November 4, 2022

GOP Senate Likely, Mixed Jobs Report, Burgers & Beer!

WTF Happened This Week?

A newsletter from Win the Future Strategies, LLC, on politics, policy & pairings (Food & Drink) Sign up today!

See below for:

1. what’s going on with us,

2. the top political stories we’re following,

3. the top policy and business developments we’re watching,

4. the recipe and drink of the week, and

5. the “WTF Moment of the Week"

Don’t hesitate to contact us with questions, comments, or content suggestions by visiting our website or by emailing us at Victory@wtfstrategies.com.

(1) Top WTF News

We’re continuing to promote our new book, Vignettes & Vino: Dinner Table Stories from the Trump White House with Recipes and Cocktail Pairings!

David Brody: interviewed us on his show Water Cooler
WABC: Brian spoke with Sid Rosenberg and Andrew Giuliani on WABC in New York

For Halloween, we took Larry to Old Town Alexandria for doggy Trick or Treating and then did a drinking ghost tour for the adults. Would recommend!

(2) Top Political News of the Week

GOP to Take House and Senate?

We think several swing Senate seats are going to break the GOP's way and give them control of the chamber.

Arizona: The latest poll from Emerson has Blake Masters tied with Sen. Mark Kelly and Kari Lake leading Katie Hobbs for Governor. In 2020, Emerson had Arizona at a 2 point race in favor of Biden, and the final margin was only 0.4. So if they're still undersampling Republicans this year, both Masters and Lake probably win these races.
Pennsylvania: Following John Fetterman's troubling debate performance, Dr. Oz has taken the lead in this race and is likely to pull out a victory.
Georgia: This race truly is a tossup. This week, we've seen polls with Warnock up by 6, another saying it's a tie, and another with Walker leading by 4. Given the overall environment leaning Republican, we're betting that Walker pulls it out, but it'll be a nailbiter and could wind up in a December runoff if neither candidate gets a majority.
Nevada: Adam Laxalt appears to be pulling away in the race to defeat Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto with two separate polls giving him a 5 point lead.
New Hampshire: Two polls this week have Republican Don Bolduc leading Sen. Maggie Hassan in New Hampshire. We're a little skeptical that he will pull it out because these are out of step with virtually every other New Hampshire poll, but if it truly is a red wave, it is possible.

Our prediction is that the GOP keeps their seats in Pennsylvania (Dr. Oz) and Ohio (J.D. Vance) and picks up 3 out of 4 in NH, NV, GA, and AZ for a 53-seat majority come January.

The House is almost certainly to flip to the Republicans--it's only a matter of by how much. Our prediction is that the GOP picks up over 20 seats. Real Clear Politics gives them anywhere from 15 to 48

(3) Top Policy & Business News of the Week

Jobs Report & Interest Rates

October jobs data showed an increase in unemployment from 3.5 to 3.7 percent and a decrease in labor participation as well as a decrease in real wages. It wasn't horrible, but it's also not a very promising harbinger of what is to come.

The Fed hiked rates by another 0.75 and anticipates more hikes to come in order to reign in inflation.

(4) Recipe & Drink Pairing of the Week

Opening Day Burgers & Beer Selection

(Another favorite from Vignettes & Vino)

In honor of the World Series, we're recommending our delicious burgers.

To Eat: Opening Day Burgers

Makes 7 patties, each about 5 oz. and 1 1/4 inches thick.

2 lbs. Wagyu ground beef, preferably 85% lean, formed into 7 patties

1 cup Worcestershire sauce

1 cup balsamic vinegar

¼ cup garlic salt

7 brioche buns

7 slices American cheese

Bread-and-butter chip pickles

Butter lettuce

1 tomato, sliced

1 white onion, sliced

Mayonnaise

Put the patties in an 8-by-11-inch glass dish. Pour the Worcestershire sauce over the patties until it’s about a quarter of the way up their sides. Add the balsamic vinegar until the mixture is about halfway up the sides. Sprinkle garlic salt on one side of each patty, reserving at least half of it for the other sides.

Cover the dish with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator overnight.

In the morning, flip the patties and sprinkle garlic salt on the other sides. Let the patties sit in the sauce for a few more hours until you’re ready to cook them.

Heat a grill to 400°F degrees or, if using a grill pan, heat it over medium-high heat. Put the patties on the grill or pan; if using a grill, close the lid. Cook them for about 4 minutes. Flip them and close the lid for another 3 minutes. Open the lid and let the patties cook for about 2 more minutes.

If you’re using a meat thermometer, you want them to be between 140° and 150° F for medium-cooked burgers with pink in the middle.

Note that the intensity of grills and cooktops, and personal preferences, can vary quite dramatically—some degree of judgment is involved here to make sure your meat is cooked thoroughly and to your liking.

Toast the buns on the grill and melt the American cheese on each patty for about 45 seconds.

Take the buns off the grill and put the patties on the buns.

Add the pickles, lettuce, tomato, and white onions on top of the patties.

(Pro tip: For excellent caramelized onions, you can use Teresa’s method from the Best Breakfast Sandwich recipe in chapter two of the book.)

Spread mayo or Miracle Whip on the top bun, and/or put on the side for dipping

To Drink: Beer Selection

Sometimes the perfect drink is a beer. Our favorite these days is probably Wild Acre Brewing Company’s Agave Americana. It is light and refreshing with great flavor. We also recommend some of Germany's finest such as Spaten Lager, Radeberger Pilsner, and the classic Hofbrau Hefe Weizen. And we won't judge you if you drink it out of a giant glass boot.

(5) WTF Moment of the Week

The View co-host Sunny Hostin compared white suburban women voting Republican to cockroaches voting for Raid. We feel like we've had to ask this a lot recently--why is this person on television?

As always, you can reach us by visiting www.winthefuturestrategies.com or by emailing us at Victory@wtfstrategies.com. Have a great week!

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