Control of the U.S. Senate — not just the House — could now be up for grabs. 

It has everything to do with Donald Trump’s economic policies and war with Iran that have cratered his approval ratings. 

But it’s not just North Carolina, Alaska, Maine and Ohio that Dems see as vulnerable. 

There’s also Texas — and Florida could be in play, too. 

Florida, now red and recently purple, could prove a model for Democratic pragmatism.

Florida state Rep. Angie Nixon is the Democratic Socialist nominee for the Senate. Arguably, her chances against the Gov. Ron DeSantis-anointed incumbent, Ashley Moody (who replaced Marco Rubio) — in a state with 1.5 million more registered Republicans than Democrats — are not as good as her defeated primary opponent, Alex Vindman, would have been. 

Vindman, a military vet with national security credentials, had a national profile and raised a ton of money. 

But voters — not pundits, pollsters, fund-raising success and inclusive campaign stops that included (Orlando-connected) Puerto Rico and GOP enclave, The Villages, ultimately determine nominees

Nixon, the three-term, African-American activist, was spot-on about the bottom line. “We can argue all day about people’s labels,” she pointed out. “These elections...are about people’s needs.”

Vindman seems determined to help the overall cause and not pout over an upset. To date, his campaign coffers have coughed up $400,000 to help Nixon and other Democratic candidates running in competitive and federal races in Florida. 

Another $250,000 was sent to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. More is expected. 

“The only way to cut costs for working families, root out corruption in D.C. and finally hold the Trump Administration accountable is to deliver a Democratic majority this November,” Vindman underscored.

Now the onus is on all Floridians to play down labels and play up enlightened, pragmatic self-interest.

Weak by any definition

Never date anyone stronger than you.  

Most men know better, while many women don’t seem to, which is the main case for female stupidity. 

 Men might have a larger selection of weak women to choose from, initially, but men could always weaken themselves if we had reason to do so, but we don’t because weak men still outnumber smart women.  

Overpopulation Zionist leader Bill Maher’s valentine piece on Taylor Swift reminded me to clarify this point when he failed to do so.

Abortion rights, as on the Golan Heights, are the only reason to support Greater Israel — not history.

Abortion banners get bombed by Donnie — and not by coincidence. Venezuela, Yemen, Gaza, Somalia, Nigeria and Iran all ban abortions. So he will not bomb Colombia, Greenland or Cuba because they have abortion rights.

Abortion rights are not at stake in Ukraine or Taiwan, so divert all weapons to Greater Israel, where abortion rights are at stake. 

Abortion rights for the Philippines, as in Tibet, after carrier Lincoln abandonment. And abortion rights for Poland as in Donetsk, for Pakistan as in Kashmir and for Venezuela and Nicaragua, as in Puerto Rico.  

Tucker has some Idea of the facts, as do Incel chats of the above, but both lack urban values.

Questions raised over who is smart and who is stupid

Referencing the letter to the editor “Planet columnist Buckner termed ‘hilarious’ — and a ‘numbskull’” by letter-writer Dana Wooldridge that was published in the Sept. 2-15 edition of the Daily Planet: 

Letter-writer Dana Wooldridge obviously thinks he is so-o-o-o-o smart and that Daily Planet columnist Roger Buckner is a duh! duh! duh! duh! retard.

But maybe Dana Wooldridge is guilty of making a rush to judgment about that.

Astrophysicist Neil De Grasse Tyson is peer-rated to be the smartest scientist since the late Stephen Hawking.

Neil De Grasse Tyson is also a bestselling author.

In his latest book, “Take Me To Your Leader,” Neil De Grasse Tyson questions human intelligence.

No animal on earth has ever told humans that we are the smartest animal on earth.

And no aliens have ever told us humans that we are smart. We humans tell ourselves that. But no one else has ever told us that.

So maybe we humans aren’t so smart. Maybe our great scientific and technological civilization that we have built is a sign of stupidity rather than intelligence?

Maybe our technological civilization is the height of stupidity.

Maybe the lifestyles of earth’s other living beings is of greater intelligence than our own?

Maybe all the things about earth’s other inhabitants that we think makes them so dumb actually makes them so smart.

And maybe the things about ourselves that we imagine makes us so smart actually are evidence of our stupidity.

And maybe Dana Wooldridge thinks he is so smart and that Daily Planet columnist Roger Buckner is so dumb... Maybe it is a case of the pot calling the kettle black.

And those living in glass houses should not throw stones.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Pope added the following postscript to his letter:

There is no denying that the quality of Roger Buckner’s Daily Planet columns is deteriorating.

At his age, any number of things could be causing it. 

But when a senior man starts to lose his mind, it isn’t a reason to mock him. We should shed a tear.

According to Roger Buckner’s resumé, he was a Marine and an Asheville policeman, which means that Roger Buckner served both his country and his community.

One cannot ask more of any man.

He served his country and his community with dignity.

And he should be treated with dignity. 

Don’t punish U.S. colleges for their peaceful boycotts 

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act, co-sponsored by Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C.  

The bill would make colleges and universities ineligible to participate in federal student-aid programs if they participate in certain commercial boycotts of Israel. It now moves to the Senate. 

This legislation is significant in light of recent escalations by militant West Bank settlers, who are conducting a campaign of killing, arson and intimidation against Palestinians in order to expel them from their land. 

Notably, in 2021, two former Israeli ambassadors to South Africa, Ilan Baruch and Alon Liel, co-authored an op-ed concluding that Israel has become an apartheid state.

They cited the two-tiered legal system in the West Bank, illegal settlements, the demolition of homes, and the forcing of Palestinians to live on smaller and smaller tracts of land.

They wrote: “Just as the world joined the struggle against apartheid in South Africa, it is time for the world to take decisive diplomatic action in our case as well and work towards building a future of equality, dignity, and security for Palestinians and Israelis alike.”

The United States should not require colleges and universities to surrender a peaceful form of political expression to remain eligible to participate in federal student-aid programs. It should instead protect institutions’ right to use economic pressure to oppose violence, discrimination, and dispossession.