OPEN THREAD: Woke up on this groovy Tuesday.

MY LATEST SUBSTACK ESSAY: A Nation, Not A Side Quest. We’re lucky to have Elon to help save us, but let’s turn America into a nation that doesn’t need saving.

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DON’T GET COCKY: The Democratic Party Is Collapsing. “If you have had difficulty finding some reason to support the Democratic Party and its increasingly bizarre policy positions, you are not alone. Two national polls released on Sunday reveal that the party’s favorability ratings have plunged to catastrophic lows. According to a new NBC News survey, just 27 percent of registered voters hold a positive view of the Democratic Party — its lowest rating since 1990. Likewise, a new CNN poll indicates that only 29 percent of U.S. adults regard the party favorably — a low not seen since 1992. These two polls confirm an equally ominous Quinnipiac survey conducted last month. Both surveys clearly illuminate why the public harbors such a low opinion of the Democrats, and why this is very unlikely to change.”

I should note that Bill Clinton took the White House two years after that previous 27 percent low. I don’t think the Democrats have another Bill Clinton waiting in the wings. Gavin Newsom seems to be traversing in that direction, but his track record is too damning, and he comes across as a bit creepy and unlikable. The Democrats’ male Meghan Markle.

THEY’RE ALL GOING CRAZY AT ONCE.

Related:

VINDICATION FOR TWO IRS WHISTLEBLOWERS: They blew the whistle on how the IRS and Justice Department were taking care of Hunter Biden. Their reward? Isolation, denigration, defamation, and much more, all of it debilitating. But now these two brave guys are being promoted to positions that enable them to have a major say in the reorganization of the tax agency. It’s a step toward justice.

YES, THE THEFT IS THE LEAST OF IT:

I’M PRETTY SURE THAT MEANS THAT IT IS A WIN: China’s Xi Is Angered by Panama Port Deal That Trump Touted as a Win.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping is angry about a Hong Kong company’s plan to sell Panama Canal ports to a U.S.-led group, in part because the company didn’t seek Beijing’s approval in advance, people familiar with the matter said.

The Xi leadership had originally planned to use the Panama port issue as a bargaining chip in negotiations with the Trump administration, according to people close to Beijing’s decision-making, only to see the rug pulled out from under it.

President Trump, who in the first minutes of his administration called for the U.S. to reassert control over the canal, celebrated the deal as a victory over Chinese interests in America’s backyard, turning Panama into a symbol of the U.S.-China battle for global influence.

Xi’s unhappiness suggests he, too, sees the canal that way and doesn’t like to be painted as the loser. His government republished a commentary last week describing the deal as a betrayal of the Chinese people.

Boo freakin’ hoo.