Fact checking and other stuff
I have not been watching the online Democratic convention but maybe I should be. When I got online with a friend this morning, said friend was kvetching that AOC had nominated Bernie Sanders for president. What? This sounded fishy to me. I know that AOC has been a Sanders supporter but I believed that she (and Sanders) were now supporting Biden because “Bad Orange Man Must Go”.
If you have randomly found this boring blahg of blather, I cannot stand Trump or his sycophants, I am voting for Biden, I voted for Obama and Hillary Clinton and although I am not as far “left” as Sanders or AOC to support them, I greatly admire both of them.
So I did a wee bit of googling. What I understand is that: 1) Yes AOC did nominate Sanders. 2) Sanders had acquired enough delegates that procedural rules required he needed a nomination. 3) The DNC asked AOC to do it and she agreed. 4) She (and Sanders) support Biden. Also. I do NOT IN ANY WAY believe that a Biden presidency will turn our country into “socialism” or “communism”. Great Big Bugs invading from the planet Zephron III would probably have more of an influence on me.
A national news organization then sent out a misleading tweet and that went viral before it was deleted, explained, and apologized for. That was a stupid thing to do but what is really the problem here is so many of us (INCLUDING MEEEEE) do not comprehensively understand how our own government works, including the procedures for electing the president. Before mindlessly sharing political stuff on social media, please READ it through and do some fact checking not to mention self-educating via the google or whatever.
I am missing my yooperland/Atlantian friends this evening. They stopped by for some social distancing whine/cocktails in my backyard and are now on their way south and probably somewhere in O-hiiii-o. See their empty chairs and glasses? They are 20 feet or so from me. We were so busy talking that I didn’t get a pic of my actual friends! They don’t usually visit at a time of year when we can hang out in the back yard because weather. Usually we have a faaaar in the faaaarplace when they are here.
August 19th, 2020 at 7:12 pm
Yes, it’s typical for conventions to nominate the runner-up. It’s a courtesy. (And did I mention typical?)
I’ve been watching and have been pleasantly surprised at how well done it’s been! The tech people behind it are top-notch! I loved the 50-state delegate votes, from every single state and territory, in person in the actual state, often by regular folks. It was quick, interesting, and a bit like a travelogue! I don’t understand everything about how our government works, either, so I was a little taken aback when Delaware “passed” on their vote (rather awkwardly), but then it became clear that the home state of the nominee typically does that so they can put that nominee over the top. I’m actually enjoying this format—much more streamlined and focused compared to the in-person circus.
August 19th, 2020 at 10:49 pm
I don’t generally watch much of the convention, so I wasn’t aware either. I do try to fact check before I post anything though, and I’m not even a news organization.