Biden’s pick, Trump’s shtick, states pushback, election results, and our new Electoral College map

By Robert A. Vella

Joe Biden has picked Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) as his presidential running mate.  It was not only the safest choice he could’ve made, it was the best choice in my opinion and in the opinion of most objective observers.  Harris is exceptionally smart, has a lot of political and legal experience, is a fierce debater and questioner, has a strong record supporting center-left policies, and is a good selection towards increasing diversity in the White House which has been overrepresented by old white men for far too long.

President Trump is continuing his disinformation campaign, fear-mongering, hate-mongering, and voter suppression shtick in a desperate and despicable ploy to resurrect his reelection chances which have been severely damaged by his refusal to take assertive action against the coronavirus pandemic.  States are pushing-back against his attempts to corrupt the U.S. Postal Service into an election rigging tool.  We’ll also take a look at yesterday’s primary election results and our new Electoral College map snapshot.

To review, it is a simplified projection which weighs the quality and consistency of state polls, which incorporates voter turnout/registration trends and the effectiveness of voter suppression efforts (by Republicans), which moves some states that currently look competitive but which historically favor one party over the other (e.g. Georgia and Texas) to their traditional color, and which decides two states that split their electoral votes (i.e. Maine and Nebraska) to their dominant political party.  The only changes from July are the move of Iowa from swing-state status to the Republican side, and the move of North Carolina from the Democratic side to swing-state status.

FiveThirtyEight now gives Joe Biden a better than 7 in 10 chance to win the presidential election in November (see:  Biden is favored to win the election).

Biden’s pick

From:  That’s the ticket: Joe Biden picks Sen. Kamala Harris as his 2020 vice presidential running mate

WASHINGTON – Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has announced California Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate for the 2020 election, making her the first Black woman and first Asian American person on a major party’s presidential ticket.

Harris, who early on was a Biden opponent for the nomination, brings the political prowess of winning statewide election in the largest state while also personifying the diversity that key Democratic activists have said is crucial to building grassroots enthusiasm for the ticket.

“I have the great honor to announce that I’ve picked @KamalaHarris — a fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the country’s finest public servants — as my running mate,” Biden tweeted.

Trump’s shtick

From:  Trump calls QAnon GOP primary winner [Marjorie Taylor Greene] a ‘future Republican Star’

President Trump on Wednesday offered his full-throated support for a Georgia congressional candidate who has made incendiary comments about Black people and Muslims and believes in the QAnon conspiracy theory.

[…]

She has garnered national attention after Politico unearthed past racist, anti-Semitic and Islamophobic comments she made, including comparing Democratic donor George Soros to a Nazi, saying the 2018 midterms were like an “Islamic invasion of our government” and asserting that African Americans “are held slaves to the Democratic Party.”

Greene also gained attention over comments in which she expressed support for QAnon, a conspiracy theory that posits that President Trump and his allies are working together to expose and arrest an underground cabal of global elites who control the government and run sex trafficking rings.

The conspiracy theory has been blamed for violent incidents, and social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook have taken action in recent weeks to suspend groups and accounts associated with the theory. Trump’s embrace of Greene is likely to further fuel supporters of the conspiracy theory.

Related stories:

Critics slam Trump ‘suburban housewife’ tweet as racist, sexist ‘dog scream’ play for white voters

Weaponizing religion: Trump’s attacks on Biden’s faith, calling him ‘against God’

Trump reverts to stereotypes as campaign fumbles to respond to Harris pick

Trump Donated to ‘Meanest’ Kamala Harris in 2011, 2013

Fox News stars go on a Kamala Harris bash-fest

Donald Trump Jr. and Ted Cruz shared Russian misinformation about Black Lives Matter protesters burning Bibles

Trump campaign tweeted mugshots of released Black inmates in a callous attempt to smear the Biden campaign, which some said channeled the racist Bush campaign ‘Willie Horton’ ad

Kanye [West] flops among Black voters

Column: Trump’s bogus executive actions are reality TV, not governing

Editorial: Trump’s scheme to sabotage Medicare and Social Security

States pushback

From:  States Shield Mail-In Voting From Postal Delay Under Trump Glare

(Bloomberg) — State officials wary of slower-than-usual mail delivery are extending mail-in ballot deadlines and making backup plans to smooth early voting in the weeks before the November election, but experts warn tens of thousands of ballots might still be thrown out.

Amid a historic surge of interest in mail-in voting because of the coronavirus pandemic, a new postmaster general appointed by President Donald Trump has barred overtime and changed other policies that some complain are slowing mail delivery. And because ballots in most states must be in the hands of state officials on Election Day, delays could mean uncounted votes.

At stake is the credibility of the vote count in the more than 30 states, including battlegrounds Arizona and Michigan, which require ballots be received by the time polls close on Election Day or even earlier. The results from those states could be more than enough to tip the election. Democrats have already accused Trump of trying to muddy the results by claiming, without evidence, that vote by mail is ripe for fraud. Ballot delays and uncounted votes would only deepen any controversy.

Election results

From:  Every ‘Squad’ Member Won Her Primary

A 2020 election cycle that began with the defeat of progressives’ preferred presidential candidates is coming to a climax with a string of progressive victories in the House of Representatives.

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), a first-term progressive, soundly defeated her primary challenger, attorney Antone Melton-Meaux, on Tuesday.

[…]

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York handily dispatched a well-funded challenger in June, and Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan defeated hers earlier this month.

The fourth Squad member, Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, is unopposed in her Sept. 1 primary ― as well as the general election in November.

See also:

In Georgia and Wisconsin, smoother elections this time – with a few glitches

Puerto Rico primaries turn chaotic after ballot delay, residents demand answers

Electoral College map

Coronavirus pandemic

Coronavirus live updates: Scientists say new nasal spray can help fight COVID; college football season in shambles; Texas passes 500K cases

Vaping linked to risk of COVID-19 in teens, young adults

Food bank doles out tons of food as Texans, like many Americans, fight to feed themselves

Most states facing shortage of ICU doctors: research

Over 900 in Georgia district quarantine as high school shut[s down]

100 students sent home from Mississippi high school after teacher shows COVID-19 symptoms

Growing number of voters oppose Trump demand to fully reopen schools

World tops 20 million COVID-19 cases

A new study finds Stockholm had the same coronavirus infection rate as London, casting yet more doubt on the herd immunity theory

UK recession is worst of any major economy

Majority of Scots support independence from UK – YouGov poll

Protests and police

Peaceful Portland protesters will not be prosecuted to avoid ‘irreparable harm,’ DA announces

Colorado attorney general investigating whether Aurora police’s ‘patterns and practices’ are unconstitutional

[Los Angeles County] Deputies under investigation for brandishing guns on Black teens

Other headlines

Over 1,000 detained in latest Belarus election protests

Pompeo says ‘full’ vindication, but IG report finds fault with Saudi arms sales

Supreme Court blocks path to Oregon [expedited] redistricting ballot measure [which would create independent commission to redraw congressional districts]