News Nuggets 1331

DAYLEE PICTURE:  A snowy landscape in Japan.  From National Geographic.

America Shifts Left (E.J. Dionne) from Real Clear Politics
"The center of gravity in American politics moved left in Tuesday's off-year elections. Republicans took a big step back from the tea party. An ebullient progressive was elected mayor of New York City. And a Democrat was elected governor of Virginia after campaigning unapologetically as a supporter of gun control and a liberal on social issues."

Why There's Doubt About a College Education from the National Journal 
"Those contrasting responses from Parkinson, who is white, and Stathas, who is Hispanic, point to one of the most intriguing findings in a new College Board/National Journal Next America Poll. While minorities worry more than whites about affording the cost of higher education, they are more likely to see a payoff from the investment for themselves and for the country overall."

For Uninsured, Clearing a Way to Enrollment from the New York Times 
"She had a painful lump on the back of her hand and other health problems that worried her deeply, she said, but had been unable to afford insurance as a home health care worker who earns $9 an hour. Within a minute, the system checked her information and flashed its conclusion on Ms. Cauley’s laptop: eligible for Medicaid. The woman began to weep with relief. Without insurance, she said as she left, “it’s cheaper to die.”"

GOP 2016 Hopefuls Swipe Chris Christie After Blowout Victory from Talking Points Memo
"Republican presidential hopefuls are worried about Chris Christie. The governor barely had time to take a victory lap before potential 2016 contenders rushed to downplay his crushing re-election victory Tuesday night, taking veiled -- but unmistakable -- swipes at the pugnacious New Jerseyan while "congratulating" him. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) managed to insert three backhanded punches in three short sentences."

How the GOP Establishment Tea-Partied the Tea Party (Molly Ball) from the Atlantic
"After years of trying to accommodate conservatives, mainstream Republicans finally went to war on Tuesday—and won."

Chris Christie Is No George W. Bush, and 2016 Is Definitely Not 2000 (Peter Beinart) from the Daily Beast
"After his landslide win, the N.J. governor’s being called the next Dubya. But Christie lacks Bush’s connection with the base—and the demographics have shifted dramatically since 2000."

The Pundits Are Wrong. The Virginia Election Was a Big Win for Obamacare (Alex MacGillis) from the New Republic
"Last night, the prospects for Robin L. and the estimated 400,000
Virginians who would be eligible under a Medicaid expansion brightened considerably. The gubernatorial election was won by Terry McAuliffe, who made the Medicaid expansion such a central part of his campaign that for a time he was even threatening to shut down the state government unless legislators included it in their budget."

Close Result in Va. Governor’s Race Hardens GOP Divisions from the Washington Post
"Gov.-elect Terry McAuliffe’s unexpectedly slim victory in Virginia set off an explosion of recriminations among Republicans on Wednesday, and rather than settling the battle between the GOP’s tea party and business factions, the election appears to have deepened the internal divide."

Virginia Triggers GOP Circular Firing Squad from Politico
"These opposite scenarios, both eminently plausible, have left virtually every Republican mad at some other Republican about what happened Tuesday in the Old Dominion."

Why Obamacare Numbers Don't Really Matter (Sam Baker) from the National Journal
"... simply knowing the number of people who have signed up—even though that’s the number everyone has been clamoring for—isn’t very instructive, health care experts say. “It just doesn’t tell you the real story,” said Austin Frakt, a health care economist at Boston University. For starters, the number is sure to be small."

GOP’s Latest, Desperate Obamacare Strategy: Try to Confuse Americans! (Brian Beutler) from Salon
"Rather than field inquiries or provide constituents with information, Republicans want them mixed up by Obamacare."

Poll Finds Anger At Congress Hasn't Died Away Since Shutdown Ended from the Huffington Post
"Americans who identified their representative as a Republican said that lawmaker did not deserve reelection by a 56 percent to 29 percent margin. Those who identified their representative as a Democrat agreed by a 49 percent to 29 percent margin."

G.O.P. Weighs Limiting Clout of Right Wing from the New York Times 
"Leaders of the Republican establishment are pushing their party to rethink how it chooses nominees and advocating changes they say would result in less extreme contenders."
There is a certain unreality to this and similar analyses.  The Right Wing IS the core of the Republican Party ... and the idea that these folks will be sidelined anytime soon is (in my view) unrealistic.  Even IF they are successful in nominating "moderates" in next year's primaries, will the core really show up in November (both as voters and campaign volunteers)?  We shall see.

Republicans Debate: Conventions or Primaries? (Alex Rogers) from Time Magazine
"Several top national GOP figures tell TIME they believe that primaries should be used in intra-party contests, rather than caucuses, because primaries generally require less time and attract higher turnout,
broadening the base and downplaying the influence of party extremists."

Jason Carter, Jimmy Carter's Grandson, To Run For Georgia Governor from the Huffington Post
"Carter's decision shakes up the 2014 race. Republican Gov. Nathan Deal already faces two primary opponents and now will deal with the prospect of a Carter campaign that will likely be well-financed."

URBAN DECAY PHOTO NUGGET!!
An Urban Explorer's Holiday Album: Traveller Who Spends his Free Time Visiting Abandoned Buildings Around the World from the Daily Mail [of the UK]  
"Photographer Dan Marbaix has travelled around the world to capture some of the most beautiful abandoned buildings.  The urban explorer has been arrested 20 times and even held at gunpoint when found trespassing."