Please note that you can leave a comment on any of our posts at our Facebook page.  Subscribers can also comment at length at our Angel's Corner Forum.

Our Angel's Corner archive is here.

NOVEMBER 8,  2016

3:09 A.M. ET:  IT IS OVER.  DONALD TRUMP HAS BEEN ELECTED PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.  THE END CAME WHEN HILLARY CLINTON GRACIOUSLY CALLED TRUMP TO CONCEDE THE ELECTION.  TRUMP HAS JUST SPOKEN TO HIS SUPPORTERS AT HIS NEW YORK HEADQUARTERS, DELIVERING A FINE, ELEGANT SPEECH OF ACCEPTANCE.

IT IS HARD TO EXAGGERATE THE IMPORTANC OF WHAT HAS HAPPENED.  THIS IS A POLITICAL REVOLUTION, ENTIRELY UNEXPECTED BY THE PUNDITOCRACY. 

I'M SIGNING OFF.  MORE IN THE MORNING.

12:56 A.M. ET:  We reported earlier that Republican Senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania appeared to be in trouble in the vote count.  Some good news:  With 96% of the vote in, Toomey is leading his opponent, Katie McGinty, 49-47%.  We hope it continues.  Dems have picked up only one seat in the Senate so far. 

No news on the presidential race.  We may not know the outcome tonight.   Many commentators are talking as if Trump has won, but I'll believe it when I see the number 270 next to his name.  Not a second before.

12:32 A.M. ET:  Fox has called Nevada for Clinton, and Clinton has just moved ahead in New Hampshire.  Again, I caution readers:  This is not over.  The folks at Fox, who have Trump at 254 electoral votes, 16 shy of victory, are the most aggressive in suggesting that he will win.  Other networks have Trump in the 240s.  Hillary Clinton can still win some major states and pull a come-from-behind victory.  So we'll wait before making grand declarations.

EXPLANATION:  Our 11:37 note, just below, is based on Fox projections.  Indeed, Fox has just increased Trump's projected electoral vote total to 254, with Clinton at 209.  Please be aware that CNN is much more conservative in its projections, projecting Trump at 216.  Both networks have Clinton at 209.

BULLETIN – AT 11:37 P.M. ET:  Fox News projects that Trump wins Wisconsin and Iowa, bringing his electoral vote to 238.  He is 32 electoral votes away from the presidency, but it's a big 32 votes.  Pennsylvania and Michigan are still undecided.  She is at 209 electoral votes.  If she wins both those states, she'll have 245 electoral votes.  It is not over.

11:28 P.M. ET:  We want to stress to readers that this race is far from over.  Hillary Clinton has just tied the vote count in Michigan.  The Trump people are justifiably pumped (or trumped), but anything can still happen.  The key point is that Trump is standing, with some realistic routes to 270 electoral votes, something most observers had not expected at this hour.  But Clinton is also standing, and also has some routes open. 

Republicans have, thus far, done well in defending Senate seats.  However, Pat Toomey is in serious trouble in the Pennsylvania count.  I'd hate to see him lose, but it may well happen.  Stand by.

BULLETIN – AT 11:03 P.M. ET:  Trump wins Florida!!  He now has a path to the presidency, but it is not guaranteed.  Fox is reporting that the Clinton people now expect a "long" night.   Ya think? 

BULLETIN – AT 10:52 P.M. ET:  Trump wins North Carolina.  There is a sense of shock among many journalists.  Is it possible that Trump will go all the way?

Florida still has not been called, but Trump is leading.  If he can hold Florida, he has a real shot at the presidency, but even then it will  not be certain.  Remember to call in sick tomorrow.

BULLETIN – AT 10:28 P.M. ET:  Trump wins Ohio.  Clinton wins Colorado.   The race is far from over, but neither presidential candidate has been knocked out.  Incredible contest.

Florida has still not been called.  If Trump wins, he's still in it, big time.  If he loses Florida, his dream dims.  Stand by.  Stay up.  Call in sick tomorrow.

10:14 P.M. ET:  Republican Senator Richard Burr of North Carolina has won his close race for re-election, depriving the Dems of one more hoped-for pickup.  The Democrats have won only a single Senate pickup thus far tonight, but will probably win several more. 

Virginia has been called for Hillary Clinton, which was expected.  But she won by a far more narrow margin than predicted.  The presidency is still open.  So is control of the Senate. 

9:24 P.M. ET:  Incredible.  Not one swing state has been called.  And even Virginia is in play.  You're watching the same coverage I am, and we're preparing for a late night.  And Dems have still picked up only one Senate seat.  The GOP majority in the House is safe.  I wish I had more to say, but I don't.

8:32 P.M. ET:  Everyone is looking at Florida, which is very tight.  Trump is slightly ahead, and Clinton is slightly ahead in North Carolina.  But neither state can be called.  Just as important, Marco Rubio has been re-elected to the Senate from Florida, depriving Democrats of a hoped-for pickup.  And in Indiana, former Democratic Senator and Governor Evan Bayh was defeated by Republican Todd Young, allowing the GOP to keep the seat being vacated by Dan Coates.  Republicans lost the Illinois Senator seat held by Mark Kirk.  So far that is the only Senate gain for the Dems, but they're likely to have more tonight.

THE VERDICT:  It's 7:43 p.m. ET, we are watching the early returns, and have very little to say.  Much to soon to make grand predictions.  We congratulate Rob Portman for his re-election to the Senate from Ohio.  His decisive victory puts him on the list of potential presidential candidates.  The polls close in 17 minutes in 16 states, including Florida and Pennsylvania.  Stand by.

November 8, 2016       Permalink

SHE'S BACK ALREADY? – AT 11:44 A.M. ET:  There's really not much to report today unless you want us to describe how lines of voters are going to the polls.  So we're just preparing for the vote count and looking for interesting little tidbits. 

And here's one.  Like the old Soviets, Hillary Clinton knows how to banish people when they're embarrassing, and rehabilitate them when convenient.  Consider one Huma Abedin.  From the New York Post:   

Hillary Clinton ended her final campaign rally with her embattled top aide, Huma Abedin, at her side.

Abedin was spotted for the first time in nearly a week boarding Clinton’s “Stronger Together” plane after a rally in Philadelphia on Monday, Politico reported.

The estranged wife of Anthony Weiner had been missing from the Democratic presidential nominee’s side since the FBI notified lawmakers more than a week-and-a-half ago that new evidence had been found in their investigation of Clinton’s emails.

The evidence was a trove of reportedly 650,000 emails that was found on Weiner’s laptop — which apparently was shared by Abedin.

Weiner, who was exclusively spotted by The Post during an equine therapy session at a sex addiction rehab center in Tennessee, is himself under investigation for sexting with a 15-year-old girl.

COMMENT:  A little taste of what's to come, if Hillary makes it.  Back to the nineties.

November 8, 2016       Permalink

WHAT A NEW PRESIDENT WILL INHERIT – AT 10:46 A.M. ET:  There is unhappiness in America, and for good reason.  From CNS: 

(CNSNews.com) - The United States lost 9,000 manufacturing jobs in October while gaining 19,000 jobs in government, according to data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Government employment grew from 22,216,000 in September to 22,235,000 in October, according to BLS, while manufacturing jobs dropped from 12,267,000 to 12,258,000.

The 22,235,000 employed by government in the United States now outnumber the 12,258,000 employed in manufacturing by 9,977,000.

Over the past year—from October 2015 to October 2016—manufacturing employment fell by 53,000, declining from 12,311,000 to 12,258,000. During the same period, government employment climbed 208,000, rising from 22,027,000 to 22,235,000.

COMMENT:  I don't think the major news organizations have noticed how good jobs, outside government, have disappeared in this country.  And I don't think they care.  Those workers aren't their people.  But when you think about the kind of large-scale manufacturing this country once had, the current situation looks pathetic, and dangerous. 

That was a big part of Trump's message.  He hasn't been the best messenger, but the underlying issues won't go away.

November 8, 2016       Permalink

ELECTION DAY –  AT 9:53 A.M. ET:  The RealClearPolitics average of polls, final edition for 2016, shows Hillary Clinton up 3.2 percent in a two-way race, 3.3 in a four-way race.   That's a dramatic gain from the under-two-percent leads she was averaging last week, but please note that it is based on the final reporting of some mainstream-media polls that tend to tip Democratic.

The RealClearPolitics final projection of electoral votes is more "iffy."  RCP projects 203 solid for Clinton, 164 for Trump.  That's with tossups excluded.  It takes 270 to win.  When tossups are assigned, based on where they seem to be heading, Clinton has 272, Trump 266.  That, my friends, is a close election.  A switch of one or two states could make Trump president.

It's widely expected that the GOP will retain the House, but might lose a small number of seats, reducing its huge majority.  The Senate is up for grabs.  Larry Sabato projects a 50-50 Senate, which means the vice president would break the tie.  Either Kaine or Pence. 

There is a great sense of uncertainty this election day.  Pollsters wonder whether their traditional models will hold in the age of Trump.  Others worry about a brooding anger on the part of the American people.  And any thoughtful journalist has to be concerned about the loss of confidence in the mainstream media.

We'll know the truth tonight...I think.

November 8,  2016     Permalink

NOVEMBER 7,  2016

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:55 P.M. ET:

ELCTION DAY, AND NETWORKS SWEAT – FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES:  Fox News’s elections guru will play his cello on Tuesday morning, “to clear my head and get ready to do math.” CNN is staging more than a dozen rehearsals with a 25-person on-air team. George Stephanopoulos of ABC News spent his weekend running drills in a studio, practicing swing-state calls with a former intern standing in for the pollster Nate Silver.  But as television news gears up for 2016’s big finale, an intense public distrust in the media is threatening the networks’ traditional role as election night scorekeeper.  There is a divided electorate, big segments of which are poised to question the veracity of Tuesday’s results. Donald J. Trump has refused to say if he will concede in the event of a projected defeat. And new digital competitors plan to break the usual election-night rules and issue real-time predictions long before polls close.  The era of Tim Russert’s famed whiteboard — when network anchors could serve as the ultimate authority on election results — has faded. And scrutiny on big media organizations on Tuesday, when 70 million people might tune in, is likely to be harsher than ever.  News organizations have brought this on themselves.  There have been too many scandals, too many unethical practices, too much bias.  You reap what you sow.

AN EXAMPLE OF SCANDAL – FROM DAILY CALLER:   Democratic National Committee interim chairwoman Donna Brazile has already lost her contributor contract with CNN for leaking questions from a CNN town hall to the Clinton campaign. Monday night’s WikiLeaks release of emails from the personal account of Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta reveals Brazile sent even more questions ahead of the event, one that went to Hillary Clinton, the other was asked of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders...When news broke that Brazile had leaked debate questions to the Clinton campaign, CNN President Jeff Zucker referred to the ethic breach by Brazile as “disgusting.”  Brazile, for her part, has never admitted wrongdoing, attacking the Russian government when asked about sending the questions.  This relates to the post just above.  CNN should have been far more public and aggressive about dealing with this scandal.  Instead, it simply made a few bland public statements.  It should have outlined to its audience what steps are being taken to be sure this doesn't happen again. 

AND THE WINNER IS – FROM THE NEW YORK POST:   It’s not just the presidency that’s at stake in the election — but also bragging rights for two prognosticators that are almost always right.  This year, one of them is absolutely certain Donald Trump will be living in the White House, while the other is just as sure that Hillary Clinton can’t lose.  Moody’s Analytics, which has picked the next president every year since 1980, says Clinton will make history as the first female chief executive, trouncing Trump with 332 electoral votes.  That runs in sharp contrast to a model created by Helmut Norpoth, a political-science professor at Stony Brook University, that’s predicting Trump will be running the country.  Norpoth is sticking by the results of his model — which has correctly predicted the winner of every presidential election since 1912, with the exception of 2000 — despite most polls showing Clinton ahead by at least 3 percentage points.  We should know within hours.  Maybe they'll both be right, with one candidate winning the popular vote, and the other the electoral vote.

November 7,  2016     Permalink 

ELECTION GUIDANCE – AT 11:21 A.M. ET:   This is really chilling stuff.  From MEMRI, the The Middle East Media Research Institute:

On November 5, 2016, the Islamic State (ISIS), via Al-Hayat Media, released a seven-page article in English threatening American Muslims if they vote in the November 8 U.S. presidential election. Most of the article is directed at Muslims in the U.S., lashing out at them for participating in the democratic process and warning them of the consequences of such actions. It accuses all American Muslims who vote of apostasy and heresy, and calls on ISIS supporters to spill their blood if they do not repent. Similarly, it calls for killing "Crusader" (Christian) voters, including women, who, it says, "are no longer mere wives serving Crusader husbands and raising cross-worshiping children," but female voters who are part of the democratic system that decrees that "crusades be waged against Islam and the Muslims." The article concludes with a threat to the elections, praying that Allah will "make this year's U.S. presidential election a dreadful calamity like no other to have struck America throughout its pathetic history."

COMMENT:  On many American college campuses, that's called "an alternative narrative."  Just another idea.  Madness.

November 7, 2016       Permalink

DISGRACEFUL – AT 10:14 A.M. ET:  A media critic for the Baltimore Sun wrote last week that the big loser in this election campaign is the American media.  The critic is correct.

There has always been press bias, but never so blatant as this year.  The New York Times doesn't even pretend to be a fair-minded newspaper any longer.  CNN has become an embarrassment.  The Washington Post, which had shown some progress in the quality of its journalism, seems to have slipped back into open liberal slanting.

And we know from Wikileaks and other sources that there's been outright collusion between the Clinton campaign and some journalists.  From Daily Caller: 

Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank appears to have asked the Democratic National Committee (DNC) to do the majority of the research for a negative column he wrote about Donald Trump in April 2016.

Milbank’s column was titled, “The Ten Plagues of Trump,” and featured a list of “outrageous things” said by Trump. One of the “plagues” listed by Milbank, for example, was “Blood” and centered around a quote from Trump about Megyn Kelly: “You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever.”

Internal DNC emails suggest Milbanks asked for — and then leaned heavily on — DNC opposition research on Trump for the article.

The day before Milbank’s article, DNC deputy communications director Eric Walker sent out an email to the DNC’s research team.

In the email — which was titled “research request: top 10 worst Trump quotes?” — Walker wrote, “Milbank doing a Passover-themed 10 plagues of Trump.”

The DNC research team worked together to come up with a list of things Milbank could use that was provided to Walker.

Of the 10 “plagues” listed by Milbank, eight of them matched up with suggestions from the DNC.

COMMENT:  This is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg.  The problem stems from the lowering of moral standards in this society, starting with the "sixties generation."  It also stems from the out-of-control egos of college graduates, especially graduates of "elite" schools, who believe that their College Board scores guarantee both their wisdom and goodness. 

One of the main tasks for the Republican Party, as it starts to think of the 2018 midterms and the 2020 presidential race, is to develop strategies for going around the press and speaking directly to the American people.  Reagan knew how to do it.  McCain did not.  Every Republican candidate has two opponents – the opposition candidate, and the mainstream media.  Both must be defeated.

November 7,  2016     Permalink

ONE DAY OUT – AT 9:08 A.M. ET:  The RealClearPolitics average of polls shows a gain for Clinton, more evidence that Trump's surge may have been blunted.  She's up two points in a two-way race, and 2.4 points in a four-way race.

IBD/Tiff has Trump up two, after a week in which he and Clinton were tied most of the time.

But Rasmussen has Clinton up two.  Rasmussen generally tilts conservative.

L.A. Times has Trump up five, very much an outlier.  But maybe they see things others don't.

The general mood among election watchers is that Clinton will be elected, by a relatively narrow margin in the popular vote, but an unknown margin in the Electoral College.

Early voting returns from Florida show a decided advantage for Clinton, but that's not surprising.  More Republicans vote on election day.

At this point, poll watching fades into insignificance.  The only poll that counts will be held tomorrow.

November 7,  2016     Permalink