Illinois

The South “The Abortion Desert”, Denial Of Basic Human Rights Of Women!

Just as the American South was the slavery promoters who provoked the Civil War in the 19th century, so now the American South is the “Abortion Desert”, taking away the basic human rights of women, as before with African Americans.

With Florida yesterday putting into effect a strict abortion ban, a woman who lives in the “Sunshine State” must travel to New Mexico, Kansas, Illinois, or Virginia as the closest locations to obtain an abortion, even if in medical distress that could end her life. This affects, in theory, about 4 million women of child bearing age in Florida.

A total of 17 states now completely ban abortion, including the entire South, except Virginia, and with some restrictions in North Carolina.

This is a “new slavery”, putting women “in their place”, under the control of religious extremists and misogynists! Vice President Kamala Harris went to Florida yesterday to denounce the new restrictions on women’s rights to control their own bodies.

The issue of abortion will be on the ballot in many states, including Florida, in the November elections, and it is urgent that this be perceived as THE ISSUE extremely important in the upcoming Presidential and Congressional Elections of 2024.

Michigan, And Arab-Muslim Americans In 2024 Presidential Election

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!

Trump V Anderson Supreme Court Case Demonstrates A Bitterly Divided Court!

The right wing Supreme Court has determined that Donald Trump cannot be barred from Presidential primary ballots, despite many conservatives, including former Circuit Court Judge J. Michael Luttig among many others, stating that his inciting of the US Capitol Insurrection of January 6, 2021 violated the 14th Amendment, Section Three.

The decision was that it is up to Congress to bar anyone from running for President, not individual state governments.

In so doing, the decision demonstrated a bitterly divided Court, as the four women on the Court, three Democrats and Justice Amy Coney Barrett, while part of an unanimous vote, made clear their discomfort with the issue of Donald Trump being able to avoid responsibility for his actions on January 6.

If Trump had been removed from the ballot in Colorado, Maine and Illinois, it would have led to further incitement by Trump on the basis that he was being denied the right to be judged by the American people.

So the understanding is that ultimately it is up to the American people and their voting to repudiate this Insurrectionist by reelecting Joe Biden in November!

The Supreme Court has lost all credibility, and its public opinion rating is an all time low, with particularly two of its members—Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito—being seen as corrupt and personally obnoxious—and the Court being the most right wing since the early 1930s.

Time To Bar Donald Trump From State Ballots Under 14th Amendment, Section 3!

Congress passed and the states ratified the 14th Amendment after the Civil War, including Section 3, which bars those who have mounted insurrection against the US Government from ever again serving in federal or state government.

This was a reaction to the Confederate rebellion against the United States from 1861-1865, which resulted in the deaths of a third of a million soldiers.

But by being part of the 14th Amendment, it could be applied to any future threat to the United States government, which most certainly, the January 6, 2021 US Capitol Insurrection was to American democracy and the rule of law.

So it is in the power of state legislatures and state Secretaries of State to bar any candidate for public office who waged insurrection on January 6.

So “Blue” states, such as large electoral vote states California, New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Michigan, as well as others, have the power to take action barring Donald Trummp from being on the ballots for the Presidential Election of 2024!

It is urgent that such action be taken NOW!

The Ultimate Primary Battle: Trump Vs DeSantis, Florida Presidential Primary, Tuesday March 19, 2024!

The nation is one year away from the ultimate primary battle–the struggle to win the Florida Republican Presidential Primary between two Floridians: former President Donald Trump and Florida second term Governor Ron DeSantis.

While the possibility exists that Trump, if indicted, might be forced out of the race, and that DeSantis might flop in earlier primaries and caucuses before Tuesday March 19, 2024, at this point, it seems highly likely that the battle between the two Floridians will occur, and may decide who is the Republican Presidential nominee in 2024!

And a third candidate, one of a large group, could surprise, and emerge and be the frontrunner in the race.

With both Trump and DeSantis being unwilling to back Ukraine against Russia, a Republican who backs the importance of sustaining Ukraine and the NATO alliance, could suddenly emerge.

It is important to keep in mind that NEVER at this point of a Presidential campaign, has anyone who went to become President, been seen as the likely winner in the past century, so suprises could occur!

March 19, 2024 will be a very big day, as Arizona, Illinois, Ohio and Virginia will also be voting in primaries!

Arizona And Georgia Key States Now, NOT Florida And Texas!

As a result of the Midterm Elections of 2022, after the Presidential Election of 2020, it is clear that Arizona and Georgia are the key states for the Democrats, although they do not make up for the Republican dominance of Florida and Texas!

But with Pennsylvania and Michigan also becoming more likely Democratic based on recent elections, and adding the Northeast and Pacific Coast, the Midwest states of Illinois and Minnesota, and a few Mountain states, such as Colorado, New Mexico, and Nevada, the prognosis for the Democrats in 2024 and beyond, is looking good, in regards to the Electoral College!

Adam Kinzinger Second Republican Added To January 6 House Committee Investigation By Nancy Pelosi

The House Select Committee on the January 6 US Capitol Insurrection has been greatly improved by the announcement of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi that Illinois Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger has agreed to join the investigation.

Kinzinger, like the other House Republican on the committee, Congresswoman Liz Cheney of Wyoming, is a solid conservative who does not support most Democratic Party ideas and values, but they are both, ultimately, patriots who understand that what happened on January 6, 2021 was an attack on the Constitution, American democracy, and the rule of law.

Both Kinzinger and Cheney are strong critics of Donald Trump, and make clear that he has hijacked the Republican Party and the conservative movement, and is a threat to the survival of the Republican Party and the conservative ideology, but both are willing to do what is necessary for the betterment of the nation.

Both have, and will continued to experience, bitter and vicious attacks, and will face tough primaries in the Midterm Congressional elections of 2022, and may lose their seats and even membership on committees as a result.

But they are putting the nation ahead of their own personal interests, and one can wish that they will add a great deal to the investigation of January 6, and help to hold those complicit in that attack on the US Capitol, to the full extent of the law.

Since there would be little chance of the Illinois district of Kinzinger going to the Democrats, and likekly, zero chance of the state of Wyoming At Large Congressional district going Democratic, we can all wish that both Kinzinger and Cheney are successful in retaining their seats in the House of Representatives in November 2022.

Even if that does not happen, they will be well remembered in history as “Profiles in Courage”!

The 2020 US Census Has Surprises, As Announced Today

It is ironic that this author wrote about the 2020 Census yesterday, not aware that precise information would be given out today, Monday.

And there are a few surprises.

The total population of the US is over 331 million people, up from about 309 million in 2010.

Texas will gain only two seats, not three, and Florida will gain one seat, not two.

Colorado, North Carolina, Oregon and Montana will gain one seat each.

Arizona, thought to be likely to gain a seat, will not do so.

New York loses one seat, but only because of a shortage of population by the small total of 89 people!

Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Illinois, California, and West Virginia will lose one seat for each state, with California losing representation for the first time ever!

Minnesota and Rhode Island, expected to lose one seat each, avoided such a loss.

So now, with Montana gaining a seat, there will only be 6 states with one statewide House member—Alaska, Delaware, Vermont, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming.

This is the second slowest population growth in US history, after the 1930s.

And the trend of the South and West gaining at the expense of the Northeast and Midwest continues as it has for many decades.

When Census Figures Come Out Later This Year, It Will Affect Multiple States

The 2020 Census figures will come out in a few months, and will affect multiple states in Congressional representation in 2022 and beyond, as well as the Electoral College.

A number of the larger populated states will continue to lose representation and electoral votes, as they have faced for several decades.

This includes New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, and Michigan, but also California is likely to lose a Congressional seat and an electoral vote for the first time ever in America history. Also, West Virginia, Rhode Island and Minnesota are likely to lose a seat and an electoral vote.

The states which will gain include Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Arizona, Colorado, Oregon, and Montana, with Texas and Florida gaining the most.

Montana will move from one statewide House seat to two, while Rhode Island will move from two seats to one, so Rhode Island will join Vermont, Delaware, Alaska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming as the seven states that have only one House member for each state.

Final Projection On Congressional Elections Of 2020

With only five days to go until the Congressional Elections of 2020, this author and blogger wishes to indicate his final projection on what is likely to happen.

The House of Representatives will witness a major Democratic gain, with the estimate being about 15 seats, to a total of approximately 250 Democrats and 185 Republicans, giving the Democrats a wide margin for the next elections in 2022.

Democrats will gain seats in California, Florida, Illinois, Texas, Virginia and Pennsylvania, reaching about five more than I estimated on May 2 in my earlier projection, and a large number will be female and minority.

The US Senate will see a Democratic takeover, and have 53-55 seats. The Democrats will lose Alabama, regrettably, although Doug Jones is an exceptional Senator, the best Alabama has had in a long time, but Alabama is simply unwilling to appreciate a man as decent and accomplished as Doug Jones. If he does indeed lose his seat, however, Jones should be part of the Biden team, maybe as a cabinet member.

The Republicans will lose seven to nine seats, with assuredly the following seven gains and possibly two more:

Arizona, Mark Kelly over Martha McSally

Colorado, John Hickenlooper over Cory Gardner

Maine, Sara Gideon over Susan Collins

Georgia, Jon Ossoff over David Perdue

Montana, Steve Bullock over Steve Daines

North Carolina, Cal Cunningham over Thom Tillis

Iowa, Theresa Greenfield over Joni Ernst

Kansas, Barbara Bollier over Roger Marshall

South Carolina, Jaime Harrison over Lindsey Graham

Georgia’s other seat, presently held by Kelly Loeffler is more difficult to determine, and will not be settled until January.

Sadly, this author and blogger doubts the defeat of John Cornyn in Texas or Mitch McConnell in Kentucky, but sees the first seven listed above sure to go Blue, and Kansas and South Carolina possible, so therefore, with the loss of Alabama, but the gain of seven Republican seats, at least 53 Democrats, and the possibility of up to two more, for a grand total of 55 maximum!