Voters in 6 states have now stood with women. Pro-choice forces must persist
In the first nationwide test of public sentiments since the Supreme Court last summer ended abortion rights in America, voters got to have their say. So far, their verdict has been resounding: Voters in almost a half-dozen states cast their ballots Nov. 8 for measures to protect the biological self-determination of women — and nowhere did voters turn back those rights. Exit polls indicated it was the second-most important overall subject motivating voters and by far the most important one motivating people to vote Democratic.
Ahead of the election, rage and political violence weighed on voters’ minds
Despite all the misread tea leaves by pollsters ahead of the Nov. 8 election, one pre-election poll offered signals about the influences affecting the choices of Republicans and Democrats as well as the ever-important independents who now dominate national election results. Americans headed into the election deeply concerned about rising political violence and feared an upswing in the months following last week’s vote.
Trump is weak, but the GOP is weaker
After their party’s disappointing performance in the midterms, Republican elites seem to have decided that Donald Trump is their big problem. The Murdoch media empire has been trashing the former president. Many donors and operatives are reportedly rallying around Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida. But Trump, who is widely expected to announce his 2024 presidential campaign Tuesday, won’t go quietly.
Why the inflation rate isn’t as bad as you think
Inflation is a hot-button issue, and its political fallout can be huge. Some think that the hyperinflation during Germany’s Weimar Republic in the 1920s — when, at a trillion to the dollar, the German mark literally was not worth the paper it was printed on — contributed to the rise of Adolf Hitler. Current U.S. inflation is not remotely comparable, but pollsters say it helped to sway voters in the midterm elections in favor of the Republicans.
World Cup host has a lot at stake
Playing host nation to a World Cup is a highly coveted accolade; for all and sundry who make up the citizenry, this means nation building, infrastructure, job creation, renewed patriotism and lasting change long after the closing ceremonies.
Saving local journalism: It’s time to pass the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act
The wake of an election in which millions of Americans in diverse districts nationwide made their voices heard is the perfect time to remember: While increasing numbers of Americans may spend ever more time online, whether on Twitter or YouTube or Facebook or even (ugh) in the metaverse, in the ways that matter most, we continue to be rooted here in the real world.
After Trump’s picks hobbled the GOP Tuesday, will the party finally quit him?
One result from Tuesday’s midterm elections is already clear: Donald Trump’s political touch is anything but golden. The former president’s favored candidates largely tumbled as voters recoiled from their extremism.
Slaying the inflation dragon
Elections are rarely about only one issue, but there’s no question that economic worries motivated voters this year. Polls, both before the election and exit polling, showed that inflation was their No. 1 concern.
Cartoon for November 13
The Big Island as seen by Hawaii Tribune-Herald cartoonist Gary Hoff.
Poison pills: Trump, Roe and the Red Wave that wasn’t
Many a pundit predicted that in the first elections since the overturning of Roe v. Wade this summer, crime and inflation would overshadow abortion rights in turning people out to the polls. Tuesday night, Americans around the country proved them wrong.
Democratic victories in Michigan show the way to 2024
This week showed Florida’s governor working hard toward 2024. For Michigan’s reelected leader, Gretchen Whitmer, it looks more like 2024 is coming toward her. As far as I’m concerned, DeSantis began to prepare his White House bid the day President Donald Trump lost.
The midterm results (so far) show that old political narratives don’t apply
As Republicans gloated in recent weeks about the red wave they expected to wash over America, Democrats and their allies were, as usual, beating themselves up for blowing the election before it happened. The actual outcome? It could have been worse — for Democrats, Republicans, Donald Trump and America itself. In a divided nation with a MAGA movement that makes the tea party seem like, well, a tea party, this should not be a surprise. As of now, each party still has a shot at controlling at least one congressional chamber. A few candidates endorsed by Trump won, but many lost. So far, so good on the democracy front, though Arizona’s Big Lie slate for governor, senator and secretary of state continues to loom.
Election’s over. Now concentrate on inflation
Not so long ago, a 9-5 job was enough to pay the bills and put food on the table.
Greener pastures north: Canada welcomes immigrants, to our economic detriment
Since the War of 1812 ended, we’ve had a friendly rivalry with our northern neighbors. We gave them McDonald’s, Walmart, baseball, football and basketball; they gave us the Ryans (Gosling and Reynolds), Paw Patrol and ice hockey. All in good fun — yet sometimes our frozen friends really hit us where it hurts, and in the past few years that’s meant attracting and absorbing loads of immigrant talent that couldn’t find a place here.
Extend child tax credit now
Lobbyists are lining up to push Congress to approve more corporate tax breaks before Jan. 1, including extending deductions for research and development. Supporters argue that U.S. businesses need such incentives to keep the nation competitive in the world economy.
Evidence that Republicans are using technicalities to toss out Democratic ballots
It’s hard to avoid the conclusion that Republican officials, too often abetted by federal judges appointed by Republican presidents, are making up technicalities enabling them to shred mostly Democratic ballots.
Rishi Sunak needs to reset Britain’s approach to Europe
Rishi Sunak won the race to become Britain’s new prime minister by promising to fix his predecessor’s fiscal errors and unify his party. Oddly, he wasn’t asked to say much about Brexit — which has hobbled the country for the past six years and remains the government’s biggest challenge. Addressing it will make cleaning up the budgetary mess look easy.
GOP hopes inflation will help them win. So they should say how they’d fix it
Recent polls show, as they often tend to, that Americans trust Republicans more than Democrats on economic issues — this despite decades of evidence that GOP economic stewardship has been worse for all but the richest Americans and more prone to increase the deficit.
Rainy Side View: The return of Ironman
It’s been a month since Kona Ironman ended but it’ll be back. Money talks. And perhaps you’re as glad as I am that the triathlon takes place on the sunny and not the rainy side of the island, although it would be fun to watch athletes in their skivvies slipping and sliding all over Hilo’s slushy streets.
Federal Reserve is right to suggest slowing rate hikes
Economies are not known for being simple things to untangle. Unlike in the physical sciences, where if you do enough calculations, you can shoot a projectile into an asteroid moving at an incredible speed 7 million miles away, the so-called laws of money deal with the hazier and less predictable forces of group psychology and consumption.