BSO: The Red Shift

What's in the water in the Northeast?

It was one week ago today that a dark cloud was lifted from our nation, and now a bright new future lies ahead. I can't wait for this dynamic crew to get to work in January!

Of course, Massachusetts was out of step with the rest of the nation. Yet, there was actually a very significant shift towards the Republican party in our state's election results. In fact, the Republican shift in Massachusetts was the second most dramatic in the nation.

Some of the Republican victories in Mass were quite historic, as in Fall River, which went for the GOP for the first time since 1924, when Northampton's Calvin Coolidge was elected president exactly 100 years ago.

Here in the Valley, Granville in Hampden County led the way with the highest Trump vote percentage at 61%. Wales, traditionally a GOP stronghold, was second with 60%. The lake town of Southwick was next with 59% and then Chester with 58%. The city of Palmer came through for Trump with a 55% win, as did the town of Hampden. Voters in Agawam and the increasingly right-leaning Ludlow gave the GOP 53% of their votes, while Trump was narrowly victorious in both Ware and Westfield with a 51% win. Trump also came in first in West Springfield, but without reaching fifty percent.

In down ballot races, the corrupt Democrat Party machines have pretty much destroyed democracy in our Valley, so it was no surprise that the stale, do-nothing cookie-cutter Democrats all won their seats, most without opposition. Happily, there were a few bright spots, such as Pease in Westfield and Boldyga is Southwick.

So how did Governor Healey respond to the voter stampede to the Right in her state?

She promised to do everything she can to block President Trump from removing any of the tens of thousands of illegal aliens that have invaded the state during the Biden/Harris years from any attempt to capture and deport them. Of course her saying that on national television means that all the illegals currently squatting in states that will encourage their removal now know they should flee to the Bay State, where Healey has assured them they will be safe.

I wonder how that will work out for Massachusetts in the coming year?

Sad but still true, Massachusetts in general, and the Pioneer Valley in particular, will never experience a real renaissance until a majority of our residents finally learn to vote a straight Republican ticket.

Northampton by night by Scott Coen.

Northampton by day by Jeff Ziff.

I'm surprised and somewhat dismayed to see that two downtown Hamp businesses, Shelbourne Falls Coffee and Mexcalito Tacos, have closed.

Mexcalito had great tacos, but their prices were high. Shelbourne Falls had the most expensive cup of coffee downtown, but it was a charming place to hang and I'm sorry to see it go. Word on the street is that they were driven out by rising rents, and if so, it wasn't the first time.

In any case, The Springfield Republican doesn't seem to be too impressed by the current downtown scene.