Category Archives: Mere Opinion

Thoughts, often reaction, off-the-cuff and perhaps short on research

Three Ways to Watch the Election Returns: 2020 Pandemic Edition

by James J Heaney Posted on 3 November 2020

The day of the Brexit vote, the very first constituency to report results, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, reported a defeat for Brexit, 51%-49%. The defeat for Brexit there was expected. However, the margin was wrong: experts had expected Brexit to fail in Newcastle by 12 points, not … Continue reading →

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West Saint Paul City Council: The Wakota Incident

by James J Heaney Posted on 30 October 2020

Guiding Star Wakota (formerly known as the Wakota Life-Care Center) is a charity which provides ultrasounds, childbirth and breastfeeding classes, pregnancy tests, material assistance (diapers, clothes, pack-n-plays, etc.), referrals, and other services to pregnant mothers in need of help. Wakota … Continue reading →

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Minnesota Presidential Electors, 2020

by James J Heaney Posted on 28 October 2020

Let’s start with the payload: here are Minnesota’s major-party electors. I’ve looked up and linked to public information about each elector if I could find any. In any event, when you’re deciding whom to cast your vote for on election night, … Continue reading →

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Covid Weather Report for Minnesota: 24 October 2020

by James J Heaney Posted on 25 October 2020

OVERALL: After more than one false alarm, Minnesota is officially in its second wave of covid-19. I told you many times over the summer not to worry about media-hyped “record-breaking case counts”; case counts were increasing because testing was increasing. … Continue reading →

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Do Democratic Presidencies Reduce Abortions?

by James J Heaney Posted on 20 October 2020

Do Presidents Affect Abortion Rates At All? There’s a chart going around social media that looks like this: “If you want to prevent abortions, vote baby blue!” This isn’t a new argument. I started encountering versions of it as early … Continue reading →

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Has Trump Increased or Decreased Funding for Planned Parenthood?

by James J Heaney Posted on 17 October 2020

Some pro-lifers are angry at President Trump for increasing Planned Parenthood’s funding, while some pro-choicers are angry at President Trump for cutting that funding. They can’t both be right, can they? Here’s what’s going on. I’ll explain as simply and … Continue reading →

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Endorsement: Dave Napier for Mayor, West Saint Paul

by James J Heaney Posted on 11 October 2020

I used to like politics. I forget that a lot now. I first started following politics during Election 2000. I was 11. Even though I already believed that America was doing some terrible things, I believed in the goodness of … Continue reading →

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Covid Weather Report for Minnesota: 9 October 2020

by James J Heaney Posted on 9 October 2020

OVERALL: After three months of stability, a significant covid surge is underway in Minnesota. We are a long way from our hospitalization capacity, and it may get itself under control in another week or two. Nevertheless, public health officials are … Continue reading →

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Mark Joseph Stern is Warping Facts for Partisan Gain, Also Water Is Wet

by James J Heaney Posted on 2 October 2020

Mark Joseph Stern is a particularly shameless court-watcher for the Left. He is a classic hack. His default operating mode is spin, aided by selective reading and a determination to ascribe the absolute worst motives to his opponents, all to … Continue reading →

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The Affordable Care Act is Safe (even with Justice Barrett)

by James J Heaney Posted on 29 September 2020

If only the Republicans had actually had a decent idea for replacing it! As the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court proceeds, Barrett’s opponents have developed a powerful argument for getting Americans to join the opposition: … Continue reading →

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