Properly Subversive/Sherman R. Frederick

This election, so far as anyone can tell from the polls, is as tight as bark on a tree. 

It’s a coin flip. 

Anybody’s guess. 

One popular outcome could be the “narrow landslide” scenario. All of the swing states are very close, but the latest polls have Donald Trump up over Kamala Harris by a point or so in each state. He’s ahead, but well within the margin of error.

Therefore, it is possible Mr. Trump could lose the popular vote total, but win virtually all swing states and thereby win the Electoral College going away. 

Some ask, “Is that fair?” 

Of course it is fair and to tell you why, allow me to bring in Frank Beckwith who taught at UNLV and has now moved on to become a professor of philosophy, and affiliate professor of political science at Baylor University. 

As he says, the “popular score” doesn’t count.

“Adding together all the votes from each state in the United States is no more the ‘popular vote’ than is adding together all the runs from each game in the World Series the ‘popular score.’ 

“If the rules of the World Series stated that the team with the most runs would be the victor, then managers and players would strategize accordingly, just as candidates and campaign advisors would campaign accordingly if the candidate with the most votes would win the presidency. 

“This is just a long way of saying: the popular vote, like the popular score, is a completely worthless statistic.”

Doesn’t get much clearer than that. 

BET ON NEVADA

If you’re looking for a safe bet this election season, bet on Nevada … and not in a good way. 

Donald Trump has officially become favorite to win the presidency, according to the latest from RealClearPolling. He’s taken the national “popular” vote by the slimmest of margins and he’s just under a full point favorite in the state-by-state polling. 

Please remember, polls and $4 will get you a nice cup of black coffee at Starbucks.

I wouldn’t bet money on the outcome either way. I would bet, however, on Nevada becoming the focus of attention for irregularities on election night and in the weeks to follow. 

Anybody want that bet?

A BETTER WAY

While we’re mixing politics and baseball on the eve of the election and while the World Series is going on, this is the perfect time to point out the heartwarming story of Aaron Judge. 

It’s a great example of why adoption is such a wonderful gift. 

Instead of abortion, his biological mother chose adoption. 

Judge, of course, is the star player on the New York Yankees baseball team now playing in the World Series. 

He was born on April 26, 1992. Patty and Wayne Judge adopted Aaron as a newborn, on the second day of his life, April 27, 1992. Judge’s parents call that day a miracle, and this baseball star agrees. He told The NY Post, “I feel they kind of picked me… that God was the one that matched us together.”

Aaron Judge has a closed adoption, meaning he does not have any contact with his biological parents. In a Newsday interview, Judge simply stated, “I have one set of parents, the ones that raised me. That’s how it is.”

Aaron Judge told Newsday, “Some kids grow in their mom’s stomach; I grew in my mom’s heart… She’s always showed me love and compassion ever since I was a little baby.” For this reason, he explains, “I’ve never needed to think differently or wonder about anything.”

ONE MORE THING

Thanks for reading. Until next time, remember to laugh a little, avoid soreheads and always question authority. You can see more Properly Subversive on Substack – https://shermanfrederick.substack.com/.