VA Governor Election Prediction

[HankB]

An awful lot of government employees can leave their jobs and . . . not be missed.

Around 30 years ago when I was living in Minnesota, most unionized state workers went on strike. Aside from longer lines during student registration at the University of Minnesota - virtually nobody noticed. NOBODY. The strike was settled after some radio hosts and people writing letters to the editor for the local rags began making this observation. Police, fire, and EMS kept working, the lights stayed on, water and sewer kept working, road repairs continued, bad guys stayed in prison . . . no problems for the overwhelming majority.

And apart from some folks who found the doors to the Smithsonian and gates to some parks closed which put a damper on their vacations, how many people REALLY noticed it when the Federal government "shut down" during previous administrations?

[K Frame]

Don't you racist bastards know that working from home is a Constitutional right? Guaranteed by something or the other at some time in the somewhere?

IT'S SETTLED PRECEDENT!

[MechAg94]

Don't you racist bastards know that working from home is a Constitutional right? Guaranteed by something or the other at some time in the somewhere?

IT'S SETTLED PRECEDENT!

Find print:  The "working" part is optional.

[MechAg94]

An awful lot of government employees can leave their jobs and . . . not be missed.

Around 30 years ago when I was living in Minnesota, most unionized state workers went on strike. Aside from longer lines during student registration at the University of Minnesota - virtually nobody noticed. NOBODY. The strike was settled after some radio hosts and people writing letters to the editor for the local rags began making this observation. Police, fire, and EMS kept working, the lights stayed on, water and sewer kept working, road repairs continued, bad guys stayed in prison . . . no problems for the overwhelming majority.

And apart from some folks who found the doors to the Smithsonian and gates to some parks closed which put a damper on their vacations, how many people REALLY noticed it when the Federal government "shut down" during previous administrations?

The politicians always point to police and firefighters when complaining about budget cuts or short falls in tax receipts, but those costs are rarely the reason money is tight.

[Ben]

The politicians always point to police and firefighters when complaining about budget cuts or short falls in tax receipts, but those costs are rarely the reason money is tight.

There was a fed.gov shutdown not long before I retired. I kinda wish Trump were in during that time, as there were whole sections of government where being shut down made ZERO difference to anyone. I think there might have been some housecleaning.

[WLJ]

Yep, most people hardly noticed.

Found it funny, not in a funny way, that during the shutdown during the Obama years they put fencing around open air monuments in DC and put extra security around them to keep people out while screaming "see what those dirty republicans did!". They actually spend more money shutting down DC than they normally would to try and score media points.

Guess if we had one now we would have photos of AOC crying outside the fence.

[WLJ]

Bad news for Youngkin

Glenn Youngkin STUNNED in Virginia as Democrats flip House and retain Senate control: Republican touted as White House candidate suffers crushing blow on home turf - as abortion rights take center stage at ballot box
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12723599/Glenn-Youngkin-STUNNED-Virginia-Democrats-state-Senate-head-victory-House-Delegates-Republican-touted-White-House-candidate-suffers-crushing-blow-home-turf.html

[Ben]

Republicans seem to have taken a beating across the nation yesterday.

[RocketMan]

As badly as the Democrats do running this country, they run circles around the Republicans with regard to getting their voters to the polls.  Plus, I still believe at least half, if not more, of the people in the USA really desire a socialist government.  Many probably don't realize that what they want is socialism because they are politically ignorant.  But they sure vote for it.
They way I see it, in 2024, Biden wins reelection, if he is still in the race.  Otherwise, his replacement will win the presidency.  The Democrats will solidify their control over the Senate, and they will take back the House.

[K Frame]

*expletive deleted*ck *expletive deleted*ck *expletive deleted*ck.

Living this *expletive deleted*it in Virginia again.

[WLJ]

  Plus, I still believe at least half, if not more, of the people in the USA really desire a socialist government.  Many probably don't realize that what they want is socialism because they are politically ignorant.  But they sure vote for it.

I think many are voting for it when you got mobs of new voters coming out of school now knowing for a fact capitalism is the cause of all the evils in the world and socialism is the answer.

[RocketMan]

I think many are voting for it when you got mobs of new voters coming out of school now knowing for a fact capitalism is the cause of all the evils in the world and socialism is the answer.

Schools have been teaching that crap since at least the 1970s.  In fact, it started for me in junior high on the late sixties.

[Ben]

I think many are voting for it when you got mobs of new voters coming out of school now knowing for a fact capitalism is the cause of all the evils in the world and socialism is the answer.

I mean, we now have college students (and members of congress) calling for "death to the Jews", so our education system has become the lost cause that is accelerating a drive into socialism.

Any of these students' grandparents or great grandparents that might have been an eyewitness to things like Auschwitz, or the gulags, or the old Romania, are mostly dead now, so they are not around to smack said students in the back of the head to ask them what the hell is wrong with them. They only have their college professors and in too many cases now, weak parents who grew up in good times.

 I suppose in a glass half full kinda way, hard times and strong men seem to be right around the corner, so we may see a reset (just not the kind of reset that Klaus wants).

[WLJ]

I mean, we now have college students (and members of congress) calling for "death to the Jews", so our education system has become the lost cause that is accelerating a drive into socialism.

Free Speech! Free Speech! Free Speech!

Meanwhile  these same students and members of congress would gleefully have you sent to a gulag for using the wrong pronoun

[WLJ]

Joe wants to make it all about him

Jubilant Biden campaign claims stunning election results show the American people 'overwhelmingly side' with his vision - as CNN analyst says it's the president who's in trouble, not Democrats
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12725399/Jubilant-Biden-campaign-claims-stunning-election-results-American-people-overwhelmingly-vision-CNN-analyst-says-president-whos-trouble-not-Democrats.html

[French G.]

I think everyone reads to much into virginia for national indicators. We're just a nice state polluted by urban areas. The election was no referendum on Biden just typical weak VA Republicans and a ton of unopposed races. The only one I care about is Kentucky,  good chance  Beshear will appoint the replacement for mitch the vegetable.

[WLJ]

The only one I care about is Kentucky,  good chance  Beshear will appoint the replacement for mitch the vegetable.

The teachers union flooded the mail with huge Cameron is "anti-education" fliers. Had to cost them a fortune. Couldn't even turn on a youtube video if an ad blocker wasn't installed without having to sit through an ad, that they made sure you could not skip,  that either told you how Cameron wants to take us back to 12th century or how wonderful Beshear is.
And for some reason he seems to be extremely popular with women, has a heck of fan club. Makes my skin crawl.
4 more years of Andy, SMDH.

[WLJ]

I guarantee if Cameron was the dem people on the left would be screaming he lost because he was black and this shows how racist Ky is.
Who knows there may have been people who didn't vote for him because he was black but because he was the r and not the d candidate it will never be brought up

[WLJ]

Republican Party Checks Into Rehab For Addiction To Losing
https://babylonbee.com/news/republican-party-checks-into-rehab-for-addiction-to-losing

[charby]

As badly as the Democrats do running this country, they run circles around the Republicans with regard to getting their voters to the polls.  Plus, I still believe at least half, if not more, of the people in the USA really desire a socialist government.  Many probably don't realize that what they want is socialism because they are politically ignorant.  But they sure vote for it.
They way I see it, in 2024, Biden wins reelection, if he is still in the race.  Otherwise, his replacement will win the presidency.  The Democrats will solidify their control over the Senate, and they will take back the House.

2023 Election was the odd year elections for school boards and city councils in Iowa (non party elections). The local city council race wasn't too crazy, pretty normal, incumbents for the most part ran unopposed or the opposition was bat *expletive deleted*it crazy. There was one really contested race of a vacated city council person's death a few months ago.

Now the school board was quite a hot mess. 4 open seats and 8 people were vying for the 4 seats. The four candidates that won ran in unison against basically everything the GOP ran state government has enacted in the last 2 years for education in Iowa. Things like book bans, private school vouchers, etc.  There is a whole laundry list that is going to significantly change publc schools in Iowa, bad or good, still to be determined.

The 4 that lost, 2 wanted Christian religion in public schools. 1 wanted to change the mascot back to Mohawk from the current Riverhawk, and the 4th one was a very vocal QAnon follower.

The 4 that one got 65% of the vote and the other 4% got 35% of the vote equally. Registered votes here are pretty much 35% GOP, 35% DEM and %30 independent or other party.

Basically, the winning 4 got the Dem and independent voters.

Be interesting to see what happens in 2024 in Iowa with the County, State (house and 1/2 of the Senate), and Federal elections, then again in 2026 when the Gov et al are up for election.

I know in Iowa abortion and the school voucher system is going to be quite contentious.

[WLJ]

Basically Andy was given the election by the R's.
Can't win an election if you don't show up

Although several controversial issues drove voters to the polls this general election, Kentucky’s voter turnout was just 38%. That’s down around 4% from the previous governor’s race in 2019.

Just 1.3 million Kentuckians voted in the gubernatorial election, compared to more than 1.4 million back in 2019.

Dr. Stephen Voss, an associate professor of political science with the University of Kentucky who studies voting behavior, said the lack of turnout can mostly be attributed to a lack of enthusiasm.

“The number one thing that determines if somebody wants to vote, if they have their voting rights, is whether they feel like voting,” Voss said. “If they’re politically engaged and motivated, they show up.”

Voss said there simply wasn’t enough enthusiasm among Republican voters this time around, demonstrated by low turnout in some key Republican counties.

“It tended to be especially low in areas that have often turned out in larger numbers for Republicans in the past,” Voss said.

https://www.wave3.com/2023/11/09/why-was-voter-turnout-low-gubernatorial-race/

[WLJ]

And an update

    🚨 Virginia Dems Could Lose Control Of 21-19 Senate Because Member May Have Lied About Residence

    Sen Hashemi claimed she lived in an apartment in SD15 where she ran. Evidence suggests she lives at a home in SD12 which she concealed, making her ineligiblehttps://t.co/Asb4sDg6wT
    — Luke Rosiak (@lukerosiak) November 11, 2023

https://twitchy.com/samj/2023/11/12/virginia-might-not-be-lost-cheating-democrats-caught-cheating-again-n2389697