11 February

We have bright sun now after a morning with snow showers. We spent a bit of time clearing the usual patio path, the car and the loose snow around the car. It is still cold though not the single digit cold we had earlier. The intermittent snow and sub-freezing temps should continue through next week. Thankfully, we are well above the ice and freezing rain the news is showing through the Ohio valley and Texas.

A news item I saw last night said that top national Republicans are talking about splitting off from the GOP. Given that the party has gone off the crazy and amoral cliff that might be a good idea. I had that thought two months ago. I was so disgusted this last election cycle I refused to vote for any Republican. Under normal conditions, which we haven't had since 2015 when #45 came down his escalator to announce his candidacy, I like to split my ballot. I don't expect to do that for a while.

That story and another said the split was being furthered by fund raising problems. So many of the big money donors are running away from the #45 branch of the party especially those who tried to invalidate the electors from Georgia, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Arizona. That is coupled with the movement of that group of Republicans to focus more what was the "working" class for both support and money. I put that word in quotes because so much of that class is no longer working because of pandemic layoffs and other trends in the labor market.

Another thought came up with that notion that the Republicans might be going after a class they have heretofore ignored. Look at the results of the last two elections geographically. The biggest divide is coastal vs. interior. That has been growing for some time. Another feature involves several states which had been democratic strongholds but voted for #45 last time and either switched back narrowly or narrowly voted for him again. Those areas are the poster children of those left behind by global capitalism. But many of the other interior areas are dominated by agriculture and that has also been hit hard by globalism and global capitalism. I don't know how the current political parties or the possible splinters will address the issues that are front and center for those "left behind" groups and areas.

12 February

The clouds cleared off and we have sun for now. However, we expect to get, perhaps, three to five inches more snow later today and tonight. It is turning out to be a heavy snow year after a sparse January.

Johnathon Last at the Bulwark has a piece this morning that has echoes thoughts that have been surfacing in my mind for the last almost decade. Actually more the last thirty years--ever since I saw people on the losing side in a state election refuse to accept the result leading to repeated elections over the next several years as the contending sides fought out the issue. The controversy was finally settled when the side that won the first election also won the last by a landslide. There is a large and growing part of our electorate which will accept an election only when the results are the ones they want and the other side is seen as somehow illegitimate.