Election Eve

Big fun today, as I headed off after work to the Bernie Moreno rally in Brecksville.  It was...interesting?  Not exactly a large crowd, and while yes, we are Republicans and have jobs and such, I would have expected a bigger bunch.  I was also one of the youngest people there, which is gratifying for the ego, but...not exactly boding well for the future.  Anyways, it was a double event, with Tommy Tuberville -- Roll Tide -- leading off.  Neither Bernie nor Tommy are exactly dynamic speakers; I remember the Cruz/Vance rally I went to two years ago, and they both really knocked the house down.  Tommy has the advantage of being a coach, and sort of knew how to move a crowd, but Bernie is more the staid type.  I was vastly amused by the fact that he introduced his large and extended family, but not his son-in-law... that said, it wasn't a bad speech - he hit the points he needed to make, stressed the need to vote, mentioned that the turnout was good in the early vote, etc.  I even got a picture with him, and he seemed more...natural there, in the photo line, than during the speech.  Let's hope he wins!

One of my coworkers mentioned that the early voting numbers are definitely up for the GOP this year, and he was of the opinion that this is a big shift to the GOP.  I don't know; I think it is more likely that GOP voters are just voting earlier this year.  Not saying there might be more GOP voters out there, but I think this is more of a redistribution of the vote.  To be sure, if the issue is that people are less likely to vote on Election Day, so you get those votes "banked," I see it, but... you will still need Election Day turnout to win.

What abolishing Education Department could mean for higher ed
Oh, I don't know; one, it would be a signal that we are cutting government, getting rid of waste, etc.  Two, the Treasury Department could easily handle loan payments, I would think.  Three... if the whole point of being a Republican is to cut government and leave issues to the states, isn't this one way to do it?

Why do people still back Trump, after everything? 5 things to understand about MAGA supporters’ thinking
I think the whole "still" thing is a bit of a tell, given that -- as the author notes -- the economy and immigration are huge problems for the Dems right now.  I would argue that for many -- sadly not most -- voters these are the largest issues, and Trump-- for better or worse -- has an advantage.

Why the Next President Should Pay Heed to the Republic of Z - POLITICO
Interesting!

‘I Think We’re in Trouble’: Is There a Future for MAGA After Trump? - POLITICO
Well, as the Donald is 78, and given his dietary habits...the point I am making is that we might have to face this issue sooner rather than later.  Now, I think Vance -- both as the nominee and through his talking points -- is the main guy to take over, but there is also something to be said for DeSantis.  The other thing of course is that the message will change slightly with the new messenger.  I would prefer we deal with this from a position of strength, if you will, over the next four years, instead of weakness...

Filling in

Busy but good day yesterday; food pantry duty in the AM and it was busy -- 152 clients -- bur quite smooth.  I guess it was steady busy -- we seldom were without clients -- but not necessarily overwhelming.  Even better, no major issues with clients, as even our larger pains in the dupa seemed to stay home.  Everything went, so I made sure I ordered the farm for next week and the week thereafter.   I still expect this to continue, but we should be ok with this, provided we have good volunteers.  Then we had a fundraiser for another event.  I got home late yesterday but even with the time change I have been dragging...oi.  

Another thing I did today was to buy a couple of bags of quikrete and decide to start filling in the divot in the driveway.  Funny; I put about 100 pounds into it, and while I tried to even everything out... let's just say that when I looked at it from another angle, I will need about 20 bags or so to fill it in in totality.  Oi.  But there is no reason why tomorrow or so I cannot buy several bags and fill the hole in.  I mean, winter is coming (yes, I should have filled it in before) and the plow guy did want it smoother there, so there I am. 

Perplexed and Bewildered Democrats Wonder Why Harris's Economic Message Isn't Resonating With Voters – PJ Media
Honestly, I don't see how anyone could vote for her on the basis of economics; abortion I can see, but the other reasons all favor Trump. Now, in the best of all possible worlds, Kamala would get 9 votes, but...  we will see what happens Tuesday, and, dare I say, Election Day has sort of creeped up on me.  I know the commercials are annoying, but overall, it is cool, as so many people across the globe cannot vote at all...

Personal Regression

Not much sleep last night, as a friend came over to have me sort through their life.  I am perpetually fascinated by this, given that I am not the nicest person, nor the most diplomatic, but I guess there are some times and some people who need that...unvarnished commentary, if you will, on their lives.  Not that my life is any better; I just hide it.  Anyways, after he was dispatched, I couldn't fall back to bed, which was a problem, as today is a Holy Day of Obligation, and of course I made it to early Mass.  I sort of enjoy it -- not many people, church sort of sepulchral -- and it does generate some extra spirituality, in so far as I am that. Not that I was tired -- though I am feeling it now -- but I have been a little cold and, oddly, my stomach has been... active; mind you, it has been for a couple of days, but... today was special.  Also, work was sort of stressful -- trying to get some formatting just right on some docs, it wasn't working, and I think we all know how I feel about that sort of thing.  Sigh.  Monday is another day, but I do not like doing something as told and it not working out.  Between that, the lack of sleep, the rumbly tummy... I just stayed here and went through the emails and links and did some damage to the next book (I am behind!).  Sigh.

Resurrecting Christopher Marlowe As a Queer Icon ‹ CrimeReads
Interesting article, sort of; I wrote a paper about him in 11th grade English -- who doesn't love a good murder mystery -- and I have been fascinated by his tale.

Dems' Closing Pitch to Young Men: Stop Being Fascist Oppressors and Vote Kamala – HotAir
This could be me, but isn't the reverse true (as a feminist, of course):  that men deserve better from the women in their lives?  Especially given the gender gap today?  Or, especially, economically?  Single women -- especially with children -- just do far worse than married women, and men can (despite the number of men not in the workforce) earn more than women, which exacerbates the problem.  I realize that women will vote for a candidate who will (try) to extract the wealth from others to reward her supporters, but it is still a poor choice for the long term...

Nebraska is in the national spotlight. An obscure education fight could tilt the election results. - POLITICO
Interesting, given what has transpired in Ohio.  I am genuinely curious as to how this will go; if the measure is repealed, would it spread here?