Reports of Democrats’ death, Samuel Clemens telegraphs in Innocents at Home (his Substack), have been greatly exaggerated. But let’s not turn Tuesday’s Democratic sweep into a greatly exaggerated victory just yet. This was Lexington, not Yorktown. And Zohran Mamdani has a distance to go yet for his Hattin: those Christian nationalists have a stranglehold on this unholied America. Templars like their blood, even in, especially in, defeat, the more so when it is the shitholies handing it to them.
But we might as well enjoy the moment. It’s the first time since 2008 that the country feels a bit less like a Russian novel and a bit more like when Larry David gets the girl. The French daily Le Monde is calling Mamdani a “political UFO” (“un ovni politique). “New York has just witnessed one of the most incredible electoral victories in American political history,” the paper writes, not mentioning Trump’s victory a year ago, itself as incredible, in an antihero sense–in a 1933 sense–as Obama’s, its own 2008 (no comparisons necessary, or rather: no comparisons available).
Le Monde mentions Trump in the third paragraph, only to note how Republicans have lost electoral ground in every one of their elections. That’s what I do after what we still insist on calling elections in this country: I read the European press, as I much prefer my political coverage not to sound like Kevin Harlan-decibelled NFL commentary. I have not looked at the effluents from the christofascists’ wastewater treatment plants and don’t intend to. Too derivative, compared to the moment, which seems to have nothing of the eternally recurrent to it.
So while I may be tempted to pun on Thus Spoke Lazarustra, it would be anachronistic, assuming Mamdani’s win is as original as it looks. But is it? American history tells us it could just as demonstrably be a symptom of something larger, the something larger being very much America’s eternal recurrence of idealism following folly following hope following repression following reconstruction following fascism, and so on in that infernally eternal loop Nietzsche’s infernal mind imagined for us. We have never gotten out of that seesaw since the republic’s first days, even well before: the Pilgrims were both blight and light wrapped in moleskin wrapped in stones, to better brain the natives, or dissenters, with. Every summit a Sisyphean prelude to another fall. Thus, after all, spoke Zarathustra.
–Pierre Tristam
JimboXYZ says
Yawn, California & New York, Democrat party strongholds that have always been 65% Democrat landslides continue their insanity of voting their party line. As long as the other 48 states & whatever territories vote without being gerrymandered to ruin America, the rest of the nation should be safe from the likes of Gavin Newsom and that brand of fraud & abuse as a form of Democrat party democracy. Sad that both/either parties are more about controlling the rest of the population under feigned concepts of Democracy. CA & NY are 2 states I simply never want to be a part of, ever live. Don’t want to be a visitor long enough to be a victim of their unaffordable overcharges as even a tourist. Life is too short. 20 years back I visited LA, CA. it was basically Miami,FL. Never going back to either place, too many better qualities of life to experience that are naturally the same environment(s) less the overpopulation & man-made issues of their inflations & means to gouge anyone to simply exist.
Joe D says
Reply to JimboXYZ:
Nice “Cherry picking”….selectivity of Election result comments…
But you left out the Governor races of New Jersey AND Virginia…..both recently REPUBLICAN STRONGHOLDS..now BOTH with Democratic Governor elects….and both (OMG!) WOMEN!
Not that this is ANY Statistical Analysis of 2026 ( and definitely not 2028) elections…but it might be a time for more MODERATE REPUBLICANS to grow a SPINE, and start questioning some of their “LORD AND MASTER” in the White House when he pulls these BORDERLINE ( and SOME DEFINITE) violations of our CONSTITUTION. Of course at the moment they are mostly cowering in their BOOTS ( except those that are either retiring or not running for re-election)… for Trump’s typical career threats of not supporting their primary re-election campaigns if they don’t “tow the TRUMP LINE” in CONGRESS!
Have a nice day…
Ed P says
NJ and Virginia are not Republican strong holds.
Ray W. says
I agree with you that neither New Jersey nor Virginia are Republican strongholds, but Republicans are not weaklings, either. Republicans have held statewide offices in both states in recent years, though admittedly this is a stretch in New Jersey’s example.
Before Tuesday’s election, Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, was Virginia’s governor, the Virginia house was 51-49 Democratic (now, it is 64-36 Democratic), and Virginia’s Senate split is now 21-19 Democratic.
After the 2021 election, Republicans held the governorship, the state Senate, and the state House.
I recall from not that long ago when Virginia held a statewide slate of elections. The electorate split 50/50 on the statewide races but the Virginia house went 60-40 Republican, due to significant gerrymandering, which meant Republicans held political power during the redistricting process.
In New Jersey, two-term Governor Christie last held office in 2018. Democrats have significant majorities in both state houses.
Perhaps “stronghold” is not quite the appropriate term for Virginia. Synonyms for stronghold include bastion, fortress and bulwark, among many others. I am not convinced that Virginia is a Democratic stronghold How about the phrase “current majority shareholder with a mandate from the electorate to implement party policies, subject to change?”
Laurel says
Thank you Mr. Tristam, and you’re welcome.
I have hope.
Ray W. says
Hello Laurel.
What do you think of this random thought?
From childhood in a political family, I began hearing the phrase “yellow dog Democrat”, particularly applicable to southern voters. My parents said the phrase came out of LBJ-era Texas. A yellow dog Texas Democrat would rather vote for a dog than for a Republican.
What color do you think would best apply to describe today’s southern Republicans who would rather vote for a dog than for a Democrat?
Just curious?
Jim H. says
Ray, allow me to join in . . . I was raised in Florida since the 50s. Then spent twenty years making a living in Texas. I am familiar with the term ‘yellow dog’, LBJ, and the Republican to Democratic changeover that happened in the 60s.
If you are not familiar with the peculiar Florida politics, I suggest you just spend a little time reading about the effects of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It manifested a significant shift in the southern political landscape. A change that continues today by confusing nearly all deep southern voters whom the southern Republicans and southern Democrats once/today represented (ed), versus today.
The overwhelming Texas change happened when Governor Ann Richards, A Democrat in a largely Democratic state, was quickly replaced by a Republican. I contend to this day that, by in large, Texas remains Democratic. IMHO, So be it . . .
Back to ‘yellow dog’. In Florida, I remember the term referred to those (mostly seniors) who voted a straight line Democratic ticket. Voting was confusing – voting was easier by simply checking one box representing a straight down vote. Just lazy yellow dog performance.
BTW: As a two-time Precinct Supervisor in Florida, I remember there was an extraordinary Republican ticket that included a very controversial candidate. I was overly concerned about what the outcome could be. Later that evening, the results were in, a straight line Republican vote was posted on the door window, and unfortunately for Florida and the candidate, the guy was in.
Ray, I enjoy reading your work and especially Laurel’s. We should meet!
We all need to know who we are voting for . . .
Ray W. says
Thank you, Jim H.
Your comment is what I hope to foster when I post ideas on many differing subjects to the FlaglerLIve community for consideration.
Every person knows things I do not. A considered opinion based on wisdom, accumulated knowledge and a measure of expertise, without resorting to partisanship, exaggeration, or falsity benefits us all.
Again, thank you.
As you suggest, the Florida Republican ideal of 1964 is gone, perhaps never to return. Many a Florida Democrat of 1964, steeped in the political ideal of the day, has become today’s Republican, but one who has never accepted what it is to be a true conservative.
Sherry says
Hi, Ray W. and Laurel and Jim. . . Just a quick “chime in” regarding Maga Republicans preferring to vote for a “dog” than a Democrat. IMO they most certainly did when they put trump in office!
feddy says
This is becoming the norm for either party.
Pogo says
Laurel says
Oh my goodness, am I glad Jim H responded to Ray W’s question to me! As it is, relating to the article, I have no philosophical training whatsoever. Isn’t Socrates the guy pointing upward? To understand what Pierre Tristam wrote, I need to look up many things, starting with Hattin and ending with Sisyphean.
That was followed by what color do I think today’s southern Republicans should be.
Okay, so Florida has been, traditionally, red in the north, with generations of country people, and few jobs, and blue in the south, with many who migrated from the northeast (to Florida’s east coast) and the mid west (to Florida’s west coast). Very different from Texas. What I know about Texas: ‘The sun done riz, the sun done set, and we ain’t out of Texas yet. They do have some good Democrats.
I remember making a big BBQ faux pas in Virginia, when me, my host and a bunch of locals were sitting around the fire outside, and I made some kind of comment to the effect that I felt I was way up north visiting Virginia. Well. I was very, firmly corrected by a woman who stated “I’ll have you know that we are south of the Mason Dixon Line.” So, pass the smores, please. Anyone want a beer?
In other words, I have no idea what a yellow dog is, other than Old Yeller.
Ray W. says
Thank you, Laurel.