theguardian--2020-08-29--Michael Moore warns that Donald Trump is on course to repeat 2016 win

The documentary film-maker Michael Moore has warned that Donald Trump appears to have such momentum in some battleground states that liberals risk a repeat of 2016 when so many wrote off Trump only to see him grab the White House .
“ Sorry to have to provide the reality check again , ” he said .
Moore , who was one of few political observers to predict Trump ’ s victory over Hillary Clinton in 2016 , said that “ enthusiasm for Trump is off the charts ” in key areas compared with the Democratic party nominee , Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump victory ?
Are you mentally prepared to be outsmarted by Trump again ?
Do you find comfort in your certainty that there is no way Trump can win ?
Are you content with the trust you ’ ve placed in the DNC [ Democratic National Committee ] to pull this off ?
” Moore posted on Facebook late on Friday .
Moore identified opinion polling in battleground states such as Minnesota and Michigan to make a case that the sitting president is running alongside or ahead of his rival .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be visiting a number of states – but not Michigan .
Sound familiar ?
” Moore wrote , presumably indicating Hillary Clinton ’ s 2016 race when she made the error of avoiding some states that then swung to Trump .
“ I ’ m warning you almost 10 weeks in advance .
The enthusiasm level for the 60 million in Trump ’ s base is OFF THE CHARTS !
For Joe , not so much , ” he later added .
He continued to voters : “ Don ’ t leave it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump .
YOU have to get rid of Trump .
WE have to wake up every day for the next 67 days and make sure each of us are going to get a hundred people out to vote .
ACT NOW !
” Moore cited CNN polling of registered voters this month to assert that “ Biden and Trump were in a virtual tie ” , including a poll that showed the pair tied at 47 % in Minnesota .
Moore said that Trump “ has closed the gap to 4 points ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this month showed that Biden ’ s lead over Trump has narrowed nationally , 50 % to 46 % , while a survey from the Republican-leaning Trafalgar Group found Biden and Trump statistically tied at 47 % in Minnesota , and Trump narrowly leading Biden in Michigan .
The margin of error for the poll , which surveyed 1,048 people , is 2.98 % .
Moore , a vocal supporter of Bernie Sanders ’ s leftwing candidacy , warned in October 2016 that “ Trump ’ s election is going to be the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in human history – and it will feel good , ” even as Clinton appeared to be sailing to victory .
“ Whether Trump means it or not is kind of irrelevant because he ’ s saying the things to people who are hurting , and that ’ s why every beaten-down , nameless , forgotten working stiff who used to be part of what was called the middle class loves Trump , ” Moore warned at that time .
Moore ’ s latest warnings come as Trump said at a campaign event @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he supported seeing the first female president of the United States , but recommended his daughter over the Democratic vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris .
“ They ’ re all saying ‘ we want Ivanka , ’ ” Trump told his supporters .
“ I don ’ t blame them .
”

The documentary film-maker Michael Moore has warned that Donald Trump appears to have such momentum in some battleground states that liberals risk a repeat of 2016 when many wrote off Trump only to see him grab the White House.
“Sorry to have to provide the reality check again,” he said.
Moore, one of few political observers to predict Trump’s victory over Hillary Clinton in 2016, said that “enthusiasm for Trump is off the charts” in key areas compared with the Democratic party nominee, Joe Biden.
“Are you ready for a Trump victory? Are you mentally prepared to be outsmarted by Trump again? Do you find comfort in your certainty that there is no way Trump can win? Are you content with the trust you’ve placed in the DNC [Democratic National Committee] to pull this off?” Moore posted on Facebook late on Friday.
The president tweeted about Moore on Sunday morning.
Moore identified opinion polling in battleground states such as Minnesota and Michigan to make a case that the sitting president is running alongside or ahead of his rival.
“The Biden campaign just announced he’ll be visiting a number of states – but not Michigan. Sound familiar?” Moore wrote, presumably indicating Hillary Clinton’s 2016 race when she made the error of avoiding some states that then swung to Trump.
“I’m warning you almost 10 weeks in advance. The enthusiasm level for the 60 million in Trump’s base is OFF THE CHARTS! For Joe, not so much,” he later added.
He continued to voters: “Don’t leave it to the Democrats to get rid of Trump. YOU have to get rid of Trump. WE have to wake up every day for the next 67 days and make sure each of us are going to get a hundred people out to vote. ACT NOW!”
Moore cited CNN polling of registered voters this month to assert that “Biden and Trump were in a virtual tie”, including a poll that showed the pair tied at 47% in Minnesota. Moore said that Trump “has closed the gap to 4 points” in Michigan.
A national CNN poll this month showed that Biden’s lead over Trump has narrowed nationally, 50% to 46%, while a survey from the Republican-leaning Trafalgar Group found Biden and Trump statistically tied at 47% in Minnesota, and Trump narrowly leading Biden in Michigan. The margin of error for the poll, which surveyed 1,048 people, is 2.98%.
Moore, a vocal supporter of Bernie Sanders’s leftwing candidacy, warned in October 2016 that “Trump’s election is going to be the biggest ‘f*** you’ ever recorded in human history – and it will feel good,” even as Clinton appeared to be sailing to victory.
“Whether Trump means it or not is kind of irrelevant because he’s saying the things to people who are hurting, and that’s why every beaten-down, nameless, forgotten working stiff who used to be part of what was called the middle class loves Trump,” Moore warned in 2016.
Moore’s latest warnings come as Trump said at a campaign event in New Hampshire on Friday night that he supported seeing the first female president of the United States, but recommended his daughter over the Democratic vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
“They’re all saying ‘we want Ivanka,’” Trump told his supporters. “I don’t blame them.”


theguardian--2020-08-29--The five most terrifying performances by women at the RNC – ranked! | Arwa Mahdawi

Sign up for the Week in Patriarchy , a newsletter on feminism and sexism sent every Saturday .
What ’ s the collective noun for a group of racist white women ?
I ’ m not sure , but I think it might be a Republican national convention ( RNC ) .
Nobody can accuse the four-day horror show , which wound up on Thursday , of skimping on female speakers .
Everywhere you looked there were women – and most of them looked exactly the same .
Same long bottle-blond hair ; same makeup ; same cold , dead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ behind all the women on stage was about as subtle as Kimberly Guilfoyle ’ s speaking style .
( Or should I say : SHOUTING STYLE . )
Donald Trump is doing badly with women in the polls ; the RNC was his chance to remind us all that he is the greatest male feminist of our time .
One by one Trump ’ s female advisers sang his praises and reflected on the Pussy Grabber in Chief ’ s gender-blind leadership .
Lara Trump , a campaign adviser , gushed over her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the workplace .
The White House press secretary , Kayleigh McEnany , announced that she wanted her baby daughter to grow up in “ Trump ’ s America ” .
Kellyanne Conway , who will be leaving the White House at the end of the month , claimed the president routinely elevates women .
“ [ Trump ] respects our opinions , and insists that we are on equal footing with the men , ” she said .
Conway actually has a valuable point there .
When it comes to hypocrisy , bigotry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compass , the women in Trump ’ s inner circle are on an undeniably equal footing with the men : the RNC made that crystal clear .
Just to drum it home , however , here are five of the most terrifying performances by women from the convention .
“ I know what abortion smells like , ” the anti-choice activist bellowed on Tuesday night ; Johnson proceeded to use her primetime speaking spot to demonize the right to an abortion in a very graphic speech .
Johnson ’ s extreme rhetoric was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Statistically , my [ adopted ] brown son is more likely to commit a violent offense over my white sons , ” Johnson once said ; she added that the police would thus be “ smart ” to racially profile him .
Johnson also believes that husbands should have the “ final say ” over their wife ’ s vote .
Her RNC speech was a chilling reminder of the war Trump will wage on women ’ s reproductive rights if he gets another four years .
Lynch , the granddaughter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a highly influential evangelical Christian , also used her speech to crusade against the right to an abortion .
However , she also found time for some disgusting transphobia .
Lynch referred to transgender girls as “ boys ” and stoked baseless fears that trans people are sexual predators who want access to bathrooms for nefarious purposes .
There has been a horrific spike in violence against trans people in 2020 ; the likes of Lynch seem intent on putting trans lives in even more danger .
What makes Melania so dangerous is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) members of the press can ’ t help themselves from fawning over her .
“ The first lady has one trait that her husband lacks : empathy , ” CNN ’ s Chris Cillizza wrote after Melania ’ s speech on Tuesday .
Are you kidding me ?
This is the woman who excused and echoed Trump ’ s racist birther theories about Barack Obama .
This is the woman who went to visit children in cages while wearing a jacket emblazoned with “ I really don ’ t care , do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about Melania but she does help humanize Trump ; she functions like Febreze for fascism .
Ivanka collects titles the same way other people collect tchotchkes .
One day she ’ s an entrepreneur and writer , the next day she ’ s adviser to the president .
On Thursday she was , bizarrely , introduced as “ the Honorable ” .
“ The Hypocritical ” would be rather more fitting .
Like Melania , Ivanka is insidious because she softens and sanitizes the Trump administration ; her faux feminism helps Trump mask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ivanka seems to have her heart set on being president one day .
It wasn ’ t so much the contents of Ivanka ’ s RNC speech that were scary , but the fact that we can expect to see her pontificating from powerful podiums for a very long time .
“ America is not a racist country , ” Haley declared on the opening night of the convention .
She knows this , you see , because her parents were Sikh immigrants and her family faced “ discrimination and hardship ” .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ : throughout her career she has weaponized her identity to deny the existence of systemic oppression .
She ’ s a valuable tool for white supremacists and misogynists – she helps launder their bigotry .
Unlike many of the morons in Trump ’ s orbit , Haley has more than two brain cells to rub together .
She ’ s smart ; she knows exactly what she ’ s doing and , as long as it helps her personally , she doesn ’ t care .
It ’ s highly likely that she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or 2028 .
If that happens , God help us all .
Her RNC speech was filled with lies but , because she uttered them in an articulate way , pundits fell over themselves to praise her .
The only thing more terrifying than four more years of Trump is a successor who is equally cruel but actually competent .
A statue depicting the women ’ s rights pioneers Sojourner Truth , Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B Anthony sitting at a table together was unveiled in Central Park this week .
Unbelievably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ monument honouring real women as opposed to fictional characters like Alice in Wonderland .
Great , right ?
Except – as many people pointed out – for the extremely inconvenient fact that suffragist icons Anthony and Stanton were often pretty damn racist ; it is dishonest to pretend that they gave black women like Truth an equal seat at the table .
“ Swipe carefully , ” Democratic party security officials warned campaign staffers this week .
That cute person you matched with might actually be an opposition group “ trying to ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organizations through dating sites ” .
Got ta give it to that family , they ’ ll monetize anything they can .
New clue as to why women more likely to survive Covid-19 than men A small study suggests that women ’ s immune systems may induce more robust responses to the coronavirus than men ’ s .
The findings “ provide an important basis for the development of a sex-based approach to the treatment and care of men and women with Covid-19 ” , researchers said .
Men only : the toxic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bates profiles the “ men going their own way ” ( MGTOW ) movement which has “ quietly penetrated mainstream culture more successfully than any other segment of the manosphere ” .
A 2019 study , for example , found that , following the # MeToo movement , men became significantly more reluctant to interact with women at work : 27 % of American men now avoid one-on-one meetings with female colleagues .
Massive outcry in France this week after the police in a seaside town asked a group of topless sunbathers to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ non , the interior minister said , this is not who we are as a nation .
Liberté , égalité , nudité !

Sign up for the Week in Patriarchy, a newsletter on feminism and sexism sent every Saturday.
Binders full of fascist women
What’s the collective noun for a group of racist white women? I’m not sure, but I think it might be a Republican national convention (RNC). Nobody can accuse the four-day horror show, which wound up on Thursday, of skimping on female speakers. Everywhere you looked there were women – and most of them looked exactly the same. Same long bottle-blond hair; same makeup; same cold, dead look in the eyes.
The strategy behind all the women on stage was about as subtle as Kimberly Guilfoyle’s speaking style. (Or should I say: SHOUTING STYLE.) Donald Trump is doing badly with women in the polls; the RNC was his chance to remind us all that he is the greatest male feminist of our time. One by one Trump’s female advisers sang his praises and reflected on the Pussy Grabber in Chief’s gender-blind leadership.
Lara Trump, a campaign adviser, gushed over her father-in-law’s mentorship of women in the workplace. The White House press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, announced that she wanted her baby daughter to grow up in “Trump’s America”. Kellyanne Conway, who will be leaving the White House at the end of the month, claimed the president routinely elevates women. “[Trump] respects our opinions, and insists that we are on equal footing with the men,” she said.
Conway actually has a valuable point there. When it comes to hypocrisy, bigotry and the lack of a functioning moral compass, the women in Trump’s inner circle are on an undeniably equal footing with the men: the RNC made that crystal clear. Just to drum it home, however, here are five of the most terrifying performances by women from the convention.
5. Abby ‘abortion has a smell’ Johnson
“I know what abortion smells like,” the anti-choice activist bellowed on Tuesday night; Johnson proceeded to use her primetime speaking spot to demonize the right to an abortion in a very graphic speech. Johnson’s extreme rhetoric was in keeping with her extremely bigoted views. “Statistically, my [adopted] brown son is more likely to commit a violent offense over my white sons,” Johnson once said; she added that the police would thus be “smart” to racially profile him. Johnson also believes that husbands should have the “final say” over their wife’s vote. Her RNC speech was a chilling reminder of the war Trump will wage on women’s reproductive rights if he gets another four years.
4. Cissie Graham Lynch
Lynch, the granddaughter of the late Rev Billy Graham, a highly influential evangelical Christian, also used her speech to crusade against the right to an abortion. However, she also found time for some disgusting transphobia. Lynch referred to transgender girls as “boys” and stoked baseless fears that trans people are sexual predators who want access to bathrooms for nefarious purposes. There has been a horrific spike in violence against trans people in 2020; the likes of Lynch seem intent on putting trans lives in even more danger.
3. Melania Trump
What makes Melania so dangerous is the way so many (largely male) members of the press can’t help themselves from fawning over her. “The first lady has one trait that her husband lacks: empathy,” CNN’s Chris Cillizza wrote after Melania’s speech on Tuesday. Are you kidding me? This is the woman who excused and echoed Trump’s racist birther theories about Barack Obama. This is the woman who went to visit children in cages while wearing a jacket emblazoned with “I really don’t care, do you?” There is nothing empathetic about Melania but she does help humanize Trump; she functions like Febreze for fascism.
2. The Honorable Ivanka Trump
Ivanka collects titles the same way other people collect tchotchkes. One day she’s an entrepreneur and writer, the next day she’s adviser to the president. On Thursday she was, bizarrely, introduced as “the Honorable”. “The Hypocritical” would be rather more fitting. Like Melania, Ivanka is insidious because she softens and sanitizes the Trump administration; her faux feminism helps Trump mask his misogynistic agenda. Unlike Melania, Ivanka seems to have her heart set on being president one day. It wasn’t so much the contents of Ivanka’s RNC speech that were scary, but the fact that we can expect to see her pontificating from powerful podiums for a very long time.
1. Nikki Haley
“America is not a racist country,” Haley declared on the opening night of the convention. She knows this, you see, because her parents were Sikh immigrants and her family faced “discrimination and hardship”. Haley’s speech was very on-brand: throughout her career she has weaponized her identity to deny the existence of systemic oppression. She’s a valuable tool for white supremacists and misogynists – she helps launder their bigotry. Unlike many of the morons in Trump’s orbit, Haley has more than two brain cells to rub together. She’s smart; she knows exactly what she’s doing and, as long as it helps her personally, she doesn’t care. It’s highly likely that she’ll run for president in 2024 or 2028. If that happens, God help us all. Her RNC speech was filled with lies but, because she uttered them in an articulate way, pundits fell over themselves to praise her. The only thing more terrifying than four more years of Trump is a successor who is equally cruel but actually competent.
Central Park unveils somewhat revisionist feminist monument
A statue depicting the women’s rights pioneers Sojourner Truth, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B Anthony sitting at a table together was unveiled in Central Park this week. Unbelievably, it’s the first park monument honouring real women as opposed to fictional characters like Alice in Wonderland. Great, right? Except – as many people pointed out – for the extremely inconvenient fact that suffragist icons Anthony and Stanton were often pretty damn racist; it is dishonest to pretend that they gave black women like Truth an equal seat at the table.
Beware of dirty election tactics on dating apps
“Swipe carefully,” Democratic party security officials warned campaign staffers this week. That cute person you matched with might actually be an opposition group “trying to ‘sting’ or infiltrate Democratic campaigns or organizations through dating sites”.
Kris Jenner files trademark for ‘You’re doing amazing sweetie’ catchphrase
Gotta give it to that family, they’ll monetize anything they can.
New clue as to why women more likely to survive Covid-19 than men
A small study suggests that women’s immune systems may induce more robust responses to the coronavirus than men’s. The findings “provide an important basis for the development of a sex-based approach to the treatment and care of men and women with Covid-19”, researchers said.
Men only: the toxic rise of a male separatist movement
Laura Bates profiles the “men going their own way” (MGTOW) movement which has “quietly penetrated mainstream culture more successfully than any other segment of the manosphere”. A 2019 study, for example, found that, following the #MeToo movement, men became significantly more reluctant to interact with women at work: 27% of American men now avoid one-on-one meetings with female colleagues.
French minister defends ‘precious’ right to sunbathe topless
Massive outcry in France this week after the police in a seaside town asked a group of topless sunbathers to cover up. Non, non, non, the interior minister said, this is not who we are as a nation. Liberté, égalité, nudité!


theguardian--2020-08-30--Michael Moore warns that Donald Trump is on course to repeat 2016 win

The documentary film-maker Michael Moore has warned that Donald Trump appears to have such momentum in some battleground states that liberals risk a repeat of 2016 when so many wrote off Trump only to see him grab the White House .
“ Sorry to have to provide the reality check again , ” he said .
Moore , who was one of few political observers to predict Trump ’ s victory over Hillary Clinton in 2016 , said that “ enthusiasm for Trump is off the charts ” in key areas compared with the Democratic party nominee , Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump victory ?
Are you mentally prepared to be outsmarted by Trump again ?
Do you find comfort in your certainty that there is no way Trump can win ?
Are you content with the trust you ’ ve placed in the DNC [ Democratic National Committee ] to pull this off ?
” Moore posted on Facebook late on Friday .
The president tweeted about Moore on Sunday morning .
Moore identified opinion polling in battleground states such as Minnesota and Michigan to make a case that the sitting president is running @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The Biden campaign just announced he ’ ll be visiting a number of states – but not Michigan .
Sound familiar ?
” Moore wrote , presumably indicating Hillary Clinton ’ s 2016 race when she made the error of avoiding some states that then swung to Trump .
“ I ’ m warning you almost 10 weeks in advance .
The enthusiasm level for the 60 million in Trump ’ s base is OFF THE CHARTS !
For Joe , not so much , ” he later added .
He continued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leave it to the Democrats to get rid of Trump .
YOU have to get rid of Trump .
WE have to wake up every day for the next 67 days and make sure each of us are going to get a hundred people out to vote .
ACT NOW !
” Moore cited CNN polling of registered voters this month to assert that “ Biden and Trump were in a virtual tie ” , including a poll that showed the pair tied at 47 % in Minnesota .
Moore said that Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ points ” in Michigan .
A national CNN poll this month showed that Biden ’ s lead over Trump has narrowed nationally , 50 % to 46 % , while a survey from the Republican-leaning Trafalgar Group found Biden and Trump statistically tied at 47 % in Minnesota , and Trump narrowly leading Biden in Michigan .
The margin of error for the poll , which surveyed 1,048 people , is 2.98 % .
Moore , a vocal supporter of Bernie Sanders ’ s leftwing candidacy , warned in October 2016 that “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be the biggest ‘ f*** you ’ ever recorded in human history – and it will feel good , ” even as Clinton appeared to be sailing to victory .
“ Whether Trump means it or not is kind of irrelevant because he ’ s saying the things to people who are hurting , and that ’ s why every beaten-down , nameless , forgotten working stiff who used to be part of what was called the middle class loves Trump , ” Moore warned at that time .
Moore ’ s latest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign event in New Hampshire on Friday night that he supported seeing the first female president of the United States , but recommended his daughter over the Democratic vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris .
“ They ’ re all saying ‘ we want Ivanka , ’ ” Trump told his supporters .
“ I don ’ t blame them .
”


theguardian--2020-08-30--'Our belongings were put out on the street': the Democrat drawing on experience to fight evictions

In one the worst cities for evictions in the US , North Charleston , South Carolina , state representative Marvin Pendarvis ’ s push for more tenant protections is personal .
When he was just 12 , his family was evicted from their North Charleston home and the memory still haunts him .
“ I can remember being served with an eviction notice , ” Pendarvis said .
“ I can remember having our belongings put out on the street.
” The 30-year-old Democrat has worked to improve renter protections since entering politics , but the issue has taken on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , economic crisis and racial injustice protests .
Housing advocates across the country are bracing for a surge in evictions after the expiration of federal programs to help the unemployed during the pandemic .
The firm Stout Risius Ross predicted 185,000 evictions could be filed in South Carolina in the next four months .
Those most at risk of eviction are low-income women of color .
After Pendarvis was evicted in the early 2000s , he and his sisters moved frequently to live with different family members and friends .
“ It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it ’ s hard to be engaged in anything , when you know that all of your friends are going back home at the end of the day and you don ’ t know where you ’ re going yet , ” Pendarvis said .
“ Sometimes you wish the school day would last as long as possible … just because you know that for those few hours , six , seven hours of the day , that you ’ ll be fed , you ’ ll be housed and you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said after he spoke publicly about being evicted , a handful of politicians contacted him to share similar experiences .
Ultimately though , South Carolina ’ s political class – like that of much of the US – is more representative of landlords than renters .
The state ’ s governor , Henry McMaster , is a landlord and has collected rent from his more than 200 tenants through the pandemic , according to the Post and Courier newspaper .
It was the state supreme court , not its politicians , that passed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s just not gotten the attention it needs to address it in a meaningful way through politics , ” Pendarvis said .
“ That ’ s what I look at as my role : to try to bring awareness to people and show them evictions are happening.
” Pendarvis has been publicizing individual cases of eviction to local media , advising residents in his capacity as a practicing attorney and pushing legislation to address issues which disproportionately affect the city he represents .
“ I get a call every day – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or a text or a Facebook message or a tweet from someone in my district , and even beyond my district , that is dealing with eviction , ” Pendarvis said .
“ Or someone who has been laid off from their job and they ’ re looking at what to do with unemployment and what ’ s going to happen with that.
” As a representative for a 41,000-person district , which is 51 % Black , the racial injustice protests that have roiled America this summer further focused his efforts to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ healthcare and food insecurity in the state .
Pendarvis participated in the protests and said they inspired him to re-evaluate his work .
He also became a father for the first time in April and asked himself what he wanted to tell his son he was doing in the summer of 2020 .
“ I came to the conclusion I ’ ve got to do more , ” he said .
This summer ’ s racial equality protests formed in response to the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis , but it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man , Walter Scott , that catalyzed Pendarvis ’ s entry into public service .
A few months after Pendarvis graduated law school , Scott was shot dead while running away from a police officer who had pulled him over for a traffic violation .
Three months later , a white teenager killed nine black people in a church in downtown Charleston .
“ You had two really , really traumatic events that took place in our city that shook me and forced me to think about my role in addressing some of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Pendarvis said .
He ran for city council , lost , and decided to try again in 2019 .
But a statehouse representative resigned in 2017 and Pendarvis successfully campaigned for the seat .
He was re-elected in 2018 and decisively won the Democratic primary in June .
He does not face a Republican challenger in November .
Pendarvis thinks the US needs to do much more to be sure that after the virus is under control , citizens aren ’ t further burdened by lingering health disparities , unemployment and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ My community is going to be decimated after this virus from an economic standpoint and even a health standpoint , and the question is how do we ensure they are able to recover properly ?
”

In one of the worst cities for evictions in the US, North Charleston, South Carolina, state representative Marvin Pendarvis’s push for more tenant protections is personal.
When he was just 12, his family was evicted from their North Charleston home and the memory still haunts him.
“I can remember being served with an eviction notice,” Pendarvis said. “I can remember having our belongings put out on the street.”
The 30-year-old Democrat has worked to improve renter protections since entering politics, but the issue has taken on new urgency because of the coronavirus pandemic, economic crisis and racial injustice protests.
Housing advocates across the country are bracing for a surge in evictions after the expiration of federal programs to help the unemployed during the pandemic. The firm Stout Risius Ross predicted 185,000 evictions could be filed in South Carolina in the next four months. Those most at risk of eviction are low-income women of color.
After Pendarvis was evicted in the early 2000s, he and his sisters moved frequently to live with different family members and friends.
“It’s hard to be engaged in academics, it’s hard to be engaged in anything, when you know that all of your friends are going back home at the end of the day and you don’t know where you’re going yet,” Pendarvis said. “Sometimes you wish the school day would last as long as possible … just because you know that for those few hours, six, seven hours of the day, that you’ll be fed, you’ll be housed and you’ll feel safe and comfortable.”
Pendarvis said after he spoke publicly about being evicted, a handful of politicians contacted him to share similar experiences.
Ultimately though, South Carolina’s political class – like that of much of the US – is more representative of landlords than renters.
That’s what I look at as my role: to try to bring awareness to people and show them evictions are happening
The state’s governor, Henry McMaster, is a landlord and has collected rent from his more than 200 tenants through the pandemic, according to the Post and Courier newspaper. It was the state supreme court, not its politicians, that passed a now-expired coronavirus eviction moratorium.
“It’s just not gotten the attention it needs to address it in a meaningful way through politics,” Pendarvis said. “That’s what I look at as my role: to try to bring awareness to people and show them evictions are happening.”
Pendarvis has been publicizing individual cases of eviction to local media, advising residents in his capacity as a practicing attorney and pushing legislation to address issues which disproportionately affect the city he represents.
“I get a call every day – literally – a call or an email or a text or a Facebook message or a tweet from someone in my district, and even beyond my district, that is dealing with eviction,” Pendarvis said. “Or someone who has been laid off from their job and they’re looking at what to do with unemployment and what’s going to happen with that.”
As a representative for a 41,000-person district, which is 51% Black, the racial injustice protests that have roiled America this summer further focused his efforts to fight for improvements to housing law, healthcare and food insecurity in the state.
I came to the conclusion I’ve got to do more
Pendarvis participated in the protests and said they inspired him to re-evaluate his work. He also became a father for the first time in April and asked himself what he wanted to tell his son he was doing in the summer of 2020.
“I came to the conclusion I’ve got to do more,” he said.
This summer’s racial equality protests formed in response to the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, but it was the police killing of another Black man, Walter Scott, that catalyzed Pendarvis’s entry into public service.
A few months after Pendarvis graduated law school, Scott was shot dead while running away from a police officer who had pulled him over for a traffic violation. Three months later, a white teenager killed nine black people in a church in downtown Charleston.
“You had two really, really traumatic events that took place in our city that shook me and forced me to think about my role in addressing some of the issues that led to what happened,” Pendarvis said.
He ran for city council, lost, and decided to try again in 2019. But a statehouse representative resigned in 2017 and Pendarvis successfully campaigned for the seat. He was re-elected in 2018 and decisively won the Democratic primary in June. He does not face a Republican challenger in November.
Pendarvis thinks the US needs to do much more to be sure that after the virus is under control, citizens aren’t further burdened by lingering health disparities, unemployment and food insecurity.
Pendarvis said: “My community is going to be decimated after this virus from an economic standpoint and even a health standpoint, and the question is how do we ensure they are able to recover properly?”


theguardian--2020-08-30--Donald Trump v the United States review: how democracy came under assault

Michael Schmidt of the New York Times has written a masterful and alarming account of ‘ the struggle to stop a president ’ Now disgraced , Jerry Falwell Jr once announced that Donald Trump was entitled to an extra two years on the job as “ reparations ” for a “ failed coup ” , meaning the Mueller investigation .
Joe Biden has gone so far as to predict the president will try to steal the election .
Trump and his backers openly speak of four terms in office .
“ If you really want to drive them crazy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president cackles , despite express constitutional strictures to the contrary .
Even as doubts surrounding its legitimacy grow , the election assumes ever greater significance .
Michael Schmidt ’ s first book is aptly subtitled : “ Inside the Struggle to Stop a President.
” The Pulitzer-winning New York Times reporter chronicles what he has seen from his “ front-row seat ” .
It was Schmidt who broke news of Hillary Clinton ’ s use of personal email while secretary of state , and of James Comey authoring a memo that detailed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigation of Gen Michael Flynn , Trump ’ s first national security adviser .
Schmidt argues persuasively that the Trump presidency has highlighted the fragility of American democracy , and that Trump views the rule of law as something for others .
More precisely , the president believes prison is meant for his political adversaries but not so much for his convicted cronies and for himself , never .
Schmidt documents how Trump sought to prosecute Clinton and Comey : literally and seriously .
A central premise of Donald Trump v the United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to thwart the president have failed .
Comey is no longer FBI director , Gen John Kelly is no longer White House chief of staff .
Donald McGahn , Trump ’ s first White House counsel , is back in private practice .
Trump usually gets what he wants .
Jared Kushner , for example , holds a “ top secret ” security clearance despite persistent objections from senior White House staff and the intelligence community .
After all others refused , Trump personally granted his son-in-law his clearance .
Hindering Trump is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Over on Capitol Hill , according to Schmidt , Trump has “ routinely outflanked the Democratic lawmakers investigating him ” , while Republican leaders have emerged as “ Trump ’ s public defenders ” .
Career civil servants , including those at the Food and Drug Administration , are “ maligned ” as part of a ‘ Deep State ’ .
” So what if a pandemic rages ?
Similarly , Trump targets journalists as “ fake news ” and as “ enemies of the people ” , a term popularized by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has said , it ’ s all a “ bit ” reminiscent of the “ late ” Weimar Republic .
Schmidt frames his book as a four-act play , Comey and McGahn the central actors , a quote from King Lear as prelude .
Chapters weave context with drama , even as they inform .
The reader is continuously reminded of how many days remained before a particular event , such as “ Donald Trump is sworn in as president ” , “ the appointment of special counsel Robert S Mueller III ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Report ” .
It difficult to forget what came next .
Donald Trump v the United States is laden with direct quotes and attribution .
It is credible and intriguing .
Beyond that , it is also unsettling .
Schmidt details McGahn ’ s cooperation with the special counsel .
Here , he recalls a conversation for the ages , with McGahn while he was still White House counsel and Mueller ’ s investigation was months away from its end .
“ You did a lot of damage to the president , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thunderstorm over the White House .
“ I understand that .
You understand that .
But [ Trump ] doesn ’ t understand that.
” McGahn replies : “ I damaged the office of the president .
I damaged the office.
” Schmidt parries : “ That ’ s not it .
You damaged him , and he doesn ’ t understand that.
” Ultimately , McGahn responds : “ This is the last time we ever talk.
” On cue , the rain begins to fall .
Equally vivid are exchanges between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she of a keener sense of peril .
As he moved toward announcing the FBI ’ s determination surrounding Clinton ’ s emails , in late June 2016 , she presciently warned : “ This is going to be bad for you.
” According to Schmidt , Patrice Comey also pleaded , “ You ’ re going to get shot … you ’ re going to get slammed.
” Months later , her husband would tell the Senate judiciary committee it made him “ mildly nauseous to think we might have had some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ book also clears up the mystery of what happened to the FBI ’ s counterintelligence investigation , which if concluded would likely have examined Trump ’ s broader ties with Moscow .
One day it was there , the next day it had vanished .
Specifically , the special counsel ’ s report addressed conspiracy and obstruction of justice but did not discuss related counterintelligence issues .
Schmidt reveals that we can blame that on Rod Rosenstein , then deputy attorney general .
According to Schmidt , in the hand-off of the FBI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the firing of Comey , Rosenstein deliberately narrowed the special counsel ’ s remit .
The deputy attorney general directed Mueller to concentrate on criminality .
Whether Trump was a Russian agent was not on the special counsel ’ s plate .
According to Schmidt , Rosenstein “ had foreclosed any deeper inquiry before investigation even began ” .
This is the same Rosenstein who in spring 2017 suggested he secretly record the president , and that the cabinet consider removing him from office .
“ The president had bent Washington to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The question now is whether the electorate follows .
America goes to the polls in little more than nine weeks .

Now disgraced, Jerry Falwell Jr once announced that Donald Trump was entitled to an extra two years on the job as “reparations” for a “failed coup”, meaning the Mueller investigation. Joe Biden has gone so far as to predict the president will try to steal the election.
Trump and his backers openly speak of four terms in office. “If you really want to drive them crazy, say 12 more years,” the president cackles, despite express constitutional strictures to the contrary.
Even as doubts surrounding its legitimacy grow, the election assumes ever greater significance. Michael Schmidt’s first book is aptly subtitled: “Inside the Struggle to Stop a President.”
The Pulitzer-winning New York Times reporter chronicles what he has seen from his “front-row seat”. It was Schmidt who broke news of Hillary Clinton’s use of personal email while secretary of state, and of James Comey authoring a memo that detailed the president ordering him to end the FBI investigation of Gen Michael Flynn, Trump’s first national security adviser.
Hindering Trump is one thing, stopping him something else
Schmidt argues persuasively that the Trump presidency has highlighted the fragility of American democracy, and that the current president views the rule of law as something for others. More precisely, Trump believes prison is meant for his political adversaries but not so much for his convicted cronies and for himself, never. Schmidt documents how Trump sought to prosecute Clinton and Comey: literally and seriously.
A central premise of Donald Trump v the United States is that those who have sought to thwart the president have failed. Comey is no longer FBI director, Gen John Kelly is no longer White House chief of staff. Donald McGahn, Trump’s first White House counsel, is back in private practice.
Trump usually gets what he wants. Jared Kushner, for example, holds a “top secret” security clearance despite persistent objections from senior White House staff and the intelligence community. After all others refused, Trump personally granted his son-in-law his clearance. Hindering Trump is one thing, stopping him something else.
Over on Capitol Hill, according to Schmidt, Trump has “routinely outflanked the Democratic lawmakers investigating him”, while Republican leaders have emerged as “Trump’s public defenders”. Career civil servants, including those at the Food and Drug Administration, are “maligned” as part of a ‘Deep State’.” So what if a pandemic rages?
Similarly, Trump targets journalists as “fake news” and as “enemies of the people”, a term popularized by Joseph Stalin. As one administration insider has said, it’s all a “bit” reminiscent of the “late” Weimar Republic.
Schmidt frames his book as a four-act play, Comey and McGahn the central actors, a quote from King Lear as prelude. Chapters weave context with drama, even as they inform.
The reader is continuously reminded of how many days remained before a particular event, such as “Donald Trump is sworn in as president”, “the appointment of special counsel Robert S Mueller III” or the “release of the Mueller Report”. It is difficult to forget what came next. Donald Trump v the United States is laden with direct quotes and attribution. It is credible and intriguing. Beyond that, it is also unsettling.
Schmidt details McGahn’s cooperation with the special counsel. Here, he recalls a conversation for the ages, with McGahn while he was still White House counsel and Mueller’s investigation was months away from its end.
“You did a lot of damage to the president,” Schmidt tells McGahn, minutes before a thunderstorm over the White House. “I understand that. You understand that. But [Trump] doesn’t understand that.”
McGahn replies: “I damaged the office of the president. I damaged the office.”
Schmidt parries: “That’s not it. You damaged him, and he doesn’t understand that.”
Ultimately, McGahn responds: “This is the last time we ever talk.”
On cue, the rain begins to fall.
Equally vivid are exchanges between Comey and his wife, Patrice, she of a keener sense of peril. As he moved toward announcing the FBI’s determination surrounding Clinton’s emails, in late June 2016, she presciently warned: “This is going to be bad for you.”
According to Schmidt, Patrice Comey also pleaded, “You’re going to get shot … you’re going to get slammed.” Months later, her husband would tell the Senate judiciary committee it made him “mildly nauseous to think we might have had some impact on the election”.
The book also clears up the mystery of what happened to the FBI’s counterintelligence investigation, which if concluded would likely have examined Trump’s broader ties with Moscow. One day it was there, the next day it had vanished.
Specifically, the special counsel’s report addressed conspiracy and obstruction of justice but did not discuss related counterintelligence issues. Schmidt reveals that we can blame that on Rod Rosenstein, then deputy attorney general.
According to Schmidt, in the hand-off of the FBI investigation to Mueller, in the aftermath of the firing of Comey, Rosenstein deliberately narrowed the special counsel’s remit. The deputy attorney general directed Mueller to concentrate on criminality. Whether Trump was a Russian agent was not on the special counsel’s plate.
According to Schmidt, Rosenstein “had foreclosed any deeper inquiry before investigation even began”. This is the same Rosenstein who in spring 2017 suggested he secretly record the president, and that the cabinet consider removing him from office.
“The president had bent Washington to his will,” Schmidt writes.
The question now is whether the electorate follows. America goes to the polls in little more than nine weeks.


theguardian--2020-08-30--Outcry as US intelligence stops in-person reports to Congress on election security

The United States ’ top intelligence office has told lawmakers it will largely stop holding in-person briefings on election security , signalling that it does not trust lawmakers to keep the information secret .
Donald Trump ’ s new director of national intelligence , John Ratcliffe , notified the House and Senate intelligence panels on Friday that it would send written reports instead , giving lawmakers less opportunity to press for details as the 3 November election approaches .
An official in Ratcliffe ’ s office , speaking on the condition of anonymity , said on Saturday the office was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information following recent briefings ” .
The move drew a heated rejoinder from House Democrats , who have focused on foreign efforts to sway the presidential election in 2016 and again this year .
“ This is a shocking abdication of its lawful responsibility to keep the Congress currently informed , and a betrayal of the public ’ s right to know how foreign powers are trying to subvert our democracy , ” the House speaker , Nancy Pelosi , and the intelligence committee chairman , Adam Schiff , said in a statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to hold in-person briefings for the House and Senate oversight panels next month , even after concerns surfaced about leaks from previous meetings , a House committee official said .
It later rescinded the offer .
The decision was first reported by CNN .
Senator Marco Rubio , a Republican and acting chairman of the Senate select committee on intelligence , said in a statement late on Saturday that he had spoken to Ratcliffe , who “ stated unequivocally ” to him that he would fulfil the intelligence community ’ s obligations to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ committee will continue receiving briefings on all oversight topics , including on election matters , Rubio said Ratcliffe told him .
It was unclear whether Rubio meant those would be in-person briefings .
Mark Meadows , the White House chief of staff , told reporters while on a visit to Texas that Ratcliffe will “ ultimately give full briefings , in terms of not oral briefings , but fully intel briefings ” .
The office of the director of national intelligence said this month that Russia , which orchestrated a hacking campaign to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s favor , was trying to “ denigrate ” Trump ’ s 2020 Democratic opponent , Joe Biden .
And it said China and Iran were hoping Trump is not re-elected .
“ For clarity and to protect sensitive intelligence from unauthorized disclosures , we will primarily do that through written finished intelligence products , ” the official said , speaking on condition of anonymity .
Biden said in a statement late on Saturday that the office was curtailing one of the intelligence community ’ s most basic duties and it is “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to protect the personal interests of president Trump ” .
Ratcliffe , a close political ally of Trump , is a former member of the House intelligence panel and was a vocal defender of the president during investigations of Russia ’ s efforts to influence the 2016 election .
He told senators during his confirmation hearing this year that “ the intelligence I deliver will not be subject to outside influence .
”

The United States’ top intelligence office has told lawmakers it will largely stop holding in-person briefings on election security, signaling that it does not trust lawmakers to keep the information secret.
Donald Trump’s new director of national intelligence, John Ratcliffe, notified the House and Senate intelligence panels on Friday that it would send written reports instead, giving lawmakers less opportunity to press for details as the 3 November election approaches.
Ratcliffe attempted to justify the change on Sunday, telling Fox News that he would continue to keep Congress “fully and currently informed as required by the law”. He blamed the shift towards less accountability on Democratic members whom he accused of leaking intelligence “within minutes” of his briefing them.
“We’ve had a pandemic of information being leaked out of the intelligence community and I’m going to take the measures to make sure that stops,” he said.
Ratcliffe repeatedly insisted that the main threat to US national security came from China, which has a preference for Joe Biden winning the presidential election according to US intelligence. Democrats, by focusing instead on Russia’s interference in the election in 2016 and again this cycle on behalf of Trump, were “politicizing intelligence for their own narrative”.
Ratcliffe’s assurance that he would continue to meet his legal requirements to keep Congress informed did not satisfy leading House Democrats. On Sunday, Amy Klobuchar, US senator from Minnesota and a former Democratic presidential candidate, called the move a “complete outrage” and raised the possibility that Ratcliffe would be hauled before the House under subpoena.
“The House is going to have to subpoena the director of intelligence in order to get information, which is crazy. We are just a few months out of a major election,” she told This Week on ABC News.
Adam Schiff, chair of the House intelligence committee, also implied that he might use the panel’s powers of subpoena to force intelligence officials to appear before it. He added though that the decision would be made by Nancy Pelosi the top Democrat in the House.
Speaking on CNN’s State of the Union, Schiff accused Trump of “malignant narcissism” and said the US president was trying to hide from the American people his renewed reliance on Russia to win re-election.
“The president evidently believes he can’t beat Joe Biden without receiving foreign help or disenfranchising voting during a pandemic, and doesn’t want the country to know about it.”
Moving from face-to-face hearings to on-paper reports, the administration was effectively ducking questioning by Congress, Schiff said. “When you hide behind documents and not have to answer questions about it you can conceal the truth.”
Ratcliffe’s office had offered to hold in-person briefings for the House and Senate oversight panels next month, even after concerns surfaced about leaks from previous meetings, a House committee official said. It later rescinded the offer.
The decision was first reported by CNN.
Senator Marco Rubio, a Republican and acting chairman of the Senate select committee on intelligence, said in a statement late on Saturday that he had spoken to Ratcliffe, who “stated unequivocally” to him that he would fulfill the intelligence community’s obligations to keep members of Congress informed.
But there were expressions of unease from the Republican side. Miles Taylor, the former chief of staff to Kirstjen Nielsen when she was homeland security secretary, and now adviser to an anti-Trump campaign group Republican Political Alliance for Integrity and Reform (Repair), told CNN on Sunday morning: “I know John Ratcliffe and I want to give him the benefit of the doubt...but I unequivocally disagree with the decision. In-person briefings are vital.”
The committee will continue receiving briefings on all oversight topics, including on election matters, Rubio said Ratcliffe told him. It was unclear whether Rubio meant those would be in-person briefings.
Mark Meadows, the White House chief of staff, told reporters while on a visit to Texas that Ratcliffe will “ultimately give full briefings, in terms of not oral briefings, but fully intel briefings”.
The office of the director of national intelligence said this month that Russia, which orchestrated a hacking campaign to sway the 2016 election in Trump’s favor, was trying to “denigrate” Trump’s 2020 Democratic opponent, Joe Biden. And it said China and Iran were hoping Trump is not re-elected.
“For clarity and to protect sensitive intelligence from unauthorized disclosures, we will primarily do that through written finished intelligence products,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Biden said in a statement late on Saturday that the office was curtailing one of the intelligence community’s most basic duties and it is “nothing less than a shameless partisan manipulation to protect the personal interests of President Trump”.
Ratcliffe, a close political ally of Trump, is a former member of the House intelligence panel and was a vocal defender of the president during investigations of Russia’s efforts to influence the 2016 election. He told senators during his confirmation hearing this year that “the intelligence I deliver will not be subject to outside influence.”
Ron Johnson, the Republican senator from Wisconsin who chairs the Senate homeland security committee, attempted to deflect attention, blaming Democrats for disruption.
Johnson told CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday: “We are doing Putin’s work for him. What Adam Schiff and the media have done in terms of the false Russian collusion with the Trump campaign narrative – that is what has destabilised our politics.


theguardian--2020-08-30--The Republican convention depicted an alternate reality. Will Americans buy it? | Geoffrey Kabaservi

The Republican convention depicted an alternate reality. Will Americans buy it? | Geoffrey Kabaservice

When Democrats held their national convention in Chicago in 1968 , the radical Youth International Party – better known as the Yippies – promised to send all of the delegates into a psychedelic trance by dumping LSD into the city ’ s water supply .
Watching the Republican National Convention take place this week in and around Washington DC , I wondered if the Yippies had finally pulled off their prank .
Some of the speakers ’ descriptions of Donald Trump , his presidency , and the state of the country were so far removed from reality that you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of powerful hallucinogens to believe them .
In the alternate reality described by many of the Republican convention speakers , President Trump is a warm , empathetic human being and an exemplar of presidential conduct , not the narcissistic Twitter bully who consistently places familial and tribal interests over constitutional order and democratic norms .
In the telling of his RNC boosters , the president acted with great speed and competence to vanquish the coronavirus – Trump ’ s chief economic advisor Larry Kudlow spoke about it repeatedly in the past tense in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the administration ’ s incoherent response has meant that US per capita death and infection rates are still among the world ’ s highest and the death toll has passed 180,000 .
Speaker after speaker praised the what Trump , in his closing address , called “ the greatest economy in history , ” despite the fact that the inability to contain the coronavirus has meant that unemployment is still above 10 % and thousands of businesses have permanently disappeared .
The diverse roster of convention speakers gave the impression that the Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all are welcome , and that America ( under Republican rule at any rate ) is a good country in which everyone is free to live up to their potential .
The speakers who sold this line with the most conviction and effectiveness were Indian-American former UN ambassador Nikki Haley and African-American Senator Tim Scott .
African-American congressional candidate Kim Klacik also delivered a short but striking address , borrowing Shirley Chisholm ’ s slogan “ unbought and unbossed ” and bringing more of a policy focus than most speakers of either party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a way of reviving moribund cities like Baltimore .
In listening to these speakers , you could imagine a Republican party with considerable appeal to women , minorities , and young people .
In reality , of course , Republicans are at huge disadvantages with all of these groups , largely because Trump has alienated them with his inflammatory rhetoric , anti-immigrant policies , and divisive pursuit of the politics of white grievance .
This convention had a schizophrenic feeling because the glimmers of big-tent , diversity-minded moderation were undercut by eruptions of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s casual reference to “ the China virus , ” the McCloskeys ’ thinly disguised fear of the brown intruders marching past their St Louis mansion , and the sinister image of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other members of her multicultural Squad under the slogan , “ Don ’ t Let Them Take Over America.
” Conventions typically are occasions for political parties to try to pretend to be their best version of themselves .
But this year ’ s gap between Republican image and reality is unusually vast because the party is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters – particularly women – who mostly voted Republican in 2016 but deserted the party two years later .
According to a recent Fox News poll , 61 % of suburban voters disapprove of the president ’ s job performance while 38 % approve , and among women that approval falls to only 34 % .
Few minorities will be convinced that Trump ’ s America “ is not a racist country , ” as Nikki Haley claimed in her convention speech , particularly at a moment when athletes in most major sports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violence against African Americans .
The convention ’ s video clip of Trump presiding over a White House naturalization ceremony for new citizens from countries including Ghana , Sudan , and Bangladesh won ’ t erase memories of his harsh policies toward immigrants .
The Republican party ’ s inability to come up with a 2020 platform will make it hard to convince voters that it gives a damn about governing or has any serious principles beyond unconditional loyalty toward Trump .
But the party ’ s pretense of moderation might persuade enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fold to swing the election – particularly if the party can simultaneously scare them about rising violence and disorder .
Republicans ever since Richard Nixon in 1968 have used “ law and order ” rhetoric against Democrats .
Such rhetoric has the potential to swing the election this year because , almost alone among Republican scare tactics , it ’ s based in reality and the Democrats have great difficulty in responding to it .
Homicides are up 24 % this year in the country ’ s fifty largest cities , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wall Street Journal .
Shootings and gun violence have also risen , though other types of crime fell .
Crime rates are up in both Democratic- and Republican-run cities .
But many progressives have demonstrated the kind of tone-deafness toward citizen concern over crime and disorder that made “ law and order ” such a potent issue for Republican politicians like Nixon , Ronald Reagan , and Rudy Giuliani ( who declared in his convention speech that Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden would be “ a Trojan horse ” for the party ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” ) .
The Republican convention coincided with protests in Kenosha , Wisconsin this week that were sparked by police shooting unarmed Jacob Blake in the back seven times at close range .
On the second night of the convention , Black Lives Matter and Antifa-linked groups clashed with militia-linked counter-protestors in Kenosha .
The 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse allegedly shot and killed two pro-BLM protestors with an AR-15 rifle and wounded another who was carrying a handgun .
Most of the Republican convention speakers failed to distinguish between peaceful protest on the one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But nonviolent protestors in several instances this year have shown little inclination to restrain the violent protestors among them .
Joe Biden consistently has both supported peaceful protest against systemic racism and decried “ needless violence ” and property destruction .
But sympathies for the Black Lives Matter movement has meant that some progressives have been unwilling to condemn the violence that has accompanied protests .
Both the Democratic and Republican conventions were slickly produced despite the constraints imposed by the pandemic .
Television ratings for the Republican convention ’ s opening night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ convention – roughly the same amount by which the Democrats ’ convention viewership declined .
It ’ s difficult to conclude that either party ’ s convention eventually will be seen to have had a sizable impact on persuadable voters , to the extent that they exist .
If the election hinges on Trump ’ s handling of the pandemic and the economy , or even upon his character and policies ( or lack thereof ) , he almost certainly will lose .
It ’ s hard to believe that the Republicans will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made repeatedly in their convention that Joe Biden will transform America into an unrecognizable Boschian hellscape of socialism .
But if Democrats can ’ t muster an adequate response to the chaos on the streets , Trump has a real chance at victory .
• None Geoffrey Kabaservice is the director of political studies at the Niskanen Center in Washington DC as well as the author of Rule and Ruin : The Downfall of Moderation and the Destruction of the Republican Party

When Democrats held their national convention in Chicago in 1968, the radical Youth International Party – better known as the Yippies – promised to send all of the delegates into a psychedelic trance by dumping LSD into the city’s water supply. Watching the Republican National Convention take place this week in and around Washington DC, I wondered if the Yippies had finally pulled off their prank. Some of the speakers’ descriptions of Donald Trump, his presidency, and the state of the country were so far removed from reality that you’d have to be in the grip of powerful hallucinogens to believe them.
In the alternate reality described by many of the Republican convention speakers, President Trump is a warm, empathetic human being and an exemplar of presidential conduct, not the narcissistic Twitter bully who consistently places familial and tribal interests over constitutional order and democratic norms. In the telling of his RNC boosters, the president acted with great speed and competence to vanquish the coronavirus – Trump’s chief economic advisor Larry Kudlow spoke about it repeatedly in the past tense in his convention address – when in reality the administration’s incoherent response has meant that US per capita death and infection rates are still among the world’s highest and the death toll has passed 180,000. Speaker after speaker praised the what Trump, in his closing address, called “the greatest economy in history,” despite the fact that the inability to contain the coronavirus has meant that unemployment is still above 10% and thousands of businesses have permanently disappeared.
The diverse roster of convention speakers gave the impression that the Republican party is a big-tent party in which all are welcome, and that America (under Republican rule at any rate) is a good country in which everyone is free to live up to their potential. The speakers who sold this line with the most conviction and effectiveness were Indian-American former UN ambassador Nikki Haley and African-American Senator Tim Scott. African-American congressional candidate Kim Klacik also delivered a short but striking address, borrowing Shirley Chisholm’s slogan “unbought and unbossed” and bringing more of a policy focus than most speakers of either party with her emphasis on Opportunity Zones as a way of reviving moribund cities like Baltimore.
In listening to these speakers, you could imagine a Republican party with considerable appeal to women, minorities, and young people. In reality, of course, Republicans are at huge disadvantages with all of these groups, largely because Trump has alienated them with his inflammatory rhetoric, anti-immigrant policies, and divisive pursuit of the politics of white grievance.
This convention had a schizophrenic feeling because the glimmers of big-tent, diversity-minded moderation were undercut by eruptions of red meat for the base: Trump’s casual reference to “the China virus,” the McCloskeys’ thinly disguised fear of the brown intruders marching past their St Louis mansion, and the sinister image of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other members of her multicultural Squad under the slogan, “Don’t Let Them Take Over America.”
Conventions typically are occasions for political parties to try to pretend to be their best version of themselves. But this year’s gap between Republican image and reality is unusually vast because the party is desperate to regain the college-educated, suburban voters – particularly women – who mostly voted Republican in 2016 but deserted the party two years later. According to a recent Fox News poll, 61% of suburban voters disapprove of the president’s job performance while 38% approve, and among women that approval falls to only 34%.
Few minorities will be convinced that Trump’s America “is not a racist country,” as Nikki Haley claimed in her convention speech, particularly at a moment when athletes in most major sports have gone on strike to protest police violence against African Americans. The convention’s video clip of Trump presiding over a White House naturalization ceremony for new citizens from countries including Ghana, Sudan, and Bangladesh won’t erase memories of his harsh policies toward immigrants. The Republican party’s inability to come up with a 2020 platform will make it hard to convince voters that it gives a damn about governing or has any serious principles beyond unconditional loyalty toward Trump.
But the party’s pretense of moderation might persuade enough suburban women to return to the Republican fold to swing the election – particularly if the party can simultaneously scare them about rising violence and disorder.
Republicans ever since Richard Nixon in 1968 have used “law and order” rhetoric against Democrats. Such rhetoric has the potential to swing the election this year because, almost alone among Republican scare tactics, it’s based in reality and the Democrats have great difficulty in responding to it.
Homicides are up 24% this year in the country’s fifty largest cities, according to a review of crime statistics in the Wall Street Journal. Shootings and gun violence have also risen, though other types of crime fell. Crime rates are up in both Democratic- and Republican-run cities. But many progressives have demonstrated the kind of tone-deafness toward citizen concern over crime and disorder that made “law and order” such a potent issue for Republican politicians like Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and Rudy Giuliani (who declared in his convention speech that Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden would be “a Trojan horse” for the party’s “pro-criminal, anti-police socialist policies”).
The Republican convention coincided with protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin this week that were sparked by police shooting unarmed Jacob Blake in the back seven times at close range. On the second night of the convention, Black Lives Matter and Antifa-linked groups clashed with militia-linked counter-protestors in Kenosha. The 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse allegedly shot and killed two pro-BLM protestors with an AR-15 rifle and wounded another who was carrying a handgun.
Most of the Republican convention speakers failed to distinguish between peaceful protest on the one hand and rioting on the other. But nonviolent protestors in several instances this year have shown little inclination to restrain the violent protestors among them. Joe Biden consistently has both supported peaceful protest against systemic racism and decried “needless violence” and property destruction. But sympathies for the Black Lives Matter movement has meant that some progressives have been unwilling to condemn the violence that has accompanied protests.
Both the Democratic and Republican conventions were slickly produced despite the constraints imposed by the pandemic. Television ratings for the Republican convention’s opening night were down 26% from the 2016 convention – roughly the same amount by which the Democrats’ convention viewership declined. It’s difficult to conclude that either party’s convention eventually will be seen to have had a sizable impact on persuadable voters, to the extent that they exist.
If the election hinges on Trump’s handling of the pandemic and the economy, or even upon his character and policies (or lack thereof), he almost certainly will lose. It’s hard to believe that the Republicans will get much traction with the claim they made repeatedly in their convention that Joe Biden will transform America into an unrecognizable Boschian hellscape of socialism. But if Democrats can’t muster an adequate response to the chaos on the streets, Trump has a real chance at victory.


theguardian--2020-08-30--The real threats to American law and order are Trump's craven enablers | Robert Reich

One week ago , Rusten Sheskey , a seven-year veteran of the Kenosha , Wisconsin , police department , fired at least seven shots at the back of a Black man named Jacob Blake as he opened his car door , leaving the 29-year-old father of five probably paralyzed from the waist down .
After protests erupted , self-appointed armed militia or vigilante-type individuals rushed to Kenosha , including Kyle Rittenhouse , a white 17-year-old who traveled there and then , appearing on the streets with an AR-15 assault rifle , allegedly killed two people and wounded a third .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ without a plan , a party without a platform , and a cult without a purpose other than the abject worship of Donald J Trump .
To be re-elected Trump knows he has to distract the nation from the coronavirus pandemic that he has flagrantly failed to control – leaving more than 180,000 Americans dead , tens of millions jobless and at least 30 million reportedly hungry .
So he ’ s counting on the reliable Republican dog-whistle .
“ Your vote , ” Trump said in his speech closing the Republican convention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we protect law-abiding Americans , or whether we give free rein to violent anarchists , agitators and criminals who threaten our citizens.
” “ We will have law and order on the streets of this country , ” Vice-President Mike Pence declared the previous evening , warning “ you won ’ t be safe in Joe Biden ’ s America.
” Neither Trump nor Pence mentioned the real threats to law and order in America today , such as gun-toting agitators like Rittenhouse , who , perhaps not coincidentally , occupied a front-row @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Moines in January .
Pence lamented the death of federal officer Dave Patrick Underwood , “ shot and killed during the riots in Oakland , California ” , earlier this year , implying he was killed by protesters .
In fact , Underwood was shot and killed by an adherent of the boogaloo boys , an online extremist movement that ’ s trying to ignite a race war .
Such groups have found encouragement in a president who sees “ very fine people ” supporting white supremacy .
The threat also comes from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the recently nominated Republican candidate for Georgia ’ s 14th congressional district and promoter of QAnon , whose adherents believe Trump is battling a cabal of “ deep state ” saboteurs who worship Satan and traffic children for sex .
Trump has praised Greene as a “ future Republican star ” and claimed that QAnon followers “ love our country ” .
And from people like Mary Ann Mendoza , a member of Trump ’ s campaign advisory board , who was scheduled to speak at the Republican convention until she retweeted an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to enslave the world ’ s peoples and steal their land .
Clearly the threat also comes from hotheaded , often racist police officers who fire bullets into the backs of Black men and women or kneel on their necks so they can ’ t breathe .
Needless to say , there was little mention at the Republican convention of Jacob Blake , and none of George Floyd or Breonna Taylor .
And the threat comes from Trump ’ s own lackeys who have brazenly broken laws to help him attain and keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only hire “ the best people ” , 14 Trump aides , donors and advisers have been indicted or imprisoned .
Trump ’ s personal lawyer Rudolph W Giuliani – who ranted at the Republican convention about rioting and looting in cities with Democratic mayors – has repeatedly met with the pro-Russia Ukrainian parliamentarian Andriy Derkach , whom American intelligence has determined is “ spreading claims about corruption … to undermine former Vice President Biden ’ s candidacy and the Democratic Party ” .
In addition , federal prosecutors are investigating Giuliani ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ men arrested in an alleged campaign finance scheme .
Trump ’ s new postmaster general , Louis DeJoy , who had been a major Trump campaign donor before taking over the post office , is being sued by six states and the District of Columbia for allegedly seeking to “ undermine ” the postal service as millions of Americans plan to vote by mail during the pandemic .
Not to forget the secretary of state , Mike Pompeo , who spoke to the Republican convention while on an official trip to the Middle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hatch Act , which prohibits officials of the executive branch other than the president and vice-president from engaging in partisan politics .
You want the real threat to American law and order ?
It ’ s found in these Trump enablers and bottom-dwellers .
They are the inevitable excrescence of Trump ’ s above-the-law , race-baiting , me-first presidency .
It is from the likes of them that the rest of America is in serious need of protection .

One week ago, Rusten Sheskey, a seven-year veteran of the Kenosha, Wisconsin, police department, fired at least seven shots at the back of a Black man named Jacob Blake as he opened his car door, leaving the 29-year-old father of five probably paralyzed from the waist down.
After protests erupted, self-appointed armed militia or vigilante-type individuals rushed to Kenosha, including Kyle Rittenhouse, a white 17-year-old who traveled there and then, appearing on the streets with an AR-15 assault rifle, allegedly killed two people and wounded a third.
This is pure gold for a president without a plan, a party without a platform, and a cult without a purpose other than the abject worship of Donald J Trump.
To be re-elected Trump knows he has to distract the nation from the coronavirus pandemic that he has flagrantly failed to control – leaving more than 180,000 Americans dead, tens of millions jobless and at least 30 million reportedly hungry.
So he’s counting on the reliable Republican dog-whistle. “Your vote,” Trump said in his speech closing the Republican convention Thursday night, “will decide whether we protect law-abiding Americans, or whether we give free rein to violent anarchists, agitators and criminals who threaten our citizens.”
“We will have law and order on the streets of this country,” Vice-President Mike Pence declared the previous evening, warning “you won’t be safe in Joe Biden’s America.”
Neither Trump nor Pence mentioned the real threats to law and order in America today, such as gun-toting agitators like Rittenhouse, who, perhaps not coincidentally, occupied a front-row seat at a Trump rally in Des Moines in January.
Pence lamented the death of federal officer Dave Patrick Underwood, “shot and killed during the riots in Oakland, California”, earlier this year, implying he was killed by protesters. In fact, Underwood was shot and killed by an adherent of the boogaloo boys, an online extremist movement that’s trying to ignite a race war.
Such groups have found encouragement in a president who sees “very fine people” supporting white supremacy.
The threat also comes from conspiracy theorists like Marjorie Taylor Greene, the recently nominated Republican candidate for Georgia’s 14th congressional district and promoter of QAnon, whose adherents believe Trump is battling a cabal of “deep state” saboteurs who worship Satan and traffic children for sex. Trump has praised Greene as a “future Republican star” and claimed that QAnon followers “love our country”.
And from people like Mary Ann Mendoza, a member of Trump’s campaign advisory board, who was scheduled to speak at the Republican convention until she retweeted an antisemitic rant about a supposed Jewish plan to enslave the world’s peoples and steal their land.
Since Trump promised he would hire 'the best people', 14 Trump aides, donors and advisers have been indicted or imprisoned
Clearly the threat also comes from hotheaded, often racist police officers who fire bullets into the backs of Black men and women or kneel on their necks so they can’t breathe. Needless to say, there was little mention at the Republican convention of Jacob Blake, and none of George Floyd or Breonna Taylor.
And the threat comes from Trump’s own lackeys who have brazenly broken laws to help him attain and keep power. Since Trump promised he would only hire “the best people”, 14 Trump aides, donors and advisers have been indicted or imprisoned.
Trump’s personal lawyer Rudolph W Giuliani – who ranted at the Republican convention about rioting and looting in cities with Democratic mayors – has repeatedly met with the pro-Russia Ukrainian parliamentarian Andriy Derkach, whom American intelligence has determined is “spreading claims about corruption … to undermine former Vice President Biden’s candidacy and the Democratic Party”.
In addition, federal prosecutors are investigating Giuliani’s business dealings in Ukraine with two men arrested in an alleged campaign finance scheme.
Trump’s new postmaster general, Louis DeJoy, who had been a major Trump campaign donor before taking over the post office, is being sued by six states and the District of Columbia for allegedly seeking to “undermine” the postal service as millions of Americans plan to vote by mail during the pandemic.
Not to forget the secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, who spoke to the Republican convention while on an official trip to the Middle East, in apparent violation of the Hatch Act, which prohibits officials of the executive branch other than the president and vice-president from engaging in partisan politics.
You want the real threat to American law and order? It’s found in these Trump enablers and bottom-dwellers. They are the inevitable excrescence of Trump’s above-the-law, race-baiting, me-first presidency. It is from the likes of them that the rest of America is in serious need of protection.


theguardian--2020-08-30--The Observer view on Donald Trump's mendacious re-election campaign |  Observer editorial

It is not difficult to discern some darkly symbolic home truths in Melania Trump ’ s controversial remodelling of the White House ’ s celebrated Rose Garden .
Official photos released last week showed that blossoming crab apple trees , the pride of presidents past , have been dug up and replaced by regimented rows of glum shrubs .
Glorious tulip beds have given way to tidy privet hedges .
Everything living has been trimmed to a uniform height .
The overall effect is dreary .
It is as though America ’ s first lady were seeking , somewhat desperately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the chaotic , too-colourful world she inhabits with her husband .
It ’ s easy to see why .
Since his first campaign in 2016 , Donald Trump has thrived on disruption , destruction and upheaval , falsely styling himself an insurgent outsider who uproots elites , clips the wings of the establishment and drains the “ Washington swamp ” .
The astonishing thing is that after more than three years at the very pinnacle of American power , he ’ s still doing it .
In a typically bombastic , mendacious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ convention , Trump suggested that , somehow , he was not responsible for the ever-mounting “ American carnage ” he promised to halt in his 2017 inaugural address .
Nearly 200,000 people dead of coronavirus ?
Forget it .
Growing racial divisions and police brutality ?
All the Democrats ’ fault .
Tens of millions losing their jobs ?
Let ’ s talk about the great job I do !
Perhaps only a former reality TV host could manage this bizarre political inversion , convincing himself and supporters that the “ law and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign now pivot were not caused , or greatly exacerbated , by his divisive , fear-driven agenda .
Such deception is systemic .
In Trump-world , everything that does not suit his interests is attacked or undermined by untruths , half-truths , slanders and smears so endlessly , shamelessly repeated that they ultimately create a parallel reality .
Trump has built a palace of lies where bad is good , black is white and facts are phoney – and from this fabricated perch he seeks to dupe America for four more years .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ created the “ strongest economy in US history ” , it ’ s not actually true , though many people believe him .
When he says he has done more for African Americans than any president since Abraham Lincoln , the sheer audacity of the lie almost squeezes out the truth .
When he describes his Democrat rival , Joe Biden , a lifelong centrist , as a radical socialist bent on “ tearing down America ” , it ’ s plainly absurd .
But he keeps on lying , until his lies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Yet it is perhaps this same bottomless , conscience-less mendacity that will ultimately prove Trump ’ s undoing .
His biggest whopper – that the Covid-19 crisis was well managed and is now a thing of the past – is demonstrably untrue .
More than 3,600 Americans died during the four days of the convention alone .
By 3 November , the national toll may reach a quarter of a million .
Shirking his responsibility for this national tragedy , advocating quack cures and childishly blaming China invites universal ridicule and contempt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of omission be indefinitely excused .
His refusal to even mention the latest police shooting of a black man – Jacob Blake in Wisconsin – and his denial of any hope of reform to America ’ s alienated minorities are the acts of a coward and closet racist .
As Biden says , Trump seems to be “ rooting for more violence ” , in order to scare white suburban swing voters into his camp .
Most Americans surely know this and will refuse to be conned .
It ’ s Biden ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – his chronic lying , a legion of policy failures and weaponisation of fear and hate – and turn them into a winning margin .
Trump wants the election to be about a Democratic threat to the US way of life .
Biden wants it to be a referendum on Trump .
And although the race is tightening , polls suggest that the Democrat has a fair chance of success .
In 2016 , for example , Trump won four key states – Florida , Michigan , Pennsylvania and Wisconsin – by 1.3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ equal , Biden , in theory , only needs to attract about 1 % more votes there than did Hillary Clinton to win the electoral college .
He currently leads in all four states by 3 % -5 % , and by 7 % nationally .
That said , qualms remain about Biden ’ s effectiveness .
He had a good convention and made a well-received speech .
His choice of Kamala Harris as running mate was smart .
Biden came across as a decent , honest , thoughtful , empathetic and responsible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But he now faces what is likely to be the most personally vicious campaign in living memory .
Trump will do everything he can to drag him down to his level .
He has a mighty war chest .
And he may yet try to steal the vote .
Can the 77-year-old Democrat last the course ?
Voters need to believe he has the passion , the hunger , the guile and the staying power to succeed .
Facing the biggest challenge of his life , Biden has two short months to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and end the chaos .

It is not difficult to discern some darkly symbolic home truths in Melania Trump’s controversial remodelling of the White House’s celebrated Rose Garden. Official photos released last week showed that blossoming crab apple trees, the pride of presidents past, have been dug up and replaced by regimented rows of glum shrubs. Glorious tulip beds have given way to tidy privet hedges. Everything living has been trimmed to a uniform height. The overall effect is dreary.
It is as though America’s first lady were seeking, somewhat desperately, to impose a semblance of order on the chaotic, too-colourful world she inhabits with her husband. It’s easy to see why. Since his first campaign in 2016, Donald Trump has thrived on disruption, destruction and upheaval, falsely styling himself an insurgent outsider who uproots elites, clips the wings of the establishment and drains the “Washington swamp”.
The astonishing thing is that after more than three years at the very pinnacle of American power, he’s still doing it. In a typically bombastic, mendacious acceptance speech to the Republicans’ nominating convention, Trump suggested that, somehow, he was not responsible for the ever-mounting “American carnage” he promised to halt in his 2017 inaugural address. Nearly 200,000 people dead of coronavirus? Forget it. Growing racial divisions and police brutality? All the Democrats’ fault. Tens of millions losing their jobs? Let’s talk about the great job I do!
His biggest whopper – that the Covid-19 crisis was well managed and is now a thing of the past – is demonstrably untrue
Perhaps only a former reality TV host could manage this bizarre political inversion, convincing himself and supporters that the “law and order” problems on which his 2020 campaign now pivot were not caused, or greatly exacerbated, by his divisive, fear-driven agenda. Such deception is systemic. In Trump-world, everything that does not suit his interests is attacked or undermined by untruths, half-truths, slanders and smears so endlessly, shamelessly repeated that they ultimately create a parallel reality.
Trump has built a palace of lies where bad is good, black is white and facts are phoney – and from this fabricated perch he seeks to dupe America for four more years. Thus, when he claims to have created the “strongest economy in US history”, it’s not actually true, though many people believe him. When he says he has done more for African Americans than any president since Abraham Lincoln, the sheer audacity of the lie almost squeezes out the truth. When he describes his Democrat rival, Joe Biden, a lifelong centrist, as a radical socialist bent on “tearing down America”, it’s plainly absurd. But he keeps on lying, until his lies take on a life of their own.
Yet it is perhaps this same bottomless, conscience-less mendacity that will ultimately prove Trump’s undoing. His biggest whopper – that the Covid-19 crisis was well managed and is now a thing of the past – is demonstrably untrue. More than 3,600 Americans died during the four days of the convention alone. By 3 November, the national toll may reach a quarter of a million. Shirking his responsibility for this national tragedy, advocating quack cures and childishly blaming China invites universal ridicule and contempt.
Nor can Trump’s lies of omission be indefinitely excused. His refusal to even mention the latest police shooting of a black man – Jacob Blake in Wisconsin – and his denial of any hope of reform to America’s alienated minorities are the acts of a coward and closet racist. As Biden says, Trump seems to be “rooting for more violence”, in order to scare white suburban swing voters into his camp. Most Americans surely know this and will refuse to be conned.
Biden now faces what is likely to be the most personally vicious campaign in living memory
It’s Biden’s job to take these Trump vulnerabilities – his chronic lying, a legion of policy failures and weaponisation of fear and hate – and turn them into a winning margin. Trump wants the election to be about a Democratic threat to the US way of life. Biden wants it to be a referendum on Trump. And although the race is tightening, polls suggest that the Democrat has a fair chance of success. In 2016, for example, Trump won four key states – Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin – by 1.3% or less. All else being equal, Biden, in theory, only needs to attract about 1% more votes there than did Hillary Clinton to win the electoral college. He currently leads in all four states by 3%-5%, and by 7% nationally.
That said, qualms remain about Biden’s effectiveness. He had a good convention and made a well-received speech. His choice of Kamala Harris as running mate was smart. Biden came across as a decent, honest, thoughtful, empathetic and responsible man – all things Trump is not. But he now faces what is likely to be the most personally vicious campaign in living memory. Trump will do everything he can to drag him down to his level. He has a mighty war chest. And he may yet try to steal the vote.
Can the 77-year-old Democrat last the course? Voters need to believe he has the passion, the hunger, the guile and the staying power to succeed. Facing the biggest challenge of his life, Biden has two short months to shatter Trump’s palace of lies and end the chaos.