Top of the morning on this wonderful hump day to you, Threaders, Threadheads, and all in between. Coffee tastes exceptionally good today.
Yup. I still got a smile on my face. What a rush! Last night in Philly was fire! We are on our way to making History, Thriends. I feel it, you feel it and by God “they” feel it.
Game on.
The Temple University Liacouras Center was packed. With a capacity of 10,206 seated I think it’s safe to say we had close to 11,000 people attending, adding the floor, never mind outside. The atmosphere was magical and the campaign did a superb job at evoking the Eras Tour! The light bracelets, the arena lighting, perfect setup. The contrast with the fascist rally at the same location was jaw dropping. They could hardly fill the first ring and the top one was completely empty.
The crowds will get larger and pretty soon they’ll be considering a stadium for the closing rally before the election. One hopes! Philadelphia is the birthplace of freedom and perfectly matches the spirit of the Harris-Walz campaign (it feels good writing it for the first time! Harris-Walz!). Although, like most of us, I had my mind made up about going all in no matter who the VP pick turned out to be, I was skeptic of Tim. I even frowned (coughs) at his “weird” take, remember?
Now that the team is set I can tell you my fantasy picks, in order: Buttigieg, Shapiro, Gretchen. Yup. No Walz! Boy, was I in for a ride! This guy is a perfect wildcard! Yes, I know Josh is superb and his energy is off the charts; he was up for the call until the last second but he’s perfectly fine with Kamala’s choice and will help deliver Pennsylvania for sure. His introductory speech was spot on, complete with a reference to his faith. Philly loves him and he’s ready to serve.
I expected some blowback from more conservative Jewish sectors and some ball spiking from more “progressive” gentile ones but so far both are nearly invisible due to the massive wave of optimism and strengh Harris-Walz brought to the game. They said the words we have been using from the start and need to be said again and again: Promise; Hope; Freedom; and now Joy. There’s joy in this struggle to break away from a past we reject. We’re not going back!
We’re not going back! The battle cry of our movement. The chant that over and over filled the arena like no other. The call we answer every day and will keep alive when we go on fighting for the future we want after this initial victory that will allow us for nothing but time in which to make change happen. We know this. Watching the crowd in Philly, with so many young people in it, I realized from their TikTok posts they are finally starting to understand this is how it’s done.
They find themselves in these settings filled with a familiar energy and empathy and there’s more. There’s happiness. And suddenly they realize what they’ve been missing at the same time what was missing from the struggle meets that feeling. They’re not at a concert, they’re in a campaign rally and they are happy. Their joy in battle was deeply missed and we, the old guard, welcome them with open arms and big smiles. For their eyes are open now. They know too.
It’s a beautiful thing, watching this kind of love join the battle against hate. It’s exactly what we needed to reinforce our ranks. We are now stronger than ever and we are only getting better at this. So many of them don’t know first hand what we know, we who are old enough to have lived through fascism. Yet their young voices join ours in this one decisive chant: We’re not going back! They know. They are the key. They are the hope we carry in our hearts.
I know so many of them have been misguided and turned away from the path we must travel but we can show them why it is we must choose it. And they have a coach now. Tim Walz strikes so many right chords it’s almost unbelievable. Yes, he will be a master card in rural America; yes, he will be essential to show middle America what social democracy is all about… But above all he is the “old guy” young people can trust to empower them without condescension.
He’s the teacher that, like Kamala said, we all wish we’d had. The adult who treats young people as adults and shows them the power they have. That gives them the respect they deserve and doesn’t dismiss their dreams as folies. The one who encourages them to dream. How we have been missing someone like that in politics! And where has Tim Walz been all our lives? Well… He’s been right here.
Growing up in a Nebraska farm, helping his neighbors because his parents taught him his happiness depended on the common good. Doing is duty as a guardsman because there’s joy in the service to our country. Teaching our youth because there’s no higher aspiration than to educate our children. And serving us in Congress and in local government, selflessly. His imperfections are a reminder no one is perfect, even being so close to it. He’s truly the personification of humanity.
And he’s fun! I am glad I was not drinking anything when he came up with the “get off his couch” joke. Oh my fucking God! And the look on his face as he went “See what I did there?” was almost as priceless as the one on Kamala’s face when she did see it! What a knock out punch and delivered with such joy and ease. We found ourselves laughing our asses off and suddenly realizing what it was we were doing. We were breathing. We’re breathing again.
Bring it on. Say all you want about Harris and about Walz. Try to take away the Jewish vote, the suburban vote, the youth vote, the black vote, the women’s vote. Give it your best shot, you fascist pieces of dung. It won’t work. We’re unstoppable. We understand the assignment and we’re ready.
If I expected a swelling wave before yesterday I know now it’s inevitable. No. We’re not going back!
The sun is shining on America today as it hasn’t in a very long time. Go outside and feel it on your face. The warmth you will feel is the touch of hope. It’s a new morning. And we will make it last forever in our hearts. Know there’s a lot of work to be done and mountains to climb. We will climb them. Together.
And We’re not going back!
Yup. I still got a smile on my face. What a rush! Last night in Philly was fire! We are on our way to making History, Thriends. I feel it, you feel it and by God “they” feel it.
Game on.
The Temple University Liacouras Center was packed. With a capacity of 10,206 seated I think it’s safe to say we had close to 11,000 people attending, adding the floor, never mind outside. The atmosphere was magical and the campaign did a superb job at evoking the Eras Tour! The light bracelets, the arena lighting, perfect setup. The contrast with the fascist rally at the same location was jaw dropping. They could hardly fill the first ring and the top one was completely empty.
The crowds will get larger and pretty soon they’ll be considering a stadium for the closing rally before the election. One hopes! Philadelphia is the birthplace of freedom and perfectly matches the spirit of the Harris-Walz campaign (it feels good writing it for the first time! Harris-Walz!). Although, like most of us, I had my mind made up about going all in no matter who the VP pick turned out to be, I was skeptic of Tim. I even frowned (coughs) at his “weird” take, remember?
Now that the team is set I can tell you my fantasy picks, in order: Buttigieg, Shapiro, Gretchen. Yup. No Walz! Boy, was I in for a ride! This guy is a perfect wildcard! Yes, I know Josh is superb and his energy is off the charts; he was up for the call until the last second but he’s perfectly fine with Kamala’s choice and will help deliver Pennsylvania for sure. His introductory speech was spot on, complete with a reference to his faith. Philly loves him and he’s ready to serve.
I expected some blowback from more conservative Jewish sectors and some ball spiking from more “progressive” gentile ones but so far both are nearly invisible due to the massive wave of optimism and strengh Harris-Walz brought to the game. They said the words we have been using from the start and need to be said again and again: Promise; Hope; Freedom; and now Joy. There’s joy in this struggle to break away from a past we reject. We’re not going back!
We’re not going back! The battle cry of our movement. The chant that over and over filled the arena like no other. The call we answer every day and will keep alive when we go on fighting for the future we want after this initial victory that will allow us for nothing but time in which to make change happen. We know this. Watching the crowd in Philly, with so many young people in it, I realized from their TikTok posts they are finally starting to understand this is how it’s done.
They find themselves in these settings filled with a familiar energy and empathy and there’s more. There’s happiness. And suddenly they realize what they’ve been missing at the same time what was missing from the struggle meets that feeling. They’re not at a concert, they’re in a campaign rally and they are happy. Their joy in battle was deeply missed and we, the old guard, welcome them with open arms and big smiles. For their eyes are open now. They know too.
It’s a beautiful thing, watching this kind of love join the battle against hate. It’s exactly what we needed to reinforce our ranks. We are now stronger than ever and we are only getting better at this. So many of them don’t know first hand what we know, we who are old enough to have lived through fascism. Yet their young voices join ours in this one decisive chant: We’re not going back! They know. They are the key. They are the hope we carry in our hearts.
I know so many of them have been misguided and turned away from the path we must travel but we can show them why it is we must choose it. And they have a coach now. Tim Walz strikes so many right chords it’s almost unbelievable. Yes, he will be a master card in rural America; yes, he will be essential to show middle America what social democracy is all about… But above all he is the “old guy” young people can trust to empower them without condescension.
He’s the teacher that, like Kamala said, we all wish we’d had. The adult who treats young people as adults and shows them the power they have. That gives them the respect they deserve and doesn’t dismiss their dreams as folies. The one who encourages them to dream. How we have been missing someone like that in politics! And where has Tim Walz been all our lives? Well… He’s been right here.
Growing up in a Nebraska farm, helping his neighbors because his parents taught him his happiness depended on the common good. Doing is duty as a guardsman because there’s joy in the service to our country. Teaching our youth because there’s no higher aspiration than to educate our children. And serving us in Congress and in local government, selflessly. His imperfections are a reminder no one is perfect, even being so close to it. He’s truly the personification of humanity.
And he’s fun! I am glad I was not drinking anything when he came up with the “get off his couch” joke. Oh my fucking God! And the look on his face as he went “See what I did there?” was almost as priceless as the one on Kamala’s face when she did see it! What a knock out punch and delivered with such joy and ease. We found ourselves laughing our asses off and suddenly realizing what it was we were doing. We were breathing. We’re breathing again.
Bring it on. Say all you want about Harris and about Walz. Try to take away the Jewish vote, the suburban vote, the youth vote, the black vote, the women’s vote. Give it your best shot, you fascist pieces of dung. It won’t work. We’re unstoppable. We understand the assignment and we’re ready.
If I expected a swelling wave before yesterday I know now it’s inevitable. No. We’re not going back!
The sun is shining on America today as it hasn’t in a very long time. Go outside and feel it on your face. The warmth you will feel is the touch of hope. It’s a new morning. And we will make it last forever in our hearts. Know there’s a lot of work to be done and mountains to climb. We will climb them. Together.
And We’re not going back!
[finis]
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