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Thursday, November 29, 2018

Will the 21st Century be the Anti-American Century?



Friends, the fact that so many young people are attracted by the siren song of leftism is a source of profound disappointment for many conservatives, as it should be.  This "poll" professes to measure some of the shockingly liberal and unpatriotic sentiments of the younger generation, and thus, despite its serious methodological flaws, it can serve as a wake-up call for those on the right who believe that "the children are the future," as, of course, in a literal sense they are.  The Left is doing a full court press to convince children and young adults that America is a hellscape of racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia, and transphobia, and only the Democrats can save us from the KKK/Republican Party.  Many youngsters are swallowing the bait.  Be afraid!

http://insider.foxnews.com/2018/11/29/young-americans-millennials-believe-america-racist-not-greatest-country

Secondly, you may wish to read one of Victor Davis Hanson's articles, which are always stimulating.  In this article, Hanson opines that Trump's rashest and most juvenile remarks and tweets are hurting him with the sort of moderate, suburban voters he needs to win re-election in 2020. To a point, I agree.  Trump's style irks many people, and he could smooth out some of the hard edges of that style in order to minimize his offensiveness.  What Hanson doesn't seem to get, though, is how little style or substance matters when the media is determined to make you look bad.  Many of Trump's "outrageous" tweets aren't in fact outrageous at all.  They're just spun that way by a hostile press corps.  Unless Trump gets some handle on the media, and shames or intimidates them into moderating their bias, his stylistic changes won't accomplish much, in my view.

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2018/11/29/is_there_a_51_percent_solution_for_trump_138775.html

And here's another article that echoes my position that, unless conservatives learn how to reverse the Left's domination of the media and many other culturally pivotal institutions, our collective goose is cooked:

https://spectator.us/cultural-conservatism-demographics/

Make a Run for the Border?



Friends, the thin green line is hard at work, as the U.S. Border Patrol attempts to keep the Central American migrants at bay.  The newspaper copy pretty much writes itself for leftist journalists: "President Trump is tear gassing babies!  Oh, the humanity!"  We break the story down during my latest Newsmaker interview with Brian O'Neil.  We also cover the denouement of the Mueller investigation, the fate of Rod Rosenstein, the controversy over bias at Twitter, and the military lessons of the Vietnam War.  Don't miss it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xClvGp46pOA&feature=youtu.be

Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Good News/Bad News



Breaking News: Chairman Cuomo, iron-fisted ruler of the People's Republic of New York, has declared that he will NOT run for President in 2020.  He wants to concentrate on the important work remaining in the obliteration of the Empire State.  Is Cuomo on the level?  Probably, yes.  A declaration of non-interest in running for President is difficult, if not impossible, to walk back.  The good news, therefore, is that it appears that the nation will be spared Cuomo's misrule.  The bad news, however, is that Cuomo will be lording it over New Yorkers for the foreseeable future, and possibly forever.  There are only two small rays of hope: he could be jettisoned at some point by his fellow Democrats.  There's precedent for that in New York, as we all know.  Our Governors and Attorneys General regularly bite the dust.  He could also be elevated to the cabinet, or to some other high-level appointment in Washington, if a Democrat wins in 2020.  You see, friends -- whatever happens, hope springs eternal, and all things must surely come to an end someday, even Cuomo-ism.  Stay strong!

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/new-york-gov-cuomo-says-hes-ruling-out-2020-presidential-bid

Monday, November 26, 2018

All Smiles in Swampsville?



Friends, my latest article is an analysis of President Trump's (superficially curious) decision to endorse Nancy Pelosi's bid to become Speaker of the House. Is Trump crazy...or crazy like a fox?  Decide for yourselves.

President Trump: More “Mr. Nice Guy,” Please

Lost in the hail of barbs and recriminations that the talking heads unleash on poor President Trump on a daily basis is the fact that he recently made a brilliant political move of Machiavellian shrewdness. He endorsed Nancy Pelosi's campaign to be re-elected as the Speaker of the House of Representatives. In doing so, he put Pelosi and the Democrats – his avowed political enemies – in a wholly unexpected and deeply uncomfortable position.

How did he do it? After the Democrats won the House majority in the midterm elections, Trump tweeted that Pelosi “deserves this victory, she has earned it.” He told reporters: “I like her, can you believe it? I like Nancy Pelosi. She's tough and she's smart...she deserves to be Speaker, and now they're playing games with her...” Trump has even offered to “help Nancy Pelosi if she needs some votes”, suggesting Rep. Tom Reed, a New York Republican, as a potential Pelosi supporter.

What are we to make of a Republican President who offers to assist a much-reviled San Francisco liberal to assume the crucial role of Speaker of the House? Pelosi dismissed Trump's offer immediately, vowing that she would win the speakership with Democratic votes alone, but could Trump's maneuvers have more lasting significance?

First, we should observe that, in supporting Pelosi, Trump is arguably plucking some very low-hanging political fruit. Pelosi is, despite a halfhearted, leaderless rebellion against her by a handful of House Democrats, extremely likely to be re-elected Speaker. According to PredictIt, an online betting market that implicitly forecasts political developments, Pelosi's return to the speakership is a 96% certitude. President Trump is therefore betting on a winner, and in politics that is seldom a bad idea. Trump is likely to earn some bragging rights, therefore, and he will be able to greet the newly-enthroned Speaker Pelosi in January with a firm handshake and a sly insinuation that he was behind her all the way.

Second, President Trump must know that, given the unprecedented loathing that liberals feel towards him, his support for Nancy Pelosi cannot but be seen by her as a political liability. From the leftist perspective, Trump's approval of Pelosi is a bad joke, at best, and the kiss of death, at worst. Liberals also realize that part of Trump's (and Republicans') affection for Pelosi grows out of her perceived weakness. She is widely seen by conservatives and Trump-supporters as a tarnished figurehead for loony California-style liberalism. She is, in this sense, the perfect foil for Trump to run against in 2020. That the House she presides over will accomplish little besides raking President Trump and his family members over the coals will, Republicans assume, make it even easier to blacken the name of Democratic candidates in 2020 with the epithet: “He/she is a Pelosi liberal!” If one assumes, therefore, that the likely alternative to Pelosi is a fresh new face with the potential to re-brand the Democratic Party and refocus the work of the House on bipartisan priorities, then it is surely in the political interests of Republicans that Pelosi should retain her stranglehold on the speakership and on the Democratic caucus. She is an albatross, pure and simple.

Third, assuming that Trump is actually playing a double game, and that his support for Pelosi is intended to hobble her and/or to lessen her chances of emerging as Speaker, the possibility emerges that Trump will succeed in precipitating the defeat of his “favorite” by a newcomer. If indeed Pelosi is defeated, it will be because the Democrats succumbed to vicious internecine squabbling. Trump and Republicans would take, one assumes, undisguised pleasure in Pelosi's downfall and in the Democrats' discomfiture. They might also assume that whomever was chosen as the new Speaker of the House would be either severely damaged by the bitter battle that would have preceded their selection, or would be gravely compromised by the accommodations they would have made with the far-left elements in the Democratic caucus in order to achieve victory. Either way, Trump and the Republicans would be the beneficiaries.

All in all, therefore, Trump's decision to voice his support for Nancy Pelosi's bid for the speakership seems like the rarest of political machinations: a true win-win that carries virtually no risk for the Machinator-in-Chief. To put it another way, whatever happens to Nancy Pelosi, Trump will come out of the Democrats' bruising political struggle smelling like a rose.

Given the obvious political benefits of President Trump's unconventional intervention in the Democrats' House leadership contest, perhaps President Trump should consider reprising the role of “Mr. Nice Guy” in the near future. For instance, some well-timed, incisive praise for the President's favorite Hollywood blowhards (Alec Baldwin?), for left-leaning corporate bigwigs (Jeff Bezos?), and even for the brashest and most refractory of White House correspondents (Jim Acosta?) could be just the medicine these “enemies of the people” need to rethink their life-philosophy of Trump-hatred. Every compliment could even come with a free MAGA hat...

Could the old-saying be true: you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar? I advise President Trump to find out. What does he have to lose?

Dr. Nicholas L. Waddy is an Associate Professor of History at SUNY Alfred and blogs at: www.waddyisright.com. He appears weekly on the Newsmaker Show on WLEA 1480.

And here it is in the Daily Caller:

https://dailycaller.com/2018/11/27/trump-nancy-pelosi-nice/ 

Thursday, November 22, 2018

Happy Thanksgiving!



Happy Thanksgiving, one and all!  This year, I'm thankful for America, President Trump, Justice Kavanaugh, the Republican Senate, my legions of adoring fans, and yes -- I'm even thankful for liberals!  After all, they're "worthy" opponents, but not quite worthy enough to win (most of the time).  We couldn't ask for much more than that, could we?  😆  May you all enjoy some quality time with your family, and may the holiday season be full of warmth and fellowship for everyone (enclosed by Trump's admittedly hypothetical wall)!

Wednesday, November 21, 2018

Pelosi Now, Pelosi Forever?



Friends, for those of you who have read your Book of Revelation carefully, you must be wondering: was one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse named "Pelosi"?  It's an increasing germane question, as the Democrats debate whether to re-enthrone San Francisco liberal Nancy Pelosi as the Speaker of the House.  In my latest Newsmaker interview, you'll learn whether I think Nancy still has the goods, and we also discuss the election results in Florida and Georgia, the Jim Acosta-CNN case, how to handle those pesky caravans, and the current dynamics in Brexit politics across the pond.  And there's more!  Don't miss out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdHewWeRRvQ&feature=youtu.be

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

Elon Musk: Space Cadet



Friends, my latest article, published in Townhall, is a follow-up to an article I wrote in May about Elon Musk's fanciful "Starlink" project, which aims to bring satellite-based broadband internet access to the whole planet, at vast and unnecessary expense.  This is the prelude, we're led to believe, to the settlement of Mars with a million little Musk apostles.  Needless to say, I think it's science fiction.

https://townhall.com/columnists/nicholaswaddy/2018/11/20/will-elon-musk-never-learn-n2536210

And while you're at it take a gander at this fine article, which focuses on the Left's domination of our culture -- a very effective counterpoint to the Republican Party's domination of our political institutions.  Make no mistake: conservatives are at a grave disadvantage in the cultural arena, which is the arena, lest anyone forget, where the future is made.

https://amgreatness.com/2018/11/18/the-progressive-synopticon/

Sunday, November 18, 2018

The Sunshine State Goes Red, Finally!



Friends, allow me to convey official WaddyIsRight kudos and congratulations to Florida Governor Rick Scott, who, after much electoral hanky-panky, has been declared the winner of this year's Senate race, which pitted him against Skeletor -- ahem! excuse me -- against Democrat Bill Nelson.  It was a hugely expensive and hard fought race, and a super-close one, but in the end Scott prevailed, as he tends to do.  He did it partly by spending millions of dollars of his own money.  Well, I suppose if Tom Steyer and Mike Bloomberg can do it, so can Rick Scott.  It's an investment in good governance, after all!  Needless to say, I'm very pleased to see the Republican majority in the Senate growing, and I'm very relieved to see Republicans maintaining their dominance at all levels in the great state of Florida.  Long may it last!

Here's a great analysis of how Florida Republicans have kept Hispanics in play, with special emphasis on this year's Governor's race, won by Ron DeSantis.

https://www.dailywire.com/news/38487/how-republicans-won-florida-jeremy-frankel

Thursday, November 15, 2018

Jim Acosta and the Media's Sense of Entitlement



Friends, my latest article addresses CNN's ridiculous lawsuit, by which Jim Acosta is trying to force his way back into the White House, so he can disrespect the President to his heart's content. Outrageously, Fox News is voicing support for CNN and Acosta. Is it time for conservatives to change the channel, or chuck their TVs into the nearest well? I leave that up to you...

Fox News Should Be Ashamed Of Its Support For CNN And Jim Acosta

Conservatives are rightly shocked and dismayed by two recent decisions by Fox News, an allegedly Republican-friendly organization. First, Fox decided to ban President Trump's anti-illegal immigration campaign ad after CNN decided it was “racist”. Note that Fox, NBC, and other media outlets didn't discover this racism on their own. No, they needed that paragon of journalistic integrity, CNN, as well as a Twitter mob, to find it for them. Hardly a profile in courage or a sign of sound judgment on the part of Fox News.

Now, Fox News has compounded its sins by filing an amicus brief supporting CNN's recent lawsuit against the White House. The lawsuit aims to force the Trump administration and the Secret Service to restore the press pass of legendary blowhard Jim Acosta. The White House terminated Acosta's access to the White House grounds after he refused to surrender the floor during a recent press conference, and in fact he refused to give the microphone back to a White House intern who was attempting to reclaim it. This was the last straw for Sarah Sanders, who decided that some semblance of order had to be restored to the interactions between the administration and the media, and some standard of professionalism, respect, and courtesy had to be enforced on White House journalists.

Amazingly, CNN alleges in its lawsuit that Jim Acosta's constitutional rights have been violated. His rights to free speech, press freedom, and “due process” apparently entitle him to question the President, at whatever length he deems appropriate, on national television. The audacity of this claim is breathtaking, but that Fox News would subscribe to this specious logic is a bitter blow to those conservatives who thought that Fox, at the very least, could be depended on to give Donald Trump a fair shake. Not so.

Consider the facts: Jim Acosta is a free man in a free country. He has been lavishly criticizing Sarah Sanders and Donald Trump, on Twitter and by other means, continuously – before, during, and after the infamous press conference. No one is interfering with his right to free speech in any way, and nor is he unable to work as a reporter. In fact, more people are listening to the siren song of Acosta-ism now than ever before. One might even say that the...volume of his speech has been turned up dramatically, courtesy of the President's low opinion of him.

Despite this, Acosta and CNN claim that the Constitution guarantees them access to the President. Now, keep in mind that a pass to gain entrance to the White House grounds is technically irrelevant to Acosta's ability to pose challenging questions to the President of the United States. Trump can always refuse to call on Acosta at press conferences, even if the “rude, terrible person” is present. 
 
Or perhaps I speak too hastily: perhaps CNN feels Acosta is entitled not just to stroll the White House grounds, but also to buttonhole the President (and Sarah Sanders) as often as he wishes. Perhaps Acosta is even entitled to favorable camera angles, a glass of cool, refreshing water before each of his tirades, and a good night's rest before each foray into rudeness... After all, each of these factors bears on Acosta's ability to deliver his harangues effectively, and to scrutinize the President and his administration in a suitably public way. One wonders, in fact, whether Acosta and CNN are also entitled to high ratings for their broadcasts of presidential dressings-down? Could all Americans refusing to tune into CNN during White House press conferences also be guilty of constitutional violations? It's a question no American should dismiss lightly, given the creativity of liberal lawyers.

The truth, of course, is that, in a free country, every person is entitled to free speech, but they are also able to decide for themselves to whom they will speak. To put it in the starkest possible terms: the Fifth Amendment states that even those accused of a crime, even those self-evidently guilty of a crime, are not required to speak to the court that will hold them in judgment. And yet CNN (and its media acolytes) asserts that the President of the United States must, according to the Constitution, submit to the disrespectful and unprofessional “journalism” of Jim Acosta. Trump must allow Acosta to pontificate in the President's own house, and, presumably, he must give answers that satisfy Acosta, who otherwise will feel entitled to unlimited follow-ups, in pursuit of “the truth”.

The absurdity of CNN's position is transparent. CNN takes the view that President Trump, in his capacity as President, has no rights at all. He is merely a creature of the press. He is a punching bag, and it is for the Fourth Estate to decide how hard and how often he will be hit, and by whom. Ridiculous!

I encourage the White House in the strongest terms to fight CNN's lawsuit, to stick to its guns and deny Jim Acosta renewed access to the White House, and, in future, to issue clear and strict standards that will govern the expectations for other reporters covering the Trump administration.

The White House press corps is by no means required to support President Trump or to ask him only softball questions, but it is, or ought to be, required to show basic respect, decency, and professionalism in its conduct. And, if the journalistic luminaries in the White House Correspondents' Association don't like being held to the same standard as any other guest in the White House would be, well, they can vote for President Trump's opponent in the 2020 election.

Of course, they were already planning on doing that anyway, as we all know.

Dr. Nicholas L. Waddy is an Associate Professor of History at SUNY Alfred and blogs at: www.waddyisright.com. He appears weekly on the Newsmaker Show on WLEA 1480.

And here's the American Greatness version:

https://amgreatness.com/2018/11/17/shame-on-fox-news-for-joining-the-cnn-acosta-farce/ 

Wednesday, November 14, 2018

Is Merkel's EU Army Coming for...YOU???



Friends, don't miss my latest interview with Brian O'Neil on WLEA's Newsmaker Show.  This week we dissect the midterm results, including the Florida recounts and the Sinema victory in Arizona, we talk about the 100th anniversary of the Armistice that ended World War I, and we discuss the potshots that European leaders have been taking at President Trump.  I also assess Angela Merkel's absurd claim that the EU needs a "true" army of its own.  If you ask me, the EU would be better off sticking to its core competency of promoting free trade.  The more it gets into foreign policy and military affairs -- and the more it asks right-thinking Europeans to give up control of their borders -- the less likely it is to survive in the decades ahead.  My prediction: Britain will be the first country to leave the EU, yes, but it won't be the last.  And an EU Army?  A pipe-dream!  Nothing more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNNZbC-jDfY&feature=youtu.be

Saturday, November 10, 2018

Pyrrhic Victory



Friends, my latest article explores the double-edged sword that is the new, very slender Democratic majority in the House.  Enjoy, and thanks to Townhall for publishing it!

https://townhall.com/columnists/nicholaswaddy/2018/11/10/democrats-be-careful-what-you-wish-for-n2535659

Thursday, November 8, 2018

You Win Some, You Lose Some



Friends, the midterms are now in the books, and Republicans can celebrate some big wins in marquee matchups: Florida Governor, Georgia Governor, and the U.S. Senate races in Arizona, Texas, North Dakota, Missouri, Florida, and Indiana, for instance. Still, Democrats won the House, albeit narrowly, and this is certainly not what I expected or hoped for.  My latest Newsmaker interview with Brian O'Neil gives you my general opinion on the midterms, which I will also analyze in a forthcoming article.  Here is this week's Newsmaker Show:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRTutLVxdzw&feature=youtu.be

Meanwhile, I invite you to take a gander at these important stories.  First, Attorney General Jeff Sessions has been fired (not unexpectedly), and this means that the Mueller investigation has a new overseer: Acting Attorney General Matt Whittaker.  What does this portend?

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/what-acting-attorney-general-matt-whitaker-has-to-do-with-robert-mueller-probe/

Secondly, CNN's Jim Acosta has had his pass to access the White House revoked, after behaving deplorably towards a White House intern and more importantly President Trump. If you ask me, Acosta is a buffoon, not a journalist, and his disrespectful brand of "journalism" would never have been tolerated if it was directed at President Obama. Simply put, no one is required to like President Trump, but a White House reporter is and ought to be required to show basic respect to the Office of President. Acosta has failed in that regard, so he should find a new line of work, or a new "beat" as a reporter.  I strongly believe the White House should stick to its guns on this issue, regardless of whatever whining comes out of the press corps.

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2018/11/08/white_house_suspends_press_pass_for_cnns_acosta_after_heated_confrontation_138593.html

Lastly, winning the House does not seem to have put the far-left in a better mood.  They descended like jackals last night on the home of Tucker Carlson and implicitly threatened him and his family.  You'll see a lot of journalists howling about the fate of Jim Acosta -- you'll see very few lift a finger to defend Tucker's constitutional rights, not to mention the safety and well-being of his family.  It's a shame that the Left wasn't held more accountable for this kind of behavior in the midterms, but at least we can presume that Tucker will keep fighting the good fight...

https://thehill.com/homenews/media/415662-activists-converges-on-home-of-foxs-tucker-carlson-you-are-not-safe

Tuesday, November 6, 2018

Decision Time for America



Friends, I'm sure I don't need to remind you to vote, but I will remind you that we're very blessed to live in a country where We the People get to decide who will lead us. I anticipate a great night for Republicans, yes, but more to the point I'm 100% sure that America will keep on ticking, as it always does, and our divisions will subside, sooner or later. One Nation Under God, Indivisible, With Liberty And Justice For All! Take a little time today to be thankful, if you please.

Here's a very interesting analysis based on some sophisticated number crunching.  I don't agree with the conclusion, but I think the article does a good job of revealing just how challenging it will be for the Democrats to take control of the House...

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2018/11/06/flipping_the_house_what_94_06_10_turnout_tells_us_138561.html

Monday, November 5, 2018

The Grand Finale: Depression on the Left







Friends, today American Greatness has published the last installment in my four-part series about the Democrats' likely reaction to defeat in the midterm elections. I see CNN today has doubled down on its prediction that the Dems will prevail by 13 points. Ha! They sure do have a sense of humor! I jest, of course -- liberals have no discernible sense of humor, and if the "blue wave" doesn't come to pass you can bet they will be distraught, to say the least. The last part of my analysis considers the question of how many will descend into a deep depression...and how many may give up on the Democratic Party or the liberal movement altogether. The number need not be high to guarantee President Trump re-election in 2020. See what you think...

https://amgreatness.com/2018/11/05/the-stages-of-liberal-grief-depression/

Sunday, November 4, 2018

Anger on the Left: America's "New Normal"



Ah, Howard Dean. Remember when this guy was the favorite to win the Democratic nomination in 2004, but crashed and burned, partly because he was seen as too "angry" and extreme? Well, Democrats and liberals have undergone an evolution since then. They are now so apoplectic about the Trump presidency that no bad behavior, no fit of vituperation, no incidence of harassment of Republicans, seems out of bounds. In fact, the liberals are seemingly competing with each other to earn the title "Biggest Trump-Hater of All-Time". Think Trump is a fascist? NO! He's a Super-Nazi! Think Trump is soft on Putin? NO! He's a Putin stooge and an epic traitor! Think Trump is a ruthless businessman? NO! Actually he's guilty of every white collar crime in the book, ipso facto, and most non-white collar crimes too. Why not? And, lastly, think Trump supporters were wrong to vote for him? NO! Every Trump voter is as racist, misogynistic, homophobic, transphobic, xenophobic, Earth-hating, and generally monstrous as Trump himself! Death would be too mild a punishment for such swine!

That, unfortunately, is how the Left has come to see the world. It isn't pretty. Part Three of my four-part series on the likely leftist reaction to a failure of the "blue wave" is about ANGER, and how liberal rage will intensify in some frightening, but ultimately counterproductive (to the Left), ways after November 6th.

Here it is in American Greatness (it was also featured on RealClearPolitics!):

https://amgreatness.com/2018/11/04/the-stages-of-liberal-grief-anger/

Saturday, November 3, 2018

The Dems Are In Denial, And It's About To Get Much Worse



Friends, it's no secret by now that the Democrats will do anything to avoid the awful truth that they straight-up lost the 2016 election.  Oh no, they say -- we were cheated.  In fact, the whole Trump presidency is an illusion, a mistake, a passing fancy, a criminal conspiracy which will soon unravel. In short, Democrats are in denial, and once they lose on November 6th their condition will dramatically intensify. Read all about it in Part Two of my "Stages of Grief" analysis:

https://amgreatness.com/2018/11/03/the-stages-of-liberal-grief-denial/

Friday, November 2, 2018

Whammy the First: A Brief History of TDS



Friends, today the first in my four-part series of articles appeared in American Greatness. The topic is a very important one: what explains liberal derangement since the election of President Trump, and more importantly how will this derangement change or intensify after they lose another election on November 6th? I have by now made it clear that I believe the "blue wave" is destined to fail, and thus we cannot but be curious how the Left will react. They have, by all appearances, been flirting with lunacy for two years now, so will they be able to absorb the shock of another setback, another rebuke from the American people?  My guess is that the 2018 election will produce a major earthquake on the Left, and the Democratic Party and the liberal movement may be permanently hobbled by the resulting chaos. I analyze the prospects for liberal self-destruction using Elisabeth Kubler-Ross's Five Stages of Grief as a model. Today's installment is just an introduction -- a brief history of Trump Derangement Syndrome, if you will -- so the real "meat" of the analysis and my more detailed prognostications will follow on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Don't miss it! America's future is on the line.

https://amgreatness.com/2018/11/02/the-stages-of-liberal-grief-how-might-the-left-react-to-midterm-failure/

Thursday, November 1, 2018

Democrats: The End is Nigh! REPENT!



Friends, in a further sign that Democrats may want to dust off their applications for residency in Canada, data continues to pour in documenting the failure of the "blue wave". Today I bring you three articles that confirm, in the main, that 2018 may not be as great as 2014 for Republicans, but arguably the position for the GOP in 2018 is better than in 2016, and 2016 -- in case you've forgotten -- was something of a banner year! Now, maybe independent voters have turned against Republicans in a big way. Maybe there's some wave of young or minority voters who Democrats plan to spring on us at the last minute (a sort of strategic reserve). None of this seems very likely. An election in which Republican voters turn out in record numbers, and in numbers that are proportionally similar to previous elections in which they did well, hardly sets the stage for a rout. My sense, therefore, is that we're still on track to turn Trump Derangement Syndrome into Trump Psychosis. Be of good cheer, Republicans!

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/24-million-early-voting-ballots-already-counted-more-2014-n929421

https://www.wsj.com/articles/republicans-show-strength-in-early-voting-1541025658

https://politics.myajc.com/blog/politics/georgia-early-voting-has-passed-mark-here-what-says-about-the-race-for-governor/fchxQGQwzEWlMvnzppGeHO/