The 2026 midterms are over, and the MAGA coalition simply melted down.

Democrats won races in Texas, Kansas, Iowa, and...South Carolina. Probably Mississippi.

But how did they do it? What does that tell us about American politics?

Young voters, especially men, who helped elect Trump moved decisively toward Democratic candidates. Black voters responded to the gutting of the Voting Rights Act and gerrymandering by showing up in Southern states. Independent voters shifted away from Republicans.

This week, Two Crusty Old Combat Soldiers with a Microphone break down the results, why Democrats did so well, and what comes next.

No talking points. Just two veterans debating how American elections actually work.

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An accurate vote count and public acceptance of an election are two different problems. The defining political struggle of this moment may not be over votes, policies, or even elections themselves.

It may be over legitimacy.

Elections, courts, journalists, and professional administrators function as society's fact-finding and dispute-resolution mechanisms. When confidence in those institutions declines simultaneously, political conflict increasingly shifts from debating policy to debating reality itself. From an intelligence perspective, that trend deserves far more attention than any single controversy currently dominating the news cycle.

Stan Scott and Scott Konopasek examine the 2026 midterms through an intelligence lens: what the evidence shows, what we can reasonably infer, and what would change the assessment. We discuss the Alaska certification lawsuit, California’s dispute with DOJ over suspected noncitizen registrations and ballot handling, the role of political narratives, and safeguards that can keep a disputed election on track.

We also consider concentrated political resources and Project 2025’s approach to executive personnel control.

Two Crusty Old Combat Soldiers with a Microphone is a Foggy Bottom Line Media production.

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What actually has to happen to run an election—and what preparations protect the process when pressure comes from Washington?

Scott and I walk through voter rolls, ballot preparation, polling places, counting, and certification of results.

We examine conspiracy theories from both sides, from illegal immigrants voting to fears of government seizure of ballots and voting machines.

We also discuss pressure from Washington, such as DOJ’s California demands, the search of Ilhan Omar’s home, and concerns about troops and ICE.

Scott leads the mechanics; together we test practical responses and separate confirmed actions from disputed claims and hypothetical threats.

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Last week we talked about Pete Hegseth's State of the Force speech with a focus on aesthetics and message...pretty much a peacock strutting around a stage talking about how identity matters for showing merit.

This week we cover the six Defense Department reforms he proposed:

1. AutoWarCom, a new combatant command for autonomous warfare.

2. Project Meridian, a commission led by tech bros with no military experience to study the future of warfare.

3. Fortress America, an initiative to make US bases more resilient.

4. The Next Great American Base, a proposed super base with no apparent mission.

5. America's Corps of Cadets, a new officer pipeline focused on five specific universities, including two religious schools.

6. Office of Religious Affairs, a new organization focused on "spiritual readiness" that bypasses the Chaplain Corps and unit commanders.

These initiatives cluster around three themes: politicization of leadership and institutions, contractor and ideological influence over strategy, and erosion of apolitical norms that make the US military so effective.

Scott and I use our experience and expertise to analyze these proposals discuss requirements, how we see the intent, and possible outcomes.

The Foggy Bottom Line? Hegseth wants to purge the military of dissent, hand national defense to tech bros and indoctrinate the troops with Christian nationalism.

This will not make the US military more lethal, but it sets conditions for more grifting.

On September 30, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered a "State of the Force" address to members of the US military.

Scott and I watched it, and we have opinions.

Hegseth's framing of merit demonstrates that he judges merit on identity rather than...actual merit. Some cannot be effective because he thinks they are "beardos, weirdos, trannies."

He suggested that unity matters more than diversity, implying that a diverse group cannot unite to complete a mission. This is a Christian Nationalist view that suggests he only believes white Christian males from "central casting" can truly have merit.

Scott and I break down the speech from our combat soldier and intelligence officer perspective, starting with the context: who is Pete Hegseth?

Hegseth also proposed six Department reform proposals, three of which seem intended to create a more homogenous force, free of anyone who does not follow his understanding of Western culture.

Give us a look, and don't forget to subscribe.

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Trump spoke at the UN General Assembly on the Iran war and US foreign policy with a clear message to the Iranian government: Make a deal or "I'll annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly." A not so subtle threat to use nuclear weapons.

Trump also bragged about stealing Venezuelan oil reserves.

Domestic and international reactions were immediate: this is a breakdown of the international rules-based order the US constructed after World War I. French President Macron: it's a return to the "law of the jungle."

Scott and I briefly discuss the history of the international order, how this threatens it, and the implications of a threat to nuke Iran, including the further hit to America's reputation as a trusted partner, how this actually makes Iran more defiant and likely to seek nuclear weapons, and how this pushes long-time allies even further away.

Tune in for a lively conversation between two crusty old combat soldiers with academic credentials in international relations and decades of military experience.

And don't forget to subscribe.

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We've seen a lot of developments in the Iran War over the last few weeks.

Iran fired a ballistic missile at the USS George Washington, a Ford class aircraft carrier. Didn't hit it, but did the effort help Iran build the technology needed? Did Russian and/or China help?

Iran also claimed to have captured a US drone submarine...quite the technology find...and attacked ten vessels attempting to move through the strait.

The US destroyed five Iranian tankers in response.

Houthis attacked the civilian airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and the US declined a request for help because of low munitions inventories.

Most recently, Iran offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz if the US eases military pressure and ends it's blockade of Iran's ports.

Meanwhile at home, oil prices topped $100 a barrel, gas averages $4.50 a gallon, and diesel fuel is almost $7 a gallon, which hits farmers and shippers where it hurts.

And as the GAO reports the war's high costs and the Pentagon tries to hide casualties while avoiding intense warfare to save precious munitions.

What does all this mean about who is winning? This week we revisit the Iran war and discuss victory conditions and what each side needs to do if they want to claim a win.

Spoiler: Iran doesn't have to win. They just have to keep bleeding us.

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Even while the entire US is pretty much on fire we still see the occasional good governance...and this is a good sign.

This week we try to find examples of government actually...governing. Passing legislation. Completing reports. Doing its job.

Starting with the SCOTUS ruling that blocked Trump's effort to use the Postal Service to disrupt the midterm elections, we discuss some of the boring things government still does but we don't see in the media - and why our media ignores them.

Check it out, and don't forget to subscribe to the channel and check out our Patreon page.

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