Issues
A Warning Sign
Trump wanted to get more Black votes – he’d gotten 12% in 2020, was aiming to get 20% this time. And polls showed he was doing it – until Biden got out. Trump dropped back to 12% facing Kamala Harris. Trump set out to drive a wedge between Harris and Black voters, claiming ‘She was…
Read MoreThe Ground Shifted Beneath Trump’s Feet
On stage at a rally Trump bashed ‘lyin’ Kamala…low IQ Kamala.’ Back in 2016 he pummeled ‘Crooked’ Hillary the same way – and won. But when he pummeled ‘Sleepy’ Joe in 2020 he lost. Marching in Trump’s footsteps, pummeling Democrats, Republicans lost in 2018 and 2022. The economy tanked – running a third time Trump…
Read MoreThe Smell Test
The headline surprised me: Trump donated to Kamala Harris campaign when she was California Attorney General. Trump gave Harris $6000, his daughter Ivanka gave another $2000. Trump’s campaign spokesman brushed it off saying Trump was a ‘global businessman who gave politicians money to play the game and win.’ Trump’s given the same answer himself before.…
Read MoreTwo Different Worlds
The other day on TV a mother wearing a long white sweater sitting beside her dining room table talked about her son dying of a fentanyl overdose – then said she typically voted Republican but this time ‘Josh Stein is who I want to be governor.’ The same day in a video on Facebook, waving…
Read MoreLearning From Mistakes
Raising more money, making stronger ads, Republicans once had an edge over Democrats in elections. But, of course, over time Democrats learned from their mistakes. Kamala Harris just raised $200 million in one week – no Republican’s done that. For years Republicans’ flashy ads full of melodrama worked but voters have now seen so many…
Read MoreDodging Won’t Work
No one saw it coming: Running for governor, neck and neck with Josh Stein, Mark Robinson just got upended. Robinson’s family business – Balanced Nutrition – is paid by the state to provide meals for needy children in day care centers. Robinson’s wife, who runs the company, makes $160,000 in salary. Robinson, his son, daughter,…
Read MoreNY Times: Climbing Out on a Limb, Twice.
Climbing out on a limb the New York Times led the charge to get Biden out of the race. The day after Biden got out the Times published a chart ranking ten Democrat candidates from the most likely to least likely to beat Trump. At the top of the list was Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro…at…
Read MoreIdols
The first time Ronald Reagan ran for president a lot of Democrats voted for him. Those ‘ticket-splitters’ respected their political party but a candidate’s honesty, character, beliefs mattered more to them than his party. Governor Jim Hunt ran for reelection the same year Reagan won and a lot of those same ticket-splitters voted for Hunt…
Read MoreJefferson, MLK, the Bible
A brawl’s going on in Oklahoma. About teaching the Bible in schools. A preacher’s son Ryan Walters grew up in a small town, after college taught at a local high school; whisps of whiskers covering his cheeks, at 39 ran for Oklahoma School Superintendent – won. Sounding like a teacher said schools needed to teach…
Read MoreMirrors
Are Trump and Biden a pair of giants shaping what Americans see, think, believe? Or are Trump and Biden simply mirrors, reflections of what Americans believe? Not long ago if a politician got caught telling a lie he went down in flames. Lies were taboo. Did Trump convince people lies don’t matter? Or is Trump…
Read More