Pennsylvania has a new state senator*, and he's a Democrat. But the reason that this special election is news worthy, is that this is the first Democrat elected in that district since 1979. While the Republicans are blaming being behind the eight ball in early write-in voting, I think that they will need more excuses come November, and especially the mid-terms in 2026.
However, I believe that by mid-terms, Republican candidates will be putting some distance between themselves and Trump's Washington. Even now, just three months in, only partisans can defend Musk's disruption of the federal workforce.
While Republicans are now reduced to town halls by telephone, it will only get worse. They were elected on the coattails of a cult. MAGA will go back to political indifference, unless their benefits are cut...In that case, they'll be joining the Democrats at protests.
*James Malone, 36th Senate District
MAGA seems to pride itself that they are not Republicans. Actually, they are unquestioned loyalists to Trump. The same glassy-eyed lemmings that characterize the far leftist Marxists that dominated the Democrats during the Biden regime. They are the flip side of the same coin.
ReplyDeleteTrue conservatives, like those who supported Ronald Reagan, or true liberals, who supported Bill Clinton have been evicerated out of mainstream politics for now. This is the reason the nation is so politicallly divided; we are being governed by one extreme or the other, who have no real common interest other than hating each other. The middle, on both sides of the spectrum is essentally non-existant in Washington.
This is seen in our local politics in Allentown with the Turek administration associating itself with that far left fringe of the Democrats, and also the school board. There are litterally no, none, elected Republicans in any elected office in the city. However there are some moderate Democrats on the school board, and on city council.
Fortunatley, the political pendulum swings in both directions, usually because of the pushback that occurs when the fringe on either side goes too far. We won't go back to the far left again in Washington I don't believe; just as in Allentown we will go back to the more moderate Democrats, such as the Ray O'Connell type as well.
Given the current demographics, Republican conservatives will likely need to run on the Democratic ticket to have any chance of election at all.
Dont fool yourself, Daryl Hendricks is a republican, but knows that he can't win as one so he masks up as a democrat.
DeleteI loved our President William Jefferson Clinton. NAFTA was a great deal for the American economy. He was framed by an intern who chased him for sex.
DeleteI say MOVE ON!
The notible part of this election is it was a sixteen-poing swing to the Democrats from what it was in November when Trump carried it.
ReplyDeleteAs usual, you are letting your hatred of a Trump blind you to the facts.
ReplyDeleteWhat you conveniently omit from your post is that BOTH of Tuesday’s Special Elections featured Democrat, Republican, and LIBERTARIAN candidates.
All my life, I’ve heard that Libertarians are more conservative than Republicans on many issues. Maybe that is no longer true. More likely, democrats have realized that encouraging a Libertarian candidate to enter a race will split the Republican vote and give a win to the democrat candidate.
While I don’t know the motivations of the Libertarian candidates who lost on Tuesday, I think that those who consider voting Libertarian in future elections need to realize that it might actually result in the least favorable outcome for them (issue-wise).
Instead of distancing themselves from Trump, perhaps it’s more important for future Republican candidates and the Republican Party that they focus on reaching out to Libertarian voters and learn how to overcome the prospect of Libertarian candidates who siphon their votes away.
Libertarians... A lot of conservatives who don't like to associate themselves with the Republican party for one reason or another like to consider themselves "libertarians".
DeleteIf you ever actually read the Libertarian Party platform and what their stated beliefs are, they are a bunch of screwballs, to put it mildly. Actual Libertarian canidates never do well in elections. They always talk about the crazy ideas they have and generally do poorly wiith the electorate.
Republicans will blame early mail voting, Libertarians or Martians, anything but disillusionment with Trump.
ReplyDeleteMike, these were "special elections". Only rabid voters show up for these. Now tell me, which party is presently more rabid? Here's a clue, one is firebombing Teslas.
ReplyDeleteCan hardly wait for Hot Times and Summer in the Cities
DeleteThe nation is doomed, cannot sustain the spending, and cannot sacrifice to correct the disaster. It will be a disaster and soon nobody will care which party is in power. It will come down to the age old policy of self survival. As for the disruption of the government workers, they produce nothing, eventually they will be all gone.
ReplyDeleteMost likely Pawlowski will soon be released and then , along with Reilly, Browne and Batts, Allentown will again become an All American City. Is this a great country or what ? Yeah!
ReplyDeleteI agree with the moderator on this one. The Democrats will bounce back nicely if they move to the center and court those Americans harmed by the higher prices and economic uncertainty brought on by Trump's shock and awe policies.
ReplyDeleteHigher prices? Gas prices alone are down over 50 cents from this time last year. I filled up the other day and the price was well below $3/gallon ($2.82).
DeleteGas prices haven’t been that low since, well, Trump was President last time.
And the price of gas affects EVERYTHING.
anon@9:02: Enjoy your time at the pump, but yesterday Trump announced a 25% tariff on imported cars. Although that will probably change five times in the next ten days, it does affect the price of cars. Dealers will want a hedge against the uncertainty.
DeleteI guess I’ll just have to buy American then.
DeleteOr maybe I’ll buy a Hyundai since they just announced a $20 BILLION investment in the US, including a new steel plant to supply their US production facilities and avoid the tariffs.
Maybe others will follow.
I paid $2.59 in South Carolina on Monday. Yes, there is turbulence and a lot of it is because Trump is Trump. If there were a qualified opponent and if the dems had not jumped the shark on social issues, he would likely be on the outside looking in. (In my view, his margin of victory was smaller than if a more traditional type of republican on a similar platform with less gas would have achieved. Yes, that candidate would be likened to Hitler, but it would be a harder stick.)
DeleteWe need the systemic changes that are being opposed. Hopefully Trump can get enough done before his political expiration date. Some love him, most tolerate him. Some absolutely hate him and oppose and try to frustrate everything he does, just because. That is just as destructive as his toxic bluster.
The auto tariffs plan doesn’t bother me. If they happen it will only be reciprocal on those nations that are already adding a tariff against American car companies. Trump is trying to create a FAIR trade situation for American manufacturers. America will now match everyone’s existing tariffs. Take off your tariffs on us, we won’t tariff you.
DeleteMy guess is, this will all straighten out more to our advantage before 2026. TV69 News just claimed the American Autoworker’s Union President supports this action.
7:54 I agree that the Democrats would do well if they moved to the center, however, from what I read, that is unlikely to happen. As an example take a look at the person the local Dems have cleared the path for to be their candidate for Lehigh County exec. That would be Josh "F the police" Seigel. He's as far left as they come.
DeleteMike, most "foreign" cars are now manufactured in the USA.
DeleteOh yes, Trump and his tariffs. Taxing the goods we import to make them more expensive so domestic producers can compete. The result = higher prices for items we import and the consumer pays more money.
DeleteThis is called INFLATION.
Going back to Biden-level gasoline prices will have MAGA screaming, and these tariffs on imported oil won't last long.
Also raising the prices on all the other goods produced from crude oil... you know.. fabrics... pastics... medical equipment....
Hold on to your wallet, these trade wars will be paid for by YOU, the consumer.
The tariffs will put tremendous pressure on both Germany and Mexico. Both will end-up bending at the knee in some way positive for America. You’ll see!
DeleteI was born when Harry Truman was president. I told people during the Biden administration that we will remember the times as the “good old days”. Now Biden is gone and we remember the Biden years as the good old days in both foreign policy and the domestic front. I am not a never Trump white guy. I go on reality. Biden was an excellent Commander in Chief, at home and abroad. Now things are going straight to hell. Black Lives still matter and trans-women belong in all women’s sports. My grandchildren taught me that.
Delete