I Promise That Soon We Will Get Back to Dodger Baseball

It’s just not today… unless you want to talk about it. In which case, I am fine. We had some good discussions about politics, some about Dodger Blue Mom, and a little about Dodger Baseball. We will get back to that soon, but first I must answer some questions. I will first start with David, because of relevance:

Mark, you raise some fundamental questions, so I would like to raise a few as well.

1. Is this a political blog or not?

2. Who decides when it is political, and when it is not?

3. Was cancelling us your intention when you closed the blog?

4. When are we going to move on from this?

David,

Those are fair questions. I will address each one:

1. This is not a political blog but MLB and the Dodgers made it one. It is about baseball, but baseball just decided to become about politics. I believe that this question would be better addressed to the moron in charge of MLB.
2. I guess I do, but as you know, I can be persuaded to change my mind.
3. Of course not. That is why I re-opened it. It is a special community.
4. Tomorrow… if possible.

Next, I come to William and while I appreciate your writing skill and your civility, most of what you wrote just parrots the media who lie like rugs.

First, you say “The 2020 elections were free and fair, that was stated by every reputable person who had knowledge of such things, including former Attorney General William Barr, who spent his time in office doing everything he could to help Trump win a second term and escape any legal challenges.” All of that is hyperbole devoid of fact. In fact, it is absolutely not true. You use the word “reputable” which means you disallow anyone with whom you do not agree. This is evidence that would not be allowed in any court.

I agree that Trump was a moron to ask the AG and Governor to overturn the election. Was it criminal? I doubt that it rose to that level, but it was dumb. How’s that?

“So why did Georgia pass this law? Not because of fraud, there was no fraud. It was in order to insure that Republicans would never lose another state election in Georgia. And they will not, if this bill is not superseded by HR1. Otherwise, Georgia will be a totalitarian state, where it is impossible for Democrats to ever win.” 

Well, that is an opinion that most Republicans have about the Democrats. I think it could be sold on the other side of the aisle easier (Statehood for DC and Puerto Rico and stacking the Supreme Court), but it is only an opinion. Not evidence!

“The bill requires anyone casting an absentee ballot to send in a copy of a state-validated ID.”

Not true. They have to send in the ID# with their signature! 

What the Law Says

The new law removes the Georgia secretary of state as the chair of the state elections board. (Former President Donald Trump and other Republicans have attacked the current Republican secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, for refusing to accommodate Trump’s baseless claims about the 2020 election.) Instead, the law lets the state legislature — which has been under unified Republican control since 2005 — appoint a “nonpartisan” chair of the board.

Under the weekend provisions of the previous law, counties had to open for early voting on only one Saturday during primaries and general elections, from 9 am to 4 pm; Sundays were not mentioned. Under the new law, two Saturdays of early voting are mandatory — from 9 am to 5 pm at minimum and from 7 am to 7 pm if counties desire — and two Sundays are explicitly made optional.

Under the new law, absentee ballots are allowed to be sent out to voters 29 days before an election, down from the previous 49 days before an election. Voters are allowed to request an absentee ballot a maximum of 78 days before the election, down from 180 days. And the applications have to be received by elections officials no later than 11 days before the election, a reduction from the previous effective deadline of four days before the election.

State and local governments are now prohibited from sending out unsolicited absentee ballot applications. (Because of the pandemic, Raffensperger had applications sent out to all active registered voters for the June 2020 primary.) And third-party groups can face financial penalties if they mail applications to people who have already applied for a ballot.

The law also does away with the signature-matching system Georgia used to use to check the identities of absentee voters. Instead, voters will have to provide their Georgia driver’s license number, the number on their state identification card, or the last four digits of their Social Security number. If they don’t have any of that, they can provide one of several alternative forms of identification, such as a copy of a utility bill, bank statement or government check. Advocates of the change say that this identification system is more precise than subjective attempts to try to match handwriting, while critics note that the new requirements are disproportionately likely to burden Black voters.

A food and drink restriction
Another section of the law, which has generated criticism from Biden and others, limits how voters can be provided food and drink in the vicinity of a voting location.

The law makes it a misdemeanor for “any person” to give or offer “any money or gifts,” including “food and drink,” to any voter within a polling place, within 150 feet of the building housing a polling place, or “within 25 feet of any voter standing in line to vote at any polling place.”

This provision is located in the same paragraph as a provision banning campaign activity in these locations, but the provision doesn’t prohibit only people who are campaigning from giving out food and drink. It says “any person,” not just campaigners.

There is, however, one exception: poll officers are allowed to make available “self-service water from an unattended receptacle to an elector waiting in line to vote.” And it’s perhaps worth noting that there is not a prohibition on voters in line buying food and drink for themselves; the provision is about other people providing “money or gifts” including food and drink.

It is not a perfect bill. The Democrats COVID-19 Relief Bill prioritized just 9% of the money for COVID-19! But, at this point, William, you totally went off the rails and started spewing lies that have no basis in fact. They expanded the polling time DRAMATICALLY and yet you say, they can’t be given water which is LIE! I am sorry, but I will not let you spew this bullshit and lies!

For you to say that Black people don’t have ID’s and access to that kind of thing flies in the face of fact. In fact, I would say that is a racist statement! I could go on and on, but let’s compare what some whites say and what some blacks say about voter ID:

So, I would say to quit believing the LYING LEFT LIBERAL DESPICABLE MEDIA and learn to think for yourself. Black people are as smart as you and me. They know how to get ID’s. They have ID’s and do not appreciate the prototype you paint of them, William!

I think I just may have answered everyone’s questions. If you believe the Georgia Voting Law is Racist, then keep on keeping on. You don’t want to be confused with the facts – your mind is already made up!

MLB Moves the All-Star Game to Denver

Rob Manfred and MLB are dumber than a bag of hammers. MLB moved toe All-Star Game to Denver which has stricter voter registration laws… and oh, there is this:

• Colorado is 86.9% white and only 4.6% black.
• Georgia is 60.2% white and 32.6% black.
• Denver is 76.1% white and 9.2% black.
• Atlanta is 40.9% white and 51% black.

In closing, I have to say that Bumsrap “implored” me not to talk about this again. OK, Bums is a Liberal as is William, but they both want to cancel me and keep me quiet. Well, I will not be quiet. Bums wrote this to me:

“You have the best Dodger blog based on the lead Posts and the comments we all make.  That best status was earned before the All Star game controversy.  If you move back to baseball immediately to keep the best status and if you aggravate those that won’t accept your facts, you might poison the blog.

I implore you to move on.“

Thank you Bums! Yes, I believe it is the best Dodger Blog and it is because I am real and genuine. I do not monetize this blog, but rather have spent tens of thousands of dollars on it. I want to create a community of Dodger Fans, but if I have to sell out my beliefs, I do not care. I will not do it! Abe Lincoln said it and I live it:

“I do the very best I can, I mean to keep going. If the end brings me out all right, then what is said against me won’t matter. If I’m wrong, ten angels swearing I was right won’t make a difference.”

Soon, I will be back to Dodger Baseball… but I will not stand for people who purpurate lies. I will gladly debate anyone on this issue and I will pay all the costs involved. Judges, transportation, and the like. I am not in this for the money. I want the community to continue, but I will not tolerate stupid shit or lies! I am all for discourse!

More About Dodger Blue Mom

I received this e-mail from Ed, Dodger Blue Mom’s Husband today:

Thanks Mark!!  I just checked her email account and so appreciate your notify her fellow bloggers!!  I’ve forwarded the notification link to family.  She has one daughter in LA area who is also a FANatic, not as intense as Mom, but close. 

As I read through the comments I’m overwhelmed.  We tried to get the Dodger cremation urn but the company was sold out with no intent to reorder.  At age 65 she wrote and recorded a few songs with her old sound engineer in Canada (email audio file interchanges).

One of which was a children’s song, White Christmas Dove, a family favorite.  I’ve arranged for 35 white doves to fly over family at her ceremony, one for each year of our marriage on May 10^th.  Attached.  The name she used in her recording years with the trio and copyrighting her music was Miki Shannon.

I thank you again for taking care of her last wish!  Years ago I gave her a signed Koufax photo with signed post card stamp cancellation from Cooperstown.  Since then she’s collected other signed Dodger memorabilia. 

Most sincerely,

Ed Gardini

Roseville, CA

This is why I will continue LADT and no race-baiters and other un-American people will ever stop me.

God Bless the USA and the LA Dodgers.

Oh, feel free to talk baseball on this blog. Hopefully this will pass.