The Daily Valet. - 11/7/22, Monday

✔️ You Matter. (But Do Others Matter More?)

November 07, 2022

Monday, November 7th Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

Did you feel the extra hour of sleep? Nah, me neither.

Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s Big Story

Do Some Votes Count More Than Others?

In a way, yes. But the most powerful voters aren’t always who you think.

Tomorrow is Election Day and it’s your chance to have a say in who calls the shots in government. There are currently more than 252 million Americans eligible to vote, and while we’ve long had a reputation for low voter participation, turnout in the 2020 U.S. general election soared to levels not seen in decades. And many political analysts are predicting another heavy turnout in the midterms.

But you might be wondering how much your individual vote counts. We may each have the same right to vote, but ballots carry different weights based on the state in which you live. Take California, for instance. Its population is over 68 times greater than Wyoming’s, yet each state has two seats in the Senate. In this case, less is more: Cali votes are weakened because each of its senators must represent tens of millions more residents.

WalletHub crunched several sets of data to identify the states with the most influential voters in the country. The previously mentioned Wyoming tops the list, followed by Vermont, North Dakota and Alaska. Unfortunately, New York, California, Ohio and Arizona are among the least powerful.

The Financial Times found similar distinctions. “In 2016 and 2020, a few tens of thousands of votes in three states first gave us Donald Trump and then zapped him. Both times, Wisconsin’s 3.3 million or so active voters were crucial. By contrast, the 18 million or so active voters in safely Democratic California have negligible individual power.”

And while it’s easy to undervalue the power of one person’s vote, those powerful votes can change the course of the country (or even the world). The recent bill reducing U.S. carbon emissions could pass the Senate only because New Hampshire elected Democrat Maggie Hassan in 2016 by 1,017 votes. And as the Times points out: A rounding error’s worth of extra votes making Trump president in 2024 might upend geopolitics. “An isolationist who has brooded over leaving NATO, he will be tempted to cut a ‘beautiful deal’ with Vladimir Putin on Ukraine, potentially spelling ruin for the Baltics and Moldova, too.”

Then again, maybe more people are realizing the power of their voice. Younger voters have registered this midterm cycle at rates matching or exceeding 2018’s historic levels. And many of them are saying they plan to vote, in person, on Election Day. Go on and share that sticker selfie with pride.

↦ FYI: Why Americans living abroad are a voting bloc with untapped political potential.

Twitter Is Still Messy

But they’re delaying the $8 ‘blue check’ verification plan until after the election

After Twitter laid off roughly half its staff on Friday following Elon Musk's acquisition, the company is now reaching out to dozens of employees who lost their jobs ... and asking them to return, Bloomberg News reported on Sunday.

Some of those who are being asked to return were laid off by mistake, according to two people familiar with the moves. Others were let go before management realized that their work and experience may be necessary to build the new features Musk envisions. Cringe, right?

Of course, the future of content moderation on the social media platform has been a concern—especially ahead of the midterm elections. The company's head of safety and integrity told The Verge the layoffs affected “approximately 15%” of the Trust and Safety group. However, she said, Twitter has had to “deprioritize a few workflows” like helping with lost password requests and “some” suspension appeals.

And those will likely be on the rise, as Musk announced on Sunday that accounts “engaging in impersonation without clearly specifying 'parody' will be permanently suspended without warning.” Comedian Kathy Griffin's account was the first one suspended for violating the rules, just before the announcement. “But if she really wants her account back, she can have it” for $8, added Musk, in reference to Twitter's new subscription service—which, consequently, is now being delayed until after the elections. So, at least, there's that.

↦ Meanwhile: Influencers debate leaving Twitter, but where would they go?

The Astros Win the World Series

You do, in fact, have to hand it to the team fans have loved to hate

Most baseball fans wanted one more upset. The third-place, third-wild-card, sixth-seed Philadelphia Phillies had already beaten three better-on-paper teams to win the National League pennant, (including my hometown Cardinals).

The 106-win Houston Astros definitely entered the World Series a formidable favorite, but great Astros teams had been beaten by underdogs before. This one, however, wouldn't be. The Astros topped the Phillies 4-1 on Saturday to win the World Series in just six games. It was only the second time in franchise history that the Astros won the Series. And this time, they got to win it in front of their fawning Texan fans.

How'd they do it? Sports Illustrated says a lot of credit goes to manager Dusty Baker. They called the team “the baseball version of a Baker Spotify playlist. They are eclectic. They do so many things well. The offense is resourceful.”

Most of all, the Astros won the World Series because this was the greatest strikeout staff in the history of the Fall Classic. They struck out 71 batters—a record even without the series going the distance.

↦ Dig Deeper: What kinds of things make a World Series great? Going seven games helps, but sometimes six packs enough punch. CBS Sports ranks the last 10 World Series.

You Could Name Jeep’s New EV

The automaker needs help with the Wagoneer S electric vehicle's official name

Back in September, Jeep unveiled the first of its electric lineup. The debut electric Jeep branded vehicle will be a boxy, “Wrangler-inspired” off-roader, the Recon. But the premium Wagoneer sub-brand is taking a different tack—it's gonna be sleek and sporty.

According to Motortrend, the SUV—currently codenamed the “Wagoneer S” will be a smaller midsize counterpart to the Wagoneer and take on rivals like the Range Rover Sport. Chief Design Officer Ralph Gilles saying the S stands for “speed, striking, and sexy.” But you could also say the S stands for “Stumped,” because Jeep doesn't have a name for the luxury SUV. Yet.

Jeep wants crowdsourced help to choose a handle, reports Autoblog. This won't be a free-for-all (like Ford did with the 2023 Mustang's new Nite Pony), Jeep will provide suggestions and direction as part of a contest expected to start later this month. With the EV's debut scheduled and reservations opening in early 2023, the company wants to crown a winner before the end of this year.

Jeep will need to review the names, produce a shortlist, and check trademarks so exact timing is difficult to pin down. The Wagoneer moniker, of course, has a lot of heritage but the new SUV is very modern—which makes it tricky to know if the name should harken to the past or the future.

↦ FYI: The original Wagoneer, internally known as the Full-Size Jeep or FSJ, debuted in 1963, and would soldier on for decades with only minor tweaks.

In Other News

↦ The Last Total Lunar Eclipse for 3 Years Arrives Tuesday Morning

↦ HBO Abruptly Cancels ‘Westworld'

↦ Why Daylight Saving Time Is Worse for Your Body Than Standard Time

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

Todd Snyder’s nomad collection

Supersonic travel

Non-alcoholic beer

For the Man Who Has Everything

What to get the hard-to-shop for guys in your life

You know the type. Maybe you are the type. One that doesn't wait long before pulling the trigger on the things he wants. He's stylish, in the know, and fully stocked. But that doesn't mean you can't surprise him with something that would thrill him. The key is finding items that are best-in-class, no matter the category. It could be a stitch-for-stitch remake of a great T-shirt from the 1950s or a machine that produces the pebble ice that's so satisfying to chew on. Maybe he'd appreciate a modern space heater or an attractive alarm clock. And everyone likes unwrapping a box to find some cashmere, right? We've pulled together some foolproof gifts that are sure to surprise and delight even the most discerning of recipients.

Clockwise, from top left:Cashmere “relax” jacket, $780 by Inis Meáin, Cashmere blend cap, $95 by Naadam and “Ali on Broadway” photograph, from $149 by Sonic Editions

Clockwise, from top left:Atomic alarm clock, $45 by Monograph, Opal 2.0 nugget ice maker, $649.95 / $529.95 by GE and Bond peacoat, $698 by Billy Reid

↦ Want more? See all 18 gift picks

What We’re Eyeing

The flannel shirt is a time-honored menswear staple. A hardy wardrobe workhorse and the very definition of a winter shirt. Something of a sartorial contradiction, the shirts are rugged and durable, and yet soothingly soft and warm at the same time. J.Crew is making a really good one this season ($89.50 / $44.50), made from a sustainable premium mid-weight cotton. It's cut like a classic workshirt, with two generous buttoned chest pockets and brushed on both sides for a familiar cozy hand feel. Available in over a dozen colors and tartans, this one is our favorite.

↦ Want more? 5 stylish items to buy this week