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    Is corporate media creating a misleading impression of voter sentiment? 91 percent of Nevada Dem voters said 'no'

    David Cay Johnston, DCReport @ RawStory
    February 24, 2020

    Thanks for your support!

    This article was paid for by reader donations to Raw Story Investigates.

    This article was paid for by Raw Story subscribers. Not a subscriber? Try us and go ad-free for $1. Prefer to give a one-time tip? Click here.

    David Cay Johnston, DCReport @ RawStory

    We caution readers to be very careful in interpreting the Democratic primary election results so far for reasons cited below. We think the way our major news organizations are reporting the primary results can easily create a misleading impression of voter sentiment.


    The analysis below should give you pause whether you think Sanders is, and should be, a shoo-in to beat Trump or you fear that a Sanders nomination will ensure a second Trump term and a romp by Republican Congressional candidates.

    We ask ardent supporters and foes of Sanders, or any other candidate, to avoid a hot or presumptive reaction to what follows, a concern based on many responses to some of my caucus night tweets and Facebook posts in recent weeks.

    Please ponder what follows in terms of the real issues in the 2020 general election.

    As a general historic rule, the bigger the turnout the better Democrats fare, the worse Republicans do.

    First, whether our Electoral College gives Trump a second term even as he will certainly lose the popular vote—and by a huge margin. Second, how voter turnout will affect whether Republicans retain control of the Senate, which will enable Mitch McConnell to continue packing the federal courts with minimally qualified corporatist and right-wing ideologues.

    As a general historic rule, the bigger the turnout the better Democrats fare, the worse Republicans do.

    Now let’s look at the Nevada primary that ended on Saturday.

    News reports focus on Bernie Sanders as the winner—alongside his win in New Hampshire and his tie with Pete Buttigieg in Iowa.

    Different Measures

    Measured in percentages, Sanders won by a huge plurality with more than 40% of the final caucus votes, based on the 96% counted by Monday morning Nevada time. That’s impressive, especially since in initial caucus voting he got 33% and second-place finisher Joe Biden’s final results came in at less than 20%.

    But now consider the numbers of votes cast.

    Nevada has almost 611,000 registered Democrats. Final results will show about 40,000 votes for Sanders. That means for every vote Sanders won there were 15 Democrats who choose someone else—or no one at all.

    The low turnout is surprising since the party made voting easy. Ballots could be cast in person for four days or at the Saturday caucuses. Yet 91% out of Nevada Democrats didn’t vote or caucus.

    Most Democrats Didn't Bother

    Let’s call the roughly 555,000 Nevada Democrats who didn’t participate the “Don’t-Care Democrats.” What does it say about the Culinary Workers Union and its much-discussed political power in Nevada that so few Democrats voted? What does it say about the union, slightly more than half of whose members are Latino, endorsed no candidate and by some accounts was openly hostile to Sanders?

    The numbers of votes cast, rather than percentages, were downplayed in many news reports, especially on television and radio. Actual votes cast were pushed down in reports like those in The New York Times. Even worse was the main Washington Post Sunday story, which never mentioned how many ballots were cast or the overall percentages, but declared in its headline that “Sanders decisively wins.”

    Granite State Voting

    Now compare the Nevada results with New Hampshire, where Sanders also won. New Hampshire has less than half the population of Nevada—1.3 million people to 3.1 million.

    There are 276,400 registered Democrats in the Granite State. Sanders won more than 76,000 votes.

    Democratic primary votes for all candidates totaled 296,622 or 107% of the number of New Hampshire Democrats.

    Don’t be alarmed—no gravestones voted. In New Hampshire, people who register without choosing a party affiliation can vote in primaries as either Democrats or Republicans. New Hampshire’s largest registration is undeclared with 415,900 out of 981,000 total registered voters.

    Sanders got 11% of the potential primary vote in New Hampshire. And that state’s “Don’t-Care Democrats,” even assuming every undeclared voter is a Democrat, were 58% of potential voters compared to 95% in Nevada.

    Trump Fatigue

    The results from these two of our 50 states show that the overwhelming majority of Democrats in a demographically diverse and fast-growing western state seem to have no interest in who lives in the White House. They show that in New Hampshire, with its century-old town meeting traditions, draws many more voters but still a majority can’t be bothered to cast ballots.

    And they show that it is possible to win a part primary with a tiny number of registered primary eligible voters, less than one in 17 in Nevada.

    What do the Nevada numbers tell us?

    When the overwhelming majority of eligible voters do nothing does that mean they are content with Trump in the White House? Do they believe (wrongly) that their votes don’t matter? Is the problem political lethargy? Indifference? Tacit acceptance?

    The fact is that until after-vote survey work is finished we won’t know.

    A Handful of Voters Will Decide

    What we do know is that a tiny fraction of registered voters could determine who faces Trump. And we now know that there is not much enthusiasm for Sanders in Nevada, a state that is more like America as a whole than either New Hampshire or Iowa, the first caucus state.

    Trump won despite only 46% of actual voters favoring him. Trump brags about his not quite 63 million votes, but Hillary Clinton got close to 66 million votes. Add in minor candidates and 74 million Americans voted against Trump.

    The big question is whether Trump fatigue weighs so heavily on America that the November election will be determined not by the American people, but by tiny minorities in picking the Democratic Party candidate. Even if Sanders founders in the next few primaries, a minority of Democrats will decide.

    And what happens if the vast majority stay home on Nov. 3?

    In the end, our government is the result not of what the American people want, but of who votes. Turnout first. Turnout last. Turnout is all that matters.

    Ask yourself what it means that in the Nevada Democratic primary the real vote was 9% care and 91% couldn’t be bothered.

    I don’t know the answer. What I do know is that we should be actively discussing this. And we should do so not from wishes or fears, but from thoughtful concern about the future, we will soon choose for our nation.

    This article was paid for by Raw Story subscribers. Not a subscriber? Try us and go ad-free for $1. Prefer to give a one-time tip? Click here.

    Enjoy good journalism?

    … then let us make a small request. The COVID crisis has slashed advertising rates, and we need your help. Like you, we here at Raw Story believe in the power of progressive journalism. Raw Story readers power David Cay Johnston’s DCReport, which we've expanded to keep watch in Washington. We’ve exposed billionaire tax evasion and uncovered White House efforts to poison our water. We’ve revealed financial scams that prey on veterans, and legal efforts to harm workers exploited by abusive bosses. And unlike other news outlets, we’ve decided to make our original content free. But we need your support to do what we do.

    Raw Story is independent. Unhinged from corporate overlords, we fight to ensure no one is forgotten.

    We need your support in this difficult time. Every reader contribution, whatever the amount, makes a tremendous difference. Invest with us. Make a one-time contribution to Raw Story Investigates, or click here to become a subscriber. Thank you. Click to donate by check.

    Value Raw Story?

    … then let us make a small request. The COVID crisis has slashed advertising rates, and we need your help. Like you, we believe in the power of progressive journalism — and we’re investing in investigative reporting as other publications give it the ax. Raw Story readers power David Cay Johnston’s DCReport, which we've expanded to keep watch in Washington. We’ve exposed billionaire tax evasion and uncovered White House efforts to poison our water. We’ve revealed financial scams that prey on veterans, and efforts to harm workers exploited by abusive bosses. We need your support to do what we do.

    Raw Story is independent. You won’t find mainstream media bias here. Every reader contribution, whatever the amount, makes a tremendous difference. Invest with us in the future. Make a one-time contribution to Raw Story Investigates, or click here to become a subscriber. Thank you.

    Report typos and corrections to: corrections@rawstory.com.
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    Bruce Springsteen fined $540 for drinking tequila in US national park

    Agence France-Presse
    February 24, 2021

    Bruce Springsteen has been fined $540 after pleading guilty to consuming alcohol in a national recreation area where drinking is banned, a federal judge ruled Wednesday.

    The "Thunder Road" superstar was arrested on November 14, 2020 for drinking what he said in the Zoom court hearing was "two small shots of tequila" in New Jersey's Gateway National Recreation Area.

    Springsteen was also charged with reckless driving and driving under the influence, two charges the court dropped on Wednesday, with the government saying it would not be able to provide sufficient evidence to prove them.

    Appearing in a black jacket and sweater over a collared button-up shirt, the 71-year-old rock icon was calm and cordial as he acknowledged consuming the alcohol in the park despite knowing it was illegal.

    After he initially entered a not guilty plea to all three charges, the defense and prosecution agreed Springsteen would plead guilty to the drinking in a closed area charge in exchange for dismissing the others and avoiding a trial.

    Judge Anthony Mautone noted that it wasn't until two summers ago that drinking in the oceanside park has been considered a violation of the law.

    He also emphasized Springsteen's near impeccable driving record, after the defense cited the rocker's lack of criminal history.

    "Rarely would you see a driver's abstract so devoid of any entries as I see before me, Mr. Springsteen," said the judge, noting one violation that involved cell phone use in a vehicle.

    Jeep ad returning?

    Prosecutors said Springsteen had declined to take a preliminary breath test when a park ranger stopped him, but that such a test is not required by law.

    Mautone ordered the artist to pay $500 for consuming alcohol in the park, along with $40 in court fees.

    "Mr. Springsteen, I need to ask you how long you need to pay that fine," the judge asked the international rock star who has released 20 studio albums over the course of his nearly half-century career.

    "I think I can pay that immediately, your honor," the artist and New Jersey native said with a smile.

    The judge ordered him to take care of the fine within a week.

    In a statement via his publicist sent to AFP after the proceedings, Springsteen's lawyer said the songwriter was "pleased" with the outcome.

    After his arrest Springsteen, who had been operating a motorcycle, submitted to a breath test and blew .02, well under New Jersey's legal driving limit of a .08 blood alcohol concentration.

    Because he was arrested on federal property, the musician was tried in what's known as enclave court, and was not under New Jersey's jurisdiction, though prosecutors said they reviewed the northeastern state's law as persuasive guidance.

    Well over 100 people, most of them journalists, viewed the court proceedings, which were held via video chat due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

    Though it ultimately amounted to little, news of the Springsteen case flared on social media when it came to light in early February.

    It came out days after Springsteen was featured in a two-minute Jeep commercial that debuted during the Super Bowl.

    The carmaker pulled the ad, saying it would "pause" its broadcast until "actual facts can be established."

    Jeep did not immediately comment on whether it would revive the commercial.

    WATCH: Democrat blows up on his GOP colleague at DeJoy hearing for voting to ‘undo’ the 2020 election

    Sky Palma
    February 24, 2021

    As U.S. Postal Service leaders testified this Wednesday before the House Oversight and Reform Committee, Rep. Jody Hice (R-GA) praised the agency's work during the 2020 election, saying allegations that Postmaster General Louis DeJoy was attempting "alter" the election were false.

    "There was a record-setting 135 million mail-in ballots with almost perfect delivery with those," Hice said. "So I'm hopeful that with this information cleared we'll be able to move forward in a bipartisan manner."

    When Hice's remarks were over, Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA) spoke up and pointed out that Hice's vote to undo the 2020 election results in his own state don't comport with his earlier comments about the Post Office's "almost perfect delivery" of ballots.

    "Given that fact, would you say that it was unconscionable that someone would dispute and vote to undo the results of that almost perfect delivery of ballots in the previous election?" Lynch said.

    Watch the video below:


    WATCH: Anti-science GOP senator urges Interior nominee to delete tweet saying ‘Republicans don’t believe in science’

    David Badash, The New Civil Rights Movement
    February 24, 2021

    During the 2020 vice presidential debate U.S. Congresswoman Deb Haaland responded to remarks Mike Pence made, tweeting: "They deleted the word science from their website." She appears to have been referring to one of the first acts the Environmental Protection Agency, under newly-sworn-in President Donald Trump, took: scrubbing part of the EPA's website of the word "science."

    Columbia University's Law Schools's Sabin Center for Climate Change Law reported:

    The Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), which develops clean water standards for states, removed references to “science" from a website describing its mission. A statement that the OSTP develops “science-based" standards to address water pollution was changed to indicate that the office develops “economically and technologically achievable standards."

    The following year, in 2018, Scientific American reported further erosion of adherence to science in the Trump administration:

    Thousands of webpages with climate change information have been removed or buried at agencies including U.S. EPA, the Interior and Energy departments and elsewhere across the government, according to a new report.

    During that VP debate, Rep. Haaland, a Democrat of New Mexico, who happens to be Native American, posted these two tweets:

    Republicans 👏🏼 don't 👏🏼 believe 👏🏼 in 👏🏼 science 👏🏼 #VPDebate
    — Deb Haaland (@DebHaalandNM) October 8, 2020

    She was not wrong.

    She also did not know that four months later she would be sitting in front of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee as President Biden's nominee to be Secretary of the Interior, and be asked to delete her tweet by a Republican Senator – who does not believe in science.

    Meet U.S. Senator Steve Daines of Montana.

    Daines is anti-LGBT:

    #SCOTUS is overriding the will of the people of Montana who have defined marriage as between one man and one woman.
    — Steve Daines (@SteveDaines) June 26, 2015

    He is pro-coal and fossil fuels and doesn't believe in green energy or that climate change is real:

    Mr. President, coal keeps the lights on and it will continue to power the world for decades to come. #SOTU
    — Steve Daines (@SteveDaines) January 13, 2016
    President Obama's war on energy hurts Montana jobs: RT @NBCMontana: Daines rips Obama climate change proposal http://t.co/ssxFh8AO7r
    — Steve Daines (@SteveDaines) June 25, 2013
    He killed the Keystone XL pipeline, re-entered the disastrous Paris Climate Agreement, and now, he's trying to freeze oil, coal and gas leases on federal land. This is an outright attack on American energy and union jobs.
    — Steve Daines (@SteveDaines) January 21, 2021
    The #GreenNewDeal would leave our rural communities in the dark, literally. When it's -40 out, our wind turbines stop turning. What picks up the slack and keeps the heat on for our families and businesses? COAL!
    — Steve Daines (@SteveDaines) March 26, 2019

    Daines, according to a local Montana news report, is the "most conservative U.S. House member in Montana history."

    Another local Montana news outlet asked why Sen. Daines is "Supporting the Anti-Science, Anti-Public Health Turning Point USA?" TPUSA is a far right wing organization very closely tied to both President Donald Trump and his son, Don Jr. It former communications director once suggested the only problem with Adolph Hitler was he was globalist.

    Senator Daines is so anti-science he believes in creationism – or at least thinks it should be taught in science classes.

    “What the schools should teach is, as it relates to biology and science is that they have, um, there's evolution theory, there's creation theory, and so forth. I think we should teach students to think critically, and teach students that there are evolutionary theories, there's intelligent-design theories, and allow the students to make up their minds," he said, as Mother Jones reported.

    He's also anti-abortion and supports an anti-LGBT hate group:

    .@JoeBiden is rewarding the abortion industry and using taxpayer dollars to create a slush fund to line their pockets. It's shameful.

    We must fight back and do all we can to protect the unborn, the most vulnerable and ALL life. https://t.co/J3X0ybuiyI
    — Steve Daines (@SteveDaines) January 28, 2021

    The fact that Daines has a degree in chemical engineering does not mean he believes in science. And if he does, he hides it very well, as his record shows.

    Here's Sen. Daines asking Congresswoman Haaland to delete her tweet, seemingly as a prerequisite to getting approved to become Interior Secretary.

    Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) asks Interior Secretary nominee Rep. Deb Haaland to consider “retracting" her tweet saying “Republicans don't believe in science." pic.twitter.com/egTyYJH4tB
    — The Recount (@therecount) February 24, 2021
     
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