Format Changes, Part Two
Relax. No one is going to ask you for money. Or sell your name and email address. Or insert pop-up ads.
Good news:
*** Everything is pretty much the same. If you liked things the way they were, relax.
*** If you have been getting the blog by email, you will probably think this is an improvement.
*** The new typeface is larger and easier to read.
But first, highlights of what has happened politically in the past 24 hours. This blog appears every day because so much is happening every day.
Election 2024. Mike Pence found reason to speak to some 300 Republicans in Manchester, New Hampshire. That is news in itself and a signal that he considers himself in the running as Trump’s successor.
Coup d'état. Mike Pence said that he and Donald Trump "would never see eye to eye" regarding January 6, but that Trump got a lot of great things done. Pence is threading a needle, being pro-Trump, but with reservations. Pence failed to condemn outright that a sitting president would actively, publicly demand that he, the vice president, void votes of the electoral college to perpetuate keeping Trump and himself in power, and then would whip up a mob calling to hang the vice president if he didn't do so. Pence is a mixed hero to various Americans in the aftermath of the election. A significant number of Republicans wanted him to consent to the overthrow of the election, and still do. He is hoping there is middle ground. There is a long term consequence to his position. By treating the attempted overthrow of the election as a disagreement among allies, and not a deal-killer, he has normalized voiding an election to maintain power.
Infrastructure. President Biden continues negotiating with Republicans. They want the infrastructure, but don't want to pay for it by raising taxes. Biden wants to increase taxes on individuals making in excess of $400,000 a year, and on corporations by raising their tax rate. Biden agreed to drop his proposal to raise the marginal rate back up to 28% by replacing it with a 15% minimum corporate tax. Either way, taxing corporations is popular with the public, but it won't matter. There will be no GOP votes for a corporate tax hike. A more charismatic spokesperson than Biden might make the case that some of the nation’s wealthiest corporations are making billions and paying zero in taxes—and rouse up the public. The problem for Biden is that he does not have the persuasive skills to make this case, and he couldn’t fully use them even if he had them. The value proposition that got him elected was that he wouldn't be rousing up the public. A majority of the public was tired of being roused by Trump or anyone else.
Vaccination rights. The GOP has found a issue to run with: Don't bully Americans about getting a vaccination. The talking point is that vaccinations are a matter of medical privacy and personal choice. They think they are trolling the abortion and reproductive rights advocates, and they are, but the more vigorously they adopt their language the more they validate that principle. This will come back to bite them.
More about these in future blog posts.
Let me answer some questions that were asked of me regarding the format change.
I will keep the current Up Close with Peter Sage at blogspot. People who have bookmarked that site and who go there will be able to do so as before. That site has a five year archive and a search function.
The type size and background color will change to the one here. It is easier to read. I like it better. I am figuring out how to transfer it from Substack to Blogspot. There are still glitches.
The comment section will continue at blogspot, as before. I love thoughtful comments.
Instead of blogspot issuing an email version of the blog at about noon Pacific time—the way you and most of my readers get the blog, a copy of the blog will be sent out mid-to-late morning from Substack. This is it. You are getting it now.
People who get the email feed can click on blogspot link below, so they can comment or access the archives.
Most of the readers of this blog do so because of word-of-mouth referral. Someone liked a blog post and forwarded it to a friend. Substack makes that sharing a little easier. People can un-subscribe easily. It is free.
People with questions or concerns--or if there is a technology glitch--should feel free to write me at peter.w.sage@gmail.com.
To comment, go visit Up Close with Peter Sage: www.peterwsage.blogspot.com