Uninsured State By State

Ken AshfordHealth CareLeave a Comment

From tomorrow’s New York Times, this remarkable map shows the percent uninsured in each state under Obamacare.  The states which elected to expand Medicare coverage are outlined in bold, and you can see the difference.  Compare, say, Arkansas in 2015 to its southern neighbors which did not expand Medicare coverage.

Debate Questions: A Primer

Ken AshfordElection 2016Leave a Comment

There continues to be a lot of criticism of the moderators of the CNBC debate held Wednesday night.  And some of the criticism is legitimate.  The first question to Donald Trump, for example, was “Are you a comic book candidate?” is so absurdly dumb that it staggers the mind.  It is a question designed solely for the purpose of soliciting … Read More

Post GOP Debate #3 Recap

Ken AshfordElection 2016Leave a Comment

Well, according to highlights and conventional wisdom, the two winners of last night’s debate were Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz.  Rubio because he bested Bush in a scuffle, and Cruz because he bashed the media. As for Rubio, he clearly saw the Bush attack coming and was prepared for it.  Bush should have known better.  It’s not like the comedy … Read More

GOP Debate #3 Preview

Ken AshfordElection 2016, RepublicansLeave a Comment

On CNBC tonight.  I will not be watching.  Ratings will be lower than the others I expect. Trump is already complaining that the debate is unfair, even though it hasn’t happened yet.  I expect him to be more Trumpian than ever because of the recent polls showing that Ben Carson has passed Donald Trump as the top choice among the GOP electorate … Read More

Palin Started It

Ken AshfordElection 2012, Election 2016, Republicans, Tea PartyLeave a Comment

Light blogging as things are busy, but I had to draw attention to this op-ed by William Paley in the Washington Post, entitled “The GOP’s dysfunction all started with Sarah Palin” because I think it is right on the money, i.e.: Once McCain put Palin on the ticket, Republican “grown-ups,” who presumably knew better, had to bite their tongues. But after … Read More

Monday Presidential Outlook

Ken AshfordElection 2016, PollsLeave a Comment

Slow news day but it is well worth mentioning that the sheen has come off the Trump, at least in Iowa.  Now we have three polls showing a substantial lead by Ben Carson over Trump: Ben Carson has overtaken Donald Trump in Iowa, surging to a 14-point lead, according to a new poll. A Monmouth University survey released on Monday found Carson … Read More

The Most Powerful Hurricane Ever Recorded Is Bearing Down On Mexico

Ken AshfordDisasters, WeatherLeave a Comment

200-mph sustained winds and even more powerful gusts.  Patricia is “the strongest hurricane on record in the National Hurricane Center’s area of responsibility (AOR) which includes the Atlantic and the eastern North Pacific basins,” according to a Friday morning forecast discussion. The closest contender, at this point, might be Hurricane Camille when it battered the U.S. Gulf Coast in 1969. … Read More

And Another One Gone

Ken AshfordElection 2016Leave a Comment

Guess nobody was “feeling the Chafe”. Via Political Wire: Lincoln Chafee said he is ending his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. There are now three Dem candidates, and none of them is Biden.

Hillary Clinton vs. Benghazi Committee

Ken AshfordCongress, Election 2016, Political Scandals, Republicans, Tea PartyLeave a Comment

Before I get into this, if you’re not up to speed on what the whole Benghazi controversy is about, Vox has a really great primer on the issue. As the primer states, the number of investigations and hearings into the Benghazi incident is unprecedented.  Check out these graphs: Today, Hillary Clinton is appearing before the House Benghazi Committee to testify, … Read More

Kids And Guns

Ken AshfordGun ControlLeave a Comment

This is Sean Smith when he was 10.  Hes with his little sister Erin, age eight.  This photo was taken the day before he unintentionally shot and killed her. There are around 110 fatal shootings involving children under 14 each year, according to a new study. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds that at least another 1,000 are shot … Read More

Biden Announces He’s Not Running

Ken AshfordBreaking News, Election 2016Leave a Comment

Like I said. You should all listen to me.  Now will you believe me when I say Rubio will be the GOP nominee? UPDATE:  Yup to this…. “With Biden out of race will Elizabeth Warren jump in?” – Beltway journalists begin looking for “sources” to support their new narrative — TBogg (@tbogg) October 21, 2015 But seriously, for the last … Read More