Minnesota

“Battleground” States Should Be Expanded By Democrats!

With an expected very close race for the Presidency between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, and with three independent or third party challengers being an additional threat to take away votes from the major party candidates, it is urgent that the list of “battleground” states be expanded by Democrats!

The usual belief is that the following states are the “battlegrounds”:

Pennsylvania (19)
Michigan (15)
Wisconsin (10)
Georgia (16)
Arizona (11)
Nevada (6)

Total 77 Electoral Votes

But in addition, the following states need to be considered potentials for extra attention financially and through campaign appearances by Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and numerous Democratic supporters in public office:

New Hampshire (4)
Virginia (13)
North Carolina (16)
Florida (30)
Minnesota (10)
New Mexico (5)

Total 78 Electoral Votes

Additionally, the Second District of Maine which has gone Republican in the past (2016 and 2020) should be focused on, as well as retaining the Second District of Nebraska, which has gone Democratic two times in the past (2008 and 2020), with both states allowing divided electoral votes for President.

So a total of 12 states and one Congressional District in Nebraska and Maine should be focused on to insure a Democratic victory in November!

So out of 538 Electoral Votes total, 157 are in play!

The Midwest And Pennsylvania The Fulcrum Of The Presidential Election Of 2024

The heartland of the nation—the Midwest—is the fulcrum of the Presidential Election Of 2024 with its combination of electoral votes.

The states of Illinois (19), Ohio (17), Michigan (15), Wisconsin (10) and Minnesota (10), are likely to decide who wins the Presidency and controls both houses of Congress. Add “next door” Pennsylvania (19) to the mix, and that is a certainty!

All of these states, except Ohio, went to Joe Biden over Donald Trump in 2020; and Trump won four of these states in 2016—all but Illinois and Minnesota, which went to Hillary Clinton.

The first Republican debate, sponsored by Fox News Channel, this coming Wednesday, will be in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as will be the site of the Republican National Convention from July 15-18, 2024.

And the Democratic National Convention will be held in Chicago, Illinois from August 19-22, 2024!

So both parties know that the Midwest, plus Pennsylvania, is the most important target in election of the next President of the United States!

One must realize that it was the Upper Midwest where the Republican Party was born in 1854, so next year it is 170 years since the founding of a party now in crisis, due to Donald Trump’s corruption!

Four “M” State Governments Now Are Democratic Controlled!

The 2022 Midterm Elections brought about the taking of control of the executive and legislative branches of government by the Democrats in four “M” States—Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Minnesota.

This means these four states–two on the Atlantic Coast, and two in the Midwest–will now see the accomplishment of progressive goals that are not possible in the South and much of the heartland of America.

This includes promotion of gay rights, labor rights, and women’s rights, including on the subject of abortion, as well as gun regulations.

A total of 17 states will have full Democratic control, and a majority of Americans live in those 17 states.

However, the Republicans have control in 21 states, with the remainder of the states being divided in party control.

Arizona And Georgia Key States Now, NOT Florida And Texas!

As a result of the Midterm Elections of 2022, after the Presidential Election of 2020, it is clear that Arizona and Georgia are the key states for the Democrats, although they do not make up for the Republican dominance of Florida and Texas!

But with Pennsylvania and Michigan also becoming more likely Democratic based on recent elections, and adding the Northeast and Pacific Coast, the Midwest states of Illinois and Minnesota, and a few Mountain states, such as Colorado, New Mexico, and Nevada, the prognosis for the Democrats in 2024 and beyond, is looking good, in regards to the Electoral College!

Phony Family Values Of Republicans

The Republican Party is, once again, demonstrating their hypocrisy on so called “family values”.

The Republican Party claims to be “ProLife” and anti abortion.

But now, when it is revealed that Georgia Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker paid for a girlfriend’s abortion in 2009, they remain silent.

When it is revealed how much Herschel Walker has lied about his whole life, and has threatened a former wife, and ignored his children, including a son who is now denouncing him, they remain silent.

The same pattern existed that when Donald Trump was revealed to be engaged in scandals with women when he was running for President in 2016, they remained silent.

But if one Democrat is involved in scandal, it is dramatized and emphasized as a massive sin, as for example, the accusations that former Minnesota Senator Al Franken in 2018 may have engaged in inappropriate behavior, and was hounded into resignation.

Clearly, the Republican Party has no interest in family values, only to use it as a political weapon against the opposition, while totally ignoring it in their own party membership!

The 2020 US Census Has Surprises, As Announced Today

It is ironic that this author wrote about the 2020 Census yesterday, not aware that precise information would be given out today, Monday.

And there are a few surprises.

The total population of the US is over 331 million people, up from about 309 million in 2010.

Texas will gain only two seats, not three, and Florida will gain one seat, not two.

Colorado, North Carolina, Oregon and Montana will gain one seat each.

Arizona, thought to be likely to gain a seat, will not do so.

New York loses one seat, but only because of a shortage of population by the small total of 89 people!

Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Illinois, California, and West Virginia will lose one seat for each state, with California losing representation for the first time ever!

Minnesota and Rhode Island, expected to lose one seat each, avoided such a loss.

So now, with Montana gaining a seat, there will only be 6 states with one statewide House member—Alaska, Delaware, Vermont, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming.

This is the second slowest population growth in US history, after the 1930s.

And the trend of the South and West gaining at the expense of the Northeast and Midwest continues as it has for many decades.

When Census Figures Come Out Later This Year, It Will Affect Multiple States

The 2020 Census figures will come out in a few months, and will affect multiple states in Congressional representation in 2022 and beyond, as well as the Electoral College.

A number of the larger populated states will continue to lose representation and electoral votes, as they have faced for several decades.

This includes New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, and Michigan, but also California is likely to lose a Congressional seat and an electoral vote for the first time ever in America history. Also, West Virginia, Rhode Island and Minnesota are likely to lose a seat and an electoral vote.

The states which will gain include Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Arizona, Colorado, Oregon, and Montana, with Texas and Florida gaining the most.

Montana will move from one statewide House seat to two, while Rhode Island will move from two seats to one, so Rhode Island will join Vermont, Delaware, Alaska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming as the seven states that have only one House member for each state.

Victory In George Floyd Case, But The Basic Problem Remains: Police Violence Against People Of Color!

Minnesota had a triumph today in the George Floyd Case, with the conviction of Derek Chauvin.

But the basic problem remains, that there is too much police violence against people of color all over America.

If it was not for the body cameras and witnesses and their cell phone videos, Derek Chauvin would not have even been facing prosecution, let alone conviction.

So while this victory is sweet, there must be criminal justice and police reform, so that persons of color need not be concerned that he or she will be treated differently than white citizens.

No one should have to worry, in particular, about their sons being endangered and murdered by police who do not value their lives, as much as white lives.

Ohio, The Buckeye State, May Again Be Instructive On Presidential Election

Ohio, the Buckeye State, may again be instructive on the Presidential Election of 2020, as it has been 45 out of 54 times in the past, and only twice on the losing side since 1900–1944 and 1960!

No Republican President has won the White House without winning Ohio.

Ohio is 34th largest of the 50 states in land area; 10th most densely populated; and seventh most populous; and it has been losing electoral votes steadily over the decades, as the Sun Belt states have grown larger in population.

But it still matters greatly, and recent polls indicate Joe Biden taking a lead in Ohio over Donald Trump.

As I wrote on this blog on September 15, 2018, Ohio historically has been the most predictable state in the Electoral College results, followed by Illinois, Missouri, Nevada, and New Mexico.

If Donald Trump cannot win Ohio, there is no path for him to win the Presidency for a second term in 2020. The public opinion polls as I write, indicate troubles for Trump also in Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Minnesota, so the Midwest heartland is not for him, as things stand now.

Reality: If Biden Wins Florida, He Only Needs To Win One More Trump State Of 2016!

The odds of Donald Trump being able to pull out a win in November is very poor, particularly if Florida, third in electoral votes with 29, goes to Joe Biden.

The Democratic states of 2016 all seem solid for Joe Biden, although the Republicans are trying to win New Hampshire, Minnesota, Nevada and New Mexico, but the odds are very long against that occurring.

With Florida being won by Biden, all that the Democratic Presidential nominee needs to hit the 270 mark is win one of the following:

Pennsylvania 20 electoral votes

Michigan 16 electoral votes

Wisconsin 10 electoral votes

North Carolina 15 electoral votes

Arizona 11 electoral votes

Ohio 18 electoral votes

Georgia 16 electoral votes

Right now, in public opinion polls, Biden is ahead of Donald Trump in all but the last two states, and one must remember that in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin, Trump only won by a combination of 78,000 votes combined in 2016!

Florida is prime territory for Democrats, with the growing Puerto Rican population, enhanced by the hurricane which hit that island in 2017, and by senior citizens notably turning against Donald Trump in the midst of the CoronaVirus Pandemic. Since Trump did not win by very much in Florida in 2016, and with the enhanced Democratic campaign that will be mounted in Florida, the likelihood of Florida going Democratic, along with at least one of the above seven states is, seemingly, not all that difficult.

Also, Florida could end up trending “Blue” on Election Night, throwing the plot of Trump to declare victory that evening out of possibility.

It would be fitting and ironic that the state that Donald Trump has now made his official residence could put the nail in the coffin of Donald Trump staying on as President!