America didn’t vote for this
There’s still math being processed in the wake of November’s election, but the numbers we have access to can be employed to tell very different stories.
While focusing on the percentages and margins of victory, the story that has emerged has been a “rightward shift” in the vote, across blue states and red states, across urban and rural areas.
But when looking at the number of total votes, the math does not seem to suggest that TFP gained much ground. He picked up 3 million more votes than he did in 2020, but his proportional share of all eligible voters did not change (32% in both 2020 and 2024). Moreover, it appears that as many as 19 million Biden voters did not cast a vote for president in 2024.
So the story of TFP’s historically narrow win could perhaps better be understood as a failure of the Democratic Party to convince voters of the stakes.
We can see in this survey that non-voters simply didn’t believe that TFP’s election to a second term would lead to a national ban on abortion, or a reduction in funding for vaccines, or cuts in Social Security.
This doesn’t change the fact that TFP won, but it disrupts the idea that TFP and his agenda are what voters want.
Small win: Costco doesn’t cave
While cowardly business leaders (I am sad to add Tim Cook to this list) continue to give conveniently consistently-sized $1 million donations to TFP’s inauguration, the board of Costco is unanimously standing by the company’s commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
From their statement to investors:
Our efforts at diversity, equity and inclusion remind and reinforce with everyone at our Company the importance of creating opportunities for all. We believe that these efforts enhance our capacity to attract and retain employees who will help our business succeed. This capacity is critical because we owe our success to our now over 300,000 employees around the globe.
We welcome members from all walks of life and backgrounds. As our membership diversifies, we believe that serving it with a diverse group of employees enhances satisfaction. Among other things, a diverse group of employees helps bring originality and creativity to our merchandise offerings, promoting the "treasure hunt" that our customers value. That group also helps to provide insights into the tastes and preferences of our members. And we believe (and member feedback shows) that many of our members like to see themselves reflected in the people in our warehouses with whom they interact.
Having diversity in our supplier base, including appropriate attention to small businesses, is beneficial for many of the same reasons diversity benefits our Company. We believe that it fosters creativity and innovation in the merchandise and services that we offer our members.
Many things can be true at once. These benefits can both be real and impossible to materialize as if by magic. Investments in DEI are good business (for those businesses who understand what they gain from it).
One @#$%ing thing
As I work to compile a holistic view of my media subscriptions (so I can continually reassess and reallocate, as appropriate), I’m trying out Rolling Stone ($7.99/month) as a source for political and cultural reporting. I’ve hit its paywall quite a lot in the past few months (via links from sources I rely on), and I’d like to read some of the work to understand if I want to make it a part of my regular diet.
All the @#$%ing things
Night 36: Catalogued things we know about Memlon Fuchs
Night 35: Described an early MAGA rift
Night 34: The gap between what voters want and what they’re getting
Night 33: An editorial policy of sorts
Night 32: Requesting records when medical claims are denied
Night 31: Things I’ve learned about money laundering
Night 30: Turned to the words of Frederick Douglass
Night 29: Canceled my OpenAI subscription
Night 28: Donated money to three orgs
Night 27: Addressed a hazardous tile floor
Night 26: Picked up trash with the Trash Falcons
Night 25: Learned more about Pete Hegseth than I wanted to
Night 24: Canceled recurring subscriptions I no longer need
Night 23: Dwelt in gratitude
Night 22: Picked up pie from a favorite local business
Night 21: Downsized my clothes closet
Night 20: Increased my monthly contribution to the ACLU
Night 19: Deleted a blog from two decades ago
Night 18: Researched nonprofit board opportunities
Night 17: Contributed to Trans Lifeline
Night 16: Spent time together with loved ones
Night 15: Bought from a not-for-profit online store
Night 14: Refined an icon and wordmark
Night 13: Contributed to the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund
Night 12: Contributed to The Guardian
Night 11: Read, reflected, and rested
Night 10: Sent money to support vaccinations in Nigeria
Night 9: Sent money to a friend in need
Night 8: Gave gifts and spoke words of appreciation aloud
Night 7: Contributed to a California-focused nonprofit newsroom
Night 6: Made homemade donuts for my team
Night 5: Opted into a paid Buttondown tier
Night 4: Reviewed my local election results
Night 3: Deactivated my X account
Night 2: Contributed to my local nonprofit newsroom
Night 1: Started by starting
Words, sorts, thinks, and actions by Chris Ereneta, from Oakland, California. Thanks for reading! Consider forwarding this to a friend! Thoughtful feedback and questions are welcomed at that.often@gmail.com