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I’d be completely good with it. Let’s take it another step further. Let’s go true democracy, eliminate the Electoral College but at the same time, let’s post major issues for nationwide vote, majority passes the initiative. Allowable voters are non-felon American citizens over the age of 18, as proven by their government-issued ID.
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Please explain. Unlike the Obama and Obama2/Biden administrations, Trump is relatively anti-war, he campaigned as such, he criticized Biden’s astoundingly incompetent withdrawal from Afghanistan and Biden’s lying about the loss of American lives afterward, and he’s obviously attempting to wind down Ukraine with as little bloodshed as possible. Why would Trump pretext a war against Greenland and its 57,000 people, especially with a U. S. military base (Thule Air Base) already there since the end of WWII? It’d be cheaper just to buy it. Give every inhabitant $1 mms., that’s just $57 billion, or 11 days’ worth of Biden’s Federal deficit.
And you’re implying that wanting to acquire Greenland is so bizarre. It’s a bipartisan desire. In 1867, Democrat President Andrew Johnson thought about trying to buy Greenland, so did Republican President Taft in 1910. Democrat Harry Truman offered $100 million to the Danes for it back in 1946. They offered to write off Denmark’s $70 million war debt in exchange for Greenland.
Here’s a piece written by a prof at a semi-reputable university on the topic. Maybe you’ve heard of the school: Buying Greenland Isn’t a New Idea | Stanford Department of History
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So Newsom has hosted Kirk, Steve Bannon, and in a real twist, former Vice President and current Governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz, advocate of placing tampon machines in boys’ bathrooms in Minnesota high schools. Interesting he should host Bannon and Michael Savage, two far-right commentators. He pivoted to host Ezra Klein
Like Senator Fetterman, Newsom agrees that his party’s brand is toxic. How could you not when your approval rating is below 30%?
Newsom blames ‘toxic’ Democratic brand for party’s low favorability rating
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The vast majority of the political power in this country backs Democrats: Big $$$$ (Wall Street), Big Tech (Silicon Valley), Big Entertainment (Hollywood), Big Law, Big Media, Big Academia. The Dems took Big Labor for granted, and they do, in fact, own government unions — organizations that FDR himself stated should not be allowed to exist.
This unholy sextuplet is in the bag for the Democrats. No Lefty Progressive policy is too inane, too illogical for them — as long as they get to keep their money and keep taxes low on the rich. And it’s been this way for generations. That’s why they slammed the door shut on Bernie Sanders. That’s why Obama saved Wall Street and told Main Street to go F themselves. That’s why Senator Feinstein’s husband, Philip Blum, Chair of CBRE made billions off of foreclosed-upon houses.
The backlash was inevitable, and it came, and it will come again.
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Great post, GR.
In 2012, I attended a two-week executive education session at Northwestern. One of the professors was Mohan Sahwney…technologists will recognize him.
He spent 45 minutes describing your idea, and said, in short, whichever of the Top 20 universities figures this out will have the lead for the next century.
He also said he thought there was better than an even chance that it wouldn’t happen in our lifetimes, basically because top research universities had so much wrapped up in their brand, specifically with respect to exclusivity, it was unlikely that they would be able to get over themselves to the point that they would drive this change.
However, now that American demographics are nosing over…perhaps now is the time for this brand extension. I think the universities are leery of the challenges facing retailers as they reach for consumers who are less well-heeled. Their concern is that if they sell cheaper trinkets, they won’t be able to command the big margins with the wealthy.
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These are incentives to do business in California. But perhaps we can agree that increasing income and capital gains taxes on rich individuals makes sense.
I could agree to it, particularly given its inevitability. I think GR’s wealth tax would be a good idea.
Of the many, many things I’ll never understand about Kamala Harris is the fact that she started a “soak the rich” tax plan…and then dropped it. It was her only good idea, the only thing Trump wouldn’t do, and the only thing that could set her apart.
I’m being disingenuous, of course. I know exactly why she dropped it. Because 178 billionaires backed Biden and the Dems. Because she raised well over a billion dollars from the same rich technologists, financiers, industrialists, investors, entertainers, lawyers, media personalities and everyone else who told her to shut the f up or they would dry up the money…the exact, same thing they told Bernie Sanders eight years ago.
The real third rail of American politics isn’t social security. It’s low taxes on the rich.
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Further evidence, a CNN poll that puts AOC in the lead:
- AOC, 10%
- Kamala, 9%
- Bernie, 8%
Of note, 30% of respondents refused to name a candidate in recognition of their long-simmering dislike of the party.
AOC Surges as Top Choice For Democrats: Poll
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In 2016, El Salvador recorded well over 5,000 homicides, one of the highest rates in the world. Seven years later, they were the Latin American country with the lowest murder rate, 114 in all of 2024, a 98% decrease. El Presidente’s approval rate has fluctuated between 89.9% and 94.3%. During COVID, it dipped all the way down to 80%, heaven forfend.
Rapes, 60% drop just from 2023 to 2024. Robberies down 45%, Extortion down 48%. Thefts are persistent but dropped by 22.41%.
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I think Kate Paye, the coach, is having a difficult time. Beyond that, I can’t really say.
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Washington Examiner says that the moderates are losing the Democratic party:
The centrists are losing the Democratic Party’s civil war – Washington Examiner
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And speaking of Newsom, AOC, Tim Walz and Kamala Harrs…
Morning Consult just polled the 2028 Democratic Presidential contenders as follows:
- Kamala Harris, 36%
- Pete Buttegieg, 10%
- Gavin Newsom, 5%
- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortes, 5%
- Tim Walz, 5%
- Mark Cuban, 4%
- Josh Shapiro, 4%
- Cory Booker, 3%
- Gretchen Whitmer, 2%
- JB Pritzker, 2%
- Andy Beshear, 2%
- Amy Klobuchar, 2%
- Rahm Emanuel, 1%
Shock 2028 presidential poll shows the Democrats can’t help themselves
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I basically feel the same. Why can’t we have normal politicians? Normal, middle of the road politics?
Take this program started by Biden, literally a way to make illegal immigration easier. Biden was, putatively, a moderate, and he started this program. AOC would adopt it, expand it, and give it broader, legal, permanent status.
Trump to Strip Legal Status From 532,000 Migrants Living in US
I’m reminded of Senate Majority Leader, Mike Johnson, who met with Biden and asked why he paused new permits for American LNG to export to European allies…a critical issue for his constituents in his Bayou state which handled 61% of American LNG exports. Biden replied that he never signed a pause. He literally didn’t know he’d done it. He was senile and incompetent and was at the mercy of unelected people that he didn’t select who carried out their destructive agenda. Trump is trying to put adults back in charge, and — for the first time — adults with a businessman’s eye, meaning an eye to efficiency. If businesses aren’t efficient, they go bankrupt. When governments aren’t efficient, they throw money at the problem. Hence…DOGE.
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BTW, AOC hated the deal to keep the government open and Schumer’s part in it. But, as (relative) moderate Senator Fetterman says “We chose to keep the government open. Deal with it.”
Fetterman takes swipe at AOC: ‘We kept our government open. Deal with it’
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More on Newsom and state finance. Did you know that the State of California budget in 2020 was $200 billion…but in just two years, the 2022 budget increased to $300 billion?
If you’re a Republican who wants to game plan against Democrats in general and Newsom in particular…just read these two articles, a horrorshow of financial malfeasance in which a $97.5 billion surplus is transformed into a $73.5 billion deficit by the least competent governor that California has ever had:
California’s Budget Black Hole: Where Did the $97.5 Billion Surplus Go? – California Globe
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My first thought: AYFKM?
My second thought: Why would I be surprised? Hollywood is a Democratic backbone, maybe the Dem backbone. Of course, they take care of their own.
Hollywood is the epitome of “Rules for thee, but not for me” attitude. I know the most prominent divorce attorney in Hollywood. This woman is exceedingly tough and difficult and she knows it. She was looking for an assistant (she goes through them quickly) and she has only one prerequisite: they have to have experience as a Hollywood assistant, for an A-list producer, director or actor. Why? Because they’ve already had to work for an abusive boss and would be accustomed to 24/7 BS.
And Newsom can’t afford to lose Hollywood. He’s lost the entire agribusiness industry, labor, small business and big business. He’s got to be able to keep finance, silicon valley, big media, big law, and big academia.
51 Productions Secure California Tax Credits in a Bid to Keep Filming Local
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