Another free and fair election deserves acceptance as such
We have no sweeping revelations to impart about Tuesday’s local, state and national balloting, particularly with a fair number of races and measures yet to be decided, hither and yon. We do, however, have some observations and insights to share as we join our readers and leaders in attempting to pull the pieces together.
On a national level, the races deciding Senate, House and Oval Office control were nearly as close as pollsters and pundits were predicting. But as is often the case, they produced much more decisive collective outcomes.
Donald Trump not only won handily in the Electoral College tally — and nearly swept the seven so-called swing states, six of which he lost last time around — but also broke a 20-year GOP drought by also prevailing in the popular vote. The electorate seemed to shrug off his character flaws, legal troubles and authoritarian tendencies.
His party already controlled the House and Supreme Court, thanks to past successes at the polls, and had little trouble erasing a tenuous Democratic majority in the Senate as well. Trump has been promising to turn 250 years of tradition on its head if returned to the presidency, and seems well-poised to get his way.
Insufficiently checked inflation, taxation and immigration seemed to move the dial for Republicans. Pushing back on social, criminal and environmental issues also appeared to work in their favor.
Reproductive rights cut the opposite way, but its impact did not seem to spill over from ballot measures to candidates. Measures to protect or expand such rights racked up majority support in eight of 10 states — all but South Dakota and Nebraska — but failed to give Democratic advocates any discernible boost.
On a state level, voting generally held true to past form. Democrats easily swept the top state offices again, captured at least four of the six congressional seats, if not five, and seemed on the way to even greater legislative dominance.
Oregon is a red state geographically, but a blue state demographically. Democrats control only a relative handful of counties, but those counties account for a vastly disproportionate share of voters, particularly with Deschutes appearing to join their ranks.
Yamhill County follows national voting patterns much more closely than those of Oregon as a whole. It almost uniformly went for Republicans, or at least perceived Republicans, up and down the ballot.
Nationally, Republican candidates performed better with rural, male, blue collar and socially and religiously conservative voters. That has cost Democrats some of their previous dominance in Black, Hispanic and trade union circles, particularly among men.
For example, Hillary Clinton carried Florida’s heavily Hispanic Miami-Dade County by 29 points in 2016, but Trump carried it by 11 points this year. On the national level, Biden carried Hispanic men by 23 points in 2020, but Trump carried them by eight points this year.
Playing on Democratic support for trans rights helped Trump make inroads with Hispanic voters. Playing on Democratic opposition to mill, factory, port and pipeline projects helped him do the same with blue collar workers, particularly in the Rust Belt states of Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin.
Locally, taxation, regulation and social issues produced fault lines that could be exploited to like effect, particularly in McMinnville’s hard-fought mayor’s race.
Three recent city actions helped fuel Kim Morris’ ouster of Mayor Remy Drabkin — enactment of a utility fee with no designated purpose beyond feeding the general fund; retention of city tax money freed up when the municipal firefighting function was assumed by an independent taxing district; and months-long resistance to banning homeless camping in school zones, despite near-universal support in school circles.
To opponents, that translated to ignoring taxpayers, giving short shrift to family economics, subjugating constituent needs to those of the homeless and failing to deter crime, litter and vandalism attributable to the homeless. They responded by rallying around Morris, a business and community leader with deep local roots.
Fortunately, the three Republican legislators chosen to represent our county — Bruce Starr, Lucetta Elmer and Anna Scharf — all have moderate, pragmatic and effective track records that should serve us well. We endorsed all three, believing they would give us one of the strongest, if not the strongest, delegations we’ve ever had.
It’s hard to know what to make of the non-partisan county commissioner’s race between incumbent Lindsay Berschauer and challenger David “Bubba” King, which remained too close to call at this writing.
King came within 131 votes of mustering an outright majority in the primary, falling short due to a third candidate who picked up 5 percent of the vote. It appears that share almost all went to Berschauer in the general, producing a near dead heat.
It’s worth noting, however, that the staunchly Republican Berschauer ran well behind other Republican candidates appearing on Yamhill County ballots. Even those losing state or district races mustered clear majorities locally, including Mike Erickson, who was defeated handily by U.S. Rep. Andrea Salinas in a 6th District rematch.
County voters struck a rare note of agreement with their statewide counterparts on four of the five state measures on Tuesday’s ballot, parting ways only on a measure making it easier for pot shop workers to organize. County voters said no, state voters yes.
They also sided with voters in four other counties in rejecting a $140 million Chemeketa Community College bond to fund new vocational training facilities on the college’s main campus in Salem. The measure failed even in Chemeketa’s home county of Marion.
This year’s election was free and fair from one end of the country to the other, thus upholding a long and proud American tradition. Let’s hope it’s accepted by one and all this time around, avoiding the ugly, unfounded and un-American challenges of 2020, the most recent presidential year.
Comments
Moe
Hilarious:
"This year’s election was free and fair from one end of the country to the other, thus upholding a long and proud American tradition. Let’s hope it’s accepted by one and all this time around, avoiding the ugly, unfounded and un-American challenges of 2020, the most recent presidential year."
2024 was better policed than 2020, corrupt Arizona
notwithstanding. Many thanks to the poll watchers, and those that discovered complex and suspicious algorithms in all 50 states. My understanding is that Que Mala took no states requiring voter ID. The vast American hinterland has spoken, and spoken wisely.
The Kamal 2024 got some 71 million votes v. Biden 2020 with 81 million. Yet Trump 2024 was within a million or so of Trump 2020. So where did those 10 million Democrat votes go? And don't forget population growth since 2020. The challenges to 2020 were clearly well founded, and as American as apple pie.
tagup
Any challenge without evidence has no merit, and is not “well founded”.
Moe
Oops:
"My understanding is that Que Mala took no states requiring voter ID."
Actually, few exceptions, such as RI & NH, which require photo ID; and VA, CO and NM, which require non-photo ID.
Moe
Oops continued:
And DE and CT, which require non-photo ID.
That Que Mala tended to win states with no ID required, or only non-photo ID required, could have been due to just different politics in those states, facilitated cheating, or most likely, some combination.
tagup
Another accurate of cheating….?…. Got any proof?
Of course not.
tagup
** accusation**
Moe
Bar chart showing anomalous 2020 presidential election vote:
https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/inline-images/image%20%2829%29_8.png?itok=jmT74n-e
tagup
Zzzzzz……
Otis
(From addictioncenter.com)
Conspiracy theory addiction is a behavioral addiction that can have a hidden impact on the way one perceives events and has been linked to having more negative attitudes. Rather than helping one cope with their negative feelings, the belief in conspiracy theories can create a cycle of distrust and disempowerment. As a person encounters different sources, it is important to be able to analyze the information and distinguish between false theories and real threats.
People who strongly believe in conspiracy theories and become addicted may experience some of the following:
-Anxiety or fear for no particular reason.
-A perceived loss of control.
-A need to make sense of complex topics or unrelated events, even with little or no topical knowledge.
-Low self-esteem.
-A strong urge to make connections between a series of unrelated events or behaviors.
-A belief in paranormal explanations for scientific phenomenon.
-A sense of not belonging or isolation.
-A great alienation, disengagement, or disaffection from society
If the presence of the above feelings and behaviors significantly impacts a person’s ability to function in their daily lives, that person may have a conspiracy theory addiction.
The good news is that help is available. You CAN get your life back. It's a stressful time for all of us. Therapy has been very helpful to me in my struggles with anxiety/depression. I highly recommend it.
Moe
What the future holds, we don't know.
But at least the Kamal's new pronouns are Done Gone.
That's a good start.
Trump Takes AZ, Completes Sweep Of All Swing States; CNN Says Victory Was So Massive He "Broke History"
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/trump-takes-az-completes-sweep-all-swing-states-cnn-says-victory-was-so-massive-he-broke
Lulu
"He broke this country" is a far more accurate assessment.
treefarmer
Thank you “Lulu.” You always need so few words to cut to the chase. He not only “broke this country,” but we have unleashed our national nightmare on the world. The gloating will soon give way to buyer’s remorse as the ugly reality of life in an autocracy begins to take shape. We have provided non-revocable absolute power to a demented immoral criminal con man. There will be dire consequences of course, but neither we nor his faithful will dare give voice to complaints. (Beginning January 20th, critics will be jailed, deported, or shot.) He grabbed America by the (*meow*) and half of us let him do it.
B
treefarmer - What happened to we?
treefarmer
Not sure I understand the question, “B.” Are you referring to “We the people?” Half my fellow American voters have chosen a “leader” who is already working hard to dismantle the Constitution as promised, so the concept of “we” is history now. Autocrats demand obedient subjects with no illusion of rights, or voice in how they are ruled.
Buckle up.
madmacs
This a going to be like riding a roller coaster on which someone loosened all the bolts. We've put a demented grifter at the helm with no safety net. By December 2025 I suspect no one will be admitting to voting for Trump.
Moe
"By December 2025 I suspect no one will be admitting to voting for Trump."
Maybe.
But there was not even one actual blue state.
Blue cities yes, but no overall blue states.
And nationally Trump did win the popular vote.
I think many people, in their own minds, were consenting neither to Don the Con nor Que Mala. But saw a vote for the Kamal as suicidal. The country may end up in the same place, but at least Trump promises to keep the party going for a few more years. Making deals & doing business is ok. Ultimately, who has been running the country behind the scenes for the last 4 years will probably still be calling the shots.
RobsNewsRegister
Moe- let's just hope we make it to December 2025.
I wrote before the election that whoever wins, it was time to get your household in order as we likely head into war. Basically, prepare for shortages. Biden permitted ATACMs and now Stormshadow missiles have been fired into Russian territory. French SCALP missiles are surely soon to come. Russia considers this an act of war by the West and per recently revised law can now use tactical (battlefield) nuclear weapons; including against NATO. They argue NATO help is needed for programming and guidance for these weapons and unless that has changed it is a true statement (see from March leak below). Let's hope cooler heads prevail.
I grew up a Democrat but am no longer. They were the party of peace but like so much else, that has turned on its head and now are some of the biggest war mongers out there.
https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2024-03-04/explainer-why-a-leaked-german-military-recording-is-causing-outcry
"One official talks about the fact Britain is already handling for France the satellite data needed for Ukraine to program the missiles.
He suggests it could do the same for Germany - preventing the country from being in any way directly involved in their deployment, which is a political red line for Berlin."
Moe
Scott Ritter:
https://patricklancasternewstoday.substack.com/p/breaking-the-united-states-has-attacked
Douglas Macgregor:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjpB3ve3Tww
Moe
(of course, it is U.S.-Nato launching these missiles - Ukes have no such capability)
https://halturnerradioshow.com/index.php/news-selections/world-news/ukraine-launches-british-storm-shadow-missiles-into-kursk-russia
https://halturnerradioshow.com/index.php/news-selections/world-news/russian-airborne-nuclear-war-control-plane-circling-moscow
RobsNewsRegister
Interesting on the command and control. Reports on a private blog I follow are select Russian politicians and families are being relocated to a massive underground bunker near Ufa, seven hundred miles east of Moscow near the Urals. It is built to sustain families for years. I'm sure there are many other bunkers but this is the newest and has a control center. Russia also has a massive Civil Defense program (still practice yearly) with other bunkers and are mass producing mobile ones. Likely bluffing and will escalate in other ways but we are betting a lot on the sanity of an autocrat (Putin). One thing is certain. He has to respond to retain power. The question is how.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ufa
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/what-are-russia-s-mobile-nuclear-bunkers-as-mass-production-begins/ar-AA1uqYo4