Don’t. Get. Giddy.

The ecstatic orgy of congratulatory victory dances in the wake of the wins in Virginia and New Jersey have got to stop. Right now.

There’s still a senate race in Alabama. The DNC probably wrote off Doug Jones but if he loses, Roy Moore, and impeached judge and fundamentalist on steroids using methods that only Joe Arpaio would appreciate, will become a US senator.

Think about that for a moment. Because it’s going to continue to happen all over the US. Every single election from here on out is going to be a monumental struggle and will cost us all boatload of mucho dinero.

Think the pee tape is going to make a difference? That solid evidence of Russian collusion will bring Trump down? Think again. Trumpers LOVE the fact that he gets away with stuff. It gives them a tingle down their legs. The only thing that *might* derail him permanently is evidence that he was in on hacking the voting machines in Pennsylvania. And I’m not ruling that out.

Anyone who vows to be as out of control, chaotic and disdainful for the rule of law and political norms as Trump has a pretty good shot of being elected. That’s who they want. They want to upend things and make everyone else unhappy. It should be the new definition of evil: deliberately going out of your way to make people unhappy without much thought behind why you’re even doing it.

So don’t get comfortable. 2018 starts right now. You’re going to need to put your comfy shoes on and learn how to canvass, call voters and motivate the non-voter to get out there.

Stop that silly dancing.

This is the message we need to get across:

If you don’t vote, the crazies get to run EVERYTHING.

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The Republicans are crafty buggers. They’re planning to delay the centerpiece of their “tax reform” package until 2019. And why would they do that?

Let’s unpack that, shall we?

They’ve spent the last 40 years going on and on and on about how government is too big, we’re spending too much money, money us scarce (debatable), we have to balance the budget like our checkbooks, which makes the scale of the budget seem relatable but completely ignores the macroeconomic impacts, blah, blah, blah.

So they want to impose some fairly draconian cuts to “entitlements” otherwise known as Medicare and social security which are NOT entitlements. They are earned but deferred benefits but whatever. And they’re going to also cut state tax deductions and mortgage deductions. But hey, that’s only really going to affect the coastal elite states so fuck’em.

But they have to be careful to make sure that middle class pain does not appear to be linked to massive cuts to the corporate tax. Maybe even wealthy people have to wait for their kibble. Because middle class people may strongly resent having yet another burden added to their lives in the interest of the exploitative profit miners in raw meat eating rent seeking mode.

In the meantime, the Republicans go to their ultra rich and increasingly impatient donors and explain that if they make the Republicans do this thing and blatantly screw the little people before a major midterm election, that’s it. They will have shot their wads. The Republicans will lose. Big time. That means there will be no further opportunities to stick a knife in what’s left of the New Deal. Better to wait until they can secure their seats in 2018 and pass the sucker in 2019.

Amirite? You know I am.

So, will the donors learn to defer gratification like other children or will they make the Republicans bow now to pay off their campaign contribution debts?

We shall see.

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I am very blonde this morning. Early morning walk music: