My husband just voted Republican for the first time in his life

[Girlsontour]

For anyone who really wants to understand what is going on in American politics and how the Midterms will shake out, this is an excellent episode of the podcast "Honestly" with Bari Weiss, (November 3rd 2022 Episode) with a round table of political punfits

"Who Do Voters Hate More? A midterm roundup"

I was going to post a bunch of opinions basically saying class and a realignmrnt around class and values is happening, but they cover the key state races really well.

* Shocking for Democrats, Oregon and New York state Governships are up for grabs.

* NEWSFLASH just asked my husband what he voted (I cannot vote, not a citizen) he said for the first time in his life he voted Republican! And all down the ticket: i.e. for every open position. We are in a deeply Democratic area of the West Coast.

He said he is "sick" of the Democrats and their lies.

@Girlsontour

how shameful
for you

If you read me from the off I am writing as an observer of the system, I can’t vote and I don’t belong to either party. I made it plain that neither party represents the majority of voters. I am critiquing both parties and the Democrats are doing a good job of alienating many people who have always voted Democrat.

We have seen a big uptick in crime in our state recently for example, I think murders went up by 1/3 and the Democrats who run our area laid off many police during Covid for political reasons and now can’t recruit them. Basic governmental decisions and the consequences. People who keep talking about Trump miss that people vote locally. We are literally across the other side of the continent to Washington D.C.

if Democrats don’t want a Republican President I suggest they get their house in order. Yes, the Gender Ideology agenda is affecting him directly as he is seeing the fallout in young adults he works with.

From the people I’ve talked with crime, housing and the general cost of living/economy are hitting the Dems hard right now.

I really haven’t seen much of a turn against Dems on their gender ideology stance. I’ve seen much more concern from centrists against critical race theory than gender ID.

From what I see, it’s not the same as it is in the UK with so many left wing women refusing to vote Labour. Even though, if you asked them, most people would say the law should protect women as a sex class, I haven’t seen people who were Dems saying they won’t vote that way because of the Gender ID stance. I think the homophobia of the Republicans, which you don’t see to the same extent in the Conservative party at all, and the hugely misogynistic ramblings you get from some Republicans just makes it a non-starter for most people who are actually gender critical (rather than pro-traditional roles) or interested in civil rights but think this is the wrong flag to wave.

can't understand why its taken him this long

Where we seem to disagree is that you seem to think the Republicans will be more “pragmatic” than the Dems and not push the centerpiece of what gets their base going.

I don’t understand your thinking here. Nothing about the Republicans since Obama got in suggests they will hold back once in power.

I became a us citizen in 2019 and I hate both parties, but I hate the trumplicans more. All that bible thumping, stolen election nonsense, the refusal to concede defeat, the zeal to deny women’s reproductive rights, the cultish worship of trump, the ignorance, I just cannot vote for them.

The dems are not ideal by any stretch, but at least they are not attempting to trash democracy and force their religion and fake morality on everyone.

What really strikes me about trumplicans is their isolationist stance. Many of them are convinced the US is the only country hard hit by inflation and economic troubles, and it’s all the Biden administration’s fault. 🙄

My aunt and uncle, also in a deep blue part of CA, have just voted straight D for the first time in their lives as they're sick of the Republicans and their lies, so there you go.

And, I'm sorry, but you do realise you've basically parroted Trump/Fox talking points numerous times? Which makes me think this whole post is pretty disingenuous.

Oh, and if the Rs take both houses, I can guarantee that you can start counting down to a Federal ban on abortion, never mind kissing social security and medicare goodbye.

I don't ever watch Fox and I don't support Trump, these points are from what I am observing and hearing from many people including family members and neighbors who live in Democratic areas. These are not elderly people but workers in their 20s, 30s & 40s. Don't shoot this messenger because you don't like what I'm saying.

How people are upset abour Gender Ideology is the way it"s infected schools and education. I don't personally know any mom who is in favor of it, whatever their background.

But the issues in our area for women are the economy and crime. Gun crime has dramatically increased. In the area around our local university which two of our daughters attend, in October 4 students were shot outside a bar (thankfully all survived) but the suspect while escaping the scene in his car ran over and killed a young man in the neighborhood. He was killed about a block from where one of my daughter's lives.

My husband was working with a local detective who had been demoted with the cuts. She told him the city now no longer has a unit working on child abuse/trafficking. She had already found a job in another state and was leaving. We lost 20% of the police force since 2020.

@Wallaw deep blue is already Democrat.

Red = Republican

Yes, my aunt and uncle live in a deep blue part of California but are lifelong Republicans (they do exist). They have voted straight D for the first time in their lives.

I'm not shooting the messenger, by the way. I'm pointing out that the people buying the message are, for the most part, not looking at the bigger picture. If they're more concerned about gender ideology in schools, which is an issue largely overblown and hyped by right wing media, than

-lack of access to abortion (every study out there shows it's a major factor for poor outcomes/increased poverty for women and children - are any states providing any support for medical bills/childcare for women forced to have children they don't want/can't afford?)
-potential lack of access to birth control (it's coming)
-potential lack of access to interracial marriage
-potential loss of social security and medicare
-lack of free and fair elections (the Republicans are literally fielding candidates all over the country because they have said they will refuse to certify democratically elected candidates they don't like)
-the fact that almost no one from the Republican Party stood against a violent insurrection

Then there's nothing of any common sense I can say about the country they're going to create.

Yes, crime is up, policing is down. Let's see if money suddenly comes flooding into CA for services under a Republican administration. I'm guaranteeing it does not. There are also complicated issues around police culture contributing to the exodus (there are some very good long form articles out there about this). And I would think it hardly needs pointing out that one party refuses and refuses and refuses to do anything to make guns harder to get. Which one is that?

Title IX had effectively been rewritten where gender identity trumps sex. This has huge consequences. :/

Thanks for sharing the podcast, I listened to all of it this morning.
I didn't recognise most of the names but the issues were recognisable - Democrats focusing on climate change and abortion but not the economy and violence. Biden doing an interview on trans health. People being told that their perception of crime is wrong.

'Angry moms' choosing to vote Republicans or not vote because of extensive school closures and masking of young children in Democratic states and no acknowledgement that this was a mistake or that it won't happen again. (School closures lasted much longer in Democratic states than Republican states).

Really good discussion on how each party shouldn't just rely on people voting for them because they always have (eg in Oregon) and they should consider local issues which make a real difference.

I thought of this discussion when listening to an interview about the 300+ election deniers running for office in these midterms. Stating with no evidence that Trump won the 2020 election.
Also refusing to accept the results if they lose this election.
A number are running as Secretary of State are Attorney General in swing states and have promised to organise the next election in their state to ensure Trump wins.
So democracy is in real danger in the US but people are voting on local issues on what could be the last true election in the US.

A bit like the italians voting for Mussolini, dictatorships and fascism because Mussolini made the trains run on time.

I read somewhere that it would take days for the full results to be in. Do they have a lot of Postal votes that are counted after Thursday?

There are lots of postal votes. Some places count them first and some places count them last.

Ah that explains it, thanks

Like all election people from other countries forget many or most vote on local issues and basic timeless things, not big personalities
or whether they hate Relgious anti abortion Republicans or woke squad led Democrats more.

I do know one thing though. If things continue to get more polarised in the US then regardless of who has the slight majority it is republicans who will end up in ultimate power. The brutal truth is they have the men, the guns and the men willing to be most violent.

I am just revisiting this thread to say I am so glad for the women of the US that OP’s prediction (and that of many pundits) hasn’t come true. The red tidal wave only turned out to be a trickle. I know there is still some way to go but I am looking at it positively that despite Biden’s poor ratings, abortion rights are still being fought for in the US.