Showing posts with label Virginia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Virginia. Show all posts

Saturday, April 25, 2026

The 2026 Election, 9th Edition. The Sic Semper Tyrannus edition.*

Confederate prisoners at Five Forks.

April 23, 2026

Republicans are basically freaking out after Virginia's voters sent redistricting to the legislature, guaranteeing Democratic gains in the state's House of Representative representation.  Donald Trump declared that the vote was stolen, which is utter nonsense, but which was predictable.  

He will claim the same about November's election as well, which is going to go very badly for the Republicans, and he will pull out no stops to try to steal that election.

That scary predication aside, the fall's election is getting pretty predictable right now . Republican's have committed political suicide by reelecting a demented not too sharp octogenarian real estate developer to the office of Presidency, one he is not actually legally qualified to hold.

They deserve no pity, even if the country does.

One group of people who are tiresomely not worth of pity are the far right MAGA crew that likes to predict a civil war, as if they're going to storm out of their suburban homes and fight somebody.  That's complete baloney. This is not going to result in a war of any kind.  It might end in violence however as MAGA has already tried to subvert the last election and probably will try to do so again.

On this, there's been a substantial increase in firearms ownership by liberals, a trend that hasn't received much notice.  It falls into two categories, one being political liberals who are just exercising their Second Amendment Rights. One columnist the other day noted that where there are large groups of right wing armed figures the police almost never act badly during demonstrations and is urging that left wing people do the same.  It makes sense, frankly.  This is a tactic that was taken by black activist groups during the 1960s and 1970s.  Liberals, in my view, should do this in part because it makes sense but also in part due to the fact that right wing Second Amendment groups have  rolled over like a pet dog for Trump.  Indeed, in the last issue of The American Rifleman some NRA member wrote a letter to the editor arguing, well, gosh, if there's a protest, best just to stay away, you know, . . . something completely contrary to the positions of the organization in the past.  

The other group are people who probably have real reason to seek self protection and tend to be in the political such as tranvestites and homosexuals.  That frankly makes real sense to me.  The late Charlie Kirk like to claim that tranvestites were inordinately responsible for mass shootings, which is not true, but that sort of rhetoric really does give a good reason for them to arm themselves.

The redistricting came about due to Trump insisting that it be done in Texas and Gov. Abbot agreeing to do it.  The fact that other states could do the same thing apparently never occurred to the dimwits running the GOP, or at least to the chief dimwit and his Texas minions.  Now the Democrats have done it twice and have gained ground in the effort, although a similar effort in Florida could change that. 

Or not.  Trump has lost such a following amongst Hispanics that the Texas redistricting may actually have the same effect, on a less dramatic scale, in that state.

Indeed, Texas is interesting in this regard as Republicans are howling about how a slim majority of voters can "deprive" the remainder of representation, which is an intellectually weak argument.  Nobody was deprived of representation, even though gerrymandering overall is bad.  Anyhow, it was the voters of Virginia who passed the redistricting plan, albeit only by a slim majority.  In Texas it was done by legislative fiat, even though Democrats, not Republicans, are the majority party in terms of registration in Texas.  Texas's districting outright suppresses Democratic votes, something that will come back to haunt the party in Texas.

At any rate, the GOP's actions are truly an example of the Forrest Gump observation, "stupid is as stupid does".  So much so that a person is really entitled to wonder at this point how dim those in charge right now really are.

Closer to home, where the GOP remains solidly in charge but there seems to be a real chance that the Freedom Caucus is going to really suffer in the fall, the following dates need to be kept in mind.

Party Changes

The state of Wyoming passed legislation affecting when a registered voter is allowed to change their party affiliation.

  • You MUST appear in person in the Elections office on or before May 13, 2026 to declare or change your party affiliation.    
  • NO party changes at the polls on Primary Election Day.
  • Qualified voters who are not yet registered will still be able to register and choose their party on the day of the Primary Election.

Absentee Voting

The timeframe for voting absentee has shortened from 45 days to 28 days.

  • Absentee ballot request may be made by phone, mail, email, online or in person.
  • Your ID is required to vote in person or to pick up a ballot.

Absentee voting for the Primary Election:     July 21 - August 17, 2026
Absentee voting for the   General Election:     October 6 - November 2, 2026

Party Affiliation for Primary Election

  • Registered Voter party affiliation change deadline for the Primary Election is May 13, 2026
  • New voter registrations may declare a party affiliation when registering after this deadline.

Candidate Filing Dates

  • State, County and City offices filing runs May 14, 2026 through May 29, 2026
  • College and School Boards, Fire Districts and Soil Conservation Districts filing runs August 5, 2026 through August 24, 2026

Absentee Voting

  • July 21, 2026 through August 17, 2026 for the Primary
  • October 6, 2026 through November 2, 2026 for the General

Election Days

  • Primary Election Day is Tuesday, August 18, 2026 
  • General Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026

Wyoming's Voter ID Law

Effective July 1, 2021, Wyoming voters will be required to show an acceptable form of identification when voting in person. There are many ID options for you to use to prove your identity.  Visit the Wyoming Secretary of State's Office website for more information.

A couple of observations.

One is that you used to be able to change party affiliation at the polls, but the state's GOP got that changed out of fear that all five of the state's remaining Democrats would change party at the poll and vote for Battling Bob LaFollette.

It's a stupid fear.  Any Democrats who were going to do that did it years ago.  The law actually just locks people into their current party, but the propaganda value of this lives on as the real Democrats, the Dixiecrats, like to continually complain that the GOP is backed with RINOs. It is, they are the RINOs.

Another observation is that you have to show "an acceptable" form of identification, so if you are going to vote, bring it.  The Secretary of State's office provides the following as "acceptable:

  • WY Driver's License or ID Card
  • Tribal ID Card
  • Valid US Passport
  • US Military Card
  • DL or ID Card from Another State
  • University of Wyoming Student ID
  • Wyoming Community College Student ID
  • Wyoming Public School Student ID
  • Valid Medicare Insurance Card*
  • Valid Medicaid Insurance Card*
  • Valid Wyoming Concealed Firearm Permit

Mostly because this was the pet project of California Carpetbagger Chuck Gray, I'm going to bring my driver's license, my military ID, and my concealed firearm's permit.  I'm also going to ask everyone manning the polls to see their ID's.  If I have to prove I'm an American citizen, well they should have to do so as well.

The other thing is that the candidate registration date is also coming right up.  It actually runs through May 29, but this year, I'd get that done by May 13 if I was going to run, which I'm not going to (probably).

cont:

And now there's a new candidate for the Senate, Sam Mead from the well known Mead family.  That makes the candidates, on the GOP side (no Democrats have announced):

Harriet Hageman 

Jimmy Skovgard

Samuel Mead

Mead is probably a pretty serious contender.  His website, which is probably not the best way to judge things, shows him to be the best serious candidate to announce, if we disregard Skovgard, who isn't mounting much of a campaign so far.

The first flyer for Steve Freiss, running for House today, arrived in which he tries to maintain he's like Reagan and Trump, which is patently absurd in that Trump and Reagan are nothing like each other.

April 24, 2026

The State Republican Convention opened in Douglas and already has the appearance of the 7th Cavalry attempting to form a final defensive line at Little Big Horn.

Wyomingites are showing increasing signs that they're sick to death of the Freedom  Caucus, but the county delegations still heavily reflect that.  So, they're thinking of just violating the law and even pulling out of primaries.

The dipshittery is already in evidence, as shown by this quote:

What we as a party are moving towards is what people have been asking for decades.

Wyoming Republican Party Chair Bryan Miller.

Miller spent his career in the Air Force sucking off the government tit and then came to Wyoming on the far right "I worked for the government but I hate the government so much I still collect government retirement and am now sucking on the other government tit" platform. Given that, like most of the WFC, what he imagines what people have wanted "for decades" is based on talking to a small group of like minded, small minded, feverish minds, many of whom spent their decades somewhere else.

Basically, the Freedom Caucus is worried that the voters are going to kick it in the ass in the primary and are trying to find a way that county WFC controlled bodies can declare who the candidates in the fall will be.

That's not going to fly.  Anyone can still register as a Republican and run as one if they declare themselves to be one.  The GOP can't change that.  What it can do, however, is break into open civil war before a general election and destroy itself.

Long-term, by attacking the primaries, it might just lead to a non partisan open primary, which would be a fantastic development.

Another proposal is that Republican candidates take a loyalty oath the GOP platform.  The state platform has a barely disguised "grab the public lands" plank in it that Wyomingites hate, but the Confederates love.  Showing more their loyalty to the Lost Cause, it also includes a plank that requires the state to ignore the decisions of Courts that don't go their way, something that actually is flat out illegal and which makes them into a traitorous body seeking the overthrow of the American government, although they seemingly can't grasp that.

The deluded WFC feels that they can secure their failing movement, basically, by expelling everyone else, which at the end of the day would result in a competing Republican body, which would be an outright good development, particularly now. The existing GOP is heading for a cliff this Fall and there's a strong chance it'll start to actually dissolve next year.

cont:

April 25, 2026

Protect Wyoming is directly going after some of the bad state legislators, and Bob Ide pretty meg tops the list there:


I'vc never understood how his district elected him.  They had an experienced conservative, Drew Perkins, who now works for the Governor.  In his place they got a guy who was actually in D.C. at the time of the Insurrection and holds every single extreme right wing view.

On the GOP Convention, the platform fight goes on:

While I personally am religious, Wyoming is the least religious state in the United States.  It's notable that this attempt to declare the state a Christian one failed pretty handily, but also notable that it came up at all.

Also notable is that the state of Wyoming's land board voted to fund housing projects in certain areas to the tune of $5M.  Carpetbagger Chuck Gray, hoping for the U.S. House, tried to keep resident aliens ineligible, and given the locations that this applies to, they'd clearly be part of the population in need.  Degenfelder, who is running for Governor on the "sure, I'm personally a Catholic but the blasphemous octogenarian Demented Don Trump endorsed me" voted for the proposal.

Seems like there's a poem about practicing to deceive.

Footnotes:

"Thus always to tyrants", the state motto of Virginia.

Related threads:

Pollice Verso. The 2026 Political Negative Endorsement. The Don't Vote For List.

Last edition:

The 2026 Election, 7th Edition, Do not stand with those who promote the sins that cry out to Heaven.


Republicans. You have reached July 20, 1944. You can either act with the insurgents and save your party (maybe) or go down in the bunker and destroy it for a generation, or more.

Wednesday, November 5, 2025

2025 Off Year US Elections

They can be, sometimes, an indicator of things to come.

June 25, 2025

New York City Mayoral Race

Progressive Zohran Mamdani beat Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic Primary.  

Mamdani, who immigrated with his parents as a child from Uganda to the US, is a self declared democratic socialist.  He's a Shi'a Muslim. All of these things are setting off the populist far right.

Curtis Sliwa, founder of Guardian Angels, won the Republican primary for New York City mayor, but was unopposed.  He stands no chancing of winning the general election.

September 22, 2025

Texas


Texas has an election this year, and it includes a bunch of ballot propositions, which are:

  • Proposition 1 (SJR 59): Texas State Technical College funding
  • Proposition 2 (SJR 18): Capital gains tax ban
  • Proposition 3 (SJR 5): Bail reform
  • Proposition 4 (HJR 7): Water infrastructure funding
  • Proposition 5 (HJR 99): Tax exemption on animal feed
  • Proposition 6 (HJR 4): Securities tax ban
  • Proposition 7 (HJR 133): Tax exemption for veterans’ spouses
  • Proposition 8 (HJR 2): Inheritance tax ban
  • Proposition 9 (HJR 1): Inventory and equipment tax exemption
  • Proposition 10 (SJR 84): Tax exemption for homes destroyed by fire
  • Proposition 11 (SJR 85): School tax exemption for the elderly or disabled homeowners
  • Proposition 12 (SJR 27): Changing the State Judicial Conduct Commission
  • Proposition 13 (SJR 2): Increased school tax exemption for homeowners
  • Proposition 14 (SJR 3): Funding for dementia research and prevention
  • Proposition 15 (SJR 34): Codifying parental rights
  • Proposition 16 (SJR 37): Clarifying citizenship requirement for voters
  • Proposition 17 (HJR 34): Property tax exemption for border security infrastructure
November 4, 2025

The kiss of death:


And so the demented New York octogenarian made it clear to thousands that they were going to vote for New York Democratic Socialist Mamdani.

New York has actually had a prior Democratic Socialist Mayor, David Dinkins, who served from 1990 to 1993.  Trump made minor contributions to the Dinkin's election campaign and reelection campaign, the latter of which failed.  The current mayor of Cheektowaga, New York, Brian Nowak, is a Democratic Socialist.

Trump made another post last night:


Early indications are that this election is going to be an utter disaster for the Republican Party, setting up a potential disaster next year, and causing those who wish to evade disaster to potentially start moving away from MAGA now.

Prop 50 will be on California's ballot, which may end up countering the anti Democratic moves of the Texas legislature.

Cont:

New York State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani won the race for Mayor of New York City, becoming the first Muslim to occupy that position, and the first Democratic Socialist since Dinkens to occupy it.

It's a generational change with Mamdani defeating two elderly opponents.

It's an important mayoral seat, but nobody who has occupied it has ever been President, and for the most part, its occupants do not rise further in politics.

Democrat Abigail Spanberger took the Virginia Governor's race, causing it to go from Republican to Democratic control.  She's the first female governor of Virginia.  Democrat Mikie Sherill took the Governor's race in New Jersey.

Democrats are going to take Texas' 18th Congressional District, Houston, but they already held that.

Proposition 50 passed in California.

The Democrats won everywhere they were running.  It's a dope slap in the face for Donald Trump.

November 5, 2025
So Donald Trump, since I know you're watching, I have four words for you: Turn the volume up.
Zohran Mamdani.

Cont:

A race we weren't following was that for Virginian AG. T he race was won by Jay Jones.  Jones made headline news because some absolutely horrible things he said about another member of Virginia's legislature came to light.  They were awful.

Jones beat the Republican incumbent  Miyares, which suggest a pretty significant move away from the GOP in Virginia.  Jones is a practicing African American Catholic, which is interesting in various ways.

Notable in the races last night Hispanics began to pull away from the GOP.  Catholics had been attracted to the Republican Party for various reasons that I've noted here on numerous occasions, the principal one being that they're social conservatives as a rule.  The interesting thing here is that the GOP, which only recently attracted them, has treated them much like the Democratic Party treated ethnic minorities, which is to say to ignore them and more particularly, to offend them.  Merely being Hispanic is putting people in the target zone for ICE and the GOP has broken out into outright open feuds of race recently, with some figures in the pundit class being openly racist.  

This gets back for a moment to noting that Jones is a Catholic.  The populist far right is strongly Evangelical, and Evangelicalism has attracted a lot of American Hispanics.  But the nature of the Evangelicalism and MAGA has not been sorted out and now, in the wake of Charlie Kirk's assassination, the pot is really boiling.  Quite a few on the populist far right have barely hidden contempt for women working, which most Hispanic women have to do by default.  Some MAGA pundits are openly racist with Nick Fuentes now openly going after J. D. Vance, a Catholic married to an Indian, on the basis that he's a "race mixer".

This doesn't explain last night's results overall, but it fits into it.  The price of things, a major factor in Trump's win, is now starting to be a major factor in a retreat from the GOP.  The brutality and lawlessness of the Trump administration is disgusting many people. The outright stupidity of some the things the Trump Administration says is taking a toll.  The Government shutdown is being blamed, rightfully, on the Republican Party.

The 2026 election is a long ways off but so far the Administration and MAGA's reaction to everything is to double down on it.  That probably won't change, but what might is the extent to which Republicans who don't have to go down with the ship begin to abandon it. Some already have.  Marjorie Taylor Green, who was a MAGA fanatic, now is an opponent, for example. Thune is suddenly, as of yesterday, sounding more moderate.

But you can't moderate a demented narcissist surrounded by sycophants.

Related threads:

Thursday, October 2, 2025

Friday, October 2, 1925. Television.

The first television transmission was made in London.  The experimental broadcast was made by Scottish inventor John Logie Baird.


Spanish troops entered the Rif capital of Ajdir.

The Pact of the Vidoni Palace was signed at the Palazzo Vidoni-Caffarelli in Rome between the Fascist-dominated General Confederation of Italian Industry) (Confederazione Generale dell'Industria Italiana or CGI) and the Fascist-controlled National Confederation of Trade Union Corporations labor union.  It abolished all other unions, including Catholic and Socialist unions, and gave the government effectively corporatist control, on the fascist model, of labor.

200 feet of the roof on the western end of the Church Hill Tunnel, Virginia collapsed killing 40 workers.

La Revue Nègre featuring Josephine Baker’s comic Charleston opened in Paris. Baker became a huge success overnight.

Baker was an enormous talent.  Her shows of the era likely wouldn't have been legal in much of the United States due to the nudity or near nudity that they featured.

Last edition:

Monday, September 28, 1925. Senators meet with Coolidge.

Tuesday, August 5, 2025

Tuesday, August 5, 1975. Ford restores Lee's citizenship. South Africa enters Angola.

President Ford signed a Senate resolution restoring the citizenship of traitor Robert E. Lee.

South African forces drove ten miles into Angolan territory in reaction to the increased presence of Cuban troops in the country.

By Sam van den Berg - Image courtesy of Sam van den Berg, from Port Elizabeth, CC BY 2.5 za, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=38327611

This is one of those news stories I can recall watching on the nightly news when I was a kid.

Fairfax County, Virginian K9 Officer Bandit was killed in the line of duty chasing a suspect.

Last edition:

Friday, August 1, 1975. The Helsinki Accords.

Wednesday, March 26, 2025

Monday, March 27, 1775. Choosing Jefferson as an alternate.

The Second Virginia Convention named Thomas Jefferson as an alternate delegate to the Second Continental Congress, replacing Peyton Randolph, who was then presiding over the Virginia House of Burgesses. 

Last edition:

Friday, March 24, 1775. Rushing toward war.

Saturday, March 22, 2025

Thursday, March 23, 1775. Give me liberty. . .

Patrick Henry delivered his famous speech in favor of independence at the Second Virginian Convention.  He stated:

No man thinks more highly than I do of the patriotism, as well as abilities, of the very worthy gentlemen who have just addressed the House. But different men often see the same subject in different lights; and, therefore, I hope it will not be thought disrespectful to those gentlemen if, entertaining as I do opinions of a character very opposite to theirs, I shall speak forth my sentiments freely and without reserve. This is no time for ceremony. The question before the House is one of awful moment to this country. For my own part, I consider it as nothing less than a question of freedom or slavery; and in proportion to the magnitude of the subject ought to be the freedom of the debate. It is only in this way that we can hope to arrive at truth, and fulfill the great responsibility which we hold to God and our country. Should I keep back my opinions at such a time, through fear of giving offense, I should consider myself as guilty of treason towards my country, and of an act of disloyalty toward the Majesty of Heaven, which I revere above all earthly kings.

Mr. President, it is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the song of that siren till she transforms us into beasts. Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be of the number of those who, having eyes, see not, and, having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation? For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst, and to provide for it.

I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of experience. I know of no way of judging of the future but by the past. And judging by the past, I wish to know what there has been in the conduct of the British ministry for the last ten years to justify those hopes with which gentlemen have been pleased to solace themselves and the House. Is it that insidious smile with which our petition has been lately received? Trust it not, sir; it will prove a snare to your feet. Suffer not yourselves to be betrayed with a kiss. Ask yourselves how this gracious reception of our petition comports with those warlike preparations which cover our waters and darken our land. Are fleets and armies necessary to a work of love and reconciliation? Have we shown ourselves so unwilling to be reconciled that force must be called in to win back our love? Let us not deceive ourselves, sir. These are the implements of war and subjugation; the last arguments to which kings resort. I ask gentlemen, sir, what means this martial array, if its purpose be not to force us to submission? Can gentlemen assign any other possible motive for it? Has Great Britain any enemy, in this quarter of the world, to call for all this accumulation of navies and armies? No, sir, she has none. They are meant for us: they can be meant for no other. They are sent over to bind and rivet upon us those chains which the British ministry have been so long forging. And what have we to oppose to them? Shall we try argument? Sir, we have been trying that for the last ten years. Have we anything new to offer upon the subject? Nothing. We have held the subject up in every light of which it is capable; but it has been all in vain. Shall we resort to entreaty and humble supplication? What terms shall we find which have not been already exhausted? Let us not, I beseech you, sir, deceive ourselves. Sir, we have done everything that could be done to avert the storm which is now coming on. We have petitioned; we have remonstrated; we have supplicated; we have prostrated ourselves before the throne, and have implored its interposition to arrest the tyrannical hands of the ministry and Parliament. Our petitions have been slighted; our remonstrances have produced additional violence and insult; our supplications have been disregarded; and we have been spurned, with contempt, from the foot of the throne! In vain, after these things, may we indulge the fond hope of peace and reconciliation. There is no longer any room for hope. If we wish to be free-- if we mean to preserve inviolate those inestimable privileges for which we have been so long contending--if we mean not basely to abandon the noble struggle in which we have been so long engaged, and which we have pledged ourselves never to abandon until the glorious object of our contest shall be obtained--we must fight! I repeat it, sir, we must fight! An appeal to arms and to the God of hosts is all that is left us!

They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house? Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction? Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance by lying supinely on our backs and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot? Sir, we are not weak if we make a proper use of those means which the God of nature hath placed in our power. The millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us. Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave. Besides, sir, we have no election. If we were base enough to desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreat but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston! The war is inevitable--and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come.

It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace-- but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!

This stands in stark contrast, of course, with Edmund Burke's speech delivered in parliament the day prior. 

Of note, Donald Trump has proclaimed this day "as a day in celebration of the 250th anniversary of Patrick Henry’s speech to the Second Virginia Convention", and many of his supporters naively believe that they stand for the same propositions those who took the American Colonies into Revolution do, when in fact, they stand for the opposite.  You can find just such an example on the Campus issues blog that we link in here. Today's MAGA populists are direct heirs to Cromwell's Roundheads of the English Civil War, right down to following a radical Calvinist ideology, and even adopted the color, red, worn by what evolved out of the New Model Army.

Not that this is surprising.  Retrograde reactionary forces in American public life have long attempted to claim the Revolution as their own, from the Southern traitors of 1860 to 1865, to modern Dixiecrats.

Last edition:

Wednesday, March 22, 1775. Speech on Conciliation with America

Monday, March 3, 2025

Friday, March 3, 1775. A British ship.

The Virginia Gazette alerted the citizens of James City County, Virginia that an armed British ship was at the ferry landing at Kingsmill.

And, by the way, Lent had already started in 1775, so those few Catholics in the country, and those Anglicans observing Lent, were in the Lenten season.

Last edition:

Thursday, March 2, 1775. Raising a stench.

Saturday, February 22, 2025