Campaign Finance Reform

Do you know how to achieve campaign finance reform?  

Don't give money to political candidates.   

If you follow this plan (and register as an independent), you get a bonus: an end to texts asking for contributions.

The Ones

 THE LOVED ONES

The loved ones we call the dead

depart from us and for a while

are absent. And then as if

called back by our love, they come

near us again. They enter our dreams.

We feel they have been near us

when we have not thought of them.

They are simply here, simply waiting

while we are distracted among

our obligations. At last

it comes to us. They live now

In the permanent world.

We are the absent ones.

                    —Wendell Berry

Independents

People who vote but do not belong to a political party get little credit, which is okay if you are a Daoist. Let's take a look at the polling for the current race for governor between Xavier Becerra and English Steve Hilton. 

Counting everyone, the poll shows Becerra 55% with English Steve at 37%. Those of us belonging to no party favor Becerra more strongly, by 58% to 30%.

Note that progressive voters, who did not support Becerra in the primary, immediately switched to Becerra when he won. 

A few years back, English Steve worked hard to get Brexit passed, then fled to America to teach us how to ruin an economy. 

Fetterman

Last Monday  Senator Fetterman of Pennsylvania, the tallest senator at six-eight, went on TV to claim that Abdul El-Sayed suffers from what the senator called the "little man syndrome."

I am having problems processing this diagnosis. I haven't found it in the DSM. I am beginning to suspect that "little man syndrome" mainly serves as an insult directed at foreigners. But El-Sayed was born in Detroit and went to Andover High. 

Change

In polls the Democratic Party is despised by voters, but Democrats will probably win in November. What will they do with their victory?

One argument is that the Democrats should nominate weak, centrist candidates and then pass weak centrist laws. For example, they could improve ObamaCare a little, so it covers more people. That's not nothing. 

I don't know who gets to define the center. Probably someone named Overton.  

The other argument is that the Democrats should nominate change candidates, outsiders demanding big moves, New Deal types. For example, the Democrats could insure that all Americans get the food they need, so no voter worries about hunger.  

Consider how popular the New Deal was. Today the Democratic Party is run by the living dead (who have grown rich). What if the Democrats were populists, focussed on the bravery it takes for ordinary families to make it through the week?  

China

I just watched a YouTube program, probably AI,  that investigated the mysterious origins of the Chinese, using DNA. The program looked at ancient Egyptian DNA, old Indian DNA, etc.  Nothing matched. But finally an answer was found. 

The ancestors of the Chinese turned out to be the ancient Chinese!

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Afford

The word "afford" comes to us from Middle English. The form "affordability" originated about 200 years ago.  The Democratic Party did exist before "affordability,"and Thomas Jefferson might have invented the word, but so far the claim that Democrats invented "affordability" rests only on an assertion by a moron. 

Divided

Independent voters (like me) now outnumber Democrats. Only 40% of Americans view the Democratic Party favorably. 

Of primary elections Mara Gay wrote, "The uprising against the Democratic establishment is coming from the voters, and it cannot be contained." 

The Democratic primary voters have shifted to the left of the Democratic leadership. The leadership has responded by gearing up for combat with new, younger members. 

To sweep in the next election, the two wings of the Democratic Party, the centrists and the progressives, must work together on divisive issues like those listed below. These are real differences where Democrats better find answers that honor both sides. 

How hard should the government work to reduce inequality?

Should we have a single payer healthcare system or improve ObamaCare? 

How much should we tax the oligarchy?

Should we re-arm Netanyahu?

Should we provide free college education or targeted student debt relief?

Should we insist on clean energy or put more focus on economic improvement?

Should we strongly regulate Big Business or regulate lightly for economic reasons?

Should we stop our military interventions or act forcefully in foreign policy?

In a sense Progressives and Centrists create one another. The party should try to work with both and act, get something done.    

Some elections are continuity elections. FDR, our most progressive president, was elected four times. But the election in 2026 is widely viewed as a change election. A majority of voters want the country to change, to move in a different direction. 

If the Democrats want to win, they should offer fresh ideas and new people. Their current leadership is as stale as old drapes in a smoking lounge. 

In Democratic primaries, the voters are making it clear they want a reversal of decades of downward economic slippage in the working and middle classes. 

One possibility is that the Democrats win control of the House in November and then dodder, managing to do little, held back by their big money old guard. This would surprise no one. The current Democratic leadership is already doing its best to squelch Mamdani, AOC and so on. 

Think back to other change elections. Trump vs. Clinton. Enough voters wanted change badly enough to vote for a mentally-ill criminal.

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• Party identification: Surveys in the U.S. typically find that about 25–30% of adults identify as Democrats, 25–30% identify as Republicans, and the largest group—roughly 40% or more—identify as independents. Many independents, however, consistently lean toward one party.
• Voter support: In recent presidential elections, the Democratic candidate has generally received around 47–52% of the popular vote, depending on the election. The party has won the national popular vote in most presidential elections since the 1990s, though that has not always translated into winning the presidency because of the Electoral College.
• Favorability: Public opinion of the Democratic Party rises and falls over time. Polls often find that around 35–45% of Americans have a favorable view of the party, with similar levels expressing an unfavorable view. These numbers can shift significantly based on current events and the political environment.

Overall, the Democratic Party is one of the two major political parties in the United States. It has a large and durable base of support but is also viewed unfavorably by many Americans. The U.S. electorate is closely divided, so neither the Democratic nor Republican Party consistently enjoys overwhelming national popularity.

If you're asking about a specific measure—such as current polling, party registration, or popularity in a particular state—I can provide more targeted information.

How popular is the Democratic party in recent polls 

Recent polling suggests the Democratic Party's national standing is mixed: it remains electorally competitive, but its overall favorability is still underwater.

Some recent measures include:

• Party favorability: A recent RealClearPolling average puts the Democratic Party at about 38% favorable and 55% unfavorable, for a net favorability of roughly –17 points. 
• Pew Research (May 2026): About 59% of Americans viewed the Democratic Party unfavorably, while favorable views had improved somewhat from a low reached in 2025 but remained below unfavorable views. 
• AP-NORC (2026): The poll found that many Democratic voters themselves remained dissatisfied with the party despite some electoral successes in special elections, suggesting enthusiasm within the party has not fully rebounded. 
• Congressional ballot: Despite weak favorability, some polls show Democrats performing better when voters are asked which party they would support for Congress. For example, an April 2026 Emerson poll found Democrats leading Republicans 50% to 40% on the generic congressional ballot. 

These findings highlight an important distinction:

• Favorability measures how positively people view the party itself.
• Vote intention measures which party people would choose in an election. A party can have relatively low favorability but still perform well electorally if voters prefer it over the alternative.

Overall, current polling indicates the Democratic Party is competitive in elections but not broadly popular, with favorability generally below 40% nationally while remaining in contention for congressional majorities

Recent polling suggests the Democratic Party's national standing is mixed: it remains electorally competitive, but its overall favorability is still underwater.

Some recent measures include:

• Party favorability: A recent RealClearPolling average puts the Democratic Party at about 38% favorable and 55% unfavorable, for a net favorability of roughly –17 points. 
• Pew Research (May 2026): About 59% of Americans viewed the Democratic Party unfavorably, while favorable views had improved somewhat from a low reached in 2025 but remained below unfavorable views. 
• AP-NORC (2026): The poll found that many Democratic voters themselves remained dissatisfied with the party despite some electoral successes in special elections, suggesting enthusiasm within the party has not fully rebounded. 
• Congressional ballot: Despite weak favorability, some polls show Democrats performing better when voters are asked which party they would support for Congress. For example, an April 2026 Emerson poll found Democrats leading Republicans 50% to 40% on the generic congressional ballot. 

These findings highlight an important distinction:

• Favorability measures how positively people view the party itself.
• Vote intention measures which party people would choose in an election. A party can have relatively low favorability but still perform well electorally if voters prefer it over the alternative.

Overall, current polling indicates the Democratic Party is competitive in elections but not broadly popular, with favorability generally below 40% nationally while remaining in contention for congressional majorities. 

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Explain some examples of a change election.

A change election is an election in which a large share of voters want the country to move in a different direction than they believe it's currently headed. These elections often occur during periods of economic trouble, war, scandal, or widespread dissatisfaction with the incumbent party.

Here are some notable U.S. examples:

1. 1932 – Franklin D. Roosevelt (Democrat)
   • The U.S. was in the depths of the Great Depression.
   • Voters blamed the incumbent Republican administration for the economic crisis.
   • Roosevelt won by promising the New Deal, marking a major shift in federal policy.
2. 1980 – Ronald Reagan (Republican)
   • High inflation, unemployment, and the Iran hostage crisis hurt confidence in the incumbent Democratic administration.
   • Reagan campaigned on smaller government, lower taxes, and a stronger military.
   • His victory ushered in a significant conservative shift.
3. 1992 – Bill Clinton (Democrat)
   • A recession and concerns about the economy weakened President George H. W. Bush.
   • Clinton emphasized economic issues with the message, "It's the economy, stupid."
   • Voters opted for a younger candidate promising change.
4. 2008 – Barack Obama (Democrat)
   • The financial crisis and the Iraq War contributed to widespread dissatisfaction with the outgoing Republican administration.
   • Obama's "Hope and Change" campaign captured voters seeking a new direction.
5. 2016 – Donald Trump (Republican)
   • Many voters expressed frustration with political institutions, globalization, and the political establishment.
   • Trump ran as an outsider promising to "drain the swamp" and renegotiate trade and immigration policies.

Common characteristics of change elections

• The incumbent party is unpopular.
• Many voters believe the country is on the wrong track.
• Economic or social conditions create demand for new leadership.
• Candidates emphasize reform or a break from the status quo.

Not every election is a change election. Some are continuity elections, where voters are generally satisfied with the country's direction and choose to keep the incumbent party in power. For example, the 1984 election, in which Reagan won reelection by a landslide, is often viewed as a continuity election because many voters approved of the direction the country was taking.

Cal

My grandfather, known as Cal, was about 14 when his father died. Cal’s older brothers agreed to pool resources and support their mother, Charity Jane, but they told young Cal he had to leave home and fend for himself. 

Cal had a tough first winter alone in Sanger. He cleaned a pool hall and slept on one of the tables.  By December that was too cold, but a sex worker took pity on the boy and let him snuggle with her until spring. 

The next winter Cal joined a passing circus as a roustabout, helping erect the tent and so on, until he took up with the circus sharpshooter’s wife. He left that job in the middle of the night. 

I suppose he lived a typical American life. He worked as a driller in the oil fields of California and Venezuela, bought 100 acres of land near the headwaters of the Salinas River and lost his home when he refused to let some rich guys hunt deer on his property.  They took the place, using eminent domain. My grandparents moved to Atascadero and eventually to Clovis, their last stop. 

My mother would say now that I don’t know what Cal was like. That I spent about 30 days total in his presence. 

The Cal that I describe here, she would say, is not the real Cal—she would compare what I wrote to Rene Magritte’s oil on canvas, “The Treachery of Images.”