Things started out badly for Democrats last night and then snowballed from there. Early returns from key districts in Florida and other eastern time zone states looked…worrisome. Kackling Kamala simply wasn’t performing as well as she needed to. She wasn’t pulling votes at anywhere near the levels that the old man she usurped had back in 2020.
I’ve watched this 392 times…. pic.twitter.com/P5BcjYc9j1
— EducatëdHillbilly™ (@RobProvince) November 6, 2024
As time went on and more polls closed in the central part of the country, another bad sign emerged here in SNW’s home state of Texas. If you don’t live here, you may be unaware that the Lone Star State has been Lucy’s football for Democrats for the last four election cycles. The Donkey Party continually pours hundreds of millions of dollars into races here in the desperate hope that this election will finally be the one to turn Texas blue. They famously hung their hopes on the feckless Beto O’Rourke’s runs, first at the Senate and then the governor’s mansion, only to be bitterly disappointed again and again.
This time, their shining night on a tragically lame horse was Colin Allred, a former football player who was going up against sitting Senator Ted Cruz. The result this time was the same…only worse. The party threw $80 million into trying to unseat Cruz only to have him easily beat Allred by more than eight points.
The state’s House delegation has also remained reliably red and a good amount of that no doubt had to do with the border czar’s disastrous mismanagement of illegal immigration. In the end, it added up to another election cycle with Dems furiously kicking at a ball that just wasn’t there.
Rio Grande Valley counties
2016: Clinton +39
2020: Biden +15
2024: Trump +4— Patrick Svitek (@PatrickSvitek) November 6, 2024
That brings us to the top of the ticket. Donald Trump jumped out to an early lead and never relinquished it. While cable news talking heads swiped furiously at their magic wall monitors looking for any possible path to 270 electoral votes for the Harris-Walz ticket, the longer the night dragged on, the more it became evident that no such path existed.
As of this morning, Trump has 277 electoral votes and will likely wind up with as many as 312 by the time the last votes are finally counted in states with laughably antiquated voting systems. And this time, unlike 2016, he also appears to have won the popular vote by a margin of almost 5 million votes. This was the first time a GOP candidate won both the popular vote and the electoral college since 2004.
The Republicans also regained control of the Senate and, while the numbers aren’t fully in, they appear to have a good chance of retaining a majority in the House.
In short, it appears that the night couldn’t have gone much better for the Republicans. That’s good news for those of us who care about and exercise our gun rights. While there are likely lots of positive changes coming after the second Trump administration is finally in place, perhaps the most important is what that means for the Supreme Court.
“Retiring” pic.twitter.com/V7c7RDlyyZ
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) November 6, 2024
With a GOP president and firm Republican control of the Senate, two long-serving conservative justices, Clarence Thomas (76 years old) and Samuel Alito (74), may well decide that the next year or so would be an opportune time to call it a career. Replacing those two with a couple of like-minded originalists in their 40s would cement the conservative tilt of the Court for another generation.
But why stop there? Chief Justice Roberts is 69. And Sonia Sotomayor is 70 (and known to have health problems). It’s possible that one or both of them might give the 47th president a few more nomination opportunities as well.
Then there’s what the next Trump administration can and hopefully will do within the executive branch itself. If you’re ATF Director Steve Dettlebach, one of the first things you’ll probably be doing after getting into the office this morning is polishing your resume and getting it out there in search of future challenges and opportunities.
While he couldn’t managed to define what an “assault weapon” is, Dettlebach has presided over an agency that has been weaponized against gun makers, retailers, and owners. He instituted zero tolerance policies that have forced hundreds of FFLs out of business. He’s also pushed through new rules that outlawed pistol braces and redefined what constitutes a gun with the agency’s “frame or receiver” rule.
Other executive branch employees who will no doubt be hitting the bricks in late January are the anti-gun activists who populate the White House Ministry of Gun Control. Biden established the anti-gun office as a sop to his constituency in the Civilian Disarmament Industrial Complex. That was back when he still thought he’d be running for a second term.
He then staffed the office with experienced gun control advocates who have worked to take a “whole of government” approach to limiting Second Amendment rights. But fear not. They should have no trouble at all finding jobs with operations like Giffords, Brady and Everytown once again.
And then there’s the possibility for advancing pro-gun legislation if the GOP winds up with control of both houses of Congress. First on our list would be taking another crack at the Hearing Protection Act. There’s no earthly reason why safety items like suppressors should be harder to acquire than firearms, let alone levying the onerous $200 tax buyers are obliged to pay for each one. If the GOP retains the House, we’d love to see that be a priority early in the next Congress.
We’re under no illusions about Donald Trump’s commitment to dismantling gun control and advancing Second Amendment rights. He’s at best a transactional squish who, while not hostile to gun rights related issues, is willing to bargain them away if it’s politically expedient. That said, he — and, we hope, the people he hires for this latest administration — will be infinitely better than what we would have had to deal with if last night’s election had gone the other way.
So given the still unfolding election results, those of us in the gun rights community will have to be forgiven for taking pleasure in what appears to be the crushing defeat of our opponents.
We can all count our blessings. If as it appears will happen, PDT win the popular vote, then NY, IL, and CA will be stuck with their Interstate Compact to have their electors vote for PDT (which will be fun to watch). Karma’s a real bitch.
Biggest immediate thing will be to clean house at the DoJ, FBI, State Department, and the Pentagon. I’d like to see PDT fire James Comey (and revoke his security clearance) in his Inaugural Address. And expect a slew of EO’s on Day 1 undoing much of the Biden admin’s craziness (such as their bans on various items, the new frame or receiver rules, etc.).
Legislatively, the Hearing Protection Act and a bill mandating national concealed carry reciprocity (and putting some teeth in FOPA) appear doable, especially if the GOP senate majority is in the mid fifties.
Judicially, look for both Alito and Thomas to retire and be replaced by hard-edged originalists like Fifth Circuit Judge (and former Thomas clerk) James Ho. And the actuarial tables may well catch up to Sotomayor. I think Roberts’ ego is so inflated that he won’t retire, however.
We’ll also see a slew of new district court judges in red states. (Currently, the Senate still abides by the old “blue slip” rule for district court judges: if a Senator from that state opposes the nomination, the Judiciary Committee won’t hold a hearing on it. This means that there are lots of open benches in places like Texas.)
Damn straight, let’s get that going.
When Trump pulled it off the first time, I found myself giggling several times a day, I hope the same thing happens now…
Ken Lee for SCotUS!
{Texas}
“The Donkey Party continually pours hundreds of millions of dollars into races here in the desperate hope that this election will finally be the one to turn Texas blue.”
Good luck on that, the majority of Latino men voted for Trump. They stupidly thought all they had to do was import millions of starving Latinos and they would dutifully vote Left.
The dumbshits didn’t know those newcomers were devout Catholics and hold conservative values.
I, for one, will not help my enemy correct that error…