The NY Times is reporting that Castro just dropped out, saying it “Just wasn’t our time.”  He could never get out of single digits and fundraising was difficult.  He’s only 45 and has a lot of time, but I would encourage him to stay in Texas and prepare to go for statewide office here.  Its a shame that Beto and Julian didn’t go for that opportunity this time.  With the Texas GOP the weakest it’s been in decades, there was a chance one of them could have done well.  Next time.

In New Hampshire yesterday, Biden was asked if he would pick a Republican as VP.  Here’s his answer, ALL of his answer:

Gallup has a new poll out about Americans’ top concerns, showing that for three years, the top concern was the government.  I can understand that, especially since Trump took the WH to help Republicans who have been working for years to gridlock everything and keep it from working to the benefit of all Americans.  But there is more in the data that clearly shows that who is in the WH significantly affects the concerns of the population.  Here’s the summary chart:

Look closely at the top two concerns each year and who happens to be president.  Before Trump, immigration made the top 4 issues only 3 times since 2001.  In the last two years, it’s been number two. Since Trump (with an assist from the GOP and Fox Noise) started vilifying immigrants, the issue has rocketed to the top of America’s issues.  Also look at the top issues by president.  Under GWB, it was Iraq, and later the economy.  Under Obama, it was the economy, even WAY after the economy gained strength and continued expansion.  In the last couple of years, as McConnell continually sabotaged the ACA and blocked all of Obama’s initiatives, government rose to the top of the list.  Under Trump, it’s government, for obvious reasons, as he works 24/7 to debase long respected agencies and urinates all over our 250 year history and traditions.  Also look across the top four concerns in the years under Trump.  Race is number 3 in all 3 of his years.  Now look down the rest of the list.  Race only appears ONCE, when Trump was running his blatantly racist campaign.  He has clearly opened a Pandora’s box in the American psyche that we had tried to keep closed for decades.

I find it fascinating to look at the list recalling the events during those years, and who happened to be president.  What becomes clear is that the messaging from the occupant of the WH and his allies greatly affects sentiment throughout our society.  When you have an immoral and shameless president, the worst of our country rises right back to the top.

Yesterday I talked about how Trumpists flocked to their latest article of faith that Trump isn’t really impeached because the House hasn’t transmitted the articles of impeachment to the Senate.  There is no basis in law or fact for that belief, but it’s there anyway, virally spreading throughout Trumpland.  During our Trumpist infestation we experienced yesterday that was the recurring theme.  These trends often start as a joke or a hoax, sometimes on satire sites, but quickly morph into viral proliferation by those who desperately cling to anything that supports their predisposed beliefs.  Here’s the Google trend line for searches this week on “Trump not impeached”:

And, as you would imagine, the regions that have the most searches are the red states.  There’s new viral rumor now growing in Trumpland and that is, now that Trump is impeached, he’s automatically eligible to run 2 more times.  That is REALLY stupid, and is completely unsupported both in the Constitution including the 22nd Amendment.  It started as a “joke” in October, but really took off this week, spreading across right wing pages by Trumpists.  Here’s the Google trend line for “Trump can run for third time”:

This kind of proliferation is what makes brainwashing so nefarious.  Many of the Trumpists’ comments during our infestation yesterday were repeating absolute nonsense, Russian propaganda, boasting, taunting, and personal insults.  None of the dozens of comments we received were based in any kind of fact; all taunted; none were even reasonable.

With rampant propaganda proliferated over social media facts or truth no longer matter.  Worse, Trump’s Twitter account amplifies these lies.  Every time he tweets one of his insults, childish taunts, threats, or lies,  it goes out to millions or users, retweeted thousands of times.  In the hands of an immoral politician like Trump, social media is weaponized for the dark side.  You can see it, but can also measure it.  Here’s the search terms “Burisma” and “Hunter Biden”:

These trends follow Trump’s twitter feed and those who support him.  Nobody ever even heard of Burisma, and few were even aware of Hunter Biden until Trump, Giuliani, and the Noise Machine started repeating it.  And, they almost got away with it; were it not for the whistleblower, Ukraine would have announced an investigation of the fabricated Russian story that Ukraine was the bad actor in 2016, and Biden’s chance to become the Democratic presidential nominee would have been destroyed.

Integrity matters, but evil can easily run over integrity because brainwashing works really well.  And THAT threatens our republic more than any outside force.

I’ve heard for years that the Democratic Party has been steadily moving to the right as Republicans have gone extreme right.  That belief has become an article of faith among Dems, but Five Thirty Eight has published a data study that this belief is not true and that the opposite has been occurring for 30 years.  Pretty interesting and recommended reading.

Boris Johnson picked up 88 seats in Parliament yesterday assuring that Britain will leave the EU.  Scotland may very well secede from the UK and stay in the Union.  It’s a disaster for the Labour party and I believe a disaster for Britain, a move which could easily kick off a widespread recession.  Indeed the British pound is off today from both the US dollar and the Euro.

Beyond the economics and politics of Britain, are there any lessons for the US and our upcoming elections in 2020?  My answer is yes, and it’s a really serious lesson.  The Labour party, lead by Jeremy Corbyn, who describes himself as a democratic socialist, got slaughtered.  This is the worst result for Labour since 1935, and could easily set up a minority for them for a decade.  Boris Johnson sold smaller government, spouted anti-European rhetoric pitting Europe against England.  He also favors killing the National Health Service and privatizing virtually everything.  In short, he’s just a slightly less childish and offensive Donald Trump.  Did the Russians help?  Certainly, but Labour was its own worst enemy.  Corbyn is a terrible leader.  He and his colleagues are hard left and tone deaf.  While the voting populace was being bombarded with images of scary dark-skinned people and a long list of grievances, Corbyn stuck to his playbook of vilifying Britain’s colonial past and focusing on social issues (gender, social justice) and was self righteously pious, acting as if everyone who disagreed was somehow morally flawed.  The result was predictable – Labour lost voters in traditionally labour areas.  Corbyn got Trumped by Johnson (pun intended).

The lesson here is for the Dems to avoid the same mistakes.  They need to focus 2020 on one goal, and one goal only – beating Donald Trump.  Many of my Dem friends are having deep, thoughtful discussions comparing Warren’s and Sanders healthcare programs to Buttigieg’s and Klobuchar’s.  They dither over free college education and college debt forgiveness.  That’s just plain stupid and tone deaf.  Don’t get me wrong – these are all important issues that we need to deal with, but they don’t mean a goddam thing right now.  The Dems need a candidate that can win Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina.  That candidate needs to be competitive in Florida and Ohio.  NOTHING ELSE MATTERS.  Period.

Warren and Sanders are Jeremy Corbyns’ doppelgängers.  They are losers in the general because Trump will beat them in the swing states.  Klobuchar could be a good VP candidate because of her midwest appeal.  Like Warren and Sanders, Buttigieg is also a national loser, but for different reasons.  He needs to go home and win a statewide election in Indiana and comeback in 2028.  The Dems need to focus on winning, and stop focusing on their navels and esoteric policy questions.  The policy questions should be left for January 21, 2021.  The British Labour party got their asses kicked by Boris and his thugs while Corbyn dithered over policy and social issues.  This is not the time, and Corbyn proved it.

Many of you will hurl insults for this, but in my mind there is one prime candidate who can win the general, and that’s Joe Biden.  Bloomberg is interesting, but he has the billionaire baggage that I’m not sure he can shed.  Biden is the choice, especially with a strong VP who also has broad appeal.  Everyone else needs to go home.

OK, ignore the lessons of yesterday and reach for the torches and pitchforks. Ready, set, go…