Aghogho Edevbie’s Post

Modern vice presidents can trace much of their political influence to the broad reforms that Jimmy Carter and Walter Mondale made to the second-highest elected office in the late 1970s. Get the background from our explainer:

The South Carolina Primary is coming up on June 11, and every legislator is up for re-election. It's time for South Carolina conservatives to make sure we're voting for candidates who genuinely uphold conservative values. But how do you figure out if a candidate is truly conservative, especially if they’ve never held office before or are challenging an incumbent? Here's a straightforward guide to help you out. https://lnkd.in/eG9gvJsr

This is wild to me… even though it lines up with everything I have said for years. “He added that Republicans could have unseated every moderate House incumbent if the GOP had done away with its open primary system, which does not require voters to register with a party, allowing them the choice of either party’s primary year to year. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton echoed the sentiment, saying Phelan “knew he couldn’t win on his own merit.” That’s the quiet part out loud if you didn’t notice. The goal of closed primaries is to ensure moderation doesn’t win. Parties aren’t interested in representing people. That’s just the truth of it. They are interested in representing themselves. Politically independent, 3rd party, and unaffiliated voters are the single largest voting block in the United States. In Oregon, Non-affiliated voters (NAV’s) will out number Republicans and Democrats combined by 2030. The push for closed primaries by both parties is an attempt to circle the wagons. Congressional approval is abysmal, and neither party cares. Oregon is one of 9 states with closed primaries. Our voting system is in the dark ages. People need to support election reform efforts on their ballot. Open primaries, ranked choice voting, and independent redistricting are a MUST.

New Hampshire's presidential primary is today, and the race for the Republican presidential nomination appears all but over unless former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley pulls off an upset victory over former president Donald Trump. What the GOP’s most loyal voters want, it seems, is pure, uncut Trumpism—with all the baggage and ideological divergence from traditional conservatism that entails. Between Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s withdrawal and Haley’s having little apparent path forward barring a major upset, the race could well be effectively over by Wednesday, the party having passed up yet another opportunity to turn the page on a polarizing, multiply-indicted fabulist who lost the last election and has never won the popular vote. It is an outcome that distresses those loyal to the party of Ronald Reagan who hoped 2024 would be the party’s opening to step into the future—people like New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, currently serving his fourth and final term. He spent the last several weeks energetically promoting Haley’s candidacy and pronounced himself frustrated by Trump’s continued sway over the base. “I’d like to move forward with someone that believes in Republican values and knows how to actually get it done,” Sununu said in an interview between rounds of hugs and selfies with his devoted constituents. “Donald Trump is not a conservative. He’s not a Republican. He’s co-opted the brand a little bit, and that’s why I’m trying to support Nikki, to bring it right back.” Yet Iowa Republicans on Jan. 15 went for Trump by a 30-point margin, and the latest New Hampshire polls have Trump ahead of Haley by double-digit margins. “The Republican Party we knew isn’t coming back,” the anti-Trump Republican Sarah Longwell wrote on X. “GOP voters don’t want it back. They don’t want limited government, free markets, and American leadership in the world. They want isolationism, an authoritarian crackpot president, and a big government that enforces their worldview.” The Reaganites thought they could wait Trump out, that the fever would finally break and they could move to reclaim what was rightfully theirs. They didn’t bargain for the fact that he had no intention of ceding the throne. It is a story that has unfolded over and over since Trump stepped onto the political stage in 2015, yet for traditional conservatives, it retains the power to sting. There is still an old Republican guard that privately wishes Trump would go away, said Joe Walsh, a former Illinois Republican congressman. But it’s getting smaller and smaller as people like him and former Rep. Liz Cheney are cast out and a new guard takes over in its stead. “The new ‘national conservatism’ is to use government to get what you want, to go after the libs and the media and your enemies,” Walsh said. “The free-market, traditional, Reagan conservatism, there’s no place for it in this party, or any other for that matter.”

Jay Cost is the Gerald R. Ford nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where he focuses on political theory, Congress, and elections. He is also a visiting scholar at Grove City College and a Freedom Conservatism signatory. In a piece for The Dispatch, Cost discussed proposals to reform Congress and the Electoral College. While many voters say they’re dissatisfied with their political system, he wrote, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll support sweeping changes by constitutional amendment — a process that is difficult by design. Fortunately, Cost wrote, “many aspects of our system could be transformed without touching the Constitution. And as we consider what ails our body politic, it makes sense to prioritize the least drastic ways to cure it.” For example, it would only take a statute to expanding the size of the U.S. House. That would make the body more representative while reducing power imbalances within the Electoral College. States can also award some of their electors by congressional district, as Maine and Nebraska do, rather than holding winner-take-all votes for president. As for progressive calls change the composition of the U.S. Senate, Cost is unpersuaded. “To hold a large country like ours together, we must make sure every place feels included. The Senate helps us accomplish that task.” Link in the comments.

Happy 4th of July! 🇺🇸 In the spirit of democracy and active citizenship, I'm excited to share my latest article for the Alliance for Citizen Engagement (ACE). As we celebrate our nation's independence, let's dive into the presidential race and the important decisions shaping our democracy. After the first debate of the 2024 presidential election, President Joe Biden is facing increasing calls from those in his own party to step down as the Democratic nominee. With questions surrounding his debate performance and the potential emergence of other Democratic candidates, the political landscape is rapidly shifting. In my article, I explore the scenarios under which Biden might be replaced, the potential candidates who could step in, and the formidable challenge of convincing voters of a new candidate in such a short timeframe. With just over a month until the Democratic National Convention, the clock is ticking. Dive into the full analysis to understand the critical decisions facing the Democratic Party in these challenging times. Read the full article here:

Wow!!🚨✅⬇️ First time in History, USA Speaker of the House voted out!!! 🇺🇸 👑 Lots of bickering and confusion happening behind the scenes. Seems as though the pressures of the #economic #downturn, is hitting a note! #Democrats VS #Republicans #usa #house #speaker #politics #government #out #history #first #corrupt #corruption #business #politicians Global News

Jay Cost is the Gerald R. Ford nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where he focuses on political theory, Congress, and elections. He is also a visiting scholar at Grove City College and a Freedom Conservatism signatory. In a piece for The Dispatch, Cost discussed proposals to reform Congress and the Electoral College. While many voters say they’re dissatisfied with their political system, he wrote, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll support sweeping changes by constitutional amendment — a process that is difficult by design. Fortunately, Cost wrote, “many aspects of our system could be transformed without touching the Constitution. And as we consider what ails our body politic, it makes sense to prioritize the least drastic ways to cure it.” For example, it would only take a statute to expanding the size of the U.S. House. That would make the body more representative while reducing power imbalances within the Electoral College. States can also award some of their electors by congressional district, as Maine and Nebraska do, rather than holding winner-take-all votes for president. As for progressive calls change the composition of the U.S. Senate, Cost is unpersuaded. “To hold a large country like ours together, we must make sure every place feels included. The Senate helps us accomplish that task.” Link in the comments.

The House is in chaos. It has a speaker who can't control his party members who range from old-time conservatives to nihilists, Christian Nationalists, and other extremists. It could be solved in one easy step. A GOP member or two who want to make meaningful legislation could leave the chaos and decide to caucus with the Democrats. (They wouldn't even have to leave their party - their party has left them.) Jeffries would become speaker and the chaos would evaporate. A workable idea, but unlikely in this hyper-partisan Congress. Or is it? #congress #gop #chaoscaucus #democrats https://lnkd.in/eCu7_dSF

Please read this article from the New York Times. One of the reasons why conservatives, moderates and progressives must work together to keep Donald Trump from returning to the White House.