GAZA LATEST, AS OF EARLY SUNDAY MORNING, ET:  The New York Times is running with a report that Israel's incursion into Gaza has been delayed for a few days because of bad weather.

I wouldn't be surprised if there were a brief delay, but the reason given sounds a bit ridiculous.  The IDF, after all, has heard of rain and clouds.  A more logical reason for delay would be to give residents of north Gaza further time to escape to the south.  We're monitoring all this.

REPUBLICAN VICTORY:  Even amidst the war news, American political actions move forward.  We do not cancel elections.  Now we have an important off-year gubernatorial election won decisively by a Republican.  From Breitbart: 

Republican Jeff Landry won a landslide election on Saturday to flip the Louisiana governor’s mansion red in one of three main gubernatorial elections this year, shocking political observers with a victory that saves him the trouble of having to face a Democrat in a November runoff.

Landry defeated Democrat Shawn Wilson and the rest of the field in Louisiana’s gubernatorial election, winning about 52 percent of the vote. In Louisiana, governor elections are first open to a full field of all candidates from either party in what is known as a jungle primary—and then the two top vote-getters generally advance to a runoff a month later. But if a candidate gets more than 50 percent of the vote, as Landry did here, they can win outright on jungle primary day.

Many were expecting Landry, the clear and convincing frontrunner who has been the Attorney General of Louisiana for many years after a stint in Congress, to easily advance to the runoff and face Wilson in November. But his overwhelmingly strong performance on Saturday put him above majority support as the Associated Press called the race with him easily north of the 50 percent mark, meaning Landry will be the next governor of Louisiana.

COMMENT:  We hope this represents the pattern for things to come.  In November both Kentucky and Mississippi elect governors.  Kentucky is tough for Republicans because of a popular Democratic governor.  Mississippi should be easier.

Also watch Virginia.  Republicans, who already control the lower house of the legislature, will be trying to flip the upper house, the state Senate.  The legislative race could have national implications because Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin is considered by many to be a potential 2024 presidential candidate.  If his party does well this November, it clearly helps him.

October 15, 2023