@laura-f Ginsburg expected, as many others did also, that Hilary Clinton would be the next president. She wanted to retire during her administration so that a woman would pick her replacement. It was an unexpected shock that T was elected. After that she just tried to endure through the illnesses.
Breyer's situation and health are a different story.
Given what others on this site have seen, I am hoping that Biden will replace other judges from the conservative side.
I'm feeling kinda terrible for Biden. He started real strong earlier this year with his vaccine push and now with the Afghanistan catastrophe and his 3.5 trillion infrastructure bill up on the air.. ( of course manchin is involved in the resistance) there just seem to be no support for this man and his approval ratings are in the low 30s.
My gfs family (afghans) even voiced their plans next presidential election to support any other democrat or to not vote at all.
What I'm trying to say is that its frustrating how much easier it was for republicans to unite under trump and Mitch, while we have two senatorial democrats who constantly throw a wrench into liberal agendas that can very likely improve the lively hoods of ALL Americans but are more worried about their political hides. I can't wrap my head around this no matter how many times I think about it.
@blackandwhite I’m right there with you. I just read an article on CNN (an opinion piece), saying that not even a year into Biden’s presidency, he’s enabling a GOP midterm victory (Dems are expected to lose seats) and a 2024 win for Trump. I felt really optimistic in November last year despite all the shenanigans from the orange menace and his minions, but I just feel a constant creeping dread as we approach November 2022. Not only is Biden blocked from enacting some of the much-needed, long-overdue reforms and getting his legislative agenda passed thanks to an inability for all Dems to unite behind him, but his approval rating has been tanking due to what the other side is latching onto as “failures in leadership,” even though many of these failures were traps set in place by the previous administration. Everyone in the forums here seems confident that Dems will actually gain seats in 2022, but maybe I’m too distracted to see it? I’ve read some posts about something major happening that will shake the American people into seeing all of the rot and corruption in the GOP and deciding to vote blue, but the only events I can think of that could occur to cause this kind of change would need to be terrible (and of course I don’t want anything terrible to happen). Anyway, I’m just feeling some anxiety and despair and I wish I could have the calm/peace of mind that people here have, but I’m having trouble seeing what there is to be calm/peaceful about.
Maybe if the freaking media would stop running Biden-bashing headlines, and stop featuring articles from extreme right-wing outlets (always look at the source of the article)
The Afghan family should take a good long remembering look at which party and who created the mess in Afghanistan, and who, according to news that broke yesterday, ordered the pull-out without consulting anyone. Surprise, surprise, surprise, Twitler.
There's a million headlines they could be running about all the unresolved corruption from TFG without creating artificial hysteria about the tiniest thing Biden does.
Everything is so fluid now. I am not feeling optimistic or pessimistic. I am simply in awe of the rapid flow, and pleased that my generation of white men, and those older and a bit younger, are passing, to be replaced in positions of power by those younger with visions of peace and cooperation.
I'm the opposite, I'm even more optimistic then I was.
Especially after the landslide victory in California.
Because here is the thing, the noise on the media is just that, noise. Panic sells. Panic makes them money. They want you to be scared so you tune in and watch the hosts.
The truth is that Biden and his administration don't do things for twitter hits and news bites. They do things slow and steady, they do it traditional. And here is the thing, that works. That is what lets the government function.
They do things in baby steps to make sure that by the end every step behind them is ironclad and unremovable. This is the opposite of what tfg did, he put outlandish decisions out there that were easily overturned.
Take things like the voting rights bill. This version, which is supposed to be bipartisan, will fail. But that is okay because it will give Manchen the room to say "I tried, they didn't listen" and then that leads to the full one. Baby steps.
Take the 3.5 trillion package. It will pass. Because the steps are being taken and the ducks are being lined up in a row. No single random senator or representative on the Democrat site is going to stand up to the whole caucus, to the President, when he wants this done. In fact the smart representatives/senators are actually playing the game - "I will support the bill if you had x millions to this industry which helps my district/state."
It might be frustrating to live in this time but later on, looking back, we will be able to see the bullet point outlines that showcase how and why and when things got delivered as they needed to be delivered.
Honestly, I wish I could be in the room because watching this mastercraft in political operation being conducted by and around Biden is marvelous to watch.
I will say it doesn't help that they had to end this week's senate in session element due to the threats of the terrorists doing stuff on Saturday. (It was that reason, and not that they wanted more vacation time, that the sessions of the Senate for today and Friday were called off.)
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This all said. I do wonder how the timetable is looking for the passage of both the voting rights and the reconciliation bills. Anyone with the ability to See, any updates on the timing of that?
It is depressing, but I wouldn't lose hope for 2022 yet. Biden came in with a number of challenges including a number of things left to clean up from the previous administration. 2022 elections are just over a year away and there have been so many twists and turns in this political climate - and there will be many more to come. I think many people are being turned off by the Republican's extreme agendas, not to mention they are killing off their base over anti-vax and anti-mask mandates and discouraging them from voting with their all these elections are rigged rhetoric.
What I'm trying to say is that its frustrating how much easier it was for republicans to unite under trump and Mitch, while we have two senatorial democrats who constantly throw a wrench into liberal agendas that can very likely improve the lively hoods of ALL Americans but are more worried about their political hides. I can't wrap my head around this no matter how many times I think about it.
Acknowledge the worry, as you have here, but do your best to put it aside. There's so much at play here - do you honestly think a democrat forced to choose between Biden and Trump in 2024 will "sit this one out?" - there's far too much on the line.
I had a reading awhile back - eventually I'll find where I posted it here, but there's something coming in the next little while. While the media is trying to go back to "crisis of the day" - the California Recall, the inflation numbers going down - these two things alone are great reasons for hope.
Plus a bunch of people a hell of a lot better than I am at reading the future have seen plenty of things into 2024 and beyond that indicate this is a bumpy patch but by no means an indicator that we're spiraling back towards what we just left.
It's really, really easy to trash a room. Put your mind to it and you could completely empty every drawer, cabinet, bookshelf, etc into a jumbled heap on the floor in under 10 minutes.
It will take much, much longer to clean it back up again.
I'm not worried friends. Stay true!
Light and love to you all.
Honestly,
It might be frustrating to live in this time but later on, looking back, we will be able to see the bullet point outlines that showcase how and why and when things got delivered as they needed to be delivered.
Honestly, I wish I could be in the room because watching this mastercraft in political operation being conducted by and around Biden is marvelous to watch.
Love these points.
I also am reminded that we have no idea what event or circumstance will play out before the '22 midterms or '24 presidential election. Covid helped derailed the former tyrant's authoritarian reign and that arrived with only 9 months to go before elections.
Here are other things to consider. The party primary candidates haven't been selected yet. How extreme or moderate will they be? We can't count out the "Texas, Texas, Texas" factor either. What is happening there is self writing democratic campaign dream ad material. The nation is watching. Add in a few Larry Elder candidates and who knows? Sprinkle in any unforced errors which democrats are known for and well...
We have 4 quarters in the election game and we haven't even gotten to at the midterms halftime yet. That presidential election? Well, we are still in the first quarter.
*You know, if I'm honest, I believe the best part of a college football game is the band. The band helps set the mood and can rally the crowd and players. And their halftime show?!?!!? You guys can leave your seats to get your halftime food, I'm staying for the band.
Roger Stone was served with papers on a federal indictment for his involvement in the Insurrection lawsuit while doing his live radio show. Wheels grind on!!!!
It's hard to be hopeful, but in the spirit of grasping ? :
After wrapping up the recall, CA is the first State to go into the orange category. Newsom tweeted this morning that 82% of the vaccine eligible have had at least 1 shot, AND bars and restaurants in LA county are shifting to vaccination only admission. Here's hoping this idea expands!!!!
@theungamer Thank you for reaching for hope, and actually the Newsom victory is an excellent reason for hope. @Dannyboy, your post is now in the Hall of Fame.
You are not the only progressive who feels optimism right now: Emboldened by recall win, Democrats brush aside talk of unity and escalate necessary and justified attacks on Republicans.
I made the post "Hall of Fame" - What a lovely Thursday this has been!
I finally went back and found the post I've been referring to. This is the end of the third post on page 3 of the Random Predictions Part II thread about midway through the scroll. This is the important thing that I predicted a couple of months ago - it feels, thinking about it now, like some of the upcoming unease is related. We shall see:
In reading this again (reading the words, not the cards) it might be beneficial to read the whole spread where I posted it (again, see above) - the "something happens" isn't necessarily good - that second to last sentence below is most important. And I am feeling it's connected to what everyone else is feeling about the coming moments.
@blackandwhite @nelysthealchemist @billy-mike @melmystery @herukane
The question I asked: How is Biden feeling about his agenda after the midterms?
TL;DR Danny Boy's take from this spread:
We are still on track for and capable of achieving a blue wave - the outcome card in particular seems to indicate a more balanced (spiritually) role for congress - particularly the senate. Those left know what they need to do.
There is something I’m not seeing in this spread - the words “Those left know what they need to do.” seem fundamentally important here and echoed almost instantly when I read the card in this position - there may be something (or a series of somethings) between now and elections that fundamentally changes the outlook on politics in this country. Not all of the senators we need to go are up for re-election in 2022 but I’m seeing a more dedicated bunch joining the existing members - the man and the woman do not represent the Democrats and Republicans but at the same time - they do. Something big happens that snaps us out of things and moves us forward in 2022 and beyond. I’m now really curious as to what that might be given the state of things over halfway through 2021.
“Those left know what they need to do.”
Firstly, very interesting stuff. Very interesting. Glad you reposted it, its good to remember that.
And secondly, and this might be pedantic, but there is at least two ways to look at this and I am not sure which has focus.
Those remaining' and those 'left' (in a political sense, left vs right in the spectrum)
How one reads it is a very interesting thing.
But yeah, there are those there who know what needs to be done and are working to get others to see it too. Then the are doing what needs to be done in a step by step way to get others to see it too. This isn't just other senators/representatives but also regular Americans.
So yeah, I'm optimistic that things will go well, though I am also worried about the fights the darkness have left. Like this Saturday.
I am going to leave this post with a quote:
“The dark is generous and it is patient and it always wins – but in the heart of its strength lies its weakness: one lone candle is enough to hold it back.
Love is more than a candle.
Love can ignite the stars.”
―
*Yes, I went there. hehe
(Also I don't think the 'dark always wins' but I am not going to edit a quote, especially one nearly as perfect as this is)
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As another thing, the whole nature of the recent cycle just seems intriguing to me. Like we are in a between moment. That earlier humanity was in its childhood, recently we were adolescents, and now we are transitioning into adulthood. We aren't there yet, and adolescence is a long, hard, and with much pains process, but its happening.
Cycles are very interesting.
As an amusing side note I write, I enjoy setting development and world building. I can close my eyes and walk the streets of a thousand thousand worlds. Like seriously. If I am not imagining worlds I am not awake. One of the elements that I thought of years and years ago - mid 2010s, long before tfg was even a thing in our political eyes, I created what I called the Time of Troubles and the Year of Hell. In it everything that could go wrong did go wrong all around the Earth, but when it was over, and we recovered, it ushered us into the Era of Enlightenment with what I called the Weaved, individuals aspected towards the energies of the mind, body, and spirit and such. Now while that element has happened yet, powered people in a visible way haven't materialized, it does feel like we crossed through the Year of Hell and are about to enter a new Era of Enlightenment.
Just a bit of random stuff. :)
Hi all, in the spirit of keeping calm in the face of uncertainty I thought you might like a couple of Australian terms to help.
She's apples
She'll be right
No Wuckas
Which is an abreviation of No wucking furries
which is another term for .... just swap the w and the f
Hope they help
Those remaining' and those 'left' (in a political sense, left vs right in the spectrum)
As I think back to the cards, it's not those "left" as in toward the progressive side of things. It's more of a those who survive re-election/are elected recognize the damage that's been done and how dangerous it is to the fabric of society. We're still stuck with Josh Hawley so you won't have 100-0 votes in the Senate (for example).
In typing this I got a flash of Lindsay Graham's face (always unsettling ?) He might join the bipartisan train after whatever's coming happens.
I still haven't revisited my initial question from the tarot reading I've referenced in these posts, but I don't think this weekend (September 18th) is "the something" whatever that thing is. At this point while I'm incredibly curious, I almost don't want to dig deeper on "the something" - it could be one very dark thing, a couple of dark things, or many gray things - I just know/feel there's something between now and the election that wakes enough of us up to make an impact.
Please take this as humor: Given everything we've been through the last five years, I am not certain I want to know what sort of thing could be worse than all of that that finally wakes enough people up to recognize how low we've sunk and get down to business.
I do also want to speak to something someone said in the Newsom Recall thread - I'll look up who it was later, but they said they weren't worried because they felt a calm every time they thought about it. That's how I have been feeling whenever I think about the 2022 Midterms. It'll be interesting if I can hold that feeling of peace through all the noise that'll happen between now and then.
I've rambled enough for one evening. Good night friends!
I do also want to speak to something someone said in the Newsom Recall thread - I'll look up who it was later, but they said they weren't worried because they felt a calm every time they thought about it. That's how I have been feeling whenever I think about the 2022 Midterms. It'll be interesting if I can hold that feeling of peace through all the noise that'll happen between now and then.
That was @augury who lives in California and hasn't posted here but comes to our Circle of Light Wednesday meditations and had sent me an email saying he was sure Newsom would win because he'd felt calm in his body when he thought about the election.
@jeanne-mayell, tell @augury that he isn't alone in that feeling. For me it's not necessarily calm, simply because of what's going on right now, but it is peace, knowing that it will all work out well in the end. Some of the details may not be the way we would like them to be, but for the most part, we're going to be okay.
After the results of the recall in CA were published, I was given to understand that many in the opposition are beginning to realize that they cannot and will not win, and they will slowly but surely fade back into the woodwork. They may fight on for a while out of sheer stubbornness, but their hopes and plans are fading rapidly, and their shrill rants are being more widely ignored and brushed off as the insane screeds they are.
As for 2022, I'm still of the revised opinion that there will not be a blue wave as such, but there will be enough gains to keep one or two Senators from having so much sway, so at least *some* real progress can be made. The rocket will really take off in 2024 though, after several more R's have shot themselves in the foot by continuing to work against the best interests of the people they are supposed to serve and by hitching their political wagons to the fallen star that is TFG.