Sunday, November 08, 2026

Reading Chicken Entrails

NEW: NBC's Steve Kornacki *DUMPS COLD WATER* on The Today Show viewers' hopes of Dems winning SenateπŸ’₯

Kornacki noted Democrat leads in key Senate races are "tenuous" — and that polling frequently underestimates Trump voters.

He asserted Republicans now confidently view polls where Democrats have slight leads as likely GOP victories.

Kornacki gave specific examples, such as Ohio and Iowa.

Remember the infamous Ann Selzer Iowa 2024 poll?

Kornacki particularly highlighted the Kansas Senate race in 2020. He said the Democrat was polling well — but Republican Roger Marshall ultimately smoked her in a landslide.

Marshall is now supposedly polling extremely tightly against his Democrat opponent once again.

Kornacki also pointed out that even blue states like Michigan and Minnesota appear remarkably close in polling.

He reminded viewers that Abdul El-Sayed barely won his primary after polling projected a huge victory.

Due to the tightness of these Senate races, underestimating Republican turnout by even a small margin could make all the difference.

Frank Luntz also recently warned Trump voters "don't respond" to pollster phone calls and asserted he was "skeptical" that polls were accurate.

Nobody is buying the polls anymore.

Democrats could be in for a rude awakening in 2 weeks.
So I spent the week in a lodge in the mountains, with no cell service, but with satellite TV.  It gets DARK in the mountains, and nothing much to do until daylight but watch TeeVee.  We opted for MS NOW because most of the other channels sucked, and it was enjoyable watching election returns and then bathing in the historic victories. Well, for awhile.

I had a revelation in all that time wasted (the sun goes down early in the mountains, and the moon wasn’t showing its face). The pundits and the talking heads and the commentators (which includes yes, your humble host, but I know how inconsequential I am), had NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS. This was truly the people, and organizers, and volunteers, and a helluva lot of effort by people who don’t bloviate all day (again, I’m first in line there) about what other people (especially politicians) should do. This was people doing, and getting other people doing, and it was completely under the radar and off the national screen and unaffected by billionaires’ money and pundits opinions on what everyone should be doing, and THAT’S A GOOD THING! 

They’ll go on chattering and spending and writing as if they were the center and the unmoved movers of the political universe, but Tuesday proved they are not.  In America, the people are still sovereign. Even if it takes a lot of effort from time to time to make them realize that. 

And polls still don’t mean πŸ’©.

Not A Moment Too Soon

Just in time, some might say:
The first lady was loudly booed Saturday at Louisiana State University's football game against Alabama in Baton Rouge, according to The Daily Beast, and organizers answered by piping music over the speakers in what appeared to be an effort to smother the jeers.
Does he think this is how it works? Because this πŸ‘† is. Just knowing he wrote it is all I need. 😈

Saturday, November 07, 2026

Now We Know Congress Will Utterly Waste The Last Two Months Of The Session

Remind me again who won last Tuesday? Or is Comer saying that suddenly all the people are sheeple?
Comer on Hegseth Impeachment: There's a lot of discomfort with the effort in Iran—questions as to how much we have spent, what are the goals and objectives moving forward. I think that if the Secretary of Defense would come out quickly and address those, I think Republicans should be solid in that. Having said that, that doesn't mean we will continue down the same path in Iran. We just heard from the voters and they are not happy.
Comer slipped up not calling Hegseth the “secretary of war.” Clearly he’s a hopeless RINO. I mean: Holy Shit! πŸ’© 

He Puts His Face On His Resort’s Hamburgers?

Just the image is enough to make me lose my lunch.

Because It Bears Repeating

The insults are not the producing cause, but certainly another proximate cause, of the voting public’s absolute repudiation of the GOP last Tuesday.

It’s worth noting, in this context, that Talarico had won before Election Day, thanks to early voting.
Now, can the POTUS restrain from insults? It’s not the answer that matters. It’s that the question has to be asked. 

Pardon My Laugh…😹

But this isn’t worse, it’s funnier. Especially if the DOJ tries to investigate, or indict, any member of Congress for doing their…jobs. The separation of powers issue will be the first reason the courts refuse to allow this nonsense. And it goes downhill from there.

If Trump wants to piss off the Congress and get even the Republicans (save the remaining MAGA holdovers; all 3-4 of them) onside with Democrats protecting the authority of Congress, well…

🍿 🍿🍿
And until you get three Republican members of Congress willing to go to Trump and tell him the votes are there for removal, stop this impeachment nonsense. It will stop the House cold, then the Senate, and if you haven’t counted votes… you’ve wasted what will be valuable legislative time.

Have some 🍿. Enjoy the show. Consider there may well be more Republicans willing to override vetoes than Republicans who want to go down with the ship captained by the lamest duck in American history.

Have some 🍿.

Charlie Kirk’s Legacy

Not directly Charlie Kirk related, but, close enough.

Texas. Clearly.

Next question. I really don’t care who the new Majority Leader is, but it’s pretty clear Schumer doesn’t swing much weight below the Mason-Dixon. Schumer did that?πŸ‘†I think local organizations had a lot to do with Tuesday. Maybe that’s just me. 🀷‍♂️ Confusing ICE with Customs and Border Patrol, and the Mayor of Houston with the Governor elect of Texas.

Shit. Being blue is gonna be fun!
Back at Dear πŸŽ…: All I want for πŸŽ„ is Dana White for White House Press Secretary. Next to Texas turning blue, it’s the best thing that could happen all year! We did get Stephen Miller as chief of staff, so maybe I’m asking for too much.

Next to Dana White = Press Secretary, this is my favorite:
In a post on Saturday, Trump claimed Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) is "up by thousands of Votes" once ballots cast for two other candidates, retired teacher Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. and Republican Gerald Heikes, are folded into his total. The president accused Heikes of being "fraudulently put into the Race" and dismissed Sullivan Jr. as a man who "Never even voted." "I don't know what takes so long to announce his win. This should be immediate!" Trump fumed. "The Alaska Race is OVER. Dan Sullivan WON, BY A LOT!"
A) That’s not how Alaskan election law works.
B) Sullivan defeating Peltola won’t make a damned bit of difference in the Senate.
C) Trump doesn’t understand the geography of Alaska, or the nature of voting (several House races haven’t been called yet, and some will probably trigger automatic recounts ).
D) Why doesn’t Trump give a shit about Mississippi? The consequences if a black man winning there are much more important, and that count can’t end before next week. And any recount demand will have to go to court. Apparently MS doesn’t provide for one as a matter of law.  Goddamn. 😈
E) Maybe if we tell Trump that Schumer has a lot of influence there?
F) Grandpa ShoutyPants is shouty. And might as well be spitting into a Texas hurricane.πŸŒ€ 

I Leave Town For A Week…

...and all hell breaks loose, and Grandpa needs his special meds.
Trump: “The threats being made by the Democrat Party against innocent Republican Donors and Party Members are absolutely unprecedented, and totally illegal. Please report them to the Department of Justice, IMMEDIATELY! If you would like, send them directly to me, your President. These SLEAZEBAGS should go to jail for what they are doing. The Senate must act, and stop being pushed around to the point of the Republican Party losing Elections, and worse! Likewise, the DOJ and House of Representatives. Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP”
He really has no idea how government works, does he?

BTW, I’ve been out of touch. Are we supposed to be terrified by this post, or can we relax and regard Trump as a demented old codger at the family meal who we just have to tolerate?

I missed all this week’s memos.

With A “B”

In case you’re keeping score, Things that died this week:

The Republican majority
JD Vance’s political future
Election denialism
A Red Texas
Russell Brand’s freedom
Laura Loomer’s podcast
Trump on the ballot
LIV golf
Mike Johnson’s relevance
NY 21’s dignity
Katie Miller’s voting ability
The “manosphere”
Cyber trucks
Susie Wiles’s NDA
MAGA influencers’ Iran war support
“Total immunity”
Pete Hegseth’s sobriety
Mid-census redistricting
Elon’s $500 million
Vivek Ramaswamy’s concession call
TPUSA
Susan Collins’ “concerns”

But don’t worry…it’s nothing Stephen Miller can’t solve.
Tesla and StarLink lost a combined $420 billion (yes, with a “b”) market cap. 

Good times. Good times.

Miller Already Lives In Government Housing

That’s not how it’s supposed to work. Government lawyers represent the government, not any individual, even the president. But even apart from that, witnesses with potential exposure to claims they violated the law would be wise to have personal representation by private lawyers who actually can look out for their personal interests as opposed to the president’s or the administration’s or anyone else’s. (Not that I actually care about any of their interests ....)
So Miller may buy what Blanche is selling. But a private lawyer is ethically and legally obligated to raise the interests of the client above the lawyer’s interests. It’s called “fiduciary duty.” 

If Miller was a corporate executive, corporate counsel would be in the same position as a government lawyer: both roles create no fiduciary duty to the executive personally, nor to the government employee. There would be, in fact, be conflicts of interest that would make it improper for DOJ lawyers to give Miller legal advice. So Blanche’s statement is bad for Miller and the DOJ.

I’m convinced Blanche was never a better lawyer than this.

My Favorite Post-Tuesday Image

IYKYK (Whataburger was recognized as a “Texas Treasure” by the Lege in 2001. It’s appropriate.)

This one runs a close second. My earliest political memory is the day after the 1964 election. All I knew was that LBJ was from Texas, so in all my 9 year old innocence I asked my father who won, the very first thing that morning. The old man was a good man, but that was the day I found out he was no Democrat. He answered: “The goddamned Democrats won everything!” 😑

I remember thinking: “I thought we were the goddamned Democrats.” And I have been, ever since.

Objectively True

ICE. The border wall (not on the national radar, but both useless and hated on the border). School vouchers (a national obsession of rich, white men who still want to erase the last traces of Brown v Board by burning down the public school systems of America). And the general Republican indifference to we, the people (data centers are just the very public tip of that iceberg). Miller raises that indifference to absolute antipathy coming straight from the White House, so: mission accomplished, Temu Goebbels. 😈

AI Needs All Your Moneys Because…

... the people behind it are such idiots they are simply setting money on fire.πŸ”₯ 

Friday, November 06, 2026

Stephen Miller Is Fucked

So is MAGA: He and the mouse in his pocket. Guaranteeing a Democratic majority in Texas for years to come. 😈

Election? What Election?

Thursday, November 05, 2026

School Vouchers. “Sharia Law.” Corruption. Book Bans In School. ICE.

Oh, and data centers. That did a lot of it.

I’m currently in the Davis Mountains, just north of Big Bend. If you look at the area southeast of El Paso on that map, I’m in the biggest county there. Big Bend is at the bottom of the county, on the Rio Grande. As far east as Del Rio (also on the river, roughly southwest of San Antonio), I was seeing printed posters protesting the wall through Big Bend National Park.  I see the signs everywhere in the communities here (Marfa, Alpine, Ft. Davis). The pundits haven’t noticed, but it’s a flashpoint issue here. I’ve seen a lot of signs for Talarico and Hinojosa, too. The latter because of a huge data center proposed outside Alpine (the biggest city in the county, and the county seat). Those two issues are a flashpoint in this region, and I guarantee it brought out a majority vote for Democrats. Even the State Board of Education, which picks school textbooks, is now controlled by Democrats. That’s not just because Talarico had coattails. Straight party voting is now longer allowed in Texas (gone are the days when I could tick one box). People had to choose the Democratic candidates, one by one. I’m pretty sure they chose party rather than knowing every candidate on the ballot.

This was a cleansing of the Augean stables election. I suspect the other “secret” is that urban Democrats (who outnumber rural Republican voters, but don’t vote) turned out in big numbers, and the border communities voted on ICE and the border wall and data centers. And I think they voted against the hegemony of GOP, which is increasingly driven by the crackpot Texas base who preferred Paxton over Cornyn. I think the people have had enough of that, too, and have shaken them off. I hoped Hinojosa would win, I was sure Talarico would. I had no idea Texas government from the governor down to the Texas House would flip.

Now they gotta do right by it. 😸

PLEASE PICK SCALISE OR JORDAN!πŸ™

MacFarlane on 2028: Republicans don't have weeks or months to figure this out. They have days to figure this out because they have to choose their next House leader soon.

That's an existential question they need to answer now. These types of decisions now pave the trajectory for the next congress, but also communicate this is what we want.

They're going to have to reckon with this, like this weekend.
PLEASE!πŸ™ 

Copious Copium

Biden did it, edition.

Wednesday, November 04, 2026

Just Needs To Include Any Arch in D.C.

Next CR needs this rider:

“None of the funds made available by this or any other Act may be obligated or expended to plan, design, demolish, construct, furnish, secure, operate, or maintain a ballroom at the White House or on the White House grounds, including any salaries or expenses of federal personnel supporting such work and any costs of accepting or administering private donations for it.”

I MEAN, HOLY SHIT!!!!!πŸ’©

BREAKING: Democrats seized control of the Texas House in Tuesday’s midterms for the first time in more than two decades, capping a night in which voters ousted Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and left Republicans reeling in a state that has long anchored national GOP politics.
πŸ’©πŸ’©πŸ’©πŸ’©πŸ’©πŸ’©

HOLY SHIT!!!πŸ’©

 HOLY SHIT!!!

HOLY SHIT!!!!

Sorry, that’s all I’ve got time for.


HOLY SHIT!!!!

Tuesday, November 03, 2026

Talk Amongst Yourselves

 I’m in Shanghai-La for the week. Which is to say, the Davis Mountains ⛰️, with VERY limited internet access.

Look for me no more!

Well, until Sunday. Good Lord willin’ and the creeks don’t rise.

Monday, November 02, 2026

Last Day Before Election Day

And in Iowa, where Trump held a rally, the advance team ordered a tarp cover this mural: The city told the building operator (the city owns the building) to take the tarp down. 

Later today Trump will go to the Reflecting Pool to rant, again, about the vandalism-that-wasn’t. We all know it, and we all know it means the Emperor-wannabe has no clothes.

Only the courtier press continues to pretend he is wrapped in the robes of regal office.

Well, Somebody Finally Said It

New in PN: How Trump destroyed his own dictatorial ambitions

"The US is about to enter a foreboding final period in the already catastrophically failed Trump presidency. It is difficult to anticipate what further outrages the frustrated, and increasingly feeble-minded, failed dictator will attempt to unleash on the country he purportedly leads.

But one somewhat reassuring thing is already clear — Trump’s ongoing assault on the US government will continue to sap his already eroding power."
With examples: He really likes some of these.

Big, Strong Preachers…

... with tears in their eyes. πŸ‘€ 

January Can’t Come Soon Enough

Vietnam being the war he refused to participate in. Afghanistan being the war that went on all four years of his first term, ending after his term with a disastrous agreement he negotiated and left Biden bound to 

So, sure…
The Secret Service must have LOVED! that. πŸ™„