I was reading the Wikipedia article for the recent Italian judicial referendum, and the exit polls claim that only 16% of voters have a college degree, and that an astonishing 48% of voters haven't even graduated high school. That seems like an extremely low level of education for a developed, first-world country like Italy - it makes America look like a nation of Einsteins in comparison. Are Italians really that poorly educated?
I did some quick googling, which showed 80%+ high school, 30% college. Both stats are below the U.S., which is surprising. But give us a few years...we're rapidly racing to the bottom.
My vet graduated from vet school in Italy, and he indicated their required level of education is low (10 years), but college is more intense for professions and a lot of people go to trade schools. They have a high literacy rate. He also doesn't push end of life care that's not going to be effective, and he has Standard Poodles and Scottish Terriers which are my two breeds with several mutts mixed in.
The U.S. (and the Anglosphere as a whole) has a well above average number of degreed people. Germany is only like 33% as another example. It’s the English speaking countries and to a somewhat lesser extent Scandinavia that are the big outliers
Is anyone else having an issue with the notifications from Substack? Any of the paid ones that I’m a part of do not give me notifications anymore. But all the other ones still do.
Somewhat reassuring that the GOP didn’t choose the two election deniers for Michigan AG and SoS. I’m sure the chosen candidates still have their issues but the further we can keep the 2020 conspiracy theorists away from any positions of power the better
We’re entering Bush territory in some polls as what was once Trump’s strongest issue: immigration approval, continues to converge closer to economic approval.
It’s going to be good to no longer have this fake moderate MAGA voting rep in Congress after 2026. The one thing all Republicans can’t stand: Being held accountable for their actions. Disgusting.
I don't think it's tenuous. Lawler is a top target in the House race this year (I live in his district, I know) and when things like this happen, it can be a sign of vulnerability.
I am actually kind of surprised Ann Wagner is running again lol. I do wonder if she feels like she's holding off getting a MAGA idiot from taking her seat, and maybe hoping they'll tamp down post-Trump.
That said, the changes to that district make it only somewhat more crazy (when the district lines take effect). St Charles County has a lot of nutters.
Just checked, and 63 NC House seats (out of 120) voted for Trump by less than 11% or for Harris.
Unfortunately, in the state Senate only 24 seats out of 50 did. There, we're definitely going to need to retake the NC Supreme Court and get better maps before we can win it.
If we get that kind of turnout in November that the special elections in TX and FL did (where Dems flipped R+12 seats), a surprise flip of both Houses isn't out of the question -- esp when LG Rachel Hunt can be a tiebreaker if the state Senate is at 25 R - 25 D. You had at least 8-12% of Republicans crossing over and independent/unaffiliated voters going overwhelmingly for Democrats.
And the once-powerful Phil Berger only won his state Senate seat by 54% in a presidential year -- and lost his primary by 23 votes. He blew a lot of money earmarked for vulnerable races just to keep his seat... and failed.
NC GOP are in disarray, but the local media hasn't gotten wind of it yet.
NEW: The pro-Juliana Stratton super PAC waited until January to go up with ads.
The PAC's leader, Quentin Fulks, talks to us about how an anti-ICE posture, $25-an-hour min wage push and Pritzker's popularity fueled a well-timed surge by Election Day.
I was reading the Wikipedia article for the recent Italian judicial referendum, and the exit polls claim that only 16% of voters have a college degree, and that an astonishing 48% of voters haven't even graduated high school. That seems like an extremely low level of education for a developed, first-world country like Italy - it makes America look like a nation of Einsteins in comparison. Are Italians really that poorly educated?
I did some quick googling, which showed 80%+ high school, 30% college. Both stats are below the U.S., which is surprising. But give us a few years...we're rapidly racing to the bottom.
My vet graduated from vet school in Italy, and he indicated their required level of education is low (10 years), but college is more intense for professions and a lot of people go to trade schools. They have a high literacy rate. He also doesn't push end of life care that's not going to be effective, and he has Standard Poodles and Scottish Terriers which are my two breeds with several mutts mixed in.
The U.S. (and the Anglosphere as a whole) has a well above average number of degreed people. Germany is only like 33% as another example. It’s the English speaking countries and to a somewhat lesser extent Scandinavia that are the big outliers
MO-6: That 2008 ad of three people dancing continues to live rent-free in my head.
Is anyone else having an issue with the notifications from Substack? Any of the paid ones that I’m a part of do not give me notifications anymore. But all the other ones still do.
Somewhat reassuring that the GOP didn’t choose the two election deniers for Michigan AG and SoS. I’m sure the chosen candidates still have their issues but the further we can keep the 2020 conspiracy theorists away from any positions of power the better
For an overview of Sam Graves's career as a Missouri congressman, see Jess Piper's recent Substack, The View from Rural Missouri
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/FMfcgzQgLFffnDvflwlqCwgWWcnMxdfh
We’re entering Bush territory in some polls as what was once Trump’s strongest issue: immigration approval, continues to converge closer to economic approval.
https://x.com/IAPolls2022/status/2038608690324922511
🇺🇸 National Poll by UMass/Amherst
Pres. Trump
Approve: 33%
Disapprove: 62%
Trump's lowest approval in either term
——
Trump's net approval on key issues
🟤 Immigration: -25
🔴 Jobs: -31
🔴 Tariffs: -36
🔴 Inflation: -47
——
U.S. Military action against Iran
Approve: 29%
Disapprove: 54%
YouGov | 3/20-25 | 1,000 A
https://umass.edu/news/article/president-trumps-approval-sinks-33-new-umass-poll
It’s going to be good to no longer have this fake moderate MAGA voting rep in Congress after 2026. The one thing all Republicans can’t stand: Being held accountable for their actions. Disgusting.
https://x.com/allenanalysis/status/2038461526550499831
🚨Republican Congressman Mike Lawler held a town hall in Rockland County, New York.
Veterans stood up and told him exactly what they thought of him and Trump.
Lawler had them removed. That made it worse. The crowd turned on him. He had to leave.
These are not protesters. These are veterans. People who served. Who buried friends. Who know what war costs because they paid it personally.
They looked a Republican congressman in the eye and said what they thought.
He called security.
Please. You don't have to copy and paste someone else's full tweet. Especially if it has a tenuous connection to analysis of a downballot race.
I don't think it's tenuous. Lawler is a top target in the House race this year (I live in his district, I know) and when things like this happen, it can be a sign of vulnerability.
I like what dragonfire5004 posts, I would never be on X myself so this is helpful and is germane to discussing downballot races.
I am actually kind of surprised Ann Wagner is running again lol. I do wonder if she feels like she's holding off getting a MAGA idiot from taking her seat, and maybe hoping they'll tamp down post-Trump.
She is likely going to have a pretty easy race.
That said, the changes to that district make it only somewhat more crazy (when the district lines take effect). St Charles County has a lot of nutters.
New poll: D+11 GCB in NC legislature lol.
MCP: Would this margin flip the State House in your own backyard?
https://x.com/IAPolls2022/status/2038622867911295469
https://x.com/IAPolls2022/status/2038628119423209955
NORTH CAROLINA POLL - Senate
🟦 Roy Cooper: 50%
🟥 Michael Whatley: 32%
🟨 Shannon Bray: 4%
——
Generic Ballot (legislative)
🟦 DEM: 49%
🟥 GOP: 38%
——
NC SENATE (crosstabs)
🟦 Cooper: 50% (+18)
🟥 Whatley. 32%
🟨 Bray: 4%
——
🔴 GOP: Whatley +60
🔵 Dem: Cooper +84
🔵 Indie: Cooper +24
---
🔵 White: Cooper +7
🔵 Black: Cooper +69
🔵 Other: Cooper +20
---
🔴 Rural: Whatley +1
🔵 Suburban: Cooper +26
🔵 Urban: Cooper +35
---
🔴 No college: Whatley +18
🔴 Some college: Whatley +3
🔵 4 year grad: Cooper +24
🔵 Postgrad: Cooper +54
🔵 Male: Cooper +13
🔵 Female: Cooper +22
• Nexus Strategies for Healthier United
• 3/8-9 | 800 RV
https://carolinajournal.com/poll-cooper-holds-wide-early-lead-over-whatley-in-nc-senate-race/
Just checked, and 63 NC House seats (out of 120) voted for Trump by less than 11% or for Harris.
Unfortunately, in the state Senate only 24 seats out of 50 did. There, we're definitely going to need to retake the NC Supreme Court and get better maps before we can win it.
If we get that kind of turnout in November that the special elections in TX and FL did (where Dems flipped R+12 seats), a surprise flip of both Houses isn't out of the question -- esp when LG Rachel Hunt can be a tiebreaker if the state Senate is at 25 R - 25 D. You had at least 8-12% of Republicans crossing over and independent/unaffiliated voters going overwhelmingly for Democrats.
And the once-powerful Phil Berger only won his state Senate seat by 54% in a presidential year -- and lost his primary by 23 votes. He blew a lot of money earmarked for vulnerable races just to keep his seat... and failed.
NC GOP are in disarray, but the local media hasn't gotten wind of it yet.
How Juliana Stratton backloaded her ad campaign strategy and won in the Illinois Democratic primary for Senate:
https://x.com/natashakorecki/status/2038342968952717742
NEW: The pro-Juliana Stratton super PAC waited until January to go up with ads.
The PAC's leader, Quentin Fulks, talks to us about how an anti-ICE posture, $25-an-hour min wage push and Pritzker's popularity fueled a well-timed surge by Election Day.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/democratic-senate-candidate-juliana-stratton-victory-illinois-senate-rcna265518
Blast from the past.
https://x.com/MaryCaitlinByrd/status/2038624279885984255
NEW: Mark Sanford is back, and he's running for his old Congressional seat.
This AM, Sanford filed to run for #SC01. He is again sounding the alarm on the national debt, saying it's time for him to "get off the bleachers."
https://postandcourier.com/politics/mark-sanford-sc-congress-republican/article_7b1c70f5-8320-4dbe-8ef7-dfe2a28043aa.html #SC01 #scpol #scnews #chsnews