A true confession to begin: I hate hot weather. So now that’s off my chest, I can get to what is on everyone’s mind today—the political Sturm und Drang which is not helped by the ongoing heatwave. Lots of writers here on Substack have taken up the political stuff lately, even those who usually discuss other topics. I think people are beginning to realize that this really is a very different election cycle.
Many of us follow Heather Cox Richardson, and I was very pleased when someone provided a link to a video of Heather in conversation with Christiane Amanpour. It is an excellent briefing from two experts which will give you a clear picture of the current situation. Lawrence O’Donnell provides other relevant information and I’m glad I can watch him online because his TV show is way past my bedtime. Personally, I find relief in action and there are any number of organizations which have projects up and running which you can join to help save democracy. I have been posting a lot of Notes to link you with information I think is vital for our current dilemma.
One Note in particular I hope you will check out includes a copy of the front page of The New York Times from Tuesday, October 16, 1973. An article near the bottom of the page is headlined “Major Landlord Accused of Antiblack Bias in City” by Morris Kaplan. Bet you can’t guess whose name is associated with this Department of Justice investigation. The article continues on a later page which I haven’t copied. But you get the gist and can certainly follow up for the sordid details. I know “the paper of record” has fallen out of favor lately, but back in the day it was very well respected. And, by the way, I was shocked to learn that the visitor logs of the White House had not been made public during the disastrous one-term president’s attempted reign. The more we know, the more we can help our friends and family get on board. Keep talking up what a nightmare a second term for the 34-count convicted felon would be.
Katherine, we are all worried! Don’t you find it puzzling that 2 weeks after the “debate” we are talking ad nauseam about President Biden’s “performance,” his “weakness” as a candidate, whether or not the Democrats down ballot can win with him at the top of the ticket, and which Democrats are jumping ship, and yet not one word about the fact that the alternative is Trump and the horrifying Project 2025? Am I crazy?
I like warm weather as long as when it is very hot, as it is now, I can stay in my air-conditioned space. Unfortunately or maybe fortunately, this creates heat in my consciousness remembering that air conditioning is adding to the environmental heat destroying our planet and killing some without air conditioning. Trying to do the right thing is tough to even know what is the right thing to do
Same with evaluating the NYT. Not enough info to have a highly informed opinion. However, I’m no longer reading them and I cancelled my subscription years ago when they started adding conservative opinion writers for some mythical balance. Opinions are only opinions and IMO—saying with some humor but not entirely—opinions are more often spewings from the ignorant and/or the sophists and is sound and fury signifying nothing.