Michael McDonald
@electproject.bsky.social
Professor of Political Science at the University of Florida specializing in American elections
My favorite Wolf Blitzer moment was in 2012 when my exit poll decision desk responsibility was to call Hawaii, which I did when their polls closed and moments later Blitzer says "This just in: Obama wins Hawaii"
February 12, 2026 at 3:34 PM
My favorite Wolf Blitzer moment was in 2012 when my exit poll decision desk responsibility was to call Hawaii, which I did when their polls closed and moments later Blitzer says "This just in: Obama wins Hawaii"
Now we're coming to terrorize your community
February 12, 2026 at 3:24 PM
Now we're coming to terrorize your community
Old farts like me get this reference
February 12, 2026 at 3:19 PM
Old farts like me get this reference
I am not a witch
Homan: "ICE is a legitimate federal law enforcement agency. We're not out scouring the streets to disappear people or deny people their civil rights or due process."
February 12, 2026 at 3:14 PM
I am not a witch
Reposted by Michael McDonald
Fuentes, yesterday: “Our #1 political enemy is women because women constrain everything, every conversation, every man, everything. They have to be imprisoned. They are the ones that are hurting the fertility rate. They're the ones making us sympathetic to poor people, which are also brown people.”
Nick Fuentes: “The number one political enemy in America is women. … They have to be imprisoned.”
www.mediamatters.org
February 12, 2026 at 12:13 PM
Fuentes, yesterday: “Our #1 political enemy is women because women constrain everything, every conversation, every man, everything. They have to be imprisoned. They are the ones that are hurting the fertility rate. They're the ones making us sympathetic to poor people, which are also brown people.”
Senate Democrats should offer an amendment to the SAVE act applying the same registration and id provisions to buying beer
Rep. Brian Steil: "I flew home to my home state of Wisconsin, went to buy a 6 pack a beer, the clerk asked for my ID, confirmed it, and then I was allowed to buy the beer. I just think it's nuts that we protect our beer more than our ballots."
February 12, 2026 at 1:54 PM
Senate Democrats should offer an amendment to the SAVE act applying the same registration and id provisions to buying beer
Reposted by Michael McDonald
damn you're telling me that sin taxes work to reduce consumption of socially harmful goods while keeping them legal and thus avoiding the problems of criminalization?
February 12, 2026 at 1:34 PM
damn you're telling me that sin taxes work to reduce consumption of socially harmful goods while keeping them legal and thus avoiding the problems of criminalization?
Regarding the replies to Aaron’s post
I’ve been involved in voting litigation for over two decades. At the beginning this id argument was widely accepted. Now people push back. It’s been a long road to get here, but here we are
I’ve been involved in voting litigation for over two decades. At the beginning this id argument was widely accepted. Now people push back. It’s been a long road to get here, but here we are
Rep. Brian Steil: "I flew home to my home state of Wisconsin, went to buy a 6 pack a beer, the clerk asked for my ID, confirmed it, and then I was allowed to buy the beer. I just think it's nuts that we protect our beer more than our ballots."
February 12, 2026 at 1:41 PM
Regarding the replies to Aaron’s post
I’ve been involved in voting litigation for over two decades. At the beginning this id argument was widely accepted. Now people push back. It’s been a long road to get here, but here we are
I’ve been involved in voting litigation for over two decades. At the beginning this id argument was widely accepted. Now people push back. It’s been a long road to get here, but here we are
Now graph tributes given by businesses to their countries’ leaders to beg and bribe for a tariff exemption. I bet we lead the world there!
I mean we talk about global trade moving on without the US all the time, but man.
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
February 12, 2026 at 1:21 PM
Now graph tributes given by businesses to their countries’ leaders to beg and bribe for a tariff exemption. I bet we lead the world there!
Same as it ever was
February 12, 2026 at 1:17 PM
Same as it ever was
Reposted by Michael McDonald
“When Citizens United was decided in 2010, billionaires had spent $18 million on the 2000 election, $13M 2004 and $16M in 2008. Then came the deluge. In 2012 it was $231M, and nearly doubled again in next three election cycles —to $682M in 2016, $1.2 billion in 2020 and $2.6 billion in 2024.” Gift:
Opinion | Affordability and the ‘Epstein Class’ Will Define American Politics
www.nytimes.com
February 12, 2026 at 1:57 AM
“When Citizens United was decided in 2010, billionaires had spent $18 million on the 2000 election, $13M 2004 and $16M in 2008. Then came the deluge. In 2012 it was $231M, and nearly doubled again in next three election cycles —to $682M in 2016, $1.2 billion in 2020 and $2.6 billion in 2024.” Gift:
Reposted by Michael McDonald
Some personal news
Scoop–CFPB just fired employee alexisgoldstein.bsky.social for allegedly disrupting &documenting a meeting a year ago between CFPB & DOGE www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
She says she's being retaliated against after asking DOGE visitors who they were & if they'd completed training on handling info
She says she's being retaliated against after asking DOGE visitors who they were & if they'd completed training on handling info
CFPB Fires Employee Over a Confrontation With DOGE a Year Ago
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau fired an employee for disrupting and documenting a 2025 meeting between the agency and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, according to emails rev...
www.bloomberg.com
February 12, 2026 at 1:10 AM
Some personal news
Reposted by Michael McDonald
"It is totally inappropriate and against the separations of powers for the DOJ to surveil us as we search the Epstein files. (US Attorney General) Bondi showed up today with a burn book that held a printed search history of exactly what emails I searched." - Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA).
February 12, 2026 at 12:43 AM
"It is totally inappropriate and against the separations of powers for the DOJ to surveil us as we search the Epstein files. (US Attorney General) Bondi showed up today with a burn book that held a printed search history of exactly what emails I searched." - Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA).
Reposted by Michael McDonald
Just take a look at this and remember, Pam Bondi's concern here was not with any of the victims of these crimes but with the nosy Democrats who actually gave a shit about them.
February 12, 2026 at 12:38 AM
Just take a look at this and remember, Pam Bondi's concern here was not with any of the victims of these crimes but with the nosy Democrats who actually gave a shit about them.
Reposted by Michael McDonald
These are the 6 Republicans who just voted against Trump’s Canada tariffs:
Thomas Massie
Don Bacon
Brian Fitzpatrick
Jeff Hurd
Kevin Kiley
Dan Newhouse
Thomas Massie
Don Bacon
Brian Fitzpatrick
Jeff Hurd
Kevin Kiley
Dan Newhouse
February 11, 2026 at 11:56 PM
These are the 6 Republicans who just voted against Trump’s Canada tariffs:
Thomas Massie
Don Bacon
Brian Fitzpatrick
Jeff Hurd
Kevin Kiley
Dan Newhouse
Thomas Massie
Don Bacon
Brian Fitzpatrick
Jeff Hurd
Kevin Kiley
Dan Newhouse
Reposted by Michael McDonald
I called up one of the White House's "special government employees" involved in the Fulton County FBI raid.
I ended up on the phone for almost two hours hearing about the "deep state" "cabal," "Satanists," poison soda, and the "pure evil" of "gay pride." talkingpointsmemo.com/news/meet-th...
I ended up on the phone for almost two hours hearing about the "deep state" "cabal," "Satanists," poison soda, and the "pure evil" of "gay pride." talkingpointsmemo.com/news/meet-th...
February 11, 2026 at 11:53 PM
I called up one of the White House's "special government employees" involved in the Fulton County FBI raid.
I ended up on the phone for almost two hours hearing about the "deep state" "cabal," "Satanists," poison soda, and the "pure evil" of "gay pride." talkingpointsmemo.com/news/meet-th...
I ended up on the phone for almost two hours hearing about the "deep state" "cabal," "Satanists," poison soda, and the "pure evil" of "gay pride." talkingpointsmemo.com/news/meet-th...
Reposted by Michael McDonald
Breaking: House passes new version of SAVE Act, worst voter suppression bill considered by Congress. Could disenfranchise:
-21 million Americans w/out access to citizenship papers
-69 mil married women who took partner’s name
-21 mil w/out valid drivers license
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
-21 million Americans w/out access to citizenship papers
-69 mil married women who took partner’s name
-21 mil w/out valid drivers license
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
The GOP’s “show us your papers” bill Is the latest effort to help Trump take over elections
“If the SAVE Act were to pass, it would be the worst voter suppression law that Congress has ever enacted"
www.motherjones.com
February 11, 2026 at 11:44 PM
Breaking: House passes new version of SAVE Act, worst voter suppression bill considered by Congress. Could disenfranchise:
-21 million Americans w/out access to citizenship papers
-69 mil married women who took partner’s name
-21 mil w/out valid drivers license
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
-21 million Americans w/out access to citizenship papers
-69 mil married women who took partner’s name
-21 mil w/out valid drivers license
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Reposted by Michael McDonald
ALERT: Former Jan 6 riot defendant is convicted in criminal case in Florida
Andrew Johnson was found guilty of Lewd/Lascivious Molestation, two counts of Lewd/Lascivious Exhibition, and Transmission of Material Harmful to a Minor by Electronic Device
He faces 25 years-to-life
Andrew Johnson was found guilty of Lewd/Lascivious Molestation, two counts of Lewd/Lascivious Exhibition, and Transmission of Material Harmful to a Minor by Electronic Device
He faces 25 years-to-life
February 11, 2026 at 9:50 PM
ALERT: Former Jan 6 riot defendant is convicted in criminal case in Florida
Andrew Johnson was found guilty of Lewd/Lascivious Molestation, two counts of Lewd/Lascivious Exhibition, and Transmission of Material Harmful to a Minor by Electronic Device
He faces 25 years-to-life
Andrew Johnson was found guilty of Lewd/Lascivious Molestation, two counts of Lewd/Lascivious Exhibition, and Transmission of Material Harmful to a Minor by Electronic Device
He faces 25 years-to-life
Reposted by Michael McDonald
NEW: CBP signs a new deal with Clearview AI to access its scraped image database for "tactical targeting," including efforts to “disrupt, degrade, and dismantle” networks of people labeled security threats.
CBP Signs Clearview AI Deal to Use Face Recognition for ‘Tactical Targeting’
US Border Patrol intelligence units will gain access to a face recognition tool built on billions of images scraped from the internet.
www.wired.com
February 11, 2026 at 4:37 PM
NEW: CBP signs a new deal with Clearview AI to access its scraped image database for "tactical targeting," including efforts to “disrupt, degrade, and dismantle” networks of people labeled security threats.
To be fair it’s difficult to measure someone as small as Trump
Gallup will no longer measure presidential approval after 88 years thehill.com/homenews/med...
February 11, 2026 at 8:04 PM
To be fair it’s difficult to measure someone as small as Trump
Reposted by Michael McDonald
Do you have a passport? Over half of Americans don't.
Do you have a birth certificate and photo ID with the same last name? Nearly 70 million married women don't.
If you answered no to both, you would not be able to vote under the SAVE Act. This is voter suppression, not protection.
Do you have a birth certificate and photo ID with the same last name? Nearly 70 million married women don't.
If you answered no to both, you would not be able to vote under the SAVE Act. This is voter suppression, not protection.
Rep. McGovern on the SAVE Act: "I have news for Republicans, Americans don't want to be saved by you, they don't want you screwing up the next elections... Republicans have looked to find fraud, and you know what they found? Someone is more likely to get struck by lightning than to vote illegally"
February 11, 2026 at 5:04 PM
Do you have a passport? Over half of Americans don't.
Do you have a birth certificate and photo ID with the same last name? Nearly 70 million married women don't.
If you answered no to both, you would not be able to vote under the SAVE Act. This is voter suppression, not protection.
Do you have a birth certificate and photo ID with the same last name? Nearly 70 million married women don't.
If you answered no to both, you would not be able to vote under the SAVE Act. This is voter suppression, not protection.
Reposted by Michael McDonald
Goldman: "Will the survivors and victims who are here please stand up one more time. By show of hands, how many of you or your loved ones actually have met with the DOJ? None ... How many of you were ignored by the DOJ? All of them." (Bondi responds by smearing Goldman.)
February 11, 2026 at 7:41 PM
Goldman: "Will the survivors and victims who are here please stand up one more time. By show of hands, how many of you or your loved ones actually have met with the DOJ? None ... How many of you were ignored by the DOJ? All of them." (Bondi responds by smearing Goldman.)
Reposted by Michael McDonald
BONDI: You didn't ask Merrick Garland anything about Epstein
BALINT: Weak sauce
BONDI: And with this antisemitic culture right now, she voted against a resolution--
BALINT: You want to go there! Really? Talking about antisemitism to a woman who lost her grandfather in the Holocaust! *storms off*
BALINT: Weak sauce
BONDI: And with this antisemitic culture right now, she voted against a resolution--
BALINT: You want to go there! Really? Talking about antisemitism to a woman who lost her grandfather in the Holocaust! *storms off*
February 11, 2026 at 7:04 PM
BONDI: You didn't ask Merrick Garland anything about Epstein
BALINT: Weak sauce
BONDI: And with this antisemitic culture right now, she voted against a resolution--
BALINT: You want to go there! Really? Talking about antisemitism to a woman who lost her grandfather in the Holocaust! *storms off*
BALINT: Weak sauce
BONDI: And with this antisemitic culture right now, she voted against a resolution--
BALINT: You want to go there! Really? Talking about antisemitism to a woman who lost her grandfather in the Holocaust! *storms off*
Reposted by Michael McDonald
Moskowitz: "Trump's name appears more times in the Epstein files than God's name appears in the book about God"
February 11, 2026 at 7:24 PM
Moskowitz: "Trump's name appears more times in the Epstein files than God's name appears in the book about God"
Reposted by Michael McDonald
February 11, 2026 at 7:30 PM