254 Comments

Robert, we got this. It was never as close as the media was saying it was. The only question now is whether we get both Houses...

Expand full comment

Stephen Lahanas: First, Speaker Hakeem Jeffries, House Speaker, Third in Line to the Presidency sounds very, very good.

Speaker Jeffries has a powerful future ahead of him, and I cannot imagine a better Speaker, an equal to the great Nancy Pelosi, who has generously passed the torch to a worthy.

As far as the Presidency -- With the fascist rhetoric, how is it possible Trump/Vance garner more than 5% of the vote?

I will be glad to see a Democratic win wipe the "What-me-Worry?", Alfred E. Neumann (Mad Magazine) SMILE off of Mike Johnson's face.

Expand full comment
founding

I tried to meld photos of Trump and Alfred E. Newman, but Chat GPT wouldn't allow it! Good ol' Mad Magazine. Never missed it after my parents deemed me "mature" enough.

Expand full comment

Why would anyone profane that ageless, honored image so?

Expand full comment

Armand Beede ; Alfred E. Neumann would be better in his position.

Expand full comment

Mike Johnson swiped that Alfred E Neumann from “W” and he doesn’t wear it as well.

Expand full comment

Oh man, I hope you're right.

Expand full comment

I can only hope you are right...

Expand full comment

I'm not basing my assessment on hope, rather I've been looking at other metrics:

1 - early voting exit polls

2 - the firewall of 500k votes in PA

3 - the off the wall level of excitement for Harris vs. Trump not even being able to fill an election eve rally.

4 - A huge voter turnout and the Dem's vastly superior GOTV

5 - A recognition by the polling experts over the last week that the Poll herding is bogus

We've got lot's of real data - they only ever had gaslighting.

Expand full comment

Stephen Lahanas: "Gaslight" (1944) featuring Charles Boyer -- always an elegant actor, if often with evil figures -- and Ingrid Bergman is one of the great, great movies. WATCH IT!

I know we use the word in parlance to mean lies with a straight face.

But Charles Boyer and Ingrid Bergman, especially the latter, play their parts magnetically.

When the Ingrid Bergman character FINALLY gains power over the gaslighting Husband played by Charles Boyer, HER performance is ELECTRIFYING and UNFORGETTABLE, actually DELICIOUS how she revels in the power at the end.

A powerful, wonderful production!

Expand full comment

and, of course, vote!!

Expand full comment

I do SO SO SO want you to be right ….!

Keeping a good {hopeful!} thought …

Expand full comment

BTW - Massive voter turnouts in Democratic strongholds so far in GA, PA & NC - that wasn't part of the GOP narrative, was it... (we were supposed to get swamped today 'cause we only do early voting)

Expand full comment

I hope you are right. To think that there is even one American that would vote for Trump/Vance who are traitors, liars, grifters, sociopaths, narcissists , and words to harsh to speak is despicable, disgraceful, and appalling!

Expand full comment

I read that poem on another site. What a perfect, and brilliantly written, description of what we are going through today. Glad I can hold hands electronically. No one here today to hold hands with.

Expand full comment

kdshrpa, I have no one here to go through this with either, so I am going over to my polling place, the school where I taught for 26 years and where I still tutor to bring some treats to the poll workers and the folks outside, encouraging for their candidates. I already voted, but want them to know they are appreciated. One of them is a former student of mine and her mom who work the polls. It's just a tiny bit I can do to brighten their day, I hope.

Expand full comment

even small gestures of kindness sends positive ripples

I feel the Blue Tsunami

https://kamala4prez.substack.com/p/a-blue-tsunami

Expand full comment

All good thoughts and energies to you, too. Ruth!

Let’s look forward to sharing some joy right here after the votes are counted…

I hope, I hope….

Expand full comment

Pat, I just got back and I had a great time at the school talking with the poll workers and those outside sharing their desires for people to vote for their candidate. My former student was there along with her mom and a bunch of other folks, several young people. As a bonus, when I was walking through the parking lot, another former student stopped me to say "hello." I hadn't seen her in a long time and seeing her made my day. It's those moments of joy that connect us and they are so much more powerful and wonderful then the hate and slime slung by some. It's sad people don't go after the joy more often.

Expand full comment

How wonderful to hear the joy!

Expand full comment

Oh, so true, Ruth.

I’ve been taking my 97-year-old Dad to doc’s today. Trying not to fixate on what might be going on, without time to focus on polls, etc. A year of “talking” to people and hoping to find reason with those who disagree … Still keeping a good thought that good people will prevail.

Be well!

Expand full comment

That is so thoughtful of you.

Expand full comment

Sandy, I am glad I thought of it because I got more from the gesture than they did because they had already had more than 400 voters come through and were really busy, a good sign because it is a Harris district. It made my day and gave me hope, plus a chance to catch up a bit with two of my former students, young people with enormous talent, who deserve a great future.

Expand full comment

Lovely! It is legal where you live to give out food/drink? It's not in Georgia. (Can you drive? I can't.)

Expand full comment

kdsherpa, I am blind, so nope, driving is out. It is not illegal here. I was serving the workers, not the voters, although the voters also indulged, and I thought that was great too. There was no real line here because instead of a lot of folks at one time, there was a steady stream and they had a lot of private places where people could fill out their ballots and several machines for scanning, which took just seconds. The team has been together for so many elections they are like a well-oiled machine" as they say and were amazing to behold! I am sorry that so many white men are so scared of everyone that they want to keep people from helping each other even though those offering the snacks and water didn't care who the person was voting for. We need to demand our representatives work more for the common good and not just for their own personal benefit.

Expand full comment

What a wonderful thing to be a part of!

Expand full comment

School and treats that just goes together. ( long time educator)

Expand full comment
8 hrs ago·edited 8 hrs agoLiked by Robert Reich

Hands 💕🍂✋ 👐, across the water. Hands across the sky. ✋ 👐. ❤.

Expand full comment

Thank you. It’s a good reminder that what happens here will effect not just us but the entire planet in one way or another.

Expand full comment

That is exactly my thought. We are all affected, across the world.

Expand full comment

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

Expand full comment

A fine message to relate what we have to go through, with the expectation that this horrid situation, with very much effort, will become a distant memory.

Expand full comment

Yep. Very apt poem. Holding your hand electronically!🤗. I am with family for this day and feel less alone with not knowing but hearing you are going thru the same thing. Take care.

Expand full comment

Sending you so much energy to hold onto …👋🏻👋🏻👋🏻👋🏻👋🏻

Expand full comment

Pat, we can all sure use the energy today and in the days to come. This could be a rough week and beyond. I am hopeful, though that people will follow their "better angels."

Expand full comment

VOTE, VOTE FOR DEMOCRACY. THE ENEMY INSURRECTIONIST & TRAITOR REPUBLICONS ARE AT THE GATE. DEFEAT TREASONOUS , TERRORIST, RAPIST, NAZIS, RACIST, FASCISTS, CAREER CRIMINALS, & CON REPUBLICONS EVERYWHERE & JAIL CORRUPT & TRAITOR. RTRUMP FOR PRISON 2024. VOTE FOR PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATS. VOTE PROGRESSIVES DEMOCRATS, DUMP HATEFUL NAZIS REPUKES. CON RTRUMP SAYS OUR VETERANS ARE LOSERS & SUCKERS, DUMP ALL REPUBLICONS. RTRUMP FOR PRISON 2024. CLIMATE CHANGE IS COSTLY. VOTE

Expand full comment

Republicans lie and cheat, they cheer political violence, they view government service as a cash cow for grift rather than a solemn duty to their fellow Americans.

They don't support the core principles of free and fair elections and one person, one vote. Republican controlled state legislatures have spent the last decade or more passing legislation designed to make it more difficult to register to vote and to vote. Republicans have opposed every single measure designed to make voter registration and voting less cumbersome. They know the nation’s demographics are against them. The GOP is largely a party of older white males, definitely not the majority in this country. When voter turnout is large, Republicans usually lose.

Kamala is going to win, I’m sure of it!

And I will celebrate wearing this Kamala removes stubborn orange stains hoodie tonight 👇

https://libtees-2.creator-spring.com/listing/votek?product=227

It’s going to be a glorious night!

Expand full comment

agree, Kamala is the right person at the right moment in American history

I feel the Blue Tsunami

https://kamala4prez.substack.com/p/a-blue-tsunami

Expand full comment

I agree, but, at this point, we have done as much as we can. I hope it " goes our way "!!!

Expand full comment

So beautiful and so appropriate!

Expand full comment

Whatever happens today and in the coming week, thank you , Dr.Reich, for all of your insightful and compassionate work.

Expand full comment

May we live peaceably with all humans. May we take care of the beautiful world God gave to us (atheists and others — I acknowledge your different beliefs; allow me mine).

Expand full comment

To quote SNL, Keep Kamala and carry onmala.

Expand full comment

Humanity’s great exhale is coming. There will be billions expressing this relief. It may be tonight. It may be tomorrow. It may be in the coming weeks. But the end of Trumpism will soon be here.

And if we’re smart enough, and loud enough, and diligent enough, the threat of #RepubloFascism that we’ve had to live through for years will wither and die along with any tangible Republican power in Congress.

Please read this post on Daily Kos, participate in the poll, and brace yourself for a really good day!

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/11/5/2282782/-How-Big-of-a-Trump-Thumping-Will-it-Take-to-Thwart-TheBigLie2024

Expand full comment

I agree we all need to exhale and take a moment to (hopefully) appreciate the work we did keeping Trump out of the White House.

But our job isn’t done. This was a very critical battle but the war to defeat Trumpism isn’t done. 50-70 million Americans will still have voted for him. We may not control both houses of Congress. There are states completely controlled by it.

We can’t stop calling out and defeating it in every election.

Expand full comment

Todd, from your mouth to God's ear as they say!

Expand full comment

Thank you Todd. I did go and read that article. It was very encouraging and I took the poll.

Expand full comment

The media has Trumped up the results. Pun intended

Expand full comment

We should all sue any media that lies and misinforms about elections.

Expand full comment

the media and the pollsters and the pundits will have a lot 'splainin' to do.

Expand full comment

Or paying fines for crimes.

Expand full comment

Maybe this is how we finally get rid of the whole need to vote stuff .It would be so easy to stop wasting our time and money every few years. Auto registration at 18 and choose your party and principals . Cut out the dead wood, end the fund raising . I'm 75 and have always heard that only half of eligable people vote. so just devide the other half into qualified workers to do the jobs . like any other job .

Thank you.

Expand full comment

Like! Your post, but not the media misinforming US.

Expand full comment

Moved to tears. Thank you. 💙

Expand full comment

We have to believe our vote counts in the grand scheme of things, even if we don’t live in a swing state.

Expand full comment

It counts for down ballot races.

Expand full comment

Susan, your vote certainly does count! It's so great to have this community to wait with and to commiserate with!

Expand full comment

thank you-I am feeling physically sick.....waiting for the nights of lying awake with worry to be gone...

Expand full comment

Bake some cookies. You'll feel better, and the kids, grandkids, spouse, neighbors, friends, or the dog will be happy. Relax. I real think we got this.

Expand full comment

the media wants you to be anxious, breaking news, stay tuned, blah blah blah

My 2¢ is ... a Blue Tsunami is flushing Trumpism down the toilet.

https://kamala4prez.substack.com/p/a-blue-tsunami

Expand full comment

Great poem! Thanks for sharing it!

Expand full comment

Oh, thank you for that. 💙

Expand full comment

Wow. Thank you.

Expand full comment

💙💙💙💙

Expand full comment