The latest "Today's Edition" is perhaps one of your finest--and that is high praise indeed. While depicting the near-impossible balancing act demanded of Joe Biden, you give your readers a soundly-reasoned basis for confidence that EITHER Biden will get substantial portions of his ambitious program enacted OR he will leave much of the Republican Party exposed for what it is, an irresponsible bunch of hooligans incapable of being trusted. Either way, your measured confidence about 2022 strikes me as warranted by the emerging realities.
"Biden is playing four dimensional chess." Yes. And consider just how many four dimensional games he is playing simultaneously. I don't agree with every action of the Biden administration. But I have the utmost respect for our President and his handling so many issues - most made infinitely worse by his predecessor. I send him a weekly letter of support - usually with a suggestion. But support, nevertheless.
I also write to our Senators and House Rep weekly. This week it was about the "Freedom to Vote" act. It is unlikely it will go anywhere. But Schumer is wise politically. Those who vote against it will need to explain that to voters during their next campaign. There is not a single item in that bill that most voters would object to. The bill will die because the GOP is terrified of voter turnout. They should be.
Dealing with the centrist Dems has been a waste of time and effort; let’s get big money out of politics (End Citizens United). Rubin is so right. Women (Mary Robinson, Prime Minister) called a halt to the Troubles in Ireland, and they can certainly demand we clean up the US domestic agenda here.
How true that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. The Bible gets a lot of things right. Too bad so-called religious people are either not familiar with its words or lack the moral fiber to live by them.
But why? I ask. Yes, Democrats have a razor thin margin; but so do Republicans. How is it that Republicans can act (seemingly single-mindedly despite factions within the party) in lock-step behind Mitch McConnell while Democrats once again squabble like kids? I feel like I have been here before so often over the years with the Democratic party. Why can Democrats not get it together for the sake of democracy and equality?
Will you please, please, please stop calling Sinema and Manchin *centrists!* I consider them *conservatives* - very much like the Republicans. And although *obstructionist* is not a category, I propose we make that a category and put both Manchin and Sinema as founding members!
When it comes right down to it, will Republicans like Anthony Gonzalez (just pushed out of Congress by Trump), Adam Kinzinger, Liz Cheney and others who voted to impeach, and "responsible' senators like Romney, and Portman, and Toomey and Murkowski (and even Susan Collins, clutching her pearls) really vote to let the country go into default? Color me dubious.
As for congressional Democrats, you sagely point out that a lot of the "moderate" Democrats are really bought Democrats. I have less and less patience for "progressives" who take a rigid ideological stance, but they aren't the ones endangering Biden's program--and thus the nation--right now. In the next couple of weeks we're going to see just how well the President, the Speaker and the Majority Leader can do at, well, leading.
The latest "Today's Edition" is perhaps one of your finest--and that is high praise indeed. While depicting the near-impossible balancing act demanded of Joe Biden, you give your readers a soundly-reasoned basis for confidence that EITHER Biden will get substantial portions of his ambitious program enacted OR he will leave much of the Republican Party exposed for what it is, an irresponsible bunch of hooligans incapable of being trusted. Either way, your measured confidence about 2022 strikes me as warranted by the emerging realities.
If people want to help individual candidates for Delegate in Virginia, here are a few:
Vulnerable incumbents
• HD10 Wendy Gooditis https://www.wendygooditis.com elected in 2019 with 52% of the vote
• HD 12 Chris Hurst https://www.hurst4delegate.com elected in 2019 by 7 points
• HD 21 Kelly Convirs-Fowler https://www.delegatefowler.com elected in 2019 by 9 points
• HD 28 Josh Cole https://jgcole.org/about/ elected in 2019 with 52% of the vote
• HD 31 Elizabeth Guzman https://www.elizabethguzmanforvirginia.com elected in 2019 by 5 points
• HD 40 Dan Helmer https://danhelmer.com elected in 2019 with 52% of the vote
• HD 73 Rodney Willett https://www.rodwillett.com elected in 2019 with 52% of the vote
• HD 75 Roslyn Tyler https://www.delegatetyler.com elected in 2019 with 51% of the vote
• HD 83 Nancy Guy https://guyfordelegate.com elected in 2019 with less than 50% of the vote
• HD 85 Alex Askew https://alexaskew.com elected in 2019 with less than 52% of the vote
• HD 91 Martha Mugler https://www.muglerfordelegate.com elected in 2019 by nearly 10 points
Democrats candidates who could flip Republican seats
• HD 27 Debra Gardner https://debragardnerfordelegate.com Her opponent was elected in 2019 by 200 votes
• HD 62 Jasmine Gore https://www.gorefordelegate.com Her opponent has been successful in raising money
• HD 66 Kate Sponsler https://www.katiesponsler.com/ Her opponent for this open R seat describes himself as a Conservative Christian fighter
• HD 81 Jeffrey Feld http://feldfordelegate.com His opponent was elected in 2019 by less than 1,000 votes
• HD 84 Kimberly Melnyk https://kimfordelegate.com Her opponent was elected in 2019 by about 500 votes
• HD 100 Finale Norton https://norton4delegate.com Tiim Kaine and Ralph Northam carried this district by 10 and 7 points respectively
Notes about these candidates and notes about Terry McAuliffe for Gov and Hala Ayala for Lt. Gov are on my website -- lenspoliticalnotes.com
"Biden is playing four dimensional chess." Yes. And consider just how many four dimensional games he is playing simultaneously. I don't agree with every action of the Biden administration. But I have the utmost respect for our President and his handling so many issues - most made infinitely worse by his predecessor. I send him a weekly letter of support - usually with a suggestion. But support, nevertheless.
I also write to our Senators and House Rep weekly. This week it was about the "Freedom to Vote" act. It is unlikely it will go anywhere. But Schumer is wise politically. Those who vote against it will need to explain that to voters during their next campaign. There is not a single item in that bill that most voters would object to. The bill will die because the GOP is terrified of voter turnout. They should be.
Dealing with the centrist Dems has been a waste of time and effort; let’s get big money out of politics (End Citizens United). Rubin is so right. Women (Mary Robinson, Prime Minister) called a halt to the Troubles in Ireland, and they can certainly demand we clean up the US domestic agenda here.
How true that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. The Bible gets a lot of things right. Too bad so-called religious people are either not familiar with its words or lack the moral fiber to live by them.
But why? I ask. Yes, Democrats have a razor thin margin; but so do Republicans. How is it that Republicans can act (seemingly single-mindedly despite factions within the party) in lock-step behind Mitch McConnell while Democrats once again squabble like kids? I feel like I have been here before so often over the years with the Democratic party. Why can Democrats not get it together for the sake of democracy and equality?
Will you please, please, please stop calling Sinema and Manchin *centrists!* I consider them *conservatives* - very much like the Republicans. And although *obstructionist* is not a category, I propose we make that a category and put both Manchin and Sinema as founding members!
When it comes right down to it, will Republicans like Anthony Gonzalez (just pushed out of Congress by Trump), Adam Kinzinger, Liz Cheney and others who voted to impeach, and "responsible' senators like Romney, and Portman, and Toomey and Murkowski (and even Susan Collins, clutching her pearls) really vote to let the country go into default? Color me dubious.
As for congressional Democrats, you sagely point out that a lot of the "moderate" Democrats are really bought Democrats. I have less and less patience for "progressives" who take a rigid ideological stance, but they aren't the ones endangering Biden's program--and thus the nation--right now. In the next couple of weeks we're going to see just how well the President, the Speaker and the Majority Leader can do at, well, leading.
Democrats have always sucked at messaging. They also don’t know how to fight this new breed of Republicans. They better learn fast.