Pamela, that’s a completely reasonable expectation...and the fact that it hasn’t happened is exactly the problem.
A raid on election infrastructure and the removal of original voting records is not a partisan controversy...it’s a chain-of-custody crisis.
In any serious system...that BS alone would trigger an immediate...public...independent probe with subpoenas...preservation orders...and sworn testimony. Quiet reviews and vague assurances are NOT an adequate response to evidence being physically taken out of custody.
When leadership says democracy is under threat...but...declines to fully investigate an incident like that...out in the open...on the record...it reinforces the central concern:
The warnings...are louder than the enforcement. And...in matters like elections..process integrity matters as much as outcomes.
You’re not asking for drama. You’re asking for BASELINE institutional seriousness.
If democracy is at risk (it is) why are dems not acting like an opposition party, and using every means available to jam up the works on legislation, executive appointments, insuring party discipline on votes, etc. I could go on all day.
Mary Stone, you’re naming the exact credibility gap that’s driving so many people quietly insane: if democracy is at risk (it is)...then the response can’t look like “business as usual with sad press releases.”
An actual opposition party...treats this like a systems fight...NOT a messaging fight. That means using EVERY lawful friction point...procedural delays...aggressive oversight... disciplined voting blocs...coordinated litigation...nominee slow-walks...quorum tactics where applicable...and RELENTLESS exposure of process abuses.
Not because it’s “cute politics,” but because when one side is willing to break norms...the ONLY thing that still works...is enforcement and constraint.
And...you’re right about party discipline. If leadership can’t hold votes when the stakes are this high...then it’s not a strategy problem...it’s a seriousness problem.
People don’t want miracles. They want to see the people with power behaving like they UNDERSTAND what leverage is...and how FAST the window closes.
If you could go on all day...you’re also pointing to something important: there’s no shortage of available tools. There’s a shortage of visible WILLINGNESS to use them!
That's excellent. Also, calling and emailing the DNC is easy. I don't know how effective it is, but many of us doing it is inevitably better than just me! 🤭
Tell them that until you see LOUD FIGHTERS coming from our party, you will encourage EVERYONE YOU KNOW to give to individuals and cut them out. That's been my message, and again, lots of us are more effective than just me!
Call your representatives and senators, both state and US. THAT works! I've stressed calling on my BlueSky account for a year now, and we're making progress.
Then we replace every one of them that won't get with the program. We as voters have been extremely remiss in NOT holding them accountable and mindlessly reelecting them for decades. That has to stop.
It's time to put words into action. Repeated warnings about threats to democracy are only effective if backed by concrete measures. The absence of visible, preemptive action undermines credibility and emboldens aggressors. History shows that democracies are punished not for overreacting, but for recognizing danger and failing to act.
The crux of the matter isn't about creating panic or vibes; it's about establishing credibility. When warnings consistently fall on deaf ears, they become evidence of a more profound issue. History has shown that authoritarianism progresses not only through force but also through hesitation and the quiet erosion of institutions. It's imperative that we take visible, preemptive action to deter threats to democracy, rather than simply paying lip service to the idea.
I suppose this is simplistic but voters are already afraid to leave their homes and that’s likely to get worse. Legitimate, U.S. citizens who have a right to vote but are part of a marginalized group… Brown or other non-white citizens, members of the LGBTQ+ community and more. If those they plan to deploy to intimidate people from going to the polls can be stopped with injunctions, it needs to be done.
Honestly, I want Democratic leadership doing every single legal thing that is available to them and doing it before it’s too late and out in the open so that citizens feel safer and more comfortable going to the polls. They need to feel protected and as though our leaders are doing absolutely everything to make that happen.
Utilize the courts in every way possible because the Republicans will leave no stone unturned to stop the upcoming elections from being free and fair. This is not optional. The upcoming elections may well be our final opportunity to save democracy.
We need to demand that our Democratic leaders do everything available to them without delay. The alternative is simply unthinkable.
Thank you, Jack. This needed desperately to be said and now it needs to be acted on. Suggestions as to what we can do as individual citizens are appreciated. Who to contact… What to say… etc. Time is of the essence.
Susan, this isn’t simplistic. Fear is the weapon, and you don’t have to block the vote...you just have to make targeted Americans ask, “Is it worth the risk?”
That’s why VISIBLE, pre-Election Day injunctions against intimidation need to happen EARLY... and out in the OPEN.
Here’s what we can do as individuals:
1) Call your Democratic Senators + House member and make one clear ask:
“I want aggressive, public, pre-Election Day litigation and injunctions against voter intimidation, plus coordinated state AG action. Visible deterrence...not post-election investigations.”
2) Call your state Attorney General’s office:
“Will you commit publicly to seeking pre-election injunctions against intimidation and coordinating with other states? If not, why not?”
3) ‘Vote Buddy’ plan: nobody votes alone; vote early if possible.
You’re right: this is NOT optional. #HOLDFAST means demanding protection now...BEFORE the window closes.
Fatima, you’re right...and it doesn’t contradict the thrust of this article. It strengthens it.
The whole point here is that fear...suppresses turnout before anyone is physically stopped...which is why leadership has to act EARLY and VISIBLY...with injunctions...clear rules...and real enforcement.
And...if a court order is issued and then ignored...that’s not the end of the story.
That’s where contempt of court becomes the tool. Judges can escalate consequences...fines...corrective orders...tighter supervision...because contempt power doesn’t rely on good faith. It turns defiance into COST.
So your demand for protection is exactly why the article insists on using the courts aggressively....not for symbolism....but...for enforceable deterrence.
I would have expected them to have examined all the irregularities in the 2024 election. For months during the campaign they sounded the alarm on dictatorship, afterwards: dead silence. Not one probe into the near impossibility of Trump winning all seven swing states just over the margin of error that would trigger a recount. No examining the bomb scares in those states. No examining the foreign interference and mind control techniques in social media. Crickets.
Two things can be true: sweeping all seven swing states is uncommon..but not automatically evidence of fraud...just a reason to ask tighter questions.
And...recounts/investigations usually require specific legal triggers (statutory margin thresholds...a formal request...admissible evidence)...not just suspicion.
On interference...the strongest framing is concrete: coordinated influence + targeted disinfo + platform amplification (not “mind control”).
Then you ask for verifiable specifics...incident timelines...official reports...platform transparency data...and what agencies found.
Thank you for being here, Linda Lee Sand!
-Jack
P.S. Ten years ago I barely thought about the law. Now I know far more than I ever wanted to. I can’t be the only one.
Thanks, Jack. I appreciate all the research you do, your practical approach to situations, and your real-world advice that I've taken to heart. What is your thought on "This Will Hold" - the group that has done the digging into the irregularities of the 2024 election and have uncovered some really troubling stats?
The DNC leadership is milque-toast & worthless as tits on a boar hog. The only “actions” I’ve experienced are the countless text pleas for cash from an automated Act Blue list.
Regardless of how one feels about Debbie Wasserman Shultz, she was everywhere in the media going head to head with adversaries.
Since money talks, after their shameful performance for Harris & David Hogg, my pocketbook has closed.
Here’s an idea, put Hogg & the kids in leadership because the old guard is the epitome of erudite elites.
Kimberly, I hear the anger! A LOT of people feel like they’re being asked to fund a machine...that won’t VISIBLY fight.
You’re right that texts are NOT action. Fundraising...without observable resistance...just feels extractive...so people close their wallets.
And visibility matters...silence...reads like surrender...even if work is happening offstage.
On leadership...elevating younger voices isn’t about optics. It’s about urgency...credibility... and breaking the old guard’s habits. The demand is simple: fewer automated asks...more demonstrated resistance with RECEIPTS.
I'm suspect now of candidates endorsed by the D party machine. I'm going for the young real progressives for a change this election cycle. Some very strong candidates out there who want to fight. David Hogg's PAC is doing some good work now. I'm a also checking out where their funding is coming from much more.
I want to see Democrats start to actively use every lever that they have to jam up the system. Start court action preemptively on the State level to protect State's election control. I would like to see stronger voices speak to out on protecting our elections followed by measurable action to ensure State's rights and ultimately our rights are protected.
Kristine, I’m with you...this has to become a leverage problem...not just a messaging problem.
States are the choke point. The most effective election protection work is PREEMPTIVE state-level court actions...that lock in who controls election administration...set limits on partisan interference...and stop rule changes before they become “normal.”
What you’re asking for is measurable...file the cases...seek injunctions...publish the strategy...and pair it with steady public clarity...about what’s being attempted and what’s being done to STOP it.
I would expect to see, at a bare minimum, DAILY media briefings to the public to educate as many people as possible to the dangers posed by these developments.
Debra...yes! At a bare minimum...the public should be getting REGULAR...disciplined briefings...not just fundraising texts...so people understand what’s changing...why it matters...and what’s being done about it.
Daily may not always be sustainable...but a consistent cadence with clear FACTS...specific actions...and receipts should absolutely be the floor.
Stand united against the spiralling autocracy with every single avenue allowed by law and bloody well take aggressive, clear action and make sure the public sees and hears what is happening in real time -- be too loud to ignore.
Sue P, I’m with you on the substance...use every lawful lever...move fast...and STOP treating this like a polite debate.
The only tweak I’d make is tactical: “be too loud to ignore” can backfire if it reads as performative. What wins is visible...verifiable action...so the public doesn’t just hear concern...they see resistance. That said, I've felt like being REALLY LOUD as of late...and certainly understand where you are coming from. I do.
So...yes...stand united... file the cases...force the hearings...block the procedural power grabs...and communicate it in real time with receipts. Not panic. PROOF.
It is 2:10 in the morning. I should be sleeping, but instead I woke automatically to check on my husband, even though our kids are here now and our son is taking "first watch." I really didn't mean "loud" as in screaming or yelling, but I do love the idea of someone being greeted with a colosseum worth of boos, but I meant more of steadfast voices speaking together, and our elected representatives not allowing the voices of We the People to be silenced.
Tonight he opened his eyes for the first time in many days, and took the three of us in, then started talking, softly but clearly, to tell each of us that he loved us. His son spoke to him first, with a quiet outpouring of grief so intense his shoulders were shaking.
Our voices don't need to be individually loud in volume, but joined together with conviction and demand, our voices will be heard. Those with the ability and tools must do as we know they must, to gather the proof, the receipts of the crimes being committed against us, the citizens of America, against even those who naively think what is happening will benefit them, and to Hell with the rest of us.
If we don't, America will be sitting as I am now, grieving for what we are losing, and not able to bring it back.
Jay Inslee, former governor of Washington State, suggests that Congress add an amendment to the Homeland Security budget bill to prevent ICE activity on election day. That would stop Trump from using ICE to intimidate voters in competitive districts and states.
More than enough to show how incompetent, crooked and corrupt this administration is.
Call the minions out too. Miller and the like. Hearings into why they are on military base housing on the American tax dollar.
Schumer and Jefferies are coming off as Whiny Ass Bitches. Stop turning the other cheek and slap back. Hard.
*** we have to be careful on the State level…. 20 states have passed referendums for a Constitutional Convention. All red. They want a power grab and what better way then to Re-Write the rules of the game. ***
Since the Dems are at a loss in the House and in the Senate, I expect groups of five of them to attend rallies in the major cities. The purpose is not to fund raise. It is to stand on the front lines in the cold, rain, wind and get a feel for the sentiments of multitudes. Further, I expect them to open their own wallets and get themselves to the location.
I would expect to see a serious and public probe into the raid in Georgia and the removal of the original voting records.
Pamela, that’s a completely reasonable expectation...and the fact that it hasn’t happened is exactly the problem.
A raid on election infrastructure and the removal of original voting records is not a partisan controversy...it’s a chain-of-custody crisis.
In any serious system...that BS alone would trigger an immediate...public...independent probe with subpoenas...preservation orders...and sworn testimony. Quiet reviews and vague assurances are NOT an adequate response to evidence being physically taken out of custody.
When leadership says democracy is under threat...but...declines to fully investigate an incident like that...out in the open...on the record...it reinforces the central concern:
The warnings...are louder than the enforcement. And...in matters like elections..process integrity matters as much as outcomes.
You’re not asking for drama. You’re asking for BASELINE institutional seriousness.
-Jack
If democracy is at risk (it is) why are dems not acting like an opposition party, and using every means available to jam up the works on legislation, executive appointments, insuring party discipline on votes, etc. I could go on all day.
Mary Stone, you’re naming the exact credibility gap that’s driving so many people quietly insane: if democracy is at risk (it is)...then the response can’t look like “business as usual with sad press releases.”
An actual opposition party...treats this like a systems fight...NOT a messaging fight. That means using EVERY lawful friction point...procedural delays...aggressive oversight... disciplined voting blocs...coordinated litigation...nominee slow-walks...quorum tactics where applicable...and RELENTLESS exposure of process abuses.
Not because it’s “cute politics,” but because when one side is willing to break norms...the ONLY thing that still works...is enforcement and constraint.
And...you’re right about party discipline. If leadership can’t hold votes when the stakes are this high...then it’s not a strategy problem...it’s a seriousness problem.
People don’t want miracles. They want to see the people with power behaving like they UNDERSTAND what leverage is...and how FAST the window closes.
If you could go on all day...you’re also pointing to something important: there’s no shortage of available tools. There’s a shortage of visible WILLINGNESS to use them!
-Jack
Because msybe that's not what they really are at the top in the DNC? COULD the nasty rumors be true?
I haven’t given the party any money in years. I give to individual candidates only.
That's excellent. Also, calling and emailing the DNC is easy. I don't know how effective it is, but many of us doing it is inevitably better than just me! 🤭
https://democrats.org/contact-us/
Tell them that until you see LOUD FIGHTERS coming from our party, you will encourage EVERYONE YOU KNOW to give to individuals and cut them out. That's been my message, and again, lots of us are more effective than just me!
Call your representatives and senators, both state and US. THAT works! I've stressed calling on my BlueSky account for a year now, and we're making progress.
That's what I do as well. 😊
Then we replace every one of them that won't get with the program. We as voters have been extremely remiss in NOT holding them accountable and mindlessly reelecting them for decades. That has to stop.
It's time to put words into action. Repeated warnings about threats to democracy are only effective if backed by concrete measures. The absence of visible, preemptive action undermines credibility and emboldens aggressors. History shows that democracies are punished not for overreacting, but for recognizing danger and failing to act.
The crux of the matter isn't about creating panic or vibes; it's about establishing credibility. When warnings consistently fall on deaf ears, they become evidence of a more profound issue. History has shown that authoritarianism progresses not only through force but also through hesitation and the quiet erosion of institutions. It's imperative that we take visible, preemptive action to deter threats to democracy, rather than simply paying lip service to the idea.
Thank you Jack!
Jane, thank you for always showing up! And...you're welcome.
-Jack
I suppose this is simplistic but voters are already afraid to leave their homes and that’s likely to get worse. Legitimate, U.S. citizens who have a right to vote but are part of a marginalized group… Brown or other non-white citizens, members of the LGBTQ+ community and more. If those they plan to deploy to intimidate people from going to the polls can be stopped with injunctions, it needs to be done.
Honestly, I want Democratic leadership doing every single legal thing that is available to them and doing it before it’s too late and out in the open so that citizens feel safer and more comfortable going to the polls. They need to feel protected and as though our leaders are doing absolutely everything to make that happen.
Utilize the courts in every way possible because the Republicans will leave no stone unturned to stop the upcoming elections from being free and fair. This is not optional. The upcoming elections may well be our final opportunity to save democracy.
We need to demand that our Democratic leaders do everything available to them without delay. The alternative is simply unthinkable.
Thank you, Jack. This needed desperately to be said and now it needs to be acted on. Suggestions as to what we can do as individual citizens are appreciated. Who to contact… What to say… etc. Time is of the essence.
#HOLDFAST
~Susan
Susan, this isn’t simplistic. Fear is the weapon, and you don’t have to block the vote...you just have to make targeted Americans ask, “Is it worth the risk?”
That’s why VISIBLE, pre-Election Day injunctions against intimidation need to happen EARLY... and out in the OPEN.
Here’s what we can do as individuals:
1) Call your Democratic Senators + House member and make one clear ask:
“I want aggressive, public, pre-Election Day litigation and injunctions against voter intimidation, plus coordinated state AG action. Visible deterrence...not post-election investigations.”
2) Call your state Attorney General’s office:
“Will you commit publicly to seeking pre-election injunctions against intimidation and coordinating with other states? If not, why not?”
3) ‘Vote Buddy’ plan: nobody votes alone; vote early if possible.
You’re right: this is NOT optional. #HOLDFAST means demanding protection now...BEFORE the window closes.
-Jack
I wish I had Democratic Senators and a Rep but I don’t. I have Ted Budd, Thom Tillis and Chuck Edwards. Thanks for the response, Jack.
Judges filing motions for contempt of court when court orders are being ignored.
Fatima, you’re right...and it doesn’t contradict the thrust of this article. It strengthens it.
The whole point here is that fear...suppresses turnout before anyone is physically stopped...which is why leadership has to act EARLY and VISIBLY...with injunctions...clear rules...and real enforcement.
And...if a court order is issued and then ignored...that’s not the end of the story.
That’s where contempt of court becomes the tool. Judges can escalate consequences...fines...corrective orders...tighter supervision...because contempt power doesn’t rely on good faith. It turns defiance into COST.
So your demand for protection is exactly why the article insists on using the courts aggressively....not for symbolism....but...for enforceable deterrence.
Thanks for being here, Fatima DaSilva!
-Jack
AG Coordination
YES...Carol Lock!
-Jack
I would have expected them to have examined all the irregularities in the 2024 election. For months during the campaign they sounded the alarm on dictatorship, afterwards: dead silence. Not one probe into the near impossibility of Trump winning all seven swing states just over the margin of error that would trigger a recount. No examining the bomb scares in those states. No examining the foreign interference and mind control techniques in social media. Crickets.
Linda, I hear you. The whiplash is real.
Two things can be true: sweeping all seven swing states is uncommon..but not automatically evidence of fraud...just a reason to ask tighter questions.
And...recounts/investigations usually require specific legal triggers (statutory margin thresholds...a formal request...admissible evidence)...not just suspicion.
On interference...the strongest framing is concrete: coordinated influence + targeted disinfo + platform amplification (not “mind control”).
Then you ask for verifiable specifics...incident timelines...official reports...platform transparency data...and what agencies found.
Thank you for being here, Linda Lee Sand!
-Jack
P.S. Ten years ago I barely thought about the law. Now I know far more than I ever wanted to. I can’t be the only one.
Thanks, Jack. I appreciate all the research you do, your practical approach to situations, and your real-world advice that I've taken to heart. What is your thought on "This Will Hold" - the group that has done the digging into the irregularities of the 2024 election and have uncovered some really troubling stats?
DO SOMETHING- ANYTHING!
The DNC leadership is milque-toast & worthless as tits on a boar hog. The only “actions” I’ve experienced are the countless text pleas for cash from an automated Act Blue list.
Regardless of how one feels about Debbie Wasserman Shultz, she was everywhere in the media going head to head with adversaries.
Since money talks, after their shameful performance for Harris & David Hogg, my pocketbook has closed.
Here’s an idea, put Hogg & the kids in leadership because the old guard is the epitome of erudite elites.
Kimberly, I hear the anger! A LOT of people feel like they’re being asked to fund a machine...that won’t VISIBLY fight.
You’re right that texts are NOT action. Fundraising...without observable resistance...just feels extractive...so people close their wallets.
And visibility matters...silence...reads like surrender...even if work is happening offstage.
On leadership...elevating younger voices isn’t about optics. It’s about urgency...credibility... and breaking the old guard’s habits. The demand is simple: fewer automated asks...more demonstrated resistance with RECEIPTS.
-Jack
I'm suspect now of candidates endorsed by the D party machine. I'm going for the young real progressives for a change this election cycle. Some very strong candidates out there who want to fight. David Hogg's PAC is doing some good work now. I'm a also checking out where their funding is coming from much more.
Omg this. Some days 20+ Democratic candidates requests, or causes.
David Hogg left bc the "old guard" wanted him to "wait his turn." He said eff that and went back to Leaders We Deserve. I support them.
They're young fighters and they understand how to oppose this danger!
Absolutely! I do support LWD. Thanks for the kick of the perfect opportunity to pitch them every chance I get. Just like @Adam Mockler
I want to see Democrats start to actively use every lever that they have to jam up the system. Start court action preemptively on the State level to protect State's election control. I would like to see stronger voices speak to out on protecting our elections followed by measurable action to ensure State's rights and ultimately our rights are protected.
Kristine, I’m with you...this has to become a leverage problem...not just a messaging problem.
States are the choke point. The most effective election protection work is PREEMPTIVE state-level court actions...that lock in who controls election administration...set limits on partisan interference...and stop rule changes before they become “normal.”
What you’re asking for is measurable...file the cases...seek injunctions...publish the strategy...and pair it with steady public clarity...about what’s being attempted and what’s being done to STOP it.
Well done, Kristine!
-Jack
Development of a Project 2029 blueprint for repairing our democracy.
Plainly stated. I like that, CLF!
-Jack
I would expect to see, at a bare minimum, DAILY media briefings to the public to educate as many people as possible to the dangers posed by these developments.
Debra...yes! At a bare minimum...the public should be getting REGULAR...disciplined briefings...not just fundraising texts...so people understand what’s changing...why it matters...and what’s being done about it.
Daily may not always be sustainable...but a consistent cadence with clear FACTS...specific actions...and receipts should absolutely be the floor.
-Jack
Stand united against the spiralling autocracy with every single avenue allowed by law and bloody well take aggressive, clear action and make sure the public sees and hears what is happening in real time -- be too loud to ignore.
Sue P, I’m with you on the substance...use every lawful lever...move fast...and STOP treating this like a polite debate.
The only tweak I’d make is tactical: “be too loud to ignore” can backfire if it reads as performative. What wins is visible...verifiable action...so the public doesn’t just hear concern...they see resistance. That said, I've felt like being REALLY LOUD as of late...and certainly understand where you are coming from. I do.
So...yes...stand united... file the cases...force the hearings...block the procedural power grabs...and communicate it in real time with receipts. Not panic. PROOF.
I'm glad you're here, Sue!
-Jack
It is 2:10 in the morning. I should be sleeping, but instead I woke automatically to check on my husband, even though our kids are here now and our son is taking "first watch." I really didn't mean "loud" as in screaming or yelling, but I do love the idea of someone being greeted with a colosseum worth of boos, but I meant more of steadfast voices speaking together, and our elected representatives not allowing the voices of We the People to be silenced.
Tonight he opened his eyes for the first time in many days, and took the three of us in, then started talking, softly but clearly, to tell each of us that he loved us. His son spoke to him first, with a quiet outpouring of grief so intense his shoulders were shaking.
Our voices don't need to be individually loud in volume, but joined together with conviction and demand, our voices will be heard. Those with the ability and tools must do as we know they must, to gather the proof, the receipts of the crimes being committed against us, the citizens of America, against even those who naively think what is happening will benefit them, and to Hell with the rest of us.
If we don't, America will be sitting as I am now, grieving for what we are losing, and not able to bring it back.
#HoldFast
Sue
Jay Inslee, former governor of Washington State, suggests that Congress add an amendment to the Homeland Security budget bill to prevent ICE activity on election day. That would stop Trump from using ICE to intimidate voters in competitive districts and states.
Excellent idea and YES, add that to the calls we make, every time we make them! I know I will!
Expect to see:
Weekly vote calls for Impeachments to get the public outcry even louder.
All separate: 6 Supreme Court Judges, Bondi, Noem, Bessent, Gabbard, Hegseth, Kennedy, Lutnick, McMahon, Radcliffe, Rubio. tRump.
More than enough to show how incompetent, crooked and corrupt this administration is.
Call the minions out too. Miller and the like. Hearings into why they are on military base housing on the American tax dollar.
Schumer and Jefferies are coming off as Whiny Ass Bitches. Stop turning the other cheek and slap back. Hard.
*** we have to be careful on the State level…. 20 states have passed referendums for a Constitutional Convention. All red. They want a power grab and what better way then to Re-Write the rules of the game. ***
Since the Dems are at a loss in the House and in the Senate, I expect groups of five of them to attend rallies in the major cities. The purpose is not to fund raise. It is to stand on the front lines in the cold, rain, wind and get a feel for the sentiments of multitudes. Further, I expect them to open their own wallets and get themselves to the location.
Publish the autopsy of the 2024 election. It was promised and would help people understand the problems.
Publish the current actions being accomplished by DNC et al
REACT to responses on both - with corrective actions
Stop asking for money for a month while implementing actual actions to defend democracy. Then can point to actual actions and ask for support
This and voting reforms, co-sponsored, to eliminate the power grab of Liberty Votes.