Dan Lipka Web Log

I predict that Vladimir Putin will name himself King (or Tzar) within the next year. He will get overwhelming support from the legislature, which will probably create an entirely new constitution for their new Monarch. The sham of the current voting system in Russia is just a waste of his time, so why bother? Plus, he had spent decades creating propaganda to dismiss democracy as a viable form of government. Russia was on the brink of collapse after the Soviet Union fell apart and many of the Russian people are grateful to him (right or wrong) for rebuilding their country. Monarchs are still accepted forms of government throughout the world (there are 16 monarchies in which the King actually runs the government).  I see no downside for Putin and it would certainly fit his personality as an egomaniac (there is nothing like a crown for such things).

Over the past two years, the Democrats have doubled down on moving further to the left, without really having a comprehensive agenda (or specific goals, like ending child poverty, enacting term limits, border security, etc.). They are appealing to their current supporters and like-minded people who haven't voted before. However, the have done nothing to reach out toward those in the middle (they may make some gains in the middle, but it will anti-Trump and not pro-Democrats). If the Democrats win the House through this strategy, they will continue with more of that same (and will continue to be wildly unpopular and unsuccessful (the status quo for both parties is that they do not achieve meaningful goals, which explains why their approval rating is so low).  More of the same will lead to greater division in the country and will energize the right once again. What if the Democrats actually made compromises, like pledging significant investment in boarder security and a pledge not to