John Oliver examines 'Midterms 2026' on 'Last Week Tonight'

Change of plans — today's post features Midterms 2026: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO).

Ahead of this week’s midterm elections, John Oliver discusses why things aren’t looking great for Republicans, how they’re desperately trying to get ahead, and why Hamilton was a mistake. You heard us, Lin-Manuel. You’ve done more harm than good.

That's a good summary of my midterms experience and a listing of why I'll be relieved when this election is over. That written, I'm not done with the midterms, as I have a Marsh Family song about them for tomorrow. Stay tuned for Tuneful Tuesday!

Randy Rainbow sings 'WHERE THE HELL IS OUR CONGRESS?'

Change of plans — instead of a follow-up to Detroit's population increases for first time since 1957, I'm featuring Randy Rainbow singing WHERE THE HELL IS OUR CONGRESS?

Parody of “WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!” (Raye, Mike Sabath)

Parody Lyrics by Randy Rainbow

Song Produced, Orchestrated, Mixed, Mastered by: Michael J Moritz Jr @michaeljmoritz

Vocal Arrangement by Brett Boles @thebrettboles
All Vocals: Randy Rainbow
Piano, Synths -Michael J Moritz Jr
Bass - Adam DeAscentis
Drums - Billy LaGuardia

Where's Congress? In the hands of Republicans, who are in thrall to Donald "Hoover Harding Cleveland" Trump and most of whom either agree with him or are too scared to cross him. Louisiana Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, who voted to convict Hoover Harding Cleveland, came in third in his primary, losing re-nomination. Hoover Harding Cleveland is trying to do the same thing to Congressman Thomas Massie today. No good deed goes unpunished.

The Democrats in Congress are probably doing everything they can think of. It's just that they seem so unimaginative and are so uninspiring. Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries may be good leaders of their caucuses, but they leave activists and rank-and-file Democrats cold. We could use leaders that make us feel like they're doing something, even if it would be merely therapeutic. That would be helpful; I think a lot of us need therapy while watching Hoover Harding Cleveland and his administration doing his will with the support of the Republicans in Congress!

Watching Randy made me want to watch the original, so here's RAYE - WHERE IS MY HUSBAND! (Official Music Video).

WHERE IS MY HUSBAND! The Very First Fragment Of _____ From The Oh-So Fabulous Second Album.

That was fun and worth hearing and seeing!

That's a wrap for today. I'll get to Detroit's population increasing on Saturday. In the meantime, stay tuned for World Bee Day.

Vox and MS NOW explain 'The voting rights case that could set us back 60 years'

I'm returning to current events by embedding Vox explaining The voting rights case that could set us back 60 years.

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a very big deal. It transformed America, marking the end of the Jim Crow era and effectively banning racial discrimination in elections. Finally fulfilling the promise of a multiracial democracy, Black voter registration increased, and political representation across the nation better reflected America’s diverse population.

60 years later, a key pillar of the Voting Rights Act is at risk of being erased. In a 6-3 ruling, the Supreme Court has sided with the plaintiffs in a redistricting case out of Louisiana called Louisiana v. Callais. The case focused on Louisiana’s legislative maps, which were amended after a 2022 lawsuit in which civil rights groups and community members sued the state of Louisiana, claiming the maps drawn after the 2020 census didn’t properly reflect Louisiana’s Black population.

Once the new map with two majority-Black districts passed in the Louisiana state legislature in 2024, a group of “non African-American voters” filed a lawsuit that alleged the new map was unconstitutional and racially gerrymandered, intended to cut white voters out of power. Following the Supreme Court ruling, Louisiana must redraw that map.

What happens next could ignite a widespread gerrymandering effort that would alter electoral maps across red states and have major effects on minority political representation in the United States at every level of government.

I haven't blogged about the Voting Rights Act since 2023's FiveThirtyEight asks 'How Impactful Was This Supreme Court Term?'* Then, I wrote, "I think America dodged two bullets to democracy in the decisions about the Voting Rights Act and the 'Independent State Legislature Theory.'" I can't write that today; the conservative majority of the Supreme Court shot multiracial democracy in America in the leg, if not an even more vital part of the body. The bullet is still traveling, injuring tissues and organs on its way. MS NOW documents the damage in ‘They’re fighting hard because we were winning’: Stacey Abrams on GOP gerrymandering surge.

“They want our weariness to turn into paralysis.” This week, The Supreme Court delivered a massive new blow to the Voting Rights Act that greenlights GOP gerrymandering efforts. Stacey Abrams joins The Weekend to break down what comes next, where we have seen these actions before in authoritarian regimes throughout history, and how to use people power to brace against fascism.

In response to Jonathan Capehart, Jacqueline Alemany, and Eugene Daniels, the hosts of The Weekend, outlining Louisiana suspending its primary election and the legislatures of Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee going into special sessions to redistrict their states, Stacey Abrams outlined an ambitious pro-democracy agenda. I'm here for all of it.

The Weekend on MS NOW continued on the topic in ‘You are no longer in the democracy that was promised’: South redistricts ahead of midterms.

For decades, Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act acted as a guardrail, preventing Republican-led state legislatures from carving Black voters out of political power. But, in the words of Justice Elena Kagan, the Court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais has weakened the provision to “all but a dead letter.” MS NOW legal analyst Melissa Murray and President & CEO of Democracy Forward, Skye Perryman join “The Weekend” to discuss.

I agree with Skye Perryman; people in favor of multiracial democracy are going to have to vote in large enough numbers this fall and in 2028 to overwhelm the forces trying to send the U.S. back 60 years or more. May we succeed.

That's a wrap for today's topical post. Stay tuned for highlights of tonight's Saturday Night Live as today's Sunday entertainment feature.

*The video in that entry has been made private, just like every video I've embedded from FiveThirtyEight. Disney/ABC didn't just disband the unit, it hid its history. That's a great loss that makes me sad, angry, and powerless. I don't know what news consumers can do to get it back. Sigh.

'The Daily Show,' Meyers, Colbert, and Kimmel take closer looks at Tuesday's election

Change of plans — I'm postponing Vox and the Marsh Family on free speech one more day. The comedy inspired by the election results from New Jersey, New York, Virginia, and Georgia is too good to pass up. I begin with Mamdani and Democrats Score Big Wins & Conservatives Melt Down | The Daily Show.

Jordan Klepper dives into the big wins for Democrats across the country last night, including in the hotly contested mayoral race in New York City, which ended in a historic victory for Zohran Mamdani that sparked threats of a mass exodus of Cuomo supporters from the city. Plus, nobody is more eager to get out of the city than Eric Adams, the guy who's still in charge at City Hall, so The Daily Show takes a final look back at the legacy the outgoing mayor is leaving behind.

Don't let any of us stop you, Mayor Adams. Your leaving may not be the best news of this election, but it certainly won't be the worst.

Seth Meyers' Trump Blames Shutdown for Huge Democratic Wins; Zohran Mamdani’s Historic NYC Victory: A Closer Look.

Seth takes a closer look at elections going even better than the Democrats could have hoped for.

Listen to Seth's crowd cheering the results from the clips. That's a crowd desperate for good news and Tuesday night gave it to them!

Colbert delivered more of the good news in Dems Sweep! | Mamdani: New York Will Be The Light | Sherrill, Spanberger Declare Victory.

Democrats swept the first major elections of Trump's second term, including the New York City mayoral race where Zohran Mamdani triumphed over his billionaire-backed opponents, and Virginia and New Jersey, which will each be led by a female Democratic governor for the next four years.

It wasn't just the audience who craved good news. Stephen did, too. That the results were bad news for billionaires came as a bonus. It helps to have the right enemies.

Jimmy Kimmel offered a view from California in Trump’s Very Bad Election Night as Democrats Win, Republicans Cry Fraud & Longest Shutdown Ever.

Election Day was big for Democrats across the country, Zohran Mamdani was elected Mayor of New York, it was not a good night for Trump as everything he touched lost, he was up late throwing a tantrum about Mamdani’s victory, Republicans are screaming and yelling about election fraud, JD Vance’s half-brother lost by more than 56 points in his race for Mayor of Cincinnati, the Government shutdown is now on day 36, Mike Johnson is doing everything he can to try and convince people that Republicans care, Flavor Flav stopped by our Big, Beautiful Food Bank in support of St. Joseph Center and the LA Food Bank, Tom Brady announced that his current dog is a clone of the now-deceased dog he had with his ex-wife, Gavin Newsom has been going at it with Donald Trump, and even had Mike Lindell on his podcast.

Once again, Jimmy K has the most comprehensive video description.

That's a wrap for today's post. Stay tuned for an examination of ABC suspending Jimmy Kimmel tomorrow.

Election results from New Jersey, New York, Virginia, and Detroit add many firsts

I messed up when I wrote "I plan on re-examining ABC suspending Jimmy Kimmel" today. No, that's tomorrow. Today, I'm looking at election results, beginning with Morning Joe on MSNBC declaring 'As big as it gets': Joe on why it was a massive, massive night for Democrats.

Democrats swept key races on Tuesday night, gaining momentum against President Trump. Zohran Mamdani won the NYC mayoral race, while the party notched victories in Virginia and New Jersey governor's races. The Morning Joe panel discusses.

While I selected this video for the preview image, which made a great visual headline, I'm glad I selected it because the panel told a much bigger story of victories for Democrats, democracy, and diversity. In addition to Democratic wins in New Jersey, New York, and Virginia, which added the first female Governor and Muslim Attorney General in Virginia, first female Democratic Governor in New Jersey, and first Muslim Mayor of New York City, former U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill listed victories for Democrats, voting rights, and gun control in Maine and Georgia. Joe Scarborough added that the Pennsylvania voters retained three Democratic State Supreme Court Justices in Pennsylvania. It's not just blue states that voted for Democrats and against Hoover Cleveland and his policies. Speaking of pushing back, Mika mentioned Proposition 50 passing in California, which counteracted Texas's redistricting to gain more Republican seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Fight fire with fire!

One of the notable results in New Jersey was the swing of Latino voters toward Democrats. That reminds me of what I wrote last year.

Latino support for Trump was even more pronounced in Michigan, where exit polling showed 62% of Michigan Latinos voting for Trump. That could be enough to swing the state to him...For Latinos, there is nothing I can do that Trump and his core supporters would do more effectively except be a positive example. Who knows, Trump might actually overcome his bigotry and cater to his new voters. We should be so lucky.

We, including Donald "Hoover Cleveland" Trump, the rest of the Republican Party, and Latinos themselves, were not that lucky. As Scarborough pointed out, Hoover Cleveland and Stephen Miller couldn't help themselves. This is still a democracy and the voters pushed back.

That was the national picture, what about the local one? For that, I turn to Click On Detroit | Local 4 | WDIV reporting History in Detroit: Voters elect first woman mayor with decisive victory.

Detroit made history Tuesday night by electing its first woman mayor, marking a significant milestone as the city continues its post-bankruptcy revival. The Associated Press called the race at 9:17 p.m., about an hour after polls closed. Mary Sheffield built on her primary success by securing more than 75% of the vote over Solomon Kinloch Jr. Sheffield addressed the city for the first time just minutes after the race was called, celebrating the victory and the opportunity to lead Detroit into its next chapter. But Detroit was not the only community making decisions Tuesday. More than a dozen other cities also voted on new mayors and important proposals that could shape their neighborhoods for years to come.

Congratulations, Mayor-elect Mary Sheffield! Add your victory to those of Mikey Sherrill and Abigail Spanberger to history-making wins by women!

WDIV's anchors mentioned other mayoral contests being decided last night. One that might take longer than the rest is the Hamtramck mayoral race: Why it’s too close to call, how a few rejected votes could change outcome.

The Hamtramck mayoral race remains undecided, with dozens of rejected ballots potentially impacting the outcome in what has become a razor-thin contest. Adam Alharbi currently leads Muhith Mahmood by just 11 votes with all five precincts reporting, but city officials say the final results could change as voters have an opportunity to correct rejected ballots.

File this story under every vote counts.

That's a wrap for today. Stay tuned for Vox and the Marsh Family on free speech tomorrow.

Marsh Family sings 'Measles and Polio Down in the Schoolyard' for RFK Jr.

My pharmacy called me the day before yesterday to schedule my vaccinations for flu and COVID-19, which reminded me that the Marsh Family uploaded "Measles and Polio Down in the Schoolyard" - Marsh Family parody of Paul Simon "Me and Julio" on RFK last month.

This may not be one of Paul Simon’s most successful songs, but it was a fun vibe to work up at the start of a new school year – getting instruments out for the first time since a summer holiday. The original was the second single from the album “Paul Simon” (released 1972) and the inscrutable story in the lyrics is set in the Queens neighbourhood where he grew up. By coincidence, it was apparently performed with Stephen Colbert in 2015 on The Late Show – the programme that this week tore into Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s record and showed some of his fiery testimony in the Senate, an episode which also made it into European news coverage (story here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c....

Needless to say, the world is watching with alarm the compromising of America’s public health systems, including the dismantling of the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) – which has now lost its chief medical officer, director of immunisation, and director of emerging diseases (among many others) - while misinformation spreads, rates of vaccine uptake plummet, new outbreaks of measles kill again, and some states gallop headlong towards removing mandates that had the overwhelming backing of the scientific and medical communities.

The Marsh Family isn't the only parody account singing songs about RFK Jr. Patrick Fitzgerald, who is a mutual follower of mine on Bluesky, uploaded It's Not Unusual To Get Measles Anymore (RFK Jr. song parody) in March.

Vaccine denier RFK Jr. is now the head of Health and Human Services, and it is going about as well as you would expect, with measles cases (and even deaths) breaking out across the country.

Song parody of "It's Not Unusual" written by Les Reed and Gordon Mills, first recorded by a then-unknown Tom Jones. The music here is from The Knickerbockers cover: • It's Not Unusual

=== Lyrics ===

It’s not unusual to get measles anymore
They’re not unusual, these diseases anymore
And when I learn about the vaccines that you forswore
It’s not unusual to be notified
Your kid has died

It’s not unusual to elect a Kennedy
But when a brain worm’s there it affects his sanity
If you should ever need help disposing of a bear
It’s not unusual
To drop it in the park
Just wait ‘til after dark
Your alibi is bulletproof
And if you have a whale
This trick will never fail:
Take it and strap it to your roof

It’s not unusual to be sick a day or two
Until you find out you have contracted the bird flu
And if you’re wondering just exactly what to do
The CDC will recommend you take Ivermectin pills
Whoa-whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh

I'm recycling my remarks from John Oliver examines RFK Jr. & HHS for my reaction.

I'm repeating what I wrote earlier this month: "If I have to concentrate on criticizing any of Trump's Cabinet Secretaries, it will be RFK Jr. I'm a scientist and he's the biggest threat to science of anyone actually confirmed by the Senate..." I don't find his statement that "Our purpose is not to reduce any level of scientific research that is important" reassuring. I don't trust his judgment of what's scientifically important, especially in the context of cutting funding to diabetes research at the University of Michigan. That's doubly personal!

Oliver and his writers also demonstrated how cuts at and by HHS pose short- and long-term threats to health. Bird flu and measles, both of which Oliver addresses later in the video, come to mind on top of the example of lead paint. It's not just in drinking water!

Vox showed its viewers how RFK Jr. could mess things up. Oliver shows how he already is. As Oliver quoted the experts, "This is a disaster. People will die because of the mistakes we're making right now." I'm calling for his impeachment and removal, because I'm sure he won't resign and doubt Donald "Hoover Cleveland" Trump will fire him because of what he's doing to science and public health...Hoover Cleveland will only do the right thing for the wrong reasons. Even so, that will take until 2027 because the House won't have a Democratic majority until then. Sigh.

The representative whose district is literally across the street from my house is getting an early start on this endeavor. Watch WKBD: REP STEVENS DRAFTING IMPEACHMENT CASE AGAINST RFK JR.


Stevens, who is running for Gary Peters' Senate seat, has since introduced her articles of impeachment. I wish her luck, both in impeaching RFK Jr. and in her Senate primary contest, where she faces a tough field including Mallory McMorrow and Abdul El-Sayed, both of whom are running to her left. She'll need it.

That's a wrap for today. Stay tuned for the winners of the 2025 Environmental Media Association (EMA) Awards as the Sunday entertainment feature to celebrate Wester.

CNBC explains 'What Project 2025 Has To Do With This Government Shutdown'

I closed Stewart, Meyers, and Kimmel take closer looks at the shutdown and sending troops to Portland by telling my readers "Stay tuned to see if I post something serious" today. Thanks to CNBC, I am. Watch as CNBC explains What Project 2025 Has To Do With This Government Shutdown.

The government may fire thousands of unionized federal workers during the shutdown that began in October. This effort was foreshadowed in Project 2025, what some consider a blueprint for conservative governance. Several authors from the document are now senior-level members of the Trump administration. CNBC spoke with one who believes the federal workforce needs to change. Their efforts could reshape the federal bureaucracy, but do little to alter the country’s financial outlook.

I begin my reaction by recycling the relevant paragraph from CNBC explains the federal government shutdown.

The shutdown looks like another opportunity for Russell Vought to implement more of Project 2025 regarding the federal workforce. Vought did say he wanted to traumatize federal employees and the threat of firing them instead of merely furloughing them would certainly do that, to say nothing of following through and laying them off.

Welcome to more "shock and awful" and..."[the] Chainsaw Massacre of our federal workforce." Just because Elon Musk and DOGE are no longer in charge doesn't mean it's not still happening.

As for Donald "Hoover Cleveland" Trump getting on board with this agenda, I'm recycling my remarks from Colbert, 'The Daily Show,' Meyers, and Kimmel take closer looks at the shutdown: "Hoover Cleveland is finally embracing Project 2025 in public. I didn't believe his denials anyway."

That's a wrap for today, although I expect to write more about the government shutdown. In the meantime, stay tuned for another tale of the Retail Apocalypse tomorrow.

Stewart, Meyers, and Kimmel take closer looks at the shutdown and sending troops to Portland

It's back to the federal government shutdown, beginning with Jon Stewart Makes the Case for Dems Holding the Line in Trump's Shutdown Warfare | The Daily Show.

Jon Stewart dives into the emerging effects of the government shutdown, the battle over healthcare that has Republicans and Democrats pointing fingers, and Trump's delight in using the shutdown to continue steamrolling Democrats and the Constitution.

"Chuck Schumer is a human flat tire." I think the Democrats would be better off with Chuck's cousin Amy speaking. She's actually funny. Too bad she has the good sense to be in entertainment, not politics. Not that the Republicans, other than Donald "Hoover Cleveland" Trump, are any better rhetorically.

The Star Wars fan in me appreciated Stewart reciting Admiral Ackbar's biography, which sounded like it was summarized from Ackbar's Wookieepedia page. I didn't appreciate the "you'll never get laid" punchline. There are plenty of women who are Star Wars fans. I'm married to one.

Stewart talked about all the things Hoover Cleveland is doing that he would do anyway. Seth Meyers started with those in Trump-Appointed Judge Rejects Trump in Portland; Trump Flip-Flops on Shutdown Layoffs: A Closer Look.

Seth takes a closer look at Trump claiming he has the power to send troops to Portland but doesn't have the power to keep the government open.

Ugh, more DARVO. At least Hoover Cleveland isn't trolling Democrats with mariachi bands.

I close with Trump is Less Popular Than Jimmy Kimmel, Rants About Osama bin Laden & Wants His Face on Money, which only mentions the shutdown in passing, but I found worth sharing just the same.

We are back after a fun week of shows in Brooklyn, according to a new poll from YouGov Jimmy is officially more popular than Donald Trump, the White House put out a statement in response, 77% of Americans want the Epstein files released, Kaitlan Collins from CNN asked Trump whether he planned to pardon Epstein’s right-hand woman Ghislaine Maxwell, Trump rallied troops over the weekend to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Navy, he took credit for saying that Osama bin Laden was a threat before 9/11, a federal judge last night blocked Trump from sending the California National Guard to Oregon, he is also threatening NBC over some things Al Sharpton had to say about him, the Treasury Department is talking about putting Trump on money, and we went out to a park in Jamaica, Queens and told folks that Trump was planning to rename the park in his honor.

Jimmy Kimmel's suspension backfired; he's now a hero of the resistance. On the other hand, Hoover Cleveland's proposal to have a dollar coin with his image on it shows he's a hero in his own mind. It's also illegal, not that he cares about the law.

That's a wrap for today. Stay tuned to see if I post something serious tomorrow.

Colbert, 'The Daily Show,' Meyers, and Kimmel take closer looks at the shutdown

After being serious yesterday in CNBC explains the federal government shutdown, it's time for some comedy, beginning with Trump Uses The Shutdown To Punish Dems | Vance: We're Having A Good Time | Catching The A.I. Bug.

President Trump is using the government shutdown to punish anyone who didn't vote for him, J.D. Vance loves memes so we made a special one just for him, and Stephen Colbert checks in on some well-known people who are dipping their toes in the artificial intelligence pool.

The threatening statements from Karoline Leavitt, Donald "Hoover Cleveland" Trump and the rest of his administration look and sound a lot like DARVO (Deny, Attack, and Reverse Victim and Offender) — "look what you made me do!" No, you were going to do it anyway; you were just looking for an excuse.

As for the meme with JD Vance making love to a couch, it reminds me that there is a game called Date Everything! Everything includes a couch named Koa, and there is already a meme of it/him with Vance.


Dude, you'd be better off with Betty the bed. She looks more comfortable.

Stephen had mocked the shutdown Wednesday in ICE Deportations Continue Amid Gov't Shutdown | Bernie: We Won't Back Down | Humiliating J.D. Vance.

Although the federal government has shut down, President Trump's deportations and troop deployments to American cities will proceed without pause. In Washington, Democratic leaders played Vice President Vance for laughs and told reporters they won't give in to Republican pressure to let healthcare subsidies expire.

The shutdown is revealing what Hoover Cleveland and his administration considers to be essential services. Priorities.

Follow over the jump for more from The Daily Show, Seth Meyers, and Jimmy Kimmel.

CNBC explains the federal government shutdown

I decided to share something serious about the federal government shutdown today instead of something funny. I'll probably get to the comedy on Sunday, when Saturday Night Live returns. I begin with CNBC explaining Why This Government Shutdown Is Different.

The federal government shuts down when lawmakers in Congress cannot agree on a budget. This has occurred at least 20 times over the past 50 years according to the investment team at Truist. The historical record suggests that there will be minimal impact on markets or the broader economy, barring a prolonged shutdown. But this time could leave a mark on thousands of federal workers who may be permanently fired if a shutdown were to occur.

The shutdown looks like another opportunity for Russell Vought to implement more of Project 2025 regarding the federal workforce. Vought did say he wanted to traumatize federal employees and the threat of firing them instead of merely furloughing them would certainly do that, to say nothing of following through and laying them off.

That's what Vought and others in the administration want from the situation. CNBC explains why Congressional Democrats are doing this in Why Health Care Is At The Center Of The U.S. Govt. Shutdown.

If Congress doesn't extend some Affordable Care Act tax credits, health-care premiums are expected to rise at the end of the year for some Americans. Lawmakers could not agree on extending the credits, partially leading to the current government shutdown.

Unlike most of the unpleasant provisions of the Big Brutal Bill, which won't take effect until after the 2026 midterm elections, ending the ACA subsidies would be felt before the midterms. That would not be good for Congressional Republicans, so enough of them might join the Democrats in voting to restore them. Let's hope.

Elissa Slotkin on 'The Daily Show' plus her being the most 'establishment' Senator

I closed the body of Colbert, Meyers, Kosta, and Kimmel take closer looks at Mike Waltz being fired on Flashback Friday with a recycled program note.

I mentioned that "Slotkin has replaced Kyrsten Sinema as the most 'Establishment' Senator caucusing with Democrats. That deserves a post of its own" in Stewart, Meyers, Colbert, and Kimmel take closer looks at Trump's first 100 days for Wayback Wednesday. I might write that tomorrow. Stay tuned.

Here's the clip that inspired me to write that, Sen. Elissa Slotkin - Alpha Energy, Tuning In & Responsible vs. Reckless Change | The Daily Show.

“We don’t have the right to tune out when previous generations fought and fought and fought.” Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin, the youngest Democratic female serving in the U.S. Senate, joins Michael Kosta to share her perspective on the current state of national security and the Democratic agenda moving forward. The senator explains why voters are looking for Democrats with alpha energy (“You don’t have to be a male to [have] alpha energy,” she says), how President Trump’s tariff policy is “slow-rolling us into a recession,” responsible vs. reckless change, and the importance of tuning in during challenging times.

I think Senator Slotkin did well in one of the friendlier interviews I've seen on The Daily Show — fellow Michigander Jordan Klepper might have been as cordial, but Desi Lydic and especially Jon Stewart might have grilled her harder — but Kosta avoided asking about her suggesting that Democrats should avoid mentioning oligarchy, which got Bernie Sanders and AOC to tell her off. It also garnered a lot of hostile comments on the YouTube upload, only one of which I'll repeat, eyuin5716: "Slotkin needs to go home. I’m not interested in playing footsie with the modern day Kyrstin Sinema." EYuin, you have no idea, especially which Senator Sinema, the Democrat or the independent, you're comparing Slotkin to. If it's Sinema the Democrat, the better comparison in the current Senate would be John Fetterman, who Voteview describes as "the most conservative Democrat of the 119th Senate." He's moved up and to the right since 2024. If it's Sinema the independent, then you're on to something. Slotkin is not only the youngest female Democratic Senator, she's also the most "establishment" (conservative on Voteview's second dimension) Senator, Democrat, Republican, or independent. Look at the chart below.


This is nearly identical to her position on the second dimension when she was in the House, so her Senate voting record should come as no surprise.


It should also come as no surprise that Slotkin would come into conflict with AOC, who, along with the rest of "The Squad," are at the opposite extreme along the second dimension, making them the most anti-establishment members of the House. The establishment politician would support the current power structure, especially regarding national security and foreign policy, while the anti-establishment ones would oppose it. The current power structure would oppose mentioning oligarchy, while its opponents would make it a central issue.

I have two "for what it's worth" observations about this. First, at least between Slotkin and "The Squad," this is not a Left-Right (first dimension in Voteview) issue. Slotkin's ideological (first dimension) score both as a Senator and as a House member is -0.338, more conservative than 63% of Democrats in the 119th Senate and more conservative than 65% of Democrats in the 118th House. In contrast, AOC's ideological score is -0.319, more conservative than 66% of Democrats in the 119th House and 71% of Democrats in the 118th House. Yes, AOC is to the right of Slotkin, at least according to Voteview's algorithm. Surprise!

Second, this is a fight over tactics and tone, not goals. Slotkin, Sanders, and "The Squad" all oppose Donald "Hoover Cleveland" Trump and the threat to democracy and the rule of law he poses; they're just arguing over the most effective way to do so.

Stay tuned to see if I blog about Star Wars Day or the highlights of tonight's Saturday Night Live. Maybe I can do both!

Colbert and Kimmel react to the State of the Union Address

My wife and I didn't watch the State of the Union Address last night, but thankfully Stephen Colbert, his writers, and studio audience did so we wouldn't have to. The result was Stephen's LIVE Monologue: Rep. Al Green Tossed Out For Interrupting Trump | Useful Lies & Useless Idiots.

Stephen Colbert delivers his LIVE monologue following President Trump’s address before a joint session of Congress, where Texas Democratic Rep. Al Green was thrown out for shouting down the President, and each of Trump's lies was met with cheers from the Republican side of the aisle.

Yes, Hoover Cleveland could say something that would make the Democrats cheer, "I resign." Too bad he almost certainly won't do that. Speaking of doing something, at least Representative Al Green got himself ejected for civil disobedience. Effective or not, that's more than the rest of the Democrats attending.

Jimmy Kimmel and his writers also watched Hoover Cleveland address the joint session of Congress, which they distilled into Jimmy Kimmel Reacts to Donald Trump’s Address to Congress.

Trump addressed a joint session of Congress, he got quite an intro from the Sergeant at Arms, many of Donald’s closest allies were in attendance, he laid out his agenda for the next four years, Elon was in the house tonight in his official capacity as America’s highest-ranking DOGEbag, a new poll from CNN said 52% of Americans do not approve of the way Trump is handling his job as President, the Dow dropped 1300 points in two days, Trump touted that he has made English the official language of the United States, Democrat Al Greene of Texas got thrown out, there was a second Democratic rebuttal in Spanish from a representative who’s from right here in The Golden State, Justin Trudeau of Canada spoke about America’s new tariffs, SHAQ provided our favorite moment from a parade in New Orleans, and Trump celebrates Women’s History Month.

Jimmy K agreed with Colbert that Hoover Cleveland could quit and that would make Democrats happy. As for what Democrats in Congress and elsewhere could to make their constituents happy, I return to The Late Show for Fmr. Sec. Pete Buttigieg On How Democrats (And Republicans) Can Resist Trump's Authoritarianism.

Former Biden Administration official Pete Buttigieg lays out tactics that Democrats can pursue in defending American democracy and calls on peace-loving conservatives to do the same while there's still time.

Pete Buttigieg as Senator from Michigan to replace Gary Peters — I could get behind that, but it's too early. Besides, it's up to Buttigieg.

I close with the cold open to last night's Late Show, MAGA Maniacs.



They're zany to the max.
LOL, Brainworm.

I might have more about the State of the Union tomorrow, as I expect Seth Meyers and The Daily Show will chime in. Stay tuned.

Jon Stewart and Rachel Maddow react to the Hunter Biden pardon

I told my readers to "Stay tuned for topical non-holiday programming..." I'm following through with Jon Stewart's monologue from Monday, Trump Nominates Kash Patel for Head of FBI & Hunter Biden’s Last Minute Pardon, on The Daily Show.

Jon Stewart on Trump’s pick to lead the FBI, Biden’s last-minute pardon for his son Hunter, and how Democrats can't seem to hold the high ground no matter how low Republicans sink.

While Stewart succeeded in finding the comedy in this news, I don't completely agree with him about the hypocrisy in it. I also think that the announcement of Kash Patel's nomination for a position that isn't open yet — Christopher Wray's term doesn't expire for another three years — and Joe Biden's pardon of his son Hunter are more closely connected than he lets on. Patel might just have gone after Hunter even after he had gone to prison just to please convicted criminal Donald Trump. I have more to say, but Rachel Maddow said it better in Trump's shameless abuse of pardons, nepotism disqualifies him from criticizing Biden pardon on MSNBC.

Rachel Maddow looks at Donald Trump's shameless abuse of the presidential pardon power and the disgraceful level of nepotism in the early staffing of his second administration, in comparison to President Biden's pardoning of his son, Hunter, to spare him further politically motivated prosecution by Trump's acolytes.

Looking at the list of people Trump has pardoned reminds me of what I first wrote in MSNBC examines Project 2025, part 1: "Jailbirds of a feather flock together."

Amy Shira Teitel of The Vintage Space explains 'When Republicans Were Democrats: The Party Flip'

I told my readers to "stay tuned for evergreen and holiday posts through the rest of November." I'm following through by sharing Amy Shira Teitel of The Vintage Space explaining When Republicans Were Democrats: The Party Flip, which is about as evergreen as it gets.



Those who have been reading this blog since 2012 may be surprised at Amy using The Vintage Space to examine history that isn't about space, science, and technology, so I'll let her explain in the introduction to the Medium post that accompanies and features this video.

The Republican party today is unrecognizable from when it was established in 1854. The party that abolished slavery and extolled the virtues of individual liberties for all Americans doesn’t quite feel like the same one that celebrated overturning Roe v. Wade. The same is true of the Democrats; the party of slave-owning secessionists and segregationists is hardly the party that today stands for minority, women’s, and trans rights, to name a few. Both parties have evolved, but the significant change came in the mid-20th century with the Party Flip. And it’s not a myth like I’ve seen some people claim.

As a mid-century historian, I work almost exclusively in this politically strange era where nothing aligns with what we know today, and the lines aren’t quite as black and white as readers expect. It confuses people, and frankly, I sometimes need to get it reframed in my head. Especially as a born and raised Canadian; this isn’t anything I ever learned in school. It’s a fascinating history, and like so many big topics, it needs a lot of context. To start unpacking the Flip, we’re going to look at how the two party system came to be, how their ideologies developed, and how those two major parties flipped in the 20th century. And we’re going to start right at the beginning.

Both the video and blog post compose a comprehensive summary of the evolution of party systems in the U.S. so far. It's a good place to start, especially since it looks like the U.S. looks like it's undergoing another realignment as a result of the re-election of convicted criminal Donald Trump. That's a topic I plan on returning to, but only after the Sunday entertainment feature, which will not be highlights of tonight's Saturday Night Live; that would be topical other than the Thanksgiving sketches and I'm not writing topical posts until the end of the month.

Seth Meyers takes closer looks at Democrats pointing fingers over the election

I promised "some comedy" for today, so I'm sharing two segments from Late Night with Seth Meyers, beginning with last night's Bernie Sanders Rips the Democratic Establishment; Trump Allies Claim Massive Mandate: A Closer Look.

Seth takes a closer look at the progressive political world pointing fingers over Trump’s victory, with Bernie Sanders saying Democrats abandoned the working class and pundits saying Democrats were too woke.

Bernie Sanders is pushing back at those attacking the left, which Seth examined in last week's Dems Pledge to Contain Trump; Musk Profits from Trump Win; Pundits Blame the Left: A Closer Look.

Seth takes a closer look at Trump's campaign confirming he will begin mass deportations on day one of his presidency, his allies promising to get revenge on their enemies and the Justice Department winding down the criminal cases against him as Democrats descend into fighting and finger-pointing.

I still think convicted criminal Donald Trump sounds like Crazy Frog when he says "Bing, bing."

Enough of laughing at current events so I don't cry. Stay tuned for three holidays, World Kindness Day, World Diabetes Day, and America Recycles Day. I love holidays!

Meyers, Colbert, and 'The Daily Show' take their last closer looks at the election before the votes are counted

Today is the last day to vote in this year's election, so it's time for a final round of pre-election monologues from the late-night talk-show hosts, beginning with Late Night with Seth Meyers' Trump's Dark, Weird & Desperate Closing Message: Lies, Threats & Complaints About SNL: A Closer Look.

Seth takes a closer look at an exhausted and despondent Donald Trump closing out his campaign with rambling speeches to dwindling crowds, threats of violence, baseless allegations of cheating, vaccine ban possibilities and complaints about Saturday Night Live.

A Prius with a bumper sticker that reads "Science Is Real"? I feel seen! Speaking of science being real, I wish RFK Jr. thought so.

Being frustrated at the polls being tied is one of the themes of all the monologues, which is why the Des Moines Register's Selzer poll came as such a relief to Kamala Harris and her supporters. Stephen Colbert took it that way in Senior Women Back Harris In Iowa | America's Fresh Start | Trump vs. The Microphone.

A respected Iowa pollster predicts VP Kamala Harris will win big among that state's female voters, the Harris-Walz campaign promised a fresh start for the country if they win, and the former president had major trouble with a microphone at one of his rallies.

The other theme was convicted criminal Donald Trump's antics with the microphone. I'm recycling my reaction from Stewart, Meyers, and Colbert take closer looks at Trump 'working' at McDonald's: "I'm not happy about it. I'm sure Standards and Practices wasn't, either."

I close with Harris’s Star-Studded Closer, Trump’s Handsy Mic Moment & RIP Peanut the Squirrel | The Daily Show.

Jordan Klepper recaps the candidates' election closers: Kamala Harris's star-studded message of joy and Trump's "oral" presentation with his mic stand. Plus, Michael Kosta explains how Peanut the Squirrel's death could help Trump target niche undecided voters.

I don't like what happened to Peanut the Squirrel, either, but I don't see what it has to do with national Democrats beyond New York Governor Kathy Hochul being a Democrat. I guess that's enough for MAGA. Still, it's an example of the surest way to get Americans to act is to mess with their entertainm­ent.

That's it for today. Stay tuned for election results beginning tomorrow. I hope election night doesn't turn into an election month, but I'm not optimistic.

Take 'A 538 Election Road Trip', a driving update

As I forecast in PBS Eons on real paleo diets for National Fossil Day on World Food Day, Pearl passed 66,000 miles on Wednesday, so it's time for a driving update. I'll get to my personal driving update over the jump, but before I do, I'm sharing A 538 Election Road Trip | 538 Politics Podcast for a virtual drive across the U.S.

We talk plenty about the presidential race on the 538 Politics podcast, but of course, that is not the only thing on the ballot this November. Americans will cast their votes in races for the U.S. Senate and House, as well as dozens of ballot initiatives.

In this installment of the podcast, we’re going on a road trip across the country to cover as many noteworthy downballot races as possible. We start in the 538 podcast studio in New York state, where House Democrats are hoping for a better outcome than their lackluster 2022 performance, and we end in Alaska. Grab your favorite snacks and get in!

Hearing Nathaniel Rakich and the rest of the panel discuss how Republicans overperformed in New York Congressional contests reminds me of how much differently those elections turned out than expected when I wrote FiveThirtyEight and Sabato's Crystal Ball examine Congressional redistricting in New York State. Two years ago, I quoted Sabato's Crystal Ball, which wrote "If the Democratic plan pans out as intended, the number of Republicans in the New York delegation will shrink from 8 of 27 to 4 of 26." It didn't work out as intended. That map got overturned and replaced with a court-drawn map that eliminated Democratic advantages. Add in a local red wave, and the Republicans won almost enough seats in the Empire State to flip the House of Representatives all by themselves. If the original map had been maintained, then the chamber likely wouldn't have flipped; all else being equal, Democrats would have retained control.

The court-ordered map has since been replaced by one that was created by the redistricting commission and approved by the state's legislature and modestly favors Democrats. That might help return the U.S. House to the Democrats. Then again, maybe not, as three seats in North Carolina are likely to flip back to the Republicans, while one seat each in Alabama, Mississippi, and New York will elect Democrats, while Georgia shows no change. That will be a wash. Democrats will have to count on California to regain their House majority and hope Alaska doesn't flip. Even so, the House looks better than the Senate for Democrats.

Marijuana legalization is a cause I've been following since at least 2012, when I posted Meanwhile, at the bottom of the ballot. I wrote then "I told one of my students that there would be two changes in his lifetime propelled by his generation--marijuana legalization and marriage equality." The past dozen plus years have proved that prediction correct. Here's to that coming true in Florida and carrying re-legalizing abortion along with it.

I'm encouraged that Elissa Slotkin to replace Debbie Stabenow and Ruben Gallego to replace Kyrsten Sinema are favored to win their Senate contests in Michigan and Arizona, respectively, but I wish Kamala Harris was running even with both of them. Sigh.

That's my reaction to FiveThirtyEight's virtual road trip. Follow over the jump for my personal driving update.

Kosta, Colbert, and Hayes react to the VP Debate

I closed Randy Rainbow sings 'Blank Space (Donald's Version)' with today's topic.

Stay tuned for reactions to tonight's Vice Presidential Debate. As I wrote in Dailyshowographies of Tim Walz and JD Vance plus 'The Daily Show's Emmy Awards, "May the better man win...and I'm pretty sure Walz is the better man."

I begin with The Daily Show's VP Debate: Tim Walz and JD Vance’s Biggest Moments and Misses.

Michael Kosta goes live after the first and only vice presidential debate between Tim Walz and JD Vance. The stakes are as low as possible: one of these men will lose and we’ll never hear from them again, and one will win, become vice president, and we'll never hear from them again.

The opening joke, which is in the video description, reminds me of the vice presidency being described by John Adams as “the most insignificant office that ever the invention of man contrived” as I quoted in A History of the US Vice Presidency for Veep Day. Kosta returned to the next joke at the end, when he pointed out that the civility of the debate, the "Midwestern nice," masked two political movements at total odds with each other. The Trump supporters could have just said "yes, we are" to "we're not going back," but instead they were vulgar and misogynistic. Yuck.

Stephen Colbert made different jokes in LIVE Monologue: Hillbilly Energy vs. Minnesota Nice | Fact Checks & Mic Drops.

Stephen Colbert delivers his monologue LIVE from New York City following the debate between vice presidential candidates J.D. Vance and Tim Walz.

Yes, a literal mic drop. ABC's moderators should have done that to convicted criminal Donald Trump the the last debate.

Follow over the jump for Chris Hayes joining Stephen for his reaction to the debate.

Dailyshowographies of Tim Walz and JD Vance plus 'The Daily Show's Emmy Awards

I'm looking ahead to tomorrow night's Vice Presidential debate for the final entry of September as well as following through on telling my readers to "Stay tuned for two or three posts about Emmy Award winners, another topic that will be good to share next month" with The Daily Show's Emmy Awards. Nothing like two birds with one stone!

I begin with Tim Walz: Radically Nice | The Daily Showography.

People think vice presidential candidate Tim Walz is nice. But is he... too nice? From his dangerously folksy upbringing, to the National Guard, to teaching America's future enemies in China, Tim Walz's "nice" act isn't fooling anyone. This is the Dailyshowography of Tim Walz.

*Snort* No matter how hard The Daily Show's writers try to make Tim Walz look sinister by imitating a right-wing attack ad, his niceness shines through.

Now it's JD Vance's turn in JD Vance: The Forgettin’ Man | The DailyShowography.

JD Vance grew up in a community of forgotten men and women. He left it behind for an Ivy League education and a career as a Silicon Valley venture capitalist, before leaving that behind for a career as a never-Trump literary success, and then leaving that behind to become Trump's running mate. How did it all happen? This is The DailyShowography of JD Vance: The Forgettin' Man #DailyShow #JDVance #DailyShowography

On the other hand, Vance's opportunism and misogyny shine right through this satirical biography. As for Hillbilly Elegy, it's one of the rare films that earned both Oscar and Razzie nominations. While I'm not sure about Glenn Close's Razzie nomination (fortunately, she didn't win), I am sure about Worst Screenplay, which earned Vanessa Taylor, but not Vance, a nomination. I think leaving Vance off the nomination was an oversight.

I return to the Democratic nominee with Desi Lydic Foxsplains Tim Walz.

Who is Tim Walz, and why is he putting tampons in the boys' bathroom? Desi Lydic has taken a break from watching Fox News in her Cybertruck and is ready to Foxsplain Kamala Harris's running mate.

I'm rolling my eyes at all the Faux Noise scaremongering over China. I think having a Vice President who speaks the language and understands the culture would be a good thing.

May the better man win tomorrow night's debate and I'm pretty sure Walz is the better man.

Follow over the jump for the Daily Show's Emmy Awards, including post-mortems of my predictions from 'Jon Stewart Debunks GOP’s City Crime Narrative' plus 'The Daily Show's Emmy nominations.

Closer looks at the DNC from Stewart, Colbert, and Meyers

I made an aside in Silly and serious looks at night 3 of the DNC from Colbert and FiveThirtyEight that I might feature The Daily Show today once it caught up with the convention.* I'm doing just that with Jon Stewart's DNC Recap: Oprah Calls Out Cat Ladies, Dem Vibes & Kamala’s Moment.

Jon Stewart closes out the last night of the DNC live from Chicago with a recap of the convention, including Kamala Harris's spotlight moment, Oprah's cat lady cam, and a roster of speakers as diverse and contradictory as the Democratic party itself. Jon also shows Dems what real joy looks like and tries to make sense of Fox News's convention coverage.

That's a good summary of the convention, never mind that The Daily Show didn't wait until it was actually over. On the other hand, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert did, so here's DNC Night 4: Kamala Harris Closes Out A Joyous, Highly-Rated DNC | Trump Is A Weak, Unserious Man.

Stephen Colbert brings a remarkable week of LIVE episodes to a close with one more monologue from the incredible Auditorium Theatre in Chicago following VP Kamala Harris's historic speech at night four of the Democratic National Convention.

Now, that's an update!

Listening to the audiences, I think both Stewart and Colbert will miss the Chicago crowds, even if Stewart tried to pick a fight with his over pizza. I could have told him that was a bad idea. My wife grew up in Chicago and she takes her local cuisine very seriously. Also, Chicagoans really don't care what New Yorkers think and especially aren't going to listen to attacks on their food.

I billed this entry as "closer looks" and it wouldn't be one without Seth Meyers, so I'm sharing Mike Lindell Humiliated by 12-Year-Old at DNC; Trump Whines About Obama "Size" Jab: A Closer Look.

Seth takes a closer look at Kamala Harris accepting the Democratic nomination to cap off a raucous convention that clearly got under Trump's skin.

LOL, double Razzie winner Mike Lindell. He deserved to get owned by a 12-year-old.

Follow over the jump for two features about Kamala Harris and the convention from The Daily Show and The Late Show.