IN VIRGINIA GOVERNOR'S RACE, Republican Ed Gillespie focuses on crime and consequences. And he's right:

The crime rate appears to be rising in Virginia. For example, the state recorded 383 murders/non-negligent manslaughters in 2015. In 2016, it recorded 484. The Washington Post itself reported that in Prince William County, a little south of Washington, D.C. and its close-in suburbs, the murder rate more than doubled in 2016.

After watching the trends in northern Virginia, I voted with my feet in 2016 and left. But Barbara Comstock kept Prince William County in the Republican column in 2016, and my sense is that Ed Gillespie, also a northern Virginia resident, will win the governorship this year.

DNC CHAIR TOM PEREZ: "The Electoral College is not a creation of the Constitution. It doesn't have to be there."

Article II, Section 1 of of the Constitution:

The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America. He shall hold his Office during the Term of four Years, and, together with the Vice President, chosen for the same Term, be elected, as follows

Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress: but no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector.

Any questions, Tom?

AUTUMN LEAVES, October 29:

Well, it's winter; unoffically if not officially -- it started snowing this morning about 8 am and is still going, lightly but steadily for over 2 hours. Here's today's deck view:

Over the last week the leaves went from green to gold to brown to gone. The change was pretty dramatic when the cold air started to pour in about midweek. Here's the driveway view:

Since it's mostly evergreens on both sides the change hasn't been as striking, but more browns are in evidence across the road.

No pond picture this week; it's cold (just above freezing), snowing, and I'm not about to go down -- and up -- a 120-step flight of stairs for a pond picture. So instead here's a picture from the road looking back toward the house.

For the most part what you're seeing is evergreens and 'sticks' -- the deciduous trees have all lost their leaves. And finally a view from the loft:

These are about the only trees left on our property that have both leaves -- and color.

KURT SCHLICTER: culturally appropriate this, you social justice jerks.

When they [SJWs] demand that I conform to their dictates, I’ve got a counter-offer.

How about I do exactly what I want and you stand there and suck it up?

Read the whole thing.

BECAUSE HE'S NOT ONE: Progressive 'male' thinks 'man' is a dirty word.

PROGRESSIVE, “FAIR WAGE” PIZZA SHOP is closing its doors.

Economics strikes again.

POWERLINE'S Week in Pictures has been posted. I have two favorites this week.

This first one is about 'cultural appropriation' ... from the party of 'inclusion':

Should real native Americans be insulted?

My second favorite is just plain funny:

Happy Halloween. Now go and see the rest.

IMPORTANT ONLY IN THEIR OWN MINDS: "For many in official Washington, highlighting the irrelevance of their work is President Trump's unforgivable sin."

AMMO GRRRLL: Old books, new books; whichever support today's narrative.

LIBERALS try to connect with normal Americans.

The 'trigger warning' is a nice touch....

THE FACE of true patriotism.

NATIONAL REVIEW Give university trustees a role in faculty hiring.

An excellent idea - every lawn needs weed control.

JEFF JACOBY: Liberate government workers from forced union fees.

Government workers should never have been allowed to unionize in the first place.

EPA HEAD SCOTT PRUITT: 'sue-and-settle' is gone. That's a good beginning, but the environment will be better served by getting the government completely out of the protection racket.

(Note: the Regional Haze rule referred to is here.)

FOUR GOP SENATORS standing in the way of progress. Actually six, with the addition of Jeff Flake (R-AZ) and Bob Corker (R-TN) joining the 'Never Trump' legion.

On the bright side, though, it does appear that the Republican establishment (the GOPe) is beginning to get the message from the voters that 'go along to get along' is outside the bounds of Trump's new Republican party.

The swamp will be drained.

POWERLINE: Is the Left cracking up with this 'we can achieve diversity by all thinking alike' nonsense?

From the comments:

This is not unique to Apple or even Silicon valley. These people populate the human resources department of every corporation large and small, and they have foisted this stuff on all workers, who have learned to "keep your mouth shut or else." We used to call it the Personnel department, which assumed that employment was about people who were persons with personalities. We've reduced them the human resources ... like a bin of scrap wood or nails. Just another basket of inanimate objects. The HR department of your company is the political commisar of the left. All those Republican establishment types who occupy the boardroom have allowed the left to make their companies into communist "re-education" camps. Hopefully you guys will begin to catch a clue and understand Trump's appeal. I'll be throwing my support behind Steve Bannon in the upcoming election.

I saw this coming when Personnel departments started becoming Human Resources departments. Still, the sheer depth of this lunacy is astounding.

WELL, THERE ARE LOTS OF THEM OUT THERE: I see stupid people.

EVERYONE CAN WIN ON IMMIGRATION if we stop playing politics.

Which won't happen....

TRUMP TO REPUBLICANS: leave our 401Ks alone!

Don Surber: "I paid far more into Social Security than I did my 401k plan. Now retired, I draw down more from my 401k (even as it grows) than I do Social Security."

Similarly here: my wife's and my 401K required minimum distributions (RMDs) are 193% of our combined Social Security income.

Here's how it works.

THOUSANDS OF AMERICANS will scream helplessly at the sky on Trump's election anniversary.

With luck, the resulting laryngitis will give the rest of us a few days of peace and quiet....