America Saved by Big Blue Wave

Nobody saw this coming.  But come it did, thanks be to God.

The NY Post is a right-wing newspaper and was Trump's favorite.

Great news for some, awful news for others -- who richly deserve it.

More to come after we eat our thanksgiving dinner here - the Pork Boys are celebrating with a box of Kroger fried chicken!  Yummy stuff.

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What a day!  What a night!  I have never been so shocked by an election result in my life -- except once, when Trump won his first term in 2016; but that was a horror.  This was like a glorious dream come true.  A miracle.  Nobody predicted this breathtaking revolution.

I had kept my expectations low -- we've had our hearts broken so many times here in Texas, crossing our fingers for a blue wave that never came. I did dare to hope that Talarico would win his Senate seat, but I didn't give a thought to the entrenched Texas regime.  They have been in power since before Dubya got elected president - and believe it or not, they eliminated, with voters' consent, the term limit for state offices.  Which is SO fucking wrong: an invitation to perpetual dictatorship.   And in what until now has been called a "ruby red" state, I never expected that mountain to move in my lifetime.

But how delighted I was to find out I was wrong.  The Democrats swept ALL the statewide offices in Texas for the first time since 1961 -- governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, treasurer, etc.  There is a God.  And even more amazing is that they all made a particular point of saying in their concession speeches that it was a fair election and they accepted the results.  EVEN MORE stunning was that shithead in D.C. chimed in with a similar statement.  No fuss and furor about a "stolen election" and all that rot.  "Pinch me," I said to M.P., "and tell me I'm not dreaming."

So we were not only ecstatic over Talarico's win, but also delighted that we will soon have a new Latina governor, Gina Hinojosa.  (The Latin vote in Texas was massively Democratic this time around.)  And right next door in New Mexico another woman governor will be Deb Haaland, a native American who was Secretary of the Interior under Biden.  And of course there were several other women governors elected, and at least two black governors in Georgia and in Florida.  And the first openly gay man was elected to the Senate, Chris Pappas of New Hampshire; Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin was the first lesbian, elected in 2012.  So the face of American politics will be different from now on - viva la diversidad!

Well, I can't possibly cover all the election news in a blog post, but for the record - and perhaps the enlightenment or amusement of my truckbuddies - here are some short videos that tell the story across the nation and specifically here in Texas, where many people were shouting, crying, and dancing in the streets last night, just as when the Berlin Wall fell.  It's a bright new day in Texas, boys!  I tell you what.

But if you have the time, please scroll on down and watch Talarico's historic, deeply moving victory speech - the same speech he's made at countless appearances all across Texas. The metaphor of David and Goliath is very apt - it's one for the history books. And Hinojosa also gave a beautiful speech, full of sunny smiles and blue skies of hope.

ABC News -- Democrats take back Congress and flip the South in big blue wave:

' CBS Texas -- Talarico, Hinojosa celebrate historic Texas wins at Whataburger (a beloved Texas institution, open 24/7):

Reuters -- Seven numbers that explain Democrats' US midterm triumph:

NBC News -- Election results yield historic firsts:

C-SPAN -- Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski (a moderate Republican who voted to convict Trump after his second impeachment) has some damn good advice for Democrats;

Guardian News (UK) -- People and politicians across the world react to the US midterm results:

ITV News (UK) -- Watch as Donald Trump reacts to defeat in US midterm elections:

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James Talarico's sublime victory speech; this man speaks my language:

Gina Hinojosa also gave a beautiful and memorable speech last night:

N. B. -- "No te dejes" = don't back down, stand up for yourself.

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Live Election Results: Blue Wave or Blue Mood?

Election Day! Nationwide, there's been a massive early-voting turnout, and today's in-person turnout is huge, too.  The aggregate polls seem to indicate a big blue wave, if not a blue tsunami, in the Congressional races - but when the races are broken down state by state, the chances look smaller.  Yet pollsters are often wrong; as in any election, it's not over until the last vote is counted.  

Here's a live report on election results from the Associated Press:

PBS:  

NBC:

M.P. and I are especially interested in the Senate race between James Talarico and that corrupt Paxton. WFAA/ABC Dallas reports on the Texas races:

And then there's that Trumpian insult that backfired and became a T-shirt and an anthem:

Talafreako!

Addendum, 12:30 a.m.:

Blue wave??!  The hell you say.  It was a fuckin'

B L U E   W I P E O U T!

We laughed, we cried, we hollered, we hugged -- we were amazed and delighted.  Nobody saw this coming.  This was one for the history books.  Maybe there's hope for this old world after all.  I'll post more tomorrow.

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Kinzinger: Where We Are Now

Adam Kinzinger, former Republican Congressman from Illinois, now residing in Texas, discusses the final polls on the eve of Election Day:

As far as I know, Kinzinger still identifies as a Republican, but not a MAGA man, and he despises Trump's political perversion and corruption.  He was one of ten Republicans who voted to impeach Trump for instigating the attack on the Capitol, and later was one of the two Republicans, along with Liz Cheney, to serve on the January 6th Committee that recommended criminal charges against Trump.

Kinzinger is a real man:  he had the balls to go against his party and speak the truth, even though it cost him his seat in the next election.  Whatever label he identifies with now, Kinzinger certainly talks like a sane and sensible Democrat. He endorsed Biden and later Harris in 2024, and this year endorsed Talarico's Senate bid.

What I Say: The Democratic Party needs more butch white men like Kinzinger, a lot more, if it wants to regain power and keep it. There, I said it -- a simple demographic truth, whether anybody wants to hear it or not.

Bonus:  Kinzinger tells it like it is at the 2024 Democratic Convention. "Trump is a weak man pretending to be strong, a small man pretending to be big . . . ."

He had nothing to gain from this speech, but he made it anyway, for the love of his country.  Goddamn, that's brave.  To tell you the truth, I'd vote for Kinzinger for President any day of the week, if there weren't a better Democrat on the ballot.

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Sunday Drive: Shall We Gather at the River?

The Lessons Appointed for Use on

All Saints' Day

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The beloved old hymn as performed by Sean Dietrich, prolific novelist, columnist, musician, and humorist:

Actually, the hymn  is about Christian faith, not the Civil War. Complete lyrics can be found here.

For a bit of inspiration, read today's story from Sean's blog:  

The Only Prayer You'll Ever Need.

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Bernie: The Most Dangerous President

Boo!

Bernie tells it like it is, and I agree:

For an even bigger scare, see this interview by Ezra Klein on Elon Musk's endgame, which I haven't finished watching yet.

What I Say:  Trump and his deranged doppelganger Musk, and some other henchmen and hussies I could name, ought to be sent in a big, beautiful, gold-plated rocket to Mars, where they would have a whole planet to rule and ruin and fight over with robots.  No return fuel, though, and no radio to disturb the rest of us with.  Just eternal silence - no adoring audience - it would drive them both mad in no time.

Bonus: Obama provides some comedy relief and straight talk at a rally in Atlanta:

FYI:  All 435 House seats are up for election every two years.  Senators serve six-year terms, but one-third of the 100 Senate seats are up for election every two years.  Here are two graphics showing the current membership of both houses of Congress, from Wikipedia:

The six non-voting delegates in the House (not included in the graphic) are from the District of Columbia and five overseas territories:  Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Marianas.  They can participate in debate but cannot vote.  

For more graphics, maps, and the latest polling data, see 2026 United States elections at Wikipedia.

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Waitin' for the Weekend

"Timeless Grit " by Clint Collide:

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John Barrowman: The Making of Me

Your Head Trucker has been out of the cultural loop for many years, so I never heard of this Barrowman fellow until this video popped up in my YouTube feed the other day. Perhaps the rest of you already know that he's tall, handsome, well-built, and multi-talented - a star of stage, screen, and television who sings, dances, ice-skates, and has authored numerous books as well. 

Really an astonishing amount of talent in many different areas; and beyond all that, he's gay, happily married to a man since 2013. How very extraordinary, and how very far the world has come from my schoolboy days when there were NO gay people to be seen on TV or anywhere else, not that I knew.

In this 2008 BBC documentary, Barrowman consults with doctors and scientists to find the true origin of gayness:  a fascinating journey.

Unfortunately, Barrowman was not as put-together as he seems in this video:  he seems to have sabotaged his career with "exuberant behavior," as you can read about in his wikiarticle. Poor fellow.  It just goes to show that people who seem to have it all may not know what to do with it.

Bonus:  There's a definite gay vibe when Barrowman and Kevin Kline sing "Night and Day" in the Cole Porter biopic De-Lovely (2004):

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Pete Comments on Trump's Bizarre Booty Fixation

Pete keeps it classy:

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Bernie Says: Dems Need Guts to Save Our Democracy

And that starts at the ballot box:

Your Head Trucker endorses this message. 

M.P. and I plan to early-vote tomorrow. What about you?

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Waitin' for the Weekend

"Melange D'Hommes #1" by Clint Collide:

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Sunday Drive: When You Wish Upon a Star

Your Head Trucker stopped listening to pop radio more than thirty years ago, so there are many young singers I am not familiar with, like Josh Groban.  But I happened to come across his recording of this song yesterday, and it's quite lovely; M.P., who has some vocal training, also approves of his rendition.  See what you think.  

And by the way, the beard does a lot for the boy - woof.

Caution: Be careful what you wish for. You just might get it.

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Today's reading from Forward Day by Day speaks to me in a powerful way about things I have longed for and not received.  The message is one that all who grow in faith and grace come to realize; but it came this morning as a very welcome reminder.  I hope it speaks to you, too, whatever your faith.

Sunday, October 18

The Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost

Isaiah 45:3. I will give you the treasures of darkness and riches hidden in secret places, so that you may know that it is I, the Lord, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name.

Today's verse about treasures of darkness is set within a series of promises from God to the Israelites during their exile in Babylon. It's a dark and painful time, marked by lamentation and suffering. Yet, God assures them that through this experience, they will find secret riches, riches they otherwise never would discover. I believe this promise holds true for us too.

Haven't we all learned, and grown, and gained great blessings through times of great difficulty? I'm reminded of a quote attributed to the famous preacher, Charles Spurgeon: "I have learned to kiss the wave that throws me against the Rock of Ages."

What does it mean to kiss the wave? Spurgeon isn't saying that he wants the wave or that he's glad the wave came crashing over him. But he can be thankful for it all the same because it caused him to cleave to God. And that's the greatest treasure of all.

Moving Forward: When have waves brought you closer to God? Offer a word of thanksgiving for the rough (and calm) waters.

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