November 12, 2022

Salute Veterans, the Red Something, the French Model, Simple Salad & Gin Fizz

WTF Happened This Week?

A newsletter from Win the Future Strategies, LLC, on politics, policy & pairings (Food & Drink) Sign up today!

See below for:

1. what’s going on with us,

2. the top political stories we’re following,

3. the top policy and business developments we’re watching,

4. the recipe and drink of the week, and

5. the “WTF Moment of the Week"

Don’t hesitate to contact us with questions, comments, or content suggestions by visiting our website or by emailing us at Victory@wtfstrategies.com.

(1) Top WTF News

Happy Veterans Day! We are proud of the great men and women who have served America in uniform, including:

Brian's brother John, who won a bronze star in Operation Iraqi Freedom as an Army J.A.G. officer,
Brian's late grandfather Philip Golden who served in the Navy during WWII, and
Teresa's dad Julius "Bill" Davis, who served for over 20 years in the U.S. Army.

In our neck of the woods, ceremonies took place at Arlington National Ceremony and can be viewed online.

A special thank you to friends of WTF who stepped up to the plate in this year's midterms:

Several of our friends had the courage to run for office this year and will now be members of congress. Some ran terrific races but came up short in the end.
Dozens of other friends are on the staffs of members and soon-to-be members of the House and Senate, and will be serving on the Hill come January--from House leadership to the Senate chamber across the rotunda.
We are happy for you and your success and grateful for your willingness to serve. It is a brutal business, and you are courageous for stepping forward.

The Book "Tour" Rolls On: We’re continuing to promote our new book, Vignettes & Vino: Dinner Table Stories from the Trump White House with Recipes and Cocktail Pairings!

The Jeff Poor Show: Brian spoke with Jeff Poor on FM Talk 1065.

The Clay and Buck Show: We attended election night festivities hosted by Clay Travis and Buck Sexton at the iHeartRadio studios in Nashville where we took photos, met many interesting people, and recorded reaction videos for the show while promoting the book.

(2) Top Political News of the Week

Red Something

Republicans are poised to take control of the House of Representatives in January, though by a smaller margin than polls led us to believe.

According to the count by Real Clear Politics, an astounding nearly 30 seats remain to be called, but the GOP has picked up 9 thus far and remains on pace to win several more than the 218 required for the majority.
Kevin McCarthy may have to fend off a challenge from his right flank in order to land the plane on a very narrow runway to take the Speaker's gavel. Unless an alternative emerges who could win approval in conference and on the floor, it is still McCarthy's to lose.

The Senate remains up for grabs.

We--and recent polls--were wrong about Pennsylvania because John Fetterman defeated Dr. Oz.
Georgia is indeed going to a runoff on December 6 between Sen. Warnock and challenger Herschel Walker.
Nevada is trending in Adam Laxalt's direction but remains uncalled.
Arizona remains uncalled. Democrat Sen. Mark Kelly has a lead over Republican Blake Masters with over 75 percent reporting thus far. Democrat Katie Hobbs has a narrower lead over Republican Kari Lake for governor. The counting continues.

The takeaways:

Georgia [is always] On My Mind: If current trends hold, the Georgia runoff will--AGAIN--decide control of the U.S. Senate. (Note: If Masters comes back to win Arizona, the GOP will not need Georgia to win the majority.)
The House Majority is a big deal: That means Republican staff is about to double, and the Democrat staff is about to be cut in half.

GOP leadership will determine the floor agenda and who wields subpoena power for the next two years.
Out: J6. In: Hunter, Fauci, Border, FBI/DOJ, China & Covid, and much more.

(3) Top Policy & Business News of the Week

Crypto's FTX House of Cards

Democratic mega-donor Sam Bankman-Fried saw much of his multi-billion-dollar fortune evaporate this week after revelations that his crypto exchange FTX could not meet consumer withdrawal demands.

Takeaways:

Dead legislation walking: Before this event occurred, there was hope for a bipartisan bill in the lame duck session that would have granted regulatory authority over the industry to the CFTC. Now, lawmakers are requesting information regarding this case.
The SEC: is already circling the proverbial carcass, along with the Justice Department, to investigate and assert its jurisdiction over the industry.

Business & National Security

Musk CFIUS Probe? The Biden Administration's position on whether Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter should be examined by CFIUS for national security risks is about as clear as mud following a question at the president's press conference.

Biden responded that Musk's ownership, also involving foreign governments including the Saudis, was "worthy of being looked at." The comments came after Musk promised more free speech on the platform.
Typically, CFIUS examines transactions involving foreign interests for national security risks.
Also typically, U.S. government officials do not comment on specific transactions because the process is confidential--otherwise no one would file voluntarily, which is a significant portion of the program!
This explains why Biden, Jake Sullivan, and Karine Jean-Pierre have had a difficult time removing the proverbial foot from the mouth.

(4) Recipe & Drink Pairing of the Week

Simple Salad & Gin Fizz

(Another favorite from Vignettes & Vino)

To Eat: Simple Salad (Dressing)

This dressing is healthy and perfectly balanced, and can go with pretty much any salad. There’s a detoxifying factor to it as well due to the apple cider vinegar, so it will make you feel like a better person!

Makes About 1/2 Cup

1 garlic clove, crushed

2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

Juice from 1 lemon

2 Tbsp. honey

Salt and pepper to taste

Whisk together all the ingredients except the honey. Then add in the honey. Whisk again until emulsified. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve over any salad mixture of your choice.

We prefer this combination, mixed in a bowl:

Romaine lettuce

Baby arugula

Shredded carrots

Cherry tomatoes

Cucumber slices

Sliced almonds

Pomegranate seeds

It will leave you feeling refreshed and ready to tackle any challenge.

To Drink: Gin Fizz

This is a light and refreshing drink that goes with nearly anything, so it seems like a natural pairing for a salad.

2 oz. gin

½ oz. simple syrup

½ oz. lemon juice

1 to 2 oz. soda water (seltzer)

1 egg white (optional)

1 lemon twist (optional, for garnish)

If you want to make this cocktail the simple way, without an egg white, then pour all the other ingredients over ice, stir, and enjoy. If you want to make it the way a fancy cocktail bar would, then put the gin, simple syrup, lemon juice, and egg white in a shaker with ice and shake it thoroughly for a good 15 to 30 seconds. Then pour the frothy mix into a glass, top with the soda water, stir gently, and put a lemon twist on the rim for garnish.

(5) WTF Moment of the Week

France is right?: After days of waiting and counting, we still do not know who won dozens of critical races. How is this possible in the world's greatest democracy? It's embarrassing.

How we vote matters:

Statistically speaking, far more Democratic voters use early and mail-in options than Republican voters, who show up more often on election day.
In our view, in 2020 and 2022, Republicans gained momentum later in certain races, well after mail-in voting periods began.
In 2020, in the presidential election, it was after the Hunter Biden story broke.
In 2022, for example in Pennsylvania, Dr. Oz gained momentum after his (very late) debate against John Fetterman.
In both instances, information that became available to voters later in the contests might have changed minds.

The French Model: We once again have races across the country taking days and weeks to tabulate while other countries know the results almost immediately.

Notwithstanding the convenience of early and mail voting, which we absolutely appreciate, wouldn't it be nice to have immediate, trust-worthy results with all relevant information considered by voters?
France does, and why is that? They vote in-person, on election day, on a paper ballot, with a photo ID. What a concept!

As always, you can reach us by visiting www.winthefuturestrategies.com or by emailing us at Victory@wtfstrategies.com. Have a great week!

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