Today is Sunday, January 14, 2024.     We are on the eve of 2024’s first presidential primary and it’s in Iowa.     And who knows what the results of that first contest will be, given the bitter forecast for the Hawkeye State tomorrow.  There is one good sign in a recent poll of Nikki Haley’s supporters that uncovered that almost half of those supporters would prefer to vote for President Joe Biden rather than the former president if the latter were the GOP nominee.   This is reported in an online Benzinger article by Benzinger Neuro entitled “Poll Shows Half of Haley Supporters in Iowa Show Surprising Preference for Joe Biden over Donald Trump.” This can only be looked at positively so early into the 2024 presidential race. 

An ABC/Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll displayed that 43 percent of Haley supporters in Iowa are willing to cross party lines and vote for Biden over Trump, as reported by The Hill on Thursday.  Furthermore, 23 percent conveyed they would vote for Trump, and 8 percent stated they would back independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. 

The poll also examined the views of likely GOP caucusgoers regarding Chump’s legal challenges.    A whopping seventy-four percent believe that Chump could win a general election despite his legal woes, whereas 23 percent thought his chances against Biden would be nearly impossible.   Among Haley’s supporters, 54 percent doubted Frump’s chances, while 42 percent believed he could win. 

The bitterly cold weather could hurt Haley, according to Selzer, who said in the event of a low turnout, “a disproportionate share of her supporters might stay home.”  

In this context, the recent poll revealing a significant jump for Haley to second place in the GOP field in Iowa, as reported by a Benzinger article, becomes crucial. 

So let’s see what happens in Iowa tomorrow.  I’m already cringing in my boots as to what the results could be for the GOP frontrunner. 

It was cold here today:  the temperature now is a chilly 27 degrees Fahrenheit.   

We had a very nice afternoon interacting with our adopted “niece” “Esther” who was scheduled to come around 2 to see Atticus for the first time.   Actually, it’s expected to be colder tomorrow – only 32 degrees is the forecasted high.   I’ll need to wear layers tomorrow, definitely.  

So Esther did arrive a little after 2 and she bonded immediately with Atticus.  For several minutes, she played with Atticus with Jocelyn’s old fish toy.  Now the fish doesn’t flop back and forth anymore, but Atticus enjoyed it all the same.  Esther got Atticus’s attention right away and he appeared to enjoy himself very much. 

We then drove to Diner Bar, in Rego Park, where we had a lovely brunch.  What was lovelier was the quality time we spent with Esther.   We left the restaurant after 3:30 and we were almost bowled over by the powerful wind.     That’s how cold it was today.

The little scamp is up right now and just walked all over the keyboard as I was typing.    I had to delete some of the squiggles that he accidentally typed with his paws.   Last night, he came up to me and almost relieved me of my cashews.   He nearly took a cashew out of the bag; I had to take it away from him.  Who ever heard of a cat that likes nuts?   Actually, when I prepared a toasted bagel with peanut butter, he approached the food item the same way as the cashew last night:   with extreme interest.   I had to take away the bagel from him as well.   He’s sitting on the couch right now, which is a relief to me. 

Try to stay warm during the week, which is going to be a cold one.

Stay safe and be well.