snip ...

Truth be told, we believe the Republican thinking on this race is pure fantasy. It is possible that, one day not too far in the future, New York will again have a Republican governor. But it's not going to be in 2026. Hochul is not especially popular, but she's not radioactive, the way that Andrew Cuomo might be. There's also the great likelihood that all Republicans are going to face midterm-backlash headwinds. Oh, and just as we don't believe an outspoken lefty can win statewide in Texas, we don't believe a MAGA candidate can win in New York. It would have to be a normal Republican, not a Trump sycophant. Also, the GOP strategy here is basically nonsensical. They're going to sell Hochul as a wild-eyed leftist upstate, but as a tool-of-the-establishment centrist in NYC? Do they think there is a wall running through Woodstock that keeps sound from crossing over? Do they think voters in the various parts of the state aren't going to figure out that the Republicans are selling two very different Hochuls, and they couldn't possibly both be true?

Since we don't actually see much relevance to the New York governor's race here, that means there's only one reason to talk about this story, and it's Trump. Once again, he shows he doesn't have the spine to make tough choices when it involves people who have flattered him and puffed up his ego. We have no doubt that Stefanik and Blakeman have found a way to make sure he knows how very impressed they are with his having won the FIFA Peace Prize. Such an important honor!

Also, it's reminder #237 that Trump doesn't give two craps about his Party's fortunes; he only cares about his own needs and his own image. After all, what's it to him if Hochul remains as governor? Truth be told, that's probably better for him than if one of the Republicans wins, since he can use Hochul as a bugaboo when needed. In any event, the needs of Trump and the needs of the GOP will continue to diverge, and the longer that GOP muckety-mucks refuse to accept and deal with that fact, the more damage that will be done. (Z)

Snip ...

The problem is the gubernatorial race. The people of New York have sent just one member of the red team to the governor's mansion in the last half-century, but Republicans like their chances in 2026. Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) is not terribly popular, and the GOP wants to portray her as both a tool of the upstate elites (an old trick, going at least as far back as complaints of Martin Van Buren's "Albany Regency") and yet also a clone of Zohran Mamdani. The Republicans think this might just be the path to the promised land.

The issue is that even if Hochul is vulnerable, disunity on the Republican side simply will not do. A messy primary will cost a lot of money and will leave the winner bruised and bleeding. And a messy primary is what is on tap, at least as of the moment. On one side is Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), and on the other side is Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman (R). They're both very MAGA, they both have a relationship with Donald Trump. Usually, when it's MAGA vs. MAGA, the contest turns into a lot of personal attacks and a lot of claims about who is the Trumpiest. And Democratic operatives are going to record every single one of those statements, so they can put them in ads once the primaries are over.

Trump, of course, could ride to his Party's rescue by making an endorsement. It would be hard for someone to keep going as "the MAGA candidate" if the other person has Trump's backing. But, as much as Republican operatives beg, Trump refuses to pick a horse. Instead, he's picked TWO horses, doing the thing he does where he endorses BOTH candidates. That's good for purposes of his peacocking on social media, we suppose, since he can claim to be on the winning side no matter what happens. It's not great for his political party, though.

A very sad thing happened last night in Hollywood. Rob Reiner, a tortured and struggling, but once very talented movie director and comedy star, has passed away, together with his wife, Michele, reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME, sometimes referred to as TDS. He was known to have driven people CRAZY by his raging obsession of President Donald J. Trump, with his obvious paranoia reaching new heights as the Trump Administration surpassed all goals and expectations of greatness, and with the Golden Age of America upon us, perhaps like never before. May Rob and Michele rest in peace!
Honestly"and we were not the only ones who reacted this way"we initially thought it was a fake from some sort of parodist. But it's not. And in case there was any doubt, Trump doubled down during a press conference yesterday, telling reporters: "I was not a fan of Rob Reiner at all, in any way shape or form. I thought he was very bad for our country."

Just in case you might think we were having a bad day, or something along those lines, here are a few messages from readers who were also disgusted by Trump's response:

D.E. in Lancaster, PA, writes: I've tried several times to write a measured response to Trump's obscene comments on the horrible and senseless murders of Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, but failed with each attempt. All I can muster is: Is it too much to ask that we have a human being with a some sense of empathy for our president, or, if that's a hill too steep for him to shuffle up, for someone to shut him the --** up? That's my Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/Winter Solstice wish. Just take him away some place where he can yell till his little chest cavity's content, but where we don't have to hear his filth, ever again.

That and I just donated to Indivisible to hope--lly aid in their organization of the next No Kings Rally.

To the incredibly talented and generous Rob Reiner, your life and works impacted mine in so many ways, and to his lovely wife, Michele: "Zichrono/Zichrona Livracha." To the surviving children, even to his troubled son who is charged with these horrible murders: "Min haShamayin Tenuhamu."

snip ...

Truth be told, we already knew what kind of person Donald Trump is. We've been writing about Trump the politician for a decade now, and he's shown over and over and over that he's boorish, and petty, and self-important, and mean-spirited, and utterly lacking in class (despite the liberal use of gilded decorations that are supposed to make us think otherwise). There's the Barack Obama birth certificate conspiracies, and the mockery of the disabled reporter, and "grab 'em by the pu**y," and the various snubs of John McCain's memory, and the nasty nicknames for various political opponents, and the palling around with Jeffrey Epstein, and the Mohammad bin Salman ballwashing, and... well, it goes on and on. And note, this is not a list of things that are illegal or are bad governance (though some of them are arguably that, as well). It's just a few of the high-profile examples in which Trump showed the world that he's a godawful excuse for a human being.

Once in a while, though"and it's very rare these days, after 10 years of developing Trumpian armor"he manages to surprise us with his utter and complete lack of grace. So it was yesterday. Among the first tasks of the day for (Z) are to check e-mail and cell phone messages. And both personal and Electoral-Vote.com channels were flooded with messages about the unbelievably classless message that Trump sent out on his a-pathetic-place-for-pathetic-people social media platform. In case you haven't seen it already, here it is:

#16 Looks white to me, onepigironheadedsmoothbrainaut.

Remove your spectacles.

You're welcome.

#21 "...except not spreading disease to other children who are vaxxed, right?"

Wrong.

You're welcome.