Both parties have loyalists who are most likely to vote for their side no matter what. However, there are a great many people in the middle who may be sitting on the fence and can be persuaded one way or the other. I just heard the claim on the radio that there are a large number of "swing voters." However, this feels like an oversimplification.
In recent years, the Republicans have ridden the coattails of Donald Trump. Consequently, if he is not popular, then they are not going to be popular either. This election was most definitely a referendum on Donald Trump.
In the aftermath of the election, the pundits keep focusing on specific issues, as if any one issue or combination of issues could have decided the election. Maybe this is giving the electorate too much credit. For example, the economy is doing well, but the public perception is that it is doing poorly. Much of this is a carryover from the massive inflation we experienced under the Biden administration, which has made affordability the most talked-about issue. The political left and the media have propagandized the notion that the economy is not doing well, primarily because of affordability.
People's attitudes toward Trump tend to be emotional and very personal. They either love him or hate him. We know that the political left hates Trump, mainly because they lost to him in a couple of elections. Consequently, they have gone to extremes to portray Trump as evil and have even compared him to a dictator like Hitler. This "Trump is Evil" propaganda resonated with enough people to persuade them to vote for the left. People literally hate the President. They react to him on an emotional level, and the issues are secondary.
Trump's two victories were mostly a backlash against the bad policies of the political left. He was successful because he convinced average Americans that he was on their side. He focused on issues that were popular, such as illegal immigration, which was probably the issue that won him the elections.
The illegal immigration issue has been mostly solved, so people have largely forgotten about it and begun focusing on other things.
However, Trump did things that weren't necessarily popular, such as imposing tariffs and getting involved in the Iran War. He has also been enthusiastic about data centers and friendly with tech billionaires. Consequently, people became less sure that Trump was really on their side. He has lost some of his appeal to the average person, particularly among minorities.
Trump's deportation policy, carried out by ICE, created disturbing images on the news that contributed to the perception that Trump is evil. He lost the Hispanic support he had gained.
To win elections, politicians need to build a coalition of support that includes many different groups of people, including minorities. Whatever minority support Trump had has shifted back to the left. Without at least some minority support, neither side can win elections.
The Democrats didn't necessarily have to persuade voters that their own policies were better. They just had to convince enough people that Trump and the Republicans weren't delivering for them.
Friday, November 6, 2026
Wednesday, November 4, 2026
Tuesday, November 3, 2026
Re: Hardly a surprise
On Wed, Nov 4, 2026 at 10:29 PM Grant wrote:>
> Hardly a surprise.
Grant,
There was a wide range of predictions. The optimists were predicting a 50-50 split in the Senate, but maybe this was wishful thinking.
I'm not opposed to Trump. He was a far better choice than "Commie Harris." We've had two years of (modest) economic growth. More importantly, I agree with parts of Trump's agenda, such as eliminating waste and preventing illegal immigration.
We have had inflation, but it is much lower than it was under Biden. However, the public looks at things like food costing twice as much as it used to and blames the current administration. Never mind that much of the inflation occurred under the previous administration.
I think that the tariffs were mostly a mistake, and Trump's approval rating went down as soon as he announced them.
Gasoline is more expensive, but let's be real. It is not by a huge amount. I went from paying around $3 per gallon to paying as much as $4.50 per gallon, but now it is under $4 again. I only have to fill my gas tank roughly every two weeks, so it has little impact on my life.
If and when the Iran war ends, gas prices are likely to go down.
Iran has been the #1 sponsor of terror. According to Google AI, Iran is responsible for at least 1,000 American deaths. There have been multiple things Iran has done to us that should have been considered acts of war. Even my late, left-leaning father thought so in the 1980s.
Iran was most definitely working on a nuclear weapon. They even bragged about it, claiming that they had enough material to build several bombs. This was true, but it is debatable how close they were to building a functional weapon. By most accounts, it would have taken a year or several.
Although 80 to 90% of Muslims are peaceful, according to AI, roughly 10 to 15% believe in using violence to advance their cause. The basic tenets of Islam promote violence toward non-believers. I've argued that Islam is a Fascist political movement masquerading as a religion.
Iran is a country that uses violence to advance its agenda. I absolutely agree that Iran should not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.
Trump's personality tends to be more confrontational. He does not come across as a refined politician. However, he is the type of person who gets things done, and I very much think this is what we need, although some people might view him as a bully.
I think that I should add that much of the political-left is taking extreme positions regarding economics and social issues.
Best wishes,
John Coffey
http://www.entertainmentjourney.com
> Hardly a surprise.
Grant,
There was a wide range of predictions. The optimists were predicting a 50-50 split in the Senate, but maybe this was wishful thinking.
I'm not opposed to Trump. He was a far better choice than "Commie Harris." We've had two years of (modest) economic growth. More importantly, I agree with parts of Trump's agenda, such as eliminating waste and preventing illegal immigration.
We have had inflation, but it is much lower than it was under Biden. However, the public looks at things like food costing twice as much as it used to and blames the current administration. Never mind that much of the inflation occurred under the previous administration.
I think that the tariffs were mostly a mistake, and Trump's approval rating went down as soon as he announced them.
Gasoline is more expensive, but let's be real. It is not by a huge amount. I went from paying around $3 per gallon to paying as much as $4.50 per gallon, but now it is under $4 again. I only have to fill my gas tank roughly every two weeks, so it has little impact on my life.
If and when the Iran war ends, gas prices are likely to go down.
Iran has been the #1 sponsor of terror. According to Google AI, Iran is responsible for at least 1,000 American deaths. There have been multiple things Iran has done to us that should have been considered acts of war. Even my late, left-leaning father thought so in the 1980s.
Iran was most definitely working on a nuclear weapon. They even bragged about it, claiming that they had enough material to build several bombs. This was true, but it is debatable how close they were to building a functional weapon. By most accounts, it would have taken a year or several.
Although 80 to 90% of Muslims are peaceful, according to AI, roughly 10 to 15% believe in using violence to advance their cause. The basic tenets of Islam promote violence toward non-believers. I've argued that Islam is a Fascist political movement masquerading as a religion.
Iran is a country that uses violence to advance its agenda. I absolutely agree that Iran should not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.
Trump's personality tends to be more confrontational. He does not come across as a refined politician. However, he is the type of person who gets things done, and I very much think this is what we need, although some people might view him as a bully.
I think that I should add that much of the political-left is taking extreme positions regarding economics and social issues.
Best wishes,
John Coffey
http://www.entertainmentjourney.com
Monday, November 2, 2026
Patrick Stewart as Vladimir Lenin
https://www.reddit.com/r/socialism/comments/19clao7/patrick_stewart_as_vladimir_lenin/
Not only did the late Patrick Stewart play Vladimir Lein, but he described it as a role he was proud of, because he repeatedly described himself as a Socialist.
Gene Rodenberry was also very left leaning, and his Star Trek sometimes reflected this, stating that money had been abandoned in the future, and that people did not focus on material wealth, but self improvement.
According to Google AI...
Key details of his political views include:
- Working-Class Roots: He traced his left-wing politics to his upbringing in West Yorkshire, England, and his trade unionist father.
- Early Political Awakening: He often described his "first act of civil disobedience" as taking place at age five during the 1945 UK general election, when Winston Churchill was defeated by Clement Attlee's Labour government.
- Public Stances: He identified as an "absolute fundamental, emotional socialist" and frequently spoke out on political issues, including opposing Brexit and criticizing Donald Trump.
Sunday, November 1, 2026
Saturday, October 31, 2026
Friday, October 30, 2026
Thursday, October 29, 2026
As prices climb, California imports more gasoline made from Russian oil
To ensure it has enough fuel, the state is importing refined products from abroad just as the Iran war tightens global crude oil supplies. But California has been able to get a lifeline from a surprising source: Fuel made from Russian oil is surging into the state, even though such sales are used to finance that nation’s ongoing war with Ukraine.
My Facebook Post from Ten Years Ago
If Hillary wins the election, I will write the following:
The free country that I once lived in has been stolen from me. The theft has been developing for decades, but this will be the final nail in the coffin. Hillary will appoint liberal judges at all levels who will render any remaining constitutional limits on government power meaningless. Our freedoms will forever be at the whim of an all-powerful government. Tax-and-spend policies will continue, and most of the electorate will care only about what freebies they can suck from the government teat.
Things are only going to get worse from here. The incentive to work hard and get ahead will be diminished. Economic growth will continue to be weak. We will be overregulated. The government will increase its control over all aspects of our lives.
Our borders will be less secure. Our immigration policy will be lax. Terrorists will sneak into the country. We will be more afraid.
Hillary will continue to serve the interests of Wall Street bankers and foreign governments.
Nobody will ever challenge our crazy central bank monetary policy, under which all money in the economy starts out as debt, helping to make the United States the greatest debtor nation in the world.
If George Bush doubled the national debt from $5 trillion to $10 trillion, and Obama doubled it from $10 trillion to $20 trillion, what is going to happen under Hillary? We are facing a possible economic collapse due to excessive public and private debt. The only way to prevent the national debt from becoming too burdensome is through severe tax increases, severe spending cuts, and/or a never-ending cycle of monetary inflation.
The free country that I once lived in has been stolen from me. The theft has been developing for decades, but this will be the final nail in the coffin. Hillary will appoint liberal judges at all levels who will render any remaining constitutional limits on government power meaningless. Our freedoms will forever be at the whim of an all-powerful government. Tax-and-spend policies will continue, and most of the electorate will care only about what freebies they can suck from the government teat.
Things are only going to get worse from here. The incentive to work hard and get ahead will be diminished. Economic growth will continue to be weak. We will be overregulated. The government will increase its control over all aspects of our lives.
Our borders will be less secure. Our immigration policy will be lax. Terrorists will sneak into the country. We will be more afraid.
Hillary will continue to serve the interests of Wall Street bankers and foreign governments.
Nobody will ever challenge our crazy central bank monetary policy, under which all money in the economy starts out as debt, helping to make the United States the greatest debtor nation in the world.
If George Bush doubled the national debt from $5 trillion to $10 trillion, and Obama doubled it from $10 trillion to $20 trillion, what is going to happen under Hillary? We are facing a possible economic collapse due to excessive public and private debt. The only way to prevent the national debt from becoming too burdensome is through severe tax increases, severe spending cuts, and/or a never-ending cycle of monetary inflation.
Wednesday, October 28, 2026
The Floodgates Could Be BURST Open On Islamic Migration
I used to dislike Glenn Beck, but he has become less conspiratorial and is making much more sense.
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