What a week, dearest Community! (I feel like I say that every week!) Election results continue to come in, some of them great—Orange County, anyone?—and some of them heartbreaking (she’ll always be Governor Abrams in my heart). We’ve got recounts and runoffs all over the place, leaving quite a few races still to be decided. Meanwhile, Trump is careening around like he broke a tooth on the silver-plated spoon he was born with, making bad decisions and worse statements to the press.
And oh, the fires. They keep eating up my sweet, chosen home state. Most Californians I know, north, central, and south, are far past the place where at least one person we know and love has been directly impacted by the fires that refuse to stop their destruction. Including more Daily Kos Community members (and staffers) than you might realize.
This week’s collection of Community Picks zigzags around all of these topics and more, and features more first-time diarists than ever before—a whopping three out of this brilliant dozen diaries are rookie endeavors. How ‘bout that?
Settle in and see what we loved this week. Give these writers a Follow and some love, if you’re feeling generous.
When Guy Fieri shows up, you know the disaster is serious - my life in the Camp Fire
By Besame
A horrifyingly vivid first-person account of the Camp fire in Northern California, from a Daily Kos member who lost just about everything to the flames.
The World They Lost: The Golden Years of Weimar Germany
By Camillus
A look at the “golden ‘20s” of Germany, where liberal values surged—and a reminder that all progress can be undone.
Is Mike Pence Making His Move?
By m2c4
As the GOP realizes they might have squeezed all there is to get out of Donald Trump, guess who’s waiting in the wings?
Eight Years of Unwarranted Panic Anesthetized Trump Supporters to Genuine Outrage
By GrafZeppelin127
After spending two terms in a false panic about the black man in the White House, Republicans are numb to the actual terrors created by their orange president.
That’s not a good thing.
MS-Sen: White Mississippi's "Forgetfulness" Problem
By john ak
Mississippi has a horrific history, but don’t tell that to the white folks who choose to turn a blind eye to it.
Mitch McConnell's Intimate Relationship With Stupidity
By AndySchmookler
The logic behind Mitch McConnell’s refusal to protect the Mueller probe is akin to driving around without a spare tire if one saw no sign that any of the four wheels was going flat.
Confessions of an Ohio Poll Watcher
By Captain Action
A first-time diarist shares the frustratingly rewarding experience of their first election as a precinct volunteer devoted to protecting student voter rights—in a deep-red region that had other goals in mind.
The Speech That Saved The Planet
By Haricot Blue
From another first-time diarist, this beautifully potent speech on the future of our planet is one that Donald Trump should and could deliver, but never will.
Persistence
By stapilus
Yet another first-time diarist tells the story of a five-election fight by one candidate who would not give up on the dream of flipping his red district blue.
Giving up is not an option.
The GOP lost more than the House on Tuesday night. They lost their favorite talking point too.
By Murfster35
All that fear-mongering didn’t work out quite as well as the right expected on Election Night. What now?
Had Kind Of A Funny Conversation With This Guy…
By freewayblogger
Our fearless and beloved FreewayBlogger got the opportunity to speak with a man who takes down his beautiful and well-placed protest signs.
It didn’t go as planned.
Would politics be better if we didn't know (or care) about the personal lives of politicians?
By Doctor RJ
The private antics of lawmakers weren’t always fair game to the media and the public.
Gary Hart changed everything—but is Donald Trump changing things back?
That’s it for this week! As always, don’t forget to share your favorites we may have missed in the comments, and I welcome your suggestions for future installments. My Kosmailbox is always open for your submissions!