hotair--2020-08-29--The media catches up with Jacob Blake's warrants

In the six days since Jacob Blake was shot by a Kenosha , Wisconsin police officer , details of how the entire incident came about have been painfully slow to emerge .
I ’ ll point out upfront that much of the mainstream media has been far less than helpful in finding any clarity in this case , preferring to focus on the subsequent protests and unrest , depicting him as just “ another victim ” of racist police practices .
But right from the beginning , there were indications that there was much more to the story than might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week , local sleuths in the Kenosha area had already begun digging into the history of the people involved in that police encounter , including Blake himself .
When I first wrote about this case , urging caution before we began rushing to judgment , I noted some of Blake ’ s previous history with law enforcement that might be directly related to these events .
Specifically , I asked why the cops were at that location to begin with : “ And why were the cops interested in Blake to begin with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has a rap sheet going back to at least 2015 .
Last month a warrant was put out on him for criminal trespassing , domestic abuse and sexual assault .
On Sunday , the police were responding to a report of domestic violence , but it ’ s unclear whether or not that involved Blake in this instance.
” Keep in mind that on Monday , the Washington Post cited a supposed witness who claimed that the cops were only there because of “ a fight between two women over a scratch on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ John did a followup on the story on Thursday , he noted that the police dispatcher said a woman had called police saying “ her boyfriend was present and was not supposed to be on the premises.
” That certainly made it sound more like what I alluded to initially .
If there was a warrant out for Blake for domestic abuse , sexual assault , etc .
then it would make sense if a restraining order was in place .
Now , most of these details are being confirmed .
The New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ woman in question was a repeat victim of Blake ’ s and she was the one who called the police to the scene after Blake pushed his way into her home and sexually assaulted her again .
Before you click through and read the rest of that article , I will warn you in advance that the details of the assault are offered in a rather graphic form and may be disturbing to some readers .
The cops involved in the shooting of Jacob Blake — which touched off a fresh wave of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — were attempting to arrest him for violating a restraining order stemming from an alleged sexual assault , The Post has learned .
Blake , 29 , was forbidden from going to the Kenosha home of his alleged victim from the May 3 incident , and police were dispatched Sunday following a 911 call saying he was there .
The responding officers were aware he had an open warrant for felony sexual assault , according to dispatch records and the Kenosha Professional Police Association , which released a statement on the incident on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some meeting of happenstance between Jason Blake and the police .
They had been called to the scene by a repeat sexual assault victim .
There was already a warrant out for Blake ’ s arrest and the cops were there to execute it .
The cops knew about all of this before they arrived , explaining how they might have been prepared for a confrontation when they got there and their general approach in trying to take Blake into custody .
Blake ’ s family is calling any discussion of his history @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but it certainly seems relevant .
I have also seen what is purported to be a copy of a previous warrant for Blake on an illegal firearms charge from either 2015 or 2017 , but we ’ ll hold off on releasing that unless we receive confirmation from the Kenosha police .
But either way , it appears that the police had reason to believe that Blake might not come along peacefully .
Going back to the videos that made the rounds early this week , the cops are filling in more details @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first video from the passenger side of Blake ’ s vehicle starts after the action has already begun .
This is why we need the bodycam footage from the police .
( Which really should have already been released , by the way , if authorities were interested in transparency and hoping to tamp down some of the violence in response . )
According to the Post ’ s report , the responding officers said that Blake immediately engaged them physically .
He had one officer in a headlock at one point .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , showing that the cops attempted non-lethal intervention first .
Blake allegedly shook off the taser and that ’ s when he went around to the driver ’ s side of the vehicle .
That brings us back to the final question I brought up initially .
What was Blake doing when he opened up the vehicle door ?
The cops assert that there was a knife on the floor of the vehicle and that he was also armed with a knife during the altercation with the cops on the sidewalk .
Again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the officers ( assuming they were wearing them and they were turned on ) to know for sure .
Was Blake simply trying to get in the vehicle and escape or was he reaching for a weapon ?
Does all of this mean that the police are completely exonerated in the decision to use deadly force ?
Obviously not .
We don ’ t have enough information yet .
But we also now know that there was much more to the story than we were being told initially by the mainstream media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a case of a couple of racist cops randomly finding a Black man to shoot after two women got in a brawl over a scratch on a car .
This remains far from an open and shut case as far as I can tell , but the full story won ’ t be known until such time as the public gets the rest of the footage from the police cruisers and body cameras .

In the six days since Jacob Blake was shot by a Kenosha, Wisconsin police officer, details of how the entire incident came about have been painfully slow to emerge. I’ll point out upfront that much of the mainstream media has been far less than helpful in finding any clarity in this case, preferring to focus on the subsequent protests and unrest, depicting him as just “another victim” of racist police practices. But right from the beginning, there were indications that there was much more to the story than might initially meet the eye.
Early this week, local sleuths in the Kenosha area had already begun digging into the history of the people involved in that police encounter, including Blake himself. When I first wrote about this case, urging caution before we began rushing to judgment, I noted some of Blake’s previous history with law enforcement that might be directly related to these events. Specifically, I asked why the cops were at that location to begin with:
“And why were the cops interested in Blake to begin with? As it turns out, he has a rap sheet going back to at least 2015. Last month a warrant was put out on him for criminal trespassing, domestic abuse and sexual assault. On Sunday, the police were responding to a report of domestic violence, but it’s unclear whether or not that involved Blake in this instance.”
Keep in mind that on Monday, the Washington Post cited a supposed witness who claimed that the cops were only there because of “a fight between two women over a scratch on one of their cars.” But when John did a followup on the story on Thursday, he noted that the police dispatcher said a woman had called police saying “her boyfriend was present and was not supposed to be on the premises.”
That certainly made it sound more like what I alluded to initially. If there was a warrant out for Blake for domestic abuse, sexual assault, etc. then it would make sense if a restraining order was in place. Now, most of these details are being confirmed. The New York Post reported last night that the woman in question was a repeat victim of Blake’s and she was the one who called the police to the scene after Blake pushed his way into her home and sexually assaulted her again. Before you click through and read the rest of that article, I will warn you in advance that the details of the assault are offered in a rather graphic form and may be disturbing to some readers.
The cops involved in the shooting of Jacob Blake — which touched off a fresh wave of angry, anti-police sentiment across the country — were attempting to arrest him for violating a restraining order stemming from an alleged sexual assault, The Post has learned. Blake, 29, was forbidden from going to the Kenosha home of his alleged victim from the May 3 incident, and police were dispatched Sunday following a 911 call saying he was there. The responding officers were aware he had an open warrant for felony sexual assault, according to dispatch records and the Kenosha Professional Police Association, which released a statement on the incident on Friday.
So this wasn’t some meeting of happenstance between Jason Blake and the police. They had been called to the scene by a repeat sexual assault victim. There was already a warrant out for Blake’s arrest and the cops were there to execute it. The cops knew about all of this before they arrived, explaining how they might have been prepared for a confrontation when they got there and their general approach in trying to take Blake into custody. Blake’s family is calling any discussion of his history prior to the shooting “garbage” but it certainly seems relevant.
I have also seen what is purported to be a copy of a previous warrant for Blake on an illegal firearms charge from either 2015 or 2017, but we’ll hold off on releasing that unless we receive confirmation from the Kenosha police. But either way, it appears that the police had reason to believe that Blake might not come along peacefully.
(EDIT: (Jazz) I make several references to police body camera footage in the rest of this article. I’m leaving them as originally published in the interest of transparency, but this is yet another element of a complex story that I missed along the way. There is no body camera footage forthcoming because Kenosha has yet to approve the funding for body cameras, though the concept was approved in 2017.)
Going back to the videos that made the rounds early this week, the cops are filling in more details as well. As usual, the first video from the passenger side of Blake’s vehicle starts after the action has already begun. This is why we need the bodycam footage from the police. (Which really should have already been released, by the way, if authorities were interested in transparency and hoping to tamp down some of the violence in response.) According to the Post’s report, the responding officers said that Blake immediately engaged them physically. He had one officer in a headlock at one point. Two attempts were made to tase him, showing that the cops attempted non-lethal intervention first. Blake allegedly shook off the taser and that’s when he went around to the driver’s side of the vehicle.
That brings us back to the final question I brought up initially. What was Blake doing when he opened up the vehicle door? The cops assert that there was a knife on the floor of the vehicle and that he was also armed with a knife during the altercation with the cops on the sidewalk. Again, we really need the bodycam footage from the officers (assuming they were wearing them and they were turned on) to know for sure. Was Blake simply trying to get in the vehicle and escape or was he reaching for a weapon?
Does all of this mean that the police are completely exonerated in the decision to use deadly force? Obviously not. We don’t have enough information yet. But we also now know that there was much more to the story than we were being told initially by the mainstream media. And it wasn’t just a case of a couple of racist cops randomly finding a Black man to shoot after two women got in a brawl over a scratch on a car. This remains far from an open and shut case as far as I can tell, but the full story won’t be known until such time as the public gets the rest of the footage from the police cruisers and body cameras.


hotair--2020-08-30--Sunday morning talking heads

Sunday morning talking heads

This morning the Sunday shows will wrap up the conventions by showcasing one of the unexpected star speakers of the GOP pageant .
That would be Kentucky AG Daniel Cameron , who ’ s all of 34 years old and clearly being lined up for a future run for governor or Senate .
He ’ s a McConnell protege and doubtless now has a friend in the president after vouching for him on national television this past week ; as a young African-American Republican officeholder , he ’ s also likely to be deployed as a surrogate on the trail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s the limit for a rising star with a profile like that .
He ’ ll speak with “ Face the Nation ” this morning about the convention , the rash of violence in cities like Kenosha , and the thorny issue of whether to prosecute the cops who killed Breonna Taylor .
Putting police on trial isn ’ t normally a way for an ambitious Republican to improve his prospects in a red state , but someone with his eye on a future national run may be weighing the national mood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The violence in Kenosha and Minneapolis is also a hot topic this morning .
Benjamin Crump , the lawyer for Jacob Blake ’ s family , will talk with “ Face the Nation ” about Blake ’ s shooting and the aftermath while Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson speaks to “ State of the Union ” about the same .
Elsewhere , Sen. Amy Klobuchar will deliver the Democratic spin on Minneapolis at a moment when her home state appears to be trending towards Trump .
Trafalgar had Biden ahead by five points there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent poll , they found the race tied at 47 .
Klobuchar will chat with “ This Week ” about why a “ blue ” state seems less blue after three months of sporadic riots .
The White House also has several officials set to discuss Hurricane Laura ’ s impact on the gulf states this morning .
FEMA administrator Peter Gaynor will talk with “ State of the Union ” while DHS chief Chad Wolf speaks with “ This Week ” and “ State of the Union.
” Wolf will be pressed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bit that he seemingly violated the Hatch Act by presiding over the White House naturalization ceremony that aired during the GOP convention and whether he ’ s concerned that , according to the GAO , he ’ s not actually the lawfully appointed head of DHS right now .
Spoiler : No in both cases .
Mark Meadows will also be on “ Meet the Press ” this morning to spin matters various and sundry for the White House .
The full line-up is at the AP .

This morning the Sunday shows will wrap up the conventions by showcasing one of the unexpected star speakers of the GOP pageant. That would be Kentucky AG Daniel Cameron, who’s all of 34 years old and clearly being lined up for a future run for governor or Senate. He’s a McConnell protege and doubtless now has a friend in the president after vouching for him on national television this past week; as a young African-American Republican officeholder, he’s also likely to be deployed as a surrogate on the trail for Trump/Pence this fall. The sky’s the limit for a rising star with a profile like that. He’ll speak with “Face the Nation” this morning about the convention, the rash of violence in cities like Kenosha, and the thorny issue of whether to prosecute the cops who killed Breonna Taylor. Putting police on trial isn’t normally a way for an ambitious Republican to improve his prospects in a red state, but someone with his eye on a future national run may be weighing the national mood as much as the local one.
The violence in Kenosha and Minneapolis is also a hot topic this morning. Benjamin Crump, the lawyer for Jacob Blake’s family, will talk with “Face the Nation” about Blake’s shooting and the aftermath while Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson speaks to “State of the Union” about the same. Elsewhere, Sen. Amy Klobuchar will deliver the Democratic spin on Minneapolis at a moment when her home state appears to be trending towards Trump. Trafalgar had Biden ahead by five points there in late July. In their more recent poll, they found the race tied at 47. Klobuchar will chat with “This Week” about why a “blue” state seems less blue after three months of sporadic riots.
The White House also has several officials set to discuss Hurricane Laura’s impact on the gulf states this morning. FEMA administrator Peter Gaynor will talk with “State of the Union” while DHS chief Chad Wolf speaks with “This Week” and “State of the Union.” Wolf will be pressed on whether he cares even a little bit that he seemingly violated the Hatch Act by presiding over the White House naturalization ceremony that aired during the GOP convention and whether he’s concerned that, according to the GAO, he’s not actually the lawfully appointed head of DHS right now. Spoiler: No in both cases.
Mark Meadows will also be on “Meet the Press” this morning to spin matters various and sundry for the White House. The full line-up is at the AP.


hotair--2020-08-30--Biden to address racial tensions on Monday

I have to admit , I came close to titling this , “ Guess where Joe Biden will not go on Monday ?
” to play off Karen ’ s piece on Trump ’ s Kenosha visit but decided to pass .
Humor is not really my forte if I ’ m honest , so it makes more sense to go with a different lede .
Joe Biden is going to address racial tensions on Monday , but the talk won ’ t originate from Wisconsin .
POLITICO reports Biden ’ s decision to skip Wisconsin is because of Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Two sources with knowledge of the former vice president ’ s travel discussions say that while Biden is expected to travel , he will steer clear of the pivotal Midwestern battleground state on Monday .
He is expected to address the rising tensions stemming from the unrest in Portland and Kenosha .
The thinking , according to these people , is that Trump ’ s trip to Kenosha could backfire on the president .
The Biden campaign is ramping up its messaging that the unrest in the city and elsewhere is an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that inflames racial tensions .
Maybe ?
Pradheep Shanker believes the strategy will backfire on Biden because he ’ s not showing leadership and won ’ t provide specifics on how he ’ d stop the violence .
It ’ s an understandable belief , however , Biden finds himself in a bit of a pickle when it comes to the issue of policing because he ’ s not in the # defundthepolice camp .
“ Everybody forgets a third of that bill that I wrote [ [ note from Taylor : likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ details here ] ] was to put more cops in the street , not in their automobiles , but getting out and knowing the community , ” Biden told ABC after the Democratic National Convention wrapped up .
“ Knowing who owns the local grocery store , knowing everybody in the community , and crime will drop .
The other thing is– they also need help .
We– they need more social workers , they need psychologists with them , they need to have the kind of help that in fact allows them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have someone who is about to jump off a building or someone who is crazed and needs– you have to have people who are– have expertise beyond just the physical support and the physical protection of someone.
” It ’ s likely any specifics from Biden which do not fall under the ‘ defund the police ’ banner end up poorly received by progressives , especially those who are leery of his ( and running mate Senator Kamala Harris ) beliefs on justice reform .
He ’ d likely lose Bernie Sanders fans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to go to Kenosha or Portland and suggest more funding for police .
Biden may be a “ moderate ” when it comes to his previous reputation , but Democrats are doing all they can to bring in more democratic socialists and progressives .
Backing more police funding won ’ t play over well .
What ’ s also likely is that Biden wouldn ’ t do anything different from Trump on sending in the National Guard or federal police .
He ’ d just present it in a more tolerable way than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s great for those who care about not killing the messenger , but not for those who desire substantive change like defunding the police .
Biden ’ s speech will likely be similar to one from late July where he suggested spending more money on infrastructure and giving more money to minority-owned businesses .
All that ’ s doing is giving more power to the government and ignoring past governmental failures under the guise of fixing and issue .
It ’ s not loosening the reins on the free market by getting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it easier for people of all races to advance monetarily and technologically .
So maybe it ’ s not a bad thing that he ’ s skipping Kenosha for some other city .

I have to admit, I came close to titling this, “Guess where Joe Biden will not go on Monday?” to play off Karen’s piece on Trump’s Kenosha visit but decided to pass. Humor is not really my forte if I’m honest, so it makes more sense to go with a different lede.
Joe Biden is going to address racial tensions on Monday, but the talk won’t originate from Wisconsin. POLITICO reports Biden’s decision to skip Wisconsin is because of Trump’s visit (emphasis mine).
Two sources with knowledge of the former vice president’s travel discussions say that while Biden is expected to travel, he will steer clear of the pivotal Midwestern battleground state on Monday. He is expected to address the rising tensions stemming from the unrest in Portland and Kenosha. The thinking, according to these people, is that Trump’s trip to Kenosha could backfire on the president. The Biden campaign is ramping up its messaging that the unrest in the city and elsewhere is an outgrowth of the president’s rhetoric that inflames racial tensions.
Maybe? Pradheep Shanker believes the strategy will backfire on Biden because he’s not showing leadership and won’t provide specifics on how he’d stop the violence. It’s an understandable belief, however, Biden finds himself in a bit of a pickle when it comes to the issue of policing because he’s not in the #defundthepolice camp.
“Everybody forgets a third of that bill that I wrote [[ note from Taylor: likely the Police Officers Bill of Rights more details here ]] was to put more cops in the street, not in their automobiles, but getting out and knowing the community,” Biden told ABC after the Democratic National Convention wrapped up. “Knowing who owns the local grocery store, knowing everybody in the community, and crime will drop. The other thing is– they also need help. We– they need more social workers, they need psychologists with them, they need to have the kind of help that in fact allows them to deal with circumstances, where you have someone who is about to jump off a building or someone who is crazed and needs– you have to have people who are– have expertise beyond just the physical support and the physical protection of someone.”
It’s likely any specifics from Biden which do not fall under the ‘defund the police’ banner end up poorly received by progressives, especially those who are leery of his (and running mate Senator Kamala Harris) beliefs on justice reform. He’d likely lose Bernie Sanders fans and younger African-Americans and Hispanics were he to go to Kenosha or Portland and suggest more funding for police. Biden may be a “moderate” when it comes to his previous reputation, but Democrats are doing all they can to bring in more democratic socialists and progressives. Backing more police funding won’t play over well.
What’s also likely is that Biden wouldn’t do anything different from Trump on sending in the National Guard or federal police. He’d just present it in a more tolerable way than a brash tweet or 12. That’s great for those who care about not killing the messenger, but not for those who desire substantive change like defunding the police.
Biden’s speech will likely be similar to one from late July where he suggested spending more money on infrastructure and giving more money to minority-owned businesses. All that’s doing is giving more power to the government and ignoring past governmental failures under the guise of fixing and issue. It’s not loosening the reins on the free market by getting rid of laws and regulations thus making it easier for people of all races to advance monetarily and technologically.
So maybe it’s not a bad thing that he’s skipping Kenosha for some other city.


hotair--2020-08-30--Is 'Support Peaceful Protest Act' an answer to violent protests?

Another night of violence and lawlessness was experienced in some of the streets of America on Saturday .
Democrat-controlled cities on both coasts and in Kenosha , Wisconsin have spiraled out of control .
Most of America remains peaceful and calm but it is the ugly scenes of destruction in downtown Seattle , Portland , Washington , D.C. , and Kenosha that dominate news broadcasts .
Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian , a Democrat , admits to being caught flat-footed to the violence and unrest in that city .
Who had Kenosha , Wisconsin on their bingo card for a nationally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
He says there were not enough law enforcement officers to handle the huge crowds of out-of-town protesters he claims flooded the city .
Antaramian ’ s comments show how tone-deaf the governor ’ s initial refusal was about accepting help from the Trump administration to control and contain the violence .
Surely the governor was aware of the size of the city ’ s police force .
“ The problem in the city at the time was we had made requests to the state , and the state did bring the National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of outside individuals came into the city , including , as you saw , the militia .
These are not folks that are from Kenosha .
They all came from other places .
I shouldn ’ t say all , but a good percentage came from other places , ” Antaramian said .
“ Because of that , we were basically in a situation that in the first two nights [ was ] a difficult situation to deal with .
We had all sorts of different groups that came into the community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s police officers , sheriffs from all over the state came to help out .
National Guard came .
However , we just , we did not have enough people in the first two nights , ” he said .
We saw the threats of violence against Senator Rand Paul and his wife as they walked from the White House to a hotel two blocks away after the conclusion of the Republican convention .
The violence continues in Washington , D.C. , as seen Saturday night .
D.C. law enforcement responded .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saturday following another night of Black Lives Matter protests that saw police clash with demonstrators , striking them with rubber bullets and detonating stun grenades , as they moved to clear out crowds .
Hundreds of protesters had gathered at Black Lives Matter Plaza to rally against police brutality and racial injustice , following another week of unrest triggered by the police shooting of black man Jacob Blake in Wisconsin last Sunday .
Members of the Metropolitan Police Department were out in force as demonstrators marched towards the White House chanting , ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fascists ’ .
When law enforcement tells you to move , you should move .
Rep. Jim Banks , a Republican from Indiana , introduced the ‘ Support Peaceful Protest Act ’ on Friday .
Its goal is to stop the riots , looting , and vandalism that have occurred during the protests that turn violent .
He hopes it will protect peaceful protesters , law enforcement officers , and bystanders that find themselves caught up in a bad situation .
Banks proposes stripping unemployment benefits from those rioters receiving them , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The bill proposes that if an individual is convicted of a federal offense while at a protest in which police are present , they will have to ‘ pay an order of restitution… that is equal to the cost of such policing activity , as determined by the court.
’ Further , Banks proposes that those engaging in rioting , looting and arson should be stripped of federal benefits accessible during the COVID-19 crisis , such as the $ 600 per week unemployment assistance drawn from the CARES Act .
In an interview @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a majority of rioters who intentionally disrupt protests are currently unemployed and receiving benefits .
‘ Due to enhanced federal benefits , taxpayers are giving wages to jobless rioters that are destroying our communities .
We need to cut them off from their funding and make them feel the full financial consequences of their actions , ’ Banks stated .
He continued : ” Many of these people are not working .
They have the time to show up every day at some of these violent protests like in Washington , D.C. and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week of unemployment to do it , and that ’ s got to stop.
’ Will a bill passed in Congress stop the violence ?
Probably not – violent agitators don ’ t care about laws .
If they are paid agitators , it is unlikely they care much about unemployment benefits if someone else is paying them .
It ’ s the kind of action that Congress takes to make themselves feel good that they are doing something .
Most members of Congress have been largely silent during this whole period of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the aisle .
The Republican Party used to be vocal about law and order matters .
Not so much anymore .
In an election year when the president is running on a law and order platform , it would behoove Republicans to speak up and support law enforcement more consistently .

Another night of violence and lawlessness was experienced in some of the streets of America on Saturday. Democrat-controlled cities on both coasts and in Kenosha, Wisconsin have spiraled out of control. Most of America remains peaceful and calm but it is the ugly scenes of destruction in downtown Seattle, Portland, Washington, D.C., and Kenosha that dominate news broadcasts.
Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian, a Democrat, admits to being caught flat-footed to the violence and unrest in that city. Who had Kenosha, Wisconsin on their bingo card for a nationally reported story about violent protests and riots? He says there were not enough law enforcement officers to handle the huge crowds of out-of-town protesters he claims flooded the city. Antaramian’s comments show how tone-deaf the governor’s initial refusal was about accepting help from the Trump administration to control and contain the violence. Surely the governor was aware of the size of the city’s police force.
“The problem in the city at the time was we had made requests to the state, and the state did bring the National Guard in. However, a huge number of outside individuals came into the city, including, as you saw, the militia. These are not folks that are from Kenosha. They all came from other places. I shouldn’t say all, but a good percentage came from other places,” Antaramian said. “Because of that, we were basically in a situation that in the first two nights [was] a difficult situation to deal with. We had all sorts of different groups that came into the community to help the police department. That’s police officers, sheriffs from all over the state came to help out. National Guard came. However, we just, we did not have enough people in the first two nights,” he said.
We saw the threats of violence against Senator Rand Paul and his wife as they walked from the White House to a hotel two blocks away after the conclusion of the Republican convention. The violence continues in Washington, D.C., as seen Saturday night. D.C. law enforcement responded.
Chaos erupted outside the White House on Saturday following another night of Black Lives Matter protests that saw police clash with demonstrators, striking them with rubber bullets and detonating stun grenades, as they moved to clear out crowds. Hundreds of protesters had gathered at Black Lives Matter Plaza to rally against police brutality and racial injustice, following another week of unrest triggered by the police shooting of black man Jacob Blake in Wisconsin last Sunday. Members of the Metropolitan Police Department were out in force as demonstrators marched towards the White House chanting, ‘No cops, no KKK, no fascists’.
When law enforcement tells you to move, you should move.
Police charge at protesters to move them out of the area. They’ve detonated at least 8 stun grenades so far and used chemical irritant. You can see an officer shoving protester to the ground here: pic.twitter.com/8NcrrDi6DF — Abdallah Fayyad (@abdallah_fayyad) August 30, 2020
Protests 2 blocks from White House. Police continue charging at protesters, using what appears to be tear gas, smoke + stun grenades. pic.twitter.com/j8fPp5i4f8 — Abdallah Fayyad (@abdallah_fayyad) August 30, 2020
Rep. Jim Banks, a Republican from Indiana, introduced the ‘Support Peaceful Protest Act’ on Friday. Its goal is to stop the riots, looting, and vandalism that have occurred during the protests that turn violent. He hopes it will protect peaceful protesters, law enforcement officers, and bystanders that find themselves caught up in a bad situation. Banks proposes stripping unemployment benefits from those rioters receiving them, and that they pay restitution for damages.
The bill proposes that if an individual is convicted of a federal offense while at a protest in which police are present, they will have to ‘pay an order of restitution… that is equal to the cost of such policing activity, as determined by the court.’ Further, Banks proposes that those engaging in rioting, looting and arson should be stripped of federal benefits accessible during the COVID-19 crisis, such as the $600 per week unemployment assistance drawn from the CARES Act. In an interview with WIBC, Banks says he believes a majority of rioters who intentionally disrupt protests are currently unemployed and receiving benefits. ‘Due to enhanced federal benefits, taxpayers are giving wages to jobless rioters that are destroying our communities. We need to cut them off from their funding and make them feel the full financial consequences of their actions,’ Banks stated. He continued: ”Many of these people are not working. They have the time to show up every day at some of these violent protests like in Washington, D.C. and they’re getting $600 a week of unemployment to do it, and that’s got to stop.’
Will a bill passed in Congress stop the violence? Probably not – violent agitators don’t care about laws. If they are paid agitators, it is unlikely they care much about unemployment benefits if someone else is paying them. It’s the kind of action that Congress takes to make themselves feel good that they are doing something. Most members of Congress have been largely silent during this whole period of BLM marches and riots – both sides of the aisle. The Republican Party used to be vocal about law and order matters. Not so much anymore. In an election year when the president is running on a law and order platform, it would behoove Republicans to speak up and support law enforcement more consistently.


hotair--2020-08-30--Joe Biden needs to pick a campaign direction and stick with it

It was just last week The New Yorker published a profile of Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden asking if his hold on the center could hold through November .
The piece spent words upon words going over Biden ’ s personal history in Scranton , Pennsylvania onto Delaware then Washington , DC as first a U.S .
Senator , then vice-president .
It focused particularly on Biden ’ s apparent transition from a pragmatic centrist to someone who saw the November election as a unique opportunity in American history to be another version of Franklin Delano Roosevelt .
These comments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his campaign , whose efforts to paint Biden as some kind of socialist radical are as tired as 2020 is long , but from Data for Progress co-founder Sean McElwee , Working Families Party National Director Maurice Mitchell , and former President Barack Obama .
“ I think a lot of people who just [ crap ] on the Democratic Party haven ’ t spent a lot of time talking to mainstream actors within the Democratic Party ecosystem , ” McElwee said in The New Yorker observing the party as a whole was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should just take a step back and look at what Biden has done .
A.O.C .
is someone I like a lot .
She said that she wouldn ’ t vote for him in the primary , and that in a different country she would be in a different party from him .
And he could have responded to that by being , like , ‘ [ Screw ] you.
’ But instead he responded to that by being , like , ‘ How about you come in and write my climate policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recognizing that this might be a Rooseveltian moment , ” Mitchell opined when asked about Biden ’ s rhetoric change from centrist to progressive .
“ He ’ s not all the way there—nobody thinks Joe Biden is a progressive star—but he can be a product of either your most cynical thinking or a product of your most optimistic thinking.
” “ If you look at Joe Biden ’ s goals and Bernie Sanders ’ s goals , they ’ re not that different , from a forty-thousand-foot level , ” Obama said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were different from Sanders but the circumstances suggest it time to change plans .
“ They both want to make sure everybody has health care .
They want to make sure everybody can get a job that pays a living wage .
They want to make sure every child gets a good education.
” The New Yorker reporter Evan Osnos saw Biden as running a reverse campaign of going moderate in the primary , then swinging to the left in the general election .
“ Within weeks , Biden had picked up Warren @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and overhaul the bankruptcy system—which entailed repealing parts of a law he helped pass .
He embraced a limited version of Sanders ’ s plan for tuition-free college , and dropped his opposition to federal funding for abortions.
” Days after Osnos ’ profile published , the progressive bonafide appear nothing more than some sort of glamour done by a campaign unsure of a direction .
“ Joe Biden and I have differences of opinion , and that is no great secret , ” Sanders said during a live-streamed speech to supporters on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ secret that Joe and I disagree on a number of issues.
” Sanders repeated the comments on several Facebook roundtables later in the day looking to assuage progressive towards a potential Biden presidency .
The New York Times used Sanders ’ comments as a way to beef up Biden ’ s more moderate standings .
“ I ’ m sure there are Republicans and Independents who couldn ’ t imagine crossing over to support a Democrat , ” former ( ? )
Republican John Kasich had previously said at the Democratic National Convention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) GOPers for Biden .
“ They fear Joe may turn sharp left and leave them behind .
I don ’ t believe that because I know the measure of the man .
It ’ s reasonable , faithful , respectful , and , you know , no one pushes Joe around.
” These comments , which likely had tactic approval from the Biden campaign , run counter to each other .
Either Biden is a pragmatic centrist whose long tenure in Washington includes the willingness to compromise with Republicans to make sure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bill or he ’ s someone who wants to be FDR reborn .
If it ’ s both , then why ?
The nature of politics ?
The fact Biden ’ s campaign is trying to bring in everyone and calm certain factions willing to raise hell when necessary ?
It ’ s way too easy to poke holes in his strategy despite running against a candidate who vacillates wildly on policy solutions while wrapping himself in some sort of nationalistic aura .
Thank God , Dr. Jo Jorgensen is running on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ matters .
Biden ’ s campaign needs to pick a direction and stick with it unless he truly believes his stances don ’ t matter and the fact he ’ s running against Trump is enough .
Short answer : likely not .

It was just last week The New Yorker published a profile of Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden asking if his hold on the center could hold through November. The piece spent words upon words going over Biden’s personal history in Scranton, Pennsylvania onto Delaware then Washington, DC as first a U.S. Senator, then vice-president. It focused particularly on Biden’s apparent transition from a pragmatic centrist to someone who saw the November election as a unique opportunity in American history to be another version of Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
These comments came not from President Donald Trump or his campaign, whose efforts to paint Biden as some kind of socialist radical are as tired as 2020 is long, but from Data for Progress co-founder Sean McElwee, Working Families Party National Director Maurice Mitchell, and former President Barack Obama.
“I think a lot of people who just [crap] on the Democratic Party haven’t spent a lot of time talking to mainstream actors within the Democratic Party ecosystem,” McElwee said in The New Yorker observing the party as a whole was pretty liberal. “I think people should just take a step back and look at what Biden has done. A.O.C. is someone I like a lot. She said that she wouldn’t vote for him in the primary, and that in a different country she would be in a different party from him. And he could have responded to that by being, like, ‘[Screw] you.’ But instead he responded to that by being, like, ‘How about you come in and write my climate policy?’ ”
“He’s recognizing that this might be a Rooseveltian moment,” Mitchell opined when asked about Biden’s rhetoric change from centrist to progressive. “He’s not all the way there—nobody thinks Joe Biden is a progressive star—but he can be a product of either your most cynical thinking or a product of your most optimistic thinking.”
“If you look at Joe Biden’s goals and Bernie Sanders’s goals, they’re not that different, from a forty-thousand-foot level,” Obama said before noting Biden’s traditional tactics were different from Sanders but the circumstances suggest it time to change plans. “They both want to make sure everybody has health care. They want to make sure everybody can get a job that pays a living wage. They want to make sure every child gets a good education.”
The New Yorker reporter Evan Osnos saw Biden as running a reverse campaign of going moderate in the primary, then swinging to the left in the general election. “Within weeks, Biden had picked up Warren’s plan to ease student debt and overhaul the bankruptcy system—which entailed repealing parts of a law he helped pass. He embraced a limited version of Sanders’s plan for tuition-free college, and dropped his opposition to federal funding for abortions.”
Days after Osnos’ profile published, the progressive bonafide appear nothing more than some sort of glamour done by a campaign unsure of a direction.
“Joe Biden and I have differences of opinion, and that is no great secret,” Sanders said during a live-streamed speech to supporters on Saturday. “It is no great secret that Joe and I disagree on a number of issues.”
Sanders repeated the comments on several Facebook roundtables later in the day looking to assuage progressive towards a potential Biden presidency. The New York Times used Sanders’ comments as a way to beef up Biden’s more moderate standings.
All of the Biden policies that Mr. Sanders noted were widely acceptable liberal proposals. Mr. Sanders made plain that he and Mr. Biden were not ideologically aligned, in a clear effort to defend Mr. Biden from Republican attempts to cast him as a “Trojan horse for socialism.”
“I’m sure there are Republicans and Independents who couldn’t imagine crossing over to support a Democrat,” former(?) Republican John Kasich had previously said at the Democratic National Convention in a night featuring (ex?)GOPers for Biden. “They fear Joe may turn sharp left and leave them behind. I don’t believe that because I know the measure of the man. It’s reasonable, faithful, respectful, and, you know, no one pushes Joe around.”
These comments, which likely had tactic approval from the Biden campaign, run counter to each other. Either Biden is a pragmatic centrist whose long tenure in Washington includes the willingness to compromise with Republicans to make sure they feel “okay” with a bill or he’s someone who wants to be FDR reborn.
If it’s both, then why? The nature of politics? The fact Biden’s campaign is trying to bring in everyone and calm certain factions willing to raise hell when necessary? It’s way too easy to poke holes in his strategy despite running against a candidate who vacillates wildly on policy solutions while wrapping himself in some sort of nationalistic aura. Thank God, Dr. Jo Jorgensen is running on the Libertarian ticket for those who believe consistency matters.
Biden’s campaign needs to pick a direction and stick with it unless he truly believes his stances don’t matter and the fact he’s running against Trump is enough. Short answer: likely not.


hotair--2020-08-30--Democrat senator's meltdown: Trump is "deliberately killing people"

Someone needs to go check on Senator Murphy .
He seems to be having some problems dealing with President Trump ’ s re-election campaign .
Just when you think that an angry Democrat can ’ t go any lower in criticizing Trump , one does .
This time it is Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut .
Saturday Senator Murphy said that President Trump is “ deliberately killing people ” .
This was Murphy ’ s opinion because of Trump ’ s campaign appearances .
It is pretty jarring to hear a sitting senator accuse the President of the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take the gloves off and tell the truth ?
Trump is deliberately killing people , ” Murphy wrote on Twitter .
“ He holds rallies where people get infected .
On Thursday , no social distancing or masks , sending a clear message that the CDC should be ignored.
” “ His plan is to kill people .
Let ’ s just say it , ” Murphy continued .
Naturally , sane people responded and pushed back on his incendiary tweet .
Murphy ’ s unhinged remarks were particularly ironic considering that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a huge gathering in Washington , D.C. to commemorate Martin Luther King , Jr. ’ s March on Washington with aggrieved professional race-hustler Al Sharpton and MLK , Jr. ’ s oldest child , Martin Luther King , III .
There was a whole lot of people not practicing social distancing or wearing masks , including those on the stage who were deliberately playing to the grievances of race-baiters .
No accusations that Al Sharpton is deliberately killing people , though .
By the way , if Trump was trying to kill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ murder ” his most ardent supporters who come to his rallies ?
Doesn ’ t he need them to be alive and voting in November ?
It looks like Trump ’ s post-convention rally in New Hampshire set Murphy off .
The problem with that logic , though , is that face masks were mandatory in New Hampshire and temperatures were taken of the attendees .
The rally was held in an airport hangar .
These are good venues , given the circumstances , as they are not indoors without some amount of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limited and safety measures are made .
This gives President Trump the live audience he thrives on and he does well in these venues .
It isn ’ t anything unusual for Democrats to go off a cliff while trashing the president .
Just this morning , on Fox News Sunday , Kate Bedingfield , Biden ’ s Deputy Campaign Manager accused the president of deliberately inciting violence .
This kind of irresponsible talk is not a great way to unite the country , as Joey B. claims he will do .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the pandemic and the deaths of Americans are all his fault – not the Communist Chinese who unleashed the coronavirus on the world .
Team Biden has offered absolutely nothing new about mitigating and controlling the pandemic .
Biden ’ s alleged plan is nothing but Trump ’ s plan “ without the bluster.
” Murphy went on to point a finger at members of Trump ’ s cabinet and guests sitting in the front row during the president ’ s acceptance of the GOP ’ s nomination at the White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stone-cold killers ” and responsible for the next 50,000 deaths from the coronavirus .
You know , we can understand that things are said in the heat of a political campaign that are not acceptable in normal conversations .
The problem in today ’ s political atmosphere is that this kind of extreme opinion is usually made in maybe a small circle of friends or family members , not for the world to see on social media .
This is not normal behavior and certainly not to be expected from an elected official @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other disturbing remarks to the New York Times .
We ’ ve been hearing that President Trump is destroying democracy , especially during the Democrat convention .
Joe Biden must be elected to save democracy in America , we were told .
Well , Senator Murphy went further and said that “ democracy is unnatural ” , which is an interesting take .
“ I have a real belief that democracy is unnatural , ” Murphy said .
“ We don ’ t run anything important in our lives by democratic vote other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unnatural that it ’ s illogical to think it would be permanent .
It will fall apart at some point , and maybe that point isn ’ t now , but maybe it is.
” Murphy went on to say he feels like he has “ to hold this together so that it survives to the next administration.
” The prediction came about during a discussion of life during the Trump administration .
Murphy said being a senator “ is not a lot of fun right now ” because there is “ a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and intent on dividing us [ . ]
” Gosh , Senator Murphy isn ’ t having fun being in the Senate .
That ’ s a shame .
Think about how regular voters are feeling as they see such ugliness being tossed about as if it is a normal conversation by the senator .
He may be concerned about Trump ’ s ability to lead by example but he should look in the mirror .
Like lots of other anti-Trumpers , Senator Murphy has been broken by President Trump .
This latest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Imagine the reaction in the press if a Republican senator said that about a Democrat president .
Oh , never mind .

Someone needs to go check on Senator Murphy. He seems to be having some problems dealing with President Trump’s re-election campaign. Just when you think that an angry Democrat can’t go any lower in criticizing Trump, one does. This time it is Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut.
Saturday Senator Murphy said that President Trump is “deliberately killing people”. This was Murphy’s opinion because of Trump’s campaign appearances. It is pretty jarring to hear a sitting senator accuse the President of the United States of premeditated murder.
“Can we take the gloves off and tell the truth? Trump is deliberately killing people,” Murphy wrote on Twitter. “He holds rallies where people get infected. On Thursday, no social distancing or masks, sending a clear message that the CDC should be ignored.” “His plan is to kill people. Let’s just say it,” Murphy continued.
Can we take the gloves off and tell the truth? Trump is deliberately killing people. He holds rallies where people get infected. On Thursday, no social distancing or masks, sending a clear message that the CDC should be ignored. His plan is to kill people. Let's just say it. — Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) August 29, 2020
Naturally, sane people responded and pushed back on his incendiary tweet.
You're a liar, an idiot, and a disgrace to the Senate. Let's just say it. — Phineas Fahrquar (@irishspy) August 30, 2020
Murphy’s unhinged remarks were particularly ironic considering that the day before, on Friday, there was a huge gathering in Washington, D.C. to commemorate Martin Luther King, Jr.’s March on Washington with aggrieved professional race-hustler Al Sharpton and MLK, Jr.’s oldest child, Martin Luther King, III. There was a whole lot of people not practicing social distancing or wearing masks, including those on the stage who were deliberately playing to the grievances of race-baiters. No accusations that Al Sharpton is deliberately killing people, though.
By the way, if Trump was trying to kill people, would he choose to “murder” his most ardent supporters who come to his rallies? Doesn’t he need them to be alive and voting in November?
It looks like Trump’s post-convention rally in New Hampshire set Murphy off. The problem with that logic, though, is that face masks were mandatory in New Hampshire and temperatures were taken of the attendees. The rally was held in an airport hangar. These are good venues, given the circumstances, as they are not indoors without some amount of fresh air circulating. The crowds are limited and safety measures are made. This gives President Trump the live audience he thrives on and he does well in these venues.
It isn’t anything unusual for Democrats to go off a cliff while trashing the president. Just this morning, on Fox News Sunday, Kate Bedingfield, Biden’s Deputy Campaign Manager accused the president of deliberately inciting violence. This kind of irresponsible talk is not a great way to unite the country, as Joey B. claims he will do. The most aggressive criticism of Trump now is that the pandemic and the deaths of Americans are all his fault – not the Communist Chinese who unleashed the coronavirus on the world. Team Biden has offered absolutely nothing new about mitigating and controlling the pandemic. Biden’s alleged plan is nothing but Trump’s plan “without the bluster.”
Murphy went on to point a finger at members of Trump’s cabinet and guests sitting in the front row during the president’s acceptance of the GOP’s nomination at the White House. He accused them of being “stone-cold killers” and responsible for the next 50,000 deaths from the coronavirus.
“These guys are stone cold killers. The next 50,000 people who die are their responsibility,” Murphy wrote on Twitter Friday. “They sat right next to each other and didn’t wear masks intentionally. They knew they were setting an example that would be followed and they reveled in it.”
These guys are stone cold killers. The next 50,000 people who die are their responsibility. They sat right next to each other and didn't wear masks intentionally. They knew they were setting an example that would be followed and they reveled in it. STONE. COLD. KILLERS. pic.twitter.com/kUBUuRKFht — Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) August 28, 2020
You know, we can understand that things are said in the heat of a political campaign that are not acceptable in normal conversations. The problem in today’s political atmosphere is that this kind of extreme opinion is usually made in maybe a small circle of friends or family members, not for the world to see on social media. This is not normal behavior and certainly not to be expected from an elected official.
Earlier last week, Murphy made other disturbing remarks to the New York Times. We’ve been hearing that President Trump is destroying democracy, especially during the Democrat convention. Joe Biden must be elected to save democracy in America, we were told. Well, Senator Murphy went further and said that “democracy is unnatural”, which is an interesting take.
“I have a real belief that democracy is unnatural,” Murphy said. “We don’t run anything important in our lives by democratic vote other than our government. Democracy is so unnatural that it’s illogical to think it would be permanent. It will fall apart at some point, and maybe that point isn’t now, but maybe it is.” Murphy went on to say he feels like he has “to hold this together so that it survives to the next administration.” The prediction came about during a discussion of life during the Trump administration. Murphy said being a senator “is not a lot of fun right now” because there is “a chief executive who is an administrative nightmare and intent on dividing us[.]”
Gosh, Senator Murphy isn’t having fun being in the Senate. That’s a shame. Think about how regular voters are feeling as they see such ugliness being tossed about as if it is a normal conversation by the senator. He may be concerned about Trump’s ability to lead by example but he should look in the mirror. Like lots of other anti-Trumpers, Senator Murphy has been broken by President Trump. This latest display of behavior should be addressed. Imagine the reaction in the press if a Republican senator said that about a Democrat president. Oh, never mind.


hotair--2020-08-30--Another post-convention poll shows...

Another post-convention poll shows...

We ’ re starved for polling because everyone wants to know whether the conventions shook up the race .
Best guess at an answer right now , based on limited data , is that they helped Trump but didn ’ t reach “ shake-up ” level .
Yesterday Morning Consult found Biden ’ s pre-convention 10-point lead slipping to six points .
YouGov also saw him up six , down from nine the month before .
Today we have further evidence from ABC/Ipsos that people ’ s opinions haven ’ t changed dramatically after two weeks of pageantry .
ABC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maybe they ’ re saving those for release this week ) but they did measure Biden ’ s and Trump ’ s favorability before and after the conventions .
Result : Biden ’ s favorability has *improved* since last week whereas Trump ’ s is basically static .
Morning Consult found Trump ’ s favorable rating flat in yesterday ’ s poll as well even though it had him gaining on Biden in the presidential race .
In hindsight it seems like a minor mistake for Republicans to have spent so much time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public what a terrific father and caring boss he is .
Voters ’ views of Trump the man are carved in granite at this point , beyond the reach of persuasion .
A better use of TV airtime would have been hammering the message that there ’ s a ton of progress on COVID that ’ s right around the corner — faster , cheaper testing , therapeutics like plasma , and of course a vaccine .
Less than one-third ( 31 % ) of the country has a favorable view of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Republican nomination for the second time — a stagnant reality for Trump .
His favorability rating stood at 32 % in the last poll , taken a week earlier , right after the Democratic National Convention… In the new survey , which was conducted using Ipsos ’ KnowledgePanel , Biden ’ s favorability remains higher than his unfavorability , 46 % to 40 % , solidifying his improvement in favorability from last week , when attitudes about the Democratic nominee improved to a net positive from his slightly underwater position prior to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden ’ s favorability climbed seven points after his convention — showing signs that he ’ s solidified support among his base .
But Trump ’ s favorability dipped slightly — by four points among Republicans in the newest survey .
Those numbers seem suspicious to me .
For one thing , 31 percent favorability is freakishly low .
He ’ s averaging 42 percent across other polling .
( Maybe ABC is excluding people who view him “ somewhat favorably ” ? )
It ’ s also hard to believe that his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a week-long convention devoted to hyping him and his achievements in office .
In fact , today ’ s poll is accurate , nearly one-fifth of the GOP disapproved of what they saw and heard at the convention .
Democrats , by contrast , nearly unanimously approved of what they saw and heard during Biden ’ s show .
I can ’ t imagine which part of the convention could have alienated that many Republicans .
There aren ’ t enough Never Trumpers left in the party to form a minority that size @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I guess , maybe there ’ s a slice of the GOP that also noticed the absence of pandemic messaging and wanted to hear more from Trump about what his game plan is for the fall .
“ [ Trump ’ s ] speech … appears to have done little to shift the consistent disapproval on his handling of the coronavirus pandemic , ” ABC notes .
“ A clear majority of Americans ( 63 % ) disapprove of Trump ’ s oversight of the public health crisis — a steady trend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also surprising to find that Biden ’ s favorability *increased* in this poll ever so slightly ( by one point ) during the GOP convention .
Republicans spent four days tearing him down on national television ; you would think that would sour Americans on him a bit .
And it did in other surveys released over the past 24 hours .
Morning Consult ’ s poll found Biden ’ s favorable rating dipping from +5 to +2 by the end of the convention .
Axios is also seeing a dip in its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ constant across all of these surveys is that Americans don ’ t view Trump more favorably now than they did two weeks ago .
If they did , his convention bounce really might have been gamechanging instead of the more modest gains we ’ re seeing .
He ’ s always been better at convincing voters why they should dislike his opponent than why they should like him .
It could be that public attention to the conventions has already been overtaken by public attention to violence in Kenosha and Portland , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : I ’ ll leave you with the USC tracking poll , the only one in 2016 to predict Trump finishing ahead of Hillary in the popular vote .
That was wrong , but they did at least detect stronger support for him among the electorate than the conventional wisdom believed was possible .
They have Biden up 14 points today , a slight increase since this time last week .
Hmmmm .

We’re starved for polling because everyone wants to know whether the conventions shook up the race. Best guess at an answer right now, based on limited data, is that they helped Trump but didn’t reach “shake-up” level. Yesterday Morning Consult found Biden’s pre-convention 10-point lead slipping to six points. YouGov also saw him up six, down from nine the month before. Today we have further evidence from ABC/Ipsos that people’s opinions haven’t changed dramatically after two weeks of pageantry.
ABC didn’t provide head-to-head numbers (maybe they’re saving those for release this week) but they did measure Biden’s and Trump’s favorability before and after the conventions. Result: Biden’s favorability has *improved* since last week whereas Trump’s is basically static. Morning Consult found Trump’s favorable rating flat in yesterday’s poll as well even though it had him gaining on Biden in the presidential race. In hindsight it seems like a minor mistake for Republicans to have spent so much time at the convention trying to convince the public what a terrific father and caring boss he is. Voters’ views of Trump the man are carved in granite at this point, beyond the reach of persuasion. A better use of TV airtime would have been hammering the message that there’s a ton of progress on COVID that’s right around the corner — faster, cheaper testing, therapeutics like plasma, and of course a vaccine.
Less than one-third (31%) of the country has a favorable view of the president in the days after he accepted the Republican nomination for the second time — a stagnant reality for Trump. His favorability rating stood at 32% in the last poll, taken a week earlier, right after the Democratic National Convention… In the new survey, which was conducted using Ipsos’ KnowledgePanel, Biden’s favorability remains higher than his unfavorability, 46% to 40%, solidifying his improvement in favorability from last week, when attitudes about the Democratic nominee improved to a net positive from his slightly underwater position prior to the convention… Among Democrats, too, Biden’s favorability climbed seven points after his convention — showing signs that he’s solidified support among his base. But Trump’s favorability dipped slightly — by four points among Republicans in the newest survey.
Those numbers seem suspicious to me. For one thing, 31 percent favorability is freakishly low. He’s averaging 42 percent across other polling. (Maybe ABC is excluding people who view him “somewhat favorably”?) It’s also hard to believe that his favorability *declined* within his own party after a week-long convention devoted to hyping him and his achievements in office. In fact, today’s poll is accurate, nearly one-fifth of the GOP disapproved of what they saw and heard at the convention. Democrats, by contrast, nearly unanimously approved of what they saw and heard during Biden’s show.
I can’t imagine which part of the convention could have alienated that many Republicans. There aren’t enough Never Trumpers left in the party to form a minority that size. Either the poll is screwy or, I guess, maybe there’s a slice of the GOP that also noticed the absence of pandemic messaging and wanted to hear more from Trump about what his game plan is for the fall. “[Trump’s] speech … appears to have done little to shift the consistent disapproval on his handling of the coronavirus pandemic,” ABC notes. “A clear majority of Americans (63%) disapprove of Trump’s oversight of the public health crisis — a steady trend since early July.”
It’s also surprising to find that Biden’s favorability *increased* in this poll ever so slightly (by one point) during the GOP convention. Republicans spent four days tearing him down on national television; you would think that would sour Americans on him a bit. And it did in other surveys released over the past 24 hours. Morning Consult’s poll found Biden’s favorable rating dipping from +5 to +2 by the end of the convention. Axios is also seeing a dip in its own new poll today:
President Trump didn’t make himself more appealing to voters during the Republican National Convention, but he did hurt Joe Biden, a new Axios-SurveyMonkey poll finds… Biden’s favorable/unfavorable rating with independents who don’t lean toward either party dropped from a net -5 to -18 in a week. But Trump’s also eroded — and remained far worse than Biden’s — sliding from -35 to -37.
The one constant across all of these surveys is that Americans don’t view Trump more favorably now than they did two weeks ago. If they did, his convention bounce really might have been gamechanging instead of the more modest gains we’re seeing. He’s always been better at convincing voters why they should dislike his opponent than why they should like him.
What I see right now is Ipsos favs indicating no movement for Trump, YouGov panel indicating 2.5 pt movement to Trump, MC indicating 4 pt, USC (only partially post-convention) indicating no movement. Not exactly screaming BIG BOUNCE. — (((Harry Enten))) (@ForecasterEnten) August 30, 2020
If we go from Biden +9 pre-RNC to say Biden +7 post-RNC once we get more polling, I'm not sure that speaks favorably to Trump's re-election odds or to his message working. Bounces are typically a bit larger, in fact, and the post-RNC period should be a high-water mark for Trump. — Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) August 30, 2020
It could be that public attention to the conventions has already been overtaken by public attention to violence in Kenosha and Portland, but that might not be a gamechanger either:
3. Polls show voters give Trump poor marks on protest handling;
4. Polls show voters give Trump poor marks on race relations;
5. Trump is often careless in his messaging and in crisis management. So to me, it seems hard to know how this will play out. — Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) August 30, 2020
I’ll leave you with the USC tracking poll, the only one in 2016 to predict Trump finishing ahead of Hillary in the popular vote. That was wrong, but they did at least detect stronger support for him among the electorate than the conventional wisdom believed was possible. They have Biden up 14 points today, a slight increase since this time last week. Hmmmm.


hotair--2020-08-30--Team Biden notices that people don't seem to like riots

Word is leaking out that Joe Biden will finally be pushed out of the confines of his basement on Monday to make an appeal directly to the voters .
Which voters and at what location ?
Nobody on Biden ’ s team is confirming where they ’ ve decided to deploy him for a risky , real-time address , but we suspect that it will be in the vicinity of one of the places being continually plagued by riots and violence over the summer .
For now , the destination is only being described as “ an undisclosed location.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff is alarmed at the national response to all of the mob activity , fearing that President Trump ’ s law and order candidacy is taking hold and they need Sleepy Joe to wake up long enough to counter that message .
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is set to travel to an undisclosed location on Monday to “ condemn violence , and to note that chaos has unfolded ” on President Trump ’ s watch , the New York Times reports .
Our thought bubble , via Axios ’ Hans Nichols : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and directly address the violence is an indication that the campaign is worried about losing ground on the law and order issue .
Of note : The report comes as Biden addressed the National Guard Association of America in a virtual meeting on Saturday .
Scheduling a conference call with a National Guard group is probably a big tell when you consider that they are the ones being deployed to the front lines of the urban unrest now .
And voters around the country definitely appear to be taking a keen interest in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ general sentiment turning against those who support the people burning buildings and looting stores .
Another signal of that effect showed up in the most recent Yahoo News survey , a poll that has generally been very friendly to Biden and Democrats in general .
Biden ’ s lead in a sample taken on August 27 and 28 has shrunk to six points .
And that ’ s nationally , not just in swing states .
It ’ s also among registered voters , not likely voters .
( The latter category tends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wasn ’ t the only example of this trend , though .
Both Morning Consult and YouGov also coughed up a six-point spread this week , after showing Trump down by nine or more points only a few weeks earlier .
This week has also seen Trump up in Michigan by two for the first time in ages .
Maybe you can write off a small bit of this to a post-convention bounce , but not nearly all of it .
The more likely explanation is that people are catching on to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ despite the media ’ s best efforts to ignore or reframe it .
This was already becoming too much to ignore even in Uncle Joe ’ s inner circle .
Biden ’ s own party was already freaking out because he ’ s not even doing many video appearances from his basement , to say nothing of going out on a press blitz .
Privately , Democrats worry the Biden team is playing it too safe and missing opportunities to draw a contrast with Trump .
“ If you ’ re not going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you should be doing interviews every single day , ” said one Democratic strategist .
“ For whatever reason , they have determined that they can ’ t put him out there , ” the strategist added .
“ That ’ s the worst strategy .
They need to get on the offensive , get out and talk to press .
Their strategy is running out the clock but they better f—— pray for a kickass debate.
” When one of your own strategists is talking about a plan that includes the phrase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s very possible that the ship is taking on water .
But to put this in a larger context , it ’ s been the view of many Democratic strategists for some time now that in order to move the ball in the correct direction , Biden didn ’ t just need to be ahead in the national polls .
He needed to be heading for a blowout victory if he wanted to get across the finish line in the electoral college and avoid a huge backlash .
A roughly 5 % lead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going translate to even as much support as Hillary Clinton wound up getting in 2016 .
Numbers like these might keep Joe Biden as the favorite for popular vote victory carried on the backs of California and New York , but the bar is considerably higher in the swing states and most of flyover country .
And I ’ m not hearing anyone suggest that Biden can turn the tide back in his direction by continuing to cower in his basement .
Meanwhile , the President is flying into Ground Zero in Kenosha @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Word is leaking out that Joe Biden will finally be pushed out of the confines of his basement on Monday to make an appeal directly to the voters. Which voters and at what location? Nobody on Biden’s team is confirming where they’ve decided to deploy him for a risky, real-time address, but we suspect that it will be in the vicinity of one of the places being continually plagued by riots and violence over the summer. For now, the destination is only being described as “an undisclosed location.” Axios is reporting that Biden’s staff is alarmed at the national response to all of the mob activity, fearing that President Trump’s law and order candidacy is taking hold and they need Sleepy Joe to wake up long enough to counter that message.
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is set to travel to an undisclosed location on Monday to “condemn violence, and to note that chaos has unfolded” on President Trump’s watch, the New York Times reports. Our thought bubble, via Axios’ Hans Nichols: Biden’s apparent plans to travel and directly address the violence is an indication that the campaign is worried about losing ground on the law and order issue. Of note: The report comes as Biden addressed the National Guard Association of America in a virtual meeting on Saturday.
Scheduling a conference call with a National Guard group is probably a big tell when you consider that they are the ones being deployed to the front lines of the urban unrest now. And voters around the country definitely appear to be taking a keen interest in all of this news, with the general sentiment turning against those who support the people burning buildings and looting stores.
Another signal of that effect showed up in the most recent Yahoo News survey, a poll that has generally been very friendly to Biden and Democrats in general. Biden’s lead in a sample taken on August 27 and 28 has shrunk to six points. And that’s nationally, not just in swing states. It’s also among registered voters, not likely voters. (The latter category tends to skew more conservative.)
Yahoo wasn’t the only example of this trend, though. Both Morning Consult and YouGov also coughed up a six-point spread this week, after showing Trump down by nine or more points only a few weeks earlier. This week has also seen Trump up in Michigan by two for the first time in ages. Maybe you can write off a small bit of this to a post-convention bounce, but not nearly all of it. The more likely explanation is that people are catching on to the chaos and violence erupting in our cities despite the media’s best efforts to ignore or reframe it.
This was already becoming too much to ignore even in Uncle Joe’s inner circle. Biden’s own party was already freaking out because he’s not even doing many video appearances from his basement, to say nothing of going out on a press blitz.
Privately, Democrats worry the Biden team is playing it too safe and missing opportunities to draw a contrast with Trump. “If you’re not going to be out on the trail, you should be doing interviews every single day,” said one Democratic strategist. “For whatever reason, they have determined that they can’t put him out there,” the strategist added. “That’s the worst strategy. They need to get on the offensive, get out and talk to press. Their strategy is running out the clock but they better f—— pray for a kickass debate.”
When one of your own strategists is talking about a plan that includes the phrase “pray for,” it’s very possible that the ship is taking on water. But to put this in a larger context, it’s been the view of many Democratic strategists for some time now that in order to move the ball in the correct direction, Biden didn’t just need to be ahead in the national polls. He needed to be heading for a blowout victory if he wanted to get across the finish line in the electoral college and avoid a huge backlash.
A roughly 5% lead nationally among registered voters isn’t going translate to even as much support as Hillary Clinton wound up getting in 2016. Numbers like these might keep Joe Biden as the favorite for popular vote victory carried on the backs of California and New York, but the bar is considerably higher in the swing states and most of flyover country. And I’m not hearing anyone suggest that Biden can turn the tide back in his direction by continuing to cower in his basement. Meanwhile, the President is flying into Ground Zero in Kenosha and Joe Biden is missing in action.


hotair--2020-08-30--Guess where President Trump will go on Tuesday?

President Trump is going to Kenosha , Wisconsin on Tuesday .
During a trip to Louisiana and Texas Saturday to survey the damage done by Hurricane Laura , he was asked by a reporter if he planned to go to Kenosha .
At the time , he said he “ probably ” would .
By Saturday evening , the White House announced the president will indeed travel to Kenosha .
Trump plans to meet with local law enforcement and to survey the damage done by riots in Kenosha .
Asked if the president will meet with the family of Jacob @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president ’ s schedule wasn ’ t “ fully ironed out yet ” .
When asked earlier Saturday if he will visit Kenosha , Trump said , “ probably so ” before praising the federal presence in Wisconsin .
“ Probably so .
We ’ ve had tremendous success as you know .
We were finally able to get the go ahead from the local authorities to send in the National Guard , ” Trump said .
“ Within a few minutes of the guard , everybody cleared out and it became @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Guard into Kenosha last week as the violence and rioting spiraled out of control following the shooting of Jacob Blake .
Blake is being made into a martyr in the media and by BLM .
His record , however , points to less than admirable behavior , including criminal behavior such as sexual assault .
Police responded to the scene where Blake was shot because he violated a restraining order related to a sexual assault .
In doing so he again sexually assaulted the woman who got the restraining order against him .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ black man who was singled out by police for harassment .
The situation in Kenosha seems to be calmer now , with the help of the National Guard .
It likely is safe for a visit from Trump .
I think it ’ s a good idea for him to go .
He can praise the National Guard and thank them for their service .
He can offer general support for local law enforcement but that will be a dicey situation because an investigation is still ongoing but it isn ’ t looking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the arrest .
And he can show unity with the local authorities .
Should he visit with Blake ’ s family ?
Maybe .
He can offer his ear to whatever they have to say to him and it will show the warmer , fuzzier side of him that the speakers at the Republican convention spoke about .
Trump is good at these kinds of meetings and likely would come out of it ok. Biden and Kamala have already milked their calls to the family for all its worth .
Trump did call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , last week but she missed his call .
She apologized to the president for missing the call during an interview with CNN ’ s Don Lemon .
She also apologized for some rude talk from a family member towards him .
She said , “ And I ’ m not mad at you at all .
I have utmost respect for you as the leader of our country.
” Let the rest of the family blame Trump for everything .
He is good with grieving mothers , though .
And , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though hospitalized .
We know that Trump won Wisconsin in 2016 by less than 23,000 votes .
He is , however , the first Republican to carry Kenosha County in 44 years .
So , it is important that he pay close personal attention to Kenosha from a purely political point of view .
Any claims of Trump politicizing the situation on the ground in Kenosha by a visit can easily be countered with the way Democrats are responding to the violence and riots in Kenosha , as well as other hot spots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ condemn the violence and destruction .
They are all trying to stay as far away as possible with the presidential election coming up .
The BLM protests and riots are already political .
Members of Blake ’ s family attended the rally in Washington put on by Rev .
Sharpton and Martin Luther King , Jr. on Friday .
Blake ’ s father spoke .
He and Jacob ’ s uncle were guests of Sharpton .
Jacob ’ s sister also spoke .
On Saturday , Blake ’ s family led a march @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spoke here , too , and Blake ’ s father addressed visiting his son in the hospital .
He put a very sympathetic spin on the situation .
He said when his son asked why the police shot him so many times , he responded with , “ Baby , they weren ’ t supposed to shoot you at all.
” I ’ m just spitballing here but perhaps he should have told his son that one way for the police not to shoot him is by not violating restraining orders and continuing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then walking away from the police .
And , maybe he shouldn ’ t have brought his children along in his vehicle , which he reached into that caused the reaction from the police .
It ’ s reported that a knife was found in the vehicle .
The Blake family led Saturday ’ s march , and thousands followed from 52nd Street down to Sheridan Road to the Kenosha County Courthouse , where several members of the Blake family spoke , along with activists , supporters and elected officials .
Retired Rev @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He played songs of unity as people sang along .
“ Black and white as one , ” he sang .
“ We ’ ll walk hand in hand.
” The Rev .
Monica Cummings of Bradford Community Church Unitarian Universalist said it had been a long week for her .
“ I ’ m just tired and weary , ” Cummings said .
“ We want the mayor , the Kenosha County sheriff and the chief of police all to resign , ” Cummings said .
“ Incompetence all played a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the death of the two guys Tuesday night.
” Bradford Community Church is next to a car lot that was set on fire Sunday night .
The blaze spread to the church ’ s marquee , which read “ Black Lives Matter.
” Wisconsin lawmakers and the state ’ s lieutenant governor point to November 3 and voting as “ a mile marker , not the finish line.
” And on we go during the Summer of Love .

President Trump is going to Kenosha, Wisconsin on Tuesday. During a trip to Louisiana and Texas Saturday to survey the damage done by Hurricane Laura, he was asked by a reporter if he planned to go to Kenosha. At the time, he said he “probably” would. By Saturday evening, the White House announced the president will indeed travel to Kenosha.
Trump plans to meet with local law enforcement and to survey the damage done by riots in Kenosha. Asked if the president will meet with the family of Jacob Blake, a White House spokesman said the president’s schedule wasn’t “fully ironed out yet”.
When asked earlier Saturday if he will visit Kenosha, Trump said, “probably so” before praising the federal presence in Wisconsin. “Probably so. We’ve had tremendous success as you know. We were finally able to get the go ahead from the local authorities to send in the National Guard,” Trump said. “Within a few minutes of the guard, everybody cleared out and it became safe.”
Trump sent in 1,000 National Guard into Kenosha last week as the violence and rioting spiraled out of control following the shooting of Jacob Blake. Blake is being made into a martyr in the media and by BLM. His record, however, points to less than admirable behavior, including criminal behavior such as sexual assault. Police responded to the scene where Blake was shot because he violated a restraining order related to a sexual assault. In doing so he again sexually assaulted the woman who got the restraining order against him. Blake isn’t just some innocent black man who was singled out by police for harassment.
The situation in Kenosha seems to be calmer now, with the help of the National Guard. It likely is safe for a visit from Trump. I think it’s a good idea for him to go. He can praise the National Guard and thank them for their service. He can offer general support for local law enforcement but that will be a dicey situation because an investigation is still ongoing but it isn’t looking very good for how the police handled the arrest. And he can show unity with the local authorities. Should he visit with Blake’s family? Maybe. He can offer his ear to whatever they have to say to him and it will show the warmer, fuzzier side of him that the speakers at the Republican convention spoke about. Trump is good at these kinds of meetings and likely would come out of it ok. Biden and Kamala have already milked their calls to the family for all its worth.
Trump did call Julia Jackson, Blake’s mother, last week but she missed his call. She apologized to the president for missing the call during an interview with CNN’s Don Lemon. She also apologized for some rude talk from a family member towards him. She said, “And I’m not mad at you at all. I have utmost respect for you as the leader of our country.” Let the rest of the family blame Trump for everything. He is good with grieving mothers, though. And, in this case, Blake is alive, though hospitalized.
We know that Trump won Wisconsin in 2016 by less than 23,000 votes. He is, however, the first Republican to carry Kenosha County in 44 years. So, it is important that he pay close personal attention to Kenosha from a purely political point of view. Any claims of Trump politicizing the situation on the ground in Kenosha by a visit can easily be countered with the way Democrats are responding to the violence and riots in Kenosha, as well as other hot spots. Few prominent Democrats have bothered to condemn the violence and destruction. They are all trying to stay as far away as possible with the presidential election coming up. The BLM protests and riots are already political.
Members of Blake’s family attended the rally in Washington put on by Rev. Sharpton and Martin Luther King, Jr. on Friday. Blake’s father spoke. He and Jacob’s uncle were guests of Sharpton. Jacob’s sister also spoke.
“Nobody expected this. You wouldn’t want to do this to your worst enemy, to be in the position that we’re in,” Justin Blake said about the shooting of his nephew and subsequent national attention. “Our family’s been putting in work for years now,” Justin Blake said. “In 2020, we can make a historic change for people across the nation and the world. That would be the legacy we’d like to leave.”
On Saturday, Blake’s family led a march in Kenosha. Members of the family spoke here, too, and Blake’s father addressed visiting his son in the hospital. He put a very sympathetic spin on the situation. He said when his son asked why the police shot him so many times, he responded with, “Baby, they weren’t supposed to shoot you at all.” I’m just spitballing here but perhaps he should have told his son that one way for the police not to shoot him is by not violating restraining orders and continuing to sexually assault the woman involved and then walking away from the police. And, maybe he shouldn’t have brought his children along in his vehicle, which he reached into that caused the reaction from the police. It’s reported that a knife was found in the vehicle.
The Blake family led Saturday’s march, and thousands followed from 52nd Street down to Sheridan Road to the Kenosha County Courthouse, where several members of the Blake family spoke, along with activists, supporters and elected officials. Retired Rev. Tony Larsen walked with his guitar. He played songs of unity as people sang along. “Black and white as one,” he sang. “We’ll walk hand in hand.” The Rev. Monica Cummings of Bradford Community Church Unitarian Universalist said it had been a long week for her. “I’m just tired and weary,” Cummings said. “We want the mayor, the Kenosha County sheriff and the chief of police all to resign,” Cummings said. “Incompetence all played a part in what transpired in terms of the death of the two guys Tuesday night.” Bradford Community Church is next to a car lot that was set on fire Sunday night. The blaze spread to the church’s marquee, which read “Black Lives Matter.”
Wisconsin lawmakers and the state’s lieutenant governor point to November 3 and voting as “a mile marker, not the finish line.” And on we go during the Summer of Love.


hotair--2020-08-30--One dead in Portland as Patriot Prayer meets BLM

Yesterday , John gave us the usual roundup of the riotous action on Friday night in Portland , Oregon , replete with people chaining themselves together inside of Mayor Ted Wheeler ’ s condominium complex .
There were plenty of tense moments , but nothing that approached what happened last night .
A caravan of vehicles , at least some of which were occupied by members of the Proud Boys , arrived in the city and proceeded to drive through the center of town .
They were flying flags of all sorts , ranging from the Stars and Stripes to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some specifically supporting President Trump .
As you might imagine , this enraged many of the “ protesters ” out in the streets calling for the abolition of the police and tempers soon began to flare .
Later last night , however , insults and shoving matches eventually gave way to gunfire .
When the smoke cleared , one person lay dead on the street .
Early reports indicate that he was a member of the caravan and was wearing a Proud Boys cap .
As of this morning , law enforcement is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , testimony , and evidence in an attempt to piece together what happened .
( USA Today ) One person was shot and killed late Saturday in Portland , Oregon , as a large caravan of President Donald Trump supporters and Black Lives Matter protesters clashed in the streets , police said .
It wasn ’ t clear if the shooting was linked to fights that broke out as a caravan of about 600 vehicles was confronted by protesters in the city ’ s downtown .
An Associated Press freelance photographer heard three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the body of the victim , who appeared to be a white man .
The freelancer said the man was wearing a hat bearing the insignia of Patriot Prayer , a right-wing group whose members have frequently clashed with protesters in Portland in the past .
Because of the ongoing national focus on the riots and violence in Portland , there were people filming everything that was happening and posting it to social media .
Somebody caught the shooting on video but the quality is too low to make out many details @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Before the shooting , there were multiple instances of BLM “ protesters ” attempting to physically attack the caravan vehicles as they passed .
Some of those incidents were also captured on video .
In this clip , one pedestrian pulls a gun , but is encouraged by his friend to put it away , apparently realizing somebody was filming them .
I ’ ve already seen numerous comments in those Twitter threads blaming the Proud Boys for this result , implying that they should have known that their mere presence in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already gripping the streets .
And , of course , they ’ re finding a way to blame the Bad Orange Man for this death .
So somebody guns down one of the Proud Boys and the response is to say that they shouldn ’ t have been out on the public streets ?
What kind of answer is that ?
If your argument in favor of these riots is that it ’ s patriotic for people to go out and express themselves in public and air grievances against the government , how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ express alternate opinions to stay home ?
The inconsistency inherent in that argument makes it not even worth debating .
Now , in the interest of fairness , we should note that the pro-Trump groups driving through the city with all of those banners obviously knew they were going to provoke a response .
They allegedly came armed with paintball guns and pepper spray ( at a minimum ) so they were clearly and logically expecting at least the possibility of conflict .
And given the track record of the mob filling up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few months , it would have been foolish to not expect that .
But does that mean that the situation was eventually going to result in open gunfire between the two sides ?
I would argue that it does .
Last night ’ s victim wasn ’ t the first to die during this conflict , but it was clearly one of the most blatant examples of this situation devolving into open warfare .
We ’ ve all seen it coming , and it ’ s now at our doorstep .
In any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of law was still being enforced , a group of citizens marching with banners and chanting messages related to their grievances would be completely normal .
The same goes for another group wishing to drive a motorcade through town with banners conveying their message , though a permit would probably be required for either type of demonstration .
But Portland hasn ’ t come within spitting distance of being “ normal ” for months now .
Mayor Wheeler signaled weakness from the beginning and the mob can sense weakness like a shark smells @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as we reached the point where portions of the city essentially became “ no-go zones ” for law enforcement and they were forced to establish defensive positions around various government buildings , all bets were off .
At that point , the normal rules of order were bent , if not broken .
And last night was the culmination of that process .
I will frankly be shocked if this is the last of these deaths we hear about in Portland .

Yesterday, John gave us the usual roundup of the riotous action on Friday night in Portland, Oregon, replete with people chaining themselves together inside of Mayor Ted Wheeler’s condominium complex. There were plenty of tense moments, but nothing that approached what happened last night. A caravan of vehicles, at least some of which were occupied by members of the Proud Boys, arrived in the city and proceeded to drive through the center of town. They were flying flags of all sorts, ranging from the Stars and Stripes to Thin Blue Line banners, along with some specifically supporting President Trump.
As you might imagine, this enraged many of the “protesters” out in the streets calling for the abolition of the police and tempers soon began to flare. Later last night, however, insults and shoving matches eventually gave way to gunfire. When the smoke cleared, one person lay dead on the street. Early reports indicate that he was a member of the caravan and was wearing a Proud Boys cap. As of this morning, law enforcement is still sorting through all of the video, testimony, and evidence in an attempt to piece together what happened. (USA Today)
One person was shot and killed late Saturday in Portland, Oregon, as a large caravan of President Donald Trump supporters and Black Lives Matter protesters clashed in the streets, police said. It wasn’t clear if the shooting was linked to fights that broke out as a caravan of about 600 vehicles was confronted by protesters in the city’s downtown. An Associated Press freelance photographer heard three gunshots and then observed police medics working on the body of the victim, who appeared to be a white man. The freelancer said the man was wearing a hat bearing the insignia of Patriot Prayer, a right-wing group whose members have frequently clashed with protesters in Portland in the past.
Because of the ongoing national focus on the riots and violence in Portland, there were people filming everything that was happening and posting it to social media. Somebody caught the shooting on video but the quality is too low to make out many details. (Obvious disturbing content warning)
https://twitter.com/shaninphxaz/status/1299948148685590528
Before the shooting, there were multiple instances of BLM “protesters” attempting to physically attack the caravan vehicles as they passed. Some of those incidents were also captured on video. In this clip, one pedestrian pulls a gun, but is encouraged by his friend to put it away, apparently realizing somebody was filming them.
I’ve already seen numerous comments in those Twitter threads blaming the Proud Boys for this result, implying that they should have known that their mere presence in the downtown area would inflame the tension levels already gripping the streets. And, of course, they’re finding a way to blame the Bad Orange Man for this death.
This is what Trump not only unleashes but promotes. Wondering how many suburban professionals look at this and say: yes, what I need to make me safer is a president who encourages his supporters to bring vigilante violence to the streets of major cities? https://t.co/TZ4CSWQdwv — Ronald Brownstein (@RonBrownstein) August 30, 2020
So somebody guns down one of the Proud Boys and the response is to say that they shouldn’t have been out on the public streets? What kind of answer is that? If your argument in favor of these riots is that it’s patriotic for people to go out and express themselves in public and air grievances against the government, how do you justify telling people wishing to express alternate opinions to stay home? The inconsistency inherent in that argument makes it not even worth debating.
Now, in the interest of fairness, we should note that the pro-Trump groups driving through the city with all of those banners obviously knew they were going to provoke a response. They allegedly came armed with paintball guns and pepper spray (at a minimum) so they were clearly and logically expecting at least the possibility of conflict. And given the track record of the mob filling up the streets of Portland for these past few months, it would have been foolish to not expect that.
But does that mean that the situation was eventually going to result in open gunfire between the two sides? I would argue that it does. Last night’s victim wasn’t the first to die during this conflict, but it was clearly one of the most blatant examples of this situation devolving into open warfare. We’ve all seen it coming, and it’s now at our doorstep. In any “normal” city where the rule of law was still being enforced, a group of citizens marching with banners and chanting messages related to their grievances would be completely normal. The same goes for another group wishing to drive a motorcade through town with banners conveying their message, though a permit would probably be required for either type of demonstration.
But Portland hasn’t come within spitting distance of being “normal” for months now. Mayor Wheeler signaled weakness from the beginning and the mob can sense weakness like a shark smells blood in the water. As soon as we reached the point where portions of the city essentially became “no-go zones” for law enforcement and they were forced to establish defensive positions around various government buildings, all bets were off. At that point, the normal rules of order were bent, if not broken. And last night was the culmination of that process. I will frankly be shocked if this is the last of these deaths we hear about in Portland.