South Carolina

“Red” Rural States To Suffer Most From Increases In Health Care Premiums!

Ronald 2 Comments

The Democratic Party in Congress has refused to sign off on the continuing resolution, leading to a federal government shutdown, due to the reality of the horrendous effect that the cutting of federal subsidies for the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and Medicaid will have on millions of Americans, mostly poor or lower middle class, and most heavily in rural states that are “Red” states.

The Southern States and rural Midwest and Western States, that are strongly Republican in voting patterns, will be harmed the most.

While racial minorities will be greatly affected, so will white rural Americans who voted for Donald Trump in 2024.

This includes states such as Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, South Carolina, West Virginia, Kentucky, Oklahoma, North Dakota, South Dakota, Idaho, and Wyoming.

The Republican Party, by its refusal to move to restore health care subsidies, is undermining its own electoral future!

Horrible Potential Republican Governors In 2026 Midterm Elections!

Ronald 1 Comment

With the midterm 2026 State Gubernatorial Elections just a bit more than a year away, there is the potential for a group of horrible individuals running for the Governorship in Republican states winning executive control of their state governments.

These would include the following:

Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville

Arizona Congressman Andy Biggs

Florida Congressman Byron Donalds

Michigan Congressman John James

New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik

Ohio entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy

South Carolina Congresswoman Nancy Mace

Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn

All eight of these individuals are highly controversial, overtly loyal to Donald Trump, and would promote the MAGA concept of the Republican Party in state government.

The odds at this moment, more than a year ahead of the elections, is that Tuberville, Donalds, Ramaswamy, Mace, and Blackburn would be odds on favorites to become their states’ governors, while Biggs, James, and Stefanik have a tougher battle ahead, with their states presently having Democratic Governors.

Militarization Of Chicago And Baltimore Seems Next Trump Authoritarian Move!

Ronald 10 Comments

President Donald Trump is issuing threats of imminent militarization of Chicago and Baltimore by Natoinal Guard troops, adding to the present occupation of Washington DC, and the earlier such action in Los Angeles.

Trump is using excuse of accusations of growing crime in cities that are actually witnessing declines in crime.

The one common denominator is that all of these cities have African American mayors and are “Blue” cities in “Blue” states. This is pure racism, and racial profiling.

Meanwhile, there are higher crime cities in many “Red” states, particularly in Southern states, but there is no inclination for military intervention in such locations.

Instead, it is precisely these “Red” states that are voluntarily sending National Guard troops to operate in Washington DC, such states as South Carolina, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and West Virginia, along with Ohio.

And the National Guard troops will be armed, creating a very dangerous, potentially confrontational, situation, that could lead to violence and tragedy in our nation’s capital.

We could face another Kent State University Massacre, which took place in Ohio during the Vietnam War Era in 1970!

The Horrors Of Military Occupation Of Washington DC!

Ronald 23 Comments

In a shocking reality, the national capital of the United States, Washington DC, is now subjected to military occupation by National Guardsmen at the order of President Donald Trump.

And three Republican governors–of Ohio, West Virginia, and South Carolina–are also sending some of their National Guard troops to assist the federal government in the militarization of the center of American national government.

Locations, such as the National Mall, where many monuments and memorials are situated, and Union Station, are now populated by National Guard Troops, creating a monstrous, shocking image to the nation and the world of the militarization of American democracy.

This will undermine Washington DC tourism, where millions of Americans and foreign nationals visit all year round, but even more so in the summer months.

Imagine the shock of families and their children being confroted by troops who have the authority to stop and question them, and take them into custody and arrest without just cause or documentation, without due process.

Can Senator Tim Scott Become The Republican Presidential Nominee In 2024?

Ronald Leave a comment

The only black Republican Senator, Tim Scott of South Carolina, has just entered the race for the Presidency.

With only five black Republican House members and Scott the only black Republican Senator, the Republican Party does not have the image of caring about African Americans.

So the question arises whether Scott has any possility of becoming the Republican nominee for the White House.

With South Carolina being a crucial state in the battle for the nomination of both parties, he might have an avenue to advance, but also has to deal with the woman who chose him originally to fill an open Senate seat a decade ago, then Governor and later United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, who has already announced her own Presidential candidacy,

And Donald Trump has the backing of the South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster and Senator Lindsey Graham, so these complexities make one wonder if Scott has any chance to move forward.

Scott comes across as likeable to his own Republican Senate colleagues, with South Dakota Senator John Thune, the Minority Whip, endorsing him, and even New Jersey Democratic Senator Cory Booker praising him as a colleague across the aisle.

His announcement was inspiring to those who think conservative government is the best, and have no issue with his promotion of Christianity in government.

But such viewpoints are not inspirational to anyone, such as this author and blogger, who believes in progressive and liberal values.

Scott will make the race more interesting for sure, but one has to wonder how Donald Trump will treat him in language and behavior, as the former President’s racism may, once again, show up in his rhetoric.

Disney World And Ron DeSantis: The Destruction Of A Presidential Candidacy!

Ronald Leave a comment

Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis is engaged in a disaster and lost cause, fighting the power and economic influence of Disney World, which has 75,000 employees and creates 450,000 total jobs in the central Florida area.

Without the $1.1 billion in taxes paid by Disney, and the $4.7 billion in total economic influence of Disney, Florida would still be a “backwater”, which it was before Disney came to Florida and specifically Orlando.

Disney has come out against anti gay legislation which has put Florida into an extremist right wing image that will harm the state’s reputation.

To fight against a great corporate citizen which has done so much for the economic health of Florida is pure insanity!

Ironically, Disney has given so much money to Republicans, who have run Florida for a generation, so it is unfathomable why DeSantis is crazy enough to go after that company and affect the future of Florida.

And if Disney World was to leave Florida in the future, it would be an economic disaster for Florida, and if North Carolina’s bid for Disney World was to succeed, it would be a great economic boon for that state or any other state that would welcome Disney.

And if Nikki Haley, another Republican running for President, had her way, Disney would move to South Carolina!

Other Republicans, including Chris Christie, are also on the attack against DeSantis, so he is meeting his “Waterloo”, and no longer will have any serious opportunity to be the Republican nominee in the 2024 Presidential Election cycle!

For a Republican to oppose the corporate power of Disney is unfathomable, and for DeSantis to make a threat to build a prison next door, is pure insanity!

Can one imagine how families who bring their children to the most favored tourist site in America would react to such a lunatic idea as to build a prison near a tourist site?

To “mess” with Disney is suicidal and it will destroy any chance that Ron DeSantis will be the party nominee or President, as it indicates just how dangerous and authoritarian oriented this man is, really a combination of Anita Bryant and George Wallace on steroids!

Ten States Refuse To Expand Medicaid, No Concern About Health Care For Millions!

Ronald Leave a comment

North Carolina just became, finally, the 40th state to expand Medicaid for its poorer, less fortunate citizens!

It is mind boggling that TEN states, mostly Southern, refuse to care about health care for millions of their populations combined.

These states are:

Florida
Texas
South Carolina
Georgia
Tennessee
Alabama
Mississippi
Wisconsin
Kansas
Wyoming

This needs to be emphasized for those states that are likely to have Republican Presidential contenders, including Florida (Ron DeSantis), Texas (Greg Abbott and Ted Cruz), and South Carolina (Nikki Haley, Tim Scott).

It is unconscionable that Republicans who are supposedly “pro life” on abortion have no concern about the lives of their poor constituents!

It is a crime against humanity, and should be rectified!

With The Entrance Of Nikki Haley, The GOP Presidential Race Begins!

Ronald 3 Comments

Former South Carolina Governor and United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley is about to enter the Republican Presidential race, being the first announced candidate challenging former President Donald Trump.

Haley had said in the past that she would not run if Trump ran, but lately, she has made it clear that she is running against her former “boss”, who has said Haley is an example of an ‘overly ambitious” individual, clearly an example of misogyny.

Being “overly ambitious” has not been used against male contenders for the Presidency, and is just another example of Trump’s utilization of personal attacks on an obscene level.

If Haley was a white man, she would have a reasonable chance in the upcoming Presidential race, but being a woman of color with parents born in India, is not a plus in the Republican Party.

And Haley runs, knowing that South Carolina’s governor Henry McMaster, and Senator Lindsey Graham have already endorsed Donald Trump.

And the other South Carolina Senator, Tim Scott, who is African American, and originally was appointed by Haley when she was Governor ten years ago to fill a Senate vacancy, is also actively planning a Presidential race on his own.

This will certainly be an interesting early race in the battle for the Republican Presidential nomination!

South Carolina Could Be Battleground For Republican Presidential Nomination In 2024!

Ronald Leave a comment

Donald Trump made a first Presidential campaign swing in South Carolina last weekend, supported by Republican Governor Henry McMaster and Senator Lindsey Graham.

But there are two South Carolinians who are considering running for the Republican Presidential nomination, and could make South Carolina a battleground in the Presidential race.

Former Governor Nikki Haley, who was UN Ambassador under Trump, seems ready to announce her candidacy as the first challenger to Donald Trump.

And African American Senator Tim Scott is also testing the waters. He is only the fourth Republican African American Senator, and the only one out of a total of eleven African American senators to have also served in the House of Representatives.

So this could be a very interesting scenario for the Spring of 2024.

Interestingly, Haley appointed Scott to a US Senate vacancy in 2013, but now they may be rivals for the nomination.

If either Haley, whose parents are from India, or Scott were to be the Republican nominee for President, it would be the first example of a woman, an Asian-American, or African American on the Republican side of the Presidential race.

Long Overdue For 11 States To Expand Medicaid Coverage!

Ronald Leave a comment

Hard to believe, but in 2023, there are still ELEVEN states that have refused to take care of their poorer citizens by expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare)!

Eight of these eleven states are in the South, including the megastates of Texas and Florida, and that should be used by the Democrats against Greg Abbott and Ron DeSantis, when and if they announce for President, which at least, DeSantis is expected to do soon!

The other states that are recalcitrant, and show lack of concern for the lives of their less fortunate citizenry are Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee!

Also, outliers outside the South are Kansas, Wisconsin, and Wyoming!

It is time for these eleven states to stop their resistance, and protect human lives, as much as they are pushing for protecting every fetus in the womb!