There’s plenty to read about the Democrats’ retaining the governorship in Virginia by electing yet another Clintonista in Virginia. I just want to make one quick point.
Many in the media are calling the holding action a referendum on Trump. Is it? Or is it yet another indication that people are moving?
One of the largest single indicators for how much a county has recovered from the recession is whether it contains a state capitol or is adjacent to Washington, DC. Just about every indication is that the DC suburbs held the governor’s chair for the Democrats.
Be careful of reading too much into it. It may not be a formula for national victory.
Maybe more significant is that the Dems picked up 14 seats in the state legislature (and may end up with 18 seats picked up).
I woke up to claims of a coast to coast Democrat sweep, and a referendum on and rejection of, Trump. Whoa.
I understand party partisan’s spin. That’s to be expected. Sadly, most media coverage is also now expected to be spin. So what does it all really mean?
In NYC Mayor and NJ Guv, nothing.
In Va? I don’t know. A pretty blue state electing a favored Dem governor is not big news. Digging deeper, Gillespie is Bushite Establishment and did not really align with Trump (he was stuck in the middle). I don’t see it as a referendum on Trump at all. Perhaps the issue most noteworthy was NVa turnout. Govt workers, lobbyists, etc were motivated and turned out. Of course, if not there, where? But if Republicans think a sea change has occurred, or they can win playing Dem-light or Establishment, they saw their future. As a side note, forget the notion that polls will magically go the way Repubs want, like a late big break for Gillespie. The polls last November just simply missed the Hillary lethargy and Trump phenomenon. Plain missed it. Poor poll construction.
Other races, not sure there is much there. Washington state? Yawn. I saw Dem party hacks even citing the St Petersburg FL mayors race. That’s when it was time to stop reading……
which is why what we’ve seeing for the last year has been a rejection of the Republican apparat as well as the Democratic.
Promoting the idea of a horse race is in the media’s interest—it’s their prevailing narrative. It ain’t necessarily so.
I couldn’t agree more, Dave. Politics, power, lobbying and campaign contributions are what they are, they have simply elevated to intolerable levels with a large enough number of voters. McConnellism will lead Republicans to ruin when it’s just repackaged Democrat policy.
I have a slightly different take on the media. Sure, horse races are good for ratings. But I’m more cynical. I think they believe their own BS, and have left what shreds of journalistic ethics were left. We now have reports of Fusion GPS paying media to place dossier crap. Oy.
I’m mildly surprised by the dem winning in VA, especially as he was on the record for wanting higher taxes and all in for imitating CA, by hinting at making VA a sanctuary state. That being said the reality was it was an up hill election for the R candidate, being how the demographics favor dems.
Hopefully, lessons will be learned, including how mercurial “winning” really is. Maybe even Trump will gauge his tweets more, by being more selective in what he chooses to publicly send – although I doubt it.
Drew/Dave -. How are the both of you feeling?
Well, I hurt like hell but I’ve finished the course of Valtrex so the abdominal pains are subsiding. Holding things at bay by taking Advil three times a day. My blisters are starting to crust over so I think I’ll be fit for polite company in a couple of days.
Trump’s the president. If the rural yahoos he catered to are moving because there’s little hope it has something to do with him. I know that Fox is running investigations on President Clinton and how she’s tangled up with Russia, but in the real world, Trump is in charge.
And that in one comment is why Trump won the election.
Yes, a year ago. Where are all of the jobs? Or the great trade deals that only he could do? Because the only people who seem to be doing better are people like me.
The guy has had a year and all he has done is insult African-American widows and football players on twitter. Was that why he was elected? To teach uppity minorities a lesson or two?
Thanks for asking, Jan. I am still in my Valtrex regimen, but to be quite honest this has been nothing like I’ve previously heard about. Does it burn, itch and tingle? Sure. Worst is rubbing something on the legions, like during sleep or a shirt. But I have to say, quite manageable and an absolute cake walk compared to nerve compression.
Maybe due to catching it early, and the vagaries of each particular case.
Thanks for the update, guys (Dave and Drew). I hope this saga will draw to an end soon. IMO you both seem to be coping well, something I personally would find difficult, as I dislike any/all skin outbreaks!
MM, out of the condolences DT extended to families of the ambushed soldiers in Niger, the content was the same to everyone, and yet only one was offended. I question why even a smple act of reaching out to a slain man’s wife has to be taken to task, and denigrated because of assumed racial overtones.
Jan–keep on watching Fox. I’m sure that the DNC is behind it–they probably planted the widow to get Trump.
Still bitter, eh MM?