What Is A Dive-Bar?

 Well....it's not something that gets talked about by folks under the age of forty.  I saw this come up today, and felt a duty to explain the term.

A dive-bar was typically a place which was very unglamorous....rarely sat more than forty people....usually did not have a TV or big-screen.....did have a 8-track or juke-box.....served about 90-percent cheap brands of beer, and mostly a hangout for guys.

You'd step into the bathroom and respect the fact that it was marginally cleaned once a month....typically out of toilet paper (unless you asked from the door)....and had barely heated in the winter months.

Dive-bars had at least three fights a year....mostly over things which were never remembered by the guilty parties involved.

Dive-bars were the typical choice of a place to hang out for vets from past wars.

Dive-bars rarely had a waitress on duty, and you ordered from the counter.

Dive-bars usually shut down by 11 PM....so working guys could get a few hours of sleep.

Dive-bars rarely served food....unless you were talking about salted peanuts.

Dive-bars are mostly extinct today....like the dinosaurs. 

How To 'Stack' Yesterday's Votes

 1.  In red-states.....the Democratic brand/message simply didn't sell.  In blue-states.....the Republican brand/message simply didn't sell.  The three obvious exceptions....a Republican did almost win the NY state governors race, a Republican senate candidate appears to have won the Nevada race, and the Michigan Governors race stayed with the Democratic Party.  

2.  Based on questions in the entry/exit polls....the economy was the top issue for them having selected their candidates.  Abortion can in second...around 10 points behind.

3.  As much as people think the election is over.....the start-up for 2024's election will be obvious in around four months.  

4.  Going with President Biden for 2024's Presidential race will be a major topic for the next three months.  I just don't see him with the message to sell.

5.  If you ask me....Governor Newsom of California is presently now, in the best position to pursue the Democratic nomination for 2024.  

6.  With all these voting machine failures in NJ and AZ.....some major discussions will occur.  You can't have an election where some smiling idiot greets you at the poll station to say their three machines are non-functional and your vote may not be counted for three days.  That just won't work.

7.  Oz in the Pennsylvania Senate race....just wasn't a four-star pick. He was a far-to-the-middle moderate, and simply didn't have the charm to attract a lot of voters.  

8.  Beto in Texas.....ought to be finished completely for politics.  Abrams in Georgia?  Same way.

9.  If the Republicans do take the House?  Influence-peddling will be their target for the next year.  That's not a positive for President Biden.  

10.  Twitter and Meta in freefall?  Yeah.....both appear on a path to be less of a biased nature in the future.

A final note....if you asked me of signs that Trump should run in 2024....I'd say that you need a message or theme that avoids toxic chatter.  DeSantis might be the better choice. 

What Really Occurred With The Red Wave Election Results?

 I know you are going to get around 3,000 experts here on Wednesday....trying to explain this situation, but it's really NOT rocket science to see how this evolved, and created a massive Democratic disconnect. So....my ten observations:

1.  For almost a decade, various urban centers (Portland, Seattle, SF, NY, LA....for example) adopted a position where crime was not pursued....criminals weren't sent off to prison....drug use was OK....and communities became no-go areas.  It was primarily Democratic mayors and city councils that signed up to this behavior.  

The public?  They just identified the politics of this mess, and decided to send a 'message'.

2.  Fentanyl use/deaths at massive levels, and marginally anything being done.

3.  Covid crap.  Two years of Covid has not been resolved.  Public frustration is at a massive scale.

4.  Teachers, pronoun crap, and political agendas in school.....reached a point where blame had to be dished out.

5.  The recession....still not recognized by the White House or President Biden.

6.  The energy crisis, and soon to exist diesel shortage.....attracted public discontent.

7.  No one trusts news organizations anymore.

8. The J6 hearings?  They became like some circus show, run by 12-year old kids.

9.  Two years of President Biden and the Democratic House?  It's hard to find anything of substance to talk about.

10.  Some of the Democratic candidates (Crist for Governor in Florida for example) weren't really in the league to stand a chance.  There's probably seven governor elections in that category....probably just as many Senate elections as well. 

The question to ask here....in the next hundred days after this election....what happens next to change the luck of the Democrats?  Will anything occur?  Is everyone in the House and Senate locked to President Biden's agenda?  

One final note....if you look around for just regular middle-of-the-road Democrats....it just doesn't seem like any thrills or excitement are brewing.  They seem to be standing there and shaking their head.