In Politics: Nationally: According to most of the polls, the Presidential race is too close for comfort. According to the New York Times’ latest poll, the Presidential race has become a “dead heat” as Trump has pulled even with Kamala Harris despite the one Billion dollars Harris has spent so far on her campaign. As a Democrat it is very frustrating to see Trump gain momentum despite the scary and outlandish things he says and does. It was pointed out to me today that 40 of the 44 Cabinet members from his previous Administration have refused to endorse him, many publicly expressing their support for Kamala, while his former chief-of-staff , John Kelly, called Trump a Fascist. A strong word and a collective warning to all of us. Yet, Trump continues to gain support. Can anyone explain this to me!
As for myself, I have regressed to nail biting and drink.
In Politics: South Dakota: The South Dakota Democratic Party (SDDP) chose to oppose Amendment H (open primaries), apparently lacking confidence in Democratic Party candidates’ ability to come in second in primary contests between two (or more) Republicans and one Democrat.
Voter registration statistics from the South Dakota Secretary of State reinforce the wisdom of the SDDP’s opposition to Amendment H. Although Democrats have reversed their steady decline in registered voters, adding almost 2000 new registrants since Kamala Harris became their Presidential Nominee, Republicans added over 6600 voters to their rolls at the same time. So, despite progress, the SDDP continues to fall further and further behind the GOP. The SDDP’s lack of confidence in its electoral ability and its own relevance appears well placed.
In percentage terms, 51% of voters have chosen the Republican Party and 23% see themselves as Democrats. Only a minority of South Dakotans are buying what the SDDP is selling and, under its current leadership, it appears to be condemned to wander in the political wilderness for another 40 years.