Sam Trenholme’s blog
Blue Tsunami
November 5, 2026
I discuss the blue tsunami. But first, a Chess mating puzzle.Chess puzzle
White is easily winning this game. Find how to end things with checkmate in only three moves. The solution is below.
The Blue Tsunami
As has been widely discussed in the news, Democrats have had incredible gains in Tuesday’s elections. Even Texas turned blue this election cycle, something not seen for decades. In fact, this 2024 → 2026 shift is the biggest two year shift with voters since the 1930s, with people voting some 17% more blue in 2026 than they did in 2024.
Republican Vice President JD Vance has an excellent summary of what happened. He says that ending the Iran war is important, reducing inflation is also important, as well as putting America first and reassessing our relationship with Israel. I generally agree with him; I have a friend who I was talking to the day before the election; she asked me who to vote for. I told her to vote straight Blue (Democrat) because the war on Iran was increasing gas prices, but to vote against the wealth tax, because that passing would destroy California’s economy.
This is definitely not a mandate for leftist “culture war” causes. Blue Washington state looks to be passing an initiative forbidding biological males on female sport teams, and liberal California looks to have voted against a wealth tax for billionaires. As Clinton said in 1992, “It’s the economy, stupid”. Indeed, Texas’s Democrat governor-elect doesn’t want a culture war. As it turns out, candidates endorsed by leftist Sanders did worse than candidates not endorsed by Sanders.
Point being, the Republicans went too far with an unwanted war in Iran. Democrats have a chance to hold on to power by giving voters what they want: That means improving the economy, not engaging in an unwanted culture war and not trying to make America a leftist state.
Mating puzzle solution
1. Bb5+! Kb6 2. Bxd4+ c5 3. Qxc5#