Hey there, hi there, ho there, and welcome to Tuesday, April 7, 2026. Today is National Beer Day, National Coffee Cake Day, and National No Housework Day. So, if you’re into sitting around the house drinking beer and eating coffee cake, today’s obviously your day.
The weather machine claims we caught about an inch of snow last night at the Florack Shack, but as is typical around here, it melted as soon as it hit the ground. (Yay! I don’t have to shovel it.)
1794: English chemist and theologian Joseph Priestley departs England for America. He is known for discovering Oxygen.
1805: Lewis and Clark Expedition leaves Fort Mandan (on the Missouri River near what is now Washburn, N.D.), beginning its journey to the Pacific Ocean.
1827: English chemist John Walker sells the world’s first friction matches.
1902: Texas Oil Company (Texaco) forms.
1922: Warren G. Harding’s Interior Secretary, Albert B. Fall, leases the Teapot Dome oil reserves to Harry Sinclair, setting in motion the Teapot Dome scandals.
1940: The U.S. Post Office issues the first postage stamp of African American educator Booker T. Washington.
1951: The American Bowling Congress begins the first Masters Tournament.
1957: The last of New York City’s electric trolleys completes its final run.
1964: IBM announces the System/360 mainframe computer.
1968: Riots continue in over 100 U.S. cities following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
1983: The Space Transportation System (STS)-6 specialist Story Musgrave and Don Peterson perform the first STS spacewalk.
1990: Michael Milken pleads innocent to securities law violations.
Birthdays today include: Haym Salomon, Polish-born American broker who helped finance the American Revolution; William Wordsworth, English poet laureate; Will Keith Kellogg, American cereal manufacturer; John McGraw, Baseball Hall of Fame infielder/manager; Allen Foster Dulles, former CIA director; Walter Winchell, journalist; Percy Faith, composer and band leader (A Summer Place); singer Billie Holiday; actor Stanley Adams (Star Trek: “Cyrano Jones”); sitar master Ravi Shankar; actors James Garner and Wayne Rodgers; jazz great Victor Feldman; country singer Bobby Bare; former California Gov. Jerry Brown; TV host David Frost; film director Francis Ford Coppola; singer Janis Ian; actor Jackie Chan; and actor Russel Crowe.
Today’s your day as well? Have a great one.
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Time to turn away from my ranting on Islam that I’ve been doing for the last couple days, and turn my attention to more domestic matters. There’s a long-term and repeating pattern we should be observing.
First, let’s get the historical perspective by looking at Joe Biden’s approval numbers over his time as President. Between January and April of 2021, he managed around 55–57% approval, depending on which poll you were talking about. He supposedly won the election, you will recall, with around 51%. (For the record, I have my doubts about those numbers, but that’s the official record, so let’s just go with it for now.)
By the summer of that first year, his approval had dropped into the mid-40s. When 2022 rolled around, he dropped into the high 30s to low 40s, even dipping occasionally to around 31% in some polls. His approval stayed in the middle to high 30% range for the remainder of his time in office. With his election being so close to 50/50, it’s hard to argue that he didn’t lose a bunch of his own party along the way.
So, where’s the current example of this pattern? Well, at the moment, the closest parallel on the boards is, unsurprisingly, Virginia. Charles Creitz over at Fox Digital pointed out that, while freshly minted Gov. Abigail Spanberger is only three months into her term, the proverbial underwater level is just below her nose.
Forty-six percent of Virginians disapprove of her job performance, while 47% approve. Compared to Virginia governors from both sides of the aisle since 1994, Spanberger has the highest disapproval rating at this point in her term.
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George Mason University Policy & Government Dean Mark Rozell, a co-sponsor of the poll, told the Post that while some bit of political polarization is “baked in,” it was “unusual” to see such a result for Spanberger this early in her term after a campaign on a “centrist image.”
Astoundingly, there are 7% of Virginians who consider her too conservative. I can’t figure that one, either, other than to suggest it’s the Bernie Sanders wing of the party. I regard that as insignificant. There’s always the true believers, who in the end don’t move the needle at all, and I thank God for that.
Out here in the real world, Democrats in Virginia give her 80% approval, whereas Republicans in that state give her a 90% disapproval rating. (That 7% of true believers fits into the delta between 80% and 90% rather nicely)
Spanberger’s numbers and their similarity to Biden’s numbers while he was in office, particularly the sharp drop in both cases mere months out from election day, speak to me of Democrats being popular… until they get into office. That’s a 10% approval drop from Spanberger’s 58% win on election day. The similarity in the patterns is telling, I think. And again, I note there are a lot of Democrats in that disapproval figure.
(Note to self, for Eric’s Axioms part three: Nothing turns voters away from Democrats faster than Democrats in office.)
Reports are numerous on the subject of Spanberger’s polling numbers, and none of them are good. She has lost the independent voters, she’s seeing serious backlash to some of her immigration policy calls, she’s reaping serious anger over the redistricting push (which even some Democrats are seeing as a blatant attempt to gerrymander their party into power by overpowering voters in western Virginia), and only 31% believe her policies are improving the all-important affordability issues.
With her unusually weak position, the upcoming redistricting referendum vote Spanberger’s been pushing on April 21 should prove interesting at least. As should the election for her replacement, come 2030.
Thought of the day: A bank is a place that will lend you money… if you can prove you don’t need it. — Bob Hope
Take care, and remember there’s only 262 days until Christmas. I’ll see you on day 261.
Recommended: As If on Cue, There’s a New Royal PR Crisis Involving Islam
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