9 November 2016

Election updates

14:31:20 MST. Progressive organizations, including some that promoted Hillary Clinton when they could have promoted a candidate who could win, are flooding my email box with frenzied appeals for “emergency donations” to keep the monster from the Trump Tower from devouring civilization before the sun rises tomorrow. Nonprofit “development” staff have no shame, much chutzpah, think like bill collectors, and will stop at nothing to separate the poorest of the poor from their last dollar in the name of saving civilization. These outfits are not getting my money. But they are, figuratively speaking, getting my boot on their southern exposures.

14:19:42 MST. Where on SecST’s website are the damn election returns from Cascade, Gallatin, Lewis and Clark, and Missoula Counties? I think the ballots have been counted, but the counts are not showing up. If there’s a problem, SecST should post a notice admitting and describing the problem.

12:01:20 MST. Hillary Clinton delivered a concession speech. There are reports it followed traditional form and was gracious, calling for unity and for giving Trump a chance. I didn’t listen to it, and never will I listen to her again. She led a once great political party to defeat and ruin, putting the New Deal, Great Society, the ACA, and three generations of social progress at risk. She’s rich and will prosper. The middle class and poor will suffer the consequences of her selfishness and incompetence. Let her be gone from public view and earshot forever. Let her take her sycophants with her. They betrayed and belittled the good and decent working class people of American, treating them as trash and driving them into the arms of a reality show star who campaigned by flipping his middle finger at the Establishment. Shame on you, Hillary, and shame on the Hillary wing of the Democratic Party.

12:01:09 MST. Broadwater County’s complete returns now are on the SecST’s website — but full returns are still missing for Cascade, Gallatin, Lewis and Clark, and Missoula Counties. What’s taking so long? Another problem: the SecST’s website is not always displaying the correct number of precincts for the counties. Flathead County, for example, has 42 precincts, but SecST reports 126 (a programming bug in Helena is multiplying by three).

9:36:38 MST. Note to Democrats. A good ground game is no substitute for a good candidate and a compelling message.

9:36:33 MST. The election has left the Democratic Party in ruins. A few days ago, confident Hillary would prevail, commentators and Democrats predicted the Republican Party would collapse. Now the truth emerges. The Republican Party is in good shape, winning elections. The Democratic Party is full of dry rot and collapsing from the mule’s kick Trump delivered.

8:57:20 MST. More votes cast in Juneau v. Zinke than for President. So far, almost 12,000 votes more. Also, Jill Stein’s tally does not yet qualify the Green Party for the ballot.

8:50:43 MST. Bullock ran better in the Flathead than in 2012. Four years ago, Bullock lost the Flathead by 8,938 votes. Yesterday, he lost by only 7,137 votes. Credit a smart campaign, lots of hard work by staff and volunteers, and possibly more Democrats living in the Flathead.

8:47:30 MST. Legislature. Democratic Rep. Zac Perry defeated Republican Taylor Rose in HD-3 (Columbia Falls). In HD-5 (Whitefish), an open seat that leans Democratic, Dave Fern convincingly defeated Republican Chet Billi.

8:43:05 MST. Governor. Still no 100 percent precincts reporting tallies at SecST for governor for Broadwater, Cascade, Gallatin, Lewis and Clark, and Missoula Counties. Bullock should carry all but Broadwater.