DeSantis

Failure by Nancy OhanianSince the shutdown here in L.A., gun shops have been busier than usual, sometimes with long lines snaking down the street in front of them. A friend of mine who has never owned one before, bought one, a shotgun. Are people worried marauders looking for pasta and toilet paper could be a danger to their families? Another exception-- primarily, but not exclusively, in Southern states-- is even crazier: churches.

The extreme-right moron governors of Georgia and Florida finally-- way too late to save their citizens-- ordered statewide lockdowns Wednesday. Last time I looked there were still a dozen states where governors have refused to order lockdowns-- all red Trump states led by extremely cowardly politicians:

This is quintessentially Trumpian: "falsely asserting how quickly automakers including GM, Ford and Tesla can manufacture ventilators to help fill an acute U.S. shortage of the medical equipment for coronavirus patients.

The Voting Rights Restoration for Felons Initiative (Amendment 4 to the Florida constitution) passed overwhelmingly on November 6, 2018, 5,148,926 (64.55%) to 2,828,339 (35.45%). The amendment was sponsored by a wide coalition including the ACLU, the Christian Coalition and the Koch Brothers' Freedom Partners. It was generally supported by Democrats, independents and moderate Republicans. Far right and extremist Republicans like Ron DeSantis opposed it. DeSantis, an anti-democracy Trumpist was on the ballot the same day.

Florida has 29 electoral votes, same as New York. The only states with more are California (55) and Texas (38). There really is no path to reelection for Trump that doesn’t include Florida. Winning Florida doesn’t guarantee him a 2020 victory but losing Florida guarantees him a 2020 loss. And Florida has been the swingiest of swing states in presidential elections in recent years.

GOP crackpots Tom Massie (KY) and Chip Roy (TX)Last Thursday, Trump allowed Senate Republicans to vote for a $19.1 billion disaster relief bill.

Ron DeSantis, Florida's Trumpist governor revealed yesterday that the FBI has discovered that Russian operative successfully hacked the vote counting machines in at least two Florida counties.

Trump by Joel Peter WitkinIn 1790, the first president of the United States, wrote a letter to the congregants of the Touro Synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island, which said, in part, that "the Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens, in giving it on all occasions their effectual support...

One of my friends is a total worry-wart. He spends his days before elections calling voters for progressive candidates and trying to persuade them to get out and vote. Today he e-mailed me: "I’ve been making calls for Andrew Gillum. Did 75 mins last night. Afraid he’ll lose. Especially with trump going to rally in Fort Myers next week (It’s not official yet, but there are reports from CNN).

Just hours before last night's first Florida gubernatorial debate, Andrew Gillum, the front runner, was interviewed by Adam Smith for the Tampa Bay Times and got right into DeSantis' head. Gillum, wrote Smith, "said he feels like he has a sense of DeSantis already from the Republican gubernatorial nominee's campaign. 'They have a uniquely unlikeable candidate. He's easily dislikable,' said Gillum.