Octopus Overlords

(10/19/2016) The 2016 campaign may have reached dispiriting new lows, but voter registration in America has soared to new heights as 200 million people are now registered to vote for the first time in U.S. history.
...
There is no current national database of voter registration because each state independently runs its own election. But TargetSmart, a Democratic political data firm, told POLITICO that the country passed the 200 million threshold in recent days as North Carolina, New Hampshire, Nevada and New York reported new voter numbers.

Isgrimnur wrote:

Defiant wrote:GOP Data Firm Accidentally Leaks Personal Details of Nearly 200 Million American Voters

They don't get much bigger.

Article wrote:Political data gathered on more than 198 million US citizens was exposed this month after a marketing firm contracted by the Republican National Committee stored internal documents on a publicly accessible Amazon server.

The data leak contains a wealth of personal information on roughly 61 percent of the US population. Along with home addresses, birthdates, and phone numbers, the records include advanced sentiment analyses used by political groups to predict where individual voters fall on hot-button issues such as gun ownership, stem cell research, and the right to abortion, as well as suspected religious affiliation and ethnicity. The data was amassed from a variety of sources—from the banned subreddit r/fatpeoplehate to American Crossroads, the super PAC co-founded by former White House strategist Karl Rove.

The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office will not be marching as an organization during this weekend’s Portland Pride Parade, following a request from organizers that they not march in uniform.

The request from Pride Northwest came in a letter from Executive Director Debra Porta. Porta said while the nonprofit recognizes the progress made for LGTBQ people to serve in law enforcement, there are people within the LGBTQ community who don’t’ feel comfortable with a law enforcement presence.

Defiant wrote:Pride Parade organizers ask law enforcement not to march in uniform

The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office will not be marching as an organization during this weekend’s Portland Pride Parade, following a request from organizers that they not march in uniform.

The request from Pride Northwest came in a letter from Executive Director Debra Porta. Porta said while the nonprofit recognizes the progress made for LGTBQ people to serve in law enforcement, there are people within the LGBTQ community who don’t’ feel comfortable with a law enforcement presence.

Can't say I agree with this decision. Pride is about being true to who you are, and representing the entire LGBT community, including those in the LGBT community that are part of law enforcement. They shouldn't be ashamed of that.

Defiant wrote:Pride Parade organizers ask law enforcement not to march in uniform

The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office will not be marching as an organization during this weekend’s Portland Pride Parade, following a request from organizers that they not march in uniform.

The request from Pride Northwest came in a letter from Executive Director Debra Porta. Porta said while the nonprofit recognizes the progress made for LGTBQ people to serve in law enforcement, there are people within the LGBTQ community who don’t’ feel comfortable with a law enforcement presence.

Can't say I agree with this decision. Pride is about being true to who you are, and representing the entire LGBT community, including those in the LGBT community that are part of law enforcement. They shouldn't be ashamed of that.

Now Hikes, a black queer woman, is excited about a new gay-rights symbol: a pride flag with additional black and brown stripes above the rest of the rainbow. The stripes represent LGBT individuals of color, a group that can often be overlooked within the overall LGBT umbrella.

The flag was unveiled at a recent Pride Month kick-off event in Philadelphia as part of a new campaign, More Color More Pride, which aims to recognize nonwhite LGBT communities as part of the broader pride movement, starting with the most visible and widely-recognized symbol of the LGBT community.

But with the nationwide support came pushback and criticism. Hikes said that the "vast majority" of critics are gay white men, a sector of the LGBT community that doesn't necessarily understand the issues that LGBT people of color might face.
"White people do not know what racism looks like, because that's the definition of racism," Hikes said.

Paingod wrote:

Isgrimnur wrote:

Defiant wrote:GOP Data Firm Accidentally Leaks Personal Details of Nearly 200 Million American Voters

They don't get much bigger.

Article wrote:Political data gathered on more than 198 million US citizens was exposed this month after a marketing firm contracted by the Republican National Committee stored internal documents on a publicly accessible Amazon server.

The data leak contains a wealth of personal information on roughly 61 percent of the US population. Along with home addresses, birthdates, and phone numbers, the records include advanced sentiment analyses used by political groups to predict where individual voters fall on hot-button issues such as gun ownership, stem cell research, and the right to abortion, as well as suspected religious affiliation and ethnicity. The data was amassed from a variety of sources—from the banned subreddit r/fatpeoplehate to American Crossroads, the super PAC co-founded by former White House strategist Karl Rove.

Everything about you except your SSN - including details you might consider more personal than your SSN.

msteelers wrote:Anyone else curious to see what their file says about them?

Isgrimnur wrote:The technical details here.

This reporter was able, after determining his RNC ID, to view his modeled policy preferences and political actions as calculated by TargetPoint. It is a testament both to their talents, and to the real danger of this exposure, that the results were astoundingly accurate.

Eric McGhee, a research fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California, has figured out a new way to think about gerrymandering: in terms of efficiency. With packing and cracking, the goal is to ensure your opponents’ votes are wasted, so they do not contribute to victory. A packed district has—artificially—too many votes for one side. A cracked district, too few. McGhee figured out how to calculate the “efficiency gap” of an election. Go district by district, counting how many votes the winner got above 50 percent—anything higher was a waste. Then count the loser’s votes, because all those went down the tubes. Add up all the waste by party statewide, then take the difference between the two numbers as a percentage of votes cast—that’s the efficiency gap. Yes, other factors could be at work—population change, let’s say. But in general, the bigger the gap, the more gerrymandered the state.

Defiant wrote:That's a nice segue to

Eric McGhee, a research fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California, has figured out a new way to think about gerrymandering: in terms of efficiency. With packing and cracking, the goal is to ensure your opponents’ votes are wasted, so they do not contribute to victory. A packed district has—artificially—too many votes for one side. A cracked district, too few. McGhee figured out how to calculate the “efficiency gap” of an election. Go district by district, counting how many votes the winner got above 50 percent—anything higher was a waste. Then count the loser’s votes, because all those went down the tubes. Add up all the waste by party statewide, then take the difference between the two numbers as a percentage of votes cast—that’s the efficiency gap. Yes, other factors could be at work—population change, let’s say. But in general, the bigger the gap, the more gerrymandered the state.

GERRYMANDERING HAS A SOLUTION AFTER ALL. IT'S CALLED MATH

El Guapo wrote:Apparently terrible weather is causing big traffic jams today in GA-6.

Ralph-Wiggum wrote:

El Guapo wrote:Apparently terrible weather is causing big traffic jams today in GA-6.

The Republicans really know how to pull out all the stops, don't they?

LordMortis wrote:

Defiant wrote:That's a nice segue to

Eric McGhee, a research fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California, has figured out a new way to think about gerrymandering: in terms of efficiency. With packing and cracking, the goal is to ensure your opponents’ votes are wasted, so they do not contribute to victory. A packed district has—artificially—too many votes for one side. A cracked district, too few. McGhee figured out how to calculate the “efficiency gap” of an election. Go district by district, counting how many votes the winner got above 50 percent—anything higher was a waste. Then count the loser’s votes, because all those went down the tubes. Add up all the waste by party statewide, then take the difference between the two numbers as a percentage of votes cast—that’s the efficiency gap. Yes, other factors could be at work—population change, let’s say. But in general, the bigger the gap, the more gerrymandered the state.

GERRYMANDERING HAS A SOLUTION AFTER ALL. IT'S CALLED MATH

I really really really like this. I should say I really really really like the implied solution of demanding geographies approach equalibrium.

Ralph-Wiggum wrote:

El Guapo wrote:Apparently terrible weather is causing big traffic jams today in GA-6.

The Republicans really know how to pull out all the stops, don't they?

Pyperkub wrote:So where's the data? Couldn't find a link in the article...

Thank you for contacting me regarding alleged contacts between Russian intelligence officers and associates of President Trump. On May 17, 2017, former FBI Director Robert Mueller was appointed as special counsel to oversee the Justice Department's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

I look forward to working with Special Counsel Mueller to determine how Congress can continue its examination of Russia's actions during the election without compromising the Justice Department's ongoing criminal investigation. The Russians have been trying to break the backbone of democracies all over the world, and although they did not change the outcome, in my view, they clearly interfered in the 2016 election. As the Senate considers this issue, I will keep you comments in mind.

As your United States Senator, my primary job is to understand and represent the interests of all South Carolinians. The opportunity to hear from you about the issues confronting our nation is not only essential to representative democracy, but allows me to better serve the people of South Carolina. We will not see eye-to-eye on every issue; however, I promise to always give your concerns the consideration they deserve.
I encourage you to visit my website — — as it will have information on the most recent activities before the U.S. Senate. You can also sign up for our e-mail newsletter, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube pages which will provide the latest information and updates on the major issues facing our state and our nation.
Thank you again for contacting me. I truly appreciate the opportunity to hear from you and am honored to have the opportunity to represent your interests in the U.S. Senate.
Sincerely,

Lindsey O. Graham
United States Senator

Thank you for contacting me to share your thoughts on former FBI Director James Comey’s dismissal by President Trump. I value your opinion on this important issue and firmly believe that I cannot perform my responsibilities efficiently without having the benefit of the views of my constituents. I thank you for the opportunity to respond.

As head of the executive branch, it is entirely constitutional for President Trump to exercise his discretion regarding who leads executive branch departments. It must be remembered that every employee of the executive branch works for the president. As with previous administrations, there will continue to be no tolerance for excessive over-reach by the executive branch. I will continue to push for accountability and transparency at all levels of government.

I thank former Director Comey for his work and service to our nation. Leading the bureau responsible for upholding our nation’s laws and integrity is no simple task. As per the powers vested in the Senate by Article Two, Section Two of the constitution, my role in the Senate will be that of appropriate consideration and review of the new FBI Director nominee. As such, I look forward to focusing on reviewing President Trump’s pick for FBI Director.

I do not believe that the Director’s dismissal will affect how the FBI carries out its investigations, and I have full confidence in the brave men and women serving our nation every day at the FBI. Multiple federal entities are currently and independently conducting Russia investigations, including the Senate Intelligence Committee. Chairman Burr and Ranking Member Warner have repeatedly demonstrated they are working together to uncover all of the facts, and I have no reason to believe they will not.

I look forward to the Senate Intelligence Committee’s report, and to reviewing that and any findings made by the FBI at the conclusion of their investigations.

Again, thank you for sharing your perspective with me; I hope that you will continue to do so in the future. If I can ever be of assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me or a member of my staff.
For more information, please visit my website at and subscribe to my monthly e-newsletter. I also encourage you to follow me on Facebook: and Twitter: for daily updates.
Sincerely,

Tim Scott
United States Senator

hepcat wrote:You should probably stop using the term "walking away with it". You obviously don't know what it means.

stessier wrote:You might remember I wrote to my reps way back urging an independent prosecutor.