2026 Elections

[supesalemgr2]

No way the dems allow Swalwell to stay in and they will work it out.

[O Really]

No way the dems allow Swalwell to stay in and they will work it out.

True, unlike Repugs who pass off such things as boys being boys or whatever.
I don't know much about Swalwell, couldn't have picked him out of a lineup or told you where his District is before the current kerfuffle. Looks like it's likely he's a sleazebag and I have no reason to doubt he probably did some of or something like what he's accused of. I may have mentioned that back in the day investigating harassment charges, I found some constants: 1. the sides of the story will always be different; 2. individual perception always frames the story; 3. having a different perception and thus a different story doesn't mean you're lying; but 4. I never saw a case where a woman went through the steps of an actual complaint, filed it and publicly pursued it where there wasn't at least some fundamental truth to the story.

Having said that, however, I'm pretty tired of the weaponizing of harassment/assault claims - sitting generally dormant until an election comes up. I know it's scary and demeaning and fear nobody will believe and other good reasons not to come forward. Nevertheless, I say file the charge/complaint on a timely basis, present good evidence, or let it go.

[Vrede too]

Having said that, however, I'm pretty tired of the weaponizing of harassment/assault claims - sitting generally dormant until an election comes up. I know it's scary and demeaning and fear nobody will believe and other good reasons not to come forward. Nevertheless, I say file the charge/complaint on a timely basis, present good evidence, or let it go.

Understandable. However, I can also see how victims perceive that they have no power unless an election is pending. This is likely why Dozy Don pretended to be on the side of the Epstein victims during the campaign.

I don't have the answer, but until I do I'm inclined to defer to the victims' choices.

I think SoupySales is correct, but it may not matter what the establishment Dems do. Swalwell may have already lost among voters. If polling bears that out he's gone.

Who do you like?

[O Really]

Who do you like?

Whoever can convince a bunch of the wannabes to drop out. Good demonstration of political competence, or at least comprehension. Truth is, if there's one Dem and one Repug left, the Dem is gonna win no matter how good or bad s/he is. Only way to get a reasonable choice if for two Dems to end up on top.

Conversely, the only way to get a Repug governor is to keep a hundred people looking for Dem votes and end up with two Repugs at the end. So getting rid of some of the riff and raff is job one.

[supesalemgr2]

Who do you like?

Whoever can convince a bunch of the wannabes to drop out. Good demonstration of political competence, or at least comprehension. Truth is, if there's one Dem and one Repug left, the Dem is gonna win no matter how good or bad s/he is. Only way to get a reasonable choice if for two Dems to end up on top.

Conversely, the only way to get a Repug governor is to keep a hundred people looking for Dem votes and end up with two Repugs at the end. So getting rid of some of the riff and raff is job one.

All this begs the question, "Why do some states have these "jungle" primaries?" I am very comfortable with the NC system where dems and GOP vote in their own primaries. Also, if one chooses to be unaffiliated they forfeit the option to vote in party primaries.

[O Really]

I'll take any system that filters out the loonies and presents actually qualified candidates for a general election. I don't think everybody or anybody should be allowed to "apply" for a political job through election any more than everybody or anybody can apply for an accounting job.

[Vrede too]

Who do you like?

Whoever can convince a bunch of the wannabes to drop out. Good demonstration of political competence, or at least comprehension. Truth is, if there's one Dem and one Repug left, the Dem is gonna win no matter how good or bad s/he is. Only way to get a reasonable choice if for two Dems to end up on top.

Conversely, the only way to get a Repug governor is to keep a hundred people looking for Dem votes and end up with two Repugs at the end. So getting rid of some of the riff and raff is job one.

Could be Tom Steyer. I don't get excited over old White guys, but there are worse ones out there.


Orban LOST!
Orban LOST!
Orban LOST!



EJDTD (Everything Just Deranged Touches Dies)

[GoCubsGo]

Who do you like?

Whoever can convince a bunch of the wannabes to drop out. Good demonstration of political competence, or at least comprehension. Truth is, if there's one Dem and one Repug left, the Dem is gonna win no matter how good or bad s/he is. Only way to get a reasonable choice if for two Dems to end up on top.

Conversely, the only way to get a Repug governor is to keep a hundred people looking for Dem votes and end up with two Repugs at the end. So getting rid of some of the riff and raff is job one.

Could be Tom Steyer. I don't get excited over old White guys, but there are worse ones out there.


Orban LOST!
Orban LOST!
Orban LOST!



EJDTD (Everything Just Deranged Touches Dies)

You beat me by three minutes.

And DonOld too!

This is quite a blow.

[Whack9]

Love that for JD Vance.

And for DT Jr.



"Hungary First"

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/ ... -phonecall

Hungary’s Viktor Orbán offered to go to great lengths to help Vladimir Putin, telling the Russian leader “I am at your service” in an October call, it has emerged, prompting further scrutiny of Budapest’s ties to the Kremlin just as JD Vance arrived in the city.

...

Hungary’s Viktor Orbán offered to go to great lengths to help Vladimir Putin, telling the Russian leader “I am at your service” in an October call, it has emerged, prompting further scrutiny of Budapest’s ties to the Kremlin just as JD Vance arrived in the city.

[GoCubsGo]

Saw Kevin McCarthy on one of the talking head shows this morning, he said everyone knew not to let their staffers be alone with Swalwell or Gaetz.

WTF?

[Vrede too]

Love that for JD Vance.

And for DT Jr.

https://x.com/DonaldJTrumpJr/status/204 ... 60868?s=20

"Hungary First"

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/ ... -phonecall

IIRC Steve Bannon was also a fanboy of Orban.

[O Really]

When is Trump going to start with the "stolen election" line?

[Vrede too]

When is Trump going to start with the "stolen election" line?

Orban conceded surprisingly quickly. Whiny Trump is trumped, hah.

[Vrede too]

Saw Kevin McCarthy on one of the talking head shows this morning, he said everyone knew not to let their staffers be alone with Swalwell or Gaetz.

WTF?

https://bsky.app/profile/muellershewrot ... dgwkcqm22t

Swalwell has suspended his campaign. The next poll will be interesting.
Steyer?
Steyer vs Price?
Others?

[GoCubsGo]

Saw Kevin McCarthy on one of the talking head shows this morning, he said everyone knew not to let their staffers be alone with Swalwell or Gaetz.

WTF?

https://bsky.app/profile/muellershewrot ... dgwkcqm22t

Swalwell has suspended his campaign. The next poll will be interesting.
Steyer?
Steyer vs Price?
Others?

And quit congress.

[Vrede too]

Swalwell has suspended his campaign. The next poll will be interesting.
Steyer?
Steyer vs Price?
Others?

And quit congress.

One for one:

Tony Gonzales says he will resign from House

Rep. Tony Gonzales said he plans to resign from the House Tuesday, weeks after the Texas Republican admitted to having an affair with a staff member.

... The Texas Republican, who previously announced he would not seek reelection due to the allegations, said he would resign outright just over an hour after Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell of California announced he would leave his seat amid his own allegations of sexual misconduct with staff.

Gonzales is facing an Ethics Committee investigation into the alleged violations, which will be closed upon his resignation. He admitted last month to having an affair with staffer Regina Santos-Aviles, who later died by suicide.

... Had he not announced his resignation, Gonzales would have faced an bipartisan expulsion effort later this week.

[Vrede too]

... Swalwell graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park in 2003 and from the University of Maryland, Baltimore in 2006.... After law school, Swalwell worked as a deputy district attorney in Alameda County....

Sorry

[O Really]

Political ads weren't always so scorchingly negative. But LBJ had great response from his "Daisy" ad portraying Goldwater as a nuclear bomber, and Bush's "Willie Horton" ad probably had effects long past just the campaign. Sexual assault has been a pretty successful tact lately, so we can expect a bunch in the next few months. And as everybody gets used to them, they'll get more sordid and probably gruesome.

Good, but not so recent article to negative ads here:
https://www.rochester.edu/newscenter/wh ... ten-works/

[supesalemgr2]

Political ads weren't always so scorchingly negative. But LBJ had great response from his "Daisy" ad portraying Goldwater as a nuclear bomber, and Bush's "Willie Horton" ad probably had effects long past just the campaign. Sexual assault has been a pretty successful tact lately, so we can expect a bunch in the next few months. And as everybody gets used to them, they'll get more sordid and probably gruesome.

Good, but not so recent article to negative ads here:
https://www.rochester.edu/newscenter/wh ... ten-works/

And we can expect political critters to provide plenty of material for the negative ads.

[O Really]

Political ads weren't always so scorchingly negative. But LBJ had great response from his "Daisy" ad portraying Goldwater as a nuclear bomber, and Bush's "Willie Horton" ad probably had effects long past just the campaign. Sexual assault has been a pretty successful tact lately, so we can expect a bunch in the next few months. And as everybody gets used to them, they'll get more sordid and probably gruesome.

Good, but not so recent article to negative ads here:
https://www.rochester.edu/newscenter/wh ... ten-works/

And we can expect political critters to provide plenty of material for the negative ads.

Sure, but the thing is, it doesn't matter if they behave badly or not. An allegation, even mostly unfounded and without definitive evidence, can throw a campaign off its track. It takes the traditional mud-slinging to an increased level. So we're left with campaigns that we don't know diddly about either candidate except they're both accused of sexual mis-behaviour. Pick whichever one is the least liar?