https://www.politico.com/news/2026/11/04...s-01148838

“To the people who are pissed off and want to say, ‘I told you so’: you’re right, you did tell us so,” he wrote.

Knives are already out for rivals in 2028. Vance never wanted anything to do with foreign policy adventures, and it's easy to say "Iran is what did us in", when really it was just the tearing down of the entire coalition that propelled Trump back into office in 2024. Pissing off the young men with higher gas prices, pissing off hispanics b/c grandma got captured by seal team 6 at home depot, threatening to attack Denmark to "conquer" Greenland, belittling Canada and thus torpedoing States like Maine and Michigan, nonstop corruption scandals (2 big ones: he made $2.2b last year while in office, and that little $1.8b "compensation" fund that he tried getting the govt to pay his allies that was only killed when Republicans in the Senate held up all his nominees until he pulled that one, but there are plenty of others), a prioritization of loyalty over competency....I mean, I could write a 10 page essay on all the dumb **** Trump did to tear down the strong coalition that he built a mere 2 years ago. One of the very few things that he did right imo was picking Vance as his running mate 2 years ago. I don't agree with some of Vance's policy decisions, but he doesn't deserve the blame that's coming his way for being too close to the sun when everyone from both parties starts going after Trump 24/7 now.

I saw that DeSantis is already getting ready for 2028, claiming that 2026 was an "Extinction Level Event" for Republicans. Vance will have to contend with DeSantis and Cruz at the least, perhaps some current Governors, too. Not sure if Rubio can survive this, probably not.

Vance is right. It was a f up from the start,

(11-04-2026 12:01 PM)BartlettTigerFan Wrote:  Vance is right. It was a f up from the start,

Well, yeah, but that cause what happened last night all by itself. If the republicans had lost a few more seats, or been a couple % points lower than expected, that would have been a reasonable response. We're not seeing kids come home every day in body bags like in the Vietnam days, after all. Iran was just one pain point for Republicans this cycle, Trump was THE pain point.

It depends.

If the Iranian government falls in the next two years, then it will be one of the greatest accomplishments in our lifetime.

The same goes for Cuba. I think that is Trump's next project. My completely unfounded opinion is that Trump would gladly give Putin Ukraine in exchange for Cuba.

(11-04-2026 12:03 PM)bryanw1995 Wrote:  

(11-04-2026 12:01 PM)BartlettTigerFan Wrote:  Vance is right. It was a f up from the start,

Well, yeah, but that cause what happened last night all by itself. If the republicans had lost a few more seats, or been a couple % points lower than expected, that would have been a reasonable response. We're not seeing kids come home every day in body bags like in the Vietnam days, after all. Iran was just one pain point for Republicans this cycle, Trump was THE pain point.

It was the economy stupid. It was every day gas and food prices. Its not about actually being in the Persian Gulf. Its the higher gas prices and related inflation that are impacted by the war. That's a pain point every day for people.

(11-04-2026 12:27 PM)bullet Wrote:  

(11-04-2026 12:03 PM)bryanw1995 Wrote:  

(11-04-2026 12:01 PM)BartlettTigerFan Wrote:  Vance is right. It was a f up from the start,

Well, yeah, but that cause what happened last night all by itself. If the republicans had lost a few more seats, or been a couple % points lower than expected, that would have been a reasonable response. We're not seeing kids come home every day in body bags like in the Vietnam days, after all. Iran was just one pain point for Republicans this cycle, Trump was THE pain point.

It was the economy stupid. It was every day gas and food prices. Its not about actually being in the Persian Gulf. Its the higher gas prices and related inflation that are impacted by the war. That's a pain point every day for people.

Exactly.

Vance is right. Americans are weak and soft. All they had to do is pay a little more for gas and they lost their shite. I can't imagine if we had to fight a war like WWII again.

(11-04-2026 12:01 PM)BartlettTigerFan Wrote:  Vance is right. It was a f up from the start,

Most of yall on this forum said the war was a great idea and price increases were a necessary short term sacrifice

(11-04-2026 12:27 PM)bullet Wrote:  

(11-04-2026 12:03 PM)bryanw1995 Wrote:  

(11-04-2026 12:01 PM)BartlettTigerFan Wrote:  Vance is right. It was a f up from the start,

Well, yeah, but that cause what happened last night all by itself. If the republicans had lost a few more seats, or been a couple % points lower than expected, that would have been a reasonable response. We're not seeing kids come home every day in body bags like in the Vietnam days, after all. Iran was just one pain point for Republicans this cycle, Trump was THE pain point.

It was the economy stupid. It was every day gas and food prices. Its not about actually being in the Persian Gulf. Its the higher gas prices and related inflation that are impacted by the war. That's a pain point every day for people.

THIS^^^^^


If he had kept the pedal to metal and finished what needed to be done to bring the Iranian conflict to a head in a month or two—gas prices would have largely returned to normal (or something close to normal) well before Election Day and he could say he kept Americas future safer due to ending Irans long term nuclear threat. Instead—he fumbled the ball and failed to finish the job. My opinion with any war is either be ready to do what necessary to win—-or don’t do it at all. Trump failed to do that and it’s had an adverse affect on normal Americans. Not to mention other unforced errors like apeparing to cozy up to Putin, constantly alienating our allies, or tariffs that adversely affect segments of the American public.

(11-04-2026 12:52 PM)CLTPirate Wrote:  

(11-04-2026 12:01 PM)BartlettTigerFan Wrote:  Vance is right. It was a f up from the start,

Most of yall on this forum said the war was a great idea and price increases were a necessary short term sacrifice

I have a feeling most of us still feel the same. I know I do. Why would we feel different due to the midterms. Power changes all the time, this is no different than any other midterm when the party not in power gains power over the current administration.

Vance is wrong. It wasn't the war. And I am not even sure that it was the economy (but I am less certain on that point).

It was poor-quality candidates - - Darline Graham? Ken Paxton? And a president with disapproval ratings equivalent to 2016 Hillary Clinton who insisted on making the mid-terms about himself.

(11-04-2026 12:27 PM)bullet Wrote:  It was the economy stupid. It was every day gas and food prices. Its not about actually being in the Persian Gulf. Its the higher gas prices and related inflation that are impacted by the war. That's a pain point every day for people.

In Florida, Republicans offered up a solution to the affordability crisis with Amendment 3. In most of the other Republican-led states, there was nothing offered, and voters took out their frustratim at the ballot box.

This seems to have been a combination of multiple factors (the war, gas prices, Trump's continued juvenile and erratic behavior and some bad candidates).

Of course, I probably have to give the Dems some credit (though it pains me), at least for some races.

I don't care for either major party (as many of you know), so we'll see how this plays out.

(11-04-2026 12:52 PM)CLTPirate Wrote:  

(11-04-2026 12:01 PM)BartlettTigerFan Wrote:  Vance is right. It was a f up from the start,

Most of yall on this forum said the war was a great idea and price increases were a necessary short term sacrifice

That's what you heard because that's what you wanted to hear. Quote me a post of mine where I said any such thing or keep my name out of your mouth.

(11-04-2026 01:01 PM)AdoptedMonarch Wrote:  Vance is wrong. It wasn't the war. And I am not even sure that it was the economy (but I am less certain on that point).

It was poor-quality candidates - - Darline Graham? Ken Paxton? And a president with disapproval ratings equivalent to 2016 Hillary Clinton who insisted on making the mid-terms about himself.

You are both right and wrong Sir.

(11-04-2026 12:27 PM)bullet Wrote:  It was the economy stupid. It was every day gas and food prices. Its not about actually being in the Persian Gulf. Its the higher gas prices and related inflation that are impacted by the war. That's a pain point every day for people.

The morons in maga-world ran on the economy in 2024, won because of it, then they proceeded to make things exponentially worse than the Biden administration ever did.

Then they doubled down, twiddling their thumbs about ballrooms, DEI, and other nonsensical things that simply don't matter. Very "let them eat cake." The cowardice or unwillingness of repubs' ability to stand up to Trump in his dumbest moments was noted.

Make no mistake - this belt-to-ass moment isn't about Iran. It didn't help their case any, but they had dug their own hole WELL before then.

I'm convinced now that the NC GOP doesn't want to win state-wide election any more. Mark Robinson and Whatley have convinced me of that.

(11-04-2026 12:27 PM)bullet Wrote:  

(11-04-2026 12:03 PM)bryanw1995 Wrote:  

(11-04-2026 12:01 PM)BartlettTigerFan Wrote:  Vance is right. It was a f up from the start,

Well, yeah, but that cause what happened last night all by itself. If the republicans had lost a few more seats, or been a couple % points lower than expected, that would have been a reasonable response. We're not seeing kids come home every day in body bags like in the Vietnam days, after all. Iran was just one pain point for Republicans this cycle, Trump was THE pain point.

It was the economy stupid. It was every day gas and food prices. Its not about actually being in the Persian Gulf. Its the higher gas prices and related inflation that are impacted by the war. That's a pain point every day for people.

Here is the thing, gas prices were actually higher under Biden....... and when you adjust it for inflation, Obama's was the highest. It is only high because of Iran, once that is finished, prices are gonna drop like a rock, specifically due to Republican gas friendly policies. I scratch my head when people are upset with gas prices so they vote for the arsonist against low gas prices to go in office? Are the American people that stupid? Maybe they are......our our imported 3rd world and their children along with our indoctrinated soy milk drinking children are as well

(11-04-2026 01:18 PM)tigergreen Wrote:  

(11-04-2026 12:27 PM)bullet Wrote:  It was the economy stupid. It was every day gas and food prices. Its not about actually being in the Persian Gulf. Its the higher gas prices and related inflation that are impacted by the war. That's a pain point every day for people.

The morons in maga-world ran on the economy in 2024, won because of it, then they proceeded to make things exponentially worse than the Biden administration ever did.

Then they doubled down, twiddling their thumbs about ballrooms, DEI, and other nonsensical things that simply don't matter. Very "let them eat cake." The cowardice or unwillingness of repubs' ability to stand up to Trump in his dumbest moments was noted.

Make no mistake - this belt-to-ass moment isn't about Iran. It didn't help their case any, but they had dug their own hole WELL before then.

I am very intrigued by this. How is today's economy and gas prices worse than Biden's?

(11-04-2026 12:52 PM)CLTPirate Wrote:  

(11-04-2026 12:01 PM)BartlettTigerFan Wrote:  Vance is right. It was a f up from the start,

Most of yall on this forum said the war was a great idea and price increases were a necessary short term sacrifice