NEWS AND OPINION:
This convenient little phrase has captured the imagination of the press at the moment. It refers to a new classification of U.S. voters who are not particularly happy with either President Biden or former President Donald Trump.
The phrase appears to have emerged during the 2016 election but now seems to be percolating once again in the press after a recent New York Times revisited the topic on March 6.
A few headlines from the last week explain all:
“Double haters might decide the 2024 election” (Politico); “Meet the surging ‘double haters’ who could decide whether Biden or Trump wins the election” (USA Today); “What could sway the votes of ‘double haters’ who don’t like Biden, Trump?” (ABC News); “Who will win the Biden-Trump double haters?” (The Daily Beast); and “Confessions of a Double Hater” (National Review).
THE GARVEY/SCHIFF BOUT
Baseball great Steve Garvey continues to conduct a spirited campaign in California for the U.S. Senate, and his chief rival is none other than Rep. Adam Schiff, who is determined to keep the seat in Democratic hands.
“Turn California red. I’m sorry for the urgency but the election is barely seven months away. Adam Schiff and the Democrats are shaking in their boots seeing how quickly I rose in the polls after entering the race. We’ve got a shot – a very real shot – at defeating Adam Schiff in the general election,” Mr. Garvey says in his latest campaign outreach,
“That’s why the giant Democrat political machine is going to spend every second of these next seven months trying to bury me and our commonsense message. You don’t have to accept failed Democrat policies that make all of us less safe, less prosperous, and less free. This race is the toughest in the nation. But they say the hardest thing to do in sports is hit a 95-mph fastball. And you know I’ve done that plenty of times,” Mr. Garvey continued.
“Now I’m ready to do the hardest thing in American politics –- win in California as a common sense Republican,” he declared.
A FLOOD OF INFORMATION
The National and Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has found yet another way to inform and assist the public.
The federal agency launched a new website Thursday called the National Water Prediction Service, which focuses on local and regional forecasts, flood inundation maps and other water-related data that provides insight about water conditions anywhere in the country.
Features include a National Water Model, which provides hydrologic forecast guidance along 3.4 million river miles across the U.S. — including river segments, streams and creeks that have no river gauges. That nifty coverage runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by the way.
Also among the offerings are real-time, comprehensive Flood Inundation Maps. They will be implemented in phases and will cover nearly 100% of the U.S. by October 2026, according to NOAA.
“This online water hub is modern and flexible — providing information to help our partners and the public make sound decisions for water safety and management,” Ed Clark, director of NOAA’s National Water Center, said in a statement.
“The new site leverages modern software, geospatial technology and cloud infrastructure, vastly improving the customer experience before, during and after extreme water events such as floods and droughts,” he said.
Take a peek at the new site at https://water.noaa.gov/
BIG PLANS ON MONDAY
The White House has revealed the details of the 2024 White House Easter Egg Roll, a reassuring tradition that dates back to 1878. First lady Jill Biden is the primary planner for the event, which will be themed around “EGGucation.” The South Lawn and Ellipse will be transformed into a “school community” featuring educational activities for children of all ages.
There will be many guests. Some 40,000 people will take part in the pleasantries — with hunting for Easter eggs and an egg roll as the main focus. Also part of the pleasant doings: a schoolhouse-themed activity area, reading nook, field trip to the farm, picture day, a snack time tent and more.
“The American Egg Board, on behalf of America’s Egg Farmers, continues its more than 45-year history of participation in the event as our legacy partner in support of the White House Easter Egg Roll,” the White House said in a statement.
WEEKEND REAL ESTATE
For sale: The Fawcett Farm, designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright and built on 76 acres in Los Banos, California in 1961; 4,041 square feet. Seven bedrooms, six baths, three fireplaces; open concept floor plan for living and dining features streamlined designs and natural wood, stone, glass and tile. Custom kitchen with built-in steel appliances, views from all sides of surrounding gardens and distant mountains. Striking entry and roof design elements plus swimming pool, koi pond, large detached workshop and a three-car garage. Priced at $3.7 million through Crosbydoe.com; enter the word “Fawcett” in the search function.
POLL DU JOUR
• 43% of U.S. voters would be “very upset” if the candidate they supported in the 2024 presidential election were to lose; 57% of Democrats, 44% of Republicans and 32% of independents agree.
• 51% of women and 35% of men also agree.
• 29% overall would be “somewhat upset” if their candidate lost; 28% of Democrats, 27% of Republicans and 32% of independents agree.
• 29% of women and 28% of men also agree
• 10% overall would be “not so upset”; 6% of Democrats, 10% of Republicans and 13% of independents agree.
• 8% of women and 11% of men also agree.
• 15% overall would be “not upset at all”; 8% of Democrats, 13% of Republicans and 21% of independents agree.
• 8% of women and 21% of men also agree.
• 4% overall don’t know how they would react; 1% of Democrats, 5% of Republicans and 3% of independents agree.
• 4% of women and 4% of men also agree.
SOURCE: A Quinnipiac University poll of 1,569 U.S. adults conducted by telephone March 21-25.
• Have a good weekend, happy Easter and thank you for reading Inside the Beltway.