hotair--2020-10-08--Today's hot topics on #TEMS: Debate review, Saudi taboo, militia brew, Politics of Envy debut, and m

Today's hot topics on #TEMS: Debate review, Saudi taboo, militia brew, Politics of Envy debut, and more!

Today on The Ed Morrissey Show ( 4 pm ET ) , we have another great lineup for the news of the day !
The show will be streamed on Hot Air ’ s Facebook page and embedded here and on the show page for those who are not on Facebook .
Join us as we welcome : • Duane “ Generalissimo ” Patterson brings us up to date on the week ’ s top stories and gives us a preview of tomorrow ’ s Hugh Hewitt show .
We ’ ll break down yesterday ’ s VP debate , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saudi response to the Palestinians .
And what does that FBI raid on a militia plot against Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer tell us ?
• Envy is one of the seven deadly sins , but have we created a “ culture of covetousness ” ?
Dr. Anne Hendershot joins us to discuss her upcoming book The Politics of Envy , its roots in Marxist ideology , and why students are particularly susceptible to it .
The Ed Morrissey Show and its dynamic chatroom can be seen on the permanent TEMS page .
Be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t forget to keep up with the debate on my Facebook page , too !
How can Republicans and conservatives keep winning after 2016 ?
Find out in GOING RED , published in April from Crown Forum !

Today on The Ed Morrissey Show (4 pm ET), we have another great lineup for the news of the day! The show will be streamed on Hot Air’s Facebook page and embedded here and on the show page for those who are not on Facebook.
Join us as we welcome:
Duane “Generalissimo” Patterson brings us up to date on the week’s top stories and gives us a preview of tomorrow’s Hugh Hewitt show. We’ll break down yesterday’s VP debate, plus take a look again at the Saudi response to the Palestinians. And what does that FBI raid on a militia plot against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer tell us?
Envy is one of the seven deadly sins, but have we created a “culture of covetousness”? Dr. Anne Hendershot joins us to discuss her upcoming book The Politics of Envy, its roots in Marxist ideology, and why students are particularly susceptible to it.
The Ed Morrissey Show and its dynamic chatroom can be seen on the permanent TEMS page. Be sure to join us, and don’t forget to keep up with the debate on my Facebook page, too!
How can Republicans and conservatives keep winning after 2016? Find out in GOING RED, published in April from Crown Forum!


hotair--2020-10-08--Sir David Attenborough: 'The excesses that the capitalist system has brought us have got to be curbe

Sir David Attenborough: 'The excesses that the capitalist system has brought us have got to be curbed somehow'

If you ’ ve ever watched one of those BBC television shows featuring spectacular video of animals around the world then you ’ re already familiar with David Attenborough , or at least with his voice .
David is also the younger brother of the late Richard Attenborough who was an actor who starred in Jurassic Park and also an Oscar winning director for his 1982 film Ghandi .
Today the BBC released an interview with David Attenborough in which he embraced the idea that the way forward was an economic system not based on profit .
Asked what he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Attenborough said it wasn ’ t going to be “ paradise , ” at least not immediately .
Seated before a row of books and CDs , Attenborough said , “ I think that the standard of living of the western cultures , civilized countries is going to have to take pause.
” He continued , “ I think we are going to have to live more economically than we do .
And we can do that .
I believe that we will do that more happily not less happily .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us have got to be curbed somehow .
That doesn ’ t mean to say that capitalism is dead .
I ’ m not an economist .
I don ’ t know .
But I believe that the nations of the world–ordinary people worldwide are beginning to realize that greed does not actually lead to joy.
” Asked to say more about the economic system he added , “ Our economic system has been based on the profit principle , that you have to come out at the end of the year having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ profit you can make the better it is .
In the short term that works but then it ends with disaster .
So you have to at last have the wisdom to realize that you can live sustainably .
That it is possible that your economics could work on a rather different system from the one which is based on profit.
” He went on to say that he agreed there was no turning the clock back but suggested , “ That means that those that have a great deal perhaps will have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very little can have a little more.
” This last statement seems to be tiptoeing close to an endorsement of Marx ’ s communist motto : From each according to his ability , to each according to his need .
The problem of course is that the alternative system does not work .
Capitalism has taken billions of people out of poverty and given them better lives , lives that aren ’ t focused on basic necessities like food and water , lives that are much longer and less prone to illness ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s a lovely idea that we can get by with less so the rest of the world can have more but it really does not work that way for a whole host of reasons .
For one thing , the drive to create profit is fundamentally linked to the drive for efficiency .
The difference between a business that makes a profit and one that does not often involves good management , careful book-keeping and taking advantage of economies of scale .
All of that is hard work .
Anyone at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the moment someone takes a relaxed attitude the result can quickly turn from success ( profit ) to failure ( shortfall ) .
What Attenborough is suggesting is that we literally need to stop trying for profit , i.e .
stop trying to get more efficiency than we absolutely have to .
The real world outcome of this would almost certainly be less efficiency and more failure .
This problem gets compounded when you start talking about some people having a little less so that others can have a little more .
Again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but how much hard work are people really going to do if they know that any benefit will go to some other group of people they don ’ t know ?
Turning every corporation into a non-profit run by saints sounds lovely but it ’ s not going to work out well for anyone .
In the end the people who have less will be angry they didn ’ t get more and the people who have more will be angry because some of their labor was taken away from them .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how the benefits of society are to be redistributed .
The obvious answer , though Attenborough doesn ’ t say it , is to have some form of government which effectively has ownership of everything and can redistribute it at will .
But people who have lived under communist dictatorships will tell you that this always ends badly and often with a large body count .
It ’ s nice that this beloved 94-year-old multi-millionaire feels we can all get along with a bit less and without the excesses of capitalism but I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he wanted for anything .
Simply put , there are a lot of jobs out there that aren ’ t as fulfilling or rewarding as producing nature documentaries ( or being an actor , a rock star , etc . )
People who do those jobs may have second thoughts if the learn they ’ re going to be doing them for a lot less both for themselves and their families .
Good will is a good thing but it can ’ t replace the role of self-interest in the economy .
When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t disappear , it just gets limited to a very select group at the top .
That ’ s how you end up with socialist leaders like the ones in Venezuela who become extremely wealthy while their nation starves .

If you’ve ever watched one of those BBC television shows featuring spectacular video of animals around the world then you’re already familiar with David Attenborough, or at least with his voice. David is also the younger brother of the late Richard Attenborough who was an actor who starred in Jurassic Park and also an Oscar winning director for his 1982 film Ghandi. Today the BBC released an interview with David Attenborough in which he embraced the idea that the way forward was an economic system not based on profit.
Asked what he thought the future would look like, Attenborough said it wasn’t going to be “paradise,” at least not immediately. Seated before a row of books and CDs, Attenborough said, “I think that the standard of living of the western cultures, civilized countries is going to have to take pause.” He continued, “I think we are going to have to live more economically than we do. And we can do that. I believe that we will do that more happily not less happily.
“The excesses that the capitalist system has brought us have got to be curbed somehow. That doesn’t mean to say that capitalism is dead. I’m not an economist. I don’t know. But I believe that the nations of the world–ordinary people worldwide are beginning to realize that greed does not actually lead to joy.”
Asked to say more about the economic system he added, “Our economic system has been based on the profit principle, that you have to come out at the end of the year having made a profit. And the bigger profit you can make the better it is. In the short term that works but then it ends with disaster. So you have to at last have the wisdom to realize that you can live sustainably. That it is possible that your economics could work on a rather different system from the one which is based on profit.”
He went on to say that he agreed there was no turning the clock back but suggested, “That means that those that have a great deal perhaps will have a little less and those that have very little can have a little more.”
This last statement seems to be tiptoeing close to an endorsement of Marx’s communist motto: From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.
The problem of course is that the alternative system does not work. Capitalism has taken billions of people out of poverty and given them better lives, lives that aren’t focused on basic necessities like food and water, lives that are much longer and less prone to illness (current pandemic excluded).
So it’s a lovely idea that we can get by with less so the rest of the world can have more but it really does not work that way for a whole host of reasons. For one thing, the drive to create profit is fundamentally linked to the drive for efficiency. The difference between a business that makes a profit and one that does not often involves good management, careful book-keeping and taking advantage of economies of scale. All of that is hard work. Anyone at a Fortune 500 company could tell you that the moment someone takes a relaxed attitude the result can quickly turn from success (profit) to failure (shortfall).
What Attenborough is suggesting is that we literally need to stop trying for profit, i.e. stop trying to get more efficiency than we absolutely have to. The real world outcome of this would almost certainly be less efficiency and more failure.
This problem gets compounded when you start talking about some people having a little less so that others can have a little more. Again, it’s a nice idea but how much hard work are people really going to do if they know that any benefit will go to some other group of people they don’t know? Turning every corporation into a non-profit run by saints sounds lovely but it’s not going to work out well for anyone. In the end the people who have less will be angry they didn’t get more and the people who have more will be angry because some of their labor was taken away from them.
There’s also the unspoken problem of how the benefits of society are to be redistributed. The obvious answer, though Attenborough doesn’t say it, is to have some form of government which effectively has ownership of everything and can redistribute it at will. But people who have lived under communist dictatorships will tell you that this always ends badly and often with a large body count.
It’s nice that this beloved 94-year-old multi-millionaire feels we can all get along with a bit less and without the excesses of capitalism but I wonder when the last time was that he wanted for anything. Simply put, there are a lot of jobs out there that aren’t as fulfilling or rewarding as producing nature documentaries (or being an actor, a rock star, etc.) People who do those jobs may have second thoughts if the learn they’re going to be doing them for a lot less both for themselves and their families. Good will is a good thing but it can’t replace the role of self-interest in the economy. When communism has been tried that self-interest doesn’t disappear, it just gets limited to a very select group at the top. That’s how you end up with socialist leaders like the ones in Venezuela who become extremely wealthy while their nation starves.


hotair--2020-10-08--Riots and looting near Milwaukee after DA decides not to charge a police officer who shot a teenager

Wauwatosa is a small suburban city just west of Milwaukee .
Yesterday the Milwaukee County District Attorney sent a letter to the Wauwatosa police chief announcing that he would not be bringing charges against police officer Joseph Mensah ( who is black ) in the death of a black 17-year-old named Alvin Cole .
Officer Mensah had been involved in two previous fatal shootings in the past five years .
The reaction to the decision not to charge Mensah started as a peaceful protest but turned violent and destructive as it got later .
The shooting of Alvin Cole happened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indoor mall with a group of friends .
He was carrying a stolen gun which he ’ d posted a photo of himself holding ( on Facebook ) the previous night .
Though only 17 , Cole had prior felony convictions which made it illegal for him to possess a gun .
At the mall , Cole got into an argument with an adult male and was flashing the gun inside the mall .
Police were called because someone saw the gun .
Police arrived just as Cole and his friends were leaving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mall security and police chased them on foot .
There was a shot fired as Cole was about to be caught by mall security .
Police later determined he had shot himself in the left forearm .
He went down on the ground as police surrounded him but was still holding the gun .
Three different officers claim he pointed the gun in their direction .
Officer Mensah claimed he saw the gun aimed toward him from under or over Cole ’ s shoulder and Mensah fired five shots .
There is video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assembled into the clip below .
Police later discovered that the extended magazine was not in the gun , meaning the one shot Cole fired was the only one he could have fired .
After reviewing the facts , the DA wrote : “ In this case , there is sufficient evidence that Officer Mensah had an actual subjective belief that deadly force was necessary and that belief was objectively reasonable .
I do not believe that the State could disprove self-defense or defense of others in this case and therefore could not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mensah.
” Given the circumstances , the city of Wauwatosa issued a curfew starting last night at 7 pm .
The Mayor issued a statement about the DA ’ s announcement which said in part : “ Given recent events in Kenosha , Louisville , and other cities around the country , it should be clear that we all must do everything we can to keep our community peaceful .
Violence is not the answer ; it only impoverishes communities and brings more pain and despair.
” The WI national guard was called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The family of Alvin Cole went to meet with the DA .
There was already a crowd assembled : After learning that the officer would not be charged , the family spoke to the media : An attorney for the family also spoke about the outcome of the case .
And after that the protesters started to march : Protesters soon took over part of the freeway : Police eventually caught up with them and began making arrests : Most of the protesters returned to the city streets and a new march began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ got ugly .
I think this man is shouting , “ Tear up the white folks ’ s**t !
” A few people even threw rocks at the windows of private homes : At least one homeowner told the protesters to get off his lawn : Here ’ s what the homeowner was complaining about : I think this was a different home .
Apparently a news crew fled from the crowd by driving on a sidewalk : This morning , Julio Rosas captured video of some of the damage : Police declared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ curfew obviously didn ’ t succeed in preventing things from turning violent last night .
Here ’ s the police video laying out the facts of the shooting .
The Wauwatosa PD is scheduled to get body cameras next year but did not have them at the time of this shooting which is why police had to rely on cameras mounted in the patrol cars .

Wauwatosa is a small suburban city just west of Milwaukee. Yesterday the Milwaukee County District Attorney sent a letter to the Wauwatosa police chief announcing that he would not be bringing charges against police officer Joseph Mensah (who is black) in the death of a black 17-year-old named Alvin Cole. Officer Mensah had been involved in two previous fatal shootings in the past five years. The reaction to the decision not to charge Mensah started as a peaceful protest but turned violent and destructive as it got later.
The Shooting of Alvin Cole
The shooting of Alvin Cole happened in February after Cole entered a local indoor mall with a group of friends. He was carrying a stolen gun which he’d posted a photo of himself holding (on Facebook) the previous night. Though only 17, Cole had prior felony convictions which made it illegal for him to possess a gun. At the mall, Cole got into an argument with an adult male and was flashing the gun inside the mall. Police were called because someone saw the gun.
Police arrived just as Cole and his friends were leaving the mall. The group ran and mall security and police chased them on foot. There was a shot fired as Cole was about to be caught by mall security. Police later determined he had shot himself in the left forearm. He went down on the ground as police surrounded him but was still holding the gun. Three different officers claim he pointed the gun in their direction. Officer Mensah claimed he saw the gun aimed toward him from under or over Cole’s shoulder and Mensah fired five shots. There is video of some of the incident which police assembled into the clip below. Police later discovered that the extended magazine was not in the gun, meaning the one shot Cole fired was the only one he could have fired.
After reviewing the facts, the DA wrote: “In this case, there is sufficient evidence that Officer Mensah had an actual subjective belief that deadly force was necessary and that belief was objectively reasonable. I do not believe that the State could disprove self-defense or defense of others in this case and therefore could not meet the burden
required to charge Officer Mensah.”
The Protests/Riots
Given the circumstances, the city of Wauwatosa issued a curfew starting last night at 7 pm. The Mayor issued a statement about the DA’s announcement which said in part: “Given recent events in Kenosha, Louisville, and other cities around the country, it should be clear that we all must do everything we can to keep our community peaceful. Violence is not the answer; it only impoverishes communities and brings more pain and despair.”
The WI national guard was called in to back up the police:
The WI National Guard has been called to support local law enforcement and ensure public safety in #Wauwatosa https://t.co/mRALxaPJ06 pic.twitter.com/jWgEOL3BzC — CBS 58 News (@CBS58) October 7, 2020
The family of Alvin Cole went to meet with the DA. There was already a crowd assembled:
Alvin Cole’s family and @KimMotleysLaw wait to meet with Milwaukee County District Attorney. They’re met by a crowd of protesters supporting them and calling for the DA to convict @WauwatosaPD Officer Joseph Mensah @TMJ4 pic.twitter.com/Yj1qpCcglp — Lauren Linder (@lauren_linder) October 7, 2020
After learning that the officer would not be charged, the family spoke to the media:
“Chisholm did not justify my son’s murder” – Tracy Cole on DA’s decision not to charge Officer Joseph Mensah in her son’s death @tmj4 pic.twitter.com/Kv6RLT6s2l — Lauren Linder (@lauren_linder) October 7, 2020
“The fight continues, it doesn’t end here” – sister of Alvin Cole on DA’s decision not to charge @WauwatosaPD Officer Joseph Mensah @tmj4 #Mensah #Wauwatosa pic.twitter.com/Dcsx9n1URW — Lauren Linder (@lauren_linder) October 7, 2020
An attorney for the family also spoke about the outcome of the case.
Earlier today: Lawyer for the Cole family talks about the DA’s decision in the Joseph Mensah case, with no charges filed though they ‘couldn’t justify the shooting’ #Wauwatosa #AlvinCole #MilwaukeeProtests #JosephMensah #Milwaukee pic.twitter.com/A0e5lQ31zr — Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) October 8, 2020
And after that the protesters started to march:
Protesters soon took over part of the freeway:
Police eventually caught up with them and began making arrests:
Traffic stopped on I-94 West as protesters march onto the freeway. Police are chasing after them on foot and making arrests of stragglers in the back #MilwaukeeProtests #AlvinCole #Wauwatosa #JosephMensah #Milwaukee pic.twitter.com/Uht15c0kLa — Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) October 7, 2020
Most of the protesters returned to the city streets and a new march began:
Many protesters made it off the highway without arrest, a march is now taking place through Milwaukee, with a car caravan to support #MilwaukeeProtests #AlvinCole #Wauwatosa #JosephMensah #Milwaukee pic.twitter.com/JVDlcr6XZk — Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) October 7, 2020
As it got dark, things got ugly. I think this man is shouting, “Tear up the white folks’ s**t!”
A massive Black Lives Matter caravan making its way through the neighborhood. Protest has been peaceful the last few hours as they march from Milwaukee to Wauwatosa #Wauwatosa #AlvinCole #MilwaukeeProtests #JosephMensah #Milwaukee pic.twitter.com/CYDhpj9Fsr — Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) October 8, 2020
Things began to get violent:
On the ground in Wauwatosa for @townhallcom and some in the BLM crowd are smashing storefront windows. pic.twitter.com/rYwNrlmtMq — Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) October 8, 2020
A few people even threw rocks at the windows of private homes:
The BLM crowd marched towards a line of police officers in Wauwatosa and began to throw projectiles. Police fired tear gas and pepper balls in response. pic.twitter.com/VsHD0flYfX — Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) October 8, 2020
At least one homeowner told the protesters to get off his lawn:
Here’s what the homeowner was complaining about:
Burnouts on the sidewalks as the crowd drowns out the man yelling about motorcycles on his lawn #Wauwatosa #WauwatosaProtests #AlvinCole #JosephMensah pic.twitter.com/2JFRIoiUaQ — Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) October 8, 2020
I think this was a different home.
BLM protestor drives on the lawn with a motorcycle of a guy with an American flag. He pulls out a gun and closes his door. Protestors then break his window (didn't get that footage) #milwaukee #Wauwatosa pic.twitter.com/mlPYeLnNdd — Blair Nelson (@realblairnelson) October 8, 2020
A group of people looted a gas station convenience store:
Apparently a news crew fled from the crowd by driving on a sidewalk:
Protesters chased one of the mainstream news outlets off the scene. They rode their Yukon up on people’s’ lawns and the sidewalks as they darted away #Milwaukee #Wauwatosa #MilwaukeeProtests #AlvinCole #JosephMensah pic.twitter.com/hHbNDmYzqH — Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) October 8, 2020
This morning, Julio Rosas captured video of some of the damage:
A closer look of the damage at the private residences that were targeted last night by rioters in Wauwatosa. pic.twitter.com/T3OHh1HT1x — Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) October 8, 2020
Police declared an unlawful assembly but that and the curfew obviously didn’t succeed in preventing things from turning violent last night. Here’s the police video laying out the facts of the shooting. The Wauwatosa PD is scheduled to get body cameras next year but did not have them at the time of this shooting which is why police had to rely on cameras mounted in the patrol cars.


hotair--2020-10-08--Team Biden: Let's move the town hall debate to the 22nd so that Trump can participate; <span class='

Team Biden: Let's move the town hall debate to the 22nd so that Trump can participate; Update: Team Trump agrees, but... Update: Biden announces town hall event

My instinct when Trump announced that he was backing out of the virtual townhall debate this morning was that Biden should insist the show must go on , whether or not the president attends .
I still think that ’ s the better strategy , frankly , although Team Joe ’ s preferred plan has its virtues too .
Here was Biden when asked about Trump backing out a few hours ago .
You never know what the president will do because he changes his mind from one moment to the next , he says , which is true .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ week .
That was Biden ’ s way of punting on the issue until he and his team could confer and come up with a proper response .
The result : If Trump was bluffing about not doing the second debate , he ’ ll either have to follow through now by skipping it or look terribly weak .
I thought the Biden campaign would insist on holding the town hall event as scheduled on October 15th just because of the optics .
*If* the event was carried across all broadcast and cable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential debates , then Biden would have a massive audience all to himself .
And it would be in a format conducive to him — interacting with everyday Americans , where he can show empathy .
Trump ’ s absence would look terrible in context , visual evidence of his petulance .
And it would give a guy who ’ s been hiding in his basement for most of the campaign an opportunity to claim that he , not Trump , is the one who ’ s willing to work harder for Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ event that 50 million people or whatever planned to watch .
It would also provide ample opportunity for him to remind viewers that the virtual format was made necessary in the first place because of Trump ’ s own negligence in preventing an outbreak that ’ s now infected 34 people and counting , including the president himself .
All of that made a “ damn the torpedoes , full speed ahead ” approach to the debate appealing for Biden .
But there were drawbacks too .
A Trump-less non-debate “ debate ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a TV audience .
The debate commission might not even have been willing to sponsor the event without both candidates there .
And of course there ’ s risk in Biden accepting voters ’ questions for a full two hours or whatever instead of the hour or so he ’ d get to speak as one-half of a debate with Trump .
The longer he has to speak , the higher the risk of a major mistake .
Maybe all of that put Team Joe off of the idea .
Their proposal has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the date currently scheduled for the third debate between Biden and Trump ; what the Biden campaign is suggesting , essentially , is canceling debate two and using a townhall format for debate three instead .
That helps them in two ways .
First , because Biden ’ s up big at the moment , the safe play is to seize any opportunity to avoid a debate .
If he did the townhall debate solo , he probably wouldn ’ t gain much from it but might hurt himself by giving an awkward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Court-packing .
When you ’ re up 10 points and you have the ball with only a few minutes left , you call the safest play you have .
In this case , that ’ s accepting Trump ’ s invitation to cancel the second debate instead of doing it solo .
Second , insisting that the townhall format be used for the third debate plays to Biden ’ s strengths *and* makes it feasible that that debate will be done in person , which works better for a candidate who ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a candidate who isn ’ t .
Trying to feel people ’ s pain remotely , in a Zoom-style exchange , was destined to prove a bit awkward .
By the 22nd , Trump will hopefully be virus-free and the virtual set-up will no longer be needed .
Plus , if Trump turns around and says that he won ’ t do a townhall , only a traditional one-on-one debate , that ’ s an opening for Biden to say “ no way , it ’ s a townhall or nothing .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Either Trump will cave and give Biden the format he wants or Trump will refuse , in which case Biden gets to walk away from the third debate as well .
Which would be tantamount to a team that ’ s ahead getting to kneel on the ball in the waning seconds of the game .
Frankly , I wonder if Team Trump has been looking for an excuse to bail out of the debates .
Normally one would never encourage a candidate that ’ s down big to forgo an opportunity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seems to have done himself so much damage in the first debate polling-wise that skipping the rest might be prudent .
Roger Stone urged him to skip the second debate in an op-ed yesterday , in fact , complaining of bias by the debate commission .
But in reality he probably calculated that Trump would inevitably be asked lots of uncomfortable questions about the outbreak at the White House , why he didn ’ t take more precautions , why he thinks he might be “ immune ” or “ cured ” by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things he ’ s said over the last few days , etc .
For Senate Republicans , denying Trump a chance to make a bad electoral situation worse by riffing in front of a gigantic national audience may be the least bad option right now .
Ironically , a virtual debate might have been the format best-suited to preventing that by saving him from some of his most self-sabotaging excesses : Here ’ s Pete Buttigieg , who played Pence in debate prep for Harris , making the point this morning that other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virtual work , so why shouldn ’ t Trump ?
That ’ s a recurring theme with Democrats down the stretch .
The public was asked to wear masks — but Trump usually declined .
The public was asked not to hold large gatherings — but the White House threw Amy Coney Barrett a big party and , it turns out , Mark Meadows threw his daughter a large wedding back in May in Atlanta even though Georgia prohibited gatherings of over 10 people at the time .
Now Trump doesn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ millions of people are forced to reluctantly use Zoom for work or school .
Trump got elected as a populist but the White House ’ s view seems to be that pandemic precautions are for the little people .
Update : Ah , and here ’ s the response from the Trump campaign .
They ’ re on for October 22nd — but now they want the third debate moved to October 29th , just five days before Election Day .
I ’ ll wager right here that Team Biden ’ s answer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ giving you a chance at a last-second gamechanger with a third debate .
If you want three debates then show up for the Zoom debate on the 15th and we ’ ll do the third one on the 22nd .
If you don ’ t want to do a Zoom debate , we do the third debate as a townhall on the 22nd and then we ’ re done .
Debating Trump on the 29th would be especially risky for Biden since , if Trump is still down big in the final week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be such at that point hat he ’ d be willing to say anything on camera to try to damage him .
I ’ d be shocked if they agree to do anything after the 22nd .
Update : Looks like the second debate really is off .
Biden just scheduled his own town hall event with ABC for that evening instead .
It ’ s no coincidence that it came together so quickly , I ’ m sure .
Team Joe didn ’ t want to give Trump a chance to change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Zoom debate that night after all .
If he wants to squander his few remaining opportunities to change the trajectory of the race , they ’ re happy to take advantage .
Now Biden ’ s booked elsewhere and can ’ t do it even if Trump decides otherwise .

My instinct when Trump announced that he was backing out of the virtual townhall debate this morning was that Biden should insist the show must go on, whether or not the president attends.
I still think that’s the better strategy, frankly, although Team Joe’s preferred plan has its virtues too.
Here was Biden when asked about Trump backing out a few hours ago. You never know what the president will do because he changes his mind from one moment to the next, he says, which is true. Witness the bizarre on-again-off-again stimulus negotiations this week.
“We don’t know what the president’s going to do; he changes his mind every second," Joe Biden says of President Trump asserting that he won't participate in virtual debate. Biden made the comments before his flight to Phoenix for campaign events Thursday. pic.twitter.com/lQh7mEANR6 — NBC Politics (@NBCPolitics) October 8, 2020
That was Biden’s way of punting on the issue until he and his team could confer and come up with a proper response. The result:
New statement from the Biden campaign on the debate: "As a result, Joe Biden will find an appropriate place to take questions from voters directly on October 15th, as he has done on several occasions in recent weeks." pic.twitter.com/Al2S9pIVM0 — Matt Berman (@Mr_Berman) October 8, 2020
If Trump was bluffing about not doing the second debate, he’ll either have to follow through now by skipping it or look terribly weak.
I thought the Biden campaign would insist on holding the town hall event as scheduled on October 15th just because of the optics. *If* the event was carried across all broadcast and cable news networks, as is standard for presidential debates, then Biden would have a massive audience all to himself. And it would be in a format conducive to him — interacting with everyday Americans, where he can show empathy. Trump’s absence would look terrible in context, visual evidence of his petulance. And it would give a guy who’s been hiding in his basement for most of the campaign an opportunity to claim that he, not Trump, is the one who’s willing to work harder for Americans’ votes by showing up to an event that 50 million people or whatever planned to watch.
It would also provide ample opportunity for him to remind viewers that the virtual format was made necessary in the first place because of Trump’s own negligence in preventing an outbreak that’s now infected 34 people and counting, including the president himself.
All of that made a “damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead” approach to the debate appealing for Biden. But there were drawbacks too. A Trump-less non-debate “debate” probably won’t draw much of a TV audience. The debate commission might not even have been willing to sponsor the event without both candidates there. And of course there’s risk in Biden accepting voters’ questions for a full two hours or whatever instead of the hour or so he’d get to speak as one-half of a debate with Trump. The longer he has to speak, the higher the risk of a major mistake. Maybe all of that put Team Joe off of the idea.
Their proposal has its own virtues. October 22nd is the date currently scheduled for the third debate between Biden and Trump; what the Biden campaign is suggesting, essentially, is canceling debate two and using a townhall format for debate three instead. That helps them in two ways. First, because Biden’s up big at the moment, the safe play is to seize any opportunity to avoid a debate. If he did the townhall debate solo, he probably wouldn’t gain much from it but might hurt himself by giving an awkward answer to a question about, say, Court-packing. When you’re up 10 points and you have the ball with only a few minutes left, you call the safest play you have. In this case, that’s accepting Trump’s invitation to cancel the second debate instead of doing it solo.
Second, insisting that the townhall format be used for the third debate plays to Biden’s strengths *and* makes it feasible that that debate will be done in person, which works better for a candidate who’s good at empathy and worse for a candidate who isn’t. Trying to feel people’s pain remotely, in a Zoom-style exchange, was destined to prove a bit awkward. By the 22nd, Trump will hopefully be virus-free and the virtual set-up will no longer be needed. Plus, if Trump turns around and says that he won’t do a townhall, only a traditional one-on-one debate, that’s an opening for Biden to say “no way, it’s a townhall or nothing. We need to hear from the people!” Either Trump will cave and give Biden the format he wants or Trump will refuse, in which case Biden gets to walk away from the third debate as well. Which would be tantamount to a team that’s ahead getting to kneel on the ball in the waning seconds of the game.
Frankly, I wonder if Team Trump has been looking for an excuse to bail out of the debates. Normally one would never encourage a candidate that’s down big to forgo an opportunity at a gamechanging event, but Trump seems to have done himself so much damage in the first debate polling-wise that skipping the rest might be prudent. Roger Stone urged him to skip the second debate in an op-ed yesterday, in fact, complaining of bias by the debate commission. But in reality he probably calculated that Trump would inevitably be asked lots of uncomfortable questions about the outbreak at the White House, why he didn’t take more precautions, why he thinks he might be “immune” or “cured” by the Regeneron antibody drug and other unnerving things he’s said over the last few days, etc. For Senate Republicans, denying Trump a chance to make a bad electoral situation worse by riffing in front of a gigantic national audience may be the least bad option right now.
Ironically, a virtual debate might have been the format best-suited to preventing that by saving him from some of his most self-sabotaging excesses:
My warm to the touch take: A virtual debate would be better for Trump than Biden. It would prevent Trump from interrupting Biden when Biden's hurting himself and would impose discipline on Trump that would artificially make him seem more restrained. — Jonah Goldberg (@JonahDispatch) October 8, 2020
Here’s Pete Buttigieg, who played Pence in debate prep for Harris, making the point this morning that other Americans have had to put up with virtual work, so why shouldn’t Trump? That’s a recurring theme with Democrats down the stretch. The public was asked to wear masks — but Trump usually declined. The public was asked not to hold large gatherings — but the White House threw Amy Coney Barrett a big party and, it turns out, Mark Meadows threw his daughter a large wedding back in May in Atlanta even though Georgia prohibited gatherings of over 10 people at the time. Now Trump doesn’t want do a Zoom debate even though millions of people are forced to reluctantly use Zoom for work or school. Trump got elected as a populist but the White House’s view seems to be that pandemic precautions are for the little people.
It's too bad Trump is afraid to debate next week. pic.twitter.com/4juvdgPfE7 — Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) October 8, 2020
Update: Ah, and here’s the response from the Trump campaign. They’re on for October 22nd — but now they want the third debate moved to October 29th, just five days before Election Day.
UPDATE: Trump campaign agrees to Biden proposal to pushing the second debate to October 22 and a third debate on October 29 pic.twitter.com/Nbc0oLnmNj — Sara Cook (@saraecook) October 8, 2020
I’ll wager right here that Team Biden’s answer is no, we’re not giving you a chance at a last-second gamechanger with a third debate. If you want three debates then show up for the Zoom debate on the 15th and we’ll do the third one on the 22nd. If you don’t want to do a Zoom debate, we do the third debate as a townhall on the 22nd and then we’re done. Debating Trump on the 29th would be especially risky for Biden since, if Trump is still down big in the final week of the race, his desperation may be such at that point hat he’d be willing to say anything on camera to try to damage him. I’d be shocked if they agree to do anything after the 22nd.
Update: I won my wager.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Biden campaign rejects Trump proposal to move date of 3rd debate. — Jonathan Lemire (@JonLemire) October 8, 2020
Update: Looks like the second debate really is off. Biden just scheduled his own town hall event with ABC for that evening instead. It’s no coincidence that it came together so quickly, I’m sure. Team Joe didn’t want to give Trump a chance to change his mind and agree to do the Zoom debate that night after all. If he wants to squander his few remaining opportunities to change the trajectory of the race, they’re happy to take advantage. Now Biden’s booked elsewhere and can’t do it even if Trump decides otherwise.


hotair--2020-10-08--Breaking: Feds bust militia plot to kidnap Whitmer, at least six charged

Christopher Wray had good reason to highlight the domestic-terrorism threat from militia groups , it turns out .
An interstate conspiracy among militia-movement followers to kidnap Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer prompted FBI raids this morning .
It might have been worse , according to an informant who tipped the feds to the plot , as some wanted to murder “ tyrants ” rather than just capturing them ( video from WXYZ in Detroit ) : “ In early 2020 , the FBI became aware through social media that a group of individuals were discussing the violent overthrow of certain government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oct. 6 filing in the U.S. District Court Western District of Michigan .
According to the court record , 15 militia members from “ several states , ” including two from Michigan , met in Dublin , Ohio on June 6 to discuss taking “ violent action against multiple state governments that they believe are violating the U.S. Constitution .
” … Several members talked about murdering ‘ tyrants ’ or ‘ taking ’ a sitting governor .
The group decided they needed to increase their numbers and encouraged each other to talk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” One of the Michigan who ’ s been charged then reached out to a Michigan-based militia for assistance with the plan , the court filing said .
The FBI already had an undercover informant from within the militia that was developed after law enforcement learned of the group ’ s earlier plans to “ target and kill police officers.
” According to the indictment , surveillance of Whitmer ’ s vacation residence by the conspirators had already begun , and their plans had a deadline — Election Day .
The plot had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though : The court filing also alleges the conspirators twice conducted surveillance at Whitmer ’ s vacation home and discussed kidnapping her to a remote location in Wisconsin to stand “ trial ” for treason prior to the Nov. 3 election .
“ Several members talked about murdering ‘ tyrants ’ or ‘ taking ’ a sitting governor , ” an FBI agent wrote in the affidavit .
“ The group decided they needed to increase their numbers and encouraged each other to talk to their neighbors and spread their message.
” … @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the FBI learned through social media that individuals were discussing the violent overthrow of several state governments and law enforcement .
In June , Croft , Fox and 13 others from multiple states held a meeting in Dublin , Ohio , near Columbus , according to the government .
Those present included an FBI confidential source who recorded the meetings .
The source has been paid $ 8,600 .
No doubt Wray had this in mind when testifying about the domestic terrorism threat posed by militia groups .
There ’ s no word @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were involved , but the descriptions in the court filings suggest that they ’ re at least somewhat aligned with the sovereign-citizen movement or at least its philosophies .
Otherwise , the ideologies in play are ambiguous at best right now .
It ’ s worth noting that the FBI and Department of Justice have had their critics on these types of domestic-terror busts .
They often get accused of having entrapped people through undercover operatives that allegedly drive the conspiracy themselves .
Undoubtedly , the defendants in this case will make that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have recordings of these meetings , that might be a difficult defense to sustain , but it ’ s best to keep in mind that the government bears the burden of proof that the conspiracy existed organically without entrapment .
This indictment poses an interesting political conundrum , too .
Trump reacted angrily to Wray ’ s contention that militia groups posed the biggest organized domestic-terrorism threat ; Trump wanted to highlight the threat from Antifa , and burning cities across the country seems to support that .
If the DoJ lacks independence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claim , then they wouldn ’ t be terribly enthusiastic about this case .
Looking at it from the opposite perspective , it could demonstrate just how dangerous the DoJ considered this conspiracy .

Christopher Wray had good reason to highlight the domestic-terrorism threat from militia groups, it turns out. An interstate conspiracy among militia-movement followers to kidnap Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer prompted FBI raids this morning. It might have been worse, according to an informant who tipped the feds to the plot, as some wanted to murder “tyrants” rather than just capturing them (video from WXYZ in Detroit):
“In early 2020, the FBI became aware through social media that a group of individuals were discussing the violent overthrow of certain government and law-enforcement components,” says the Oct. 6 filing in the U.S. District Court Western District of Michigan. According to the court record, 15 militia members from “several states,” including two from Michigan, met in Dublin, Ohio on June 6 to discuss taking “violent action against multiple state governments that they believe are violating the U.S. Constitution. ” … Several members talked about murdering ‘tyrants’ or ‘taking’ a sitting governor. The group decided they needed to increase their numbers and encouraged each other to talk to their neighbors and spread their message.” One of the Michigan who’s been charged then reached out to a Michigan-based militia for assistance with the plan, the court filing said. The FBI already had an undercover informant from within the militia that was developed after law enforcement learned of the group’s earlier plans to “target and kill police officers.”
According to the indictment, surveillance of Whitmer’s vacation residence by the conspirators had already begun, and their plans had a deadline — Election Day. The plot had been in the works for months, though:
The court filing also alleges the conspirators twice conducted surveillance at Whitmer’s vacation home and discussed kidnapping her to a remote location in Wisconsin to stand “trial” for treason prior to the Nov. 3 election. “Several members talked about murdering ‘tyrants’ or ‘taking’ a sitting governor,” an FBI agent wrote in the affidavit. “The group decided they needed to increase their numbers and encouraged each other to talk to their neighbors and spread their message.” … The investigation dates to early 2020 when the FBI learned through social media that individuals were discussing the violent overthrow of several state governments and law enforcement. In June, Croft, Fox and 13 others from multiple states held a meeting in Dublin, Ohio, near Columbus, according to the government. Those present included an FBI confidential source who recorded the meetings. The source has been paid $8,600.
No doubt Wray had this in mind when testifying about the domestic terrorism threat posed by militia groups. There’s no word yet on which specific group or groups were involved, but the descriptions in the court filings suggest that they’re at least somewhat aligned with the sovereign-citizen movement or at least its philosophies. Otherwise, the ideologies in play are ambiguous at best right now.
It’s worth noting that the FBI and Department of Justice have had their critics on these types of domestic-terror busts. They often get accused of having entrapped people through undercover operatives that allegedly drive the conspiracy themselves. Undoubtedly, the defendants in this case will make that same claim in court. If they have recordings of these meetings, that might be a difficult defense to sustain, but it’s best to keep in mind that the government bears the burden of proof that the conspiracy existed organically without entrapment.
This indictment poses an interesting political conundrum, too. Trump reacted angrily to Wray’s contention that militia groups posed the biggest organized domestic-terrorism threat; Trump wanted to highlight the threat from Antifa, and burning cities across the country seems to support that. If the DoJ lacks independence as critics of Trump and William Barr claim, then they wouldn’t be terribly enthusiastic about this case. Looking at it from the opposite perspective, it could demonstrate just how dangerous the DoJ considered this conspiracy.


hotair--2020-10-08--Massachusetts "activists" block ICE arrest

In case you thought the whole “ Abolish ICE ” movement had died off in favor of “ Abolish the Police , ” think again .
ICE agents in Lynn , Massachusetts arrested Rebelio Gonzalez this week on charges of being in the country illegally .
Gonzalez is a repeat offender , having already entered the country illegally three times and having been deported before .
But this arrest took a turn for the worse quickly .
After the agents handcuffed the illegal alien and placed him in their car , his daughter called an “ immigration rights activist ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ICE agents ’ vehicle , refusing to let them leave .
At that point , somewhat shockingly , the agents released Gonzalez .
( CBS Boston ) Immigration activists in Lynn surrounded a vehicle belonging to ICE agents on Monday .
Inside was Rebelio Gonzalez , handcuffed .
When the activists wouldn ’ t move , the agents released Gonzales .
“ We can ’ t just watch ICE come into our communities and tear families apart , in a way that doesn ’ t make communities safer , ” said Isaac @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For Change .
While the ICE agents had Gonzales handcuffed , his daughter called an activist and within minutes , they had the agents ’ car surrounded .
According to the agency , there were a couple of complicating factors in the arrest of Gonzales .
The primary one cited is a rule among Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers prohibiting the arrest of someone if it would “ leave a young child alone.
” That makes sense and is a rather compassionate approach , providing the suspect isn ’ t a known , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they might be able to wait around until a relative could be located to care for the child .
But just how young and vulnerable was Gonzales ’ daughter ?
Note that when her father was being arrested , she didn ’ t dial 911 .
She didn ’ t call a relative .
She knew enough to immediately call the head of an “ activist ” group and have him dispatch a mob of people to show up and block the ICE agents ’ vehicle from leaving with the prisoner .
Sounds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capable .
And surely one of those activists could have contacted other family members to make sure the girl was cared for , right ?
More to the point is the fact that materially interfering in an arrest or other law enforcement action by ICE during Enforcement and Removal Operations ( ERO ) is a felony .
Every one of the “ activists ” who blocked that car from leaving should have been arrested themselves .
( It ’ s a fair bet that they could have rounded up a few more illegal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how did this otherwise standard enforcement operation go so far off track ?
I ’ d be willing to bet that the officers were so heavily outnumbered that they might not have been able to prevail if an altercation with the mob turned physical .
If there was no backup available in the immediate area , it probably looked like the smarter option to put off Gonzales ’ detainment and deportation to another day .
The excuse about a young child being left alone was probably just a face-saving measure .
The point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yet another instance of mobs of people showing up in defiance of the law and disrespecting , interfering with or even attacking law enforcement officers .
It ’ s no different from the mobs in the BLM riots going after municipal police officers , their vehicles , or precinct stations .
This shouldn ’ t be treated as a minor matter because it represents the further erosion of our ability to maintain order in the public square .
If there is dashcam footage of the incident , ICE needs to mount up a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in there and not only arrest Gonzalez but all of the mob members who thwarted the enforcement action .

In case you thought the whole “Abolish ICE” movement had died off in favor of “Abolish the Police,” think again. ICE agents in Lynn, Massachusetts arrested Rebelio Gonzalez this week on charges of being in the country illegally. Gonzalez is a repeat offender, having already entered the country illegally three times and having been deported before. But this arrest took a turn for the worse quickly. After the agents handcuffed the illegal alien and placed him in their car, his daughter called an “immigration rights activist” and very quickly a mob assembled around the ICE agents’ vehicle, refusing to let them leave. At that point, somewhat shockingly, the agents released Gonzalez. (CBS Boston)
Immigration activists in Lynn surrounded a vehicle belonging to ICE agents on Monday. Inside was Rebelio Gonzalez, handcuffed. When the activists wouldn’t move, the agents released Gonzales. “We can’t just watch ICE come into our communities and tear families apart, in a way that doesn’t make communities safer,” said Isaac Simon-Hodes of the group called Lynn United For Change. While the ICE agents had Gonzales handcuffed, his daughter called an activist and within minutes, they had the agents’ car surrounded.
According to the agency, there were a couple of complicating factors in the arrest of Gonzales. The primary one cited is a rule among Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers prohibiting the arrest of someone if it would “leave a young child alone.” That makes sense and is a rather compassionate approach, providing the suspect isn’t a known, dangerous felon. In that case, they might be able to wait around until a relative could be located to care for the child.
But just how young and vulnerable was Gonzales’ daughter? Note that when her father was being arrested, she didn’t dial 911. She didn’t call a relative. She knew enough to immediately call the head of an “activist” group and have him dispatch a mob of people to show up and block the ICE agents’ vehicle from leaving with the prisoner. Sounds to me like she’s fairly capable. And surely one of those activists could have contacted other family members to make sure the girl was cared for, right?
More to the point is the fact that materially interfering in an arrest or other law enforcement action by ICE during Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) is a felony. Every one of the “activists” who blocked that car from leaving should have been arrested themselves. (It’s a fair bet that they could have rounded up a few more illegal aliens in the process.)
So how did this otherwise standard enforcement operation go so far off track? I’d be willing to bet that the officers were so heavily outnumbered that they might not have been able to prevail if an altercation with the mob turned physical. If there was no backup available in the immediate area, it probably looked like the smarter option to put off Gonzales’ detainment and deportation to another day. The excuse about a young child being left alone was probably just a face-saving measure.
The point here is that we’re seeing yet another instance of mobs of people showing up in defiance of the law and disrespecting, interfering with or even attacking law enforcement officers. It’s no different from the mobs in the BLM riots going after municipal police officers, their vehicles, or precinct stations. This shouldn’t be treated as a minor matter because it represents the further erosion of our ability to maintain order in the public square. If there is dashcam footage of the incident, ICE needs to mount up a healthy squad of officers, go back in there and not only arrest Gonzalez but all of the mob members who thwarted the enforcement action.


hotair--2020-10-08--Politico: Say, why did race relations get the "back burner" in last night's debate?

In retrospect , this does seem a bit curious .
Donald Trump and Joe Biden went it it tooth and nail over race relations in last week ’ s debate , and the controversy over the exchanges lasted a few days later .
With Kamala Harris facing off against Mike Pence last night , Maya King writes , the expectation of fireworks over policing , protests , riots , and systemic racism went even higher than before last week ’ s debate .
Instead , that issue barely registered , King points out while wondering why : Though Vice President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — briefly — about the legacy of systemic racism , the topic was overshadowed by the coronavirus , the economy and health care .
President Donald Trump ’ s refusal last week to disavow white supremacists during the first presidential debate — the major flashpoint of the evening — earned only a glancing mention from the vice presidential candidates .
Late in the debate , moderator Susan Page introduced the topic , invoking the summer ’ s most high-profile cases of police brutality , Breonna Taylor and George Floyd , two African Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t a robust discussion of racism in America despite protests cropping up around the country .
Page might have introduced it “ late ” because she assumed one side or the other would raise it themselves .
Trump and Pence have not been shy about proclaiming law and order as a major campaign theme , just as Biden and Harris have vocally supported Black Lives Matter protesters and demanded policing reforms .
As we repeatedly saw last night , neither Pence nor Harris felt particularly constrained to answer the questions Page asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sides need a nudge ?
Based on what transpired , it looks like both campaigns have rethought their positions and reassessed their vulnerabilities .
Pence did a good job defending Trump against the Charlottesville smear , reminding everyone that Trump ’ s “ good people on both sides ” statement referred to the controversy over monuments , not over white supremacy .
It ’ s still a defensive position , however .
Meanwhile , Harris ’ talk about “ peaceful protests ” is essentially a non-sequitur ; no one ’ s worried about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about spiking crime and riots , which were teeing up in Wauwatosa last night as the debate took place .
Riots , looting , and crime are the clear context now , and Team Biden doesn ’ t want to link itself to those , for obvious reasons .
But perhaps the answer for last night was even simpler .
When the topic did come up , Pence wiped the floor with Harris over it , especially when she raised her record as Attorney General in California to make the argument : As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her resumé , I tweeted that Pence was already locked and loaded .
Pence knew Harris ’ record better than Harris did , and ended up demolishing every single aspect of her argument .
Democrats usually have the race-relations debate all to themselves , but when a Republican shows up prepared for the argument , it doesn ’ t play nearly as well .
Trump didn ’ t prepare well for the issue in last week ’ s debate ; Pence clearly did for this one .
That brings us to a couple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Left are displaying after this debate and this exchange in particular .
Harris started out by proclaiming that “ I will not be lectured , ” a phrase she repeated during the debate , apparently missing the facts that ( a ) debates are about laying out arguments and defending against other arguments , and ( b ) Harris was doing plenty of lecturing herself on stage .
That ’ s a tell that Harris felt that she was getting the worst of the exchange and felt as though she had to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said .
Worse yet are the “ mansplaining ” complaints from Harris ’ defenders , which practically admit that Harris got the worst of it last night .
This patronizing excuse assumes that women who make it to the top of the heap in politics are somehow disadvantaged in debates to the point where men have to be constrained from presenting arguments at all .
If that ’ s feminism , it ’ s a strangely Victorian strain of it ; should Pence have kept silent all night , with a vial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fainted on the stage from the vapors ?
These are all tells for what clearly turned out to be a less-than-stellar debate performance from Harris .
That ’ s not a surprise , either , as Harris had a whole string of less-than-stellar debate performances in 2019 before flaming out early in the primary cycle .
And it might be that the Biden campaign strategized away from race relations in this debate because they worried that Harris couldn ’ t execute on it well enough to win — and if so , that @ @ @ @ @

In retrospect, this does seem a bit curious. Donald Trump and Joe Biden went it it tooth and nail over race relations in last week’s debate, and the controversy over the exchanges lasted a few days later. With Kamala Harris facing off against Mike Pence last night, Maya King writes, the expectation of fireworks over policing, protests, riots, and systemic racism went even higher than before last week’s debate.
Instead, that issue barely registered, King points out while wondering why:
Though Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris argued — briefly — about the legacy of systemic racism, the topic was overshadowed by the coronavirus, the economy and health care. President Donald Trump’s refusal last week to disavow white supremacists during the first presidential debate — the major flashpoint of the evening — earned only a glancing mention from the vice presidential candidates. Late in the debate, moderator Susan Page introduced the topic, invoking the summer’s most high-profile cases of police brutality, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, two African Americans killed by police. But there wasn’t a robust discussion of racism in America despite protests cropping up around the country.
Page might have introduced it “late” because she assumed one side or the other would raise it themselves. Trump and Pence have not been shy about proclaiming law and order as a major campaign theme, just as Biden and Harris have vocally supported Black Lives Matter protesters and demanded policing reforms. As we repeatedly saw last night, neither Pence nor Harris felt particularly constrained to answer the questions Page asked last night. So why did both sides need a nudge?
Based on what transpired, it looks like both campaigns have rethought their positions and reassessed their vulnerabilities. Pence did a good job defending Trump against the Charlottesville smear, reminding everyone that Trump’s “good people on both sides” statement referred to the controversy over monuments, not over white supremacy. It’s still a defensive position, however. Meanwhile, Harris’ talk about “peaceful protests” is essentially a non-sequitur; no one’s worried about peaceful protests — they’re worried about spiking crime and riots, which were teeing up in Wauwatosa last night as the debate took place. Riots, looting, and crime are the clear context now, and Team Biden doesn’t want to link itself to those, for obvious reasons.
But perhaps the answer for last night was even simpler. When the topic did come up, Pence wiped the floor with Harris over it, especially when she raised her record as Attorney General in California to make the argument:
As soon as Harris raised this part of her resumé, I tweeted that Pence was already locked and loaded. Pence knew Harris’ record better than Harris did, and ended up demolishing every single aspect of her argument. Democrats usually have the race-relations debate all to themselves, but when a Republican shows up prepared for the argument, it doesn’t play nearly as well. Trump didn’t prepare well for the issue in last week’s debate; Pence clearly did for this one.
That brings us to a couple of more “tells” Harris and the Left are displaying after this debate and this exchange in particular. Harris started out by proclaiming that “I will not be lectured,” a phrase she repeated during the debate, apparently missing the facts that (a) debates are about laying out arguments and defending against other arguments, and (b) Harris was doing plenty of lecturing herself on stage. That’s a tell that Harris felt that she was getting the worst of the exchange and felt as though she had to delegitimize even the idea of opposing what she said.
Worse yet are the “mansplaining” complaints from Harris’ defenders, which practically admit that Harris got the worst of it last night. This patronizing excuse assumes that women who make it to the top of the heap in politics are somehow disadvantaged in debates to the point where men have to be constrained from presenting arguments at all. If that’s feminism, it’s a strangely Victorian strain of it; should Pence have kept silent all night, with a vial of smelling salts just in case Harris fainted on the stage from the vapors?
These are all tells for what clearly turned out to be a less-than-stellar debate performance from Harris. That’s not a surprise, either, as Harris had a whole string of less-than-stellar debate performances in 2019 before flaming out early in the primary cycle. And it might be that the Biden campaign strategized away from race relations in this debate because they worried that Harris couldn’t execute on it well enough to win — and if so, that was a smart decision.


hotair--2020-10-08--Steve Schmidt: That fly that landed on Pence's head historically has been the mark of the Beast

Ninety-five percent of the time , “ Trump Derangement Syndrome ” is just something MAGA diehards say to wave away valid criticism of the president that they don ’ t want to hear .
But then there ’ s that other five percent .
When it happens , you know it instantly .
And it ’ s magical .
I think this is deadpan humor by Schmidt , a member of the Lincoln Project and one of the most vociferous Never Trumpers in media .
But it could be a half-kidding product of circumstance — it was late , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cable audience that hates Trump , and he and Ari Melber were trying to fill airtime .
Maybe he ’ d had a glass or two of wine during the debate and a thought popped into his head about Satan and he decided to just run with it .
“ Explore the studio space , ” if you will .
By Election Day , MSNBC will be doing incantations on the air to try to rid America of evil .
It ’ s going to be a rough final month on cable and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night is that if it ’ s not immediately apparent afterward who won a debate — or rather , who lost — then the debate didn ’ t matter .
VP debates in particular are so low-stakes that it ’ s hard to imagine what could happen onstage to influence a voter ’ s choice between the two presidential nominees .
If Pence had theatrically coughed in Harris ’ s direction to mock her for worrying about COVID , that might have done it .
Or if Harris had followed Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every six seconds , that may have alienated people .
( Polls this week suggest that Trump ’ s boorish performance at the first debate really did cost him . )
As it is , a CNN poll this morning found that viewers thought Harris won , 59/38 , but the same group had predicted she would win beforehand by a margin of 61/36 .
Essentially people tuned in with certain expectations and/or rooting interests and nothing happened onstage to shake them .
A Frank Luntz focus group found Harris ’ s constant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Pence coming off a bit better , but the gender split in the CNN poll is noteworthy : Women who watched overwhelmingly thought Harris won , 69/30 .
It sounds like Harris didn ’ t do Biden any damage among the demographic he ’ s counting on the most .
To the contrary .
The most noteworthy thing to happen was arguably Pence showing up with a red eye .
That was alarming because conjunctivitis , a.k.a .
“ pink eye , ” does happen sometimes in people infected with coronavirus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the order of one percent or even slightly less among nonsevere cases .
( It may be more common in kids who are infected . )
But it ’ s even rarer among adults who don ’ t have COVID , which makes for a curious coincidence that the VP would have a red eye amidst a major outbreak at the White House .
It led to this bit of math-heavy speculation : Is believing Pence might have COVID itself an example of TDS ?
There are problems with the theory .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ watching last night thought he recognized something more benign .
Two : Pence and his wife tested negative before the debate .
One would think that if he were infected and at the stage where he ’ s exhibiting visible symptoms of the disease , he ’ d be testing positive already .
Exit question for doctors : Am I right in that assumption ?
Could it be that Pence has the virus and there ’ s enough of it in his system to make him infectious *and* symptomatic with a red eye @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be showing up negative on PCR tests ?

Ninety-five percent of the time, “Trump Derangement Syndrome” is just something MAGA diehards say to wave away valid criticism of the president that they don’t want to hear.
But then there’s that other five percent. When it happens, you know it instantly. And it’s magical.
I think this is deadpan humor by Schmidt, a member of the Lincoln Project and one of the most vociferous Never Trumpers in media. But it could be a half-kidding product of circumstance — it was late, he hates Trump, he was addressing a cable audience that hates Trump, and he and Ari Melber were trying to fill airtime. Maybe he’d had a glass or two of wine during the debate and a thought popped into his head about Satan and he decided to just run with it. “Explore the studio space,” if you will.
Steve Schmidt says a fly landing on Mike Pence during the debate is “the mark of the devil” pic.twitter.com/tXe5oPSilI — Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) October 8, 2020
By Election Day, MSNBC will be doing incantations on the air to try to rid America of evil. It’s going to be a rough final month on cable and Twitter.
My banal take on last night is that if it’s not immediately apparent afterward who won a debate — or rather, who lost — then the debate didn’t matter. VP debates in particular are so low-stakes that it’s hard to imagine what could happen onstage to influence a voter’s choice between the two presidential nominees. If Pence had theatrically coughed in Harris’s direction to mock her for worrying about COVID, that might have done it. Or if Harris had followed Trump’s debate strategy of interrupting her opponent once every six seconds, that may have alienated people. (Polls this week suggest that Trump’s boorish performance at the first debate really did cost him.) As it is, a CNN poll this morning found that viewers thought Harris won, 59/38, but the same group had predicted she would win beforehand by a margin of 61/36. Essentially people tuned in with certain expectations and/or rooting interests and nothing happened onstage to shake them. A Frank Luntz focus group found Harris’s constant disdainful mugging for the camera off-putting, with Pence coming off a bit better, but the gender split in the CNN poll is noteworthy: Women who watched overwhelmingly thought Harris won, 69/30. It sounds like Harris didn’t do Biden any damage among the demographic he’s counting on the most. To the contrary.
The most noteworthy thing to happen was arguably Pence showing up with a red eye. That was alarming because conjunctivitis, a.k.a. “pink eye,” does happen sometimes in people infected with coronavirus. It’s rare, maybe something on the order of one percent or even slightly less among nonsevere cases. (It may be more common in kids who are infected.) But it’s even rarer among adults who don’t have COVID, which makes for a curious coincidence that the VP would have a red eye amidst a major outbreak at the White House. It led to this bit of math-heavy speculation:
Earlier tonight I speculated that Pence's unilateral conjunctivitis was a troubling sign that he might have COVID. Is that a reasonable inference to draw? We can use Bayes' rule and a bit of Fermi estimation to figure it out. pic.twitter.com/p9RnyUmj76 — Carl T. Bergstrom (@CT_Bergstrom) October 8, 2020
You can plug in your own numbers of course. But the bottom line is that because (1) Pence has been exposed to COVID recently, (2) unilateral conjunctivitis is rare in healthy adults and (3) it is less rare in adults with COVID, the observation substantially increases our concern. pic.twitter.com/hdhkNOYP9F — Carl T. Bergstrom (@CT_Bergstrom) October 8, 2020
Is believing Pence might have COVID itself an example of TDS? There are problems with the theory. First, at least one eye doctor watching last night thought he recognized something more benign.
Eye doctor, here! 👋 👨🏼⚕ Temporal Subconjunctival Hemorrhage OS is my diagnosis; it’s a broken blood vessel, not infectious. #pinkeyepence — Dr. Daniel Volland (@drvolland) October 8, 2020
Two: Pence and his wife tested negative before the debate. One would think that if he were infected and at the stage where he’s exhibiting visible symptoms of the disease, he’d be testing positive already. Exit question for doctors: Am I right in that assumption? Could it be that Pence has the virus and there’s enough of it in his system to make him infectious *and* symptomatic with a red eye, but that he’d still be showing up negative on PCR tests?


hotair--2020-10-08--President Trump brings God into the COVID discussion and so does ... Jane Fonda

President Trump and Jane Fonda look at God ’ s blessings in very different ways .
While President Trump looks upon new drugs to treat COVID-19 as a blessing from God , Jane Fonda has a different take .
She says that COVID-19 is a blessing from God for Democrats .
Jane Fonda posted a video from a conversation she had on Zoom Tuesday .
As she blathers on about stopping fascism , she says , “ You know , I just think COVID is God ’ s gift to the left.
” As she finished her sentence , she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terrible thing to say but goes on to justify her hateful thought .
COVID-19 , you see , has finally exposed President Trump for who he is and now American voters will finally get rid of him , or something .
“ I just think COVID is God ’ s gift to the left , ” the Academy Award winner said , laughing after she made the remark .
“ That ’ s a terrible thing to say .
I think it was a very difficult thing to send down to us , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who he [ Trump ] is and what he stands for and what is being done to average people and working people in this country.
” “ We can see it now , people who couldn ’ t see it before , you know , they see it now and we have a chance to harness that anger and make a difference , ” Fonda added .
She all but says we ’ ve got him this time .
Remember back in the late 1990s when Jane Fonda allegedly became a born-again Christian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ teachings on Christianity must have veered off from those most of us have received .
I don ’ t think it was a vengeful God who sent a deadly virus to the most powerful man on earth to expose him as a bad Orange Man .
I think it was the Communist Chinese government that allowed a deadly , highly contagious virus to spread across China and then the rest of the world .
You won ’ t hear Hanoi Jane diss China , though .
She has a history of standing up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Her anti-American attitude is exposed once again .
I guess the thousands of deaths of Americans from the coronavirus are just collateral damage in her war against Trump .
President Trump looks at God ’ s presence in our lives in a different way .
He said Wednesday that his diagnosis of the coronavirus is “ a blessing from God ” .
He thinks his personal use of a drug cocktail developed to treat the coronavirus shows God ’ s blessings to those who are ill with the virus .
He can point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the effectiveness of the drugs which wouldn ’ t have been developed without the coronavirus .
And , he took the opportunity to promise that the same cocktail will be available to all Americans , free of charge .
“ I want everybody to be given the same treatment as your president because I feel great .
I feel , like , perfect , ” Trump said , referring to an experimental monoclonal antibody cocktail from pharmaceutical giant Regeneron that he received over the course of his three-day hospitalization at Walter Reed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this was a blessing from God that I caught it , ” Trump continued .
“ I caught it , I heard about this drug .
I said , ‘ Let me take it ’ — it was my suggestion — I said , ‘ Let me take it , ’ and it was incredible the way it worked , incredible .
And I think if I didn ’ t catch it we ’ d be looking at that like a number of other drugs.
” “ You ’ re not going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ It wasn ’ t your fault that this happened , it was China ’ s fault and China ’ s going to pay a big price for what they ’ ve done to this country .
China ’ s going to pay a big price for what they ’ ve done to the world , so just remember that.
” Joe Biden responded in his usual feckless way to the president ’ s remarks .
He tried to appear thoughtful in his delivery .
While questions arise as to how the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Regeneron , can provide it for free , the company says it has applied to the US Food and Drug Administration for emergency use authorization ( EUA ) .
If granted , Regeneron agrees to provide it at no cost to patients .
“ Under our agreement with the U.S. government for the initial doses of REGN-COV2 , if an EUA is granted the government has committed to making these doses available to the American people at no cost and would be responsible for their distribution , ” the statement said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ doses available for approximately 50,000 patients , and we expect to have doses available for 300,000 patients in total within the next few months .
I ’ ll end with this – Jane Fonda has brought back her fitness video days with a get out the vote exercise tape with a few of her celebrity friends .
I ’ m sorry , America .

President Trump and Jane Fonda look at God’s blessings in very different ways. While President Trump looks upon new drugs to treat COVID-19 as a blessing from God, Jane Fonda has a different take. She says that COVID-19 is a blessing from God for Democrats.
Jane Fonda posted a video from a conversation she had on Zoom Tuesday. As she blathers on about stopping fascism, she says, “You know, I just think COVID is God’s gift to the left.” As she finished her sentence, she chuckled. She admits it is a terrible thing to say but goes on to justify her hateful thought. COVID-19, you see, has finally exposed President Trump for who he is and now American voters will finally get rid of him, or something.
“I just think COVID is God’s gift to the left,” the Academy Award winner said, laughing after she made the remark. “That’s a terrible thing to say. I think it was a very difficult thing to send down to us, but it has ripped the Band-Aid off who he [Trump] is and what he stands for and what is being done to average people and working people in this country.” “We can see it now, people who couldn’t see it before, you know, they see it now and we have a chance to harness that anger and make a difference,” Fonda added.
She all but says we’ve got him this time. Remember back in the late 1990s when Jane Fonda allegedly became a born-again Christian? Somewhere along the line, her teachings on Christianity must have veered off from those most of us have received. I don’t think it was a vengeful God who sent a deadly virus to the most powerful man on earth to expose him as a bad Orange Man. I think it was the Communist Chinese government that allowed a deadly, highly contagious virus to spread across China and then the rest of the world. You won’t hear Hanoi Jane diss China, though. She has a history of standing up for communist governments, you know. Her anti-American attitude is exposed once again. I guess the thousands of deaths of Americans from the coronavirus are just collateral damage in her war against Trump.
President Trump looks at God’s presence in our lives in a different way. He said Wednesday that his diagnosis of the coronavirus is “a blessing from God”. He thinks his personal use of a drug cocktail developed to treat the coronavirus shows God’s blessings to those who are ill with the virus. He can point to his own speedy recovery as proof of the effectiveness of the drugs which wouldn’t have been developed without the coronavirus. And, he took the opportunity to promise that the same cocktail will be available to all Americans, free of charge.
“I want everybody to be given the same treatment as your president because I feel great. I feel, like, perfect,” Trump said, referring to an experimental monoclonal antibody cocktail from pharmaceutical giant Regeneron that he received over the course of his three-day hospitalization at Walter Reed Medical Center. “So I think this was a blessing from God that I caught it,” Trump continued. “I caught it, I heard about this drug. I said, ‘Let me take it’ — it was my suggestion — I said, ‘Let me take it,’ and it was incredible the way it worked, incredible. And I think if I didn’t catch it we’d be looking at that like a number of other drugs.” “You’re not going to pay for it,” he said. “It wasn’t your fault that this happened, it was China’s fault and China’s going to pay a big price for what they’ve done to this country. China’s going to pay a big price for what they’ve done to the world, so just remember that.”
Joe Biden responded in his usual feckless way to the president’s remarks. He tried to appear thoughtful in his delivery.
“Gotta think before I speak on this one,” Biden told reporters near his Delaware home. “I think it’s a tragedy the president deals with COVID like it is something not to be worried about when already 210,000 people have died. I think it’s a tragedy.”
While questions arise as to how the biotechnology company that produces the antibody cocktail, Regeneron, can provide it for free, the company says it has applied to the US Food and Drug Administration for emergency use authorization (EUA). If granted, Regeneron agrees to provide it at no cost to patients.
“Under our agreement with the U.S. government for the initial doses of REGN-COV2, if an EUA is granted the government has committed to making these doses available to the American people at no cost and would be responsible for their distribution,” the statement said. “At this time, there are doses available for approximately 50,000 patients, and we expect to have doses available for 300,000 patients in total within the next few months.
I’ll end with this – Jane Fonda has brought back her fitness video days with a get out the vote exercise tape with a few of her celebrity friends. I’m sorry, America.
“Hello class, we’re bringing back the movement. We need you to be in shape for the upcoming race,” says Fonda in the clip that dropped on the final day of registration to vote on Monday. “Let’s get ready to exercise our right to vote!”
https://www.instagram.com/tv/CF9_Zupn5p7/?utm_source=ig_embed


hotair--2020-10-08--The cop charged in George Floyd's death is out on bail

I ’ ll confess that I didn ’ t see this one coming , but I suppose in retrospect it ’ s really not all that shocking .
Former police officer Derek Chauvin , who is accused of killing George Floyd , has been freed from jail after posing a $ 1 million bond .
He had spent more than four months in the Minnesota Correctional Facility in Oak Park Heights .
It ’ s Minnesota ’ s only Level Five maximum security prison and it houses “ high risk ” prisoners from not only Minnesota but some surrounding states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter in the death of Floyd .
You can expect some additional protests to follow this news .
The Minneapolis ex-cop charged in the police-custody death of George Floyd was released from prison Wednesday on a $ 1 million bond… Chauvin , who had been behind bars for more than four months , had been the last of the four fired Minneapolis cops charged in the high-profile case to remain in jail pending trial .
Viral video of Floyd ’ s fatal encounter with police on Memorial Day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Matter protests .
Details of how Chauvin arranged for the bond weren ’ t provided , but such arrangements are fairly common .
Most bail bonds companies only require you to put ten percent of the total bond down as an initial payment .
Even if Chauvin couldn ’ t come up with $ 100K in cash , he could probably have used his home as collateral or gotten assistance from his family and/or friends .
One of the first things to cross my mind after reading this news was whether or not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be released .
It seems to me that a person in his position might be considered something of a suicide risk , though I would assume he ’ s undergone psychiatric evaluation by now .
Even if he ’ s not a risk to himself , there ’ s also the question of whether or not any members of the mob might pay him a visit .
George Floyd is probably the name heard most often in the protests and riots , even more so than Breonna Taylor or even Daniel Prude @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t come to that , but you can ’ t take anything for granted these days .
There ’ s also always going to be a question as to whether or not the prisoner is a flight risk , but that seemingly wasn ’ t a concern for the court when it comes to Chauvin .
Chauvin ’ s history was a complicated one even before the fateful encounter with Floyd took place .
He had received medals for valor over the course of his career as a law enforcement officer .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a military police officer in the Army .
But he ’ d also managed to rack up seventeen complaints against him , some involving claims of excessive use of force .
Most of those complaints are sealed and the only one that ’ s available to the public involved a traffic stop for speeding where Chauvin physically pulled a woman from the car .
We don ’ t know how his trial is going to play out , but it still doesn ’ t look like a slam dunk for the prosecutors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looks damning and coming up with an excuse for kneeling on Floyd ’ s neck for more than eight minutes that will be palatable to the jury seems doubtful .
But there have also been assertions made that Floyd actually died from an overdose of fentanyl , not the restraints placed on him .
Add to that the fact that it only takes one juror to accept Chauvin ’ s story and the case could be effectively deadlocked before it even begins .
Chauvin ’ s trial isn ’ t even scheduled to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a long wait in front of us .
And if he manages to walk away from that trial without a conviction , it ’ s a safe bet that we ’ ll see more massive demonstrations , unrest , and riots in the immediate aftermath .

I’ll confess that I didn’t see this one coming, but I suppose in retrospect it’s really not all that shocking. Former police officer Derek Chauvin, who is accused of killing George Floyd, has been freed from jail after posing a $1 million bond. He had spent more than four months in the Minnesota Correctional Facility in Oak Park Heights. It’s Minnesota’s only Level Five maximum security prison and it houses “high risk” prisoners from not only Minnesota but some surrounding states as well. He’s been charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter in the death of Floyd. You can expect some additional protests to follow this news.
The Minneapolis ex-cop charged in the police-custody death of George Floyd was released from prison Wednesday on a $1 million bond… Chauvin, who had been behind bars for more than four months, had been the last of the four fired Minneapolis cops charged in the high-profile case to remain in jail pending trial. Viral video of Floyd’s fatal encounter with police on Memorial Day sparked worldwide outrage and massive Black Lives Matter protests.
Details of how Chauvin arranged for the bond weren’t provided, but such arrangements are fairly common. Most bail bonds companies only require you to put ten percent of the total bond down as an initial payment. Even if Chauvin couldn’t come up with $100K in cash, he could probably have used his home as collateral or gotten assistance from his family and/or friends.
One of the first things to cross my mind after reading this news was whether or not it’s really safe for Chauvin to be released. It seems to me that a person in his position might be considered something of a suicide risk, though I would assume he’s undergone psychiatric evaluation by now. Even if he’s not a risk to himself, there’s also the question of whether or not any members of the mob might pay him a visit. George Floyd is probably the name heard most often in the protests and riots, even more so than Breonna Taylor or even Daniel Prude. I certainly hope it doesn’t come to that, but you can’t take anything for granted these days. There’s also always going to be a question as to whether or not the prisoner is a flight risk, but that seemingly wasn’t a concern for the court when it comes to Chauvin.
Chauvin’s history was a complicated one even before the fateful encounter with Floyd took place. He had received medals for valor over the course of his career as a law enforcement officer. He’s also a veteran who served as a military police officer in the Army. But he’d also managed to rack up seventeen complaints against him, some involving claims of excessive use of force. Most of those complaints are sealed and the only one that’s available to the public involved a traffic stop for speeding where Chauvin physically pulled a woman from the car.
We don’t know how his trial is going to play out, but it still doesn’t look like a slam dunk for the prosecutors. The video of the arrest certainly looks damning and coming up with an excuse for kneeling on Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes that will be palatable to the jury seems doubtful. But there have also been assertions made that Floyd actually died from an overdose of fentanyl, not the restraints placed on him. Add to that the fact that it only takes one juror to accept Chauvin’s story and the case could be effectively deadlocked before it even begins.
Chauvin’s trial isn’t even scheduled to begin until March 8th, so we have a long wait in front of us. And if he manages to walk away from that trial without a conviction, it’s a safe bet that we’ll see more massive demonstrations, unrest, and riots in the immediate aftermath.