A blue tsunami hit land Tuesday night, and it’s the very definition of a perfect storm to those who have endured the last decade sludging through more mudslinging and manure than any farm animal ever had to deal with. It’s apropos that the weather is downright perfect on both coasts for a blessed event of this magnitude. The MAGAots are literally fearing the end times they’ve prophesized are nigh, the babbler-in-chief has thrown just about everyone except the zealot who now screens his calls under his bus and the beleaguered balance of the country is feistier than ever. It seems like only a matter of time before some press pool reporter finally claps back with a “f-ck you, Mr. President” when a legitimate question triggers him. It is literally Morning In America at last.
But now let’s get back to reality. Much as so many might otherwise wish, the fat fuhrer isn’t going anywhere quite yet. If nothing else, he’s got a bunk–er, ballroom–to finish and from the sounds of his meandering post-mortem yesterday he’s gonna wait until the last mah-ble caw-lum is in place before he even thinks of departing. And if we’ve learned anything from the decade of drivel we’ve all endured, when he promises something other than staying out of war he typically means it. So when he says he’s gonna be Mr. Veto, I believe him.
Which to me means that the ebullient 120th Congress that G-d willing will be seated in January will largely be performative–much like the toothless 119th they will largely replace. He didn’t listen to or care much about them and I strongly suspect this one will be ignored even more. For as seismic as the change that this mandate has resulted in it still hasn’t produced a two-thirds majority willing to vote along party lines to check and balance him. Which means there will be a lot of posturing, filibustering and cajoling by the fresh faces and rainbow coalition of first-timers elected this week but scant little actual change on a national level. And if that somehow pivots to a movement to impeach and/or seek to invoke the 25th Amendment that will further ensure that any true impact on issues like affordability will be put on even more of a back burner.
Mind you, I personally welcome having the likes of Abdul El-Sayed, Troy Jackson and Chris Murphy on an ongoing basis–if for no other reason that they make the Sunday morning yap-fests slightly more entertaining. I don’t doubt those appearances will boost their national profiles, since there will likely be a lot of big jobs to fill out the 2028 party slate. Some savvy journalist (maybe that aforementioned press pool reporter?) should weasel their way into the records of a Brentwood florist to see who might already be sending bouquets to Kamala and Doug to get a leg up in that battle for the Final Rose.
But if anyone is actually in a position to do something at some level that apparently drove the tsunami, it would be those elected to serve their states exclusively. A quick look at that map shows at the moment an even greater majority of seats being held by Democrats than either house chamber, with a distinct possibility it could reach 60 per cent. 
We already knew all about Ohio’s Amy Acton--thank you, Vivek--but I’ll confess I didn’t know all that much about Keisha Lance Bottoms
or Gina Hinajosa 
or Rob Sand
as I should have. They will all be taking the reins of what were heretofore red states and will have a relatively unencumbered path to pass legislation and invoke policies that can result in immediate funding of priority projects and lower costs of living than the remaining red ones or even those with blue incumbents. And each of them can increase THEIR national profile every time they do that.
You know I’ve been pleading with the party–and for that matter you readers–to identify electable, competent and novel alternatives to the tired runbacks and empty suits that my state has been offering up of late. Thankfully Jon Ossoff’s outsized performance this week has reinforced the fact that he seems to have support for something above and beyond his ability to clap back on social media. Pairing someone like him with someone like Hinajosa or Sand would create a geographically and ethnically balanced ticket on paper–and if one of them can bring a track record of tangible change to it, it would actually have some teeth. And frankly, if Bottoms is able to do something on her watch then maybe she’s the Georgian that deserves the chance to be the next Jimmy Carter (and hopefully an improvement on the presidency that followed).
As to what to actually do to get there? May I parochially offer up the fact that now would be as good a time as ever to actually study the data you have at your disposal to figure out exactly WHY you got the mandate that you did. Exit poll data is readily available and can be cut back to state levels to look at what overriding issues overindex locally. For any concerns specific to your area now’s a great time to go back and recontact your actual voters for a deeper dive. Paying for it? Why not tap into the funds that are being raised right now by the dozens of e-mails I’m “personally ” receiving from Scott Colom to help him go after votes two days after the last legal one was cast?
And why should a national organization help an individual state out? The esteemed chroniclers at Rutgers University remind us:
Of the 80 Americans who have served as President, Vice President or both since the nation was formed, 27 or just over one-third had been governor of a state. This includes 17 of the 45 presidents (38%) and 16 of the 49 vice presidents (33%)….Over the 59 national elections held to date, governors have captured a total of 55 presidential nominations.
Cowabunga indeed.
Until next time…