thependulumswings

Author: thependulumswings staff

Strange Bedfellows Indeed.

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

In the fall of 1992, some 26 years ago, The Cosby Show created by Bill Cosby ended an incredible eight year run.  It spent five years as the number one rated television show.  Bill Cosby starred in it too as Dr. Cliff Huxtable, nicknamed  the “Greatest Television Dad.”

In the fall of 1996, some 22 years ago, one Eldrick Woods(call him Tiger) “created” on the golf course by his father began an incredible run on the PGA tour.  He spent five straight years from 2005 till 2010 as the number one ranked golfer in the world.  TV ratings for golf doubled on the weekends he was in contention for any ol tournament and tripled if it was a major.

In the fall of 1998, a 33-year-old partner, and rising star in the law firm Kirkland and Ellis named one Brett Kavanaugh, left to join Kenneth Starr as Associate Council in the office of Independent Council.  Kavanaugh was a principal author of the Starr Report to Congress, released in September 1998, on the Monica Lewinsky–Bill Clinton sex scandal.

Now fast forward to on goings in this week.

Disgraced

A now 81-year-old Bill Cosby was sentenced to no less than three years and up to 10 in the Pennsylvania state prison system.  He was convicted of drugging and sexually assaulting a then Temple women’s basketball coach in 2004.  He was deemed a “sexually violent predator” by the presiding judge.   Over 60 women came forward in the last many years to publicly accuse Cosby of one assault or another.  The statue of limitations expired on 59 of them.

A now 42-year-old Tiger Woods completed a journey that has him back on top of the golf world.  He won the final PGA tour event and was welcomed on the Ryder Cup team.

Comeback Complete

His fall from the top started on Thanksgiving night 2009 when his texts to a mistress was discovered by his then wife.  His fall from grace included no less than 11 women coming forward with tawdry tales of their trysts with Tiger.  Rehab for sexual addiction was followed by a loud divorce.   His confidence was shaken and his invincibility taken.  Severe back troubles led to multiple surgeries and a long physical rehab.  A detour on the rehab road came when he was arrested for DUI.  Blood tests found a medicine cabinet and a trace of marijuana in his system.

The Whole Truth

A now 53-year-old Brett Kavanaugh sits very close to a seat on the US Supreme Court.  His ascension to the door step of the number one court in the land via various higher level judge appointments makes for one impressive resume’.  However the star of the Starr report about Clinton’s sexual scandal must sit patiently as a star witness, Dr Christine B. Ford, testifies about her recollection of an alcohol infused supposed sex scandal of his own.   He then gets his turn to testify.  She contends that a then 17-year-old Kavanaugh sexually assaulted and may have even attempted to rape her at a party in 1982.

Cosby’s legacy is rightfully in ruins.  Tiger’s rebound is rejoiced.   What is Judge Kavanaugh’s future?

The Cosby Show was a sitcom that coined TV ratings gold.   Tiger’s aura is a reality sports show that coins TV ratings gold.  Tomorrow’s Senate Judiciary Committee testimony will be a reality TV show that no sitcom writer would dream to write.

The Cosby Show ended each week to the tune of “Kiss Me.”  Trust me.  How will tomorrow end?

It would take an insanely accomplished, confident producer in Hollywood to sell this script.  Image result for pictures of harvey weinsteinSomeone like Harvey Weinstein.

 

 

 

MLB is a Numbers Game. Catch the Fever.

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Do you remember the old MLB slogan?   It was “Baseball Fever.  Catch It!”  As the leaves are turning this Fall 2018 if you don’t like what’s going on in the MLB as it heads to the season’s final games on Sunday, you might not ever catch the fever.  More than a few numbers below explain how, after 157 of 162 games per team this year, much and little has been decided.  It’s a tale of two leagues.

In the American League the Boston Red Sox have clinched the best regular season record giving them the home field advantage as long as they are in the playoffs.  They could win 111 games.  Fear the boys from Beantown.

The defending World Series Champion Houston Astros clinched their division and won their 100th game last evening.  They became the first team since the Oakland A’s in 1990 to have a triple digit win season the year after their WS win.  Unless Correa, Springer, and Altuve kick it up a notch (thanks Emeril!) in the postseason they will go only as far as their league ERA low pitching will carry them.

Speaking of the Money Ball (thanks Brad Pitt!) A’s, they now have 95 wins and counting this year.  That’s the most wins by a team owning the lowest opening day payroll in MLB in the last 30 seasons.   Their reward for this productivity per dollar spent is very likely to travel to the city that never sleeps (thanks Frank!) to face the New York Yankees.  The Bronx Bombers have spent huge at 180 million to the A’s frugal 80 million.  In a one game wild card match up the A’s have a punchers chance to  continue to defy the baseball gods.

Then there is Cleveland.  There they quietly sit by the lake the city was founded on.   The Indians have a starting pitching staff that is very dangerous in a first round, five game max, divisional playoff.  They’ll have to win one in Houston to win three of five. They certainly can.   Houston has only been above average at home, but excellent on the road.  Coin flip anyone?

And, then there are the Tampa Rays, winners of not less than 87 games.  They’ll sit home this post season.  They have tons of young players yet finished 20-9 at home v. the five playoff teams and were only eliminated officially a couple of days back.  They are very deserving of an honorable mention.

And to think the AL was called the Junior League for many, many years.

Meanwhile over on the Senior Circuit as it was called for many, many years, the National League is filled with drama.

Atlanta has clinched their division but will not have home field past round one.  They are an exciting team to watch.  They are young and they play aggressive and loose.  That’s a good combination.  It might be a year too soon for this team that gutted their organization, a la the Astros five years ago, to stash draft picks and prospects.  The payoff is coming soon however.

Now to the quagmire.  Five other teams will fill the remaining four playoff spots available in the next five days.  The possibilites are far too great to list.  The Cubs, Brewers, Dodgers, Rockies, and Cardinals (in that order of win/loss percentage) are separated by just a game or two.  One of Chicago and Milwaukee is in as the division winner.  One of Los Angeles and Colorado is as well.  Going into last night there was even a scenario that four of these five could end with identical records.   Try untying that pretzel.

On paper (a too often used term that never pans out) the Dodgers and the Cubs have the bigger payroll that usually equates to the better talent.  Usually.  It hasn’t yet distinguished itself.  Expected the unexpected.

The Rockies and Brewers are sneaky good.  Just a hunch.

Are you feeling warm on your forehead yet?  Did all of the numbers make you dizzy? You caught the fever.  Take it easy in your recovery.  Recline in your La-Z-Boy and watch it all unfold.

 

 

 

 

 

There are Stiff Arms and There Was This Last Night.

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It’s amazing that great athletes can sometimes flat-out rag doll other great athletes.  Last night on MNF Tampa Bay fell back towards reality.  Pittsburgh went on the road, and got a much-needed win.  This seventy-five yard play that included a catch, run, STIFF arm, and run for a touchdown ignited the Steelers’ sideline and changed the momentum of the game.

No One Out Pizzas The Hut. Or Do They?

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

Do you like pizza?  Of course you do.  Pizza is as American as hot dogs, apple pie, and Chevrolet.  Sales have been growing like a rising crust for nearly three decades as more companies found more ways to serve you a pie.  Except one.  Pizza Hut.

Pizza Hut has been the king of the biz.   It’s been the number one market share pizza company for decades.  Long live the king.  Below is how the American scoreboard tallied entering 2017.

  1. Pizza Hut – $5.8 billion in total sales
  2. Domino’s – $5.3 billion
  3. Little Caesars Pizza – $3.7 billion
  4. Papa John’s Pizza – $2.9 billion
  5. Chuck E. Cheese’s – $885.2 million
  6. Papa Murphy’s Take ‘N’ Bake Pizza – $884.8 million
  7. California Pizza Kitchen – $657.4 million
  8. Marco’s Pizza – $488.9 million
  9. Cicis – $449.7 million
  10. Round Table Pizza – $442.6 million

In 2017 that long reign ended.  Domino’s took over as the market share leader late in 2017.  Domino’s slice of the U.S. pie is now estimated at 14.2% to Pizza Hut’s 14.1%.

A quick 23 years ago, in 1995, Pizza Hut had 25% of the fast food pizza market, compared to Domino’s 11% and Papa John’s 2.2%.  

Regardless of the category those who see the need and introduce the category (as well as their products to service that need) usually maintain a stranglehold on the number one position.   Or, sometimes the category grows so much, they might be in a dogfight to keep it, but their sales are growing rapidly side by side others.  The Coca Cola Co. and Pepsi Co. fit that description.

But not Pizza Hut.  How they have allowed their dominate market share position to fall this far is worth an entire semester of a business graduate school’s attention.

Making a pizza from scratch is a lot like running a company.  A good dough forms a great crust as a base.  Pizza Hut thought they were in the retail store pizza business.  Domino’s decided that they could advertise nationally and deliver locally. Image result for pictures of dominos delivery Papa John’s followed that recipe shortly thereafter.  Pizza Hut had stores coast to coast before the first Domino’s delivered.   So much for a great base.  Pizza Hut failed to realize that they were in the pizza business not the retail store business.  Consumers evolve.  A Pizza Hut pizza and a movie at the theater became Domino’s at your door and a flat screen TV in your den.

What toppings would you like?  These are the features and benefits of your brand.   For your toppings you might like fast delivery of a warm pizza that you can order from Al Gore’s internet at a great price.  Fast, warm, internet, and price.  Sounds simple doesn’t it?  Actually if you listen carefully to consumers, it is.

Marianne Radley took over as Pizza Hut’s Brand Manager position last year.   One of her comments follows.

“Some of the focus, she says, should be on improving the company’s use of data and consumer insights, and how it interacts with patrons. “We’re a company that’s stuck in a transaction mindset, and we need to pivot to a customer lifetime mindset,” says Radley.

Another approach that may please consumers is finding their favorite brand/style of pizza in the frozen food section of their grocery store.  But, there is no Hut inside the freezer either.  Whataburger, a burgeoning retail store hamburger chain based in Texas, has their brand name mustard, spicy mayo, ketchup, and frozen fries in a large grocery chain that trades in similar markets.  Why not?  It’s but one example of extending your reach.  PF. Chang’s has frozen meals in there as well.  There are many others.

And finally, and quite importantly, there is who you are in the eyes of your customer or your potential consumer.  Ms. Radley lays out the multiple missteps of the brand’s marketing in this Ad Age article quite well.  In it she states that Pizza Hut is actively looking for their sixth agency in about a dozen years.

She also wants to keep the current tag line, “No One Out Pizzas The Hut.”  There is just one problem.  Currently everyone does.

 

 

Ten Piece Nuggets CFB

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

Four weeks into the 2018 CFB season some interesting trends have begun to emerge.   There are also some conference nuggets to digest.  Let’s kickoff.

  1.  In the previous three weeks we have asked if everyone is playing for second.  Bama is playing like no one else when you consider 16 quarters of football in their portfolio.  Well, Vegas certainly agrees.  The Golden Nugget out there has the following odds on Bama v. the top four opponents should they meet in the playoffs.  THE Ohio St is +10, Georgia is +11, Clemson +12, and Oklahoma +17.  Jeez.
  2. Old Dominion beat Virginia Tech after Va Tech looked pretty darn good beating Florida St.  24-3 and dismantling William and Mary 62-17.   Wow is the word.  The week off due to the East Carolina postponement as Florence wobbled did Va Tech no good.
  3. Boston College, after a solid-looking start to their season,  got pushed around by then 0-3, now 1-3 Purdue.  Meanwhile Duke came in at #22 in the just released AP poll after it took care of business to move to 4-0 with a 55-13 shellacking of NC Central.
  4. So, where does this leave the ACC?  It leaves them with Clemson at # 3 and Duke in the top 25.   Clemson aside, the ACC looks like a cross between a train wreck and a dumpster fire.  It also leaves Clemson in a must win situation it seems.   Duke is the only ranked opponent for them from now until any possible ACC championship opponent.  A loss against a non-ranked opponent would open the door  for other conferences to get into the playoffs and leave the ACC at home.
  5.  Kentucky entered the top 25 all the way up at #16 after a surprising and thorough working of the Bulldogs of Mississippi St.   The last time Kentucky was in the top 25 was 2007.  The Dow was 13,700 then.  It went on a rollercoaster down to just under 7000 by March of 2009.  Today it stands well over 26,000.  It’s been a long, bumpy road back for the index and the Wildcats.  Are you buying or selling the Wildcats now?
  6.  We’re buying Benny Snell, the Kentucky running back extraordinaire.  He might need to stop by New York in December to pick up some Heisman hardware before he’s drafted early next April.   He’s only a dark horse right now, but winning in the SEC changes that status by the week.  Saturday he produced 165 yards running on 25 carries against a front seven that is very good.  He crossed the goal line four times too.
  7.  Oklahoma almost pulled off their annual Oklahoma melt moment Saturday.  Army, yes Army, extended them to overtime before the Sooners prevailed 28-21.  The phrase “stats are for losers” comes to mind when you realize that  Army ran 81 plays to Oklahoma’s paltry 26.   The time of possession favored Army by nearly 45 minutes to a very frugal 15.  The Sooners have to be better on defense to be considered an elite team.  And, the sooner the better is recommended with Big 12 foes and wide open offenses headed their way in the next two months.
  8. Tom Herman told us that his team was way better in 2018 than 2017.  He said this in the post game press conference after losing to Maryland in the season opener.  We chuckled.  Maybe Tom is about to get the last laugh.   The Longhorns sent TCU back to Fort Worth after their rather convincing win. He has the attention of the fickle Texas faithful. Football is fun again in the Lone Star capital.
  9.  Two big games with significant national implications will get our attention this Saturday.    It’s Penn St. hosting THE Ohio St., while Notre Dame hosts Stanford.  That’s four top 10 unbeatens that will be cut down to two by nightfall.
  10. Some early lines are out.  Syracuse (4-0) travels to Clemson and gets no Vegas respect at +22.  Florida and Dan Mullen travel to Mississippi St. and get no Vegas respect at +7.5.  THE is -4 at Penn St.  And, ND is favored by 5 in South Bend over Stanford.  LSU is -13.5 over Mississippi in BR town.  Mississippi can score some points.  We like Florida and Mississippi.
  11. One leftover nugget.   Scott Frost your team didn’t show up Saturday to play in Ann Arbor.   It was 39-0 before the half and 56-10 at the final gun.  At least the leaves are changing in Lincoln this fall.   The Cornhuskers are 0-3.

I’ll Have a Cuban Sandwich Please.

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

If you’re a foodie you love trying new restaurants, menus, dishes, or recipes.  The hard-working staff here at boomboomsroom.com loves to try out new takes on food as well.   Working well into last evening we decided to take a stab on Al Gore’s internet for just that.

What popped up in Google Search trending right there at the top?  Wow, a new take on an old favorite did-the Cuban Sandwich.

The prep went as follows.

  1. Toast bread till burned by your subordinates.  Ignore coworkers cries for a better toaster.  In fact, ignore them for 10 years or so.
  2. Pile on a bunch of baloney to cover up how poor your leadership is/was.  While layering on the baloney say things like….“I’m just sorry I didn’t see. I’m just sorry I didn’t recognize it. I just hope that out of this we’ll be better and we can avoid it and we can help make everybody just smarter about the whole thing.”
  3. Add a sliced ghost pepper.  “If I was in our business office five times in 15 years, that was a lot. It’s embarrassing to say there were people who I just hadn’t met and hadn’t talked to.”
  4.  Top generously with pungent cheese.  “Yeah, obviously that’s a huge mistake on my part. I was under the impression that, the first issue, the pornography was resolved. And obviously it wasn’t.”
  5.  Slather with the mustard that you cannot cut.  “I didn’t know and I don’t have an explanation. I can give you lots of reasons but they don’t matter. What matters is it was my responsibility, it didn’t happen and I have to be accountable for it.” 
  6. Season(tickets) to taste with salt extracted from alligator tears.

Cost of the sandwich is a mere 10 million dollars.  What a small price to pay for over a dozen years of creating a workplace that went unchecked on domestic violence, sexual harassment, and sexual assault.

It’s good to know that money and a lot of “I’m really sorry(s)” can keep you in the NBA I guess.  Well, that is unless your name is Donald Sterling.  The food he served was sooooooooo bad that he paid 2.5 million and got a lifetime NBA ban.

Meanwhile, in NY, Adam Silver is in the drive through in his Rolls Royce.   Yes, sir, can I help you?   Yes, I would like to order that new Cuban sandwich.  Sure, is that all?  Yes.   Okay, your total is 10 million at the second window.

 

 

 

Lefty and Shorty Discuss All That Is the NFL.

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Last evening Lefty and Shorty were all but ready to close the Gulf Station.   Mosquitoes were everywhere and cars were no where to be found. Lefty- Why do we stay open until midnight?  Shorty-So that you and I can discuss the NFL.

Lefty sat to the left of Shorty.  Imagine that.  Shorty sat on the shorter of the two “halves” of the 55 gallon drum. Imagine that.  Each were cut down to size and retrofitted with a soft cushion top.

Lefty- New England has won more games and Super Bowls than anyone else, why can’t Tom Brady and Bill Belicheck get along? Shorty-They’ve worked together for 18 years.  That’s a long time.  I’m tired of working with your sorry butt after ten.

Lefty-Yes, but Tom Brady is the greatest ever.  Shorty- Tom Brady has had the most favorable rule changes to protect the statue of a QB that he is ever imagined.  Different eras are very hard to compare.  Only one thing is for certain.  No one cleans windshields like us anymore, no one.

Lefty- Well Bill Belicheck doesn’t appreciate him enough.  Shorty- So said my ex-wife and every wife to her husband since Y A Title completed his first forward pass.

Lefty- What rule changes?  Shorty- You cannot tackle the QB anymore.  He sits back fearlessly scouring the options to throw to.    It’s a pass first league.  It’s a mismatch WR or a Gronk TE type in space versus a DB who cannot cover.  It would be like me watching you having to defend Lebron.

Lefty- Is that why so many pass interference calls are made?  Shorty-Pass interference is the most punitive flag thrown.  It’s worse than forgetting the oil pan when changing the oil.

Lefty-Well at least there are a few new exciting teams this year.  Shorty- There are every year.  The game is built like NASCAR cars.  If you have a losing record in the prior year your schedule the next is easier.  Your draft position is higher.  You cherry picked good free agents from good teams.  Everything is designed to have all cars on the last lap with a chance to win.   Unless you get a nail in your tire you have a chance.

Lefty- Well wasn’t that crazy that Vontae Davis flat quit on his team and retired at halftime?  Have you ever seen anything like that?  Shorty-It reminds me of when we are tuning an engine together and you see the food truck pull up.

Lefty-Want to pick a game to bet against each other this week?  Shorty- Sure, I’ll take DA Bears minus five over the low flying Cardinals.  Lefty-Deal.

Lefty- And this time if I lose I promise to pay up.  Shorty- If you don’t you’ll need to enter the NFL concussion protocol.

Lefty- See you tomorrow Shorty.  Shorty- Unfortunately.

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Urban’s Intent Not Taken Out Of (Con)Texts.

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Well, well.  A Wall Street journal follow up story on the legend that Urban Meyer is has found that the esteemed panel that led the investigation into his actions decided to not attempt to recover deleted text messages.  The deleted texts that might have made a difference in discovery were wiped from AD Gene Smith’s phone.  Smith stated that he always deletes texts after sending or receiving them.  The texts of Urban Meyer were deleted at some point in the past too.  Urban is said to have asked a university employee how to delete texts just as the controversy festered.

Deleted texts are recoverable just like deleted emails are and deleted IP address searches are as well.  It only takes time and some forensic effort.  Time-hmmm.  Maybe that would have kept Urban on the sidelines of the sidelines for too long.

If the convened panel was convened to make THE Ohio St University look like they really cared about the matter it failed nearly as badly as Coach Urban Meyer did in his duties, denials, and cover up.

A Feather in One’s Cap.

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For a deed or job well done you may have heard your mom, a mentor, or a “report to” of yours applaud your work.  Perhaps you have been told to “put a feather in your cap.”  High praise indeed that feather is.  It’s a make-believe symbol of honor and achievement.  Or, way back when people did add a feather to one’s head wear.

But what is the origin of such a phrase? Well, as it is with many old school or old world expressions, that is a subject of some debate.

Way back in 1599 an English writer and traveler Richard Hansard noted that Hungarians should only wear a feather in their cap if they had killed a Turk.  The more feathers in your hat the more dead Turks.

The Native American tradition of adding a feather to the head-dress of any warrior for his bravery is well-known and well documented.

However, if you though as an American child it was a cool thing to recite/sing Yankee Doodle it may not have been after all.

Yankee Doodle went to town
A-riding on a pony,
Stuck a feather in his cap
And called it macaroni’.

It turns out that the word Yankee was used by the Brits to describe the naive or inexperienced.  Doodle was a “polite” way of inferring dumb or simpleton.  Simpletons were also called noodles.  Macaroni was slang for a dandy or fop.  A dandy or fop was how someone who paid far more attention to their appearance than to their substance was known.  That is, just by putting a feather in your cap doesn’t yet make you accomplished at the task at hand.

In short London mocked the revolutionary militia from day one of the uprising.  I guess the Ugly Americans got the last laugh.

As the late Paul Harvey would bellow,  “and now you know the rest of the story.”

 

Has Anything Really Changed?

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The year was 1991.  The accuser was Anita Hill.  The nomination of Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas hung in the balance.  The accusation was that Mr. Thomas, then head of the EEOC, sexually harassed Ms. Hill, then a subordinate of the now Supreme Court Judge Clarence Thomas.  The drama of her and his testimony in the Senate Judiciary Committee room nearly sucked the oxygen out of the room.

The year is 2018.  The accuser is Christine Blasey Ford.  The nomination of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh hangs in the balance.  The accusation is that Mr. Kavanaugh, then a seventeen year old teenager, sexually harassed Ms. Ford, then a fifteen year old teenager at a party.  The drama of her testimony and his testimony in the Senate Judiciary Committee room as early as next week will suck the oxygen out of the room.

This allegation, that seeped out of Senator Diane Feinstein’s office over the weekend, smelled strongly of partisan politics.  Why wait till now?  Thirty two hours of testimony, Ms. Feinstein’s questions on many areas included, had concluded over a week prior.

Yesterday a Republican push to converse via phone with the accuser and the accused, deemed by the Democrats as an attempt at rubber stamping , lost momentum when a few Republican Senators expressed deeper concern.  By late afternoon President Trump stated the following.

“He is somebody very special; at the same time, we want to go through a process, we want to make sure everything is perfect, everything is just right,” Mr. Trump told reporters at the White House. “If it takes a little delay, it will take a little delay — it shouldn’t certainly be very much.”

By nightfall the parties agreed to testify under oath one proclaiming his steadfast innocence and the other proclaiming steadfastly that her memory of the events that included a third person in said room were correct.

Predictably those in favor of his nomination quickly defended the honor of His Honor.   Those opposed yelled nay.

Back then the battle lines were drawn.  The Anita Hill hearings were in a different era.  Bill Clinton wasn’t President Bill Clinton yet.  Numerous allegations of his dalliances in Little Rock, AR. did little to derail his candidacy and eventual election.  Based on the evidence we can conclude that Bill Clinton was no saint.

Now, the battle lines are drawn.  Or, maybe the era isn’t so different.  Donald Trump wasn’t President Donald Trump two years ago.  Numerous allegations of his dalliances and mistreatment of women did little to derail his candidacy and eventual election.  Based on the evidence we can conclude that Donald Trump is no saint.

The court of public opinion put both presidents in office.

The opinion of 52 senators (41 Republicans and 11 Democrats) out of 100 in 1991 put Thomas on the Supreme Court.  The opinion of 100 senators will either eventually confirm Judge Kavanaugh or not.   The current Senate has 51 Republicans and 49 Democrats (two of whom claim to be independents).

Given how polarized this country is its probable that 51 senators (likely every Republican) will vote yes, while 49 senators (likely every Democrat) will vote no.  It would take something quite substantive to sway that.  He said and she said is what Thomas said and Hill said.

Then they will fly home and campaign in their state’s  November midterm election(33 races) or to their colleagues home state to offer support.  They’ll tell their constituents that they did the right thing.  And, they’ll tell them that they need the votes to continue the fight.  Oh, and some support money wouldn’t hurt either.

Maybe nothing has changed.  Or, maybe we are even further divided.