Here are my observations and opinions on my selected news of the day.

THE OCTOBER SURPRISES – Television’s left-leaning talking heads, eager for an October surprise to upset Republican prospects in the midterms, quickly labelled the “Kavanaugh Effect” in September as an early October surprise.

Democrats like Maxine Waters, Cory Booker and even Eric Holder instructed their followers to gather friends and get in the face of Republicans. Hillary Clinton supported them, saying that the civility cannot end until Democrats get back in power. Even Sen. Susan Collins wasn’t immune from attacks.

But then came word of the migration of refugees coming up through Mexico, posing a problem for the Trump administration. The president didn’t waste any time contacting the leaders of Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico for assistance – even threatening to cut off foreign aid – to stop the migration.

I believe Americans are getting tired of the assaults on our border; in fact, those who came here legally and those awaiting papers aren’t happy about it either.

Now we have what could be billed as another October surprise. A presumed wacko has sent mail bombs to a number of Democrats. There’s speculation that the bomber could be conducting what’s termed a “false flag” operation undertaken by a Democrat designed to garner sympathy for Democrats. The leftist media has already referred to “him” as a MAGAbomber who supports Trump.

Although President Trump vigorously condemned the bomber, it wasn’t good enough for Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Nancy Pelosi, who called his response “shallow.” Former CIA director John Brennan, too, chose to continue his pointless rhetoric on MSNBC.

VOTERS NEED TO REMEMBER that the hate for President Trump began the day he was inaugurated as the duly elected president, when hundreds of Democrat legislators shamefully refused to attend. It’s also when the media began its hate campaign that resulted in negative news coverage of Trump and his administration which surpassed 90 percent. Then they had the audacity to criticize his low approval rating.

Celebrities like Robert DeNiro, Stephen Colbert, and Jimmy Kimmel are but a few who have promoted the hate for the president.

Although leftover Obama administration employees formed a resistance movement within the government as the Deep State, President Trump has succeeded in accomplishing more in his first two years than any other modern- day president; keeping his campaign promises.

MERKEL CONCEDES TO TRUMP – Remember when President Trump was criticized for denouncing Germany for being captive of Russia for 50 percent of its gas imports?

Now we learn that Chancellor Angela Merkel has offered government financial support to co-finance the construction of a $576 million liquified natural gas shipping terminal in northern Germany.

President Trump lobbied Europe to buy significant amounts of LNG as part of his campaign to rewrite the terms of trade relations.

Merkel’s decision is seen as strategic with the belief that it could payoff in the long term.

NATE SILVER’S FIVETHIRTYEIGHT organization has given Republicans an 82.4 percent chance of holding the senate, but just a 16 percent chance of holding the House.

“There’s a perception that high early vote turnout is good for Democrats and bad for Republicans,” reports National Review, but “Any analysis of early voting figures is missing the crucial evidence, because the available data does not include how a person actually voted,” says the New York Times, adding “It is important to keep in mind that not everyone who is registered Democrat, say, always votes for Democrat candidates.

NOTES FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL – In Missouri, Republican senate candidate Josh Hawley is running neck and neck with Democrat incumbent Sen. Claire McCaskill. Missourians are having a big laugh over a McCaskill radio commercial in which the narrator says McCaskill is “not one of those crazy Democrats.” That should please the Democrat leadership. McCaskill runs poorly in the rural areas of the state.

Patrick Morrisey, West Virginia’s Republican candidate for senate, has taken a slight lead over Democrat incumbent Joe Manchin, despite his vote to confirm Bret Kavanaugh.

In Michigan, Republican senate candidate John James has cut a 23-point September lead by the leftist Democrat incumbent Debbie Stabenow to 7 points in the latest poll. Republicans seem to have a lock in the North Dakota race for senate as the Democrat incumbent Heidi Heitkamp trails by double digits.

I simply cannot understand the tight race in Florida between Republican Rick Scott, who has been an outstanding governor, and their do-nothing Democrat senate incumbent Bill Nelson. Ditto in Arizona, where Republican Martha McSally is running with a slight lead over radical leftist Democrat Krysten Sinema.

In Nevada, Republican senate incumbent Dean Heller has widened his lead, as has Texas’ Republican senate incumbent Ted Cruz.

THE REPUBLICAN HOLD ON THE HOUSE – While most pollsters are predicting a Democrat takeover, White House aide Kellyanne Conway reminds us that they are “the same geniuses that predicted a huge romp by that woman who lost in 2016.”

Larry Sabato’s “Crystal Ball,” predicted the Democrats would regain control of the House early, but has now modified their pickup to 19 seats, leaving them four short of the number needed to claim the majority, writes Adele Malpass of RealClear Politics.

In Malpass’ piece, “Five Reasons Republicans Can Hold the House,” she comments on the Trump coattail effect, suggesting that the president’s approval rating may not be high enough, although she does recall that his personal approval rating on Election Day 2016 was only 32 percent. She notes his ability to attract huge crowds for rallies time after time, with ten more such appearances before November

             Republicans need to turn out at the polls to make it happen.