The Charlie Kirk halo effect continues to expand

The government is threatening media outlets that criticize them. Those outlets are bending knee to those threats.

First people who said positive, celebratory things about Charlie Kirk’s death were targeted by the Right.

Then people who noted that Charlie Kirk shouldn’t have been killed, because killing is wrong, but that, besides that, he was an asshole who said terrible things, were targeted.

Now people who note that Charlie Kirk shouldn’t have been killed, but that the MAGA Right was exploiting his death to (without basis) villify the Left as being responsible for it, were targeted.

And, in all cases, it was just described as retaliation for “comments about the killing of Charlie Kirk.”

Cowardly Disney Caves To Brendan Carr’s Bogus Censorial Threats, Pulling Jimmy Kimmel

There are multiple ways into this story, but almost all of the reporting on what’s happened claims that Disney pulled talk show host Jimmy Kimmel’s show “indefinitely” over comments that Kimmel mad…

www.techdirt.com/2025/09/17/cowardly-disney-caves-to-brendan-carrs-bogus-censorial-threats-pulling-jimmy-kimmel/

What sort of awful things did Kimmel say about Charlie Kirk, reprehensibly celebrating his killing as a good thing?

None. He didn’t do that. He didn’t say anything positive about the killing (he called it murder), and he didn’t even say anything negative about Kirk.

Here is (for the moment) the video of Kimmel’s monologue that landed him in hot water:

He critiqued the MAGA Right about how they were handling the killing (2:03):

We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and put everything they can to score political points from it.

He critiqued Trump on making a bizarro pivot (on actual news video) from how he was holding up in his grief about Charlie Kirk’s death, to bragging about construction on his Big, Beautiful Ballroom (2:26):

I think very good, and by the way you can see over there all the trucks, they just started construction of the new ballroom for the White House which is something they’ve been trying to get for 150 years and it’s gonna be a beauty.

Much of the rest of the monologue was poking fun at Trump about a number of other things, which is doubtless why Trump regularly insists on sharing with us his belief that Jimmy Kimmel is not at all funny, even though the ratings say, yeah, he’s pretty funny.

But none of it was celebrating Charlie Kirk’s death, suggesting he brought on his death, or even saying anything mean about Charlie Kirk.

But that halo effect keeps getting bigger, and Disney/ABC heard Trump’s head of the FCC, self-proclaimed “First Amendment warrior” Brendan Carr, suggest that ABC’s broadcast license might be yanked over this, or the licenses of ABC affiliates, unless they pulled Kimmel off the air …

I mean, look, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. These companies can find ways to change conduct to take action on Kimmel or there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.

and

There’s action we can take on licensed broadcasters. And, frankly, it’s really sort of past time that a lot of these licensed broadcasters themselves push back on Comcast or Disney and say, listen, we are going to preempt, we’re not going to run Kimmel any more until you straighten this out because we licensed broadcasters are running the possibility of fines or license revocation from the FCC if we continue to run content that ends up being a pattern of news distortion.

… and so the biggest affiliates (Sinclair and Nexstar) leaned on Disney/ABC, and Disney/ABC pulled Kimmel off the air.

They didn’t pull him off the air for supporting political violence. They didn’t pull him off the air because he was saying things not supported by the First Amendment.

They pulled him off the air because the US Government threatened them with financial losses if they didn’t. And because, frankly, Nextstar and Sinclair are pretty conservative organizations (remember how Sinclair used to dictate “news” items to its affiliates to read on-air?) who have been eagerly sucking up to Trump, and so this gave them a semi-legit way to leverage Trump’s favor. Even if, based on SCOTUS rulings even within the last year, it’s clear that such an action by the FCC could not stand up, it was easier for Disney/ABC to bow down.

Which will make the next time that much easier, too.

You know, I’m old enough to remember how Americans — especially conservative, Republican Americans — used to deride the Soviet dictatorships for being so sensitive to comedians making fun of their government and leaders. “We have freedom!” they would say. “They have insecure tyranny!”

The derision is on the other foot now.

UPDATE: Carr now says that this was all so terrible of Kimmel because he “appeared to mislead the public” about the background of the Charlie Kirk murderer.

That’s still protected speech.
Kimmel’s comments were plausibly true.
Even if they weren’t, Jimmy Kimmel is a comedian and commentator, not a news reporter.
Charlie Kirk spewed falsehoods and misleading hate speech on a daily basis, and nobody on the Right ever suggested his speech should be suppressed.
Threatening the power of the FCC to yoink broadcast licenses because someone being broadcast by them says something even “misleading” as a political comment — is regulation of political speech, censorship, and a crystal clear violation of the First Amendment.

It makes a fella proud to be a soldier!

Do grooming standards REALLY “underpin the warrior ethos”?

Defensive Secretary Pete Hegseth seems to have an obsession about stamping his toy soldiers out of identical molds. Now, if you listen to him, he seems to be all about combat preparedness and making optimal warfighters and other such Defense Department things. But when you look at him actions, they all seem to be about making sure that all the good troops fit some idealized appearance, regardless of what it means to discipline, morale, or “warfighting” ability.

Pentagon says troops can only be exempt from shaving their facial hair for a year

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered that troops who need an exemption from shaving their facial hair for longer than a year should now be kicked out of the service.

apnews.com/article/pentagon-facial-hair-grooming-beards-hegseth-e87c41e311089db0da4c4f2b5de93d1f

The current diktats concern facial hair, with orders Coming From The Top that no soldier can have unshaven facial hair (which seems mostly directed toward beards, though presumably mustaches would also apply).

I am passingly familiar with military history, and I’m pretty sure that no battle was ever won (or lost) due to the presence or absence of beards. This is solely an aesthetic judgment and an ability to impose meaningless discipline on the troops. Which is a big thing in some quarters of the military, but isn’t exactly what you would think a Defense Secretary would be obsessing over.

The newest twist is a bit more disturbing. There are people with sensitive skin conditions, pseudofolliculitis barbae, or PFB. Shaving can cause ingrown hairs, and subsequent irritation. For decades, the military has cut soldiers with such a condition some slack. Not Pete Hegseth, who explained it this way:

The Department must remain vigilant in maintaining the grooming standards which underpin the warrior ethos.

Really? The “warrior ethos” (which, I guess, is a thing we actually want) is underpinned by grooming standards?

Rather than accepting that folk with PFB cannot stay clean-shaven, Hegseth has decreed that any medical exemption can only last for a year, after which the service member will be kicked out. For not being able to shave without .

More importantly, PFB impacts Black men in much higher numbers — about 45-80% of them. By definition, this kind of policy will kick more Black men out of the service than White or other racial groups.

It’s a policy that impacts, that discriminates against, Black soldiers, plain and simple.

But, hey, we are assured by Hegseth and his boss, Donald Trump, that we don’t pay attention to racial distinctions any more (except for ICE profiling purposes) because that’s “divisive.” Which sounds good, except that it means that policies that do discriminate can be dismissed as, “Well, certainly it’s not about the discrimination because we don’t pay any attention to race.”

It seems kind of nuts to discharge qualified people — folks who have gone through not-inexpensive training, and who have clearly shown the desire to serve the nation — just because a medical condition requires they don’t go clean-shaven. I mean, unless your top priority is being able to put on some sort of weirdly uniform Military Parade — you know, the sort of thing that Americans used to poke fun at — then it might make some weird sense.

Moscow Victory Day Parade — Moscow Victory Parade, back in the good ol’ Soviet days

But, then, if you were really looking for uniformity … well, surely standardized skin tone would be a big part of that, would it not? But, I’m sure, that such a thing would never be what is being consciously driven at, since the Trump Administration is all about not paying any attention to something divisive like “race.”

Nevertheless, it is still a policy that discriminates against Black men for no reason other than that someone thinks that you can’t have a “warrior ethos” if you don’t have everyone shaving the same way.

Which seems a pretty stupid way to run a Defense Department, let alone a War Department.

And YOU get a defamation suit, and YOU get a defamation suit …

Trump is, once again, out to silence critics by suing them for massive damages.

Trump has expanded one front (“the guy with the most money always wins”) of his multi-front war on non-kowtowing media by suing the New York Times for (cue Dr. Evil) $15, accusing them of defaming him.

Donald Trump files $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times

President Donald Trump filed a $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times and four of its journalists on Monday, according to court documents.

www.npr.org

What horrible, scurrilous, utterly unfounded, brazenly lying, callously malicious thing did the NYT say?

They said he built his fortune and rep, in part, through fraud.
They printed an interview with retired U.S. Marine Corps Gen. John F. Kelly, his former chief-of-staff, who warned Trump met the definition of fascist.
They credited producer Mark Burnett, not Trump, for the success of The Apprentice.

I suspect it’s that last one that stings Donald most.

The suit is a huge laugh, and is almost a dictionary definition of a SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation), designed to quell criticism by suing the snot out of anyone who criticizes. In such a suit, the smaller, less-well-funded party (the defendant) has to bankrupt themselves trying to defend the case, or else nearly bankrupt themselves settling and then publicly taking back everything the accuser didn’t like. It’s commonly used by big businesses to silence locals who speak out against their operations or projects. Trump has turned it into a personal weapon against those he doesn’t like.

In this case, though the NYT is a huge corporation, the Dear Leader’s deep pockets seem similarly limitless, especially since any number of wealthy backers (or, worse, already-impoverished-but-fanatical MAGA folk) will be happy to help pay into a Donald Trump Legal Defense Fund.

Indeed, the “smart” thing for the Times to do would be to settle, as so many other targets of Trump’s private and public judicial threats have done. We know how vindictive he can be to anyone who fails to show the level of respect he demands. He will gleefully pursue this suit to the bitter end — and beyond.

On the other hand, maybe the Democratic Party can sue Trump for defamation, based on the assertion in the filing that “Today, the Times is a full-throated mouthpiece of the Democrat Party.” I know a lot of Democrats who instead consider the NYT a namby-pamby centrist rag, so eager to seem impartial and above the fray that they both-sides the most ridiculous things. Not even the Dems are inept enough to run a propaganda operation that way, and implying they are is, thus, defamation.

Or maybe I can sue Trump for defamation. After all, he regularly posts things like this:

[blah blah blah mindless drivel blah blah] your Favorite President (ME!)

I find it deeply offensive that someone would accuse me of holding Trump (HIM!) as my Favorite President. Indeed, I believe this clearly and maliciously defames my intelligence, sanity, morality, taste, and patriotism.

I’m pretty sure I have a case. All I’m lacking is a herd of lickspittle attorneys and the implicit power of the US Government.

Charlie Kirk should be forgotten, not lionized

Killing people is bad. “Nil nisi bonum” is also bad.

Charlie Kirk should not have been killed because killing humans is, as a rule, wrong and evil. There are arguable exceptions for that — self-defense against an immediately dangerous threat being the most accepted — but even then, killing should be taken seriously and not celebrated.

But that doesn’t mean he deserves (more than any other murder victim) a moment of prayer on the US House floor, or to have the US VP escort his body home on Air Force 2, or to be given Presidential Medals. Charlie Kirk was sorry, maliciouis, bellicose excuse for a human, and his message of grievance, contempt, and hatred will not be missed (if only because others will continue to shriek it).

Kirk hated — and would gleefully have seen unequalized, ghettoized, jailed, committed, or killed — racial and ethnic minorities, Jews and other non-Christians, LGBTQ folk, and more. His speech was hate speech, plain and simple, full of wishes for violence and oppression of those he loathed. Ironically, the use of violence to silence his opponents would be right on brand for him (another indicator of why it’s wrong).

Charlie Kirk should not have been killed, but he should, in any rational, civilized, and sane society have been ostracized. He deserves to sink into the silent cess pit of forgotten demagogues.

Quotations on Elections and Character

Time for my quadrennial quoting of folk who have something to say about the US elections

I maintain a website of quotations, so once every four years or so I dip into the grab bag there for other people’s profound words about elections and voting and the like.

This year I had two classes of quotes I picked: ones about character (and, just to be clear, Donald Trump’s lack of anything that can be considered the sort of character you want to have in a US President, or even your McDonalds’ fry wrangler), and ones about voting and participation (and why it’s important).

Here’s what I had to say, cleverly covered up by other people saying it.

Character, and What We Do/Don’t Want in a President’s

If a public man tries to get your vote by saying that he will do something wrong in your interest, you can be absolutely certain that if ever it becomes worth his while he will do something wrong against your interest.

¶ Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919) American politician, statesman, conservationist, writer, US President (1901-1909)
Speech (1910-04-23), “Citizenship in a Republic [The Man in the Arena],” Sorbonne, Paris

The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army, or in an office. If a man’s associates find him guilty of phoniness, if they find that he lacks forthright integrity, he will fail. His teachings and actions must square with each other. The first great need, therefore, is integrity and high purpose.

¶ Dwight David Eisenhower (1890-1969) American general, US President (1953-61)
(Attributed)

The American fascists are most easily recognized by their deliberate perversion of truth and fact. Their newspapers and propaganda carefully cultivate every fissure of disunity, every crack in the common front against fascism. They use every opportunity to impugn democracy. They use isolationism as a slogan to conceal their own selfish imperialism. They cultivate hate and distrust of both Britain and Russia. They claim to be superpatriots, but they would destroy every liberty guaranteed by the Constitution. They demand free enterprise, but are the spokesmen for monopoly and vested interest. Their final objective toward which all their deceit is directed is to capture political power so that, using the power of the state and the power of the market simultaneously, they may keep the common man in eternal subjection.

¶ Henry Wallace (1888-1965) American politician, journalist, farmer, businessman
“The Danger of American Fascism,” New York Times (1944-04-09)

Since the beginning of our American history, we have been engaged in change — in a perpetual peaceful revolution — a revolution which goes on steadily, quietly adjusting itself to changing conditions — without the concentration camp or the quick-lime in the ditch.

¶ Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882-1945) American lawyer, politician, statesman, US President (1933-1945)
Speech (1941-01-06), “State of the Union [Four Freedoms Speech],” Washington, D. C.

Justice requires us to remember that when any citizen denies his fellow, saying, “His color is not mine,” or “His beliefs are strange and different,” in that moment he betrays America, though his forebears created this Nation.

¶ Lyndon B. Johnson (1908-1973) American politician, educator, US President (1963-69)
Speech (1965-01-20), Inaugural Address, Washington, D. C.

Dependability, integrity, the characteristic of never knowingly doing anything wrong, that you would never cheat anyone, that you would give everybody a fair deal. Character is a sort of an all-inclusive thing. If a man has character, everyone has confidence in him. Soldiers must have confidence in their leader.

¶ Omar Bradley (1893-1981) American general
Interview with Edgar Puryear (1963-02-15)

A democracy cannot function effectively when its constituent members believe laws are being bought and sold.

¶ John Paul Stevens (1920-2019) American lawyer, US Supreme Court Justice (1975-2010)
Citizens United v. FEC, 558 U.S. 310 (2010) [dissenting]

Because power corrupts, society’s demands for moral authority and character increase as the importance of the position increases.

¶ John Adams (1735-1826) American lawyer, Founding Father, statesman, US President (1797-1801)
(Attributed)

If you don’t understand that you work for your mislabeled “subordinates,” then you know nothing of leadership. You know only tyranny.

¶ Dee W. Hock (b. 1929) American businessman
“Unit of One Anniversary Handbook,” Fast Company (1997-02-28)

The best foreign policy is to live our daily lives in honesty, decency, and integrity; at home, making our own land a more fitting habitation for free men; and abroad, joining with those of like mind and heart, to make of the world a place where all men can dwell in peace.

¶ Dwight David Eisenhower (1890-1969) American general, US President (1953-61)
Inaugural Gabriel Silver lecture, Columbia University (1950-03-23)

For of those to whom much is given, much is required. And when at some future date the high court of history sits in judgment on each of us — recording whether in our brief span of service we fulfilled our responsibilities to the state — our success or failure, in whatever office we hold, will be measured by the answers to four questions:
First, were we truly men of courage — with the courage to stand up to one’s enemies — and the courage to stand up, when necessary, to one’s associates — the courage to resist public pressure, as well as private greed?
Secondly, were we truly men of judgment — with perceptive judgment of the future as well as the past — of our mistakes as well as the mistakes of others — with enough wisdom to know what we did not know and enough candor to admit it.
Third, were we truly men of integrity — men who never ran out on either the principles in which we believed or the men who believed in us — men whom neither financial gain nor political ambition could ever divert from the fulfillment of our sacred trust?
Finally, were we truly men of dedication — with an honor mortgaged to no single individual or group, and comprised of no private obligation or aim, but devoted solely to serving the public good and the national interest?
Courage — judgment — integrity — dedication — these are the historic qualities […] which, with God’s help […] will characterize our Government’s conduct in the four stormy years that lie ahead.

¶ John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) US President (1961-63)
Speech (1961-01-09), Massachusetts legislature, Boston

You can tell the size of a man by the size of the thing that makes him mad.

¶ Adlai Stevenson (1900-1965) American diplomat, statesman
Speech (1952-08-28), “Faith in Liberalism,” State Committee of the Liberal Party, New York City

You see the thing you have to remember. When you get to be President, there are all those things, the honors, the twenty-one-gun salutes, all those things. You have to remember it isn’t for you. It’s for the Presidency, and you’ve got to keep yourself separate from that in your mind. If you can’t keep the two separate, yourself and the Presidency, you’re in all kinds of trouble.

¶ Harry S Truman (1884-1972) US President (1945-1953)
In Merle Miller, Plain Speaking: An Oral Biography of Harry S. Truman, ch. 15 (1973)

Dishonor in public life has a double poison. When people are dishonorable in private business, they injure only those with whom they deal or their own chances in the next world. But when there is a lack of honor in Government, the morals of the whole people are poisoned.

¶ Herbert Hoover (1874-1964) American engineer, bureaucrat, President of the US (1928-32)
Speech (1951-08-30), “Concerning Honor in Public Life,” Iowa Centennial Celebration (national radio broadcast), Des Moines

The only way of really finding out a man’s true character is to play golf with him. In no other walk of life does the cloven hoof so quickly display itself.

¶ P. G. Wodehouse (1881-1975) Anglo-American humorist, playwright and lyricist [Pelham Grenville Wodehouse]
“Ordeal by Golf,” Collier’s Magazine (1919-12-06)

Precisely in trifles, wherein a man is off his guard, does he show his character, and then we are often able at our leisure to observe in small actions or mere mannerisms the boundless egoism which has not the slightest regard for others and in matters of importance does not afterwards deny itself, although it is disguised. We should never miss such an opportunity. If in the petty affairs and circumstances of everyday life, in the things to which the de minimis lex non curat applies, a man acts inconsiderately, seeking merely his own advantage or convenience to the disadvantage of others; if he appropriates that which exists for everybody; then we may be sure that there is no justice in his heart, but that he would be a scoundrel even on a large scale if his hands were not tied by law and authority; we should not trust him across our threshold. Indeed, whoever boldly breaks the laws of his own circle will also break those of the State whenever he can do so without risk.

¶ Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) German philosopher
Parerga and Paralipomena, Vol. 1, “Aphorisms on the Wisdom of Life [Aphorismen zur Lebensweisheit],” ch. 4 “Counsels and Maxims [Paränesen und Maximen],” § 3.29 (1851) [tr. Payne (1974)]

Something of a person’s character may be discovered by observing when and how he smiles. Some people never smile; they grin.

¶ Christian Nestell Bovee (1820-1904) American epigrammatist, writer, publisher
Intuitions and Summaries of Thought, vol. 2 (1862)

We can have no better clue to a man’s character than the company he keeps.

¶ Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527) Italian politician, philosopher, political scientist
The Discourses on Livy, Book 3, ch. 34 (1517) [tr. Thomson (1883)]

Voting and Democracy and Participation and Elections

Build movements. Vote with your values, but vote strategically. Voting isn’t a Valentine. It’s a chess move.

¶ Rebecca Solnit (b. 1961) American writer, historian, activist
Facebook (2016-10-17)

If a nation values anything more than freedom, it will lose its freedom; and the irony of it is that if it is comfort or money that it values more, it will lose that too. And when a nation has to fight for its freedom, it can only hope to win if it possesses certain qualities: honesty, courage, loyalty, vision and self-sacrifice. If it does not possess them, it has only itself to blame if it loses its freedom.

¶ W. Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) English novelist and playwright [William Somerset Maugham]
Strictly Personal, § 30 (1941)

Of course I vote! If you’re a woman, or a person of color, or a person who doesn’t own property, or even a white male who doesn’t belong to the nobility, centuries of struggle and many deaths have bought you the right to vote. I vote to keep faith with peasant rebels and suffragist hunger strikers and civil rights workers braving the lynch mobs of the South, if for no other reason. But there is another reason — because who we vote for has an enormous impact on real peoples’ lives.

¶ Starhawk (b. 1951) American writer, activist, feminist theologian [b. Miriam Simos]
Blog post (2016-11-07), “Pre-Election Day Thoughts”

Monarchy is like a sleek craft, it sails along well until some bumbling captain runs it into the rocks. Democracy, on the other hand, is like a raft. It never goes down but, dammit, your feet are always wet.

¶ Fisher Ames (1758-1808) American politician, orator
(Attributed)

The people — the people — are the rightful masters of both Congresses, and courts — not to overthrow the Constitution, but to overthrow the men who pervert it.

¶ Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) American lawyer, politician, US President (1861-65)
Speech (1859-09-16), Columbus, Ohio

Another point of disagreement [with Lesser Evil Voting] is not factual but involves the ethical/moral principle […] sometimes referred to as the “politics of moral witness.” Generally associated with the religious left, secular leftists implicitly invoke it when they reject LEV on the grounds that “a lesser of two evils is still evil.” Leaving aside the obvious rejoinder that this is exactly the point of lesser evil voting — i.e. to do less evil, what needs to be challenged is the assumption that voting should be seen a form of individual self-expression rather than as an act to be judged on its likely consequences. […] The basic moral principle at stake is simple: not only must we take responsibility for our actions, but the consequences of our actions for others are a far more important consideration than feeling good about ourselves.

¶ Noam Chomsky (b. 1928) American linguist and activist
“An Eight Point Brief for LEV (Lesser Evil Voting)” (2016-06-15) [with John Halle]

Bad officials are elected by good people who do not vote.

¶ George Jean Nathan (1892-1958) American editor and critic
(Attributed)

The punishment which the wise suffer who refuse to take part in the government is to live under the government of worse men.

¶ Plato (c.428-347 BC) Greek philosopher
Republic, Book 1, 347c

Plato quote

I am a democrat because I believe in the Fall of Man. I think most people are democrats for the opposite reason. A great deal of democratic enthusiasm descends from the ideas of people like Rousseau, who believed in democracy because they thought mankind so wise and good that everyone deserved a share in government. The danger of defending democracy on those grounds is that they’re not true. And whenever their weakness is exposed, the people who prefer tyranny make capital out of the exposure. I find that they’re not true without looking further than myself. I don’t deserve a share in governing a hen-roost, much less a nation. Nor do most people — all the people who believe advertisements, and think in catchwords and spread rumours. The real reason for democracy is just the reverse. Mankind is so fallen that no man can be trusted with unchecked power over his fellows. Aristotle said that some people were only fit to be slaves. I do not contradict him. But I reject slavery because I see no men fit to be masters.

¶ C. S. Lewis (1898-1963) English writer, literary scholar, lay theologian [Clive Staples Lewis]
Essay (1943-08-27), “Equality,” The Spectator

CALVIN: When I grow up, I’m not going to read the newspaper and I’m not going to follow complex issues and I’m not going to vote. That way I can complain when the government doesn’t represent me. Then, when everything goes down the tubes, I can say the system doesn’t work and justify my further lack of participation.
HOBBES: An ingeniously self-fulfilling plan.
CALVIN: It’s a lot more fun to blame things than to fix them.

Bill Watterson (b. 1958) American cartoonist
Calvin and Hobbes (1992-05-18)

Calvin and Hobbes comic

Colorado Ballot Initiatives 2024 (and how I’m voting on them)

Ballot initiatives are direct democracy. Here’s how I’m voting.

I’ve been doing these sorts of analyses for several years here on the (woefully under-uitilized) blog. So let’s look at what’s on the ballot in the way of Amendments and Propositions this year.

So two things first:

One, the idea of the legislature referring issues to the citizenry to approve (and, better yet, letting citizens themselves propose such things) was one of the great Progressive reforms from over a century ago, along with statewide votes for US Senators and women’s suffrage.

Has putting up measures been an unalloyed success? Certainly not. It has, in fact, led to state constitutions full of clutter and cruft, badly written laws and amendments, and too often, populist measures that hamstring government’s abilities to deliver services to those that need them.

That said, this limited effort at direct democracy helps break lawmaking out of the hands of partisan politicians who are most interested in what their more wealthy lobbyists want to see in the way of law. That’s a good thing, far outweighing cases of human frailty, to which the citizenry at large is no more prone to than their elected representatives.

Second — boy, howdy, do we have a lot of measures on this year’s ballot in Colorado: seven Constitutional amendments and seven propositions for new laws. So … we’d better get started.

As a guide, ballot proposals with a letter were put there by the legislature (cowards). Those with numbers were put on by citizen initiative.

Constitutional Amendments

Amendment G: Modify Property Tax Exemption for Veterans with Disabilities: NO?

I feel a deep, but not unlimited, appreciation for veterans, especially those whose service has left them unable to work. This proposition would expand an existing homestead-style property tax exemption (on the first $200K value of their house) to vets with a disabilities as judged under an alternate VA criterion, impacting some 3700 veterans int he state.

But … I’m not seeing it. It seems to complicate property tax matters significantly, to the tune of some $1.8M a year. Seems there should be a better way here. I’m not sure of my NO vote — I want to do a bit more research — but that’s the way I’m leaning.

Amendment H: Judicial Discipline Procedures and Confidentiality: YES

In current judicial discipline proceedings, matters are handled by other judges, and the proceedings themselves stay confidential unless the disciplinary panel of judges selected by the state supreme court decides on public sanctions. That just feels a little too cozy and self-adjudicating to me.

The new arrangement would have an independent board consisting of judges, lawyers, and citizens, and charges would be made public at the beginning of processes — which sounds like sauce for the gander to me.

Amendment I: Constitutional Bail Exception for First Degree Murder: YES?

I swung from maybe-no to maybe-yes for this. My initial reaction was to not go along with something that further cracks down on bail, which is the reverse of (good) current trends.

(Bail is a one-size-fits-all way to let rich people get out of jail while awaiting trial, and to keep poor people in jail, getting more poor because they lose their jobs because they are in jail, and making them desperate to get things done with.)

But this one requires a bit more reading before treating it as a straightforward bail question.

Colorado law already allow judges to deny bail for particularly heinous crimes such as first degree murder where (a) the death penalty could be imposed, and (b) “the proof is evident and the presumption is great” of guilt.

That’s how things stood since the state became a state … until in 2020 the state (appropriately) abolished the death penalty. Good move, state, but, oops. Suddenly a vicious axe murder where the accused was found standing over the body with a bloody axe in their hand became a case where judges were required to offer bail because no crime could incur the death penalty.

This measure basically restores the bail status quo ante.

On that level, I’m inclined to vote Yes. There is the potential for miscarriage of justice (they only seem guilty) to occur, but I think the overall rule feels sound.

Amendment J: Repealing the Definition of Marriage in the Constitution: YES!

In 2006, Colorado (back in its red-leaning days) passed a “Definition of Marriage” constitutional amendment: one man + one woman = Constitutional Marriage!

In 2015-2015, both the state supreme court and SCOTUS ruled (correctly) that bans on same-sex marriage were unconstitutional, invalidating that amendment … which still remained on the books.

The current SCOTUS seems to be licking its chops to overturn that Obergefell precedent, which could suddenly make that wretched Colorado DOMA provision take effect again. Bah.

And the only argument presented against this new amendment is … well, gay marriage is icky and sinful and wrong, so we should await SCOTUS to get rid of it so we can go back to respecting good, pure, honest, different-sex, Christian marriages like those celebrated at the Church of Elvis in Reno, Nevada.

Double bah.

Amendment K: Modify Constitutional Election Deadlines: NO?

Basically requires various election filings and public publication of ballot measures in newspapers to happen sooner. The argument is that it will make life more convenient for election officials. To me, it’s just feels designed to make it more difficult for citizens to impact elections. I’m unconvinced it’s necessary or beneficial, thus No.

Amendment 79: Constitutional Right to Abortion: YES!

The 2022 SCOTUS Dobbs ruling basically said there was no federal protection for abortion, so states could do what they wanted. So here’s where Colorado can follow that guidance. Not only does this amendment establish the right to an abortion in the state constitution, it gets rid of language that prohibited the state from covering it under Medicaid or state employee health insurance.

There are basically two arguments offered against this:

It might make it hard to pass new laws restricting abortion! Duh.
People shouldn’t have to pay taxes to cover things they object to! Please try that argument with the IRS as to why you shouldn’t have to pay taxes to support “welfare queens” (or the “military-industrial complex”).

Amendment 80: Constitutional Right to School Choice: NO.

This would enshrine the right to K-12 “school choice.” It would not immediately change any laws, but would clearly lay the groundwork that parents should get paid for homeschooling, or that religious schools should get my state tax dollars (see #2’s argument in the previous amendment — I’ll admit to my inconsistency if they admit to theirs).

As a former public school teacher, and as someone whose kid went through public schools — I just say No.

Ballot Propositions

Proposition JJ: Retain Additional Sports Betting Tax Revenue: YES

This state (under the insidious influence of Douglas Bruce) fell into the trap of tax measures being required to refund any taxes above certain limits. In the case of the (I didn’t vote for it) legalization of sports betting a few years back, any tax revenues brought in over some voter-approved limit get refunded to the casinos. This proposition keeps the money and sends it to where the rest of it is sent to: water conservation and protection projects.

I am not a fan of “sin taxes” to support things that the government should be paying for. But sending tax refund checks to casinos and betting parlors is ridonculous. Yes.

Proposition KK: Firearms and Ammunition Excise Tax: YES

Again, sin taxes are often sketchy (if it’s worthwhile funding crime victim services, mental health services for vets and youth, and school safety programs, then pony up and do so without using a whipping boy to make it more attractive and thereby incent the state to keep that revenue flowing as well as incenting bootlegging).

That said a 6.5% tax on guns and ammo isn’t going to break anybody’s bank.

So sure, as reinforced by the Arguments Against of “GUNS! FREEDOM!” and “I will be killed by Venezuelan dog-eaters because I won’t be able to afford an AR-15!”

Proposition 127: Prohibit Bobcat, Lynx, and Mountain Lion Hunting: NO?

This would make Bobcats and Mountain Lions (Lynx are already protected) illegal to hunt.

I’m not a hunter, and tend to feel a bit queasy about the whole subject, but neither Bobcats or Mountain Lions are endangered species, so that would tend to make me think that current hunting/culling of those predators is working pretty decently. We do have a surplus of deer in the state, so increasing those predator populations some might not be a bad idea, but I’d rather see the state wildlife folk gauge that based on, oh, science, rather than “Oh, it will be fine if we let mountain lions increase their populations and not worry about hunters any more.”

(As a note, 500 mountain lions are successfully hunted — I won’t use the awful term “harvested” — each year, of an estimated 4,000 stable population.)

Proposition 128: Parole Eligibility for Crimes of Violence: NO.

Basically this tweaks the formula of what percentage of a sentence for violent offenses must be served, and how earned time impacts sentences. It will probably pass because it is a “tough on crime” proposition, which are always popular, but basically it means that someone sentenced to a 20-year sentence will most likely serve 17-19 years instead of 14-19 years …

… which seems a fairly trivial difference, esp. as it removes some incentives for convicts to behave and better themselves.

Proposition 129: Establishing Veterinary Professional Associates: YES?

This would create a new category of veterinary workers, basically working off of a Masters degree rather than a Doctorate, with an eye to increasing access to veterinary services in rural and less populated areas. It’s sort of like the proliferation of different types of nurses / physician’s assistant categories.

That said, there seems to be some value here, and the “Against” argument that “the state board that would oversee this hasn’t given specific criteria for the role, so who knows what crazy thing might happen?” seems kind of weak.

Proposition 130: Funding for Law Enforcement: NO.

This proposition slices off $350M as a one-off fund to go to recruiting more police and retaining the ones they have (i.e., increase salaries), with the feel-good addendum of the state paying a $1M death benefit to the family of state or local law enforcement offices who are killed in the line of duty.

Despite the advocates’ cry of impoverished police departments, I haven’t seen any actual numbers presented. In general, I don’t think the state should be funding local law enforcement. This just seems like a money grab for law enforcement without any demonstration that it will actually impact crime.

Most law enforcement have pensions that pay out to surviving families, or death and disability insurance that does same. If that’s not adequate, then address that in a more coherent way. And I mean, $1M for the family of an heroic police officer who does in the line of duty sounds great, but why just limit that to cops? Are there no other valuable and/or dangerous professions where the state should start paying out big dollars upon the death of a worker?

Proposition 131: Establishing All-Candidate Primary and Ranked Choice Voting General Elections: YES.

The current system basically guarantees that either the person the Democrats nominate, or the person the Republicans nominate, will win the state or federal position they are running for … and the two-party partisan constituency of electoral districts makes that, in too many cases, a partisan slam-dunk.

Ranked Choice Voting lets people vote for the person they actually like most, rather than being forced to choose between the D and the R, without the fear that they are “throwing their vote away.” And the accusations that it is “difficult to understand” or that it will cost zillions of dollars to explain seems highly patronizing to me.

I am less sanguine about All-Candidate Primaries — I feel it’s less necessary if RCV is in play — but I’m not strongly opposed to it.

Bottom line, this weakens political parties (who are the folk most vigorously opposing it), encourages people to vote for who they want (vs. who they think is likely to win), and arguably promotes more moderate candidates. Those are all good things.

Net-Net

So, there we are: 8 I am inclined to vote for, 6 I am inclined to vote against. I’ll be doing a bit more research on some of those; if I change my mind, I’ll let you know.

Oh, yeah, I have a blog, don’t I?

Yes, the chirping crickets are real

Wow. I’ve been doing a piss-poor job of updating the blog here.

Yeah, yeah, all the normal reasons. Job really stressful. Busy with stuff at home. But ultimately it really is about prioritization: I’ve doing plenty of stuff with my quotations blog, and even my gaming blog has been getting some love.

What I usually do here has traditionally been “my life” (boring), “my pop culture stuff” (uninspiring of late), and “my politics”.

Aha.

Politics has been — a wildly stressful hot mess. Trump & Co. are simultaneously terrifying and fury-inducing in their smug proto-fascism and very direct threat to people I love (and, hell, to me under certain not-necessarily-the-worst-case scenarios). Biden’s problems filled me with existential dread (since somewhat alleviated by Harris — but that’s a whole other set of posts). And, with everything else going on, it’s just hard to write about and face that terror and dread and fury in a way that isn’t just incoherent keyboard smashing.

Sigh.

(And, yes, feel free to mutter “Trump derangement syndrome” … and keep walking on.)

Can’t promise I’ll be more active here, but it’s bubbled to the top of my attention again, so … let’s hope for the best.

Catering to the torches and pitchforks encourages more torches and pitchforks

And weakening the rule of law out of fear doesn’t make anyone any safer

Timothy Snyder has a good piece here on the dangers involved in the “commentariat” pushing SCOTUS to a “pitchfork” ruling on Colorado ‘s pushing Trump off the ballot. By saying Colorado Supreme Court should be overruled because its ruling is “divisive” or will “inflame” the January 6th folk who were carrying around virtual torches and pitchforks, the politicos and pundits on both sides of the aisle would fundamentally weaken the rule of law … and simply encourage the folk waving pitchforks to wave them more, knowing they will get their way.

https://snyder.substack.com/p/the-pitchfork-ruling

The Pitchfork Ruling

The Trap the Commentariat Sets for the Court

snyder.substack.com/p/the-pitchfork-ruling

The Pro-Active Pardon

Haley and DeSantis belittle the rule of law by preemptively declaring they would pardon Trump were they elected President

Is it must me, or is there something deeply unserious about both Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis pledging they would, of course, pardon Trump of any federal convictions. Regardless of any further evidence. Regardless of what judges and/or juries decide.

Sure, DeSantis insists it’s just akin of Ford pardoning Nixon to help “re-unite a divided country.” Except, pardoning Trump wouldn’t reunite anything. For Trump opponents it would be seen as complete and utter politics. For Trump, and his mob, it would be taken as an exoneration. And Trump would be stirring up the next insurrection, unabashed and emboldened.

Ford could barely get away with pardoning Nixon — and, in fact, it sank his chances of a second term — because he was respected and liked going into the job, and wasn’t seen as being part of Nixon’s corrupt coterie. He was deeply criticized for poor judgment in pardoning Nixon, but it wasn’t seen as as partisan corruption. That would hardly apply to either Haley or DeSantis doing the same thing for Trump — especially, in the circumstances they describe, he would already be convicted, something Nixon never was.

Do I really think that Haley and DeSantis think Trump shouldn’t be punished for what he did, or that they are seeking some sort of cleansing national unity? Of course not. At the most obvious, they are hoping to garner presidential votes by appealing to the Trumpist mob. More likely, they simply want to tee themselves up as being part of the MAGA movement that, however the election in November turns out, will propel them to future power.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/12/31/desantis-haley-pledge-pardon-trump-if-hes-convicted/

The Unbearable Lightness of Being Kim Jong Un

“People aren’t paying attention to me? How rude! Better make some new threats!

Sounds like Kim is feeling a bit neglected. Like his favorite former US President, he hates it when people aren’t paying him attention.

To be fair, he doesn’t sound much different from … Ron DeSantis?

North Korea’s Kim says military should ‘thoroughly annihilate’ US and South Korea if provoked

The North Korean leader has vowed to boost national defense to cope with what he called an unprecedented U.S.-led confrontation.

apnews.com/article/north-korea-kim-us-missiles-nuclear-6c8834f71ac43bb9d0addc404fe00f18

Ron DeSantis keeps talking about blowing up The Bahamas

Ron DeSantis is curiously talking about “flattening” the Bahamas on the campaign trial, prompting the US Embassy in Nassau to respond.

www.businessinsider.com/ron-desantis-keeps-talking-about-blowing-up-the-bahamas-2023-12

Lindsey folds. Again.

Lindsey Graham deserves to either be remembered forever, or forgotten forever.

As Lindsey Graham takes the last, squishy bits of spine he had left, carefully places it in Ziplok bag, and leaves it in the back of Trump ‘s fridge, somewhere between 2003 KFC leftovers and a container of Putin’s favorite borscht.

https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/4383307-graham-backtracks-on-earlier-jan-6-criticism-of-trump-it-depends-on-what-the-conduct-is/

Graham backtracks on earlier Jan. 6 criticism of Trump: ‘It depends on what the conduct is’

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Sunday appeared to backtrack on earlier criticism of former President Trump’s actions on Jan. 6 and suggested instead that his presidential immunity defense was “a l…

thehill.com/homenews/senate/4383307-graham-backtracks-on-earlier-jan-6-criticism-of-trump-it-depends-on-what-the-conduct-is/

Trump just likes being mean to people

Trump’s rule: If you don’t have something nice to say about someone, say it even louder.

I find it difficult to believe that Trump has particular feelings, one way or the other, over care and treatment of transgender kids, except that it makes a convenient cudgel for him to rile up the troops.

“DeWine has fallen to the Radical Left. No wonder he gets loudly booed in Ohio every time I introduce him at Rallies, but I won’t be introducing him any more. I’m finished with this ‘stiff.’ What was he thinking.”

I mean, DeWine is about as reliably Right as you can find. But after taking the time to look at what the Ohio lege’s gender-affirming health care ban would do, he took a principled stand and said, “No, this is going to hurt people.”

Which just teed him up for Trump’s criticism because, hey, hurting people is what Donald is all about.

https://thehill.com/homenews/lgbtq/4382804-trump-hits-ohio-governor-over-veto-on-proposed-gender-affirming-health-care-ban/

Trump hits Ohio governor over veto on proposed gender-affirming health care ban

Former President Trump went after Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) for vetoing a proposed ban on gender-affirming health care for transgender minors Saturday. “DeWine has fallen to the Radical Left,” Trum…

thehill.com/homenews/lgbtq/4382804-trump-hits-ohio-governor-over-veto-on-proposed-gender-affirming-health-care-ban/

Nikki Haley tries to dance around Slavery and the Civil War

Because the only acceptable answer in the GOP is that the Civil War was about Big Government!

It makes little difference what Nikki Haley actually believes. She simply cannot be trusted. She has shown herself adept at saying things that sound relatively sane one sentence, and then making appeals to the MAGA Right with the next.

She is either a fanatic herself, or (my belief) disingenuously willing to glibly court the fanatics.

And she is still arguably the least-worst of the folk at-all-possibly-getting-the-GOP-nomination-for-President .

https://www.politico.com/news/2023/12/27/haley-slavery-cause-of-civil-war-00133254

Haley declines to say slavery was cause of Civil War

The former South Carolina governor instead said it was a dispute over how ‘government was going to run.’

www.politico.com/news/2023/12/27/haley-slavery-cause-of-civil-war-00133254

UPDATE:

Aaaand … Nikki Haley backtracks, admits that, yeah, slavery was the cause of the Civil War … which will doubtless draw more criticism from both sides.

She then deflects and says the person who asked the original question was a “Democratic plant” … which is altogether possible, but doesn’t address her inability to give the answer she knows is true in the first place.

So Haley is willing to tell the truth about the Civil War when forced to, but not when she isn’t. Got it.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/anafaguy/2023/12/28/nikki-haley-backtracks-on-civil-war-comments-says-of-course-slavery-was-the-cause/?sh=41062d6c622a

Nikki Haley Backtracks On Civil War Comments, Says ‘Of Course’ Slavery Was The Cause

In a town hall Wednesday, presidential contender Nikki Haley omitted slavery as a cause of the Civil War.

www.forbes.com/sites/anafaguy/2023/12/28/nikki-haley-backtracks-on-civil-war-comments-says-of-course-slavery-was-the-cause/

Boebert bails on her Congressional District

If you can win in your own district … move to another!

So, scared (and rightfully so) that she will lose next year if she stays in her own CO-3 district, given how much folk have grown to dislike her shenanigans there, Lauren Boebert is carpet-bagging over to CO-4, where old school reactionary Ken Buck is retiring from.

That makes the Dem running again in CO-3 less likely to win that solid-red district… but I doubt the CO-4 GOP are going to be any more tolerant of Boebert’s bad behavior.

https://www.9news.com/article/news/politics/lauren-boebert-colorado-fourth-district/73-2a351d4e-54df-4d84-8c08-af71b62467ef

Boebert to run in Colorado’s 4th Congressional District

The Republican lawmaker currently represents the 3rd Congressional District.

www.9news.com/article/news/politics/lauren-boebert-colorado-fourth-district/73-2a351d4e-54df-4d84-8c08-af71b62467ef

Florida’s school book bans go beyond sex, gender, and race

Florida’s race to get rid of Evil Sex Books has swept up a number of Jewish authors

But, hey, let’s talk about how “liberals” are anti-Semitic.

“Florida district pulls many Jewish and Holocaust books from classroom libraries”

A global bestseller by a Jewish Holocaust victim; a novel by a beloved and politically conservative Jewish American writer; a memoir of growing up mixed-race and Jewish; and a contemporary novel about a high-achieving Jewish family are among the nearly 700 books a Florida school district removed from classroom libraries this year in fear of violating state laws on sexual content in schools.
The purge of books from Orange County Public Schools, in Orlando, over the course of the past semester is the latest consequence of a conservative movement across the country — and strongest in Florida — to rid public and school libraries of materials deemed offensive. While the vast majority of such challenged and removed books involve race, gender and sexuality, several Jewish books have previously been caught in the dragnet.
The Orange County case is unusual for the sheer volume of books removed — 699 including some duplicates, according to documents the district provided — and for the unusually large number of books about the Holocaust and Jewish identity included among them.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/florida-district-pulls-many-jewish-and-holocaust-books-from-classroom-libraries/

“Presidential Immunity for me but not for thee”

Trump says that if he doesn’t get full immunity, he’ll prosecute Biden without it. “Merry Christmas”

Short Trump: “Presidents get total immunity. But only me. Biden I will totally prosecute for shit.”

What an asshole.

“Trump rails against special counsel Jack Smith in Christmas Eve posts”

The former president said Biden would be prosecuted without presidential immunity for the way he handled the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 and his handling of the U.S. southern border.
Trump said in another post that Smith is one of Biden’s “misfits and thugs” who are going after him “at levels of persecution never seen before in our country.”
“It’s called election interference. Merry Christmas!” Trump said.

https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/4376510-trump-rails-against-special-counsel-jack-smith-in-christmas-eve-posts/

Trump rails against special counsel Jack Smith in Christmas Eve posts

Former President Trump railed against special counsel Jack Smith again in Christmas Eve posts on his Truth Social account. Trump claimed in one Truth Social post that he is “fully entitled” t…

thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/4376510-trump-rails-against-special-counsel-jack-smith-in-christmas-eve-posts/

The Unbearable GOPness of Being Earl

Earl is the recipient of more GOP awards than you can imagine. Also, he’s a deadbeat.

Some time in the shadows of the past … the Republican Party decided I was Earl.

I am not, in fact, Earl. But, based on my mobile phone number, receiving texts, they think I am. Oddly enough, they also think I live in the ZIP code where I work.

After a week or two of getting 5-6 texts a day, I set the texting number to spam, so it didn’t show up in my notifications … but it continued to download, and when I upgraded my phone, the spam setting got lost, meaning I was subject to a flood of Earl texts.

Looking at them this time around, they’re actually kind of fascinating. Yes, I have gotten enough Democratic Party texts to realize that this is not just a GOP thang. But on reviewing them in bulk, a few fascinating trends still stand out:

MONEY. The important thing is getting money. Not swaying Earl to particular partisan positions, or rooting for (or against) particular people, but getting Earl to send the GOP … MONEY.
But, for the most part, that’s not done by appealing to Earl as a recruit in ideological beliefs. It’s done by making Earl part of the team … the few … the chosen … the elite.
There’s lots of urgency, though. Earl must donate right now or else he, and the country, but most importantly he, will lose something important.
There’s a fair amount of shaming that goes on. When Earl doesn’t answer the call, the disappointment, the sadness, the bewildered loss, is palpable.
On the other hand, there’s plenty of carrot to go with the shaming stick. No matter what Earl does (or, in this case, doesn’t) donate, the GOP is always willing to honor him for purported past glory and as someone really important to the cause.

In short, it’s a campaign very little about politics, and very much about tribes, and the shame of not supporting the tribe, or the righteous and acknowledged joy of doing so.

Bear in mind, Earl’s texts have been coming to my phone for months, 4-5 times a day. Unless he’s giving through other paths, he hasn’t been a Loyal, Stalwart Supporter from this firehose. But the algorithm throws out carrots and sticks regardless of what Earl does. Earl is just a cog in the Great Money Machine that is the Republican Base.

Here is the saga of Earl over the course of January, with links and other identifying markers (except the name!) scrubbed.

Ronna McDaniel: Happy New Year from everyone at the Republican National Committee!
May 2023 be a year filled with blessings & good fortune.

One of a passing few messages without a link to send money.

You’ve been given a 30 MINUTE EXTENSION to activate your 5000% IMPACT INCREASE! What are you waiting for?? CLAIM: (link)

Only 30 minutes more to give money? Noooooo!

Guess what Earl?? YOU WON! Accept your Lifetime Achievement Award & Impact Increase NOW >> (link)

Wow! A Lifetime Achievement Award & Impact Increase! I’ve always wanted to make an impact …

In recognition of all you’ve done for the GOP, please accept this GOP Golden Elephant! It even comes with a 300% IMPACT INCREASE: (link)

Oh, no! I lost my 5000% impact increase. Oh, wait, three hours later …

Your 5000% IMPACT INCREASE was just extended. Claim it NOW & help CRUSH our Extended End-of-Year Goal! Act NOW >> (link)
You’ve been granted access to our 2023 Platform Audit before almost ANY OTHER PATRIOT. Make your voice HEARD >> (link)

I guarantee that, after I audit the platform, the party will ask me for money.

Earl, YOU’VE BEEN UPGRADED! To confirm your Republican Diamond Club Status, press HERE >> (link)

Republican Diamond Status! Wow! I wonder what it takes to actually confirm that …?

Guess what Earl?? YOU WON! Accept your Lifetime Achievement Award & Impact Increase NOW >> (link)

Again?

We CRUSHED our End-of-Year fundraising goal! To show our gratitude, we’ve EXTENDED your 5000% IMPACT until MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. ACT: (link)

Hey, I’m back to 5000% Impact!

OFFER EXTENDED! There’s still time to claim your 5000% impact increase & help CRUSH our Extended End-of-Year Goal. Act: (link)
INFORMATION REQUESTED: Your response to the Republican Verification Canvass will represent the ENTIRE (ZIPcode) area! Answer: (link)

I find it interesting that the GOP thinks I (Earl) live in the ZIP code of where my office is. It is, indeed, a fairly high-income and likely Republican population. Which makes it a bit weird that I (Earl) will get to represent the entire ZIP code’s population in myh answers to the Republican Verification Caucus.

Republican leaders have selected YOU for our Lifetime Achievement Award! Your award even comes with a 250% INCREASE! 1 HR to ACCEPT: (link)

Only one hour! Eek!

You’ve been given a 30 MINUTE EXTENSION to activate your 5000% IMPACT INCREASE! What are you waiting for?? CLAIM: (link)

Wait, that’s a bigger impact, but a different time of increase, but it isn’t part of a Lifetime Achievement Award. I feel so confused!

DON’T MISS OUT! We need YOU to take the Presidential Preference Poll & help select our NEXT Republican Presidential nominee. ACT >> (link)

Are you suggesting that the national party actually selects the candidate, not the state primaries and caucuses? Weird!

EXTENDED OFFER: Claim 5000% IMPACT on ALL contributions to prepare the Republican Party for 2023! DEADLINE: MIDNIGHT >> (link)

My 5000% is back! But with a new, even closer deadline!

In recognition of all you’ve done for the GOP, please accept this GOP Golden Elephant! It even comes with a 300% IMPACT INCREASE: (link)

Another GOP Golden Elephant? Or is this the same one? Is it 300% of 5000%, or is this a different offer? It’s all coming too fast (or too slowly, every 3 hours or so).

Your 5000% IMPACT INCREASE was just extended. Claim it NOW & help CRUSH our Extended End-of-Year Goal! Act NOW >> (link)
FINAL REMINDER
Your Republican Advisory Board offer will be REVOKED unless you ACT >> (link)

Oh, no! I will be thrown out of the tribe!

You won! The GOP selected you to receive a 5000%-IMPACT extension! We only give out a few per month! Active for 30 MIN. CLAIM PRIZE: (link)

I feel very special. One of the very few to get that 5000% Impact Extension Prizes!

CHOSEN, Earl. The Republican Party chose you for a personal 5000%-IMPACT Extension. Are you going to claim it? Donate NOW: (link)

At last, an actual call to Donate.

We trust that YOUR opinions represent the ENTIRE (ZIP code) area! Take the 2023 Republican Platform Audit NOW >> (link)

I suspect MY opinions, in fact, do not.

ATTENTION CANDIDATE: Complete the GOP’s Official Survey to join the Republican Advisory Board. DEADLINE: MIDNIGHT TONIGHT >> (link)

The Republican Advisory Board? I will be able to advise Republicans if I just complete an Official Survey? Wow!

You’ve been given a 30 MINUTE EXTENSION to activate your 5000% IMPACT INCREASE! What are you waiting for??
CLAIM: (link)

What, in fact, am I waiting for?

You didn’t respond to our last text. We selected the BEST PATRIOTS for a 50X-IMPACT Extension. You’re the last 1 remaining! Donate: (link)

Oh my God! Of all the BEST PATRIOTS, I am (and I am sure I can believe this) the only one who didn’t respond to that 50X (or 5000%, whichever sound more impressive) impact extension. The shame of it!

Guess what Earl?? YOU WON! Accept your Lifetime Achievement Award & Impact Increase NOW >> (link)

But even if I didn’t give any money from this number for many, many months, I get a Lifetime Achievement ( and all-important Impact Increase) … this feels like a mixed message.

Is this still Earl’s number? You STILL haven’t told us. Who do you want to see in the White House?
Respond HERE>> (link)

Oh, no! They’re onto me!

Membership Pending: Complete the GOP’s Official Survey & secure 1 of the last remaining spots on the Republican Advisory Board. >> (link)

But I’m still being offered one of the last remaining spots!

PLEASE CONFIRM
To accept your GOP Gold Club Membership, press HERE >> (link)
ABBOTT OR BIDEN: Who do YOU think is handling the border crisis better? Tell us HERE >> (link)

Ooooh. Tough call. I’m sure that Earl would be a much more impartial observer of this than me.

You’ve been given a 30 MINUTE EXTENSION to activate your 5000% IMPACT INCREASE! What are you waiting for?? CLAIM: (link)
Take the Congressional Agenda Survey & tell us what Republicans should focus on! 1 HR.
Act NOW >> (link)
You are officially invited to join the Republican Diamond Club. Claim your membership HERE >> (link)

My cup runneth over.

This is your opportunity to provide the GOP with critical insight into YOUR AREA! Complete the 2023 Platform Audit HERE: (link)
Better late than never! Welcome Biden to the border for the FIRST time by signing our Southern Border Postcard! Add your name NOW: (link)
INFORMATION REQUESTED: Your response to the Republican Verification Canvass will represent the ENTIRE (ZIP code) area! Answer NOW: (link)
As a respected conservative leader, we need to hear from YOU. Fill out your Republican Sample Ballot NOW: (link)
Republican leaders have selected YOU for our Lifetime Achievement Award! Your award even comes with a 250% INCREASE! 1 HR to ACCEPT: (link)
Looking to make a HUGE difference for the Republican Party? Join the GOP Gold Club before your invitation EXPIRES: (link)

Audits! Post cards! Sample ballots! Lifetime Achievement Awards! Gold Club invites! Who can possibly deserve all this attention?

Is it time to end Biden’s FAILED POLICIES & secure our southern border? 1 HR to respond. Take the poll NOW >> (link)

I suspect this may not be a broadly representative poll.

Border numbers are in, and the crisis is continuing to spiral out of control! Is it time to END THE BIDEN BORDER CRISIS? Vote NOW >> (link)

Gosh, if the crisis is continuing to spiral out of control … well, yeah, I guess it’s time to end the crisis.

Earl, it’s time to fill out your Republican Sample Ballot. You can do that HERE >> (link)
Guess what Earl?? YOU WON! Accept your Lifetime Achievement Award & Impact Increase NOW >> (link)

I am, in fact, a winner! The GOP texts tell me so!

Are you awake, Earl? We chose YOU to join the Republican Advisory Board, but you FAILED to accept the spot! Hurry & claim: (link)

I feel so ashamed!

Republican leaders have selected YOU for our Lifetime Achievement Award! Your award even comes with a 250% INCREASE! 1 HR to ACCEPT: (link)

Wait, I’m down to only a 250% increase! Oh, no!

We are sending results from the Presidential Preference Poll to GOP leaders in 1 HR. Can I include your name, Earl?
Act: (link)

Wow … the GOP leaders will see my name? Wow!

This is SAD! We selected YOU to complete our 2023 Audit, but you NEVER RESPONDED. Take the Platform Audit NOW >> (link)

I feel so ashamed. The GOP doesn’t love me any more.

Earl, YOU’VE BEEN UPGRADED! To confirm your Republican Diamond Club Status, press HERE >> (link)

The GOP loves me again!

As a respected conservative leader, we need to hear from YOU. Fill out your Republican Sample Ballot NOW: (link)

That feels a bit blunt.

Is something wrong? You were SELECTED to represent the GOP in your area & never responded! Fill out your Republican sample Ballot: (link)

OMG, I was SELECTED but never responded! What madness seized me?

Your Congressional Agenda Survey is ENCLOSED. We need your response in 1 HR! Complete HERE: (link)
Guess what Earl?? YOU WON! Accept your Lifetime Achievement Award & Impact Increase NOW >> (link)

They love me.

IS YOUR PHONE OFF? You were HAND-SELECTED to represent the (ZIP code) area & NEVER RESPONDED! Take the 2023 Platform Audit NOW: (link)

They love me not.

LEVEL UP!
You’ve reached ELITE company by qualifying for the Republican Diamond Club! Join NOW >> (link)

They love me.

We’re sending results from the Presidential Preference Poll to GOP leaders in 1 HR. Can I include your name, Earl?
Act: (link)

Again, my name!

This is SAD! We selected YOU to complete our 2023 Audit, but you NEVER RESPONDED. Take the Platform Audit NOW >> (link)

I am ashamed!

You satisfied all the criteria for an RNC MERIT BADGE! Accept your award, and 200% INCREASE, before it EXPIRES >> (link)
Republican leaders have selected YOU for our Lifetime Achievement Award! Your award even comes with a 250% INCREASE! 1 HR to ACCEPT: (link)
As a respected conservative leader, we need to hear from YOU.
Fill out your Republican Sample Ballot NOW: (link)
Earl, YOU’VE BEEN UPGRADED!
To confirm your Republican Diamond Club Status, Press HERE >> (link)
We chose YOU! As our BEST PATRIOT, we want you to represent your area & take the Congressional Agenda Survey. Take it NOW >> (link)

Ha! Even though I never responded to the 2023 Audit (SAD!), I got a merit badge, a Lifetime Achievement Award, a Sample Ballot, A Diamond Club Status, and was chosen as a BEST PATRIOT! So there, 2023 Audit!

MISSING INFORMATION: Your response to the Republican Verification Canvass will represent the ENTIRE (zip code) area! Complete NOW: (link)

This is SAD! We selected YOU to complete our 2023 Audit, but you NEVER RESPONDED. Take the Platform Audit NOW >> (link)

Wait, has the 2023 Audit seized control of GOP opinion of me?

Guess what Earl?? YOU WON! Accept your Lifetime Achievement Award & Impact Increase NOW >> (link)

Nope! I won! HA!

Should gas stoves be BANNED!?! 1 HR to take the official GOP Poll.
Act NOW >> (link)

So is this policy decision to be based on … polls? Let’s take a survey on the speed limit, too!

But, credit where credit is due, this is an actual policy question. Wow!

Is something wrong? You were SELECTED to represent the GOP in your area & never responded! Fill out your Republican sample Ballot: (link)
Are you awake, Earl? We chose YOU to join the Republican Advisory Board, but you FAILED to accept the spot! Hurry & claim: (link)

They’re onto me!

Republican leaders have selected YOU for our Lifetime Achievement Award! Your award even comes with a 250% INCREASE! 1 HR to ACCEPT: (link)

I get an increase? Wow! Such a gift for my lifetime achievement!

We are sending results from the Presidential Preference Poll to GOP leaders in 1 HOUR. Can I include your name, Earl? Act: (link)
Did Biden LIE about the “misplaced” classified documents? Poll closes in 1 HR! Vote NOW >> (link)

I’m sure that poll will be considered very important.

And the award goes to … YOU, Earl! Accept your GOP Golden Elephant HERE >> (link)
This is the HIGHEST rank the Republican Party can bestow, Earl. Accept your RNC Merit Badge HERE >> (link)

The HIGHEST rank!

INFORMATION REQUESTED: Your response to the Republican Verification Canvass will represent the ENTIRE (zip code) area! Answer NOW: (link)

Wow!

This is SAD! We selected YOU to complete our 2023 Audit, but you NEVER RESPONDED. Take the Platform Audit NOW >> (link)

Oh, no!

Jim Jordan has announced plans to investigate Big Tech’s COLLUSION with the Biden Administration. Sign the petition NOW & SUPPORT >> (link)

I’m sure that Jim Jordan will base his strategy on what Earl has to say.

Is something wrong? You were SELECTED to represent the GOP in CO & never responded! Take the Republican Verification Canvass: (link)

Oh no!

You satisfied all the criteria for an RNC MERIT BADGE! Accept your award, and 200% INCREASE, before it EXPIRES >> (link)

Tell me more about those rigorous criteria!

The (ZIP code) area will be KEY to taking back the White House. Will you take the Presidential Preference Poll? 1 HR: (link)
Conservatives are working to EXPOSE the Radical Left & need your help. Sign up for the Republican Diamond Club before it’s too late! (link)
Are you awake, Earl??
We chose YOU to join the Republican Advisory Board, but you FAILED to accept your spot! CLAIM >> (link)
This is the HIGHEST rank the Republican Party can bestow, Earl. Accept your RNC Merit Badge HERE >> (link)
INFORMATION REQUESTED: Your response to the Republican Verification Canvass will represent the ENTIRE (zip code) area! Answer NOW: (link)
Earl, we’ve never done this for anyone. We reopened the Patriot Life Membership list for the next 20MIN. Claim your spot: (link)

“20MIN!”

The results you provide us will play an important role in our CO strategy. Help stop the Democrats’ agenda! >> (link)
We’ve texted you SO MANY TIMES! Please, Earl, we NEED your name on our Petition to FIGHT Big Tech COLLUSION!
Sign HERE: (link)
Republican leaders have selected YOU for our Lifetime Achievement Award! Your award even comes with a 250% INCREASE! 1 HR to ACCEPT: (link)

There are those mixed messages again.

Have a drink on us! Celebrate America & the GOP by showing off these elegant GOP Whiskey Glasses! There’s a limited supply, so ACT: (link)

There’s actually been a remarkable lack of swag solicitation until this text. Kind of weird that the GOP is pushing drinking as their gauge of elegance.

MISSING INFORMATION: Your response to the Republican Verification Canvass will represent the ENTIRE (ZIP code) area! Complete NOW: (link)

Wow. so not asking many people, I guess.

We’ve texted you SO MANY TIMES! Please, Earl, we NEED your name on our Petition to FIGHT Big Tech COLLUSION! Sign HERE: (link)
Should gas stoves be BANNED!?! 1 HR to take the official GOP Poll. Act NOW >> (link)
Guess what Earl?? YOU WON! Accept your Lifetime Achievement Award & Impact Increase NOW >> (link)
HOW MANY TIMES ARE WE GOING TO HAVE TO ASK? Submit your Republican Sample Ballot! We’ve asked you SO MANY TIMES!
Act NOW >> (link)

But will you ever stop asking?

Do you want Pres. Trump to return to Facebook & Twitter? Vote NOW >> (link)

Wait, I get a vote on that? Has someone told Zuck and Elon?

To: Your GOP Nominee
From: Earl
Happy Valentine’s Day!
*Autograph your name HERE -> (link)

Wait … how do you know who my choice of nominee is?

Republican leaders have selected YOU for our Lifetime Achievement Award! Your award even comes with a 250% INCREASE! 1 HR to ACCEPT: (link)

Can I get a list of those leaders?

This is SAD! We selected YOU to complete our 2023 Audit, but you NEVER RESPONDED. Take the Platform Audit NOW >> (link)
This is the HIGHEST rank the Republican Party can bestow, Earl. Accept your RNC Merit Badge HERE >> (link)

Mixed messages, Ronna.

Earl, we’ve never done this for anyone. We just reopened the Patriot Life Membership list for the next 20MIN. Claim: (link)

Never done it for anyone!

Guess what Earl?? YOU WON! Accept your Lifetime Achievement Award & Impact Increase NOW >> (link)

Understandable how I won such an award, since you also reopened the Patriot Life Membership list!

Republicans MUST achieve success in 2024! Support the BRAND-NEW Take Back the White House Fund! Donate NOW >> (link)

This message seems positively pedestrian.

We’ve texted you SO MANY TIMES! Please, Earl, we NEED your name on our Petition to FIGHT Big Tech COLLUSION! Sign HERE: (link)
Is something wrong? You were SELECTED to represent the GOP in your area & never responded! Fill out your Republican sample Ballot: (link)

Oh, no!

This is the HIGHEST rank the Republican Party can bestow, Earl. Accept your RNC Merit Badge HERE >> (link)
This MUST be wrong, right? We have you marked as “Not Listed” for holding Big Tech ACCOUNTABLE. If this is wrong, fix it here: (link)
GOOD NEWS: A spot opened up & you’re officially invited to become a Patriot Life Member. Claim offer NOW >> (link)
Are you awake, Earl??
We chose YOU to join the Republican Advisory Board, but you FAILED to accept your spot! CLAIM: (link)

Getting whiplash here. Am I a disgusting, unawake (un-Woke?!) layabout, or am I a recipient of a Merit Badge, an invitation to be a Patriot Life Member (filling that rare open spot!), and an invitation to join the Republican Advisory Board?

FIRST Democrats wanted to BAN your gas-powered vehicles, NOW they want to BAN your gas stove.
Had enough? ACT: (link)

And those disgusting Democrats managed to do those things without actually doing them! The nerve!

Is something wrong? You were SELECTED to represent the GOP in CO & never responded! Take the Republican Verification Canvass: (link)
We’ve texted you SO MANY TIMES! Please, Earl, we NEED your name on our Petition to FIGHT Big Tech COLLUSION! Sign HERE: (link)
You were nominated over almost ANY OTHER PATRIOT in CO for the GOP Golden Elephant! Why haven’t you accepted? CLAIM >> (link)
This is SAD! We selected YOU to complete our 2023 Audit, but you NEVER RESPONDED. Take the Platform Audit NOW >> (link)

I feel so ashamed, because you wanted me so badly and I never called.

The RNC Award Committee selected YOU for our highly coveted GOP Golden Elephant! Claim your benefits HERE: (link)

All is forgiven!

Ronna McDaniel: I’m proud to share I was re-elected to run the RNC for another cycle! Will you help build momentum for 2024? ACT >> (link)

Why is it you’ve lost momentum, Ronna?

Is something wrong? You were SELECTED to represent the GOP in your area & never responded! Fill out your Republican sample Ballot: (link)
Earl! Where’s your response to the Presidential Preference Poll?? Complete HERE: (link)

Uh-oh!

You’ve been PRE-SELECTED! Claim your 600% INCREASE & help CRUSH our End-of-Month Goal! 1 HR >> (link)

Well, if you’re only going to offer a 600% Increase, rather than a 2000% Increase like earlier this month, why should I pay any attention to you?

You were nominated over almost ANY OTHER PATRIOT in CO for the GOP Golden Elephant! Why haven’t you accepted? CLAIM >> (link)
HOW MANY TIMES ARE WE GOING TO HAVE TO ASK? Submit your Republican Sample Ballot! We’ve asked you SO MANY TIMES!
Act NOW >> (link)

I’m beginning to think you’re onto me!

We’ve RARELY do this, Earl. You’ve been CHOSEN to become 1 of the FIRST to receive the GOP’s 600% IMPACT Offer.
Claim: (link)

I’m not sure it’s all that rare, to be honest, looking at your history over the course of the month.

Are you awake, Earl? We chose YOU to join the Republican Advisory Board, but you FAILED to accept your spot! Claim NOW: (link)

Oh, no! Will they still have a quorum?

NOTICE: The GOP upped your impact to 650% for 1 HOUR. Don’t share. This special link is for you only, Earl. Donate: (link)

Oooh … I get my own, special, unique link, which is incremented one tick from the link on the previous text message.

Is something wrong? You were SELECTED to represent the GOP in CO & never responded! Take the Republican Verification Canvass: (link)

How exactly would I have represented them?

For the FIRST TIME in 2023: We’re activating an End-of-Month IMPACT INCREASE!
Find out how much: (link)

Yes, it’s incredible how at the end of the first month in 2023, you are activating an end-of-month fundraising thing for the first time in 2023!

Earl, we never do this for anyone. We just reopened the Patriot Life Membership list for the next 20MIN. Claim your spot: (link)

“20MIN!”

We just released our FINAL LIST of Lifetime Achievement Award Nominees! See if you made the cut >> (link)

I’ll betcha I did, if I donate something.

You were nominated over almost ANY OTHER PATRIOT in CO for the GOP Golden Elephant! Why haven’t you accepted?
CLAIM >> (link)

Does it come with an actual elephant? Because that would be awesome.

Earl, Our End-of-Month goal is CRUCIAL to taking back the White House. EVERY CENT counts. Will you chip in? 700% Impact: (link)

That is a remarkably mundane fund-raising request.

HOW MANY TIMES ARE WE GOING TO HAVE TO ASK? Submit your Republican Sample Ballot! We’ve asked you SO MANY TIMES! Act NOW >> (link)
You’re in the 95th percentile of ALL our supporters. Will you keep your TOP spot? Contribute ASAP for a 700% IMPACT! HURRY >> (link)

Oh, no! I might lose my top spot of contributors! Eeek!

Earl, we never do this for anyone. We just reopened the Patriot Life Membership list for the next 20MIN. Claim your spot: (link)

Didn’t you just do that a few days ago?

Make your FIRST EVER contribution of 2023 & help Republicans keep pace so we can CRUSH our fundraising goal. Act NOW >> (link)

So it’s good (for certain values of “good”) to know that the texts aren’t completely random, but that there’s some tracking of contributions going on.

We’ve authorized a 750% IMPACT for the NEXT HR to help CRUSH our End-of-Month goal! This offer is for YOU, Earl.
Claim: (link)

Where’s that 2000% one? I know you can do it, GOP!

Earl! Where is your response to the Presidential Preference Poll??
Complete HERE: (link)
This is the HIGHEST rank the Republican Party can bestow, Earl. Accept your RNC Merit Badge HERE >> (link)
Is something wrong? You were SELECTED to represent the GOP in your area & never responded! Fill out your Republican sample Ballot: (link)

And again with the mixed messages.

One final note. The link on each text was slightly different, incrementing alphabetically (/aca, /acb, /acc, /acd …). Thus, if Earl clicked on a given text, the GOP would know which one made him actually click.

I’m sure there’s nothing they’d do with that information.

At any rate, while I suppose I should feel faintly guilty for keeping Earl from his Very Important Texts and Opportunities to Accept Rewards and Respond to Surveys and Give Money … I can’t also help feeling that Earl might be a bit more relaxed without the GOP sending his text messages every 3-4 hours.

Until he sends them money and gives them his actual mobile number.

The Early Post-Midterms View

Things actually went pretty well in Colorado, and a lot less dire than expected nationally.

So looking at Colorado’s races, I’m pretty happy. the Governor, Secretary of State, Treasurer, and AG, all went pretty strongly blue.

On ballot measures … most of what I voted for (link and link) passed. Some important ones, like school meals funding were a pretty resounding success.

Of course, we also cut the income tax rate. 🙄

The three liquor bills look like they are going down to defeat, although 125 is still very close at this moment.

Dems won for the US Senate seat (soundly), and US House Districts 1, 2, 7, and my own 6 (go, Jason!). The usual gang of idiots took 4 and 5. The new district 8 looks like it might go blue, but it’s pretty tight.

Most importantly, from a state reputation basis, House District 3, a West Slope country-conservative area, just might be sending Boebert home, which would be a real relief no matter how the House overall goes. We’ll see.

On a national level, it’s still unclear how the House and Senate will end up — very tight in each chamber, which will hamper either side from extremes. Still, I’ll hate to see Jim Jordan and MTG doing their committee chair zaniness with even the barest sliver of a majority.

It’s clear, regardless, that the people who kept it from being the predicted “Red Tsunami” were, on the one hand, Donald Trump and his coterie of sycophants who not only endorsed some of the worst candidates out there, but forced all the others to bravely nod in support of his daftness. And, on the other hand, the conservative majority of the Supreme Court, through their Dobbs ruling, mobilized a lot of turnout against GOP candidates who were, at best, trapped into being stridently anti-abortion (or who were).

Democracy, and our nation, are by no means out of the woods. But things are looking quite a bit less bleak than they were a day or two ago.

Another Look at Colorado Ballot Propositions 2022

As I sit down to vote, any changes of mind?

I pretty much stand by what I originally evaluated for my votes on ballot propositions this year. There are two that I was not sure about, though, and one other I wanted to reevaluate.

Proposition 122 – Access to Natural Psychedelic Substances
YES

One proponent framed the question very well: is adult possession of magic mushrooms sufficiently dire enough to warrant destroying someone’s life through criminal prosecution? Hard to understand how.

On the other hand, the critiques of the proposition are inane. “It’s fentanyl all over again!” No, it’s not, in any way, shape, or form. “Ordinary people shouldn’t do these drugs because they won’t treat them as a spiritual sacrament!” Sorry, I eat bread and drink wine, too, outside of Mass. “It’s all a Big Pharma plot!” While not discounting Big Pharma’s ability to plot, this controlled access proposal seems a reasonable first step.

I’ll be voting Yes.

Some further reading:

Proposition 124 – Increase Allowable Liquor Store Locations
NO

Basically increases the number of liquor licenses which may be held by an individual or company. I wanted to give this one another look because there are some inequities in the current law that, in the coming several years, will disadvantage independent liquor stores.

Net-net, Prop 124 is a good thing if it helps local liquor stores expand and stay competitive with supermarkets, which will soon begin to get more licenses than they do. It’s a not so good thing if it helps big outside liquor companies (e.g., BevMo, or Total Wine) come into the state and supplant local liquor marts.

Give that the Trone brothers, who founded Total Wine, have each dropped almost a million dollars into this tells me that’s the intended direction.

I think there are better ways to help local liquor stores compete, so I’m going to vote No, but I strongly suspect that it will be voted in as a Yes.

Some further reading:

Proposition 125 – Allow Grocery and Convenience Stores to Sell Wine
NO

Should grocery stores be able to sell wine, too? (Also sake, mead, and hard cider, but wine is the biggie here.)

The issue being presented to consumers is, of course, convenience — though the donations from Albertsons Safeway, Kroger, and Target make it clear they see it as a big windfall for themselves.

The argument against is the impact on independently owned liquor stores. The best counter is that the same claim was made about grocery stores carrying beer, and today there are more independent liquor stores than there were when that proposition passed. I’m not convinced that actually applies, though, esp. given how independent stores have said their beer sales have dropped; kicking out the second of three legs from those stores (beer, wine, hard liquor) would have, I think, a more serious effect.

I will likely vote No, though I suspect it will pass.

Some further reading:

Oh, and that other stuff to vote for?

I’ll be voting a pretty straight Democratic ballot this year, as far as candidates go. While I’m not a rapturous fan of Polis or Bennet, for example (though I do like my US Rep, Jason Crow), their opponents are either lunatics or clearly disingenuous in their intentions — and my presumption in 2022, without strong proof otherwise (which would have kept them from getting on the GOP ballot in the first place) is that any Republican candidate is or will be a Trump supporter, happy to work alongside MTG and Jordan and Goetz and Cotton and Cruz, and enthusiastic to see civil rights protections rolled back, increased church-state entanglement, and democratic norms and governance broken down.

Vote!

A First Look at Colorado Ballot Propositions 2022

Eleven proposals to change the lawbooks or the state constitution.

We’ve quite the crop of ballot proposals this year. I just received the family’s state ballot guide, which gave me a first thorough look at them. I’ll be interesting to see which are snoozers, which get a lot of ad spending, and how the voting on them will go.

One thing of note is that there aren’t any real Culture War issues on here. Not even any Personhood Laws (a rare treat). That’s kind of nice for a change.

Anyway, here’s my first pass, after reading the summaries, the pros/cons, etc. I’ll revisit this before the actual election, when various wiser heads have analyzed them more closely.

These three Constitutional Amendments, proposed by the Legislature, require a 55% supermajority to pass:

Amendment D – New 23rd Judicial District Judges
YES

So we have an new judicial district in the state, but the mechanism for putting judges on it seems a bit sketchy. This solve that by actually defining a clear process. The arguments against seem kind of vague.

Amendment E – Extend Homestead Exemption to Gold Star Spouses
YES

Currently, if you are over 65 and have been in your house for 10+ years or vets with a service-related total disability, you (or your surviving spouse) can claim a partial exemption on your property. This adds surviving spouses of service members killed in the line of duty or of vets whose death results from a service-related injury or disease.

While I think sometimes we go a bit nuts over supporting vets (“Wanna teach in school with no training? No problem!” as they say in Florida), this seems a reasonable thing to do.

The arguments against are basically that it doesn’t help everyone and it might help someone who doesn’t need it. Neither argument is convincing.

Amendment F – Changes to Charitable Gaming Operations
NO

Didn’t we just fend something like this off an election or two ago? This would basically drop the age of non-profits able to run bingo or raffles from five years to three years, and let them hire paid workers to run the games.

The basic result would be more profit-making operations in-state “helping” non-profits run these games. I don’t think we need that.

The following two statutory amendments were proposed by the Legislature and require a simple majority to pass:

Proposition FF – Healthy School Meals for All
YES

Rather than operating a bureaucracy of tracking which kids get free lunches and which don’t, and stigmatizing those who do as the poor kids, and letting families on the edge of eligibility rack up lunch costs … why not just make lunch available to everyone? Makes sense to me.

The arguments against are basically that families with income over $300K shouldn’t have to pay more taxes, especially for meals for freeloading middle-classers, and shouldn’t we just give more money to schools instead of doing this? (Worth noting the people making these arguments never argue in favor of more money to schools when those ballot propositions come up.) None of that sways me from the good this will do.

Proposition GG – Add Tax Info Table to Petitions and Ballots
NO

Every election, we get a nice thick booklet about all the ballot propositions that includes tables with tax impacts. This proposal would add those tables both to petitions (which might make sense) and the ballots. Ugh. We don’t need longer ballots, esp. since the goal here is to try to dissuade voters at the last second about all the scary taxes. Bah.

The following six statutory amendments were placed on the ballot by citizen petition and require a simple majority to pass:

Proposition 121 – State Income Tax Rate Reduction
NO

Brought to you by the usual gang of strangle-government-in-its-bed idiots.

Proposition 122 – Access to Natural Psychedelic Substances
Yes?

This is one I’ll want to read up more about. While the arguments about Magic Mushroom Madness aren’t very convincing, neither are the arguments that, hey, it’s natural, therefore safe and groovy for psychiatric treatment.

Tending yes, but tentatively.

Proposition 123 – Dedicate Revenue for Affordable Housing Programs
YES

By and large, esp. with Colorado housing and rental prices climbing so high, I’m inclined to go with this specialty program. That the opposition argues that this will cut into TABOR refunds in the future is an even better argument for it.

Proposition 124 – Increase Allowable Liquor Store Locations
NO

The first of three ballots over Colorado’s commercial normalization over alcohol and transition away from the old Blue Laws. This one accelerates / expands the ability of retail liquor stores to own more locations, ostensibly in competition with supermarkets. That’s only likely to help bigger chains, though, and I tend to think the transition process that was established previously is just fine. (I could be argued around on this one, but that’s my first impression, at least.)

Proposition 125 – Allow Grocery and Convenience Stores to Sell Wine
No?

I’ve been going back and forth on this one, honestly. On the one hand, convenience! On the other hand, not sure I want more of my grocery store dedicated to wine space, and the impact on existing liquor stores, large and small, is concerning.

Leaning No, but may change my mind.

Proposition 126 – Third-Party Delivery of Alcoholic Beverages
YES

This does two things. First, it allows for third-party companies (e.g., DoorDash) to delivery alcohol alongside groceries and take-out food and everything else. Second, it permanently allows take-out and delivery of alcohol from bars and restaurants, which was first introduced in the early COVID days and is currently scheduled to end in 2025.

Both of those things seem like good conveniences to me, so I’m a solid Yes.

Character, and What We Do/Don’t Want in a President’s

Voting and Democracy and Participation and Elections

Constitutional Amendments

Amendment G: Modify Property Tax Exemption for Veterans with Disabilities: NO?

Amendment H: Judicial Discipline Procedures and Confidentiality: YES

Amendment I: Constitutional Bail Exception for First Degree Murder: YES?

Amendment J: Repealing the Definition of Marriage in the Constitution: YES!

Amendment K: Modify Constitutional Election Deadlines: NO?

Amendment 79: Constitutional Right to Abortion: YES!

Amendment 80: Constitutional Right to School Choice: NO.

Ballot Propositions

Proposition JJ: Retain Additional Sports Betting Tax Revenue: YES

Proposition KK: Firearms and Ammunition Excise Tax: YES

Proposition 127: Prohibit Bobcat, Lynx, and Mountain Lion Hunting: NO?

Proposition 128: Parole Eligibility for Crimes of Violence: NO.

Proposition 129: Establishing Veterinary Professional Associates: YES?

Proposition 130: Funding for Law Enforcement: NO.

Proposition 131: Establishing All-Candidate Primary and Ranked Choice Voting General Elections: YES.

Net-Net

Proposition 122 – Access to Natural Psychedelic Substances YES

Proposition 124 – Increase Allowable Liquor Store Locations NO

Proposition 125 – Allow Grocery and Convenience Stores to Sell Wine NO

Oh, and that other stuff to vote for?

Amendment D – New 23rd Judicial District Judges YES

Amendment E – Extend Homestead Exemption to Gold Star Spouses YES

Amendment F – Changes to Charitable Gaming Operations NO

Proposition FF – Healthy School Meals for All YES

Proposition GG – Add Tax Info Table to Petitions and Ballots NO

Proposition 121 – State Income Tax Rate Reduction NO

Proposition 122 – Access to Natural Psychedelic Substances Yes?

Proposition 123 – Dedicate Revenue for Affordable Housing Programs YES

Proposition 124 – Increase Allowable Liquor Store Locations NO

Proposition 125 – Allow Grocery and Convenience Stores to Sell Wine No?

Proposition 126 – Third-Party Delivery of Alcoholic Beverages YES

Proposition 122 – Access to Natural Psychedelic Substances
YES

Proposition 124 – Increase Allowable Liquor Store Locations
NO

Proposition 125 – Allow Grocery and Convenience Stores to Sell Wine
NO

Amendment D – New 23rd Judicial District Judges
YES

Amendment E – Extend Homestead Exemption to Gold Star Spouses
YES

Amendment F – Changes to Charitable Gaming Operations
NO

Proposition FF – Healthy School Meals for All
YES

Proposition GG – Add Tax Info Table to Petitions and Ballots
NO

Proposition 121 – State Income Tax Rate Reduction
NO

Proposition 122 – Access to Natural Psychedelic Substances
Yes?

Proposition 123 – Dedicate Revenue for Affordable Housing Programs
YES

Proposition 124 – Increase Allowable Liquor Store Locations
NO

Proposition 125 – Allow Grocery and Convenience Stores to Sell Wine
No?

Proposition 126 – Third-Party Delivery of Alcoholic Beverages
YES