Top 5 - Higher Ed's VERY Bad week, GOP Iowa Caucus, and Virginia's General Assembly returning without 710 years of service.
Taylor Swift, Rush, and John Mellencamp
Today Virginia FREE Fridays at 3pm returns from much needed vacation.
Click this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84843921537
Topics:
Higher Ed’s REALLY bad week
GOP’s 4th REALLY bad ratings debate
38 days until Iowa Caucus
Big Changes for Virginia General Assembly - 710 years of combined legislative experience not returning
2025 Virginia race for governor heating up.
Christmas Gift Buying Tip - for the Election Nerd in your life (including you):
Party of the People - Inside the Multiracial Populist Coalition Remaking the GOP by Patrick Ruffini.
Excellent, well researched and REQUIRED reading by anyone and everyone looking to understand American politics.
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Click on the links.
Rank your favorite Christmas movies (And NO Die Hard is NOT a Christmas movie)
Rank your preferences for the Republican Nomination for President in 2024 (surprising leader thus far…)
Back to the aforementioned Big Five.
Wow. How University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill still has a job is beyond me…oh wait, she works in American higher education. If Magill was a SEC head football coach that posted back to to back 5-7 seasons, they would burn her in effigy. BUT since she is extra super DOOPER smart and all, Magill gets a hall pass. What Magill said in her congressional testimony won’t get her fired. That condescending - I’m here trying to tolerate you little people with state university degrees - so let me speak more clearly so you can hear how uninformed you really are - manner will. She should have been fired on the way to her car. Maybe Magill just needs a Sensitivity Training class. I suggest having her read aloud Penn’s policies again but from the Dachau gas chamber (I’ve been there) for a little…ya know…CONTEXT. Here’s the X.com feed from Bill Ackman for that now world famous video. Congrats, Liz…you’re famous…or something…
The ratings are in on the 4th Republican Presidential Debate and they were almost as bad as Vivek Ramaswamy’s buffoonish performance. Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis are clearly the last two candidates not named Donald Trump that will be standing, but props to Chris Christie for standing up for Haley during the verbal barrage. Can you imagine if someone had done the same for Carly Fiorina in 2016? Hopefully, Iowa will be down to just DeSantis and Haley. From there, it will be a final showdown between that person and former President Trump. Given the attacks on Haley and the turmoil inside the DeSantis camp, Haley appears to have the momentum when she needs it. This poll showed DeSantis winning the debate - but the real winner was Trump. Again. He’s 4 for 4.
Speaking of the Republican Iowa Caucus on January 15th. Only 38 shopping days left! My how time flies when drilling a live tooth. Three more debates have been scheduled (THANK GOD) for your post-holiday, pre-Super Bowl viewing pleasure - January 10th hosted by CNN from Drake University in Des Moines, January 18th ABC will host a debate near Manchester, NH and January 21st from St. Anselm College in New Hampshire hosted by CNN. Buy Ruffini’s book instead and talk among yourselves…
Back to the Commonwealth of Virginia. Now that the vote totals are in and certified, a whopping 710 years of combined legislative experience will not be returning to the General Assembly in January. This includes incumbents who are now in Congress or have passed away. A lot of legislative experience and institutional history not returning. But over 700 years? WOWSER. While change is the only constant in life, the AMOUNT of change will be a real stress test for Virginia’s government. A new generation of pragmatic leaders (Gen X) seems to be emerging and that could be a very good thing to calm the campaign juices. Freshman legislators rarely stop campaigning until after their first session.
With Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney officially jumping into the race for Governor in 2025, that makes two Democrats vying for their party’s nomination. Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger is the other announced candidate. A real division is brewing for the Democrats and it ain’t looking like it’s on policy. Republicans Lt. Governor Winsome Earle-Sears and Attorney General Jason Miyares are expected to run. Former Congressman Denver Riggleman is also considering a bid as an Independent.
What are political parties always looking for? (iconic intro BTW)
and to Time Magazine’s Person of the Year Taylor Swift I say…Is Time Magazine still around?? It is? Huh…who knew…
and what song of Rush’s was Neil Peart’s favorite? (Dare you to not air drum or air bass this one…)