Goodbye '16 - Hello '17

As we kick 2016 to the curb:

In 2017, we need more "16 going on 17/dancing in the gazebo" kind of moments.

If it starts raining, keep dancing.

Lift your voices because we need to be heard.

Make noise. And when you get the side-eye, get louder.

Don't just lean forward, step forward.

Better still - step up.

Be out. Be out there. Be proud.

And if the grocery store runs out of black-eyed peas on New Years' Eve, buy the damn red beans, throw the rest of the Christmas ham in, and move on. Flexibility is the key to success.

Let's go, kids.

In Memoriam 2016

Via NBC News - In Memoriam 2016

YouTube Filmmakers Present Trailer For 2016: The Movie

YouTube filmmakers Friend Dog Studios present their trailer for the fictional (or not?) film, 2016: The Movie. 

The clip presents the year 2016 as the "scary thriller" that was - complete with celebrity deaths and unexpected election results.

Via Entertainment Weekly:

The clip, which takes the calendar year and turns it into a scary thriller, begins on Dec. 31, 2015, with a happy couple ringing in 2016 with kisses and wishes for a prosperous new year, new home, and ever-growing relationship. But things go wrong fast: “You want know who died today?” asks a creepy voiceover, teasing the terrible events to come.

(h/t JoeMyGod)

Top 10 New Posts On The Randy Report In 2016

Some regular readers have emailed me asking for a round-up of the "Top 10 New Posts," strictly by the numbers, on The Randy Report in 2016.

Now, there were several archived posts from past years that got a lot of love, too. But I'm keeping this list to only new posts in 2016.

I know I'm a day early, but, what the hell. Here's what readers clicked on the most this past year:

1. Funny: Aussie Commentary On Men's Olympic Diving

2. Louis C.K. On Donald Trump: "It Was Funny For A While But The Guy Is Hitler"

3. Super-Statistician Nate Silver Predicts Crushing Win By Hillary Clinton

4. Olympic Gymnast Danell Leyva Stands Up For LGBT Rights "Make America Gay Again"

5. U.S. Gymnast Danell Leyva Puts On A Show At Rio Gala Gymnastics

6. Anderson Cooper's Emotional Tribute To 49 Killed In Orlando Shooting

7. Vice President-elect Mike Pence Gets More Than A History Lesson At HAMILTON On Broadway

8. Naked Cubs Pitcher Jake Arrieta Explains The Art Of Pitching

9. Donald Trump Explains His Sexist Comments: "I Never Thought I Would Run For Office"

10. Pastor Steven Anderson: "The Good News Is There's 50 Less Pedophiles In The World"

Matt Baume: 2016 Wasn't All Bad

Matt Baume reminds us that there were significant advances for LGBTs in 2016, and then shares his thoughts on how to KEEP those advances in 2017. Hint: stand up and make some noise!

From Baume: “Do we have to do a year in review for 2016? This was a rough one, but what if I told you there were some really great milestones for LGBTs this year? It’s true! Amidst all the bad news, 2016 had some real bright spots. And 2017 could have more — or it could be much, much worse.”

Viral Video: Google Year In Search 2016

See what the world searched for in 2016.

Google assembles news stories that captivated the world -- including Brexit, the election of Trump, the Orlando shooting and Syria.

While the video begins with darker subject matter, the stories shift to more uplifting moments of the year, ending with the words "Love is out there. Search on."

Donald Trump Has 1 Florida Field Office - Hilary Clinton Has 51

Donald Trump doesn't believe you need voter data and field offices to win a presidential election.

For instance, in Florida Trump currently has one field office.

One.

By comparison, back in 2012, Mitt Romney had 24 offices in Florida by June 2012.

It's worth mentioning, however, that the Trump campaign says they do have three RVs working as "mobile field offices" on the move in the state helping to organize Trump voters.

Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, has 51 field offices in the Sunshine State. Thirty-two were opened in the last month alone.

As many political pundits have noted, Trump's path to victory in the electoral college has to include Florida. It's pretty much a "do or die" state for him. Currently, Clinton leads Trump in Florida by about 3 points according to the Real Clear Politics poll average.

Also worth noting that there are 259,000 more registered Democratic voters than Republican. So, Donald is going to need every Republican vote he can get. And that's where field offices show their value in terms of GOTV efforts.

(source)

Moderators For Presidential Debates Announced

The Commission on Presidential Debates has announced the moderators who have been selected for the four showdowns scheduled between now and November 8th.

These are all highly qualified, fair people. No one will call anyone on this list biased.

From CBS News:

NBC News’ Lester Holt will moderate the first presidential debate, scheduled for Sept. 26 at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York.

According to the CPD, the debate will be divided into six segments of about 15 minutes each on major topics to be selected by the moderator and announced at least one week before the debate.

CBSN anchor and CBS News correspondent Elaine Quijano has been named the moderator of the vice presidential debate, which will take place on Oc. 4, 2016 at Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia. It will be the only veep forum between Democratic Sen. Kaine of Virginia and Republican Gov. Pence of Indiana.

Quijano will be the first anchor of a digital network to moderate a national debate in a general election campaign. In the vice presidential debate, the time will be divided into nine segments with about 10 minutes of discussion on each topic, and the moderator alone will determine the questions to be asked.

CNN’s Anderson Cooper and ABC News’ Martha Raddatz will ask questions of the candidates in the second debate on Oct. 19 at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.

This debate will take the form of a town hall meeting, where half of the questions will be posed directly by participants. The other half will be asked by the moderators. Town hall participants will be uncommitted voters selected by the Gallup Organization.

“Fox News Sunday” host Chris Wallace will moderate the third debate on Oct. 19, which will be held at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas campus. The third debate will take the same format as the first forum.

Michelle Obama Covers NY Daily News

It says much that after First Lady Michelle Obama's rafter-raising speech at the Democratic National Convention last night, the New York Daily News quickly swapped out an already planned snarky cover (regarding frictions at the DNC) to highlight and praise the First Lady.

The Advocate Endorses Hillary Clinton For President

For only the second time, The Advocate has endorsed a presidential candidate, and unsurprisingly, the noted LGBT news outlet voices strong support for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

From The Advocate:

Clinton is a calm, deliberative leader with decades of public service experience and an impressive command of policy, detail, and the concerns of overlapping minority communities. Whereas Trump alienates women, Muslims, immigrants, and LGBT people, Clinton’s record as a U.S. senator is marked by bipartisanship, and her campaign is marked by inclusivity.

To imagine that the election result is a foregone conclusion — that Clinton will handily and easily defeat Trump in November without serious effort on the part of an engaged electorate — is a mistake. The U.K.’s Brexit vote is an example of left-leaning activists and voters wrongly assuming that voters will exercise “common sense.”

There is no foregone conclusion. There is no obvious outcome. But there is only one capable candidate in this election, and only one candidate who is a champion of LGBT causes. That clear and necessary choice is Hillary Clinton.

Donald Trump Jr. "Throws" Donald Trump Over The Top To Clinch GOP Nomination

Donald Trump Jr. announces New York's votes, putting his father over the top #GOPConvention https://t.co/4eFzMqhZI3 https://t.co/eVhTTogNvU

— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) July 19, 2016

Poll: Hillary Clinton Leads Donald Trump In 4 Major Battleground States

According to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist polls, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton currently leads GOP White House hopeful Donald Trump by significant margins:

• Colorado - Clinton over Trump 43% - 35%

• Florida - Clinton over Trump 44% - 37%

• North Carolina - Clinton over Trump 44% - 38%

• Virginia - Clinton over Trump 44% - 35%

These four states combine for a total of 66 electoral votes, making these results noteworthy.

Sen. Bernie Sanders Endorses Hillary Clinton For President

Speaking at a rally in New Hampshire today, Sen. Bernie Sanders endorsed presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton for president.

“Secretary Clinton has won the Democratic nominating process, and I congratulate her for that.

“She will be the Democratic nominee for president and I intend to do everything I can to make certain she will be the next president of the United States.

“In these stressful times for our country, this election must be about bringing our people together, not dividing us up.

"While Donald Trump is busy insulting Mexicans, Muslims, women, African Americans and veterans, Hillary Clinton understands that our diversity is one of our greatest strengths. Yes. We become stronger when black and white, Latino, Asian American, Native American – all of us – stand together. Yes. We become stronger when men and women, young and old, gay and straight, native born and immigrant fight to rid this country of all forms of bigotry.”

Bernie Sanders To Campaign With Hillary Clinton In Hew Hampshire Tomorrow

It looks like Sen. Bernie Sanders will finally join presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on the campaign trail at a rally in New Hampshire, according to Politico.

Sanders will campaign with Clinton at a high school in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, at 11 a.m. Tuesday, less than two weeks before the party's convention begins in Philadelphia.

The Vermont senator's campaign announced his participation minutes after the Clinton team's email hit inboxes, with both announcements sharing the same language that the two former primary rivals will "discuss their commitment to building an America that is stronger together and an economy that works for everyone, not just those at the top."

The joint appearance comes after the Vermont senator scored several victories on the Democratic platform over the weekend in Orlando, Florida, including on climate change, health care and a minimum wage increase to $15. Sanders and his allies, however, lost out on language related to the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

New Poll: Hillary Clinton Leads Donald Trump In Battleground States

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton leads billionaire Donald Trump in a new poll of all-important battleground states.

According to Ballotpedia's battleground poll, Clinton leads Trump:

• 51% to 37% in Florida
• 45% to 41% in Iowa
• 50% to 33% in Michigan
• 48% to 38% in North Carolina
• 46% to 37% in Ohio
• 49% to 35% in Pennsylvania
• 45% to 38% in Virginia

Her leads held at nearly the same margins when Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson was included in the poll. And Clinton led Trump 48% to 37% when all states were factored together. With Johnson included, Clinton led Trump 44% to 34%, with Johnson at 13%.

While nationwide polls are interesting, I always remind readers that the election will basically be won in 7-10 battleground states. Watch these to know which way the election is leaning.

Video: Sen. Elizabeth Warren Campaigns With Hillary Clinton

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren hit the campaign trail today with Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton in Cincinnati today.

Warren was fiery from the start and didn't let up. She's been mentioned as a possible VP pick for Hillary.

Great to see the two together.

Campaign Ad: Donald Trump Is Full Of Hate

You saw all this coming.

Using his own words, a supercut of Donald Trump's most controversial comments over the years about immigrants, LGBTs, women, African-Americans, and Muslims.

How Many Contests/Delegates/Superdelegates/Votes Did They Get?

LGBT political activist Aaron Baldwin compiled this list of stats as we exit the 2016 primary season:

• PLEDGED DELEGATES . . . 4,051 Total . . . 2,026 Majority

CLINTON – Pledged Delegates: . . . 2,203 (+177 over majority)
SANDERS – Pledged Delegates: . . . 1,828 (-199 under majority)

• SUPER DELEGATES . . . . . . . .712 Total . . . . . 361 Majority

CLINTON – Super Delegates: . . . 574 (+214 over majority)
SANDERS – Super Delegates: . . . . 48 (-313 under majority)

• ALL DELEGATES: . . . . . 4,763 Total . . . 2,382 Needed to Win

CLINTON – Total Delegates: . . . 2,777 (+395 over majority)
SANDERS – Total Delegates: . . . 1,876 (-506 under majority) (which means Sanders needs almost all of Clinton's superdelegates to flip to overrule the will of the voters)

*112 delegates (pledged & super remain available at this time)

Source: Real Clear Politics

• CONTESTS WON:

HILLARY CLINTON: 33
BERNIE SANDERS: 22

• POPULAR VOTE WON:

HILLARY CLINTON: . . ... 16,005,378 (55.63%)
BERNIE SANDERS: . . . . 12,279,425 (42.68%)
TOTAL VOTES CAST: . . . 28,284,803

CLINTON LEAD: . . . . . . +3,725,953 (+12.95%)

Popular vote total includes: AK,AL,AR,AS,AZ,CA,CO,CT,DA,DE,FL,GA,GU,HI,ID,IL,IN,KS,KY,LA,MA,MD,MI,MN,MO,MP,MS,MT,NC,ND,NE,NH,NJ,NM,NY,OH,OK,OR,PA,PR,RI,SC,SD,TN,TX,UT,VA,VI,VT,WI,WV and excludes caucus (popular) vote IA(C),ME(S),NV(C),WA(S),WY(S).

Source: The Green Papers

FYI - Donald Trump Popular Vote - 13,445,461 (-2,559,971 Clinton)

NOTE: Some numbers from Tuesday night may still be adjusting, some delegates may still be allocated for state Congressional Districts, the DC primary (20 pledged delegates, 25 Super) is not included (6/14), some superdelegates have not yet declared.

06/09/2016, 8:21AM PT

CBS/New York Times Polls Shows Hillary Clinton Leads Donald Trump

According to the latest CBS/New York Times poll, Hillary Clinton now holds a six point lead (47% - 41%)  lead over Donald Trump, down from 10 points a month ago.

From CBS:

Contentious primary contests on both sides haven't turned off many primary voters from voting for their party's candidate in a likely November match-up between Trump and Clinton, even if these candidates are not their preferred primary choice.

Seventy-one percent of Republican voters who did not support Trump in the primaries would still vote for him against Clinton.

On the Democratic side, 72 percent of Sanders supporters would vote for Clinton against Donald Trump.

Real Clear Politics aggregates all current polls for the current presidential season here.

It's worth noting that while Trump has seemingly clinched his nomination for the Repubs, Hillary continues to fight on two fronts - Trump for the general election, and a tenacious Bernie Sanders who continues to spar for the out of reach Dem nomination. 

Hillary Clinton Wins Guam Democratic Caucuses

Sen. Bernie Sanders (L) and Hillary Clinton (R)

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has won the Guam Democratic caucuses over Sen. Bernie Sanders by a margin of 60% - 40%.

Guam's seven pledged delegates will be split 4 for Clinton, and 3 for Sanders. Additionally, all five of Guam's superdelegates have now announced their support for Clinton.

From ABC News:

Counting superdelegates, Clinton has amassed just over 93 percent of the necessary total to clinch the Democratic nomination, according to ABC News projections. To get to the magic number of 2,383, the former secretary of state needs to win 16 percent of all remaining delegates and 73 percent of pledged delegates.

Meanwhile, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders needs to win 97 percent of all remaining delegates. He cannot reach 2,383 on pledged delegates alone; to win the Democratic nomination, he would need the support of the superdelegates.

Guam marks Clinton’s 26th victory in the primary season. Sanders has won 19 contests.

The next Democratic contest comes Tuesday where Sanders is expected to win. Real Clear Politics shows the Vermont senator leading by an average of 6 points.