I heard this on election night: 9 million Florida votes counted in 2 hours, the balance by midnight, but didn't realize Jeb Bush deserves credit for the improvement

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It's Time for States to End Their Horrible Vote-Counting Systems and Adopt the Florida Model

It doesn’t really matter who get credit for the reform, of course, but Florida’s success shows that it can be done. So why isn’t it? There must be a reason (ahem) for stretching vote counting over days.

Guy Benson:

“… Twenty-four years ago, the outcome of a presidential election came down to the Sunshine State, spawning a chaotic, messy process that dragged into December.  Democrat Al Gore didn't concede until December 13, following weeks of legal wrangling, competing court rulings, and public protests.  George W. Bush won, fair and square, would have won by more votes under a full statewide recount (and was almost certainly harmed by news networks wrongly calling the state for Gore while voting was still underway in the most conservative part of the state).  But many Democrats never accepted the loss, and their toxic election denialism lingered for years.  After the nightmare of hanging chads, butterfly ballots, and other absurd foibles, Florida's governor -- the victor's brother -- set out to ensure that such an embarrassingly spectacle would never play out in his state again.  He undertook a fact-finding mission to gather, study, and implement as many best practices on elections logistics as possible.  The result was a 2001 overhaul that set Florida on a path, including various updates and fine-tuning over the years, to becoming the nation's gold standard in vote counting:

Five months [after the 2000 election], at the urging of Jeb Bush, the state Legislature enacted a sweeping overhaul of Florida's election rules. The Election Reform Act of 2001 banned the use of punch-card voting machines and required the secretary of state (rather than county-level elections officials) to have the final say over which kinds of voting machines could be used in the future. The law also clarified Florida's rules for automatic recounts and set more stringent time frames for the certification of vote counts—a move intended to prevent the seemingly interminable recounts in 2000. It also created new statewide rules for issuing provisional ballots and how those would be counted, with an eye toward ensuring as many Floridians as possible could vote...

..."Florida is famous among election nerds for having the fastest reporting of vote totals in the country, with near-instant results on election night," says Andy Craig, the director of election policy at the Rainey Center, a centrist think tank. In a report he authored earlier this year, Craig calls Florida's vote-processing procedures "the gold standard" for other states to follow. Per state law, counties can begin processing mailed-in ballots up to 25 days before Election Day. That includes just about everything except the actual counting: checking that signatures are valid and that the votes have been legally submitted. Counting those ballots officially begins 15 days before Election Day and must be completed by the time the polls close. Leaking the results early—a legitimate fear, as it could influence the decisions of voters yet to cast a ballot—is a felony offense. There's never been a leak. The process buys valuable time to get things right. 

“In Florida, close to 11 million votes were tabulated accurately, reliably, and quickly last week, just as we saw four years ago.  Floridians have robust early voting options at their disposal, backed up by various integrity-securing safeguards, and ballots are processed as they come in.  As soon as polls close, a huge batch of already-tabulated ballots are reported, with millions of Election Day votes counted up extremely efficiently.  Even when results are much closer than we've seen over the last two cycles, each of which resulted in GOP blowouts, races are able to be called in a timely manner, almost always on the night of the election.  This lends credibility to the process and inspires confidence about the results being fair and legitimate, even to the losing side.  There is absolutely no reason why other states cannot adopt the Florida model.  They should.  And this is not at all a partisan statement -- several of my Democratic friends concede that Florida simply has a sound, replicable system.”

… Florida has demonstrated how even quite a lot of early and mail-in balloting can be accommodated without ludicrously drawn-out counting procedures.  Maintaining outdated, inefficient, idiotic systems in place is a choice.  How can that choice be justified?  Here's a spokesman for Florida's governor rebutting the excuses made by an Arizonan:

It would take a heart of stone to watch Li'l Rachael and her friends cry, and not to laugh

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In the meanwhile, the entire MSNBC pack has worked through denial to anger, but still have three more stages of grief to traverse. I don’t think “acceptance” is gonna happen, but I’ll settle for depression.

Return of the peasantry

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“scotland blows up its last coal plant as part of its green energy transition”

Earlier today I posted on Britain’s woes with “renewable”, sporadic power; the article I excerpted was in turn based on an article appearing in the Daily Telegraph: Britain’s wind power falls to virtually zero as Miliband prepares to cut reliance on gas. Just when western countries are facing (at least) a ten-fold increase in energy demand because of planned huge artificial intelligence factories and mandates that will require houses to be heated, and all internal combustion engines, from lawn mowers, to cars, to trucks, to locomotives to run on electricity, the supply of energy is being cut off. Western countries are going to crash.

But that’s a feature, not a bug, for the groups pushing this agenda, who have been working for decades to deindustrialize the west and return it to a mythical state of nature, where all is peace and harmony, and the population (reduced by famine and disease from 7 billion to one billion) will be “free to do one thing today and another tomorrow, to hunt in the morning, to fish in the afternoon, rear cattle in the evening, and criticize after dinner”, just as they please. That Marx’s Eden has never materialized is of no matter — this time, with the Greens running things, it will be different. And if not, well, they expect to be atop the rulig class anyway, so so what?

The picture of a coal factory being blown up, by the way, is part of their plan to not just end reliance on coal, but to ensure that there will be no going back. When the winter winds wail and the lights fail, well, that’s life, innit?

The Washington Post, of all publications, has an interesting article on this subject (reachable behind the paper’s paywall by disabling Java on your browser.) Here are excerpts:

Britain ditched coal. Here’s what the world can learn from it.

October 4, 2024 at 7:05 a.m. EDT

The last operating coal power plant in Britain closed this week, ending more than 140 years of coal-fired electricity and proving that major economies can wean themselves off the dirtiest fossil fuel.

“Proving” nothing, in fact — wait for the next cloudy, windless day, or for nightfall.

“It’s a massive movement,” said Dave Jones, an electricity analyst at Ember, a London-based think tank. “The fact that the first country in the world to have a coal power plant, to lean so heavily into coal starting the industrial revolution, is now out of coal is extremely symbolic.”

…. In the 20th century, as trains, ships, stoves and other machines switched to oil and gas, coal retained its central role in running the turbines that power plants use to generate electricity. In recent decades, efforts to turn off coal-fired power plants have accelerated given their outsize contribution to global warming.

Although Britain still uses coal for steel manufacturing, which accounts for 2 percent of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions, experts say the country’s transition from coal-fueled electricity offers lessons to other countries seeking to phase it out.

But who needs steel? The Chinese will make it for us.

Joel Jaeger, a climate and energy research at the World Resources Institute, said Britain’s transition from coal is “truly historic” and “proves that other countries can also achieve rapid speeds of coal reduction.”

Few economically developed countries have completely phased out coal. Most that have, such as Iceland, Switzerland, Sweden and Norway, have little need for coal because they generate plenty of power with an older generation of carbon-free technologies: hydroelectric dams, nuclear power plants and geothermal reservoirs.

Britain is one of the first countries, and the largest, to phase out coal by relying heavily on wind and solar. Portugal also did so, but it is smaller and less heavily industrialized. Germany has tried, but it still produces about a quarter of its power with coal and does not plan to complete its phaseout until 2038

… Germany’s clean-energy transition has been slower because it has few hydroelectric dams, and it shut down all of its nuclear plants, which together generated 30 percent of the country’s electricity in 2000. Britain gets about 15 percent of its electricity from nuclear plants, while Portugal makes about a quarter of its power with hydroelectricity.

And all of this is for naught, as those who are doing this to us very well know:


”Developing countries such as China and India have no prospect of abandoning coal anytime soon.”

China is installing renewable power faster than any other country in the world, but coal generation is also necessary to fuel the country’s rapid development.

[NPR, March 2, 2023: China is building six times more new coal plants than other countries, report finds.’

“China permitted more coal power plants last year than any time in the last seven years, according to a new report released this week. It's the equivalent of about two new coal power plants per week. The report by energy data organizations Global Energy Monitor and the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air finds the country quadrupled the amount of new coal power approvals in 2022 compared to 2021.”

(And we now return you to our regularly scheduled article)

Last year’s United Nations climate change negotiations in Dubai stalled over resistance from China and India to committing to phasing out fossil fuels. The conference finally adopted a plan to phase “down” fossil fuels.

Even after coal is gone from the electricity mix, countries will be confronted with the next phase of the clean-energy transition: completely decarbonizing the power sector.

“The environmental community has been pretty focused on coal because it is the most polluting fossil fuel and because it is low-hanging fruit,” Jaeger said. “I think it’s going to be harder than the coal transition.”

Renewables are fueled by blowing wind and shining sun, which are not always available. Beyond some share of power generation — 80 percent or so, Jaeger said — renewables must be backed up by dependable supplies that don’t emit greenhouse gases, which rules out natural gas.

“Grid-scale batteries have become cheaper but can still provide only about eight hours of backup power.”

The U.S. and British governments have shown revived interest in nuclear power, but both countries have struggled in recent decades to build plants quickly and cheaply.

“Meanwhile, as electric vehicles and heat pumps become more common and power-hungry technologies such as artificial intelligence grow, Britain, the United States and others will be trying to make this daunting energy transition just as electricity demand is rising.”

Here are some fun charts:

Electricity Costs

U.S. 0.184

Germany: 0.530

U.K.: 0.368

China: 0.078

India: 0.077

All we are saying is give Darwin a chance

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“Okay, I see “cream” is an ingredient, but what about milk? I’m allergic to milk.”

Here’s how Food & Wine puts it:

If you've purchased any butter from Costco lately then it's time to check your fridge. 

In early October, the FDA sent out an initial recall on Kirkland Signature butter, produced by Continental Dairy Facilities Southwest LLC. The recall is for 79,200 pounds of butter due to an undeclared allergen. According to the FDA, the packages of both salted and unsalted Kirkland Signature Sweet Cream Butter list cream as an ingredient, but may not contain the "Contains Milk" allergy statement visible on the packaging.

That’s right, butter turns out to be made from milk. Who knew?

Of course, there is precedent:

Related to story below: Biden Energy Transition Team announces plan to build national network of tinfoil solar collectors and windmills based on “The British Model”.

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John Hinderaker, PowerLine:

Energy Policy, Where the Sun Don’t Shine

We spent a week in London just before the election, and only saw the Sun once. It wasn’t windy, either. Wherever we went, the lights were on, but that was only because of natural gas. The Telegraph reports: “Britain’s wind power falls to virtually zero as Miliband prepares to cut reliance on gas.”

Britain’s wind generation is set to plummet to virtually zero this week as Ed Miliband presses ahead with plans to increase the nation’s reliance on renewable energy.

Much of the UK has seen zero hours of sunshine this month, and the first part of this week will see already-light winds hit fresh lows in many areas, according to Met Office forecasters.

So how much electricity is the UK’s many billions of dollars in wind and solar investment actually generating?

Wind speeds are expected to fall again this week, making gas more essential than ever to keep the lights on.

“Many of our weather stations have recorded zero sunshine so far this month,” said a Met Office forecaster. It’s very unusual.”
***
Over the last week solar generated just 0.7pc of the nation’s electricity and wind just 10.6pc, according to grid data.

In other words, the UK was almost totally reliant on fossil fuels. Nevertheless, its government is pressing ahead with “decarbonization” plans.

Neso, the UK’s National Energy System Operator, which runs the grid, expects the UK to have its first periods of complete decarbonisation, when no gas is needed, in 2025.

The dark and windless weather comes as Sir Keir Starmer and Ed Miliband, the Energy Secretary, fly to the UN climate talks in Baku, Azerbaijan, to pledge massive cuts in UK greenhouse gas emissions.
***
Mr Miliband said the UK’s willingness to pledge such massive cuts in greenhouse gas emissions was a sign of “climate leadership.”

The Ladies of The View enjoy their most excellent Russian adventure, vow to bring foil caps back to Amerika to wear in the coming Trump concentration camps

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Proving that Russian teachers are as dumb as ours

The teachers, from multiple schools in Voronezh, were [persuaded] to wear the shiny hats by the political prankster in an attempt to demonstrate how brainwashed they had been by Kremlin propaganda.

They had been told by activist trickster Vladislav 'Vladik' Bokhan that the tin head-coverings would protect them and their students from radiation by NATO satellites.

… In footage of the bizarre moment, one teacher can be heard saying: 'Making tinfoil hats is not only an interesting and creative activity, but also an important patriotic act, symbolising the readiness to defend our homeland from external [Western] threats.

'Let our hats become a symbol of unity and resilience in the face of [foreign] challenges.'

Teachers were told beforehand that they were taking part in a 'large-scale patriotic event' that required them to make tinfoil hats.

… No doubts seemed to cross the minds of the teachers who jumped at the task and happily constructed their hats in order to protect their minds from 'the transmission of Western ideas'.

After placing the hats on their heads, some teachers claimed they felt a 'purification of thoughts,' a 'boost in spirits,' a 'surge of patriotism' and a 'need to help the [war]'.

Also seen in the footage, another teacher said: 'Let the helmet, which you will make with your own hands, become a means of defence against external enemies of our beautiful country.'

Bokhan fooled the teachers into believing that 'malicious NATO members plan to irradiate the Russian people physically and biologically'.

"Please, sirs, we want some more."

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The author claims this is punishment, but the voters must love it; they keep returning these people to office.

On Friday, the California Air Resources Board voted to revamp its climate change program which is estimated to increase gas prices as high as 65 cents.  The vote was 12-2 vote.

Ultimately, the changes require gasoline, diesel, and other fuels to meet higher standards for greenhouse gases.  It also tweaks how credits are awarded for lower carbon fuels.

On Saturday morning, the average gallon of gas in California costs $4.14 compared to the $3.09 national average. In Contra Costa County, the average is $4.60 per gallon.

That’s 65 cents added to the taxes shown below. Greens Fees: the cap and trade tax and “carb regulation costs” already add 51 ¢ a gallon; this new one will bring the total to $1.13.

A state of overlords and peasants, and Californians like it that way: this week, in addition to sending Adam Schiff to Washington as their new senator, they voted to continue the Democrats’ supermajority in the state Legislature. So screw ‘em.

Yes, and yes — and end the filibuster while we're at it

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Steven Hayward, PowerLine:

  • • One of the hottest ideas among the goo-goo (good government) reform community has been the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, in which consenting states would commit to pledging their electoral college votes to the winner of the popular vote, no matter how their state’s votes came out. This compact is almost certainly unconstitutional, but can anyone imagine California right now saying, “Oh, okay, we’ll award our electoral college votes to Trump.” If the compact had been in force for this election, here’s how the electoral vote would turn out:

Heh

  • Likewise, if Congress has a sense of humor, it should call these clowns as witnesses at a hearing on the first day to testify in support of a bill to add four seats to the Supreme Court immediately:

(FWIW) : Don’t forget the Democrats’ other pet project:

Sadly, much as the Democrats (and Trump) want to abolish the filibuster, a few Republicans of principle have vowed to keep it.

California’s new senator (sigh) Adam Schiff is all for getting rid of the thing:

Schiff said he’d prefer major swings in policy to the current gridlock, emphasizing that killing the filibuster is the only way to pass abortion rights, gun safety and voting rights measures and to mitigate climate change. He said he doesn’t worry about Republicans’ using a filibuster-free Senate to reverse liberal gains when they take power.

“The Republican policies are so reactionary, backward and unpopular that should they ever really be in a position to put them into effect, they’ll be voted out of office in a heartbeat,” he said.

And Trump has pushed to nuke it, but …

If Trump and Republicans sweep the election, GOP senators would probably face pressure from Trump to do away with the filibuster. He repeatedly demanded that they nuke the 60-vote rule during his term as president. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., refused in 2017 and 2018. Although McConnell is stepping down as GOP leader, it's unclear whether Trump would be more successful this time.

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said he expects a push to kill the filibuster to toughen immigration laws if the GOP wins in November.

“Quite honestly, if we run the table politically in November and we have control of both chambers and President Trump has the White House, it wouldn’t surprise me if getting additional tools to get the border under control would be used as an argument for nuking the filibuster,” Tillis told reporters.

But he said he would adamantly oppose that.

“The day Republicans vote to nuke it is the day I resign,” Tillis said, arguing that it would “destroy the Senate.”

And from Texas, and Florida, more opposition:

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who faces a competitive re-election bid, said he’s committed to preserving the 60-vote rule even if his party sweeps the election and Democrats use it to stymie legislation.

“Yes,” he replied when asked.

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., who also faces re-election this fall, said, “I believe in the filibuster.”

Even if Republicans have control and it threatens their agenda?

“I believe in the filibuster,” he repeated.

I personally had agreed with the opponents of all three of these propositions: the National Public Vote Compact; packing the Supreme Court; and abolishing the filibuster, but in the face of the powerful arguments put forth in their favor by distinguished Democrat politicians and “thinkers” like Lawrence Tribe, it would be awfully presumptuous of me to disagree.

So bring ‘em on. Here’s to you, Chuck Schumer.

I haven't had this much fun since November 10th, eight years ago

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The rocket scientists are distraught (who wants to tell him?);

And so are the medical geniuses;

Liberal pediatrician sparks fury with vile tweet at Trump fan

Dr. Mayank Sharma, 35, is a pediatric cardiology fellow for the University of Iowa Health Care - a fellowship based at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital. He’s weally, weally angwee at Twump voters:

‘Well I hope you lose your kid in a school shooting,' he wrote. 'Already you have nothing to lose, it won't matter to you anyways! Prepare for your kids funeral.'

And then we have the weaker sex:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

BURBANK, CA — Liberal woman Marcie Galveston was forced to film herself having a second post-election meltdown this week after she realized she forgot to hit the record button on her phone the first time around.

"WHY??? WHY?????" screeched Galveston, tears running down her cheeks. "I'm shaking, I'm so terrified! Look what you did, you sick freaks! I'm literally no longer safe as a woman, are you happy? I just can't believe over half the country is so RACIST and SEXIST and… oh wait a second. My phone isn't on. Aw, man. Gonna have start this whole thing from the beginning."

Despite the setback, Galveston worked hard to drum up new tears and access that same level of rage as she set her phone up against the kitchen backsplash a second time and put it on selfie mode.

"Yeesh, it's hard to get that level of emotion on a second take," she said. "Come on, Marcie, you can do this. Think about the trans gulags, the internment camps for gays. ARGH. The tears aren't coming, the tears aren't coming!"

At publishing time Galveston was seen holding an onion under her eyes while reading The New York Times in an effort to spark tears of rage again.

SAME QUESTION:

Oooh, nice touch: they’ve smeared “blood” on their loins, presumably to show solidarity with the israeli girls of October 6th