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Twelve months out from Election Day, the Presidential campaign has inescapably begun with the slow, ominous, upward crank of a roller coaster. For Democrats, the opening stages of the ride were particularly grim. A Times/Siena College poll published last weekend found that, of the six swing states that are expected to decide the election, President Joe Biden trails Donald Trump in all but oneWisconsinand would likely lose if the vote were held today. Within the Democratic Party, the possibility of another four years of Trump was alarming on a spiritual level, and panic set in. Barack Obamas political guru David Axelrod suggested in a post that Biden needed to decide whether a second run is in his best interest or the countrys.

During the Biden era, polls have tended to signal doom for Democratic candidates, but elections have generally turned out all right for them. For all the foreboding in the air, last Tuesdays Election Night went well for the Democrats, who once again campaigned on abortion rights, and once again won. In deep-red Kentucky, not only did the popular young Democratic governor, Andy Beshear, comfortably win a second term but he pulled back some coal counties in Appalachia that had been thought lost to his party. In Virginia, where Republicans had expended immense effort to try to win a state Senate majority for Governor Glenn Youngkin, they not only failed but lost control of the state House, too. In Ohio, which Trump won handily twice, a ballot initiative to guarantee abortion access in the state constitution passed, fifty-seven to forty-three per cent. Now it was the Republicans turn to panic. The conservative pundit Ann Coulter wrote online, pro-lifers are going to wipe out the republican party. Could it really be the case that voters want what the Democrats are offering, while recoiling from their President?

Maybe so. This is a country, after all, of high variance. When Biden was picked as the Partys nominee in 2020, it was done the way you might select a contractorhis skills were specific to the job at hand. Trump had succeeded in 2016 by casting the Democrats as the party of liberal culture warriors and future-obsessed lites, and by winning the support of voters without college degrees. Biden had run for President twice before, generating little enthusiasm, but in 2020 he played the safe handnot too new, not too radical, not too coastal or lite, the nice guy to Trumps unceasing invective. Democratic primary voters fixated on denying Trump another term to a sometimes unnerving degree. Campaign reporters often found voters less concerned about explaining why they liked a particular candidate than about asking how the candidate was playing before other, more decisive groups of voters in different parts of the country. It was an unusual situation. It was also perfect for Biden.

The situation is a bit different this time. What is plaguing Bidens 2024 campaign is a more basic lack of interest, especially among young voters, nonwhite voters, and those without college degrees. In 2020, Biden won nonwhite voters under the age of forty-five by thirty-nine points, but according to the Times/Siena poll he now leads among that group by just six points, and is essentially tied with Trump among voters younger than twenty-nine. Bidens problems have something to do with a general impressionheld by seventy-one per cent of respondents, compared with thirty-nine per cent for Trumpthat he is simply too old to be President. Yet voters also believe by wide marginsfifty-nine per cent to thirty-seventhat Trump would be better than Biden at managing the economy. The sharp rise in prices seems to figure more for voters than the continuously strong jobs numbers that the White House has been trying to tout. Young and nonwhite voters usually support Democrats, which might make the White House optimistic that Biden can win them back. But the specific complaints that voters have are hard for Biden to do much about. Prices are high because of the way the global economy has rebounded from the pandemic. Hes old because of the inexorable march of time.

Is the 2024 election just another iteration of the same dynamic that has been in place since Trump descended his escalator? Call this campaign Act III of the political horror serial titled Trump. And yet Trump himselfwho has denied any wrongdoing, but is facing trial for everything from saying that his apartment was three times its actual size, in order to get better loan terms, to trying to overturn a Presidential electionisnt exactly the same. He is skipping the Republican primary debates and otherwise scarcely campaigning, holding occasional rallies before crowds to whom he mocks his opponents and vows that hell win redemption following 2020. Few seem especially roused by Trumps campaign, in any event. That seems the biggest difference. Democrats describe this election as if democracy itself were on the ballot, and, given Trumps talk of dismantling the nonpartisan civil service and of retribution, in some senses it may well be. But the mood on the trail and in the polls isnt of an apocalyptic fight against authoritarianism; with young voters tuning out, and two candidates who are broadly disliked, its of creeping democratic exhaustion.

It has been an exhausting few years. Trump seems pretty fatiguedthere have been a lot of depositions. So does Biden, who is now trying to manage two wars indirectly, one of which has required linking his reputation to his old antagonist Benjamin Netanyahu. In nearly three years as President, Biden has accomplished much of what he might reasonably have been expected to, given the tight legislative margins: managing the economic turmoil of covid, investing in infrastructure to spur the economys green transition, restoring traditional overseas alliances in the fight for a free Ukraine.The result of all this achievement has been that he has gone from being a popular politician to an unpopular one.

Democratic partisans might object that evaluating a Presidency after three years is like asking a homeowner how she feels about a renovation project thats only partway done. (Well, theres no roof yetsomewhat disapprove.) Maybe worries about abortion rights and the Trumpist threat to democracy will carry Biden to victory next fall, as they have done for the Democrats in the past few elections. But the danger encoded in the polls is that enough voters might come to see Biden as embodying a stagnant status quo and Trump as the alternative to it, which feels a little too close for comfort to 2016.

More:
A Week of Good and Bad News for Joe Biden - The New Yorker

Last month, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak released his Plan for Motorists, which reads like it was written by a car. In it, Sunak proposes to rid his polluted, congested nation of so-called anti-motorist measures such as 20 mph speed limits, dedicated bus lanes, and automated camera enforcement. Sunaks party has also bought into conspiracy theories that 15-minute cities, built so everything you need is within a 15-minute walk or bike ride away, are prisons for car owners.

In New York, politicians of all stripes are ratcheting up anger over the so-called (and eponymous podcast title) war on cars. Council Member Bob Holden (D-Queens) decried the arrival of Citi Bike in central Queens as a salvo from the fanatical anti-car movement, and Council Member Vickie Paladino (R-Queens) uses her office Twitter account to blast congestion pricing and even the transition to electric vehicles amount as Democrat-led cash grabs. Meanwhile, companies like Broadway Stages are flexing their muscle to get the mayors chief adviser who boasts that she hasnt ridden the subway in decades to reverse long-established safe street redesign protocols.

Its worth reminding oneself that this is the response to measures that aim to: a) make roadways safer; b) delay the worst effects of climate change; and c) make it easier to simply breathe outside. Such proposals barely ask Americans to make even a small sacrifice in the grand scheme of things, but they do seek to encourage people to drive a little bit less, to drive a less-polluting vehicle, or to try (keyword: try) to give people the option of not driving at all.

In return, people who even mildly question the primacy of the automobile are met with a vitriolic backlash, one whose vehemence shows how deeply people associate themselves with the car. Initiatives that use less than 1 percent of a citys (mostly free) parking spots for something that isnt the private storage of vehicles on public space like bikeshare, outdoor dining or even getting disgusting trash out of the way of pedestrians are labeled a war on our way of life. (Or as conservative commentator Ann Coulter put it: $0 for the Wall. $5 Billion for bike paths.)

This car culture war will likely get worse, as Sunak, Holden, Paladino and their ilk show. Cities cant deliver on their climate goals without getting cars off the road. Cities cannot succeed in solving Americas road-death crisis without calming streets, reducing car speeds and creating more space for cyclists and pedestrians.

Meanwhile, Millennials and Gen Zers, who will soon dominate policy-making circles, want walkable communities and lives without cars. Thats good news for the future, but sets up a clash with the naysayers who still have a grip on power (and community boards).

But the revanchists should be aware: their culture war risks backfiring. The abortion fight is a telling example. Conservatives who pushed to repeal Roe v. Wade didnt expect people to respond by voting to preserve abortion rights, even in deep-red states. This was always one of Donald Trumps great flaws: by making everything political, you end up energizing a lot more people (who are usually apolitical) against you.

The same can be said about cars. Theres a clear demand for safer streets and better mobility options: bike lanes lead to more cycling, while pedestrianization leads to more walking (and spending). Polls often capture a wide swath of the population that would bike or walk more if conditions were safer or more pleasant. If opponents seek battles to prevent the changes we need, they shouldnt be surprised when people of all backgrounds show up in support.

Change, of course, is difficult and cars are potentially poised for the loudest outcry. You might not know someone who had to get an abortion, whose sexual identity or orientation are under attack, or whose school district banned fact-based history instruction, but its almost an absolute certainty that youve been in a car. In a recent interview, Sunak said exactly that when dodging questions about a major high-speed rail project that he cancelled: The vast majority of the journeys that people make are in their cars, he said, suggesting that trying to change that is futile and politically suicidal.

Weve been here before. (Time and time again.) In 1972, an angry taxi driver in Amsterdam was captured on video ripping down barricades for a kids-only street and exerting his right to drive anywhere at any time. Residents persevered, pushing the Dutch capital to become a hallmark of people-friendly streets (with still plenty of cars to go around) as the rest of the world gobbled up more space for the internal combustion engine.

In many ways, countless cities today are finally arriving at their 1972 Amsterdam moment, stuck between a gurgling culture war that threatens to enrage and enlist countless drivers by convincing them that their parking is more important than the Earth or a childs survival and a movement to reclaim space for everyone else.

Local leaders will just have to decide whether thats actually an equal fight.

Read more from the original source:
Hey, Bike Haters, You Will Lose the Culture War You're Starting ... - Streetsblog USA

Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign clapped back at conservative commentator Ann Coulter after she described Ramaswamy’s back-and-forth with fellow GOP hopeful Nikki Haley at Wednesday’s debate as “Hindu business.”

“Ann can tweet whatever she wants to,” Tricia McLaughlin, Ramaswamy’s communications director, said in a statement to The Hill. “Vivek has traveled this country and is very grateful for the warm support he has received from Christian voters across the country.” 

She added, “Vivek shares and lives by the same Judeo-Christian values that this nation was founded on — and that the way Vivek lives his family life offers a positive example for their own children and grandchildren.”

Coulter’s post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, came amid a fiery exchange between Ramaswamy and Haley at the first Republican presidential primary debate on Wednesday. 

After Ramaswamy said he did not support providing additional U.S. aid to Ukraine amid its war with Russia, Haley slammed the political newcomer’s lack of foreign policy experience.

“He wants to hand Ukraine to Russia, he wants to let China eat Taiwan, he wants to go and stop funding Israel,” Haley said. “You don’t do that to friends. What you do instead is you have the backs of your friends.”

“Under your watch, you will make America less safe,” she added. “You have no foreign policy experience, and it shows.”

Coulter, who was posting on X throughout the debate, said in a post during the exchange, “Nikki and Vivek are involved in some Hindu business, it seems. Not our fight.” 

While Ramaswamy is Hindu, Haley is not. The former South Carolina governor was raised Sikh and converted to Christianity. 

Coulter previously came under fire in February for making derogatory remarks about Haley’s Indian heritage.

Shortly after Haley announced her candidacy, the conservative commentator suggested that she “go back to [her] own country.” The Republican hopeful was born in the U.S. to Indian immigrant parents.

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Ramaswamy team claps back at Ann Coulter Hindu business tweet - The Hill

NEW YORK, NY (IANS) Conservative pundit and author Ann Coulter has been slammed for making racist comments targeting Indian American presidential aspirants Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy, calling their clash during the Republican primary debate a Hindu business.

Nikki and Vivek are involved in some Hindu business, it seems. Not our fight, Coulter wrote, a day after Haley and Ramaswamy sparred over foreign policy and US aid to Ukraine and Israel.

Responding to Coulters tweet, Ramaswamys senior adviser and communications director, Tricia McLaughlin, told NBC News: Ann can tweet whatever she wants to. Vivek shares and lives by the same Judeo-Christian values that this nation was founded on and the way Vivek lives his family life offers a positive example for their own children and grandchildren.

Ramaswamy is the nations second Hindu presidential candidate after former Hawaii congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard who ran as a Democrat in 2020.

Haley, born Nimrata Nikki Randhawa, was raised by Sikh parents and she later converted to Christianity.

From calling her a racist troglodyte and bigot to an ignorant megaphone and horse face, Coulter faced social media ire for her racist jibe against the two Indian Americans.

News for you @AnnCoulter. @VivekGRamaswamy and @NikkiHaley are the next generation of @GOP leaders. American Hindus are leaders in science, technology, medicine, and policy research. Take it easy, read the Bhagavat Gita and take the batteries out of your ignorant megaphone, Hindu Action, a US-based advocacy group wrote on X in response to Coulters tweet.

Completely expected that she would attack them but using a white racist trope invoking a religion is beyond disgusting, Sangay Mishra, author of Desis Divided: The Political Lives of South Asian Americans, wrote on X.

Coulter has also attacked Haley in the past, calling her a bimbo and preposterous creature, and asking her to go back to her own country. Why dont you go back to your own country? Coulter had said in a podcast after Haley announced her presidential bid on February 14 in a video message where she proudly talked about her Indian heritage.

Her candidacy did remind me that I need to immigrate to India so I can demand they start taking down parts of their history, the author had said making an appearance on the The Mark Simone Show podcast.

Coutlers rants did not stop at just Haley, she targeted India as well. Whats with the worshipping of the cows? Theyre all starving over there. Did you know they have a rat temple, where they worship rats? she said.

In July, Hank Kunneman, the senior pastor of the non-denominational Lord of Hosts Church in Nebraska, targeted Ramaswamys Hindu faith in a recent sermon asking citizens not to vote for him. The televangelist had said that Ramaswamy is Hindu and therefore anyone who supports him will have a fight with God.

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Bigoted Ann Coulter: Haley & Ramaswamy Are 'Hindu Business' - India West

Two decades after saying she regrets that Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh didnt destroy The New York Times headquarters, right-wing provocateur Ann Coulter has a byline in the opinion pages of the Gray Lady, weighing in on the state of the Republican presidential race. In an online conversation with Times contributing writer Frank Bruni, Coultera rabid Donald Trump supporter turned harsh critic of the ex-presidentsaid that despite Trumps polling lead in the GOP primary, she doesnt believe hell be the nominee. Rooting for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, the In Trump We Trust author added that Trump will lose the general election if he captures the nomination, claiming he says the same old thing over and over and over again. Coulters appearance in the Times, even as part of a roundtable discussion, is more than a bit shocking considering how in a 2002 interview with the New York Observer, she declared, My only regret with Timothy McVeigh is he did not go to the New York Times Building. The arch-conservative pundit has since doubled down on the line, telling Fox News host Alan Colmes in 2006 that her remarks were merely prescient because the paper had leapt beyond nonsense straight into treason. And in a 2012 interview with a conservative site, Coulter said the only thing she would have added to the comment is after everyone had left the building except the editors and reporters.

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Ann Coulter Gets Byline in NY Times, Which She Wanted Bombed by Timothy McVeigh - The Daily Beast