Author: todd.lassa

…meanwhile…

(The Consumer Price Index fell to 3% in June, the Labor Department reports, representing a full 1-point drop versus the May rate, but still 50% higher than the Federal Reserve’s 2% inflation rate target. Shelter represented a full 70% of the increase. On a monthly basis, inflation rose 2% in June, versus 1% in May.)

FRIDAY 7/14/23

What a Difference Five Years Makes – Yeah, this comparison is all over the news, but it is worth repeating. President Biden wrapped up his five-day European tour -- which included the 74th summit of NATO leaders in Vilnius, Lithuania – with a stop in Helsinki where he said Russian President Vladimir Putin “has already lost the war” against Ukraine. 

At a joint news conference with Finnish President Sauli Niinistø, Biden said; “At every stop in every summit on this trip, we focused on using the power of partnership to take on the challenges that matter most to the people’s lives in our countries.” (Per The Washington Post.) NATO made Finland its 31st member during the summit.

It was lost on no one, including White House scheduling, that this was five years to the day after then-President Donald J. Trump held a private meeting with Putin at a summit in Helsinki. Translators were the only others in the meeting room and no notes were taken. 

In a press conference after his meeting with Putin, Trump was asked whether he queried Putin on U.S. intelligence reports that Russia was responsible for hacking Democrats’ emails before the 2016 election.

It could not have been Russia, Trump replied.

“I have great confidence in my intelligence people, but I will tell you that President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today.”

European allies were alarmed, Time notes, that Trump would not stand up to Putin. This raised doubts Trump would be willing to uphold U.S. obligations to defend NATO countries under Article 5.

Upshot: In his current campaign for president, Trump says that if he was president the last three years, Russia would never have invaded Ukraine.

It seems Putin would have had no reason for it.

--TL

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THURSDAY 7/13/23

Wray Testifies Before House Judiciary – FBI Director Christopher Wray, a lifelong Republican who was appointed in 2017 by then-President Trump to replace James Comey, came under attack by MAGA House Republicans Wednesday in a six-hour Judiciary Committee grilling. The Freedom Caucus Republicans were eager to portray Wray’s FBI as soft and sympathetic to the Biden family while going out of its way to persecute Trump (per Newsweek).

Rep. Matt Gaetz’s (R-FL) quoted a 2017 WhatsApp message obtained by House Ways & Means that apparently shows the president’s wayward son, Hunter, “shaking down” Chinese business partner Henry Zhao.

Hunter Biden messaged Zhao; “Sitting here with my father and we would like to understand why the commitment made has not been fulfilled.”

Gaetz said to Wray; “Sounds like a shakedown, doesn’t it, director?”

“I’m not going to get into commentary on that,” Wray replied.

“You seem deeply uncurious about it, don’t you,” Gaetz shot back. “Almost suspiciously uncurious. Are you protecting the Bidens?”

Wray: “Absolutely not. The FBI has no interest in protecting anyone politically.”

President Biden has said he was not present when his son sent the message. Wednesday, the White House accused “extreme House Republicans of believing the FBI” that should exist in the country be one that “suits their own political agenda.” 

And so it goes.

--TL

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NATO Not Ready for Ukraine – The reason is obvious, that NATO’s charter of defending any of its members would draw the organization’s 32 other nations into war against Russia. That would be the hyperbole, but The Associated Press reports that NATO leaders gave Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy – who attended the organization’s annual summit in Vilnius, Lithuania – “only vague assurances of future membership.”

“Today we meet as equals,” NATO Secretary-Gen. Jens Stoltenberg told Zelenskyy, “I look forward to the day we meet as allies.”

Zelenskyy: “The results of the summit are good, but if we got an invitation that would be ideal.” And; “NATO needs us just as we need NATO.”

•••

No Mulligan – Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations Chairman Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) called the proposed merger of the Professional Golf Association Tour by Saudi Arabia’s LIV tour “a sellout.”

“Athletes like the PGA Tour golf players are role models, they are ambassadors of our values and the institutions that concern us today are vital to our national interests,” Blumenthal said. “To have them taken over by a repressive foreign regime certainly is a matter of national security.”

The interrogated, PGA Tour Chief Operating Officer Ron Price and board member Jimmy Dunne, did not go out of their way to disagree. Takeover by the LIV golf tour funded by the $620-billion Saudi Public Investment Fund looks very much like a hostile corporate takeover. The LIV tour has been luring away key PGA players with cubic dollars over the past three years, creating a schism between those who converted and those who refused. 

•••

Book: Trump Wanted to Use Troops on Migrants – Donald J. Trump was “a few sentences away” from deploying the U.S. military against illegal migrants, “as if they were a foreign army invading the United States,” when his State of the Union address was being written in February 2019, according to a new book by Miles Taylor, then chief of staff at the Department of Homeland Security. The report was published by Politico from an exclusive advanced copy of Taylor’s Blowback: A Warning to Save Democracy from the Next Trump to be published next week. 

After the end of the Trump administration, Taylor was identified as the “anonymous” author of 2018 op-ed for The New York Times describing a “quiet resistance” in the Trump administration.

--TL

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TUESDAY 7/11/23

(Leaders of NATO's 31 countries attend the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s 74th summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, this week, where they will vote to welcome Sweden as its 32nd member. NATO also will assure Ukraine it has a path to membership. Pictured: NATO General Secretary Jens Stoltenberg speaks with NBC's Andrea Mitchell at the NATO Public Forum in Vilnius.)

Senate Subcommittee Grills LIV Golf Merger with PGA – A Senate subcommittee conducts a hearing Tuesday to examine the proposed merger between the Saudi-backed LIV professional golf tour and the Professional Golf Association, “focusing on implications for the future of golf and Saudi Arabia’s Influence in the United States,” according to the Senate website. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) told NPR’s Morning Edition he remains dubious Congress might have constructive input, but that “This hearing could give the PGA a really good opportunity to first of all lay out the challenge it faces trying to manage professional golf. This is not an easy thing to do.”

However, the PGA has been doing it for 107 years, and was worth $1.25 billion as of 2021, according to Johnson. The Saudi Crown Prince’s Public Investment Fund is worth more than $620 billion and founded its LIV professional golf tournament in 2021. Their proposed merger surprised the sports world last month.

Asked by NPR host A Martinez whether Congress would be investigating the merger if Saudi Arabia was not involved, Johnson replied, “probably not. … Though Congress probably has a role just in sorting out the confusion over anti-trust laws as they relate to sports teams.”

Witnesses: The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs’ Subcommittee on Investigations will hear from Ron Price, chief operating officer of the PGA Tour, and Jimmy Dunne, a PGA Tour board member. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) is subcommittee chair and Johnson is ranking member.

Let’s connect some dots: Johnson also has been an unapologetic supporter of former President Trump. Just a couple of days ago, LIV announced it will host its $50 million team championship in October at the Trump National Doral club in Miami, for the second year in a row (HuffPost). Following the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, the PGA Tour announced it would no longer host its championship at the Trump National Golf Club in New Jersey [the PGA had previously cancelled its Grand Slam at a the Trump National Golf Club in Los Angeles, after then-candidate Trump made racist remarks about Mexican immigrants].

More dots: To Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner, who received more than $2 billion from the same Saudi Crown Prince Public Investment Fund for his $2.5 billion investment fund, in April 2022, according to The New York Times,

--TL

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MONDAY 7/10/23

UPDATE: Turkey has agreed to let Sweden into NATO, NPR reports. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will join 30 other NATO nation leaders to vote in favor of making Sweden the 32nd member when they meet in Vilnius, Lithuania, for the organization’s 74th annual summit Tuesday. The Brookings Institution’s Asli Aydintabas told NPR’s All Things Considered that back-door negotiations between Washington and Ankara will result in U.S. F-16 fighter jets to Turkey, and possibly Turkey’s entry into the European Union.

Too Early for Ukraine to Join NATO – President Biden told CNN’s Fareed Zakaria on his show, GPS Sunday morning it would be “premature for Ukraine to begin the NATO membership process during a war,” though he said he has told Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan he wants Sweden to join as soon as possible. 

When Russian President Vladimir Putin sent 185,000 troops into Ukraine, he was confident he could break NATO, Biden said. But if Ukraine joined now, it would bring all 31 nations into the war with Russia. “We have to create a rational path,” the president said.

Turkey refuses: However, Erdogan said Ankara has not seen sufficient progress from Sweden for Turkey to support its NATO application, Politico reports. In a Turkish communications directorate released late Sunday, “Erdogan stated that Sweden has taken steps in the right direction by making changes in the anti-terrorism legislation.” But such terrorist organizations as the PKK and YPG – both banned in Turkey – continue to hold demonstrations in Sweden, according to the statement.

“This nullifies the steps taken.”

Upshot: Some analysts theorize this is Turkey throwing its weight around, vying for the West’s attention. All 31 NATO members must agree on any new member.

Biden’s travels: The president embarked on a week-long trip to Europe Sunday, beginning in the UK, where he meets Monday with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for the sixth time in six months. Biden then meets with King Charles at Windsor Castle to discuss climate change issues. 

Monday night: Biden flies to Vilnius, Lithuania, for the 74th NATO summit. 

Wednesday: Biden gives a speech highlighting how the U.S. and allies and partners support Ukraine in its defense against Russia’s attack. The president will use the speech to defend democratic values and call for action to address global challenges.

Thursday: Biden continues on to Helsinki to participate in the U.S.-Nordic Leaders’ Summit.

•••

Meanwhile, Congress Returns – The full Senate returns to Capitol Hill Monday, and both chambers are in session Tuesday through Friday, following their extended July 4th recess. They will have three weeks in session (with the month of August off) to pass a spending bill ahead of the fiscal year change in September. Both sides reportedly met during the recess and have made bipartisan progress on a spending bill.

--Compiled and edited by Todd Lassa

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COMMENTS: editors@thehustings.news

Christie: Trump Rally Estimates ‘Absurd’

In an interview with the former Republican New Jersey governor who is running for president to topple the former president, Fox News Sunday host Shannon Bream asked Chris Christie about local authorities in South Carolina who estimate 50,000 people attended one of Donald J. Trump’s recent rallies there.

Christie responded, “50,000 is absurd. But I am not going to get in an argument about that. Here’s why he doesn’t care about the American people. He droned on for an hour and a half yesterday in Iowa (via The Hill).

•••

We welcome your comments on these or any other recent issues. Go to the Comment section below or in the left column, if more appropriate, or email editors@thehustings.news and indicate in the subject line whether you lean right or left.

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What’s Left

Read our concise aggregate-coverage of the narrowly avoided mutiny in Russia in our center-column, “Putin On The Fritz.” Use the scrollbar on the far right to scroll down the front page. 

Also: Are you a liberal in Mississippi? Read “The Most Liberal County in Conservative States” below in this column, which you also may reach via the far-right (not kidding) trackbar. Be sure to read “The Most Conservative County in Liberal States,” two columns to its right. Both news features are from our new partnership with Stacker.

Watch for the return of our newsletter, coming soon via Substack.

We are officially on Fourth of July holiday break, along with Congress, but we will be updating SCOTUS decisions through the end of June in the center column.

_____

The Unforgiven: Student Loans

4th of JULY RECESS, 2023

The Supreme Court Friday struck down President Biden’s $10,000-$20,000 loan forgiveness program, 6-3, in another conservative v. liberal opinion. The decision placed a spotlight on the “sharp debate” between the court’s “two best writers,” Chief Justice John Roberts, and Justice Elana Kagan, on the major rules doctrine, says Adam Liptak in The New York Times. 

Roberts’ opinion for the majority said that mass cancellation of a program of such significance requires clear congressional authorization. 

For the minority, Kagan wrote, “In every respect, the court today exceeds its proper, limited role in the nation’s governance.”

Challenge to the loan forgiveness program came from two borrowers, whom the court ruled do not have standing in the case, and six conservative states the court said do have standing, NPR reports.

Definition: The non-partisan Congressional Research Service’s In Focus defines the major questions doctrine thusly: “Congress frequently delegates authority to agencies to regulate particular aspects of society, in general or broad terms. However, in a number of decisions, the Supreme Court has declared that if an agency seeks to decide an issue of major national significance, its actions must be supported by clear congressional authorization. … The Supreme Court never used that term in a major opinion prior to 2022, but the doctrine has recently become more prominent.” (Emphasis CRS.)

Congress weighs in: Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) tweeted; “President Biden’s student loan giveaways is ruled UNLAWFUL. The 87% of Americans without student loan debt are no longer forced to pay for the 13% who do.”

Upshot: A bill codifying student loan forgiveness will go nowhere in the Republican-majority House, though simply by introducing such law, Democrats will hope to gain a lot of voter support in the coming election year.

•••

Website Developer Does Not Have to Design for LGBTQ+ – The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in another conservative v. liberal split that the First Amendment bans Colorado from compelling a website designer to create expressive designs with messages with which the designer disagrees, according to SCOTUSblog. In 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis et. al. web designer Lorie Smith sought an injunction from forcing her to create websites celebrating unions not between a man and a woman.  

--TL

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SCOTUS Strikes Down Affirmative Action in Higher Ed

The Supreme Court’s conservative majority struck down affirmative action for higher education, saying race used as a factor in university admissions violates the 14th Amendment, in its decision released Thursday (The Associated Press). Chief Justice John Roberts, writing the majority’s opinion* said the court has long concluded wrongly (as recently as 2016) that the touchstone of an individual’s identity is not “skills built or lessons learned, but the color of their skin. Our constitutional history does not tolerate that choice.”

An organization arguing that affirmative action discriminates against Asian students brought cases against two universities in Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina and Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote the minority opinion, saying the decision is not faithful to history, SCOTUS’ prior decisions and the facts of affirmative action, according to a report on NPR’s 1A. 

SCOTUS’ second Black justice, Clarence Thomas – long a critic of affirmative action – said the decision “sees universities’ admission (policies) for what they are; rudderless, race-based preferences designed to ensure a particular racial mix in their entering classes.”

SCOTUS’ third Black justice (and first Black female justice), Ketanji Brown Jackson, called the decision “truly a tragedy for us all.”

*Correction: The decision regarding Students for Fair Adminssions v. Harvard was 6-2. Brown Jackson had earlier recused herself as she was a member of the board overseeing Harvard, prior to being sworn in to the Supreme Court.

Igniting social media: Justice Brown Jackson has "ignited social media" with this quote, according to NPR: "With let-them-eat-cake obliviousness, today, the majority pulls the ripcord and announces 'color blindness for all' by legal fiat. But deeming race irrelevant in law does not make it so in life."

'Religious liberty' case: SCOTUS sided with an evangelical Christian postal worker who was denied a request to take Sundays off when the U.S. Postal Service wanted him to deliver packages on the sabbath. USA Today reports the court's 9-0 decision in Groff v. DeJoy was narrower ruling than religious liberty advocates had sought.

Remaining cases: SCOTUS expects to issue all remaining cases from the 2022-23 term by 10 a.m. Friday (per SCOTUSblog).

•What do you think? Hit the Comment section in the appropriate column, or email editors@thehustings.news. 

--TL

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SCOTUS Rejects Indy State Legislature Theory

The Supreme Court has rejected the Independent Legislature Theory with a 6-3 ruling that says state courts can overrule state legislatures’ power to regulate federal elections. The case brought by the Republican-dominated North Carolina legislature in Moore v. Harper sought to overturn the state’s supreme court rejection of a gerrymandered congressional map. The legislators argued the federal Constitution allows only state legislatures to rule on federal elections, and not state courts, reports NPR’s Nina Totenberg on All Things Considered.

Opponents of the Independent Legislature Theory feared a ruling against state courts would allow majority party legislators to choose Electoral College electors favoring their presidential candidate over the candidate chosen by popular vote. 

For the majority opinion, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote; “Although the Elections Clause does not exempt state legislators from the ordinary constraints imposed by state law, federal courts must not abandon their duty to exercise judicial review.”

Roberts was joined by two of three justices nominated by ex-President Trump, Amy Coney Barret and Brett Kavanaugh, as well as Justices Elana Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson. Justice Clarence Thomas wrote the minority opinion and was joined by Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch. 

•••

While the center column of The Hustings joins Congress in taking its Fourth of July recess through July 9 (kind of), we will regularly update Supreme Court rulings through the end of June, and we will post your civil comments in the left and right columns. Go to the Comment section of the right or left column, or email editors@thehustings.news and indicate the side toward which you lean in the subject line.

--Todd Lassa

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What’s Right

Scroll down the front page to read our concise aggregate-coverage of last weekend’s near-mutiny in Russia, “Putin On The Fritz,” with the trackbar on the far-right. 

Are you a conservative living in Connecticut? If so, do you live in the right county? Read “The Most Conservative County in Liberal States,” which you can reach by scrolling down past the coverage of Russia. Then read the Stacker new feature’s companion piece, “The Most Liberal County in Conservative States,” two columns to its left. 

Watch for the return of our newsletter, coming soon via Substack.

We are officially on Fourth of July holiday break, along with Congress, but we will be updating SCOTUS decisions through the end of June in the center column.

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A Win for Democracy?

Yevgeny Prigozhin’s Wagner Group is no organization to root for, but we have to wonder whether the weekend’s armed demonstration against Vladimir Putin might have chipped away at the Russian leader/dictator's authoritarian armor. 

No matter your opinion on this issue, we humbly seek your civil comments. Please use the Comment section in this column or the one on the right if that’s how you lean, or email editors@thehustings.news and indicate in the subject line whether you consider yourself liberal or conservative. 

We welcome, too, your comments on last week’s data reporting by our partners at Stacker; “The Most Liberal County in Conservative States” in this column, or “The Most Conservative County in Liberal States” in the right column. Scroll down with the trackbar on the far right to read these news features.

Scroll down using the far-right trackbar to read “The Most Liberal County in Conservative States,” data reporting by our partners at Stacker, then enter your Comments in the appropriate section below, or in the right column (if that’s how you lean) or email editors@thehustings.news.

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Putin On The Fritz

(UPDATE: Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, above, released an 11-minute video Monday in which he said last weekend's seizure of two major Russian region capitals amounted to protest, not an attempted military coup, NPR reports.)

Over the weekend, The Wagner Group’s mercenary leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, took control of Russia’s Southern Military District HQ in Rostov-on-Don, and another major regional capital with troops and tanks on their streets. He demanded Vladimir Putin sack his military leadership. 

Prigozhin sent 25,000 soldiers from his private military company (also until now known as “Putin’s private army”) charging toward the Kremlin, 600 miles to the north of Rostov-on-Don, but they stopped about 200 kilometers, or roughly 125 miles short of Moscow with no reported injuries, according to The New York Times. Footage surfaced of Prigozhin in control of the Southern Military District HQ, where he apparently had Russia’s defense minister, Sergei Shoigu, and top military officer, Gen. Valery Gerasimov surrounded by Wagner guards, “Perhaps the most shocking scene of the day,” said the NYT.

However … Prigozhin backed off his insurrection before Wagner troops got any closer to Moscow and was then let off without arrest by Russian officials. Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov told reporters that Prigozhin instead will exile to Belarus in a deal brokered with that country’s leader and close Putin ally, Aleksandr Lukashenko. 

How it started: ICYMI, Prigozhin was a 30-year ally of Putin, first as a caterer, then as head of an elite and brutal army of mercenaries. Wagner – named after the German composer – was formed during Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, and it joined Russian forces after it became clear to Putin his February 2022 invasion wasn’t going as planned. Prigozhin recruited soldiers from Russian prisons and pushed them into the bloody battle over Bakmut and then feuded with Russian Gens. Shoigu and Gerasimov. 

Last Friday night, Prigozhin claimed Russian forces attacked Wagner troops as they slept in their camps. Russia denies this, says the NYT, and the claim has not independently been verified. On Saturday, Prigozhin led a force of 25,000 from Ukraine to Rostov-on-Don, Russia, which he took over apparently with no resistance. Saturday morning, Putin delivered a five-minute address to his nation in which he described Prigozhin (without naming him) as a traitor and vowed to crush the uprising. 

“This is a stab in the back of our country and our people,” Putin said, comparing the insurrection to events leading up to the 1917 Russian Revolution and the end of the Russian Empire he so much longs to restore (per The Kyiv Independent).

Independent Russian news outlet Meduza quoted unnamed sources reporting Prigozhin initially attempted to get in touch with the Russian presidential administration midday Saturday as his fighters advanced toward Moscow (per The Kyiv Independent, again). 

Too late?: Tatiana Stanovaya, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, told the NYT Putin underestimated the threat from Prigozhin and Wagner Group. “He thought he was totally dependent and loyal.”

What’s next?: Prigozhin is exiled to Belarus, but Wagner troops are not. But even if Putin can somehow persuade many of those 25,000 returned Wagner soldiers to turn around and head back into Ukraine, progress on Russia’s invasion should be further compromised, especially with Ukraine’s counter-offensive already underway.

Can Putin hold on to power? The only certainty is he will double-down on repression of his own people.

Epilogue: Neither Putin nor Prigozhin have been seen in public since Saturday, NPR reports.

UPDATE: Monday, Putin made his first video appearance since his condemnation of Saturday's insurrection, BBC reports, though it is not clear when or where the video was made.

•••

SCOTUS this week – Supreme Court decisions are due before the end of June on four important cases (per U.S. News & World Report):

•Affirmative action

•President Biden’s $10,000 student loan forgiveness program

•Religious rights

•Voting and the “independent state legislature” theory.

•••

Up on the Hill – The House and the Senate are off through July 9.

--Compiled and edited by Todd Lassa

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COMMENTS: editors@thehustings.news

Sympathy for the Invader?

Reminder to GOP voters regarding the party’s frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination for next year’s election: Donald J. Trump refused to take sides in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, in his CNN Town Hall last May.

“I want everyone to stop dying. They’re dying. Russians and Ukrainians. I want them to stop dying. And I’ll have that done in 24 hours.”

After Russia’s invasion in February 2022, the former president said the following on The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show on radio:

“I think nobody probably knows him better in terms of the discussions that we have or that we’re having this morning. I knew that he always wanted Ukraine. I used to talk to him about it. I said, ‘You can’t do it. You’re not gonna do it. But I could see he wanted it. …

“I knew Putin very well. I got along with him great. He liked me. I liked him. I mean, you know, he’s a tough cookie, got a lot of great charm and a lot of great pride. But the way he – and he knows his country, you know? He loves his country. He’s acting a little differently, I think, now.”

“Traditional” Republicans, particularly in the Senate, are squarely behind Volodymyr Zelinskyy and Ukraine’s defense against the Russian invasion. But several House Republicans from the MAGA/Freedom Caucus wing who back Trump on every issue want to cut off military aid to Ukraine.

Whatever your opinion on this or any other issues covered by The Hustings, we'd like to post your civil comment in this or the left column. Use the Comment section below in this or the left column, or email editors@thehustings.news and let us know whether you lean left or right in the subject line.

We'd also welcome your comments on data reporting by our partners at Stacker in "The Most Conservative County in Liberal States." Also, please see the left column below for "The Most Liberal County in Conservative States." Please scroll down this page with the trackball on the far right to read these news features.

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The Most Liberal County in Conservative States

By Andrea Vale/Stacker

Whether a state is considered red or blue is only one side of the story. In many states, despite majority leanings, there are neighborhoods, towns, or even entire counties that hold steadfast against their neighbors and vote for the party that holds an opposing ideology to a majority of the state's residents.

Whether or not this means those enclaves will see the results they want depends on their state's unique circumstances. In many states, liberal areas are still subject to hyper-conservative policies designed to apply to the state at large. In Florida, for instance, Gov. Ron DeSantis has restricted discussions of gender identity in schools and passed one of the nation's narrowest abortion restrictions—both of which affect residents of the comparatively progressive Miami and Fort Lauderdale. In Ohio, preemption laws bar cities from regulating certain state-mandated issues, meaning that liberal pockets in Columbus and Toledo are still beholden to the conservative-majority gun laws and environmental policies.

Stacker compiled voter turnout data from The New York Times and statewide political ideology data from Gallup to rank states by their share of self-identifying conservatives. Ties were broken by the corresponding percentage of liberals, as able. Voter data was then used to identify counties that voted against this statewide average ideology.

Some "battleground" states that split relatively evenly between conservative and liberal didn't make either list. Detailed county voter turnout data was unavailable for Virginia, Alaska, Louisiana, and Alabama. For Washington D.C., ideological insights came from a study by the Pew Research Institute, rather than the Gallup data.

When looking at why an island of liberalism may exist in an otherwise heavily conservative state, there are typically a few reliable tells. Many of the counties included in this list are home to colleges or universities; this means relatively young and well-educated populations, which almost always equates to liberal leanings. The same is true for dense urban centers, which are usually home to higher concentrations of communities of color and foreign-born migrants—groups that also lean blue.

Native American communities often vote Democrat and are also often isolated within Republican-majority states; unsurprisingly, this is the case for more than a few counties included here. Even ski towns tend to transform a county into a stronghold for liberalism in otherwise conservative areas by attracting mostly upper-class, well-educated transplants as residents.

Read on to discover where liberal strongholds exist in otherwise staunchly conservative states, and what accounts for the unexpected shift from red to blue.Travis County, Texas

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#19. Texas: 20% liberal, 38% conservative (tie)

- Most liberal county: Travis County
--- Democratic votes in 2020: 435,860 (71.4%)
--- Total votes cast: 610,349

Travis County—where the state capital of Austin can be found—represents a larger shift in many Texas counties towards the left, due in large part to a progressively younger population and incoming migration. As of 2022, just 10% of Travis County's population was 65 and older, and a full third of residents identified as Hispanic or Latino.Taos County, New Mexico

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#19. New Mexico: 20% liberal, 38% conservative (tie)

- Most liberal county: Taos County
--- Democratic votes in 2020: 13,121 (76.4%)
--- Total votes cast: 17,181

Taos County comprises several Hispanic and Native American communities, resulting in a staunch Democratic leaning. Additionally, the county is home to the University of New Mexico-Taos, providing a concentration of young, well-educated voters that typically results in liberal tendencies.Durham County, North Carolina

Sean Pavone // Shutterstock

#18. North Carolina: 21% liberal, 39% conservative

- Most liberal county: Durham County
--- Democratic votes in 2020: 144,364 (80.4%)
--- Total votes cast: 179,594

Durham County's more liberal leaning is possibly due to its large concentration of urban centers and universities. The county holds the cities of Durham and parts of Raleigh, as well as most of the state's most well-known institutes of higher education, including Duke University, North Carolina Central University, and Durham Technical Community College.Jefferson County, Kentucky

f11photo // Shutterstock

#17. Kentucky: 20% liberal, 39% conservative

- Most liberal county: Jefferson County
--- Democratic votes in 2020: 228,272 (59.1%)
--- Total votes cast: 386,061

Jefferson County is the most heavily populated county in the state—it is home to more than 780,000 residents, while the next-largest, Fayette County, has less than half that count—and includes Louisville, the state's largest city. Besides a dense population, the county is also home to a heavy concentration of universities and colleges, with one college per 11 square miles.Clayton County, Georgia

Josemejia // Shutterstock

#16. Georgia: 19% liberal, 39% conservative

- Most liberal county: Clayton County
--- Democratic votes in 2020: 95,476 (85.0%)
--- Total votes cast: 112,344

Clayton County is a particularly diverse area, with 73.4% of its population self-identifying as Black and 13.5% as Hispanic or Latino. This accounts for its uniquely Democratic leaning; though previously a swing county, the increasing number of Black Americans and other people of color relocating to the county has shifted it to staunchly liberal.Douglas County, Kansas

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#13. Kansas: 18% liberal, 39% conservative (tie)

- Most liberal county: Douglas County
--- Democratic votes in 2020: 40,785 (68.6%)
--- Total votes cast: 59,495

Douglas County's blue dominance is owed in large part to encompassing the city of Lawrence, widely perceived as a liberal college town. Lawrence is home to the University of Kansas, which self-describes as "the state's flagship institution." Douglas County is particularly young and upper-middle-class: just 13.5% of the population is over 65, and the median household income is $62,594.Glacier County, Montana

Dirk Wierenga // Shutterstock

#13. Montana: 18% liberal, 39% conservative (tie)

- Most liberal county: Glacier County
--- Democratic votes in 2020: 3,610 (64.3%)
--- Total votes cast: 5,617

Home to the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, Glacier County residents are majority Native American, with 64.6% of the county's 13,681 residents self-identifying as American Indian or Alaska Native. Native American communities tend to lean more liberal than conservative, making this county a stronghold for Democrats, even while surrounded by red-voting counties.Sioux County, North Dakota

Joseph Sohm // Shutterstock

#13. North Dakota: 18% liberal, 39% conservative (tie)

- Most liberal county: Sioux County
--- Democratic votes in 2020: 804 (67.8%)
--- Total votes cast: 1,186

Like Glacier County in Montana, Sioux County's large proportion of Native American residents accounts for its liberal skew. Though the tiny area only has 3,711 residents, 83.1% of them are American Indian or Alaska Native.Marion County, Indiana

Sean Pavone // Shutterstock

#12. Indiana: 17% liberal, 39% conservative

- Most liberal county: Marion County
--- Democratic votes in 2020: 247,772 (63.6%)
--- Total votes cast: 389,618

Marion County is home to the state's most populous city, Indianapolis, as well as several universities. This makes the region comparatively urban and young when measured against surrounding central Indiana counties. Additionally, the county is relatively more diverse than nearby majority-white areas, with a 29.6% Black population, compared to 10.2% in the state in general.Blaine County, Idaho

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#11. Idaho: 17% liberal, 40% conservative

- Most liberal county: Blaine County
--- Democratic votes in 2020: 8,919 (67.1%)
--- Total votes cast: 13,289

Though not home to the state's most populated cities, Blaine County does have one notable locale that is thought to largely account for its reputation as a Democratic stronghold: the Sun Valley ski resort. The county is subsequently home to a large number of out-of-staters who choose to live part-time or retire there, and who are usually upper-class, well-educated, and white. 94.4% of Blaine County residents are white, and the median household income is $71,749.St. Louis city, Missouri

Sean Pavone // Shutterstock

#10. Missouri: 20% liberal, 41% conservative

- Most liberal county: St. Louis
--- Democratic votes in 2020: 110,089 (82.3%)
--- Total votes cast: 133,793

Home to nearly 1 million residents, St. Louis County (not to be confused with the independent city of St. Louis, which belongs to no county) is diverse, well-educated, urban, and affluent compared to other parts of the state. Only 67.4% of the population is white alone; 25.1% is Black. The median household income is $72,562. Additionally, the county is home to a large concentration of institutes of higher education, including Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis University, and Maryville University.Allendale County, South Carolina

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#9. South Carolina: 16% liberal, 41% conservative

- Most liberal county: Allendale County
--- Democratic votes in 2020: 2,714 (75.7%)
--- Total votes cast: 3,585

Though Allendale is the smallest and among the most poor and rural counties in the state, it is also one of the most politically active. Though these superlatives would usually tilt a county towards conservatism, Allendale County is also majority (72.7%) Black, and the region's lack of dependable health care, employment, and transportation has led to widespread support for Democratic initiatives like Medicaid.Pulaski County, Arkansas

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#7. Arkansas: 15% liberal, 41% conservative (tie)

- Most liberal county: Pulaski County
--- Democratic votes in 2020: 101,947 (60.0%)
--- Total votes cast: 169,956

The most populous county in the state and home to the capital city of Little Rock, Pulaski County is relatively diverse and young. Only 50% of residents are white, while 37% are Black; the median age is around 38.Summit County, Utah

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#7. Utah: 15% liberal, 41% conservative (tie)

- Most liberal county: Summit County
--- Democratic votes in 2020: 15,244 (58.0%)
--- Total votes cast: 26,289

Summit County is the most liberal area in the state thanks mostly to the urban center of Park City, which makes up 8,576 of the county's 43,036 residents. While Park City is "staunchly liberal," other areas within the county itself lean more conservative. In the ski resort town of Park City, however, upper-class, well-educated residents have huge sway. With an average income of $91,470, Park City is the country's second-wealthiest small urban area.Cleveland County, Oklahoma

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#6. Oklahoma: 18% liberal, 43% conservative

- Most liberal county: Cleveland County
--- Democratic votes in 2020: 49,827 (41.6%)
--- Total votes cast: 119,778

Cleveland County's urban and educational hubs account for its ranking as the bluest county in the state. The county is part of the state's largest metro area (Oklahoma City) and the state's largest university (the University of Oklahoma). Additionally, the county is slightly more educated (34.98% of adults have bachelor's degrees or higher) and younger (the median age is 37.3) than surrounding areas, which both correlate with higher populations of liberals.Shelby County, Tennessee

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#5. Tennessee: 17% liberal, 43% conservative

- Most liberal county: Shelby County
--- Democratic votes in 2020: 246,105 (64.4%)
--- Total votes cast: 382,055

Shelby County has three standout qualities that place it squarely in the blue. First, it is home to a large urban center (Memphis, with a population of over 600,000). Secondly, its population is majority Black, accounting for 54.6% of residents. Finally, it contains a large concentration of colleges and universities, including the University of Memphis, Rhodes College, Remington College, and the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center.Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota

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#4. South Dakota: 13% liberal, 44% conservative

- Most liberal county: Oglala Lakota County
--- Democratic votes in 2020: 2,829 (88.4%)
--- Total votes cast: 3,200

Like other areas that are predominantly populated by Native Americans, Oglala Lakota is a Democratic stronghold in a Republican state (much like Glacier County, Montana, and Sioux County, North Dakota). 92.3% of the population is American Indian or Native Alaskan, which is unsurprising considering the entire county sits within the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.Monongalia County, West Virginia

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#3. West Virginia: 17% liberal, 45% conservative

- Most liberal county: Monongalia County
--- Democratic votes in 2020: 20,282 (48.2%)
--- Total votes cast: 42,072

Monongalia County is home to Morgantown, a city that is growing starkly white-collar and well-educated compared to other areas of the state—and consequently, starkly liberal as well. Like many other college towns, Morgantown—home to West Virginia University—is generally younger, more affluent, and more Democratic than more rural areas.Teton County, Wyoming

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#2. Wyoming: 18% liberal, 46% conservative

- Most liberal county: Teton County
--- Democratic votes in 2020: 9,848 (67.1%)
--- Total votes cast: 14,677

While Wyoming writ large is rural and agricultural, Teton County—which contains the Jackson ski resort—is a "playground for the ultra-rich," largely accounting for its liberal leanings. Like Park City, Utah, and Blaine County, Idaho, ski towns come with wealth, and with wealth comes Democrats: the median income in Teton County is a whopping $94,498.Jefferson County, Mississippi

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#1. Mississippi: 12% liberal, 50% conservative

- Most liberal county: Jefferson County
--- Democratic votes in 2020: 3,327 (86.1%)
--- Total votes cast: 3,863

Though increasingly sparsely populated and mired in poverty, Jefferson County is also diverse. 84.9% of the population is Black, accounting for the region's liberal character.

Data reporting by Sam Larson. Story editing by Brian Budzynski. Copy editing by Tim Bruns. 

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COMMENT below or email editors@thehustings.news

…meanwhile…

FRIDAY 6/23/23

•(What's with these data-news stories in the right and left columns? Read about our new partnership with Stacker -- scroll down the center column.)

Modi Visit Upholds U.S. Interests – India has not joined the rest of the democratic world in supporting Ukraine in its defense against Russia, and instead the “world’s largest democracy,” run for nearly a decade by nationalist Prime Minister Narenda Modi (above) continues to support Russia’s economy by purchasing its oil. All that, and Modi’s demonstrably poor record on human rights and religious freedom was not the subject of public discussion at a lavish state dinner hosted at the White House, where President Biden “showered him with flattery” according to The New York Times.

The Biden administration hopes to draw India closer to the U.S. while Russia’s war on Ukraine rages on and Chinese relations deteriorate. Biden and Modi announced initiatives Thursday, with no evidence of resolving disagreements. Earlier Thursday, the two leaders announced a deal in which General Electric will build military jet engines in India with state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics, Politico reports, in an agreement that has long been in the making.

“America has no permanent friends or enemies,” Henry Kissinger once said, “only interests.”

Modi’s “most surprising breakthrough” Thursday evening, the NYT reports, was a Q&A Modi allowed with White House reporters. Modi said democracy is “in India’s DNA.”

He added, “In India’s democratic values, there’s absolutely no discrimination neither on the basis of caste, creed, or age, or any kind of geographic location.” Meanwhile, demonstrators protested India’s crackdown on dissent from outside the White House gates.

Before the state dinner, Modi appeared at a joint session of Congress Thursday. He was to continue his visit Friday with a lunch with Vice President Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, NPR reports.

•••

‘Frankly Stupid’ – House Democrats reportedly are “giddy” and Republicans embarrassed by uber-MAGA Rep. Lauren Boebert’s (R-CO) resolution Wednesday to impeach without requisite hearings President Biden over the White House’s handling of immigration policy and the situation at the southern border, says New York magazine’s Intelligencer. Boebert’s move had no chance of passage and dispensed with such formalities as Judicial Committee hearings.

A 219-208 vote to send the impeachment resolution for consideration by committees effectively parked Boebert’s resolution, as those committees have no obligation to do anything about it, The Hill reports. Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), who is more interested in defeating Biden with next year’s congressional and presidential elections intended to call Boebert to the carpet in a closed-door GOP conference meeting, but the Colorado rep failed to show. 

Republican strategist Dan Judy described Boebert’s resolution as “frankly stupid,” (per The Hill), adding; “The party needs to be focused on the problems facing American voters rather than this sideshow.”

--TL

_______________________________________________

THURSDAY 6/22/23

Schiff on the Trump-Russia Axis – The House voted 213-209 to censure Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), a favorite target of former President Trump, over Schiff’s allegations as the former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee that Russia helped Trump’s successful 2016 campaign (per Axios). Vote on the resolution only came to the floor after its sponsor, pro-MAGA Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) removed a $16-million fine she sought to have imposed against Schiff last week. 

Democrats on the House floor shouted down Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) as he tried to read the resolution, chanting “shame” and jeering him as a “spiteful coward” as they cheered Schiff. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) called for the speaker to be ousted. One unidentified Republican House member shouted back, “jackasses.”

Five Republicans on the House Ethics Committee, plus Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO) voted “present” on the censure resolution. 

Meanwhile, in the Judiciary Committee: In a hearing with Special Counsel John Durham Wednesday on his investigation of the FBI’s investigation of the alleged Russian intervention in Donald J. Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, Schiff said this: “The only distinguishment between [Robert Mueller’s] investigation and yours is he refused to bring charges where he couldn’t prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, and you did.”

Durham spent five hours before the House Judiciary Committee Wednesday (and was in a closed-door meeting with the committee Tuesday night) on his four-year, $6.5-million investigation of the investigators, which failed to find wrongdoing and concluded in a 306-page report that the FBI should have conducted a preliminary investigation rather than a full investigation. 

What’s next?: Schiff might use the $16 million he does not have to pay along with his censure on his campaign for the Senate seat of Diane Feinstein, who turns 90 Thursday and is not running for re-election next year. Schiff faces fellow Democratic Reps. Barbara Lee and Katie Porter in the California primary.

--TL

_______________________________________________

WEDNESDAY 6/21/23

Ukrainian Recovery Conference – Secretary of State Antony Blinken pledged an additional $1.3 billion in U.S. recovery assistance to Ukraine to help rebuild the war-torn country’s energy grid and such critical infrastructure as rail lines and border crossings (per Bloomberg) during a conference hosted by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in London. 

Poland’s minister of foreign affairs tweeted he has prepared a law that would extend investments and insurance coverage for transport of goods and services to and from Ukraine … meanwhile, the European Conference chief wants Hungary to answer questions regarding Ukraine’s claims that Russia transferred prisoners of war to authoritarian President Viktor Orbån’s Hungary without Ukraine’s involvement (per The Guardian). 

Ukrainian counteroffensive is ‘not Hollywood’: Battlefield progress has been “slower than desired” in the early weeks of Ukraine’s push-back of Russian troops, President Volodymyr Zelinskyy (FILE IMAGE above) told the BBC.

“Some people believe this is a Hollywood movie and expect results now. It is not. What’s at stake is people’s lives.”

Ukraine has reclaimed eight villages in the southeast region of Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk to the east, so far, he said.

Nuke sabre-rattling: Vladimir Putin says Russia’s new Sarmat missiles, which can carry 10 or more nuclear warheads, will soon be ready for deployment, The Guardian reports. The comments came after defense minister Sergei Shoigu told graduating military academy students that the “collective west” is waging a “real war” against Russia.

•••

DEMOCRACY WATCH: Conjuring the Ghost of Nixon – Donald J. Trump revealed “another sweeping piece of his plans to slash federal spending and defund the ‘deep state’” in a video first revealed to Semafor, the news website reports. This plan for the former president’s self-expected second term coming in 2025 would “scrap” parts of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Act of 1974, implemented in reaction to President Nixon’s attempt to scrap tens of billions of dollars in federal funding on his own. Specifically, the law forces the executive branch to spend money Congress approves, and regulates the president from delaying or impounding federal spending for specific programs.

Russia v. Ukraine, again: Trump was accused of violating the '74 law enacted as Nixon resigned to avoid impeachment when he froze Congressional funding earmarked for Ukraine in 2019, a move that led to Trump's first impeachment.

--TL

_______________________________________________

...meanwhile...

TUESDAY 6/20/23

Hunter Biden to Plead Out – Son of the president, Hunter Biden, has reached a tentative plea agreement with federal prosecutors to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges of failing to pay in 2017 and 2018, and admit to the fact of a gun charge, The Washington Post reports, citing court papers filed Tuesday. The deal likely will keep Biden, 53, out of prison but still needs approval by a federal judge. Federal prosecutors and Biden’s defense counsel have requested a hearing to enter his plea.

The investigation into the case opened in 2018 during the Trump administration. Since at least 2020, Republican politicians have accused the Biden administration of reluctance to pursue the case – a charge that is not at all likely to go away with the plea deal, which was negotiated with Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss, a “holdover” from the Trump administration, WaPo notes.

•••

Court Date for Mar-a-Lagogate -- Judge Aileen Cannon (above) has scheduled Thursday, August 24 as the date for the trial to begin in the Justice Department's case over Donald J. Trump's retention of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago, The Hill reports. The trial in Cannon's Ft. Pierce, Florida, courtroom would begin about two months after Trump pleaded not guilty to 37 counts issued by Special Counsel Jack Smith, but attorneys for the former president are expected to push delays well into the 2024 presidential campaign season. Pre-trial motions are due by July 24.

•••

Ukraine Gains in South – But the country’s defense ministry reports a “difficult situation” in the east. Russia launched 35 attack drones overnight, with Ukrainian soldiers able to repel 32 of them, The Guardian reports, while Ukraine’s defense ministry confirmed liberation of Piatykhatsky in the southern Zaporizhzhia Oblast region, according to the Kyiv Independent. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has landed in London after meeting with Chinese officials, including President Xi Jingping in Beijing, the UK government says it will extend economic sanctions against Russia after the war ends until the Kremlin pays to rebuild Ukraine.

Meanwhile, on Fox News: Donald J. Trump told Fox News’ Brett Baier on Special Report what he said to Russian President Vladimir Putin in a private meeting in Helsinki in July 2018: He “claimed Monday” that the conversation convinced Putin to delay his invasion for several years (Russia invaded in February 2022). “He wouldn’t have done it if it were me. He did it after I left.”

About those boxes of documents: Trump also told Fox News’ Baier he was too busy to return boxes full of classified documents he kept at Mar-a-Lago, Politico reports. Trump had to take time to sort through them to keep shirts and golf shoes that belonged to him, apparently. 

And foxnews.com says that in the exclusive interview with the former president, he called the National Archives and Records Administration – which requested return of the papers ahead of the FBI’s raid of Mar-a-Lago – a “radical left” group.

•••

Special Counsel to the Hill – Special Counsel John Durham, who was tapped by then-Attorney Gen. Bill Barr in 2019 to investigate whether federal law enforcement officials unfairly investigated a connection between the Trump campaign and Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, appears before the Republican-majority House of Representatives this week. Durham will testify on his recently released report on that investigation before the House Intelligence Committee Tuesday, The Washington Post reports, and in a closed session with the House Judiciary Committee Wednesday. 

•••

Trump’s Saudi Deal – A real estate deal with the Saudi government’s sovereign fund to develop a golf complex, including luxury villas with sticker prices up to $13 million, overlooking the Gulf of Oman is “unlike any of [Donald J. Trump’s] deals before,” according to a special report The New York Times. Trump and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, “cultivated” the deal with the government of Oman while Trump was in office, according to the report, which says the Trump Organization received nearly $5 million from the deal, which includes a Trump-branded hotel, golf course and golf club, and a 30-year management contract.

--Compiled and edited by Todd Lassa

_______________________________________________

Where Do You Live?

Are you a conservative in a liberal state? A liberal in a conservative state?

For the first time since we began posting, we present data reporting and analysis, by our new partners at Stacker, in the left and right columns at the same time. Stacker reporters compiled voter turnout data from The New York Times and political ideology insight from the Gallup organization to single out the counties in each state that vote against the statewide ideological grain. 

For Washington, D.C., ideological insight came not from Gallup, but from the Pew Research Institute.

There are 20 listings in each column, including one for Washington, D.C. (care to guess which column it is in?). No voter turnout data were available for Virginia, Alaska, Louisiana nor Alabama. Some "battleground" states that split evenly between conservative and liberal voters were not included.

These are not liberal/conservative commentaries we traditionally post in the left and right columns, but rather straight news features that help describe vagaries of the red state-blue state divide. However, as with any of our regular posts in these columns, , we seek your reactions. Become a Citizen Pundit and write your opinions in the Comment section of the appropriate column (subject to editing for civility) or email editors@thehustings.news and indicate your political leanings in the subject line.

--Todd Lassa

_____

The Most Conservative County in Liberal States

By Elias Sorich/Stacker

American politics have polarized faster than in other democracies, according to a report published in the National Bureau of Economic Research. This trend is reflected in the ideological movement of the U.S. Congress, with both Democrats and Republicans moving further and further away from an ideological center, though Republicans have done so on average more intensely. Indeed, the recent struggle of Republican House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy to gain the speakership role highlighted the degree to which hard-right conservative politicians have come to hold disproportionately large sway over the Republican majority.

Many of those detractors, members of the Freedom Caucus, come from reliably Republican and ideologically conservative states, though a number come from more moderate or swing states. To develop an understanding of the complexity of the American political landscape, Stacker compiled voter turnout data from The New York Times and statewide political ideology data from Gallup to rank states by their share of self-identifying liberals. Ties were broken by the corresponding percentage of conservatives, as able. Voter data was then used to identify counties that voted against this statewide average ideology.

In looking at these counties, data from government agencies such as the Census Bureau and research institutes—such as the Pew Research Center and the Public Religion Research Institute—were used to highlight and analyze demographic factors that might make the political ideology of the county apparent. Percentages of people identifying as "white Christian" in each county were sourced from the 2020 Census of American Religion. Detailed voter turnout data was unavailable for Virginia, Alaska, Louisiana, and Alabama.

In terms of understanding how these demographic factors affect the political lean of an American voter, a few qualities stand out as the biggest and most reliable predictors of party affiliation and ideological tendency. Namely, religion, race, education, and where a voter falls on the urban-rural divide. To distill these complexities into a couple of takeaways: Racially diverse communities lean Democrat by wide margins, and white Christians account for a large percentage of Republican votes. The highly educated tend to lean Democrat quite broadly, and in presidential elections, rural areas see a 15-22 point increase in Republican votes regardless of other variables such as race and education. Gender, age, and sexuality all play into the equation as well, with older voters leaning conservative, women leaning Democrat, men leaning slightly Republican, and LGBTQ+ voters overwhelmingly liberal.Florence County, Wisconsin

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#20. Wisconsin: 24% liberal, 35% conservative

- Most conservative county: Florence County
--- Republican votes in 2020: 2,133 (72.6%)
--- Total votes cast: 2,940

Located on the northernmost, rural border between Wisconsin and Michigan, Florence County has a population of 4,558, of which 94.6% is white, most of whom identify as white and Christian. The county has a population density of 9.3 people per square mile, a median age 15.9 years higher than the national average of 38.6, and 20.6% of its population has attained a bachelor's degree or higher, 14.4% lower than the national average of 35%.Fulton County, Pennsylvania

Alejandro Guzmani // Shutterstock

#19. Pennsylvania: 24% liberal, 34% conservative

- Most conservative county: Fulton County
--- Republican votes in 2020: 6,824 (85.4%)
--- Total votes cast: 7,990

Fulton County shares a border with Maryland to the south and is sparsely populated, with McConnellsburg (population 1,150) its largest town. In terms of explaining conservative dominance in the county, three demographics stand out: its population of 14,556 is 94.3% white, only 15.7% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher, and 80% of the population identifies as white Christian.Sussex County, Delaware

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#18. Delaware: 24% liberal, 29% conservative

- Most conservative county: Sussex County
--- Republican votes in 2020: 71,230 (55.1%)
--- Total votes cast: 129,352

Distinguishing Sussex County most significantly from its more liberal neighboring counties is the high median age of its residents at 51.8 years, with 29.8% of Sussex County residents being 65 and older, and 75.4% of its 237,378 residents identifying as white. Immediately north is Kent County, Delaware, which has a median age of 38.8, and a lower percentage of white residents at 58.8% of 181,851. While not as markedly white as other counties, Sussex's racial demographics, combined with the fact that older voters generally vote more conservatively, likely contribute to its Republican lean.Morrison County, Minnesota

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#17. Minnesota: 25% liberal, 32% conservative

- Most conservative county: Morrison County
--- Republican votes in 2020: 14,821 (75.8%)
--- Total votes cast: 19,558

One of the top counties in Minnesota for dairy farming, Morrison County has a population of 34,010 with a density of 29.5 people per square mile, making it a decidedly rural region. In terms of demographics, the county is 94.2% white, a recurring factor in sharply conservative counties.Kent County, Rhode Island

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#16. Rhode Island: 25% liberal, 29% conservative

- Most conservative county: Kent County
--- Republican votes in 2020: 42,001 (45.1%)
--- Total votes cast: 93,093

Demographically, Kent County is fairly average, containing parts of the greater Providence metropolitan area as well as rural swaths, and with income, employment, education, and median age levels on par with the national average. The county's tossup nature is reflected in its voting history, going for President Trump by a 0.7% margin in 2016 and President Biden by a 7.6% margin in 2020. Likely tipping the county's balance towards conservatism, however, are the 38% of its population identifying as white Catholics, a group that leans Republican by a 14% margin, as well as a largely white overall population representing 86% of the total 170,363 residents.Kiowa County, Colorado

Jacob Boomsma // Shutterstock

#15. Colorado: 26% liberal, 33% conservative

- Most conservative county: Kiowa County
--- Republican votes in 2020: 795 (88.0%)
--- Total votes cast: 903

The location of a collapsed agriculture industry, Kiowa County is 1,767.8 square miles, but contains only 1,446 residents, making it one of the top 50 least densely populated counties in the nation. With a population that is 75% white and Christian, and overall 89% white, Kiowa's steep conservatism likely comes down to its racial and geographic demographic qualities.Wayne County, Illinois

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#14. Illinois: 27% liberal, 31% conservative

- Most conservative county: Wayne County
--- Republican votes in 2020: 7,176 (84.4%)
--- Total votes cast: 8,499

Wayne County is host to 368,017 acres of farmland, constituting 80% of the county's 713.8 square miles. Its largest city is Fairfield with a population of 4,883. Eighty-two percent of the county's population of 16,179 are white Christians, and 95.5% of the overall population is white, with the percentage of the population attaining a bachelor's degree or higher at 15.2%, about 20 points lower than the national average.Litchfield County, Connecticut

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#13. Connecticut: 27% liberal, 30% conservative

- Most conservative county: Litchfield County
--- Republican votes in 2020: 55,601 (51.7%)
--- Total votes cast: 107,544

Connecticut's largest county by square mileage, Litchfield County has a population of 185,186 and contains a consistent distribution of smaller towns interspersed with natural areas and preserves. The county is wealthier than the national average, with a median household income of $84,978 against the nation's $69,717, and more highly educated with 38% of the population attaining a bachelor's degree or higher and 15% attaining a postgraduate or professional degree. Factors contributing to the county's tendency to go for Republican candidates by small but consistent margins are a high median age of 47.6, a population of 85.7% white, and 5% white Christian.Ocean County, New Jersey

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#12. New Jersey: 27% liberal, 29% conservative

- Most conservative county: Ocean County
--- Republican votes in 2020: 217,740 (63.8%)
--- Total votes cast: 341,516

Part of the broader New York metropolitan area, Ocean County is home to 637,229 people and has grown consistently over the decades, gaining 10.5% in population from 2010-2020. The city of Lakewood is a source of much of that increase, growing by 45.6% to a total population of 135,158 from 2010-2020, thanks in large part to an influx of Orthodox Jewish people, a group that leans Republican by 75%. Otherwise, the county's population is 83.8% white, with 10.4% of the population being Hispanic or Latino, and overall has fairly average income, education, and median age demographics.Lake County, Oregon

Dominic Gentilcore PhD // Shutterstock

#11. Oregon: 28% liberal, 32% conservative

- Most conservative county: Lake County
--- Republican votes in 2020: 3,470 (79.5%)
--- Total votes cast: 4,363

Located in southern Oregon in a region known as the "Oregon Outback" for its desert habitat, Lake County is 8,138.6 square miles in size and contains a population of 8,160, putting its population density at about 1 person per square mile. A quarter of the population is 65 years and older, and 82% are white with an overall median household income of $50,685, about $20,000 lower than national and state levels.Garrett County, Maryland

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#10. Maryland: 28% liberal, 29% conservative

- Most conservative county: Garrett County
--- Republican votes in 2020: 12,002 (76.9%)
--- Total votes cast: 15,611

Maryland's westernmost county, Garrett County is sandwiched between West Virginia and Pennsylvania and contains 118.75 square miles of parks, lakes, and forestland—about 18% of the county's overall size. The county is overwhelmingly white at 96.5% of 28,806 people and is 71% white Christian, with 23% of residents religiously unaffiliated. The county has a slightly above average median age of 47.3, with 22.4% of the population 65 and older, a median income of $58,011 against the state's $90,203, and 24.7% of residents having attained a bachelor's degree or higher.Honolulu County, Hawaii

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#9. Hawaii: 28% liberal, 22% conservative

- Most conservative county: Honolulu County
--- Republican votes in 2020: 136,259 (35.7%)
--- Total votes cast: 382,114

Containing 70% of Hawaii's residents and encompassing the entirety of the island of Honolulu, Honolulu County has a population of 1,016,508, 43% of whom are Asian or Asian American, 10% of whom are Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, and 18.5% of whom are white. In terms of political affiliation, English-speaking Asian Americans lean Democrat by a margin of 55 points, a gap that has continually widened over the last two decades. Religiously, the county is quite diverse—4% of its population is Buddhists, the third-largest concentration of Buddhists in the nation, a group that leans Democrat.Lassen County, California

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#8. California: 29% liberal, 29% conservative

- Most conservative county: Lassen County
--- Republican votes in 2020: 8,970 (74.8%)
--- Total votes cast: 11,985

Located in California's arid northeast, Lassen County has a low employment rate of 30%, though the population's median age is 37.3. Notably, 46% of people employed in the county are local, state, and federal government employees—31.4% higher than the national average—with state and federal prisons located in the region accounting for a significant amount of that number. Only 11.8% of the population has attained a bachelor's degree or higher. The county is relatively diverse when compared to other counties on this list with 64.3% of the population identifying as white, 23% as Hispanic or Latino, 6.9% as Black or African American, and 3.3% as American Indian/Alaskan Native.Belknap County, New Hampshire

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#7. New Hampshire: 30% liberal, 28% conservative

- Most conservative county: Belknap County
--- Republican votes in 2020: 20,899 (54.3%)
--- Total votes cast: 38,453

Host to the majority of Lake Winnipesaukee, 15% of Belknap County's area is water, and its largest city is Laconia, which has a population of 16,871 to the county's 63,705 residents. Significant to the politics of the region is a popular ski resort called Gunstock, which in 2023 led to an upheaval in the county's state delegation after a Republican-led group attempted to usher in corporate ownership of the resort. In terms of its demographics, Belknap contains the highest concentration of white Christians in New Hampshire at 63%, with 92.8% of the overall population identifying as white.Wyoming County, New York

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#6. New York: 30% liberal, 27% conservative

- Most conservative county: Wyoming County
--- Republican votes in 2020: 13,348 (74.0%)
--- Total votes cast: 18,050

Located in far western New York, Wyoming County is the state's largest dairy farming county, containing an estimated 49,925 cows, per the USDA's 2017 Census of Agriculture. The county also contains the third-highest concentration of white Christians in the state at 67% of the population and of that 22% are white evangelical Protestants, a group that leans Republican by a margin of 59 points.Washington D.C.

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#5. Washington D.C.: 30% liberal, 24% conservative

- Most conservative county: Washington
--- Republican votes in 2020: 18,586 (5.4%)
--- Total votes cast: 344,356

As a federal district and not a state, Washington D.C. does not contain any official counties, but its local government performs the services of a city and county. A region that votes overwhelmingly Democratic and has since at least 1964, D.C.'s conservatism is difficult to identify. Notably, 63% of D.C. residents have attained a bachelor's degree or higher and 35.9% have attained a graduate or professional degree. The region is also very diverse with a population of 689,545 breaking down to 41.4% Black or African American, 39.6% white, 11.3% Hispanic or Latino, and 4.8% Asian.Lincoln County, Washington

Arpad Jasko // Shutterstock

#4. Washington: 31% liberal, 28% conservative

- Most conservative county: Lincoln County
--- Republican votes in 2020: 5,150 (73.2%)
--- Total votes cast: 7,033

Located in Washington's eastern region, Lincoln County is the state's second-largest wheat producer, with over 80% of the county's 2,310 square miles devoted to farmland. The county is sparsely populated, with a population density of 4.7 people per square mile, and its residents have a somewhat high median age of 47.1, with 25.1% of the population 65 or older. Lincoln's population is 89.2% white, and the county has the highest concentration of white Christians in the state at 67%.Essex County, Vermont

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#3. Vermont: 32% liberal, 28% conservative

- Most conservative county: Essex County
--- Republican votes in 2020: 1,773 (53.9%)
--- Total votes cast: 3,288

The least populous county of Vermont and in all of New England, Essex County has 5,920 residents, of whom 94% are white, and 67% of whom identify as white Christians, the third-highest concentration in the state. Essex also has the lowest median household income in the state at $48,194 against Vermont's overall $72,431.Piscataquis County, Maine

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#2. Maine: 33% liberal, 35% conservative

- Most conservative county: Piscataquis County
--- Republican votes in 2020: 6,143 (62.0%)
--- Total votes cast: 9,908

With water representing 9.5% of its area, and a significant portion of its land devoted to state parks, preserves, and wilderness areas, Piscataquis County is a largely rural, natural region. The second-largest county in Maine at 3,961 square miles, Piscataquis' population of 16,800 has a median age of 51.3, with 26.1% of the population aged 65 and older, and 20.3% of the population having attained a bachelor's degree or higher.Bristol County, Massachusetts

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#1. Massachusetts: 35% liberal, 21% conservative

- Most conservative county: Bristol County
--- Republican votes in 2020: 119,872 (42.9%)
--- Total votes cast: 279,279

Bordering Providence, Rhode Island, and containing a high proportion of urban area, Bristol County's population is 579,200, and the county has a population density of 1,047.2 people per square mile. The county's median household income of $73,102 is above the national average but lags behind Massachusetts' median income of $89,645. Just 9.5% of the population are Hispanic or Latino, whereas 78.7% identify as white.​​

Data reporting by Sam Larson. Story editing by Brian Budzynski. Copy editing by Robert Wickwire.

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Comment below or email editors@thehustings.news

Read This…

Scroll down to read more details about Special Counsel Jack Smith’s 37-count indictment of former President Trump. Smith suggests every American read the full 49-page document. You can do that here: https://d3i6fh83elv35t.cloudfront.net/static/2023/06/trump-indictment.pdf

Use the track bar on the far right to track down to read, “How Efforts to Ban ‘Bad Books’ Reached a Record High in 2022,” data reporting by Stacker’s Eliza Siegel and Emma Rubin. In the left column you’ll find news of Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) signing an Illinois bill that bans book banning.

Read about Tuesday’s Labor Department release of the May Consumer Price Index, which eased down to 4.0% from a 4.9% rate the month before. 

As always, we encourage you to voice your opinion about these and other current political news and issues. To become a citizen pundit, submit your civilly stated comments in the Comment section below, or in the right column, depending on your leanings. Or you may email us at editors@thehustings.news. Please tell us in the subject line whether you consider yourself “right” or “left.”

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…meanwhile…

(SCOTUS upholds Indian Child Welfare Act. Please scroll down center column.)

Blinken Meet Xi – In an effort to stem a deteriorating relationship with the U.S., Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with President Xi Jingping in Beijing Monday near the end of a three-day diplomatic summit to China. Blinken said Chinese officials agreed to work on stabilizing U.S.-Chinese relations, according to NPR. The secretary of state also discussed the war in Ukraine (China is a Russian ally) and the flow of fentanyl from China to the U.S. 

•••

Ukraine Pushes East – Ukraine says its counteroffensive against the Russian invasion is making modest gains in the east. “Our defense forces have captured more than 400 units of enemy equipment and weapons,” Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar wrote on Telegram Monday. More than 80 Russian troops have been captured, she said (Newsweek).

•••

Up on the Hill – The full Senate and House are off for the Juneteenth holiday Monday. Both will be in session Tuesday through Friday.

•••

Coming Tuesday – Read “Most Liberal County in Conservative States” in the left column and “Most Conservative County in Liberal States” in the right column. Both features are part of our new collaboration with Stacker.

--TL

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FRIDAY 6/16/23

Alleged Pentagon Leaker Indicted – Air National Guard member Jack Douglas Teixeira was charged with six counts of “willful retention and transmission of classified information related to national defense” Thursday in the alleged leaking of more than 100 sensitive materials, including records about the Russian invasion of Ukraine (per USA Today). The 21-year-old from North Dighton, Massachusetts was arrested in April and remains in federal custody. 

•••

Indian Child Welfare Act Upheld – The Supreme Court rejected, 7-2, a challenge to the constitutionality of a 1978 federal law with the unfortunate title; the Indian Child Welfare Act, which was written to keep Native American children with Native American families (per SCOTUSblog). The ICWA was enacted after a congressional investigation discovered that from the 1950s through the ‘70s more than one-third of all Native American children in the U.S. had been removed, some forcibly, and placed with non-Native families and institutions with no ties to their tribes, NPR explains. 

This might count as the second SCOTUS surprise in a week. Last week, the Supremes struck down a Republican-drawn 2022 congressional district map in Alabama, 5-4.

Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito were the only two dissents this week in Haaland v. Brackeen, with Donald J. Trump’s three appointees, including Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who wrote the majority opinion, joining the four Democratic presidential appointees to the court. Their decision says Congress had the power to enact the law, and rejected arguments that the law violates the 10th Amendment’s “anti-commandeering doctrine” barring the federal government from requiring states to adapt federal law,” SCOTUSblog explains. The court declined to reach a decision on two other claims, arguing that individuals and the state of Texas do not have standing in the case.

--TL

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THURSDAY 6/15/23

Fed Holds Interest Rates – After 10 consecutive increases, the Federal Reserve is holding its benchmark interest rate unchanged, Chairman Jerome Powell (above) said Wednesday. The Labor Department reported that May’s annual inflation rate fell to 4.0%, though that’s still twice the Fed’s 2% target rate, and so the Fed signaled the hold on interest rate increases will be temporary, The Wall Street Journal reports. New economic projections released after the Fed’s two-day policy meeting “strongly suggested” the Fed will ramp down the rate increases, which generally have been in the quarter-point increase rate, through the rest of the year. 

After Wednesday’s meeting, the Fed “implied” that holding the benchmark rate at 5-5.25% “might be short-lived,” according to the WSJ.

•••

Another Chip in Trump’s GOP Support? – Donald J. Trump’s support on Capitol Hill generally comes from the House side, its rabidly pro-MAGA Freedom Caucus members in particular. But 20 House Republicans joined Democrats in sinking a resolution to censure Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), according to The Hill. 

As chairman of the House Intelligence Committee during the Trump administration, Schiff led the first impeachment investigation of Trump. In May, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), acolyte of the former president, introduced the censure measure against Schiff. On Wednesday, Luna brought the measure to the floor as a privileged resolution. 

But the House tabled Luna’s measure Wednesday by 225-196-7 vote. Twenty of those “aye” votes to table were Republicans. Five Democrats and two Republicans voted “present.”

--TL

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Another Trump Arraignment

Wednesday 6/14/23

Donald J. Trump’s Simpsonian perp drive, by giant-SUV motorcade, from Mar-a-Lago, past a gaggle of apparently well-behaved pro- and anti-Trump protestors to the Wilkie E. Ferguson Jr. Courthouse in Miami culminated in an hour-long arraignment in which the former president reportedly sat expressionless in a courtroom as Special Counsel Jack Smith looked on. 

Do we need to mention that Trump pleaded not guilty?

Trump attorney Allina Habba gave a brief press conference outside the courthouse during the arraignment, calling “President Donald J. Trump … defiant,” and said the indictment is “about the destruction of longstanding principles that have set this country apart…”

Habba said Justice Department prosecutors “do not love America … they hate Donald Trump.”

As he and his entourage proceeded from the courthouse to the airport for a flight to his Bedminster, New Jersey country club for a fundraiser, Trump dropped in a Cuban sandwich restaurant and answered a muffled question from the crowd saying, “I think it’s going great,” according to ABC News. It was not apparent what the ex-prez thought was going great, though considering the circumstances his life is not so bad. 

Federal Magistrate Judge Jonathan Goodman did not set a monetary bail, nor did he make Trump give up his U.S. passport. And when the trial begins, the judge will not be Goodman, but rather Judge Aileen Cannon, the post-2020 election-loss Trump appointee to the federal district court in Florida who temporarily put the brakes on the Justice Department’s investigation of documents found at Mar-a-Lago by ordering a “special master” to sift through them. In the face of Special Counsel Smith’s promise of a speedy trial, Cannon could help Trump’s legal team – whoever that will consist of – drag out the trial. Perhaps well past the November 2024 presidential election, when any of a number of Trump’s rivals for the GOP nomination have promised to pardon him.

Later Tuesday evening in a speech at his country club in Bedminster, Trump finally explained why he kept boxes of classified, highly classified and top secret documents (per MSNBC).

“Those boxes were containing all types of presidential belongings,” he said, such as shirts and shoes. “I didn’t have time to go through these boxes. I’ve had a busy life. A very, very, busy life.”

--Compiled and edited by Todd Lassa

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COMMENTS: editors@thehustings.news

Is This Anything?

Miami Mayor Enters GOP Race – Miami’s second-term mayor, Francis Suarez (above), has filed paperwork to enter the 2024 presidential race and was scheduled to speak at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation Thursday, NPR’s Morning Edition reports. Suarez, in his second term as mayor, says he did not vote for Donald J. Trump, nor for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Suarez, a Cuban-American and son of a former Miami mayor has called DeSantis’ actions against major Florida employer Disney a “personal vendetta.” He is a darling of the tech world who says he takes his (part-time) mayoral salary in Bitcoin.

Meanwhile, the Miami Herald earlier this week reported that the FBI and Securities and Exchange Commission have opened investigations into Suarez, NPR notes.

•••

From the old days of broadcast TV, the eponymous host of The Late Show with David Letterman had a “bit” we have borrowed for the headline above. We raise the question over the turn Trump administration UN Ambassador Nikki Haley has made on the former president’s 37-count indictment in the classified documents case. 

Initially, Haley parroted Trump’s Truth Social diatribes against Special Prosecutor Jack Smith’s indictment as evidence of a “double standard,” siding with fellow GOP presidential candidates Mike Pence, Sen. Tim Scott (SC) and Vivek Ramaswamy. 

Monday, Haley had this to say: “Two things can be true at the same time.” The Justice Department and FBI “have lost all credibility with the American people.” And … “If this indictment is true, if what it says is actually the case, President Trump was incredibly reckless with our national security. … This puts all our military men and women in danger, if you’re going to talk about what our military is capable of or how we could go about invading or doing something with our enemies. …

“You know, we’re looking now, this is the second indictment. We’re looking at a third indictment coming in with Georgia.”

By Tuesday, Haley was rationalizing a pardon for Trump if she becomes president, according to Politico, though in a Ford-pardons-Nixon sort of heal-the-nation way. She will need to pull her poling numbers up by the bootstraps before she can promise the current GOP frontrunner a pardon, though.

Scott also came around, a bit, on the seriousness of Trump’s charges, saying “This case is a serious case with serious allegations, but in America you are still innocent until proven guilty.” Not quite a Chris Christie “stop him at all costs” position, but a noticeable shift from both candidates, heretofore unwilling to criticize Trump.

So … is this anything? Is this finally a shift from control by the president-ex-president who has held the GOP by the throat for six years? What would David Letterman say?

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Illinois Bans Book Bans

Public and school libraries are protected from pressure to remove or restrict access to books based on “partisan or doctrinal disapproval” in legislation signed by Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) Monday. There were 67 attempts to have books removed from library shelves in Illinois, including books about LGBTQ+ youth, the Black experience and racisim, Pritzker said in a ceremony to sign state House Bill 2789 held at the Harold Washington Library Center in Chicago, The News-Gazette of Champaign reports. 

HB 2789 makes it the policy of Illinois to “encourage and protect the freedom of libraries and library systems to acquire materials without external limitation and to be protected against attempts to ban, remove, or otherwise restrict access to books or other materials.”

Book bans are at the center of the Culture War dividing the U.S. According to The Hustings’ first report from Stacker, book ban efforts reached record levels in 2022. Scroll down from the trackbar on the far right to read the story.

Whether you come to this issue from the right or left, we encourage you to go to the Comment section in this column or in the right column to voice your opinion. Or email editors@thehustings.news and indicate in the subject line whether you lean liberal or conservative.

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