A Chaotic Sky, Barcelona, 2021
“Well, I think if they win, I should get all the credit, and if they lose I should not be blamed at all.”
—A real, documented, actual Donald Trump quote, regarding Republican candidates; November 8, 2022
We (All Americans and the World) dodged a bullet
Well, it’s over, although at this writing some very tight races are still yet to be called.
The pattern and the conclusion, though, have been obvious: No Red Wave.
So… the Republicans are now engaged in a circular firing squad to assign blame, and the Democrats are partying.
I have a slightly different view.
Even if it does look like we in the US o’ A are pulling back (slightly) from the dark abyss of total chaos, civil war, and outright looniness, there is still this unfortunate factoid: millions of individuals still voted for incompetent, election-denying, fear and hate-mongering candidates.
My List of Republican Losers (yes, even if two of them win)
There were contests that, in any sane world with an aware and illuminated electorate, should never have even been close.
These races, for example (percentages and projections are as of this writing):
–Mark Finchem (Secretary of State, AZ; Lost, 52.8/47.2)
–Blake Masters (Senate, AZ; Lost, 51.8/46.1)
–Kari Lake (Governor; Likely Loss, 50.5/49.5)
–Lauren Boebert (House, CO-District 3; Likely Win, 50.2/49.8)
–Herschel Walker (Senate, Georgia; Losing to Warnock, but going to a Dec 6 runoff; 49.4/48.5)
–Karoline Leavitt (House, NH-District 1; Lost, 54/46)
–Jim Marchant (Secretary of State, NV; Lost, 48.9/46.8)
–Mehmet Oz (Senate, PA; Lost, 51/46.6)
–Ken Paxton (Attorney General, TX; Won, 53.5/43.6)
–Yesli Vega (House, VA-District 7; Lost, 52.1/47.9)
–Joe Kent (House, WA-District 3; Lost, 50.8/49.2)
–Tim Michels (Governor, WI; Lost, 51.2/47.8)
Thank Buddha and Thor that most of these Trumpist-Republican candidates lost, but look how close some of these races were!!! Many were actual fingernail biters. ALL of these candidates–and many others of their ilk–should have lost massively, in double digits, but they didn’t. In fact, most were quite competitive.
To me, this reflects directly on our current mis-informed, ill-informed, fear and anger-motivated, and heavily manipulated electorate… and it will take a lot of work to turn this around. It ain’t over yet, campers.
To end on some good news:
1) It looks like the Orange Con Man may be on the windowsill of a symbolic defenestration by the GOP and,
2) the Ukranians have taken Kherson.
“An educated citizenry is a vital requisite for our survival as a free people.”
–Anon, although a pretty good paraphrase of Thomas Jefferson’s thinking on the subject.
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