Election polls, 2022: “politicophobia”
Like me, you’ve probably seen lots of articles from pundits and bloggers on the right, pointing out encouraging polling for the 2022 election. For a discussion of some examples, see this. And there are plenty more.
You may have noticed I haven’t talked much about it. It’s not just that I don’t think polls are trustworthy – in fact, I don’t think they’re trustworthy but I do think they generally tend to indicate trends and are valid in that sense, although far from perfect. In the case of the 2022 election, the trends right now are good. But the reason I haven’t written much about this is that I always get nervous about elections, starting around the last fifteen years or so. There must be a name for it – election phobia?
And apparently there is a name: “politicophobia”, although that’s defined as fear of politics in general.
That would be a funny thing for a political blogger to have, wouldn’t it? So no, I don’t have a general fear of politics. But I do have the subset described as “fear of the results”:
Some people are unafraid of casting a vote but are fearful of the direction in which the country is heading. This appears to be especially true when elections happen to fall during a period of war, economic uncertainty or other negativity…
During presidential elections, the balance of power is frequently mentioned. Legislation must pass through the House and the Senate before being signed by the president. Controlling two or even all three branches of government makes it easier for a political party to pass its agenda, so naturally, both major parties want to gain as much control as possible. But this fight for control makes it easy for those who support the “losing” side to develop strong fears of what the future will hold.
According to the 2019 Stress in America survey by the American Psychological Association taken a year before Americans return to the polls to vote for president, 56% of adults identify the upcoming election as significant source of stress.
That was about the 2020 election, and the results have fully justified that sense of stress.
The stress is exacerbated by the sense that, whatever the polls may say, there is always the possibility of fraud. Or, with the full cooperation of the MSM, an “October surprise” on the part of the Democrats. I hate to be negative, but I just cannot relax about this, no matter what polls might say.
Here in CO we have mail in voting but can also vote in person. I intend on filing out my ballot and taking it with me when I vote in person. I haven’t voted in person for a very long time. I’m not doing it because I think my vote won’t get counted (we have a Rep in charge in my county) but because I think it is time that I did it that way.
I’ll be pleased if Republican candidates do well.
I’ll also be completely unsurprised if the democrats pull off another “transparent” election victory.
Not that the GOP can achieve, in this election, anything beyond legislative gridlock for the next two years. If they do prevail, given past performance, I fear that rather than offering legislation, they’ll once again return to the “what’s the use?” excuse. Whining that they don’t have a sufficient veto proof majority to pass legislation. Which allows the dems to claim that the pub’s lack of proposed legislation reveals they have no solutions to offer. A claim the mass media will incessantly repeat.
Neo says, “I hate to be negative, but I just cannot relax about this, no matter what polls might say.” It’s not so much the polls that raise my stress level as the incessant stream of paid political ads that show up on my phone. I don’t recall having this problem in previous years (including 2020), but it’s become a real headache over the past two weeks.
At this point?
Less concerned about Dems, more concerned Repubs will win and do nothing
Weve seen how .much damage they did with a 50/50 senate and a passel of house seats how little mcconnell ryan did with the whole deck of cards
One thing that really worries me: How many comments & posts I see from conservatives who are taking the view “Why bother? The Republicans are just as bad”
If there are too many people thinking like this, it will be very harmful to the chances for a sane future for America.
JimNorCal:
What you wrote makes little sense to me.
Doing nothing is far better than doing damaging things. That ought to be obvious.
Miguel cervantes; JimNorCal; David Foster:
“The whole deck of cards” requires a Congress and especially a Senate without RINOs voting with the opposition. There never were quite enough cards in that deck during the time you reference, except on paper. Democrats stick together much better – except recently, with Manchin and Sinema on the filibuster-ending issue. In that case, Democrats had the “whole deck of cards” and yet they weren’t able to execute, because of those two “mavericks.” Rest assured that if they ever get even slightly larger majorities, they will end the filibuster, accept newly-created blue states, pack the Court, and pass the equivalent of HR1. Then it will be game set match.
David Foster:
See the above comment from me.
Also – I’ve been fighting the fight against that sort of thinking about as long as I’ve been blogging. That false equivalence is common on the right and I believe it has been very very damaging. It’s especially harmful at the moment, as well as erroneous, since the extremity and dangerousness of the left has been revealed. Meanwhile on the right the perfect is still the enemy of the somewhat-good.
Dems burn this country to the ground like the villagers and they have a dozen gopers who bring the pitch
Mcconnell allows the capitol gulag and other horrors he provides protection for murkowski who is among the worst and he is resolute in shipping our stockpiles wholesale to ukraine jmho
75% despair, 50% disgust, 30% barely checked fury, 1% hope (too embarrassed at its own fatuity to speak up), 250% cynical fascination at how these operators do what they do without immediately dying of self-loathing.
Foregoing may not add to 100%.
If schmitt walker masters maybe a few outliers like smiley prevail i would be strongly heartened
The voice of experience fron 94 and 10 rings too loudly for me
Miguel cervantes:
“We’ve seen how… little mcconnell ryan did with the whole deck of cards”
Yes, and I hope they are fully aware that we aren’t going to put up with it again. My suggestion is (assuming we win Congress) that we assemble peacefully in various locales across the nation, every week before the new members start, just to keep our expectations of them fresh in their minds.
I feel much the same trepidation but remain quietly optimistic. New York is the race to watch. If Hochul goes down despite the usual shenanigans look for a massacre.
I forgot about vance and dixon and zeldin send those nazguls ryan whitmer and co to the catacombs
Not sure I understand how expecting RINOs to act like RINOs is a false equivalence (reference: Mitt Romney’s endorsements), but anyway….
In-person early voting starts next week in Texas. No phobias here.
Instead of ‘phobia’ (‘word-forming element meaning “excessive or irrational fear, horror, or aversion,” from Latin ‘), what’s the appropriate Latin extension for rage-filled, disgusted, implacable retribution that we could add to ‘politico-‘ instead? Politicomania-populabundus ?
I got a text poll today asking if I would be voting against “ Maga Republicans”. I replied that I vote against the American Version of the Chinese Cultural Revolution and “ 1984” and for the party that knows what a woman is.
I got a number of mailings, pleading with me to be a Gallup poll respondent – and after thinking it over, very carefully – I decided not.
They sent me a $5 bill in one of the last mailings, as a last pitiful plea.
“Who Knows?” I posted on Chicagoboyz about how I didn’t want to play.
https://chicagoboyz.net/archives/68233.html
Nope, nope, nopedy nope. I am not going to answer honestly to any sort of poll. Not when my answers can be connected to my legal name and physical address. Nope.
Gnosos knowledge about is more appropriate
Little concerned that the dems will win? Well I guess when the FBI came for Donal Trump’s records he wasn’t concerned. And when the FBI came for the abortion clinic protestors he wasn’t concerned. But Republicans potentially gaining a majority, that is disconcerting; they may be ineffectual.
Genius, pure genius. What is it about California?
to life
How many spoke out against the firar and the second instance one would think it would be unanimous or nearly so
Experience is a harsh schoolmaster
Aggie:
Democrats: end the filibuster, make DC and Puerto Rico states (or many states), pack SCOTUS with leftist judges, pass HR1 that will force fraud-friendly voting rules on states that don’t want them, have national abortion on demand up till birth, and a national gun registry. That’s just off the top of my head.
Republicans: fail to pass much of the conservative legislation you’d like to see. Pass some, but have it vetoed by Biden.
If you don’t see the false equivalence between those two prospects, than I can’t help you any further.
We see dems follow through with 85% of their agenda conversely we see much less responsiveness
Dole sabotaged gingrich mcconnell sabotaged cruz and later trump
So we find ourselves on the proverbial razors edge.
Miguel cervantes:
This particular cycle, the Democrats followed through on very little of their agenda.
Maybe you don’t recall their actual agenda. I have listed some of it at my comment at 8:40 PM.
Facebook won’t let me post this:
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/10/dead-dog-receives-register-vote-mail-application-mi-dem-party-homeowners-response-priceless/
Some find themselves on the metaphorical horns of a conundrum, to not vote for a republican or to enable further democrat empowerment. What to do, what to do? Let us fixate on the flaws of the past instead of the present or the future!
Why bother voting, the Sun is going to consume the Earth in a billion years or so.
Neo: Yes, that’s one side of the point. But shouldn’t we contemplate the other side of the point: A party that, like the Democrats, knows how to sublimate disharmonious and unproductive personality issues in favor of the Party’s platform direction – where everybody stays on the same page. Consider what might be achievable with such a majority: Progress toward a balanced budget. Debt reduction. Election security. Closed borders and an end to illegal immigration. Gutting of the FBI and restoration of Administration authority over the Federal Bureaucracy. And the list goes on…..
I think the point is that RINO Senators like Romney should not enjoy the comforts and privileges of the party, should not be treated as elder members of distinction, but rather ought to be treated as odious pariahs for their views which are at distinct odds with what Conservatives consider to be conservative. They should be booted off committees, and have other status or longevity-associated awards revoked. Pry’em out of their offices and stick’em in the basement. Limit their franking privileges, and actively organize to get them primary’d.
Republicans, unlike Democrats, don’t fear losing. That’s the mindset that has to change. Don’t you think it would be good if Mitt Romney were made an example of, within the party? Wouldn’t it be a good thing if Mitch McConnell decided to be ruthless against this sort of thing – instead of against candidates that are fighting to take a seat from Democrat incumbents, whom he is refusing to fund?
I’m not, by nature, an optimist, but I still have some small amount of hope for elections. Giving that up seems irresponsible, even cowardly. But if I’m honest with myself, I have to admit that I’m just going through the motions.
Maybe this year the Democrats will lose a few seats. Maybe they’ll even lose their majority in the House. But this is only possible because their base, most women, and the vast majority of young people have all gone politically insane. The country’s long-term prospects look bleak.
Even with all that, I don’t expect any GOP candidate to win a close election. I think that all the close races will be won by Democrats, who’ve developed election fraud into a systematic art form.
I just don’t know anymore whether hope or bitterness is the worse embarrassment.
Miguel cervantes:
Also, ever since the FDR years, Democrats have held veto-proof majorities many times. The Republicans never have had one since prior to FDR. Also, Democrats have controlled Congress with larger majorities even when not veto-proof. Republican majorities have usually been quite small, more infrequent, and subject to RINO pressure because of their smaller size.
I recognize the serpents fangs they were able to latch on thanks to mcconnell and mcarthys acquiescent they through marjorie greene and gaetz to the wolves includinf sadly my paisans salazar gimenez gonzalez mitsotrakis (sic) et al
Aggie:
There’s plenty to criticize about the Republican Party. But this “uniparty” business is way overdoing it.
Re: politicophobia
This morning I spoke with G., an old hippie commune friend. He and his wife are doing fine, but he is near despair over the state of the world. Nothing makes sense to him. He’s stopped watching all news.
G. is not conservative, but he’s become more conservative. Meanwhile his wife has moved more forcefully to the left, so they don’t talk politics now. (She was the most radical among us back in our commune days.)
I’ve never heard G. talk this way. He’s about the most dynamic, take-charge guy I ever met.
After the commune broke up, he and his wife bought several acres in the country and learned to homestead. He built a couple houses, tried a few businesses, then parlayed his skills into building homes for others and is worth about a million. Not to mention he and his wife have turned their property into a little bit of heaven.
G. is just one data point, but I can’t help but feel he is part of a larger, more fearful change in America, another symptom we are ratcheting into a crisis and something’s gotta give.
neo: “JimNorCal: What you wrote makes little sense to me.”
Let me try to be more clear. I am not concerned that the Dems will do well in this election. I am also (but with less certainty) not worried that Dems will cheat the bajeezus out of the election and steal enough seats to retain full control.
My base case: I think the Repubs will win enough seats to control the House. There is a fair chance they will win the Senate. However, I do not think they feel the urgency to start making change. How often have we given them House, Senate and WH? At least under GWB and Trump. Yet they could not even repeal Gov’t Health Care despite having promised to do so.
A good early test (if Repubs take House and/or Senate) is whether a budget is laid down. Or, if continuing resolutions remain the in place. Is the debt ceiling limit extended, or is spending reduced.
JimNorCal:
Makes no sense to me.
Why would you not be more concerned about what the Democrats would do if they get control than what the GOP might not do if they get control? The Democrats have made their destructive agenda quite clear. Is it that you just don’t think the Democrats have any chance of keeping Congress, so that’s why you’re not concerned?
Fortunately, we have a jester (albeit a “minor attracted” one) to lighten the mood:
Biden Speaks Total Gibberish When Asked If Ohio Democrat Tim Ryan Is Making a Mistake For Not Wanting to Campaign with Him (VIDEO)
Rothenberg’s projections right now suggest it will be close to a wash in Senate races and that the Republicans might gain 10 seats in the House. No clue how reliable their methods are. This is, to my mind, depressing. The behavior of the Democratic Party has been so poor that a blowout along the lines of 2010 should be in the offing, not piddling gains like these.
I will hold my nose and vote for a RINO if that’s the party’s nominee. Because a Romney is a better choice than a Fetterman or Schumer.
As the Romney’s motivation is for the continuance of the status quo, while the Fetterman/Schumer’s actively push for policies that are destroying America.
The Romneys will do nothing to reverse America’s fundamental transformation but they will not, as do the Fettermans and Schumers, actively work for a fundamentally transformed America.
Passive resistance is better than no resistance.
JimNorCal:
Consider the case that the present positions of the Democrats are just this side of insane regards to race, sex (male and female, as opposed to gender), economics (just shy of communist), the environment, such that even Rhinos can find those peanuts.
How do you then explain a Mitt Romney? Cough, cough, he’s a democrat, just closeted.
We must continue to use the soap box, and especially now the ballot box….
I’m very worried about voter fraud, but that’s life in California. I still vote gop, but I don’t expect much.
The Ca Gop is pretty hopeless, and seems more focused on purging maga types, than winning elections. And is afraid of their own shadow.
And in Ca any donation over done low amount, $50?, is a public record. And this is used to destroy people and businesses.
Sgt Mom: “Nope, nope, nopedy nope. I am not going to answer honestly to any sort of poll. Not when my answers can be connected to my legal name and physical address. Nope”
Amen Sgt Mom!
In the past I gladly answered phone polls thinking that they do need to know what people think.
But, given how so many people today see nothing wrong with physically attacking, or in the very least doxing, those they have political disagreements with I no longer answer polls. It just doesn’t make safety sense to put your opinion out there.
And that is just my fear from “ordinary” people taking violent action – that the government is being used to go after people is even scarier!
Does this also make me politicophobia?
Republicans need to do more than just block bad law, they need to advocate and reach out to the voters by talking about concerns and possible responses. Doing nothing allows the Democrats to do what they do best, slander and poison the well. A positive mission or at least focus on the concerns of the American people needs to be at the forefront (The Town Hall will be enough, because we know the media will ignore/.
Related:
October surprise? How about November surprise!
(This topic was discussed, I believe, in a “Roundup” post a month or so ago….)
“DOJ Won’t Reveal How It’s Complying with Biden’s Voter Registration Drive…”—
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/doj-wont-reveal-how-its-complying-bidens-voter-registration-drive-rep
Opening graf:
“Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) is demanding answers from the Department of Justice (DOJ) after the agency refused to release all documents regarding how it intended to implement a 2021 executive order on expanding voter access. Republicans have opposed this order as an unlawful exercise of federal power over elections….”
(OTOH, why should a ROGUE “Biden” DOJ—but I repeat myself—comply with anything that smacks of legality?)
Politics ya’ say?
Ed Driscoll is on a roll over at Instapundit with three in a row:
– ‘LEFT DECLARES VANCOUVER’S FIRST ASIAN MAYOR “FASCIST,” GUILTY OF “WHITE SUPREMACY” ‘—
https://instapundit.com/549262/
– ‘KATIE HOBBS’ BALLOT ERROR JUST PROVED KARI LAKE’S POINT’—
https://instapundit.com/549274/
Key graf:
“…Katie Hobbs Last Week: I Don’t Have to Debate Kari Lake, I Am Answering Reporters’ Questions Instead. Katie Hobbs Now: I’m Also Now Refusing to Answer Reporters’ Questions.”
– “Elon Musk Just Sent a Huge Warning Shot to ‘Woke’ Twitter Employees Ahead of Buyout Deal Expected to Close.”—
https://instapundit.com/549245/
Key grafs:
‘…“Twitter’s workforce is likely to be hit with massive cuts in the coming months, no matter who owns the company, interviews and documents obtained by The Washington Post show, a change likely to have major impact on its ability to control harmful content and prevent data security crises,” the Washington Post reported on Thursday. [Emphasis mine; Barry M.]
‘ “Musk told prospective investors…that he planned to get rid of nearly 75 percent of Twitter’s 7,500 workers….’
Frank Luntz on CNBC this morning trying to bang the drum that our elections are honest, and no one should question the results of any election. It’s hard not to laugh at him. He’s worse than a joke.
Why should anyone believe that elections are the only thing that Democrats choose to do that is honest? They lie, steal and cheat relentlessly, abuse the law, and pervert every institution they dominate. Then they deliberately sabotage election integrity measures so that we have the worst election integrity in the developed world. And Luntz wants us to believe that a party with a long, sordid history of election fraud has chosen this moment in time to become honest about elections while subverting and destroying the truth in every other area of life.
He can’t possibly be that stupid. He’s a tool.
https://jewishworldreview.com/1022/hanson102022.php3
Rothenberg doesnt have a good track record luntz pushed the lockdowns and the vaccines once upon a time in the cretaceous he got the contract with america but he was loath to understand things like ‘death panels’
I know hes a hack but it makes a pattern
https://www.breitbart.com/the-media/2022/10/20/nolte-msnbc-compares-trump-supporters-lice-fleas-blood-sucking-ticks/
They find new ways to demotivate us
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11331809/Kevin-McCarthy-hints-GOP-wont-impeach-Biden-officials-Dems-used-political-purposes.html
That rhymed a whole lo like edward luces cri de coer a few months ago
“…rhymed…”
And…”There Goes Rhymin’ [Clyburn]”….
“Top Democrat Admits ‘All of Us Knew’ Their Party’s Policies Would Cause Inflation”—
https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/matt-margolis/2022/10/20/top-democrat-admits-all-of-us-knew-their-partys-policies-would-cause-inflation-n1638723
(But it was only gonna be TRANSITORY…so, um, “What difference, at this point, does it make?”(TM)…)
@JimNorCal / @Neo
Better than nothing is a high hurdle to clear, especially in legislation. Gridlock, and a brake on the Transparently Political Justice Dept. (lots and lots of hearings), would be a great start. Add in reduced chance of weird / totally gonzo appointees getting through (not impossible, with the ‘That’s not who we are’ GOPe, but less likely), and things can stabilize, even if they don’t improve.
While this complaint is age old–and you can see similar ideas written in ancient 3-4,000 year old Egyptian literature–I think that, in this instance, it is correct.
I.E.–Looking around and observing things, pretty much everything is becoming corrupt these days, a sign of us sliding into–if not already arrived at–decadence, and the decline of our civilization.
P.S. Our elections are getting more manipulable and more crooked, and even when–as in Florida–they start to prosecute elections fraud, those convicted get a mere slap on the wrist vs. hard jail time for corrupting a fundamental part of our political system.
The polls are just as corrupt/rigged as everything else, and cannot be believed.
As I’ve perhaps commented here before, the think tank I did research at had a “Polling section,” and from researching polls and talking to some of the folk there, it became pretty clear to me that you could construct your questions and stack them in a certain order, select the universe of people to be polled and, then, report on the results of a poll in a carefully orchestrated way—ten pages of questions and answers, but you highlight just one or two of those questions and answers–so as to make those polls indicate virtually anything you want.
P.P.S.–Elon Musk’s (and others) idea of getting a breeding population settled elsewhere in our solar system, as a way to give our human race an increased chance of survival in an uncertain and violent Universe, is an excellent one.
Perhaps such a colony might give us a chance to start over, and to avoid the major mistakes our political systems have always fallen prey to.
Dole sabotaged gingrich mcconnell sabotaged cruz and later trump
I am not a Gingrich fan. He got a majority in 1994 and did almost nothing with it. His book deal was more important and Clinton tricked him on the government shutdown. Dole sabotaged Reagan in 1981 by delaying his tax cut until 1982 and thereby lost the Senate. I agree about McConnell. He is happy to be minority leader. I’m still hoping the MAGA Republicans he refused to support will win. It will be close in AZ but Kari Lake is a shoo in for governor.
A few thoughts:
I feel pretty good about the upcoming election, but then my state and district will remain red. The question is whether my county will flip back to red, and all signs look good there.
I agree that talk of the “Uni-Party” isn’t helpful. No doubt representatives on both sides have learned to use their power to enrich themselves and family members and will behave accordingly but stereotyping doesn’t aid in removing the wheat from the chaff.
I may understand JimNorCal, but whether I do or not; there is a scenario I fear that involves the Republicans winning. It starts with agreeing that the Democrat agenda is laid bare and is a threat to our Republic and current ways of life. Keeping them in power will only allow them to continue moving it forward, especially as they have weaponized the bureaucracy to make it happen. The latter is the problem. Whether Democrats are in power or not, the bureaucracy is already aligned to continue moving the Democrats agenda forward. If Republicans do not act in removing lifers out of the bureaucracy and cut budgets of the entrenched, then it will only embolden the bureaucrats further.
Finally, as much as I think Republicans will win the Senate; I temper excitement as 51 or 52 isn’t really enough. 51 means only one Republican going down opens the door for Democrats regaining control before the next election (I can even imagine Murkowsky flipping). 2 doesn’t cover enough RINOs that might block key legislations and investigations. I think 53 or 54 may be too many to hope, but I’d like to have them.
There was a period where I was pessimistic about America’s future, vis a vis politics. Maybe even afraid. But I’ve mostly worked through that. Oh, I’m likely not optimistic about America’s near future (it is a mess and near disaster), but it is what it is and we are where we are. Fear and pessimism don’t accomplish much of anything and they tend to diminish one’s ability to be optimally productive. I know that’s easy to say (or type), but we must work to diminish feelings of fear and anxiety in our lives.
Of course one should strive to be a realist; being a perceptive judge of reality is vital to living a successful and fruitful life, but even when reality is depressing, one should strive to be fruitful and productive; joyful. The hippies had a phrase, “don’t let the meanies get you down.” “Illegitimi non carborundum,” “don’t let the bastards get you down,” General “Vinegar” Joe Stilwell’s motto.
Yes, our political ranks are full of abominations. Many are simply mediocrities, but more than a few are corrupt mediocrities. And too many are also dangerous mediocrities. They are causing great harm, creating pain and suffering, decreasing the value of our life savings, pushing a reckless, megalomaniacal Russian ruler to the precipice of launching nuclear weapons, destroying our industries and trying to limit the education of our young. Look what we did to the poor Afghanis.
But, more and more, their lunacy, their crimes, their corruption are brought to light. Joe Biden has the worst approval rating ever recorded for a President. And he should. He is incredibly unqualified. An utter joke. So, yes, it’s awful we have such a man as President, but it’s illuminating that so many people see him for the clown that he is. More and more the regime is unable to hide its failures and crimes.
People have lived under worse regimes before, much worse. Get up every morning and do your best to focus on the good. We all have but one life to live on this planet. Even if I have to spend my last years living under a corrupt political system I will continue to make a positive difference and find ways to do good works despite the obstacles these morons erect in our paths.
Illegitimi non carborundum.
indeed this confederacy of fools
https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1583156300426678272
RTF: Well said!
Leland @ 1:39: Great comment. But this part gave me trouble: “…[Democrats] have weaponized the bureaucracy to make it happen. The latter is the problem. Whether Democrats are in power or not, the bureaucracy is already aligned to continue moving the Democrats agenda forward. If Republicans do not act in removing lifers out of the bureaucracy and cut budgets of the entrenched, then it will only embolden the bureaucrats further.”
I agree that the bureaucracy has been weaponized; it really stymied Trump, both because I don’t think he expected it to be such a mangrove swamp, and because he didn’t have a ruthless team with chainsaws to take it out.
But even IF the Republicans take Congress, how (short of regaining the Executive Branch) will they “take lifers out”? MAYBE they can “cut budgets” but how quickly and with what specificity? Seems to me that what’s needed to thin and sober up the bureaucrats, is a whole series of very precise surgical operations: actual named programs and projects and, yes, actual named individuals who have built little fiefdoms. DOJ is just begging for that kind of patient and brutal attention.
But how can Congress, tinkering with appropriations (and pounding on the table to force a few investigations), achieve this? Can it put a serious dent in the problem, and quickly?
Owen,
I think for now, the best they can do is investigate. Already, the fear of investigation is getting people like Fauci to resign so he can’t be forced to testify. Start lining up others to testify. The FBI has lots of explaining to do, and if I was Congress, I’d take away the Director’s private jet. For that matter, claim for the sake of the environment, all non-military, non-cabinet personnel can fly commercial.
Any Republican/Conservative who wants to have any real shot at restraining and redirecting our leftist administrative state to the extent possible must enter Congress or the White House with his or her team already chosen, vetted, and ready to hit the ground on day one.
(As Trump experienced, relying on personnel recommendations from Washington insiders will only get you a bunch of time servers, obstructionists,and saboteurs.)
Those of these appointees which will require the advice and consent of the Senate must also be confirmed as quickly as possible.
Moreover, these team members will have to be ruthless in the cuts they will have to make immediately on taking office.
Of course, Democrats and some Republicans, as well, will either put up every obstacle they can and/or prolong the confirmation process as long as possible.
In addition, prior to these appointees getting to work, intelligence will have to be developed identifying which programs and personnel will need to be cut.
Reform legislation making is easier to cut programs and fire or transfer Civil Service personnel would also be of great help.
If I remember correctly, just a few weeks before his term of office expired President Trump signed Executive Order 13957 creating a new Civil Service job category–Schedule F–through which the status of obstructive career civil servants could be changed to that of political appointees, who could be more easily fired.
Far too little and far too late. Trump should have led with this EO, which I am sure Biden repealed his first couple of days in office.
Today Mark Judge published an essay on the band, Radiohead which touches on neo’s topic in this post. Interesting. Here’s Judge’s entire essay. https://lawliberty.org/radiohead-within-the-forest-dark/?utm_source=LAL+Updates&utm_campaign=ce717eabf0-LAL+Updates&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_53ee3e1605-ce717eabf0-72419881
This quote gives you an idea of the point Judge makes regarding politicophobia:
It’s a brief essay, but I think many here would find it worth a click. It also cites a great passage from Dante’s Inferno.
As amazing people like Solzhenitsyn and Wiesenthal have shown, even if they take away your liberty they can’t take your soul if you don’t surrender it.
@ Leland > “I think for now, the best they can do is investigate”
Better yet, start throwing the liars and stone-wallers in jail.
Sauce for the goose….
Nonapod on the open thread 10/21:
“Steve Bannon is being thrown in jail for 4 months for ignoring a congressional subponea. I can only hope that now since that precedent has been set (that from now on we absolutely throw people in jail for ignoring congressional subponeas) it’s actually applied by Republicans against contemptuous deep staters in the future.”
Findings of nursing home voter fraud spur conservative groups to join forces to protect seniors
Well and good, but who will protect dead, non-resident, non-citizen, and nonexistent people? What are they, chopped liver?
Vlad will protect them, as he did in his latest referendums, Banned.