As a good American of rural Scandinavian\/Scottish descent, I’m rarely given to sharing optimism publicly. It’s just not in the DNA.<\/p>\n
And, as always, I’m a Trump skeptic. <\/p>\n
The race could still swing either way; there’s a week left for October Surprises (although have of them, mathematically, would be November surprises). <\/p>\n
But over the weekend, the Real Clear Politics average finally showed Trump up in their polling average. <\/p>\n
The margin is well within the margin of error – like, in the margin of error’s upper GI tract. But this is the first lead of any kind Trump has had in the RCP average since Harris’s “surge” after defenestrating the Potato. And if it holds until Election Day, it’ll be the first time Trump has ever led the RCP average at election time – 2016, 2020 or this year. <\/p>\n
Now, I never bought the “Red Wave” hype in 2022, and I’m not getting on board any bandwagons this year either. But I think two, maybe three, stories over the weekend got me thinking.<\/p>\n
Lifeboats<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n VIrginia hasn’t gone Republican, IIRC, since the ’84 landlside. <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>But as Strommie points out, this isn’t your father’s VIrginia<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n