Election 2026: Reflections on the Deep Blue Victories

Election 2026 is over, and it didn’t go well. Final tallies are still trickling in for California (they always do), but those elections are a foregone conclusion. The AP called the California Governor’s race at the closing of the polls, and I am too jaded by liberal Californians’ repeated votes for failure to scream about voter fraud. No matter how much fraud there may be, I have witnessed enough town halls and political discourse in this state to recognize that Californians are afflicted with Republican Derangement Syndrome and Trump Derangement Syndrome in particular.

Perennial politician and policy non-entity Xavier Becerra is the governor-elect. He crumbled in debates, then hid from voters and reporters during the campaign season. In contrast, Republican Fox News host-turned-populist author Steve Hilton campaigned everywhere, in heavily Democratic areas as well as Republican strongholds. Hilton hustled; he had good ideas; he even posted advertisements on major freeways (unheard of for a Republican candidate), yet he still fell short.

Across the country, Democrats made unprecedented gains in ruby red states. These states have election integrity measures and voter protections. Democrats swamped the vote and won fair and square.

Sure, my predictions were wrong, but hope has to take that risk. I choose to be optimistic about every election, no matter how daunting the odds. No matter how severe the odds or how disappointing the losses, I have learned to persevere, and hopefully the country will, as well. We survived Joe Biden, and voters rejected Kamala Harris in 2024 to give Trump a second mandate.

Then what happened? Trump rode a wave of strong support at the outset of his second term. Americans wanted a return to order, and he reversed the damage of the Biden years. Two years later, voters have given Congressional power to the woke Democrats committed to the cults of climate change, transgenderism, and socialism.

Did high gas prices and inflation so embitter American voters that they would allow woke communists to take power? Sadly, yes. They should have looked past the high gas prices and reflected on President Trump’s accomplishments: record job creation, mass deportations, lower rents, protection of life and family, and restored prestige for the American military and the American experiment.

Regarding the war in Iran, President Trump did the right thing in targeting that rogue regime’s nuclear enrichment program. The United States would have stood helpless against an Islamic nuclear holocaust, along with the rest of the civilized world, if the Ayatollahs and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps had established an impenetrable wall of missiles to protect their nuclear enrichment. Since Jimmy Carter, no president has wanted to take on and take down the fanatical, megalomaniacal Islamic regime. Trump showed the necessary political courage.

If Republicans suffered because Trump put America First by taking out the world’s biggest geopolitical threat, so be it. I reject the dismissive commentary of Matt Walsh, who declared: “I'd rather Iran have a nuke than my country be run by communists.” Can’t we have both? We should seek both outcomes, and we should not disparage Trump for doing the right thing, even if he didn’t get the messaging right or struggled to corral other Republicans to focus on more domestic victories.

What other lessons can we draw from this midterm mess?

1.      Let’s start with a lighter note: Guam’s results are not indicative of the election results to come across the country.  I was so hopeful yesterday afternoon when I read Trump’s announcement about our little territory far away in the Pacific Ocean.

In 2022, a Republican won the Congressional delegate seat, the first time in thirty years, yet Republicans enjoyed only a red trickle across the rest of the country. In 2026, Republicans won Guam’s governor’s race, but the results were even worse for Republicans elsewhere.

• Guam’s election results were not a perfect harbinger by any means. Lesson learned.
• Republicans in red states took their longstanding dominance for granted, and voters are tired of it. Iowa, Texas, and Ohio turned blue this season, after years of Republican rule in the legislature and statewide offices, because they were angry with the lack of results at the state level.  Some candidates were so damaged, like Ken Paxton, or had so upset the Republican base, like Vivek Ramaswamy, that Republican voters did not turn out for them.
• Mississippi’s US Senate seat is trending Democrat, as well: unthinkable to some, but I have followed statewide election trends in the Magnolia state, and the Republican gubernatorial candidates have been winning by diminishing margins. Corruption issues and lack of conservative legislative success have outraged voters there, too.
• Republican voters feel betrayed by Trump, and they took it out on his party. Whether those feelings are justified is another story, but telling people “Everything is fine” while they face rising costs is not a winning electoral strategy. Then again, Trump’s leadership has been nothing but winning, even if Congressional Republicans didn’t step up.

What are the silver linings to the Republican Election Disaster of 2026?

• 1.      My favorite executive, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, is the biggest winner. Throughout his excellent and effective tenure, he committed himself to policy goals and gains, no matter what happened in Washington. He made promises, he kept them, and turned Florida into a Republican stronghold so stable that Republicans carried all statewide offices this year despite the blue tsunami. Governor-elect Byron Donalds owes him a great deal. Voters want results and a mission, not memes and noise, and DeSantis delivered. He is a strong contender for 2028 now, despite MAGA naysayers offended by his 2024 primary challenge.
• 2.      Idaho’s abortion initiative, Proposition One, failed despite the motivated liberal turnout on Election Day. Conservative values can withstand and win against unfavorable political environments. The pro-life movement mobilized early to fight this horrid attempt to enshrine abortion rights in the Gem State, and they succeeded. This is a huge win because abortion measures had been passing around the country up to now.
• 3.      Voter ID and “Citizen Voter Only” initiatives won big across the country, despite Democrats replacing Republicans in GOP strongholds. President Trump’s efforts to secure the vote should not be scuttled or dismissed. Republicans need to focus on these popular issues and accomplish them!
• 4.      Initiatives to protect women’s sports from confused men have won in Arizona and Nebraska, and they are winning even in deep-blue Colorado. Even Washington State’s initiative to keep boys out of girls’ sports is succeeding. This is great!
• 5.      In uber-liberal California, voters rejected the awful Millionaire’s Tax, Prop 40, with the help of massive donations from wealthy job creators who would have fled the state if it passed. Voters also supported Prop 42 to protect savings and other property from taxes. When there’s no partisan messaging but a clear commitment to doing what is best for voters, good initiatives can succeed in California.

Democrats may have won big this year, but not because their ideas are great. Republicans need to make MAGA happen consistently, not just talk about it. Am I worried for the future? No. Democrats in Congress and across the country will overplay their hand, and Republicans will capitalize on their failures to surge back in 2028.

The Anti-Catholic Hypocrisy of Janice Hahn

Supervisor Janice Hahn celebrating with the ANTI-CATHOLIC
hate group The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence

 

LA County District Four Supervisor Janice Hahn celebrated her visit to the Vatican in her latest Janice Journal newsletter (November 7, 2026:

             

I had the honor of joining the Catholic Association for Latino Leadership (I'm neither) on their pilgrimage to Rome last week, led by Archbishop José H. Gomez.

The highlight of the trip was meeting Pope Leo XIV. I brought him greetings from Los Angeles County, along with the plaque of the original LA County seal that my father designed. I told him the story of how my dad insisted on including a cross in the seal to recognize the influence of the Spanish missions on the early development of the area.

It was a beautiful moment for me. There’s so much that we have in common in terms of how we live our lives for Christ, and I'm grateful to my friend Diane Martinez for inviting me to join this trip.

The message I took away from my time in Rome was that we should try to love one another and work harder to find common ground and to make our community and our world a better place.

Read more about our pilgrimage

She gloated about her in-person meeting with Pope Leo XIV, including a photo offering him a plaque of the original Los Angeles County seal with a cross and a mission.

The whole thing reeks of unholy hypocrisy.

I found this sentence in her newsletter particularly galling:

"There’s so much that we have in common in terms of how we live our lives for Christ."

Hahn does not follow Christ at all. 

Hahn supports abortion, the murder of innocent children. Jesus said, "But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 19:14)

She has been endorsed by Planned Parenthood and accepted their money. Planned Parenthood is committed to the destruction of innocent children and families.

She promotes the LGBT agenda. She welcomed the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, an anti-Catholic hate group, to attend a flag ceremony in front of the Supervisors' meeting hall to raise the "pride" flag over the county. How can she claim to respect the Catholic community when she welcomes a group of perverted men dressed up as mocking parodies of nuns?!

She endorses taking firearms away from law-abiding citizens through unsound gun buy-backs. Scripture and Catholic doctrine both recognize the importance of individuals to protect themselves and their families. Many Catholic groups and nations relied on firearms to protect themselves from rogue, communist, and atheistic forces.

She wants open borders, even though Biblical truth and Catholic doctrine do not endorse such destructive views. 

She has defamed federal law enforcement for arresting illegal aliens in our country. They broke the law, yet Hahn thinks that the laws of a nation don't matter. She has no regard for Paul's specific teachings on this matter:

"Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

"Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation." (Romans 13:1-2)

Has she even done anything to restore the original LA County seal, which includes the Cross? Nope.

In early 2025, the county attempted to limit weekly church gatherings in Redondo Beach. I requested that Torrance city councilmembers confront the county because they were attempting to limit freedom of religion. Where was Janice Hahn on this issue? Nowhere. So much for fighting for the faith.

This woman does not live a holy life, one that shows honor, respect, or alignment with Christ Jesus and His Holy Gospel.

I have never been so appalled that she would suggest something so dishonest.

If Pope Leo XIV were properly informed, I wonder if he would instruct her in actually walking in the faith!

TAC: The Federal Government Is Too Big - George Mason Warned Us

 

ANTI-FEDERALIST WARNING George Mason on consolidation of power  (article | podcast) **GET THIS BOOK: The Anti-Federalists Were Right?

Many antifederalists warned us about the dangers of centralized power. And George Mason was one of the most prominent. They called this centralization of power in the general government “consolidation.” In a speech during the Virginia ratifying convention, George Mason said a consolidated government “is totally subversive of every principle which has hitherto governed us.  This power is calculated to annihilate totally the State Governments.” [Emphasis added] He later added that consolidation “is one of the worst curses that can possibly befall a nation.” And yet the march toward consolidation continues. A lot of people like the idea of a strong national government because they think it will yield the policy outcomes they desire. But they forget that the power to do “good” can just as easily be turned toward evil purposes. Mason warned about this tendency during the Philadelphia Convention, saying, “From the nature of man we may be sure, that those who have power in their hands will not give it up while they can retain it. On the contrary we know they will always when they can rather increase it.” As good as centralized power might sound as you contemplate achieving some policy goal, the idea of a consolidated federal government is flawed by its very nature. Its size and scope make it unworkable. As Mason explained to the delegates attending the Virginia ratifying convention, the country is simply too big to have all of its matters directed by a handful of politicians in a far-away place. “Is it to be supposed that one National Government will suit so extensive a country, embracing so many climates, and containing inhabitants so very different in manners, habits, and customs? It is ascertained by history, that there never was a Government, over a very extensive country, without destroying the liberties of the people.” The Federal Government is too Big, George Mason Warned Us Article Here: https://tenthamendmentcenter.com/2022/08/12/the-federal-government-is-too-big-george-mason-warned-us/ George Mason vs the Constitution: Top Anti-Federalist Arguments VIDEO PODCAST HERE Mason pinpointed a fundamental problem with a centralized government. The representatives cannot possibly understand the dynamics in all of the diverse regions of the country. “Sixty-five members cannot possibly know the situation and circumstances of all the inhabitants of this immense continent: When a certain sum comes to be taxed, and the mode of levying to be fixed, they will lay the tax on that article which t will be most productive, and easiest in the collection, without consulting the real circumstances or convenience of a country, with which, in fact, they cannot be sufficiently acquainted.” He went on to ask a rhetorical question. “Why leave the manner of laying taxes to those, who in the nature of things, cannot be acquainted with the situation of those on whom they are to impose them, when it can be done by those who are well acquainted with it?” Mason formulated these arguments when the country was much smaller than it is today. One of his chief concerns was the inadequacy of representation. At the time, he said, “It would be impossible to have a full and adequate representation in the General Government; it would be too expensive and too unwieldy.” He was proved right. Today, each congressional district averages 700,000 people. Mason argued that “to make representation real and actual, the number of Representatives ought to be adequate; they ought to mix with the people, think as they think, feel as they feel, ought to be perfectly amenable to them, and thoroughly acquainted with their interest and condition.” This is clearly impossible when each member of Congress “represents” so many people. The average person has virtually no access to her or his congressional representative, and they spend the vast majority of their time in D.C., not in their home districts (unless they are campaigning). Mason said that a centralized system is by its very nature “defective.” and therefore, “no powers ought to be given, but such as are absolutely necessary.” The Anti-Federalists Were Right? George Mason, Elbridge Gerry, Cato, The Pennsylvania Dissent and Luther Martin. These Anti-Federalists weren’t just arguing politics; they were issuing dire warnings for generations to come. They predicted the Constitution contained the seeds of tyranny that would lead to a corrupt aristocracy or monarchy. GET IT HERE During the ratification debates, supporters of the Constitution argued that “public virtue” and the “confidence” placed in those with power would mitigate the possibility of abuse. We hear similar arguments from proponents of centralized authority today. They say as long as “good people” wield power, we will enjoy good outcomes. Mason threw cold water on this notion. He understood that nobody can guarantee “good people” will control those power levers. “This, like all other assemblies, will be composed of some bad and some good men; and considering the natural lust of power so inherent in man, I fear the thirst of power will prevail to oppress the people.” [Emphasis added] In his third antifederalist paper, Cato accurately predicted what would happen if the American people ignored Mason and others’ warnings about the danger of consolidation. “From this picture, what can you promise yourselves, on the score of consolidation of the United States into one government? Impracticability in the just exercise of it, your freedom insecure, even this form of government limited in its continuance, the employments of your country disposed of to the opulent, to whose contempt you will continually be an object. You must risk much, by indispensably placing trusts of the greatest magnitude, into the hands of individuals whose ambition for power, and aggrandizement, will oppress and grind you.” As we embark on “what’s next” - for the days, weeks, months and years to come - we believe there is always a powerful lesson from the founders - both federalist and anti-federalist alike. That’s why we work so hard every single day to get forgotten history like this out to more and more people. And nothing helps us do that work more than the financial faith and support of our members. Brick-by-brick. Person-by-person. Building a strong foundation for liberty – whether the government happens to like it, or not. (they definitely do not) TAC memberships start at just 2 bucks a month - we make every single dollar go a long, long way in support of liberty. Please consider joining us today - for as little as $2/month here: https://tenthamendmentcenter.com/members/ If you prefer a one-time donation, you can pitch in online at this link: https://tenthamendmentcenter.com/donate/ You can also mail a check to: Tenth Amendment Center 4000 Barranca Parkway, Suite 250 PMB 705 Irvine, CA 92604 Thank you so much for reading - and your support! Concordia res parvae crescunt (small things grow great by concord) Michael Boldin, Mike Maharrey, Alan Mosley, TJ Martinell and the rest of the TAC team JOIN TAC, SUPPORT LIBERTY! Let’s keep building the foundation! For as little as $2/month, help us take a stand for the Constitution and liberty - whether the government likes it, or not. (they don’t!) details and join here

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