hotair--2020-11-12--Republican declares victory in closest House race in the country (but there's going to be a recount)

Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Democrat Rita Hart have been involved in the tightest House race of this election in Iowa ’ s 2nd congressional district .
On election night , Miller-Meeks was up by 282 votes out of nearly 400,000 cast and declared that she was the winner : Miller-Meeks took to the stage at her election night event , even as counting was incomplete , after midnight Wednesday morning to claim victory .
“ We know this has been a long night , and we knew this was going to be a very tight race , and we wouldn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but with 282 votes from the Secretary of State ’ s Office ahead of our opponent , you are now looking at the new congresswoman from the 2nd Congressional District of Iowa , ” Miller-Meeks said .
Iowa officials announced they would “ canvas ” the vote on November 10 and after that either candidate could request a recount .
But it turned out the drama in Iowa-2 was just beginning .
On the Thursday after the election , an auditor discovered a mistake in Jasper County : After all counties had reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 282 votes .
But Friday morning , the results updated after the Jasper County Auditor ’ s Office reported a single precinct had overcounted : The Clear Creek-Poweshiek precinct had reported nearly double the actual 400 ballots cast there for Miller-Meeks .
“ Thursday , I started looking at the report and thought , ‘ Oh boy , ' ” Deputy Auditor Tina Mulgrew said Monday .
After his office caught the error Thursday afternoon , Parrott ’ s staff reported the overcount to the Iowa Secretary of State ’ s office and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Supervisors to secure permission to perform an administrative recount .
That administrative recount , a machine tally of all the county ’ s ballots , was completed Saturday .
After the machine count to confirm the error , a hand count was ordered and carried out by 4 Republicans , 4 Democrats and 2 Independents .
They wound up hand counting the votes from one precinct seven times because the hand count showed a single vote difference from the machine count .
After spending all day on the problem , the counters decided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the voter had marked a bit outside the box , causing the machine to not be able to read it properly .
The big picture was that having subtracted 406 votes ( the amount of the double count in Jasper county ) , Democrat Rita Hart took the lead in the race .
But that wasn ’ t the end of the story .
On Monday night of this week as Jasper County was clarifying its results , Lucas County discovered that in one precinct a total of 271 ballots had not been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Miller-Meeks and 54 for Hart .
And with that Miller-Meeks was once again in the lead by 47 votes .
Yesterday , Miller-Meeks once again declared victory : But Rita Hart ’ s campaign manager predicted that when all was said and done she would be declared the winner : “ Iowa is a state that values election integrity , and Mariannette Miller-Meeks ’ campaign ’ s attempts to usurp this process undermines that integrity , ” he said in a statement .
“ We appreciate the hard work of our poll workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legal ballots and the votes and are confident , by the end of this process , that Rita Hart will be the next congresswoman from Iowa ’ s 2nd District.
” Her campaign manager also announced today that Hart would be requesting a full recount : “ With so much at stake in this election and such a slim margin separating the candidates , Iowans deserve to know categorically that their ballots have been accurately counted .
Over the last several days , multiple consequential errors have materialized in this race that have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ future representation , ” Hart ’ s campaign manager , Zach Meunier , said in a statement Thursday .
Meanwhile , Miller-Meeks appeared on Fox & Friends this morning and said that the certified vote shows she won the election .
At this point it seems like that ’ s probably the case but because Hart has requested a recount we ’ ll have to wait a couple more weeks to be sure .
Here ’ s Miller-Meeks ’ appearance on Fox this morning :

Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Democrat Rita Hart have been involved in the tightest House race of this election in Iowa’s 2nd congressional district. On election night, Miller-Meeks was up by 282 votes out of nearly 400,000 cast and declared that she was the winner:
Miller-Meeks took to the stage at her election night event, even as counting was incomplete, after midnight Wednesday morning to claim victory. “We know this has been a long night, and we knew this was going to be a very tight race, and we wouldn’t know results until later, but with 282 votes from the Secretary of State’s Office ahead of our opponent, you are now looking at the new congresswoman from the 2nd Congressional District of Iowa,” Miller-Meeks said.
Iowa officials announced they would “canvas” the vote on November 10 and after that either candidate could request a recount. But it turned out the drama in Iowa-2 was just beginning. On the Thursday after the election, an auditor discovered a mistake in Jasper County:
After all counties had reported their results, Miller-Meeks was ahead by 282 votes. But Friday morning, the results updated after the Jasper County Auditor’s Office reported a single precinct had overcounted: The Clear Creek-Poweshiek precinct had reported nearly double the actual 400 ballots cast there for Miller-Meeks. “Thursday, I started looking at the report and thought, ‘Oh boy,'” Deputy Auditor Tina Mulgrew said Monday. After his office caught the error Thursday afternoon, Parrott’s staff reported the overcount to the Iowa Secretary of State’s office and went to the Jasper County Board of Supervisors to secure permission to perform an administrative recount. That administrative recount, a machine tally of all the county’s ballots, was completed Saturday.
After the machine count to confirm the error, a hand count was ordered and carried out by 4 Republicans, 4 Democrats and 2 Independents. They wound up hand counting the votes from one precinct seven times because the hand count showed a single vote difference from the machine count. After spending all day on the problem, the counters decided it came down to one vote where the voter had marked a bit outside the box, causing the machine to not be able to read it properly.
The big picture was that having subtracted 406 votes (the amount of the double count in Jasper county), Democrat Rita Hart took the lead in the race. But that wasn’t the end of the story. On Monday night of this week as Jasper County was clarifying its results, Lucas County discovered that in one precinct a total of 271 ballots had not been reported. Those votes split 217 for Miller-Meeks and 54 for Hart. And with that Miller-Meeks was once again in the lead by 47 votes. Yesterday, Miller-Meeks once again declared victory:
“I express my heartfelt gratitude to the voters of Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District and acknowledge my opponent (Democrat) Rita Hart’s grace and positive demeanor during this challenging campaign,” Miller-Meeks said in a statement. “The election is over and it is time to move forward together and focus on the priorities that will best serve Iowans.”
But Rita Hart’s campaign manager predicted that when all was said and done she would be declared the winner:
“Iowa is a state that values election integrity, and Mariannette Miller-Meeks’ campaign’s attempts to usurp this process undermines that integrity,” he said in a statement. “We appreciate the hard work of our poll workers and election officials to accurately count all legal ballots and the votes and are confident, by the end of this process, that Rita Hart will be the next congresswoman from Iowa’s 2nd District.”
Her campaign manager also announced today that Hart would be requesting a full recount:
“With so much at stake in this election and such a slim margin separating the candidates, Iowans deserve to know categorically that their ballots have been accurately counted. Over the last several days, multiple consequential errors have materialized in this race that have serious implications for the district’s future representation,” Hart’s campaign manager, Zach Meunier, said in a statement Thursday.
Meanwhile, Miller-Meeks appeared on Fox & Friends this morning and said that the certified vote shows she won the election. At this point it seems like that’s probably the case but because Hart has requested a recount we’ll have to wait a couple more weeks to be sure. Here’s Miller-Meeks’ appearance on Fox this morning:
https://youtu.be/0Cc6SWteb1I?t=1130


hotair--2020-11-12--Projection: 2,000+ COVID deaths per day in U.S. by December 2

This comes from Trevor Bedford , who was one of the first scientists in the country back in February to claim via statistical analysis that “ invisible ” community spread of coronavirus had already begun in the U.S .
Within a few weeks , the spread was no longer invisible .
His point today is straightforward .
It takes about three weeks for a severe case of COVID to proceed from the point of infection to death ; thus , based on the case fatality rate so far , we can guesstimate how many deaths there ’ ll be on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new cases there are on a given date three weeks earlier .
And there ’ s really nothing we can do to avert those deaths .
We can save some lives at the margins via drugs like dexamethasone but the crop of positive tests today will produce a roughly proportional crop of deaths three weeks from now .
To drive down the death toll the day after that , we have to drive down the number of infections tomorrow .
There ’ s no other way .
Baked in .
We ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that was at the peak of the first wave this spring .
There ’ s no reason to think we ’ re at the peak of the second wave now .
We ’ re still climbing the epidemiological curve .
We may reach a daily death toll — daily — on the order of 9/11 sometime in December .
And as the number of daily cases rises , the number of people needing hospital care will rise too .
Once hospitals are maxed out , the case fatality rate will also rise because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if they had dedicated hospital care won ’ t be able to get that care .
There ’ s no telling where this goes .
In case you still think there ’ s hope for this country , enjoy this Washington Post piece that drills down on why cases are exploding right now .
It ’ s not because front-line workers like supermarket cashiers are forced by the vagaries of their jobs to risk spreading infection .
It ’ s because many Americans simply refuse to sacrifice a particular form of … fun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A record-breaking surge in U.S. coronavirus cases is being driven to a significant degree by casual occasions that may feel deceptively safe , officials and scientists warn — dinner parties , game nights , sleepovers and carpools .
Many earlier coronavirus clusters were linked to nursing homes and crowded nightclubs .
But public health officials nationwide say case investigations are increasingly leading them to small , private social gatherings .
This behind-doors transmission trend reflects pandemic fatigue and widening social bubbles , experts say — and is particularly insidious because it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increase as temperatures drop and holidays approach… Timothy McDonald , public health director in the Boston suburb of Needham , said he is considering a campaign centered on the idea of a “ social budget , ” reminding residents that , according to guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , they should avoid spending more than 15 minutes within six feet of most other people in a 24-hour period .
This moron is a city councilman in New York .
He ’ s a member of the country ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the holidays with 2,000 daily deaths already baked in and doctors jittery about small private social gatherings driving the explosive spread of the virus .
Thanksgiving this year will be gasoline on a raging fire if people follow his advice : Think of the age we live in .
Not only do we carry devices that let us talk to anyone we like at a moment ’ s notice , those devices let us *see* the person we ’ re talking to .
We can have face-to-face conversations with relatives located thousands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of day or night .
Essentially for free .
We also live in an age where scientific medicine is so fantastically advanced that a vaccine to rid us of this terrible novel disease will arrive within a year of the virus ’ s emergence .
Anthony Fauci predicted yesterday that it would be available to the general public by April , around 12 months after COVID first ravaged American cities .
And not only will the vaccine be available , if Pfizer ’ s preliminary data holds up it ’ ll be effective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hoping for 50 percent efficacy , on par with the annual flu shot .
Pfizer ’ s promising 90 percent .
We ’ re going to crush this disease next year , in a miraculously short time .
All we need to do is avail ourselves of the 8,000 means of virtual communication with other people that we enjoy in 2020 in lieu of actual in-person communication .
And we can ’ t do it .
By the time this is over , the U.S. death toll from COVID may exceed the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saying that you can ’ t skip dinner parties , or going out to restaurants , because you ’ re “ tired ” of social distancing would be like people responding to the government ’ s admonitions during the war that “ loose lips sink ships ” with “ But … I need to gossip .
for It ’ s human nature.
” “ I ’ ve avoided gossipping for seven months and , well , I just can ’ t take it anymore .
Time to let down my guard.
” And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have knowing the vaccine is near .
There ’ s light at the end of the tunnel , but they ’ re going to steer into the wall anyway .
A response to Borelli : Ari Schulman asks a good question .
Is there some level of daily deaths at which Americans would say , “ Hmmm , maybe having 20 people over for this party *isn ’ t* more important than containing the spread ” ?
Or are we sticking with a collective “ let ’ em die ” sociopathy even if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Our leaders have failed us too .
The president ’ s main interest in COVID right now seems to be settling scores with the — and I quote — “ medical deep state ” because Pfizer ’ s vaccine data didn ’ t come out before the election , when it might have helped him .
Congress isn ’ t even pretending to be working on a stimulus bill even though rescue money for bars and restaurants would give local officials the ability to shut those businesses down over the winter while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In New York City , where case rates remain low but are rising , the government is thinking of closing … schools , even though schools seem to be one of the safer indoor spaces that are operating .
The latest data from the Brown University study of infection rates in schools found a *decline* in cases over the last two weeks of October : If you ’ re looking at that and thinking that Cuomo and de Blasio are morons for wanting to close schools , well … yes , you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the last seven months have established over and over again .
But it ’ s not moronic for city and state leaders in New York and elsewhere to feel like they need to close *something* down to try to douse this inferno that ’ s begun to rage .
Ideally they ’ d close businesses instead and let kids go to class , but again , Congress hasn ’ t given them that option .
Closing a business now means dooming it to failure , in all probability .
So they ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and give us the worst of all worlds , in which there are still enough customers for those businesses near-term to make them vectors of transmission and further community spread but not enough customers over the medium-term to keep those businesses afloat as people start to get truly frightened about the state of the pandemic and begin self-isolating again .
The businesses will die , with no relief from the federal government to save them .
What a pitiful , dysfunctional country we have .
Here ’ s Fauci dodging questions about a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus through better precautions .
But we can ’ t , right ?
The people who can ’ t bear a few more months without dinner parties will hold those parties whether we shut down bars or not .
Everyone knows what precautions to take by now .
Fun is more important .

This comes from Trevor Bedford, who was one of the first scientists in the country back in February to claim via statistical analysis that “invisible” community spread of coronavirus had already begun in the U.S. Within a few weeks, the spread was no longer invisible.
His point today is straightforward. It takes about three weeks for a severe case of COVID to proceed from the point of infection to death; thus, based on the case fatality rate so far, we can guesstimate how many deaths there’ll be on a given date based on how many new cases there are on a given date three weeks earlier.
And there’s really nothing we can do to avert those deaths. We can save some lives at the margins via drugs like dexamethasone but the crop of positive tests today will produce a roughly proportional crop of deaths three weeks from now. To drive down the death toll the day after that, we have to drive down the number of infections tomorrow. There’s no other way.
There is a lag between when a case is diagnosed and when the individual may succumb to their disease and there is a further lag between date of death and when the death is reported. 2/8 — Trevor Bedford (@trvrb) November 11, 2020
This can be seen across states where the solid lines show reported cases by date of report and dashed lines show reported deaths lagged by 22 days. You can see some detailed correspondences, especially in states experiencing the summer surge like Florida, Arizona and Texas. 4/8 pic.twitter.com/iX1m4faYzO — Trevor Bedford (@trvrb) November 11, 2020
Looking backwards, this lag-adjusted CFR means that 991 deaths in the US today (with 7-day smoothing) should be compared against 57,206 cases reported Oct 19 (with 7-day smoothing). In this case, 991/57206 = 1.7% is consistent with this overall lag-adjusted CFR. 6/8 — Trevor Bedford (@trvrb) November 11, 2020
I expect the US to be reporting over 2000 deaths per day in 3 weeks time. Importantly, this doesn't assume any further increases in circulation and is essentially "baked into" currently reported cases and represents conditions that take time to resolve and to be reported. 8/8 — Trevor Bedford (@trvrb) November 11, 2020
Baked in. We’ve topped 2,000 daily deaths before, but that was at the peak of the first wave this spring. There’s no reason to think we’re at the peak of the second wave now. We’re still climbing the epidemiological curve. We may reach a daily death toll — daily — on the order of 9/11 sometime in December. And as the number of daily cases rises, the number of people needing hospital care will rise too. Once hospitals are maxed out, the case fatality rate will also rise because some people who could have been saved if they had dedicated hospital care won’t be able to get that care.
There’s no telling where this goes.
From first case reported in US, took 96 days to reach 1 million. Then
1 to 2 million-44 days
2 to 3 million-27 days
3 to 4 million-15 days
4 to 5 million-17 days
5 to 6 million-22 days
6 to 7 million-25 days
7 to 8 million-21 days
8 to 9 million-14 days
9 to 10 million-10 days — Dr. Tom Frieden (@DrTomFrieden) November 12, 2020
In case you still think there’s hope for this country, enjoy this Washington Post piece that drills down on why cases are exploding right now. It’s not because front-line workers like supermarket cashiers are forced by the vagaries of their jobs to risk spreading infection. It’s because many Americans simply refuse to sacrifice a particular form of … fun. Even for a few more months.
A record-breaking surge in U.S. coronavirus cases is being driven to a significant degree by casual occasions that may feel deceptively safe, officials and scientists warn — dinner parties, game nights, sleepovers and carpools. Many earlier coronavirus clusters were linked to nursing homes and crowded nightclubs. But public health officials nationwide say case investigations are increasingly leading them to small, private social gatherings. This behind-doors transmission trend reflects pandemic fatigue and widening social bubbles, experts say — and is particularly insidious because it is so difficult to police and likely to increase as temperatures drop and holidays approach… Timothy McDonald, public health director in the Boston suburb of Needham, said he is considering a campaign centered on the idea of a “social budget,” reminding residents that, according to guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, they should avoid spending more than 15 minutes within six feet of most other people in a 24-hour period.
This moron is a city councilman in New York. He’s a member of the country’s leadership class. This is his message for the holidays with 2,000 daily deaths already baked in and doctors jittery about small private social gatherings driving the explosive spread of the virus. Thanksgiving this year will be gasoline on a raging fire if people follow his advice:
I'll be having more than 10 ppl at my house on Thanksgiving. My address is public record. Some family will come from (gasp!) New Jersey. Kids will see their grandparents, cousins will play in the yard, sis in law will bring strawberry rhubarb pie, & a turkey will be overcooked. — Joe Borelli (@JoeBorelliNYC) November 11, 2020
Think of the age we live in. Not only do we carry devices that let us talk to anyone we like at a moment’s notice, those devices let us *see* the person we’re talking to. We can have face-to-face conversations with relatives located thousands of miles away, at any time of day or night. Essentially for free.
We also live in an age where scientific medicine is so fantastically advanced that a vaccine to rid us of this terrible novel disease will arrive within a year of the virus’s emergence. Anthony Fauci predicted yesterday that it would be available to the general public by April, around 12 months after COVID first ravaged American cities. And not only will the vaccine be available, if Pfizer’s preliminary data holds up it’ll be effective beyond our wildest dreams. Doctors were hoping for 50 percent efficacy, on par with the annual flu shot. Pfizer’s promising 90 percent. We’re going to crush this disease next year, in a miraculously short time.
All we need to do is avail ourselves of the 8,000 means of virtual communication with other people that we enjoy in 2020 in lieu of actual in-person communication.
And we can’t do it. By the time this is over, the U.S. death toll from COVID may exceed the U.S. death toll from World War II. Saying that you can’t skip dinner parties, or going out to restaurants, because you’re “tired” of social distancing would be like people responding to the government’s admonitions during the war that “loose lips sink ships” with “But … I need to gossip. for It’s human nature.”
“I’ve avoided gossipping for seven months and, well, I just can’t take it anymore. Time to let down my guard.”
And again: This is the attitude people have knowing the vaccine is near. There’s light at the end of the tunnel, but they’re going to steer into the wall anyway. A response to Borelli:
https://twitter.com/natemcdermott/status/1326923602256605184
Ari Schulman asks a good question. Is there some level of daily deaths at which Americans would say, “Hmmm, maybe having 20 people over for this party *isn’t* more important than containing the spread”? Or are we sticking with a collective “let ’em die” sociopathy even if deaths reach 3,000 or 4,000 per day?
Our leaders have failed us too. The president’s main interest in COVID right now seems to be settling scores with the — and I quote — “medical deep state” because Pfizer’s vaccine data didn’t come out before the election, when it might have helped him. Congress isn’t even pretending to be working on a stimulus bill even though rescue money for bars and restaurants would give local officials the ability to shut those businesses down over the winter while keeping them afloat financially for spring. In New York City, where case rates remain low but are rising, the government is thinking of closing … schools, even though schools seem to be one of the safer indoor spaces that are operating. The latest data from the Brown University study of infection rates in schools found a *decline* in cases over the last two weeks of October:
If you’re looking at that and thinking that Cuomo and de Blasio are morons for wanting to close schools, well … yes, you’re right. They are morons, as the last seven months have established over and over again. But it’s not moronic for city and state leaders in New York and elsewhere to feel like they need to close *something* down to try to douse this inferno that’s begun to rage. Ideally they’d close businesses instead and let kids go to class, but again, Congress hasn’t given them that option. Closing a business now means dooming it to failure, in all probability.
So they’re going to let businesses stay open and give us the worst of all worlds, in which there are still enough customers for those businesses near-term to make them vectors of transmission and further community spread but not enough customers over the medium-term to keep those businesses afloat as people start to get truly frightened about the state of the pandemic and begin self-isolating again. The businesses will die, with no relief from the federal government to save them. What a pitiful, dysfunctional country we have.
Here’s Fauci dodging questions about a lockdown by saying that we can contain the virus through better precautions. But we can’t, right? The people who can’t bear a few more months without dinner parties will hold those parties whether we shut down bars or not. Everyone knows what precautions to take by now. Fun is more important.


hotair--2020-11-12--Great news: Ocasio-Cortez to campaign in Georgia runoffs "so that we don't have to negotiate" with G

Great news: Ocasio-Cortez to campaign in Georgia runoffs "so that we don't have to negotiate" with GOP

Great news for the GOP and RNC , that is .
This comes from a Sunday morning conversation between Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and CNN ’ s Jake Tapper caught by our colleague and pal Guy Benson at Townhall today , in which the progressive firebrand pledged to personally campaign in Georgia in the senatorial runoff elections .
Ocasio-Cortez wants to personally explain that Democrats shouldn ’ t need to talk to nasty Republicans while governing the country , or something : TAPPER : Biden is planning a wave of executive orders to roll back some of Trump ’ s policies once @ @ @ @ @ @ @ climate to the so-called Muslim ban .
As of now , however , it looks as though Republicans , at least until January , will hold control of the Senate .
That ’ s going to complicate your desire and the desire of other progressives for bold , sweeping , progressive legislation .
I mean , theoretically , you can pass anything you want in the House , but it doesn ’ t matter if it goes to die in the Senate .
How are you going to negotiate that ?
Are you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans to try to pass something in the House that can get through the Senate ?
OCASIO-CORTEZ : Well , I ’ m going to be spending my next couple of months doing everything that I can to extend help and offer support to the work of fantastic leaders that we just heard from like Stacey Abrams to make sure that we don ’ t have a Republican Senate majority , that we win these races in Georgia , that we secure a Democratic Senate majority , so that we don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yes , that will be a winning message … in a red state where both senatorial campaigns got more Republican votes than Democrat , and underperformed Joe Biden in both cases .
Both Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock have tried dodging progressive agenda items and connections to the left wing of the party in the general election .
Nothing would help David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler more than having Ocasio-Cortez on the stump in Georgia explaining how electing Ossoff and Warnock would enable a leftist takeover in Washington DC .
Can we raise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the entire seven weeks ?
Actually , Loeffler ’ s already on the case : We ’ re not the only people wondering what color the sky is in Ocasio-Cortez ’ version of political reality .
Politico ’ s John Harris asks today , “ What planet is AOC on ?
” Ocasio-Cortez , on some occasions , counts as one of the party ’ s freshest and most-appealing new voices .
Her sour interview Saturday with the Times ’ Astead W. Herndon was not one of these occasions .
She said moderate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their seats or having uncomfortably close calls have only themselves to blame for being “ sitting ducks.
” She plausibly asserted that she knows a lot more than most members about effective use of social media .
She implausibly suggested that if more members had used Facebook effectively , and accepted her help when she was practically begging to give it , the Democrats could have avoided the losses which leave Pelosi clinging to a narrow majority .
“ Every single [ member ] that rejected my help is losing , ” she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re blaming us for the loss.
” She gets so frustrated by the lack of support from fellow Democrats , she said , that she considered not running for reelection .
Self-referential commentary is hardly unusual for a politician of any stripe or any generation .
More striking about AOC ’ s interview was that she sounded less like a political visionary and more like a campaign operative , boasting for reporters at some hotel bar as last call nears .
This from the primary sponsor of the Green New Deal ?
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Party ?
In its own way the interview was emblematic of Democrats ’ larger post-2020 challenge .
It was often said that this election was about “ mobilization ” — stimulating turnout among people whose minds are made up — rather than “ persuasion , ” growing the pool of potential supporters through arguments to people whose minds are open .
True enough .
There has never been a better mobilization politician , or one whose style left fewer open minds in his wake , than Donald Trump .
But 2020 showed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a near-term problem , and a long-term one .
Indeed .
In fact , this is one of the highest-turnout elections in decades in terms of percentage of the voting-age population as well as sheer numbers .
And yet , counterintuitively , that favored Republicans in this cycle , at least those not named Trump .
Mobilization is one part of politics , but only a part .
Negotiation and persuasion are also key , and it ’ s clear that AOC is on another planet when it comes to those components .

Great news for the GOP and RNC, that is. This comes from a Sunday morning conversation between Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and CNN’s Jake Tapper caught by our colleague and pal Guy Benson at Townhall today, in which the progressive firebrand pledged to personally campaign in Georgia in the senatorial runoff elections. Ocasio-Cortez wants to personally explain that Democrats shouldn’t need to talk to nasty Republicans while governing the country, or something:
TAPPER: Biden is planning a wave of executive orders to roll back some of Trump’s policies once he takes office, on everything from climate to the so-called Muslim ban. As of now, however, it looks as though Republicans, at least until January, will hold control of the Senate. That’s going to complicate your desire and the desire of other progressives for bold, sweeping, progressive legislation. I mean, theoretically, you can pass anything you want in the House, but it doesn’t matter if it goes to die in the Senate. How are you going to negotiate that? Are you going to work with more moderate Senate Republicans to try to pass something in the House that can get through the Senate? OCASIO-CORTEZ: Well, I’m going to be spending my next couple of months doing everything that I can to extend help and offer support to the work of fantastic leaders that we just heard from like Stacey Abrams to make sure that we don’t have a Republican Senate majority, that we win these races in Georgia, that we secure a Democratic Senate majority, so that we don’t have to negotiate in that way.
Yes, that will be a winning message … in a red state where both senatorial campaigns got more Republican votes than Democrat, and underperformed Joe Biden in both cases. Both Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock have tried dodging progressive agenda items and connections to the left wing of the party in the general election. Nothing would help David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler more than having Ocasio-Cortez on the stump in Georgia explaining how electing Ossoff and Warnock would enable a leftist takeover in Washington DC.
Can we raise funds to make sure AOC sticks around the entire seven weeks?
Actually, Loeffler’s already on the case:
We’re not the only people wondering what color the sky is in Ocasio-Cortez’ version of political reality. Politico’s John Harris asks today, “What planet is AOC on?”
Ocasio-Cortez, on some occasions, counts as one of the party’s freshest and most-appealing new voices. Her sour interview Saturday with the Times’ Astead W. Herndon was not one of these occasions. She said moderate lawmakers who blamed the left for losing their seats or having uncomfortably close calls have only themselves to blame for being “sitting ducks.” She plausibly asserted that she knows a lot more than most members about effective use of social media. She implausibly suggested that if more members had used Facebook effectively, and accepted her help when she was practically begging to give it, the Democrats could have avoided the losses which leave Pelosi clinging to a narrow majority. “Every single [member] that rejected my help is losing,” she complained, “and now they’re blaming us for the loss.” She gets so frustrated by the lack of support from fellow Democrats, she said, that she considered not running for reelection. Self-referential commentary is hardly unusual for a politician of any stripe or any generation. More striking about AOC’s interview was that she sounded less like a political visionary and more like a campaign operative, boasting for reporters at some hotel bar as last call nears. This from the primary sponsor of the Green New Deal? This is the transformative future of the Democratic Party? In its own way the interview was emblematic of Democrats’ larger post-2020 challenge. It was often said that this election was about “mobilization” — stimulating turnout among people whose minds are made up — rather than “persuasion,” growing the pool of potential supporters through arguments to people whose minds are open. True enough. There has never been a better mobilization politician, or one whose style left fewer open minds in his wake, than Donald Trump. But 2020 showed the limits of mobilization politics. There is a near-term problem, and a long-term one.
Indeed. In fact, this is one of the highest-turnout elections in decades in terms of percentage of the voting-age population as well as sheer numbers. And yet, counterintuitively, that favored Republicans in this cycle, at least those not named Trump. Mobilization is one part of politics, but only a part. Negotiation and persuasion are also key, and it’s clear that AOC is on another planet when it comes to those components.


hotair--2020-11-12--Ohio Governor DeWine reissues statewide mask mandate, consequences for non-compliance

Ohioans are experiencing an uptick in coronavirus cases .
Governor DeWine fears that a third wave outbreak is beginning so he delivered a televised address Wednesday night outlining his plan to slow the spread of the virus .
DeWine is reissuing a statewide mask order with some provisions .
Think of it as Ohio ’ s mask mandate 2.0 .
The spread of the coronavirus is particularly aggressive now in the Midwest .
DeWine received favorable reviews for his handling of the first two waves in the spring and summer .
He calls the current wave the most critical .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the subject since he delivered a televised address about a mask mandate on July 15 .
A week from today , his coronavirus team will look at the trends and amount of new cases and then decide if additional measures will be necessary .
The other provisions include shutting down bars , restaurants , and gyms .
“ I am very well aware of the burden this will place on employees and the owners ” of bars , restaurants and gyms , he said .
“ But , these are places where it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which we know now is the chief way of slowing this virus.
” DeWine ’ s address comes as Ohio is experiencing an exponential increase in the number of coronavirus cases : While it took over three months for the state to report 50,000 COVID-19 cases during the beginning of the pandemic , more recently the state added 50,000 cases over 13 days .
“ We had been warned that when it got colder and drier and people were indoors more , the virus would rise up again , ” DeWine said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more policy changes than his last Wednesday evening speech , given July 15 , before he had issued a statewide mask order .
Comply or everything shuts back down .
DeWine will redeploy state employees to enforce compliance , with sanctions for those businesses that don ’ t follow the mandate .
DeWine lists three items in the new mandate .
The message is clear – businesses have to enforce the mask mandate in their own establishments or they will be put into a 24-hour time-out .
1 .
Each retail business will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ requirement sign at all public entrances to the store ; 2 .
Each store will be responsible for ensuring that customers and employees are wearing masks ; and 3 .
A new Retail Compliance Unit , composed of agents led by the Bureau of Workers ’ Compensation , will inspect businesses to ensure compliance .
A first violation of this order will bring about a written warning and a second violation will bring about closure of the store for up to 24 hours .
“ We know that masks work , ” DeWine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , most cost-effective way to limit the spread of COVID-19.
” Social distancing isn ’ t enough to stop the outbreak .
DeWine put a restriction on social gatherings in April , limiting them to 10 people .
He said it isn ’ t the actual events like weddings or other ceremonies that are the problem – it is the parties and celebrations afterward that spread the virus .
The new public health order bans dancing and playing games at social gatherings .
Everyone must stay seated and masked except when eating and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for keeping kids in school instead of virtual learning .
He acknowledged the work of K-12 schools and said they are doing a good job during the pandemic .
Since some schools have opted to return to virtual learning because of the new wave of cases , he wants to slow the virus so that children stay in school classrooms .
College students are a different matter .
Most colleges and universities have agreed to not return to in-person classes until after Thanksgiving .
If the spread of the virus isn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t happen until January .
DeWine frames his decision about public health mandates as seizing the opportunity to save lives by moderating behavior .
Most states already have some degree of mask mandates but sixteen states do not .
Joe Biden has expressed his intention to put into place a national mask mandate .
Since he discovered that a national mask mandate is not a constitutional move , he says he will ask governors to put statewide mandates in place .
Biden has also declared that he is in favor of another widespread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back in session next week and there is talk of the need to pass bills to keep the governor ’ s restrictions in check .
Republican lawmakers are looking at reining in the governor while Democrat lawmakers are critical that the governor is moving too slowly to shut everything down .
Republicans are hoping to spare business owners from the consequences of closing up their businesses .
Democrats view DeWine ’ s wait and see attitude as a cautious move that puts the lives of others at risk – especially health care workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Leader Emilia Sykes , a Democrat from Akron , accuses the governor of caving “ to politics at the expense of human life.
” The Ohio Hospital Association endorses DeWine ’ s actions .
Hospitals are experiencing being swamped by new patients and the increase is alarming .
Governor DeWine is damned if he does , damned if he doesn ’ t quickly act to mitigate the third wave of coronavirus cases in Ohio .
Ohio saw a record of 6,508 new cases on Tuesday .
So far , more than 267,350 Ohioans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with 5,600 deaths and 21,200 hospitalizations in the state .

Ohioans are experiencing an uptick in coronavirus cases. Governor DeWine fears that a third wave outbreak is beginning so he delivered a televised address Wednesday night outlining his plan to slow the spread of the virus. DeWine is reissuing a statewide mask order with some provisions. Think of it as Ohio’s mask mandate 2.0.
The spread of the coronavirus is particularly aggressive now in the Midwest. DeWine received favorable reviews for his handling of the first two waves in the spring and summer. He calls the current wave the most critical. He hasn’t addressed Ohioans on the subject since he delivered a televised address about a mask mandate on July 15. A week from today, his coronavirus team will look at the trends and amount of new cases and then decide if additional measures will be necessary. The other provisions include shutting down bars, restaurants, and gyms.
“I am very well aware of the burden this will place on employees and the owners” of bars, restaurants and gyms, he said. “But, these are places where it is difficult or impossible to maintain mask-wearing, which we know now is the chief way of slowing this virus.” DeWine’s address comes as Ohio is experiencing an exponential increase in the number of coronavirus cases: While it took over three months for the state to report 50,000 COVID-19 cases during the beginning of the pandemic, more recently the state added 50,000 cases over 13 days. “We had been warned that when it got colder and drier and people were indoors more, the virus would rise up again,” DeWine said, in a 25-minute speech that offered more policy changes than his last Wednesday evening speech, given July 15, before he had issued a statewide mask order.
Comply or everything shuts back down. DeWine will redeploy state employees to enforce compliance, with sanctions for those businesses that don’t follow the mandate. DeWine lists three items in the new mandate. The message is clear – businesses have to enforce the mask mandate in their own establishments or they will be put into a 24-hour time-out.
1. Each retail business will be required to post a face covering requirement sign at all public entrances to the store; 2. Each store will be responsible for ensuring that customers and employees are wearing masks; and 3. A new Retail Compliance Unit, composed of agents led by the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, will inspect businesses to ensure compliance. A first violation of this order will bring about a written warning and a second violation will bring about closure of the store for up to 24 hours.
“We know that masks work,” DeWine said. “They are the easiest, most cost-effective way to limit the spread of COVID-19.”
Social distancing isn’t enough to stop the outbreak. DeWine put a restriction on social gatherings in April, limiting them to 10 people. He said it isn’t the actual events like weddings or other ceremonies that are the problem – it is the parties and celebrations afterward that spread the virus. The new public health order bans dancing and playing games at social gatherings. Everyone must stay seated and masked except when eating and drinking.
Governor DeWine is an advocate for keeping kids in school instead of virtual learning. He acknowledged the work of K-12 schools and said they are doing a good job during the pandemic. Since some schools have opted to return to virtual learning because of the new wave of cases, he wants to slow the virus so that children stay in school classrooms. College students are a different matter. Most colleges and universities have agreed to not return to in-person classes until after Thanksgiving. If the spread of the virus isn’t dramatically slowed, in-person classes won’t happen until January.
DeWine frames his decision about public health mandates as seizing the opportunity to save lives by moderating behavior. Most states already have some degree of mask mandates but sixteen states do not. Joe Biden has expressed his intention to put into place a national mask mandate. Since he discovered that a national mask mandate is not a constitutional move, he says he will ask governors to put statewide mandates in place. Biden has also declared that he is in favor of another widespread national lockdown.
The Ohio legislature is back in session next week and there is talk of the need to pass bills to keep the governor’s restrictions in check. Republican lawmakers are looking at reining in the governor while Democrat lawmakers are critical that the governor is moving too slowly to shut everything down. Republicans are hoping to spare business owners from the consequences of closing up their businesses. Democrats view DeWine’s wait and see attitude as a cautious move that puts the lives of others at risk – especially health care workers and first responders. Ohio House Minority Leader Emilia Sykes, a Democrat from Akron, accuses the governor of caving “to politics at the expense of human life.”
The Ohio Hospital Association endorses DeWine’s actions. Hospitals are experiencing being swamped by new patients and the increase is alarming.
“We have reached a defining moment in this pandemic and Ohio hospitals join Gov. DeWine’s call for personal accountability and action to stop the spread of COVID-19,” said Mike Abrams, president and chief executive officer. “The alarming increase in hospitalizations creates a severe strain on health care workers, especially among front-line staff, as hospitals make the necessary personnel shifts to manage these cases. The sooner we all commit to doing the right thing every day, the quicker we will emerge from this pandemic and resume the activities we all long to do,” Abrams said.
Governor DeWine is damned if he does, damned if he doesn’t quickly act to mitigate the third wave of coronavirus cases in Ohio. Ohio saw a record of 6,508 new cases on Tuesday. So far, more than 267,350 Ohioans have been infected by the virus, with 5,600 deaths and 21,200 hospitalizations in the state.
We are reissuing Ohio’s mask order w/ three new provisions. ⬇ The first violation of this order will bring about a written warning and a second violation will bring about closure of the store for up to 24 hours. pic.twitter.com/mZccGPevXq — Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) November 11, 2020


hotair--2020-11-12--Report: Trump planning to "wreck" Fox News by starting new digital media outlet

Sources have been whispering to reporters for more than a week about Trump wanting to build a competitor to Fox after leaving office .
This story ran on the morning of Election Day , *before* Fox committed the Ultimate Betrayal by calling Arizona for Joe Biden that evening .
My guess is that the chatter about a Trump News outlet ever since has been mostly a matter of confidants trying to talk him into relinquishing power before things get ugly .
“ W-w-w-wouldn ’ t it be nice to leave all this behind and have your own media outlet , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feelings over the election out on Fox for making its programming only 97 percent pro-Trump instead of the full 100.
” As I write this , the president is retweeting dozens of people complaining about Fox and promising a switch to Newsmax .
Which I suppose represents progress relative to him tweeting about the election having been stolen .
Newsmax shouldn ’ t get too excited .
According to Axios , Trump really does have plans for his own venture : President Trump has told friends he wants to start a digital media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the conservative-friendly network , sources tell Axios… “ He plans to wreck Fox .
No doubt about it , ” said a source with detailed knowledge of Trump ’ s intentions… Trump is considering a digital media channel that would stream online , which would be cheaper and quicker to start .
Trump ’ s digital offering would likely charge a monthly fee to MAGA fans .
Many are Fox News viewers , and he ’ d aim to replace the network — and the $ 5.99-a-month Fox Nation streaming service , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ free trials to paid subscribers — as their top destination .
Launching on cable television would be expensive , launching online much less so .
And Axios notes that an online venture could leverage the gigantic email list that Trump ’ s campaign harvested from its donors .
If you can ’ t cope with a reality in which Joe Biden is actually the duly elected president — a reality already acknowledged by Fox News — well , good news .
Soon you won ’ t need to .
Trump TV will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I have mixed feelings .
On the one hand , a Trump network is destined to be nasty , conspiratorial , even Orwellian in some of its programming , like its founder .
It will accelerate the country ’ s ongoing civic deterioration and not just on its own airwaves .
( Or broadband , I guess I should say . )
Fox will inevitably feel itself dragged towards nastier , more conspiratorial content too to try to keep pace and not hemorrhage viewers .
On Trump TV , a Trump-backed candidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Democrat .
Fox will need to reckon with that .
On the other hand , this is so richly deserved .
I made the same point a few days ago about how enjoyable it is to watch the 2024 hopefuls in the Senate , who toadied to Trump in hopes of ingratiating themselves with his coalition , suddenly find that the personality cult they ’ ve enabled may lock them out of what they truly want .
The Cruzes , Hawleys , and Cottons of the world are facing the prospect of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the next cycle after all , forced to bend the knee once again to Trump .
There ’ s always 2028 — but who knows how successful Trump TV might end up being in promoting Donald Trump Jr or Tucker Carlson to the Republican base , making one of them a prohibitive frontrunner in future cycles ?
They all deserve this , just like Fox deserves to be swallowed up by Trump ’ s media venture .
Why , there ’ s an even a song about it .
Of course , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely to happen are two different things : Fox isn ’ t going bankrupt anytime soon even if Trump follows through on a digital programming network .
But an ex-president at the center of an enormous personality cult should have an unusually good chance of making a digital platform viable , creating real competition for mainstream behemoths like FNC .
We may not see a huge stampede away from Fox but a dynamic where populist righties are watching it and Trump ’ s network every day and making comparisons .
Which gets back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dragged towards taking a Trumpier tone in its own coverage .
Although I wouldn ’ t rule out a stampede either : Over the summer , when I started to keep an eye on Newsmax ’ s Nielsen ratings , the channel was averaging about 25,000 viewers at any given time — a tiny number by any TV news standard .
As the election was approaching , the audience ticked up , but it was still just a fly on the Fox elephant ’ s back .
In the final week of October @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at any given time .
Then came the election .
Newsmax averaged 182,000 viewers during the election week that ended on Sunday .
And it is growing even more this week .
On Monday the channel averaged 347,000 viewers .
On Tuesday , 437,000 viewers .
Evening shows like “ Spicer & Co ” and “ Greg Kelly Reports ” are reaching 700,000 and 800,000 viewers .
These shows struggled to hit 100,000 before the election !
Something has changed .
Fox lost viewers because it called the election for Biden last weekend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night .
Which , by the way , turned out to be correct : It took nine days for Decision Desk to feel confident about the outcome in AZ , which strongly suggests that Fox ’ s election-night call really was reckless .
But if you ’ re a bottom-line type of person , there ’ s the bottom line from DDHQ .
Biden won Arizona .
Fox was right .
Even so , here ’ s Trump ’ s latest tweet as of this morning : I ’ m not sure what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between the 2016 and 2020 elections since he wants the country to believe that he won both and actually got many more votes this time .
( He did , in fact , get many more votes this time . )
But it ’ s nonetheless ah-may-zing to see his quest for election scapegoats lead him to knocking the biggest Trump propaganda arm in American media for having failed him somehow .
Loyalty isn ’ t enough ; absolute loyalty is what ’ s demanded , and Fox failed to show that loyalty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Correctly projecting Biden would win Arizona ?
Not giving the “ Golden Goose ” enough praise and airtime even though Fox ’ s mega-rated primetime line-up might as well work at the White House in terms of their relentless messaging on his behalf ?
I don ’ t know .
But he ’ ll be laying his golden eggs somewhere else soon , it seems .

Sources have been whispering to reporters for more than a week about Trump wanting to build a competitor to Fox after leaving office. This story ran on the morning of Election Day, *before* Fox committed the Ultimate Betrayal by calling Arizona for Joe Biden that evening. My guess is that the chatter about a Trump News outlet ever since has been mostly a matter of confidants trying to talk him into relinquishing power before things get ugly. “W-w-w-wouldn’t it be nice to leave all this behind and have your own media outlet, sir? You could take your hurt feelings over the election out on Fox for making its programming only 97 percent pro-Trump instead of the full 100.”
As I write this, the president is retweeting dozens of people complaining about Fox and promising a switch to Newsmax. Which I suppose represents progress relative to him tweeting about the election having been stolen.
A taste:
No Doubt. fox news ran 24/7 in our home for the past 7 yrs. It has not been on the past 7 Days straight. @ News Max Is Where We Go All!!! FOX IS ALL ABOUT CELEBRITY LIKE JOURNALISM!!! AND EVERYONE HAS A BOOK. SMH — B Boobers (@BoobersB) November 8, 2020
Like it or not Fox News tried to persuade an election. Wether they did or not I don’t know but the intent was definitely there. I’ll never watch the channel again. — GiveHim6 (@d_nowell) November 8, 2020
I’ve been a loyal FOX viewer for many years, until now. Tucker, Hannity and Laura should leave while they can. FOX is pandering to left now and it’s ovvious. — Mike Stout (@Michael_Stout) November 8, 2020
Newsmax shouldn’t get too excited. According to Axios, Trump really does have plans for his own venture:
President Trump has told friends he wants to start a digital media company to clobber Fox News and undermine the conservative-friendly network, sources tell Axios… “He plans to wreck Fox. No doubt about it,” said a source with detailed knowledge of Trump’s intentions… Trump is considering a digital media channel that would stream online, which would be cheaper and quicker to start. Trump’s digital offering would likely charge a monthly fee to MAGA fans. Many are Fox News viewers, and he’d aim to replace the network — and the $5.99-a-month Fox Nation streaming service, which has an 85% conversion rate from free trials to paid subscribers — as their top destination.
Launching on cable television would be expensive, launching online much less so. And Axios notes that an online venture could leverage the gigantic email list that Trump’s campaign harvested from its donors. If you can’t cope with a reality in which Joe Biden is actually the duly elected president — a reality already acknowledged by Fox News — well, good news. Soon you won’t need to. Trump TV will be there to get you through the day.
I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, a Trump network is destined to be nasty, conspiratorial, even Orwellian in some of its programming, like its founder. It will accelerate the country’s ongoing civic deterioration and not just on its own airwaves. (Or broadband, I guess I should say.) Fox will inevitably feel itself dragged towards nastier, more conspiratorial content too to try to keep pace and not hemorrhage viewers. On Trump TV, a Trump-backed candidate will never fairly lose an election to a Democrat. Fox will need to reckon with that.
On the other hand, this is so richly deserved.
Donald Trump’s going to destroy Fox as a competitor. Donald Trump’s going to run for President in 2024 crowding out the ambitions of Nikki, Marco, Cotton, et al. Trumps kids are trying to take over the RNC. Hope everyone is happy with their choices. — Sarah Longwell (@SarahLongwell25) November 12, 2020
I made the same point a few days ago about how enjoyable it is to watch the 2024 hopefuls in the Senate, who toadied to Trump in hopes of ingratiating themselves with his coalition, suddenly find that the personality cult they’ve enabled may lock them out of what they truly want. The Cruzes, Hawleys, and Cottons of the world are facing the prospect of not being able to run for president in the next cycle after all, forced to bend the knee once again to Trump. There’s always 2028 — but who knows how successful Trump TV might end up being in promoting Donald Trump Jr or Tucker Carlson to the Republican base, making one of them a prohibitive frontrunner in future cycles?
They all deserve this, just like Fox deserves to be swallowed up by Trump’s media venture. Why, there’s an even a song about it.
Of course, what people deserve and what’s likely to happen are two different things:
Certainly some success with niche content, sports etc, but in terms of politically-oriented programming I can only think of cautionary tales. pic.twitter.com/Ogzzq2xszw — Liam Donovan (@LPDonovan) November 12, 2020
Fox isn’t going bankrupt anytime soon even if Trump follows through on a digital programming network. But an ex-president at the center of an enormous personality cult should have an unusually good chance of making a digital platform viable, creating real competition for mainstream behemoths like FNC. We may not see a huge stampede away from Fox but a dynamic where populist righties are watching it and Trump’s network every day and making comparisons. Which gets back to my point about Fox eventually being dragged towards taking a Trumpier tone in its own coverage.
Although I wouldn’t rule out a stampede either:
Over the summer, when I started to keep an eye on Newsmax’s Nielsen ratings, the channel was averaging about 25,000 viewers at any given time — a tiny number by any TV news standard. As the election was approaching, the audience ticked up, but it was still just a fly on the Fox elephant’s back. In the final week of October, Newsmax was averaging just 65,000 viewers at any given time. Then came the election. Newsmax averaged 182,000 viewers during the election week that ended on Sunday. And it is growing even more this week. On Monday the channel averaged 347,000 viewers. On Tuesday, 437,000 viewers. Evening shows like “Spicer & Co” and “Greg Kelly Reports” are reaching 700,000 and 800,000 viewers. These shows struggled to hit 100,000 before the election! Something has changed.
Fox lost viewers because it called the election for Biden last weekend and called Arizona for Biden on election night. Which, by the way, turned out to be correct:
Decision Desk HQ Projects Biden (D) Has Won The State Of AZ And Its 11 Electoral Votes Race Called At 10:29 PM EST All Results: https://t.co/7CxbLsQ3gY — Decision Desk HQ (@DecisionDeskHQ) November 12, 2020
It took nine days for Decision Desk to feel confident about the outcome in AZ, which strongly suggests that Fox’s election-night call really was reckless. But if you’re a bottom-line type of person, there’s the bottom line from DDHQ. Biden won Arizona. Fox was right.
Even so, here’s Trump’s latest tweet as of this morning:
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1326920264203046915
I’m not sure what he means by the “difference” between the 2016 and 2020 elections since he wants the country to believe that he won both and actually got many more votes this time. (He did, in fact, get many more votes this time.) But it’s nonetheless ah-may-zing to see his quest for election scapegoats lead him to knocking the biggest Trump propaganda arm in American media for having failed him somehow. Loyalty isn’t enough; absolute loyalty is what’s demanded, and Fox failed to show that loyalty by … having Democrats on as guests? Correctly projecting Biden would win Arizona? Not giving the “Golden Goose” enough praise and airtime even though Fox’s mega-rated primetime line-up might as well work at the White House in terms of their relentless messaging on his behalf? I don’t know. But he’ll be laying his golden eggs somewhere else soon, it seems.


hotair--2020-11-12--GOP Senator: I'll make sure Biden gets intel briefings by tomorrow; <span class='red'>Update: Grassl

GOP Senator: I'll make sure Biden gets intel briefings by tomorrow; Update: Grassley too; Update: And Thune

Well , why wouldn ’ t he ?
Sen. James Lankford ( R-OK ) told Tulsa radio station KRMG yesterday that voters deserve answers over questions raised about the results of the 2020 election .
That shouldn ’ t interfere with a smooth transition if one is needed , Lankford said , and that Joe Biden should prepare for the presidency based on the results already seen .
That means getting full briefing on military and intelligence matters , Lankford declared , and pledged to get Biden access to those briefings himself if access didn ’ t get granted by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a radio interview Wednesday that President-elect Joe Biden should be receiving intelligence briefings that President Trump has denied giving to him as he challenges the 2020 election results .
… “ There ’ s nothing wrong with Vice President Biden getting the briefings to be able to prepare himself so that he can be ready , ” Lankford said on Tulsa station KRMG .
“ There ’ s nothing wrong with a former vice president getting those .
Kamala Harris is on the Intelligence Committee , she has all the clearance she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There is no loss from him getting the briefings , ” he said .
He added that the General Services Administration could certify the election results by Friday — and he will push for Biden to receive the briefings after that is done .
“ If that ’ s not occurring by Friday , I will step in to be able to push them and say this needs to occur , so that regardless of the outcome of the election … people can be ready for that task , ” he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ controversial in the first place .
Joe Biden had full access to such information as VP , as Lankford notes , and for decades before that as a US Senator .
It ’ s unlikely that his security clearances have been revoked ; if Trump did revoke them out of political spite , that itself would be an abuse of power .
Former high-ranking officials routinely keep those clearances to serve as resources for their successors , although they technically have to establish a “ need to know ” to access classified data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ potential presidency is a fairly defensible “ need to know.
” At any rate , Biden ’ s status should hardly make a briefing remarkable , let alone controversial .
And yet , for some reason Kayleigh McEnany won ’ t acknowledge the obvious , telling Fox & Friends this morning that she ’ ll have to defer that question to the White House .
Which seems a strange response coming from the White House Press Secretary , but it ’ s not when coming from a campaign advisor : McEnany ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she is stuck in a tough position thanks to the Hatch Act and campaign-finance laws .
If McEnany appears on television as a member of the campaign , she can ’ t act in her official government capacity .
If she appears in an official capacity , McEnany can ’ t discuss the campaign .
The hosts on Fox & Friends should be aware of those boundaries , although perhaps Trump should choose one role for McEnany and leave it at that .
At any rate , the issue of intel briefings appears @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It never should have been unsettled in the first place .
Update : It looks like tongues are loosening in the Senate in pushing back against Trump ’ s hard-line resistance to transitioning : This really is both basic and non-committal .
It shouldn ’ t even be an issue .
And yet , here we are … Update : Just for the record , John Thune concurs :

Well, why wouldn’t he? Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) told Tulsa radio station KRMG yesterday that voters deserve answers over questions raised about the results of the 2020 election. That shouldn’t interfere with a smooth transition if one is needed, Lankford said, and that Joe Biden should prepare for the presidency based on the results already seen.
That means getting full briefing on military and intelligence matters, Lankford declared, and pledged to get Biden access to those briefings himself if access didn’t get granted by tomorrow:
Republican Sen. James Lankford said in a radio interview Wednesday that President-elect Joe Biden should be receiving intelligence briefings that President Trump has denied giving to him as he challenges the 2020 election results. … “There’s nothing wrong with Vice President Biden getting the briefings to be able to prepare himself so that he can be ready,” Lankford said on Tulsa station KRMG. “There’s nothing wrong with a former vice president getting those. Kamala Harris is on the Intelligence Committee, she has all the clearance she needs to be able to do that. There is no loss from him getting the briefings,” he said. He added that the General Services Administration could certify the election results by Friday — and he will push for Biden to receive the briefings after that is done. “If that’s not occurring by Friday, I will step in to be able to push them and say this needs to occur, so that regardless of the outcome of the election … people can be ready for that task,” he said.
Not sure why this would be controversial in the first place. Joe Biden had full access to such information as VP, as Lankford notes, and for decades before that as a US Senator. It’s unlikely that his security clearances have been revoked; if Trump did revoke them out of political spite, that itself would be an abuse of power. Former high-ranking officials routinely keep those clearances to serve as resources for their successors, although they technically have to establish a “need to know” to access classified data.
Being on the cusp of a potential presidency is a fairly defensible “need to know.” At any rate, Biden’s status should hardly make a briefing remarkable, let alone controversial. And yet, for some reason Kayleigh McEnany won’t acknowledge the obvious, telling Fox & Friends this morning that she’ll have to defer that question to the White House. Which seems a strange response coming from the White House Press Secretary, but it’s not when coming from a campaign advisor:
WAIT. When asked about whether Joe Biden will receive access to intelligence briefings, Kayleigh McEnany says, “That would be a question more for the White House." Kayleigh McEnany IS the WH Press Secretary, though she is appearing on FOX as a Trump 2020 adviser. pic.twitter.com/34gfs72fzE — The Recount (@therecount) November 12, 2020
McEnany’s taking heat for this dodge, but she is stuck in a tough position thanks to the Hatch Act and campaign-finance laws. If McEnany appears on television as a member of the campaign, she can’t act in her official government capacity. If she appears in an official capacity, McEnany can’t discuss the campaign. The hosts on Fox & Friends should be aware of those boundaries, although perhaps Trump should choose one role for McEnany and leave it at that.
At any rate, the issue of intel briefings appears mainly settled, thanks to Lankford. It never should have been unsettled in the first place.
Update: It looks like tongues are loosening in the Senate in pushing back against Trump’s hard-line resistance to transitioning:
New – Sen. Chuck Grassley, who is the most senior Republican in the Senate, told me that President-elect Joe Biden should have access to classified briefings to prepare for the transition. “I would think – especially on classified briefings – the answer is yes,” Grassley said. — Manu Raju (@mkraju) November 12, 2020
This really is both basic and non-committal. It shouldn’t even be an issue. And yet, here we are …
Update: Just for the record, John Thune concurs:


hotair--2020-11-12--Four Trump insiders say: "2024 is going to happen"

Really ?
Barring the Sweet Meteor O ’ Death , I ’ d bet that “ 2024 is going to happen ” in the literal sense , or at least I hope so .
Although perhaps even # SMOD2024 might still be an improvement over 2020 .
A Trump 2024 campaign , though ?
That seems like a riskier bet , but four Trump insiders tell the Washington Examiner ’ s Paul Bedard that they ’ re already planning the big comeback .
The legal fight over 2020 election results are part of a strategy for Donald Trump to come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the presidency : “ He is never going to stop .
2024 ?
2024 is going to happen , ” one of the four who has regular contact with the president told Secrets .
“ There is a big 2024 play in this legal fight , ” said another who was with Trump this week .
“ He is not going anywhere .
He is the great unifier of the Republican Party .
People are not going to walk away from him .
It is their identity , ” added the source .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ no focus , politically or fundraising , on 2024 while the legal fight is on .
But when it ends , and if it comes out bad for the president , the effort will begin immediately .
I ’ m … .
not buying it .
It ’ s entirely believable that Trump would want to run again , and might even be laying out plans to do so .
He would have a base of supporters who would remain loyal enough for him to enter the 2024 primary cycle as a probable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changes between now and mid-2023 .
That , however , is a large assumption for a man who ’ s been under IRS audit for more than a decade , and who has a number of legal problems on his immediate horizon after leaving office .
Most of those are civil , but some aren ’ t , and Trump can ’ t use his office as a legal shield after January .
If Trump exited politics , some of those might go away , and it ’ s also possible that all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anyway .
( The IRS issues predate Trump ’ s political career , though . )
If he sticks around , prosecutors with political axes to grind and/or reputations to build will continue making Trump a target .
The risks here aren ’ t all political or financial .
Plus , Trump would have a lot of incentives to go back into the private sector and leverage that base for all it ’ s worth .
Memoirs , speaking tours ( rallies with entry fees ! )
, and even building a new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are all in the offing .
That would feed Trump ’ s lifelong need for fame and adulation without any of the baggage and poison of the Beltway .
And all of those would allow Trump to act more as kingmaker , which might suit him better even if it does look more swampy .
The problem with Trump attempting a Grover Cleveland-esque comeback in 2024 is that his act is no longer novel enough to succeed .
It worked in 2016 because Trump was an outsider looking to shake up the status @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s status quo after four years of chaos-agent behavior , as the 2020 election proved , driving a nearly invisible Joe Biden ’ s numbers up even more than his own in a high-turnout election .
Republicans actually had a very good 2020 election , with Trump as the singular exception .
The magic spell of Trump ’ s invincibility has been broken with his loss to Biden .
Republicans will look to another generation for leadership in the next four years , with less baggage and more of a future in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manner of his election challenges is undermining rather than empowering a 2024 argument .
Trump ’ s making claims that his own lawyers aren ’ t presenting in court , and the arguments they are making aren ’ t surviving the first tests of judicial scrutiny .
Trump ’ s legal team isn ’ t throwing the kitchen sink at the courts because they ’ re putting together an argument for 2024 .
They ’ re doing it because the Trump era will be over in 2021 without a win in this election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assumes Biden will be running for a second term .
I ’ m not buying that , either .
And if Trump ’ s not running against an older Biden , this looks even less likely to succeed .

Really? Barring the Sweet Meteor O’ Death, I’d bet that “2024 is going to happen” in the literal sense, or at least I hope so. Although perhaps even #SMOD2024 might still be an improvement over 2020.
A Trump 2024 campaign, though? That seems like a riskier bet, but four Trump insiders tell the Washington Examiner’s Paul Bedard that they’re already planning the big comeback. The legal fight over 2020 election results are part of a strategy for Donald Trump to come back in four years and take back the presidency:
“He is never going to stop. 2024? 2024 is going to happen,” one of the four who has regular contact with the president told Secrets. “There is a big 2024 play in this legal fight,” said another who was with Trump this week. “He is not going anywhere. He is the great unifier of the Republican Party. People are not going to walk away from him. It is their identity,” added the source. A third source said that there is no focus, politically or fundraising, on 2024 while the legal fight is on. But when it ends, and if it comes out bad for the president, the effort will begin immediately.
I’m …. not buying it. It’s entirely believable that Trump would want to run again, and might even be laying out plans to do so. He would have a base of supporters who would remain loyal enough for him to enter the 2024 primary cycle as a probable front-runner, too, assuming nothing else changes between now and mid-2023.
That, however, is a large assumption for a man who’s been under IRS audit for more than a decade, and who has a number of legal problems on his immediate horizon after leaving office. Most of those are civil, but some aren’t, and Trump can’t use his office as a legal shield after January. If Trump exited politics, some of those might go away, and it’s also possible that all of them would be shown as unfounded anyway. (The IRS issues predate Trump’s political career, though.) If he sticks around, prosecutors with political axes to grind and/or reputations to build will continue making Trump a target. The risks here aren’t all political or financial.
Plus, Trump would have a lot of incentives to go back into the private sector and leverage that base for all it’s worth. Memoirs, speaking tours (rallies with entry fees!), and even building a new conservo-populist media empire to battle the Murdochs are all in the offing. That would feed Trump’s lifelong need for fame and adulation without any of the baggage and poison of the Beltway. And all of those would allow Trump to act more as kingmaker, which might suit him better even if it does look more swampy.
The problem with Trump attempting a Grover Cleveland-esque comeback in 2024 is that his act is no longer novel enough to succeed. It worked in 2016 because Trump was an outsider looking to shake up the status quo. Voters tired out of Trump’s status quo after four years of chaos-agent behavior, as the 2020 election proved, driving a nearly invisible Joe Biden’s numbers up even more than his own in a high-turnout election. Republicans actually had a very good 2020 election, with Trump as the singular exception. The magic spell of Trump’s invincibility has been broken with his loss to Biden. Republicans will look to another generation for leadership in the next four years, with less baggage and more of a future in the party.
And even the bumbling manner of his election challenges is undermining rather than empowering a 2024 argument. Trump’s making claims that his own lawyers aren’t presenting in court, and the arguments they are making aren’t surviving the first tests of judicial scrutiny. Trump’s legal team isn’t throwing the kitchen sink at the courts because they’re putting together an argument for 2024. They’re doing it because the Trump era will be over in 2021 without a win in this election. And they know it.
Update: There’s this, too:
In 2024, Donald Trump will be 78 and Joe Biden will be 81. Now, I don't buy into all the left's outrage about "old white guys" running everything, but are we really going to go another cycle where both candidates were born in the 40's? — Ithizar (@ithizar) November 12, 2020
That assumes Biden will be running for a second term. I’m not buying that, either. And if Trump’s not running against an older Biden, this looks even less likely to succeed.


hotair--2020-11-12--Squad member to Mass. Gov: Empty the jails

I see we ’ re still operating under the old adage of never allowing a perfectly good crisis go to waste .
In Massachusetts , Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley ( D ) of “ Squad ” fame , easily cruised to reelection last week .
Given the lopsided nature of her district , this came as a surprise to no one .
Upon finishing her victory lap , she decided to berate the state ’ s Republican governor on a subject near and dear to the hearts of socialists across the nation .
She wants Charlie Baker to order the release @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s jails and prisons .
Why ?
Because of COVID , of course .
That ’ s apparently the only reason we do anything anymore .
( CBS Boston ) Fresh off her reelection win , Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley is calling on Governor Charlie Baker to release more prison inmates at high risk of Covid-19 .
In the past month , more than 300 inmates and staff at Massachusetts prisons and jails have tested positive for the virus .
Pressley said it ’ s a public health threat .
“ With the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can release incarcerated individuals across our commonwealth who pose no risk to their communities , but are at great risk themselves of contracting and suffering from Covid-19 , ” Pressley said .
Pressley ’ s claims about releasing “ incarcerated individuals who pose no risk ” sounds good on paper , but the reality is far different .
As a spokesperson for the Governor noted in his response , Massachusetts has already paroled and released hundreds of prisoners who were convicted of nonviolent crimes well ahead of schedule .
They ’ ve already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people still behind bars are there for serious , violent offenses and/or pose a significant risk of recidivism .
The records of these releases show that the state has probably already released too many people and erred on the side of forgiveness .
Activists working with the Massachusetts Bail Fund have already finagled the release of hundreds of people by paying their bail for them .
This effort was originally portrayed as a plan to bail out “ peaceful protesters ” who had allegedly been locked up for nothing more than exercising their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t true at all .
They wound up bailing out Joel Rodriguez , who had a rap sheeting including assault and domestic abuse charges .
They sprang Karmau Cotton-Landers , who was behind bars on charges of shooting someone in broad daylight on Boston Common .
Darren McFadden was similarly cut loose after he ’ d been caught looting during one of the George Floyd riots .
He ’ d already had 60 previous arrests and convictions , including a three-year stretch for armed robbery .
And the list wouldn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who was put back out on the streets while awaiting trial on three counts of child rape .
The pandemic was also used as the excuse to free Barbara Goucher from prison earlier this year .
She only stabbed a woman who had been trying to turn her mess of a life around 108 times before suffocating her .
But thanks to the exploitation of the coronavirus and the empty the jails movement , she ’ s now free as a bird , well ahead of schedule .
What we ’ re seeing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off in the name of the pandemic .
So is that what the newly re-elected congresswoman is looking to do ?
She can keep harping on all she likes about America being an “ incarceration nation , ” but the reality is that most of these people need to be behind bars .
They ’ re there for a reason .
And dumping them back out onto the streets so they can blend in with the rest of the rioters and looters isn ’ t helping make any of her constituents safer .

I see we’re still operating under the old adage of never allowing a perfectly good crisis go to waste. In Massachusetts, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (D) of “Squad” fame, easily cruised to reelection last week. Given the lopsided nature of her district, this came as a surprise to no one. Upon finishing her victory lap, she decided to berate the state’s Republican governor on a subject near and dear to the hearts of socialists across the nation. She wants Charlie Baker to order the release of even more prisoners from the state’s jails and prisons. Why? Because of COVID, of course. That’s apparently the only reason we do anything anymore. (CBS Boston)
Fresh off her reelection win, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley is calling on Governor Charlie Baker to release more prison inmates at high risk of Covid-19. In the past month, more than 300 inmates and staff at Massachusetts prisons and jails have tested positive for the virus. Pressley said it’s a public health threat. “With the stroke of a pen, Governor Baker can release incarcerated individuals across our commonwealth who pose no risk to their communities, but are at great risk themselves of contracting and suffering from Covid-19,” Pressley said.
Pressley’s claims about releasing “incarcerated individuals who pose no risk” sounds good on paper, but the reality is far different. As a spokesperson for the Governor noted in his response, Massachusetts has already paroled and released hundreds of prisoners who were convicted of nonviolent crimes well ahead of schedule. They’ve already reached the point where the majority of people still behind bars are there for serious, violent offenses and/or pose a significant risk of recidivism.
The records of these releases show that the state has probably already released too many people and erred on the side of forgiveness. Activists working with the Massachusetts Bail Fund have already finagled the release of hundreds of people by paying their bail for them. This effort was originally portrayed as a plan to bail out “peaceful protesters” who had allegedly been locked up for nothing more than exercising their free speech rights. But that wasn’t true at all.
They wound up bailing out Joel Rodriguez, who had a rap sheeting including assault and domestic abuse charges. They sprang Karmau Cotton-Landers, who was behind bars on charges of shooting someone in broad daylight on Boston Common. Darren McFadden was similarly cut loose after he’d been caught looting during one of the George Floyd riots. He’d already had 60 previous arrests and convictions, including a three-year stretch for armed robbery. And the list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Otis Walker, who was put back out on the streets while awaiting trial on three counts of child rape.
The pandemic was also used as the excuse to free Barbara Goucher from prison earlier this year. She only stabbed a woman who had been trying to turn her mess of a life around 108 times before suffocating her. But thanks to the exploitation of the coronavirus and the empty the jails movement, she’s now free as a bird, well ahead of schedule.
What we’re seeing here is yet more opportunism being foisted off in the name of the pandemic. So is that what the newly re-elected congresswoman is looking to do? She can keep harping on all she likes about America being an “incarceration nation,” but the reality is that most of these people need to be behind bars. They’re there for a reason. And dumping them back out onto the streets so they can blend in with the rest of the rioters and looters isn’t helping make any of her constituents safer.


hotair--2020-11-12--Texas nursing home worker charged with 134 counts of election fraud

I know what most of you are thinking after reading this headline .
That can ’ t be right .
I was repeatedly assured by the people at CNN that this never happens and it ’ s all fake news generated by Trump supporters .
Well , if it is , they ’ re doing a really good job of getting law enforcement officials in Texas to go along with the gag .
This news comes to us straight from the Texas Attorney General ’ s office .
In Austin , a woman named Kelly Reagan Brunner who was working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ citizens has been arrested and charged with more than 100 counts of voter fraud .
As we ’ ve seen far too often already , she was allegedly taking advantage of the diminished mental capacity of her patients to register them to vote and request ballots on their behalf .
Many of the patients in question had previously been declared totally mentally incapacitated by a court .
( CBS Dallas-Ft. Worth ) A social worker in the Mexia State Supported Living Center has been charged with 134 felony counts in an election fraud @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Office ’ s Election Fraud Unit assisted the Limestone County Sheriff and District Attorney in charging Kelly Reagan Brunner .
If convicted , Brunner faces up to 10 years in prison for the alleged offenses .
State Supported Living Centers serve people with intellectual and developmental disabilities , the AG ’ s office explained in a news release Friday , Nov. 6 .
The Mexia State Supported Living Center isn ’ t one of your run of the mill nursing homes for the elderly and infirm , some of whom may genuinely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and voting process .
It ’ s an assisted living facility specifically serving the intellectually and developmentally challenged .
In case this isn ’ t sinking in yet , Ms. Brunner was stealing the votes of the mentally impaired .
Even if that weren ’ t the case , Brunner would still be guilty of voter fraud .
If some of the residents there had been begging her to register them , Texas election laws only allow a parent , spouse or child who is a qualified voter of the county to serve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ register them on their behalf .
Unless all of the residents turned out to be relatives of Brunner , she ’ s still looking at up to a decade behind bars .
The Attorney General ’ s investigation revealed that not one of the patients in question had given effective consent for Brunner to register them .
So is there some other , more innocent explanation as to what was going on in the assisted living center ?
I certainly can ’ t think of one .
This woman wasn ’ t registering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of hobby .
She obviously planned to cast votes on their behalf in violation of the law .
Further investigation should reveal whether or not any ballots in the names of those patients showed up and were eventually counted .
Let ’ s keep in mind the fact that Kelly Reagan Brunner was just one person who happened to get caught .
How many more stories like this one are out there ?
Just this week we learned that as many as 25,000 residents of various Pennsylvania nursing homes all requested mail-in ballots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the odds of that ?
Obviously , any of them who legitimately requested a ballot for themself should have the opportunity to vote .
But when we see numbers like these and consider what was discovered in Texas , you can ’ t help but wonder whether or not there is ballot harvesting going on .

I know what most of you are thinking after reading this headline. That can’t be right. I was repeatedly assured by the people at CNN that this never happens and it’s all fake news generated by Trump supporters.
Well, if it is, they’re doing a really good job of getting law enforcement officials in Texas to go along with the gag. This news comes to us straight from the Texas Attorney General’s office. In Austin, a woman named Kelly Reagan Brunner who was working at a Supported Living Center for senior citizens has been arrested and charged with more than 100 counts of voter fraud. As we’ve seen far too often already, she was allegedly taking advantage of the diminished mental capacity of her patients to register them to vote and request ballots on their behalf. Many of the patients in question had previously been declared totally mentally incapacitated by a court. (CBS Dallas-Ft. Worth)
A social worker in the Mexia State Supported Living Center has been charged with 134 felony counts in an election fraud investigation. The Texas Attorney General’s Office’s Election Fraud Unit assisted the Limestone County Sheriff and District Attorney in charging Kelly Reagan Brunner. If convicted, Brunner faces up to 10 years in prison for the alleged offenses. State Supported Living Centers serve people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, the AG’s office explained in a news release Friday, Nov. 6.
The Mexia State Supported Living Center isn’t one of your run of the mill nursing homes for the elderly and infirm, some of whom may genuinely need and desire assistance with the registration and voting process. It’s an assisted living facility specifically serving the intellectually and developmentally challenged. In case this isn’t sinking in yet, Ms. Brunner was stealing the votes of the mentally impaired.
Even if that weren’t the case, Brunner would still be guilty of voter fraud. If some of the residents there had been begging her to register them, Texas election laws only allow a parent, spouse or child who is a qualified voter of the county to serve as an agent for the voter and register them on their behalf. Unless all of the residents turned out to be relatives of Brunner, she’s still looking at up to a decade behind bars.
The Attorney General’s investigation revealed that not one of the patients in question had given effective consent for Brunner to register them. So is there some other, more innocent explanation as to what was going on in the assisted living center? I certainly can’t think of one. This woman wasn’t registering senior citizens to vote as some sort of hobby. She obviously planned to cast votes on their behalf in violation of the law. Further investigation should reveal whether or not any ballots in the names of those patients showed up and were eventually counted.
Let’s keep in mind the fact that Kelly Reagan Brunner was just one person who happened to get caught. How many more stories like this one are out there? Just this week we learned that as many as 25,000 residents of various Pennsylvania nursing homes all requested mail-in ballots at the same time. What are the odds of that? Obviously, any of them who legitimately requested a ballot for themself should have the opportunity to vote. But when we see numbers like these and consider what was discovered in Texas, you can’t help but wonder whether or not there is ballot harvesting going on.