Nov.11

electoral-vote.com

Dem 47

   

GOP 53

News of the Day

At the moment, there are a lot of post-election questions to examine. There's also a fair bit of news. For another few days, at least, we're going to stick with the "capsule" approach to the news, just so we can get to everything:

• House Update: At the moment, the Republicans have won 214 House seats to the Democrats' 203. That leaves the red team 4 seats from the promised land. Undoubtedly, Democrats across the country are asking themselves: "Is it better for the Democrats to have the House and act as a barrier to Trump, or is it better for the Republicans to have the House, so that the GOP gets to own EVERYTHING that happens over the next 2 years?"
  
  
• Border Czar: Yesterday, Donald Trump announced that former acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Tom Homan, who is a hardliner among hardliners on immigration, will serve in the new administration as "border czar." That Homan could not get confirmation to his post last time around, and that he's being chosen for a non-confirmed post this time around, are both pretty good clues that he's far outside the mainstream.
  
  
• U.N. Ambassador: Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) has reportedly been offered the post of Ambassador to the United Nations. In theory, this would give Stefanik foreign policy experience, and would help lay the groundwork for a 2028 presidential run, during which she could say she worked closely with the Dear Leader. In practice... well, ask Nikki Haley how well that worked out for her in 2024. Plus, Stefanik is the #4 Republican in the House, and has aspirations to move up the ladder. We'd say it's a coin flip as to whether or not she accepts Trump's offer.
  
  
• Scaramucci, v2.0: Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who currently has: (1) ten times more influence than he's had at any point in his life, and (2) a hundred times more influence than he SHOULD have, is really feeling his oats right now. No longer content to lambaste vaccines and fluoridated water, he's now hooked up with a group that describes IVF as "evil" and "immoral." At some point, RFK Jr. is going to become more trouble than he's worth. Our guess is that he doesn't make it to the inauguration before being booted off the S.S. Trump. And there is still that ambassadorship to Poop Island (Nauru) in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
  
  
• Climate Change, Part I: The International Chamber of Commerce has just issued a report finding that climate change has cost the world $2 trillion over the last decade. The Republican Party is the only major political party in the world that denies man-made climate change. If and when they change their tune, it will be because they come to accept the financial costs of resisting climate change are greater than the costs of dealing with it. We tend to think that realization will not dawn anytime soon, but... hope springs eternal.
  
  
• Climate Change, Part II: The Taliban will send a delegation to next week's 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference (also known as COP29). Meanwhile, the incoming Trump administration is working on ways to quit the Paris Accord as rapidly as is possible. This pretty much means that the Taliban takes climate change more seriously than the Trump Administration does. That's a very special place to be.
  
  
• Bitcoin Gone Wild: As is usually the case in the days after a presidential election, the stock market is up. For example, the Dow Jones Industrial Index is up 1,984.33 (4.72%) over the past 5 days. The NASDAQ is up 1,066.35 (5.85%) in that same timeframe. But what's REALLY up is Bitcoin, which is up +5,281.34 (6.99%) since Election Day. As a result, the value of one Bitcoin has crossed $80,000 for the first time. This presumably reflects people's feelings that Donald Trump will be very friendly to crypto. They are almost certainly right about that, especially since he is now (nominally) in the crypto business.
  
  
• The Grift Goes On: If you had "24 hours" in your "How long until people begin trying to cash in on Donald Trump's election by selling worthless crap to rubes?" pool, you are a winner. The "Trump Victory Coin" can be yours for the low, low price of $39.99 (plus $7.99 shipping and handling). Of course, that will only get you the silver-plated version. If you want the golden one, it's $59.98.
  
  
• One More for the Team?: There are quite a few people suggesting that Joe Biden should resign with 1 month left in his term, and allow Kamala Harris to assume the presidency. The serious argument for this is that it would make Harris the United States' first woman president, and might make voting for future women candidates less fraught. The silly argument for this is that it would ruin all the Trump #47 merchandise. We doubt Biden will go for it, since he's a pretty devoted traditionalist.

And that's the way it is. (Z)