That is what it comes down to, isn’t it? But it goes beyond that. If someone like Oprah made it through the primaries, It’d just be about a lack of good sense, but this goes beyond that. He’s not just an unqualified idiot, he’s a fascist preaching fear and hatred. That’s what’s really scary.
Apparently these mostly result from Grade School assignments: teacher wants to show the students ‘How laws are made’ and how better than to have them do the work for a law that has no real consequences? And what state legislator is going to make some kids (and their parents) unhappy by standing in the way?
And thus we end up with an official State Scone Flavor and a State Flying Insect and a State Extinct Amphibian and on and on and on…
Really? That sounds strange to me. I get teaching kids about laws, but useless laws - that’s going to further the idea government doesn’t do anything meaningful.
And off on a tangent here, but does anyone remember students picketing and such over Otter Pops? It’s participation without great impact on the world and about something kids might actually care about (unlike so many of these things parents take their kids to). Besides, I liked the green best when I was kid. 
Crayfish are arthropods, just like spiders, centipedes and millipedes. I’d be willing to say they’re “bugs” for purposes of any bets on pre-election polling. A Trump victory might be a little more bearable if accompanied by a big ol’ bowl of crayfish etouffee at Antoine’s in Nawlins…
Alton Brown has called lobsters “bugs”.
Mmm, bugs.
“Bugs” is bog standard slang for lobsters. Has been for all my decades on this rock.
I recall a flamboyant car salesman on local TV* whose ads usually involved exotic animals. One of his ads had him saying “I’ll do anything to get you to buy a car! I’ll even eat a bug!” With him waving a plastic lobster in one hand and miming biting off a big hunk.
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*Cal Worthington in Los Angeles in the 1960s-70s. Go KTLA!
Trackers always must be taken for what they are - decent for tracking trend, not absolute number - but the latest ABC tracker is of some note. Not just that trend is more to Clinton, a four point shift steadily over three days, but these bits too:
FWIW addie they are not even bothering to report out the independent selection separate this time.
Other trackers? The infamous USC/LA Times has moved 2 points Clintonward in the last two days and IBD remains flat.
Uh, this guy:
I believe we covered this in the SRIOTD thread last year. So yeah, the kids just wanted to make a hawk the state raptor and were treated to a rant about abortion.
Yeah, something relevant! Like laws about not spitting on the sidewalk (these actually exist and would affect kids’ lives).
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But that’s why he’s successful. It’s the fear and hatred that sells to his audience.
This was the topic of my brilliant but lost thread from last night. Apparently there is no statutory penalty for the Senate refusing to either advise or consent (or deny) a presidential appointment, except for possible political fallout. Some legal beagles are suggesting that “advise and consent” is a right not a duty, and one that the Senate waives through inaction. Therefore, if after some period there is no action by the Senate, the President can consider the nominee appointed, and have him/her sworn in. Sounds nice to me, but in the case of a SC nominee would promise a very juicy constitutional crisis with no disinterested party to resolve it.
BTW, interesting run of political movies on TCM today.
Seven Days in May (attempted coup)
A Face in the Crowd (rampant populism)
Dr. Strangelove (paranoia resulting in end of world in nuclear incident)
Born Yesterday (political corruption)
The Candidate (an empty suit running for office)
Is Ted Turner trying to tell us something? Or does he do this sort of thing every big election?
I always thought it was the word software developers mean when they say “features”.
They’ve already started backing away from that and pivoting to “Block Hillary’s choices even when she does win.”
Actually, the day Clinton is inaugurated they can still say “The next president should choose because the Will of the People!”. There will be a next president. And their hope springs eternal that he’ll be R.
OTOH, if Trump should win then the mantra becomes “The People have spoken”.
The important thing to be clear on is that “the People” only includes R voters. Those other people may live here, but they aren’t Real Americans. They don’t count.
We hope. Looking a little shaky.
Giuliani brags about illegal FBI leaks to Trump campaign.
[Church Lady]Well, isn’t THAT special?[/CL]
Monarchs don’t just taste bad, they are actually toxic. The caterpillar feeds on milkweed and accumulates toxins from the sap in its body, and these remain in the adult butterfly.
I’ve been so tied up with election news, down to the hour-by-hour and minute-by-minute checks, that I’m having to pull back just so I’m able to sleep and function normally and not go nuts. So I may not be terribly involved in the Elections forum for a few days.
In case anyone’s curious, I’m still mildly concerned – concerned because the polls (and Nate Silver’s model) are close, but only mildly because the early voting data (and experts like Ralston and Nate Cohn) has been good for Democrats (in key states like NV, NC, and FL) and getting better by the day. My anxiety is mostly due to how soon the election is, not how close it is.
Forgot to throw in the Reuters/Ipsos tracker - a move 4.3 Clintonward over 4 days (now C+7.2 although again a tracker’s absolute number means little compared to its directionality).