Era of the New Majority

[rpryor03]

If you're talking about Murphy from the MN house, then she went to UW Oshkosh and St. Catherine's.

No, this Erin Murphy was a clerk for Roberts in 2006 or so. I needed a potential conservative jurist under 50 for Sandoval to pick and, well... Slim pickin's

According to her LinkedIn, Georgetown Law School.

[KingSweden]

If you're talking about Murphy from the MN house, then she went to UW Oshkosh and St. Catherine's.

No, this Erin Murphy was a clerk for Roberts in 2006 or so. I needed a potential conservative jurist under 50 for Sandoval to pick and, well... Slim pickin's

According to her LinkedIn, Georgetown Law School.

^^^ much more research than I am willing/comfortable to do... I should probably start making names up haha

Edit: but thank you for answering the question at hand

[rpryor03]

If you're talking about Murphy from the MN house, then she went to UW Oshkosh and St. Catherine's.

No, this Erin Murphy was a clerk for Roberts in 2006 or so. I needed a potential conservative jurist under 50 for Sandoval to pick and, well... Slim pickin's

According to her LinkedIn, Georgetown Law School.

^^^ much more research than I am willing/comfortable to do... I should probably start making names up haha

Edit: but thank you for answering the question at hand

All I did was Google "Erin Murphy John Roberts" and it was the first result I got.

[KingSweden]

If you're talking about Murphy from the MN house, then she went to UW Oshkosh and St. Catherine's.

No, this Erin Murphy was a clerk for Roberts in 2006 or so. I needed a potential conservative jurist under 50 for Sandoval to pick and, well... Slim pickin's

According to her LinkedIn, Georgetown Law School.

^^^ much more research than I am willing/comfortable to do... I should probably start making names up haha

Edit: but thank you for answering the question at hand

All I did was Google "Erin Murphy John Roberts" and it was the first result I got.

I've done similar when I run into politicians on Wikipedia where the age is unlisted, then comb through news articles until I find one that references age and reference that against the date the article was written to get a good estimate. Never considered using social media for research though.

[KingSweden]

Sorry for the delay in updates - been really busy with a novel manuscript I'm trying to wrap up. I'll be doing some updates shortly to take us into what promises to be a wild 2028.

[KingSweden]

2027 G-7 Summit

Two days after Sandoval's blockbuster announcement comes an unusual G-7 summit in Martha's Vineyard, where a now historically lame-duck US President meets with three leaders who have been in office for less than a month - Canadian PM Ruth Ellen Brosseau, French President Emmanuel Macron and British PM Jim McMahon - with the Cambodian flu, chaos in Russia and the Middle East and the fluid political situation in Europe high on the agenda. Sandoval is said to have a spring in his step, even despite dealing with three young, ambitious center-left world leaders seeking to challenge the conservative consensus of the last several years. He is said to hit it off with McMahon in particular, and the summit is seen as a success. No leaders outside of the G-7 are invited.

[KingSweden]

A Wild, Unpredictable (Potential) Republican Presidential Field

Brian Sandoval's sudden and unexpected announcement that he would not seek a second term as President has thrown Washington and the Republican Party into flux. With the primaries starting in February - eight months from now - the party is scrambling to find a replacement to face what will surely be an uphill battle against the Democratic candidate next year. A breakdown of potential candidates:

Vice President Walker Stapleton of Colorado

In a normal political environment, the sitting Vice President would make an obvious choice to replace his boss. However, this is no normal political environment. Stapleton has not been a major figure within his party since the beginning of his tenure - Dick Cheney or Joe Biden, he is not - and he is potentially even more isolated than President Sandoval. Though well-liked personally by the President, Stapleton has not been a major figure in the West Wing and has spent much of his time in office serving as a sort of second Secretary of State - jetting around the world, attending funerals, representing the White House's interests at international conferences. Despite a level of trust and respect, Stapleton lacks a cachet within the party to be an instant frontrunner, and his path to victory - despite what would likely be a cash advantage and connections with Sandoval's machine in Nevada and his own in Colorado - is unclear. "He would not be a good fit in Iowa," a connected insider lamented. "I think he'd be a fine President, but the Southern state parties have really soured on this White House and it'd be a tough slog for him. The zeitgeist doesn't call for a man with his qualities and sensibilities." Few Republicans expect Stapleton to run, anyways. Those close to the White House think that he recognizes his limitations and knows that he'd be setting himself up for an embarrassing loss.

Former Senator Ted Cruz of Texas

The only candidate actually in the race, Cruz has an advantage in that he's actually won a nomination before. He is almost universally respected by the party's conservative activist base and evangelical leaders - he would start with a tremendous advantage early on. The big disadvantage for Cruz, though, is that the Republican Party is not as conservative as it was in 2016 and the United States is nowhere near as conservative as it was then, either. The entire underpinning of his run was to defeat President Sandoval and push the administration to the right - without his political enemy running anymore, some people are wondering what the thrust of his campaign will be.

Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas

Tom Cotton - the runner-up to Sandoval four years ago - would start with one advantage in that he has run a campaign before. The disadvantage is that many found his 2024 run to be severely lacking, to the point that it was rated one of the worst-run Presidential efforts in the last twenty years. Yet even with an abysmal campaign structure, he still finished second in delegates and challenged Sandoval deep into the spring. Cotton is almost certain to run, and insiders regard him as an early favorite. He will certainly have defense hawks on his side, and he can easily bridge the gap between conservatives and more moderate-minded types with a fairly diverse set of policy views ranging from some flexibility on certain social issues and an aversion to economic dogma. More so than many candidates, Cotton seems to harbor a better sense of where the electorate is at and some Sandoval campaign hands may decide to join him even though it is known that the President despises him.

Treasury Secretary Paul Ryan

With Stapleton still considered more than likely not to run, former Vice Presidential candidate and current Treasury Secretary Paul Ryan would instantly become the administration favorite and the champion of K Street insiders. Ryan has backed off of some of his more hawkish budget views over the years but has been cited by many as the voice of the right within the Sandoval White House. The President appreciates Ryan's counsel and has been said to view the man as indispensable to dealing with Congress. However, Ryan would have two big holes to dig out of - the grassroots has become less dogmatic on budget policy since the "Austerity Budget" of which he has become the face, and the broader public knows him better than perhaps any other Cabinet official. His run on the Romney ticket sixteen years ago probably doesn't help, either. Still, many close to Ryan believe that despite him not actively seeking the spot, he could be persuaded to run if it would prevent a Ted Cruz or Tom Cotton candidacy - Ryan is said to loathe both men almost as much as the President, to whom he has become very close. Look for him to essentially become Sandoval's stand-in, for better or worse, if he enters the fray.

Senator Peggy Bartlett of Texas

A true wild-card. After defeating Ted Cruz in an ugly primary three years ago, many believe Peggy Bartlett is the future of the Republican Party. Savvy, telegenic, a woman and a Texan, she is said to harbor Presidential ambitions and is tight with the Sandoval White House. She is dogmatic on neither social issues nor economic issues, and she gave a well-received foreign policy speech last fall emphasizing "realism." Seeing her and Cruz duke it out in a primary again would be must-see political carnage, but many doubt she would run partway through her first term. Still, if the field seems weak, she could be an important figure to jump in late - primary states are already scrambling to push back filing deadlines.

Governor Tom Kean of New Jersey

Another flyer candidate, Tom Kean is term-limited after 2029 and is said to have national ambitions. In New Jersey, he lacks many chances to run for federal office other than entering the Presidential fray. A moderate, smart man who has done wonders reforming New Jersey politics where others failed - he has effectively killed off several major patronage machines - Kean could run on his record of decent economic growth, solving the state's budget woes, and cracking down on corruption. His lack of national profile could hurt him in an abbreviated primary campaign, however, and he is not the world' greatest campaigner. His very moderate views could hurt him in evangelical states like Iowa and South Carolina, too.

[Lord_Bubbington]

It would be insane if Cruz won the nomination twice, 12 years apart. Keep up the good work!

[KingSweden]

Analysis for Canadian federal election of 2014:

Liberal wins are concentrated in urban and suburban areas, with Liberals primarily targeting NDP seats in the Atlantic Provinces and Quebec, and Conservative seats in BC, Ontario and Manitoba. The strategy is successful, with the NDP being wiped out in Atlantic Canada, the Tories falling to 38 seats in Ontario and the Tories being left with one MP in Quebec. The NDP, which suffers a nearly 30 seat Liberal wipeout in Quebec, manages to pick off the former Independent bloquistes and FD members to pad their net loss. In Manitoba, Liberals pick off three Conservative seats in the Winnipeg area while the NDP gains another seat in the province.

The much-vaunted Liberal foray into Alberta only nets one seat in total, whereas Grit investments in Nova Scotia knock out all three Halifax-area Dippers/takes out a rural Tory, sweeps PEI and Newfoundland and picks up three seats in NB. The NDP and Liberals both bite into Tory numbers in Ontario, helping lead to an unexpectedly large loss for the government Tories.

The Greens earn their highest-ever total with five seats, four of which are located on Vancouver Island.

In his victory address, Justin Trudeau strikes a progressive tone, discussing themes of social justice, economic populism and environmentalism, while behind the scenes a very Third Way, Blairite leadership team is assembled. Tom Mulcair announces he will step down as NDP leader pending the election of a replacement, and Stephen Harper signals he will do the same, eventually announcing his retirement and immediate resignation on September 27th, with Peter MacKay taking over as interim Conservative leader. The 115 seat gain by the Liberals marked the biggest single-seat win in Canada since 1984, and the largest gain not to produce a majority government.

For fun, I went through some earlier entries. This was probably my best prediction, which I got slightly wrong by hewing to the conservative side. I couldn't have guessed the Liberals would do quite as well as they did!

[KingSweden]

June 2027: Craziness! Within the time of one day, Senator Tom Cotton, Senator Ben Sasse, Treasury Secretary Paul Ryan and New Jersey Governor Tom Kean all announce they are running for President. Vice President Walker Stapleton announces an exploratory committee, but many doubt he will make the jump. Senators Tim Scott and Peggy Bartlett almost immediately take themselves out of consideration. Several Democrats start to reconsider now that it is an open seat rather than taking on an incumbent, and US Rep. Mandela Barnes announces in a fiery address in Milwaukee that he intends to take a stab at it.

After a few days of consideration, Missouri Governor Eric Greitens reiterates that he will continue seeking reelection, and a few days later, Texas Governor George P. Bush declares that he will serve out his term and not run. Along with Scott and Bartlett, their inclination to stay out sends a signal about the general GOP mood around the race. The jobs report has some good news as the economy only loses 5,000 jobs total, staying essentially flat, and private sector job growth is positive for the first time in Sandoval's entire Presidency. Two House vacancies emerge as Pete Olson finally resigns his seat to battle his impending trial while former Speaker Kevin McCarthy retires to return to California and join a venture capital firm.

June 2027 (continued): Right-populist protesters in Copenhagen firebomb two mosques as well as an Arabic language school, accidentally killing three. Outrage spreads throughout Europe's Muslim communities. The increasingly ineffectual German Chancellor Willy Frank starts to face a louder and angrier chorus within his Union ranks, threatening to topple his Chancellery less than two years in. Macron and McMahon meet in a bilateral summit a few weeks after the G-7. The Cambodian flu continues to spread in Asia, now seeing cases in poor rural Myanmar, western India and Bangladesh. There have now been nearly 200,000 reported cases in China alone, and nearly two million throughout Asia. Australia takes the decisive step of quarantining all travelers from Southeast Asia, and Japan and Korea debate doing the same.

And now, for Sports: Atletico defeats Bayern 2-0 in the Champions League final to earn the club's first ever UCL title. The NBA Finals feature the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers in a classic NY-LA showdown. The seven game series ends with an overtime win by the Knicks in Game Seven at Madison Square Garden, prompting massive celebrations in the streets. Longtime New York veteran Kristaps Porzingis is named Finals MVP. It is the first title for the Knicks since 1973, ending a 54-year drought.

In the Stanley Cup finals, meanwhile, the previous two Stanley Cup winners face off as the Buffalo Sabres take on the Vancouver Canucks. The Canucks win a six-game series, taking Game Six 5-4 after a crucial late winning goal by young phenom Doug Gevalier on the road in Buffalo. It is the second Cup title for the Canucks in three years and denies the Sabres back-to-back wins and a third title in the 2020s.

[KingSweden]

2027 Copa America - Uruguay

Quarterfinals

Uruguay vs. Colombia - Parque Nacional (Montevideo)

Hosts Uruguay, undefeated and having kept three clean sheets in the group stage, easily dispatch a Colombia side in transition 4-0, with scores from Morales, Japo, Cicci and Géronimo, allowing all four of "El Gran Cuatro" to find net and advance to a third straight semifinal.

Argentina vs. Ecuador - Penarol Stadium (Montevideo)

Veteran sub Angel Correa comes on in scoreless extra time to hit a game-winning goal at 116' for the Albiceleste to send them to the semifinals for a fourth straight time.

Chile vs. Mexico - Rivera

Chile dominates a Mexico youth team 5-2, with five different players scoring.

Peru vs. Brazil - Maldonado

Brazil, a favorite coming in, struggles against Peru, with Tabi missing four shots on goal and the Selecao only advancing late thanks to a score at 89' from Arnulfo for them to advance 1-0.

Semi-Finals

Uruguay vs. Argentina - El Centenario (Montevideo)

A tight, gritty game that sits at 1-1 for most of the match after Morales and Fajardo both score within the first twenty minutes. The game advances to penalty kicks, where it is Paco Cicci who scores the winning conversion in a 4-3 shootout to send Uruguay to a second straight final, this one in front of tens of thousands of raucous home fans.

Chile vs. Brazil - Centenario

Brazil's haggard, poor play comes back to bite them as Chile's Roberto Mayor scores twice in the first half to power Chile to a 2-1 win, with Brazil failing to find a desperate equalizer late in the match.

Third Place Game

Argentina vs. Brazil - Centenario

Argentina takes out its frustrations over losing their first game in a year by beating up on Brazil, winning 3-1 to take third place a second straight time.

Finals

Uruguay vs. Chile - Centenario

Chile's impressive run ends at the hands of the stout Uruguay defense, and Morales scores twice early on and Alejandro Cespedes adds a third later on to power Uruguay to a 3-0 win on home soil.

With the win, Uruguay are the 2027 Copa America champions! They become the first champions since Brazil in the 2000s to hold their title in consecutive tournaments. Morales is both the top scorer and Best Player of the tournament, while Guillermo de Amores is named Best Goalkeeper a second straight time.

[KingSweden]

A brief housekeeping announcement:

http://futuresport.wikia.com/wiki/Futuresport_Wikia

This is a link to a wiki I started today related to sports entries correlating roughly to those spelled out in Era of the New Majority, only in more detail. Other than Charles, I'm not sure who would be interested in combing through it, but it'll see regular updates on sports-related subjects. Some of the updates will be adjusted to account for recent sporting events, but once I get out further they'll start corresponding again to what has been spelled out in EOTNM.

Enjoy!

[/]

[KingSweden]

A brief housekeeping announcement:

http://futuresport.wikia.com/wiki/Futuresport_Wikia

This is a link to a wiki I started today related to sports entries correlating roughly to those spelled out in Era of the New Majority, only in more detail. Other than Charles, I'm not sure who would be interested in combing through it, but it'll see regular updates on sports-related subjects. Some of the updates will be adjusted to account for recent sporting events, but once I get out further they'll start corresponding again to what has been spelled out in EOTNM.

Enjoy!

And within a few days, my Futuresport prediction of anothe UCL title by Barcelona goes down in furious flames, showing once again what a futile project this is

[KingSweden]

July 2027: Walker Stapleton announces formally that he will not seek the Presidency, as do Josh Romney, Jon Huntsman and Virginia Governor Mark Obenshain. Another surprise entry as Raul Labrador announces he will forego a third term, to the surprise of the political world, to take another stab at running for office.

Although many Democrats publicly consider getting in, none take the dive after Mandela Barnes' surprise announcement. Progressive icon Senator Tim Ashe of Vermont announces that he will not take the leap, choosing to focus on pushing policy as an influential voice in the Senate. Characters as diverse as Bill de Blasio to Alex Padilla take themselves out of the running, too.

Sandoval gets some good news as a positive jobs report for June shows 25,000 new jobs created, the best monthly report of his Presidency, and unemployment ticks back down under 10%. Early numbers indicate a growth rate of 0.1% in Q2. A massive wildfire burns down nearly one million acres of forestland in Montana, and 117 people are killed throughout.

July 2027 (continued): Ruth Ellen Brosseau calls the campaign early, aiming for a late September poll. It sets up the longest campaign in modern Canadian history just two and a half months into her Premiership. The NDP has pulled from third to dead-even with the Tories at 30 percent each, with the Liberals not far behind. The Cambodian flu starts to spread in the humid Asian summer, now reaching central and southern India. Japan, Korea and several EU countries declare quarantines for travelers coming from those countries, and limit quarantines are pushed in many US states. The first case of Cambodian flu occurs in Saudi Arabia at the end of the month, concerning world policymakers. There have now been close to three million reported cases, with half a million in China alone.

And now, for Sports: The US women's national team annihilates England in the Women's World Cup Final at Wembley, winning 9-1 behind four goals from star Kate Maravice, who has seven for the whole tournament, all scored in the knockout rounds. Maravice is given the Golden Ball and Golden Boot for the tournament. In the Gold Cup, meanwhile, the USA is bounced in the final in Toronto by Mexico, who win their third Gold Cup of the decade.

[hurricanehink]

Hope this isn't over! I was looking forward to another presidential election in this very detailed future history timeline. I've rarely seen a timeline commit more than 10 years in the future.

[KingSweden]

Hope this isn't over! I was looking forward to another presidential election in this very detailed future history timeline. I've rarely seen a timeline commit more than 10 years in the future.

Ironic you would post this today, the first time I had some time to make contributions and was going to post. It was meant to be

Sorry for the delay, everyone! Whew. Just finished the first draft of my most recent book project and have had all manner of other things going on. Activities every weekend, being out of town, visitors coming TO town... busy, busy, busy, and I don't care posting from my phone while at work or on the bus.

Thank you all again for reading.

[KingSweden]

August 2027: Sandoval sends clear signals that he supports Paul Ryan over any of the other candidates. At the initial Republican debate, Sasse is seen as the clear winner with articulate conservative positions, but Cotton has the most applause lines. It is an awkward affair as candidates avoid being too critical of Sandoval - spare Cruz and Cotton - while trying to accommodate real grassroots anger. Kean essentially vanishes during the debate but tries to emphasize his record as a "reformer, not a bomb-thrower." Ryan doesn't do much better, trying to explain away the fact that he was one of the main architects of the unpopular Austerity Budget. In a memorable exchange, he tries to pin Cotton and Sasse on the fact that they voted for it, to which Sasse replies, "You were the one on Capitol Hill stumping for it, Mr. Secretary. I was in those meetings and strategy sessions. You were the point man for it, you persuaded the administration into passing it, you were the lead for negotiating it. You have to own it."

In the Democratic debate, meanwhile, Gillibrand does not do well, getting flustered in an exchange with Newsom and with both her and Booker being attacked over their coziness with Wall Street by Mandela Barnes, Newsom and Seth Moulton. Anthony Foxx has a breakout performance, getting in good debate lines while emphasizing his record as a "modern-day Mayor," his tenure at DOT and his Senate voting record. Newsom, the putative frontrunner, is hit on his ties to Silicon Valley, but he manages to shake them off as he emphasizes a "tech economy" and improving the infrastructure of emerging AI technology.

Booker gets into an inspired sparring match with Barnes, who implies that Booker's record of criminal justice reform and work in the black community is "putting on a respectable face" for his real intentions of helping his "masters." Barnes, who was popular among many younger blacks on social media, is savaged by black and Hispanic political leaders for the analogy. The fallout from the exchange quickly ratchets up, with Barnes supporters referring to Booker as an "Uncle Tom" and "race traitor" within days, while Booker's allies savage Barnes as a divisive, out-of-control extremist. Booker refers to Barnes as a "huckster" in an interview, furthering deepening the ugly row. All of it helps cement Foxx, the third black candidate, as the choice of many black voters on the heels of his terrific debate performance.

The heat wave continues to roil the country, and the massive Montana wildfire that has raged since early July now burns in Idaho and Wyoming, the largest such in American history, having now consumed close to two million acres of forest. The incidence of "climate refugees" to Northern cities like Madison, Minneapolis, Columbus and Portland begins to be seriously noticed, and places like Texas, Arizona and Nevada are growing much less quickly than they have in the past.

August 2027 (continued): Clashes around Europe continue as the continent continues to struggle to integrate its Muslim minorities. Gang fights in slum areas start to escalate, and four policemen are killed execution-style in suburban Paris, triggering massive protests both by right-wing nationalists and pro-integration activists. Macron solemnly addresses the nation and calls the fallout, "The great challenge of our decade."

The polls in Canada tighten significantly, suggesting either a Liberal or New Democratic minority. Pundits start to mention that a split in the center-left vote could produce a Conservative minority government that only wins a third of the PV.

The Cambodian flu's spread continues unabated as vaccines and cures are found ineffective. As many as ten million cases have been reported at this point, mostly in China but increasingly in India, Bangladesh, and the first cases in Indonesia. Australia announces an expanded quarantine and Russia announces a limited quarantine as well.

[KingSweden]

State of the State: A Tour of America's Fifty States

This Week: Alabama

Get in a car with newly-minted Republican US Congressman AJ McCarron - a Mobile native who won three national championships at Alabama, served as an NFL backup for half a decade and then made millions in real estate - and he'll take you on a tour of Alabama's "bucktooth." Down here, you'd never know that the state's unemployment rate is second-highest in the South behind Mississippi or that its population is essentially stagnant.

"There's a forty-story condo tower going in," McCarron says with a grin as he drives from Orange Beach to Mobile. "Down the street an associate of mine is breaking ground on a brand new shopping mall. In downtown Mobile they've built five new apartment towers in the last three years."

It is down here, in the genteel Gulf Coast, that McCarron built his business and now his political career. Republicans here tend to be pragmatic and business oriented, and it shows. Mobile, after years in a rut, is booming along with the rest of the Gulf Coast. From Panama Beach and Pensacola in Florida to this side of Mobile Bay, there is optimism as thousands of retiring Baby Boomers and early Gen Xers flock southwards where the land is still cheap and the traffic hasn't hit Florida levels.

"People want to be in Alabama," McCarron continues. "We're building something great down here."

Tell that to the state's struggling interior. Besides the tech-savvy and engineer-heavy Huntsville area or the university-driven Tuscaloosa and Auburn metropolitan regions, over half of the state's counties are estimated to have lost population in the last few years. From suburban areas to the true rural Old South, Alabama is ailing. Her agricultural sector is in decline as migrant workers have moved on to other states, the once-robust rural Black Belt has seen a massive outmigration of young people to Atlanta, Nashville and Charlotte and the state is among the oldest in the South, discounting Florida.

"I think there's optimism in some parts," new Governor Arthur Orr says. From prosperous Huntsville, Orr was a longtime state senator and later served for a decade in the House of Representatives. Now on his promised last job, Orr has jumped headfirst into the challenge of reorienting the state for the upheavals of the economy.

"Twenty years ago, you know, the South was the toast of the town. You had factories opening here, people moving operations here, because the business climate was so friendly. Fast forward to the late Twenties, though, and now you're out of people with the skills to do a lot more of these jobs and a lot of people want to live in big cities or their suburbs." Orr concedes that 'Alabama' lacks cachet with many prospective employees, and that those willing to head South typically wind up in Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee or Texas.

Still, Orr is optimistic, and not just because of the condo towers going up on Orange Beach. The oft-racially charged politics of the Yellowhammer State have quieted in recent years. The recent budget was passed nearly unanimously. There are a number of Hispanic - and black - Republicans in the State House, including conservative rising star Marcus Forrester, aged only 24.

The Governor's cheerful, compassionate demeanor is not matched by everyone. Eleanor Fields, 70, lives in Gadsden, where just last year the city declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy. "Nobody lives here anymore," she laments. She has lived there her whole life, in a city which has steadily lost population since the 1970s, when she was a girl. The story of Gadsden is the same as many declining middle-to-small towns in rural America - young people leave, and those who remain are effectively unemployable and crime spreads. On Ms. Fields' street alone, there are more abandoned houses than inhabited ones.

"It's a ghost town," she says from her porch. "Ten, twenty years ago, there were people all up and down here." The city's three middle schools were merged into one and the census bureau estimates fewer than twenty thousand people will live in the town by the 2030 census, a loss of nearly two thirds of the city's population since 1960. The trend has, as it has all around the country, accelerated in the last decade.

The story is not much better in Birmingham, which is growing, albeit slowly. City officials estimate that the city grows less than 1% per year, compared to cities around the South like Nashville, Charlotte and Atlanta that are positively booming even during the long-term downturn across much of the region. "I just think there's a stigma and there are few industries that attract people," laments City Councilmember Trevor Davis. "So much of service jobs are automated now, banks have been bought up in mergers. It's not like the town is going out of business, but it's not like it once was."

As the state struggles, many of it's leaders maintain optimism. Whether the people share it remains to be seen.

[KingSweden]

Canadian federal election, September 2027

After an expansion of the House of Commons, we now need 180 seats for a majority out of 358. After a two-month campaign, the early-September vote yields this:

NDP: 135 seats (-62) 31%
Liberal: 114 (+104) 30%
Conservative: 109 (-21) 24%
Green: 0 (-1) 6%

Ruth Ellen Brosseau gives the NDP enough of a bump and her energetic campaign - combined with a disastrous Tory campaign after several months of leading the polls - gives the NDP a significantly reduced minority.

[hurricanehink]

State of the State: A Tour of America's Fifty States

This Week: Alabama

"It's a ghost town," she says from her porch. "Ten, twenty years ago, there were people all up and down here." The city's three middle schools were merged into one and the census bureau estimates fewer than twenty thousand people will live in the town by the 2030 census, a loss of nearly two thirds of the city's population since 1960. The trend has, as it has all around the country, accelerated in the last decade.

The story is not much better in Birmingham, which is growing, albeit slowly. City officials estimate that the city grows less than 1% per year, compared to cities around the South like Nashville, Charlotte and Atlanta that are positively booming even during the long-term downturn across much of the region. "I just think there's a stigma and there are few industries that attract people," laments City Councilmember Trevor Davis. "So much of service jobs are automated now, banks have been bought up in mergers. It's not like the town is going out of business, but it's not like it once was."

As the state struggles, many of it's leaders maintain optimism. Whether the people share it remains to be seen.

Interesting stuff! It'll eventually make for vastly different 2030 maps (not that I'm getting ahead of myself!) I agree we'll increasingly see people move for coasts and cities, which will make it even harder for Republicans with such a heavy urban population.

[KingSweden]

Analyzing the 2027 Canadian elections:

• Ruth Ellen Brosseau becomes the first female Prime Minister elected in her own right, a remarkable achievement. With the Liberals placing second, it means that both the Government and Opposition are led by women for the first time.
• The NDP takes the bulk of its hit in the Montreal area, the 905 and Atlantic Canada while hanging on in Metro Vancouver, Toronto proper and rural Quebec and Ontario. PCs do okay in greater Toronto, splitting about even with the Liberals, while still remaining shut out of Quebec and Atlantic Canada. The PCs are increasingly a Western Party with a small presence in Ontario.
• Leah van Houten's turnaround of the Liberals is one of the most impressive in modern history, taking the party from 10 seats at the last election (controlling 13 after byelections) and finishing up with 104. The 100-seat gain, from barely having major-party status, creates a center-left government AND opposition, and van Houten sounds conciliatory towards the NDP. Experts imagine Brosseau's minority will survive longer than most minority governments.

[KingSweden]

After some thought (and Writer's Block) I've decided to do snapshots of CDs rather than whole states or individual Representatoves/Senators. To make things interesting, I will be taking requests.

[This account no longer in use.]

I'd assume I'd still be in MA-06 at this point, so let's go with MA-06.

[Maxwell]

OK-1 over here.