IMO and the opinion of others who understand the political implications of elections, Tuesday night was a resounding rebuke of Trump and the GOP:
From Heather Cox Richardson:
"...legal scholar John Pfaff wrote: 'Every race. It’s basically been every race. Governors. Mayors. Long-held [Republican] dog-catchers. School boards. Water boards. Flipped a dungeon master in a rural Iowa D&D club. State senators. State reps. A janitor in Duluth. State justices. Three [Republican] Uber drivers. Just everything.'Trump posted on social media: 'TRUMP WASN’T ON THE BALLOT, AND SHUTDOWN, WERE THE TWO REASONS THAT REPUBLICANS LOST ELECTIONS TONIGHT,’ according to Pollsters.
But in fact, voters resoundingly rejected Trump and Trumpism, and today, politics will be a whole different game."
*************************
Trump, throwing his usual toddler hissy fit, warned Mamdani, New York's new mayor, that he would withhold federal funding from the city because the New Yorkers' choice for mayor, and not Trump's, won!
That's a first in my lifetime. Never have I heard a POTUS threaten a major city with withholding federal funds because that city freely and fairly voted for the candidate of their choice.
But, as we've said before, Trump doesn't believe in American norms, the rule of law, or our Constitution. What he does believe in is unrestrained power and retribution against anyone who doesn't bend a knee to his authoritarian rule.
All across America last night, Americans told him an emphatic, decisive, conclusive, deafening, "NO WE WON'T!"
33 comments:
Let's look at the number one issue voters have cited for voting against the GOP... increased daily living costs.
Let's look at home costs... from 1985 to 2024, the age of first time buyers went up and down between 29 and 35 years old. In the last year, according to Realtor.com, the age has jumped to 40 years old, the largest jump in history and outside the normal range.
Why? Because in many states, young buyers cannot afford, on the salaries they make, to buy a house. Young working buyers. Think about how what that means for young couples.
Now, let's look at the "elephant in the room", at least as the GOP and many conservative voters see it.
THE DEMS ELECTED A SOCIALIST!
Oh the horror. The Dems elected a guy like Bernie Sanders to be their Mayor.
I'll admit, I would have preferred a more mainstream candidate for mayor of New York. But Mamdani is not, by virtue of this win, the only "face" of the Democrats.
Not. At. All.
The face of the Dems are the state leaders who won governorships last night.
Abigail Spanberger becomes the first woman to win the Virginia Governorship in history. And what is one of the first thing she had to say to her supporters She thanked her opponent, Winsome Sears for her years of service to the state, and called for an attitude of niceness among Virginians. Imagine that... a normal politician.
Mikie Sherrill, a US Naval Academy graduate, who speaks Arabic and is a former Federal prosecutor won the governorship in New Jersey. Another thoroughly mainstream Dem candidate.
Now, Zohran Mamdani did win a historic race in New York. But this is America. If you are a citizen, you can run for election. If you are Catholic, Baptist, Atheist, Hindu, Jewish or yes, even Muslim, and are a citizen, you have a right to run for election in the United States.
It's one of the things that sets us apart from other countries and, wait for it, Makes America Great!
I know that triggers some people here and on the HMS Mothership, but I don't care. It's in the Constitution. You're free to be critical all you want, just be sure when you do so and claim a Muslim has no right to election in the US that this is the same BS conservatives have said throughout our history when Hindis, like Nikki Haley, Jews, like Joseph Lieberman, Catholics like JFK and more ran for election.
But again, let's be clear... it's racist and Unconstitutional.
Finally, if there's a single MAGA or conservative commenter who shows up today and is critical of California for their gerrymander election, STFU.
Not a one of you raised an objection when the MAGA Texas GOP started this race to the bottom. Tell us why you were so quiet when Texas acted, but are now aghast when California does the same?
Finally Number 2, again, for our MAGA folks... The Dems should have taken AG candidate Jay Jones off the ballot for his offensive and violent texts and phone calls to his opponent. Period.
But in the today times, when a US Presidential Candidate normalizes talk that accepts violence towards political opponents, mocks people attacked by violent offenders and pardons people who brutally beat US Capitol Police Officers, we can see why violent rhetoric is tolerated by our political parties.
I've been pretty open, but for the reading challenged, I'll say it again... There is no place in America for political violence. Period. And that includes the words that encourage it, whether from either the Dems or the GOP.
And when it happens, I'd like to see the parties discipline the guilty and if possible, remove them from office or strip them from the ballot.
So again, for our MAGA friends, any criticism from you of Jay Jones and the Dems in VA for electing him, will ring hollow. So just can it. Unless of course you can point to where you called out and spoke critically of POTUS Trump and his family for the disgusting and yes, violent language they've used since 2015.
What happened in NYC last night is a Trumper’s nightmare, but the MOST American thing that happened to NYCity: New York City's New First Family.
Interfaith, interracial, intercultural, intergenerational, international — AMERICAN.
This is what makes America great.
Not a single election went Trump’s way last night.
BTW, as Anon has pointed out it was a bad night for Trump and the GOP. In Mississippi, Mississippi, folks, no liberal bastion, the Dems won enough state seats to break the GOP Super Majority in that state.
Just stop and think about what that may mean for the GOP.
A cookie baked with a recipe of chaos is bound to crumble. "The Holy Roman Empire was neither holy, Roman nor an empire" - Voltaire
The rRumpublicans are already using Mayor Elect Mamdani to frame the democratic party as extremists. That the energy and drive in the party is fueled by the extremist socialist wing of the party. The KSoA was salivating as he hoped secretly for a Mamdani win as he and his party now have another "other" to help frame their con message of fear and hate. And I believe it will work. Not because the message is true, or even rational, but because tRumpublicans are better at messaging, and Americans have been so socially conditioned to fear and hate everything but predatory capitalism.
While personally I am glad Mamdani won, I not nearly has upbeat Shaw as you as to how yesterday's results will impact 2026 or 2028. You might be unpleasantly suprized at the cons resilience. Blinders seem to work very well in tRump's Amerika.
tRumpublican GOP = Hypocritical A**wipes Dave.
It's what the MAJORITY of party is today under tRump and his fascist brownshirt sycophants.
I hope the CRIMINAL President Trump and his party of henchmen stay in denial of how these elections went and keep up their authoritarian behavior. It will continue to hurt some more innocent Americans in the short term, which we can't stop anyway, but their Felonious Fuhrer will drag his party down next year.
"NO WE WON'T!"
YES!!!!!!
It should be noted that the GOP, which had no probs with Texas and GOP leaning states gerrymandering their locations, has already filed suit in CA to block the voter approved initiative.
The heights of hypocrisy repeating itself, again. As it will continue to do ad infinitum in the GOP.
From Occupy Democrats:
"Last night, Trump tried to pretend none of this was his fault and the Republican Party’s bloodbath defeat wasn’t a referendum on him and his authoritarian administration, even posting online that “TRUMP WASN’T ON THE BALLOT, AND SHUTDOWN, WERE THE TWO REASONS THAT REPUBLICANS LOST ELECTIONS TONIGHT,” according to Pollsters.”
But polls shown on Fox News to him and all of his voters show that in fact, Trump absolutely was on the ballot last night — and people hate him. 71% of Mikie Sherill voters polled said they voted in part to oppose Donald Trump, and 0% said they supported him.
Coming on the heels of new polling showing that he is at his highest disapproval level ever, one might think that this would be a moment for some self-reflection and a change of course in his “governance.”
But it’s Trump, and he is incapable of that. Instead, he began calling for more and more voter restrictions and spinning up nonsense about the unfairness of mail-in ballots, because of course, the problem is that people who don’t like him are allowed to vote, and not his systematic dismantling of our democracy, creeping fascism, and wanton violence from his administration of sadistic freaks and greedy thieves."
It was a bad night for trump since every election was all about trump and he lost. Now it will be interesting to see how much mamdani can accomplish with his promises of free everything. It really shows how people don't pay attention to what a candidate says. He cannot raise taxes on billionaires, he cannot take over grocery stores, he cannot freeze rent but I think he can offer free city transportation.
In the NJ race it will probably be a good thing because it has always been a democrat controlled state and maybe a female governor can bring a little honesty to the state.
Oh and Dave, I did raise an objection to Texas changing borders. Will it make a difference in California, no because they are so blue a border change will make little difference.
Hopefully this will show the WLTC (we love trump crowd) that he is not the answer. The democrats need to quite the (we hate trump so much we will punish everyone to make our point) and vote to open the government under the clean CR. Do something for America.
Your misrepresentations skud, grounded in either ignorance or delusion, or both, are becoming legendary.
Please point specifically, with links to videos or commentary in which NYC Mayor Elect Mamdani specifically promised free everything.
Of course skud I realize you won't, you NEVER do. Most likely because you know the bunk flowing from your keyboard is a lie.
I will add that nothing is free shud. One pays a price for everything. Usually for lazy folk who choose to do nothing, or very little, the price they pay is misery. So, most people choose to work.
Your broad brush strokes skud rather boring, as are the misrepresentations and lies.
Les... and Skud...
Here's a good read on Mamdani's key policies, which don't seem to offer "free everything".
Will he get it all? Nope. Some? Maybe. These are campaign promises, or something better described as aspirational promises. BTW, it's free bus transportation. That distinction is important in NY where there's a massive subway system. When people say "free transportation" without that distinction, as Skud did, subway transpo gets incorrectly lumped in.
But hey, who knows what will happen. President Trump has already mused about ending Mamdani's citizenship, something with his new SCOTUS immunity, he can actually do.
Will he? We don't know. Is it unreasonable to think he might make good on his ramblings? I don't think so.
We're in uncharted territory here.
"President Trump has already mused about ending Mamdani's citizenship, something with his new SCOTUS immunity, he can actually do."
I find it astounding that any American would worry about a mayor proposing free bus transportation (which would be a positive thing for students, working class people, and seniors) but not be sickened by a POTUS who suggested he could deport a duly elected American citizen because he doesn't like his policies nor the fact that he, a South Asian Muslim of a Muslim father and Hindu mother, was overwhelmingly chosen to lead NYC !
Tell us, skud, which is more of a threat to our American democracy: Free bus transportation that would benefit students, working class New Yorkers, and seniors, or deporting a naturalized American citizen because Trump doesn't like his policies?
BTW, here in Boston we have free bus service in certain underserved working class areas of the city. And Bostonians haven't become bloody Communists, like the hysterics in NYC are predicting will happen when Mamdani takes his Oath of Office in January.
So free daycare and bus transportation paid for by increases taxes on business is, according to les is only free to those who use transportation. His government run grocery stores to lower costs. The government is not capable of running anything efficiently and at a reasonable cost so that is more give aways. Your right Les nothing is free and Dave gave a good recap of the give-a-way policy.
When are our elected elite going to do their job and quit holding We The People hostage because they want to blame the other side. Who would have guessed
John Fetterman would be the most reasonable democrat senator in DC.
If one thing came out of the recent election it is that trumps influence is dwindling. His statement of he was not at fault for the loss because he was not on any ballot but the truth is every election was all about trump and his gold has been tarnished. Now we have another year of his bluster then he will be a lame duck which will really be in uncharted territory.
It is simply the usual scare tatics of the influential and extremely wealth and well connected predatory capitalists Shaw. It's the same stuff of the McCarthy era, no difference, and it's just getting started in tRump's Amerika.
"Tell us, skud, which is more of a threat to our American democracy: Free bus transportation that would benefit students, working class New Yorkers, and seniors, or deporting a naturalized American citizen because Trump doesn't like his policies?"
If I may, I'd like to provide Skud's answer for him:
"___________________________________"
I think that covers his response. ;-)
"So free daycare and bus transportation paid for by increases taxes on business is, according to les is only free to those who use transportation."
That's an oversimplification of what Mamdani would do to deliver on his platform policies.
Mamdani would pay for free day care and bus fare through a combination of increased taxes on high-income earners and corporations, as well as more aggressive collection of unpaid taxes. The income and corporate tax increases are projected to bring in billions of dollars, while aggressive tax collection could provide another billion dollars in revenue.
Your mantra has always been that government shouldn't tax the uber wealthy to provide "free give-aways" to the lower and working classes.
I've NEVER heard you talk about the free give-aways to billionaire corporations and CEOs who pay their workers so little that the US government has to supply them with SNAP benefits to feed their families. Look at corporations like Amazon, Walmart, etc., to see them steal workers' labor by underpaying them and then having the US government make up for their underpaying their workers so that people like Bezos could have a $50 million wedding in Venice, Italy!
Income inequality is a scandal in the richest country in the world.
"Among developed nations: The US has the highest income inequality among G7 countries and a higher level than most other developed nations, according to Pew Research Center.
Using different measures: Rankings can differ depending on the measurement. For example, one source ranks the US second in after-tax/transfer inequality among a sample of countries, behind only Chile. Another source places it behind Chile, Mexico, and Turkey within the OECD group.
Measuring income before and after taxes/transfers: The US has a relatively comparable level of inequality to other developed countries before taxes and transfers are considered. However, its tax and transfer policies are less effective at reducing inequality compared to many of its peers, resulting in higher inequality after these policies are implemented.
Global comparison: Globally, the US is not the single most unequal country. For instance, Zambia has one of the world's highest Gini coefficients. However, the US's level of inequality is comparable to that of countries like China, India, and Russia, according to The Atlantic."
Tell us, skud, how would YOU tackle the income inequality that exists in the richest country in the world, where 42 million Americans (12.3% of the population) are on SNAP benefits? Do you believe all people are on SNAP because they're lazy? Most of the benefits go to children, veterans, the disabled, the elderly, and WORKING CLASS Americans who can't keep their families fed on what the corporations pay them!
You're subsidizing the richest of the rich corporations so that their CEOs can have 3 or 4 yachts or private jets.
Examples:
Jeff Bezos owns a fleet of four aircraft and two helicopters and the superyachts Koru and Abeona.
Mark Zuckerberg owns the superyacht Launchpad.
Mark Cuban owns three jets.
Donald Trump owns a Boeing 757 and a Cessna Citation X.
Amazon's warehouse and fulfillment center workers have a lower median wage, with a 2024 median of ($47,990) in the US, and a recent report found their pay was 26% less than the average for all workers in counties where Amazon has fulfillment centers.
The average annual expenses for a four-person household in the U.S. were over $100,000 in recent years. A $47,000 income falls far short of this national average.
Living Wage Estimates: The minimum income a family of four needs to cover just basic necessities (a living wage, which does not include savings or discretionary spending) is at least $88,895 in the least expensive state (Mississippi) and over $150,000 in more expensive states like Massachusetts.
But go ahead and denigrate those politicians who want to do something about income inequality.
BTW, what's your opinion of multi-BILLIONAIRES owning more than one super yacht? If you think they earned two or three yachts or private jets, you need to understand that UNDERPAYING those workers who produce people like Bezo's and Zuckerberg's immense wealth is part of what made them what they are. This is why people like Mamdani want to do something for those who've been exploited for the benefit of those who have more than enough.
I'll answer dube first since his questions are always so meaningful, the government shutdown so our elected elite can blame the other party. Why does congress still get paid, they are government workers and proving they are not essential.
Ms. Shaw, there has been income inequity since the beginning of civilization. During the industrial revolution it was more pronounced than it is today. Since all but one of your examples is a lifelong democrat maybe you should appeal to your party to take actions.
I have no issues on people spending what they earn on what they want. I don't even mind people having a second home on the beach. The easiest thing for everyone to do and especially our elected elite is to pay for something with other peoples money.
Instead of wealth envy maybe we should ask is why do we have 40 million people on SNAP. Affordability is the key phrase of the day but when was the last time we had a tax cut or demanded our government live within its means. Yes prices are to high and a lot of that can be attributed to the great give a way of 2021/2022.
BTW, exploitation at it's highest is giving things with the only condition is the government controls you and we will do everything to prevent you from breaking away.
So, IOW, you either have no understanding of what causes our disgraceful income inequality in the richest country in the world, or you throw up your hands and say, "It's always been that way!"
You didn't address any of the causes of that income inequality -- low wages for those producing the wealth while those in the top echelons of companies and corporations reap the benefits.
This is why we can't have nice things.
And this is why young reformers like Mamdani have such an uphill battle to find a way to even the playing fields for the average American.
You, skud, don't care -- because you're obviously comfortable with what you have and are not affected by income inequality. Good for you.
But if America continues on this path, someone will have to pay the price.
Ah, but here's the rub Skud... what if Mamdani can pull it off? What if it works?
Let's remember the views of conservatives in the 1970s when Lee Iacocca, as head of Chrysler proposes a series of government backed loans so the company could recover, and save thousands of jobs in Middle America.
Progressives and libs made it happen, to the chagrin of conservatives.
We now know, from their own writings, why conservatives did not want to provide those government backed loans...
Not because they worried that Iacocca and Chrysler would default. They worried it would work, and potentially discredit the conservative movement. Stop and take that in... Conservatives were more worried about being discredited in the 1970s as workers were losing jobs at an astounding clip, that they would've rather seen that, than government helping US industry.
That sounds a little bit like you. You are so reflexively against government helping, when it helps the little guy, that you can't see past your idealism.
Shaw is correct Skud... have you ever been against tax cuts for the rich? They are not the benevolent souls Z on the Mothership believes they are. Bezos himself has so much more wealth than he can even spend. How is so much wealth, concentrated in the hands of a few, good for America?
Lastly, the government IS pretty darn capable of running lots of things efficiently. If only the GOP would quit gumming up the works and join the process. There's plenty of evidence if you just use that Google thingy.
Ms. Shaw, I will assume you asked that question in jest. The reason there is a income inequality is because some people earn more than others. Do you propose that everyone gets paid the same. A janitor gets as much as the CEO and employee makes as much as the owner.
With risks and sacrifices comes rewards. You start a company by risking everything you have and working 12-16 hour days. Most businesses fail within the first ten years which means the owner gets nothing out of it. If they are one of the 35% who make it it didn't come without sacrifices and risks.
To say I don't care is not correct. Am I comfortable, yes but I could have been part of the 65%. What I do care about are the millions of people who are without a paycheck and families who are without food because the democrats hate trump. They will not sign a clean CR, which they did many times under biden but now they want payback and don't care who they hurt.
Skud says, "What I do care about are the millions of people who are without a paycheck and families who are without food because the democrats hate trump".
Bullshit.
What he's really saying is, "I don't care if Trump was court ordered to release funds for SNAP. I'd rather blame Democrats for wanting to keep health insurance costs lower for Americans."
Seriously, skud?
I give up.
I just don't have the time to explain to you what is meant by income inequality. I will tell you that it doesn't mean some people make more money than others. That's not what it's about. Not. At. All.
skud: "What I do care about are the millions of people who are without a paycheck and families who are without food because the democrats hate trump. They will not sign a clean CR, which they did many times under biden but now they want payback and don't care who they hurt."
That's not why we have a shutdown. Not. At. All.
Trump and his courtiers want to get rid of the ACA subsidies, which will do immeasurable harm to millions of Americans. Their premiums will double and triple, rendering them unable to afford health care.
You know this, and you blame the Democrats for not caving to the Trumpublicans so that millions of Americans' lose health care coverage?
It didn't happen under Biden because the Biden Administration did hold millions of Americans' health care hostage!
The current debate surrounding CRs is tied to the potential expiration of enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits, which would lead to significantly higher premiums and an estimated 4 to 16 million people becoming uninsured if not renewed through separate legislation.
Get it now?
Correction.
It didn't happen under Biden because the Biden Administration DIDN’T hold millions of Americans' health care hostage!
The amount of skud not understanding is proportional to their having to do any sort of self reflection. If they start down that path then they have to review every decision, every debate they've had in their entire life.
Some humans are too weak to do such work. We really can't expect skud, a person who has proven themselves to be the water carrier for fascists, to do such heavy lifting. Too weak.
skud insults our blog host by asking if their sincerely asked questions were a jest.
skud, you just made an absolute ass of yourself. I mean, par for the course but still. You messed up.
Before any solutions to the mess the USA is in can be crafted WeThePeople need to know what we have and where it is located. Until we know all these things no plan will succeed. At least that's my understanding of how to tackle hard challenges per Sun Tzu, the Lawz O' Combat, and my grandfather (learned a lot from him, an alfalfa farmer and beef cattle rancher). #auditALLtheThings
I love your questions to skud Shaw Kenawe. I've been noodling on them for the past year, ever since Trump decided the Constitution was his own personal punching bag and he was some famous boxer (no it's not and no he's not).
skud doesn't get it. Their daughter which they did describe as lost for her democratic tendencies gets it. skud? If they were to show a glimmer of understanding I'm sure they would be forced by their fellow MAGA crowd to turn in whatever passes for membership insignia to their MAGA club. Can't let THAT happen, amirite?
Because the winds were so bad today I took a look through the straw to the future. Trust me, future viewing was preferable to the ripples of pain I experienced with every gust and breeze. Ow. Anyhoo, I saw future USA as a scientific based democracy. Balance in all things so the Arts and Humanities were elevated to ensure science wasn't the only driving influence.
Universal Basic Income was a thing only that wasn't it's name. So too Universal Health Care. I saw happy citizens not just here but all over the globe. The climate had changed enough to make livable spaces severely reduced. This led to human innovations to address so many who were displaced from their traditional homes. Where to house, feed, educate, and entertain them all had been addressed with scientific advances too numerous to have counted (and I lack context so I wouldn't understand the how of what I was seeing). I looked but all I could see was a mass of contented humanity.
It was as if after surviving the global flirtation with fascism humanity as a whole chose reason, debate, and compassion over violence and suffering. Of course, what I saw was just a bubble, not real, not yet. But an old one can hope. Added hope: those who can't or won't view their fellow human with compassion or empathy become evolutionary dead ends. It is my understanding that all organisms have a way of being ruthless when survival is on the line.
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