VETERANS DAY

This year, Veterans Day will be celebrated tomorrow, Wednesday, November 11.  VD is one of 11 federal holidays. Can you name the others? See below.

The holiday is always celebrated on the same date unless it falls on a Sunday, in which case it is celebrated on Monday, November 12.  This is a day on which we celebrate our living veterans as opposed to Memorial Day, which is reserved for those who gave their lives for our country.

The US Postal Service, schools, banks and most government entities, such as the DMV and local libraries will be closed. Financial markets will be open. Most retailers and other businesses will be open. Traditionally, many restaurants and golf courses offer discounts or freebies for veterans.

Many cities will hold parades. Who doesn’t love a parade? The largest parade will be in NYC (where else?), which will be returning for its 107th iteration. Parade organizers estimate that some 20,000 service members will be marching up Fifth Avenue from 26th Street to 48th Street accompanied by approximately 150 vehicles and in excess of 25 floats. Additionally, some 400,000 spectators are expected.

The festivities will commence with a wreath-laying ceremony starting at 10:55 a.m. at Madison Square Park (Eternal Light Flagstaff). The parade is scheduled to commence at approximately 12:30 and end at about 3:30 p.m. It will be broadcast live on ABC and streamed digitally on ABC7NY.com.

Many of you have requested a quiz.  So, here it is, and in honor of Veterans Day it has a military theme. Good luck and no peeking at the internet. No consulting “Alexa” or “Siri.”

1. Who was the US president during the first war against the Barbary Pirates? (a) George Washington, (b) John Adams, (c) Thomas Jefferson, (d James Monroe

2. The WWI battle that inspired the poem “In Flanders Field” took place in (a) Ardennes, (b) Charleroi, (c) Gallipoli, (d) Ypres

3. Each of the following presidents had been renowned generals, EXCEPT: a) Teddy Roosevelt, (b) Andrew Jackson, (c) Zachary Taylor, (d) Franklyn Pierce

4. “Pickett’s Charge” was the turning point of what Civil War battle? (a) Bull Run, (b) Manassas, (c) Gettysburg, (d) Fredericksburg

5. The “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” refers to which Revolutionary War battle? (a) Boston, (b) Lexington, (c) Concord, (d) NY

6. Tripoli, the stronghold of the Barbary Pirates, was located in what present-day country? (a) Libya, (b) Algeria, (c) Tunisia, (d) Egypt

7. The Alamo is located in which city? (a) Houston, (b) San Antonio, (c) Austin, (d) Galveston

8. The US fought the Gulf War against (a) Iran, (b) Syria, (c) Kuwait, (d) Iraq

9. Who said “Damn the torpedoes; full speed ahead.” (a) David Farragut, (b) John Paul Jones, (c) Ethan Allen, (d) Jonathan Eli

10. Which war resulted in the highest number of US casualties? (a) WWI, (b) WWII, (c) Korean War, (d) Civil War

11. Fort Sumter is located in which state? (a) North Carolina, (b) South Carolina, (c) Georgia, (d) Alabama? Bonus for all you Yankees savants. What famous Yankee player was born in Sumter? (If any of you know this I will be really impressed.

12. Custer’s Last Stand took place in which modern-day state? (a) North Dakota, (b) South Dakota, (c) Montana, (d) Idaho. Bonus question for all you Yankee fans –

13. Each of the following was a WWII battle in the Pacific theatre, EXCEPT (a) El Alamein, (b) Guadalcanal, (c) Okinawa, (d) Midway

14. Who was the US President during WWI? (a) Teddy Roosevelt, (b) Woodrow Wilson, (c) William Howard Taft, (d) Warren Harding

15. When General Douglas MacArthur said “I shall return,” to which country was he referring? (a) Australia, (b) New Guinea, (c) Guam, (d) Philippines

16. The Korean War began in (1) 1949, (b) 1950, (c) 1951, (d) 1952

17. Who was president during the Spanish-American War? (a) Grover Cleveland, (b) James Garfield, (c) Rutherford B. Hayes, (d) William McKinley

18. Where is Mt. Suribachi? (a) Iwo Jima, (b) Okinawa, (c) Tarawa, (d) Japan

19. Where is Vicksburg? (a) Alabama, (b) Louisiana, (c) Missouri, (d) Mississippi

20. When was the Veterans Administration founded? (a) 1870, (b) 1930, (c) 1950, (d) 1972

21. Which of the following was NOT a landing site on D-Day? (a) Silver, (b) Omaha, (c) Juno, (d) Sword.

22. Which British general surrendered at Yorktown ending the Revolutionary War? (a) Howe, (b) Clinton, (c) Cornwallis, (d) Burgoyne.

23. Each of the following cities was the site of fighting in the Iraq War battle EXCEPT: (a) Mosul, (b) Fallujah, (c) Baghdad, (d) Kamaleshwar.

24. Approximately, how many veterans are there living in the US? (a) 9.5 million, (b) 12.5 million, (c) 16 million, (d) 19.5 million?

25. Who was president during the War of 1812? (a) Thomas Jefferson, (b) John Adams, (c) James Monroe, (d) James Madison

ANSWERS: 1. c; 2. d; 3. a; 4. c; 5. c; 6. a; 7. b; 8. d; 9. a; 10. d; (more than all the other wars combined. 11. b; 12. c; 13. a; 14. b; 15. d; 16. b; 17. d. 18. a; 19. d; 20. b.; 21. a; 22. c; 23. d; 24. c. (According to the US Census Bureau 15.8 million, 1.7 million of which are female).; 25. d.

Federal holidays: New Year’s Day; MLK’s Birthday; G. Washington’s BD; Memorial Day; Juneteenth National Independence Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans’ Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas.

Bobby Richardson

Well, there you have it. Tell me how you did, well or (as my grandson used to say) “not so good.”

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2026 POST-ELECTION COMMENTS AND ANALYSIS

As always, the contents of this blog constitute a compendium of multiple media reports supplemented by my personal opinion where indicated.

Let’s begin with a quiz. Unlike my other quizzes this one will be easy. Most of you should know the answer.

With respect to politics most of the American electorate is (a) ignorant; (b) oblivious; (c) misinformed; (d) shortsighted; (e) all of the above. Of course, the answer is “e.” Feel free to disagree, but read on for my reasoning.

Below please find my comments and analyses. Most of the topics discussed have been the subject of previous blogs.

  1. The numbers don’t lie. The Dems won the election decisively. They won majorities in both the House and the Senate. They gained 83 seats in the House to give them a 259-176 majority. They gained five seats in the Senate to give them a 54-44 majority. In addition, the Dems won most of the down-ballot contests at the state and local level.
  2. The Dems made inroads in every state. There were landslide victories in blue states. They even won races in some red states which the Repubs were supposed to win handily. Even the races the Repubs won, notably in FL, were much closer than projected.
  3. In off-year elections the president’s party almost always loses seats in Congress, but these losses exceeded the historical average, especially in the House. Since 1934 the president’s party has lost an average of 26 to 27 House seats per midterm election and an average of 3 to 4 Senate seats.
  4. In my view Dems should not interpret the results as overwhelming support for their socialist and communist agenda. Quite the contrary. According to a recent poll 54% of voters have an unfavorable view of socialism. Probably, with respect to communism it would be substantially higher. America remains a capitalist, free enterprise, freedom of choice society.
  5. The vote was more a repudiation of President Trump policies particularly his handling of the Iran war and the current rate of inflation. His approval ratings have been in the mid 40s all year.
  6. The fallacy of electing socialists to repudiate Trump is that Trump will be gone in two years, but the radical senators will remain for six years and the various state governors for four.
  7. Now comes the more difficult task of governing. The Dem Party is badly fractured between the traditional more moderate Dems and the far left crazy radicals. It will be interesting to see how they govern. First, they have to agree on the Speaker and Senate Majority Leader.
  8. Despite their clear majorities the Dems will not have carte blanche to do whatever they want. President Trump will be in office until March 2029. He will negotiate and cooperate, but only up to a point. He will not roll over. If the Dems want to accomplish anything they will have to temper their more radical policies. Can they do it? Will they do it?
  9. The Dems were good at criticizing policies, but they never offered any reasonable, rational alternative solutions. I don’t believe they have any. We’ll see.
  10. Many, if not most, of the radicals have little or no experience in governance. They have little or no knowledge of or experience in business, politics, economics, foreign affairs, or anything else needed to govern.
  11. I expect much internal squabbling among the various Dem factions. They only things they agree on are hatred of Trump, Israel and Jews.
  12. The radical wing will be intent on retribution. They’ve already said so. They will want to waste time on investigations and impeachments rather than dealing with the issues the people elected them to fix. I believe this would be a serious mistake and a waste of time. It will turn off voters and result in a backlash in 2028. Don’t be surprised if some voters develop buyer’s remorse.
  13. Trump has not committed any impeachable offenses, which won’t prevent his enemies from trying. However, even if they succeed in impeaching him in the House they will never get 2/3 of the Senate to vote to convict him.
  14. The people did not elect them to exact retribution. They elected them primarily to fix inflation and end the Iran War. The Dems are not equipped to accomplish either. Have we forgotten the 9% inflation rate under Biden? Have we forgotten the disastrous way we left Afghanistan? We left behind countless Afghan allies who had risked their lives to support us and equipment worth billions of dollars. And can we ever forget the image of dozens of desperate people clinging to the wings of the last airplane to leave as it taxied up the runway?
  15. If we just quit the war Iran will claim victory, regain control of the flow of oil thru the Hormuz Strait, resume its terrorist activities, and continue its surreptitous development of nuclear weapons. A nuclear capable Iran would constitute an existential threat to the rest of the world.
  16. In the wake of the Dem victory what will be the future for Israel and the Jews? The radical Dems have advocated curtailing aid to and support of Israel. They are also openly and blatantly anti-semitic. History tells us this will not augur well for Jews.

Conclusion

Many commentators have opined that the election results are not as disastrous as I have portrayed above. They cite previous off- year elections where the two parties were able to find common ground. Furthermore, they denote that usually the party that lost power was able to regain control in the next election cycle and retain/recapture the presidency.

True, but in my view this time is different. In the previous instances the victors were moderate and open to working with the other party. Compromises were made which is the way it should be. Presently, the radical Dems who have a strong influence, if not outright control of the Dem Party are not interested in compromise. They have stated on the record that they want to radically and permanently change America and the American way of life. I believe they mean what they say. In my opinion, such changes would occur gradually and largely unnoticeably, perhaps over a few election cycles.

Pay close attention to the turmoil and violence currently devastating Europe. That could easily be our future. In my opinion we have let the socialist genie out of the bottle. History tells us that once that happens there is no putting it back in. I would like to be wrong about this, but I don’t think I am.

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BLAKEMAN VS THE HAM SANDWICH

As always, the contents of this blog constitute a compendium of multiple media reports supplemented by my personal opinion as indicated.

Before you cast your vote for governor of NY ask yourself a few simple questions. The answers will help you decide for whom to vote.

  1. Hochul has been governor for nearly six years. Can you think of one thing she has done to improve your life? Just one. Can’t think of one? I thought not.
  2. Are you better off today than you were six years ago? (A resounding “no,” unless you are an illegal, a criminal or a freeloader.)
  3. Are you optimistic or pessimistic regarding the future for you and for NYS?

As I write this the latest polls all report Hochul with a healthy lead over Blakeman. For example, CBS has it 54% – 28%. Unless the polls are drastically wrong Hochul will be re-elected by a decisive margin. This is inexplicable to me, but it illustrates my long-held opinion with respect to voters in deep blue states such as NY. Many voters are akin to automons. Regardless of the issues or the quality of the candidates, they will automatically vote Dem simply because they always have.

They would even vote for a “ham sandwich.”

CONCLUSION

I predict Hochul will win, and she will move even further left (including advocating a massive tax hike on the “rich.”). The people will complain. Businesses and people will continue to exit; NYS will continue its inexorable slide to bankruptcy; and in future election cycles voters will continue to elect Dems.

It’s true that voters get the government they deserve.

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HALLOWEEN

Today, October 31, many of us will celebrate Halloween. We will dress up in costumes and attend parties. Children will go door-to-door “trick or treating.” Of course, some will use the holiday as an excuse to create mischief or even mayhem, but for most of us it will be a day of fun and games and an opportunity to gorge ourselves on candy. But few, if any, of us will bother to stop and think about the origins of the holiday. When and where did it begin? How did it evolve? Why do we dress up in costumes? Why do we go “trick or treating?” Glad you asked. Read on for the answers.

The origin of Halloween is a Celtic holiday dedicated to the dead. Although the Celts were interspersed in many areas of Europe, they were concentrated in what is now, England, Ireland and Scotland. The Celts divided the year into four sections, each of which was marked by a major holiday. The beginning of the winter season was November 1, which was celebrated by a festival called “Samhein,” pronounced “Sah-ween,” which means “end of summer” in old Irish.

The word “Halloween” can be traced back as far as 1745. It means “hallowed evening” or “holy evening.” It is derived from a Scottish term for “All Hallows Eve,” the evening before “All Hallows Day,” aka “All Saints Day.” Over time, the word “evening” was contracted to “e’en,” thus Halloween.

The Celts were a pagan people and very superstitious. They believed that the ghosts of those who had died during the year had not yet completed their journey to the “otherworld,” and at Samhein they were able to mingle with the living. Accordingly, to placate these ghosts and other spirits the Celts offered sacrifices and lit bonfires to aid them on their journey. It has been suggested that the origin of wearing costumes was to disguise oneself from any lost soul that might be seeking vengeance on the living before moving on the next world. Some, believing that the souls of those who had died recently were still wandering in a sort of purgatory, set a place for them at dinner. Many of these ancient traditions have persisted to this day in some locales.

In 601 Pope Gregory I issued an edict, the gist of which was that missionaries were to combine Christian holidays and festivals with existing pagan holidays and festivals and, hopefully, eventually supersede them. The ultimate objective was to foster the conversion of pagans to Christianity. As a result, All Saints Day, aka All Hallows Day, was moved to November 1 to coincide with Samhein.

By the end of the 12th century other Halloween traditions had developed. For example, the clergy would ring church bells for the souls stuck in purgatory; and “criers,” dressed in black, would parade through towns reminding the citizens to remember these poor souls. In about the 15th century people began to bake “soul cakes,” which are small round cakes, a practice called “souling,” which is believed to be a forerunner of “trick or treating.” Poor people would go door-to-door and collect these cakes in exchange for saying prayers for the dead. Interestingly, Shakespeare mentioned “souling” in “The Two Gentlemen of Varona” in 1593. Over time, celebrations of All Hallows Day began to include additional customs, such as “trick or treating,” lighting bonfires, attending costume parties, carving “jack-o’-lanterns, apple “bobbing,” and attending church services.

As mentioned above, it is believed that the practice of “trick-or-treating” was derived from “souling” or “mumming,” which is going house-to-house in disguise singing songs in exchange for food. This was believed to have originated in Scotland and Wales in the 16th century. Sometimes people would paint their faces and threaten mischief if they were not welcomed. This evolved into the customs of wearing costumes and playing pranks. Nocturnal pranksters needed illumination, hence the development of jack-o-lanterns. In England, people would fashion them out of turnips or mangel wurzels, which are large, thick roots suitable for carving. In America, pumpkins were used, because they were plentiful and better suited for carving anyway. Jack-o-lanterns are believed to frighten evil spirits. In France, people believed that the dead buried in cemeteries would rise up and participate in a wild carnival-like celebration known as the “Danse Macabre,” or “Dance of Death.”

“Trick or treating,” as such, is a relatively modern development. As I said, it is believed to have evolved from “souling” or “mumming.” The earliest mention of it in print was in 1927, and it did not become widespread until the 1930s in the US. Also, costuming has evolved. Popular fictional characters have been added to the traditional skeletons, ghosts and ghouls. Basically, now, anything goes. As I said celebrating the day is no longer exclusively limited to children. Many adults also wear costumes and attend Halloween parties.

CONCLUSION

At the present time, Halloween, like other holidays, has become highly commercialized. Selling costumes and other related paraphernalia has become big business. Several movie franchises, such as Halloween and Friday the 13th have become very popular, especially at this time of the year. The actress, Jamie Lee Curtis has made a career of starring in seven Halloween movies over the years beginning in 1978.

The original religious significance of the holiday has been eclipsed and forgotten by most people. Yes, some people still attend church, but many more attend parties. Many if not most people, especially children, know Halloween merely as a day to dress in costumes and go “trick or treating.” We do love our candy. Speaking of which, special kudos to my grandkids who, aware of my fondness for Snickers, remember to save a bar for me every year.

In recent years, the “PC Police” inserted themselves into the holiday. Some of them maintained that certain costumes are “racist” and should be avoided. I think we can all agree that a Caucasian should not dress up in “blackface.” But, the PC Police went much further. They also disapproved of any costumes that could be perceived by anyone as mocking or derogatory. Some examples would likely include Disney’s Moana, Aztec Indians, Tom Thumb, or Pancho Villa, which, in their minds, could be objectionable to Polynesians, Indigenous People, short people (or should I say “vertically challenged?” I have trouble keeping up with all the PC buzzwords.), or Hispanics, respectively. I say, if your five-year-old loves Moana and wants to dress up like her, go for it. Is that really being insensitive or racist? Really? Do the people who are marketing Moana costumes really expect to sell them only to Polynesians? I think not! To me, these objections are just another example of some people who want to dictate to others how to act and live. Thankfully, at the present time the “PC Police” are not as influential.

In recent years, due to the excessive violence and crime in many areas, safety has been a big concern. Undoubtedly, some parents are apprehensive about their children trick or treating in the traditional manner, particularly the younger ones. In addition, some children may be fearful. We don’t want to deprive the children from enjoying the holiday. So, some parents have been accompanying their children. Others have been meeting in a designated area as part of a group and trick or treating as a group in that area.

Hopefully, after reading this blog you will have gained some knowledge of and perspective as to the origin and meaning of the holiday. Enjoy, and stay safe!

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TALARICO AND EL-SAYED

As always, the contents of this blog constitute a compendium of multiple media reports supplemented by my personal opinion as indicated.

As most of you know James Talarico and Abdul El-Sayed are candidates for the US Senate in Texas and Michigan, respectively, nominated by the far left, neo-communist wing of the Dem Party. As I write this, polls report that both are in a virtual ties with their Repub opponents. Both races are crucial in the battle for control of the Senate. Their statements, policies and beliefs, as well as those of the DSA wing, are so radical that if the voting public were cognizant of them, they would never get elected. They advocated these policies in the past before they became well-known. Now, like most of the DSA extreme candidates, they are trying to disguise their true policies in order to appeal to mainstream voters.

James Talarico previously served in the Texas State Legislature. Some of his significate past statements, policies and beliefs are as follows:

  1. Supports a two-state solution in Palestine.
  2. Has condemned what he terms Israel’s “atrocities and war crimes” in Palestine and blames it for the famine in Gaza.
  3. Suppports banning the sale of offensive weapons to Israel.
  4. Criticized Dems for supporting the wars in Gaza and Iran.
  5. After the initial strikes against Iran, he wrote, “No more “forever wars.”
  6. Has advocated for a state income tax.
  7. Opposed theTrump tax cuts.
  8. Supports eliminating bail for those arrested.
  9. Favors electric cars over gas cars.
  10. Characterized the cattle industry as bad for the environment
  11. Claimed he was a vegan.
  12. Supported transgender rights and boys participating in girls’ sports.
  13. Characterized capitalism as “oppressive” and a symbol of “white supremacy.”
  14. Claims there are six genders.
  15. During a floor debate in the TX legislature described God as “non-binary. Subsequently, doubled down during an interview with ABC News Live.
  16. Supports universal childcare, paid family leave, and down payment assistance for firsr-time homebuyers.

El-Sayed is a charismatic political newcomer who, if he were to win would be the first Muslim senator in US history. His opponent is Mike Rogers, a 63-year-old former FBI agent and congressman who has the strong support of President Trump. The latest polls report the race to be even. He continually avoids giving straight answers to questions, especially those pertaining to Jews, Israel and Hasan Piker, even more so than most politicians. Some of his signficant past statements, policies and beliefs include:

  1. Has expressed hatred of America and the American way of life. Favors tearing it down and remaking it.
  2. Advocated for Medicare for all, even illegals.
  3. Wants to abolish ICE.
  4. Won’t say whether Israel or Iran is a bigger threat to the US.
  5. Openly anti-Semitic and anti-Israel. Opposes any further military aid to Israel.
  6. Suspected of ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, CAIR, and other radical Muslim groups through family members. The Trump Administration has designated several overseas chapters of the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist organizations, including those in Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon. He and his campaign have denied any connection to these groups. However, his mother, Fatten Elkomy, worked for the Islamic American Relief Agency (IARA) as a nurse. The Treasury Department and Justice Department shut it down for violating sanctions and providing aid to Al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups. An expert witness in the case told The New York Times last week that the nonprofit was so small, with only 14 employees, that all of them likely knew what was going on at the charity.
  7. His Party’s platform, to which he subscribes, supports eliminating the Senate, the Presidency, and the electoral college and sharply curtaining the powers of the Supreme Court.
  8. Opposes voter ID laws.
  9. Supports a wealth tax.
  10. Opposes internal combustion engines.
  11. Has close ties with Hasan Piker, a radically far-left anti-American and anti-Semite. Some of Piker’s past controversal statements were “America deserved 9/11,” the U.S. has caused more terror than Al Qaeda, and Jewish people are “singularly invested in Israel” (which critics argued could incite antisemitic violence). Piker has been the target of substantial backlash for these and other comments. He is toxic to El-Sayed’s campaign, and El-Sayed has tried to distance himself from him. Few believe him, especially since Piker, himself, has insisted that he is a close friend, confidant, advisor and advocate.

Conclusion

It is inexplicable to me that these races and others are virtually even, and that the radical leftists are projected to win some of them. In my view, it’s mainly because many of the voters are unaware of the Dems’ radical positions. They have succeeded in portraying themselves as moderates or progressives, whereas in reality, they are extreme socialists or even communists.

Many commentators and observers, me included, view this election as the most significant one in our lifetimes. The American way of life is at stake. Will we remain a nation based on capitalism, free enterprise and freedom of choice, or we will begin the inexorable slide into socialism and communism? History has shown that once the far left or communists get control they are extremely difficult to dislodge. As I wrote in one of my recent blogs all one has to do is look at the destruction and chaos in Europe presently. Do we want that here? I think not.

Voter turnout is always significant, but in this election cycle it will be the deciding factor. Every vote counts. Please vote as if yours will be the deciding vote. Remember, you get the government you deserve.

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THE CONSEQUENCES OF SOCIALISM

As always the contents of this blog constitute a compendium of multiple media reports supplemented by my personal opinion where indicated.

I strongly urge anyone who has a notion to vote for any DSA candidate to pay close attention to the chaos that has erupted in Europe. It started in France, but, like a pandemic, it has quickly spread to other European countries as well. Look at your tv screen. This is your window into the future. This is not fake. This is not opinion. This is real. This is empirical evidence of the result when a country operates under unbridled socialism. To paraphrase the late Chico Marx,”Who are you going to believe, me or your own eyes?”

The fact is that no matter how much free stuff the government hands out it is not enough. It is never enough. The people want more…and more…and more. When combined with open borders, as European countries have, it is worse. It quickly becomes unsustainable. Migrants pour in from all over to get theirs. Incidentally, most of the rioters are not “students” protesting education expenses. Like in the US, the majority are professional rioters, insurrectionists, or plain trouble-makers who don’t have the foggiest idea of the real issues and don’t care.

As I have opined in many blogs over the years socialism is self-destructive. Examples abound – Venezuela, Cuba, the Soviet Union, and now much of Europe. Eventually, inevitably, you reach a limit. Eventually, inevitably, you run out of “of other people’s money.” It’s akin to feeding a hungry tiger hoping that it will be satisfied and not eat you. Eventually, you run out of food and the tiger eats you anyway.

Many European countries have been operating under socialism for several years. The governments of these European countries have or are about to run out of money and benefits to give. Many businesses and wealthy people who have the wherewithall to leave have done so taking their tax base with them. Many of the countries are approaching bankruptcy or are already bankrupt. The people don’t care. They are not satisfied with the current level of largesse. They want more. They feel they are entitled to more. This is the result.

Americans take heed. I get that many voters are unhappy with the state of the economy, particularly the rate of inflation. Naturally, they blame the Repubs and think a change would magically resolve all the problems. I understand their anger and frustration, but history tells us it would not. The current inflation rate of 3.5% or so is actually only one-half of the rate under the Biden Administration. His administration’s policies stoked the economy to such an extent that it will take years, to rectify fully. Remember how long it took to wash out the high inflation of the 1970s?

Don’t be seduced by all the empty promises of the socialist/neo-communist candidates currently running for election. Don’t be gaslighted by their seemingly moderate stances either. They are only moderating their policies to get elected. Research their past comments from before they were in the spotlight (if you can find them, that is. Many of them have been scrubbed.) They know that their true policies and beliefs are toxic to a majority of voters, and if they were cognizant of them they would never get elected. If they were to be elected they would “evolve” back to their radical views. The current governor of Maryland is exhibit A of this tactic. Their programs are either unrealistic, illegal, or would never be enacted.

CONCLUSION

I know many of you hate President Trump personally for a variety of reasons. However, he has demonstrated that he always puts America first. He and his supporters would never allow “the crazy little sick cloud” of socialism or communism to take hold in America.

President Trump has been campaigning tirelessly to support many of the Repub candidates who need it. It’s true that he is not on the ballot personally, but his policies are. Reject the DSAs; support the Repubs. As I have described in previous blogs the Trump Administration has authored a multitude of accomplishments in the first two years, arguably more than any other Administration. Give this Administration two more years to finish the job it was elected overwhelmingly to do.

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KATHY HOCHUL – THE ACCIDENTAL AND INCOMPETENT GOVERNOR

As always, the contents of this blog constitute a compendium of multiple media reports supplemented by my personal opinion, where indicated.

Kathy Hochul is doing a fabulous job as governor of NYS….. in the eyes of the ultra left-wing neo-communists and others who hate America and the American way of life and want to see it fail. However, in my opinion and that of all clear-thinking Americans she is grossly incompetent to the point that four more years of her tenure could very well devastate NYS and NYC beyond any chance for recovery. If you doubt me or view my opinion as too extreme, read on.

As I discussed in an earlier blog Hochul was an accidental governor based on a fortuitous set of circumstances that bore little relationship to her record as a politician. In 2014 NYS Governor Andrew Cuomo was seeking a running mate to “balance” the ticket. Hochul seemed to be the best choice. She was a former Congresswoman from a conservative-leaning district and had been an Erie County Clerk. He had run poorly in that area in 2010, and he was not particularly popular among women. The expectation was that she would appeal to centrist, conservative, and rural voters upstate where Cuomo was weak. She would provide both geographic and gender balance, and she was also a moderate. Furthermore, Hochul was the party’s sole female statewide candidate that year. Thus, Hochul was plucked from obscurity into the bigtime by Andrew Cuomo to join him on the ticket as his Lt. Governor because he needed a female from upstate NY to balance the ticket.

More good fortune soon followed. In August 2012 Cuomo became embroiled in a sexual harasssment scandal. He was forced to resign and Hochul became the first female NYS governor without possessing the requisite experience and qualifications. In that type of situation some people are able to grow into the job and become succcessful, whereas others are not. It’s become obvious into which category Hochul belongs.

In 2022 she was elected to a full term. Hochul’s tenure as governor has been marred by a plethora of issues, controversies, flip- flops and bad decisions. I outlined most of these in my previous blog. they commenced even before she got her feet wet on the job:

  1. Her handpicked choice as lieutenant governor, State Senator Brian Benjamin, was indicted on corruption charges and was forced to resign. Hochul was widely criticized because she had been cognizant of Benjamin’s legal problems, but she picked him regardless.
  2. According to the Wall Street Journal as a direct result of Hochul’s excessive tax rates, utility rates, NYS’s designation as a sanctuary state, her turning NYS into a virtual welfare state, high crime rates, and failing schools NYS’s population and tax base is shrinking. Several businsses and individuals have relocated to more business and tax-friendly states, such as FL and TX, and more will likely follow.
  3. The nonpartison Tax Foundation denoted that NYS ranks 47th among all states for high property taxes, 42nd for sales taxes, and 50th for taxes on individuals, which makes it among the least friendly states for both businesses and individuals. Moreover, the combined Federal, state and local taxes take more than one-half of the earnings of those in the highest tax brackets.
  4. The Dems like to criticize the Repubs on affordably issues. Well Hochu’s policies have been a major contributor to the affordability crisis in NY.
  5. Utility bills are70% above the national average partially due to the various “hidden” taxes in consumers’ bills. For example, according to Ken Girardini, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute, the state has allowed Con Ed to pass along certain taxes it pays to consumers. This has become a prime campaign issue for Bruce Blakeman.
  6. As I said, she has been a major “flip-flopper.” One example was her views on congestion pricing in NYC, which she opposed at first and thenpromulgated after the 2022 election. If she wins the upcoming election I expect her to enact more unpopular changes. Many people do not trust her.
  7. Most damaging of all is her perceived subservience to NYC Mayor Comrade Zoh. She is the governor; he is the mayor. She controls the purse strings. She should be the dominant one. Obviously, she is hoping for his and his followers’ support in the upcoming election. We’ll see how that works out. Try as she might, she’s not “left” enough for many of them.
  8. Zoh nor she has the requisite knowledge and experience to run a lemonade stand much less NYS and NYC. Blakeman characterizes them as “dumb and dumber.” His attitude is that the more they campaign together the better for him.

CONCLUSION

She has not put forth any solutions for the problems that are plaguing NY currrently or will prospectively. She just blames Trump, who, as we all know, is not an officeholder in NY. What a joke! If Trump were behind this all 50 states would be suffering along with NY, but that is not the case.

NYS is deep blue. Dem registered voters outnumber Repubs by more than 2:1 (48% vs 23%). NYS has not elected a Repub governor since George Pataki who served from 1995-2006. It should be noted that since then NY has become even more radically “blue.”

Despite all her faults, according to the latest election poll by Activote Hochul leads Blakeman 59% – 41%. This lends credence to my assessment in an earlier blog that deep blue NYS would elect anyone running as a Dem, even a ham sandwich.

I hope Blakeman can engineer an upset, but it is unlikely.

Remember,voters get the government they deserve.

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THIS MONTH IN HISTORY – OCTOBER

October has had more than its share of significant historical events. Please see below:

10/1/1908 – The first Model T cars, designed by Henry Ford, went on sale.
10/1/1938 – German troops occupied the Sudetenland section of Czechoslovakia.
10/1/1949 – The Peoples’ Republic of China was founded with Mao Zedong as its leader.
10/1/1979 – The US formally turned the Canal Zone over to Panama.
10/2/1967 – Thurgood Marshall was sworn in as the first African American associate justice of the Supreme Court.
10/3/1863 – President Abraham Lincoln promulgated a proclamation designating the last Thursday in November as Thanksgiving (later changed to the fourth Thursday).
10/3/1929 – The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes was officially renamed Yugoslavia.
10/3/1932 – Iraq gained its independence from Great Britain.
10/3/1974 – Hall of Famer Frank Robinson became the first African American to manage a major league baseball club (the Cleveland Indians). Later, he also became the first AA manager to be fired.
10/3/1990 – East and West Germany were united as the Federal Republic of Germany ending 45 years of separation.
10/4/1830 – Belgium gained its independence from the Netherlands.
10/4/1957 – Russia ushered in the Space Age as it launched the first satellite, named Sputnik.
10/5/1908 – Bulgaria proclaimed its independence from the Ottoman Empire.
10/6/1927 – “The Jazz Singer,” the first “talkie,” opened in NYC.
10/6/1928 – Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek became the president of the Republic of China.
10/6/1973 – The “Yom Kippur War” commenced as Egypt and Syria launched surprise attacks against Israel, which was busy celebrating the most sacred of Jewish holidays.
10/6/1981 – Egyptian President Anwar Sadat was assassinated.
10/7/1985 – Palestinian terrorists seized the cruise ship, “Achille Lauro,” and threatened to blow it up if their demands were not met. They infamously murdered an elderly wheelchair-bound passenger, Leon Klinghoffer, by pushing his wheelchair off the deck into the sea.

10/7/2023 – Hamas terrorists perpetrated the worst attack on Israeli civilians since the Holocaust murdering, raping and terrorizing thousands of innocent women, children and elderly people.

10/8/1871 – The Great Fire of Chicago destroyed much of the city. Legend has it that Mrs. O’Leary’s cow started it by kicking over a lantern in her barn.
10/8/1918 – Sergeant Alvin York, arguably the US’s greatest war hero, single-handedly took out a German machine-gun battalion, killing and capturing nearly 150 enemy soldiers. He was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor and the French equivalent, the Croix de Guerre.
10/8/1998 – The House of Representatives voted to launch a formal impeachment inquiry of President Bill Clinton.
10/9/1962 – Uganda gained its independence from Great Britain.
10/10/1973 – Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned amid allegations of income tax evasion stemming from his tenure as Governor of Maryland.
10/11/1939 – Scientist Albert Einstein issued a warning to President FDR that Germany was seeking to develop an atomic weapon. His warning led the US to marshal its resources to develop its own atomic weapon (the Manhattan Project).
10/12/1492 – Christopher Columbus landed in present-day El Salvador, erroneously thinking he had found the elusive northwest passage to India.
10/12/1811 – Paraguay declared its independence from Spain.
10/12/1822 – Brazil declared its independence from Portugal.
10/13/1792 – George Washington laid the cornerstone of the White House.
10/13/1884 – Greenwich, England was established as the basic time zone from which all time is calculated.
10/14/1066 – The Normans defeated the English at the decisive Battle of Hastings, which resulted in the Normans’ conquest of England.
10/14/1912 – Former president Theodore Roosevelt was shot while campaigning for re-election, but he survived.
10/14/1947 – Test pilot Chuck Yeager became the first to break the sound barrier.
10/14/1964 – Martin Luther King became the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.
10/15/1991 – Following several days of contentious hearings regarding allegations of sexual harassment against a former aide, Anita Hill, the Senate confirmed Clarence Thomas as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.
10/16/1701 – Yale University was founded in Killingworth, CT as the Collegiate School of Connecticut.
10/16/1793 – French Queen Marie Antoinette, known for her extravagance and contempt for her subjects (“Let them eat cake.”), was beheaded.
10/16/1853 – The Crimean War (Russia, England and France vs. the Ottoman Empire and parts of present-day Italy) began.
10/16/1995 – Louis Farrakhan led the Million Man March on Washington.
10/17/1777 – The Colonial Army defeated the British at Saratoga in what many historians believe was the turning point of the Revolutionary War.
10/17-25/1944 – The US succeeded in decimating the Japanese Navy at the Battle of Leyte Gulf, which was the largest naval battle in history.
10/18/1945 – The Nuremberg War Crimes Trial commenced with indictments against 24 former Nazi leaders.
10/19/1781 – English General Cornwallis surrendered to the Colonial Army at Yorktown, VA. marking the end of the Revolutionary War.
10/19/1987 – This day was dubbed “Black Monday” on Wall Street as stocks plunged 508 points or 22.6%, at the time the largest one-day decline ever.
10/20/1818 – The US and Great Britain agreed to establish the US-Canadian border at the 49th parallel. The 5,525-mile border is the longest in the world between any two countries.
10/20/1944 – General Douglas MacArthur, who upon fleeing the Philippines in 1942 to escape the Japanese Army boldly asserted “I shall return,” returned as promised.
10/20/1968 – Jacqueline Kennedy, widow of President John Kennedy, married Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis.
10/21/1805 – The British Navy defeated the combined naval forces of France and Spain at the Battle of Trafalgar, obviating the threat of their invasion of England.
10/21/1879 – Thomas Edison successfully tested an incandescent lamp.
10/21/1915 – AT&T transmitted the first successful transatlantic radio voice message (Virginia to Paris).
10/22/1962 – President Kennedy warned Americans of the existence of Russian missiles in Cuba. The so-called “Cuban Missile Crisis” was probably the biggest threat of nuclear war during the Cold War.
10/23/1942 – The British Army led by General Bernard Montgomery launched a major offensive against the German Afrika Corps, led by General Erwin Rommel, at El Alamein, Egypt. Montgomery’s victory marked a major turning point in WWII.
10/24/1931 – Notorious Chicago gangster, Al Capone, was sentenced to 11 years in prison for income tax evasion.
10/24/1945 – The UN was founded.
10/25/1854 – 673 British cavalrymen took on a Russian force in the Battle of Balaclava. This famous Crimean War battle was immortalized in a poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson entitled “The Charge of the Light Brigade.”
10/26/1881 – In the infamous shoot-out at the OK Corral the Earp brothers and “Doc” Holliday defeated the Clanton Gang.
10/26/1825 – The Erie Canal, the first man-made waterway in America, opened for business.
10/27/1904 – The NYC subway system opened with a run from City Hall to West 145th Street as the first underground and underwater system in the world.
10/27/1978 – Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat shared the Nobel Peace Prize.
10/28/1636 – Harvard University, the oldest university in America, was founded in Cambridge, MA, funded by donations provided by John Harvard.
10/28/1846 – The ill-fated Donner Party departed Illinois for California.
10/28/1918 – The Republic of Czechoslovakia was founded by combining three provinces that were formerly part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire – Moravia, Slovakia, and Bohemia.
10/28/1919 – Prohibition commenced as Congress enacted the Volstead Act.
10/28/1962 – Russia agreed to halt the construction of offensive missile bases in Cuba and dismantle existing bases, thus ending the Cuban Missile Crisis.
10/29/1929 – The stock market “crashed” ushering in the Great Depression.
10/30/1938 – A radio broadcast of H. G. Wells’ “War of the Worlds” without commercial interruption caused widespread panic, as many people thought that Martians had actually invaded Earth.

10/31/41- The sculptures of four US presidents on Mt. Rushmore was completed. Can you name them? (See below).

10/31/50 – Earl Lloyd became the first AA to play in the NBA (Washington Capitols).

10/31/84 – Indian Prime Minister Indira Ghandhi was assassinated.

BIRTHDAYS – Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi – 10/2/1869; Rutherford B. Hayes (19th President) – 10/4/1822; Frederic Remington (artist)- 10/4/1861; Chester A. Arthur (21st President) – 10/5/1830; Robert Goddard (“Father of the Space Age”) – 10/5/1882; George Westinghouse (engineer and inventor) – 10/6/1846; John Lennon – 10/9/1940; Eleanor Roosevelt – 10/11/1884; Mary Ludwig (aka Molly Pitcher (Revolutionary War heroine of the Battle of Monmouth, NJ) – 10/13/1754; William Penn (founded the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, which bears his name) – 10/14/1644; Dwight (Ike) Eisenhower (WWII commanding general and 34th President) – 10/14/1890; Lido Anthony (Lee) Iacocca (auto industry executive) – 10/15/1924; Noah Webster (teacher and journalist who compiled the first dictionaries) – 10/16/1758; Oscar Wilde (Irish playwright and poet) – 10/16/1854; David Ben Gurion (“Father” of Israel) – 10/16/1888; Eugene O’Neill (playwright – “The Iceman Cometh”) – 10/16/1888; William O. Douglas (associate justice of the Supreme Court) – 10/16/1898; John Birks (Dizzy) Gillespie (jazz musician) – 10/21/1917; Pablo Picasso (artist) – 10/25/1881; Hillary Rodham Clinton – 10/26/1947; James Cook (English explorer) – 10/27/1728; Theodore Roosevelt (26th President) – 10/27/1858; Dr. Jonas Salk (polio vaccine) – 10/28/1914; Bill Gates (Microsoft) – 10/28/1955; John Adams (2nd President) – 10/30/1735; Emily Post (arbiter of etiquette) – 10/30/1872; Admiral Will (“Bull”) Halsey (WWII fleet commander) – 10/30/1882.

Quiz answer: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt.

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THE DEMISE OF WESTERN EUROPE

As always, the contents of this blog constitute a compendium of multiple media reports supplemented by my personal opinion where indicated.

What has happened to the once solid, stable, pro-Western and powerful Western European countries? In this blog I will be focusing on England and France, but much of what follows could also pertain to the other countries in the region. Incidentally, what is generally referred to as Western Europe includes Belgium, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, Monaco, The Netherlands and the United Kingdom. I’m not just focusing on the current rioting and lawlessness plaguing these countries. That is most disturbing, but in my opinion the seeds for this violence were sown decades ago. It’s just now reaching critical mass, and I fear for the future of those countries and their law-abiding citizens.

We’ve all seen the grotesque news footage. Widespread and violent anti-government riots have erupted across France. The devastation has been massive, and it is not over yet. The spark was protests over the high cost of living, inflation, fuel prices, and underfunded public services and education. Much of the French media has characterized the rioting as “mostly peaceful,” but that is not the impression I have gotten from the news footage. Some of you may recall the similarly inaccurate reporting of the riots in the US a few years ago. I still remember the image of a CNN reporter claiming they were peaceful protests while in the background one could see buildings burning.

As I write this it is estimated that as many as 800,000 rioters have been involved in excess of 100 separate riots. According to authorities nearly 2,500 have been arrested, some 1,000 police officers have been injured, and about 3,000 businesses, shops and historic buildings have been looted, vandalized, or destroyed. During the riots police fired tear gas into crowds and fought running battles with black-clad, hooded rioters. CNN has characterized this as “the worst rioting in years.”

Initially, there were mild protests over education and cost of living issues. The objective was to force the government to enact policies to reduce the cost of living and higher education, increase teachers’ compensation and protect pensions against reductions due to budget reductions. These are reasonable concerns to negotiate peacefully. However, as often happens, the protests quickly metastisized into a tidal wave of deadly, country-wide violence, including looting, destroying property, and burning businesses and buildings, that could expand into other countries. Some examples included (1) a mob standing by and laughing at a fireman engulfed in flames, (2) no one coming to the aid of a teacher engulfed in flames as her school burns behind her, and (3) a goon with a flamethrower attacking a woman. These are not “protests.” They are scenes one would expect to see on the set of a dystopian movie, not on the streets of Paris.

Some agitators found it necessary to exacerbate the violence even further by egging the mob on to do further damage. The media has characterized the level of violence and destruction as “the worst seen in years,” and it has “shaken the nation and prompted forceful condemnations from leaders and the public alike.” As in the US, anyone who accurately ascribed the violence to immigrants from third world countries or Muslims was instantly branded as a racist.

According to CNN at the suggestion of Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu some areas of certain cities have imposed “partial curfews” to protect people, property and businesses. Also, some cities, notably Marseille have banned all gatherings and demonstrations from midday until 8 p.m. local time. Others, such as Nice, have imposed curfews for minors. So far, major tourist attractions like the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower are remaining open and operating normally. The NFL game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints scheduled for October 25 at the Stade de France, is still on but with enhanced security.

A national election is scheduled in six months, and the finger-pointing has already begun. The government is being accused of having failed to adequately anticipate the scale of the conditions that gave rise to the riots, and various politicians are blaming those from other parties..

European governments have begun to respond to the threat of radical Islam across the continent. For example, an overwhelming majority of the members of The European Parliament, which is one of the two legislative bodies of the European Union, passed a resolution that condemned the Muslim Brotherhood and its role in the riots. Several left-leaning members voted against it. The press release stated, in part, that “Islamist entryism targets democratic institutions, the rule of law, equality between women and men and fundamental freedoms.” That said, the release is probably mostly symbolic anyway.

In response, ENAR, a pan-European anti-racism network issued its own statement, which “condemn[ed] in the strongest possible terms the “racist and Islamophobic” resolution “on the need for an EU strategy to counter Islamist entryism and the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood network” proposed by the European People’s Party (EPP) and passed by the European Parliament. Blah, blah, blah. Nothing meaningful will be accomplished.

In my view, this has been a long time coming. The reckoning has just now arrived. The seeds for it were sown decades ago. After World War II, European nations invited foreign workers to emigrate to help rebuild their economies. According to the Brookings Institution these “temporary” worker programs eventually led to permanence. Many of the descendants of those workers are among the unassilimated and disaffected.

Then, the EU inacted an open border policy. The major effect was that millions of personsfrom third-world countries poured in. Once in, they were able to emigrate to any other country within the EU. Many of them emigrated from impoverished, war-torn or autocratically-governed countries and were merely seeking a better life. Others emigrated to European countries due to past colonial connections, such as South Asians moving to the United Kingdom or North Africans moving to France. Most of these people have assimilated peacefully. Others, were radicals and did not. Many, if not most, of these persons were Muslims who had no interest in assimilating and becoming productive members of society. They are prone to use violence to get what they want. We have seen this in various other European countries as well as in the US.

As I said, England has been having its own problems with radical Muslims. Politicians are unable to cope. Where are the strong, decisive prime ministers like Margaret Thatcher when we neeed them? The “Muslim problem” in England centers on a dual crisis of rising Islamist extremism and entryism alongside a historic surge in Islamophobia, anti-Muslim hate crime, and societal polarization. According to the Economist, MI5 reported that roughly 75% of its counter-terrorism workload involves Islamists.

CONCLUSION

At the risk of being branded a racist, I must tell it like it is. The current situation in Europe is a direct result of years, if not decades, of (1) lax immigration policies, (2) immigrants, chiefly Muslims, who refuse to assimilate, (3) leaders who are loath to deal with the issues for fear of being branded as racists, and (4) government policies that provide excessive public assistance to those who decline to contribute to society.

A country can possibly survive with a somewhat permissive immigration policy OR overly generous public assistance policies, BUT NOT BOTH. Excessive government assistance programs sound good. Everyone likes “free stuff,” even thiugh we know they’re not really free. Someone, has to pay for it, somewhere, somehow, and to quote the late Margaret Thatcher “eventually you run out of other people’s money.”

The above-described situation should serve as a warning for the US. The current events in Europe are providing incontrovertible empirical evidence that we should heed. As I have denoted in previous blogs the Biden years of open borders and excessive spending had a devastating effect on the US politically, economically, socially and culturally that will linger indefinitely. President Trump’s policies have mitigated those to an extent. Unfortunately, future administrations may be tempted to return to the Biden-style policies. My advice is DON’T.

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GOVERNOR HOCHUL AND A HAM SANDWICH

As always, the contents of this blog constitute a compendium of multiple media reports supplemented by my personal opinion where indicated.

Dem Governor Kathy Hochul has been leading Repub Bruce Blakeman in the election polls all year, at times by a comfortable margin. However, two recent polls have disclosed that the spread has narrowed to the point that Blakemen has a realistic chance of an upset. The latest Marist poll reported that Hochul has an eleven point lead, and the latest Pollfinity poll reported that she has a mere three point lead. In addition, most news outlets and commentators have opined that Blakeman “won” their recent debate decisively. More on that later.

Hochul’s ascendancy to governor was based on a fortuitous set of circumstances that bore little relationship to her record as a politician. In 2014 NYS Governor Andrew Cuomo was seeking a running mate to “balance” the ticket. Hochul seemed to be the best choice. She was a former Congresswoman from a conservative-leaning district and had been an Erie County Clerk. He had run poorly in that area in 2010, and he was not as popular among women. The expectation was that she would appeal to centrist, conservative, and rural voters upstate where Cuomo was weak. She provided both geographic and gender balance, and she was also a moderate. Furthermore, Hochul was the party’s sole female statewide candidate that year. Thus, Hochul was plucked from obscurity into the bigtime.

More good fortune: In August 2012 Cuomo became embroiled in a sexual harasssment scandal. He was forced to resign and Hochul became the first female NYS governor without possessing the requisite experience and qualifications. In that type of situation some people are able to grow into the job and be succcessful, whereas others are not. You can decide into which category Hochul belongs.

In 2022 she was elected to a full term. Soon after, her handpicked lieutenant governor, former state Senator Brian Benjamin, was indicted on corruption charges and was forced to resign. Hochul was widely criticized because she had been cognizant of Benjamin’s legal problems, but she picked him regardless.

Hochul’s tenure as governor has been marred by a plethora of issues, controversies and bad decisions, for example;

  1. She has become known for “flip-flops.” She is not a person of strong convictions. She has changed her positions on topics such as Manhattan congestion pricing, tax policies and immigration, to name a few. Regarding congestion pricing, prior to the 2024 elections she delayed its implementation. Then, afterwards her opinion “evolved,” and she promulgated it. It has been very unpopular especially among the working class and small business owners. In addition, it does not appear to have relieved Manhattan’s congestion problem in the least.
  2. Prior to her selection as Lt. Governor she was a hardliner on immigration, particularly with respect to illegals obtaining drivers’ licenses. For instance, she opposed a state proposal to grant driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants, even threatening to have them arrested if they applied at her offices. Then, in 2018, while serving as Lieutenant Governor, she reversed her stance, supporting the initiative to meet the labor demands of upstate farmers. As governor she has turned NY into a sanctuary state. Critics from both the progressive left and conservative right have opined that her policy trajectory on immigration has been unpredictable, with opponents like Bruce Blakeman and Representative Mike Lawler denoting she has shifted positions depending on which political faction she needs to appease at the time. In my view, this flip-flopping is typical of many of her policies. She may characterize this trait as “evolving,” but I view it as gaslighting.
  3. For years she was known as a moderate Dem, which was one of the main reasons Cuomo picked her as a running mate in the first place. Since Comrade Zoh was elected mayor of NYC, however, rather than restraining his wild policies she has entered into a mutually-beneficial political alliance with him. For example, she provided him with billions of dollars in state aid to help New York City close its considerable budget gap; and they joined forces on expanding free child care initiatives across the city by committing substantial state funding to the program.
  4. Mamdani has endorsed Hochul’s re-election bid, and Hochul relies on him and his progressive, youthful base for support. As the expression goes, “politics makes strange bedfellows.”
  5. Hochul has become toxic. A recent poll released by Sienna University/Times Union and NBC, among others, reported that 60% of respondents had an unfavorable view of her. Furthermore, according to the NY Post at least two Dems running for Congress have disavowed that they support her. In an open forum Cait Conley, Dem candidate in the Hudson Valley’s 17th Congressional District, actually agreed with her Repub opponent, Mike Lawler, that Hochul was responsible for NYS’s toxic business climate, including the “highest taxes in the nation,” congestion pricing and excessive red tape, concluding “Hochul has to go.” During a radio station interview North Country Dem nominee Blake Gendbien, who has been closely tied to Hochul, tried to downplay their mutual support by repeatedly dodging the host’s inquiries.
  6. The governor is supposed to control, or at least influence, the mayor. After all, the governor has the power of the purse. Hochul’s and Zoh’s relationship appears to be at least an equal partnership with Zoh actually dominating at times. Hochul’s motivation is clear. She wants the far left’s support in the current election. Who knows what promises she has made to those lunatics to be promulgated after the election.
  7. Historically, Hochul was against raising taxes. Yet recently she advocated assessing a tax on secondary homes in New York City. She wanted to implement an annual surcharge on non-primary NYC residences that are worth $5 million and higher, with the proceeds going toward paying down Mamdani’s $5.4 billion city budget gap. The Supreme Court struck this down on technicalities, but it could easily be resurrected, again after the election of course.
  8. The foregoing are problematic, but they pale before the next one. It’s no secret that NYS is in deep trouble financially. Years of Dem control, which has resulted in excessive spending, high taxes, waste and corruption have led businesses and people with the wherewithall to flee the state and resettle in states with lower taxes, a lower cost of living and a friendlier attitude towards business to do so. The obvious results have been a decline in the tax base and employment opportunities. In this day and age many businesses and individuals can easily operate remotely, and many of them have taken advantage of that. According to multiple media reports some 5,000 businesses have left NY in the last few years, and thousands more have scaled back their operations in the state. Moreover, in 2024 the state had a net decline of nearly 14,000 taxpayers, a disproportunate share of which were high income and wealthy taxpayers. This led to a classic Hochul flip-flop. Initially, in pushing her “tax the rich” program she basically told businesses and rich persons that if they don’t like it they should leave. As noted above many have. Later, recognizing the shrinking tax base she tried to lure them back. Said one commentator, “after taxing the hell out of us and even telling us to leave, Kathy Hochul is now begging people to return.” In short, I maintain that, as governor, one of Hochul’s primary responsibilites is to make NY more attractive to taxpayers, and she has failed miserably at that.

A few days ago Hochul and her Repub opponent, Bruce Blakeman met in their only scheduled debate. Most observers opined that Blakeman “won” decisively. The topics on which he “scored” were (1) the high price of energy, which, due to taxes embedded in the price, are 70% higher than the national average, (2) NYS’s sanctuary state practices, which severely compromise the safety and security of everyone, and (3) her close relationship with Comrade Zoh, an admitted anti-semite. Hochul’s weak rebuttal was to blame President Trump for everything. Voters have been hearing that from Dems for ten years, and they’re tired of it.

“Winning” the debate is fine, but historically, with few exceptions (Kennedy vs Nixon in 1960 and Trump vs Biden in 2024 being the most famous ones) the debate results have not been reflected in the polls. In this case, we will have to wait and see.

CONCLUSION

In my opinion, Hochul’s slim, shakey lead in the polls is an indictment of her poor record as governor as described above. The race should not be nearly this close. NYS is a deep blue state in which the Dem candidate virtually always wins a statewide election, often by a comfortable margin. Dem registered voters outnumber Repubs by more than 2:1 (48% vs 23%). NYS has not elected a Repub governor since George Pataki who served from 1995-2006. It should be noted that since then NY has become even more radically “blue.”

This situation reminds me of a famous expression that a District Attorney requesting a Grand Jury to issue an indictment against a person accused of a crime is almost always successful to the point that it’s been said that the DA could even get the GJ to issue an indictment against a “ham sandwich.” In my opinion, in NYS a majority of people would automatically vote for any Dem candidate regardless of his or her qualifications and experience, even the proverbial “ham sandwich.” (Some of you may recall that in a recent election cycle the voters in deep blue Alleghany County, PA actually elected a dead person to Congress.)


In this analogy, any candidate nominated by the Dems, regardless of his or her experience and qualifications, should defeat the Repub opponent. In this case Hochul represents the “ham sandwich.”


















































































































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