It's been a good 18 hours or so. It would be good if President Trump disbanded the Department of Education (I'm a HS History teacher, they do nothing for me but add pointless mandates and paperwork that schools have to follow) This is not my idea, but he should decentralize D.C. by moving the Agriculture Department to Wichita, Kansas. The Transportation Dept. to.....Wyoming. Interior to Colorado. It would lessen the coagulated electoral strength of northern Virginia and maybe put the bureaucrats closer to their "customers." (At least the bureaucrats claim to be serving them, I think most sentient people know better) Again, it was a good night and a pretty good morning, so far.
Yes. The graph says a lot. It should be printed out and shoved in every MSM reporter that asks about "election denial" re. the 2020 election.
And moving forward, we do need accountability for lies and abuse of gov't positions. That mostly can come through firing folks, but there are some actors that should pay a price. If there is no justice, people become discouraged.
The Federal government and its large school of remora fish has metastasized to the detriment of the citizenry. Exhibit 1: According to the AP, the Washington, D.C. vote was Harris: 92.4%, and Trump: 6.7%. These people are not like us.
I think people have begun to realize that the Dems falsely conflated Trump’s often grating public persona with criminality, abusing the national security apparatus and the courts in order to frame him.
I also hope that people begin to realize in ever-increasing numbers that Barack Obama’s political career has been punctuated with dirty tricks going back to his first-ever race for public office in the IL State Senate.
It would be very nice if these two realizations could together spark some curiosity in those still capable of critical thinking beyond political partisanship and hive minds.
My favorite post-election comment so far has been that Trump has now ended the Clinton, Bush, and Obama dynasties. Good riddance to all these grifters!
Great, as always (don't let it go to your head). Trump won the talking part. Now comes the doing part and that's the hard part. The Pollsters drank their own Kool-Aid and believed their own BS. Never do that. Wonder if he signed the contract. Wonder If he'll pay. I
f I were the Senate R's I would make noises about the Filibuster and packing the court, just to scare the D's. One thing is they should go back to actually making the person do the Filibuster and not just threaten it. If you say you are going to do it, then you have to do it.
Agree about Abortion. I think 5 weeks a la Florida is to short. But leave it to the states. The people involved in the abortion debate will not go away, either side. It's really wanting the other side to lose rather than abortion itself. It's a religious argument pretending to be a political one.
Think you are wrong about MSM, celebrity endorsements, etc. Dying yes, dead no. Both the Pols and celebrities thrive on these things. The impact (if there ever really was one) will be less and less but like bad Super Bowl half time shows they will always be there. The people who do them and produce them will see to that. They need the money and the ego boosts. Ditto Identity politics. Hopefully fading but to many people like playing the victim so not going to disappear. The Political\Social version of Munchausen Syndrome by proxy.
Besides being stingy with the credentials, they should put up an electric sign with a rotating list of people who said Trump was going to. put them in jail or "camps" or Guantanamo. Similar to the countdown during the Iran Hostage crisis. Day 1 XXXX is not in jail, rotate to the next name Day 2 XXXX is not in a prison camp.
All of the legal hoaxes should be investigated and names named. Might not be enough to indite or prosecute but should be exposed.
Obama isn't going away. I think Clinton didn't want to be back and was\is enjoying his retirement, and being away from Hillary. He will gladly fade away. Note you didn't see him much until near the end. Still there is bad blood between the Clinton and the Obama sects of the D party. Biden too. The knives are out. You are right about him being over, but he doesn't want to be over and when you look at the D's bench? They got nuttin.
Agree about McConnell, Ryan and the rest. But they were more of the old Country Club R's. It was a class thing as much as a politician thing.
Goldberg's book is still a necessary read but him, not so much. But he and the Chaney's etc still need to make money to live their life style and their ego's won't allow them to think of themselves as passé so they aren't going anywhere either if they can help it. Agree about leaving them alone. The silent treatment and ignoring them is the best way. Liz who???? Name doesn't ring a bell..As long as MSNBC, CNN, etc will pay them they'll be there. The Kimmel's, the woman of The View will not be retiring anytime soon. California is an expensive place to live and will get even more so.
Agree about the rest. School Choice is a hard sell. Especially if your own school system is doing well. I think to many people think the entire system is awful rather then some areas are doing well. A kin to everyone hates Congress but loves their Congress man. Best bet would be to give parents vouchers for education and let the schools compete for the money. Parents get to decide not the state.
Be interesting to see if the states that signed on to give their electoral votes to the winner of the popular vote follow through. Any bets?
And remember about the good but not great. Best is the enemy of better and politics is a ground game of inches. Hail Mary's are nice and spectacular but for the most part it's the inches and the singles and doubles that win the most games.
oops. The part about Contract and will he pay was about a bet that Nate Silver made with another Pollster (maybe) for $100K He predicted Trump would only take Florida by 8%. Lost Bigly. Somehow that went missing. Have to learn to proof read better.
Once the screaming & blaming ends from likes of "Mourning" Joe & The View, et al., perhaps some on the left may now realize that seeking the end of the filibuster or packing the Supreme Court was... shortsighted. 😉
For the first time in my life, I see the possibility of a significant political realignment.
The D's claim to be a big tent. But in reality, they are completely top down and their "big tent" is really just a bunch of segmented small tents with closed in sides that are just stuck together like Lego pieces. The voting interest groups seem to be tiring of being stuck in the ventilation-free box and spoon-fed D promises and talking points.
The D's, rather than airing out all the mini tents in 2016/2020/2024 doubled down and reinforced the sides. They maneuvered the Bernie/Socialism block out of the way in 16 to put forth an awful female candidate. They put forth the ultimate middle-of-the pack party loyalist/incompetent in 2020. The maneuvers of 16 and 20 left them with a single option of putting forth the second most unlikeable female candidate in 24. (They also forced a very likable and rising female star out of the party).
Trump - like him or not - ripped the walls off the old GOP tent. He spouts his populism and makes alliances here and there and watches who wanders out (Romney/Chaney) and who wanders in (Elon/Tulsi/Vivek/RFK/Latino/blue collar whites/young black men). The GOP of today is not the Bush-establishment GOP. He gained votes in Illinois - which saw a net outmigration since 2016. Those migrating out of Illinois are largely well-to-do Repubs.
I'm not a huge Trump fan, but I am excited to see how he forces a political realignment in the coming years. Dare we hope to get a viable 3rd party? Dare we hope that candidates recognize the only way to keep the tent full when it has open walls is to have a mindset conducive to growth? (remember - government can't create growth but it sure can kill it).
I have never been a huge Trump fan (though I do believe we just witnessed the most impressive political comeback and display of grit in history) but I like his policies.
Well said. I echo all of what you have written. For now, we take the win. Let's see what "transformation" Trump, Musk, and others can do. Stripping down federal agencies is a great way to start. I'm excited that free speech remains alive and that we have a real opportunity to rid ourselves of the perverse DEI rules and school conduct. It was a big night for Jews too. Trump knows how to play offense and defense. Biden/Kamala were defense only. Nobody was scared of him. Let's use this once in a generation opportunity to re-make the middle east. And yes, let's let people suffer the consequences of their choices and actions.
Rogan went way more upbeat with Trump after RFK Jr endorsed DJT. Yes, late in the game to actually endorse, and only after Elon pushed him.
RFKJ is another flawed individual, but with some very excellent qualities. I think it really helped having his endorsement, though I would not make him Sec. of HHS.
Why is it so hard to turn Minnesota from Blue to Red? All the surrounding states are deep Red, Red or Purple. My understanding of Minnesota is it is mostly rural, with Minneapolis / St Paul the major population center. Is it simply the problem that Minneapolis / St Paul is too deeply Blue?
I can understand Illinois being Blue due to the population dominance of Chicago. I don't equate Minneapolis / St Paul to Chicago, but more similar to Detroit or Milwaukee. Yet Michigan and Wisconsin are Purple and Trump was able to win those states, but not Minnesota.
The DFL in MN is incredibly organized. In Wisconsin, they are true socialists. Instituted the first income tax. Both states flipped quickly after the Civil War.
I live in the Twin Cities. The Twin Cities metro area has a population of about 3 million which is a little over half the population of the entire state. The state also has a couple of cities outside the metro, Duluth and Rochester, which usually vote blue. The state as a whole has been pretty well off economically so that makes it easier for taxpayers to accept higher taxes which are used to fund a pretty robust safety net for the less affluent people in our state.
I expect school choice didn't pass in Kentucky at least in part because in rural counties with a small population, the public school system is where all the money is.
It's been a good 18 hours or so. It would be good if President Trump disbanded the Department of Education (I'm a HS History teacher, they do nothing for me but add pointless mandates and paperwork that schools have to follow) This is not my idea, but he should decentralize D.C. by moving the Agriculture Department to Wichita, Kansas. The Transportation Dept. to.....Wyoming. Interior to Colorado. It would lessen the coagulated electoral strength of northern Virginia and maybe put the bureaucrats closer to their "customers." (At least the bureaucrats claim to be serving them, I think most sentient people know better) Again, it was a good night and a pretty good morning, so far.
great ideas.
Kamala got 14MM fewer votes than Joe Biden. Hard to believe. Check the numbers.
Biden - 81MM << hard to believe this is true
Harris - 67MM
Abortion as a wedge issue is dead for all time. It didn't move the needle.
The Dems fouled the nest with their coup, their elite appointed candidate, and their flawed strategy.
Common sense and "normal" ran the table.
Let's not squander this.
JLM
www.themusingsofthebigredcar.com
AGREE....your last line is the truth.
Yes. The graph says a lot. It should be printed out and shoved in every MSM reporter that asks about "election denial" re. the 2020 election.
And moving forward, we do need accountability for lies and abuse of gov't positions. That mostly can come through firing folks, but there are some actors that should pay a price. If there is no justice, people become discouraged.
The Federal government and its large school of remora fish has metastasized to the detriment of the citizenry. Exhibit 1: According to the AP, the Washington, D.C. vote was Harris: 92.4%, and Trump: 6.7%. These people are not like us.
God willing many of these folks will be relocating soon. Puts on DC metro area housing make sense.
They're a bunch of cute pet squirrel murderers.
Emphasis on "these people are not like us."
DC also re-elected a politician who was caught on video accepting bribes! 😅😂🤣 You just can't make up this crap
The lesson the Dems will take out of this election is that they were too moderate.
I hope so.
Love the graph from the conservative tree house. A simple and believable diagram of the 2020 fraud.
I think people have begun to realize that the Dems falsely conflated Trump’s often grating public persona with criminality, abusing the national security apparatus and the courts in order to frame him.
I also hope that people begin to realize in ever-increasing numbers that Barack Obama’s political career has been punctuated with dirty tricks going back to his first-ever race for public office in the IL State Senate.
It would be very nice if these two realizations could together spark some curiosity in those still capable of critical thinking beyond political partisanship and hive minds.
My favorite post-election comment so far has been that Trump has now ended the Clinton, Bush, and Obama dynasties. Good riddance to all these grifters!
"Part of the ship, part of the crew"
Great, as always (don't let it go to your head). Trump won the talking part. Now comes the doing part and that's the hard part. The Pollsters drank their own Kool-Aid and believed their own BS. Never do that. Wonder if he signed the contract. Wonder If he'll pay. I
f I were the Senate R's I would make noises about the Filibuster and packing the court, just to scare the D's. One thing is they should go back to actually making the person do the Filibuster and not just threaten it. If you say you are going to do it, then you have to do it.
Agree about Abortion. I think 5 weeks a la Florida is to short. But leave it to the states. The people involved in the abortion debate will not go away, either side. It's really wanting the other side to lose rather than abortion itself. It's a religious argument pretending to be a political one.
Think you are wrong about MSM, celebrity endorsements, etc. Dying yes, dead no. Both the Pols and celebrities thrive on these things. The impact (if there ever really was one) will be less and less but like bad Super Bowl half time shows they will always be there. The people who do them and produce them will see to that. They need the money and the ego boosts. Ditto Identity politics. Hopefully fading but to many people like playing the victim so not going to disappear. The Political\Social version of Munchausen Syndrome by proxy.
Besides being stingy with the credentials, they should put up an electric sign with a rotating list of people who said Trump was going to. put them in jail or "camps" or Guantanamo. Similar to the countdown during the Iran Hostage crisis. Day 1 XXXX is not in jail, rotate to the next name Day 2 XXXX is not in a prison camp.
All of the legal hoaxes should be investigated and names named. Might not be enough to indite or prosecute but should be exposed.
Obama isn't going away. I think Clinton didn't want to be back and was\is enjoying his retirement, and being away from Hillary. He will gladly fade away. Note you didn't see him much until near the end. Still there is bad blood between the Clinton and the Obama sects of the D party. Biden too. The knives are out. You are right about him being over, but he doesn't want to be over and when you look at the D's bench? They got nuttin.
Agree about McConnell, Ryan and the rest. But they were more of the old Country Club R's. It was a class thing as much as a politician thing.
Goldberg's book is still a necessary read but him, not so much. But he and the Chaney's etc still need to make money to live their life style and their ego's won't allow them to think of themselves as passé so they aren't going anywhere either if they can help it. Agree about leaving them alone. The silent treatment and ignoring them is the best way. Liz who???? Name doesn't ring a bell..As long as MSNBC, CNN, etc will pay them they'll be there. The Kimmel's, the woman of The View will not be retiring anytime soon. California is an expensive place to live and will get even more so.
Agree about the rest. School Choice is a hard sell. Especially if your own school system is doing well. I think to many people think the entire system is awful rather then some areas are doing well. A kin to everyone hates Congress but loves their Congress man. Best bet would be to give parents vouchers for education and let the schools compete for the money. Parents get to decide not the state.
Be interesting to see if the states that signed on to give their electoral votes to the winner of the popular vote follow through. Any bets?
And remember about the good but not great. Best is the enemy of better and politics is a ground game of inches. Hail Mary's are nice and spectacular but for the most part it's the inches and the singles and doubles that win the most games.
Overlong I know. Apologies
oops. The part about Contract and will he pay was about a bet that Nate Silver made with another Pollster (maybe) for $100K He predicted Trump would only take Florida by 8%. Lost Bigly. Somehow that went missing. Have to learn to proof read better.
Touché Jeff! Please keep your good work. coming! IMHO, your craft is off the charts spot on. Thanks and be well.
Boom! Spot on, Jeff. Thanks.
Once the screaming & blaming ends from likes of "Mourning" Joe & The View, et al., perhaps some on the left may now realize that seeking the end of the filibuster or packing the Supreme Court was... shortsighted. 😉
Well, that and mutilating gender confused, likely brainwashed, young children.
For the first time in my life, I see the possibility of a significant political realignment.
The D's claim to be a big tent. But in reality, they are completely top down and their "big tent" is really just a bunch of segmented small tents with closed in sides that are just stuck together like Lego pieces. The voting interest groups seem to be tiring of being stuck in the ventilation-free box and spoon-fed D promises and talking points.
The D's, rather than airing out all the mini tents in 2016/2020/2024 doubled down and reinforced the sides. They maneuvered the Bernie/Socialism block out of the way in 16 to put forth an awful female candidate. They put forth the ultimate middle-of-the pack party loyalist/incompetent in 2020. The maneuvers of 16 and 20 left them with a single option of putting forth the second most unlikeable female candidate in 24. (They also forced a very likable and rising female star out of the party).
Trump - like him or not - ripped the walls off the old GOP tent. He spouts his populism and makes alliances here and there and watches who wanders out (Romney/Chaney) and who wanders in (Elon/Tulsi/Vivek/RFK/Latino/blue collar whites/young black men). The GOP of today is not the Bush-establishment GOP. He gained votes in Illinois - which saw a net outmigration since 2016. Those migrating out of Illinois are largely well-to-do Repubs.
I'm not a huge Trump fan, but I am excited to see how he forces a political realignment in the coming years. Dare we hope to get a viable 3rd party? Dare we hope that candidates recognize the only way to keep the tent full when it has open walls is to have a mindset conducive to growth? (remember - government can't create growth but it sure can kill it).
No third party. J D Vance.
I have never been a huge Trump fan (though I do believe we just witnessed the most impressive political comeback and display of grit in history) but I like his policies.
He has great policies.
JLM
www.themusingsofthebigredcar.com
Two biggest comebacks in the political history of the English speaking people both owe a lot to Hitler
Well said. I echo all of what you have written. For now, we take the win. Let's see what "transformation" Trump, Musk, and others can do. Stripping down federal agencies is a great way to start. I'm excited that free speech remains alive and that we have a real opportunity to rid ourselves of the perverse DEI rules and school conduct. It was a big night for Jews too. Trump knows how to play offense and defense. Biden/Kamala were defense only. Nobody was scared of him. Let's use this once in a generation opportunity to re-make the middle east. And yes, let's let people suffer the consequences of their choices and actions.
Great piece, Jeff. I saw that vote data at The Last Refuge as well.
Why do we dislike Kari Lake so much? I think she's great and just assumed Maricopa county just loved McCain so much.
Amen, Jeffrey.
I'm still, four years later, flabbergasted by the 2020 election numbers, particularly on the D side. Outlier? Nah.
Will slightly disagree on the 'celebrity endorsements' thing. I think Joe Rogan and Elon Musk endorsements were a big help to Trump.
In my world, having Peter Thiel (Liberterian) AND David Marcus (Democrat) endorse Trump was very reassuring.
If talented tech people such as Keith Rabois can endorse Trump, I can see a lot more 25 year olds feeling like it is safe to vote for him.
Agree having Elon but not sure about how much effect Rogan had since it was the last hour. Going on his podcast was intelligent strategy.
Rogan went way more upbeat with Trump after RFK Jr endorsed DJT. Yes, late in the game to actually endorse, and only after Elon pushed him.
RFKJ is another flawed individual, but with some very excellent qualities. I think it really helped having his endorsement, though I would not make him Sec. of HHS.
Jeff,
Why is it so hard to turn Minnesota from Blue to Red? All the surrounding states are deep Red, Red or Purple. My understanding of Minnesota is it is mostly rural, with Minneapolis / St Paul the major population center. Is it simply the problem that Minneapolis / St Paul is too deeply Blue?
I can understand Illinois being Blue due to the population dominance of Chicago. I don't equate Minneapolis / St Paul to Chicago, but more similar to Detroit or Milwaukee. Yet Michigan and Wisconsin are Purple and Trump was able to win those states, but not Minnesota.
It’s due to the political bent of the Nordic countries where the settlers came from. Same with Wisconsin and its German settlers.
The DFL in MN is incredibly organized. In Wisconsin, they are true socialists. Instituted the first income tax. Both states flipped quickly after the Civil War.
Milwaukee had a socialist city council elected in 1910, and a socialist mayor from 1910-12 then 1916-40 (!).
I live in the Twin Cities. The Twin Cities metro area has a population of about 3 million which is a little over half the population of the entire state. The state also has a couple of cities outside the metro, Duluth and Rochester, which usually vote blue. The state as a whole has been pretty well off economically so that makes it easier for taxpayers to accept higher taxes which are used to fund a pretty robust safety net for the less affluent people in our state.
I expect school choice didn't pass in Kentucky at least in part because in rural counties with a small population, the public school system is where all the money is.