke of the Week
A man was walking around his neighborhood when he came across a man in his garage, with his nose in a vice, tightening it and screaming, then releasing it. He would do this over and over again. The man asked what he was doing.
“I’m getting prepared,” the man in the garage replied.
“What do you mean?”
“I’m going to have to hold my nose REALLY hard this election day and I’m just preparing for the pain.”
And with that…
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Footnotes and Fun Stuff
Which if you know anything about me at all, 1) I am not for MAGA in any shape or form, particularly when the previous article about MAGA was labeled “Repugnant.” 2) Dickwad? Moi? really? what are we, 9? and 3) Gaslighter? Ugh, that would mean I’m trying to subtly convince you you’re crazy and that I have a hidden agenda of some kind; anyone who reads PURPLEAMERICA can figure out my agenda from the title.