512 Comments

Thank you for this, Joyce. And I'm thankful for YOU this Thanksgiving.

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Yes, thank you. I am not ready to march on, but .... How are the chickens?

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For Joyce: I may be testing that 1st amendment right. I’ll sit at a table as I’ve done previously. Selling my scathing book about Trump “Donald’s Vanity Tantrums.” I’m going to need counsel, Attorney Vance. I’m sure I will be detained.

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Why not shut down the computer....to to the Womans March for Inauguration day.

Your ladies need protection from controlling/prowling magat men starting Jan 20.

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We need to fight. All of us. Men and Women for all of our rights. Women need support - just as men do -- we can all support each other.

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WJB, "protection" has become a four-letter word in this day and age. How about replacing it with something less patriarchal?

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I had no idea about using wrong words.......so what do I need to know to correct the situation. Day One will be here very soon and the resistance message needs to be loud and clear.......that is where I am coming from.

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Not sure myself, WJB. Personally, I would prefer "support". All I'm really looking for is respect for my autonomy.

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Support, absolutly. Going into uncharted waters here and respect is the priority. Putting our heads together and coming up with common ground solutions, that should be the goal in these trying times.

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Exactly what I was going to say. Thank you Joyce for giving us hope

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PA Citizen Instructions for Hand-Recount Challenges

Still. A Hammer.

STEPHEN SPOONAMORE

NOV 28

In my Duty to Warn letter I outlined the impossibility of the results coming matching human voting. There were a lot of indications a machine was outputting the results. My first-pass calculations were not perfect, but it turns out they were pretty F-ing close. Below is a complete spread sheet of PA by county. Multiple additional states will be coming out shortly. If you voted in a PA County with a drop-off ratio over 2%. Please find the form below to involve hand-recounts. It requires 3 voters from the same precinct to make the request. My friend Lulu Friestad is making a TiKToK with the steps outlines. I will add it as soon as she posts.

Sadly, it appears Harris will be doing nothing. Only she can make it happen at scale. But any PA precinct with three voters can get a hand-recount. It will answer what exactly is making these numbers so ... ahistorical.

PA VOTER RECOUNT REQUESTS

These are the county canvas final dates.Voters have 5 days after final county numbers to have 3 voters file a recount request in their election precinct. That means many of the challenge windows will close THIS WEEKEND. Others early next week.

Cross reference to this spreadsheet to see drop-off by county

Please post this google form today to have people sign up in PA to make the recount request.

https://forms.gle/aZhTAtHYEkafAe4n7

Once you have three voters, the TikTok will have a link to 24/7 online Notary. You will then have to hand-deliver the challenge to your local BOE.

Save some democracy while you prep your Turkey.

https://open.substack.com/pub/spoonamore/p/pa-citizen-instructions-for-hand?r=24p296&utm_medium=ios

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Marlo, I’m right there with you. Asking for recounts to confirm that the vote record is accurate, or confirm that it’s not, is not anything like what Dump has done for the past 4 years, denying an election outcome on an election he KNEW/KNOWS he lost “by a whisker”.

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Elections are safe and secure throughout the country.

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YES! TY Joyce for being my North Star, for always making rational sense of this crazy time we’re living thru. Democracy ON! And Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. May your chickens be grateful they’re not turkeys!😊

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Love it!

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Thank you for posting, and posting early, today. You are among the few people I am reading these days; I have muted the tv and the radio because frankly I am just that exhausted and cannot listen to the conversation right now. But I am not giving up either. Thank you for being here daily with that fortitude. And now enjoy the holiday with your family and pets. And everyone else reading tonight, enjoy and be thankful we can remain in this together.

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I’m with you, exhausted. But will never give up never give in

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I hardly turn on the news anymore. I do record Lawrence O'Donnell because he's my favorite and he really dislikes Trump, but that's it. I used to love listening to the news when it wasn't all about Trump and his cult, too!

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Yes, they all hate Trump on MSNBC, but I just can’t listen to wall to wall news about him any longer. It’s so, so repetitive. And he’s not even President yet!

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So true, Annie. Wall to wall. MSNBC is tiresome. Trying to hold an audience that does not want to hear clips of Trump braying, nor the simpering fools who are his supporters and apologists and prospective cabinet members

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I've moved from MSNBC to Jake Tapper at CNN -- more news, less opining. But I do love Ali Velshi and Ari Melber at MSNBC.

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Agreed! Today I am grateful for the mute button on my remote!

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In addition, Trump craves that constant attention. I'm not giving him what he wants!!!

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Don’t overlook Ali Velshi.

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I don't. I like Ali a lot but can only take an hour and then I'm done! I watch Ali if he's filling in for Lawrence!

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I'm fortunate enough to be home from teaching in time to watch Nicolle Wallace.

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I was so fond of her show and her insights - but it got lost for me when they extended her time to 2 hours. Now there's so much commentary. I still think she's really good, but I can only watch the first 20 minutes or so.

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Same here Anne -- I used to have NPR on for much of the day and would always listen to The Daily, and to Maddow on the podcast version of her Monday show. I can't do that now. I can't marinate in it - but I am not giving up!

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"marinate" was the exact word that had come to my mind also. We definitely need a "detox" and then find a healthier way to be an informed citizen.

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This me exactly. I don't want to hear the repetitious doom and gloom. Reading my newsletters I think I can trust and spending my time organizing and in action rather than watching MSNBC. Sick of the same S**T different day. I listen to contemporary jazz in the car and let the dog watch Caesar Milan on TV.

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Time to turn off the "News".

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Thank you!!

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Thank you, Marcia. I am doing exactly the same, and writing emails and making phones.

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We are Legion. And fierce. I have to believe somehow we'll get through this in one piece.

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I would like to make a clarification in regards to your excellent essay. You wrote "But Trump gets that pass because of the singular foolishness of a majority of our fellow citizens in reelecting him." Trump did get elected because of the "singular foolishness' of a lot of voters, but he did not get elected because of a "majority of our fellow citizens". Way too many people didn't vote and that's a real problem that needs to be addressed. Some of this is because of voter suppression but much of it is about other reasons. It appears that Trump will have received less than 50% of the votes of the people who voted, when all votes are counted, and, more people voted against him (if you combine voters for Harris and third party candidates) than for him. This may seem to be nit-picking but it's important for the narrative. The majority didn't vote for him, it was a very close race. I hope everyone has a very Happy Thanksgiving, eat well, have fun, rest and forget about politics until Monday when you resume the opposition/resistance.

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This information, a lot of information actually, has to get around to those who do do not pick their heads up from their daily lives, or who get stuck in misinformation. This is the work that needs to be done... informing citizens.

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I agree, Potter. I just can't figure out how to reach them. Not going to sign up for Twitter/X or (Un)Truth Social. I used to write letters to the editor of the local paper but I don't think anyone reads newspapers any more. I'm open to suggestion.

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Signing up for those, which I have not, is for the brave. But I would not disparage those who do. It's tough work. I originally thought those would be boycotted ( including politicians our side not going on Fox etc.) The thing is we are becoming more "channelled" or "siloed" and there is less discussion or pushback/confrontation. And then when one of those MAGAs appears here we call them "trolls". So it's not a good sign that the divisions have become so deep and cemented. Those who tune out are more approachable. This is a larger discussion but I think one of the reasons Harris lost was because people tune out and did not consider what was/is at stake. And then when voting started- they did not vote thinking maybe politics is corrupt altogether or some such, or they voted for the party they always voted for ( or family voted for) or they were very unsure about a woman president or outright misogynist, or racist. Of course there was the price of eggs to complain about, though gas prices have gone down.. This is the uninformed voter. How do you reach them when we are so channeled and busy with local and personal things on our plate? People take this country for granted as being stable, *egalitarian* and free. Reject hate. Maybe bumper stickers work well. Simple. Yard signs if you live in a traffic area. " Reject Hate" "We are all in this together".

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Not nitpicking at all. Its precise. Accurate. Nothing is more important in these days of constant lying. I haven't seen final totals yet so was pleased to see combined vote went against him. Not that it helps at all. But good to know.

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Excellent points. Thank you!! These are "facts"...remember facts??? And I do believe that "the truth will set you (and all of us) free...eventually". Reading what you write in your comment raises me from the pile of despairing, disillusioned ......

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PREVENT TRUTH DECAY

- sign at first Women's March, Denver, January 2017

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And we need to get the Equal Rights Amendment placed in the constitution before we do anything else.

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Your explanation is NOT nit-picking. I have Bern echoing the same issue: too many registered voters stayed home.

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Thank you, Patricia Jaeger. My concern too are the non-voters who, perhaps not liking their Presidential choices, didn’t vote at all. There is a lack of either knowledge or awareness of _all_ on ballots and the impact of participation.

What can be done to educate all people? Even the millions I read who’ve subscribed to Substacks are not likely non-voters tho it would be interesting if YouGov polled to find out. The pay walls* for engagement are difficult for many, me included.

The Resistance seems to still be deciding who/what/how. It cannot be what it was: marches feel good for solidarity and media attention. Grassroots education and actions matter.

*Like watching PBS without paying, I feel great guilt/discomfort reading and, if permitted, interacting without paying. It’s intellectual property well-researched.

It adds up quickly. The interaction is as valuable as the writing - opinions and experiences as models to others. What would be a “Substack library model”?

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I just sent my RMD to PBS. It was a goodly amount. Please let go of your guilt, consider your donation made by someone who was doing it for many.

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A lot like Wikipedia, Joan. It's free and available to anyone who can spell Wikipedia. The catch, as always, is how to get people to read it. The cynic in me thinks that putting in a porno Substack might help. That is a joke, not a very good one, but all I can manage while shuffling stuff in and out of the oven. Happy T'giving. everyone.

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Not nitpicking at all. Words matter.

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Great post, Joyce. Progress isn’t always linear, but together, we can protect what matters, inspire change, and ensure a brighter future for everyone.

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PA Citizen Instructions for Hand-Recount Challenges

Still. A Hammer.

STEPHEN SPOONAMORE

NOV 28

In my Duty to Warn letter I outlined the impossibility of the results coming matching human voting. There were a lot of indications a machine was outputting the results. My first-pass calculations were not perfect, but it turns out they were pretty F-ing close. Below is a complete spread sheet of PA by county. Multiple additional states will be coming out shortly. If you voted in a PA County with a drop-off ratio over 2%. Please find the form below to involve hand-recounts. It requires 3 voters from the same precinct to make the request. My friend Lulu Friestad is making a TiKToK with the steps outlines. I will add it as soon as she posts.

Sadly, it appears Harris will be doing nothing. Only she can make it happen at scale. But any PA precinct with three voters can get a hand-recount. It will answer what exactly is making these numbers so ... ahistorical.

PA VOTER RECOUNT REQUESTS

These are the county canvas final dates.Voters have 5 days after final county numbers to have 3 voters file a recount request in their election precinct. That means many of the challenge windows will close THIS WEEKEND. Others early next week.

Cross reference to this spreadsheet to see drop-off by county

Please post this google form today to have people sign up in PA to make the recount request.

https://forms.gle/aZhTAtHYEkafAe4n7

Once you have three voters, the TikTok will have a link to 24/7 online Notary. You will then have to hand-deliver the challenge to your local BOE.

Save some democracy while you prep your Turkey.

https://open.substack.com/pub/spoonamore/p/pa-citizen-instructions-for-hand?r=24p296&utm_medium=ios

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Thank you, Joyce, for such an elegant and eloquent statement of purpose. It’s a keeper, and I plan to refer to it frequently during the next four years.

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Dearest Joyce - I have been waiting for a Thanksgiving Eve post- THANK YOU for NEVER disappointing me - MY "North Star" named JOYce continues to brighten my path forward. During this season of GRATITUDE i am so grateful for you and how you have brought us all together to stand up to a orange-faced BULLY. He wants us to feel fear- if we succumb to this - we give up some of our power and courage. We have a choice to WIN this fight and NEVER give in to this despicable orange creature.

"Fear knocked on the door- Faith answered it - there was NO ONE there."

Keep the faith and envision our VICTORY as a FREE country. One day at a time - TOGETHER. Much love to you and the chickens.

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I wish it were possible to avoid depression. I plan to keep going, but all the news I hear about trump tends to really bring me down. I do limit what I watch, but I feel like I need to keep up with what's happening.

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You are not alone my "we are in it together" friend. But the substack is a strong community and we will fight together all the way.

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Thank you, Purobi. I am happy to be part of this community, with its sanity.

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Susan, stop following the news. You don’t need to keep up. I’ve stopped, and I’m less depressed with more time to do things that bring me joy. Good luck.

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Good advice, Bill. The one program I would have a really hard time giving up is The Last Word, because he has guests like Laurence Tribe, who always helps me understand and feel not quite so crazy.

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I’ve never commented before but today I am moved to do so to just say thank you for all you do. I’ve been following for a while and today I’m going to save this letter to reread regularly. 🌹

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It’s like we can’t look away

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Great quote! Thx!

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Thank you for those MUCH NEEDED WORDS!!!! This morning, after shutting down several nice the election, my pent-up grieving rise to the surface and I cried, exclaiming to my Wife of 40 years “Ehy can we never elect a Woman?!?!?! in this country?!?!” So, the grieving is out of my system… time to get to work to fix get for our country!! THANK YOU Joyce,,,, and, Roll Tide! Yes, we ARE in this together!!

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“…shutting down SINCE the election…” NOT “…several nice the election…”” Dang auto-spell!!! And, I sure do wish we had an Edit button!!!

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Many of us are adept at reading "typonese".

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I have found that to edit a post, you have to completely exit the app, wait several minutes, and then go back into the app, find your post, select the three dots below your post, and then you will get an edit option. Very cumbersome, yes. I wish it were easier.

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Oh, just leave the misspellings. We can figure out what you mean (or question your sanity), which ever seems eazier. (I had a terrible time in 5th grade with Miss Mulqueen's spelling tests. But I'm still misspelling 70 years later.)

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I failed spelling 90% of the time in elementary school. My parents would quiz the heck out of me all week long. I could verbally spell every word correctly and they always thought I’ll get an A! Nope! Then the word dyslexic appeared on the horizon…I was diagnosed with a reading disability and dyslexia. Not much was done about it at the time other than I was put in the “slow” reading group. Autocorrect helped considerably. I never nitpick anyone’s spelling. I read the comments and autocorrect on my own. Not criticizing anyone for their spelling.

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???? Just use the 3 dots next to your post! You are adding too many steps and time

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No I also have had the experience of putting in a comment and wanting to change something and finding the three dots did not give me an "edit" option. So I was interested.

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Or just not use the app and go through your browser.

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Yes, browser is way better.

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I find it’s easier to cut and paste to Notes app, delete the original on Substack, make my edits then upload the corrected version back into the comment section. Just a thought.

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Lol. You do. 3 dots upper right corner. Dropdown menu has edit feature.

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Thank goodness. I use only my browser, and turn auto-correct off (it's worse than I am). I have clumsy fingers, and even though I quickly "proof" my posts, I almost always find something that is odd JUST AFTER I post! I am a frequent user of the edit feature. I mainly go for making sense and don't worry about odd spellings and non-standard grammar. I trust you guys to know what I mean.

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My worst area is texting! Too small for fingers and eyes...

I think we always know what you mean. Our brains fill in

what our eyes don't see.

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There is an Edit button - the three dots at the right end of the line with your name on it, just above your post. I appreciate being able to edit!

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Oh. I am on a browser, though; from what others are saying, doing this in the app is maybe not as easy.

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My 81 year old husband and I came to realize we will not see a woman President in our country in our life time. Truth hurts but we have to keep going forward. Not a linear path as JV wrote.

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I needed that. I won’t give up. I also saw this quote from John Lewis that put some wind back in my sails: “Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year. It is the struggle of a lifetime. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble.” - John Lewis

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Thank you Ms. Vance. Not this worrier. The orange bafoon and his minions will not succeed in weakening me. Resist.

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That’s not a popular last name. Are you possibly from Connecticut?

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Bill, I was married to a "DeFelice". Not unusual where I lived.

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Everybody, have a Happy Thanksgiving. I too like Ben Franklin. I highly recommend reading his autobiography. He was the linchpin between colonial America and the country we see today. Elder to others around him, he organized others to open the first libraries, fire houses, post office and much more. He contributed greatly to our moving forward as a nation. I am now replacing TV time with book reading. I will have to find my copy of Ben Franklin's autobiography and read it again. I hope you will too.

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I highly recommend Benjamin Franklin, An American Life by Walter Isaacson. It’s extremely well researched and, I believe, adds much more objectivity than the autobiography. Well worth the read.

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LOL... yes, Ben wasn't known for his humility!

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May I recommend a new biography of Franklin that focuses on his scientific accomplishments and how they affected his political life (and no, I have no connection to it)? Ingenious, by Richard Munson.

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Thank you Joyce. It makes me feel better that people like you are out front, encouraging us, and reminding us democracy is worth fighting for. In fact, it requires constant vigilance.

I do think people who voted for Trump out of frustration at inflation, are going to be very unhappy with many of his policies. Lots of people will be hurt.

Dems must be ready to take advantage of this.

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving Joyce, and everyone here as well.

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Not gonna let Trump get into my head and control my thoughts! He can take a flying leap! 😡

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Trump manipulated the legal system to an extreme and is probably the first defendant in a criminal case to actually control the outcome. But history will not be so kind. Jack Smith's forthcoming report, coupled with the January 6th committee report, will be the primary source material for historians for a good hundred years or more. History will not be kind to Trump, and his legacy will be a black mark on the family name forever. Thank you, Joyce Vance, for staying in the fight and taking it to the front.

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Happy Thanksgiving to you, your family, and (of course) the chickens!

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Happy Thanksgiving Joyce! Thanks for keeping us informed. You are very appreciated ❤️

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Exhale. Thanks Joyce.

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and "keep on keeping on".......

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