Who needs an election anyway?

Who needs an election anyway?:

Nicaragua and El Salvador show the two very different paths Latin America has taken.

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Who knew that a left-wing president would cancel elections? Let’s check out what’s happening in Nicaragua, or the country that made Ollie North and the word “contras” famous. Here is the story:

Nicaraguan leader Daniel Ortega said the Central American country would no longer hold elections, further closing off any potential path for the opposition to challenge the government he leads with his wife, Rosario Murillo.

Ortega, Nicaragua’s longest-serving leader, has remained in power since 2007 after previously governing during the 1980s. His current presidential term is scheduled to run through 2027.

“There won’t be any more elections here for them to try to seize the government and seize power,” Ortega said.

He delivered the remarks Sunday during a speech commemorating the 1979 Sandinista revolution, in which Ortega participated in the overthrow of the U.S.-backed dictatorship of Anastasio Somoza.

The declaration appeared to eliminate the possibility of a future electoral challenge as Ortega and Murillo continue consolidating control over the country’s political institutions.

“The days when parties backed by the Yankees (United States) and the Somocistas would return to power are over — never again,” Ortega declared.

Here it goes: We are not going to let the opposition seize power, so we will cancel the elections. It does not get better than that. Who wants “los Yankees” running things anyway?

In the meantime, the US Department of State has issued travel warnings to Nicaragua. According to the report, you should “...reconsider travel in Nicaragua due to risk of crime, health, wrongful detention, and arbitrary enforcement of local laws.” The warning is that tourists should stay away from markets and public places, or the real world, and concentrate on tourist destinations, a.k.a tourist traps.

It’s funny how two neighbors have gone in different directions. Nicaragua, run by a socialist husband-and-wife team, is a mess. El Salvador, run by a law-and-order guy, is doing quite well. At the same time, the candidates running and winning in Latin America are praising President Bukele of El Salvador and staying away from Ortega and his wife.

So, stay away from Nicaragua, where they cancel elections for fear of losing them. And check out El Salvador, where the voters want more of what they voted for.

P.S. Check out my blog for posts, podcasts, and videos.

 

Click to read:

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/07/who-needs-an-election-anyway/

We remember Bobby Sherman (1944-2025)

Between 1969 and 1972, Bobby Sherman sold millions and millions of records.   As I recall, he was on the radio, TV and maybe a movie as well.  He died in 2025.

P.S. Check out my blog for posts, podcasts, and videos.

A chat with Bruce Piasecki, author of "Wealth and climate competitiveness"

Listen to "A chat with Bruce Piasecki, author of "Wealth and climate competitiveness"" on Spreaker.

Midterms 2026, Nicaragua update and a few other thoughts

 

Midterms 2026, Nicaragua update and a few other thoughts

This is not your daddy’s midterm

This is not your daddy’s midterm:

So far, 2026 doesn’t fit the midterm narrative.

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So far, 2026 doesn’t fit the midterm narrative. I mean the one about unpopular presidents creating an opening for the opposition to sweep the election. Remember 1994 or 2006 or 2010?

Yes, 2026 doesn’t fit that narrative despite having an unpopular president based on polls.

So what’s the big deal? Ronald Brownstein has an idea:

“Views about the incumbent president’s performance have become arguably the most powerful factor shaping modern midterm elections. But Democrats are struggling to convert pervasive disapproval of Trump’s second term into sufficient support for their House and Senate candidates.

The result is what might be called the 2026 approval gap. From one direction, Trump’s job approval rating has plummeted below the level that triggered midterm wave elections against other contemporary presidents, including Bill Clinton in 1994, George W. Bush in 2006, Barack Obama in 2010 and Trump himself in 2018. And yet most surveys do not show Democrats establishing a clear or consistent advantage in the key races that will decide control of the House and Senate.

Evan Roth Smith, a Democratic pollster allied with the party’s centrist wing, notes that in 2018, the share of voters who disapproved of Trump’s performance was about 10 points larger than the share who approved. Today, Smith points out, Trump’s net approval rating is about 20 points negative — twice as bad — and yet the Democrat lead in generic ballot tests for the 2026 House election is considerably smaller than the party’s actual advantage of about 8.5 points in the 2018 national House popular vote.

And that’s the mystery of ’26. Yes, Trump is down, but so are the other guys.

So what’s going on?

Maybe the polls are meaningless, especially when there’s a poll every 5 minutes. It seems like every other story these days is about somebody doing a poll. Do you get the feeling that everyone on the phone at the game is talking to a pollster?

Maybe the polls or voters don’t get serious until after Labor Day. After all, what poll two years ago had Trump winning the popular vote or 80% of the counties? I recall a lot of experts saying that he might win the Electoral College but never the popular vote.

Maybe the Democrats just don’t offer a viable alternative to Trump. The Democrats’ message is so confusing these days and hard to follow. One corner wants to cancel the Senate and Electoral College. Then in the other corner they’re screaming that these people don’t speak for the party.

Wait a minute: Aren’t they winning primaries? Won’t they have a “D” next to their names? What party is that?

So here we are in mid-July and no one has a clue. It’s sort of been that way since Trump came down the escalator and turned politics upside down.

P.S. Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos.

Click to read:

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/07/this-is-not-your-daddy-s-midterm/

We remember Mike Hegan (1942-2013)

James Michael Hegan was born in Cleveland on this day in 1942.   His father, Jim Hegan, was an All Star major league catcher with the Indians.    

Jim was a high school baseball star at St. Ignatius and accepted a baseball scholarship to play at Worcester.    In 1961, he was offered contracts by 15 teams and signed with the New York Yankees.    (I should add that this is before the draft or the rules in place today.)

Mike broke with the Yankees in September 1964 and was added to the World Series roster.      Mike is the only player to score a post-season run before getting his major league hit.    

Hegan spent the new few seasons between the majors and the minors.   In 1968, Jim was added to the Seattle Pilots expansion roster.

He blasted the Pilots’ first HR in game one of the 1969 season, hit .292 and was elected to the AL All Star team.    

In 1970, the Pilots became the Milwaukee Brewers and Jim became the regular first baseman.   He was a very popular player but was traded to the A’s in 1971 and played in the post season again.    

After baseball,  Jim moved into the TV booth and worked for Milwaukee and later Cleveland.      My guess is that most fans in those cities remember Jim the broadcaster more than the player.

Hegan died in 2013. 

 P.S.  You can listen to my show.  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

Happy # 78 Cat Stevens

We remember Cat Stevens who was born in London on this day in 1948.

I lost track of his career in the 1980's but do recall some of his 1970's hits:  "Morning Has Broken", "Peace Train" and "Moonshadow".

 P.S.  You can listen to my show.  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

 

We remember Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961)

We remember a great American novelist.  He wrote many poems, short stories and books.

Ernest Hemingway was born in Illinois.   Along the way, he lived in Spain and Cuba.   In 1961, Hemingway committed suicide.

His time in Cuba in the late 1950's and experiences during the Spanish Civil War inspired two of his greatest novels.

 

P.S.  You can listen to my show.  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

 

A chat with George Rodriguez, South Texas

 

A chat with George Rodriguez, South Texas.   The Paxton vs Talerico campaign.  State of GOP in South Texas elections.  Mayor Mamdani wants to arrest the PM of Israel.  

Maybe Mamdani wants to get arrested

Maybe Mamdani wants to get arrested:

He knows of at least one other famous socialist who got his start writing a book in prison.

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As you’ve heard, the Mayor of New York City is talking about arresting the Prime Minister of Israel. Can you smell a guy looking for a headline or distraction? Let’s check this out from Becca Lower:

New York City, as the home of the United Nations headquarters, is hosting the U.N. General Assembly in the fall. And Democratic Socialist NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani expressed during a recent interview with a New York Times interviewer that he’s holding onto a deeply-held wish and campaign promise: to have Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrested when the world leader arrives in his city to attend it.

Yes, the new Mayor is considering it and investigating whether he can do it. Talk about thinking outlandish thoughts rather than helping citizens clean their streets or fighting crime.

My wild guess is that the mayor wants the headlines and is thinking about actually getting arrested and writing a book from prison as Fidel Castro did. As you may remember, Castro was arrested for attacking a military facility in Cuba, wrote a book, and was then released under an amnesty. Wouldn’t the US’s top communist love that on his resume?

The city is falling apart, but the mayor is focused on arresting a foreign leader with a warrant from an international body with no jurisdiction in the US.

That’s the Democrat Party of 2026. They can’t govern but are really good at making headlines.

P.S. Check out my blog for posts, podcasts, and videos.

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Click to read:

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/07/maybe-mamdani-wants-to-get-arrested/