Pennsylvania

He got to the church on timeAs you probably know-- or should know-- since his election, Conor Lamb, who now represents a purple swing district northwest of Pittsburgh (PA-17), has been one of the worst Democrats in Congress.

Last month Malcolm Kenyatta won an open seat in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives against Republican Milton Street with 95.29% of the vote-- 21,382 to 1,050. This district includes parts of North Philadelphia, Feltonville, Francisville, Glenwood, Hunting Park, Kensington, Northern Liberties and West Poplar and, demographically, is 61.8% black, 25.5% white and 13.4% Hispanic. The win is being hailed as historic because Kenyatta, a third-generation activist just became the first openly LGBT candidate of color elected to the state legislature.

Pennsylvania was one of the states targeted by Russian hackers in 2016. They helped put an illegitimate "president" into the White House by a handful of votes. In Pennsylvania it was 44,292 votes out of 5,897,174 cast. Kushner's team told the Russians to concentrate on four counties: Erie, Luzerne, Northampton, Lackawanna, Obama country in 2012, all of whom provided Trump with "plausible" wins in 2016. He took the state's 20 electoral votes by beating Hillary 2,970,733 (48.18%) to 2,926,441 (47.46%).

Gender gunfires, exploding eyeballs and 'Mean Girls' go to Russia + this day in history w/the bloody Battle of Cable Street and our song of the day by Thom Yorke on your Morning Monarchy for October 4, 2018.

Not sure what it refers to, but it looks goodThe NY Times/Siena poll showed good news for one of the Blue America candidates. They had Katie Porter with a substantial lead over Trump rubber stamp Mimi Walters, 48% to 43%. Unfortunately, the Times/Siena poll is the least credible polling operation I've seen since Rasumussen and their data is virtually worthless. Still...

Triage-- another one bites, another one bites, another one bites the dust. The NRCC, looking to toss dead-weight overboard, pulled all their remains broadcast ads for incumbent Keith Rothfus in PA-17. Under the newly drawn boundaries the district has an R+3 PVI and Obama would have lost it both times. Trump beat Hillary in those boundaries 49.4% to 46.8%. But district polling shows virtually no path to victory for incumbent Keith Rothfus, a Trump rubber-stamp and enabler at a time when it isn't viable to be a Trump rubber-stamp and enabler.

It's not easy getting Jess King on the phone. It's not easy getting her campaign manager on the phone either. Every time I try-- morning, midday, evening-- they're out working their sprawling Pennsylvania district. The newly created 11th district, which no longer has Adams County or the nice blue parts of Harrisburg and Reading it once had is going to take the kind of work that few campaigns want to undertake.

Allegation investigations, Charlie's fallen angels and an abusive workplace + this day in history w/the Attica riots and our song of the day by Lana Del Rey on your Morning Monarchy for September 13, 2018.

"An essential motivating force"I wish I had a poll of every state like the one Franklin & Marshall just released about Pennsylvania. These kinds of polls mean so much more than the national ones we keep getting bombarded with.

Taos Compound coverup, the Madden shooter and the return of 'Suspiria' + this day in history w/the Thurgood confirmation and our song of the day by Robert DeLong on your Morning Monarchy for August 30, 2018.