Three weeks later

Blue Virginia liked this analysis of the Trump win - as another Voxer can't quite understand how Donald Trump won.
He does have one good insight.
Rural whites feel left behind economically and disdained socially. They have what they see as a hostile entertainment/media/academic/urban elite and in the end were willing to vote for just about anyone who promised to punch those elites in the nose.
How does it feel?

Ugly thoughts

Andy Schmookler continues trying to deal with the idea of a Trump presidency.
What's the ugly thought behind his latest column?
Calling Trump and his crew part of the ugly side of American life.
Likewise, Trump’s being in thrall to ugliness means that he is drawn to other ugly people. So he surrounds himself with a veritable Rogues’ Gallery of ugly people, like Steve Bannon and Rudy Guiliani. And now we have, day by day, additions to the roster of ugly people who will be sitting around the table with Trump.
(It is my intuitive sense that it is Bannon more than Trump who has determined these ugly appointments. It looks that way to me because I have not seen Trump as having the kind of firm commitment to an ugly hard-right ideology as these appointments represent. Whereas Bannon, seems much more driven by an ideologically-determined set of goals toward which he wants the power of this presidency to take the nation and the world.)
Ugly thoughts about Steve Bannon.
Instead of thinking how Trump wants to make America great again.

On the road again

President-elect Trump plans to visit the country before moving to the White House in a few weeks.
Visiting the voters instead of Hawaii.
Imagine that.
We will have a different president on January 20.

When I kneed you

Do you participate in Fantasy Football?
Results in the fantasy world don't always match the real world.
Which is why SI says you should consider Colin Kaepernick to your team.
His team stinks - losers of 10 straight - so he's always behind.
Thus he's always throwing for yards in the second half.
Good for fantasy, bad for reality.

Climategate carol

I've posted this Climate carol for years.
The lights shine each year.
And the threat of government regulations seems to dim each year.
Such a great Christmas present.

Al Gore speaks, no one's listening
In the lane, lights are glistening
Oh what a sight
With houses really bright
Seeing all the Christmas lights are on

Gone away is good science
Here to stay, blind allegiance
We're singing our song
Yet lights come on
Look how all the Christmas lights are on

On computers we can cook some data
then pretend that it is warmer now
They'll ask: Are you sure?
We'll say: You know, man
And here's the hockey stick
that we have found

Later on, we'll conspire,
With warnings, that are dire
Make the people afraid
We'll pass cap and trade
No more seeing Christmas lights turned on

On computers we can cook some data
And say skeptics are just circus clowns
We'll have lots of fun with our bad data
Until our own emails knock us down.

When we speak, ain't it thrilling
People's hearts, they are chilling
We'll frolic and play, the socialist way,
No more seeing Christmas lights turned on

No eye in the sky

The signs remain.
But there's no planes watching for speeders.
Until more money arrives.
There's plenty of officers on the roads, especially today.

Proper sendoff for Fidel

In four words, Donald Trump summed up the thoughts of many - Fidel Castro is dead!
Was it diplomatic?
No.
But for those lives shattered by Castro's lengthy rule, it said what they felt.
Compared to President Obama, who talks about himself in the midst of the statement.
During my presidency, we have worked hard to put the past behind us, pursuing a future in which the relationship between our two countries is defined not by our differences but by the many things that we share as neighbors and friends – bonds of family, culture, commerce, and common humanity.
You can't forget the past.
The suffering for many for years was real.
Trump's tweet expresses the relief of the end of that chapter.

List of demands

The Washington Post presents the case of a University of Virginia second-year concerned about the recent election.
It starts trying to present sympathy for his plight.
It ends with a list of demands to make him and his friends feel better.
The university must refuse to bend to any federal legislation that may be passed in the coming months and years that would directly harm its students. Female students deserve access to reproductive health services, undocumented students deserve access to education as well as protection from dislocation or deportation, and Muslim students deserve to learn at our university without fear. This school has the power to ensure these things, and it must take the side of student protection if it wishes to fulfill its mission of educational excellence.
It's my way or the highway, says the student.
He's got more learning to do.

Facebook quote of the week

Can't get more politically incorrect than calling Hamilton "overrated" lol

Saturday song

Steely Dan has a song about yesterday's shopping.

Ready for a strange Big Ten day

Saturday marks a big contest between Michigan and Ohio State.
And conflicted feeling for other schools.
If Michigan wins, they win the division.
If Ohio State wins, then Penn State holds a tiebreaker if it beats Michigan State later in the day.
So you have Penn State fans rooting for Ohio State at noon.
And maybe Michigan fans rooting for Michigan State in the late afternoon.
Sounds like a fun day.

Weekend watchdog

The big meal is done.
But there's still plenty of sports to enjoy with your leftovers.
Black Friday brings plenty of college football, starting at noon with North Carolina-North Carolina State on ESPN and Houston meeting Memphis on ABC.
Missouri takes on Arkansas on CBS at 2:30 p.m. and Nebraska goes to Iowa at 3:30 p.m. on ABC.
FoxSports1 brings the Apple Cup between Washington and Washington State at 3:30 p.m.
ESPN closes the day with a pair of contests, with Baylor battling Texas Tech at 6 p.m. and Arizona against Arizona State at 9:30 p.m.
Virginia and Virginia Tech tangle on ESPN2 Saturday at noon.
ABC has the big contest between Michigan and Ohio State at noon, followed by Notre Dame-Southern Cal at 3:30 p.m. and Florida facing Florida State at 8 p.m.
Top-ranked Alabama meets Auburn on CBS at 3:30 p.m. and Fox has the PAC-12 meeting between Colorado and Utah at 7:30 p.m.
ESPN starts its day at noon when Louisville faces Kentucky, followed by Michigan State-Penn State at 3:30 p.m. and Clemson's contest with South Carolina at 7:30 p.m.
Duke meets Miami on ESPN2 at 3:30 p.m. California battles UCLA at 7 p.m. with a nightcap featuring Wyoming and New Mexico.
Kansas clashes with Kansas State on FoxSports1 at noon followed by West Virginia-Iowa State.
Pittsburgh plays Syracuse on the ACC network at 12:30 p.m.
Comcast offers Boston College-Wake Forest at 3 p.m.
Southern clashes with Grambling State at 5 p.m. on NBC Sports network.
The pros return Sunday, as the Ravens try to stay atop the AFC North at 1 p.m. when the Bengals visit on CBS. The Patriots take on the Jets in the late afternoon slot, with Fox showing Browns-Giants at 1 p.m. The Broncos host the Chiefs Sunday night on NBC, with Packers-Eagles on ESPN Monday night.
North of the border, ESPN2 has the Grey Cup between Calgary and Ottawa.
It's tournament time on the college hardcourt, with action continuing Friday with the championship and third place games at the Las Vegas Invitational Friday at 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. on FoxSports1.
It's the championship of the Battle for Atlantis on ESPN Friday at 3:30 p.m. ESPN2 brings the championship game of the NIT tip-off tournament at 3 p.m. after games at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. from Advocare and Atlantis.
Maryland meets Richmond on MASN in the Barclay Center Classic Friday at 9:30 p.m. after Kansas State-Boston College. Oklahoma hosts Abilene Christian on MASN2 at 3 p.m.
Northern Iowa takes on Xavier Saturday at noon on MASN, and it's James Madison-George Mason at 6 p.m. The Barclay Center Classic championship tips at 9:30 p.m. after the consolation game at 7 p.m. on MASN2.
ESPN has the finals from the Advocare Invitational Sunday at 1 p.m. and Wooden Classic at 8:30 p.m.
Georgetown hosts Howard on FoxSports1 Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
In women's basketball, South Carolina takes on Louisville on ESPN Sunday at 1 p.m.
The Wizards meet the Spurs Saturday at 7 p.m. on Comcast.
NBC has ice hockey Friday at 1 p.m., with the Rangers visiting the Flyers.
The Capitals host the Sabres Friday at 5 p.m. on Comcast.
On the college ice, MASN brings the Friendship Four Friday. Vermont takes on Massachusetts at 11 a.m. before Quinnipiac battles St. Lawrence at 3 p.m. Winners advance to the championship game will be Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
The MLS playoffs continue with the Western Conference final between Colorado and Seattle at 4 p.m. on ESPN.
NBC Sports network offers Burnley-Manchester City Saturday at 7:25 a.m. followed by Liverpool against Sunderland. NBC brings Chelsea against Tottenham Hotspur at 12:30 p.m. Manchester United meets West Ham United Sunday at 11:25 a.m.
Formula One has its Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Sunday at 7:30 a.m. on NBC Sports network, after practice Friday at 8 a.m.
There's rugby on NBC Sports network with Northampton-Newcastle Friday at 2:30 p.m., the Exeter Chiefs meeting the Worcester Warriors Saturday at 12:30 p.m. and Bath Rugby clashing with the Harlequins Sunday at 2:30 p.m.

Singing with his savior

I missed the news last week of the passing of Cliff Barrows, who led songs for Billy Graham crusades for 60 years.
I was fortunate enough to meet him once during my time in South Carolina 30 years ago - since his son was pastor at the church I attended. He eagerly told his story yet again to me, a young reporter, while spending time with his grandchildren on the church grounds.
The news clip has a very interesting part - video from Graham's 95th birthday celebration three years ago.
Guess who's at the next table to Rev. Graham - Donald Trump.

Blow back

It's been an enjoyable two weeks watching Democrats and liberals struggling to deal with the looming Trump presidency.
Charles Blow of the New York Times is the latest to take a swing.

I will say proudly and happily that I was not present at this meeting. The very idea of sitting across the table from a demagogue who preyed on racial, ethnic and religious hostilities and treating him with decorum and social grace fills me with disgust, to the point of overflowing. Let me tell you here where I stand on your “I hope we can all get along” plea: Never.

You are an aberration and abomination who is willing to do and say anything — no matter whom it aligns you with and whom it hurts — to satisfy your ambitions.

Nice blast.
What will it accomplish?
You can vent and complain, but January 20 is coming.
You need more than anger to deal with the Trump presidency.
The problem for liberals?
They think Republicans only fought President Obama over anger, or superficial issues.
To win again, they need policies that work for more than a few Americans who vote for them.

Alt-reality

Will we have to hear about the "alt-right" community for four years?
Or eight?
Or more?
Do they have more influence because Donald Trump won, or does the media publicity give them more recognition than they deserve?
Why would The Los Angeles Times give the GQ treatment to a guy who “heils” victory and quotes Nazi propaganda onstage in German, as Richard Spencer did this weekend? I suppose it’s the same reason every major publication gave David Duke, who was polling at 3-4 percent in his Louisiana Senate race all year, their undivided attention. (What am I talking about? We’re still hearing about Duke on a daily basis.) It’s to create the impression that they matter.
Time for a reality check for the media.

As God as my witness, I thought turkeys could fly

Behind the scenes of the WKRP in Cincinnati "Turkey Drop"

Liberals want to lock her up

Donald Trump seems to have decided not to continue investigating Hillary Clinton's email server.
Which disappoints which groups more?

• Trump supporters?
• Hillary supporters?

Sounds like they would like Trump to keep up the pressure.
Why do they dislike Hillary so?

The Art of the Failed Deal

Huffington Post continues looking at how the Clinton campaign failed.
Such an enjoyable way to spend my time.
But for the top ranks of the Clinton campaign, the failure is not so much about poor decisions as it is about poor data. Their models showed that the best way to defeat Trump was to paint him as unqualified for the office of the presidency, which they successfully did. Voters just ended up not caring. As one top official asked: When your own polling shows you are likely to win and the public polling says the same, “what would you have done differently?”

You might be persuaded

Scott Adams asks you to imagine how the campaign would have gone without Donald Trump.
If Trump didn’t win because of his persuasion skills, which other Republican candidate can you imagine beating Clinton?
You might be thinking that Clinton’s email problems and the Comey announcements made her an unusually weak candidate, and that means any sane Republican could have beaten her. But you’d be wrong. The reason that the emails, the Comey decisions, and Wikileaks were so effective is that Trump had been labelling Clinton “Crooked Hillary” for months. That created the confirmation bias trap that made everything Clinton ever did sound suspicious. None of the other candidates would have crafted such a perfect persuasion trap.
I also have a hard time imagining any other candidate going after Bill Clinton so hard that it took him out of the game. Was Jeb going to do that?
If you're happy to avoid President Hillary Clinton, thank Donald Trump.

Who's the next birthday email?

Being part of the Democratic party email list, I see they love birthdays.
Wish President Obama a happy birthday.
Or Michele Obama.
Or Joe Biden this week.
And don't forget the Clintons.
But who will be the focus of emails in 2017?
I doubt we'll hear about Hillary's birthday again.
I can't see being excited about the birthday of the new DNC chair.
How will they seek donations and email addresses in the future?

Who over-reacted?

Friday night at the theater, the cast of Hamilton had words for Vice President-elect Pence.
Saturday morning, President-elect Trump responded.
Who's to blame?
Well, they started it. Both sides say.

Curtains for the curtain call talk

DaTech Guy likes free speech.
But thinks the Hamilton cast could have used a different venue to challenge Mike Pence.
The show Hamilton is one of the most popular ones on Broadway, the cast has a very platform and easy access to media, particularly in NYC who would like nothing more than to hear them publicly hit the incoming administration. The cast of Hamilton could have achieved the same effect by having making their statement in an open letter that I’m sure the NYT would have gladly published and the MSM endlessly repeated. Given that fact the necessity to violate the bounds of propriety by challenge a paying customer would seem rather pointless.

Saturday song

The mannequin videos reminded me of the Mannequin movie - and this video by Starship.
It's now the Trump theme song.

Facebook quote of the week

In 2018, Senate Dems must defend 10 seats in these states won by Trump
WV +42
ND +36...
MT +22
MO +19
IN +19
OH +8
FL +1
PA +1
WI +1
MI <1

Recycling update

The latest trip to the recycling center brought 40 cents per pound for aluminum cans.
A good start to the pre-Thanksgiving weekend.

Weekend watchdog

Jimmie Johnson won five straight NASCAR season championships from 2006-2010.
But he's only won once since then.
Sunday, he'll try for his seventh championship - a feat only reached by Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt.
Johnson and three other drivers will compete for the 2016 title Sunday at Homestead. NBC has coverage at 3 p.m.
Joey Lagano and Carl Edwards also advanced to the Championship 4 with recent wins, with Kyle Busch rounding out the field. The driver who finishes best among the four contenders takes home the crown.
The final Xfinity Series race goes Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on NBC Sports network, with the Truck Series finale Friday at 8 p.m. on FoxSports1.
The Ravens visit Dallas Sunday at 1 p.m. on CBS, followed by the Eagles against the Seahawks. Fox offers Giants-Bears at 1 p.m.
The Redskins host the Packers on NBC Sunday night, and the Raiders and Texans travel to Mexico City for their Monday night battle on ESPN.
The college football weekend continues Friday on ESPN2 with Boise State against UNLV at 9 p.m.
Virginia Tech tangles with Notre Dame Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on NBC.
Virginia's game with Georgia Tech will air on the ACC network at 12:30 p.m., with some areas getting Miami's contest with North Carolina State.
Purdue plays Wisconsin at noon on ABC, with either Florida State facing Syracuse or Texas-Kansas at 3:30 p.m. The game not seen over the air in your area will be on ESPN2.
In primetime, West Virginia hosts Oklahoma.
Tennessee takes on Missouri on CBS at 3:30 p.m. while Fox offers Washington against Arizona State.
ESPN starts its day at noon with Michigan State-Ohio State. Michigan meets Indiana at 3:30 p.m., then Clemson tries to bounce back against Wake Forest at 7 p.m. UCLA and USC close out the night at 10:30 p.m.
Kansas State battles Baylor on ESPN2 at noon. Top-ranked Alabama takes on Chattanooga at 7 p.m. followed by Colorado State-New Mexico.
TCU takes on Oklahoma State at noon on FoxSports1, followed by Texas Tech against Iowa State at 3:30 p.m.
Comcast offers Duke-Pittsburgh at 3 p.m.
Lehigh clashes with Lafayette on MASN at 12:30 p.m. and Marshall meets Florida International at 7 p.m.
The Warriors face the Celtics Friday at 8 p.m. on ESPN
The Wizards host the Knicks Thursday at 7 p.m. on Comcast and the Heat visit Saturday at 7 p.m.
On the college hardcourt, MASN2 has Jacksonville State against TCU Friday at 7 p.m.
There's a semifinal from Charleston Friday at 1:30 p.m. on ESPN2, then a pair of games from the 2K Classic at 4:30 and 7 p.m.
Bucknell battles Butler on MASN2 Saturday at 1 p.m.
ESPN brings the championship of the Tip-Off Classic Sunday at 1 p.m., with the third place game at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN2. It's the championship of the Tire Pros Invitational at 7:30 p.m. followed by the final from Charleston at 9:30 p.m.
DePaul meets Wisconsin-Milwaukee Sunday at 1:30 p.m. on FoxSports1.
The Connecticut women take on LSU Sunday at 5:30 p.m. on ESPN Sunday.
The Capitals take on the Red Wings Friday at 7 p.m. on Comcast.
Air Force takes on Western Michigan in college ice hockey Friday at 7 p.m. on MASN.
NBC Sports network has Manchester United against Arsenal at 7:25 a.m., followed by Southampton-Liverpool. Chelsea clashes with Middlesbrough Sunday at 10:55 a.m.
ESPN2 has the final of the Barclays ATP World championship Sunday at 1 p.m. There's more action Friday at 9 a.m.

Forced to vote for Trump

David French gave an easy answer why evangelical Christians voted for Donald Trump - survival.

And with all the social pressures on the left driving Democratic politicians to ever-more-vicious acts of religious persecution, the election of 2016 presented conservative Christians with nothing but terrible options: Vote for an immoral man who might help, vote for an immoral woman who will try to hurt, or vote for someone decent who can’t win.

 

Hurry up and wait

The media needs to make up its mind on the presidential transition.
Trump makes Steve Bannon a senior advisor and they question his choice.
Today, they question the speed of his choices for other administration posts.
Do you want him to make decisions or not?
If it's overwhelming the number of people you have to select before inauguration day, maybe there's too many posts in Washington.

Making victory even better

The Other McCain enjoys the pain of feminists lamenting the loss of Hillary Clinton on Election Day.
So you can too.

Can we talk?

I saw someone on Facebook wonder how Joan Rivers would have reacted to the election results.
Simple.
Just use her catch phrase.
"Can we talk?"
There hasn't been much talking to those who disagree with Democratic policies.
The assumptions was people were bigots, and no need to talk.
Now you see how those you called bigots and deplorables voted.
And their strength in numbers.
Can we talk about fixing problems now?
Instead of just blaming others who don't view the world like you do.
Find out the good reasons people had to vote for Trump.
Their hopes and dreams.
You can say Trump will leave his voters disappointed and upset.
Just like Obama and Hillary have left you upset.

Hallelujah

Saturday Night Live opened with their Hillary Clinton singing "Hallelujah."
Funny, millions of Americans said Hallelujah upon hearing Donald Trump would be the next president.

"Used to be" a Democratic stronghold

Ted Koppel visited McDowell County, West Virginia Friday to understand how a formerly Democratic area could go 4-to-1 for Donald Trump.
Look at the decline of the coal industry and it's obvious.
McDowell County today, says Sheriff West, is in desperate straits. “This county was one of the most prosperous in the state at one time,” he told Koppel. “These were the billion-dollar coalfields, and they were just enjoying the richness of it. And now we’re on the bottom and we’re being totally neglected.”

Do you hear me know

Catching up with Mark Steyn's post election column - about the people who rose to elect Donald Trump.
Trump turned the armies of the "culturally dispossessed" into just another aggrieved minority group, and the new minority came out in enough numbers to make them a majority. If both left and right regard Trump's victory as a horror show, well, you created the monster: The establishment of both parties spent the last year telling his supporters they no longer mattered - they're too old, too white, too male, too bluecollar, too rust-belt, too too tootsie, g'bye; they're old and fading and they'll be dead soon.

Facebook quote of the week

my grandson is farting up a storm so he says he is 10.

Saturday song

Barry Manilow makes the post - Even now.

Same school, different world

From the world of TV, I find the opinions of two people who also attended my college - Towson University.
Mike Rowe would be glad to help Donald Trump rebuild America.
Amy Schumer blasted Trump supporters after the election.
Some people learn to think at college - but not all.

Hillary's on-goal

Huffington Post offers a delightful story - the Clinton campaign's voter contacts may have reminded potential Trump voters to hit the polls.
The campaign’s text messaging GOTV effort may have been the worst offender. Volunteers reported as many as 30% of the replies they received from voters they were urging to get out were Trump supporters.
Good job outsourcing this part of your campaign, President-elect Trump.

Weekend watchdog

For Veterans Day, college basketball has some big games at interesting venues.
ESPN has a doubleheader from Hawaii Friday night in the Armed Forces Classic, with Arizona facing Michigan State at 7 p.m. before Kansas going against Indiana.
Harvard and Stanford go farther for their season opener, meeting in China on ESPN2 at 11:30 p.m.
It's back to home courts over the weekend, with Grand Canyon facing Duke on Comcast at 5:30 p.m. Sunday on ESPN2, there's Chattanooga clashing with North Carolina at 4 p.m. followed by Canisus-Kentucky.
FoxSports1 has a pair of games Sunday, as Seton Hall hosts Central Connecticut State at 2 p.m. before DePaul meets Robert Morris at 7 p.m.
Fresh from their trip to the White House, LeBron and the Cavaliers visit the Wizards Friday at 7 p.m. on Comcast. The Wizards head to Chicago Saturday at 8 p.m.
The Redskins host the Vikings at 1 p.m. Sunday on Fox, followed by Steelers- Cowboys. CBS will bring the Panthers and Chiefs at 1 p.m.
NBC has the Seahawks taking on the Patriots Sunday night, with Bengals meeting the Giants on ESPN Monday at 8:30 p.m.
The college football weekend continues Friday as Florida State faces Boston College at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN2 while Harvard meets Pennsylvania on NBC Sports network at 8 p.m.
ABC will air either Baylor-Oklahoma or Penn State against Indiana Saturday at noon, with the alternate game on ESPN2.
Second-ranked Clemson hosts Pittsburgh at 3:30 p.m., and in primetime Michigan visits Iowa.
There's a pair of SEC games on CBS, with South Carolina facing Florida at noon before Georgia battles Auburn at 3:30 p.m.
Notre Dame and Army visit the Alamodome on NBC at 3:30 p.m. Washington hosts Southern Cal on Fox at 7:30 p.m.
ESPN starts its day at noon with Mississippi State meeting Alabama, and Maryland meets Ohio State at 3:30 p.m. It's Arkansas facing LSU at 7 p.m. before California takes on Washington State.
Wisconsin hosts Illinois on ESPN2 at 3:30 p.m. Louisville tangles with Wake Forest at 7 p.m. with New Mexico-Utah State in the nightcap at 10:15 p.m.
FoxSports1 brings Oklahoma State against Texas Tech at 3:30 p.m. Colorado clashes with Arizona at 10 p.m.
Syracuse faces North Carolina State on the ACC network at 12:30 p.m.
North of the border, ESPN2 has a CFL Eastern Conference semifinal Sunday at 1 p.m.
NASCAR hits the track in Phoenix this week, with the Sprint Cup race on NBC Sunday at 2:30 p.m. The Xfinity race goes Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on NBC Sports network, with the Truck Series Friday at 10 p.m. on FoxSports1.
The Grand Prix of Brazil runs Sunday at 10:30 a.m. on NBC Sports network. There's qualifying Saturday at 11 a.m. after practice Friday at 11 a.m.
The road to World Cup 2018 continues Friday on FoxSports1, with England-Scotland at 2:30 p.m. and the United States against Mexico at 8 p.m. Liechtenstein faces Italy Sunday at 8 a.m. ESPN2 has the contest between France and Sweden Friday at 2:30 p.m.
Comcast has the Atlantic 10 men's soccer championship Sunday at noon, with the CAA title contest at 2 p.m.
The United States women have another international friendly with Romania Sunday at 9:30 p.m. on FoxSports1.

Great way to start

Donald Trump's transition team has a new website.
Remember, things will be great.

New presidents in two words

2009, Barack Obama - I won.
2017, Donald Trump - Let's deal.

Poll about polls

Pollsters didn't feel very good Wednesday.
What did they miss?
They claim they were within the margin of error.
But most were on the wrong side of the error - over estimating Clinton's strength.
The most important concentration of polling errors was regional: Polls understated Trump’s margin by 4 points or more in a group of Midwestern states that he was expected to mostly lose but mostly won: Iowa, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Back to the drawing board.

Wasted ad money

Hillary Clinton had lots of money to spend on TV advertising.
Was it spent wisely?
The way I saw it, Trump the candidate may have been erratic, but Trump the advertiser was all about highly effective (for its target audience) message discipline -- whereas Clinton's message discipline was basically, Trump is awful. And I'm your only hope. And Sorry (kinda) about that private email server.
The irony is that the Clinton camp actually did have highly detailed plans of attack regarding the economy, ISIS and more -- in contrast to Trump's silly, empty "I alone can fix it"-style declarations. But, again, the Clinton campaign put all its advertising and messaging eggs in one basket -- one, ahem, deplorable basket -- creating a Clinton-branding vacuum that Trump and his allies were more than happy to fill with relentless messaging about her corruption.

Voters who made a difference

DaTech Guy tells of the passion of a Trump voter friend of his.
My friend Jim, a 60 something Irishman, asked me to take him to vote. He is a two-time cancer survivor, has problems with his spine, fractured both feet two weeks ago, s waiting for six operations to help him walk properly and is in constant pain. I got to his place at 8:45 AM. It took him an hour to get dressed, a solid 10-12 minutes to hobble on his crutches to my car, over 30 minutes to go into the polling place and vote and another 10 minutes to hobble up the stairs back to his apartment and practically throw himself back onto his bed at 10:45 (after a bank trip too) in incredible pain.
He did so to vote for Donald Trump in Massachusetts a state where the presidential race was not even remotely in doubt.

Obama's pen just ran out of ink

It's President-elect Trump.
The next few months, and few years, look different than we expected earlier in the week.
Executive orders can be revoked by future executives.
And the next executive is Donald Trump.

Obamacare update

Being sick to your stomach after watching election results is not covered under Obamacare regulations.
Obamacare is the pre-existing condition causing your distress.

Can Trump beat Romney?

While waiting for the results to roll in, a question to ponder.
Will Donald Trump receive move votes tonight than Mitt Romney four years ago?
Is he does, the NeverTrump crew will have to face facts - Trump did draw in voters into the system.
Despite their protests.

Keep the creepy courthouse

Augusta County voters today get to decide whether the courthouse should remain at the same site as it has since before the Revolutionary War.
In a building built in 1901.
In the middle of congested streets of downtown Staunton, instead of easily accessed in Verona.
It will cost too much, say the foes.
Staunton will help with improvements.
But that's been the state of play for years.
The building looks pretty on the outside, then you see the window unit air conditioner.
And the front doors are blocked.
You can pay now, or pay later.

It's all about the debt

Robert Samuelson laments the issues not discussed much this election.
However this election turns out, the 2016 campaign for the White House will undoubtedly be remembered for its vulgarity, mean-spiritedness and mendacity. It has been a national embarrassment. But a parallel failing is less noticed: the unwillingness of both candidates — Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump — to come to grips with national problems that are staring them in the face but involve unpopular political choices. I refer, of course, to an aging society and immigration.
The issues will bother us the next four years.
They underlie the current battle, with concerns about the debt fueling worries on illegal immigration. When the government runs out of money, who will suffer?
Maybe it's time to grab hold of the budget.

What does Scott Adams do for an encore?

Scott Adams closes the campaign season with thanks to his new readers.
And thank you again for the most fun I have ever had in one year. This was truly special. I will miss it a lot.
Now it’s time to make history. Have fun and stay safe tomorrow.
What does the future hold after Tuesday?
Probably something worth reading, and thinking about.

Isn't this mansplaining?

Keith Olbermann still lives.
He's on GQ, talking to women thinking about voting for Donald Trump.
Isn't that mansplaining?
Believing that a women doesn't have all the information and the men must provide them.
Some women like that kind of commentary.
But women voting for Trump have seen all the stuff you're talking about.
It's been factored in.
They are smart enough to find what you're saying on their own.

Vox tells why to vote Trump

Vox has a lengthy story on why Hillary Clinton's emails are not important.
But there's a great line on why it is important.
What happens when there are rules she doesn't like?
Clinton chose to ignore this guideline and because she was the boss nobody could stop her.
Nobody could stop her.
Nobody could stop her.
Nobody could stop her.
If those four words don't make you vote Trump, the next four years will open your eyes.

But we know he likes women

A Facebook friend posted an interesting whine from Mother Jones - What we don't know about Donald Trump the weekend before Election Day.
Gee, why is that?
Did the media spend the last month talking about Trump and women?
They have had since June 2015 to look into his finances and legal disputes.
Instead they focused on his behavior with women.
I guess they thought that was enough to knock him out.
They were wrong.
Hours to go, and things are tight.
The media still has questions - after wasting so much time.

Saturday song

Start your morning with a bang and the Gap Band.

Facebook quote of the week

Imagine a world where the Cubs win and the Clintons lose.

No wars on Trump's golf courses

Scott Adams gives a reason why Donald Trump won't start a war.
Trump owns buildings and property around the world. As a general rule, people who own a lot of real estate don’t start wars because their own assets are at risk.
All those Trump golf courses would be good news for us.

Weekend watchdog

By the end of the day Sunday, the MLS will be down to its final four.
Sunday brings the second leg of the conference semifinals, with higher seeds hosting the contest.
Unfortunately for those teams, all four lost last Sunday in the opening leg and all went scoreless. If the top seeds win their games Sunday, advancement will be determined by most goals as the away team or an overtime period and shootout.
ESPN has the first two contests, with the Galaxy at Colorado at 2 p.m. followed by the Red Bulls against Montreal at 4 p.m. The action moves to FoxSports1 at 6:30 p.m. with New York FC hosting Toronto and Dallas facing Seattle at 9 p.m.
CBS has the Ravens against the Steelers Sunday at 1 p.m., followed by Colts-Packers. With the Redskins on their bye, Fox shows the NFC East matchup between the Giants and Eagles at 1 p.m.
The Broncos visit the Raiders on NBC Sunday night, and Buffalo battles the Seahawks on ESPN Monday night.
The college football weekend continues Friday on ESPN2 with a pair of contests - Temple clashing with Connecticut at 7 p.m. followed by San Jose State battling Boise State.
CBS offers three contests Saturday, starting at 11:30 a.m. when Navy meets Notre Dame at Jacksonsville. Florida faces Arkansas at 3:30 p.m. and in primetime top-ranked Alabama meets LSU.
Northwestern takes on Wisconsin on ABC at noon, then at 3:30 p.m. it's either Syracuse-Clemson or Oklahoma State meeting Kansas State. ESPN2 has the contest not seen over the air in your area.
In primetime, Ohio State hosts Nebraska on ABC.
Fox has Baylor taking on TCU at 3:30 p.m.
Virginia travels to Wake Forest at 3 p.m. on Comcast.
ESPN starts its day at noon with Vanderbilt-Auburn, then Maryland meets Michigan at 3:30 p.m. It's off to the PAC-12 for the evening, with Oregon-Southern Cal at 7 p.m. followed by Washington against California.
Boston College hosts Louisville on ESPN2 at noon. West Virginia battles Kansas at 7 p.m. with Utah State-Wyoming in the nightcap.
Texas tangles with Texas Tech on FoxSports1 at noon.
The ACC network has split coverage at 12:30 p.m., with Pittsburgh-Miami and Georgia Tech against North Carolina being offered.
MASN has a pair of Conference USA contests, with Charlotte clashing with Southern Mississippi at 3:30 p.m. before Marshall meets Old Dominion at 7 p.m.
Texas hosts NASCAR this weekend, with the Sprint Cup race on NBC Sunday at 2 p.m. The Xfinity Series goes Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on NBC while the Truck Series races Friday at 8:30 p.m. on FoxSports1.
For another kind of horsepower, it's Breeders Cup weekend. NBC has the final races Saturday at 8 p.m., after NBC Sports network coverage Friday at 5 p.m. and Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
The Knicks take on the Bulls on ESPN Friday at 8 p.m. followed by Warriors-Lakers. The Wizards face the Hawks Friday at 7 p.m. on Comcast.
The Capitals host Florida Saturday at 7 p.m. on Comcast.
Manchester City meets Middlesbrough on NBC Sports network Saturday at 10:55 a.m. There's three matches Sunday, starting at 6:55 a.m. with Arsenal-Tottenham Hotspur. Liverpool takes on Watford at 9:10 a.m. followed by Leicester City against West Bromwich Albion.
Comcast has a semfinal contest from the ACC field hockey tournament Friday at 1 p.m. and the final Sunday at 1 p.m.
The New York City marathon will be on ESPN2 Sunday at 9 a.m.

If the basket fits

Over at DaTech Guy, JD Rucker explains the difference in scandals between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.
I’m not going to apologize for Trump’s major character flaws. I’m not going to throw out talking points like “we’re not electing a Pope” or “he’s a changed man.” I do hold character as an extremely important attribute to weigh when deciding on the next President and Trump’s character is laughable. However, the left’s attempts to paint Hillary’s incomprehensible actions as big nothingburgers are reproachable. Her election would be untenable and her apologists are fraudulent in their attempts to make it happen. Shall we call them deplorables? If the basket fits…

Make Staunton Great Again

The principal of Robert E. Lee High School in Staunton appears to be in trouble.
Dressing like Donald Trump on Halloween.
He looks the part.
The secretary as Hillary Clinton in prison garb?
If nobody mentioned it, you might not know it's supposed to be Hillary.
Now more people are looking of Hillary in prison garb.
Great.

Thanks, global warming

Game 6 of the World Series is tonight.
November 1.
In Cleveland, right off the lake.
And it's 75 degrees just before game time.
Let's play two, the Cubs say.
One would be enough for the Indians.