palmerreport--2020-03-01--Donald Trump’s odds of going to prison just went way up

Thanks to his thirty point massive blowout win in South Carolina last night , Joe Biden is now in the driver ’ s seat in the Democratic primary race .
We ’ re seeing supporters of the other mainstream Democratic candidates starting to shift to Biden , in the hope that Biden can take down erratic bumbler Bernie Sanders , and then take down maniacal criminal Donald Trump .
As of last night , Trump ’ s odds of spending the rest of his life in solitary confinement just went up significantly .
Bear with me here .
Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he definitely wants Kamala Harris involved in his administration , but he had to talk with her about which role she ’ d want .
There ’ s wide expectation that Biden will pick either Harris or Stacey Abrams as his running mate .
If he picks Abrams , then Harris is probably a lock for Attorney General .
And if Harris is VP , then Biden would most likely pick Adam Schiff or some other proven prosecutor as Attorney General .
Harris , Schiff , and anyone else in their league would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal criminal case against Donald Trump and his co-conspirators .
Moreover , they ’ d build the kind of comprehensive case that would be sure to nail Trump on some rather complex charges .
They ’ d also be able to employ the kind of legal savvy required to work around any attempt Trump might make at trying to pardon himself on certain charges on his way out of the White House .
Putting Trump in prison would be a major task , but a solid Attorney General with a strong prosecutorial background @ @ @ @ @ @ @ words , if Joe Biden becomes the nominee , he ’ ll probably beat Donald Trump , and if he does , Trump will almost definitely go to prison .
New York will go after Trump on state charges one way or the other .
But he ’ s broken a wider variety of federal laws , and so it ’ s crucial that there also be a strong federal case made against him .
Now contrast this to what would happen if Bernie Sanders wins the nomination .
Considering how many divisive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and how many weird skeletons now seem to be emerging from his largely unvetted history , he ’ d likely find a way to lose to Trump .
Even in the unlikely event that Bernie won the election , he has an unfortunate history of surrounding himself with lousy and inept underlings who are primary only good at blowing smoke up his butt .
Sanders would likely choose a crappy Attorney General who would either fail to go after Trump , or end up putting together a simplistic case that would fail .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden wins the nomination , Donald Trump probably goes to prison .
If Bernie Sanders wins the nomination , Donald Trump probably gets another four years , and probably won ’ t ever face any consequences for his crimes .
But thanks to Biden ’ s massive win last night , Trump ’ s odds of going to prison just went way up .

Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support Palmer Report's 2024 efforts by donating now.
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Thanks to his thirty point massive blowout win in South Carolina last night, Joe Biden is now in the driver’s seat in the Democratic primary race. We’re seeing supporters of the other mainstream Democratic candidates starting to shift to Biden, in the hope that Biden can take down erratic bumbler Bernie Sanders, and then take down maniacal criminal Donald Trump. As of last night, Trump’s odds of spending the rest of his life in solitary confinement just went up significantly. Bear with me here.
Joe Biden publicly stated a few weeks ago that he definitely wants Kamala Harris involved in his administration, but he had to talk with her about which role she’d want. There’s wide expectation that Biden will pick either Harris or Stacey Abrams as his running mate. If he picks Abrams, then Harris is probably a lock for Attorney General. And if Harris is VP, then Biden would most likely pick Adam Schiff or some other proven prosecutor as Attorney General.
Harris, Schiff, and anyone else in their league would – without any doubt – bring a federal criminal case against Donald Trump and his co-conspirators. Moreover, they’d build the kind of comprehensive case that would be sure to nail Trump on some rather complex charges. They’d also be able to employ the kind of legal savvy required to work around any attempt Trump might make at trying to pardon himself on certain charges on his way out of the White House. Putting Trump in prison would be a major task, but a solid Attorney General with a strong prosecutorial background would pull it off.
In other words, if Joe Biden becomes the nominee, he’ll probably beat Donald Trump, and if he does, Trump will almost definitely go to prison. New York will go after Trump on state charges one way or the other. But he’s broken a wider variety of federal laws, and so it’s crucial that there also be a strong federal case made against him.
Now contrast this to what would happen if Bernie Sanders wins the nomination. Considering how many divisive and stupid things he keeps saying, and how many weird skeletons now seem to be emerging from his largely unvetted history, he’d likely find a way to lose to Trump. Even in the unlikely event that Bernie won the election, he has an unfortunate history of surrounding himself with lousy and inept underlings who are primary only good at blowing smoke up his butt. Sanders would likely choose a crappy Attorney General who would either fail to go after Trump, or end up putting together a simplistic case that would fail.
The bottom line is that if Joe Biden wins the nomination, Donald Trump probably goes to prison. If Bernie Sanders wins the nomination, Donald Trump probably gets another four years, and probably won’t ever face any consequences for his crimes. But thanks to Biden’s massive win last night, Trump’s odds of going to prison just went way up.
Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support our 2024 efforts by donating now or sign up for our free mailing list.


palmerreport--2020-03-01--Joe Biden just nailed it

Joe Biden just nailed it

Saturday was a huge win for Joe Biden .
With only a few days until Super Tuesday , this could result in a major advantage for Biden .
At the same time , such a result in the South Carolina primary might not mean everything .
While the turnout in South Carolina was quite impressive , it does not guarantee any future vote .
Despite that , it appears that the number of primary voters will be close to equaling or exceeding the high mark of previous votes .
This primary state election came down to deciding how America should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ different visions for the future of America , I believe most sane people agree that we should do everything in our power to ensure Donald Trump ’ s time in office is minimized .
The majority of Americans agree that Trump ’ s time in office has done more harm than good .
This attitude has been well documented , especially among those who have already made their mark on the 2020 Democratic primaries .
“ I think that white moderate voters and suburban voters in South Carolina are mad .
They just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taking place in the White House , ” says Trav Robinson , South Carolina Democratic Party Chair .
He continued , “ And I think it will translate to anyone associated with Donald Trump .
And we ’ re going to see if that sees through to November , but at the end of the day we think there ’ s some problems here.
” We must all work together to ensure Trump ’ s illegitimate time in office is limited to one term .
As Palmer Report said last night , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Super Tuesday before we make rash decisions .
After that , we must make important decisions to best save America .

Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support Palmer Report's 2024 efforts by donating now.
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Saturday was a huge win for Joe Biden. With only a few days until Super Tuesday, this could result in a major advantage for Biden. At the same time, such a result in the South Carolina primary might not mean everything. While the turnout in South Carolina was quite impressive, it does not guarantee any future vote. Despite that, it appears that the number of primary voters will be close to equaling or exceeding the high mark of previous votes.
This primary state election came down to deciding how America should move forward. While we all have different visions for the future of America, I believe most sane people agree that we should do everything in our power to ensure Donald Trump’s time in office is minimized. The majority of Americans agree that Trump’s time in office has done more harm than good. This attitude has been well documented, especially among those who have already made their mark on the 2020 Democratic primaries.
“I think that white moderate voters and suburban voters in South Carolina are mad. They just absolutely had enough of what’s taking place in the White House,” says Trav Robinson, South Carolina Democratic Party Chair. He continued, “And I think it will translate to anyone associated with Donald Trump. And we’re going to see if that sees through to November, but at the end of the day we think there’s some problems here.”
We must all work together to ensure Trump’s illegitimate time in office is limited to one term. As Palmer Report said last night, it’s important to watch the outcome of Super Tuesday before we make rash decisions. After that, we must make important decisions to best save America.
Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support our 2024 efforts by donating now or sign up for our free mailing list.


palmerreport--2020-03-01--Is today the day for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris?

They say that picking a running mate is the most personal choice a president ever gets to make .
We don ’ t know whom Joe Biden is going to end up picking .
But by now , there ’ s a good chance he knows .
It ’ s easier when you already know who ’ s going to be the general election opponent , and you already have a feel for what the race is likely to look like .
Earlier this week Palmer Report asked if the time was right for Biden to make the rare move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Considering how thoroughly Joe Biden dominated in South Carolina on Saturday night , and just how poorly all of his mainstream Democratic opponents did in the state , the answer is now probably yes .
It ’ s no longer too early .
Biden is the only actual Democrat in the race who still has a realistic shot at the nomination .
It wouldn ’ t be all that presumptive of a move .
It would be seen as a unity ticket , aimed at fending off bumbling extremist Bernie Sanders and corporate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the start of a mainstream coalition .
Joe Biden could announce before Super Tuesday that Kamala Harris or Stacey Abrams would be his running mate .
If he picks Abrams , he could announce Harris as his nominee for Attorney General .
If he could convince Buttigieg to drop out , he could announce Buttigieg as his nominee Secretary of States .
Ask Amy Klobuchar what role she sees herself in .
Put together an all-star roster .
Lincoln called it a team of rivals .
This would just be a team of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off the interlopers who are trying to hijack the party , and then take Donald Trump down .
There are downsides to this kind of strategy , of course .
There ’ s a reason that candidates don ’ t normally make these kinds of pre-announcements .
But these aren ’ t normal times .
Joe Biden and his all-star team could put in a strong showing on Super Tuesday and go from there .
If Biden wants to aggressively capitalize on his huge South Carolina win , the time is now .

Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support Palmer Report's 2024 efforts by donating now.
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They say that picking a running mate is the most personal choice a president ever gets to make. We don’t know whom Joe Biden is going to end up picking. But by now, there’s a good chance he knows. It’s easier when you already know who’s going to be the general election opponent, and you already have a feel for what the race is likely to look like. Earlier this week Palmer Report asked if the time was right for Biden to make the rare move of pre-announcing his running mate now.
Considering how thoroughly Joe Biden dominated in South Carolina on Saturday night, and just how poorly all of his mainstream Democratic opponents did in the state, the answer is now probably yes. It’s no longer too early. Biden is the only actual Democrat in the race who still has a realistic shot at the nomination. It wouldn’t be all that presumptive of a move. It would be seen as a unity ticket, aimed at fending off bumbling extremist Bernie Sanders and corporate centrist Mike Bloomberg.
It would be the start of a mainstream coalition. Joe Biden could announce before Super Tuesday that Kamala Harris or Stacey Abrams would be his running mate. If he picks Abrams, he could announce Harris as his nominee for Attorney General. If he could convince Buttigieg to drop out, he could announce Buttigieg as his nominee Secretary of States. Ask Amy Klobuchar what role she sees herself in. Put together an all-star roster. Lincoln called it a team of rivals. This would just be a team of actual Democrats, in order to fend off the interlopers who are trying to hijack the party, and then take Donald Trump down.
There are downsides to this kind of strategy, of course. There’s a reason that candidates don’t normally make these kinds of pre-announcements. But these aren’t normal times. Joe Biden and his all-star team could put in a strong showing on Super Tuesday and go from there. If Biden wants to aggressively capitalize on his huge South Carolina win, the time is now.
Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support our 2024 efforts by donating now or sign up for our free mailing list.


palmerreport--2020-03-01--The real problem with this coronavirus mess

The rapid spread and danger of the Wuhan coronavirus , COVID-19 , is harrowing .
Scientists and health experts aren ’ t entirely sure how to handle the spread of the virus simply by virtue of how new it is .
This week , global markets have tanked as investors and speculators anticipate the virus taking a toll on international commerce .
Evolution is a cruel , unrelenting mistress , but what has me so irked here has more to do with the reaction to this health crisis .
Make no mistake , I am not downplaying the seriousness of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people will continue to get sick and die .
Before I get into my grievances , I ’ ll take the time to tell you to keep yourself aware of the updates concerning the virus , and consult with official government sources , such as the World Health Organization ( UN ) , Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( USA ) , or National Health Service ( UK and Northern Ireland ) .
In short , wash your hands thoroughly and don ’ t touch your face .
In the context of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threat to humanity , the market ’ s reaction to the coronavirus is insulting .
It actually sickens me a bit .
Because Wall Street types have seen all the global pandemic movies and played video games where spores turn people into zombies , they perceive the coronavirus as a serious threat .
You know what ’ s a SERIOUS threat , Wall Street ?
The aggressive destruction of the Amazon—what might be the last thing sequestering carbon that keeps us from an inescapable climate Armageddon .
You know what else is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ probably won ’ t have ANY tropical reefs within thirty years .
Want another ?
Ocean acidification means an enormous percentage of the world will no longer have an essential source of its food .
We continue to burn an enormous amount of fossil fuels in the specter of rapid mass extinction .
We continue to produce vast quantities of plastic that end up in our food supply .
We have so much in our food supply , in fact , that we eat approximately a credit card ’ s worth of plastic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t batted an eye at any of that .
In fact , we ’ ve seen the strongest bull market in US history in spite of all that information .
But one nasty virus comes along and the market tumbles .
Why ?
Well , in part , Wall Street has made an enormous amount of money from all of the environmental disaster I ’ ve mentioned above .
The status quo made them enormously wealthy , so why stop ?
End of the world ?
Ha !
I have a bunker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apocalypse — who cares ?
I ’ m absolutely disgusted by the fact Wall Street doesn ’ t react so dramatically to the climate crisis , and you should be too .
The people at the top are to blame , yes , but we put them there .
Vote for change .
Vote because you ’ re angry .
Vote because humanity and much of life on earth literally depend on it .

Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support Palmer Report's 2024 efforts by donating now.
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The rapid spread and danger of the Wuhan coronavirus, COVID-19, is harrowing. Scientists and health experts aren’t entirely sure how to handle the spread of the virus simply by virtue of how new it is. This week, global markets have tanked as investors and speculators anticipate the virus taking a toll on international commerce. Evolution is a cruel, unrelenting mistress, but what has me so irked here has more to do with the reaction to this health crisis.
Make no mistake, I am not downplaying the seriousness of what is becoming a pandemic. Many people will continue to get sick and die. Before I get into my grievances, I’ll take the time to tell you to keep yourself aware of the updates concerning the virus, and consult with official government sources, such as the World Health Organization (UN), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (USA), or National Health Service (UK and Northern Ireland). In short, wash your hands thoroughly and don’t touch your face.
In the context of the climate crisis, a legitimate existential threat to humanity, the market’s reaction to the coronavirus is insulting. It actually sickens me a bit. Because Wall Street types have seen all the global pandemic movies and played video games where spores turn people into zombies, they perceive the coronavirus as a serious threat. You know what’s a SERIOUS threat, Wall Street? The aggressive destruction of the Amazon—what might be the last thing sequestering carbon that keeps us from an inescapable climate Armageddon. You know what else is a serious threat? The fact that we probably won’t have ANY tropical reefs within thirty years. Want another? Ocean acidification means an enormous percentage of the world will no longer have an essential source of its food.
We continue to burn an enormous amount of fossil fuels in the specter of rapid mass extinction. We continue to produce vast quantities of plastic that end up in our food supply. We have so much in our food supply, in fact, that we eat approximately a credit card’s worth of plastic each week.
And Wall Street hasn’t batted an eye at any of that. In fact, we’ve seen the strongest bull market in US history in spite of all that information. But one nasty virus comes along and the market tumbles. Why? Well, in part, Wall Street has made an enormous amount of money from all of the environmental disaster I’ve mentioned above. The status quo made them enormously wealthy, so why stop? End of the world? Ha! I have a bunker in New Zealand to live out the apocalypse — who cares?
I’m absolutely disgusted by the fact Wall Street doesn’t react so dramatically to the climate crisis, and you should be too.
The people at the top are to blame, yes, but we put them there. Vote for change. Vote because you’re angry. Vote because humanity and much of life on earth literally depend on it.
Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support our 2024 efforts by donating now or sign up for our free mailing list.


palmerreport--2020-03-01--Donald Trump is falling to pieces right before our eyes

Donald Trump has appeared to be in poor physical , mental , and cognitive health during nearly every one of his public appearances since his mysterious hospital visit a few months ago .
But over the past few days , he ’ s come off worse than ever .
And when he appeared at a press conference today , he came across as half dead .
Frankly , a lot more than half .
It ’ s not difficult to guess why Donald Trump is falling to pieces .
We ’ re on the verge of a worldwide pandemic that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the United States , and he knows his incompetent regime is not in position to deal with it effectively .
The stock market has plummeted by fifteen percent this week , because the coronavirus has already impacted the world economy in a way that ’ ll harm the U.S. economy , and Trump has no idea how to deal with an economic downturn .
But that ’ s only the half of it .
We know that Donald Trump is clinically incapable of empathy , except when he ’ s worried about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bad for his fellow aging white male criminals when they get harsh sentences , because he fears the same thing will happen to him if he loses the election .
But he doesn ’ t care if people out there die from the coronavirus .
Nor does he care if people out there face economic hardship .
The only reason for him to be so worried and so dejected during his press conference today , so obviously lacking in sleep and peace of mind , is if he ’ s worried this is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So is Trump worried that he ’ s going to catch the coronavirus ?
In his deluded mind , he ’ s in perfect health anyway , so perhaps not .
He ’ s surely , worried , however , about what a failed response to an epidemic and a sinking economy will do to his already-weak 2020 prospects .
This is all coming even as Joe Biden – whom Trump fears so much , he got himself impeached trying to stop him – utterly dominated in South Carolina tonight .
No wonder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ front of our eyes .

Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support Palmer Report's 2024 efforts by donating now.
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Donald Trump has appeared to be in poor physical, mental, and cognitive health during nearly every one of his public appearances since his mysterious hospital visit a few months ago. But over the past few days, he’s come off worse than ever. And when he appeared at a press conference today, he came across as half dead. Frankly, a lot more than half.
It’s not difficult to guess why Donald Trump is falling to pieces. We’re on the verge of a worldwide pandemic that’s now beginning to break out in the United States, and he knows his incompetent regime is not in position to deal with it effectively. The stock market has plummeted by fifteen percent this week, because the coronavirus has already impacted the world economy in a way that’ll harm the U.S. economy, and Trump has no idea how to deal with an economic downturn. But that’s only the half of it.
We know that Donald Trump is clinically incapable of empathy, except when he’s worried about the impact on himself. He feels bad for his fellow aging white male criminals when they get harsh sentences, because he fears the same thing will happen to him if he loses the election. But he doesn’t care if people out there die from the coronavirus. Nor does he care if people out there face economic hardship. The only reason for him to be so worried and so dejected during his press conference today, so obviously lacking in sleep and peace of mind, is if he’s worried this is going to blow back on him.
So is Trump worried that he’s going to catch the coronavirus? In his deluded mind, he’s in perfect health anyway, so perhaps not. He’s surely, worried, however, about what a failed response to an epidemic and a sinking economy will do to his already-weak 2020 prospects. This is all coming even as Joe Biden – whom Trump fears so much, he got himself impeached trying to stop him – utterly dominated in South Carolina tonight. No wonder Trump is falling to pieces right in front of our eyes.
Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support our 2024 efforts by donating now or sign up for our free mailing list.


palmerreport--2020-03-01--Bernie Sanders is in trouble

Bernie Sanders is in trouble

If I told you that a certain candidate has only won half the states that have voted so far , and that he just lost the most recent state in a thirty point blowout , would you consider that candidate to be doing particularly well ?
You ’ d certainly consider him to be in the running , and maybe or maybe not the frontrunner , but certainly not the presumptive nominee .
But because the candidate I just described above is Bernie Sanders , the media is still painting him as all but a lock for the nomination , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There ’ s ratings gold in painting the race that way , because Bernie ’ s fans will all stay tuned in to hear it , and the majority of Democratic voters who don ’ t want Sanders will stay tuned in out of fear that he might end up being the nominee .
There ’ s also the reality that news outlets and pundits are scared to death of backlash from Bernie ’ s most over-the-top fanatics , if they don ’ t say that Bernie is doing well .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from South Carolina .
We already knew that Sanders would do poorly with black voters .
But the polling averages suggested that he might only lose South Carolina by perhaps ten points .
Instead , based on the results so far tonight , it appears Sanders will lose South Carolina by as much as thirty points , which means he ’ s extraordinarily unpopular with black voters .
There is now every reason to expect Sanders to continue to do poorly with black voters in every upcoming primary state .
Sanders has to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delegates in this race , because otherwise by rule this goes to a brokered convention .
And based on the way he keeps alienating so much of the party , he ’ ll have a really hard time coming out of a brokered convention with the nomination .
With no one seemingly on the verge of dropping out , and frankly everyone having motivation to stay in the race in case it does go to the convention , Bernie is going to have a hard time reaching 50 % .
There ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week we ’ ve seen documented evidence that pro-Trump Republicans in South Carolina were being urged to vote for Sanders in the Democratic primary race , in the hope of helping him win the nomination , because Sanders is the one candidate Trump can beat .
But today ’ s numbers are so atrocious for Sanders , it means one of two things .
Either the Republican crossover fell flat .
Or Republicans did turn out and vote for Sanders in large numbers , it means he ’ s so unpopular with black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ save him from getting blown out .
There ’ s also the reality that because Joe Biden won today in such dominant fashion , we ’ re likely to see a large number of Buttigieg , Bloomberg , and Klobuchar supporters end up voting for Biden in upcoming states , in the hope of stopping Sanders .
That ’ s in addition to the fundraising and endorsement boost that Biden is about to get .
So now Sanders is no longer running against a field of opponents who are performing in equally middling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ potentially soaring Biden , along with all the other mainstream Democratic candidates .
As of today , the narrative of Bernie Sanders as frontrunner just doesn ’ t hold water .
Even if he wins the largest percentage delegates on Super Tuesday , the reality is that his divisive approach means he ’ ll need to win more than 50 % of the delegates before the convention .
If he ’ d lost by ten points today , it would be one thing .
But he ’ s losing by as much as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overwhelmingly rejected by black voters .
When has anyone ever won the Democratic nomination without black voters ?

Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support Palmer Report's 2024 efforts by donating now.
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If I told you that a certain candidate has only won half the states that have voted so far, and that he just lost the most recent state in a thirty point blowout, would you consider that candidate to be doing particularly well? You’d certainly consider him to be in the running, and maybe or maybe not the frontrunner, but certainly not the presumptive nominee.
But because the candidate I just described above is Bernie Sanders, the media is still painting him as all but a lock for the nomination, simply because he’s Bernie Sanders. There’s ratings gold in painting the race that way, because Bernie’s fans will all stay tuned in to hear it, and the majority of Democratic voters who don’t want Sanders will stay tuned in out of fear that he might end up being the nominee. There’s also the reality that news outlets and pundits are scared to death of backlash from Bernie’s most over-the-top fanatics, if they don’t say that Bernie is doing well. But let’s talk about these results from South Carolina.
We already knew that Sanders would do poorly with black voters. But the polling averages suggested that he might only lose South Carolina by perhaps ten points. Instead, based on the results so far tonight, it appears Sanders will lose South Carolina by as much as thirty points, which means he’s extraordinarily unpopular with black voters. There is now every reason to expect Sanders to continue to do poorly with black voters in every upcoming primary state.
Sanders has to win more than 50% of the delegates in this race, because otherwise by rule this goes to a brokered convention. And based on the way he keeps alienating so much of the party, he’ll have a really hard time coming out of a brokered convention with the nomination. With no one seemingly on the verge of dropping out, and frankly everyone having motivation to stay in the race in case it does go to the convention, Bernie is going to have a hard time reaching 50%.
There’s also another factor here. This past week we’ve seen documented evidence that pro-Trump Republicans in South Carolina were being urged to vote for Sanders in the Democratic primary race, in the hope of helping him win the nomination, because Sanders is the one candidate Trump can beat. But today’s numbers are so atrocious for Sanders, it means one of two things. Either the Republican crossover fell flat. Or Republicans did turn out and vote for Sanders in large numbers, it means he’s so unpopular with black voters, they still couldn’t save him from getting blown out.
There’s also the reality that because Joe Biden won today in such dominant fashion, we’re likely to see a large number of Buttigieg, Bloomberg, and Klobuchar supporters end up voting for Biden in upcoming states, in the hope of stopping Sanders. That’s in addition to the fundraising and endorsement boost that Biden is about to get. So now Sanders is no longer running against a field of opponents who are performing in equally middling fashion. He’s facing a potentially soaring Biden, along with all the other mainstream Democratic candidates.
As of today, the narrative of Bernie Sanders as frontrunner just doesn’t hold water. Even if he wins the largest percentage delegates on Super Tuesday, the reality is that his divisive approach means he’ll need to win more than 50% of the delegates before the convention. If he’d lost by ten points today, it would be one thing. But he’s losing by as much as thirty points. He’s been overwhelmingly rejected by black voters. When has anyone ever won the Democratic nomination without black voters?
Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support our 2024 efforts by donating now or sign up for our free mailing list.


palmerreport--2020-03-01--Joe Biden is in the driver’s seat as of today. Here’s who should drop out now.

Just how well did Joe Biden do in South Carolina today ?
We don ’ t know his margin of victory yet , but it ’ s large enough that multiple major media outlets declared him the winner just minutes after the polls closed .
More to the point , it appears that other candidates like Pete Buttigieg , Amy Klobuchar , Elizabeth Warren , and Tom Steyer have performed horribly with black voters in the state today ( Update , 9:20pm : Steyer just dropped out ) .
Now that Biden is in the driver ’ s seat when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sanders from winning the nomination , here ’ s the question : who should drop out right now in the name allowing mainstream voters to align behind Biden ?
That depends on where you think this race is headed .
The South Carolina results tell us that Joe Biden will very probably dominate with black voters in every upcoming diverse state .
He ’ s also about to pick up a huge wave of fundraising and key endorsements as a result of his win tonight .
If you think that Joe Biden has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % of the delegates , then it ’ s probably time for everyone else to drop out , because most of their would-be voters will shift to Biden .
On the other hand , simply due to the sheer number of people who have been picking off delegates thus far there ’ s the very real possibility that no one is going to win more than 50 % of the delegates .
When you consider that Mike Bloomberg almost certainly won ’ t drop out any time soon ( his money can keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s losing ) , the odds are still good that no one will reach 50 % .
If this ends up being the case , then by rule , we ’ re headed to a brokered convention – where every candidate will be able to make an argument for why the delegates should rally around them .
If we are headed to a brokered convention , then the other candidates like Pete and Amy and Warren have no real motivation to drop out .
They can stay in the race and pick up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to use as part of their argument at the convention .
The only thing that ’ ll force them out sooner is if they run out of money .
If they stay in the race , it might actually help Biden ’ s chances , because their mere presence could help ensure that Sanders doesn ’ t reach 50 % of the delegates .
The bottom line is that it ’ s too early to call on anyone to drop out yet – at least for a few more days .
Super Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Depending on how the results look on Tuesday , we could be looking at very different math .
But for now , if you ’ re aligning behind Joe Biden in order to stop Sanders , it ’ s less about who should drop out , and more about simply getting behind Biden so he ’ ll have a big Super Tuesday .
We can reassess all of this later in the week .

Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support Palmer Report's 2024 efforts by donating now.
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Just how well did Joe Biden do in South Carolina today? We don’t know his margin of victory yet, but it’s large enough that multiple major media outlets declared him the winner just minutes after the polls closed. More to the point, it appears that other candidates like Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar, Elizabeth Warren, and Tom Steyer have performed horribly with black voters in the state today (Update, 9:20pm: Steyer just dropped out). Now that Biden is in the driver’s seat when it comes to stopping erratic extremist Bernie Sanders from winning the nomination, here’s the question: who should drop out right now in the name allowing mainstream voters to align behind Biden?
That depends on where you think this race is headed. The South Carolina results tell us that Joe Biden will very probably dominate with black voters in every upcoming diverse state. He’s also about to pick up a huge wave of fundraising and key endorsements as a result of his win tonight. If you think that Joe Biden has a chance to win more than 50% of the delegates, then it’s probably time for everyone else to drop out, because most of their would-be voters will shift to Biden.
On the other hand, simply due to the sheer number of people who have been picking off delegates thus far there’s the very real possibility that no one is going to win more than 50% of the delegates. When you consider that Mike Bloomberg almost certainly won’t drop out any time soon (his money can keep his campaign alive even if he’s losing), the odds are still good that no one will reach 50%. If this ends up being the case, then by rule, we’re headed to a brokered convention – where every candidate will be able to make an argument for why the delegates should rally around them.
If we are headed to a brokered convention, then the other candidates like Pete and Amy and Warren have no real motivation to drop out. They can stay in the race and pick up as many delegates as they can, to use as part of their argument at the convention. The only thing that’ll force them out sooner is if they run out of money. If they stay in the race, it might actually help Biden’s chances, because their mere presence could help ensure that Sanders doesn’t reach 50% of the delegates.
The bottom line is that it’s too early to call on anyone to drop out yet – at least for a few more days. Super Tuesday is just three days from now. Depending on how the results look on Tuesday, we could be looking at very different math. But for now, if you’re aligning behind Joe Biden in order to stop Sanders, it’s less about who should drop out, and more about simply getting behind Biden so he’ll have a big Super Tuesday. We can reassess all of this later in the week.
Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support our 2024 efforts by donating now or sign up for our free mailing list.


palmerreport--2020-03-01--I told you all along that Joe Biden would win big in South Carolina

Just a few minutes after the polls closed in the South Carolina Democratic primary race , MSNBC and the Associated Press declared Joe Biden the winner .
This only ever happens when the early results are so overwhelmingly non-competitive , there ’ s no chance of it ending up being a close race .
In other words , Biden has won in a blowout .
He ’ ll head into Super Tuesday this week with significant momentum , and the knowledge that black voters in the upcoming states are likely to turn out for him en masse .
If you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ none of the above is a surprise to you .
I ’ ve told you all along that whoever won Iowa and New Hampshire , it wasn ’ t going to mean much , because those two mostly-white states don ’ t tell us anything about how the diverse states are going to vote .
And while Nevada is more diverse than Iowa or New Hampshire , it uses that screwy caucus format that tends to favor candidates who stomp their feet over candidates with broad coalitions .
Numerous media pundits are painting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as some kind of surprise or comeback , or suggesting that it only happened due to Jim Clyburn ’ s last minute endorsement .
But back in the real world , Biden has been in the lead in the South Carolina polling averages for every single minute of this race .
So many pundits have spent so much time pretending that Biden was in “ trouble ” and was on the verge of dropping out , they ’ re now trying to come up with a narrative to explain why he ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was never not in the running .
As Palmer Report has spent this entire election cycle pointing out , the black vote in South Carolina is the single best predictor of who will end up being the Democratic nominee .

Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support Palmer Report's 2024 efforts by donating now.
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Just a few minutes after the polls closed in the South Carolina Democratic primary race, MSNBC and the Associated Press declared Joe Biden the winner. This only ever happens when the early results are so overwhelmingly non-competitive, there’s no chance of it ending up being a close race. In other words, Biden has won in a blowout. He’ll head into Super Tuesday this week with significant momentum, and the knowledge that black voters in the upcoming states are likely to turn out for him en masse.
If you’re a Palmer Report reader, none of the above is a surprise to you. I’ve told you all along that whoever won Iowa and New Hampshire, it wasn’t going to mean much, because those two mostly-white states don’t tell us anything about how the diverse states are going to vote. And while Nevada is more diverse than Iowa or New Hampshire, it uses that screwy caucus format that tends to favor candidates who stomp their feet over candidates with broad coalitions.
Numerous media pundits are painting Joe Biden’s South Carolina win as some kind of surprise or comeback, or suggesting that it only happened due to Jim Clyburn’s last minute endorsement. But back in the real world, Biden has been in the lead in the South Carolina polling averages for every single minute of this race.
So many pundits have spent so much time pretending that Biden was in “trouble” and was on the verge of dropping out, they’re now trying to come up with a narrative to explain why he’s suddenly back in the running. But he was never not in the running. As Palmer Report has spent this entire election cycle pointing out, the black vote in South Carolina is the single best predictor of who will end up being the Democratic nominee.
Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support our 2024 efforts by donating now or sign up for our free mailing list.


palmerreport--2020-03-01--Just shut up, you idiot!

Just shut up, you idiot!

Last night Donald Trump held a rally and told his delusional supporters that the coronavirus threat in the United States is a “ hoax.
” Back in the real world , that remark didn ’ t go over particularly well , to say the least .
So today Trump held a press conference with Mike Pence and Dr. Fauci , which was aimed at inching the official White House message a little bit closer to reality .
The trouble : Trump blew it in ridiculous and offensive fashion .
Donald Trump seemed to be allowing Dr. Fauci to speak factually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Perhaps Trump really is scared about what ’ s happening .
Or perhaps Trump simply doesn ’ t have the muscle he ’ d like to think he has when it comes to muzzling experts .
Either way , Trump still decided that he had to make himself the star of the show .
That ’ s when he made an egregious error .
Trump confirmed that the first person in the United States has died from the coronavirus , in Washington State , adding that the victim “ was a wonderful woman.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ outlets today , the victim in question was in fact a man .
For one thing , Donald Trump ’ s lack of interest in the details of this man ’ s death are an insult to his memory and loved ones .
In the bigger picture , if Trump can ’ t even get basic details like this correct , what other misinformation is he feeding people ?
At a time like this , Trump needs to shut up – or better yet , resign .

Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support Palmer Report's 2024 efforts by donating now.
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Last night Donald Trump held a rally and told his delusional supporters that the coronavirus threat in the United States is a “hoax.” Back in the real world, that remark didn’t go over particularly well, to say the least. So today Trump held a press conference with Mike Pence and Dr. Fauci, which was aimed at inching the official White House message a little bit closer to reality. The trouble: Trump blew it in ridiculous and offensive fashion.
Donald Trump seemed to be allowing Dr. Fauci to speak factually, which is a good sign. Perhaps Trump really is scared about what’s happening. Or perhaps Trump simply doesn’t have the muscle he’d like to think he has when it comes to muzzling experts. Either way, Trump still decided that he had to make himself the star of the show. That’s when he made an egregious error.
Trump confirmed that the first person in the United States has died from the coronavirus, in Washington State, adding that the victim “was a wonderful woman.” But as confirmed by several news outlets today, the victim in question was in fact a man.
For one thing, Donald Trump’s lack of interest in the details of this man’s death are an insult to his memory and loved ones. In the bigger picture, if Trump can’t even get basic details like this correct, what other misinformation is he feeding people? At a time like this, Trump needs to shut up – or better yet, resign.
Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support our 2024 efforts by donating now or sign up for our free mailing list.


palmerreport--2020-02-29--Bill Barr isn’t going to like this one bit

The Trump administration is desperately pushing the false narrative that the coronavirus is just a hoax to bring down Donald Trump , all while trying to downplay the very real threat and their own appalling response to it .
This narrative might work if it wasn ’ t just another variation of a story they ’ ve used a hundred times before without much to show for it .
While he ’ s frantically trying to allay fears about the virus , purely to calm investors while hoping that somehow the pandemic will take care of itself , he ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his hands .
On Friday , House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerry Nadler announced an investigation into whether or not the Trump administration decided to weaponize the Justice Department to go after his political rivals , and he decided to call out Bill Barr specifically in a letter , referring to Barr ’ s infamous complaint about Trump ’ s tweets making it impossible to do his job .
We figured it was an act then , but weren ’ t quite sure what political consequences it would hold .
Now , Nadler has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s sentence as well .
He also sought documents pertaining to the cases against Michael Flynn and Paul Manafort and the merger with AT & T and Time Warner .
We ’ ve seen Donald Trump withstand some pretty steep scandals and somehow manage to survive them politically , but this time his administration is facing two serious crises at the same time .
The fallout from a bungled coronavirus response that ’ s already starting panic could seriously wound his administration and make it hard to fight against another scandal where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This makes running in 2020 much more difficult for him regardless of whether or not Barr decides to participate in the investigation .

Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support Palmer Report's 2024 efforts by donating now.
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The Trump administration is desperately pushing the false narrative that the coronavirus is just a hoax to bring down Donald Trump, all while trying to downplay the very real threat and their own appalling response to it. This narrative might work if it wasn’t just another variation of a story they’ve used a hundred times before without much to show for it. While he’s frantically trying to allay fears about the virus, purely to calm investors while hoping that somehow the pandemic will take care of itself, he’s got a whole other problem on his hands.
On Friday, House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerry Nadler announced an investigation into whether or not the Trump administration decided to weaponize the Justice Department to go after his political rivals, and he decided to call out Bill Barr specifically in a letter, referring to Barr’s infamous complaint about Trump’s tweets making it impossible to do his job.
We figured it was an act then, but weren’t quite sure what political consequences it would hold. Now, Nadler has suddenly taken an interest in Roger Stone’s sentence as well. He also sought documents pertaining to the cases against Michael Flynn and Paul Manafort and the merger with AT&T and Time Warner.
We’ve seen Donald Trump withstand some pretty steep scandals and somehow manage to survive them politically, but this time his administration is facing two serious crises at the same time. The fallout from a bungled coronavirus response that’s already starting panic could seriously wound his administration and make it hard to fight against another scandal where they’re clearly in the wrong. This makes running in 2020 much more difficult for him regardless of whether or not Barr decides to participate in the investigation.
Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support our 2024 efforts by donating now or sign up for our free mailing list.


palmerreport--2020-02-29--Donald Trump’s DNI scandal just took a whole new ugly turn

The Director of National Intelligence ( DNI ) is a cabinet-level position created in the aftermath of 9/11 as a means to coordinate information provided by the 17 different American intelligence-gathering agencies .
It is a full time job replacing what used to be the part time provenance of the director of the CIA .
The idea was to keep inter-agency rivalries from interfering with the flow of information .
In the age before Trump the idea was a good one .
Trump promised to replace his appallingly bad acting DNI , internet troll Richard Grenell , from a pool @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ all people you know , all people you respect.
” I for one thought , “ oh goody , I can hardly wait.
” And then the child-raping monster went and appointed the perfectly awful congressman from Texas , John Ratcliffe , right on schedule .
You may remember Ratcliffe from the house Judiciary impeachment hearings .
He was the awful , perpetually angry little man full of counterfeit rage at everyone he questioned .
He was the virtue-signaling cretin who tried to get ambassador Bill Taylor to commit to the notion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sitting right next to Trump ) was lying when he said he felt no pressure from Trump .
He was the pathetic little weasel who asserted that the whistleblower had serially lied in his sworn complaint to the Inspector General .
This is the partisan tool , one of the “ people you all respect , ” that Trump wants in the vital role of Director of National Intelligence .
Considering that Trump ’ s penultimate acting DNI , Joseph McGuire , was fired for allowing one of his subordinates to dare suggest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all who influenced the 2016 election and were about to do it again , there can be little doubt in the poisonous mind of Ratcliffe which side his bread is buttered on .
From this point forward we can count on Ratcliffe ’ s Soviet-era style “ intelligence ” being synthesized cabinet-side as a political prop for Trump first and in the national interest last .
The DNI is about to become the Commissar of Political Orthodoxy in the thrall of Donald Trump .
Well , at least Ratcliffe has a background in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he doesn ’ t .
As former CIA case officer now Congresswoman from Virginia Abigail Spanberger puts it , “ I find it quite astounding that the president would nominate someone without an intelligence background.
” I would too , if it were any president other than the child-raping monster Donald Trump .
Ratcliffe , political puppet , religious right-winger and running dog for Donald Trump , is among the worst possible choices for DNI .
Only Jim Jordan would be marginally worse than he .
It will be my pleasure to see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 2021 .
As he will have to resign his seat as Congressman from Texas to take this new post , it will also be my pleasure to see this child-rapist ’ s acolyte justly unemployed as well .

Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support Palmer Report's 2024 efforts by donating now.
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The Director of National Intelligence (DNI) is a cabinet-level position created in the aftermath of 9/11 as a means to coordinate information provided by the 17 different American intelligence-gathering agencies. It is a full time job replacing what used to be the part time provenance of the director of the CIA. The idea was to keep inter-agency rivalries from interfering with the flow of information. In the age before Trump the idea was a good one.
Trump promised to replace his appallingly bad acting DNI, internet troll Richard Grenell, from a pool of five people who he claimed were “all people you know, all people you respect.” I for one thought, “oh goody, I can hardly wait.” And then the child-raping monster went and appointed the perfectly awful congressman from Texas, John Ratcliffe, right on schedule.
You may remember Ratcliffe from the house Judiciary impeachment hearings. He was the awful, perpetually angry little man full of counterfeit rage at everyone he questioned. He was the virtue-signaling cretin who tried to get ambassador Bill Taylor to commit to the notion that Voldomyr Zelinsky (while he was sitting right next to Trump) was lying when he said he felt no pressure from Trump. He was the pathetic little weasel who asserted that the whistleblower had serially lied in his sworn complaint to the Inspector General. This is the partisan tool, one of the “people you all respect,” that Trump wants in the vital role of Director of National Intelligence.
Considering that Trump’s penultimate acting DNI, Joseph McGuire, was fired for allowing one of his subordinates to dare suggest that it really was the Russians after all who influenced the 2016 election and were about to do it again, there can be little doubt in the poisonous mind of Ratcliffe which side his bread is buttered on. From this point forward we can count on Ratcliffe’s Soviet-era style “intelligence” being synthesized cabinet-side as a political prop for Trump first and in the national interest last. The DNI is about to become the Commissar of Political Orthodoxy in the thrall of Donald Trump.
Well, at least Ratcliffe has a background in intelligence. Wait a moment, no he doesn’t. As former CIA case officer now Congresswoman from Virginia Abigail Spanberger puts it, “I find it quite astounding that the president would nominate someone without an intelligence background.” I would too, if it were any president other than the child-raping monster Donald Trump.
Ratcliffe, political puppet, religious right-winger and running dog for Donald Trump, is among the worst possible choices for DNI. Only Jim Jordan would be marginally worse than he. It will be my pleasure to see John Ratcliffe summarily dismissed on January 21st, 2021. As he will have to resign his seat as Congressman from Texas to take this new post, it will also be my pleasure to see this child-rapist’s acolyte justly unemployed as well.
Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support our 2024 efforts by donating now or sign up for our free mailing list.


palmerreport--2020-02-29--Turns out Donald Trump really is trying to scapegoat Mike Pence

When Donald Trump announced earlier this week that he was putting Mike Pence in charge of the coronavirus response , Palmer Report pointed out that there ’ s only one reason you ’ d put a prominent underling in charge of a project that ’ s guaranteed to fail : you need a scapegoat .
Now Trump ’ s latest moves are leaving no doubt whatsoever that he ’ s indeed trying to scapegoat Pence .
It all became clear when Donald Trump decided on Friday night that the coronavirus threat in the United States is a “ hoax ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and whoever else might be in on the conspiracy .
Wait , didn ’ t Trump just put Mike Pence in charge of the coronavirus threat in the United States ?
Yes he did .
That means Trump is telling everyone that Pence is in charge of cleaning up a problem that – as of this moment at least – somehow doesn ’ t even officially exist .
You see where this is going , right ?
We don ’ t know how far the coronavirus will spread in the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sufficient enough to expose the Trump regime ’ s inept inability to handle the situation .
And we already know that the international crisis alone is going to have a major ongoing negative impact on the U.S. economy that ’ s already hitting the stock market , and will soon start showing up in monthly and quarterly economic indicators .
Once this has all gone catastrophically enough for the Trump regime that even people with their head in the sand start to take notice , that ’ s right about the time that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this was a hoax , until Mike Pence took charge and found a way to screw it all up .
This won ’ t be a believable scenario , of course .
But Trump will be able to shift at least some of the blame to Pence , and it ’ ll dirty up Pence to the point that Trump can replace him on the 2020 ticket with someone like Nikki Haley if he wants .
Trump is disgracefully using a global pandemic to play this sick game – and yet all he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chairs on his own personal Titanic .

Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support Palmer Report's 2024 efforts by donating now.
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When Donald Trump announced earlier this week that he was putting Mike Pence in charge of the coronavirus response, Palmer Report pointed out that there’s only one reason you’d put a prominent underling in charge of a project that’s guaranteed to fail: you need a scapegoat. Now Trump’s latest moves are leaving no doubt whatsoever that he’s indeed trying to scapegoat Pence.
It all became clear when Donald Trump decided on Friday night that the coronavirus threat in the United States is a “hoax” invented by the media, the Democrats, and whoever else might be in on the conspiracy. Wait, didn’t Trump just put Mike Pence in charge of the coronavirus threat in the United States? Yes he did. That means Trump is telling everyone that Pence is in charge of cleaning up a problem that – as of this moment at least – somehow doesn’t even officially exist.
You see where this is going, right? We don’t know how far the coronavirus will spread in the United States, but it’ll likely be sufficient enough to expose the Trump regime’s inept inability to handle the situation. And we already know that the international crisis alone is going to have a major ongoing negative impact on the U.S. economy that’s already hitting the stock market, and will soon start showing up in monthly and quarterly economic indicators.
Once this has all gone catastrophically enough for the Trump regime that even people with their head in the sand start to take notice, that’s right about the time that Donald Trump will start telling us that this was a hoax, until Mike Pence took charge and found a way to screw it all up. This won’t be a believable scenario, of course. But Trump will be able to shift at least some of the blame to Pence, and it’ll dirty up Pence to the point that Trump can replace him on the 2020 ticket with someone like Nikki Haley if he wants. Trump is disgracefully using a global pandemic to play this sick game – and yet all he’s really doing is shuffling deck chairs on his own personal Titanic.
Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support our 2024 efforts by donating now or sign up for our free mailing list.


palmerreport--2020-02-29--The great realignment in support of Joe Biden appears to be underway

This week Joe Biden has benefited from a strong debate performance and rising poll numbers in South Carolina .
It ’ s given a lot of people hope that Biden can emerge from the logjam of mainstream Democratic candidates , and overtake divisive loose cannon Bernie Sanders .
Accordingly I ’ ve seen a large number of Pete Buttigieg , Amy Klobuchar , and Tom Steyer supporters , and for that matter a few Elizabeth Warren supporters , say that if Biden does dominate in South Carolina , they ’ ll vote for him on Super Tuesday just to help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is this trend ?
This tweet last night from Da ’ Quan Love , the Deputy Finance and Digital Director for the North Carolina House Democrats , said a lot : The current polling averages suggest that Klobuchar , Buttigieg , Warren , and Steyer could each finish as much as twenty-five points behind Joe Biden in South Carolina .
No amount of last-minute campaigning on their part is going to make those numbers any less embarrassing for them .
So from a mathematical standpoint , it makes sense to pull out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ directly to Super Tuesday states where they ’ re polling within contention .
But the trouble with pulling out of such a pivotal state like South Carolina is that it sends the wrong message , as evidenced by Da ’ Quan Love ’ s tweet above .
From the start , Palmer Report has pointed out the black vote in the South Carolina Democratic primary is the single strongest indicator of who ’ s going to end up being the nominee .
February always sees so much nationwide focus on Iowa and New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ along and tells us how these candidates are likely to fare with voters in the more diverse states on Super Tuesday , and no one listens , so everyone ends up being surprised at how Super Tuesday goes .
In any case , this is the latest evidence that a bunch of voters are indeed realigning themselves in support of Joe Biden , with the expectation that he ’ ll emerge from South Carolina as the one mainstream Democratic candidate who can pull ahead of the pack and keep the nomination in the @ @ @ @ @ @

Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support Palmer Report's 2024 efforts by donating now.
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This week Joe Biden has benefited from a strong debate performance and rising poll numbers in South Carolina. It’s given a lot of people hope that Biden can emerge from the logjam of mainstream Democratic candidates, and overtake divisive loose cannon Bernie Sanders. Accordingly I’ve seen a large number of Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar, and Tom Steyer supporters, and for that matter a few Elizabeth Warren supporters, say that if Biden does dominate in South Carolina, they’ll vote for him on Super Tuesday just to help fend off Sanders. But how real is this trend?
This tweet last night from Da’Quan Love, the Deputy Finance and Digital Director for the North Carolina House Democrats, said a lot:
For the last two months I’ve concurrently displayed @amyklobuchar and @JoeBiden yard signs (since Harris and Booker dropped). Since Klobuchar’s team abandoned S.C. and in my view black voters, I’ve abandoned her yard sign today. Alright Joe let’s go win this! — Da'Quan Marcell Love (@daquanlove) February 29, 2020
The current polling averages suggest that Klobuchar, Buttigieg, Warren, and Steyer could each finish as much as twenty-five points behind Joe Biden in South Carolina. No amount of last-minute campaigning on their part is going to make those numbers any less embarrassing for them. So from a mathematical standpoint, it makes sense to pull out of South Carolina early in favor of heading directly to Super Tuesday states where they’re polling within contention. But the trouble with pulling out of such a pivotal state like South Carolina is that it sends the wrong message, as evidenced by Da’Quan Love’s tweet above.
From the start, Palmer Report has pointed out the black vote in the South Carolina Democratic primary is the single strongest indicator of who’s going to end up being the nominee. February always sees so much nationwide focus on Iowa and New Hampshire. But then South Carolina comes along and tells us how these candidates are likely to fare with voters in the more diverse states on Super Tuesday, and no one listens, so everyone ends up being surprised at how Super Tuesday goes.
In any case, this is the latest evidence that a bunch of voters are indeed realigning themselves in support of Joe Biden, with the expectation that he’ll emerge from South Carolina as the one mainstream Democratic candidate who can pull ahead of the pack and keep the nomination in the hands of an actual Democrat.
Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support our 2024 efforts by donating now or sign up for our free mailing list.


palmerreport--2020-02-29--No wonder Donald Trump thinks it’s a hoax

Donald Trump is here to tell you that the coronavirus is a hoax .
Or at least it ’ s a hoax in the United States .
Or the number of people infected in the United States is a hoax .
Or the projections coming from the CDC are a hoax .
To be honest , we ’ re not even sure what he ’ s referring to , and he probably doesn ’ t know either .
But there is a good explanation for it .
Simply put , Donald Trump ’ s whole life has been a hoax @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life portraying himself as a billionaire , when his lifelong massive debts mean that there ’ s probably never been a point where he had a net worth that wasn ’ t negative .
His presidency is fake .
His marriage is a fake .
His hair is fake .
His tan is fake .
Trump has also spent his life operating under fake names , at times pretending to be his own publicist .
John Barron .
John Miller .
David Dennison .
These aren ’ t even good fake names .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ hair and the tan are terrible fakes as well .
This guy is living such a lie , it doesn ’ t even occur to him to bother putting a competent effort into his fakery .
In his broken mind , all he has to do is convince himself that his fakery is real , and he then believes everyone else will fall for it .
He ’ s applied this concept to everything that ’ s gone wrong with his failed presidency as well .
He got caught conspiring with Russia in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ got caught trying to conspire with Ukraine in the 2020 election ?
Hoax .
The media exposes yet another of his criminal scandals on any given day ?
Hoax .
Now Donald Trump is taking things to a horrifying , yet entirely logical , endgame .
The world is on the verge of a pandemic that ’ s going to expose the sheer ineptitude of his regime , while pulling the economic rug out from under his presidency at precisely the wrong time for him .
Millions could die – and that number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people it ’ s not even real – yet none of that matters .
Nor does it matter that calling it a “ hoax ” won ’ t save his presidency .
All that matters is keeping up the illusion in his head that none of this is his fault , because none of this is real .

Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support Palmer Report's 2024 efforts by donating now.
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Donald Trump is here to tell you that the coronavirus is a hoax. Or at least it’s a hoax in the United States. Or the number of people infected in the United States is a hoax. Or the projections coming from the CDC are a hoax. To be honest, we’re not even sure what he’s referring to, and he probably doesn’t know either. But there is a good explanation for it.
Simply put, Donald Trump’s whole life has been a hoax. He’s spent his entire life portraying himself as a billionaire, when his lifelong massive debts mean that there’s probably never been a point where he had a net worth that wasn’t negative. His presidency is fake. His marriage is a fake. His hair is fake. His tan is fake.
Trump has also spent his life operating under fake names, at times pretending to be his own publicist. John Barron. John Miller. David Dennison. These aren’t even good fake names. Come to think of it, the hair and the tan are terrible fakes as well.
This guy is living such a lie, it doesn’t even occur to him to bother putting a competent effort into his fakery. In his broken mind, all he has to do is convince himself that his fakery is real, and he then believes everyone else will fall for it. He’s applied this concept to everything that’s gone wrong with his failed presidency as well. He got caught conspiring with Russia in the 2016 election? Hoax. He got caught trying to conspire with Ukraine in the 2020 election? Hoax. The media exposes yet another of his criminal scandals on any given day? Hoax.
Now Donald Trump is taking things to a horrifying, yet entirely logical, endgame. The world is on the verge of a pandemic that’s going to expose the sheer ineptitude of his regime, while pulling the economic rug out from under his presidency at precisely the wrong time for him. Millions could die – and that number could skyrocket because he’s telling people it’s not even real – yet none of that matters. Nor does it matter that calling it a “hoax” won’t save his presidency. All that matters is keeping up the illusion in his head that none of this is his fault, because none of this is real.
Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support our 2024 efforts by donating now or sign up for our free mailing list.


palmerreport--2020-02-29--Donald Trump just made a really dumb mistake

Donald Trump has a lot on his plate right now , with the threat of a pandemic and the threat of economic collapse breathing down his neck .
He ’ s decided that the coronavirus threat is such a “ hoax ” that he ’ s put Mike Pence in charge of it ( wait , that can ’ t be right ) .
He ’ s apparently decided that the best way to deal with the economic crisis is to say nothing and hope no one notices that the stock market plummeted by fifteen percent this week .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these issues , but he sure does still have time to troll people .
For instance Donald Trump just posted this surreal tweet about former CNBC and current CNN political commentator John Harwood : Trump made a point of including John Harwood ’ s Twitter user name in his tweet , presumably to try steer his own supporters toward trolling Harwood on his timeline .
But that trolling will fade within a day .
The real upshot of Trump ’ s inclusion of Harwood ’ s username is that it ’ s prompted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ start following him .
Harwood has gained thousands of new followers since Trump attacked him .
Trump just very stupidly gave his critic a larger voice .

Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support Palmer Report's 2024 efforts by donating now.
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Donald Trump has a lot on his plate right now, with the threat of a pandemic and the threat of economic collapse breathing down his neck. He’s decided that the coronavirus threat is such a “hoax” that he’s put Mike Pence in charge of it (wait, that can’t be right). He’s apparently decided that the best way to deal with the economic crisis is to say nothing and hope no one notices that the stock market plummeted by fifteen percent this week.
Trump may not have time to deal with these issues, but he sure does still have time to troll people. For instance Donald Trump just posted this surreal tweet about former CNBC and current CNN political commentator John Harwood:
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A so-called reporter named @JohnJHarwood, who bombed so badly in the 2016 Presidential Debates that I thought he was going to be immediately fired (a Mini Mike type performance), is now with Fake News @CNN. A total loser! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 29, 2020
Trump made a point of including John Harwood’s Twitter user name in his tweet, presumably to try steer his own supporters toward trolling Harwood on his timeline. But that trolling will fade within a day. The real upshot of Trump’s inclusion of Harwood’s username is that it’s prompted a whole lot of anti-Trump people to start following him. Harwood has gained thousands of new followers since Trump attacked him. Trump just very stupidly gave his critic a larger voice.
Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support our 2024 efforts by donating now or sign up for our free mailing list.


palmerreport--2020-02-29--There’s a fire in Donald Trump’s crowded theater

There are lies you can tell that will send you to prison – and not just when you ’ re under oath .
If you mischievously decide to shout “ fire ” in a crowded theater when you know there ’ s no fire , and people get trampled to death in the resulting stampede , you ’ re looking at potential felony charges .
Similarly , if you ’ re a store owner and you know the building is on fire , but you want customers to keep shopping so you lie to them when they start asking why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a result , you ’ re looking at the same criminal scenario .
This brings us to how Donald Trump is handling the coronavirus crisis .
He ’ s handling it in highly incompetent fashion , but that ’ s not a crime .
It ’ s made all the worse because he slashed the CDC budget , which should be a crime , but apparently isn ’ t .
Nor is it illegal to try to spin a negative situation in the most positive light that the facts could ever possibly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you get into a criminal element .
Donald Trump ’ s White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney gave a speech today and called the coronavirus threat in the United States a “ hoax.
” He used that word in semi-incoherent fashion ; we think he was trying to assert that the U.S. coronavirus outbreak is no more real than Donald Trump ’ s Ukraine scandal .
But the bottom line is that he used the word .
Then Trump held a rally tonight and used the word “ hoax ” in reference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When you ’ re the President of the United States or a top White House official , and you ’ re talking about a worldwide pandemic underway that ’ s now spreading in the United States , you don ’ t get to tell people that it ’ s some kind of “ hoax.
” You don ’ t get to use that word .
Trump and Mulvaney know darn well that by making this false statement , they ’ re steering Americans toward writing the whole thing off , instead of taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lives .
At what point are these kinds of lies an actual felony ?
Its worth keeping in mind , because if Trump loses this election , people like Mulvaney are going to face a whole host of criminal charges .

Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support Palmer Report's 2024 efforts by donating now.
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There are lies you can tell that will send you to prison – and not just when you’re under oath. If you mischievously decide to shout “fire” in a crowded theater when you know there’s no fire, and people get trampled to death in the resulting stampede, you’re looking at potential felony charges. Similarly, if you’re a store owner and you know the building is on fire, but you want customers to keep shopping so you lie to them when they start asking why they smell smoke, and they die as a result, you’re looking at the same criminal scenario.
This brings us to how Donald Trump is handling the coronavirus crisis. He’s handling it in highly incompetent fashion, but that’s not a crime. It’s made all the worse because he slashed the CDC budget, which should be a crime, but apparently isn’t. Nor is it illegal to try to spin a negative situation in the most positive light that the facts could ever possibly allow. But here’s where you get into a criminal element.
Donald Trump’s White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney gave a speech today and called the coronavirus threat in the United States a “hoax.” He used that word in semi-incoherent fashion; we think he was trying to assert that the U.S. coronavirus outbreak is no more real than Donald Trump’s Ukraine scandal. But the bottom line is that he used the word. Then Trump held a rally tonight and used the word “hoax” in reference to the virus outbreak as well.
When you’re the President of the United States or a top White House official, and you’re talking about a worldwide pandemic underway that’s now spreading in the United States, you don’t get to tell people that it’s some kind of “hoax.” You don’t get to use that word. Trump and Mulvaney know darn well that by making this false statement, they’re steering Americans toward writing the whole thing off, instead of taking the basic precautions that could save their lives. At what point are these kinds of lies an actual felony? Its worth keeping in mind, because if Trump loses this election, people like Mulvaney are going to face a whole host of criminal charges.
Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support our 2024 efforts by donating now or sign up for our free mailing list.


palmerreport--2020-02-29--Paging Elizabeth Warren: it turns out Bernie Sanders has an ugly NDA scandal too

Yesterday Palmer Report pointed out that while Elizabeth Warren keeps correctly slam dunking Mike Bloomberg for his worsening scandals , she ’ s still largely going out of her way to avoid laying a glove on Bernie Sanders over his worsening scandals .
During the debate she didn ’ t hit him over his Fidel Castro scandal , his vicious attacks on the Democratic Party , or anything else .
But things radically changed today , and now Warren has a decision to make .
Warren has been hitting Bloomberg the hardest over the nondisclosure agreements that he ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years .
He ’ s claiming that these were just comparatively minor offenses .
But she browbeat him into agreeing to release the women from their NDAs , so that if any of them want to come forward and reveal the true seriousness of the offenses , they can .
Today the Associated Press reported that Bernie Sanders ’ quasi-Super PAC “ Our Revolution ” fired an African-American political consultant in 2018 , and then settled with her out of court when she sued for racial discrimination .
The consultant then agreed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from publicly discussing the details and/or seriousness of the discrimination .
Uh oh .
How is this any different from Mike Bloomberg having women sign nondisclosure agreements after they made accusations of inappropriate behavior against him ?
It ’ s important to note that the accusations of racism appear to be directed at Bernie Sanders ’ highest ranking “ Our Revolution ” employees and not at Bernie himself , which is a major distinction .
That said , whatever went on with the “ Our Revolution ” racism scandal , it was ugly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apparently paid her off with an out of court settlement just to keep her quiet about it .
The question right now isn ’ t whether Bloomberg ’ s NDA scandal or Bernie ’ s NDA scandal is worse .
We don ’ t know the answer to that , because we don ’ t have the details of what really went on in either scandal .
The question is whether Elizabeth Warren is going to hold Bernie to the same standard that she applied to Bloomberg , and pressure Bernie to let @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Elizabeth Warren is in a tough position .
She ’ s friends with Bernie Sanders and she ’ s ideologically aligned with him , whereas she clearly thinks Mike Bloomberg ’ s political stances are corrupt .
She ’ ll also get eaten alive by Bernie ’ s most overzealous fans if she goes after him too hard .
But at this point she ’ s got to do it , right ?
Warren is one of the most forthright people in all of politics .
She knows she can ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than Bloomberg ’ s NDA scandal , just because Bernie is her ally .

Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support Palmer Report's 2024 efforts by donating now.
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Yesterday Palmer Report pointed out that while Elizabeth Warren keeps correctly slam dunking Mike Bloomberg for his worsening scandals, she’s still largely going out of her way to avoid laying a glove on Bernie Sanders over his worsening scandals. During the debate she didn’t hit him over his Fidel Castro scandal, his vicious attacks on the Democratic Party, or anything else. But things radically changed today, and now Warren has a decision to make.
Warren has been hitting Bloomberg the hardest over the nondisclosure agreements that he’s had multiple female employees sign over the years. He’s claiming that these were just comparatively minor offenses. But she browbeat him into agreeing to release the women from their NDAs, so that if any of them want to come forward and reveal the true seriousness of the offenses, they can.
Today the Associated Press reported that Bernie Sanders’ quasi-Super PAC “Our Revolution” fired an African-American political consultant in 2018, and then settled with her out of court when she sued for racial discrimination. The consultant then agreed to sign a nondisclosure agreement, preventing her from publicly discussing the details and/or seriousness of the discrimination.
Uh oh. How is this any different from Mike Bloomberg having women sign nondisclosure agreements after they made accusations of inappropriate behavior against him? It’s important to note that the accusations of racism appear to be directed at Bernie Sanders’ highest ranking “Our Revolution” employees and not at Bernie himself, which is a major distinction. That said, whatever went on with the “Our Revolution” racism scandal, it was ugly enough that the Bernie’s group apparently paid her off with an out of court settlement just to keep her quiet about it.
The question right now isn’t whether Bloomberg’s NDA scandal or Bernie’s NDA scandal is worse. We don’t know the answer to that, because we don’t have the details of what really went on in either scandal. The question is whether Elizabeth Warren is going to hold Bernie to the same standard that she applied to Bloomberg, and pressure Bernie to let the former consultant out of her NDA.
Elizabeth Warren is in a tough position. She’s friends with Bernie Sanders and she’s ideologically aligned with him, whereas she clearly thinks Mike Bloomberg’s political stances are corrupt. She’ll also get eaten alive by Bernie’s most overzealous fans if she goes after him too hard. But at this point she’s got to do it, right? Warren is one of the most forthright people in all of politics. She knows she can’t treat Bernie’s NDA scandal differently than Bloomberg’s NDA scandal, just because Bernie is her ally.
Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support our 2024 efforts by donating now or sign up for our free mailing list.


palmerreport--2020-02-29--Donald Trump just pulled a DNI fast one on us

Donald Trump keeps proving that he ’ s not very good at getting his way in politics .
If he were , he ’ d have a high approval rating and a long list of accomplishments .
Instead he ’ s limping along with an underwater approval rating , getting humiliated on a regular basis , trying to wash off the forever-stink of impeachment , and facing bleak 2020 election prospects .
But today Trump reminded us that while he only has a few tricks up his sleeve , he still knows how to use them .
Whenever a high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s favorite tricks is to pick someone who ’ s horrifying , but falsely leak the name of someone who ’ s even more horrifying .
Then , by the time the public gets done being outraged over the leaked name , Trump goes ahead and appoints his real choice all along .
Because this person is slightly less horrifying , the public mistakenly thinks it scored a victory .
For instance , Trump periodically likes to leak that he ’ s going to appoint his own daughter to this or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outrage , so he can then get away with appointing someone who is also ill-suited for the job but who isn ’ t related to him .
When Dan Coats vacated the Director of National Intelligence position six months ago , Donald Trump tried to nominate Republican Congressman John Ratcliffe to replace him .
But Senate Republicans publicly let it be known that Ratcliffe was too dangerous of an idiot to hold the position , and so Trump backed down and picked someone far more suitable , Joseph Maguire .
But earlier this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do the job properly , and so now he ’ s back to square one .
When Trump named U.S .
Ambassador to Germany and glorified internet troll Richard Grenell as Acting Director of National Intelligence earlier this month , there was a lot of hand-wringing in the media about how Grenell was going use the Acting DNI position to somehow magically hand Trump the 2020 election .
Of course nothing works that way , and Palmer Report pointed out that Grenell wasn ’ t even resigning his Ambassador position , meaning he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the role for long .
Today Donald Trump announced his new nomination for permanent Director of National Intelligence : John Ratcliffe .
This wasn ’ t difficult to see coming .
This was the guy Trump wanted all along .
His mistake last time was not floating someone far worse first .
This time around Trump appears to have remembered to use his favorite trick .
By temporarily installing someone as horrifying as Grenell in the role , he ’ s created a situation where the public might actually accept someone mildly horrifying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of the role .
Plenty of pundits are floating the notion that Trump is nominating Ratcliffe because he knows the Republican Senate will shoot it down again , and he can use it as a stall tactic to keep Richard Grenell in place .
I don ’ t buy it .
There ’ s still no indication that Trump is looking to keep Grenell in the position for any amount of time .
And frankly , Grenell is just a troll who wouldn ’ t be able to magically use the DNI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anyway .
He ’ s evil , but he ’ s not some evil genius .
But still , we saw all this doomsday media hype about Donald Trump installing Grenell into the role in a way that was going to cause Trump to be able to wave a magic wand and make every evil thing go his way , so perhaps the media pundits are now trying to avoid having to admit that they were wrong .
The reality is this : the Republican Senate probably will confirm Ratcliffe this time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one-trick pony , but he appears to have used his one trick to get his way this time .
We ’ ve got to stop falling for the doomsday hype .
It ’ s how Trump uses a canard like Grenell to snooker us into swallowing someone like Ratcliffe .

Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support Palmer Report's 2024 efforts by donating now.
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Donald Trump keeps proving that he’s not very good at getting his way in politics. If he were, he’d have a high approval rating and a long list of accomplishments. Instead he’s limping along with an underwater approval rating, getting humiliated on a regular basis, trying to wash off the forever-stink of impeachment, and facing bleak 2020 election prospects. But today Trump reminded us that while he only has a few tricks up his sleeve, he still knows how to use them.
Whenever a high profile vacancy opens up, one of Trump’s favorite tricks is to pick someone who’s horrifying, but falsely leak the name of someone who’s even more horrifying. Then, by the time the public gets done being outraged over the leaked name, Trump goes ahead and appoints his real choice all along. Because this person is slightly less horrifying, the public mistakenly thinks it scored a victory. For instance, Trump periodically likes to leak that he’s going to appoint his own daughter to this or that high-ranking position, just to elicit outrage, so he can then get away with appointing someone who is also ill-suited for the job but who isn’t related to him.
When Dan Coats vacated the Director of National Intelligence position six months ago, Donald Trump tried to nominate Republican Congressman John Ratcliffe to replace him. But Senate Republicans publicly let it be known that Ratcliffe was too dangerous of an idiot to hold the position, and so Trump backed down and picked someone far more suitable, Joseph Maguire. But earlier this month Trump fired Maguire for daring to do the job properly, and so now he’s back to square one.
When Trump named U.S. Ambassador to Germany and glorified internet troll Richard Grenell as Acting Director of National Intelligence earlier this month, there was a lot of hand-wringing in the media about how Grenell was going use the Acting DNI position to somehow magically hand Trump the 2020 election. Of course nothing works that way, and Palmer Report pointed out that Grenell wasn’t even resigning his Ambassador position, meaning he wasn’t planning on being in the role for long.
Today Donald Trump announced his new nomination for permanent Director of National Intelligence: John Ratcliffe. This wasn’t difficult to see coming. This was the guy Trump wanted all along. His mistake last time was not floating someone far worse first. This time around Trump appears to have remembered to use his favorite trick. By temporarily installing someone as horrifying as Grenell in the role, he’s created a situation where the public might actually accept someone mildly horrifying like Ratcliffe – just to get Grenell out of the role.
Plenty of pundits are floating the notion that Trump is nominating Ratcliffe because he knows the Republican Senate will shoot it down again, and he can use it as a stall tactic to keep Richard Grenell in place. I don’t buy it. There’s still no indication that Trump is looking to keep Grenell in the position for any amount of time. And frankly, Grenell is just a troll who wouldn’t be able to magically use the DNI position to do anything to help Trump anyway. He’s evil, but he’s not some evil genius.
But still, we saw all this doomsday media hype about Donald Trump installing Grenell into the role in a way that was going to cause Trump to be able to wave a magic wand and make every evil thing go his way, so perhaps the media pundits are now trying to avoid having to admit that they were wrong. The reality is this: the Republican Senate probably will confirm Ratcliffe this time, despite its reservations. Trump is a one-trick pony, but he appears to have used his one trick to get his way this time. We’ve got to stop falling for the doomsday hype. It’s how Trump uses a canard like Grenell to snooker us into swallowing someone like Ratcliffe.
Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support our 2024 efforts by donating now or sign up for our free mailing list.


palmerreport--2020-02-29--Donald Trump’s coronavirus conspiracies are spiraling out of control

Coronavirus ( or more accurately the virus called SARS-CoV-2 responsible for the COVID-19 outbreak ) is in danger of mutating .
No , I ’ m not talking about its DNA .
I ’ m talking informationally , that is , mutating from good , reliable , scientific information into the artificially created perception that coronavirus outbreak is being deliberately “ weaponized ” in order to destroy Donald Trump ’ s re-election chances .
I don ’ t know who invented this idiotic conspiracy theory , but Rush Limbaugh has given it wings .
Not content with the racist division @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , this latest wholly unqualified recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom is now endorsing the idea that the coronavirus outbreak is being deliberately overdramatized in an effort to hurt Trump .
“ It looks like the coronavirus is being weaponized as yet another element to bring down Donald Trump , ” Limbaugh proclaims .
“ The coronavirus is the common cold , folks , it ’ s really being hyped as a kind of Andromeda Strain sort of strain or Ebola pandemic … that is going to wipe out the population of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know anyone in any responsible position in any government saying that , of course .
Rush goes on to dazzle us with statistics .
“ The survival rate of this is 98 % … 2 % of the people who get the coronavirus die .
That ’ s less than the flu , folks , that is a far lower death statistic than any form of influenza which is an annual thing that everybody gets shots for.
” All of which would all be comforting , of course , if it were true @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death rate from influenza is .1 % .
Note the decimal point .
In other words , coronavirus is 20 times as deadly as the common flu .
There was a flu outbreak that was as deadly as coronavirus .
It was the 1918 influenza pandemic that devastated the world and killed 50 to 100 million people , more human beings in total than died in the world war that had just ended and the world war that was 19 years in the future .
Fortunately coronavirus is not the 1918 flu , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of fighting its potentially devastating effects .
But what Limbaugh is doing isn ’ t just irresponsible , it ’ s evil .
He ’ s giving people who already trust him bad information about a virus that might have deadly implications for those people and their families .
He ’ s also endangering the rest of us who know better and need everyone to understand this is not a case of the common cold .
Nor is coronavirus bad for Trump .
It ’ s neutral .
It can make Trump look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make Trump look bad .
Any negative association with Trump is his own fault .
Trump could seize this moment and make it all his own .
Coronavirus has given him a golden opportunity to look and behave with presidential gravitas and concern .
He could have gravely cautioned the American people , dispelled rumours and put their fears at ease while at the same time counselling caution .
Instead he ’ s chosen to behave like the self-congratulating self-contradicting buffoon that we have come to expect .
The fact that he ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he ’ s stupid , and that ’ s no one ’ s fault but his own .

Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support Palmer Report's 2024 efforts by donating now.
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Coronavirus (or more accurately the virus called SARS-CoV-2 responsible for the COVID-19 outbreak) is in danger of mutating. No, I’m not talking about its DNA. I’m talking informationally, that is, mutating from good, reliable, scientific information into the artificially created perception that coronavirus outbreak is being deliberately “weaponized” in order to destroy Donald Trump’s re-election chances.
I don’t know who invented this idiotic conspiracy theory, but Rush Limbaugh has given it wings. Not content with the racist division he’s disseminated over the years, this latest wholly unqualified recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom is now endorsing the idea that the coronavirus outbreak is being deliberately overdramatized in an effort to hurt Trump.
“It looks like the coronavirus is being weaponized as yet another element to bring down Donald Trump,” Limbaugh proclaims. “The coronavirus is the common cold, folks, it’s really being hyped as a kind of Andromeda Strain sort of strain or Ebola pandemic … that is going to wipe out the population of the world.” I don’t know anyone in any responsible position in any government saying that, of course.
Rush goes on to dazzle us with statistics. “The survival rate of this is 98% … 2% of the people who get the coronavirus die. That’s less than the flu, folks, that is a far lower death statistic than any form of influenza which is an annual thing that everybody gets shots for.” All of which would all be comforting, of course, if it were true. The truth is, the average death rate from influenza is .1%. Note the decimal point. In other words, coronavirus is 20 times as deadly as the common flu.
There was a flu outbreak that was as deadly as coronavirus. It was the 1918 influenza pandemic that devastated the world and killed 50 to 100 million people, more human beings in total than died in the world war that had just ended and the world war that was 19 years in the future.
Fortunately coronavirus is not the 1918 flu, and we have far more sophisticated means of fighting its potentially devastating effects. But what Limbaugh is doing isn’t just irresponsible, it’s evil. He’s giving people who already trust him bad information about a virus that might have deadly implications for those people and their families. He’s also endangering the rest of us who know better and need everyone to understand this is not a case of the common cold.
Nor is coronavirus bad for Trump. It’s neutral. It can make Trump look good just as easily as it can make Trump look bad. Any negative association with Trump is his own fault. Trump could seize this moment and make it all his own. Coronavirus has given him a golden opportunity to look and behave with presidential gravitas and concern. He could have gravely cautioned the American people, dispelled rumours and put their fears at ease while at the same time counselling caution. Instead he’s chosen to behave like the self-congratulating self-contradicting buffoon that we have come to expect. The fact that he’s blown it so far is because he’s stupid, and that’s no one’s fault but his own.
Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support our 2024 efforts by donating now or sign up for our free mailing list.