The good:
Democrats successfully defended a conservative seat in rural
Louisiana on Saturday night, as Chasity Martinez defeated Republican
Brad Daigle by a dominant 62-38 margin—a massive 37-point overperformance compared to the 2024 presidential result.
Republicans
had hoped to score their first legislative pickup of any kind during
Donald Trump’s second term, and they had good reason to think they might
succeed in the 60th House District.
Voters in the district, which
includes part of Assumption and Iberville parishes (Louisiana’s
equivalent of counties), had long backed state and local Democrats but
had moved decidedly toward Republicans on the federal level in recent
years.
According to calculations by The Downballot, Donald Trump carried the 60th by a 56-43 margin in 2024,
giving the GOP a real opening. Daigle, an insurance agent, further
argued that the district would be better served by electing a member who
would join the Republican supermajority in the legislature.
But
Martinez, a member of the Iberville Parish Council, emphasized issues
that have resonated for Democrats running on similarly difficult turf:
affordability and public education. She also criticized a lack of
responsiveness from state officials to the difficult conditions faced by
many residents. [snip]
Since Trump returned to the White House, Democrats have picked up eight
Republican-controlled districts through special elections, as well as
18 seats in New Jersey and Virginia during those states’ regularly
scheduled contests last November. Republicans have flipped none. (our emphasis)
That's 26 Democratic flips to 0 for the MAGAts since January 2025. In this race, the overperformance number is the one to look at -- 37% + for Democrat compared to the national 2024 election. That giant sucking sound you hear is the fascist Republican party/ cult imploding.
The bad:
A federal judge refused Sunday to help in attempts to open early
voting sites at three public North Carolina universities, declining
requests to overrule decisions by Republican-controlled elections boards
leading up to the state’s upcoming primary.
U.S. District Judge
William Osteen rejected arguments by the College Democrats of North
Carolina and some students that they were likely to win a recent lawsuit
because decisions by GOP board members placed undue burdens on the
right to vote.
The decision by Osteen — nominated to the bench by
President George W. Bush — to deny a preliminary injunction or a
temporary restraining order can be appealed.
Early in-person
voting for the March 3 primary begins this coming Thursday. It features
nomination races for U.S. Senate and House, the legislature and local
elections.
Osteen also wrote that formally backing efforts to open the sites so close to voting could risk confusion.
Osteen’s
ruling marks a key decision on policy preferences by the State Board of
Elections and elections boards in all 100 counties since a state lawrecently shifted them from having Democratic majorities to Republican majorities.
The College Democrats of North Carolina — an arm of the state party —
and four voters sued in late January accusing the state board and
boards in Jackson and Guilford counties of violating the U.S.
Constitution.
The lawsuit involves votes by the state board and the two county
boards to not include early voting sites at Western Carolina University,
the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and North Carolina
A&T State University, also in Greensboro. A&T is the largest
historically Black university in the country.
An early voting
site at Western Carolina has operated regularly since 2016. Sites at the
Greensboro campuses have not been offered in midterm elections. Voting
sites are offered at college campuses elsewhere in the state. Same-day
registration is available at early voting sites.
Without the sites, the lawsuit says, students will be forced to travel
off-campus to vote, imposing time and money upon those least familiar
with voting... (our emphasis)
"Desperate times call for desperate measures" -- the MAGAt Republican party/ cult creed for the 2026 midterms. Restricting early voting in Democratic strongholds, other voter suppression and intimidation tactics, gerrymandering, etc.: whatever it takes to maintain power. This decision will be appealed. But, regardless of the ultimate outcome, the duty of the Democratic Party and every American who values our endangered democracy is to fight back with everything we have and in every way we can for as long as it takes to defeat these lawless fascists.
The ugly:
“Wear the mission. Text merch to 71776 for official TPUSA merch.”
Those
were the first words greeting thousands of viewers as they joined
Turning Point’s YouTube channel for the 15-minute countdown before their
alternate All-American Halftime Show, as a chyron ran nonstop at the
bottom of the screen, hawking merchandise and begging for text signups.
It was a fitting start
for a slapdash night of music that seemed half-hearted from the start.
The whole event was predicated on outrage from the MAGA faithful over
Bad Bunny, a proud Puerto Rican who performs in Spanish, being selected
to perform the Super Bowl halftime show. Because those angry about Bad
Bunny couldn’t say the quiet part out loud — outside of Turning Point
conspicuously surveying fans about what kinds of music they would want,
and one of the choices was “Anything in English” — vague language was instead used to invoke patriotism.
Unfortunately,
the All-American Halftime Show was unable to evoke much more than a
shrug, with halfhearted pop-country performances that showed the
limitations of booking a big show with minimal talent. [snip]
Meanwhile, while the
Turning Point show screamed about patriotism, Bad Bunny’s official show
was filled with highlight after highlight of things that are exciting
about America: A nation full of people who came here with talent and
differences worth embracing. Even if you don’t speak Spanish, the visual
storytelling evoked so many people living the American dream, from the
workers in the opening segment, to elderly folks, female friendships,
dancing, drinks and unabashed jubilation and unity.
Ignore
the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it shot of a few guys grinding on each other,
and there was even plenty that the MAGA crowd would enjoy if they
bothered to watch it: A real-life wedding! Beautiful women dancing! A
great, big declaration of “God Bless America”!
But
there was never going to be a good-faith effort to meet Bad Bunny’s
show halfway. Like clockwork, Trump sent out a long message on Truth
Social minutes after it ended, slamming it
as quickly as possible. (Note to Trump: “Nobody understands a word this
guy is saying” … he sings in Spanish, dude! Better take that cognitive
test again.)
In the
end, the final words shown during Bad Bunny’s performance were seen on a
massive video screen: “The only thing more powerful than hate is love.”
The final words on the Turning Point broadcast? “Get involved,” next to a QR code begging for more money. (our emphasis)
"A big show with minimal talent." Kind of like the MF's regime.
Grifters will always grift (see also, "Melania"). Two culture war stinkers in a row. Better dig up Leni Riefenstahl! On the other hand, a real American story was being told by Bad Bunny at the Super Bowl halftime show, full of "unabashed jubilation and unity," in contrast with TPUSA/ Kid Rock(head)'s mean-spirited, money-grubbing grift (perfectly representing the MF's presidency).
