Ten Senate Races in 2024 To Watch

 1.  Feinstein (D) of California will not be running.  Last election, she won with 54-percent.  Lot of frustration in the state, and suggestions that the Governor might be the one running for the Democratic Party.

2.  Florida's Rick Scott (R) is the incumbent (50.1-percent in last election).  He'll run again, and have a fair amount of competition.

3.  Michigan's Debbie Stabenow (D) marginally won last time (52-percent) and intends to run again.  Will have some competition this time around.

4.  Montana's Jon Tester (D) won the election (3rd time) in 2018 with 50.3-percent.  Stiff election this time around.

5.  Nevada's Jacky Rosen (D) won 2018 with 50.4-percent.  Stiff competition this time.

6..  Vermont's Bernie Saunders (I) is currently age 80 and I have doubts he'll run again.  Wide open race if he declines.  Entirely possible that a Green Mountain Peace and Justice Party candidate might attract votes to win.

7.  West Virginia's Joe Manchin is up for re-election.  

8. Texas's Ted Cruz and Utah's Mitt Romney will be up for re-election (both R).  Neither has said if they will run again.

9.  Virginia Tim Kane (D) is up for re-election and hasn't said if he'll run (marginally won last time).

Odds here?  I expect a minimum of two Republican lost seats, but the Democrats might potentially lose four (including some weird replacement for Bernie).  

On Bernie and Vermont....things are weird enough that alternative rock singer 'Trey' Anastasio III could put his name out there and probably get 50-percent of the vote.....strictly on the fact that half of Vermont claim him as a 3rd-cousin.

As much as everyone is looking at 2022's mid-term for changes in the Senate....I'd say 2024 has the same impact.

The Idea of Abolishing the Electoral College?

 If you go scanning news publications, TV news 'pieces', and books written each year.....there's probably over 200 references to the idea of abolishing the Electoral College.  

Existing a decade or two ago?  No.  You might have found some professors who discussed this openly but it was near impossible to find constant public suggestions on this.

What's the driving element to this?  I would go to four basic paths:

1.  The Electoral College provides a weighted situation where all fifty state matter.  You can't go skipping Iowa or Idaho, or Alaska....because you might get down to a two point loss.  Out of the 538 total votes possible....you must gain 270, or you go to the alternate process.

A fair amount of negativity revolves around the idea that people don't want the fifty states to matter.....that it ought to be major areas/metropolitan regions where the vote really matters.

Some would point out.....if you went by major cities, at least ten states would not really have much influence (Montana, Idaho, Alabama, Mississippi, etc).  West coast?  Well....it'd be only Seattle, SF, Portland, San Diego and LA.  

2.  Since the 1970s....the Democratic Party has parted ways with rural regions and tried not to be influenced by non-urban middle-class people.  This means, if you go county-by-county in various states (Texas is a good example).....most counties now vote more Republican than Democrat.   This has an effect on state results in the end.....affecting the House elections, and the state house/assembly authority.  

3.  The presentation of a winner from the Electoral College.....who did not get the most votes.  People generally say it's unfair.

4.  The winner-takes-all approach zeroes out the effect of the voters of a state....where 51-percent voted 'X' while 49-percent voted 'Y'.....but 'Y' carries home nothing. 

My humble belief where this is going?  In 2024, I expect DeSantis (not Trump) to run, and a lot of frustration will reside with Democrats to take down the Electoral College before 2028.  Getting the public stirred up enough to accomplish this?  Near impossible.

If anything, you get the Democrats stirred up more on intensity and using mob violence to intimidate the general public to react in harsh ways.  

I would suggest this....if you wanted to recreate the US, and just call it the Unified Cities of America....Ok....just admit that.  But our history is laid out by individual states, and each should matter in the end.  

If I were to change anything myself?  Well....there are 3,006 counties, 64 Louisiana parishes, 14 boroughs and 11 census areas in Alaska, DC itself, Baltimore by itself, St Louis by itself, Yellowstone Park by itself, and around 40-odd independent Virginia cities (not part of a county).  Maybe they should give each one single vote, and roll the dice to see how things go?  

Observations

1.  Pete Buttigieg got interviewed on a Sunday talky-talk show.....saying: 'the GOP is going to war with Mickey Mouse while Democrats look to find solutions to inflation'.  

Catchy wording but I kept waiting for his explanation of solutions.

2.  There was a 'remove-Ron-DeSantos' rally in Orlando, Florida yesterday.  I looked at the video coverage....might have attracted 20 people at the peak.  

3.President Biden discussing a special tax on oil companies, for excessive profit.  What'll naturally happen?  Product cost will expand....to cover the tax.