thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-21--Hide the left, court the center: Democratic convention reveals electoral strategy

For a nominee who has adopted a policy platform that Bernie Sanders said would make him the “ most progressive president since FDR , ” Joe Biden ’ s Democratic convention took a curiously centrist tone that was out of step with the party ’ s growing ideological leftism .
The first night of the Democratic convention featured several Republicans speaking in opposition to President Trump and in support of the Democratic presidential nominee .
Former Ohio Gov .
John Kasich stood at a fork in the road to drive home his point : `` We are at a crossroads @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Illinois held a whiskey glass while he said that he regretted his vote for Trump in 2016 .
Cindy McCain , widow of Arizona Sen. John McCain , narrated a video praising Biden ’ s character that aired on Wednesday .
Avoided almost entirely was abortion , one of the biggest issues that divides Democrats and Republicans .
A Catholic priest prayed for the “ unborn child in the womb ” on Thursday night , a stark contrast from when former Planned Parenthood head Cecile Richards spoke at the 2016 Democratic convention and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shouted ” her abortion .
Democratic socialist firebrand Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez gave a one-minute ceremonial nominating speech in support of making Sanders the Democratic presidential nominee — the same amount of time that TikTok comedian Sarah Cooper was on screen .
More Republicans spoke at the convention than Latinos .
Those moves infuriated some on the Left .
The tone of the convention revealed how Biden 's campaign and the Democrats are viewing the final months of the election , particularly as Trump 's campaign tries to argue that Biden is a `` Trojan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
`` They do n't really feel they need to worry about the progressives , '' Vanderbilt University history and political science professor Thomas Schwartz said of the Democrats in an interview with the Washington Examiner .
`` What they 're doing here is essentially going after people who really have had enough of Trump but might be inclined to vote for him if they thought the Democrats were going to do some of the things that they 're promising to do . ''
Unlike in 2016 , left-wing supporters of Sanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they will vote for Biden despite not being as excited about his candidacy .
Biden worked with Sanders after the Vermont senator suspended his presidential campaign to adopt some of his policies and create recommendations for the Democratic Party platform .
While some activists were frustrated that the platform did not endorse `` Medicare for all , '' there was not a dramatic open revolt that distracted from the ceremonial aspect of the convention .
Schwartz said that the projection of centrism in this year 's convention was similar to the Democratic convention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the party 's nominee .
Despite the increasing unpopularity of the Iraq War among Democrats , the convention highlighted his background and military service , taking a patriotic theme that could theoretically appeal to more centrist voters .
Kerry opened his acceptance speech with a salute and said : `` I 'm John Kerry , and I 'm reporting for duty . ''
`` What they 're doing in 2020 is a bit like that , except that the focus in this particular case is just anti-Trump , '' Schwartz said .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ biography of Biden as the non-Trump candidate and downplaying issues that might remind voters why they like Trump more than a typical Democrat , for example , on things like abortion or some aspects of the economy , some issues where the the numbers are n't quite as overwhelmingly in favor of the Democrats whether they might actually lose some votes . ''
Discussion of policy was not necessarily absent , and there were some hints about the Democrats embracing the left wing of the party .
Taking a break from fawning over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fragile American democracy is , some sections of the Democratic convention focused on expanding the Affordable Care Act , banning “ assault weapons , ” and combating climate change .
Both Sanders and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren spoke at the convention , in a gesture of party unity .
And Biden ’ s acceptance speech included a line that might as well have been lifted straight from Sanders ’ s stump speech : `` It 's long past time the wealthiest people and the biggest corporations in this country paid their fair share @ @

For a nominee who has adopted a policy platform that Bernie Sanders said would make him the “most progressive president since FDR,” Joe Biden’s Democratic convention took a curiously centrist tone that was out of step with the party’s growing ideological leftism.
The first night of the Democratic convention featured several Republicans speaking in opposition to President Trump and in support of the Democratic presidential nominee. Former Ohio Gov. John Kasich stood at a fork in the road to drive home his point: "We are at a crossroads." A man named Eric from Illinois held a whiskey glass while he said that he regretted his vote for Trump in 2016. Cindy McCain, widow of Arizona Sen. John McCain, narrated a video praising Biden’s character that aired on Wednesday.
Avoided almost entirely was abortion, one of the biggest issues that divides Democrats and Republicans. A Catholic priest prayed for the “unborn child in the womb” on Thursday night, a stark contrast from when former Planned Parenthood head Cecile Richards spoke at the 2016 Democratic convention and NARAL Pro-Choice America President Ilyse Hogue “shouted” her abortion.
Democratic socialist firebrand Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez gave a one-minute ceremonial nominating speech in support of making Sanders the Democratic presidential nominee — the same amount of time that TikTok comedian Sarah Cooper was on screen. More Republicans spoke at the convention than Latinos. Those moves infuriated some on the Left.
The tone of the convention revealed how Biden's campaign and the Democrats are viewing the final months of the election, particularly as Trump's campaign tries to argue that Biden is a "Trojan horse" for the "radical left."
"They don't really feel they need to worry about the progressives," Vanderbilt University history and political science professor Thomas Schwartz said of the Democrats in an interview with the Washington Examiner. "What they're doing here is essentially going after people who really have had enough of Trump but might be inclined to vote for him if they thought the Democrats were going to do some of the things that they're promising to do."
Unlike in 2016, left-wing supporters of Sanders are far more likely to say that they will vote for Biden despite not being as excited about his candidacy. Biden worked with Sanders after the Vermont senator suspended his presidential campaign to adopt some of his policies and create recommendations for the Democratic Party platform. While some activists were frustrated that the platform did not endorse "Medicare for all," there was not a dramatic open revolt that distracted from the ceremonial aspect of the convention.
Schwartz said that the projection of centrism in this year's convention was similar to the Democratic convention in 2004, when John Kerry was the party's nominee. Despite the increasing unpopularity of the Iraq War among Democrats, the convention highlighted his background and military service, taking a patriotic theme that could theoretically appeal to more centrist voters. Kerry opened his acceptance speech with a salute and said: "I'm John Kerry, and I'm reporting for duty."
"What they're doing in 2020 is a bit like that, except that the focus in this particular case is just anti-Trump," Schwartz said. "Effectively, making the case for the biography of Biden as the non-Trump candidate and downplaying issues that might remind voters why they like Trump more than a typical Democrat, for example, on things like abortion or some aspects of the economy, some issues where the the numbers aren't quite as overwhelmingly in favor of the Democrats whether they might actually lose some votes."
Discussion of policy was not necessarily absent, and there were some hints about the Democrats embracing the left wing of the party. Taking a break from fawning over Biden's character or warning about how fragile American democracy is, some sections of the Democratic convention focused on expanding the Affordable Care Act, banning “assault weapons,” and combating climate change.
Both Sanders and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren spoke at the convention, in a gesture of party unity.
And Biden’s acceptance speech included a line that might as well have been lifted straight from Sanders’s stump speech: "It's long past time the wealthiest people and the biggest corporations in this country paid their fair share."


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-21--Vermont GOP governor says he 'won't be voting for President Trump'

Republican Vermont Gov .
Phil Scott is n't sure who he is voting for in November , but it definitely @ @ @ @ @ .
Scott , who did n't vote for Trump in 2016 , said he was @ @ @ @ @ supporting the president ” before confirming that he `` wo n't be voting for President @ @ @ @ @ at a COVID-oriented press conference on Friday .
Scott , who backed Trump 's 2020 @ @ @ @ @ Gov .
William Weld , said he is considering voting for Democratic nominee Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ decided at this point whether to cast a vote for former Vice President Biden , @ @ @ @ @ But it ’ s something that I would consider .
I just have n't made @ @ @ @ @ ” Scott joins other former Republicans such as John Kasich and Charlie Dent in his @ @ @ @ @ GOP ticket .

Republican Vermont Gov. Phil Scott isn't sure who he is voting for in November, but it definitely won't be President Trump.
Scott, who didn't vote for Trump in 2016, said he was “quite adamant in not supporting the president” before confirming that he "won't be voting for President Trump” while addressing reporters at a COVID-oriented press conference on Friday.
Scott, who backed Trump's 2020 primary challenger, former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld, said he is considering voting for Democratic nominee Joe Biden.
“I have not decided at this point whether to cast a vote for former Vice President Biden,” Scott said. “But it’s something that I would consider. I just haven't made that decision at this point.”
Scott joins other former Republicans such as John Kasich and Charlie Dent in his refusal to back the 2020 GOP ticket.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-21--Democratic mayoral candidate faked kidnapping to win ‘sympathy and votes’ ahead of election: Police

A woman running to be the `` first black mayor '' of Sumter , South Carolina , has been arrested and charged with faking her own kidnapping and beating to garner sympathy for her political campaign .
Sabrina Belcher , 29 , perpetrated the alleged hoax via Facebook Live with her accomplice 34-year-old Christopher Eaddy , according to South Carolinian police .
“ This was simply an effort to create disorder and discontent in our community for personal gain , ” Sumter Police Chief Russell Roark said .
“ As a result , a valuable number of resources , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well as local medical professionals , were wasted based on false information.
” Detectives said the claims made by Belcher were found to be false after officials uncovered communication between her and Eaddy days before the video was released .
“ They staged a kidnapping and beating in order to garner publicity , sympathy and votes in the November election , ” police officials added .
Belcher released a rap video in June titled `` Pray for Me , '' where the Democratic candidate sang , `` Before I step out the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I got plans to make it home . ''
She added that if she `` died in police custody , '' she was `` not ready to go , '' referring to the death of George Floyd while in the custody of the Minneapolis Police Department .
Belcher has yet to drop out of the mayoral race .

A woman running to be the "first black mayor" of Sumter, South Carolina, has been arrested and charged with faking her own kidnapping and beating to garner sympathy for her political campaign.
Sabrina Belcher, 29, perpetrated the alleged hoax via Facebook Live with her accomplice 34-year-old Christopher Eaddy, according to South Carolinian police.
“This was simply an effort to create disorder and discontent in our community for personal gain,” Sumter Police Chief Russell Roark said. “As a result, a valuable number of resources, including personnel, man-hours of the police department as well as local medical professionals, were wasted based on false information.”
Detectives said the claims made by Belcher were found to be false after officials uncovered communication between her and Eaddy days before the video was released.
“They staged a kidnapping and beating in order to garner publicity, sympathy and votes in the November election,” police officials added.
Belcher released a rap video in June titled "Pray for Me," where the Democratic candidate sang, "Before I step out the door, I let my momma know, I got plans to make it home." She added that if she "died in police custody," she was "not ready to go," referring to the death of George Floyd while in the custody of the Minneapolis Police Department.
Belcher has yet to drop out of the mayoral race.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-21--Bannon predicted Biden 'blow out' over Trump weeks before arrest

Steve Bannon believed Joe Biden was set for an overwhelming victory in the upcoming election as recently as late July , according to private communications obtained by the Washington Examiner .
For over a year , before his arrest Thursday on federal fraud charges , Bannon regularly expressed concerns over demographic and economic conditions facing President Trump this November .
For his old boss , that included the lack of stickiness from voters who supported Trump in 2016 in swing states , as well as the president 's relatively low approval rating .
That led Bannon , former chief political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a senior adviser for the first seven months of the administration , to be `` convinced '' Trump was destined to lose , according to an individual in communication with him .
In one text exchange this summer , Bannon said the race looked like a `` blow out '' for Biden , President Barack Obama 's two-term vice president and previously a 36-year Delaware senator .
Bannon told associates they should begin planning sooner rather than later for a post-Trump GOP .
Much of Bannon 's concerns are in the context of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to the individual .
In 2018 , he briefly left for Europe to help foster burgeoning right-wing and heterodox parties such as the National Front in France and the UK Independence Party .
Domestic electoral trends have concerned Bannon , with the kind of anti-immigration and trade rhetoric central to Trump 's 2016 campaign potentially becoming too tied to the candidate himself rather than a springboard for future right-wing leaders .
Bannon 's concerns can best be summarized in the following questions : Can populism survive without Trump ?
Or is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than a cult of personality ?
A representative for Bannon did not respond to a request for comment .
`` Trump has made everything about Trump .
Everything that would be good to do becomes evaluated as a referendum on his personality and statements , '' an individual describing Bannon 's thinking told the Washington Examiner .
`` The flags say 'Trump ' not 'America . '
'' Nor is Bannon convinced the Trump campaign 's current strategy of boosting white , working-class turnout is tenable as he believes Biden has made serious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hillary Clinton 's 2016 run , the individual said .
Bannon went as far as disputing the premise that the GOP has much of a strategy with these voters whatsoever .
Exit polling from this year 's primary showed Biden heavily winning over white people without a college degree over Bernie Sanders , a group that favored the socialist Vermont senator during the last Democratic presidential primary .
Bannon 's conclusions on the state of the race were also informed by an internal data and polling report from the Republican National Committee , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
For well over a year , an individual said , Bannon believes that data is an alarm bell for not just Trump , but the GOP as a whole .
Members of the Trump campaign reached a different conclusion when presented with the same data .
Individuals such as Brad Parscale and Ellen Bredenkoetter , the RNC 's chief data officer , believe their sophisticated digital operation gives them an edge over the Democratic Party in terms of reaching voters .
Democrats have long fretted about the RNC 's digital operation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cost of tens of millions of dollars .
The Trump campaign did not comment on the nature of Bannon 's messages .
Bannon left the White House in 2017 after eight months on the job .
A controversial figure within Trump world and outside of it , the president has since attacked Bannon and said he `` cried when he got fired and begged for his job . ''
Despite those remarks , Bannon has remained steadfast in his public support for Trump .
In October 2019 , he launched the War Room @ @ @ @ @ @ @ program dedicated to defending the president and furthering his message .
In June , Bannon warned on War Room that Trump was risking his reelection chances by not staying on message and focusing too much on pageantry and not the issues that brought him a victory in 2016 .
“ He ’ s the president of the United States , ” Bannon said .
“ He ’ s not a candidate .
You act like the president of the United States , you take action like the president of the United States , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States , you are going to be reelected.
” On Thursday , the Southern District of New York indicted Bannon and three associates for their role in defrauding hundreds of thousands of donors involved with the `` We Build the Wall '' organization .
Bannon has pleaded not guilty .
`` While repeatedly assuring donors that Brian Kolfage , the founder and public face of We Build the Wall , would not be paid a cent , the defendants secretly schemed to pass hundreds of thousands of dollars to Kolfage , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lifestyle , '' acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss wrote in the indictment .
`` We thank the USPIS for their partnership in investigating this case , and we remain dedicated to rooting out and prosecuting fraud wherever we find it .
”

Steve Bannon believed Joe Biden was set for an overwhelming victory in the upcoming election as recently as late July, according to private communications obtained by the Washington Examiner.
For over a year, before his arrest Thursday on federal fraud charges, Bannon regularly expressed concerns over demographic and economic conditions facing President Trump this November. For his old boss, that included the lack of stickiness from voters who supported Trump in 2016 in swing states, as well as the president's relatively low approval rating.
That led Bannon, former chief political strategist in Trump's 2016 campaign and a senior adviser for the first seven months of the administration, to be "convinced" Trump was destined to lose, according to an individual in communication with him.
In one text exchange this summer, Bannon said the race looked like a "blow out" for Biden, President Barack Obama's two-term vice president and previously a 36-year Delaware senator. Bannon told associates they should begin planning sooner rather than later for a post-Trump GOP.
Much of Bannon's concerns are in the context of the broader populist moment sweeping the West, according to the individual. In 2018, he briefly left for Europe to help foster burgeoning right-wing and heterodox parties such as the National Front in France and the UK Independence Party.
Domestic electoral trends have concerned Bannon, with the kind of anti-immigration and trade rhetoric central to Trump's 2016 campaign potentially becoming too tied to the candidate himself rather than a springboard for future right-wing leaders. Bannon's concerns can best be summarized in the following questions: Can populism survive without Trump? Or is populism as commonly understood as nothing more than a cult of personality?
A representative for Bannon did not respond to a request for comment.
"Trump has made everything about Trump. Everything that would be good to do becomes evaluated as a referendum on his personality and statements," an individual describing Bannon's thinking told the Washington Examiner. "The flags say 'Trump' not 'America.'"
Nor is Bannon convinced the Trump campaign's current strategy of boosting white, working-class turnout is tenable as he believes Biden has made serious inroads with the group in contrast to Hillary Clinton's 2016 run, the individual said. Bannon went as far as disputing the premise that the GOP has much of a strategy with these voters whatsoever. Exit polling from this year's primary showed Biden heavily winning over white people without a college degree over Bernie Sanders, a group that favored the socialist Vermont senator during the last Democratic presidential primary.
Bannon's conclusions on the state of the race were also informed by an internal data and polling report from the Republican National Committee, which showed soft-to-negative enthusiasm for the president. For well over a year, an individual said, Bannon believes that data is an alarm bell for not just Trump, but the GOP as a whole.
Members of the Trump campaign reached a different conclusion when presented with the same data. Individuals such as Brad Parscale and Ellen Bredenkoetter, the RNC's chief data officer, believe their sophisticated digital operation gives them an edge over the Democratic Party in terms of reaching voters. Democrats have long fretted about the RNC's digital operation, which was developed for years at the cost of tens of millions of dollars.
The Trump campaign did not comment on the nature of Bannon's messages.
Bannon left the White House in 2017 after eight months on the job. A controversial figure within Trump world and outside of it, the president has since attacked Bannon and said he "cried when he got fired and begged for his job."
Despite those remarks, Bannon has remained steadfast in his public support for Trump. In October 2019, he launched the War Room podcast with two Trump allies, a program dedicated to defending the president and furthering his message.
In June, Bannon warned on War Room that Trump was risking his reelection chances by not staying on message and focusing too much on pageantry and not the issues that brought him a victory in 2016.
“He’s the president of the United States,” Bannon said. “He’s not a candidate. You act like the president of the United States, you take action like the president of the United States, you govern like you are president of the United States, you are going to be reelected.”
On Thursday, the Southern District of New York indicted Bannon and three associates for their role in defrauding hundreds of thousands of donors involved with the "We Build the Wall" organization. Bannon has pleaded not guilty.
"While repeatedly assuring donors that Brian Kolfage, the founder and public face of We Build the Wall, would not be paid a cent, the defendants secretly schemed to pass hundreds of thousands of dollars to Kolfage, which he used to fund his lavish lifestyle," acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss wrote in the indictment. "We thank the USPIS for their partnership in investigating this case, and we remain dedicated to rooting out and prosecuting fraud wherever we find it.”


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-21--Joe Biden's mask 'mandate' wouldn't work and isn't needed

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said during his acceptance speech what he has said before : `` We ’ ll have a national mandate to wear a mask . ''
He says that not because it makes any real sense as a policy but because he knows the national media love hearing it .
What is a `` mask mandate '' ?
He did n't say in his speech what that would entail .
His website does n't explain it on the page explaining his `` plan to combat coronavirus . ''
He said recently that it would be required @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that 's it .
The truth is it 's not a real thing .
The president has no authority to require people to strap something to their face permanently .
Biden has essentially admitted it , saying a week ago , `` Every governor should mandate mandatory mask wearing . ''
( Yes , he actually said `` mandate mandatory '' back to back . )
And what 's with Biden insisting people wear a mask outdoors ?
`` You need to wear your mask outside .
I do n't care if you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said in a video for the Washington Post in May .
The safest place to be right now to avoid infection from the coronavirus is outdoors .
Every scientist says that .
Transmission outdoors , especially in sunlight , is effectively eliminated regardless of whether a person is wearing a mask .
Let 's not even get started on enforcement of a hypothetical mask mandate .
Is Biden going to be the one to break up a bunch of Black Lives Matter protesters ( or rioters ) for not donning the Left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot of public officials , particularly black ones in minority-dense areas , have said they 've had trouble enforcing social distancing measures for any number of reasons .
What happens when we inevitably hear about how the police are `` disproportionately targeting minorities '' when it comes to the masks ?
Biden no doubt knows this is a ridiculous proposal .
But at least he gets an approving nod from the media .

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said during his acceptance speech what he has said before: "We’ll have a national mandate to wear a mask."
He says that not because it makes any real sense as a policy but because he knows the national media love hearing it.
What is a "mask mandate"? He didn't say in his speech what that would entail. His website doesn't explain it on the page explaining his "plan to combat coronavirus." He said recently that it would be required for at least three months, but that's it.
The truth is it's not a real thing. The president has no authority to require people to strap something to their face permanently. Biden has essentially admitted it, saying a week ago, "Every governor should mandate mandatory mask wearing." (Yes, he actually said "mandate mandatory" back to back.)
And what's with Biden insisting people wear a mask outdoors? "You need to wear your mask outside. I don't care if you're just walking your dog," he said in a video for the Washington Post in May. The safest place to be right now to avoid infection from the coronavirus is outdoors. Every scientist says that. Transmission outdoors, especially in sunlight, is effectively eliminated regardless of whether a person is wearing a mask.
Let's not even get started on enforcement of a hypothetical mask mandate. Is Biden going to be the one to break up a bunch of Black Lives Matter protesters (or rioters) for not donning the Left's new favorite fashion statement?
A lot of public officials, particularly black ones in minority-dense areas, have said they've had trouble enforcing social distancing measures for any number of reasons. What happens when we inevitably hear about how the police are "disproportionately targeting minorities" when it comes to the masks?
Biden no doubt knows this is a ridiculous proposal. But at least he gets an approving nod from the media.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-21--Democrats running for Senate nowhere to be seen during convention

Taking control of the Senate is going to determine whether Joe Biden would be able to deliver on the sweeping agenda he 's promising as president .
But most of the Democratic challengers hoping to knock off Republican incumbents were left out of the eight-hour convention broadcast .
Senate candidates M.J. Hegar ( Texas ) , Theresa Greenfield ( Iowa ) , and Cal Cunningham ( North Carolina ) were all left out of the convention spotlight .
Media darling Amy McGrath , running against Mitch McConnell in Kentucky , and former media darling Jon Ossoff , running against David @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out .
Former presidential candidates such as Seth Moulton and Tim Ryan made appearances , but Steve Bullock and John Hickenlooper did not despite the fact that both of them were governors and are now trying to flip Republican seats in Montana and Colorado , respectively .
The only candidates who made an appearance had blink-and-you-miss-it cameos .
Jaime Harrison pledged South Carolina ’ s delegates during the convention roll call .
Mark Kelly , running in Arizona , didn ’ t appear himself ; he was name-dropped by his wife Gabrielle Giffords @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , running to unseat Susan Collins in Maine , was relegated to introducing a musical performance .
For as important as retaking the Senate appears to be , Democrats don ’ t seem to care too much about the candidates they ’ ve sent out .
Their convention featured former Republicans who lobbied for Vladimir Putin ’ s Russia , a collection of state legislators , and a TikTok celebrity whose only talent is being able to lip-sync President Trump 's speeches while making silly facial expressions .
Somehow , Senate candidates don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The strategy Democrats are using to push Biden to victory is the same one they ’ re using against Senate Republicans : Trump is bad .
Therefore , it doesn ’ t really matter who it is running against Collins or Colorado ’ s Cory Gardner or North Carolina ’ s Thom Tillis — all that really matters is that they ’ re Republicans , just like Trump .
Trying to tie Senate Republicans to the polling anchor that is Trump might look great this far out , but most elections will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump should close some of the gap on Biden .
Considering all but one Republican outran Trump in Senate races in 2016 , that could push Democrats back into the underdog role in retaking the upper chamber , especially if the defining trait they are relying on is “ but Trump .
”

Taking control of the Senate is going to determine whether Joe Biden would be able to deliver on the sweeping agenda he's promising as president. But most of the Democratic challengers hoping to knock off Republican incumbents were left out of the eight-hour convention broadcast.
Senate candidates M.J. Hegar (Texas), Theresa Greenfield (Iowa), and Cal Cunningham (North Carolina) were all left out of the convention spotlight. Media darling Amy McGrath, running against Mitch McConnell in Kentucky, and former media darling Jon Ossoff, running against David Perdue in Georgia, were also left out.
Former presidential candidates such as Seth Moulton and Tim Ryan made appearances, but Steve Bullock and John Hickenlooper did not despite the fact that both of them were governors and are now trying to flip Republican seats in Montana and Colorado, respectively.
The only candidates who made an appearance had blink-and-you-miss-it cameos. Jaime Harrison pledged South Carolina’s delegates during the convention roll call. Mark Kelly, running in Arizona, didn’t appear himself; he was name-dropped by his wife Gabrielle Giffords during her speech. And Sara Gideon, running to unseat Susan Collins in Maine, was relegated to introducing a musical performance.
For as important as retaking the Senate appears to be, Democrats don’t seem to care too much about the candidates they’ve sent out. Their convention featured former Republicans who lobbied for Vladimir Putin’s Russia, a collection of state legislators, and a TikTok celebrity whose only talent is being able to lip-sync President Trump's speeches while making silly facial expressions. Somehow, Senate candidates don’t fit into that star-studded lineup.
The strategy Democrats are using to push Biden to victory is the same one they’re using against Senate Republicans: Trump is bad. Therefore, it doesn’t really matter who it is running against Collins or Colorado’s Cory Gardner or North Carolina’s Thom Tillis — all that really matters is that they’re Republicans, just like Trump.
Trying to tie Senate Republicans to the polling anchor that is Trump might look great this far out, but most elections will tighten down the stretch, meaning that Trump should close some of the gap on Biden. Considering all but one Republican outran Trump in Senate races in 2016, that could push Democrats back into the underdog role in retaking the upper chamber, especially if the defining trait they are relying on is “but Trump.”


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-21--The postmaster general just robbed Democrats of their dumb Postal Service mystery

Congressional Republicans can always be counted on to screw something up — they 're easily intimidated by what the national media will say about them — but credit to the GOP-led Senate Homeland Security Committee for finally bringing in Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to suck the air out of the Democrats ' hysterical obsession with the United States Postal Service .
DeJoy has become a Scooby-Doo villain in the minds of Democrats who insist he 's doing President Trump 's bidding to ( wait for it ) slow down the mail !
Except there is no mask to pull off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's not doing anything interesting , let alone nefarious .
He 's nothing that would be even kind of fun to hear about .
No , like everything else with the Postal Service , the changes he 's making ( or at least trying to make ) are absolutely sexless .
DeJoy is coping with long-existing problems with the service , such as outdated systems , obsolete equipment , and , most pressing , a bleeding budget .
None of these problems are new .
They 've been affecting the Postal Service for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats casually tell people who lose their jobs in coal mining and manufacturing to `` learn to code '' and `` locate your nearest job retraining facility . ''
But they pretend that not a single change can be made to an agency that has failed in every way to keep up with technological changes .
DeJoy did say that he had removed scores of unneeded sorting machines due to a significant drop in letter mail over the years and that there has been a slowdown in recent weeks for delivering packages .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent weeks to cause a slowdown in mail deliveries ?
I know that there 's a pandemic that stopped the clock on every industry in the world , but surely , that ca n't be a reasonable explanation .
It has to be DeJoy !
And he would have gotten away with it , too , if it were n't for you meddling Democrats !
Democrats tried to find a reason to get angry , but DeJoy said it plainly that the Postal Service is perfectly suited to deliver mail-in votes on time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ theirs in sooner rather than later .
It remains true that so long as a vote is postmarked by the required deadline , it will be counted no matter how long it takes to arrive .
Any claims from Democrats that Trump or Republicans are refusing to fund the Postal Service are laughable .
Democratic leadership has for weeks refused to negotiate a standalone bill to put new money into the agency , opting instead to attach it to a completely unrelated pandemic relief package .
That 's on them .
Pull the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and there 's simply nothing there .
So much for the great reveal Democrats were looking for .

Congressional Republicans can always be counted on to screw something up — they're easily intimidated by what the national media will say about them — but credit to the GOP-led Senate Homeland Security Committee for finally bringing in Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to suck the air out of the Democrats' hysterical obsession with the United States Postal Service.
DeJoy has become a Scooby-Doo villain in the minds of Democrats who insist he's doing President Trump's bidding to (wait for it) slow down the mail!
To the Mystery Machine!
Except there is no mask to pull off. Republicans called DeJoy forward because he's not doing anything interesting, let alone nefarious. He's nothing that would be even kind of fun to hear about.
No, like everything else with the Postal Service, the changes he's making (or at least trying to make) are absolutely sexless. DeJoy is coping with long-existing problems with the service, such as outdated systems, obsolete equipment, and, most pressing, a bleeding budget.
None of these problems are new. They've been affecting the Postal Service for years, intensified by the internet.
Democrats casually tell people who lose their jobs in coal mining and manufacturing to "learn to code" and "locate your nearest job retraining facility." But they pretend that not a single change can be made to an agency that has failed in every way to keep up with technological changes.
DeJoy did say that he had removed scores of unneeded sorting machines due to a significant drop in letter mail over the years and that there has been a slowdown in recent weeks for delivering packages.
Hmm, what might have happened in recent weeks to cause a slowdown in mail deliveries? I know that there's a pandemic that stopped the clock on every industry in the world, but surely, that can't be a reasonable explanation. It has to be DeJoy! And he would have gotten away with it, too, if it weren't for you meddling Democrats!
Democrats tried to find a reason to get angry, but DeJoy said it plainly that the Postal Service is perfectly suited to deliver mail-in votes on time, though he encouraged everyone to send theirs in sooner rather than later. It remains true that so long as a vote is postmarked by the required deadline, it will be counted no matter how long it takes to arrive.
Any claims from Democrats that Trump or Republicans are refusing to fund the Postal Service are laughable. Democratic leadership has for weeks refused to negotiate a standalone bill to put new money into the agency, opting instead to attach it to a completely unrelated pandemic relief package. That's on them.
Pull the mask over this Postal Service conspiracy away, and there's simply nothing there. So much for the great reveal Democrats were looking for.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-21--'Fact check: True': Trump’s approval rating surges during Biden’s convention

During this week ’ s Democratic National Convention , which was supposed to launch Joe Biden and Kamala Harris 's ticket into the fall election with good feelings and high poll numbers , President Trump ’ s approval rating surged .
The Rasmussen Reports daily average for Trump , which is spread over three days , hit 51 % this week — and has stayed there .
On the first day of the Democratic National Convention , Trump 's approval rating was 47 % .
It rose as the president was taking hits at the virtual convention from former President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clinton , and a host of other prominent Democrats .
But it also came as he hit the campaign trail in advance of next week ’ s GOP convention to slam the Biden-Harris ticket and talk up his successes , including the new peace agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates .
On the Rasmussen Twitter page , it was noted how rare it is to see the other party ’ s candidate ratings surge during convention week .
In a reaction to Rasmussen ’ s poll , which was looked at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ It ’ s not uncommon for candidates to receive a bump after a national political convention .
It ’ s just that usually the convention is their own and not their opponents .
”

This wasn’t supposed to happen.
During this week’s Democratic National Convention, which was supposed to launch Joe Biden and Kamala Harris's ticket into the fall election with good feelings and high poll numbers, President Trump’s approval rating surged.
The Rasmussen Reports daily average for Trump, which is spread over three days, hit 51% this week — and has stayed there.
On the first day of the Democratic National Convention, Trump's approval rating was 47%.
It rose as the president was taking hits at the virtual convention from former President Barack Obama, 2016 foe Hillary Rodham Clinton, and a host of other prominent Democrats.
But it also came as he hit the campaign trail in advance of next week’s GOP convention to slam the Biden-Harris ticket and talk up his successes, including the new peace agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.
"By the way, the Rasmussen daily tracking poll… How is it possible that the president’s approval numbers could increase during Democrat convention week? But they have."
Don’t Be Distracted from the Democrat Convention Disaster https://t.co/4nk26QexrB via @rushlimbaugh — Rasmussen Reports (@Rasmussen_Poll) August 21, 2020
On the Rasmussen Twitter page, it was noted how rare it is to see the other party’s candidate ratings surge during convention week.
In a reaction to Rasmussen’s poll, which was looked at over 250,000 times, a commenter wrote, “It’s not uncommon for candidates to receive a bump after a national political convention. It’s just that usually the convention is their own and not their opponents.”
Rasmussen Reports responded, “Fact Check: True.”


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-21--Postal reform needs to happen before the election

The 2020 election is right around the corner , but no one can agree on how people should vote .
The controversy first flared up in late July , when President Trump wondered on Twitter whether to “ Delay the Election until people can properly , securely and safely vote ?
?
? ''
This understandably earned the ire of many citizens and legislators from both parties .
In response to these remarks , some policymakers have been pushing hard for providing tens of billions of dollars in funding for the U.S .
Postal Service to facilitate mail-in voting .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ rampant fearmongering and misinformation , the beleaguered agency does have the resources to handle the temporary influx of mail .
Most voting will likely be in person anyway , and social distancing can ensure a safe experience for voters .
But even if “ just ” half of all voting is done via mail , the USPS will have to assure voters that their ballots will be safely and securely processed .
Now is the time for postal reform , not a blank check from taxpayers or more excuses from Congress and USPS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of coronavirus-related stimulus negotiations , lawmakers have insisted that the USPS be given enough funding to handle a national election .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has prioritized “ supporting vote-by-mail in a very important way ” in relief legislation , and House Democrats are pushing hard for $ 25 billion in emergency funding for the USPS .
While state and local leaders have voiced concern with the beleaguered agency ceasing operations altogether this year , that fear has no basis in reality .
According to the agency ’ s own financial reporting , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delivering mail through August 2021 .
And it ’ s unlikely that a significant vote-by-mail effort will break the bank for the USPS .
According to a by R Street associate fellow Nick Zaiac , “ although vote by mail requires a letter to be sent and received — two distinct movements per mail piece , both of which happen in a relatively short period of time — in an electorate of between 150 and 250 million , that is no more than 500 million letters.
” Even if double that amount of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the total number of mail pieces sent and received would be a drop in the bucket compared to overall USPS volume .
In 2019 , first-class mail ( i.e .
letter ) volume totaled .
Even an entirely vote-by-mail election would bump mail volume by less than 2 % .
And given that the agency ’ s mail volume has declined by more than 2 billion mail pieces per year since 2010 , we know that the USPS can handle the extra load .
But even though the Postal Service can accommodate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needed to ensure a smooth election .
The struggling agency has far more processing equipment and collection boxes than it needs , and this excess network capacity diverts critical manpower away from tasks such as handling election mail .
Even before Postmaster General Louis DeJoy 's term , the agency was removing more than 2,000 collection boxes a year in order to allocate labor more efficiently .
But these efforts didn ’ t go far enough .
The Inspector General noted in 2016 that “ removing unnecessary collection boxes throughout the Eastern Area @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5 years.
” These freed-up work hours could significantly speed up the collection and processing of election mail .
But due to a slew of misinformation and congressional pressure , the Postal Service has stopped collection box and equipment removals for the time being .
Lawmakers should give Postal Service leadership the flexibility it needs to do its job and prepare for the election .
But even if the agency continues to “ rationalize ” its network , it will struggle as long as it continues to overpay underperforming contractors and underpriced packages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pricing , but wider changes will not happen without full pricing and cost transparency .
There ’ s no need ( or legal rationale ) to delay this critical presidential election .
But there ’ s absolutely a need to reform the USPS and hold the agency accountable for its lackluster service .
The nation ’ s elected leaders must commit to postal reform by Nov. 3 .
Ross Marchand is vice president of Policy for the Taxpayers Protection Alliance .

The 2020 election is right around the corner, but no one can agree on how people should vote. The controversy first flared up in late July, when President Trump wondered on Twitter whether to “Delay the Election until people can properly, securely and safely vote???" This understandably earned the ire of many citizens and legislators from both parties.
In response to these remarks, some policymakers have been pushing hard for providing tens of billions of dollars in funding for the U.S. Postal Service to facilitate mail-in voting.
Despite the dire pronouncements of lawmakers and rampant fearmongering and misinformation, the beleaguered agency does have the resources to handle the temporary influx of mail. Most voting will likely be in person anyway, and social distancing can ensure a safe experience for voters. But even if “just” half of all voting is done via mail, the USPS will have to assure voters that their ballots will be safely and securely processed. Now is the time for postal reform, not a blank check from taxpayers or more excuses from Congress and USPS leadership.
Over the past few rounds of coronavirus-related stimulus negotiations, lawmakers have insisted that the USPS be given enough funding to handle a national election. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has prioritized “supporting vote-by-mail in a very important way” in relief legislation, and House Democrats are pushing hard for $25 billion in emergency funding for the USPS. While state and local leaders have voiced concern with the beleaguered agency ceasing operations altogether this year, that fear has no basis in reality. According to the agency’s own financial reporting, the USPS has sufficient liquidity to keep delivering mail through August 2021. And it’s unlikely that a significant vote-by-mail effort will break the bank for the USPS.
According to a July 2020 analysis by R Street associate fellow Nick Zaiac, “although vote by mail requires a letter to be sent and received — two distinct movements per mail piece, both of which happen in a relatively short period of time — in an electorate of between 150 and 250 million, that is no more than 500 million letters.” Even if double that amount of mail were required to facilitate the election, the total number of mail pieces sent and received would be a drop in the bucket compared to overall USPS volume. In 2019, first-class mail (i.e. letter) volume totaled 54.9 billion mail pieces . Even an entirely vote-by-mail election would bump mail volume by less than 2%. And given that the agency’s mail volume has declined by more than 2 billion mail pieces per year since 2010, we know that the USPS can handle the extra load.
But even though the Postal Service can accommodate this increased volume, reforms will be needed to ensure a smooth election. The struggling agency has far more processing equipment and collection boxes than it needs, and this excess network capacity diverts critical manpower away from tasks such as handling election mail. Even before Postmaster General Louis DeJoy's term, the agency was removing more than 2,000 collection boxes a year in order to allocate labor more efficiently. But these efforts didn’t go far enough. The Inspector General noted in 2016 that “removing unnecessary collection boxes throughout the Eastern Area would eliminate 73,043 workhours over the next 5 years.” These freed-up work hours could significantly speed up the collection and processing of election mail. But due to a slew of misinformation and congressional pressure, the Postal Service has stopped collection box and equipment removals for the time being.
Lawmakers should give Postal Service leadership the flexibility it needs to do its job and prepare for the election. But even if the agency continues to “rationalize” its network, it will struggle as long as it continues to overpay underperforming contractors and underpriced packages. The agency has started to reform pricing, but wider changes will not happen without full pricing and cost transparency.
There’s no need (or legal rationale) to delay this critical presidential election. But there’s absolutely a need to reform the USPS and hold the agency accountable for its lackluster service. The nation’s elected leaders must commit to postal reform by Nov. 3.
Ross Marchand is vice president of Policy for the Taxpayers Protection Alliance.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-22--It's time for Joe Biden to start taking questions

Now that Joe Biden emerged from his basement to accept his party ’ s nomination for president , it ’ s well past time for him to remain out of hiding and open himself up to questions as the campaign enters its final stretch .
Whatever one might say about President Trump , it can not be said that he ’ s afraid to engage with the media .
Trump , in addition to frequent speeches and other public appearances , has repeatedly offered himself up to the media to take questions , even as they remain largely hostile to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in press conferences , informal gaggles from in front of the White House , or tough one-on-one sessions , Trump has made himself available .
Biden , in contrast , has run the most stealth presidential campaign in modern history .
It was one thing , early on , for Biden to try and remain in his basement during the initial phases of the coronavirus pandemic .
But since then , he has used the virus as an excuse to avoid scrutiny .
We now know enough about the virus to know that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , pose little COVID-19 transmission risk .
Even if he did want to remain in isolation , however , he could still submit himself to tougher interviews .
If he has time to chat with rapper Cardi B , he certainly has time to sit down for a virtual interview with Fox ’ s Chris Wallace — or any other journalist who would ask him tough questions .
And there are certainly ways to do press conferences in a safe way .
It ’ s debatable whether his hide-and-seek strategy can be effective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hand , stepping to the side allows Trump to hog all of the attention and do things that remind voters why they ’ re looking for somebody else .
Hiding allows Biden to make sure that the race remains a referendum on Trump without allowing the ability to consider his own weaknesses .
And so far , it seems to have paid off in polls .
On the other hand , as time goes on , voters may wonder whether Biden is prepared to withstand the rigors of the presidency if he ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will continue to sow doubts about his mental acuity , and an out-of-practice Biden could find himself rusty and unprepared for the debates , proving his point .
Whatever the political arguments for or against Biden coming out of hiding , it is undoubtedly that the public deserves more from Biden .
If voters are being asked to entrust somebody with the presidency who is pushing 80 years old , they should be able to assess whether he ’ s up to the job .
They deserve to hear more about his policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ questions about them .
For instance , in his convention speech , he reiterated his call for a national mask mandate .
Previously , he explained , `` Every single American should be wearing a mask when they 're outside for the next three months , at a minimum.
” He claimed such a requirement would save 40,000 lives .
At no point , however , has he had to answer basic questions about the plan .
To start , by what constitutional authority could the president mandate that every person wear a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very real legal issues , why would masks be required outdoors ?
The science has been pretty clear that the risk of outdoor transmission of the coronavirus where social distancing is possible is negligible to nonexistent .
Even Anthony Fauci conceded that he pulls his mask down to his chin when he goes jogging outside .
How will any sort of national mask mandate be enforced ?
As we ’ re having a national conversation about overpolicing , do we want to get police officers involved in ensuring compliance , leading to more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What will he do to make sure there isn ’ t racial bias in imposing the mandate ?
What if people can not afford masks , will there be a fund to finance them and a system for distribution ?
And where did Biden come up with his estimate that 40,000 lives would be saved were this draconian mask requirement imposed ?
This , of course , is just one of many ideas Biden has put forward that could lend itself to the type of follow-up that is normal for candidates seeking the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time for him to start taking questions .

Now that Joe Biden emerged from his basement to accept his party’s nomination for president, it’s well past time for him to remain out of hiding and open himself up to questions as the campaign enters its final stretch.
Whatever one might say about President Trump, it cannot be said that he’s afraid to engage with the media. Trump, in addition to frequent speeches and other public appearances, has repeatedly offered himself up to the media to take questions, even as they remain largely hostile to his candidacy. Whether it’s in press conferences, informal gaggles from in front of the White House, or tough one-on-one sessions, Trump has made himself available.
Biden, in contrast, has run the most stealth presidential campaign in modern history. It was one thing, early on, for Biden to try and remain in his basement during the initial phases of the coronavirus pandemic. But since then, he has used the virus as an excuse to avoid scrutiny.
We now know enough about the virus to know that outdoor appearances, with proper physical distancing, pose little COVID-19 transmission risk. Even if he did want to remain in isolation, however, he could still submit himself to tougher interviews. If he has time to chat with rapper Cardi B, he certainly has time to sit down for a virtual interview with Fox’s Chris Wallace — or any other journalist who would ask him tough questions. And there are certainly ways to do press conferences in a safe way.
It’s debatable whether his hide-and-seek strategy can be effective politically through November. On the one hand, stepping to the side allows Trump to hog all of the attention and do things that remind voters why they’re looking for somebody else. Hiding allows Biden to make sure that the race remains a referendum on Trump without allowing the ability to consider his own weaknesses. And so far, it seems to have paid off in polls.
On the other hand, as time goes on, voters may wonder whether Biden is prepared to withstand the rigors of the presidency if he’s unable to even campaign. Trump will continue to sow doubts about his mental acuity, and an out-of-practice Biden could find himself rusty and unprepared for the debates, proving his point.
Whatever the political arguments for or against Biden coming out of hiding, it is undoubtedly that the public deserves more from Biden. If voters are being asked to entrust somebody with the presidency who is pushing 80 years old, they should be able to assess whether he’s up to the job. They deserve to hear more about his policy prescriptions and to hear him answer critical questions about them.
For instance, in his convention speech, he reiterated his call for a national mask mandate. Previously, he explained, "Every single American should be wearing a mask when they're outside for the next three months, at a minimum.” He claimed such a requirement would save 40,000 lives.
At no point, however, has he had to answer basic questions about the plan. To start, by what constitutional authority could the president mandate that every person wear a face covering? Even putting aside the very real legal issues, why would masks be required outdoors? The science has been pretty clear that the risk of outdoor transmission of the coronavirus where social distancing is possible is negligible to nonexistent. Even Anthony Fauci conceded that he pulls his mask down to his chin when he goes jogging outside. How will any sort of national mask mandate be enforced? As we’re having a national conversation about overpolicing, do we want to get police officers involved in ensuring compliance, leading to more interactions that could cause potential conflict? What will he do to make sure there isn’t racial bias in imposing the mandate? What if people cannot afford masks, will there be a fund to finance them and a system for distribution? And where did Biden come up with his estimate that 40,000 lives would be saved were this draconian mask requirement imposed?
This, of course, is just one of many ideas Biden has put forward that could lend itself to the type of follow-up that is normal for candidates seeking the presidency. It’s long past time for him to start taking questions.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-23--Inside the COVID-careful Republican meeting in Charlotte

CHARLOTTE , North Carolina — What should have been a bustling city center packed with everyone who ’ s anyone in Republican politics , the national media , even protesters , for the 2020 GOP National Convention is instead eerily quiet this weekend .
Rather , there ’ s a select group of Republican officials hoping to pull off a successful pandemic-era in-person meeting that balances safety with some sense of normalcy in a general election year .
After battles with North Carolina ’ s Democratic Gov .
Roy Cooper over how to hold the convention in Charlotte , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be almost entirely virtual next week while the city still hosts the party ’ s annual summer meeting this weekend and official convention business on Monday .
Coronavirus precautions are stringent , the result of a health and safety plan designed by former medical director and federal security official Jeffrey Runge , an RNC special adviser .
Instead of more than 2,500 delegates convening to support President Trump ’ s re-nomination , six delegates maximum from each state are allowed on Monday .
Some states sent fewer than that — Wisconsin ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ RNC meeting on Saturday and Sunday is closed to the press , and only a handful of reporters and TV crews are invited to watch convention delegates vote to re-nominate Trump next week .
The Westin Charlotte , where delegates and meeting attendees are staying and where business sessions are taking place , is inaccessible to outsiders .
Participants completed a self-administered coronavirus test before arriving in Charlotte and then a professionally administered one upon arrival .
They must fill out daily symptom tracker forms , and receive a daily wristband to show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Each delegate is also wearing a “ safety fob ” — an electronic tracker that will help trace attendees who come in close contact with someone later found to be infected with COVID-19 .
“ The contact tracing is n't following every step that we go , ” said Theresa Thibodeau , a former Nebraska state senator .
“ So it does n't know if we ’ re down the street .
It just knows who we 've been around so that way if somebody does test positive , we know.
” Inside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social distancing and “ elbow bumps , ” indicating that handshakes and hugs are forbidden .
Participants ’ daytime meals came in individually packaged plastic containers .
During Saturday ’ s general meeting , Republican officials sat in spaced-out assigned seats at long tables .
The members approved seven resolutions , including extending the party ’ s 2016 platform through 2024 .
Those who had no official business during the session , like guests of committee members who were coronavirus-screened and permitted in the hotel , were not allowed inside the meeting room @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most part , are praising the RNC ’ s handling of coronavirus measures .
“ I think everybody feels safe with the precautions and everybody 's respecting the precautions .
I know I feel more comfortable with them , ” said Kyshia Lineberger , Republican national committeewoman for North Carolina .
Republicans are not letting the pandemic prevent them from having some fun , though .
Delegates are greeted at the Westin with a red-carpet-style photo opportunity in front of a GOP banner .
Swag bags include Trump 2020-branded face masks and Charlotte @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In the evening , chartered shuttle buses transport attendees to optional activities : the Billy Graham Library , Top Golf , Middle C Jazz Club , or a brewery just outside the city center area in the South End neighborhood .
“ I feel safer here than anywhere else in the country , ” said South Carolina committeeman Glenn McCall .
“ It 's good to show the American people , ‘ Yes , we take it seriously , the pandemic , but we have to get on with our lives.
’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the standards of face-mask evangelists like Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden , who suggested that while walking a dog .
On Friday night before public access to the Westin was shut down , a few men present in the hotel lobby did not wear masks , though their connection to the RNC or the convention was not clear .
About a quarter of the attendees took off their masks once seated at their tables in the general meeting , Lineberger said , adding that was allowed .
Some photos and videos on social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than six feet apart from each other .
While security guards kept the top floor of the brewery booked for Republicans separate from the rowdy ground level that stayed open to the public , dozens of young , majority mask-less people formed a long line outside , waiting to get into the public area .
After a police patrol drove by the brewery on Friday night , a bouncer hollered at those in the line to spread out so the establishment would not get cited for breaking local regulations .
One local resident @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a week or so before the Republican gathering .
Around the Republican hub , the environment is quiet , though some small protests resulted in arrests .
Police officers circle the streets in groups on bicycles .
Large metal fencing was being placed on Saturday around the Westin and the neighboring Charlotte Convention Center on Saturday , and some roads will be closed starting Sunday ahead of a Monday visit by Trump .
It ’ s not just security measures and a scaled-back delegate count contributing to the city center ’ s stillness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , meaning masks are required , bars are closed , and restaurants can operate at 50 percent capacity .
Some venues closest to the convention site are carry-out only or shut entirely .
Remnants from protests over racism and policing earlier in the summer remain .
A few blocks from the convention center , another street is blocked off in order to preserve a “ Black Lives Matter ” .
A Hyatt hotel and a sports bar near the convention center still have large wooden boards covering their windows .

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina — What should have been a bustling city center packed with everyone who’s anyone in GOP politics, the national media, even protesters, for the 2020 Republican National Convention is instead eerily quiet this weekend.
Rather, there’s a select group of Republican officials hoping to pull off a successful pandemic-era in-person meeting that balances safety with some sense of normalcy in a general election year.
After battles with North Carolina’s Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper over how to hold the convention in Charlotte, the celebratory portion of the quadrennial event will be almost entirely virtual next week while the city still hosts the party’s annual summer meeting this weekend and official convention business on Monday.
Coronavirus precautions are stringent, the result of a health and safety plan designed by former medical director and federal security official Jeffrey Runge, a Republican National Convention special adviser. Instead of more than 2,500 delegates convening to support President Trump’s renomination, six delegates maximum from each state are allowed on Monday. Some states sent fewer than that — Wisconsin’s delegation is only four people.
The Republican National Convention meeting on Saturday and Sunday is closed to the press, and only a handful of reporters and TV crews are invited to watch convention delegates vote to renominate Trump next week.
The Westin Charlotte, where delegates and meeting attendees are staying and where business sessions are taking place, is inaccessible to outsiders. Participants completed a self-administered coronavirus test before arriving in Charlotte and then a professionally administered one upon arrival. They must fill out daily symptom tracker forms and receive a daily wristband to show they have had a temperature screening.
A Republican summer meeting attendee holds a participation badge along with a coronavirus tracking "safety fob" in Charlotte, North Carolina on Aug. 22 2020. (Emily Larsen/Washington Examiner)
Each delegate is also wearing a “safety fob” — an electronic tracker that will help trace attendees who come in close contact with someone later found to be infected with COVID-19.
“The contact tracing isn't following every step that we go,” said Theresa Thibodeau, a former Nebraska state senator. “So it doesn't know if we’re down the street. It just knows who we've been around so that way if somebody does test positive, we know.”
Inside the Westin, a sign encouraged 6-foot social distancing and “elbow bumps,” indicating that handshakes and hugs are forbidden. Participants’ daytime meals came in individually packaged plastic containers.
During Saturday’s general meeting, Republican officials sat in spaced-out assigned seats at long tables. The members approved seven resolutions, including extending the party’s 2016 platform through 2024. Those who had no official business during the session, such as guests of committee members who were coronavirus-screened and permitted in the hotel, were not allowed inside the meeting room.
Republicans in attendance, for the most part, are praising the Republican National Convention’s handling of coronavirus measures.
A sign at the Westin Charlotte lobby encourages social distancing and discourages hugs at the Republican summer meeting on Aug. 21, 2020. (Emily Larsen/Washington Examiner)
“I think everybody feels safe with the precautions and everybody's respecting the precautions. I know I feel more comfortable with them,” said Kyshia Lineberger, Republican National Committee committeewoman for North Carolina.
Republicans are not letting the pandemic prevent them from having some fun, though. Delegates are greeted at the Westin with a red-carpet-style photo opportunity in front of a GOP banner. Swag bags include Trump 2020-branded face masks and Charlotte convention-branded totes, buttons, and ponchos.
In the evening, chartered shuttle buses transport attendees to optional activities: the Billy Graham Library, Top Golf, Middle C Jazz Club, or a brewery just outside the city center area in the South End neighborhood.
“I feel safer here than anywhere else in the country,” said South Carolina committeeman Glenn McCall. “It's good to show the American people, ‘Yes, we take it seriously, the pandemic, but we have to get on with our lives.’”
Nothing like LIVE conventions. Checked-in at the hotel and I found a bunch of goodies in my room. I think the Charlotte 2020 goody bag rivals Cleveland 2016 😃 #RNCConvention #RNC2020 @NCGOP @GOP @NewYorkGOP 🐘🐘🐘 #KAG2020 pic.twitter.com/N5nUcwJBnc — John Burnett (@IamJohnBurnett) August 22, 2020
Guideline-following might not be up to the standards of face mask evangelists like Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, who suggested that masks be worn even outdoors while walking a dog.
On Friday night before public access to the Westin was shut down, a few men present in the hotel lobby did not wear masks, though their connection to the RNC or the convention was not clear.
About a quarter of the attendees took off their masks once seated at their tables in the general meeting, Lineberger said, adding that was allowed.
Some photos and videos on social media show maskless participants who appeared to be less than 6-feet apart from each other.
Proud to represent the @MSGOP at this year’s RNC summer meeting and national convention. Mississippi has a long history of leadership in the @GOP. Our extraordinary national committeewoman Jeanne Luckey was appointee by @GOPChairwoman to chair the Committee on Contests. pic.twitter.com/i7Nlef49fa — Lucien Smith (@LucienSmith) August 22, 2020
While security guards kept the top floor of the brewery booked for Republicans separate from the rowdy ground level that stayed open to the public, dozens of young, majority maskless people formed a long line outside, waiting to get into the public area.
After a police patrol drove by the brewery on Friday night, a bouncer hollered at those in the line to spread out so the establishment would not get cited for breaking local regulations. One local resident said the police presence had picked up a week or so before the Republican gathering.
Around the Republican hub, the environment is quiet, though some small protests resulted in arrests. Police officers circle the streets in groups on bicycles. Large metal fencing was being placed on Saturday around the Westin and the neighboring Charlotte Convention Center on Saturday, and some roads will be closed starting Sunday ahead of a Monday visit by Trump.
It’s not just security measures and a scaled-back delegate count contributing to the city center’s stillness. Charlotte is in phase 2 reopening, meaning masks are required, bars are closed, and restaurants can operate at 50% capacity. Some venues closest to the convention site are carry-out only or shut entirely.
Remnants from protests over racism and policing earlier in the summer remain. A few blocks from the convention center, another street is blocked off in order to preserve a Black Lives Matter road painting . A Hyatt hotel and a sports bar near the convention center still have large wooden boards covering their windows.
Tim Carney contributed to this story.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-22--David Hogg deletes Twitter poll after majority respond 'No' to hearing his 2020 election 'thoughts'

Gun control activist David Hogg deleted a tweet asking his 1 million followers if they would be interested in hearing his thoughts on the election after 84 % responded , `` No . ''
`` Would you be interested in seeing a video post every day from now until election day with my thoughts on what 's going on ? ''
Hogg asked in a Twitter poll .
More than 90,000 Twitter users responded to the poll with nearly 80,000 responding with a `` no . ''
The gun control activist first made waves in 2018 , after the shooting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Parkland , Florida , where he was a senior .
A co-founder of March for Our Lives , Hogg has called for people with mental illness to be banned from owning guns and for legislation raising the minimum age of gun owners to 21 .
Hogg has been vocal in his support of the Democratic Party , writing on Thursday that his generation is “ totally f -- -ed ” if the Democrats lose control of the Supreme Court .
A reluctant supporter of Biden , the Harvard student tweeted that the former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but “ our democracy does not have 4 more years to wait for a better candidate.
” In 2018 , Hogg said that he planned on running for Congress when he turned 25 .

Gun control activist David Hogg deleted a tweet asking his 1 million followers if they would be interested in hearing his thoughts on the election after 84% responded, "No."
"Would you be interested in seeing a video post every day from now until election day with my thoughts on what's going on?" Hogg asked in a Twitter poll. More than 90,000 Twitter users responded to the poll with nearly 80,000 responding with a "no."
This poll that David Hogg put up about hearing from him every day went missing this morning.
And he got almost 100,000 votes on it... 🤣 pic.twitter.com/Y5ihjXF9Cl — Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) August 22, 2020
The gun control activist first made waves in 2018, after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where he was a senior. A co-founder of March for Our Lives, Hogg has called for people with mental illness to be banned from owning guns and for legislation raising the minimum age of gun owners to 21.
Hogg has been vocal in his support of the Democratic Party, writing on Thursday that his generation is “totally f---ed” if the Democrats lose control of the Supreme Court. A reluctant supporter of Biden, the Harvard student tweeted that the former vice president was not his first choice, but “our democracy does not have 4 more years to wait for a better candidate.”
Biden was not my first pick but
Our democracy does not have 4 more years to wait for a better candidate.
Our planet does not have 4 more years to wait for a better candidate.
The 160,000 Americans that will die from gun violence if nothing is done can’t wait 4 more years. — David Hogg Text “our power” to 954-954 (@davidhogg111) August 20, 2020


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-22--Joe Biden accused of plagiarizing Canadian politician in DNC speech

Joe Biden is being accused of plagiarizing the words of a left-wing Canadian politician in his convention speech .
In his highly anticipated convention speech on Thursday , the Democratic nominee said , “ Love is more powerful than hate .
Hope is more powerful than fear .
And light is more powerful than dark.
” Canadians were quick to point out that those words were extremely similar to the dying message of Jack Layton , the leader of Canada ’ s New Democratic Party , who in 2011 wrote , “ My friends , love is better than anger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Optimism is better than despair . ''
CBC correspondent Alexander Panetta pointed out the similarities on Twitter .
This was not Biden ’ s first brush with plagiarism .
His 1988 presidential campaign ended after he was accused of lifting portions of a speech made by British Labour Party leader Neil Kinnock .
In an address to the Welsh Assembly , Kinnock asked , `` Why am I the first Kinnock in a thousand generations to be able to get to university ?
Why is Glenys the first woman in her family in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get to university ?
Was it because all our predecessors were thick ? ''
In a speech at the 1987 Iowa State Fair , Biden used extremely similar language . ''
I started thinking as I was coming over here , why is it that Joe Biden is the first in his family ever to go to a university ?
Why is it that my wife who is sitting out there in the audience is the first in her family to ever go to college ?
” He continued , ” Is it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bright ?
Is it because I 'm the first Biden in a thousand generations to get a college and a graduate degree that I was smarter than the rest ? ''
At the 1987 California Democratic convention , Biden told the audience that `` each generation of Americans has been summoned.
” The same phrase was used by John F. Kennedy in his 1961 inaugural address .
Layton himself used similar language to former Canadian Prime Minister Wilfred Laurier , according to the National Post .
During World War I , Laurier attempted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that “ the solution of these problems you have a safe guide , an unfailing light , if you remember that faith is better than doubt and love is better than hate .
”

Joe Biden is being accused of plagiarizing the words of a left-wing Canadian politician in his convention speech.
In his highly anticipated convention speech on Thursday, the Democratic nominee said, “Love is more powerful than hate. Hope is more powerful than fear. And light is more powerful than dark.”
Canadians were quick to point out that those words were extremely similar to the dying message of Jack Layton, the leader of Canada’s New Democratic Party, who in 2011 wrote, “My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair."
CBC correspondent Alexander Panetta pointed out the similarities on Twitter.
A number of Canadians are struck by the similar parting words of Biden's speech to the final words of Jack Layton's farewell letter before his death. pic.twitter.com/pvd80XtoHF — Alexander Panetta (@Alex_Panetta) August 21, 2020
This was not Biden’s first brush with plagiarism. His 1988 presidential campaign ended after he was accused of lifting portions of a speech made by British Labour Party leader Neil Kinnock. In an address to the Welsh Assembly, Kinnock asked, ''Why am I the first Kinnock in a thousand generations to be able to get to university? Why is Glenys the first woman in her family in a thousand generations to be able to get to university? Was it because all our predecessors were thick?''
In a speech at the 1987 Iowa State Fair, Biden used extremely similar language.
''I started thinking as I was coming over here, why is it that Joe Biden is the first in his family ever to go to a university? Why is it that my wife who is sitting out there in the audience is the first in her family to ever go to college?” He continued, ”Is it because our fathers and mothers were not bright? Is it because I'm the first Biden in a thousand generations to get a college and a graduate degree that I was smarter than the rest?''
At the 1987 California Democratic convention, Biden told the audience that ''each generation of Americans has been summoned.” The same phrase was used by John F. Kennedy in his 1961 inaugural address.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-22--President Trump claims ‘God’ was removed from the Pledge of Allegiance at the DNC. Is that true?

President Trump claimed that during the Democratic National Convention , Democrats left the word `` God '' out of the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance .
`` The Democrats took the word GOD out of the Pledge of Allegiance at the Democrat National Convention , '' he said on Saturday .
`` At first I thought they made a mistake , but it wasn ’ t .
It was done on purpose .
Remember Evangelical Christians , and ALL , this is where they are coming from-it ’ s done .
Vote Nov 3 ! ''
Trump was quickly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the convention 's recitations of the pledge made their way around social media .
During each of the four nights of the convention , the Pledge of Allegiance was stated in full , including the word `` God . ''
However , the main convention events were n't the only meetings held at the DNC this week .
Smaller meetings were held for individual caucuses .
In at least two instances , the Pledge of Allegiance was recited at a caucus meeting without the word `` God . ''
Those included the Muslim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Democrats concluded their virtual convention on Thursday as former Vice President Joe Biden accepted his party 's nomination .
Republicans will host their own virtual convention this coming week .

President Trump claimed that during the Democratic National Convention, Democrats left the word "God" out of the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance.
"The Democrats took the word GOD out of the Pledge of Allegiance at the Democrat National Convention," he said on Saturday. "At first I thought they made a mistake, but it wasn’t. It was done on purpose. Remember Evangelical Christians, and ALL, this is where they are coming from-it’s done. Vote Nov 3!"
Trump was quickly condemned for his statement after videos of the convention's recitations of the pledge made their way around social media. During each of the four nights of the convention, the Pledge of Allegiance was stated in full, including the word "God."
However, the main convention events weren't the only meetings held at the DNC this week. Smaller meetings were held for individual caucuses. In at least two instances, the Pledge of Allegiance was recited at a caucus meeting without the word "God." Those included the Muslim caucus meeting and the LGBTQ caucus meeting.
NEW VIDEO: At the #DemocraticNationalConvention , LGBT Caucus purposely leaves out the words, "under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance. Watch. This now makes twice that two key constituencies of the Democratic Party have done this. See my earlier tweet about DNC Muslim Caucus pic.twitter.com/2GIDcCMq1F — David Brody (@DavidBrodyCBN) August 19, 2020
NEW! Democrats leave out, "Under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance at the #DemocraticNationalConvention Muslim Caucus meeting this week. Watch delegate AJ Durrani skip it. Featured speakers at the event were @BernieSanders @RashidaTlaib & @TomPerez @realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/Ra4SX2cqNy — David Brody (@DavidBrodyCBN) August 19, 2020
The Democrats concluded their virtual convention on Thursday as former Vice President Joe Biden accepted his party's nomination. Republicans will host their own virtual convention this coming week.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-22--Martha McSally faces backlash after telling supporters to 'fast a meal' and donate to campaign

A Republican senator who is fighting to save her seat in Congress is being criticized for asking her supporters to `` fast a meal '' so they can send a little extra money to her reelection campaign .
During an appearance in Northern Arizona recently , Sen. Martha McSally told supporters they should consider skipping a meal if it meant helping her defeat Democratic challenger Mark Kelly , who is leading by 7 percentage points in the polls , according to RealClearPolitics .
`` We 're doing our part to catch up , you know , to get our message @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So , anybody can give , I 'm not ashamed to ask , to invest .
If you can give a dollar , five dollars , if you can fast a meal and give what that would be , '' McSally told the audience in audio obtained by the outlet Arizona Family .
McSally 's campaign said she was joking and called the verbal misstep a `` non-story '' that is being used to paint McSally unfairly ahead of the November election .
`` This is a dumb non-story about a candidate making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a representative for the McSally campaign said .
McSally 's name was trending on Twitter Saturday morning as critics piled on to voice their displeasure with the senator 's remarks , which they called `` sick '' at a time when people across the country are struggling economically because of the coronavirus pandemic .

A Republican senator who is fighting to save her seat in Congress is being criticized for asking her supporters to "fast a meal" so they can send a little extra money to her reelection campaign.
During an appearance in Northern Arizona recently, Sen. Martha McSally told supporters they should consider skipping a meal if it meant helping her defeat Democratic challenger Mark Kelly, who is leading by 7 percentage points in the polls, according to RealClearPolitics.
"We're doing our part to catch up, you know, to get our message out. But it takes resources. So, anybody can give, I'm not ashamed to ask, to invest. If you can give a dollar, five dollars, if you can fast a meal and give what that would be," McSally told the audience in audio obtained by the outlet Arizona Family.
McSally's campaign said she was joking and called the verbal misstep a "non-story" that is being used to paint McSally unfairly ahead of the November election.
"This is a dumb non-story about a candidate making a joke on the stump,” a representative for the McSally campaign said.
McSally's name was trending on Twitter Saturday morning as critics piled on to voice their displeasure with the senator's remarks, which they called "sick" at a time when people across the country are struggling economically because of the coronavirus pandemic.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-22--White House Report Card: Trump’s convention turn and he better make the most of it

In this week ’ s White House Report Card , President Trump is heading into his virtual nominating convention riding a bump in approval ratings after the Democratic National Convention , during which he was decried as an ineffective leader by Joe Biden and his surrogates .
Our weekly graders were split on the week .
Conservative analyst Jed Babbin found several positive actions by the president , but he said his negative tweets about the Democrats led to head-shaking .
Democratic pollster John Zogby saw nothing good in the president ’ s week and warned that if the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he will be in trouble .
For the four days of the Democratic National Convention , liberals continuously bashed America for being inherently and systemically racist and continued their old “ orange man bad ” narrative .
For those of us who didn ’ t watch a minute of it ( i.e.
, the vast majority of people ) , its time was better filled by shaking our heads over Trump ’ s tweets and statements , which ruined an otherwise pretty good week .
Trump ’ s orchestration of the peace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Emirates is not getting the attention it deserves .
It is a major breakthrough in Middle East peace talks and has the added good effects of further isolating Iran and rendering the Palestinians irrelevant .
Sudan is reportedly in similar talks with the Israelis .
With Trump ’ s reelection can come a positive realignment of the Middle East .
If Biden wins , it won ’ t happen because he , like Obama , is anti-Israel and pro-Iran .
Trump announced that the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge would be open for bids @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of which has tantalized conservatives ( and , yes , conservationists ) for decades .
It ’ s an overdue move that could ensure U.S. energy independence for a century .
If it gets tied up in the courts long enough ( or if Biden wins , because he ’ ll surely cancel it ) , this great idea will quickly be quashed .
Trump announced a big sale of F-16s to Taiwan , infuriating the Chinese ( which is almost always a good idea ) .
Trump also pardoned suffragette Susan B.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the crime of illegal voting .
Nice gesture , but most people don ’ t even remember who she was .
And then , there were Trump ’ s words .
It ’ s not smart to say that the only way you can lose is if the election is rigged .
And it ’ s worse to say that the election may have to be done over because of problems with mail-in votes .
Trump said both .
C ’ mon , man .
Sounding weak and whiny is not the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House adviser Steve Bannon became the sixth insider to Trump to be indicted .
Frankly , it is a little weak for Trump to claim that he did n't know anything about Bannon 's alleged scam , let alone to surround himself with people like this in the first place .
The president can trash Biden and the Democrats all he wants , but he will never be able to take this moment this week away from them .
The Democratic National Convention effectively highlighted the differences between them and the president and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than rose to the occasion .
The campaign is far from over , but as of this week , the president is in serious trouble .
His job performance is weak , his ratings for handling the worst epidemic in a century are in the tank , 3 out of 4 people in the U.S. feel the nation is headed in the wrong direction , and he trails Biden nationally by an average of 8 points as well as almost every battleground state .
Trump takes the stage next week at the virtual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in trouble , serious trouble right now .
Jed Babbin is a Washington Examiner contributor and former deputy undersecretary of defense in the administration of former President George H.W .
Bush .
Follow him on Twitter @ jedbabbin John Zogby is the founder of the Zogby Poll and senior partner at John Zogby Strategies .
His weekly podcast with son and partner Jeremy Zogby can be heard here .
Follow him on Twitter @ TheJohnZogby

In this week’s White House Report Card, President Trump is heading into his virtual nominating convention riding a bump in approval ratings after the Democratic National Convention, during which he was decried as an ineffective leader by Joe Biden and his surrogates.
Our weekly graders were split on the week. Conservative analyst Jed Babbin found several positive actions by the president, but he said his negative tweets about the Democrats led to head-shaking. Democratic pollster John Zogby saw nothing good in the president’s week and warned that if the president can’t counter the Democratic convention, he will be in trouble.
Jed Babbin
Grade B
For the four days of the Democratic National Convention, liberals continuously bashed America for being inherently and systemically racist and continued their old “orange man bad” narrative. For those of us who didn’t watch a minute of it (i.e., the vast majority of people), its time was better filled by shaking our heads over Trump’s tweets and statements, which ruined an otherwise pretty good week.
Trump’s orchestration of the peace deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates is not getting the attention it deserves. It is a major breakthrough in Middle East peace talks and has the added good effects of further isolating Iran and rendering the Palestinians irrelevant. Sudan is reportedly in similar talks with the Israelis. With Trump’s reelection can come a positive realignment of the Middle East. If Biden wins, it won’t happen because he, like Obama, is anti-Israel and pro-Iran.
Trump announced that the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge would be open for bids on oil drilling leases, the prospect of which has tantalized conservatives (and, yes, conservationists) for decades. It’s an overdue move that could ensure U.S. energy independence for a century. If it gets tied up in the courts long enough (or if Biden wins, because he’ll surely cancel it), this great idea will quickly be quashed.
Trump announced a big sale of F-16s to Taiwan, infuriating the Chinese (which is almost always a good idea). Trump also pardoned suffragette Susan B. Anthony (who died in 1906) for the crime of illegal voting. Nice gesture, but most people don’t even remember who she was.
And then, there were Trump’s words. It’s not smart to say that the only way you can lose is if the election is rigged. And it’s worse to say that the election may have to be done over because of problems with mail-in votes. Trump said both. C’mon, man. Sounding weak and whiny is not the way to win.
John Zogby
Grade F
Former top White House adviser Steve Bannon became the sixth insider to Trump to be indicted. Frankly, it is a little weak for Trump to claim that he didn't know anything about Bannon's alleged scam, let alone to surround himself with people like this in the first place.
The president can trash Biden and the Democrats all he wants, but he will never be able to take this moment this week away from them. The Democratic National Convention effectively highlighted the differences between them and the president and his party masterfully. And Biden more than rose to the occasion.
The campaign is far from over, but as of this week, the president is in serious trouble. His job performance is weak, his ratings for handling the worst epidemic in a century are in the tank, 3 out of 4 people in the U.S. feel the nation is headed in the wrong direction, and he trails Biden nationally by an average of 8 points as well as almost every battleground state.
I give you my word: if you entrust me with the presidency, I will draw on the best of us instead of the worst. I will be an ally of the light instead of the darkness, and we will once again be united in our love for America and for each other.
Join us: https://t.co/gnaFCAUzju pic.twitter.com/OBaF3qRu24 — Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) August 21, 2020
Trump takes the stage next week at the virtual Republican National Convention, and he is in trouble, serious trouble right now.
Jed Babbin is a Washington Examiner contributor and former deputy undersecretary of defense in the administration of former President George H.W. Bush. Follow him on Twitter @jedbabbin
John Zogby is the founder of the Zogby Poll and senior partner at John Zogby Strategies. His weekly podcast with son and partner Jeremy Zogby can be heard here. Follow him on Twitter @TheJohnZogby