Mr.TaterSalad

Down at Ford Field today. This is the most cautiously excited and optimistic I've been for a Lions season since 2015 when I thought like a fool they'd build on the success of 2015. I expect big improvements for our young core this season and hope we see real growth from our rookIe, second, and third year players.

WaPo: The shadow stalking Democrats’ improving numbers: Can polls be trusted?

We are talking about the accuracy of polling data and whether or not Democrats should rely on it as a good indicator. Sure, Dobbs may well throw everything out the window and flip the script on the midterms. It's also true that polling has ticked up big time since Dobbs. I hope the Dobbs decision does cost Republicans and Democrats come out victorious across the country. But there is still the fact that state-level polling has been off in certain places for several cycles. Yes, you are correct, it is has primarily, but not always, been when Trump was on the ballot. Polls showing Bill Nelson and Andrew Gillum winning Florida in 2018 are examples of that.

2020 was 6 years ago? I know time flies during the pandemic, but I didn't realize it was 2026 already.

And yet even in 2018 there were examples of state-level polling in Senate, Congressional, Gubernatorial, and State Legislative races where Democrats underperformed what the state polls showed. It isn't about being miserable, it's about having realistic expectations that pollsters still have been struggling to capture the total Republican vote share and produce more accurate, state-level polling. You can both be realistic in your assessment of polling and committed to making sure Democrats get the wins that polls say they'll get, even if you are skeptical of said polling.

We've outperformed in polls before at the state level and lost. Just ask Russ Fiengold, Katie McGinty, Sara Gideon, Steve Bullock, Bill Nelson and on.

I'm really not sold on any of the state polling yet either. There have been serious errors in state-level polling for several cycles yet. I'm encouraged to a degree by improved polling for Democrats, but not ready to fully trust any of it.

Let's say the Eagles do drop 41 on us. That likely means multiple TDs from their receiving trio of Brown, Smith, and Goedert and a bad day at the office for our defensive backfield. You look at last years offense after week one and we were all jumping off a cliff in panic given how bad it looked. Then, by season's end, the offense had made big improvements and had clearly become the stronger of the two units. Does Philly dropping 40 on us in week one tell us that this defense, more specifically this secondary, is going to be awful again as a unit? Is the talent level such that we can accurately asses how average or bad this defense will be from one week of football?

In my subdivision there are 2 "Fuck Biden" flags I have seen in front of people's homes and 1 Let's Go Brandon flag flying. I cannot understand why Joe Biden can't unite these people with the rest of us. Just can't seem to figure it out.

It's purely a nonsensical delay tactic by Trump's legal team. They know their guy is fucked and appointing a Special Master just delays, but does not end, the DOJs investigation and (potential) criminal charges by the DOJ. The Special Master does not change anything in the facts of the case and will not get him off the hook on a thing.

Lots of talent at WR and TE with Brown, Smith, and Goedert plus Gainwell and Sanders catching the ball out of the backfield. I'm not sure that Miles Sanders is worth a damn, but he keeps getting the hype as if he's a good player. I don't know that we have the guys in the secondary needed to cover Brown, Smith, and Goedert.

From the article above . . . Karamo’s ex-husband, Adom Karamo, claimed that the candidate threatened to kill their daughters, now 13 and 14, in documents seeking parenting time with their daughters after the marriage ended, filed in Michigan family court in 2021. Adom described an alleged incident in which he was driving the whole family, and Karamo “attempted to wrestle control of the vehicle” from him and “crash it.” He claimed that she said, in the moment, “Fuck it, I’ll kill us all.”

Republican Secretary of State Candidate Kristina Karamo ladies and gentlemen . .

For a guy who isn't that cogent and suffers from some form of debilitating memory loss, the MAGA crowd sure seems afraid of the power a man with dementia can wield. I remember when my Great Aunt Sarita on my mom's side of the family had dementia. She was diagnosed around 2010 and she certainly wasn't capable of giving a speech that clear and poignant, not even in the beginning stages of her diagnosis. Brandon sure is doing a lot of damage for a shell of a man in the thralls of dementia.

Don't forget Andrew Torba saying Jews have no place in the conservative movement and Doug Mastriano still accepting his money and support.

When you look at things like what Buddy Carter said here about undoing cost saving on prescription drug prices, Rick Scott out releasing a plan about sunsetting Social Security and Medicare, and virtually every Republican running's opinion on abortion, it is amazing how politically out of touch they've become. If it weren't for inflation and high gas prices they'd have literally noting to run on that was popular this election cycle. Their own political ineptness and ability to read the tea leaves of America has taken what should be a gift wrapped midterm and instead made it in play for the Democrats.

At the end of the day, unless things fall completely off a cliff and Dan Campbell puts himself in Hue Jackson territory by going 1-16, I don't care as much about wins this year as I do clear and obvious competency, growth, and improvement. I'm not firing Campbell short of him going full Hue Jackson and I'm also not expecting Campbell to make the playoffs or achieve X number of wins. While I think they are a 7-8 win team, I'll be happy if things look like they are moving in the right direction in a big way, regardless of the win total at the end of the day. I want to see this coaching staff look competent and clearly show that they know what they are doing. Coach and manage the game right and put your players to be in the right spot to succeed. Coaches should never be the reason a team loses the game. I want to see growth and improvement from our young players, rookies, 2nd, and 3rd year players. I want guys to take big steps forward from last year to this and look markedly better.

To be fair, the FBI has done it to a lot of people and has a disgraceful record of harassing people. J. Edgar Hoover was a lawbreaking piece of shit for what he did to Dr. King and countless others. Trump is also a lawbreaking piece of shit. But we shouldn't lose sight of the terrible track record of the FBI just because of Trump's criminality.

Back the Blue!

If this poll is close to being accurate it's going to be a bloodbath for Democrats and we've all celebrated the good news in the Senate waaaaay too early. From the poll they gauged that inflation is by far the most important issue to voters (21%), with education coming in second (11%). Another poll where inflation and cost of living is what dominates voters minds.

Of course Deuce Biggalow supports Trump.

I'm so excited about this season I got tickets to go to the game. Even though I'm generally negative about this franchise and while I don't think we're a serious playoff team just yet, this could be a really fun season. I'm ready for the Lions season to start and am excited in a way that I haven't been since probably post-2014.

I thought for sure Justin Jackson was making it over Jemar Jefferson given his NFL game experience.

In happier news, John Fetterman continues to prove why he is the best candidate of the cycle with this great TV ad. Calling out Dr, Oz for wearing Gucci loafers and saying he wouldn't last an hour in Braddock Pennsylvania (inferring Oz thinks he's better than they are) is great messaging.

When and why did Decker become the weakest link? Hopefully he performs during the regular season and doesn't make RT an issue.