Today is set aside to show gratitude to every man or woman who has donned the uniform. Today we put aside talking about the 535 elected officials who work at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., and give thanks to every man and woman who chose to serve and protect this incredible country.

These veterans are our true heroes. This 1% of Americans chose to protect the other 99%

We are saying farewell to our WWII vets at an alarming rate. There are 18 million veterans living in the United States, which is down considerably from the 24 million in 2000. The most significant contributor to this drop is our lost World War II veterans. There were nearly 6 million of the Greatest Generation still with us in 2000, and that number dropped to 500,000 in 2018. All veterans are exceptional, but we must cherish those who saved the world by serving in Europe and the Pacific to protect us from German and Japanese aggression.

Veteran services need to be the finest available and easily accessible for every person who served. The VA hospitals need to be staffed at a level that ensures speedy and effective relief, and the ability to use VA benefits at every hospital needs to be guaranteed. No cost should be spared to take care of and thank our veterans.

Two saddest facts about our veterans are the 22 veterans who choose suicide as their only option daily and the 37,000 veterans who find themselves homeless. Both of these situations are unacceptable and preventable. If our government gave the veterans half the attention they provide to the illegals flooding our Southern Border, we could eradicate these statistics. Fortunately, we have tremendous NGOs like the Wounded Warrior Project and Tunnels to Towers who generate attention and resources for our veterans, first responders, and their families who need services or housing. These private organizations and the public support they muster make up for what our government fails to do.

We have had an all-volunteer military since the 70s, and unfortunately, the number of young people choosing to serve in our armed services is declining yearly. We must make military service attractive, a combination of how they are treated during and after their active duty. When their commitment ends, ours should begin. We also need to stop the effort to make our military more woke. They do not need to be Woke. They need to be feared. A strong military is our best deterrent from conflict.

Veterans deserve not only our thanks and respect but also our support. Our military deserves compensation at a level commensurate with the private sector. There should never be any consideration for a Congressional pay raise unless it includes the same for our military. No military family should ever qualify for food stamps or assistance. That is a crime.

Our military and veterans are the essential security of our freedom and country. It is apolitical and ready to serve no matter what party is in power. As we say thanks, we must ensure that our military is equipped and prepared to meet any challenge and that no veteran is ever forgotten. We thank you, love you, and pray that God watches over you.

The post A Day for the Veterans appeared first on Granite Grok.

This is one of those stories that keeps coming around. Vermont proposition 5 added article 22 to the State Constitution. Voters overwhelmingly approved what was billed as an abortion protection amendment, but it doesn’t say that.

This is my fourth bite at this apple in 2022 and still tastes lousy, but it’s an issue that requires our continued attention.

Proposition 5, approved by 77% of voters, most of whom have no idea what it really means, enshrines article 22 into the State Constitution.

 

Sec. 2.  Article 22. [Personal reproductive liberty] That an individual’s right to personal reproductive autonomy is central to the liberty and dignity to determine one’s own life course and shall not be denied or infringed unless justified by a compelling State interest achieved by the least restrictive means.

 

As noted here, if some judge declares the unborn a person (giving them individual rights), article 22 bans abortion in Vermont. That’s not too far-fetched an idea, but the ‘abort them all lobby’ went with this version after fearing trip-wires with previous language.

Did they overthink it?

I’ve pondered the problems here, here, and here, but let’s revisit them since it is not just a Green Mountain State Right to choose to or to not reproduce.

 

• [W]hat if a minor wants to get pregnant? Having survived the “right” to abortion and achieved an age where reproduction is possible, are they not entitled to their own reproductive freedom?
• Even prefaced as referring to reproductive freedom, a talented lawyer could leverage it to mean anything, including a constitutional right to refuse the latest vaccine if it might in some way infringe on that right.
• [I]f you are free to choose your life course or the process or reproduction, then who is to say that whether pregnant now or in the future, you could not make the case that something the government wanted or did is an infringement upon that right (measured using the least restrictive means)?
• Reproduction is not possible without both sperm and eggs. And the freedom and dignity to reproduce could encompass more than those who lay claim to a womb or external forces that infringe on that right.
• Does Sec. 2 Article 22 create a constitutional right to statutory rape, assuming consent? (as in, is statutory rape law abrogated by the act of consent?).

Vermont Parents! Did you consider any of this before you voted for the new Constitutional amendment? Did anyone aside from me try to warn you (and I doubt you were reading GraniteGrok)?

I can see Libs being okay with the first and last (underage sex in both cases) but not the three in between, which is why this could be a problem that people recognized but couldn’t put into words.

Even after they tweaked the language passed by the legislature, about 75% of Vermont votes either didn’t understand Prop 5 or sort of, kind of, thought they understood -meaning probably not.

In the end, 77% voted for it, and based on these numbers, 2% of them were certain, but as we’ve pointed out (I think), they were just hoping it meant what they wanted it to mean, but the word salad gymnasts could wreck it all with the swing of a gavel.

I guess what I’m saying is, why so coy?

If you wanted to make abortion a right, you should have just said, “abortion is a protected right in the state of Vermont.” Full stop. That’s your goal. Conception to birth abortion. It’s a simple thing, really.

The fact that you didn’t say that says that such an amendment would have failed, even in deep blue Vermont. The sort of foolishness that arises when you fool around with the language to hide your true intentions. And it is a problem you can’t fix with legislation because the Constitution would invalidate any law that infringes on whatever the hell any court on any day decides this article means.

In other words, Vermont did not protect abortion rights. They did something, but what it is remains to be seen, and it could be the opposite of what they advertised.

Or maybe I’m overthinking it?

 

 

The post Everyone is Claiming Vermonters Voted to Protect Abortion But That’s Not What the Amendment Says appeared first on Granite Grok.

From top to bottom, the excuses are flying fast and furious for this Tuesday’s debacle. As I discussed HERE, our illustrious Sun-King, Chris Sununu … Second-of-His-Name-and-Protector-of-the-RINOs … is blaming Trump.

Yeah right … it’s Trump’s fault that the NHGOP lost numerous State Representative seats … putting themselves essentially at parity with the Democrats … and made no gains in the State Senate.

How about some accountability for NHGOP leadership … starting with none other than the Sun-King himself and the so-called State Chairman Steve Stepanek? It wasn’t Donald J. Trump who made the decision to churn out redundant flyer after redundant flyer … oh look, it’s Chris Pappas with AOC, and this one has Chris Pappas with Nancy Pelosi, oh wow that’s Chris Pappas with Che Guevara (okay I made that one up) … instead of creating the political-infrastructure to turn out Red-voters.

It was the LAZINESS and INCOMPETENCE of Sun-King Sununu and Stepanek that led to the loss of numerous State Representative seats and the lack of gains in the State Senate. Where are the demands for Stepanek to resign for failing … despite having had years to do so … to build the political-infrastructure to turn out Red-voters? Where is the criticism of Sununu for doing practically nothing to elect down-ballot Republicans?

The absence of demands for Stepanek’s resignation and the lack of criticism of Sununu’s indifference to any race but his own suggest that NHGOP activists are content with being perennial losers and complainers.

Dear NHGOP activist, Mitch McConnell obviously deserves your criticism for failing to fund Don Bolduc … BUT Mitch similarly stiffed other candidates … for example, Blake Masters … and they didn’t lose in landslides like Bolduc (and Leavitt and Burns). There UNDENIABLY is more to it than that … and the more-to-it is that other States … I’m thinking of Arizona … have a viable State Party that turns out Red-Voters. In other words, Sun-King and Stepanek deserve at least as much criticism as Mitch. And yet you are giving them a pass.

Other excuses I have seen include that the voters were somehow “confused” and that the media created a false sense of complacency among GOP voters.  Maybe it’s time to stop blaming everyone and everything for the NHGOP “leadership’s” incompetence, laziness and self-indulgence … and start putting the blame where it belongs – on the NHGOP leadership?

 

 

The post NH-Democrats Turn Out Voters … NH-Republicans Turn Out Excuses appeared first on Granite Grok.

There’s a lot of economic misery out there, represented in new research “commissioned by digital wealth management company Personal Capital” that suggests one-in-four Americans are skipping Thanksgiving because they can’t afford it.”

 

In 2021, researchers note that an IPSOS survey found that nine in 10 Americans planned to celebrate Thanksgiving. This year, the new poll of 1,000 people found that number has fallen to just 74 percent. In fact, 47 percent say they’re celebrating “Friendsgiving” because of its more budget-friendly menu. Specifically, just 24 percent of Friendsgiving celebrations will even have a turkey on the table, with 33 percent opting for a pizza instead!

 

Friendsgiving is the Marxist Identitarians’ squeeze to get faith out of the holiday. But you don’t need faith or family because a friend gathering is no different. The point is to give thanks for what you have and for each other, related or not.

I imagine that’s something you could do over a Zoom meeting. Everyone has their bowl of microwaved Kraft Mac-N-Cheese ready and a bottle of YooHoo!. At the appointed time, y’all log in for five minutes to “eat together” and say hello.

Someone will lag, and everyone will remember the lag from last year.

Festive, and don’t forget to thank the eavesdropping NSA.

 

With many Americans struggling with higher prices at the grocery store, 52 percent are asking guests to bring a dish to Thanksgiving dinner. Three in four are asking guests to bring their own alcohol, while just under half (46%) are asking people to provide the dessert. Another 42 percent are going a step further, asking their friends and family to help pay for the big meal.

 

Not sure how it works in your family or “people circle,” but we don’t show up anywhere without something. You bring a bottle of wine, a six-pack (both), a salad, dessert, or something!

Maybe we can call it Bidensgiving (it’s really Biden-taking) and line up with the illegal aliens and homeless vets at the local soup kitchen.

 

Overall, 45 percent of the country say they feel financially stressed by Thanksgiving 2022. Gen X Americans have the least amount of stress (33%) while Gen Z is feeling it the most (54%).

 

As a culture, it’s essential to understand that giving thanks for what you have, meager or not, is an integral part of the humility and gratitude you should embrace being in America. Most of our ancestors did more with much less to get us to a place where folks whine on social media about whether anyone cares about how many genders they were this week.

The culture is a bit whacked.

But the Holiday shouldn’t be. Just ask Charlie Brown. Popcorn, jelly beans, buttered toast, pretzels, and ice cream sundaes. It’s not about the food. It’s about the friends, and the family, and giving thanks.

In other words, unless you want to thank the Democrats for record-high inflation, soaring energy prices, food shortages, rolling blackouts, and devaluing the dollar (and some of us did by not showing more of them the door on November 8th), be thankful for the opportunity to get another shot at fixing the political climate.

It’s the only “climate” that threatens America and the world, and we still have free speech (sort of) and all that.

…

Happy Holidays!

 

The post Thanksgiving: One Third Are Having Pizza; 26% Are Going to Skip It (Too Expensive!) appeared first on Granite Grok.

I, along with a lot of Conservatives (and a whole lot of Republicans – see what I did there?) are sorely surprised and very disappointed at the results – certainly here in NH.

I was reminded of this in reading Landrigan’s piece, and this stuck out:

Democrats swept all 27 seats in Nashua, and Rep. Rosemarie Rung, D-Merrimack, topped the ticket in her town, where the GOP has a decided advantage in voter registration.

Now, to be completely honest, I had little to no idea of how things would turn out in the State, given my preoccupation with Belknap County these last few months. Nashua, as we all know, is a deep Blue city (like most cities around the State), so I was not surprised at that. But knowing that Merrimack is NOT Nashua, I asked Steve:

No idea. The top two vote-getters in Merrimack were Dems. The GOP down ticket voting was mostly to blame. Need to look at the exact numbers – will ask Jeanine for them.

Sununu got 7740 in Merrimack. Wheeler got 6447. Daniels got 6395. The highest House vote getter got 6037 / the highest Dem was 6245 – so if Down-ticket only gets what Daniels got we take all 8 seats. Frustrating.

Indeed – very frustrating.

Partly due to this weird mid-term election that felt like a Presidential. And that different issues TOTALLY animated the two sides.  But one thing has stuck out – who got organized and WHERE did they organize TO (I know, grammar, but you get the point)?

At least here in Belknap, for all the money spent by the Democrat Citizens for Belknap PAC ($60K or so), they only “gained” 3 seats now occupied by Democrats  (WMUR). They also, however, got rid of several good Conservative Republicans in the Primary and because of other and various reasons (and grudges), turned a number of the remaining Republicans against the Conservatives on the Belknap County Republican Committee (but more on that later). Still, a few Conservatives remained standing:

• Nikki McCarter
• Barbara Comtois
• Paul Terry
• Peter Varney

Of course, it’s clear that Democrats have money advantages almost every time – just look at the campaign filing reports. They also have better group-oriented organizations. In fact, Democrat Brian Beihl, the Citizens for Belknap PAC strategist, according to reports sent to me, was heard to have said “That’s ok – “we know what we did wrong and we’ll fix that for the next election“.

Sidenote: I still find it ludicrous that people spend THOUSANDS, sometimes 10s of thousands for a seat in the NH House that pays only $100/year per diem.

How many Republican groups say that?  Fewer still, how many Republican groups say that and then actually start planning and activating NOW for an event two years in the future? This should be common on the right side of the aisle – but isn’t. Sure, they’re finally doing what I’ve said for years – you can’t just campaign for two weeks before the election by putting in an op-ed, throw a few signs into the ground, and a couple of ads in the local paper.  Now, they’ve started a few months earlier.

In this time, that’s not helpful.

But planning like this?  At the detailed level?  I’ve not heard Republicans talk like this EVER!  That has to change. Especially with the NH GOP Leadership.

Yes, in going back to my prediction about the election (which I admitted then, I suck at doing but did it anyways):

NH:

• Governor: ho hum – Sununu by 30 points. Big whoop. (ACTUAL: by 16% – still a landslide)
• Executive Council: Republicans hold the majority but Dems gain 1 seat. (ACTUAL: it remained 4-1)
• NH Senate: I dunno. Still guessing that the Republicans hold the majority but instead of 14-10 to 13-11.  Bradley becomes the Senate President (ACTUAL: 14-10, no change)
• NH House: Republicans gain another 10 seats (ACTUAL: they lost seats and the majority teeters on a count of 203-197).

Well, I have ideas – and if the NH GOP keeps doing the same-old, same-old, there are better ideas. I’ve already reached out to several people – we’ll see.

I will say that, however,  there is going to be a bit of blood-letting that’s going to happen within the Right for a while – and we saw that last night at the BCRC meeting.

Doug Lambert, who seems to be a CfB collaborator in the end goal of destroying the Conservative Republican Party here in Belknap and has now been charged with a criminal misdemeaner of “unwanted touching” that happened during last month’s BCRC meeting, was voted out of the BCRC general membership given the video evidence presented (courtesy of GraniteGrok). The secret ballot vote was 24 for removing his General Membership status was 13 against, and 3 abstentions. More on this, however, will be forthcoming. And yes, the charge is public record – the Gilford Police Log:

Gilford Police Department                    Page: 1
Dispatch Log From: 11/08/2022 Thru: 11/08/2022 0000 – 2359 Printed: 11/09/2022

For Date: 11/08/2022 – Tuesday
Time         Call              Reason

<snip>

1050                                  Service of Paperwork
Location/Address:         FARMER DR

And yes, this is a Public Record. Along with the text he read himself at the meeting (and weakly tried to make himself the victim and the female accuser the aggressor – nice misogynistic action). And yes, I have more to say about this.

Oh, and just for giggles at last night’s meeting, Gregg Hough (Lambert’s “Bobbsey Twin” from those old enough to catch the reference) angrily announced at the BCRC Executive Committee, that he would be the next BCRC Chair.

I was quite amused at the reaction of the BCRC General Members reaction to that: they giggled in derision.

Who says politics is boring?

(H/T: Union Leader)

The post Quick Thought: Red Tsunami to Barely a Red Ripple. Blood-letting has started with Douglas Lambert (for cause) appeared first on Granite Grok.

The November 2022 midterm elections are fading into history, but the problems with how New Hampshire carries them out have not. The law is not only unfair, but it also creates rights for out-of-state college kids that actual NH residents do not have.

I can’t vote in any state but New Hampshire but listen to the actual words of students who live out of state and chose to vote here.

Audrey Willette can decide in which state her vote will “have more impact.” Here or at home in Rochester, New York

 

 

I can’t do that, which means NH Law gives Audrey, a non-resident, more voting rights than I have.

 

 

Bernadette Farmer is a student that lives in Massachusetts, where voting in person or by mail is not a hardship, but because NH law is full of holes, she stole your vote by casting a ballot in New Hampshire.

A practice the editors at The Dartmouth encourage.

 

 

And not just at Dartmouth College. Thousands of votes are stolen across the state every election by students who live outside New Hampshire but have more voting rights than the residents who have to live with the consequences of those votes.

 

 

There was record midterm participation this year, thanks partly to record numbers of non-residents deciding where their vote might have the most impact and deciding that was here.

 

Record college-kid same-day registration in Durham NH

We’ve been beating this drum for over a decade, but this is criminal, and something needs to change. Out-of-state students have more voting rights than residents, which means they decide who represents us. Non-residents are tipping the balance of political power, which determines what laws get submitted and voted on, how much of our money the state spends, and the regulatory burden placed upon businesses and individuals.

When Democrats talk about protecting student voting rights, they mean the extra rights they have, which you are denied.

It has been a problem in NH for nearly 20 years, and it amazes me that we can’t fix it. Not one legislature has erased these extra rights. No court case or judge has managed to see how the law grants non-residents more rights than actual Granite Staters.

It’s aggravating, and I don’t expect it to change by 2024. No court challenge, no bill passed and signed.

But consider that a challenge. You can’t give me the right to vote in someone else’s state, but I bet you won’t have the stones to stop non-resident college kids from stealing our votes in New Hampshire. You won’t remove their extra rights and give us equal voting rights in our state.

But I encourage you to prove me wrong.

 

 

The post College Students in NH Admit They Have More Voting Rights Than True Granite Staters appeared first on Granite Grok.

The Right often says that achievement of success is a bit of luck, education, and hard work. The Left says that “Society” robs the poor by the “rich” cheating and stealing their “opportunities”.  Here’s a chart that shows it differently:

(click to embiggen)

Rich: Abilities, Hard Work, and Spirit (as in “never give up!”)

Middle of the road: appropriately enough, a “middling” approach

Poor: always the victims.

(H/T: Caveman Circus)

The post Data Point – The Secret of Success appeared first on Granite Grok.

We saw a lot of this in 2020, and there’s no denying it has happened again. The US Senate race in Georgia between Herschel Walker and Raphael Warnock has all the signs of dodgy antics beginning at 9:30 PM. Out of nowhere, Warnock gets a significant vote spike.

And it’s right at the point where Walker is taking the lead.

 

 

Nothing to see here, ladies and gentlemen. This is perfectly normal. Don’t be an election denier.

Note: This is going to a run-off, so…will we see another one of these, you think?

The post US Senate Race in Georgia has a Familiar Late-Night Vote Spike for Democrat Raphael Warnock appeared first on Granite Grok.

So the GOP Establishment has gone into overdrive, blaming Trump for the debacle they made out of the 2022 elections. Yeah, right … it was Trump’s fault that the RNC and other GOP infrastructure just sat on their hands while Democrats built insurmountable leads during “early voting,”

… and it was Trump’s fault that Mitch refused to fund GOP Senate candidates who wouldn’t kiss his ring. For example:

The knives came out fast for Trump: NY Post, Fox News, Paul Ryan, and the list continues to grow. https://t.co/8SIiQOp0Zn

— Tom Bevan (@TomBevanRCP) November 10, 2022

And guess who is loyally … like the obedient, little puppy-dog that he really is … bloviating the same stupid bromides … the mighty, exalted Sun-King Chris Sununu:

New Hampshire Republican Governor @GovChrisSununu joins Neil to discuss midterm election race results pic.twitter.com/N96sUtmTEd

— Neil Cavuto (@TeamCavuto) November 10, 2022

The post The Mighty Sun-King Sununu Is … In Reality … An Obedient Little Puppy-Dog appeared first on Granite Grok.

I have already posted my analysis of the debacle that the 2022 midterms were for Republicans in New Hampshire. What follows applies not to New Hampshire, but to other States:

Here are some twitter-threads for you that explain why there was no “red wave” last night. In a nutshell, the Democrats in 2020 used COVID as an excuse to change the voting rules … then never changed the rules back. As a result, we no longer have Election Day. We have Election Month … or longer.

For example, Oz never had a chance in Pennsylvania because Fetterman had banked millions of votes BEFORE the debate revealed he was incapacitated and unfit to serve.

The Democrats are playing … and winning … under the new rules. The Republicans … not.

In state after state we are seeing a shift away from an election day to an election season. Ballot harvesting, drop boxes, and early voting are here to stay as we move toward systems of on-demand voting. GenZ / TikTok using to great effect. The final stage will be digital voting

— Jack Posobiec (@JackPosobiec) November 9, 2022

All this Trump v. DeSantis talk is juicy, but under the hood, there's a far more pressing issue: Democrats fortified their COVID mass mail-in-voting apparatus. It's a vote-harvesting juggernaut that will continue to produce competitive results no matter the GOP nominee.

— Election Wizard (@ElectionWiz) November 9, 2022

Fraud doesn't explain nationwide results, though. Better to consider that Dems took advantage of the pandemic to loosen voter rules to an absolutely insane degree, and they are absolute masters at harvesting what we might politely refer to as the "indifferent" voter.

— John Hayward (@Doc_0) November 9, 2022

When early voting became the norm, the GOP didn’t really change anything. When Covid became an excuse to upend everything about elections, the GOP did little to adapt. Republicans need to shift their GOTV mentality from 72 hours to 72 days. Dems won on 25% fewer voters in booths.

— Justin Hart (@justin_hart) November 9, 2022

The post The Real Reason There Was No Red Wave … COVID appeared first on Granite Grok.

This is something you will start to see a lot more of – men (or boys) denying biological girls and women the opportunity to be crowned beauty queens. Hey, if that’s your thing, have at it, but I guess it was inevitable if you get my meaning.

Related: A Man is Suing the Miss Oregon Pageant for Discrimination

Brian won “Miss Greater Derry”, as part of the Miss America contest in New Hampshire. Tresemme thinks Brian’s hair style is ‘hair goals’…. pic.twitter.com/rJKPheCbhg

— Pen Piper (@piper_pen) November 9, 2022

 

Brian is Brían (probably pronounced Brianne) Nguyen, and he’s Miss Greater Derry, NH!

I’m so proud.

And as you can see from the picture above, all the biological girls are so happy for him. But it’s not exactly groundbreaking. He’s dressed up like a girly girl, and aren’t pageants the most sexist anti-feminist thing in existence next to employers? Seriously.

And why did Brian win when he’s not even showing any leg?

Well, he’s probably the only girl in the competition who was born a boy. He’s also the only person of color in this photo, which suggests the judge’s guidelines are not appearance, skills, or talents but skin color and, if possible, having or having had a penis.

Related: Another Patriarchy Stealth Win – “Man” Takes Golden Globe Home for Best Actress.

Just another thing the progressive patriarchy has clawed away from girls and women who will increasingly find themselves relegated to the “back of the bus” until they grow a set (Brain probably came with one) and put this Partisan Progressive Pantyraid in its place.

Yes, a few brave biological women have come forward to protest this or that invasion by transwomen into their spaces, but the Left has pilloried them mercilessly, and you can’t “not” notice.

It is much safer to smile and nod and take it than to make a stink, which is how everything will be when the Left gets its one-party state.

Everything.

Smile and nod and say the words they tell you to say, and make sure there’s a picture of Dear Leader prominently displayed.

And that’s why – while we can be happy for Brian for winning based on his…um, beauty and talent, even he will be subject to the state’s intolerance for everyone and everything outside their guardrails, and as a reminder, that includes every aspect of everything.

Related: Open Letter on the Cancel Culture: 150 Ruling Class Elites Worry The Monster They Created Will Eat Them

So, congrats. You’ve just walked us all a step closer to a failed despotic state, but doesn’t everyone have such a big smile?

Big Smile!

Big Smile!

Oh, and it all reminds me of this.

 

 

 

HT | Breitbart

The post #Woke Up to This – The Miss Greater Derry Beauty Pageant Winner Is a Big Dude Named Brian appeared first on Granite Grok.

Technology is joining education for “Sustainable Development Goals” (UN, 17 Total), Data Collection, etc. under the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

–Future of Work (World Economic Forum/UN) –DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging) -AI (Artificial Intelligence) -Learning Ecosystem (Global Agendas and Global Competencies) *****See the Alumni Organizations listed in pictures included and linked below which includes “K-Love and Air1 Radio”
More here: https://learning2022.com/about/who-should-attend/H/T Kelly Syke

The post Robots to Replace Teachers? appeared first on Granite Grok.

As of this morning, Republicans retain their majority in the State House. Sununu won his fourth term, the Executive Council is 4-1 Republican, and the State Senate looks like it will be Republicans 14-10. The State House, with 400 seats, is still technically a toss-up.

Related: Not All the 2022 NH House Results Are in or “Officialized,” but One Thing Is For Sure: Speaker Who?

I do not have word on any planned recounts, but I am certain there will be a few. And there are still races undeclared but based on the vote total as known. The current balance is 203 Republicans to 197 Democrats. All things being unequal, Team Red still controls the chamber. But does it?

The odds that we will get a decent Republican speaker are thin. The caucus would have to vote as a block, and we know they are not good at that. A number of “republicans” vote with Democrats on a far too wide range of issues, making this sliver of a majority meaningless.

The Democrats cannot be upset about the outcome.

While last session’s GOP majority was not significant (26 seats?), the Dems have whittled it away to nearly nothing. It also means they could pick the speaker of the NH State House. If they get who they want, that person selects leadership, whips, and assigns committee chairs.

The Republicans could have the “majority” seats but lose control. Just think back to Shawn Jasper a few years back and the Jaspercrats. A “Republican” Speaker, elected by Democrats, who soft peddles the GOP agenda and panders to the radical Left.

I think Republicans made that happen, and I’m not sure what they have planned to address it this time. Skip wrote a bit here but can’t answer the question either.

There are likely candidates with experience and those who, if chosen, would be great for liberty and freedom, but after what happened Tuesday, you’d be right to have suspicions about the outcome.

 

The post NH House: Republicans 203 Democrats 197 – But Will It Hold Up? appeared first on Granite Grok.

Given the unusual nature of this outcome, I have to ask. Is there any chance that dead people voted for the dead Democrat who just won re-election to the Pennsylvania Statehouse?

 

Democrat Anthony “Tony” DeLuca died Oct. 9 “after a brief battle with lymphoma, a disease he twice previously beat. He was 85,” the Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus wrote.

DeLuca was Pennsylvania’s longest-serving state rep, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

DeLuca’s opponent, Green Party challenger Queonia “Zarah” Livingston, reportedly ran on a decidedly left-wing platform, putting her three main priorities on her website as “environmental justice,” “ending the war on drugs,” and “reducing gun violence.”

 

No Republican in that race. I’d guess there’ snot much chance of electing one in that state district.

Our thoughts and prayers to Tony’s family, naturally, but let’s unpack this rather unusual result. Tony died in early October. His opponent was a liberal Green party stooge. They had four weeks to sell themselves, and the people voted for the dead democrat, who was probably a right-wing extremist compared to Queonia “Zarah” Livingston.

It’s all relative.

Because the deceased cannot represent the people, there will be a special election to replace him. I’m guessing the Democrat who steps up will win, but can we be sure?

NH Dems have been known to elect democrat candidates while they are in jail.

Maybe an inmate should run. He/she could participate remotely, and they’d probably have a lock on the felon vote.

 

HT | Gateway Pundit

The post Dead Democrat Re-Elected to Pennsylvania State House appeared first on Granite Grok.

I know many of you are still clinging … desperately … to the belief that New Hampshire is a Purple State, and that there are even still some diehards who would say a Red State. But it is time for you bitter-clingers to admit what is plain to see.

New Hampshire is neither a Red State nor a Purple State; New Hampshire is a Blue State … and a deep blue shade of blue at that.

NEW HAMPSHIRE IS A DEEP BLUE STATE!

If you cannot win … OR EVEN BE COMPETITIVE … in this political environment, you are NEVER going to elect REAL Republicans (as opposed to faux-Republicans like Sununu, Baker, Hogan, etc.). NEVER.

The federal races were all LANDSLIDES for the Democrats. They were not the nail-biters we are seeing in other States.

And it was not because the NHGOP fielded poor candidates. Leavitt and Bolduc were two of the best Congressional candidates that the GOP has ever fielded in New Hampshire.

There are multiple reasons they lost so badly, which I will discuss below. But the main reason is that voters in New Hampshire are ideologically markedly left of center. If New Hampshire had experienced an anomalous blue-wave last night, then Sununu would have lost by a similar margin as Leavitt and Bolduc. Instead, our intrepid Sun-King won by a similar margin as Hassan, Pappas and Kuster. And that is because ideologically he is much closer to the Democrats than to authentic Republicans like Leavitt and Bolduc.

One of the reasons that New Hampshire voters fall so left of center on the ideological scale is something I will call the COVID-effect, which merits its own section.

THE COVID-EFFECT

The hardcore COVID policies of lockdown governors such as Whitmer, Cuomo, Wolf, Baker … and our dear Sun-King … drove Red-voters to leave their States. For example, Michigan … one of the most extreme lockdown States … experienced a blue tidal wave:

It was a blue wave in Michigan as Democrats seized control of the state House, state Senate, and the positions of governor, secretary of state, and attorney general. Voters also overwhelmingly approved Proposal 2 and Proposal 3.

— Steve Neavling (@MCmuckraker) November 9, 2022

This COVID-effect is why lockdown States … which include New Hampshire … are so much bluer than they were pre-COVID and why States with freedom-Governors, such as Ron DeSantis in Florida, are so much redder.

Last night’s results indicate that these lockdown States are lost causes for the GOP. New Hampshire is a lost cause.

THE NHGOP IS INEPT

The Democrat State Party apparatus is a turnout machine. The Republican State Party apparatus is a chimera.

Rather than building an infrastructure to identify and turn out Red-voters, the NHGOP instead chose to burn its money on redundant mailers. The NHGOP’s Chairman Steve Stepanek is … and I will be as nice as possible … incompetent and lazy.

After last night’s debacle, NHGOP “leaders” should be demanding his resignation. Instead … crickets.

NO-COATTAILS SUNUNU

As of the time I am writing this, it is unclear if the GOP will retain control of the New Hampshire House. It is clear, however, that they will lose seats. The GOP apparently will retain a 14-10 majority in the Senate.

So why no Sununu coattails? My sense is that many of New Hampshire’s Blue-voters do NOT view Sununu’s ideology as Republican. Instead, he is seen … by the standards of New Hampshire’s left-of-center electorate … as a centrist.

Democrats and Independents who are not hard-hard-Left have no problem voting for him when the Democrats are running hard-hard-hard-Lefties like Tom Sherman, while Republicans vote for him because the alternative is worse.

We can see this in Merrimack. Democrats voted in large numbers for Sununu, but then returned home to vote for Hassan and Pappas.

FITN

The rationale for New Hampshire’s FITN status is the the State’s small size permits retail campaigning. The 2022 midterms, however, showed that retail campaigning no longer matters.

Don Bolduc held town halls across the State. Hassan, in contrast, eschewed any unscripted politicking and relied on a blizzard of television ads and a sycophantic press. She won in a landslide. Pappas followed a similar strategy and he too won in a landslide. The argument that FITN should go to New Hampshire to give the “little guy” a chance no longer holds water.

Additionally, a State that is as DEEP BLUE as New Hampshire obviously does NOT reflect the average GOP voter.

KAROLINE LEAVITT

Karoline Leavitt has a bright future in politics … OUTSIDE of New Hampshire. She is a natural. Easily the best New Hampshire Republican candidate I have seen in the past 35 years.

It would be a shame to waste her potential in what for Republicans is a political-wasteland. Karoline, move to Ohio or Virginia or Florida … you have a bright political future; don’t squander it in this hopelessly Blue State.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

New Hampshire is a lost cause. Move to a Red State or a Purple State. Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley is breathtaking, while Florida’s beaches are epic.

 

The post The Definitive 2022-Election Postmortem … New Hampshire Is BLUE Hampshire appeared first on Granite Grok.

I’ve been at this hobby for almost fifteen years, and some things never change, like losing or underperforming elections. Yesterday was the pinnacle of a months-long storm of inbox abuse (not in a bad way). More mail, links, op-eds, or screengrabs than I could manage. Today – almost nothing.

Content referrals fell off a cliff.

There is one exception. Grokster Amil Imani, who is a prolific sharer of things internet, is still pushing the stuff my way, but the overall volume is down. By down, I mean near zero. The inbox “opposite” of yesterday and the weeks and months preceding.

It is not new or surprising, but I do not recall sharing this observation in the past.

And yeah, we’re still here, doing the same thing we were doing yesterday, last week, and just about every day before that since “the doors opened.”

Could we do more? Yes! And we’re trying that. GrokPAC was late to the game this election, but we’re up and on our way. With the midterms past us, Skip has promised me he will get the !^$*(^%)* GrokAPP finished and out to the developer.

That was my !^$*(^%)* , not his.

We have other things in mind that I’m not prepared to share, but there’s stuff happening in the background.

And something needs to be done about the NHGOP.

I’ll just let that hang out there, stink up the room for a bit, and get back to my opening point (yes, I had one).

Republicans and independents who get involved or take a new interest in politics tend to burn out quickly. I’ve got a list of authors for this site who came in strong and disappeared, so it’s not just the rank and file. It is a nasty piece of business that requires a lot of time with very little payback, even when things go your way.

It’s an abusive relationship that you can only survive by channeling that emotion in constructive ways. Use it; don’t get used by it.

A lot of folks walk away after a day like yesterday, and to be honest, it wasn’t a bad day. It was just an election that overpromised and failed to deliver. That’s most of the government 24/7/365, and you can’t escape it, but you can try to affect it.

The question is not where can I run and hide because the answer is nowhere. It’s what do we do today and every day to make a difference next time?

And yes, you are allowed to take days off. Not everyone is as crazy as we are. But I’d like to think you’re not giving up, just taking a breath. And instead of sending me stuff I might like and finding time to write about, add something to that or shift gears and find another way to contribute.

The Democrats are not going away, and they rarely give up an inch on anything. That’s not going to stop, even when they lose. They are like the Terminator. They will not stop. Ever. So neither can we, or that’s the end of America.

And if that happens, we’ll have to move to the Free Republic of Texas (or Florida, or someplace), secure their border, and develop a nuclear deterrent.

We’ll have plenty of guns and ammo, I’d think.

And not bash Texas or Florida, or wherever, but working harder to rub NH in the faces of the Liberal states surrounding us makes me smile, so I’d like to say here and keep fighting the fight.

Is anyone else with me?

Oh, and buy more ammo, just in case.

 

 

The post Could We Do More? Yes! – Will You Help? appeared first on Granite Grok.

It’s the day after. This election cycle was one of the most divisive, negative spectacles I have ever witnessed. The results show how polarized we are but also how confused. Both parties were anticipating or braced for a sea change in Washington. They got a change, but not what was expected.

Watching the autopsy and listening to all the analyses by the experts only shows how irrational the results of the 2022 Midterms are.

The only thing that we know for sure is how useless the infinite number of polls are in today’s political arena. They are biased, inaccurate, and harmful in how they sway the voters. The split ballots show how fickle and unpredictable the voters are, and polls cannot predict fickle. We have seen this trend for a few cycles, and the results have told us to stop wasting time and money on polls.

The split ballots in some states are challenging to understand. Here in New Hampshire, we had two incumbents labeled as targets and had the potential for flipped seats. The polls had them as even to underdogs, yet both retained their seats by 10% margins. The races were never close. The voters of New Hampshire are sending three Democrats back to the Capitol, but they voted overwhelmingly to keep a Republican Governor in the Statehouse. How can a Governor and Congressional Representatives with diametric views appeal to the same voter? The same thing happened in New York with Kathy Hochul elected Governor, yet more Republicans will represent the Empire State in Congress than ever in history. The results make no sense.

While discussing New York, some winners on Tuesday night defied logic. Kathy Hochul of NY is one, and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan is another. Hochul assumed the job when Andrew Cuomo resigned in disgrace, and she has not shown she is ready for the job in the eighteen months since. Gretchen Whitmer did all she could the destroy Michigan’s economy and treated her constituents as pawns during COVID. She even faced a recall attempt, yet the people of Michigan re-elected her. Hochul refuses to admit to the crime level in her state or why people are leaving the state in droves. Yet, she will stay in office. It makes no sense.

The Senate race in Pennsylvania stretches the limits of reason. John Fetterman had the misfortune of suffering a stroke earlier this year. Under normal circumstances, the candidate would have stepped aside to recover and let someone take their spot on the ballot. Not in 2022. Fetterman donned his hoodie and jeans, spoke as little as possible, and trudged on. He was obviously impaired, had difficulty speaking, and needed close captioning to understand questions. Everyone has empathy for him but disbelief that a state can elect him to the Senate in his current condition. It makes no sense.

We will continue to watch the returns and dissect the results. We will also be challenged to make sense of the results. There may not be explanations, and we need to just accept the outcome. One thing is obvious, and that is the Republican Party needs to refine its message and continue to cultivate Black and Brown voters. They also need to work on turnout and enthusiasm. Recruiting better candidates will go a long way in this effort. The Midterms are not over yet, but it is time to start the game plan for 2024. Let’s pray to God it is not a rematch of 2020.

The post Trying to Make Sense of a Confused Electorate appeared first on Granite Grok.

If we ignore all the hard truths about lithium batteries, like inadequate resources, child labor, carbon footprint, manufacturing, and disposal problems, a world with more of these in them has created a challenge for firefighters. There’s no easy way to put them out.

Ans yes, I need to write about something other than the election.

 

“The lithium-ion battery adds a different degree, when we talk about the fire dynamics of it,” FDNY Deputy Assistant Chief Frank Leeb said at the briefing. “These rooms flash over in just a mere matter of seconds.” …

The problem is that lithium-ion fires burn extremely hot and are virtually impervious to conventional firefighting methods that use water or foam. In fact, lithium reacts very badly to water, which is really a problem if firefighters are attacking a fire for which they don’t know the cause.

You’ve probably heard or seen stories about EVs lighting up, sometimes taking out homes or bus depots. What you may have missed is that there is a wide range of “mobility devices” with similar types of batteries. The ones in the laptop, phones, fitness devices, and so on are mostly safe, and while they can light up, they rarely do.

Larger lithium cells in cars, bikes, or (I suspect) even wheelchairs are creating risks, especially in apartment population-dense cities. New York City “Chief Fire Marshall Daniel Flynn says this is almost the 200th fire caused by a lithium-ion battery from a micromobility device just this year in New York City.”

New Hampshire has been adding apartment complexes like mad since Sununu got his state-wide zoning board packed with developer buddies. Have we considered the risks to other tenants created by mobility devices on the premises that come with this added risk?

Should we?

As the NYFD says, there is no easy way to put a lithium battery fire out. Water makes things worse. Foam is ineffective. The best course of action is containment. And that’s a huge issue if any of these buildings (or any building) have below-ground parking with office or living space above it, though I’m not aware of any in the state.

 

 

The post The Only Way to Fight Lithium Battery Fires is to Let them Burn and Try to Limit Secondary Fires? appeared first on Granite Grok.

There is still no universal consensus on online casinos, and governing bodies are still not too sure how to deal with the growing popularity of the iGaming sector as well as online gambling.

This divisiveness has caused huge discrepancies in laws between different states, and in fact, there are even some states out there that have taken steps to rid themselves of online casinos entirely.

In this article, we will be taking a look at how online casino legality changes between states in the US, as well as giving a few examples to give you a peek of just how different online casino laws can be.

Restrictions Vary Across States

Truth be told; legislation in the US for online gambling varies quite substantially between states. One state may have pretty lenient laws regarding online casinos that allow establishments to do whatever they please, while others may be incredibly restrictive, so much so that online casinos are hard to come across.

This may mean that certain online casinos do have to hit certain criteria in order to operate, or at the more extreme end of things, there are some states that ban their inhabitants from gambling at any online casinos that are hosted in any state but themselves.

Online casino laws differ heavily throughout different states, and if we were to try and list every single way that different states deal with online casinos, we would be here for a lifetime.

Nevertheless; some states are more strict while others are more lenient, and if you are planning on venturing out of your home state, it might be a good idea to verse yourself with the online casino rules of wherever you may be going.

It’s Complicated

To answer the question of is gambling illegal in the US, the answer would be no. However, as you may expect, things are a little more difficult than that. There are a ton of grey areas regarding online casinos in the US, and there have been a plethora of instances where some laws are enforced and others are not.

If you are ever in doubt as to what the online casino laws are in your state, the best course of action would be just to do a little research. It never hurts to be safe, and the more specific you can be, the better.

To conclude; online casino legality varies drastically from state to state, and one state might have completely different laws to their next-door neighbour. Governing bodies are still not too sure of what to make about online casinos, and until a common consensus is formed, we are likely going to continue to see laws differ for the foreseeable future.

Despite this, most states allow people to gamble in online casinos to some extent, and if you live in the US and were wondering whether or not it is legal, the answer is probably going to be yes (it’s still worth checking for your individual state though). See you next time.

 

 

The post How Does Online Casino Legality Change Between States in the US? appeared first on Granite Grok.

In a nutshell, TINVOWOOT.  We’re seeing the first pebbles trickle down in the leading herald of the coming avalanche resulting in the American center falling apart:

Things Fall Apart… With A New Cartoon “Getting Ready for the Spicy” – Granite Grok

Things Fall Apart 2 – Granite Grok

As of this writing, the House is leaning Red, but that’s not cemented yet.  It looks like they’ll take the Senate free and clear (having 51 votes last I heard); in Pennsylvania a man who rivals President Potato for the fewest brain cells that talk with each other “won”.  That PA, and other states, were even close brings to mind this famous quote:

 

(Link to AZQUOTES per their policy.)

 

This, among myriad articles, captures the essence of the disbelief: with dissatisfaction so high, with all the “conventional wisdom” plus historical precedent pointing towards a Red Tsunami, the results simply cannot be believed.  But then, with the American Left soooooo close to total power, it was inevitable.  America is about to get it GOOD AND HARD.  Forever.  I cannot believe the naivete here:

Sometime after the first of the year, Biden will resign for health reasons so that Democrats can claim the first minority female president before they get trounced in 2024.

There is no conclusion but this:

 

 

I agree the Potato will be pushed out.  But… trounced in 2024?  TROUNCED IN 2024?????  What are you smoking and where can I get some of it?  Even if America survives until then – doubtful in my book – it will be a replay of 2020 and 2022 to create the United Socialist States of America.

 

 

Recall my predictions from my Meme Overflow (edited & expanded) if the Dems somehow get both the House and Senate:

1. They’ll nuke the filibuster entirely – everything will now just be pure majority vote… and they’ll have that.  From Kamala Harris Proves That Freedom Is Just One Election Away From Extinction – PJ Media (paywall, but one quote – bolding added – is enough):

On NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday, Kamala Harris promised that if Democrats gain two more seats in the U.S. Senate, they will nuke the filibuster in order to codify the Democrats’ radical agenda.

2. HR1 and its Senate version – essentially the “Democrats win every election from now on, forever” bill – gets rammed through

3. Packing SCOTUS is assured, and I add:

DC and Puerto Rico added as States, with Dems locked into both House and Senate seats forever

4. Open borders, forever, with automatic amnesty (doubtless just in time for the 2024 *cough BS cough* election, assuming we’re not already in spicy time – adding:

I cannot stress this Great Replacement thing enough.  Demographics is destiny, and the Left has been playing this game since 1965.  In just two years President Potato’s open invitation has flooded America with roughly five million “new Americans”… doubtless, even with a GOP House or by some miracle that and the Senate, this flood will continue unabated.  And with every fertile female doubtless, well, “engaged” to create an anchor baby pronto, that will cement their presence in America.  Don’t forget the flood of refugees from Africa and the Middle East as well… doubtless handed “D” voter guides as they disembark from their planes.

Adios, America indeed.

5. Draconian gun control

6. Massive tax increases – plus Modern Monetary Theory running of the presses driving hyperinflation, as predicted by:

 

 

7. LGBTQP for any age – with transitions legalized for any age

Shut. It. Down. – PJ Media

If the left somehow manages to maintain control of the House and gain control of the Senate, we could be looking at an expanded Supreme Court that will lean left for decades to come, gun control, federal abortion on demand, and more mandates to hand our kids over to the trans activists.

Abortions not just until birth, as just passed in Michigan, but likely after birth too.

8. Jab mandates for everyone

9. Open season on outspoken conservatives with the DOJ down to the local police turning a blind eye

Spicy time approacheth, and right soon.  Alas.

 

 

Prepare.  And remember… LOCAL for allies.  LOCAL for “personal accountability lists”.  Local local local.  And again, I don’t want this.  I don’t want infrastructure attacks on electricity, water, roads, bridges.  I don’t want to see police ambushed.  I do not want 3 AM social visits to politicians / political staffers.  I. Do. Not. Want. Any. Of. This.

But they’re determined to make us a one-world Socialist state.  And there’s only one assured way to peace: surrender:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDVT-8tUfiE

Remember:

 

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

I need more ammo & other preps.  Please buy my bumper sticker:

 

 

Or, in light of the election, this – either T-shirt or Water Bottle:

 

The post A Few Quick After-Action Election Thoughts appeared first on Granite Grok.