Category: Politics and Government

Too Soon to Say Yet, But Signs of a Dying Campaign are Growing

Warning – First, A 100-Foot Tall, Bright Red Caveat

You are about to read about several signs of a collapsing Trump campaign. The signs are clearly there. BUT THE CONCLUSION IS NOT. The last vote will not be cast for 15 more days – that is forever in politics. Some states are looking promising for Biden but too close to count them as almost sure wins.

I have always lived by the philosophy that one should approach any election with a good dose of anger and fear.

Join the discussion at: There It Is: The Smell of Despair, The Skittering of Rats Abandoning Ship

You’ve Heard Plenty About the VP Debate and Our Infected President – Let’s Cut to the Chase

1) The VP Debate

Who won? That fly. It got the most press, most of it favorable.
Followed closely by Pence’s mysteriously red, runny eye.

Other than that, Harris did the better job on several counts. But unlike a lot of folks, I think it was mostly a draw. Both of them got out the messages they felt needed to be delivered. Pence hurt himself with the constant interruptions (these folks really are determined to lose every last female voter,

Join the discussion at: Two Short Observations on Two Big Deals

Planning and Timing are Taking a Beating – Typical of 2020

October as a Mix of Surprise, Karma, and Unknowns to Come

We expect surprises, ambushes, and breaks of luck in any election October. But, boy did we get a full load this time around. And we are less than a week into it! What fun awaits us between now and the first Tuesday in November? Let’s take a fresh perspective on what we have on our plate so far.

Medical News, Social Responsibility (NOT), & Transparency (None)

The deliberate carelessness of Trump and company is finally catching up with them.

Join the discussion at: Who Knew? “October Surprise” is a Month-Long Event

What to Look For. What’s at Stake. What’s at Risk

Do Debates Make Any Difference?

Generally, they do not. But there are exceptions. The first one televised, between Kennedy and Nixon, advantaged Kennedy. The impact of that one debate alone, since the election was so close, was large. The Reagan-Mondale debates might be another one that counts for big impact, all in Reagan’s favor.

Vice Presidential debates rarely tip the balance. But I bet those of us who were around at the time still remember Lloyd Bentsen’s devastating comment to Dan Quale. “I knew Jack Kennedy.

Join the discussion at: The First Presidential Debate is Tonight

Anything Could Still Happen, but Probabilities are Narrowing to Three Key Variables

 Approaching the Home Stretch

We are now in the lower double digits until Election Day. Many thousands of citizens are already voting via absentee ballots. Millions more will vote well before Election Day. Some estimate that more than 50% of the electorate will vote before NOV 3.

Still, 49 days is forever in politics. October surprises are always possible, this time on both sides. As noted below, there are known variables still at play. The number of wild cards are getting crowded out by time and probabilities.

Join the discussion at: The Number of Key Election Variables is Narrowing

It Was an Interesting Experience, If Not Altogether Surprising

Why Would Someone Watch That Thing?

I committed early on to watch the entire Republican convention. As it turned out, that was only a 1-day affair. They closed out their business on Monday by unanimously (shocking!) nominating Trump and Pence. While they were thinking about it, they decided they did not need a platform. They just stand for whatever Donald wants on a given day. And so, they adjourned. The following 3 evenings of TV were basically an ad.

So, a lot of people asked why I bothered to watch all this.

Join the discussion at: So, There Was This Other Convention