2024 - A Blank Canvas

[PRESIDENT STANTON]

This is a disaster of epic proportions for Democrats;  but suffice to say the boat has sailed for Tim Ryan, his Senate bid in this TL pretty much foundered! But unless Democrats are so completely incapable of learning and think that Ihan Omar and AOC being their poster child is the best option available, then 2026 and 2028 are gonna be real doozies! Perhaps having Jaime Harrison as DNC chairman will be signal that they get it! But something tells me, that in this TL, they just continue to double down on stupid and embracing their woke and cancel culture ideology will be their preferred option, in which case DeSantis will just keep outmaneuvering them. However if Hakeem Jeffries in the House Democratic caucus and brings the hammer down one the progressive elements and their nonsense. As for Schumer, I don't know, I think he will cater to what liberal and progressive elements that still remain. And until Democrats in the Senate can get serious and start engaging in a manner that enables them to work with Cornyn and his caucus, then Cornyn will basically ignore Democrats. The 51-49 world no longer exists and the math dictates everything. The map SaintStan86 is excellent! But I thought from what I was told Harris only won Pima County in Arizona, Santa Ana and Santa Fe Counties in New Mexico, and Denver and Boulder Counties or so that is what I was told by 2016.  But again good work!

[Kahane's Grave Is A Gender-Neutral Bathroom]

Based on the results seen so far, this is what the map pretty much looks like with the kind of result that has happened:



And for those who may be wondering "This would never happen!", it shall be noted that such socioeconomically divergent counties as Fairfield County, Connecticut, Monongalia County, West Virginia, Marshall County, Mississippi, Snohomish County, Washington, Worcester County, Massachusetts, Gwinnett County, Georgia, and Mahoning County, Ohio - along with San Diego County, California, East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, Jefferson County/Louisville, Kentucky, Hidalgo County, Texas, York County, Maine, Clark County, Nevada, and Loudoun County, Virginia - all gave pluralities to DeSantis in the range of 45-50 percent that highlight just how much of a spoiler Andrew Yang proved to be in this race, as well as the end product of what an amalgamation of Trump-style numbers in rural and working-class areas, a Glenn Youngkin-style suburban shift in all 50 states, and unprecedented support among Hispanic and Black voters for a Republican presidential candidate can produce for the GOP. When the aforementioned Jefferson County/Louisville as well as Fayette County (home to Lexington) are giving pluralities to DeSantis who wins every other county in Kentucky, it's hard to imagine how Democrats cannot plot their future without some attempt to a) reach out to the voters the Democrats bled away over the past two decades; b) how the triangulation of yore has worn thin over time; and c) at least having enough decency to reach out to Andrew Yang if not at least his supporters.

In other words, Democrats have plenty of explaining to do as to what direction they will need to take going forward. With that in mind, I'm going to go on a limb and say that if Jaime Harrison does not return as DNC Chairman, Tim Ryan - who at one time considered challenging Nancy Pelosi for control of the Democratic caucus - could be a likely pick to head the Democrats in the DeSantis era, sensing that the party has "lost its way" with the working class, and it's fair to say that if Donald Trump had the sort of demeanor that DeSantis has thus far shown as Governor of Florida (a "strategic bulldog" playing chess and not moaning like a toddler who doesn't get his way), he most likely would not have suffered a good chunk of the suburban slump that Trump got in 2016 and 2020, and the whole discussion about 2020 - coronavirus notwithstanding - would have focused on how badly the Democrats have fallen in the post-Obama era.

Yes, but if Trump didn't act the way he did to win over the suburbs he'd get less of his OTL base. You have to thread the needle very carefully to put together a diverse coalition. The only people I can think of that did it were Reagan and Obama.

[SaintStan86]

While Ron DeSantis is assembling yet another part of his incoming Cabinet, the result of the last outstanding race of the 2024 election cycle is finally set in stone...

December 21, 2024
ASHCROFT CONCEDES DEFEAT IN MISSOURI AS KANDER FINALLY DECLARED WINNER IN RACE FOR GOVERNOR
With all potential legal options now fully exhausted and his campaign account near broke, Republican Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft finally conceded defeat on Saturday in his bid to become Missouri's next Governor to his Democratic opponent Jason Kander, whom Ashcroft succeeded in 2016 when Kander pursued an ultimately competitive bid for the U.S. Senate against now-retired Sen. Roy Blunt. According to the final results, canvassed last month but repeatedly subject to probes by the Ashcroft campaign alleging voter fraud, Kander won 48.66 percent of the vote versus 48.17 for his GOP opponent, and also won the counties of Clay and Platte counties in northern Kansas City - both of which went to President-elect Ron DeSantis, along with a few other counties in addition to also outperforming DeSantis across the entire state in both urban and rural areas, not unlike his 2016 run for the Senate.

In his concession, Ashcroft thanked the people of Missouri "for their tireless support in my two terms as Secretary of State for which I have been grateful to serve" and vowed to stay active in politics afterwards, also acknowledging that "while I am disappointed in how the results turned out, I'm not going to let it define me and plan to celebrate a wonderful Christmas with my wonderful family, while also wishing every one of you a Merry Christmas, a Happy Hanukkah, a festive Kwanzaa, and Happy New Year to all Missourians from the bottom of my heart". Ashcroft is the son of former Governor, Senator and U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft, and had been elected Secretary of State in 2016 and reelected in 2020, two years removed from losing a competitive State Senate race in an open Republican-held suburban St. Louis County seat that defied a national trend against the Democrats that year.

Meanwhile Kander, with his family by his side, thanked Ashcroft for his "graciousness" in finally conceding the race over a month and a half following the election and also reflected on his recent past with regards to his recent mental health struggles: "Given everything that Diana and I have been through over these last couple of years, taking time off to rediscover himself, becoming a bestselling author, advocating for those with PTSD and raising a family, I never imagined going through a battle like this, but while it's fair to say these holidays are unforgettable, I never imagined it being this unforgettable". Kander, who will become Missouri's second Jewish Governor (after disgraced Republican Eric Greitens who won in the same 2016 cycle he ran against Blunt in before resigning in the wake of sexual misconduct and eventual domestic violence allegations by his ex-wife) and the first to be elected as a Democrat, wished Missourians "a very Merry Christmas, a festive Kwanzaa, and for us and many others a Happy Hanukkah, but most of all Happy Holidays no matter what you celebrate" while also declaring "the hard work now begins to put Missouri FIRST and show the world what we really mean by the Show Me State!".

With a total of 32 Republican Governors and 18 Democratic ones for at least the next year, any attempt by Republicans to push forth amendments from the DeSantis administration - such as a Balanced Budget Amendment, term limits and even a potential Convention of States long championed by conservatives - will all but certainly require a few Democrats in order to achieve the goal of ratification. When asked about the possibility of any potential amendments being ratified in the incoming DeSantis administration, Kander responded "You know, that's a good question. I have no doubt that Ron DeSantis is going to have a lot of bold things he's wanting to do, but as I do with everything on the table, if it benefits Missourians - who represent the heart of America - then it's worth joining in ratifying certain things, but if it's not worth ratifying, then that's a bridge too far to cross". For instance, Kander already has called a potential "Human Life Amendment" at the federal level "dead on arrival": "A woman should not be compelled to put her dreams on hold because of an unwanted pregnancy she didn't ask for and where the social services needed to take care of that baby may not be there".

Across the country, millions of Americans have wrapped up their last-minute holiday shopping across the three major holidays, packing into special Christmas Eve services and midnight masses celebrating the birth of Jesus, while NBC proceeds along with its traditional Christmas Eve airings of "It's a Wonderful Life" and the midnight mass with Pope Francis from St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, Santa Claus devours billions of cookies from homes around the world, ABC chugs along with its quadruple-header of NBA basketball games, and the following Wednesday is a hump day full of already exhausted retail employees and stockers now back for one last grind as shoppers return unwanted gifts of various degrees from the shelves of Walmart and the conveyor belts of Amazon to the extravagant catalogs of Neiman Marcus...

Meanwhile, at a hotel conference room north of Dallas, Ron DeSantis makes clear his next set of appointments...

December 27, 2024
DeSANTIS APPOINTS NEXT LINE OF CABINET SECRETARIES FOR DOMESTIC AGENDA
On Thursday, President-elect Ron DeSantis made his latest lineup of Cabinet appointments at a hotel in Frisco, Texas, in the heart of an area of the Dallas suburb known to many as "the five billion dollar mile", where the President made clear his latest set of appointments primarily centered in a number of domestic areas. "These next appointments I am making represent the high standards of leadership that my administration will bring to the American people, and it is because of these leaders that Americans will benefit like never before, with healthcare that reflects your unique concerns, care for our veterans that is superior and not substandard, a workforce that is second to none, and a government that puts parents, taxpayers and entrepreneurs first, not the same DC swamp that has caused too much damage for too long".

Topping his appointments is that of 73-year-old former HUD secretary and celebrated neurosurgeon Ben Carson, who was one of a handful of Trump administration Cabinet members to have lasted in their position to the very end and has lived in West Palm Beach, Fla. since 2013, to serve as Secretary of Health and Human Services. "This appointment, by far, is the pinnacle of my life, and I am more than honored to be appointed by Ron DeSantis - the greatest Governor in America - to serve as your next HHS Secretary", Carson proclaimed as he spoke glowingly of his heralded career and "the promise of America". Already well-known as both a prominent neurosurgeon and an emerging Black conservative, Carson would become even more well-known for his 2016 presidential bid (where he at one point placed second behind Donald Trump in Republican primary polls) and is regarded as one of the more positively received members of Trump's Cabinet.

While Carson is certainly far from the only Floridian selected to serve in the DeSantis administration, he was certainly not alone in this regard as well. A nearby colleague of Carson's in the Treasure Coast region, Rep. Brian Mast, was also joined as he was announced as Secretary of Veterans Affairs by DeSantis. An Army veteran who served during Operation Enduring Freedom, Mast was deployed as a bomb disposal technician in Kandahar alongside his disposal unit when he stepped on an IED that critically injured him and resulted in the amputation of both of his legs and his left index finger. The incident, which resulted in his honorable discharge, did not stop Mast from continuing his career in public service, serving as an explosives specialist for the Department of Homeland Security, among other capacities, before his election to Congress in 2016 when he picked up a swing district north of Palm Beach that was held by a Democrat at the time, and has gone on to serve four terms (and already reelected to a fifth) in Congress from what is now the 21st District. "The veterans I served along, have served with dignity in Congress, and will be serving in this new journey as your VA Secretary, inspire us all and bring out the best in America", Mast proclaimed as he thanked DeSantis for his friendship and service to "our beautiful and United States of America".

The next two appointments announced by DeSantis, both from areas being speculated as potential chopping blocks should DeSantis's greatest ambitions on "starving the beast" become reality, come from completely opposite ends of the Trump spectrum. For Labor Secretary, DeSantis has selected Blake Masters, the 38-year-old Stanford-educated venture capitalist and protege of GOP megafunder Peter Thiel who ran for the U.S. Senate in Arizona in 2022, losing to Sen. Mark Kelly in a close contest that year that was hurt by both Kelly's popular persona as a former astronaut and moderately liberal voting record and Masters' outspoken support for the allegation that the 2020 election had been stolen from former President Donald Trump (as well as infighting within the Arizona GOP, also stirred by both the controversial gubernatorial campaign of Kari Lake and the disdain of the old McCain political machine towards the party, that led to a shakeup in leadership within the Arizona Republican Party). The married father of three sons acknowledged the significance of his new role, vowing "With President DeSantis in tow, I am going to help build a workforce that is prepared to tackle the challenges that America faces, encourage fair opportunities and wages that benefit workers and their families, and protect the dignity of all workers from those who game the system to their advantage at the expense of their employees".

On the other end, DeSantis appointed Senator and former presidential rival Ben Sasse of Nebraska to serve as his Education Secretary. Unlike Trump loyalist Masters, Sasse has been an outspoken critic of the former President, having voted to convict him in his second impeachment trial following the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol during the counting of electoral votes for Joe Biden. Before his election to the U.S. Senate in 2014, Sasse was the President of Midland University and was credited for turning around what had been a languishing Lutheran college in Fremont, Nebraska, dramatically increasing its enrollment numbers, graduation rates and financial endowments under his watch. Sasse has also written books during his U.S. Senate tenure, has often taken aim at what Sasse calls "the managed decline of America that both sides are guilty of engaging in", and voted to confirm all three of former President Trump's picks for the Supreme Court while maintaining a largely conservative voting record, notwithstanding his vote against Trump in 2021.

In his announcement, DeSantis acknowledged the nature of his selection of Sasse: "Of course Donald Trump doesn't agree with me about it, we did discuss this beforehand, and I certainly don't agree with the dumb move that Ben made to convict Trump over that horrible tragedy that he certainly did not directly cause. But 2021 is a long way away, and this is not the Donald Trump administration, this is my administration, and what matters is putting the American people and our conservative principles first, more than anything. Ben Sasse has a record of success turning around a floundering college in his home state, and he will do a great job empowering teachers and parents first in his new role". Having already announced he will not seek reelection in 2026, Sasse (whose wife homeschools their three children back home in Nebraska) vowed to make great use of his new role: "This new journey is one I am honored to take part in, and as your Education Secretary we are going to create the most prepared and dedicated workforce this country has ever seen". Even Trump himself gave a tongue-in-cheek endorsement of the pick: "Glad to see Ron DeSantis putting Little Ben Sasse in as Education Secretary - because he certainly will be the last one!", alluding to the likelihood that the Department of Education (among other departments including Labor and Energy) stand to be eliminated in a "starve the beast" scenario floated by many conservatives.

Alex Wagner, on her MSNBC show, was not exactly charitable of the news however: "What a way to end the holiday season: two token Black brand-name Republicans, a token Hispanic brand-name Republican, a token Trump critic already well-known to most Americans, a token Millennial with the right ingredients, and a token woman who is essentially Ron DeSantis with a vagina under her pink diapers. Whoop-de-doo! A far cry from the diverse administration that President Biden will be leaving behind, only to be wasted because old white men are once again running the show". Raymond Arroyo, filling in the following night for Laura Ingraham on her Fox News show The Ingraham Angle from his studio in New Orleans, responded to Wagner's derisive quip: "So Kristi Noem is wearing pink diapers. How convenient? If that's the best you can say on air, Alex Wagner, bless your heart, you'll probably need them and cry wearing them every time Ron DeSantis cleans up the mess President Biden and his sad sack henchmen made, liberal tears and all".

December 28, 2024
HARRISON, McDANIEL STEP ASIDE AS SENATE RUMORS SWIRL; RNC BANS DISGRUNTLED "NEVER TRUMPER" FROM CAMPAIGNS
At two last-minute meetings of both the Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee in separate corners of the Capitol Beltway, change is all but certain as DNC Chairman Jaime Harrison announced he will not be seeking another term, an announcement he made at the Washington Hilton hotel - in the same ballroom where Ronald Reagan had spoken before his assassination attempt in 1981. The former South Carolina Democratic Party Chairman, who unsuccessfully ran a close campaign against Sen. Lindsey Graham in 2020, has not announced his future intentions as rumors have begun to swirl not only of a potential 2026 run in a year where South Carolina's governorship also hangs in the balance due to incumbent Republican Henry McMaster being term-limited (Former Columbia mayor Steve Benjamin, who is also Black, has announced his intentions to run on the Democratic side), but also of whether or not Graham will be running for a fifth term as Senator. The lifelong bachelor Graham, who will be 71 in 2026, will be termed out of serving a fourth term as Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee by the end of his term (having served in that capacity from 2019-2021) and signs have pointed to Graham likely heading for the exits, his hawkish foreign policy views likely to be at odds with the more traditional realist/fairly noninterventionist views of the incoming DeSantis administration.

When asked about the speculation surrounding his future plans, Harrison denied that he was stepping aside to make a run for the Senate: "I am not going to speculate on my future plans in service to our country, and more specifically my home state of South Carolina, but Democrats are fired up and ready to defend their turf in 2026, and we are going to make gains with an eye towards states like Texas, Florida, Ohio and several others. We are going to be back, and we are going to be back stronger than ever before". He also acknowledged the desire for reaching out to working-class voters the party has bled in recent election cycles, stating "We have learned our lesson, and we are currently plotting our strategy and getting to the bottom of why the Democratic brand is in the 'toilet', where we don't deserve to be. Because as the saying goes, there's nowhere to go but up".

Meanwhile, at the Republican National Committee meeting at the Gaylord National Resort in National Harbor, Maryland - down the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. and across the Potomac from Alexandria, Virginia, outgoing Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel was roasted by her fellow colleagues (in this case, meaning she is being honored in the tradition of a comedy 'roast' with satirical jokes) during a farewell ceremony. During the ceremony, McDaniel remarked "It's been the honor of a lifetime to serve as Chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, helping to work alongside one great President - Donald Trump, and working overtime to elect another great President - Ron DeSantis. Two of the finest men this country has ever seen, and it has been my honor to play a role in their presidencies". While rumors have swirled of McDaniel's political future, including a potential role in the DeSantis administration as well as speculation surrounding a 2026 Senate run in Michigan against incumbent Democrat and former vice presidential running mate Gary Peters, McDaniel - whose uncle is Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah, stated "My focus now is not on what goes on in the Senate elections in 2026. My focus now is laying the groundwork for a strong Republican Party to stand with Ron DeSantis and his incoming administration, and helping to elect a new RNC Chair that will take our party even further".

While much of the focus has been on unfinished business in the run up to Inauguration Day, there was also some last-minute business of the 2024 cycle to tackle. During the post-Christmas meeting, the RNC voted to bar its candidates from participating in any electoral activities with disgraced former Republican strategist Rick Wilson, citing Wilson's involvement as the leader of The Lincoln Project - a controversial "Never Trump" group that has often attacked Trump and other Republicans including Senate and gubernatorial incumbents and candidates across the conservative spectrum, and especially Wilson's involvement in the controversial "Republicans Are Trailer Trash" ad that aired during an NFL game last September. "Wilson's vile attacks on our party, including the invoking of false and inflammatory stereotypes regarding Republicans, including the blatant lie that we advocate for the Confederate flag, justify barring Wilson from all future involvement in our party and related activities. For all I care, he is a Democrat, an actual racist who disregards the gains we have made with minorities and Millennials, an enabler of pedophiles (referring to a controversy involving a former Lincoln Project strategist accused of grooming young men - some of them teenagers), and nothing more than that, and he's where he belongs - right there with them", said Republican National Committeeman Dr. Robin Armstrong of Texas, who is African-American and who authored the resolution to admonish Wilson.

In response to his censure by the Republican National Committee, Wilson responded in a live response on the Lincoln Project's YouTube channel by attacking his former party as "hypocrites when it comes to the First Amendment", and added that "when it comes to the incoming DeSantis administration, we are going to hold them accountable and remind everyone of who these vultures in disguise are. And they are vultures in disguise, because say what you will about Donald Trump, at least he never hid his true self when he was destroying our country". During his opening statement on Tucker Carlson Tonight, Fox News host Tucker Carlson responded, chuckles in between: "Good luck trying to sell us your latest millions of dollars worth in throwaway ads, Mr. Wilson. Because you'll be laughing to the bank the next time the media gives you an undeserved pat on the back while Ron DeSantis is working overtime to bring our country roaring back to life!".

In another unrelated development, meanwhile, Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen has announced that his replacement for Sen. Ben Sasse, who will be taking over as Education Secretary in the DeSantis administration, will be announced "some time in between the certification of what should be a peaceful transfer of power on January 6th and the inauguration of President Ron DeSantis two weeks from that time". While many speculate the choice will be Pillen's predecessor as Governor in 60-year-old Pete Ricketts, former TD Ameritrade executive and part-owner of Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs, others have speculated that Pillen will select a placeholder (such as Sasse's predecessor in 74-year-old former Senator, Governor and Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns), though Pillen has argued "the Senate seat belongs to no one but the people of Nebraska, and the choice I make to select Ben Sasse will be a choice that every Nebraskan will be proud of".

Next: The 119th Congress is sworn in, as Ron DeSantis makes an explosive choice to complete his Cabinet...

[PRESIDENT STANTON]

A final piece of the election result puzzle, regards the percentage of the counties won by who, DeSantis won 2,872 counties (91.38%), to 271 (including District of Columbia) for Harris 8.62%.
If you look at how Reagan performed in 1984, he carried 2,836 counties (90.23%), to Mondale's paltry 307 counties (9.77%), however, I examined the Dukakis performance in 1988, and his take of 683 counties (21.73), to Bush's 2,460 (78.27%). Overall Harris's performance was an epic disaster, and she may want to claim that because Yang was a spoiler,
she was unable to win. This factor may give her some comfort, but she still had a deficit of 19.2 million votes, and that's unexcapable! Her presence at the top of the ticket may have hurt the Democratic brand in the down ballot race's and maybe, just maybe DeSantis is just the better candidate in this TL.
 In the Electoral College votes cast, DeSantis won 420 (78.07%), Harris was allocated with 110¹ electoral votes (20.45%) and 8 electoral votes were faithless (1.49%). Harris's performance was the worst for any Democrat since 1984, regarding counties won and even Dukakis beat her by 1 electoral vote.

¹ Harris won 118 electoral votes on Election Day, but the intervention of 8 faithless electors reduced that number on December 16th with the meeting of electoral college.

[Kahane's Grave Is A Gender-Neutral Bathroom]

How did DeSantis win poor people when his agenda is literally to gut entitlements they rely on?

[Zedonathin2020]

How did DeSantis win poor people when his agenda is literally to gut entitlements they rely on?

Plot convenience

[PRESIDENT STANTON]

Maybe poor people suddenly wised up and figured that voting Democrat, only does one thing, which is to keep them poor and dependent on other's! Democrats are pretty good at the class warfare thing, pitting one group against another and actually doing diddly squat, while blaming Republican's for keeping poor people poor! A pretty neat scam when you actually think of it! Poor people ain't stupid and when they start getting smart, that's when Democrats run into the buzz saw question, "What have you actually done for me lately!" DeSantis is probably borrowing the "levelling up" stratagem, which Boris Johnson used in the UK, and poor people now reckon if they can get a bigger piece of the pie, than what Democrats gave them, then what the hell, they probably reckon I am entitled to be better off! Why did DeSantis get 21% of African American's, because many of them, are fed up of the Ghetto and that's all they got from Democrats!

[PRESIDENT STANTON]

I could imagine some conservative radio talk show host offering a very cutting response to Alex Wagner's monologue, something like this, " Hey Alex, you need to quit drinking that leftist kool-aid! It's really warping your sense of reality, you claim that the Biden administration has been diverse! Really? Oh so, those usual token appointments of Black's, hispanics and other members of the quota dependent Democratic coalition is your idea of diverse! How? Because if you actually look at the true picture, Biden's appointments have represented a rehash of old Obama retreads! A token woman for Treasury, a token black for Pentagon, and other fellow travellers from the Democratic leftist coalition for other jobs! Socialist placeholders to ensure the big spending leftist agenda is enacted. Now we have Wagner lecturing us on tokenism, so Alex, it would be a good idea, if you could instead of   engaging in projection, just focus on subjects within your pay grade and expertise, which is to remind us yet again how Democrats still don't understand the consequences of elections and assume they always have to be right! But, please explain to the rest of us mere mortals, why Kamala Harris lost again? Oh yeah, she ignored "fly-over country" and she got a big FU in return!" This is why what SaintStan86 stated before ring's true again! Democrats might be better served in having someone like Jaime Harrison or Tim Ryan running the DNC; for his part Ryan would have a keen understanding for why and how he lost. People like Alex Wagner don't get it, "instead of looking for the thorn in some Republican eye, look for the splinter in yours". I presume the explosive appointment, refers to the position of Attorney General? Pam Biondi or Kris Kobach?

[2016]

Based on the results seen so far, this is what the map pretty much looks like with the kind of result that has happened:



And for those who may be wondering "This would never happen!", it shall be noted that such socioeconomically divergent counties as Fairfield County, Connecticut, Monongalia County, West Virginia, Marshall County, Mississippi, Snohomish County, Washington, Worcester County, Massachusetts, Gwinnett County, Georgia, and Mahoning County, Ohio - along with San Diego County, California, East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, Jefferson County/Louisville, Kentucky, Hidalgo County, Texas, York County, Maine, Clark County, Nevada, and Loudoun County, Virginia - all gave pluralities to DeSantis in the range of 45-50 percent that highlight just how much of a spoiler Andrew Yang proved to be in this race, as well as the end product of what an amalgamation of Trump-style numbers in rural and working-class areas, a Glenn Youngkin-style suburban shift in all 50 states, and unprecedented support among Hispanic and Black voters for a Republican presidential candidate can produce for the GOP. When the aforementioned Jefferson County/Louisville as well as Fayette County (home to Lexington) are giving pluralities to DeSantis who wins every other county in Kentucky, it's hard to imagine how Democrats cannot plot their future without some attempt to a) reach out to the voters the Democrats bled away over the past two decades; b) how the triangulation of yore has worn thin over time; and c) at least having enough decency to reach out to Andrew Yang if not at least his supporters.

In other words, Democrats have plenty of explaining to do as to what direction they will need to take going forward. With that in mind, I'm going to go on a limb and say that if Jaime Harrison does not return as DNC Chairman, Tim Ryan - who at one time considered challenging Nancy Pelosi for control of the Democratic caucus - could be a likely pick to head the Democrats in the DeSantis era, sensing that the party has "lost its way" with the working class, and it's fair to say that if Donald Trump had the sort of demeanor that DeSantis has thus far shown as Governor of Florida (a "strategic bulldog" playing chess and not moaning like a toddler who doesn't get his way), he most likely would not have suffered a good chunk of the suburban slump that Trump got in 2016 and 2020, and the whole discussion about 2020 - coronavirus notwithstanding - would have focused on how badly the Democrats have fallen in the post-Obama era.

Awesome Work @SaintStan86! Surprised DeSantis did not win Prince Wiliam County in VA.
I doubt a guy like Tim Ryan who lost a Senate Seat in 2022 would be the solution to bring back the WWC for Democrats. I would probably select a Hispanic as DNC Chairman trying to win back some of those Voters.

[President of the great nation of 🏳️‍⚧️]

Fun fact: This marks the first time ever that King County voted out of step with Washington at-large.

[2016]

Updated Post to reflect President-elect DeSantis recent Announcements

President-elect DeSantis Cabinet thus far (pending Confirmations)

Vice President: Former South Carolina Governor & Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki R. Haley

Secretary of State: Robert O'Brien
Ambassador to the United Nations: Ric Grenell
Secretary of Defense: Kenneth Braithwaite
Director of National Intelligence: Utah Congressman Chris Stewart
Attorney General: TBD (To be determined)
Department of Homeland Security: Florida Congressman Carlos Gimenez
Chair Council of Economic Advisors: Steve Moore
Secretary of Commerce: Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin
U. S. Trade Representative: C. J. Mahoney
Director Office Management & Budget: Pete Peterson
Director of the Office of Science and Tech Policy: Drew Baglino
Secretary of Transportation: Nicole Nason
Administrator of the Small Business Administration: Brad Close
Secretary of the Treasury: David McCormick
Secretary of Education: Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse
Secretary of Energy: Former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman Jr.
Secretary of Agriculture: Former Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles
Secretary of the Interior: South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem
Secretary of Labor: Blake Masters
Secretary of Veterans Affairs: Florida Congressman Brian Mast
Administrator of Environmental Protection Agency: Eric Eikenberg
Secretary of Housing & Urban Development: South Carolina Senator Tim Scott
Secretary of Health & Human Services: Former HUD Secretary Dr. Ben Carson

Non-Cabinet Level Appointments

White House Chief of Staff: Byron Donalds
White House Press Secretary: Kayleigh McEnany
White House Communications Director: Christina Pushaw
White House Counsel: Chris Sprowls
Senior Advisor to the President: Brad Herold
Counselor to the President: Joe Gruters
Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality: Jon Niermann
NASA Administrator: Bill Nelson (Democrat) Holdover from the Biden Administration
CIA Director: Texas Congressman John Ratcliffe
FBI Director: TBD (To be determined)
Director of National Drug Control Policy: Kash Patel
Homeland Security Advisor: Ken Cuccinelli
National Security Advisor: Dina Powell


The only 2 Appointments President DeSantis has left to make are for Attorney General & FBI Director.
There will be 5 or 6 House Special Elections in 2025 (3 of them will be in Florida at least) and my guess is that incoming Florida Governor Jeanette Nunez will schedule them all on the same Day.
Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen has indicated that he will select a Replacement for Senator Ben Sasse upon confirmation of Sasse to the Department of Education with speculation surrounding former Governors Pete Ricketts & Mike Johanns. Ricketts is a close ally of DeSantis and appeared with him frequently on some of the Laura Ingraham Road Shows during the Year of 2021. Needless to say a Ricketts Appointment would probably be welcomed News for Senate Majority John Cornyn who wouldn't have to worry anymore of a possible defection as Ricketts is waay more conservative than Sasse.
I am curious who will replace South Carolina Tim Scott in the Senate assuming he gets confirmed as HUD Secretary. My money would be on Rep. Nancy Mace. South Carolina hasn't had a Female Senator in a loooong time I believe.

As far as Attorney General is concerned I've actually no idea whom President-elect DeSantis picks: Could be Pam Bondi, Jay Ashcroft (who just lost a Governor Race in Missouri), Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (who would be very controversial indeed) or Rudy Giuliani, Newt Gingrich (although I think they are too old now).

[SaintStan86]

Updated Post to reflect President-elect DeSantis recent Announcements

President-elect DeSantis Cabinet thus far (pending Confirmations)

Vice President: Former South Carolina Governor & Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki R. Haley

Secretary of State: Robert O'Brien
Ambassador to the United Nations: Ric Grenell
Secretary of Defense: Kenneth Braithwaite
Director of National Intelligence: Utah Congressman Chris Stewart
CIA Director: Texas Congressman John Ratcliffe
FBI Director: TBD (To be determined)
Attorney General: TBD (To be determined)
Department of Homeland Security: Florida Congressman Carlos Gimenez
Secretary of Commerce: Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin
U. S. Trade Representative:
Secretary of Transportation: Nicole Nason
Administrator of the Small Business Administration: Brad Close
Secretary of the Treasury: David McCormick
Secretary of Education: Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse
Secretary of Energy: Former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman Jr.
Secretary of Agriculture: Former Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles
Secretary of the Interior: South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem
Secretary of Labor: Blake Masters
Secretary of Veterans Affairs: Florida Congressman Brian Mast
Administrator of Environmental Protection Agency: Eric Eikenberg
NASA Administrator: Bill Nelson (Democrat) Holdover from the Biden Administration
Secretary of Housing & Urban Development: South Carolina Senator Tim Scott
Secretary of Health & Human Services: Former HUD Secretary Dr. Ben Carson

Non-Cabinet Level Appointments

White House Chief of Staff: Byron Donalds
White House Press Secretary: Kayleigh McEnany
White House Communications Director: Christina Pushaw
White House Counsel (Head of WH Legal Team): TBD (To be determined)
Chair Council of Economic Advisors: Steve Moore
Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality: Jon Niermann
National Security Advisor: Dina Powell


The only 2 Appointments President DeSantis has left to make are for Attorney General & FBI Director.
There will be 5 or 6 House Special Elections in 2025 and my guess is that incoming Florida Governor Jeanette Nunez will schedule them all on the same Day.

Looking good. Also don't forget that the U.S. Trade Representative is former Deputy United States Trade Representative C.J. Mahoney, who is currently a Deputy General Counsel with Microsoft, and the White House Counsel is former Florida House Speaker Chris Sprowls who used to represent DeSantis's hometown of Dunedin in Tallahassee. Also shall note that the NASA, CIA and FBI positions don't require Senate approval, but the Chair of the Council of Economic Advisors does.

Other appointees include:

Requires Senate approval:
Director of the Office of Science and Tech Policy: Drew Baglino (former Tesla executive, political party not known)
Director of the Office of Management and Budget: Pete Peterson

Executive Office, not requiring Senate approval:
Homeland Security Advisor: Ken Cuccinelli
Counselor to the President: Joe Gruters
Senior Advisor to the President: Brad Herold
Director of National Drug Control Policy: Kash Patel

[2016]

@SaintStan86,
Thanks for helping me out. I hope I have them all now. Lot's of names to fill in

And one more thing: I am a bit shocked that Alex Wagner hasn't been fired already. But then it is typical for this Sister Network that they can say everything they want and it gets swept under the carpet.

Give credit where there is credit due as Lester Holt, Savannah Guthrie, Chuck Todd and Andrea Mitchell were a little bit more mannered during their Election Night Coverage + their Coverage in general and acted as Adults and not as Children.

[PRESIDENT STANTON]

I thought the Director's of the FBI and CIA require confirmation by the Senate under the "Advise and consent" requirements, but the Chair of the CEA doesn't. Could be wrong! As for that explosive appointment! Attorney General or Homeland Security, I'm thinking Kris Kobach or/and Pam Biondi! If it is, then there will definitely be fireworks, especially from Democrats! Even Trump wouldn't chance Kobach! Another name that comes to mind is Stephen Miller, who was responsible for Trump's immigration policies. There would definitely be explosions from Democrats and the left if this was the case; but if so, what reason? Anyway just idle speculation!

[2016]

I thought the Director's of the FBI and CIA require confirmation by the Senate under the "Advise and consent" requirements, but the Chair of the CEA doesn't. Could be wrong! As for that explosive appointment! Attorney General or Homeland Security, I'm thinking Kris Kobach or/and Pam Biondi! If it is, then there will definitely be fireworks, especially from Democrats! Even Trump wouldn't chance Kobach! Another name that comes to mind is Stephen Miller, who was responsible for Trump's immigration policies. There would definitely be explosions from Democrats and the left if this was the case; but if so, what reason? Anyway just idle speculation!

Homeland has already being named. That's Carlos Gimenez. The only two Appointments left for DeSantis to make is Attorney General and FBI Director since Wray has announced his Resignation.

I've thrown in TX Att General Ken Paxton which could be very explosive too.

[PRESIDENT STANTON]

Jay Ashcroft, would be novel; his father John, after losing to a deceased Mel Carnahan in 2000, was tapped by Dubya as Attorney General. Frankly I doubt it will be Ashcroft, my money would be on either Biondi or maybe Paxton or even Kris Kobach, he would as explosive as he'll.

[SaintStan86]

The ball has dropped in Times Square where revelers have rung in 2025. College football bowl games rule the TV from coast to coast as the Rose Bowl, the Sugar Bowl and other bowl games (as well as to a lesser extent, hockey's NHL Winter Classic) has dawned upon the country. And two days later, on a Friday that otherwise would be excused to a large extent, a whole new Congress has begun...

January 3, 2025
119TH CONGRESS SWORN IN WITH EXPANDED SENATE MAJORITY, NEW HOUSE SPEAKER
The first day of the 119th Congress commenced on Friday as Steve Scalise took his place at the speaker's gavel. With the largest Republican majority in over a century, the representative from Louisiana's 1st District in suburban New Orleans - one whose life was almost cut short in a mass shooting during a practice session for the Congressional Baseball Game - exhibited "a good dose of gratitude" and looked forward to "fighting for the American people every day, for the right to prosper and thrive, for the right to speak their mind without retribution, and for an America where all regardless of their economic, social, racial, ethnic or sexual background can be judged on the merits of their character and goodwill, not the class warfare, corporate cronyism and politically correct programming that has divided us over these last four years." The 59-year-old Scalise, joined with his family by his side, vowed to lead "a Congress for all Americans, standing for what's right and good about our country" and looked forward to "working with President Ron DeSantis to make freedom matter in America once again!" While new rules and a ceremonial Constitution reading will be taking place today, work in the House is expected to be humdrum until DeSantis is sworn in as President.

The new House will have 268 Republicans, along with 1 member of the Constitution Party, Georgia's Marjorie Taylor Greene, serving in the 269-member majority conference, and 164 Democrats - the largest such Republican majority since the 67th Congress elected in 1920 alongside Republican President Warren Harding (and also a trifecta with 59 GOP Senators out of 96 total). Two Republican-held seats are vacant, because those two Republicans - Byron Donalds of Florida and John Ratcliffe of Texas - chose not to take their seats after being appointed to positions in the incoming administration of Ron DeSantis. Donalds was nominated to be White House Chief of Staff under President-elect DeSantis, while Ratcliffe, the last former Director of National Intelligence to serve under Donald Trump, will become head of the CIA under DeSantis; their respective districts, Florida's 19th District (based in Naples and southwest Florida) and Texas's 5th District (based in the eastern Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex) will hold special elections no earlier than March called by Florida Gov. DeSantis and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.

Three other Republican-held seats are also set to become vacant, including two in Florida - the Treasure Coast-based 21st District of Brian Mast and the south Miami-Dade and Key West-based 28th District of Carlos Giménez, as well as the 2nd District in Utah (including northern suburbs of Salt Lake City and much of western and southern Utah) of Chris Stewart. Mast has been nominated to become Secretary of Veterans Affairs, while Giménez has been selected to serve as Secretary of Homeland Security and Stewart is expected to serve as Director of National Intelligence. Unlike the case with Donalds and Ratcliffe, these three positions require Senate confirmation and to no surprise, all three will continue to serve in Congress until confirmed, even though both DeSantis and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox - as well as Abbott in Texas - have all called special elections. Of the five seats, Giménez's seat is considered the most vulnerable, as it narrowly voted for Joe Biden in 2020 before swinging to favorite son DeSantis in 2024, though Mast's seat also takes in a sizable northern chunk of traditionally Democratic-leaning Palm Beach County and Stewart's portion of Salt Lake County (which includes most of Salt Lake City itself) is considered competitive.

Across the Capitol in the Senate, unlike the case with the House both in terms of structure and the body of work, the upper chamber is vastly different with 65 Republican Senators - the most in American history - and a bevy of nomination hearings scheduled for the next two and a half weeks along with the certification of the Electoral College on January 6th. The Senate will be led by Senate Majority Leader John Cornyn of Texas, who has already indicated his desire to run for reelection in 2026 despite criticism from some conservatives over his moderate voting record (though not unlike the criticism his predecessor Mitch McConnell faced himself), and has committed to working round the clock "over the next few weeks to make sure that Ron DeSantis has the leaders and the gravitas he needs to get America back on track". Despite the unwieldy size of the Republican conference, Cornyn has vowed a disciplined conservative conference "with no exceptions just to please a vocally unstable Democratic minority that is going to just whine instead of lead".

Among the new Senators is former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who took his place as the new Class I Senator from California after being sworn in by John Seymour, the last Republican to serve as a Senator from the Golden State, having been appointed to the seat in 1991 following the election of incumbent Pete Wilson as Governor, before losing to former San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein (whom McCarthy succeeded in the Senate) in 1992. When asked by a reporter about how it feels to be a "junior" compared to no longer being second in line to the presidency, McCarthy expressed zero regrets: "You know, I believe we are in a good place as a country, and for me service has always been about serving the people of California, not using the spoils of Congress as a stepping stone to higher power".

The new Senate Republican Conference will have 14 new Senators - the most out of one party in at least recent history - with 13 of those coming from formerly Democratic seats. Among the newcomers besides McCarthy are Dr. Mehmet Öz, who was sworn in by former appointed Sen. Jeff Chiesa (who served briefly in 2013 following the death of Sen. Frank Lautenberg), two years removed from his defeat for another Senate seat in Pennsylvania against then-Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman. Indeed, almost all of the new Republican Senators were either sworn in by current (Maine, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, West Virginia, Wisconsin) and former (Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, Virginia, plus appointed former ones from California and New Jersey) Republican Senators. Ben du Pont of Delaware, whose most recent Republican Senator - William Roth - died in 2003, was sworn in by departing Democratic Sen. Tom Carper who had defeated Roth in 2000, while Dan Crenshaw, the only new Republican Senator from a seat already held by a Republican, was sworn in by his now-predecessor, former Sen. Ted Cruz. When asked what he is going to miss the most about serving in the Senate, Cruz responded: "Well, there's not really much that I miss about being a Senator, but I am looking forward to spending more time with my family back home in Houston, and that's what matters more than anything is family", also alluding to writing his memoirs.

Vice President Kamala Harris was present to gavel in the new Senate in her ceremonial role as President of the Senate, but with the Senate now having a lopsided Republican majority, she mostly retreated to the gallery with little fanfare as Senate Majority Leader John Cornyn took the reins, gaveling in the 119th Congress with a busy schedule of hearings for appointees of the incoming presidential administration, preferring to wait to act on matters affecting the American people until Inauguration Day. Save for one particular day...

January 6, 2025
CONGRESS CERTIFIES 2024 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION WITH ZERO CONTROVERSY, LITTLE DISRUPTION
After a weekend of rest following a busy Friday morning and afternoon of celebratory luncheons, congressional office openings and new leadership posts announced, the Congress went to work on Monday to certify the 2024 election in a joint session of Congress presided over by Vice President Kamala Harris at around 1:00PM Eastern time. With little to no disruption outside and no objections from the Congress - save for one futile questioning of the results in the state of Washington by progressive Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal of the Seattle-based 7th District that was ultimately rejected, the results were certified with 420 electoral votes for Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his running mate, former Ambassador Nikki Haley, and 110 electoral votes for Harris, plus eight faithless electors' votes that otherwise would have gone to Harris including one awarded to Andrew Yang, who as the nominee of his Forward movement becomes the first third party candidate to win an electoral vote since George Wallace in 1968.

After Harris took an initial ceremonial lead with the counting of her home state of California's 54 electoral votes for her, DeSantis took the lead going forward after his home state of Florida's 30 electoral votes were counted and never looked back, with Ohio's 17 electoral votes ceremonially securing the magical 270 for DeSantis. As expected, DeSantis won 420 electoral votes, with 110 of the 118 electoral votes allocated to Harris going to her. Four states produced eight faithless electors, with three coming from New York - two for her vice presidential running mate and Sen. Gary Peters in addition to a third for Yang, two from Massachusetts (former President John F. Kennedy and former Rep. Gerry Studds, both deceased), and one each from Rhode Island (Sen. Jack Reed), Vermont (former Sen. Bernie Sanders) and the District of Columbia (civil rights activist and former presidential candidate, the Rev. Jesse Jackson). As conservative talk radio host and Boston Herald columnist Howie Carr put it aptly on his WRKO radio show in Boston: "The fact that Kamala Harris even lost two electoral votes here in Massachusetts - one to a dead President, the other a pedophile (referring to Studds who was the subject of a 1983 scandal in which he reportedly had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old male page), two to Gary Peters and another to Andrew Yang in New York, lost a vote to Bernie in Vermont and Jack Reed in Rhode Island, and even lost one in Washington, D.C. to Jesse Jackson of all persons, tells you just how terrible a candidate Kamala Harris was."

The day was also marked by the four-year anniversary of the 2021 attack on the Capitol. On the Democratic side, the occasion was marked as if it were on par with the September 11th attacks - with various tributes to the Capitol Police officers who died in the aftermath of the attack, as well as speeches remarking on the symbolic nature of the anniversary with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer remarking: "That day four years ago was one of the darkest days in the history of our nation, and it is a day we hope to never relive". House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries also remarked on the anniversary by also extending his thoughts on the members of Congress still remaining: "A great many of us who were there that day are no longer here in Congress, but the memories of that day still ring deeply in our souls, and serve as a reminder as to why democracy - more than ever - should not be taken for granted".

On the Republican side, much of the discussion with regards to the 2021 attack also centered on tributes to the Capitol Police officers who died, while others expanded the discussion to focus on other matters. For example, Rep. Troy Nehls of Texas, a former Sheriff of Fort Bend County, Texas who fought off Capitol rioters face-to-face in the House chamber and later was one of a handful of Republicans selected to serve on the January 6th Committee only to have his appointment scuttled by then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, denounced the violence exhibited by the rioters but also remarked that Ashli Babbitt, a rioter shot to death by police in the midst of the attack, "would be alive today if it weren't for the gross security failures that caused this tragedy to happen in the first place". Others denounced Antifa, while still others such as Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado remarked that "If only they gave us a chance to look at the results for themselves an interpret a credible decision as to whether or not these last-minute votes are real, and we didn't have all these supposed COVID modifications in different states over a virus that most every American got and became immune to anyway, this tragedy wouldn't have happened, and regardless of whether or not Trump or Biden won, there wouldn't have been a January 6th".

With the vote having been certified by the joint session of Congress, both President Biden and Kamala Harris have started to accelerate their already ongoing moves out of the White House and Number One Observatory Circle, their respective residences in Washington, as both residences are being prepared for the incoming administration. As for one particular Senator - forget the talk about more "spending more time with my family", for it was all a mirage compared to DeSantis's next big move...

January 7, 2024
DeSANTIS PICKS HIS ATTORNEY GENERAL, WILL NOT ANNOUNCE FBI REPLACEMENT UNTIL "AFTER INAUGURATION"; NUÑEZ SWORN IN AS GOVERNOR OF FLORIDA
On Tuesday, while the paint was still dry on the electoral college vote, President-elect Ron DeSantis announced his pick for Attorney General, selecting former Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas to serve in this role. A former Solicitor General of Texas until then-Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, the Princeton- and Harvard-educated Cruz, who once served as an editor for the Harvard Law Review and other Harvard law publications, clerked for federal and Supreme Court justices and assisted on George W. Bush's presidential campaign before serving as an associate deputy attorney general in the Justice Department under then-Attorney General John Ashcroft. In 2003, Cruz became Texas's Solicitor General for six years, and his legal pedigree became widely regarded across various legal publications and conservative legal circles.

In 2012, with endorsements from various conservatives including former Reagan-era Attorney General Edwin Meese (who served as his national campaign chairman) as well as groups like the Club for Growth and FreedomWorks, Cruz scored an upset victory in the 2012 U.S. Senate primary against the favored choice, then-Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst, and went on to defeat Democratic former State Rep. Paul Sadler to become Texas's first Hispanic U.S. Senator, in a race where he outperformed Mitt Romney among Hispanics statewide. This set the stage for his ascendant 2016 presidential run, finishing second to Donald Trump in a bitter Republican primary battle where Cruz and Trump lobbed personal attacks against each other, culminating in his infamous speech at the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland where he urged the delegates to "vote your conscience" instead of directly endorsing Trump - which he eventually did and went on to become one of Trump's more reliable supporters in the Senate, even voting to object to electoral votes in Arizona and Pennsylvania from 2020 hours after the infamous attack on the U.S. Capitol that occurred four years and one day ago - which led to calls from Democrats and the media for Cruz to resign or be expelled.

After being introduced by DeSantis at a press conference announced on the grounds of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California near Los Angeles, where the two once debated during the 2024 presidential cycle, Cruz thanked DeSantis for his "undying friendship and camaraderie through the years" and called his appointment as Attorney General "the opportunity of a lifetime", also remarking "If this is what one means by spending more time with family, it's fair to say I will have plenty of that going on before my teenage daughters get too big for our own liking". Still, Cruz remarked that being Attorney General will "afford me more personal time with my family, because all I'm doing really is directing the Justice Department that I was proud to serve in before my daughters were even born - something that as a U.S. Senator I was almost never able to have", as his wife Heidi and his two daughters, Caroline and Catherine, stood besides him.

While family was certainly in focus for Cruz, he laid no stone unturned in his opening statement as an appointee: "The American people have gone through enough abuse with the DOJ, with the FBI, the ATF, our prison system, the pandering to our drug cartels, our open borders, the attacks on our Constitution. They are sick of these attacks, and it's time they deserve a Justice Department that works to their better angels, not their worse demons. Merrick Garland is one of the biggest devils in disguise ever to have served in the federal government, and we are going to finally get to the truth about 2020, about 2021, about Afghanistan, the targeting of gun owners, concerned parents, and other crimes committed by the Biden administration".

The reaction from the left, unsurprisingly was harsh though not unanimously vile. On one hand Cruz's former professor at Harvard, liberal constitutional law professor Alan Dershowitz, remarked "Of course he is definitely biting, he certainly is wrong on many levels, but the guy is so brilliant that it's hard to argue with him without crying or laughing. If Ron DeSantis had to make his call for Attorney General, he practically has gotten what he wanted, and Ted Cruz was effectively made for this moment". However, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer was far less charitable: "We are definitely going to have a probing and thorough confirmation process for my former colleague on the other side of the Senate, but this has to be one of the most divisive picks from the DeSantis administration, and I'm not certain how Ted Cruz as Attorney General will be compared to Ted Cruz as a Senator".

As for one particular vacancy of note in the incoming administration, DeSantis made his stance on the FBI directorship clear: "I'm going to give Christopher Wray all the time he needs to pack his bags and prepare to head back home to Atlanta, as I make my decision clear as to who our next FBI Director will be. That decision is one I am going to give great thought to, and it's a decision I will be making after I am inaugurated as President. But it goes without saying that the FBI is in dire need of an overhaul, new leadership that will effectively serve the American public and not the special interests that were cozy to Joe Biden."

The afternoon in California capped off an auspicious day for the President-elect, which began early in the morning in Tallahassee, where at 10:00AM DeSantis officially resigned as Governor of Florida, remarking his gratitude to "the people of Florida for the friendship and trust you have given me as your Governor, and it is a legacy I leave behind that will never be forgotten by the people of Florida", handing over the reins to his Lieutenant Governor, Jeanette Nuñez. The first Latina to serve as Lieutenant Governor of Florida, Nuñez was born in Miami and worked as an adjunct professor at her alma mater, Florida International University, as well as a hospital executive in Miami before her election as a State Representative in a South Florida district that stretched westward across the Everglades from Doral to Naples. Nuñez would go on to be selected as Lieutenant Governor by DeSantis in his successful 2018 bid and subsequent 2022 reelection, and is married to her husband Adrian with whom she has three children.

In her introductory speech, which concluded shortly before DeSantis took a charter flight to California to introduce Ted Cruz as his Attorney General (which happened at 3:00PM Pacific time), Nuñez remarked "I would like to thank Ron DeSantis for the great work his governance has done in making Florida the "shining state on a hill" while also remarking "As your new Governor, Florida is going to go even farther and our economy, our communities and our people will be even prouder than before. Because in Florida, we believe in hard work and infinite dreams".

Next: Getting closer to the end for President Biden...

[NewYorkExpress]

Honestly, Ted Cruz for Attorney General is one of the more rational, reasonable picks DeSantis could possibly make. I was expecting someone like Pam Biondi or Ken Paxton, honestly.

[Kahane's Grave Is A Gender-Neutral Bathroom]

Will DeSantis seek the death penalty or life imprisonment for rape victims who get abortions?

[PRESIDENT STANTON]

Interesting choice, while the choice of Ted Cruz as AG is the choice of a top drawer legal mind; one thing that can be said of Cruz, he has a brilliant legal mind
Now onto a bit of housekeeping and due to some update from 2016 on the counties he reckons Harris won overall, here's my version of the 2024 County Map.

Overall Harris could only manage to carry 271 (the lowest number since Mondale's performance of winning 307 counties in 1984),  compared to the 2,872 allocated to DeSantis. It appears that the so-called "Blue Wall" which Trump managed to crack in 2016, has crumbled and if DeSantis as President implements policies that appeal to what can now be regarded as  "DeSantis Democrats" and Democrats fail to wean themselves away from the progressive "woke" counter culture ideology, they will endure an even bigger shellacking in 2028. Here's a question, could  DeSantis be the American version of Boris Johnson (re: cracking the red wall in the 2019 UK General election)?
It will be interesting to see if Biden takes that Amtrak ride back to Wilmington on Inauguration Day or hitch a ride on Air Force One, as was the case with Obama, Bush or Clinton. If Trump attends the DeSantis Inauguration, I can imagine the sour faces on the dais, if that's the case.

[2016]

@SaintStan86,
I don't think Ron DeSantis/Spencer Cox have the "Legal Authority" to call for Special Elections in FL-21, FL-28 and UT-2. You can only call Special Elections for the House of Representatives when that Member submits a written Resignation Letter to the House Speaker.

So the only Seat DeSantis can call a Special Election for is FL-19 because that Seat is indeed VACANT. The Dates however, since DeSantis has now resigned, would fall under the Jurisdiction/Authority of Florida Governor Jeanette Nuñez.

Different for Texas Governor Gregg Abbott who can call for the Special Election & set the Dates for the TX-5, the vacated Seat to replace John Ratcliffe.

Speaking of the Special Elections I think Republicans have a good chance retaining all 5 (FL-19, FL-21, FL-28, TX-5 and UT-5). As you said only FL-28 is considered to be really in play and Republicans have a very good bench there starting with Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, former Rep. Carlos Curbelo (if he wants to make a Political Comeback) and former Florida Lieutenant Governor Carlos Lopez-Cantera who could carpetbag into this District. He lives right on the edge between FL-27 & FL-28. As for the Democrats the only Candidate who could make this Race competitive is former Rep. Debbie Mucarsell-Powell who beat Curbelo in 2018 but lost to Gimenez in 2020. However I see it as doubtful that she runs since she already passed on a Race in 2022 & 2024.

It will be interesting to see whom Nuñez picks as Lt. Governor of Florida, presumable someone whom she will be running as a Ticket in 2026.

When it comes to the Capitol Insurrection on January 6th 2021 I actually agree with Lauren Boebert what she said. The Capitol Riot would have never happened if particularly Battleground States would have had an universal law to Ballot Access and an universal law to allow counting VBM Ballots before Election Day like FL, GA, NC, etc. had but Democratic elected Officials like Katie Hobbs, Jocelyn Benson and Kathy Boockvar kept moving the goalposts. Unfortunately it continued into 2024 as the Casey/McCormick Race took Weeks to settle all because PA could not open VBM Ballots until Polls closed on Election Day/Night. This is unfathomable to continue for the future and with Republicans having now large Majorities in the House & Senate maybe it is time to introduce Universal Election Laws in the entire Country.

Here would be my Suggestions:

• Universal Voter ID Law & Ballot Access for all 50 States.
• Universal Law for all 50 States that allows them to begin counting VBM Ballots before E-Day
• Universal Law for all 50 States to verify and count Provisional Ballots
• Universal Law for all 50 States when it comes to Recounts. For Statewide Offices if it's within 1/2 % an Automatic Machine Recount, if it's within 1/4 % an Automatic Manual Recount. For Congressional District or State Legislature Districts if it's within 1/4 % an Automatic Machine Recount, if it's within 1/10 % an Automatic Manual Recount.

Not sure if this could be attainable but I think DeSantis should at least try. It would probably require a 2/3 Majority in both House to ratify such a proposal. Maybe he can get Moderate Dems like Sinema & Casey to back this.

When it comes to DeSantis Pick for Attorney General, former Texas Senator Ted Cruz, back in 2016 it would be seen as a more rational pick but now given what happened on January 6th 2021 and that he still objected to count the EC Vote in PA & AZ I now expect some fireworks by Democrats.

[PRESIDENT STANTON II]

Hence the Fireworks that were alluded to in DeSantis's A.G. pick; Democrats can bellyache and whine as much as they feel like; but since Cornyn holds the whip hand, DeSantis gets his A.G. pick! I wouldn't be surprised if Democratic Senators refuse to meet with Cruz, all because they can't have their way. It's gonna be a long two years for Schumer!

[SaintStan86]

Interesting choice, while the choice of Ted Cruz as AG is the choice of a top drawer legal mind; one thing that can be said of Cruz, he has a brilliant legal mind
Now onto a bit of housekeeping and due to some update from 2016 on the counties he reckons Harris won overall, here's my version of the 2024 County Map.

Overall Harris could only manage to carry 266 (the lowest number since Mondale's performance of winning 307 counties in 1984),  compared to the 2,877 allocated to DeSantis. It appears that the so-called "Blue Wall" which Trump managed to crack in 2016, has crumbled and if DeSantis as President implements policies that appeal to what can now be regarded as  "DeSantis Democrats" and Democrats fail to wean themselves away from the progressive "woke" counter culture ideology, they will endure an even bigger shellacking in 2028. Here's a question, could  DeSantis be the American version of Boris Johnson (re: cracking the red wall in the 2019 UK General election)?
It will be interesting to see if Biden takes that Amtrak ride back to Wilmington on Inauguration Day or hitch a ride on Air Force One, as was the case with Obama, Bush or Clinton. If Trump attends the DeSantis Inauguration, I can imagine the sour faces on the dais, if that's the case.

Looks very good on your end! For those keeping score at home, here are the differences between our maps with my explanation:

• Arizona: We split on Apache, Coconino and Santa Cruz, as in Stanton's map only Pima goes blue. Natives still voted for Harris by a decent margin, which explains why I put Apache in the blue column since much of the Navajo Nation is actually in Apache. Santa Cruz is mostly Hispanic, but even with the big Latino shift it wouldn't have been enough for DeSantis to carry it. Coconino has a sizable population of Lululemon Liberals - outdoorsy types with a liberal streak - that carries Flagstaff and Sedona (among other areas) for Harris, though DeSantis does get some of the more moderate Rs Trump lost in the prior two cycles.
• California: While much of California has certain been more charitable to DeSantis compared to Trump (looking at you, Orange County!), Sacramento still goes for favorite daughter Harris as much of the capital city is clearly more pronounced in their liberal views compared to the 1980s. Do expect areas like Folsom and even places like Arden-Arcade to be a bit more charitable to the R side in this scenario.
• Colorado: San Miguel, Ouray and Costilla have enough Democratic and Native votes to where it likely would have been an uphill climb for DeSantis to prevail, and Summit, Eagle, Routt, Lake, Pitkin, and Gunnison are all Ski Country counties whose Lululemon Liberal votes hand those counties to Harris. We are in agreement on the rest as Denver and Boulder are deeply pronounced in their Democratic leans, and Broomfield amounts to a slight win for Harris given it has taken on many of the characteristics of nearby Boulder demographically speaking.
• Florida: Even with the favorite son effect, I still don't see Leon County (Tallahassee) going to DeSantis given Tallahassee's government bureaucrat + Black votes, the latter of which explains the phenomenon that to the northwest is Gadsden County.
• Louisiana: Given what I mentioned about the record Black percentages for DeSantis and my comments about Harris's strongest urban performances being amongst urban Blacks, it wouldn't be a shock if the rural Black vote represented a higher enough percentage to tip the parishes of Iberville, St. Helena, St. James and Tensas towards DeSantis, not to mention the exurban effect from being between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. And while East Baton Rouge Parish certainly has lots of Capitol bureaucrats and college students with LSU and SU in the area, there is also enough movement back towards the GOP amongst both Trump Democrats and at least the Ben Sasse end of Never Trump Republicans to nudge East Baton Rouge Parish in the DeSantis column.
• Montana: Big Horn County was the only disagreement we had, given the Native population at the Crow Indian Reservation, but I figured that DeSantis would barely get it by virtue of the coal industry there. It's also not a terribly conspiracy-filled area (at least compared to the Idaho Panhandle).
• New Mexico: Santa Fe County is the only county that goes blue in both of our maps. McKinley, Mora, Rio Arriba, San Miguel and Taos counties have a combination of sizable Native populations, deep Democratic votes or ski town votes (looking at Taos) that keeps them in the Democratic column. And while Stanton thinks Doña Ana would pretty much stay blue, I actually think it flips to the right given what DeSantis gained among Hispanics.
• North Carolina: Anson County has only gone Republican once since 1972, which explains why Stanton lit it blue. I projected the county would go red given the Black rural vote + spillover from both the exurban vote from Union County (south Charlotte suburbs) + the "DeSantis Democrats" vote out of Richmond County (Rockingham). It shall also be noted that the county voted for George Wallace in 1968.
• Virginia: Prince Edward County is home to Farmville as well as Longwood University and Hampden-Sydney College, which may explain why this county was put in the blue column on Stanton's end. I gave the benefit of the doubt to DeSantis as the results here were close for Trump in 2016 and 2020 and, given DeSantis would likely have improved here, would have gone red in an election like this where Yang splintered part of the vote that would have gone to Harris.
• Washington: Thurston County is home to the state capital, Olympia, where the Democratic vote is usually 3-2. Given the capitol bureaucrat vote, I don't expect DeSantis to win here compared to Stanton's analysis though I do imagine it will give at least a plurality to Harris given what Yang gets in western Washington and apparently also what Gary Johnson got in 2016. However, the highest a Republican got in the last three elections before Trump was 42.5 percent for George W. Bush in 2004 - and I will be shocked if DeSantis crosses that number unless Yang really goes big in Thurston. OTOH Whatcom County (Bellingham), I figured, would give a plurality at around 45 percent, and perhaps benefit from not just Andrew Yang but also the Green Party candidate, Norman Solomon, splitting off a good chunk of the Democratic vote that otherwise would have gone to Harris. Also shall be noted that George W. Bush got around this amount in both of his races, winning it in 2000 and losing it in 2004.

Other than these differences on this Siskel & Ebert-style comparison, we are most definitely in agreement that this is pretty much what the map would have turned out like with a result like this.

[PRESIDENT STANTON]

@SaintStan86,
I don't think Ron DeSantis/Spencer Cox have the "Legal Authority" to call for Special Elections in FL-21, FL-28 and UT-2. You can only call Special Elections for the House of Representatives when that Member submits a written Resignation Letter to the House Speaker.

So the only Seat DeSantis can call a Special Election for is FL-19 because that Seat is indeed VACANT. The Dates however, since DeSantis has now resigned, would fall under the Jurisdiction/Authority of Florida Governor Jeanette Nuñez.

Different for Texas Governor Gregg Abbott who can call for the Special Election & set the Dates for the TX-5, the vacated Seat to replace John Ratcliffe.

Speaking of the Special Elections I think Republicans have a good chance retaining all 5 (FL-19, FL-21, FL-28, TX-5 and UT-5). As you said only FL-28 is considered to be really in play and Republicans have a very good bench there starting with Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, former Rep. Carlos Curbelo (if he wants to make a Political Comeback) and former Florida Lieutenant Governor Carlos Lopez-Cantera who could carpetbag into this District. He lives right on the edge between FL-27 & FL-28. As for the Democrats the only Candidate who could make this Race competitive is former Rep. Debbie Mucarsell-Powell who beat Curbelo in 2018 but lost to Gimenez in 2020. However I see it as doubtful that she runs since she already passed on a Race in 2022 & 2024.

It will be interesting to see whom Nuñez picks as Lt. Governor of Florida, presumable someone whom she will be running as a Ticket in 2026.

When it comes to the Capitol Insurrection on January 6th 2021 I actually agree with Lauren Boebert what she said. The Capitol Riot would have never happened if particularly Battleground States would have had an universal law to Ballot Access and an universal law to allow counting VBM Ballots before Election Day like FL, GA, NC, etc. had but Democratic elected Officials like Katie Hobbs, Jocelyn Benson and Kathy Boockvar kept moving the goalposts. Unfortunately it continued into 2024 as the Casey/McCormick Race took Weeks to settle all because PA could not open VBM Ballots until Polls closed on Election Day/Night. This is unfathomable to continue for the future and with Republicans having now large Majorities in the House & Senate maybe it is time to introduce Universal Election Laws in the entire Country.

Here would be my Suggestions:

• Universal Voter ID Law & Ballot Access for all 50 States.
• Universal Law for all 50 States that allows them to begin counting VBM Ballots before E-Day
• Universal Law for all 50 States to verify and count Provisional Ballots
• Universal Law for all 50 States when it comes to Recounts. For Statewide Offices if it's within 1/2 % an Automatic Machine Recount, if it's within 1/4 % an Automatic Manual Recount. For Congressional District or State Legislature Districts if it's within 1/4 % an Automatic Machine Recount, if it's within 1/10 % an Automatic Manual Recount.

Not sure if this could be attainable but I think DeSantis should at least try. It would probably require a 2/3 Majority in both House to ratify such a proposal. Maybe he can get Moderate Dems like Sinema & Casey to back this.

When it comes to DeSantis Pick for Attorney General, former Texas Senator Ted Cruz, back in 2016 it would be seen as a more rational pick but now given what happened on January 6th 2021 and that he still objected to count the EC Vote in PA & AZ I now expect some fireworks by Democrats.

@SaintStan86, Congressmen such as Byron Donalds, Carlos Gimenez and Brian Mast would all have to assume their respective seats for the new terms that each of them have been already elected, irrespective of their new appointments and then they can all elect to resign their seats between January 3rd to the 7th if DeSantis wants to name the dates of the special elections, he can, as long as it is before the announced date of his resignation or if they wish, Donalds, Gimenez and Mast can resign their seats, as long as they do before they assume their appointed positions. But keep in mind,  any Senator  (LBJ is an example or Joe Biden is another, both elected to the Vice Presidency, and their Senate seat's, were both sworn into their new Senate terms, before resigning, which triggered special elections), so those are the rules, as I believe them to be.
I somehow have my doubts if Democrats would be willing to embrace voter ID laws in particular; they have set their hearts against this idea and continue to oppose this reform; the reasons are pretty clear! It's not to disenfranchise low income or low information voter's, it is rather to prevent Oversight regarding who should or shouldn't vote. I have no doubt that DeSantis will push for national voter ID laws and will experience pushback by Democrats on the issue. This I guarantee will be a major flash-point! If Democrats want anything done, the price will be a voter ID law, another flash-point I predict will be the border wall, but DeSantis has the votes to resume building the wall. Cruz will be easily confirmed, not matter how much Schumer might try to obstruct, Cornyn has the votes and a veto proof majority to pretty much ram through any legislation that DeSantis sponsors and Scalise supports. Schumer and Jeffries can complain and bellyache as much as they want. But what DeSantis wants, he gets! Schumer has brave word's, but all they are, is just words.

[2016]

@SaintStan86,
I don't think Ron DeSantis/Spencer Cox have the "Legal Authority" to call for Special Elections in FL-21, FL-28 and UT-2. You can only call Special Elections for the House of Representatives when that Member submits a written Resignation Letter to the House Speaker.

So the only Seat DeSantis can call a Special Election for is FL-19 because that Seat is indeed VACANT. The Dates however, since DeSantis has now resigned, would fall under the Jurisdiction/Authority of Florida Governor Jeanette Nuñez.

Different for Texas Governor Gregg Abbott who can call for the Special Election & set the Dates for the TX-5, the vacated Seat to replace John Ratcliffe.

Speaking of the Special Elections I think Republicans have a good chance retaining all 5 (FL-19, FL-21, FL-28, TX-5 and UT-5). As you said only FL-28 is considered to be really in play and Republicans have a very good bench there starting with Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, former Rep. Carlos Curbelo (if he wants to make a Political Comeback) and former Florida Lieutenant Governor Carlos Lopez-Cantera who could carpetbag into this District. He lives right on the edge between FL-27 & FL-28. As for the Democrats the only Candidate who could make this Race competitive is former Rep. Debbie Mucarsell-Powell who beat Curbelo in 2018 but lost to Gimenez in 2020. However I see it as doubtful that she runs since she already passed on a Race in 2022 & 2024.

It will be interesting to see whom Nuñez picks as Lt. Governor of Florida, presumable someone whom she will be running as a Ticket in 2026.

When it comes to the Capitol Insurrection on January 6th 2021 I actually agree with Lauren Boebert what she said. The Capitol Riot would have never happened if particularly Battleground States would have had an universal law to Ballot Access and an universal law to allow counting VBM Ballots before Election Day like FL, GA, NC, etc. had but Democratic elected Officials like Katie Hobbs, Jocelyn Benson and Kathy Boockvar kept moving the goalposts. Unfortunately it continued into 2024 as the Casey/McCormick Race took Weeks to settle all because PA could not open VBM Ballots until Polls closed on Election Day/Night. This is unfathomable to continue for the future and with Republicans having now large Majorities in the House & Senate maybe it is time to introduce Universal Election Laws in the entire Country.

Here would be my Suggestions:

• Universal Voter ID Law & Ballot Access for all 50 States.
• Universal Law for all 50 States that allows them to begin counting VBM Ballots before E-Day
• Universal Law for all 50 States to verify and count Provisional Ballots
• Universal Law for all 50 States when it comes to Recounts. For Statewide Offices if it's within 1/2 % an Automatic Machine Recount, if it's within 1/4 % an Automatic Manual Recount. For Congressional District or State Legislature Districts if it's within 1/4 % an Automatic Machine Recount, if it's within 1/10 % an Automatic Manual Recount.

Not sure if this could be attainable but I think DeSantis should at least try. It would probably require a 2/3 Majority in both House to ratify such a proposal. Maybe he can get Moderate Dems like Sinema & Casey to back this.

When it comes to DeSantis Pick for Attorney General, former Texas Senator Ted Cruz, back in 2016 it would be seen as a more rational pick but now given what happened on January 6th 2021 and that he still objected to count the EC Vote in PA & AZ I now expect some fireworks by Democrats.

@SaintStan86, Congressmen such as Byron Donalds, Carlos Gimenez and Brian Mast would all have to assume their respective seats for the new terms that each of them have been already elected, irrespective of their new appointments and then they can all elect to resign their seats between January 3rd to the 7th if DeSantis wants to name the dates of the special elections, he can, as long as it is before the announced date of his resignation or if they wish, Donalds, Gimenez and Mast can resign their seats, as long as they do before they assume their appointed positions. But keep in mind,  any Senator  (LBJ is an example or Joe Biden is another, both elected to the Vice Presidency, and their Senate seat's, were both sworn into their new Senate terms, before resigning, which triggered special elections), so those are the rules, as I believe them to be.

SaintStan86 said that Mast, Gimenez (FL) and Stewart (UT) have not resigned their Seats. They will remain in their House Seats until they have actually confirmed to their respective Departments.