A compendium of the best reporting and commentary surrounding the pivotal 2024 elections in the United States. You will rarely find horse race coverage here, or the standard "both sides" BS that passes so often for political journalism. What you will find are links, with brief commentary, to work that I believe advances the conversation we should be having about America's – and the world's – future. Remember: Everything is at stake this year. (Unfortunately, some of the work I point to is behind paywalls.)
Why does Australian TV news cover the U.S. elections better than American TV?
I've been watching coverage of the U.S. elections from ABC, Australian's public television news operation, and it is just excellent. The twopieces above combine entertaining presentation with dense facts in a way that is clearer than almost anything I've seen from U.S. news programs. The episodes drill deep into the scary reality that this may be our last free election, because the Trump political operation – a.k.a. apparatchiks, Republican Party office holders, and cultists eager to bring down democracy – have been working for years go take over, and steal the government if they can't do it in a legitimate vote. I've seen a few American TV-news shows that tried to convey this, but none have done it better than ABC.
What's at stake, and why we need to elect Harris
Have a look at this rally featuring the former first lady and, I fervently hope, the next president. Obama is a brilliant speaker. She lays out the case for why Harris deserves our support. Then Harris brings it home. Compare this vision with the fascist maunderings of a revenge-driven former president. Harris is far from perfect, but my god, there is just no comparison – and no rational choice but to support her.
Trump-loving immigrant oligarch's contempt for U.S. law started early
Long before he became one of Donald Trump’s biggest donors and campaign surrogates, South African-born Elon Musk worked illegally in the United States as he launched his entrepreneurial career after ditching a graduate studies program in California, according to former business associates, court records and company documents obtained by The Washington Post.
The Washington Post is embroiled in a scandal right now – its owner's cowardly and/or craven veto of a presidential endorsement that was long in the works. I'll talk more about that tomorrow. But for now, let's remember that there are some excellent journalists at the organization, and this story is an example of a meaningful look into the corrupt nature of Trump, his sycophants, and those who seek to profit from his mob-like friendship.
Voting is just part of democracy, but it's the essential place to start. Make sure you're registered. Doublecheck in the fall, well before Election Day, because in some states Republican officials are removing people, mostly those who tend to vote for Democrats, from voting rolls.
Take your personal contact list, compare it to the national voter file, and find out which of your actual friends, family, co-workers and past acquaintances live in swing states and districts where a call or text from you could be hugely influential.
Please read Micah Sifry's advice – and heed it! You still have time to make a huge difference.
Please send your suggestions
I spend a lot of time looking for essential coverage, and hope you'll help me by letting me know about the good stuff you find. Let me know.
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Micah L. Sifry
