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A Truly Divided Nation With No Sign Of Compromise!

Ronald 61 Comments

As America votes in off year elections in just a few states, the recognition is that America is a truly divided nation with no sign of compromise, as we move toward the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the American Republic, with every indication of Fascist authoritarianism being dominant under Donald Trump!

At present, there are 25 Trump states and 19 Anti Trump states, with only six states really competitive, both in support or opposition to Trump, and in percentages of seats in the House of Representatives.

In the 25 Trump states, 22 of them have Republican governors, and all of the state legislatures and Senate seats, as well.

Only six states really remain “competitive”—Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Nevada, a total of 77 Electoral College votes.

In Electoral Votes, the Democrats have 226 from the 19 Anti Trump states and the District of Columbia. The 25 Trump states have 235 electoral votes.

Also, Nebraska and Maine have divided electoral votes, with the Second District of Nebraska often having one electoral vote going to Democrats and the Second District of Maine often having one electoral vote going to Republicans, so they balance each other.

The states that have strongly gone Republican, while formerly competitive, are Texas, Florida, Ohio, and North Carolina.

With Texas and Florida still gaining population growth, the likelihood is that both states will have more electoral votes after reapportionment in 2032, which makes the Democrats facing a massive challenge in future elections.

And California, Illinois, and New York are likely to lose Electoral votes, necessitating the need for Democrats to win the six “swing states” that have been in play, but won recently by Republicans, as in 2024!

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. A Total Disaster As HHS Secretary, A Danger To All Americans’ Health And Well Being! :(

Ronald 20 Comments

Americans’ health and well being are in dire threat and danger, due to the total mental disaster that is Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

Totally unqualified from the beginning, with no expertise in science or health, RFK Jr., himself is a perpetual drug and alcohol abuser, and a well known sexual abuser as well.

This nightmare Trump Cabinet officer is endangering the entire nation by his firing of qualified people to lead public health agencies, and declaring war on vaccines, which have saved millions of American lives over the past century.

RFK Jr. displayed how unstable and dangerous he is in his testimony on Thursday before a contentious Senate committee hearing, including expressed outrage by two Republican medical doctor Senators, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, and John Barrasso of Wyoming, who were taken aback at his utterances and unstable behavior. And Barrasso is also the second highest ranking Republican in the Senate, as Senate Majority Whip, so his complaints and concerns are significant.

There were calls for RFK Jr.s resignation, and condemnation of his belief in conspiracy theories about vaccines and diseases, and RFK Jr’s totally unstable behavior in his answering of questions from committee members.

RFK Jr. is a disgrace to the Kennedy family name, and his own sister, Kerry Kennedy; his own cousin, Caroline Kennedy; and his own second cousin and grandson of John F. Kennedy, Jack Schlossberg, warned against him becoming HHS Secretary.

Many “Blue States” will ignore the HHS Department, and promote their own vaccinations and health related issues, such as California, Oregon, and Washington State, and likely the same for the New England States and the Middle Atlantic States.

At the same time, tragically, the state of Florida is leading the movement, under the despicable Governor Ron DeSantis and his lunatic Florida Surgeon General, Dr.Joseph Ladapo, to end the requirement that all children be vaccinated for many diseases before they enter school years.

This will cause a massive health crisis, and loss of life of young children and adults, with this reckless war on mandatory health requirements!

The Evils Of Gerrymandering: Texas Plans To Create Congressional Districts That Could Insure Republican House Majority Despite Fewer Voters Supporting The Party!

Ronald 6 Comments

Gerrymandering has been a curse since it was first created in the early 1800s by Massachusetts Governor Elbridge Gerry, who was also Vice President under James Madison for less than two years before his death in 1814.

Both political parties, and earlier named parties, used the political tactic to promote redistricting to favor their party fortunes, but now Texas is seemingly ready to redistrict in the middle of a decade, rather than when new census figures come out at the beginning of a new decade.

Their purpose is to make the Republican Party keep control of the House of Representatives by creating more Republican House districts, from three to five more, which likely would insure Republican continued control of Congress, at a time when the margin is just a few votes.

Those few votes make all the difference in passage of legislation and of President Donald Trump’s agenda, so clearly, the Democratic Party is trying to resist it, and may, at the end, utilize the same tactic in California, and possibly in other “Blue States”, such as New York and Illinois, and possibly even elsewhere.

Abortion Crucial Issue In Determining Future Of American Politics

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Ever since Roe V Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court in the Dobbs V Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision in June 2022, it has become the crucial issue to millions of American women and the men who support their right to reproductive freedom.

So far, since then, seven states have protected Abortion Rights, including Kansas, Kentucky, Montana, Michigan, California and Vermont in 2022, and Ohio in 2023.

Ten states have abortion ballot measures that will be facing voters in November 2024–including Arizona, Maryland, Missouri, Montana (expansion beyond 2022 vote), Nebraska, Nevada, New York, and South Dakota, all of whom have a 50 percent threshold; and Colorado with a 55 percent threshold, and Florida with a 60 percent threshold.

The Florida ballot question will be the most difficult to accomplish, but both that state and Arizona, along with Maryland and Nevada, will be tied to Senate races that will be crucial for Democrats, who, hopefully, will keep control of the US Senate.

Eight To Eleven States To Vote On Abortion Rights In November Election

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Donald Trump has made the claim that abortion rights will not be a major issue in the Presidential Election of 2024.

The reality is otherwise, as already, since the Dobbs V. Women’s Health Organization Supreme Court decision of June 2022 reversed Roe V Wade, six states have insured abortion rights–California, Michigan, Ohio, Vermont, Kentucky, and Kansas.

And now, eight states will have the issue of abortion rights on the ballot in November, including Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Missouri, Nevada, New York, and South Dakota.

Additionally three other states are in process of trying to put it on the ballot—Arkansas, Montana and Nebraska.

So it could be that 11 states will join the 6 earlier that have moved to allow abortion rights, negating the Dobbs decision.

The first 6 states were evenly divided politically, with California, Michigan, and Vermont being Democratic, and Ohio, Kentucky, and Kansas being Republican states.

The eight states that have definite votes in November are 5 Democratic leaning states—Arizona, Colorado, Maryland, Nevada, and New York—and 3 leaning Republican—Florida, Missouri, and South Dakota.

And the other three states in process all tend to be Republican—Arkansas, Montana, and Nebraska.

So if one adds up these 17 states, there are 8 Democratic leaning states and 9 Republican leaning states.

This is all a very interesting situation in the battle for reproductive rights for women!

Kamala Harris Would Be Favored, If Joe Biden Decided To Withdraw: So What?

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If Joe Biden were to decide to withdraw as a candidate, after the disastrous CNN Presidential debate five days ago, it is clear that Vice President Kamala Harris would be favored to be the Democratic Presidential nominee against Donald Trump.

So what is this author’s and blogger’s response, as Harris is perfectly capable of being President, and arguably more so than a number of recent Vice Presidents or Vice Presidential candidates.

Would any rational observer say that Spiro Agnew, Dan Quayle, or Mike Pence were better qualified, or that Dick Cheney, with his authoritarian qualities, would have been a preferable choice? And what about Sarah Palin, who was a potential threat to be Vice President?

Most of the opposition from the right wing about Harris is based on her gender and race, as she proved to be perfectly qualified as San Francisco District Attorney, California Attorney General, and California US Senator.

While there would be those who would prefer alternatives, Harris is a hearbeat away from the Presidency already for three and a half years, and is perfectly capable of being President, and doing a good job of upholding the Constitution, American democracy, and the rule of law, and certainly far better than Fascist authoritarian Donald Trump!

Harris would unify African American women, racial minorities in general, and white progressives and moderates who would see Donald Trump as “a clear and present danger”. She would perform very well against Trump in a debate format, as well.

Her Vice Presidential running mate could be Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, who has proved he could win a “Red” State more than once; or Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, leader of a crucial “swing state”.

Michigan, And Arab-Muslim Americans In 2024 Presidential Election

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The state of Michigan, and particularly the area of Detroit and Dearborn, has a large Arab-Muslim population, and is one of the “swing” states in Presidential elections!

Understandably, they are upset over the Israel-Hamas War in the Gaza Strip, and have indicated their abandonment of Joe Biden and the Democrats in the recent Michigan Presidential Primary.

But the problem is that the election of Donald Trump would not be favorable to the Arab-Muslim population.

So it is a question of accepting reality, and the hope that Arab-Muslims in Michigan and elsewhere will, reluctantly, support Biden as the “lesser of two evils”.

Such is politics, as there is a binary choice, and to vote for a third party or stay home is totally counterproductive!

the 15 electoral votes of Michigan may be the deciding state in the Presidential Election of 2024, so the burden is heavy on the Arab-Muslim population there, and throughout other states and cities that have a notable population that could have an effect on the political future!

The states of New York, New Jersey, Illinois and California have more Muslims than Michigan, but they are all reliably Democratic states, while Michigan is a crucial swing state, so all attention will be paid to that state in November!

Two Crucial Democratic Issues That Can Be Used Against Donald Trump And Republicans—Abortion And Safety Net!

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With the Presidential Election 2024 campaign now in full swing, Democrats and Joe Biden and Kamala Harris need to put great emphasis on many issues, but two stick out in particular.

The right of women to control their own bodies and reproductive lives has been prevented by Donald Trump and his right wing appointments to the Supreme Court. But that battle already has seen several states reject abortion limitations:

Vermont
Ohio
Kentucky
Michigan
Kansas
Montana
California

And this abortion rights struggle is a massive commitment that must be fought in state after state!

Also, the issue of protection of the social safety net,specifically Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, has been a constant battle for decades, as Republicans have continued to attempt to cut funding and take away these wonderful programs started by Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal in the 1930s, and Lyndon B. Johnson and the Great Society in the 1960s!

Donald Trump Bragging About Ending Abortion Rights Will Cause His And Republicans’ Downfall!

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Donald Trump undermined his own candidacy when he went on Fox News Channel at the same time that his rivals, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Governor and United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, were debating on CNN.

Trump bragged about ending Roe V Wade, abortion rights, which had existed for a half century, and that reality has already hurt Republicans in seven states—Ohio, California, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana, Vermont, and Kansas, with all but California and Vermont being Republican or contestable states in the Presidential Election of 2024.

The following states are having battles over putting abortion access on the ballot, with abortion rights advocates hoping they will have enough signatures to insure it is on the ballot with the Presidential and Congressional Elections coming up in November 2024.

Arizona
Colorado
Florida
Iowa
Maryland
Missouri
Nebraska
Nevada
New York
Pennsylvania
South Dakota
Washington

Some of the above states already still allow abortion access, but want to put it on the ballot to insure the future right.

The majority of women, racial minorities, educated people, and young voters will have success in restoring the rights of women over their own bodies, as there is no concern about the lives of prengant women who are endangered by their medical conditions while pregnant.

This is causing the deaths of women, and some surviving, but no longer able to have children due to dictatorial state governments interfering with the right to choose their reproductive lives!

Goodbye And Good Riddance To Kevin McCarthy!

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Former briefly Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy is quitting Congress at the end of this year, not fulfilling the commitment to finish his 9th term in the lower chamber.

This is not surprising, as Kevin McCarthy has spent his House career seeking power, and being aggressive and nasty toward critics in both parties.

His Speakership was brief and disastrous, and he leaves with a chip on his shoulder, and planning to work to defeat his Republican critics.

His 17 years in the House showed no principle, no decency, no concern about those in his California district or nationally, who had difficult lives.

He was an example of the worst elements of selfishness and greed imaginable, and will not be missed!

His leaving, and the expulsion of George Santos, leaves only a two seat margin for the Republicans, so the party could, in theory, lose their majority sometime in 2024 before the next elections!