4 Candidates Who Could Make Congress Less Awful, More Queer

4 Candidates Who Could Make Congress Less Awful, More Queer

While the presidential race, and Donald Trump in particular, dominates the media coverage of this year’s election, the down ballot races are almost as important and every bit as fascinating. If Trump suffers a devastating defeat at the polls–looking less likely now–he has the potential to bring down other Republicans with him. Fewer than 60 out of 435 Congressional seats are considered competitive this round, which means the stakes are high and the battles are fierce.

Democrats are counting on a handful of LGBTQ candidates to narrow the GOP hold on the House. While many face an uphill battle, in an election year this volatile, you can’t count anyone out until the votes are counted.

Here’s the low down on four attractive candidates who could change the face of Congress next year:

Matt Heinz of Arizona

matt-heinz

Heinz is running for a Congressional seat in the Tuscon area. And not just any seat, but one of the most competitive in the nation. His opponent, Martha McSally, won by a scant 161 votes in 2014, a banner year for her fellow Republicans. Heinz stands to benefit from the backlash against Trump’s anti-immigration policies, which has put the entire state in play for Democrats. However, McSally has a massive war chest, while the Democratic party has largely left Heinz on his own.

Angie Craig of Minnesota

angie-craigThe district Craig seeks to represent includes the southern part of Minneapolis and St. Paul and then more conservative-leaning counties. Craig, a health care executive, is running against Jason Lewis, a conservative talk show host with the rich record of off-the-wall remarks that the job implies. Craig is ahead in the polls and has six times the contributions that Lewis has raised, making her one of the most promising prospects for heading to D.C. next year.

Denise Juneau of Montana

denise-juneau-3-of-31
Juneau is seeking to unseat one-term GOP incumbent Al Zinke for Montana’s sole Congressional seat. Twice elected state Superintendent of Public Instruction, Juneau is a native American with deep roots in Montana. She’s facing an uphill battle, though. Zinke has a distinct fundraising advantage, and Montana is traditionally a Republican stronghold. Still, as Juneau proves, Democrats can win statewide office with the right candidate.

Brady Piñero Walkinshaw of Washington

brady-walkinshaw-2

Walkinshaw is seeking to fill the seat left open by retiring veteran Jim McDermott. Walkinshaw would seem the perfect fit for the Seattle-area district, but under Washington law, the top two vote-getters in the primary face off. Walkinshaw’s opponent is fellow Democrat Pramila Jayapal, who is equally progressive, but more in the Bernie Sanders mode. (Sanders endorsed Jayapal.) Jayapal beat Walkinshaw two-to-one in the primary, but he’s waging a sharp campaign. Even if he loses, the 32-year-old Walkinshaw will have other opportunities.

www.queerty.com/4-candidates-make-congress-less-awful-queer-20161106?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

Nate Silver Drops F-bomb in Furious Tweetstorm Defending 538’s Prediction Model

Nate Silver Drops F-bomb in Furious Tweetstorm Defending 538’s Prediction Model

Nate Silver

Incensed by an article from HuffPost’s Washington Bureau Chief Ryan Grim criticizing 538.com and its prediction model, 538’s election prognosticator Nate Silver unleashed a furious tweetstorm on Saturday.

Grim accused Silver of “just guessing” by “changing the results of polls to fit where he thinks the polls truly are, rather than simply entering the poll numbers into his model and crunching them” as opposed to other models that simply look at the hard numbers.

florida_clintonRELATED: Massive Final Weekend Election 2016 Update: Lots of Links

Wrote Grim:

Silver calls this unskewing a “trend line adjustment.” He compares a poll to previous polls conducted by the same polling firm, makes a series of assumptions, runs a regression analysis, and gets a new poll number. That’s the number he sticks in his model ― not the original number.

He may end up being right, but he’s just guessing. A “trend line adjustment” is merely political punditry dressed up as sophisticated mathematical modeling.

Guess who benefits from the unskewing?

By the time he’s done adjusting the “trend line,” Clinton has lost 0.2 points andTrump has gained 1.7 points. An adjustment of below 2 points may not seem like much, but it’s enough to throw off his entire forecast, taking a comfortable 4.6 point Clinton lead and making it look like a nail-biter.

Grim notes that the HuffPost pollster gives Clinton 98 percent chance of winning while the NY Times has Clinton’s chances at 85 percent.

RELATED: Colbert Asks Nate Silver to Predict What Will Happen if Trump Won’t Concede: WATCH

Silver’s model has it as a much tighter race with Clinton currently at 65.5%.

Grim accused Silver of “ratcheting up the panic” unnecessarily, and in favor of Trump:

Silver’s guess that the race is up for grabs might be a completely reasonable assertion ― but it’s the stuff of punditry, not mathematical forecasting.

Punditry has been Silver’s go-to move this election cycle, and it hasn’t served him well. He repeatedly pronounced that Trump had a close to 0 percent chance of winning the Republican primary, even as he led in the polls.

Silver ripped into Grim on Saturday afternoon:

This article is so fucking idiotic and irresponsible. t.co/VNp02CvxlI

— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) November 5, 2016

The reason we adjust polls for the national trend is because **that’s what works best emperically**. It’s not a subjective assumption.

— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) November 5, 2016

It’s wrong to show Clinton with a 6-point lead (as per HuffPo) when **almost no national poll shows that**. Doesn’t reflect the data.

— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) November 5, 2016

Every model makes assumptions but we actually test ours based on the evidence. Some of the other models are barley even empirical.

— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) November 5, 2016

There are also a gajillion ways to make a model overconfident, whereas it’s pretty hard to make one overconfident.

— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) November 5, 2016

If you haven’t carefully tested how errors are correlated between states, for example, your model will be way overconfident.

— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) November 5, 2016

Not just an issue in elections models. Failure to understand how risks are correlated is part of what led to the 2007/8 financial crisis.

— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) November 5, 2016

There’s a reasonable range of disagreement. But a model showing Clinton at 98% or 99% is not defensible based on the empirical evidence.

— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) November 5, 2016

We constantly write about our assumptions and **provide evidence** for why we think they’re the right ones. t.co/IhLKXdxGGK

— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) November 5, 2016

That’s what makes a model a useful scientific & journalistic tool. It’s a way to understand how elections work. Not just about the results.

— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) November 5, 2016

The problem is that we’re doing this in a world where people—like @ryangrim—don’t actually give a shit about evidence and proof.

— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) November 5, 2016

The philosophy behind 538 is: Prove it. Doesn’t mean we can’t be wrong (we’re wrong all the time). But prove it. Don’t be lazy.

— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) November 5, 2016

And especially don’t be lazy when your untested assumptions happen to validate your partisan beliefs.

— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) November 5, 2016

Grim concludes:

We’ll have to wait and see what happens. Maybe Silver will be right come Election Day ― Trump will win Florida, and we’ll all be in for a very long night. Or our forecast will be right, she’ll win nationally by 5 or 6, and we can all turn in early.

If he’s right, though, it was just a good guess ― a fortunate “trend line adjustment” ― not a mathematical forecast. If you want to put your faith in the numbers, you can relax. She’s got this.

(h/t/ politico)

The post Nate Silver Drops F-bomb in Furious Tweetstorm Defending 538’s Prediction Model appeared first on Towleroad.


Nate Silver Drops F-bomb in Furious Tweetstorm Defending 538’s Prediction Model

A View from TEDx Sonoma County

A View from TEDx Sonoma County

meChristopher posted a photo:

A View from TEDx Sonoma County

Along with hundreds of San Francisco Bay Area locals, I heard stories and perspectives from unique people and speakers at TEDx Sonoma County. Moving back to this area just last year, this was my first time to attend this local event. Speakers shared stories from what seemed like the whole gamut of topics – all connected by perspectives – how we see the world, experience it, understand it and so on. So much good information and sharing. I was especially moved by the stories from Mary Carouba, Luanne Nightingale and Matt Nightingale. The latter two ended the event, and truly spoke to me. They spoke about embracing their lives with love, authenticity, and gratitude – even when faced with difficult truths. Their story is also very personal. Sharing it was brave and amazing. Luanne and Matt, thank you. What a great way to spend a Saturday.

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A View from TEDx Sonoma County

Because Love Matters, by Krystal

Because Love Matters, by Krystal
64781_mediumThree times classical music pianist winner (Dallas), Former 1996 Prom Queen Winner, Teen Pageant Best Dress Winner, Teen Pageant Best Talent Award, Teen academic awards, Published Testimonial Story in GO TELL IT! By Debby Efurd, Gospel Community choir singer and God Lover. I volunteered at the NOH8 photo shoot in Dallas, Texas to assist all who came from different

www.noh8campaign.com/article/because-love-matters-by-krystal

On All Saints' Day, Tuesday, November 1, 2016, members of The Table gathered in Frontier Park, Erie PA for a memorial for victims of the Orlando Pulse mass shooting.

On All Saints' Day, Tuesday, November 1, 2016, members of The Table gathered in Frontier Park, Erie PA for a memorial for victims of the Orlando Pulse mass shooting.

Michael Mahler posted a photo:

On All Saints' Day, Tuesday, November 1, 2016, members of The Table gathered in Frontier Park, Erie PA for a memorial for  victims of the Orlando Pulse mass shooting.

On All Saints’ Day, Tuesday, November 1, 2016, members of The Table gathered in Frontier Park, Erie PA for a memorial for victims of the Orlando Pulse mass shooting.

On All Saints' Day, Tuesday, November 1, 2016, members of The Table gathered in Frontier Park, Erie PA for a memorial for  victims of the Orlando Pulse mass shooting.

Massive Final Weekend Election 2016 Update: Lots of Links

Massive Final Weekend Election 2016 Update: Lots of Links

florida_clinton

With just two full days to go before most voters head to the polls on November 8, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are on a whirlwind schedule, polls are allegedly tightening, last minute videos are airing, judges are issuing orders on voter intimidation, and early voting predictions are contributing to a mania this country has never before seen in an election.

Here is an update on what is currently going on. Please feel free to civilly vent your thoughts about what you’re seeing and what you believe is happening in the comments.

THE STORY OF US. Don’t miss this ‘final argument’ from Hillary Clinton.

nevadaEARLY VOTING. Latino surge seen to benefit Clinton: “Hispanic voters in key states surged to cast their ballots in the final days of early voting this weekend, a demonstration of political power that lifted Hillary Clinton’s presidential hopes and threatened to block off Donald J. Trump’s path to the White House…This long, unpredictable and often downright bizarre election was, in other words, ending along the lines it had been contested all along: with Americans sharply divided along demographic lines between the two candidates. But Democrats continued to hold the upper hand, thanks in part to the changing nature of the electorate in the most crucial states: Florida and a cluster of states in the South and West.”

TIGHTENING POLLS. Or is it the opposite? “Some Democrats believe that the polls may actually be skewed against Clinton, arguing that Trump’s rhetoric is sending Hispanics to the polls in record numbers in states like Nevada, Florida and North Carolina – all of which are must-win states for Trump.”

FIVETHIRTYEIGHT. Here’s their current odds.

Nate Silver, New York Times blogger and statisticianNATE SILVER. Doesn’t know what the hell is going on: “In some ways, our fundamental hypothesis about this campaign is that uncertainty is high, with both a narrow Trump win and a more robust Clinton win — in the mid-to-high single digits — remaining entirely plausible outcomes. The polls-plus model, which gives Trump a 36 percent chance, is basically the same one that gave Mitt Romney just a 9 percentchance on the eve of the 2012 election, so it isn’t inherently so cautious. But the still-high number of voters not committed to either Trump or Clinton — about 13 percent of the electorate says it’s undecided or will vote for a third-party candidate, as compared with just 3 percent in the final 2012 polling average — contributes substantially to uncertainty. So does the unusually broad swing-state map, with the outcome in at least a dozen states still in some doubt.”

SEXISM. How much is it hurting Clinton?

ELECTORAL MAP. John King compares Clinton’s position to that of Obama four years ago.

 

REAL CLEAR POLITICS. Here’s their current electoral map.

Trump Clinton debateFINAL WEEKEND. Where the candidates are spending it: “A Trump campaign aide told NBC News that a Michigan or Pennsylvania victory is the Republican nominee’s best path forward. Trump will likely campaign in left-leaning Michigan on Sunday, and two campaign aides said focusing on that state will give him flexibility to lose New Hampshire and Nevada…Clinton, meanwhile, is leaning on the likes of Katy Perry, who will perform at her rally in Philadelphia, and Bon Jovi, who will take the stage with her running mate, Tim Kaine, in St. Petersburg, Florida. It’s the second day the Democratic nominee has turned to celebrity supporters for an assist: Jay Z and Beyonce performed at a rally Friday in Cleveland.”

LAST MINUTE. Michigan, Virginia: “Hillary Clinton will campaign in Michigan on Monday, one day before the presidential election, as polls show her once-comfortable lead in the state eroding and as Republican Donald Trump eyes it as a potential way to come from behind in the hunt for electoral votes.That announcement from the Clinton campaign came as Trump also rejiggered his itinerary, making plans for last-minute stops in Virginia, where Clinton has led but Republicans are catching up.”

MONDAY. Clinton will hold midnight rally in Raleigh.

CLEVELAND. Beyoncé and Jay-Z come out for Clinton in Ohio. “Less than 100 years ago, women did not have the right to vote. Look how far we’ve come from having no voice to being on the brink of making history, again, by electing the first woman president.”

LANGUAGE. Trump comes for Jay Z. “He used every word in the book,” Trump said. “I won’t even use the initials because I’ll get in trouble, they’ll get me in trouble. He used every word in the book last night.”

FLORIDA. Clinton rally sees downpour in Pembroke Pines: “The last weekend of early voting, which ends at 7 p.m. Sunday, traditionally brings multitudes of Democrats to the polls. Clinton’s appearance was timed to push supporters to cast their ballots, the bad weather could keep some of them home. Clinton’s Saturday was her third Broward County appearance in six days.”

ROAR. Hillary Clinton uses Katy Perry hit in battleground state ad that will air through election day. “The ad will run Saturday through Election Day in 11 states identified as battlegrounds: Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.”

Melania TrumpMELANIA. Trump’s wife worked illegally in U.S., it has been confirmed: “Mrs. Trump, who received a green card in March 2001 and became a U.S. citizen in 2006, has always maintained that she arrived in the country legally and never violated the terms of her immigration status. During the presidential campaign, she has cited her story to defend her husband’s hard line on immigration.”

TRUMP AFFAIR. National Enquirer paid $150K for Playboy Playmate’s story of affair with Trump, but never published it: “Karen McDougal, Playboy’s 1998 playmate of the year, claims to have had an affair with Trump from 2006 to 2007, while he was married to his current wife, Melania Trump, according to the report. American Media Inc., which owns The National Enquirer, confirmed the payment, but said it was for a column.”

CLOSING MESSAGE. Trump released a new ad on Friday called ‘Donald Trump’s Argument for America’. Here it is, if you can stomach it:

TRUMP’S WEEKLY ADDRESS. Called ‘Closing the history book on the Clintons’.

VOTER INTIMIDATION

ohioOHIO. A federal judge has issued an order seeking to prevent Trump and his supporters from intimidating voters: “U.S. District Judge James Gwin in Cleveland ruled Friday that anyone who engages in intimidation or harassment inside or near polling places, regardless of political alliance, would face contempt of court charges. Gwin’s decision to grant a temporary restraining order follows a complaint filed by the Ohio Democratic Party against Trump’s campaign and Republican political operative Roger Stone.”

virginiaVIRGINIA. Trump supporter totes gun outside of polling place: “Authorities in the nation’s richest county are apparently OK with that. Erika Cotti encountered the man when she went to vote at the county’s registrar’s office, she told The Huffington Post. ‘I had my 9-year-old son with me. I felt intimidated,’ Cotti said. ‘And I had to explain to my 9-year-old why a man with a 357 magnum is standing outside the polling station.’ Cotti said the man offered her a Republican sample ballot, which she declined.”

New Jersey Same-sex unionsNEW JERSEY. Democrats lose battle for injunction forbidding voter intimidation: “There’s no evidence the Republican National Committee is engaged in efforts to intimidate voters in violation of a 1982 court order barring such activities, a federal judge ruled in rejecting a request by Democrats for sanctions. U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez in Newark, New Jersey, on Saturday denied the DNC request, ruling that the RNC hadn’t violated the order. The RNC has long denied that its ballot-security measures intimidate voters or suppress the vote.”

The post Massive Final Weekend Election 2016 Update: Lots of Links appeared first on Towleroad.


Massive Final Weekend Election 2016 Update: Lots of Links