hotair--2020-10-29--Oh my: Two polls put Trump in range in ... Minnesota

I want to believe .
And one thing seems certain — Minnesota is actually in play again this time around .
A new round of polls all show this state to be within single digits in both the presidential and Senate races , with the two Republicans gaining momentum in the final stretch … or perhaps a couple of the pollsters recognizing issues with their previous voter models .
Even if that ’ s the cause , it still shows Trump trailing by less than five points in the Real Clear Politics ’ polling average .
The RCP aggregate chart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ race tightening , both from gains by Donald Trump and a stall by Joe Biden : Five weeks ago , the Star-Tribune/Mason-Dixon poll put Biden up only by six , which itself was quite a surprise from a polling series that normally overstates Democratic performance .
The center-left MinnPost ’ s survey two weeks ago put Biden up by only five — and Biden didn ’ t get to 50 % in either of them .
Today , two new polls have Trump just within their margins of error in this race .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the race at Biden 45.9 % to Trump 43.7 % , and Biden 48.0/44.8 when adding in leaners : Note that Kanye West is a candidate on the Minnesota ballot , and might be creating some serious issues for Biden .
West seems to be taken seriously enough here that West outpolls Libertarian Party nominee Jo Jorgensen .
West does best with Asian voters ( 7.6 % ) and black voters ( 6.6 % ) , two demos where Biden does otherwise overwhelmingly better than Trump ( 63.4/29.1 and 88.7/2.6 respectively , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the black-voter demo suggests that West is actually taking his black voters from Trump rather than Biden , but the Asian demo results suggest more that West ’ s pulling from Biden there .
Another West impact might be felt in MN-02 and MN-07 , both now Democratic House districts but generally more Republican in culture .
Trump leads by ten in MN-02 and by nearly 20 in MN-07 , and West gets 3.4 % and 6 % of the vote in those , respectively .
Even without West ’ s impact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 40 % in three of the eight House districts : the core urban districts of MN-05 ( 75/17 ) and MN-04 ( 66/26 ) , and the first-ring suburban district of MN-03 ( 50/42 ) .
If the riots and damage dampen turnout in the Twin Cities area at all , Biden will be in big trouble .
Biden has a five-point lead in Survey USA ’ s final poll in Minnesota ( 47/42 ) , but the MoE is ±4.9 % .
SUSA doesn ’ t break out the other candidates as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ committed in that direction with another six percent undecided .
The demos here are a bit less cheery , with Trump trailing in key age demos and only barely ahead in one of them ( 50-64YOs , 44/41 ) .
More cheery , however , are the regional demos , where Trump only trails 30/58 among urban voters , and 10 % choosing an alternate candidate .
That ’ s not a big enough lead for Democrats , who really have to roll up the score in MN-05 and MN-04 to counter the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If Trafalgar is correct on its district-by-district demos , that might be a huge problem for Biden .
Among early voters , Trump trails badly at 64/26 , but then again , Democrats are the voters turning out early .
John Pudner calculates that Biden has to win 70 % of the early vote .
If that ’ s the case , then the Election Day turnout could swamp that lead — and that favors Trump by nearly twenty points , 54/35 .
Forty percent of all votes will come in on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only 31 % say they have already voted .
Also , Jason Lewis is within the MoE of Tina Smith , 42/45 .
The demos tell a similar story as with Trump .
Lewis had to get off the campaign trail this week after emergency hernia surgery , but he and Trump have a superior ground game in place , too .
If it ’ s really this close , that ground game will make all the difference .
At Instapundit , David Bernstein also notes that Trump ’ s favorability advantage will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s not kidding about perpetual disappointment here .
As I always emphasize , Republicans have not won a statewide election in Minnesota in fourteen years , which is one reason to remain skeptical .
However , all the chaos here might have undermined Democrats ’ standing as a governing party .
Let ’ s just say that we should not be surprised to be surprised next week .

I want to believe. And one thing seems certain — Minnesota is actually in play again this time around. A new round of polls all show this state to be within single digits in both the presidential and Senate races, with the two Republicans gaining momentum in the final stretch … or perhaps a couple of the pollsters recognizing issues with their previous voter models. Even if that’s the cause, it still shows Trump trailing by less than five points in the Real Clear Politics’ polling average.
The RCP aggregate chart over the last three months shows the race tightening, both from gains by Donald Trump and a stall by Joe Biden:
Five weeks ago, the Star-Tribune/Mason-Dixon poll put Biden up only by six, which itself was quite a surprise from a polling series that normally overstates Democratic performance. The center-left MinnPost’s survey two weeks ago put Biden up by only five — and Biden didn’t get to 50% in either of them. Today, two new polls have Trump just within their margins of error in this race. First up, GOP pollster Trafalgar has the race at Biden 45.9% to Trump 43.7%, and Biden 48.0/44.8 when adding in leaners:
Note that Kanye West is a candidate on the Minnesota ballot, and might be creating some serious issues for Biden. West seems to be taken seriously enough here that West outpolls Libertarian Party nominee Jo Jorgensen. West does best with Asian voters (7.6%) and black voters (6.6%), two demos where Biden does otherwise overwhelmingly better than Trump (63.4/29.1 and 88.7/2.6 respectively, including leaners). Trump’s performance in the black-voter demo suggests that West is actually taking his black voters from Trump rather than Biden, but the Asian demo results suggest more that West’s pulling from Biden there.
Another West impact might be felt in MN-02 and MN-07, both now Democratic House districts but generally more Republican in culture. Trump leads by ten in MN-02 and by nearly 20 in MN-07, and West gets 3.4% and 6% of the vote in those, respectively. Even without West’s impact, though, Biden only gets to 40% in three of the eight House districts: the core urban districts of MN-05 (75/17) and MN-04 (66/26), and the first-ring suburban district of MN-03 (50/42). If the riots and damage dampen turnout in the Twin Cities area at all, Biden will be in big trouble.
Biden has a five-point lead in Survey USA’s final poll in Minnesota (47/42), but the MoE is ±4.9%. SUSA doesn’t break out the other candidates as Trafalgar does, but five percent are committed in that direction with another six percent undecided. The demos here are a bit less cheery, with Trump trailing in key age demos and only barely ahead in one of them (50-64YOs, 44/41). More cheery, however, are the regional demos, where Trump only trails 30/58 among urban voters, and 10% choosing an alternate candidate. That’s not a big enough lead for Democrats, who really have to roll up the score in MN-05 and MN-04 to counter the rural vote (Trump, 59/30). If Trafalgar is correct on its district-by-district demos, that might be a huge problem for Biden.
Among early voters, Trump trails badly at 64/26, but then again, Democrats are the voters turning out early. John Pudner calculates that Biden has to win 70% of the early vote. If that’s the case, then the Election Day turnout could swamp that lead — and that favors Trump by nearly twenty points, 54/35. Forty percent of all votes will come in on Election Day, SUSA finds, but only 31% say they have already voted.
Also, Jason Lewis is within the MoE of Tina Smith, 42/45. The demos tell a similar story as with Trump. Lewis had to get off the campaign trail this week after emergency hernia surgery, but he and Trump have a superior ground game in place, too. If it’s really this close, that ground game will make all the difference. At Instapundit, David Bernstein also notes that Trump’s favorability advantage will increase that ground-game advantage:
Survey USA shows Biden and Trump even in favorability, 44-44, with Trump way ahead in “extremely favorable,” 27% to 16%, suggesting greater enthusiasm for Trump. Seems to me these numbers put Trump in striking distance, and if I were going to expect any big surprise this year, it would be in the state that saw the worst summer rioting. Turnout is a huge wildcard, and Minnesota always seems to disappoint Republicans, but this is one to keep an eye on.
Bernstein’s not kidding about perpetual disappointment here. As I always emphasize, Republicans have not won a statewide election in Minnesota in fourteen years, which is one reason to remain skeptical. However, all the chaos here might have undermined Democrats’ standing as a governing party. Let’s just say that we should not be surprised to be surprised next week.


hotair--2020-10-30--Will anti-lockdown sentiments spur the next populist revolt?

As the nation frets over the possibility of the “ dark winter ” that Joe Biden recently predicted , we ’ re already seeing signs of renewed authoritarian lockdowns in many parts of the nation .
Curfews are being put back in place in a number of cities .
Orders forbidding gatherings of more than a certain number of people have accompanied them .
Far too many schools are still either closed or holding “ virtual classes ” that have been failing spectacularly .
There have already been signs of growing resentment toward yet another round of crippling restrictions on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , along with the mounting damage these policies have done to what was one of the most thriving economies our nation has experienced prior to the arrival of the novel coronavirus .
So how much of this will people stand for before enough is declared to be enough ?
At the Free Beacon , Matthew Continetti writes about the next populist revolt .
He reminds us that events in Europe have foreshadowed issues that later arrived on America ’ s shores quite often over the past decade .
These included protests and unrest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the rejection of globalism in the British Brexit movement .
Most recently , violent protests have erupted across Europe in response to a second wave of lockdowns imposed during a resurgent COVID outbreak .
Could that be the next wave to wash up on America ’ s shores ?
Governments resort to shutdowns to impose discipline on an unruly population .
But shutdowns do not solve the problem .
They turn public health crises into economic and social ones .
After a while , the price of shutdowns grows too high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The virus returns .
Before long , the cycle repeats… Joe Biden has been able to straddle these two poles .
He says you can have a ( relatively ) open society as well as a public health system that reduces infection to a negligible level .
He says he will “ shut down the virus , not the country.
” What he hasn ’ t explained is how that can happen in the absence of a widely administered vaccine… If Biden takes office during the “ dark winter ” he prophesied at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to decide , in addition to his national mask mandate , whether to put the country through another “ 30 days to slow the spread.
” The bureaucratic pressure to shut down will be immense .
The media , entertainment , and technology sectors will be sure to support and promote his decision .
Polarization between “ red ” states and the nation ’ s capital will intensify .
The commanding heights of culture and business will consign the Republican Party to the ash heap of history .
And opposition to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a populist revolt whose character , magnitude , disposition , and endgame can only be imagined .
It ’ s not as if we weren ’ t already accustomed to waves of massive protests filling the streets of American cities .
But as sad as it is to say , we ’ ve now seen so many of these protests morph into violent riots that it ’ s almost becoming the norm .
Up until now , at least in the current wave of unrest , it ’ s generally almost always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in with some anarchists , fomenting and executing the assemblage of these mobs , with the two largest drivers being the Black Lives Matter movement and Antifa .
But what if another round of upheaval is on the way , this time coming from the opposite ideological direction ?
Up until now , such a thing didn ’ t seem at all likely .
Unlike today ’ s riotous mobs , more conservative assemblies have generally consisted of Tea Party rallies that rarely required any sort of law enforcement intervention or pro-life demonstrations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ building that primarily consisted of people praying .
There ’ s also been a common belief that conservatives don ’ t wind up filling the streets day after day in raucous crowds because most of them have jobs and families to attend to so they don ’ t have the time .
But could Continetti be onto something here ?
One of the many unfortunate side effects of the pandemic is that a lot more people of all ideological stripes suddenly have a lot more time on their hands .
And the frustration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governments that continue to push us through cycles of reopening before closing again feels palpable .
The day might be coming when a totally different set of social media streams and messaging apps begin summoning like-minded people out in the streets , this time to push back against these executive mandates that are probably damaging the country as much if not even more than the virus .
What would that look like ?
The final point to keep in mind is that we ’ re talking about a widespread group of citizens who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be pretty well ( and legally ) armed .
I don ’ t think that this is a vision of the future that any of us are actually hoping to see .
But society is being thrown off-kilter everywhere you look these days .
I hope it doesn ’ t come to that , but I can no longer rule it out as a possibility .

As the nation frets over the possibility of the “dark winter” that Joe Biden recently predicted, we’re already seeing signs of renewed authoritarian lockdowns in many parts of the nation. Curfews are being put back in place in a number of cities. Orders forbidding gatherings of more than a certain number of people have accompanied them. Far too many schools are still either closed or holding “virtual classes” that have been failing spectacularly. There have already been signs of growing resentment toward yet another round of crippling restrictions on the activities of private citizens and businesses, along with the mounting damage these policies have done to what was one of the most thriving economies our nation has experienced prior to the arrival of the novel coronavirus.
So how much of this will people stand for before enough is declared to be enough? At the Free Beacon, Matthew Continetti writes about the next populist revolt. He reminds us that events in Europe have foreshadowed issues that later arrived on America’s shores quite often over the past decade. These included protests and unrest centered on mass migration, terrorist attacks, and the rejection of globalism in the British Brexit movement. Most recently, violent protests have erupted across Europe in response to a second wave of lockdowns imposed during a resurgent COVID outbreak. Could that be the next wave to wash up on America’s shores?
Governments resort to shutdowns to impose discipline on an unruly population. But shutdowns do not solve the problem. They turn public health crises into economic and social ones. After a while, the price of shutdowns grows too high. The government reopens the economy. The virus returns. Before long, the cycle repeats… Joe Biden has been able to straddle these two poles. He says you can have a (relatively) open society as well as a public health system that reduces infection to a negligible level. He says he will “shut down the virus, not the country.” What he hasn’t explained is how that can happen in the absence of a widely administered vaccine… If Biden takes office during the “dark winter” he prophesied at the final presidential debate, he will have to decide, in addition to his national mask mandate, whether to put the country through another “30 days to slow the spread.” The bureaucratic pressure to shut down will be immense. The media, entertainment, and technology sectors will be sure to support and promote his decision. Polarization between “red” states and the nation’s capital will intensify. The commanding heights of culture and business will consign the Republican Party to the ash heap of history. And opposition to the restoration of progressive rule will manifest itself as a populist revolt whose character, magnitude, disposition, and endgame can only be imagined.
It’s not as if we weren’t already accustomed to waves of massive protests filling the streets of American cities. But as sad as it is to say, we’ve now seen so many of these protests morph into violent riots that it’s almost becoming the norm. Up until now, at least in the current wave of unrest, it’s generally almost always been liberal, progressive movements, mixed in with some anarchists, fomenting and executing the assemblage of these mobs, with the two largest drivers being the Black Lives Matter movement and Antifa. But what if another round of upheaval is on the way, this time coming from the opposite ideological direction?
Up until now, such a thing didn’t seem at all likely. Unlike today’s riotous mobs, more conservative assemblies have generally consisted of Tea Party rallies that rarely required any sort of law enforcement intervention or pro-life demonstrations on the steps of the Supreme Court building that primarily consisted of people praying. There’s also been a common belief that conservatives don’t wind up filling the streets day after day in raucous crowds because most of them have jobs and families to attend to so they don’t have the time.
But could Continetti be onto something here? One of the many unfortunate side effects of the pandemic is that a lot more people of all ideological stripes suddenly have a lot more time on their hands. And the frustration being expressed with authoritarian state and municipal governments that continue to push us through cycles of reopening before closing again feels palpable. The day might be coming when a totally different set of social media streams and messaging apps begin summoning like-minded people out in the streets, this time to push back against these executive mandates that are probably damaging the country as much if not even more than the virus. What would that look like?
The final point to keep in mind is that we’re talking about a widespread group of citizens who, in large part, tend to be pretty well (and legally) armed. I don’t think that this is a vision of the future that any of us are actually hoping to see. But society is being thrown off-kilter everywhere you look these days. I hope it doesn’t come to that, but I can no longer rule it out as a possibility.


hotair--2020-10-29--Is Trump's barnstorming tour helping him or hurting him?

There ’ s no indisputable answer to that question , of course , and there probably won ’ t be even after Tuesday .
But let me give you three takes and you can choose your own adventure .
They ’ re helping .
On a gut level I think this is right , but there are all sorts of dumb gut-level takes about the election that aren ’ t borne out by the polling .
“ I just met four black suburban moms at a Target outside Pittsburgh and they said they love Trump so he ’ s winning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the black vote too.
” The case that the rallies are helping is clear enough , though .
He ’ s working hard to try to win voters over by holding multiple rallies each day , which is appealing .
Voters like to see effort by the candidates .
And it ’ s a particularly good contrast with Sleepy Joe , both in terms of the energy Trump displays and the enthusiasm of his crowds .
It ’ s easy to watch the MAGA fans go nuts when he takes the stage and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him again.
” And don ’ t forget that he ’ s operating at a steep financial disadvantage now .
The rallies are indisputably good for him inasmuch as they ’ re keeping his message on TV at a moment when Biden would otherwise be drowning him in advertising .
They ’ re hurting .
Insisting on holding mass gatherings while national COVID case counts reach their highest levels to date is an … interesting look given how large the pandemic looms in voters ’ electoral calculations .
Infections have been traced to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taunting him before events are held by putting up billboards that read “ TRUMP COVID SUPERSPREADER EVENT ” with an arrow pointing in the direction of where he ’ s set to speak .
USA Today conducted a poll this week asking people how they ’ re feeling about seeing their president bringing crowds of people together as the midwest is swamped with sickness .
Not great , it turns out : Not only that , the public ’ s view of how Trump ’ s administration has handled the pandemic has actually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to how they believe other sectors have society have dealt with it : To some people the daily rallies are a sustained “ I don ’ t give a sh*t about COVID ” ad .
And on top of that , he ’ s had some strange bad weather-related press in a few cases .
The heat today in Tampa sent a dozen rallygoers to the hospital .
A few nights ago the cold in Omaha sent attendees to the hospital there after there was a snafu busing people back to their cars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ links Trump in the public imagination with people around him needing medical attention is a bad look at this point .
They don ’ t matter .
This is almost certainly the correct answer to the question in the headline .
If the rallies were pulling people towards Trump or pushing them away , presumably we ’ d see evidence of it in the latest polls ( and there are a *lot* of polls dropping each day now ) .
We don ’ t .
The Florida polls in particular have been stubborn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s very good result for him among Latinos there .
Three quality pollsters released numbers for the state today : Monmouth had Biden up four , Marist had him up four , and Quinnipiac had him up three .
If there were a late break for POTUS , you would think it ’ d be showing up now .
And before you say “ the polls got it wrong in Florida in 2016 !
” , go back and look at the numbers from that year .
Trump actually led in the final @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surveys that came in for him at the end .
Hillary led by just a point or two in other polls , and CBS had the race tied .
Trump ’ s win in FL wasn ’ t the colossal surprise that his win in , say , Wisconsin was .
He ’ s trailing today relative to then , in a state he won by just a point .
Here he is today in Tampa riffing on “ Anonymous , ” a.k.a .
Miles Taylor .
The experts told him to talk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revealed to the crowd at one point , but he got bored with that subject and wanted to chat about Taylor and Hunter Biden ’ s laptop instead .
Don ’ t ask me what crimes he thinks Taylor and the New York Times could properly be charged with .
At least he ’ s having fun .

There’s no indisputable answer to that question, of course, and there probably won’t be even after Tuesday. But let me give you three takes and you can choose your own adventure.
They’re helping. On a gut level I think this is right, but there are all sorts of dumb gut-level takes about the election that aren’t borne out by the polling. “I just met four black suburban moms at a Target outside Pittsburgh and they said they love Trump so he’s winning Pennsylvania this year and a majority of the black vote too.” The case that the rallies are helping is clear enough, though. He’s working hard to try to win voters over by holding multiple rallies each day, which is appealing. Voters like to see effort by the candidates. And it’s a particularly good contrast with Sleepy Joe, both in terms of the energy Trump displays and the enthusiasm of his crowds. It’s easy to watch the MAGA fans go nuts when he takes the stage and think, “The polls are underestimating him again.”
And don’t forget that he’s operating at a steep financial disadvantage now. The rallies are indisputably good for him inasmuch as they’re keeping his message on TV at a moment when Biden would otherwise be drowning him in advertising.
They’re hurting. Insisting on holding mass gatherings while national COVID case counts reach their highest levels to date is an … interesting look given how large the pandemic looms in voters’ electoral calculations. Infections have been traced to Trump rallies; his enemies have begun taunting him before events are held by putting up billboards that read “TRUMP COVID SUPERSPREADER EVENT” with an arrow pointing in the direction of where he’s set to speak. USA Today conducted a poll this week asking people how they’re feeling about seeing their president bringing crowds of people together as the midwest is swamped with sickness. Not great, it turns out:
Trump's decision to hold his signature rallies during a pandemic may have cost him. Two-thirds of likely voters, including 15% of Republicans, said they disapproved in our new @USATODAY @Suffolk_U Poll. https://t.co/uoNm5zk3AQ https://t.co/Dbl96cizij — Susan Page (@SusanPage) October 29, 2020
Not only that, the public’s view of how Trump’s administration has handled the pandemic has actually gotten worse lately, quite in contrast to how they believe other sectors have society have dealt with it:
To some people the daily rallies are a sustained “I don’t give a sh*t about COVID” ad. And on top of that, he’s had some strange bad weather-related press in a few cases. The heat today in Tampa sent a dozen rallygoers to the hospital. A few nights ago the cold in Omaha sent attendees to the hospital there after there was a snafu busing people back to their cars in the parking lot. Anything that links Trump in the public imagination with people around him needing medical attention is a bad look at this point.
They don’t matter. This is almost certainly the correct answer to the question in the headline. If the rallies were pulling people towards Trump or pushing them away, presumably we’d see evidence of it in the latest polls (and there are a *lot* of polls dropping each day now). We don’t.
On average, Biden has lost 0.5 points in national polls since the debate, but gained 0.7 points in state polls, closing a bit of a weird state vs national poll gap we’d seen pre-debate. No signs of a tightening race overall, and Biden is probably gaining ground in the Midwest. — Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) October 29, 2020
The Florida polls in particular have been stubborn for Trump, notwithstanding this morning’s very good result for him among Latinos there. Three quality pollsters released numbers for the state today: Monmouth had Biden up four, Marist had him up four, and Quinnipiac had him up three. If there were a late break for POTUS, you would think it’d be showing up now. And before you say “the polls got it wrong in Florida in 2016!”, go back and look at the numbers from that year. Trump actually led in the final RCP average thanks to some rosy Republican surveys that came in for him at the end. Hillary led by just a point or two in other polls, and CBS had the race tied. Trump’s win in FL wasn’t the colossal surprise that his win in, say, Wisconsin was. He’s trailing today relative to then, in a state he won by just a point.
Here he is today in Tampa riffing on “Anonymous,” a.k.a. Miles Taylor. The experts told him to talk about nothing but the economy, he revealed to the crowd at one point, but he got bored with that subject and wanted to chat about Taylor and Hunter Biden’s laptop instead. Don’t ask me what crimes he thinks Taylor and the New York Times could properly be charged with. At least he’s having fun.


hotair--2020-10-30--Report: Biden aides worried about low turnout among blacks and Latinos in early voting

Verrrrry concerning for Team Joe , although I ’ ll remind you up front of the big twist of this election : Each candidate is underperforming with their traditional base .
Biden ’ s doing a little worse than Hillary among black voters and conspicuously worse among Latinos in various surveys .
But he still leads in nearly every battleground because he ’ s making up for those lost votes by taking a bigger chunk out of Trump ’ s white base .
That ’ s the whole story of the CES mega-poll I posted earlier this afternoon .
Having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a limit to how much black and Latino support Biden can afford to shed before he can ’ t make up the difference by taking votes from Trump .
And if those two groups tank for him in Florida and Pennsylvania especially , suddenly we have an election whose result is in doubt .
It would be a fitting conclusion to a year as weird as 2020 if the president got a second term because minorities turned out to be Trumpier than everyone thought .
Despite record early-vote turnout around the country , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In Arizona , two-thirds of Latino registered voters have not yet cast a ballot .
In Florida , half of Latino and Black registered voters have not yet voted but more than half of White voters have cast ballots , according to data from Catalist , a Democratic data firm .
In Pennsylvania , nearly 75 % of registered Black voters have not yet voted , the data shows .
The firm ’ s analysis of early vote numbers also show a surge of non-college educated White voters , who largely back President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ color , who overwhelmingly support Biden .
The situation is particularly stark in Florida where Republicans currently have a 9.4 % turnout advantage in Miami-Dade County , a place where analysts say Biden will need a significant margin of victory to carry the state .
Ed covered the underwhelming Democratic turnout in Miami-Dade this morning , where fingers are already being pointed by local operatives at Biden ’ s campaign .
That ’ s a theme of the Bloomberg story excerpted above as well .
Clearly Dems on the ground in Florida think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the media to know bright and early that it ’ s not their fault .
It ’ s Team Joe ’ s fault for a poor outreach effort to blacks and Latinos in FL .
Minority staffers within the campaign reportedly sent multiple proposals over the past few months about how to increase nonwhite turnout but the documents were ignored by campaign management , or so they say .
These same staffers told Bloomberg that they “ feel that their communities are misunderstood by top Biden officials.
” Having recriminations begin before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a campaign .
Having recriminations begin along racial lines before the vote is in is … hoo boy .
I ’ ve assumed all along that Trump would carry Florida , since the polls are forever underestimating Republicans there .
Think I ’ ll go ahead and just color it in red on my map now .
Or should I ?
Dave Wasserman , the Cook Political Report analyst who ’ s probably the most bullish forecaster in the field on Biden , is chill about the slow pace of nonwhite turnout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by mail .
In other words , Wasserman wasn ’ t expecting high turnout among minorities .
Of course , Wasserman isn ’ t being paid by the Biden campaign and privy to all of their internal targets on turnout .
If the campaign itself is starting to sweat about underperforming in Florida , that ’ s a big deal .
But further to my point above about Biden replacing missing black and Latino votes by taking votes from Trump ’ s coalition , here ’ s a possible bellwether spotted by Wasserman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among seniors relative to Hillary that he can still win the state despite losing more nonwhite voters than she did ?
We ’ re about 100 hours away from finding out .
I ’ ll give you one more bit of data .
This data comes from the last Fox News national poll of the campaign , just published this evening : Biden is 20 points off of Clinton ’ s pace with nonwhite voters here .
What overall result do you think that would portend ?
Answer : Biden 52 , Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s CES mega-poll .
How can Sleepy Joe be up eight nationally when he ’ s hemorrhaging minority voters ?
Because , once again , he ’ s cleaning up in former Trump demographics .
Fox has him up 10 points among seniors , a group Trump won by nine in 2016 .
And they have him up 22 points with independents , whom Trump won by a point four years ago .
He ’ s making 20-point gains with big groups to offset 20-point losses among smaller ones .
( He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump in net favorability , with a +11 rating versus a -11 rating for Trump . )
He ’ s *probably* going to win late-deciders too , to the extent there are any still out there .
But yeah , needless to say , there ’ s peril for him in underperforming with his own base in a state as consequential as Florida .
If he ’ s doing poorly at turning out black voters there , he may be doing poorly turning them out in Pennsylvania as well .
And if Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both states , that means Biden ’ s got to flip one or more other toss-ups — not just Michigan and Wisconsin , which are basically must-win for him , but North Carolina , Arizona , Georgia , Ohio , or Iowa .
100 hours to go !

Verrrrry concerning for Team Joe, although I’ll remind you up front of the big twist of this election: Each candidate is underperforming with their traditional base. Biden’s doing a little worse than Hillary among black voters and conspicuously worse among Latinos in various surveys. But he still leads in nearly every battleground because he’s making up for those lost votes by taking a bigger chunk out of Trump’s white base. That’s the whole story of the CES mega-poll I posted earlier this afternoon.
Having said that, obviously there’s a limit to how much black and Latino support Biden can afford to shed before he can’t make up the difference by taking votes from Trump. And if those two groups tank for him in Florida and Pennsylvania especially, suddenly we have an election whose result is in doubt.
It would be a fitting conclusion to a year as weird as 2020 if the president got a second term because minorities turned out to be Trumpier than everyone thought.
Despite record early-vote turnout around the country, there are warning signs for Biden. In Arizona, two-thirds of Latino registered voters have not yet cast a ballot. In Florida, half of Latino and Black registered voters have not yet voted but more than half of White voters have cast ballots, according to data from Catalist, a Democratic data firm. In Pennsylvania, nearly 75% of registered Black voters have not yet voted, the data shows. The firm’s analysis of early vote numbers also show a surge of non-college educated White voters, who largely back President Donald Trump, compared to voters of color, who overwhelmingly support Biden. The situation is particularly stark in Florida where Republicans currently have a 9.4% turnout advantage in Miami-Dade County, a place where analysts say Biden will need a significant margin of victory to carry the state.
Ed covered the underwhelming Democratic turnout in Miami-Dade this morning, where fingers are already being pointed by local operatives at Biden’s campaign. That’s a theme of the Bloomberg story excerpted above as well. Clearly Dems on the ground in Florida think things are going sideways and they want the media to know bright and early that it’s not their fault. It’s Team Joe’s fault for a poor outreach effort to blacks and Latinos in FL.
[A] Biden campaign staff member in Florida said coalition directors, those responsible for turning out the vote among specific demographic groups, have never been given a budget, despite repeated requests for funds they can allocate. The staffer said colleagues have spent their own money to put on voter engagement events, but the lack of coordination with senior leaders has stymied their efforts to do what the staff member called culturally competent outreach in critical parts of the state.
Minority staffers within the campaign reportedly sent multiple proposals over the past few months about how to increase nonwhite turnout but the documents were ignored by campaign management, or so they say. These same staffers told Bloomberg that they “feel that their communities are misunderstood by top Biden officials.” Having recriminations begin before the vote is in is a bad sign for a campaign. Having recriminations begin along racial lines before the vote is in is … hoo boy.
I’ve assumed all along that Trump would carry Florida, since the polls are forever underestimating Republicans there. Think I’ll go ahead and just color it in red on my map now.
Or should I? Dave Wasserman, the Cook Political Report analyst who’s probably the most bullish forecaster in the field on Biden, is chill about the slow pace of nonwhite turnout early:
In other words, we've known all along that Biden's most promising path to 270 isn't running up a huge turnout advantage among non-whites so much as winning a higher *share* of whites. The biggest obstacle to 270 for Trump remains defections of white women & seniors. — Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) October 30, 2020
“VBM” is vote by mail. In other words, Wasserman wasn’t expecting high turnout among minorities. Of course, Wasserman isn’t being paid by the Biden campaign and privy to all of their internal targets on turnout. If the campaign itself is starting to sweat about underperforming in Florida, that’s a big deal.
But further to my point above about Biden replacing missing black and Latino votes by taking votes from Trump’s coalition, here’s a possible bellwether spotted by Wasserman in Florida:
Missed this, but @StPetePolls this week found Biden leading 54%-43% in #FL13, a senior-heavy St. Pete/Clearwater seat that voted for Clinton 49.6% to 46.4% in 2016. https://t.co/aVabcyyaut — Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) October 30, 2020
Has Biden gained enough among seniors relative to Hillary that he can still win the state despite losing more nonwhite voters than she did? We’re about 100 hours away from finding out.
I’ll give you one more bit of data. This data comes from the last Fox News national poll of the campaign, just published this evening:
Biden is the favorite among women (+17 points), suburban women (+29), Hispanics (+18), Blacks (+66), and voters under age 30 (+32). That is a mixed bag compared to Hillary Clinton’s 2016 support. She won women by 15, suburban women by 11, and voters under 30 by 30 — but won Blacks by 85 points and Hispanics by 38.
Biden is 20 points off of Clinton’s pace with nonwhite voters here. What overall result do you think that would portend?
Answer: Biden 52, Trump 44, nearly identical to this morning’s CES mega-poll. How can Sleepy Joe be up eight nationally when he’s hemorrhaging minority voters? Because, once again, he’s cleaning up in former Trump demographics. Fox has him up 10 points among seniors, a group Trump won by nine in 2016. And they have him up 22 points with independents, whom Trump won by a point four years ago. He’s making 20-point gains with big groups to offset 20-point losses among smaller ones. (He’s also 20 points ahead of Trump in net favorability, with a +11 rating versus a -11 rating for Trump.) He’s *probably* going to win late-deciders too, to the extent there are any still out there.
But yeah, needless to say, there’s peril for him in underperforming with his own base in a state as consequential as Florida. If he’s doing poorly at turning out black voters there, he may be doing poorly turning them out in Pennsylvania as well. And if Trump suddenly has a strong chance to take both states, that means Biden’s got to flip one or more other toss-ups — not just Michigan and Wisconsin, which are basically must-win for him, but North Carolina, Arizona, Georgia, Ohio, or Iowa. 100 hours to go!


hotair--2020-10-30--Are late-arriving mail-in ballots more likely to come from ... Republicans?

If so , it would be quite a twist on the president ’ s strategy of getting perfectly valid votes tossed out if they happen to arrive by mail after November 3 .
He previewed that strategy in a tweet this morning , which was as interesting for what it didn ’ t say as what it did .
For months over the summer , Trump ’ s core argument against mail-in ballots was that their provenance is unclear and therefore they ’ re prone to fraud .
Lately , though , his rhetoric has shifted towards complaining about election-night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a matter of scrutinizing each individual mail ballot to see which might be forgeries .
It ’ s a matter of wanting to summarily exclude thousands of ballots that were mailed before polls closed but didn ’ t arrive until after Election Day .
Even though that might include plenty of military ballots too .
The tweet above exemplifies the pivot .
“ Mail votes can be forged !
” might get you a few ballots tossed out here and there because poll workers can ’ t match the signatures up to their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes create uncertainty !
” theoretically could get many , many votes tossed en masse .
And since Democrats favor voting by mail to a much greater extent than Republicans do , getting those votes tossed likely benefits Trump .
Most things Democrats call “ voter suppression , ” like long poll lines or insisting on voter ID , are gross exaggerations .
But wanting legal votes trashed because you ’ re desperate for a way to reduce your opponent ’ s margins by any means necessary does fit the description .
French @ @ @ @ @ @ @ backfires ?
Nate Silver ’ s been wondering lately if our assumptions about mail-in ballots are wrong .
There ’ s no doubt that Democrats are far more likely to vote by mail than Republicans , but only ballots that arrive *after Election Day* are at high risk of being torpedoed by a court .
How sure should we be that those particular mail votes will trend blue ?
Not very sure , says Silver , who ’ s been beating the drum about this on Twitter for two weeks : Ever since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Postal Service delivery , Democrats have been howling at their voters to send their mail ballots in ASAP .
( And it ’ s a good thing for their sake that they did , as there *are* USPS delays right now in swing states . )
Between those warnings and the massive burst of early voting this year , it may be that most Dems who were planning on voting by mail have already sent their ballots .
If so , the partisan mix of stragglers who drop their votes in the mail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than anyone expects .
He doubled down on his point about the partisan composition of mail-in votes this afternoon , with evidence from Florida .
The early trend in mail ballots in that state showed a strongly Democratic group , but as time ’ s gone by the partisan balance has evened out .
Getting the late-arriving votes tossed just might not be the gamechanger for the president that he thinks it ’ ll be .
And even if , contra Silver , there ’ s a strong Democratic tilt to that batch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to be exceptionally close for it to matter .
There aren ’ t many late-arriving ballots to begin with , Silver noted elsewhere recently , pointing to the fact that just one percent of mail votes cast in Pennsylvania ’ s primary this year were delivered after Election Day .
If , say , a third of all ballots next week in PA are mail votes , and if one percent of those ballots arrive late and are thrown out via a court ruling , and if Biden leads by 20 points @ @ @ @ @ @ @ d lose six-tenths of a percentage point from his overall margin .
Trump will end up having to argue — and is already arguing , per the tweet up top — not just that it ’ s illicit to count mail ballots that arrive after Election Day but that it ’ s ilicit to count ANY ballots after Election Day , including ones that arrived weeks before and were properly filled out .
He ’ s not trying to stop the stop the votes that came in late , he ’ s trying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He wants to gaslight the country into believing that there ’ s something untoward about poll workers needing more than a day to tally all the votes they ’ ve received even though that happens in every election , including during his big win in 2016 .
( This thread is a nice reminder of how long it takes in America for votes to be counted and elections to be certified .
The projections that networks make on election night have nothing to do with the official process . )
And as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the only reason Pennsylvania ’ s counting will need to extend beyond Election Day is because Republicans there are blocking poll workers from starting their count early .
They ’ re deliberately trying to cast a cloud of suspicion over mail ballots by delaying the count so that it pushes past November 3 instead of letting the count begin sooner so that we know for sure who won that evening .
It may be the most cynical thing I ’ ve ever seen in politics .
They ’ re willing to engineer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ partisan division simply to give Trump a bogus face-saving excuse that he was “ cheated ” if he loses .

If so, it would be quite a twist on the president’s strategy of getting perfectly valid votes tossed out if they happen to arrive by mail after November 3. He previewed that strategy in a tweet this morning, which was as interesting for what it didn’t say as what it did.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1322204026407145477
For months over the summer, Trump’s core argument against mail-in ballots was that their provenance is unclear and therefore they’re prone to fraud. Lately, though, his rhetoric has shifted towards complaining about election-night uncertainty. It’s no longer a matter of scrutinizing each individual mail ballot to see which might be forgeries. It’s a matter of wanting to summarily exclude thousands of ballots that were mailed before polls closed but didn’t arrive until after Election Day.
Even though that might include plenty of military ballots too.
The tweet above exemplifies the pivot. “Mail votes can be forged!” might get you a few ballots tossed out here and there because poll workers can’t match the signatures up to their satisfaction or whatever. But “mail votes create uncertainty!” theoretically could get many, many votes tossed en masse. And since Democrats favor voting by mail to a much greater extent than Republicans do, getting those votes tossed likely benefits Trump. Most things Democrats call “voter suppression,” like long poll lines or insisting on voter ID, are gross exaggerations. But wanting legal votes trashed because you’re desperate for a way to reduce your opponent’s margins by any means necessary does fit the description. French is right:
It is deeply disturbing that — virtually everywhere — the concerted litigation strategy of the GOP is to make sure that fewer votes count. The strategy goes far, far beyond any legitimate concern about fraud. — David French (@DavidAFrench) October 29, 2020
But what if it backfires? Nate Silver’s been wondering lately if our assumptions about mail-in ballots are wrong. There’s no doubt that Democrats are far more likely to vote by mail than Republicans, but only ballots that arrive *after Election Day* are at high risk of being torpedoed by a court. How sure should we be that those particular mail votes will trend blue? Not very sure, says Silver, who’s been beating the drum about this on Twitter for two weeks:
If (as this data shows) Dems are returning their ballots sooner, then mail ballots cast closer to Election Day—which in many states, will also be counted later—may not be as D as mail ballots overall. They could even wind up being R-leaning, conceivably. — Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) October 17, 2020
Also keep in that in the world in which the race is close enough for this to matter is probably a world in which Trump has made a fairly big comeback to close the race to say Biden +5. If there's late movement toward Trump, late-received mail ballots might not be so blue at all. — Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) October 17, 2020
1. Early-arriving mail votes (VERY D)
2. Late-arriving mail votes (probably somewhat D, but hard to say)
3. Early in-person votes (somewhat D)
4. In-person Election Day votes (VERY R)
5. Provisional ballots (traditionally D but harder to say this year) — Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) October 17, 2020
Ever since the panic this summer over slowdowns in Postal Service delivery, Democrats have been howling at their voters to send their mail ballots in ASAP. (And it’s a good thing for their sake that they did, as there *are* USPS delays right now in swing states.) Between those warnings and the massive burst of early voting this year, it may be that most Dems who were planning on voting by mail have already sent their ballots. If so, the partisan mix of stragglers who drop their votes in the mail on Monday may be much more even than anyone expects.
He doubled down on his point about the partisan composition of mail-in votes this afternoon, with evidence from Florida. The early trend in mail ballots in that state showed a strongly Democratic group, but as time’s gone by the partisan balance has evened out.
Gonna keep repeating this point, because it has a variety of implications for vote counting, what happens if some ballots come in after the deadline, etc.: There is lots of evidence that Democrats sent their ballots in sooner than Republicans. — Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) October 30, 2020
Particularly if Ds with outstanding mail ballots are hearing messages from the Biden campaign etc. and are also now more likely to use dropboxes, or to decide to vote in person instead, it's not clear what the partisan composition of late-arriving mail ballots will look like. — Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) October 30, 2020
Getting the late-arriving votes tossed just might not be the gamechanger for the president that he thinks it’ll be. And even if, contra Silver, there’s a strong Democratic tilt to that batch of late-arriving votes, the race would need to be exceptionally close for it to matter. There aren’t many late-arriving ballots to begin with, Silver noted elsewhere recently, pointing to the fact that just one percent of mail votes cast in Pennsylvania’s primary this year were delivered after Election Day. If, say, a third of all ballots next week in PA are mail votes, and if one percent of those ballots arrive late and are thrown out via a court ruling, and if Biden leads by 20 points among that disqualified group, he’d lose six-tenths of a percentage point from his overall margin.
Trump will end up having to argue — and is already arguing, per the tweet up top — not just that it’s illicit to count mail ballots that arrive after Election Day but that it’s ilicit to count ANY ballots after Election Day, including ones that arrived weeks before and were properly filled out. He’s not trying to stop the stop the votes that came in late, he’s trying to stop vote-counting altogether after election night. He wants to gaslight the country into believing that there’s something untoward about poll workers needing more than a day to tally all the votes they’ve received even though that happens in every election, including during his big win in 2016. (This thread is a nice reminder of how long it takes in America for votes to be counted and elections to be certified. The projections that networks make on election night have nothing to do with the official process.) And as I pointed out a few days ago, the only reason Pennsylvania’s counting will need to extend beyond Election Day is because Republicans there are blocking poll workers from starting their count early. They’re deliberately trying to cast a cloud of suspicion over mail ballots by delaying the count so that it pushes past November 3 instead of letting the count begin sooner so that we know for sure who won that evening. It may be the most cynical thing I’ve ever seen in politics. They’re willing to engineer chaos, uncertainty, and ferociously bitter partisan division simply to give Trump a bogus face-saving excuse that he was “cheated” if he loses.


hotair--2020-10-30--Bernie Sanders endorses Portland mayoral candidate Sarah Iannarone, noted fan of communist tyrants (

Bernie Sanders endorses Portland mayoral candidate Sarah Iannarone, noted fan of communist tyrants (Update)

Back when Bernie Sanders was still in the race for the Democratic nomination he used to claim that , despite his support for the Sandinistas and his honeymoon in the USSR , he didn ’ t support revolutionary socialist governments like the one in Venezuela .
Instead , he said he supported the more moderate social democracy of the kind popular in Scandinavia .
People pointed out that Scandinavian countries today aren ’ t as socialist as they once were but in any case there ’ s some news today that suggests Bernie didn ’ t mean all of that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s far left mayoral candidate Sarah Iannarone : In case you don ’ t remember who Iannarone is , she ’ s the candidate who has repeatedly refused to criticize Antifa .
In fact , some call her the “ Antifa Mayor , ” a label she has embraced .
When pressed on her feelings about political violence back in August , Iannarone refused to denounce it .
Asked specifically if she would denounce arson where people were still inside a building , she refused to say that was wrong .
In fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the police is valid.
” Iannarone dodged the same question ( from the same reporter ) during a debate with Mayor Wheeler earlier this month .
She claimed that she was anti-fascist , implying that anti-police protesters are in fact protesting fascism .
Just how far left is Sarah Iannarone ?
Well , based on her fashion choices she seems to be a fan of Stalin and Mao .
And her campaign manager self-identifies as a communist : This week an old tweet that Iannarone posted in 2016 made news .
The tweet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had apparently sent to her .
All of the statewide offices have write-in candidates filled in , including Fidel Castro , Che Guevara , Mao Zedong , Joseph Stalin , Vladimir Lenin , Angela Davis and Assata Shakur .
But on the right side of the ballot the person has also filled in a circle for Sarah Iannarone .
At the time , Iannarone thought being lumped in with Marxists and murderous communists was wonderful : Here ’ s what the communist spokesman for Iannarone ’ s campaign had to say about this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ KOIN 6 News by email that ’ s not her ballot .
Iannarone , he said , “ posted the ballots of many of her supporters who sent them in after voting for her.
” … In a statement McKelvey added , “ In 2016 Sarah shared a picture of someone else ’ s ballot celebrating Black women like Angela Davis and Assata Shakur.
” Angela Davis is an activist who was acquitted of kidnapping , murder and conspiracy charges in the 1970s , then ran as Vice President on the Communist Party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the University of California Santa Cruz .
Assata Shakur is a convicted killer of a New Jersey state trooper who later escaped from prison and was added to the FBI ’ s Most Wanted Terrorists list .
So those are the women Iannarone was celebrating .
What about Lenin , Mao and Stalin ?
She couldn ’ t offer any explanation for why she didn ’ t object to them .
In fact her camp issued a statement accusing Ted Wheeler ’ s campaign of engaging in a “ red scare.
” I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear Iannarone is genuinely a fan of communist dictators , the very ones that Bernie Sanders claimed he didn ’ t support .
So why is Sanders endorsing this extremist ?
I think we know the answer to that question already .
His views haven ’ t changed much since the 1980s , regardless of what he claimed during the primaries .
Update : Doing a quick search I found this tweet .
It ’ s from the same night and just 6 minutes later than the one above .
Note that Stalin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on that ballot .

Back when Bernie Sanders was still in the race for the Democratic nomination he used to claim that, despite his support for the Sandinistas and his honeymoon in the USSR, he didn’t support revolutionary socialist governments like the one in Venezuela. Instead, he said he supported the more moderate social democracy of the kind popular in Scandinavia. People pointed out that Scandinavian countries today aren’t as socialist as they once were but in any case there’s some news today that suggests Bernie didn’t mean all of that anyway. Yesterday he endorsed Portland’s far left mayoral candidate Sarah Iannarone:
“In every corner of the country, strong progressives are running at the state and local level to represent our movement and lead the fight to transform this country. These races are incredibly important — that’s why I am endorsing progressive, down-ballot candidates across the country. If you can, I hope you’ll cast your ballot for them when you vote,” Sen. Sanders wrote in the piece.
In case you don’t remember who Iannarone is, she’s the candidate who has repeatedly refused to criticize Antifa. In fact, some call her the “Antifa Mayor,” a label she has embraced. When pressed on her feelings about political violence back in August, Iannarone refused to denounce it. Asked specifically if she would denounce arson where people were still inside a building, she refused to say that was wrong. In fact she replied, “Their outrage at the police is valid.”
Iannarone dodged the same question (from the same reporter) during a debate with Mayor Wheeler earlier this month. She claimed that she was anti-fascist, implying that anti-police protesters are in fact protesting fascism.
Just how far left is Sarah Iannarone? Well, based on her fashion choices she seems to be a fan of Stalin and Mao. And her campaign manager self-identifies as a communist:
"I am a communist" This is the campaign manager for Sarah Iannarone, who is up for election to become Portland's next mayor. She is currently polling double digits ahead of @tedwheeler. #antifa https://t.co/hF8U3ua5H1 pic.twitter.com/RenLroZMQH — Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) October 6, 2020
This week an old tweet that Iannarone posted in 2016 made news. The tweet is an photo of a ballot someone had apparently sent to her. All of the statewide offices have write-in candidates filled in, including Fidel Castro, Che Guevara, Mao Zedong, Joseph Stalin, Vladimir Lenin, Angela Davis and Assata Shakur. But on the right side of the ballot the person has also filled in a circle for Sarah Iannarone. At the time, Iannarone thought being lumped in with Marxists and murderous communists was wonderful:
Quite possibly my favorite "I voted this way" photo to date (tho I 😍 them all) #pdxmayor #forcetherunoff pic.twitter.com/1lEFSWf15y — sarah iannarone (she/her) (@sarahforpdx) May 2, 2016
Here’s what the communist spokesman for Iannarone’s campaign had to say about this:
Iannarone campaign manager Gregory McKelvey told KOIN 6 News by email that’s not her ballot. Iannarone, he said, “posted the ballots of many of her supporters who sent them in after voting for her.”… In a statement McKelvey added, “In 2016 Sarah shared a picture of someone else’s ballot celebrating Black women like Angela Davis and Assata Shakur.” Angela Davis is an activist who was acquitted of kidnapping, murder and conspiracy charges in the 1970s, then ran as Vice President on the Communist Party ticket and later became a professor at the University of California Santa Cruz. Assata Shakur is a convicted killer of a New Jersey state trooper who later escaped from prison and was added to the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorists list.
So those are the women Iannarone was celebrating. What about Lenin, Mao and Stalin? She couldn’t offer any explanation for why she didn’t object to them. In fact her camp issued a statement accusing Ted Wheeler’s campaign of engaging in a “red scare.”
I think at some point it just becomes clear Iannarone is genuinely a fan of communist dictators, the very ones that Bernie Sanders claimed he didn’t support. So why is Sanders endorsing this extremist? I think we know the answer to that question already. His views haven’t changed much since the 1980s, regardless of what he claimed during the primaries.
Update: Doing a quick search I found this tweet. It’s from the same night and just 6 minutes later than the one above. Note that Stalin’s name does appear 3 times on that ballot.


hotair--2020-10-30--Walmart prepares for election aftermath, pulls guns and ammo from store shelves

The decision has been made by Walmart to remove guns and ammunition from sales floors in stores as Election Day approaches .
Shoppers can still purchase guns and ammo from the retailer but they will have to ask for them .
Walmart is concerned about potential violence in the aftermath of the election .
Who can blame the company for this decision ?
It makes sense after all the violence and looting that we have seen in cities across the country .
There will likely be riots and destruction after the election , especially if President Trump wins re-election .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ incite violence , turning the “ peaceful protests ” into riots .
We have seen the violence and destruction over and over again since the Summer of Love began .
Walmart sells guns in about half of its 4700 stores in the United States .
Gun sales will not be stopped , the guns will just not be on display .
I don ’ t know if taking them out of sight will stop the theft of guns and ammo since the looters are really brazen and aggressive during the riots .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is to stop them from going back into the storage areas ?
It isn ’ t unusual for observers to see police stand down and the looters roam free .
I ’ m not blaming the police but mayors and city officials are failing to get the violence under control .
The anarchists are emboldened when police are told to stand down .
Philadelphia , for example , is experiencing rampant violence and looting this week , yet the Philadelphia City Council has passed a bill banning the use of tear gas by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ narrative that this kind of move and justification by the city council produces is to believe that the police are the bad guys and using tear gas without provocation .
When city officials don ’ t have the backs of law enforcement , chaos and civil unrest will ensue .
Walmart has taken such precautions during other periods of unrest .
They did the same after the death of George Floyd .
“ We have seen some isolated civil unrest and as we have done on several occasions over the last few years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ammunition off the sales floor as a precaution for the safety of our associates and customers , ” a Walmart spokesman said .
The company hasn ’ t decided how long the items will stay out of view , he said .
In a letter to store managers Wednesday , Walmart asked staff to pull guns from shelves “ due to the current unrest in isolated areas of the country and out of an abundance of caution.
” Walmart also removed firearms and ammunition from stores this summer in the wake of George @ @ @ @ @ @ @ several of Walmart ’ s stores were damaged .
Walmart made a decision to only sell firearms and ammunition that appeals to hunters last year .
The demand for firearms is skyrocketing .
One reason is that many Americans are concerned for their personal safety and that of their family as violence moves from downtown protests out to the suburbs .
There is no end in sight , at this point .
Polling shows that voters worry about violence in America .
People are worried about what will happen on Election Day and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Preparations are being taken across the country by elected officials .
Voters in both parties are worried about the divisions in America and how election results will be handled by voters , or by bad actors .
“ There ’ s a very angry undertone out there right now , ” said Monica Ponton , 72 , of St. Petersburg , Florida .
The registered nurse , a Democrat who was called in the survey , has already cast her ballot for Biden .
“ I ’ m in my 70s , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the scariest times I ’ ve ever seen for America since possibly ( President ) Kennedy and the Cuban missile crisis ” in 1962 .
“ I think it ’ s a bit rocky right now , ” Rachel Hage , a stay-at-home mother of three from Boise , Idaho , replied when asked in a follow-up interview about how things were going in the country .
A Republican , she plans to go to the polls on Election Day to vote for Trump .
Three of 4 say they are concerned about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and afterward ; more than a third are “ very concerned.
” Only about 1 in 5 , 22 % , express little or no concern .
That reflects a significant shift over the past four years .
In October 2016 , the USA TODAY/Suffolk Poll found that almost half of Americans , 47 % , had little or no concern about violence around the election .
“ Honestly , I ’ m a little bit frightened , ” said Valerie Soldatow , 40 , of Pittsboro , North Carolina .
An independent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2016 and has now cast a ballot for Biden , albeit without much enthusiasm , in hopes of bringing about change .
“ There ’ s a lot of division .
I feel like there is much more hatred and a lot more aggressiveness being shown by people , and that to me is very frightening.
” Since the last election , confidence that there will be a peaceful transfer of power has eroded , perhaps because Trump has refused to commit to that .
At this point in 2016 , 40 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about a peaceful transfer of power .
Now just 23 % are .
Nearly 4 in 10 have little confidence that will happen .
An erosion in confidence of a peaceful transfer of power is blamed on Trump in the article but that ’ s a dishonest way of framing the topic .
Hillary Clinton refused to make a commitment of conceding the election on Election Night and as it turned out , she waited before making a concession speech until the next day .
Trump is saying he ’ ll wait for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And , I might point out , Biden is being given advice by Hillary this year to not concede to Trump at all .
So , spare me the finger-pointing aimed at Trump .
We ’ ll get through this election .
We ’ re Americans .
We are a divided country , that is the reality .
I ’ m more concerned about violence in the streets if Trump wins than if Biden wins .
The angry left is violent and destructive .
Prepare for the worst , hope for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days to go .

The decision has been made by Walmart to remove guns and ammunition from sales floors in stores as Election Day approaches. Shoppers can still purchase guns and ammo from the retailer but they will have to ask for them. Walmart is concerned about potential violence in the aftermath of the election.
Who can blame the company for this decision? It makes sense after all the violence and looting that we have seen in cities across the country. There will likely be riots and destruction after the election, especially if President Trump wins re-election. Antifa and BLM Marxists infiltrate protests and incite violence, turning the “peaceful protests” into riots. We have seen the violence and destruction over and over again since the Summer of Love began. Walmart sells guns in about half of its 4700 stores in the United States. Gun sales will not be stopped, the guns will just not be on display.
I don’t know if taking them out of sight will stop the theft of guns and ammo since the looters are really brazen and aggressive during the riots. They destroy brick and mortar stores. What is to stop them from going back into the storage areas? It isn’t unusual for observers to see police stand down and the looters roam free. I’m not blaming the police but mayors and city officials are failing to get the violence under control. The anarchists are emboldened when police are told to stand down. Philadelphia, for example, is experiencing rampant violence and looting this week, yet the Philadelphia City Council has passed a bill banning the use of tear gas by officers against “peaceful protesters.” The narrative that this kind of move and justification by the city council produces is to believe that the police are the bad guys and using tear gas without provocation. When city officials don’t have the backs of law enforcement, chaos and civil unrest will ensue.
Walmart has taken such precautions during other periods of unrest. They did the same after the death of George Floyd.
“We have seen some isolated civil unrest and as we have done on several occasions over the last few years, we have moved our firearms and ammunition off the sales floor as a precaution for the safety of our associates and customers,” a Walmart spokesman said. The company hasn’t decided how long the items will stay out of view, he said. In a letter to store managers Wednesday, Walmart asked staff to pull guns from shelves “due to the current unrest in isolated areas of the country and out of an abundance of caution.” Walmart also removed firearms and ammunition from stores this summer in the wake of George Floyd’s killing by police when several of Walmart’s stores were damaged.
Walmart made a decision to only sell firearms and ammunition that appeals to hunters last year. The demand for firearms is skyrocketing. One reason is that many Americans are concerned for their personal safety and that of their family as violence moves from downtown protests out to the suburbs. There is no end in sight, at this point. Polling shows that voters worry about violence in America. People are worried about what will happen on Election Day and in the days after the election. Preparations are being taken across the country by elected officials.
Americans are increasingly worried about what will happen at the finish line of this year’s tumultuous election, a new USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll finds, including whether the voting will be peaceful and the outcome broadly accepted. Three of 4 voters express concern about the possibility of violence on Election Day. Only 1 in 4 say they are “very confident” that the nation will have a peaceful transfer of power if Democratic challenger Joe Biden defeats President Donald Trump.
Voters in both parties are worried about the divisions in America and how election results will be handled by voters, or by bad actors.
“There’s a very angry undertone out there right now,” said Monica Ponton, 72, of St. Petersburg, Florida. The registered nurse, a Democrat who was called in the survey, has already cast her ballot for Biden. “I’m in my 70s, and I feel like this is one of the scariest times I’ve ever seen for America since possibly (President) Kennedy and the Cuban missile crisis” in 1962. “I think it’s a bit rocky right now,” Rachel Hage, a stay-at-home mother of three from Boise, Idaho, replied when asked in a follow-up interview about how things were going in the country. A Republican, she plans to go to the polls on Election Day to vote for Trump. Three of 4 say they are concerned about the possibility of violence on Election Day and afterward; more than a third are “very concerned.” Only about 1 in 5, 22%, express little or no concern. That reflects a significant shift over the past four years. In October 2016, the USA TODAY/Suffolk Poll found that almost half of Americans, 47%, had little or no concern about violence around the election. “Honestly, I’m a little bit frightened,” said Valerie Soldatow, 40, of Pittsboro, North Carolina. An independent, she didn’t vote in 2016 and has now cast a ballot for Biden, albeit without much enthusiasm, in hopes of bringing about change. “There’s a lot of division. I feel like there is much more hatred and a lot more aggressiveness being shown by people, and that to me is very frightening.” Since the last election, confidence that there will be a peaceful transfer of power has eroded, perhaps because Trump has refused to commit to that. At this point in 2016, 40% of Americans were “very confident” about a peaceful transfer of power. Now just 23% are. Nearly 4 in 10 have little confidence that will happen.
An erosion in confidence of a peaceful transfer of power is blamed on Trump in the article but that’s a dishonest way of framing the topic. Hillary Clinton refused to make a commitment of conceding the election on Election Night and as it turned out, she waited before making a concession speech until the next day. Trump is saying he’ll wait for election results, which is perfectly reasonable. And, I might point out, Biden is being given advice by Hillary this year to not concede to Trump at all. So, spare me the finger-pointing aimed at Trump.
We’ll get through this election. We’re Americans. We are a divided country, that is the reality. I’m more concerned about violence in the streets if Trump wins than if Biden wins. The angry left is violent and destructive. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best in the aftermath. Four more days to go.


hotair--2020-10-30--Joe Biden: 'I'm going to shut down the virus' without shutting down the economy

Apparently there is a magic solution to the coronavirus crisis that every nation in the world has missed .
Luckily for us , Joe Biden is going to make it happen : From the very beginning of the stay-at-home orders back in April , the idea was that in order to enforce social distancing and limit the spread of the virus so that it didn ’ t overwhelm the health system , we needed to clamp down on people going out .
That meant things like bars , restaurants , gyms , movie theaters , etc .
would need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ control .
As it turned out , things have never really been under control .
We ’ ve had various surges around the country and are in the midst of one now with 90,000 new cases in a single day .
And something similar is happening in Europe .
Belgium is one of he hardest hit countries in Europe at the moment and they just announced a new lockdown .
Belgian authorities on Friday announced a six-week closure of nonessential businesses and tight limits on social contacts as the country tries to stave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capacity within a week .
The lockdown capped a week that began with most European countries still trying to resist a return to springtime closures that devastated economies but helped avert an even worse health crisis .
This time , Belgium and others are keeping schools open , though the new plan lengthens a holiday break that starts Monday .
“ Our country finds itself in a situation of a health emergency , ” Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said Friday .
“ This reinforced lockdown has a sole objective : to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” France is also seeing a steep rise in cases and is starting a new lockdown today which is set to last for the entire month of November .
This lockdown closes all non-essential businesses .
President Macron acknowledged this was going to be a hit to the economy : In a televised speech on Wednesday evening , Macron called for a “ collective effort ” to combat Covid-19 , admitting recent efforts to contain the virus were “ useful , but not enough ” .
“ Difficult measures have to be taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that another lockdown – following the strict two-month confinement in March and April – would hit the French economy , adding : “ The health system won ’ t hold unless there is an economy to support it , but nothing is more important than human life .
Even in Germany which has been widely praised for its response , Chancellor Merkel has announced a new shutdown : Chancellor Angela Merkel says German officials have agreed to a four-week shutdown of restaurants , bars , cinemas , theaters and other leisure facilities in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in coronavirus infections… Shops and schools are to remain open , unlike during Germany ’ s shutdown during the first phase of the pandemic in March and April .
Restaurants will be able to provide take-out food .
Merkel appealed to people not to make unnecessary journeys and said hotels won ’ t be able to accommodate people on tourist trips .
The decision came hours after Germany ’ s disease control agency said a record 14,964 new confirmed cases were recorded across the country in the past day , taking the national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s a big trade off but it ’ s really unavoidable .
You can of course take the other choice .
You can choose not to shut down quite as much to preserve your economy .
That ’ s what Sweden did but there are consequences there too .
Like other countries , Sweden has been hit hard economically .
During the first six months of 2020 , the gross domestic product fell by 8.5 percent .
Unemployment is projected to rise to almost 10 percent in the beginning of next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ considerably smaller than in southern European countries and the United Kingdom , and one to three percentage points smaller than in Denmark , Germany and the United States .
The GDP fall , however , is larger than in Finland and Norway .
It ’ s difficult to meaningfully evaluate the impact of different coronavirus strategies using this metric , because of the differences between the countries ’ economic structures .
For example , Sweden depends less on tourism , an industry hit particularly hard by the pandemic , than do Italy and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approach to the pandemic , involving fewer formal restrictions , likely did dampen the economic impact of the pandemic .
But the death toll here has been much higher than in our Nordic neighbors .
As of Tuesday , the cumulative number of deaths from coronavirus infections per million people was 52 in Norway , 64 in Finland , and 118 in Denmark , according to Johns Hopkins University .
In Sweden it was 581 — not that far below the United States with 673 .
Again , the point is not that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respond .
I think Germany is right not to close schools .
Reopening schools here would be a good idea .
But whatever choice a country makes , something has to give .
Shut down too much and you might control the spread of the virus but your economy will be a disaster .
Don ’ t shut down as much and your economy won ’ t be hit as hard but your death toll will be higher .
It ’ s a terrible choice to make and it ’ s why it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attacking President Trump in the first debate both for the coronavirus death toll and for the economic toll , as if he , Biden , could have avoided both .
That ’ s what Joe Biden is doing in that tweet above , i.e .
claiming he can shut down the virus without shutting down the economy .
Even in China , where the economy is booming compared to most of the world , that ’ s not true .
China ’ s initial shutdown in Wuhan was more severe than anything done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And given the situation we ’ re facing now , there ’ s no way to stop the spread without limiting social contact .
Whether that comes in the form of a government mandate or simply people exercising common sense and following good advice , the economy is going to take a hit to get things under control again .
There ’ s no magic solution to this crisis like the one Joe Biden is promising .

Apparently there is a magic solution to the coronavirus crisis that every nation in the world has missed. Luckily for us, Joe Biden is going to make it happen:
I'm not going to shut down the country. I'm not going to shut down the economy. I'm going to shut down the virus. — Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) October 30, 2020
From the very beginning of the stay-at-home orders back in April, the idea was that in order to enforce social distancing and limit the spread of the virus so that it didn’t overwhelm the health system, we needed to clamp down on people going out. That meant things like bars, restaurants, gyms, movie theaters, etc. would need to close at least until things were under control. As it turned out, things have never really been under control. We’ve had various surges around the country and are in the midst of one now with 90,000 new cases in a single day.
And something similar is happening in Europe. Belgium is one of he hardest hit countries in Europe at the moment and they just announced a new lockdown.
Belgian authorities on Friday announced a six-week closure of nonessential businesses and tight limits on social contacts as the country tries to stave off caseloads that could fill hospitals to capacity within a week. The lockdown capped a week that began with most European countries still trying to resist a return to springtime closures that devastated economies but helped avert an even worse health crisis. This time, Belgium and others are keeping schools open, though the new plan lengthens a holiday break that starts Monday. “Our country finds itself in a situation of a health emergency,” Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said Friday. “This reinforced lockdown has a sole objective: to avoid the failure of our health-care system.”
France is also seeing a steep rise in cases and is starting a new lockdown today which is set to last for the entire month of November. This lockdown closes all non-essential businesses. President Macron acknowledged this was going to be a hit to the economy:
In a televised speech on Wednesday evening, Macron called for a “collective effort” to combat Covid-19, admitting recent efforts to contain the virus were “useful, but not enough”. “Difficult measures have to be taken,” the president said… He recognised that another lockdown – following the strict two-month confinement in March and April – would hit the French economy, adding: “The health system won’t hold unless there is an economy to support it, but nothing is more important than human life.
Even in Germany which has been widely praised for its response, Chancellor Merkel has announced a new shutdown:
Chancellor Angela Merkel says German officials have agreed to a four-week shutdown of restaurants, bars, cinemas, theaters and other leisure facilities in a bid to curb a sharp rise in coronavirus infections… Shops and schools are to remain open, unlike during Germany’s shutdown during the first phase of the pandemic in March and April. Restaurants will be able to provide take-out food. Merkel appealed to people not to make unnecessary journeys and said hotels won’t be able to accommodate people on tourist trips. The decision came hours after Germany’s disease control agency said a record 14,964 new confirmed cases were recorded across the country in the past day, taking the national total in the pandemic to 449,275.
It’s a big trade off but it’s really unavoidable. You can of course take the other choice. You can choose not to shut down quite as much to preserve your economy. That’s what Sweden did but there are consequences there too.
Like other countries, Sweden has been hit hard economically. During the first six months of 2020, the gross domestic product fell by 8.5 percent. Unemployment is projected to rise to almost 10 percent in the beginning of next year. The drop in GDP is considerably smaller than in southern European countries and the United Kingdom, and one to three percentage points smaller than in Denmark, Germany and the United States. The GDP fall, however, is larger than in Finland and Norway. It’s difficult to meaningfully evaluate the impact of different coronavirus strategies using this metric, because of the differences between the countries’ economic structures. For example, Sweden depends less on tourism, an industry hit particularly hard by the pandemic, than do Italy and Spain. Still, the lenient Swedish approach to the pandemic, involving fewer formal restrictions, likely did dampen the economic impact of the pandemic. But the death toll here has been much higher than in our Nordic neighbors. As of Tuesday, the cumulative number of deaths from coronavirus infections per million people was 52 in Norway, 64 in Finland, and 118 in Denmark, according to Johns Hopkins University. In Sweden it was 581 — not that far below the United States with 673.
Again, the point is not that we have no choices in how we respond. I think Germany is right not to close schools. Reopening schools here would be a good idea. But whatever choice a country makes, something has to give. Shut down too much and you might control the spread of the virus but your economy will be a disaster. Don’t shut down as much and your economy won’t be hit as hard but your death toll will be higher. It’s a terrible choice to make and it’s why it was so absurd to hear Joe Biden attacking President Trump in the first debate both for the coronavirus death toll and for the economic toll, as if he, Biden, could have avoided both.
That’s what Joe Biden is doing in that tweet above, i.e. claiming he can shut down the virus without shutting down the economy. Even in China, where the economy is booming compared to most of the world, that’s not true. China’s initial shutdown in Wuhan was more severe than anything done in the U.S. or Europe so far. And given the situation we’re facing now, there’s no way to stop the spread without limiting social contact. Whether that comes in the form of a government mandate or simply people exercising common sense and following good advice, the economy is going to take a hit to get things under control again. There’s no magic solution to this crisis like the one Joe Biden is promising.


hotair--2020-10-30--Khanna to Bobulinski: I'll vouch for you with any media outlet

Granted , we do see some oddball endorsements in the week before an election .
Who had Lil Wayne going MAGA on their bingo cards , for instance ?
Still , this endorsement from Rep. Ro Khanna ( D-CA ) seems more unusual than most , considering Khanna ’ s endorsing a man that his party and most of the media are attempting to dismiss as a stooge for foreign-intelligence operators .
Khanna wrote a note to Tony Bobulinski describing how he defended Hunter Biden ’ s former business partner ( and donor to Khanna ’ s own campaigns ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear that I do not think you are a Russian agent.
” Good to know !
Khanna ’ s done pretty well with the Bobulinski family , as one might expect from people doing business with the Bidens .
Tony himself has four maxed-out contributions to Khanna in the 2014 and 2016 election cycles , both in the primary and general-election phases of those campaigns .
It looks like Bobulinski got a few of his family members to kick in more full-max contributions to Khanna in the past too , as the letter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too that Bobulinski has no donations listed to any Republicans at all , at any time .
That renders the Russian-agent narrative a bit thin , let ’ s say , although it doesn ’ t necessarily preclude “ Russian stooge.
” That also seems unlikely , however , given that the Bidens still aren ’ t disputing the authenticity of the e-mails from the laptop , or denying that the laptop belonged to Hunter either .
The Daily Caller reports that their expert has authenticated the e-mail reported by the New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other e-mails found on the laptop .
What about the FBI ?
They have had the laptop for months , but thus far have remained quiet — as is their norm .
However , Bobulinski told Sinclair ’ s James Rosen that the FBI spent several hours interviewing him , apparently as part of a money-laundering probe involving Hunter and the laptop .
Rosen also confirmed with a source at the Department of Justice that the probe started last year and is ongoing : A U.S. Justice Department official has confirmed to Sinclair @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into Hunter Biden , son of Democratic nominee Joe Biden , is still active .
The 2019 criminal investigation looks into Hunter and his associates on allegations of money-laundering .
… Bobulinksi discussed why he feels if elected , Biden would be compromised by the Chinese government and much more in an exclusive interview with Sinclair Broadcast Group ’ s James Rosen .
“ The compromise they have is that in documents that have been well provided to the Senate , to Congress , to the Department of Justice via the FBI that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Biden family.
” There ’ s much more at the Sinclair link , but suffice it to say that the FBI clearly doesn ’ t think Bobulinski is a Russian stooge , either .
It looks more like they think Hunter is a China stooge .
Sinclair tried to get a response from the Biden campaign and never heard back , and neither did Newsweek when they followed up .
So this seems to be a story , even if it ’ s not yet a story about Joe Biden .
Joe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CEFC deal , which fell through before payments got made .
It wouldn ’ t have been illegal for Joe to be part of a CEFC deal in 2017 , or even to allow his son to use the family name as a selling point , since Joe wasn ’ t in office at the time .
Still , the FBI and DoJ have something cooking with Hunter — and if it ’ s money laundering , it wasn ’ t in relation to CEFC and Sinohawk .
What was it , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with whom ?

Granted, we do see some oddball endorsements in the week before an election. Who had Lil Wayne going MAGA on their bingo cards, for instance? Still, this endorsement from Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) seems more unusual than most, considering Khanna’s endorsing a man that his party and most of the media are attempting to dismiss as a stooge for foreign-intelligence operators.
Khanna wrote a note to Tony Bobulinski describing how he defended Hunter Biden’s former business partner (and donor to Khanna’s own campaigns), saying he has “made it clear that I do not think you are a Russian agent.” Good to know!
Email this morning from @RoKhanna to Tony Bobulinski. The redactions are mine pic.twitter.com/EA2bsusSJY — John Roberts (@johnrobertsFox) October 30, 2020
Khanna’s done pretty well with the Bobulinski family, as one might expect from people doing business with the Bidens. Tony himself has four maxed-out contributions to Khanna in the 2014 and 2016 election cycles, both in the primary and general-election phases of those campaigns. It looks like Bobulinski got a few of his family members to kick in more full-max contributions to Khanna in the past too, as the letter indicates. It’s worth noting too that Bobulinski has no donations listed to any Republicans at all, at any time.
That renders the Russian-agent narrative a bit thin, let’s say, although it doesn’t necessarily preclude “Russian stooge.” That also seems unlikely, however, given that the Bidens still aren’t disputing the authenticity of the e-mails from the laptop, or denying that the laptop belonged to Hunter either. The Daily Caller reports that their expert has authenticated the e-mail reported by the New York Post, and Bobulinski himself has authenticated other e-mails found on the laptop.
What about the FBI? They have had the laptop for months, but thus far have remained quiet — as is their norm. However, Bobulinski told Sinclair’s James Rosen that the FBI spent several hours interviewing him, apparently as part of a money-laundering probe involving Hunter and the laptop. Rosen also confirmed with a source at the Department of Justice that the probe started last year and is ongoing:
A U.S. Justice Department official has confirmed to Sinclair Broadcast Group that a 2019 FBI investigation into Hunter Biden, son of Democratic nominee Joe Biden, is still active. The 2019 criminal investigation looks into Hunter and his associates on allegations of money-laundering. … Bobulinksi discussed why he feels if elected, Biden would be compromised by the Chinese government and much more in an exclusive interview with Sinclair Broadcast Group’s James Rosen. “The compromise they have is that in documents that have been well provided to the Senate, to Congress, to the Department of Justice via the FBI that CEFC was effectively loaning money directly to the Biden family.”
There’s much more at the Sinclair link, but suffice it to say that the FBI clearly doesn’t think Bobulinski is a Russian stooge, either. It looks more like they think Hunter is a China stooge. Sinclair tried to get a response from the Biden campaign and never heard back, and neither did Newsweek when they followed up.
So this seems to be a story, even if it’s not yet a story about Joe Biden. Joe Biden didn’t engage in the CEFC deal, which fell through before payments got made. It wouldn’t have been illegal for Joe to be part of a CEFC deal in 2017, or even to allow his son to use the family name as a selling point, since Joe wasn’t in office at the time. Still, the FBI and DoJ have something cooking with Hunter — and if it’s money laundering, it wasn’t in relation to CEFC and Sinohawk. What was it, and more importantly, when was it and with whom?