Uh yes, the matchless Sen. Tom Cotton, hanging out of the orange felon's rear. Living in Arkansas, I am not proud him and I did not vote for him. But the Democratic Party has ceded the entire US delegation from, as well as the governorship of Arkansas, to the fascists.
Never any official Democratic Party candidates for the US House or Senate. In 2022, there was a GREAT Democratic candidate in Chris Jones, but he received NO SUPPORT from the national Democratic Party and the Huckabee clan was able to shut down all publicity about Chris. He still received 37% of the vote! Think what could have been with the proper national support!
This may be why Chris Jones received no support from the national party:
State Government: Republicans currently hold a trifecta, they control the governorship, state Senate, and state House.
As of early 2025, Republicans had a veto-proof supermajority in both chambers of the state legislature. They hold 29 seats in the Senate compared to 6 for Democrats, and 81 seats in the House compared to 19 for Democrats.
The governor of Arkansas is Republican Sarah Huckabee Sanders. With numbers like that? They could put up the dumbest cluck in the barnyard, and they did.
Congressional Representation: Arkansas's entire congressional delegation, including two senators and four representatives, are Republicans.
Recent Voting Trends:
In the 2024 presidential election, Arkansas voted for Donald Trump by a margin of almost 31 points.
Since 2000, Arkansas has voted Republican in every presidential election.
Republicans have won all statewide offices and all congressional seats in Arkansas since 2014.
Republicans have consistently captured over 60% of the vote in statewide elections since 2012.
Proper national support? How about all politics is local. Are Arkansans in the position of having to rebuild their own party? The Democratic party isn't attracting techbro billionaires - And it's been 25 years. So maybe, just maybe, it's time for the home team to start the process? The home team. With these numbers? It isn't that Arkansas is being ignored, it looks as if there's no there, there. And the Praise God Repugnant machine will keep on blocking Chris Jones and all that also put their name on the ballot in the Democratic line. But with the Bullshit Bill that was just passed? Y'all do have a chance......if you start now and bang that drum loudly. Sometimes church coffee hours are more effective than strutting pols in the media. I hope Chris Jones makes another run. He is one fine candidate and the voters need to be reminded that Huckabee had to grovel, grovel to get FEMA aid. Grovel. Under Joe Biden? That never would have been an issue - nor under Kamala Harris.....don't let the voters forget that.
Yes, I wrote all the same statistical data you are citing in response to a Contrarian article some weeks ago. The Democratic Party, regardless of national or state, has forsaken Arkansas. Nothing is heard from either of them and without good Democratic candidates (except for Chris Jones) this will not change. The Arkansas congressional districts are now so gerrymandered that even after the BUB there is no chance for Democrats. Voters memories are too short and the worst parts of the BUB are not going to start until after the midterms.
This is a Democratic Party problem all over the country. While the Republicans were implementing their every-state plan so they could cement it by gerrymandering, the Democrats were following behind with their swing-state "strategy". I have never understood how virtually ignoring ~43 states was going to work for us in the long (or short) run, but the consultants and pundits assured us that it would. And here we are. Ken Martin says he's going to a 50-state strategy, but I have seen no evidence of it in my nominally blue state, New Mexico. What we have here is all-D statewide office holders and D legislative majorities - and voter registrations evenly split between Ds and Rs with a growing number of Decline To States. The way I read that is individual candidates are doing a good job of communicating with voters, but the party is not. But I'm not a consultant or pundit, so what do I know.
Never say never. I think that with this mess - not only the the Bullshit bill, but, maybe more importantly, the march towards Fascism complete with concentration camps, there will be a sea change. It won't come from the old Praise only my God types, but the younger ones with families and a real stake in agriculture who are seeing all that is being taken away from them. But it has to start at the local election level - and I know y'all can do it. You have a city called Hope.
Send this article to Cotton and ask for his rationale to dismantle in light of an insider's account. Then to the subcommittee so his peers are reading the same. Make strategic decisions to get the crisis visible as did Brian O'Neill. I'm not assuming you haven't.
Update 7/10/2025: Annie Hayes, I just wanted to let you know that I have now sent emails to every single member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Democrat and fascist alike, with the exception of Mike Rounds of South Dakota, who does not appear to accept emails from non-constituents. I will keep you posted on any replies I receive, if any.
Thank you for that great suggestion. No, I hadn't thought of it, but I will do so tomorrow. It will take me some time to gather all the info on the Senate intelligence committee. Not that it will do any good. I've written him several times and when I did get a response it was all BS.
Thank you for writing and sharing this. I, too, was told to make a LinkedIn account when I retired. I have not had the experience you do - but I commend you for using social media in an intelligent way and sharing that with all of us. This is so very important. I am so discouraged by what the current administration is doing - and posts like yours give a glimmer of hope.
I just cannot get over the tsunami of willful ignorance sweeping from the government all through every level of American society. Independent thought being deliberately stifled. Accurate scientific and medical information. Freedom to read, to dissent, to ask questions. The denial of historical sources and creative culture. And so many seem downright eager to give up thinking freely about reality, preferring to swallow whatever swell the regime pumps out.
Thank you for your service to the Country, and sharing your unique story very well informed perspective.
It makes me that much angrier that Congress has colluded with trump. On the flip side though, I'm grateful for the myriad of ways so many are resisting. I'm sorry your retirement will be plagued by all the things you know, but I feel confident you'll put it to good use.
Dr O’Neill, even in your ‘retirement’ you are a force to be reckoned with. I’ve said before that your analysis of many varied topics are outstanding and so understandable. I’m so glad you’re able to guide and mentor so many people we will be depending on after this Regime is trashed. Thank you.
Thank you for bringing this information to my attention. I have written the following to both of my WA State U.S. Senators as well as my Rep for information, although I imagine she is aware of such a serious issue. I encourage others to contact their U.S. Senators to ask them to oppose the erosion of the Office of National Intelligence.
"I understand that Sen. Cotton has introduced a bill that will dramatically reduce the Office of National Security and will make it more susceptible to political influence. While under the guise of "efficiency", what it apparently does is strip away objectivity—replacing checks and independence with a structure more vulnerable to political influence. Please immediately publicize what this bill will do. Make citizens aware of how it will compromise the security of our country, and how Republicans are doing everything they can to make us less safe. Thank you"
Uh yes, the matchless Sen. Tom Cotton, hanging out of the orange felon's rear. Living in Arkansas, I am not proud him and I did not vote for him. But the Democratic Party has ceded the entire US delegation from, as well as the governorship of Arkansas, to the fascists.
Never any official Democratic Party candidates for the US House or Senate. In 2022, there was a GREAT Democratic candidate in Chris Jones, but he received NO SUPPORT from the national Democratic Party and the Huckabee clan was able to shut down all publicity about Chris. He still received 37% of the vote! Think what could have been with the proper national support!
This may be why Chris Jones received no support from the national party:
State Government: Republicans currently hold a trifecta, they control the governorship, state Senate, and state House.
As of early 2025, Republicans had a veto-proof supermajority in both chambers of the state legislature. They hold 29 seats in the Senate compared to 6 for Democrats, and 81 seats in the House compared to 19 for Democrats.
The governor of Arkansas is Republican Sarah Huckabee Sanders. With numbers like that? They could put up the dumbest cluck in the barnyard, and they did.
Congressional Representation: Arkansas's entire congressional delegation, including two senators and four representatives, are Republicans.
Recent Voting Trends:
In the 2024 presidential election, Arkansas voted for Donald Trump by a margin of almost 31 points.
Since 2000, Arkansas has voted Republican in every presidential election.
Republicans have won all statewide offices and all congressional seats in Arkansas since 2014.
Republicans have consistently captured over 60% of the vote in statewide elections since 2012.
Proper national support? How about all politics is local. Are Arkansans in the position of having to rebuild their own party? The Democratic party isn't attracting techbro billionaires - And it's been 25 years. So maybe, just maybe, it's time for the home team to start the process? The home team. With these numbers? It isn't that Arkansas is being ignored, it looks as if there's no there, there. And the Praise God Repugnant machine will keep on blocking Chris Jones and all that also put their name on the ballot in the Democratic line. But with the Bullshit Bill that was just passed? Y'all do have a chance......if you start now and bang that drum loudly. Sometimes church coffee hours are more effective than strutting pols in the media. I hope Chris Jones makes another run. He is one fine candidate and the voters need to be reminded that Huckabee had to grovel, grovel to get FEMA aid. Grovel. Under Joe Biden? That never would have been an issue - nor under Kamala Harris.....don't let the voters forget that.
Yes, I wrote all the same statistical data you are citing in response to a Contrarian article some weeks ago. The Democratic Party, regardless of national or state, has forsaken Arkansas. Nothing is heard from either of them and without good Democratic candidates (except for Chris Jones) this will not change. The Arkansas congressional districts are now so gerrymandered that even after the BUB there is no chance for Democrats. Voters memories are too short and the worst parts of the BUB are not going to start until after the midterms.
This is a Democratic Party problem all over the country. While the Republicans were implementing their every-state plan so they could cement it by gerrymandering, the Democrats were following behind with their swing-state "strategy". I have never understood how virtually ignoring ~43 states was going to work for us in the long (or short) run, but the consultants and pundits assured us that it would. And here we are. Ken Martin says he's going to a 50-state strategy, but I have seen no evidence of it in my nominally blue state, New Mexico. What we have here is all-D statewide office holders and D legislative majorities - and voter registrations evenly split between Ds and Rs with a growing number of Decline To States. The way I read that is individual candidates are doing a good job of communicating with voters, but the party is not. But I'm not a consultant or pundit, so what do I know.
Never say never. I think that with this mess - not only the the Bullshit bill, but, maybe more importantly, the march towards Fascism complete with concentration camps, there will be a sea change. It won't come from the old Praise only my God types, but the younger ones with families and a real stake in agriculture who are seeing all that is being taken away from them. But it has to start at the local election level - and I know y'all can do it. You have a city called Hope.
Send this article to Cotton and ask for his rationale to dismantle in light of an insider's account. Then to the subcommittee so his peers are reading the same. Make strategic decisions to get the crisis visible as did Brian O'Neill. I'm not assuming you haven't.
Update 7/10/2025: Annie Hayes, I just wanted to let you know that I have now sent emails to every single member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Democrat and fascist alike, with the exception of Mike Rounds of South Dakota, who does not appear to accept emails from non-constituents. I will keep you posted on any replies I receive, if any.
Thank you for that great suggestion. No, I hadn't thought of it, but I will do so tomorrow. It will take me some time to gather all the info on the Senate intelligence committee. Not that it will do any good. I've written him several times and when I did get a response it was all BS.
Thank you for writing and sharing this. I, too, was told to make a LinkedIn account when I retired. I have not had the experience you do - but I commend you for using social media in an intelligent way and sharing that with all of us. This is so very important. I am so discouraged by what the current administration is doing - and posts like yours give a glimmer of hope.
I just cannot get over the tsunami of willful ignorance sweeping from the government all through every level of American society. Independent thought being deliberately stifled. Accurate scientific and medical information. Freedom to read, to dissent, to ask questions. The denial of historical sources and creative culture. And so many seem downright eager to give up thinking freely about reality, preferring to swallow whatever swell the regime pumps out.
Thank you for your service to the Country, and sharing your unique story very well informed perspective.
It makes me that much angrier that Congress has colluded with trump. On the flip side though, I'm grateful for the myriad of ways so many are resisting. I'm sorry your retirement will be plagued by all the things you know, but I feel confident you'll put it to good use.
Dr O’Neill, even in your ‘retirement’ you are a force to be reckoned with. I’ve said before that your analysis of many varied topics are outstanding and so understandable. I’m so glad you’re able to guide and mentor so many people we will be depending on after this Regime is trashed. Thank you.
Thank you for bringing this information to my attention. I have written the following to both of my WA State U.S. Senators as well as my Rep for information, although I imagine she is aware of such a serious issue. I encourage others to contact their U.S. Senators to ask them to oppose the erosion of the Office of National Intelligence.
"I understand that Sen. Cotton has introduced a bill that will dramatically reduce the Office of National Security and will make it more susceptible to political influence. While under the guise of "efficiency", what it apparently does is strip away objectivity—replacing checks and independence with a structure more vulnerable to political influence. Please immediately publicize what this bill will do. Make citizens aware of how it will compromise the security of our country, and how Republicans are doing everything they can to make us less safe. Thank you"
These are the same billionaires that broke the contract between companies and workers. Welcome to the club.