hotair--2020-03-03--Wow! Donna Brazile just told the wrong person to "Go to hell"

The atmosphere is tense on the Democrat side for Super Tuesday , in case you haven ’ t noticed .
Adding fuel to the fire , former DNC chairwoman and currently a paid contributor on Fox News Channel , Donna Brazile let her frustration rip during an interview with Ed Henry and Sandra Smith Tuesday morning .
It turned ugly very quickly .
Before Brazile ’ s time on the show , Henry and Smith interviewed RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel .
The topic was today ’ s Super Tuesday voting , of course , and as she spoke about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I think most of us agree with – that the DNC ’ s superdelegates will step in to stop Bernie Sanders from being the party ’ s nominee if there is a brokered convention .
That wasn ’ t at all a controversial remark , it was an honest one born out of the primary race in 2016 , for heaven ’ s sake .
McDaniel said the system is “ rigged ” , which is the part that set off Brazile .
She accused McDaniel of using Russian talking points .
Hoo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s going to be muddled coming out of Super Tuesday , ” McDaniel told “ America ’ s Newsroom.
” “ It does depend on how big the lead that Sanders takes out of California is , if he picks up a huge proportion of delegates , but I don ’ t see anyone getting out soon .
“ It ’ s leading towards potentially a brokered convention which will be rigged against Bernie if those superdelegates have their way in that second vote , ” McDaniel said .
After McDaniel ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ superdelegates , Brazile , the ultimate superdelegate herself , came unglued .
She had said before her comments were requested on the clip that she was sick and tired of Republicans talking about the Democrat primary , that Republicans should just stay out of it .
So , the opportunity to respond to McDaniel was too easy for her to ignore .
She ended up delivering a crude and overblown reaction – “ Go to hell , Ronna.
” Brazile doesn ’ t want GOP interference in the Democrat primary races and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ type of voting that some Republican voters are doing Tuesday .
But to deny that the superdelegates will get in there and muck things up for Sanders at the convention is just silly .
We all saw what happened to Bernie in 2016 when he ran against Hillary .
They were determined that Hillary have her coronation and then Trump , thankfully , squashed that Democrat fever dream in the general election .
Look , in a private living room somewhere or even at a corner table in a restaurant , that kind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s normal if language gets heated .
But to take it to the television screens of a cable network audience is crude and unprofessional .
It ’ s also surprising behavior coming from Brazile .
Sure , she ’ s a partisan pundit who works overtime to spout the Democrat Party ’ s talking points , but that ’ s the job she signed up for .
She is a lot less offensive , normally than most of the left ’ s talking heads .
She at least attempts to remain affable and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She ’ s old-school Democrat , not bat poop crazy socialist like AOC or Bernie Sanders .
I ’ m not singing her praises , just acknowledging the difference in her manner of speaking and that of the far-left socialists vying for control of the Democrat Party .
The point is that Brazile ’ s “ go to hell ” riff was out of character and it points to just how frayed nerves are on the left .
The party has reached a fork-in-the-road moment .
Do they continue on with the status @ @ @ @ @ @ @ road towards socialism ?
The Democrat Establishment – the party of Hillary and Barack Obama – are losing power because the young voters are looking at Bernie and his ilk and they hear what has been taught to them in public schools for two generations .
The normalization of socialism is here and it ’ s up to the traditional Democrats to push back , along with conservative and Republican voters .
Telling the RNC chairwoman to go to hell for stating the obvious is not a good strategy .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sees herself still in party leadership and McDaniel is in the job as long as President Trump is in office .
Brazile took it to a new level , though .
It is now hard for her to sit on a panel on FNC and bemoan the language of President Trump or his supporters without looking like just another hypocrite .
She already has a lot of baggage , especially that of being the one who gave Hillary Clinton the questions before a debate .

The atmosphere is tense on the Democrat side for Super Tuesday, in case you haven’t noticed. Adding fuel to the fire, former DNC chairwoman and currently a paid contributor on Fox News Channel, Donna Brazile let her frustration rip during an interview with Ed Henry and Sandra Smith Tuesday morning. It turned ugly very quickly.
Before Brazile’s time on the show, Henry and Smith interviewed RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel. The topic was today’s Super Tuesday voting, of course, and as she spoke about the Democrat primary, she said something that I think most of us agree with – that the DNC’s superdelegates will step in to stop Bernie Sanders from being the party’s nominee if there is a brokered convention. That wasn’t at all a controversial remark, it was an honest one born out of the primary race in 2016, for heaven’s sake. McDaniel said the system is “rigged”, which is the part that set off Brazile. She accused McDaniel of using Russian talking points. Hoo boy.
“I think it’s going to be muddled coming out of Super Tuesday,” McDaniel told “America’s Newsroom.” “It does depend on how big the lead that Sanders takes out of California is, if he picks up a huge proportion of delegates, but I don’t see anyone getting out soon. “It’s leading towards potentially a brokered convention which will be rigged against Bernie if those superdelegates have their way in that second vote,” McDaniel said.
After McDaniel’s video of bringing truth to power about superdelegates, Brazile, the ultimate superdelegate herself, came unglued. She had said before her comments were requested on the clip that she was sick and tired of Republicans talking about the Democrat primary, that Republicans should just stay out of it. So, the opportunity to respond to McDaniel was too easy for her to ignore. She ended up delivering a crude and overblown reaction – “Go to hell, Ronna.”
The former chair of the DNC Donna Brazile just told @GOPChairwoman
to "Go to hell!" THE LEFT IS COMPLETELY UNHINGED. Donna Brazile's comments are completely DISGUSTING. pic.twitter.com/k6BlChnQ3l — Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) March 3, 2020
Brazile doesn’t want GOP interference in the Democrat primary races and that is clearly a reference to Operation Chaos type of voting that some Republican voters are doing Tuesday. But to deny that the superdelegates will get in there and muck things up for Sanders at the convention is just silly. We all saw what happened to Bernie in 2016 when he ran against Hillary. They were determined that Hillary have her coronation and then Trump, thankfully, squashed that Democrat fever dream in the general election.
Look, in a private living room somewhere or even at a corner table in a restaurant, that kind of partisan attack is ok. It’s normal if language gets heated. But to take it to the television screens of a cable network audience is crude and unprofessional. It’s also surprising behavior coming from Brazile. Sure, she’s a partisan pundit who works overtime to spout the Democrat Party’s talking points, but that’s the job she signed up for. She is a lot less offensive, normally than most of the left’s talking heads. She at least attempts to remain affable and civil when she appears on FNC. She’s old-school Democrat, not bat poop crazy socialist like AOC or Bernie Sanders. I’m not singing her praises, just acknowledging the difference in her manner of speaking and that of the far-left socialists vying for control of the Democrat Party.
The point is that Brazile’s “go to hell” riff was out of character and it points to just how frayed nerves are on the left. The party has reached a fork-in-the-road moment. Do they continue on with the status quo or do they travel down the road towards socialism? The Democrat Establishment – the party of Hillary and Barack Obama – are losing power because the young voters are looking at Bernie and his ilk and they hear what has been taught to them in public schools for two generations. The normalization of socialism is here and it’s up to the traditional Democrats to push back, along with conservative and Republican voters.
Telling the RNC chairwoman to go to hell for stating the obvious is not a good strategy. It’s some one-on-one party chairwoman sparring. Brazile sees herself still in party leadership and McDaniel is in the job as long as President Trump is in office. Brazile took it to a new level, though. It is now hard for her to sit on a panel on FNC and bemoan the language of President Trump or his supporters without looking like just another hypocrite. She already has a lot of baggage, especially that of being the one who gave Hillary Clinton the questions before a debate.


hotair--2020-03-03--Today's hot topics on #TEMS: Super primaries, CPAC diaries, MSNBC's retiree, 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 .
Duane and I will take over for Andrew ( who will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) and preview tonight ’ s Super Tuesday contests , talk about the revival of Joe Biden ’ s fortunes , and recap last week ’ s CPAC .
• What made Chris Matthews retire ?
Duane and I will have our ideas .
• I might talk about my bout of influenza if you ’ re really bored .
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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
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. Duane and I will take over for Andrew (who will appear on Thursday’s show instead) and preview tonight’s Super Tuesday contests, talk about the revival of Joe Biden’s fortunes, and recap last week’s CPAC.
What made Chris Matthews retire? Duane and I will have our ideas.
I might talk about my bout of influenza if you’re really bored.
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--2020-03-03--New solution to homelessness in LA... colorfully painted tents

As the homelessness crisis in California has been unfolding for the past several years , I ’ ve been saying repeatedly that somebody needs to start thinking outside the box to come up with some solutions .
This might be a little bit further outside the box than I was thinking , but a local artist has come up with a scheme to provide some relief while raising public awareness of the problem .
Ed Massey had already unveiled a sculpture of a homeless man in the city last year , but how he ’ s going to be handing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ designs for the indigent to sleep in .
You might be wondering how much difference some tents would make for a problem of this magnitude .
So was I .
But as it turns out , he ’ s got five thousand of them .
( CBS Los Angeles ) A local artist and activist is using his craft to get the public ’ s attention focused on the homeless crises continuing to grow in Los Angeles County .
Artist Ed Massey said he plans to hand out nearly 5,000 tents covered in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ raise awareness of the issue .
On Friday , Massey displayed the tents on Wilshire Boulevard in Santa Monica surrounding Massey ’ s seven-foot-tall sculpture of a homeless man that debuted last year .
If you follow the link you can see some photos of the tents .
I ’ ll be the first to admit that they ’ re not bad looking at all and would probably be far less of an eyesore than most homeless encampments wind up being .
And he ’ s planning to do all of this with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strains on taxpayer-funded resources , so that ’ s a plus .
But with all of that said , tents are not a long-term solution to Los Angeles ’ homeless epidemic .
Yes , having any sort of roof over your head in inclement weather is better than suffering from exposure , but there are too many people living in tents , cardboard boxes and other makeshift shelters as it is .
Also , the tents are obviously going to be set up on the sidewalks where current encampments exist .
All this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even more public space , exacerbating some of the current problems being caused by these large masses of people .
Massey himself admits that this isn ’ t a real solution for another reason .
Tents do not provide access to running , potable water for drinking and bathing .
They don ’ t come with bathrooms .
They also don ’ t provide much in the way of security if a determined attacker is looking to assault or rob the homeless .
Anyone with a pocket knife can quickly break in .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ being able to distribute the tents if that ’ s his plan .
After all , as I mentioned above , it ’ s better than nothing .
But at the risk of sounding like a broken record , no amount of temporary shelter is going to solve this problem in the long run .
Until we can tackle the fundamental causes of homelessness ( and there are several ) and figure out a way to stop so many people from ending up without a roof over their heads , the problem will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be to get the mentally ill into treatment and help those with drug and alcohol addiction problems into appropriate programs if they are willing to seek help .
Others who were displaced without such issues may need a path to simply overcome the monstrous cost of living in that city .
I don ’ t know how these feats might be accomplished , but the people in elected office have a responsibility to figure this out… and quickly .

As the homelessness crisis in California has been unfolding for the past several years, I’ve been saying repeatedly that somebody needs to start thinking outside the box to come up with some solutions. This might be a little bit further outside the box than I was thinking, but a local artist has come up with a scheme to provide some relief while raising public awareness of the problem. Ed Massey had already unveiled a sculpture of a homeless man in the city last year, but how he’s going to be handing out tents painted with his unique artistic designs for the indigent to sleep in.
You might be wondering how much difference some tents would make for a problem of this magnitude. So was I. But as it turns out, he’s got five thousand of them. (CBS Los Angeles)
A local artist and activist is using his craft to get the public’s attention focused on the homeless crises continuing to grow in Los Angeles County. Artist Ed Massey said he plans to hand out nearly 5,000 tents covered in his brightly colored designs in order to raise awareness of the issue. On Friday, Massey displayed the tents on Wilshire Boulevard in Santa Monica surrounding Massey’s seven-foot-tall sculpture of a homeless man that debuted last year.
If you follow the link you can see some photos of the tents. I’ll be the first to admit that they’re not bad looking at all and would probably be far less of an eyesore than most homeless encampments wind up being. And he’s planning to do all of this with his own money rather than placing additional strains on taxpayer-funded resources, so that’s a plus.
But with all of that said, tents are not a long-term solution to Los Angeles’ homeless epidemic. Yes, having any sort of roof over your head in inclement weather is better than suffering from exposure, but there are too many people living in tents, cardboard boxes and other makeshift shelters as it is. Also, the tents are obviously going to be set up on the sidewalks where current encampments exist. All this is going to do is take up even more public space, exacerbating some of the current problems being caused by these large masses of people.
Massey himself admits that this isn’t a real solution for another reason. Tents do not provide access to running, potable water for drinking and bathing. They don’t come with bathrooms. They also don’t provide much in the way of security if a determined attacker is looking to assault or rob the homeless. Anyone with a pocket knife can quickly break in.
I’m not arguing against Massey being able to distribute the tents if that’s his plan. After all, as I mentioned above, it’s better than nothing. But at the risk of sounding like a broken record, no amount of temporary shelter is going to solve this problem in the long run. Until we can tackle the fundamental causes of homelessness (and there are several) and figure out a way to stop so many people from ending up without a roof over their heads, the problem will continue to grow.
A good start would be to get the mentally ill into treatment and help those with drug and alcohol addiction problems into appropriate programs if they are willing to seek help. Others who were displaced without such issues may need a path to simply overcome the monstrous cost of living in that city. I don’t know how these feats might be accomplished, but the people in elected office have a responsibility to figure this out… and quickly.


hotair--2020-03-03--Does the success of 'The Invisible Man' prove you can get woke and not go broke?

I haven ’ t seen the 2020 version of The Invisible Man yet , but I want to see it .
It has gotten strong reviews and looks like a mashup of thriller and horror movie that should be fun .
The movie is already a hit at the box office .
It has made close to $ 50 million worldwide as of today which is impressive for a film with a reported $ 7 million budget .
Of course I ’ ve seen a zillion commercials for this on television so I ’ d bet the marketing budget is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ budget .
But even so this is going to make some money .
Today , Variety published a piece by film reviewer Owen Gleiberman which argues that the success of the film proves the phrase “ Get woke , go broke ” is a fallacy .
I don ’ t think he ’ s right about that but here ’ s a bit of his argument : Over the last few years , Hollywood ’ s mostly superficial onscreen attempt to deal with issues of women ’ s empowerment has resulted in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and this has given rise to a certain knee-jerk misogynistic appraisal of that phenomenon .
It goes back , in a way , to the “ Ghostbusters ” remake , which was greeted with undisguised hostility before it was ever released .
And when it turned out to be a so-so movie , it got beaten up on as if its failures , comedic and financial , somehow meant something .
This has been , for Hollywood , a mostly awkward transitional time ( just look at the cringe-worthy fake feminist banter of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my colleague Caroline Framke ) , and the notion of doing gender-flipped remakes of movies that originally featured mostly male casts will probably go down as one of the more desperate expressions of it .
I stand by my ( mild ) affection for “ Ocean ’ s 8 , ” and I even stand by thinking that “ Terminator : Dark Fate ” was an invigorating reboot , but the essential point remains : Making movies like that is not a solution .
Serving up a sixth “ Terminator ” film with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cosmetic “ Charlie ’ s Angels , ” shouldn ’ t wind up penalizing — or stigmatizing — the primal ideal of empowerment and inclusion in motion pictures .
The commercial failure of these films means no more than the commercial failure of the reboots of “ Hellboy ” or “ Shaft ” did , but you can always find some wag who ’ s drooling to add it up into a “ Get woke , go broke ” tautology… What the success of “ The Invisible Man ” points to is how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ movie that grapples , urgently and entertainingly , with who women are .
I feel like Gleiberman has done all the work of undercutting his own premise for me .
He has highlighted some great examples of films where the industry decided the next sequel to a big franchise would have one key difference : Women in all the key roles !
And he has pointed to one of the key problems .
These are usually “ superficial ” attempts to create women ’ s empowerment .
They are , as he put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ please a narrow segment of the audience not with good storytelling but with a politically correct message .
Ghostbusters 2016 is a great example and so is Terminator : Dark Fate .
I reviewed the latter when it came out last year and pointed out that it wasn ’ t just the broad outlines of the film that marked it as an effort to “ get woke.
” There were major plot elements of the film which were there for only one reason : To preach a timely political message to the audience @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the time : Lots of border patrol agents get murdered trying to stop the terminator in what feels like a callback to the siege on the police headquarters in the first Terminator film .
The difference is that this time it ’ s not clear we ’ re really rooting for law enforcement .
They all seem expendable .
None of them are quite real people .
None of the border trappings in the movie seem important to the plot .
The writers made Dani Mexican and then created a need for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could make the border patrol an obstacle in the film .
As a viewer , it feels like we ’ re being punished with a lecture for having come to see an action movie… So much of this film feels like it was crafted to appeal to progressive moviegoers that after a while anyone who isn ’ t cheering for the not-so-hidden messages will probably feel unwanted in the theater .
So when Dark Fate bombed , did that mean something ?
I think it did .
I think it meant that fans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t want a boring lecture about women not needing men and the evils of the border patrol .
It really did feel like the entire purpose behind the film was to revise the first film into a more feminist story .
Who was asking for that exactly ?
The original Terminator film was very much a woman-in-peril film which turned into a woman-empowerment film by the end .
In a way , it already had a very feminist message and yet fanboys everywhere loved it ( and still do ) .
From @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Invisible Man is a very similar story .
Instead of an unstoppable robot from the future that no one believes is real , we have an unstoppable “ dead ” husband who can make himself invisible with some kind of advanced tech .
The female main character will once again have to stand up for herself in order to survive .
It seems genre fans still love this story , just as they did 36 years ago .
That certainly doesn ’ t prove that “ get woke , go broke ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you make a bad movie whose main impetus isn ’ t telling a good story but positioning itself for progressive praise , it will probably bomb .
And when it bombs the woke politics that are the sole reason for its existence deserve to take a hit for spoiling another night out for a lot of people .
Fans will keep sending the message they don ’ t like these superficial , awkward attempts at political messaging until Hollywood listens ( instead of blaming the fans for being toxic ) .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pro-woman subtext in your genre film but that can ’ t be all you have .
A sure way to tell these days is how the movie gets promoted .
If the message is ‘ you ’ ll love the girl-power in this movie ’ it ’ s probably junk .
If the message is ‘ this film is thrilling , scary , fun , exciting , etc.
’ then it ’ s probably pretty decent .
The Invisible Man looks like the latter to me .
I hope so because it feels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I saw a good thriller .

I haven’t seen the 2020 version of The Invisible Man yet, but I want to see it. It has gotten strong reviews and looks like a mashup of thriller and horror movie that should be fun. The movie is already a hit at the box office. It has made close to $50 million worldwide as of today which is impressive for a film with a reported $7 million budget. Of course I’ve seen a zillion commercials for this on television so I’d bet the marketing budget is at least triple the film’s budget. But even so this is going to make some money.
Today, Variety published a piece by film reviewer Owen Gleiberman which argues that the success of the film proves the phrase “Get woke, go broke” is a fallacy. I don’t think he’s right about that but here’s a bit of his argument:
Over the last few years, Hollywood’s mostly superficial onscreen attempt to deal with issues of women’s empowerment has resulted in a track record dotted with box-office failure, and this has given rise to a certain knee-jerk misogynistic appraisal of that phenomenon. It goes back, in a way, to the “Ghostbusters” remake, which was greeted with undisguised hostility before it was ever released. And when it turned out to be a so-so movie, it got beaten up on as if its failures, comedic and financial, somehow meant something. This has been, for Hollywood, a mostly awkward transitional time (just look at the cringe-worthy fake feminist banter of the Oscar telecast, rightly skewered by my colleague Caroline Framke), and the notion of doing gender-flipped remakes of movies that originally featured mostly male casts will probably go down as one of the more desperate expressions of it. I stand by my (mild) affection for “Ocean’s 8,” and I even stand by thinking that “Terminator: Dark Fate” was an invigorating reboot, but the essential point remains: Making movies like that is not a solution. Serving up a sixth “Terminator” film with a Terminatrix heroine, or a less cosmetic “Charlie’s Angels,” shouldn’t wind up penalizing — or stigmatizing — the primal ideal of empowerment and inclusion in motion pictures. The commercial failure of these films means no more than the commercial failure of the reboots of “Hellboy” or “Shaft” did, but you can always find some wag who’s drooling to add it up into a “Get woke, go broke” tautology… What the success of “The Invisible Man” points to is how much they do want to see a movie that grapples, urgently and entertainingly, with who women are.
I feel like Gleiberman has done all the work of undercutting his own premise for me. He has highlighted some great examples of films where the industry decided the next sequel to a big franchise would have one key difference: Women in all the key roles! And he has pointed to one of the key problems. These are usually “superficial” attempts to create women’s empowerment. They are, as he put it, “awkward” efforts to please a narrow segment of the audience not with good storytelling but with a politically correct message.
Ghostbusters 2016 is a great example and so is Terminator: Dark Fate. I reviewed the latter when it came out last year and pointed out that it wasn’t just the broad outlines of the film that marked it as an effort to “get woke.” There were major plot elements of the film which were there for only one reason: To preach a timely political message to the audience. Here’s what I wrote at the time:
Lots of border patrol agents get murdered trying to stop the terminator in what feels like a callback to the siege on the police headquarters in the first Terminator film. The difference is that this time it’s not clear we’re really rooting for law enforcement. They all seem expendable. None of them are quite real people. None of the border trappings in the movie seem important to the plot. The writers made Dani Mexican and then created a need for the characters to enter America so they could make the border patrol an obstacle in the film. As a viewer, it feels like we’re being punished with a lecture for having come to see an action movie… So much of this film feels like it was crafted to appeal to progressive moviegoers that after a while anyone who isn’t cheering for the not-so-hidden messages will probably feel unwanted in the theater.
So when Dark Fate bombed, did that mean something? I think it did. I think it meant that fans of an aging action movie franchise didn’t want a boring lecture about women not needing men and the evils of the border patrol. It really did feel like the entire purpose behind the film was to revise the first film into a more feminist story. Who was asking for that exactly?
The original Terminator film was very much a woman-in-peril film which turned into a woman-empowerment film by the end. In a way, it already had a very feminist message and yet fanboys everywhere loved it (and still do).
From what I hear, it sounds like The Invisible Man is a very similar story. Instead of an unstoppable robot from the future that no one believes is real, we have an unstoppable “dead” husband who can make himself invisible with some kind of advanced tech. The female main character will once again have to stand up for herself in order to survive. It seems genre fans still love this story, just as they did 36 years ago.
That certainly doesn’t prove that “get woke, go broke” isn’t a thing. If you make a bad movie whose main impetus isn’t telling a good story but positioning itself for progressive praise, it will probably bomb. And when it bombs the woke politics that are the sole reason for its existence deserve to take a hit for spoiling another night out for a lot of people. Fans will keep sending the message they don’t like these superficial, awkward attempts at political messaging until Hollywood listens (instead of blaming the fans for being toxic).
It’s still okay to have a very pro-woman subtext in your genre film but that can’t be all you have. A sure way to tell these days is how the movie gets promoted. If the message is ‘you’ll love the girl-power in this movie’ it’s probably junk. If the message is ‘this film is thrilling, scary, fun, exciting, etc.’ then it’s probably pretty decent. The Invisible Man looks like the latter to me. I hope so because it feels like it has been a while since I saw a good thriller.


hotair--2020-03-03--New polls: Joementum is real and it might be spectacular

I had the same thought as Jazz did when I woke up this morning : How funny would it be if the big Biden surge of the past three days turned out to be a nothingburger on Super Tuesday ?
All this hype , all these sudden endorsements , and he ends up being totally overrun by the Berniebros .
It ’ s not that unlikely — it ’ s basically what happened to Bernie after Nevada .
A huge win that was supposed to trigger a wave of unstoppable momentum hit a brick wall .
Why couldn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
But it doesn ’ t look like it ’ s going to .
The big polling news this morning comes from Data for Progress , a Bernie-friendly shop that ’ s out with new numbers it gathered in all of the Super Tuesday states starting last Friday — the day before Biden ’ s huge victory in South Carolina — and running through yesterday .
You can scroll through the results here but Harry Enten of CNN ably summarizes the Joementum on display .
A 14-point swing on average is a big @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say .
Note that in several states listed , including delegate-rich ones like Texas , the Biden surge has completely erased a Bernie Sanders lead and tilted the state towards Joe himself .
In others Sanders remains ahead but Biden has cut deeply into the share of delegates Bernie might expect from winning .
How dramatic is the shift ?
Dude : Biden is now the favorite in Silver ’ s model to have a plurality of delegates before the convention , which would eviscerate Bernie ’ s claim to the nomination .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ arguing lately that whoever leads at the convention should be the nominee , a shift from his position in 2016 . )
As for each candidate ’ s immediate prospects , Steve Kornacki says that if the Data for Progress numbers are accurate tonight , the giant delegate windfall that Bernie was expecting on Super Tuesday would evaporate almost completely : It ’ s not just Data for Progress that ’ s picking up a Biden surge .
A week ago North Carolina and Virginia looked like they ’ d be dogfights today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ factor in each .
Is that still true ?
Texas , the second-biggest delegate prize today , is suddenly suspenseful too .
Bernie had led in eight straight polls of the state from mid-February to the start of March , and in half of those he led by eight points or better .
Data for Progress suddenly has Biden up two .
Hoo boy .
The big question mark is California .
Bernie has led every poll there since mid-January and is under new pressure to run up the score in order to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden elsewhere .
The good news for him is that even Data for Progress has him ahead , by a semi-comfortable margin of seven points .
The bad news is — well , let ’ s look at the crosstabs : Biden ’ s not going to win over every Buttigieg and Klobuchar voter , especially since some of those ballots were already banked via early voting .
But he may well win the majority of them , in which case Bernie ’ s seven-point lead is suddenly shaky .
Not only that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sanders even if the outcome tonight precisely replicates this data .
That ’ s because Mike Bloomberg and Elizabeth Warren are each north of the crucial 15 percent viability threshold here , which means the pool of delegates that Sanders was hoping to have all ( or mostly ) to himself may end up being divvied up four ways .
He needs to win big wherever he ’ s winning if this is going to be a horse race with Biden until Milwaukee .
California no longer looks like a big win for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very likely big wins coming up in Florida , Georgia , and Mississippi .
See why Silver ’ s model is suddenly bullish on Joe ?
Exit question : Is Bloomberg going to drop out tonight ?
Doesn ’ t sound like it right now .
Finally some good news for Bernie !

I had the same thought as Jazz did when I woke up this morning: How funny would it be if the big Biden surge of the past three days turned out to be a nothingburger on Super Tuesday? All this hype, all these sudden endorsements, and he ends up being totally overrun by the Berniebros. It’s not that unlikely — it’s basically what happened to Bernie after Nevada. A huge win that was supposed to trigger a wave of unstoppable momentum hit a brick wall. Why couldn’t it happen to Joe?
It could! But it doesn’t look like it’s going to.
The big polling news this morning comes from Data for Progress, a Bernie-friendly shop that’s out with new numbers it gathered in all of the Super Tuesday states starting last Friday — the day before Biden’s huge victory in South Carolina — and running through yesterday. You can scroll through the results here but Harry Enten of CNN ably summarizes the Joementum on display.
Here's the shift in the Sanders/Biden margin Data for Progress data from now compared to post-NV: CO +24 S to +14 S, NC: +2 S to +9 B, TX: +9 S to +2 B, VA: +9 S to +15 B (!)… Average shift +14 B… That is NUTS. (1/?) — (((Harry Enten))) (@ForecasterEnten) March 3, 2020
A 14-point swing on average is a big farking deal, as Biden himself might say. Note that in several states listed, including delegate-rich ones like Texas, the Biden surge has completely erased a Bernie Sanders lead and tilted the state towards Joe himself. In others Sanders remains ahead but Biden has cut deeply into the share of delegates Bernie might expect from winning.
How dramatic is the shift? Dude:
We just 2 polls in from *every* Super Tuesday state from a) @DataProgress and b) @swayable. The polls are quite good for Biden. Our model has Biden moving ahead of Sanders.https://t.co/JDz2dZ8bqR pic.twitter.com/AY46MrLEfj — Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) March 3, 2020
Biden is now the favorite in Silver’s model to have a plurality of delegates before the convention, which would eviscerate Bernie’s claim to the nomination. (Remember that Sanders has taken to arguing lately that whoever leads at the convention should be the nominee, a shift from his position in 2016.) As for each candidate’s immediate prospects, Steve Kornacki says that if the Data for Progress numbers are accurate tonight, the giant delegate windfall that Bernie was expecting on Super Tuesday would evaporate almost completely:
Data for Progress has just released the most comprehensive set of Super Tuesday polls – and they show massive Biden movement. Also have *both* Warren and Bloomberg hitting thresholds in most places. Putting these into my crude calculator, Super Tuesday becomes a Sanders/Biden TIE pic.twitter.com/ytKfgV5YgK — Steve Kornacki (@SteveKornacki) March 3, 2020
It’s not just Data for Progress that’s picking up a Biden surge. A week ago North Carolina and Virginia looked like they’d be dogfights today, with Mike Bloomberg potentially a major factor in each. Is that still true?
The former VP is poised to have a strong showing in NC on this #SuperTuesday. Biden 44.75%
Sanders 17.68%
Bloomberg 10.87%
Warren 7.37%
Klobuchar 3.13%
Buttigieg 2.58%
Another Candidate 3.13%
Undecided 10.50%#NCPOL https://t.co/l97pyDCVer — Civitas Institute (@NCCivitas) March 3, 2020
Virginia Democratic Primary Poll March 1-2 (n=510): Biden 45%
Sanders 25%
Warren 13%
Bloomberg 10%
Klobuchar 4%* * Poll conducted mostly before Klobuchar dropped out. — Change Research (@ChangePolls) March 3, 2020
Texas, the second-biggest delegate prize today, is suddenly suspenseful too. Bernie had led in eight straight polls of the state from mid-February to the start of March, and in half of those he led by eight points or better. Data for Progress suddenly has Biden up two. Hoo boy.
The big question mark is California. Bernie has led every poll there since mid-January and is under new pressure to run up the score in order to offset the delegates being racked up by Biden elsewhere. The good news for him is that even Data for Progress has him ahead, by a semi-comfortable margin of seven points. The bad news is — well, let’s look at the crosstabs:
Biden’s not going to win over every Buttigieg and Klobuchar voter, especially since some of those ballots were already banked via early voting. But he may well win the majority of them, in which case Bernie’s seven-point lead is suddenly shaky. Not only that, but these numbers are disappointing for Sanders even if the outcome tonight precisely replicates this data. That’s because Mike Bloomberg and Elizabeth Warren are each north of the crucial 15 percent viability threshold here, which means the pool of delegates that Sanders was hoping to have all (or mostly) to himself may end up being divvied up four ways. He needs to win big wherever he’s winning if this is going to be a horse race with Biden until Milwaukee. California no longer looks like a big win for him, whereas Biden does have some very likely big wins coming up in Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi. See why Silver’s model is suddenly bullish on Joe?
Exit question: Is Bloomberg going to drop out tonight? Doesn’t sound like it right now. Finally some good news for Bernie!


hotair--2020-03-03--Gun rights, national security, and free markets: Meet the new class of GOP congressional challengers

Gun rights, national security, and free markets: Meet the new class of GOP congressional challengers at CPAC

The 2020 election season means more to Republicans than just re-electing Donald Trump — it also means taking a shot at regaining the House .
Most of the CPAC agenda focused on the national election , but several House hopefuls made appearances on Media Row as well .
These candidates hope to take down Democratic incumbents like Jerrold Nadler , Charlie Crist , Ted Deutch , and Dutch Ruppersberger to form a new GOP majority — and end the impeachment push for good .
Jessi Melton , a small-business owner in Florida , talks about her effort to send impeachment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Melton got notice for her hardline approach to porn and human trafficking , picking up a surprising endorsement from Jenna Jameson : Florida ’ s 22nd district is D+6 , so it will be an uphill battle but not an impossible one .
It ’ s the same district that Allen West won , at least nominally until it was reapportioned .
Deutch has won his two elections handily , but this might be a lightning-in-a-bottle election .
In FL-13 , Amanda Makki hopes to send Charlie Crist into political oblivion .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1979 Islamist revolution , blends a fascinating life story with a love of America and a long resumé in national security and defense .
Democrats “ should be shocked at what their party has become , ” Makki says , and says that The Squad on the other side is what motivates her .
“ I could be the counterpunch ” to AOC and her colleagues , Makki says : FL-13 is a D+2 district , and it ’ s one of the districts that are a bellwether in elections .
Pinellas County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I was predicting that neighboring Hillsborough might be the bellwether instead .
This is a winnable district , and Makki is taking the correct approach in focusing on local issues in the district to drive a wedge into Crist ’ s support .
Closer to CPAC itself , James Simpson is an old friend of mine with a new mission .
He has decided to run for office in Maryland ’ s 2nd CD , one of the bigger reach of these challenges .
It ’ s a D+11 district and has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2002 election .
“ We ’ re going to decide this year , ” Jim says , “ if we ’ re going to continue as a constitutional republic , or take a nose dive on the suicidal path towards socialism ” : Finally , my colleague Megan Fox interviewed Dylan Stevenson , the Republican challenger in NY-10 , hoping to unseat impeachment manager Jerrold Nadler .
It ’ s a D+26 district , so it ’ s the longest of long shots .
It ’ s still important to have a credible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , if for no other reason than to keep the crazies out from under the GOP banner , but Dylan thinks it ’ s winnable :

The 2020 election season means more to Republicans than just re-electing Donald Trump — it also means taking a shot at regaining the House. Most of the CPAC agenda focused on the national election, but several House hopefuls made appearances on Media Row as well. These candidates hope to take down Democratic incumbents like Jerrold Nadler, Charlie Crist, Ted Deutch, and Dutch Ruppersberger to form a new GOP majority — and end the impeachment push for good.
Jessi Melton, a small-business owner in Florida, talks about her effort to send impeachment manager Ted Deutch into retirement in FL-22. Melton got notice for her hardline approach to porn and human trafficking, picking up a surprising endorsement from Jenna Jameson:
Florida’s 22nd district is D+6, so it will be an uphill battle but not an impossible one. It’s the same district that Allen West won, at least nominally until it was reapportioned. Deutch has won his two elections handily, but this might be a lightning-in-a-bottle election.
In FL-13, Amanda Makki hopes to send Charlie Crist into political oblivion. Makki, an Iranian refugee of the 1979 Islamist revolution, blends a fascinating life story with a love of America and a long resumé in national security and defense. Democrats “should be shocked at what their party has become,” Makki says, and says that The Squad on the other side is what motivates her. “I could be the counterpunch” to AOC and her colleagues, Makki says:
FL-13 is a D+2 district, and it’s one of the districts that are a bellwether in elections. Pinellas County flipped to Trump in 2016, while I was predicting that neighboring Hillsborough might be the bellwether instead. This is a winnable district, and Makki is taking the correct approach in focusing on local issues in the district to drive a wedge into Crist’s support.
Closer to CPAC itself, James Simpson is an old friend of mine with a new mission. He has decided to run for office in Maryland’s 2nd CD, one of the bigger reach of these challenges. It’s a D+11 district and has been in Ruppersberger’s hands since the 2002 election. “We’re going to decide this year,” Jim says, “if we’re going to continue as a constitutional republic, or take a nose dive on the suicidal path towards socialism”:
Finally, my colleague Megan Fox interviewed Dylan Stevenson, the Republican challenger in NY-10, hoping to unseat impeachment manager Jerrold Nadler. It’s a D+26 district, so it’s the longest of long shots. It’s still important to have a credible challenger in each of these Democratic strongholds, if for no other reason than to keep the crazies out from under the GOP banner, but Dylan thinks it’s winnable:


hotair--2020-03-03--Corporate responses to coronavirus: Just work from home, cancel travel

Lots of adjustments are being made in the corporate world in response to the coronavirus .
Conferences are being canceled , travel is being restricted , and some companies are telling employees to work from home instead of coming into the office .
It all makes sense , of course , if we think about it .
Why place yourself in an enclosed environment with lots of other people , particularly in areas that are reporting outbreaks of COVID-19 , if you don ’ t have to ?
Why take the chance of being exposed to the coronavirus if there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ telling employees in Hong Kong , Japan , and South Korea to work from home .
As a matter of fact , Twitter is telling all of its 5,000 employees around the world that it is not mandatory but “ strongly encouraged ” that they work from home .
Twitter has banned all non-essential business travel and events for its employees , too .
For example , Twitter has pulled out of its participation in the South by Southwest media conference in Austin , Texas .
Twitter ’ s corporate leadership spread the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Twitter has employees in 35 countries around the world .
Twitter ’ s head of human resources Jennifer Christie said : “ Our goal is to lower the probability of the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus for us – and the world around us.
” The post also highlighted that Twitter has been developing ways to work from home for some time : “ While this is a big change for us , we have already been moving towards a more distributed workforce that ’ s increasingly remote .
We ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ committed to enabling anyone , anywhere to work at Twitter.
” In the case of Twitter , chief executive Jack Dorsey has long supported remote working and last November he announced he would live in Africa for six months each year .
The move to work from home now is to protect employees from contracting the virus as well as to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 .
Not everyone can work from home , though , and in those cases , extra precautions are being taken .
Other leading technology companies , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or cancelled conferences in the US .
Facebook has also joined Twitter by pulling out of South by Southwest .
Staff at Google ’ s European headquarters in Dublin will work from home on Tuesday as the company tests its preparedness for a potential outbreak in Ireland , but most of the 8,000 workers are expected to return to their desks on Wednesday .
At the same time companies , including telecoms operator A & T and banking giant Citigroup , have restricted international travel , especially to Asia .
On Monday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restrictions on employee travel in response to the coronavirus .
Normal news and sports coverage will continue and the network ’ s international operations have their own restrictions in place .
Jeff Zucker , chairman of WarnerMedia News and Sports , wrote to employees on Monday that they would ensure that staffing needs are met for coverage of major upcoming political events , debates , NBA and NCAA coverage , but will “ limit any participants that are not absolutely critical to getting our content out or meeting basic revenue-generating needs.
” Zucker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from WarnerMedia on travel restrictions .
Zucker wrote that travel between continents will be limited to “ only the most necessary , business-critical need , and must be approved in every instance by me.
” He said that domestic travel in the U.S. should be done “ only if absolutely necessary , ” and that internal meetings “ should be conducted by phone or via teleconference.
” He said that meetings or gatherings that can be put on hold “ for the time being or canceled altogether , should be.
” Zucker wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may seem inconvenient , they are being taken out of an abundance of caution to keep all of you safe .
It is unclear how long these restrictions will remain in place , but we will continue to communicate regularly as the situation both domestically and globally changes.
” Precautions are being carried out in other settings – like universities and colleges .
At Rice University in Houston , for example , a group of employees and students were asked to self-quarantine because of a Rice employee ’ s possible exposure to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ university is still open and is following the guidance of Harris County Public Health .
The staffer was briefly on campus on Feb. 24 and 25 .
A group of people including research scientists , postdoctoral fellows and doctoral-level graduate students has been asked to self-isolate as a preventive measure , said Jeff Falk , a Rice University spokesperson .
Those people are staying off the main campus , Falk said .
In a statement Sunday morning , Harris County Public Health said it was conducting an infectious disease investigation .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County remains low and there is no need for the public to take additional precautionary actions at this time , ” the county said .
A giant energy conference has been canceled in Houston due to the coronavirus .
The annual CERAWeek conference is attended by thousands of energy sector business leaders and employees from around the world .
It was scheduled for mid-March this year .
More than 5,000 delegates were expected to attend .
This brings into play the service industries that suffer economically from corporate decisions .
Hotels , convention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ services ( like cab drivers ) are all feeling the effects .
Common sense measures are necessary at this time , as government and private sector organizations work to keep the spread of the disease to a minimum .
The question of how long all of this continues is still unknown as we don ’ t have the answers on how long or how widespread the coronavirus disease will be .
The uncertainty is what makes people panic , not concrete actions and precautions .

Lots of adjustments are being made in the corporate world in response to the coronavirus. Conferences are being canceled, travel is being restricted, and some companies are telling employees to work from home instead of coming into the office.
It all makes sense, of course, if we think about it. Why place yourself in an enclosed environment with lots of other people, particularly in areas that are reporting outbreaks of COVID-19, if you don’t have to? Why take the chance of being exposed to the coronavirus if there is an alternative? Twitter is now telling employees in Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea to work from home. As a matter of fact, Twitter is telling all of its 5,000 employees around the world that it is not mandatory but “strongly encouraged” that they work from home. Twitter has banned all non-essential business travel and events for its employees, too. For example, Twitter has pulled out of its participation in the South by Southwest media conference in Austin, Texas. Twitter’s corporate leadership spread the word in a blog post to employees. Twitter has employees in 35 countries around the world.
Twitter’s head of human resources Jennifer Christie said: “Our goal is to lower the probability of the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus for us – and the world around us.” The post also highlighted that Twitter has been developing ways to work from home for some time: “While this is a big change for us, we have already been moving towards a more distributed workforce that’s increasingly remote. We’re a global service and we’re committed to enabling anyone, anywhere to work at Twitter.”
In the case of Twitter, chief executive Jack Dorsey has long supported remote working and last November he announced he would live in Africa for six months each year. The move to work from home now is to protect employees from contracting the virus as well as to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Not everyone can work from home, though, and in those cases, extra precautions are being taken.
The social media giant has said that for employees who do prefer to work in the office or whose jobs necessitate it, the offices will remain open but the real estate and workplace team will be working to deep clean and sanitize office spaces and post visual reminders for personal hygiene best practices, the company said. They will also be providing pre-packaged, pre-composed and pre-plated food options for employees in the office.
Other companies are making similar decisions.
Other leading technology companies, including Facebook and Google, have postponed or cancelled conferences in the US. Facebook has also joined Twitter by pulling out of South by Southwest. Staff at Google’s European headquarters in Dublin will work from home on Tuesday as the company tests its preparedness for a potential outbreak in Ireland, but most of the 8,000 workers are expected to return to their desks on Wednesday. At the same time companies, including telecoms operator A&T and banking giant Citigroup, have restricted international travel, especially to Asia.
On Monday, CNN sent out a memo that places restrictions on employee travel in response to the coronavirus. Normal news and sports coverage will continue and the network’s international operations have their own restrictions in place.
Jeff Zucker, chairman of WarnerMedia News and Sports, wrote to employees on Monday that they would ensure that staffing needs are met for coverage of major upcoming political events, debates, NBA and NCAA coverage, but will “limit any participants that are not absolutely critical to getting our content out or meeting basic revenue-generating needs.” Zucker’s memo followed a wider announcement from WarnerMedia on travel restrictions. Zucker wrote that travel between continents will be limited to “only the most necessary, business-critical need, and must be approved in every instance by me.” He said that domestic travel in the U.S. should be done “only if absolutely necessary,” and that internal meetings “should be conducted by phone or via teleconference.” He said that meetings or gatherings that can be put on hold “for the time being or canceled altogether, should be.” Zucker wrote that “while some of these protocols may seem inconvenient, they are being taken out of an abundance of caution to keep all of you safe. It is unclear how long these restrictions will remain in place, but we will continue to communicate regularly as the situation both domestically and globally changes.”
Precautions are being carried out in other settings – like universities and colleges. At Rice University in Houston, for example, a group of employees and students were asked to self-quarantine because of a Rice employee’s possible exposure to the coronavirus while on overseas travel. The university is still open and is following the guidance of Harris County Public Health.
The staffer was briefly on campus on Feb. 24 and 25. A group of people including research scientists, postdoctoral fellows and doctoral-level graduate students has been asked to self-isolate as a preventive measure, said Jeff Falk, a Rice University spokesperson. Those people are staying off the main campus, Falk said. In a statement Sunday morning, Harris County Public Health said it was conducting an infectious disease investigation. “The threat of COVID-19 to Houston and Harris County remains low and there is no need for the public to take additional precautionary actions at this time,” the county said.
A giant energy conference has been canceled in Houston due to the coronavirus. The annual CERAWeek conference is attended by thousands of energy sector business leaders and employees from around the world. It was scheduled for mid-March this year. More than 5,000 delegates were expected to attend. This brings into play the service industries that suffer economically from corporate decisions. Hotels, convention centers, food services, and transportation services (like cab drivers) are all feeling the effects.
Common sense measures are necessary at this time, as government and private sector organizations work to keep the spread of the disease to a minimum. The question of how long all of this continues is still unknown as we don’t have the answers on how long or how widespread the coronavirus disease will be. The uncertainty is what makes people panic, not concrete actions and precautions.


hotair--2020-03-03--Where is Obama while his party descends into socialism?

The title question today comes to us via the latest syndicated column from our friend Andrew Malcolm .
He notes that former President Barack Obama has , at least for the most part , stayed admirably silent about the 2020 elections thus far .
That ’ s a rather curious state of affairs when you consider how hard he worked to craft his image as a non-threatening centrist during his own campaigns .
Today , with the Democrats seemingly racing each other to see who can dive off the cliff into full-blown socialism , does his silence indicate some sort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Or is he biting his tongue in frustration over a leftward lurch that could leave the eventual nominee virtually unelectable ?
If so , the day may be coming when he speaks up .
The biggest remaining question this cycle is : What , if anything , will Obama do to join the party hierarchy , publicly or perhaps behind the scenes , and stall Sanders ’ momentum as he tries to assemble the 1,991 delegates necessary for a first ballot victory at the party ’ s national convention in Milwaukee come mid-July @ @ @ @ @ @ @ socialist , ” but the qualifying nuance is certain to be lost in a campaign against the detested but well-financed Donald Trump .
Party leaders ’ fear is that a likely resounding thumping on Nov. 3 of the man proposing countless trillions in new taxes and spending would also cost Democrats their House majority and their attempt to erase the GOP ’ s slim advantage in the Senate .
On the other hand , an obvious bid to push the convention to a second ballot could well alienate the fervent Sanders crowd on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of results to deny the independent senator what they view as his hard-earned rightful place atop the national ticket of the party he does not belong to .
A more cynical person might opine that Obama is remaining on the sidelines not out of some impulse to honor the traditions established by previous presidents , but because he simply doesn ’ t care .
After all , he already cashed in on the office in a big way , departing with book deals to complete and Netflix docuseries to produce .
Why should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into a ditch ?
But somehow I don ’ t think that ’ s it .
I ’ m pretty sure that Barack Obama is watching these events closely and , assuming he wasn ’ t faking everyone out over his entire career , recoiling in horror .
That ’ s not to say that he might not approve of some of the more radical , populist proposals being put on the table .
But he also surely knows that many of them are not popular in the heartland and the Democrats may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disaster in November and four more years of the Bad Orange Man .
Andrew also reminds us , however , that Obama may be looking at the lessons of American political history and remaining wary of trying to stamp out Bernie in favor of his own former Veep .
The fact is , former Vice Presidents haven ’ t fared well in presidential bids in the modern era .
Just consider the fates of Vice Presidents Al Gore , Walter Mondale , Hubert Humphrey and Richard Nixon in 1960 .
The only one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first try was Bush 41 , but as Malcolm notes , that was more of a third term for Reagan than anything else .
If Barack Obama is averse to the likely toxic effects of Sanders ’ socialism but worried about the viability of Biden as the nominee , what ’ s left ?
Could he possibly be considering Mike Bloomberg ?
After all , the former NYC mayor has been running endless advertisements featuring pictures of him with Obama and talking about how they worked together in the past .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that way he ’ s had plenty of time to complain , but he hasn ’ t .
An Obama endorsement would go a long way toward solving Bloomberg ’ s image problems or at least push the party closer to a brokered convention where Mike could buy the nomination using the superdelegates .
And that would really throw a monkey wrench into the entire works .

The title question today comes to us via the latest syndicated column from our friend Andrew Malcolm. He notes that former President Barack Obama has, at least for the most part, stayed admirably silent about the 2020 elections thus far. That’s a rather curious state of affairs when you consider how hard he worked to craft his image as a non-threatening centrist during his own campaigns. Today, with the Democrats seemingly racing each other to see who can dive off the cliff into full-blown socialism, does his silence indicate some sort of tacit approval of these developments? Or is he biting his tongue in frustration over a leftward lurch that could leave the eventual nominee virtually unelectable? If so, the day may be coming when he speaks up.
The biggest remaining question this cycle is: What, if anything, will Obama do to join the party hierarchy, publicly or perhaps behind the scenes, and stall Sanders’ momentum as he tries to assemble the 1,991 delegates necessary for a first ballot victory at the party’s national convention in Milwaukee come mid-July? Sanders calls himself a “democratic socialist,” but the qualifying nuance is certain to be lost in a campaign against the detested but well-financed Donald Trump. Party leaders’ fear is that a likely resounding thumping on Nov. 3 of the man proposing countless trillions in new taxes and spending would also cost Democrats their House majority and their attempt to erase the GOP’s slim advantage in the Senate. On the other hand, an obvious bid to push the convention to a second ballot could well alienate the fervent Sanders crowd on the left as yet another perceived rigging of results to deny the independent senator what they view as his hard-earned rightful place atop the national ticket of the party he does not belong to.
A more cynical person might opine that Obama is remaining on the sidelines not out of some impulse to honor the traditions established by previous presidents, but because he simply doesn’t care. After all, he already cashed in on the office in a big way, departing with book deals to complete and Netflix docuseries to produce. Why should he care if the Democrats drive themselves into a ditch?
But somehow I don’t think that’s it. I’m pretty sure that Barack Obama is watching these events closely and, assuming he wasn’t faking everyone out over his entire career, recoiling in horror. That’s not to say that he might not approve of some of the more radical, populist proposals being put on the table. But he also surely knows that many of them are not popular in the heartland and the Democrats may be setting themselves up for an electoral disaster in November and four more years of the Bad Orange Man.
Andrew also reminds us, however, that Obama may be looking at the lessons of American political history and remaining wary of trying to stamp out Bernie in favor of his own former Veep. The fact is, former Vice Presidents haven’t fared well in presidential bids in the modern era. Just consider the fates of Vice Presidents Al Gore, Walter Mondale, Hubert Humphrey and Richard Nixon in 1960. The only one to win their own presidential term on the first try was Bush 41, but as Malcolm notes, that was more of a third term for Reagan than anything else.
If Barack Obama is averse to the likely toxic effects of Sanders’ socialism but worried about the viability of Biden as the nominee, what’s left? Could he possibly be considering Mike Bloomberg? After all, the former NYC mayor has been running endless advertisements featuring pictures of him with Obama and talking about how they worked together in the past. If Obama objected to his image being used that way he’s had plenty of time to complain, but he hasn’t. An Obama endorsement would go a long way toward solving Bloomberg’s image problems or at least push the party closer to a brokered convention where Mike could buy the nomination using the superdelegates. And that would really throw a monkey wrench into the entire works.


hotair--2020-03-03--What if Bernie *doesn't* win big today?

What if Bernie *doesn't* win big today?

If this mixed up Democratic primary season has taught us anything thus far it ’ s that the “ conventional wisdom ” has been repeatedly falling on its face .
We ’ ll see if that continues tonight , but for the moment it appears that everyone still believes Bernie Sanders will cruise out of Super Tuesday with a bunch of wins and large herd of earned delegates .
Or at least that ’ s the prediction being made at The Hill this morning , among other sites holding similar positions .
Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-Vt. ) is poised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states vote on this cycle ’ s Super Tuesday , while former Vice President Joe Biden is looking to solidify his position as the centrist alternative .
Sanders is headed for a top finish in California and Texas , the two largest states to vote .
The progressive independent should win California in blowout fashion , and he ’ s maintained a healthy lead in polls of Texas throughout the early voting period , when more than 1 million people cast ballots in the Democratic primary .
Centrist Democrats are frantically throwing their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep Sanders from building an insurmountable lead .
This was pretty much the position I was taking up until yesterday because it seemed so obvious .
As recently as Sunday I was scoffing at the idea that Joe Biden was suddenly the “ inevitable ” nominee because Bernie was beating him in the Super Tuesday polls everywhere except for North Carolina .
There are still reasons to believe that it will play out that way ( which I ’ ll get to in a minute ) , but what if the conventional wisdom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reason I ’ m raising the question this morning is that my earlier prognostication was based on the assumption that both Buttigieg and Klobuchar would still be in there swinging , at least until tonight , continuing to splinter the more centrist voters .
But after yesterday ’ s somewhat surprising developments , the “ moderate ” lane has basically been cleared for Biden with the exceptions of the completely irrelevant Tulsi Gabbard and Mike Bloomberg , who has been taking broadsides from everyone else for weeks .
There obviously wasn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the past 24 hours , so all of those polls showing Sanders with strong leads in delegate-rich states might be turning stale very quickly without any foreshadowing .
If Biden is somehow able to consolidate the majority of the Buttigieg and Klobuchar voters today , it could add up to a ton of delegates and pretty much erase Sanders ’ lead .
And if that happens , Uncle Joe just might be Mr .
Inevitable tomorrow morning .
There are a couple of reasons to believe that might not happen , however .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( at least to me ) Morning Consult polling showing that the second choice for Klobuchar ’ s voters was actually split four ways , with the largest slice leaning toward Sanders .
Also , she was on NBC this morning saying that there is no secret plan to crush Bernie to save the party .
So Biden may not be the default benefactor .
The Buttigieg voters probably lean a little more heavily toward Biden now , but that ’ s probably not a clean sweep either .
The next thing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , both by mail and at actual polling stations , is going to have .
Particularly in California ( but other states as well ) , millions of people have already cast their votes and those ballots can ’ t be reeled back in .
All of the votes for Mayor Pete and Amy Klobuchar are now basically wasted unless they still somehow come in above 15 % somewhere .
Early voting will put a ceiling on how much of a surge Biden can realize from yesterday ’ s realignment .
The other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , of course .
He ’ s been hit hard , but he ’ s still running a massive advertising campaign that ’ s reaching a lot of the less-motivated voters who aren ’ t glued to cable news all day .
Well after the beating he took at the debates , Mike is still hitting 17 % in California and 20 % in Texas .
He ’ s doing nearly that well in several other states and that ’ s primarily coming at Biden ’ s expense .
By the end of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less than 2,000 delegates needed to secure the nomination will have been awarded .
If Sanders can hang on to the momentum we all thought he had until yesterday , he could realistically be nearly halfway to the delegate total he needs for the convention .
Or at least he could be hanging on to enough delegates to stop anyone from reaching 50 % if Bloomberg bags a large enough number .

If this mixed up Democratic primary season has taught us anything thus far it’s that the “conventional wisdom” has been repeatedly falling on its face. We’ll see if that continues tonight, but for the moment it appears that everyone still believes Bernie Sanders will cruise out of Super Tuesday with a bunch of wins and large herd of earned delegates. Or at least that’s the prediction being made at The Hill this morning, among other sites holding similar positions.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is poised to win the most delegates when 14 states vote on this cycle’s Super Tuesday, while former Vice President Joe Biden is looking to solidify his position as the centrist alternative. Sanders is headed for a top finish in California and Texas, the two largest states to vote. The progressive independent should win California in blowout fashion, and he’s maintained a healthy lead in polls of Texas throughout the early voting period, when more than 1 million people cast ballots in the Democratic primary. Centrist Democrats are frantically throwing their weight behind Biden in an effort to keep Sanders from building an insurmountable lead.
This was pretty much the position I was taking up until yesterday because it seemed so obvious. As recently as Sunday I was scoffing at the idea that Joe Biden was suddenly the “inevitable” nominee because Bernie was beating him in the Super Tuesday polls everywhere except for North Carolina. There are still reasons to believe that it will play out that way (which I’ll get to in a minute), but what if the conventional wisdom is once again wrong?
The only reason I’m raising the question this morning is that my earlier prognostication was based on the assumption that both Buttigieg and Klobuchar would still be in there swinging, at least until tonight, continuing to splinter the more centrist voters. But after yesterday’s somewhat surprising developments, the “moderate” lane has basically been cleared for Biden with the exceptions of the completely irrelevant Tulsi Gabbard and Mike Bloomberg, who has been taking broadsides from everyone else for weeks.
There obviously wasn’t time to do any comprehensive polling in the past 24 hours, so all of those polls showing Sanders with strong leads in delegate-rich states might be turning stale very quickly without any foreshadowing. If Biden is somehow able to consolidate the majority of the Buttigieg and Klobuchar voters today, it could add up to a ton of delegates and pretty much erase Sanders’ lead. And if that happens, Uncle Joe just might be Mr. Inevitable tomorrow morning.
There are a couple of reasons to believe that might not happen, however. One of those came with the surprising (at least to me) Morning Consult polling showing that the second choice for Klobuchar’s voters was actually split four ways, with the largest slice leaning toward Sanders. Also, she was on NBC this morning saying that there is no secret plan to crush Bernie to save the party. So Biden may not be the default benefactor. The Buttigieg voters probably lean a little more heavily toward Biden now, but that’s probably not a clean sweep either.
The next thing to remember is the effect that early voting, both by mail and at actual polling stations, is going to have. Particularly in California (but other states as well), millions of people have already cast their votes and those ballots can’t be reeled back in. All of the votes for Mayor Pete and Amy Klobuchar are now basically wasted unless they still somehow come in above 15% somewhere. Early voting will put a ceiling on how much of a surge Biden can realize from yesterday’s realignment.
The other wildcard in this game is Mike Bloomberg, of course. He’s been hit hard, but he’s still running a massive advertising campaign that’s reaching a lot of the less-motivated voters who aren’t glued to cable news all day. Well after the beating he took at the debates, Mike is still hitting 17% in California and 20% in Texas. He’s doing nearly that well in several other states and that’s primarily coming at Biden’s expense.
By the end of the night, roughly 1,300 of the less than 2,000 delegates needed to secure the nomination will have been awarded. If Sanders can hang on to the momentum we all thought he had until yesterday, he could realistically be nearly halfway to the delegate total he needs for the convention. Or at least he could be hanging on to enough delegates to stop anyone from reaching 50% if Bloomberg bags a large enough number.


hotair--2020-03-03--Biden wants to put Beto in charge of gun control?

Last night , Allahpundit speculated that if Biden had cut a deal with Pete Buttigieg to get him to step aside before today ’ s cascade of delegates being awarded , it would probably involve making him the head of Housing and Urban Development .
In terms of the way business normally gets done in the swamp , that ’ s not a bad bet .
After all , it ’ s the department where you can stick almost anyone and they won ’ t wind up doing too much damage even if they majorly mess up .
But what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some reason , he was on the stage last night endorsing Uncle Joe as well .
Does he get some sort of consolation prize for hopping on the “ moderate ” bandwagon and helping to defeat Bernie Sanders ?
When the Big Reveal arrived last night , Biden offered a hint as to what the future may hold for the failed Senate and presidential candidate .
O ’ Rourke will “ take care of the gun problem ” in the country .
( Via Twitter ) What does that even mean ?
Gun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Could Biden actually be considering putting O ’ Rourke in as Attorney General ?
Looking over his resume , you will find that Beto has just about the least qualifications imaginable for such a position .
He was an English major in college and worked a series of what were basically odd jobs before becoming a perennial candidate for public office .
Even in Congress , none of the committees he sat on had anything to do with gun control or any other law enforcement activities .
In reality , the sum total @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the law was being arrested for burglary and fleeing the scene of his DUI accident .
So assuming Biden hasn ’ t gone completely around the bend , where else could he stick O ’ Rourke that would have anything to do with gun control ?
Homeland Security or somewhere else in the Justice Department ?
Again… totally unqualified .
I suppose Biden could be imagining the creation of some sort of “ Gun Control Czar ” position .
Obama was big on creating czars for everything under the sun .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most part , but it would keep O ’ Rourke ’ s hand in the game for at least four years and provide him with a steady paycheck .
Just in case that was to happen , here ’ s a short walk down memory lane demonstrating how committed Beto was to confiscating guns , even from those who are unwilling to comply .
On the eve of Super Tuesday , Joe Biden declared his support for the guy who promised to have law enforcement officials going door to door and confiscating any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approve of .
That ’ s pretty far afield from Biden ’ s previous , more “ moderate ” policies , including telling people to go out on their porch and fire shotguns in the air .
Let ’ s all keep this particular incident in mind as the clown car rolls down the road toward election day .

Last night, Allahpundit speculated that if Biden had cut a deal with Pete Buttigieg to get him to step aside before today’s cascade of delegates being awarded, it would probably involve making him the head of Housing and Urban Development. In terms of the way business normally gets done in the swamp, that’s not a bad bet. After all, it’s the department where you can stick almost anyone and they won’t wind up doing too much damage even if they majorly mess up.
But what about Beto O’Rourke? For some reason, he was on the stage last night endorsing Uncle Joe as well. Does he get some sort of consolation prize for hopping on the “moderate” bandwagon and helping to defeat Bernie Sanders? When the Big Reveal arrived last night, Biden offered a hint as to what the future may hold for the failed Senate and presidential candidate. O’Rourke will “take care of the gun problem” in the country. (Via Twitter)
Beto O’Rourke championed eliminating your #2A rights, confiscating your guns, & punishing law-abiding Americans Joe Biden just promised to put Beto in charge of “the gun problem” to “lead this effort” Joe wants to take away Americans’ guns just as badly as Beto! WATCH👇 pic.twitter.com/G9T4MFuoPB — Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) March 3, 2020
What does that even mean? Gun control is a law enforcement issue. Could Biden actually be considering putting O’Rourke in as Attorney General? Looking over his resume, you will find that Beto has just about the least qualifications imaginable for such a position. He was an English major in college and worked a series of what were basically odd jobs before becoming a perennial candidate for public office. Even in Congress, none of the committees he sat on had anything to do with gun control or any other law enforcement activities. In reality, the sum total of O’Rourke’s involvement with the law was being arrested for burglary and fleeing the scene of his DUI accident.
So assuming Biden hasn’t gone completely around the bend, where else could he stick O’Rourke that would have anything to do with gun control? Homeland Security or somewhere else in the Justice Department? Again… totally unqualified.
I suppose Biden could be imagining the creation of some sort of “Gun Control Czar” position. Obama was big on creating czars for everything under the sun. It would be a meaningless role for the most part, but it would keep O’Rourke’s hand in the game for at least four years and provide him with a steady paycheck.
Just in case that was to happen, here’s a short walk down memory lane demonstrating how committed Beto was to confiscating guns, even from those who are unwilling to comply.
Beto O’Rourke pledged to destroy the 2nd Amendment and take away guns from law-abiding Americans by force. Now Beto is endorsing Joe Biden because he knows Joe has become just as extreme as he is.pic.twitter.com/KCfqghnWFU — Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) March 3, 2020
On the eve of Super Tuesday, Joe Biden declared his support for the guy who promised to have law enforcement officials going door to door and confiscating any weapons that he didn’t personally approve of. That’s pretty far afield from Biden’s previous, more “moderate” policies, including telling people to go out on their porch and fire shotguns in the air. Let’s all keep this particular incident in mind as the clown car rolls down the road toward election day.