In basically what 90 days, Kamala was able to do something Biden would have never done. And that is give Trump a run for his money. Both parties need to understand and still do not apparently we moderates are here in th middle watching both sides talk about and focus on things that do not matter to the majority of the population. Are they issues that matter yes they do but not in the middle. Trump hammered on and on about the major concerns. Immigration because yes as a country we need to put into place sensible and realistic immigration policies! The dreamers need a path to citizenship and the demonizing of folks that don't look like you(European Americans) freaking has to stop. The economy good Lord how many stump speeches did he give about how great pricing was when he was president and crappy it is now. The Dems did not hammer about how many jobs had been created or how inflation has gone down. If the Democrats would have shown how yes prices may be high but they are lower than they were in Trump's presidency that may have helped. Trumps Bidenomics commerical were extremely effective for my trump loving family members they brought them up all the time.
Trump ran on and the irony is not lost on me is God and Country. He picked up on the disenfranchised christians who get butt hurt because people do not see Jesus as the reason for the season and ran with it like a kid shoplifting a piece of bubblegum. He empowered them in a way Regan could not and they came in droves. Trump turned the teaparty movement into a monster evangelical movement. And you know who some the evangelicals are immigrants.
Sadly my final point will really make some folks mad but heard it a lot mostly white males but some white females too.. I did not vote for a black man and I certainly will not vote for a black woman. Make no mistake as enlightened as we think we are as a country we are not.
Democrats really suck at messaging. And they don't seem to realize that it has to happen all the time, not just during campaign season, and you have to be really loud to break through the noise.
Based on the demographics, it looks like ranked choice can still be possible as the older generation moves on.
I’m still hopeful for it because I think party identification and loyalty is down across the board. Plus, neither party does any vetting of candidates and little mentoring and development of future candidates.
In the weeks leading up to the election, several news sources & pundits I follow kept talking about the utter defeat of incumbent candidates all over the world this year. Yesterday, an image was floating around Twitter showing that for this year and the last 50 or so years. It was striking. The forces & reasonings behind voting incumbent leaders out are complex, strong, and need to be reckoned with.
I'm always amazed at how people act similarly and like similar things at the same times across a nation or across the world. Everything from some baby names gaining popularity at the same time to worldwide ouster of incumbents.
It really is interesting, isn't it? And that it's not really because we're so interconnected that we see countries like Botswana & Moldova out their leader that we decide to follow their course. (Heck, how many Americans could identify the continent for either of those?!)
That's what I think is so interesting about this in particular.
"Outing the incumbent" is actually at the core of democracy. That's why we have scheduled elections.
The exception was FDR whose popularity was such that after he was elected to a fourth term Congress added the 22nd Amendment limiting presidents to two terms (which had been discussed from the start of the republic).
Term limits for both houses of Congress has been discussed for years but the argument against it is that scheduled elections IS a method of limiting terms. (And thus far nobody has become such a threat that Congress has moved to favor limiting themselves.)
In the image I referenced, there has never been a year when every country that had elections at the top level has voted out the incumbent. Until 2024. That's my point -- this year was unusual and dramatic.
I'm interested to see if he will do that. Not all of his voters think the election was stolen, and many voted for him despite the insurrection. So he may not want to remind people of what he did. Because you know he doesn't care about the people who went to prison for him. It's all about whether they are useful to him now.
I think the question should be why the Republicans won. They focused on what "issues Americans were concerned about" and put the Democrats on the defensive the whole time. The Democrats used to be the party of Joe Sixpack, not so much anymore, you know the family that works hard cares about America and their neighbor. The current perception of the Democratic Party is Holier that thou and we know best. Now the Republican party has that honor.. Like it or not that's it in a very small nut shell
As much as I'm embarrassed to admit it, Scott is right. I've been industrious and fortunate enough to not have to worry paycheck to paycheck about my rent or my grocery bill for the last couple decades. I've had the privilege of being able to indignantly object to Trump on ideological, ethical, and constitutional grounds. But many of my neighbors don't have the economic luxury to be indignant, and they are the votes that made the difference. I reluctantly slid into the Democratic Party because it's the only credible opposition to the escalating madness that's consumed my former party. Yes, the Dems' important issues are indeed vitally important. But we need to get off our high horse and also reconnect to what used to be the main (pre-Regan/Gingrich/Falwell) Democratic constituency.
The Democrats will get their chance. Trump will not improve life for the regular people. Not only can presidents not control inflation (except with tariffs, ahem), but he doesn't want to. The first strike in his term -- do you think he'll side with the workers or with his rich buddies?
Yes, they voted for him because they're desperate for solutions that Trump isn't going to give them. But the Democrats are going to have to offer policies that are more radical if they want the people to believe in them.
The reason Trump won is that so many get their news from Fox and other conservative news outlets. They didn't get important information. Other information was misrepresented. They were ill informed.
As it happens, I googled the number of trans athletes in high schools in the US. The number I found was 100. I fail to understand the threat to the average American.
That’s the part that kills me. The right has created so many “boogeymen” and so many believe the lies, when all they have to do is go outside and touch grass to get a dose of reality vs this fear bubble they live in. There is so much low hanging fruit when it comes to real problems with real solutions that could be addressed and fixed/prevented but instead every problem is treated like a zero sum game by the right: gun violence? The liberals want to take your guns! LGBTQIA+ equality? men body slamming your daughter during ballet class! Sex changes in school! Teachers grooming kids! Too much national debt? The liberals want to tax you to oblivion in order to pay for an illegal immigrant’s sex change while in prison!!! Broken immigration system? Violent immigrants everywhere raping and pillaging to their hearts content!
This is my take - After a few days of thinking about the election, this is my assessment of where we stand. The thing many of us have not accepted before - and must now - is that most Americans are only interested in what benefits them and those who look like them, act like them, and, most importantly, believe like them. The fabric of this country is not just torn, but pretty much destroyed. People believe the misinformation put forward by foes domestic and abroad; they no longer trust their friends and oftentimes don't trust their own families either. We're in this for the long haul - I don't see it getting any better for decades or until something really disastrous happens. The majority of Americans will never vote for a woman for President, and after the way Obama is now treated, they will probably not vote for a Black or Brown man either. I'm going to try to disconnect from the news for now. I read WAY too many news sites on a daily basis - the NY Times, Washington Post, Politico, Bulwark, Jamie Dupree, The Atlantic, The New Yorker, New York Magazine. It's good to be informed, but I don't need this many! I'm thankful our daughters live abroad and will not be spending their lives or raising their families in this country. We will probably spend a lot of time living outside the United States in the coming years. It's beyond heartbreaking. I'm pretty much done.
If Trump truly believes the Jan 6th people did nothing wrong, he can't give them a pardon. When people asked Ford why he pardoned Nixon, he would take out a copy of a presidential pardon. In accepting a pardon, you admit you are guilty of the crime for which you are being pardoned. If they did nothing wrong, why do you admit to something.
Thanks so much for your continued excellent work. Right now yours is pretty much the only voice I can stand.
In basically what 90 days, Kamala was able to do something Biden would have never done. And that is give Trump a run for his money. Both parties need to understand and still do not apparently we moderates are here in th middle watching both sides talk about and focus on things that do not matter to the majority of the population. Are they issues that matter yes they do but not in the middle. Trump hammered on and on about the major concerns. Immigration because yes as a country we need to put into place sensible and realistic immigration policies! The dreamers need a path to citizenship and the demonizing of folks that don't look like you(European Americans) freaking has to stop. The economy good Lord how many stump speeches did he give about how great pricing was when he was president and crappy it is now. The Dems did not hammer about how many jobs had been created or how inflation has gone down. If the Democrats would have shown how yes prices may be high but they are lower than they were in Trump's presidency that may have helped. Trumps Bidenomics commerical were extremely effective for my trump loving family members they brought them up all the time.
Trump ran on and the irony is not lost on me is God and Country. He picked up on the disenfranchised christians who get butt hurt because people do not see Jesus as the reason for the season and ran with it like a kid shoplifting a piece of bubblegum. He empowered them in a way Regan could not and they came in droves. Trump turned the teaparty movement into a monster evangelical movement. And you know who some the evangelicals are immigrants.
Sadly my final point will really make some folks mad but heard it a lot mostly white males but some white females too.. I did not vote for a black man and I certainly will not vote for a black woman. Make no mistake as enlightened as we think we are as a country we are not.
Democrats really suck at messaging. And they don't seem to realize that it has to happen all the time, not just during campaign season, and you have to be really loud to break through the noise.
As a former AK resident that originally voted for ranked choice voting, that is unfortunate to read.
Based on the demographics, it looks like ranked choice can still be possible as the older generation moves on.
I’m still hopeful for it because I think party identification and loyalty is down across the board. Plus, neither party does any vetting of candidates and little mentoring and development of future candidates.
In the weeks leading up to the election, several news sources & pundits I follow kept talking about the utter defeat of incumbent candidates all over the world this year. Yesterday, an image was floating around Twitter showing that for this year and the last 50 or so years. It was striking. The forces & reasonings behind voting incumbent leaders out are complex, strong, and need to be reckoned with.
I'm always amazed at how people act similarly and like similar things at the same times across a nation or across the world. Everything from some baby names gaining popularity at the same time to worldwide ouster of incumbents.
It really is interesting, isn't it? And that it's not really because we're so interconnected that we see countries like Botswana & Moldova out their leader that we decide to follow their course. (Heck, how many Americans could identify the continent for either of those?!)
That's what I think is so interesting about this in particular.
"Outing the incumbent" is actually at the core of democracy. That's why we have scheduled elections.
The exception was FDR whose popularity was such that after he was elected to a fourth term Congress added the 22nd Amendment limiting presidents to two terms (which had been discussed from the start of the republic).
Term limits for both houses of Congress has been discussed for years but the argument against it is that scheduled elections IS a method of limiting terms. (And thus far nobody has become such a threat that Congress has moved to favor limiting themselves.)
In the image I referenced, there has never been a year when every country that had elections at the top level has voted out the incumbent. Until 2024. That's my point -- this year was unusual and dramatic.
Jamie, your Rap Sheet section is almost coming to an end as soon as No. 47 free them all.
I'm interested to see if he will do that. Not all of his voters think the election was stolen, and many voted for him despite the insurrection. So he may not want to remind people of what he did. Because you know he doesn't care about the people who went to prison for him. It's all about whether they are useful to him now.
He only likes people who weren’t caught.
I think the question should be why the Republicans won. They focused on what "issues Americans were concerned about" and put the Democrats on the defensive the whole time. The Democrats used to be the party of Joe Sixpack, not so much anymore, you know the family that works hard cares about America and their neighbor. The current perception of the Democratic Party is Holier that thou and we know best. Now the Republican party has that honor.. Like it or not that's it in a very small nut shell
As much as I'm embarrassed to admit it, Scott is right. I've been industrious and fortunate enough to not have to worry paycheck to paycheck about my rent or my grocery bill for the last couple decades. I've had the privilege of being able to indignantly object to Trump on ideological, ethical, and constitutional grounds. But many of my neighbors don't have the economic luxury to be indignant, and they are the votes that made the difference. I reluctantly slid into the Democratic Party because it's the only credible opposition to the escalating madness that's consumed my former party. Yes, the Dems' important issues are indeed vitally important. But we need to get off our high horse and also reconnect to what used to be the main (pre-Regan/Gingrich/Falwell) Democratic constituency.
The Democrats will get their chance. Trump will not improve life for the regular people. Not only can presidents not control inflation (except with tariffs, ahem), but he doesn't want to. The first strike in his term -- do you think he'll side with the workers or with his rich buddies?
Yes, they voted for him because they're desperate for solutions that Trump isn't going to give them. But the Democrats are going to have to offer policies that are more radical if they want the people to believe in them.
The reason Trump won is that so many get their news from Fox and other conservative news outlets. They didn't get important information. Other information was misrepresented. They were ill informed.
As it happens, I googled the number of trans athletes in high schools in the US. The number I found was 100. I fail to understand the threat to the average American.
That’s the part that kills me. The right has created so many “boogeymen” and so many believe the lies, when all they have to do is go outside and touch grass to get a dose of reality vs this fear bubble they live in. There is so much low hanging fruit when it comes to real problems with real solutions that could be addressed and fixed/prevented but instead every problem is treated like a zero sum game by the right: gun violence? The liberals want to take your guns! LGBTQIA+ equality? men body slamming your daughter during ballet class! Sex changes in school! Teachers grooming kids! Too much national debt? The liberals want to tax you to oblivion in order to pay for an illegal immigrant’s sex change while in prison!!! Broken immigration system? Violent immigrants everywhere raping and pillaging to their hearts content!
It’s truly exhausting.
This is my take - After a few days of thinking about the election, this is my assessment of where we stand. The thing many of us have not accepted before - and must now - is that most Americans are only interested in what benefits them and those who look like them, act like them, and, most importantly, believe like them. The fabric of this country is not just torn, but pretty much destroyed. People believe the misinformation put forward by foes domestic and abroad; they no longer trust their friends and oftentimes don't trust their own families either. We're in this for the long haul - I don't see it getting any better for decades or until something really disastrous happens. The majority of Americans will never vote for a woman for President, and after the way Obama is now treated, they will probably not vote for a Black or Brown man either. I'm going to try to disconnect from the news for now. I read WAY too many news sites on a daily basis - the NY Times, Washington Post, Politico, Bulwark, Jamie Dupree, The Atlantic, The New Yorker, New York Magazine. It's good to be informed, but I don't need this many! I'm thankful our daughters live abroad and will not be spending their lives or raising their families in this country. We will probably spend a lot of time living outside the United States in the coming years. It's beyond heartbreaking. I'm pretty much done.
If Trump truly believes the Jan 6th people did nothing wrong, he can't give them a pardon. When people asked Ford why he pardoned Nixon, he would take out a copy of a presidential pardon. In accepting a pardon, you admit you are guilty of the crime for which you are being pardoned. If they did nothing wrong, why do you admit to something.
Schmik. Hmm...
Learned a new word this morning. Somebody please help me puzzle it together with Pennsylvania politics.
It’s a reference to the wonderful restaurant, McCormick & Schmick.
Thanks. I don't get out much any more.
I don’t either, John. Last time I was there was ages ago!