hotair--2020-10-08--Trump: "I'm not going to waste my time with a virtual debate"

So much for that idea .
The Commission on Presidential Debates chose the option I predicted yesterday for the next bout between Donald Trump and Joe Biden in light of Trump ’ s COVID-19 diagnosis .
Early this morning , CPD announced that the town-hall forum scheduled for next week would be “ virtual , ” with Trump and Biden in their own locations and the town-hall participants and moderator in Miami as planned .
Sounds good ?
Er … The second debate between President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden will take place virtually amid the fallout from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the debate commission announced Thursday .
The nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates cited a need “ to protect the health and safety of all involved with the second presidential debate.
” The candidates will “ participate from separate remote locations ” while the participants and moderator remain in Miami , it said .
The announcement comes a week before Biden and Trump were scheduled to face off in Miami .
Donald Trump … not so much .
Claiming the CPD change was “ a sad excuse to bail out Joe Biden , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would instead hold a rally that night : Trump himself wasted no time telling Maria Bartiromo on Fox Business Network that the change was “ unacceptable , ” beating his campaign to the punch .
“ I ’ m not going to waste my time on a virtual debate , ” Trump said .
Trump sounded particularly incensed that CPD didn ’ t attempt to negotiate the issue , instead calling with their decision just before going public with it : If that ’ s actually what happened , then Trump has some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That panel exists to negotiate debate terms , not to dictate to the campaigns .
It seems odd , however , that CPD wouldn ’ t have at least asked for some input from the campaigns .
It ’ s possible that Team Trump signaled an openness to this but never ran it by The Boss , too .
Trump ’ s other objections are more understandable .
Trump sees this as a way for the moderator to cut him off , a selling point even I made when floating it as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pointed out that Biden would require the same kind of limitation .
Also , it ’ s tough to do a “ town hall ” format when you ’ re not in the room with the questioners .
Why stick with that format with both candidates in remote locations ?
This leaves Trump with the political problems that come from refusing to debate .
Trump and his team would have jumped all over Biden had the Democrat refused to debate , accusing him of cowardice and/or incapacity .
Trump ’ s supporters had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first time for those supposed reasons .
If Trump refuses to participate now , he can expect the same kind of backlash , plus more criticism for risking more spread of COVID-19 with a personal appearance while CDC guidelines suggest he should still be isolating [ see update below ] .
Hugh Hewitt ’ s suggestion would answer the first set of criticisms but not the second : Can it be done safely a week from today , just ten days after Trump ’ s release from Walter Reed ?
That ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the overall criticism that Trump hasn ’ t taken COVID-19 seriously enough .
With the White House transformed into a contagion hot spot over the last couple of weeks , this is risky in several different ways .
Mike Pence did a pretty good job last night of shoring up Trump ’ s flank on the pandemic , but this threatens to undo some of that work and overshadow Pence ’ s win .
The solution to this is pretty simple .
Hold the virtual debate , get rid of the dumb @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the microphones of both candidates live at all times .
Since that ’ s the real objection from Trump , just let both sides rip .
Update : Twitter follower MC points out that CDC guidelines actually suggest Trump should be in the clear by the time of the debate , but it might depend on how one sees Trump ’ s hospitalization .
Was it for a “ severe illness ” ?
You can be with others after • At least 10 days since symptoms first appeared and • At least 24 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and • Other symptoms of COVID-19 are improving**Loss of taste and smell may persist for weeks or months after recovery and need not delay the end of isolation If you had severe illness from COVID-19 ( you were admitted to a hospital and needed oxygen ) , your healthcare provider may recommend that you stay in isolation for longer than 10 days after your symptoms first appeared ( possibly up to 20 days ) and you may need to finish your period of isolation at home .
If testing is available in your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that you undergo repeat testing for COVID-19 to end your isolation earlier than would be done according to the criteria above .
If so , you can be around others after you receive two negative tests results in a row , from tests done at least 24 hours apart .
If it was “ severe , ” and Trump was on oxygen at one point , then the standard would be 20 days isolation — which would be well past the scheduled debate .
Trump is getting repeated testing , though , so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tests at least 24 hours apart .
Assuming that happens , then there shouldn ’ t be any issue with Trump ’ s participation .
However , the rest of Trump ’ s entourage could present additional risks , thanks to the outbreak at the White House , so that is also something to consider .

So much for that idea. The Commission on Presidential Debates chose the option I predicted yesterday for the next bout between Donald Trump and Joe Biden in light of Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis. Early this morning, CPD announced that the town-hall forum scheduled for next week would be “virtual,” with Trump and Biden in their own locations and the town-hall participants and moderator in Miami as planned. Sounds good? Er …
The second debate between President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden will take place virtually amid the fallout from the president’s diagnosis of COVID-19, the debate commission announced Thursday. The nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates cited a need “to protect the health and safety of all involved with the second presidential debate.” The candidates will “participate from separate remote locations” while the participants and moderator remain in Miami, it said. The announcement comes a week before Biden and Trump were scheduled to face off in Miami.
Sounds fair, right? Joe Biden thinks so:
“Vice President Biden looks forward to speaking directly to the American people and comparing his plan for bringing the country together and building back better with Donald Trump’s failed leadership on the coronavirus that has thrown the strong economy he inherited into the worst downturn since the Great Depression.”
Donald Trump … not so much. Claiming the CPD change was “a sad excuse to bail out Joe Biden,” Team Trump announced that the president would instead hold a rally that night:
https://twitter.com/apblake/status/1314178708224323584
Trump himself wasted no time telling Maria Bartiromo on Fox Business Network that the change was “unacceptable,” beating his campaign to the punch. “I’m not going to waste my time on a virtual debate,” Trump said. Trump sounded particularly incensed that CPD didn’t attempt to negotiate the issue, instead calling with their decision just before going public with it:
If that’s actually what happened, then Trump has some reason to push back against the CPD. That panel exists to negotiate debate terms, not to dictate to the campaigns. It seems odd, however, that CPD wouldn’t have at least asked for some input from the campaigns. It’s possible that Team Trump signaled an openness to this but never ran it by The Boss, too.
Trump’s other objections are more understandable. Trump sees this as a way for the moderator to cut him off, a selling point even I made when floating it as a possibility yesterday, although I also pointed out that Biden would require the same kind of limitation. Also, it’s tough to do a “town hall” format when you’re not in the room with the questioners. Why stick with that format with both candidates in remote locations?
This leaves Trump with the political problems that come from refusing to debate. Trump and his team would have jumped all over Biden had the Democrat refused to debate, accusing him of cowardice and/or incapacity. Trump’s supporters had predicted Biden wouldn’t show up the first time for those supposed reasons. If Trump refuses to participate now, he can expect the same kind of backlash, plus more criticism for risking more spread of COVID-19 with a personal appearance while CDC guidelines suggest he should still be isolating [see update below].
Hugh Hewitt’s suggestion would answer the first set of criticisms but not the second:
The president should announce he will go to a stage in the designated city on the date, name a moderator, and invite Joe Biden to join him and to name a moderator, and simply bypass the #NeverTrump Debate Commission. It can be done safely It should be done for the country. — Hugh Hewitt (@hughhewitt) October 8, 2020
Can it be done safely a week from today, just ten days after Trump’s release from Walter Reed? That’s the issue, and it plays into the overall criticism that Trump hasn’t taken COVID-19 seriously enough. With the White House transformed into a contagion hot spot over the last couple of weeks, this is risky in several different ways. Mike Pence did a pretty good job last night of shoring up Trump’s flank on the pandemic, but this threatens to undo some of that work and overshadow Pence’s win.
The solution to this is pretty simple. Hold the virtual debate, get rid of the dumb town-hall format, and commit to keeping the microphones of both candidates live at all times. Since that’s the real objection from Trump, just let both sides rip.
Update: Twitter follower MC points out that CDC guidelines actually suggest Trump should be in the clear by the time of the debate, but it might depend on how one sees Trump’s hospitalization. Was it for a “severe illness”?
You can be with others after At least 10 days since symptoms first appeared and
At least 24 hours with no fever without fever-reducing medication and
Other symptoms of COVID-19 are improving**Loss of taste and smell may persist for weeks or months after recovery and need not delay the end of isolation If you had severe illness from COVID-19 (you were admitted to a hospital and needed oxygen), your healthcare provider may recommend that you stay in isolation for longer than 10 days after your symptoms first appeared (possibly up to 20 days) and you may need to finish your period of isolation at home. If testing is available in your community, your healthcare provider may recommend that you undergo repeat testing for COVID-19 to end your isolation earlier than would be done according to the criteria above. If so, you can be around others after you receive two negative tests results in a row, from tests done at least 24 hours apart.
If it was “severe,” and Trump was on oxygen at one point, then the standard would be 20 days isolation — which would be well past the scheduled debate. Trump is getting repeated testing, though, so the better metric would be two negative tests at least 24 hours apart. Assuming that happens, then there shouldn’t be any issue with Trump’s participation. However, the rest of Trump’s entourage could present additional risks, thanks to the outbreak at the White House, so that is also something to consider.


hotair--2020-10-08--Thank God there are no postal workers dumping ballots. Oh, wait...

One thing stood out to me when I was reading the Associated Press “ fact check ” of last night ’ s veep debate .
It had to do with some comments from Mike Pence about irregularities with mail-in ballots .
The AP was quick to claim that these are “ snafus ” that happen during every election and there should be “ adequate time ” to correct them before the voting ends .
They also point to other analysts who say that such incidents “ don ’ t indicate fraud , but human error.
” Someone should really send @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the folks in New Jersey .
Officials there have arrested one postal worker who turned out to be a human committing one heck of an “ error.
” He was found to have ditched nearly two thousand pieces of mail , including almost 100 ballots , into dumpsters along his route .
This took place in a predominantly Democrat-rich area .
And the Justice Department is taking this incident far more seriously than would be warranted by some sort of “ snafu.
” ( Free Beacon ) A New Jersey postal worker was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mail-in ballots into dumpsters in multiple towns .
The Justice Department charged Nicholas Beauchene , a 26-year-old mail carrier with “ one count of delay , secretion , or detention of mail and one count of obstruction of mail ” for discarding approximately 1,875 pieces of mail on his route .
The discarded mail included “ 99 general election ballots ” and was recovered from dumpsters in two different New Jersey townships .
Beauchene faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $ 250,000 fine for delay of mail and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5,000 fine for obstruction of mail .
And with weeks left until Election Day , problems with mail-in ballots are flaring up in other parts of New Jersey and across the country , intensifying concerns about errors and fraud affecting results in November .
You ’ ll note that the carrier isn ’ t facing any charges related to voter fraud , but rather crimes involving delay and obstruction of the mail .
Assuming he ’ s convicted , he could be spending quite a while behind bars and owe significant fines .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to say that this is yet another instance where voter fraud is taking place but not being recorded because of the nature of the charges .
I ’ m not sure that ’ s the case , though .
The real question here is whether Mr. Beauchene was specifically attempting to eliminate potential Democratic votes or if , like Cliff Claven on one episode of Cheers , he was just dumping some of the mail he was assigned to deliver so he could nip off to the pub for a cold one .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ News in New York don ’ t give us a definitive answer , but there are a couple of clues that suggest this was more of a Clavin-style situation .
I think the biggest clue to this mystery is the fact that Beauchene didn ’ t just dump a bunch of ballots .
He trashed more than 1,800 pieces of mail , including standard , first-class and certified mail , along with a bunch of campaign mailers .
That was on top of the 99 ballots which , when looked at as part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , almost seem like an afterthought .
If the disgraced postal worker had simply fished out the election ballots and trashed those while delivering the rest of the items , then we could definitely make that case for voter fraud .
But this just looks like a case of a lazy postal worker who didn ’ t want to finish his rounds .
I wonder how many other residents along his route have been missing out on mail deliveries over the past months and years .
That ’ s not to say that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of course .
As we learned back in August , one convicted perpetrator of massive voter fraud had recruited unscrupulous postal workers to sift out ballots in areas with a heavy GOP presence and either throw them out or turn them over for alteration .
How much of that actually goes on remains unknown .
But this case in New Jersey doesn ’ t sound like that sort of situation .
It sounds like this guy just didn ’ t feel like doing his job that day and “ delivered ” a bunch @ @ @ @ @ @ @

One thing stood out to me when I was reading the Associated Press “fact check” of last night’s veep debate. It had to do with some comments from Mike Pence about irregularities with mail-in ballots. The AP was quick to claim that these are “snafus” that happen during every election and there should be “adequate time” to correct them before the voting ends. They also point to other analysts who say that such incidents “don’t indicate fraud, but human error.”
Someone should really send all of that valuable fact-checking information to the folks in New Jersey. Officials there have arrested one postal worker who turned out to be a human committing one heck of an “error.” He was found to have ditched nearly two thousand pieces of mail, including almost 100 ballots, into dumpsters along his route. This took place in a predominantly Democrat-rich area. And the Justice Department is taking this incident far more seriously than would be warranted by some sort of “snafu.” (Free Beacon)
A New Jersey postal worker was arrested Wednesday for dumping almost a hundred mail-in ballots into dumpsters in multiple towns. The Justice Department charged Nicholas Beauchene, a 26-year-old mail carrier with “one count of delay, secretion, or detention of mail and one count of obstruction of mail” for discarding approximately 1,875 pieces of mail on his route. The discarded mail included “99 general election ballots” and was recovered from dumpsters in two different New Jersey townships. Beauchene faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for delay of mail and six months in prison and a $5,000 fine for obstruction of mail. And with weeks left until Election Day, problems with mail-in ballots are flaring up in other parts of New Jersey and across the country, intensifying concerns about errors and fraud affecting results in November.
You’ll note that the carrier isn’t facing any charges related to voter fraud, but rather crimes involving delay and obstruction of the mail. Assuming he’s convicted, he could be spending quite a while behind bars and owe significant fines.
There’s probably an understandable temptation to say that this is yet another instance where voter fraud is taking place but not being recorded because of the nature of the charges. I’m not sure that’s the case, though. The real question here is whether Mr. Beauchene was specifically attempting to eliminate potential Democratic votes or if, like Cliff Claven on one episode of Cheers, he was just dumping some of the mail he was assigned to deliver so he could nip off to the pub for a cold one.
Further details, as reported by NBC News in New York don’t give us a definitive answer, but there are a couple of clues that suggest this was more of a Clavin-style situation.
I think the biggest clue to this mystery is the fact that Beauchene didn’t just dump a bunch of ballots. He trashed more than 1,800 pieces of mail, including standard, first-class and certified mail, along with a bunch of campaign mailers. That was on top of the 99 ballots which, when looked at as part of the total haul for the trashman, almost seem like an afterthought. If the disgraced postal worker had simply fished out the election ballots and trashed those while delivering the rest of the items, then we could definitely make that case for voter fraud. But this just looks like a case of a lazy postal worker who didn’t want to finish his rounds. I wonder how many other residents along his route have been missing out on mail deliveries over the past months and years.
That’s not to say that such things don’t happen, of course. As we learned back in August, one convicted perpetrator of massive voter fraud had recruited unscrupulous postal workers to sift out ballots in areas with a heavy GOP presence and either throw them out or turn them over for alteration. How much of that actually goes on remains unknown. But this case in New Jersey doesn’t sound like that sort of situation. It sounds like this guy just didn’t feel like doing his job that day and “delivered” a bunch of his mail to some dumpsters.


hotair--2020-10-08--Pence to Harris: "Lost the trade war with China? Joe Biden never fought it!"

Last night , America finally got the traditional debate it wanted .
We then remembered that “ traditional debate ” means politicians providing answers they want to give … regardless of the questions asked by the moderator .
Both Mike Pence and Kamala Harris made full use of that tactic with moderator Susan Page , but only one emerged unscathed and unflustered .
Give Harris credit , however ; she managed to stay ahead of Pence for the first half of the debate , thanks in part to the first choice of topics — COVID-19 and health care .
Pence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but Harris clearly prepared for these topics and used them to good effect .
One might even say that Trump lost this part of the debate by giving Bob Woodward 18 interviews and shooting his mouth off last spring : Pence kept jabbing at Harris , though , while refusing to concede on any point .
Harris ’ weakness on this topic is Biden ’ s — neither of them have put together a coherent plan to do anything differently than Trump and Pence are doing now .
That prompted this fun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plagiarism from Pence , which set Harris back on her heels for the first time : Pence would have done well to keep talking about Biden ’ s plagiarism and serial dishonesty , but instead took advantage of the topic changes to get under Harris ’ skin .
Harris ’ debate tells started coming out , especially in the second half , with smirking and odd smiles while Pence went on the attack .
For instance , Harris thought that she had a winning argument when she claimed that Trump had lost the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was now better liked around the world than the US .
Pence could hardly believe his ears , exclaiming , “ Lost the trade war with China ?
Joe Biden never fought it !
” After that exchange , Harris ’ frustration became more and more noticeable .
Her answers became less and less coherent , either from a lack of preparation or simply from flailing .
Harris ’ annoying habit of smirking into the camera increased as the night progressed as well , another tell recognizable from her flops in the Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cool and collected Pence could not have been greater than it was over the Supreme Court packing question , which Jazz already wrote about at length .
Pence kept pressing Harris on it by repeated the direct question , and made her unwillingness to answer it painfully obvious .
Harris also flopped on the economy and taxes , having only the bullet points to argue while Pence prepared with the actual data from the 2017 tax-cut package .
Pence kept hammering the point that the average family saw $ 2000 annual benefit from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hike taxes on a broad swath of Americans .
He did even better on energy issues ; Pence essentially dodged climate-change questions by turning them into fracking questions , and kept hammering Harris and Biden over their Green New Deal Lite package .
Harris kept insisting that Biden had no plans to ban fracking while Pence kept pointing back to their own agenda and rhetoric about eliminating fossil fuels .
By the time the debate was over , Pence emerged as the clear winner , both in form and substance .
That leaves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have any impact ?
It might , in this cycle , since it ’ s likely going to be the first and last substantive engagement between the two campaigns .
The overnight ratings haven ’ t yet come out , but I ’ d be surprised if this didn ’ t get a lot of eyeballs , especially after last week ’ s debacle .
At the very least , Pence gave a very capable and compelling defense of the Trump administration ’ s record , even better than Trump himself .

Last night, America finally got the traditional debate it wanted. We then remembered that “traditional debate” means politicians providing answers they want to give … regardless of the questions asked by the moderator. Both Mike Pence and Kamala Harris made full use of that tactic with moderator Susan Page, but only one emerged unscathed and unflustered.
Give Harris credit, however; she managed to stay ahead of Pence for the first half of the debate, thanks in part to the first choice of topics — COVID-19 and health care. Pence ably defended Donald Trump and the administration, but Harris clearly prepared for these topics and used them to good effect. One might even say that Trump lost this part of the debate by giving Bob Woodward 18 interviews and shooting his mouth off last spring:
Pence kept jabbing at Harris, though, while refusing to concede on any point. Harris’ weakness on this topic is Biden’s — neither of them have put together a coherent plan to do anything differently than Trump and Pence are doing now. That prompted this fun shot at Biden’s record of plagiarism from Pence, which set Harris back on her heels for the first time:
Pence would have done well to keep talking about Biden’s plagiarism and serial dishonesty, but instead took advantage of the topic changes to get under Harris’ skin. Harris’ debate tells started coming out, especially in the second half, with smirking and odd smiles while Pence went on the attack. For instance, Harris thought that she had a winning argument when she claimed that Trump had lost the trade war with China and that China was now better liked around the world than the US. Pence could hardly believe his ears, exclaiming, “Lost the trade war with China? Joe Biden never fought it!”
After that exchange, Harris’ frustration became more and more noticeable. Her answers became less and less coherent, either from a lack of preparation or simply from flailing. Harris’ annoying habit of smirking into the camera increased as the night progressed as well, another tell recognizable from her flops in the Democratic primary debates. The contrast between the cool and collected Pence could not have been greater than it was over the Supreme Court packing question, which Jazz already wrote about at length. Pence kept pressing Harris on it by repeated the direct question, and made her unwillingness to answer it painfully obvious.
Harris also flopped on the economy and taxes, having only the bullet points to argue while Pence prepared with the actual data from the 2017 tax-cut package. Pence kept hammering the point that the average family saw $2000 annual benefit from those changes, and repealing it would hike taxes on a broad swath of Americans. He did even better on energy issues; Pence essentially dodged climate-change questions by turning them into fracking questions, and kept hammering Harris and Biden over their Green New Deal Lite package. Harris kept insisting that Biden had no plans to ban fracking while Pence kept pointing back to their own agenda and rhetoric about eliminating fossil fuels.
By the time the debate was over, Pence emerged as the clear winner, both in form and substance. That leaves us with this question: will it have any impact? It might, in this cycle, since it’s likely going to be the first and last substantive engagement between the two campaigns. The overnight ratings haven’t yet come out, but I’d be surprised if this didn’t get a lot of eyeballs, especially after last week’s debacle. At the very least, Pence gave a very capable and compelling defense of the Trump administration’s record, even better than Trump himself.


hotair--2020-10-09--Texas city threatens to take church property through eminent domain

Every time an eminent domain story crops up I can feel my jaw tightening , not because there ’ s never a case where the Takings Clause has to be employed , but because so many of these situations seem entirely preventable .
The one that just cropped up in Duncanville , Texas , however , is a bit complicated , to say the least .
The startling part of the headline is the fact that the property slated to be taken belongs to a church , setting us up for what at first may look like a collision between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ house of worship in question is the Canaan Baptist Church and they ’ re preparing to fight to stop the city from absorbing their property .
But before we break out the protest signs and march down there , I should point out that the property in question isn ’ t the church itself .
It ’ s an empty lot they own where they ’ ve been planning to build a new facility .
( CBS Dallas-Ft. Worth ) A small North Texas church is fighting back as the city of Duncanville @ @ @ @ @ @ @ domain .
“ This is an empty lot that God gave us , ” said Angie Baker , wife of the pastor at Canaan Baptist Church .
The church has big dreams for the property on West Camp Wisdom Road in Duncanville .
They have been raising money to build a new facility there for their congregation .
Canaan Baptist ’ s current home is in south Dallas , but over the past 15 years , the church has created a ministry in Duncanville – even without a building .
Canaan Baptist already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even without a building in which to hold services .
Pastor Baker , who oversees the flock , has mobilized his congregation to hold food drives and clothing distribution for the poor , along with other functions normally provided by churches .
And they ’ re close to having enough money to begin construction on the site .
The city is looking to take the property for the construction of a new fire station .
That ’ s obviously a case of “ public use ” so Duncanville is clearly talking about an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But do they really need to take the land from a church ?
There are two factors complicating this case before it even gets out of the gate .
The first is the existence of the Texas Religious Freedom Restoration Act .
That law forbids the government from any actions that would “ substantially burden the practice of religion.
” Preventing a group from building a church certainly seems like a substantial burden , but at the same time , the Constitutional validity of the Takings Clause is equally clear .
There is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But here ’ s the other curious issue .
If you take a look at the map of the portion of Duncanville in question , you ’ ll see something odd .
The building directly across the road from the church ’ s land is… ( wait for it… ) a Duncanville Fire Department fire station .
So the city is looking to build a new fire station directly across from the old one they plan to replace .
Attorneys for the church are claiming that under the Texas Religious Freedom Restoration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there is no other property available where they could put the new fire station .
That claim is being challenged by the city .
But this sounds like one of those situations where a compromise could be worked out so there isn ’ t some horrible Freedom of Religion war playing out .
Since the two properties in question are literally a stone ’ s throw from each other , perhaps Duncanville could offer to trade one property for the other ?
Once the new fire station is finished , they could give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perhaps even help with the cost of retrofitting the old fire station to suit their purposes .
Wouldn ’ t that be a more pleasant solution all the way around , rather than battling this out in court for years to come ?

Every time an eminent domain story crops up I can feel my jaw tightening, not because there’s never a case where the Takings Clause has to be employed, but because so many of these situations seem entirely preventable. The one that just cropped up in Duncanville, Texas, however, is a bit complicated, to say the least. The startling part of the headline is the fact that the property slated to be taken belongs to a church, setting us up for what at first may look like a collision between the First and Fifth Amendments. The house of worship in question is the Canaan Baptist Church and they’re preparing to fight to stop the city from absorbing their property. But before we break out the protest signs and march down there, I should point out that the property in question isn’t the church itself. It’s an empty lot they own where they’ve been planning to build a new facility. (CBS Dallas-Ft. Worth)
A small North Texas church is fighting back as the city of Duncanville attempts to seize their property using eminent domain. “This is an empty lot that God gave us,” said Angie Baker, wife of the pastor at Canaan Baptist Church. The church has big dreams for the property on West Camp Wisdom Road in Duncanville. They have been raising money to build a new facility there for their congregation. Canaan Baptist’s current home is in south Dallas, but over the past 15 years, the church has created a ministry in Duncanville – even without a building.
Canaan Baptist already has an active congregation in Duncanville, even without a building in which to hold services. Pastor Baker, who oversees the flock, has mobilized his congregation to hold food drives and clothing distribution for the poor, along with other functions normally provided by churches. And they’re close to having enough money to begin construction on the site.
The city is looking to take the property for the construction of a new fire station. That’s obviously a case of “public use” so Duncanville is clearly talking about an appropriate use of the Takings Clause. But do they really need to take the land from a church?
There are two factors complicating this case before it even gets out of the gate. The first is the existence of the Texas Religious Freedom Restoration Act. That law forbids the government from any actions that would “substantially burden the practice of religion.” Preventing a group from building a church certainly seems like a substantial burden, but at the same time, the Constitutional validity of the Takings Clause is equally clear. There is no exception in it for religious groups.
But here’s the other curious issue. If you take a look at the map of the portion of Duncanville in question, you’ll see something odd. The building directly across the road from the church’s land is… (wait for it…) a Duncanville Fire Department fire station. So the city is looking to build a new fire station directly across from the old one they plan to replace.
Attorneys for the church are claiming that under the Texas Religious Freedom Restoration Act, the city must prove that there is no other property available where they could put the new fire station. That claim is being challenged by the city. But this sounds like one of those situations where a compromise could be worked out so there isn’t some horrible Freedom of Religion war playing out. Since the two properties in question are literally a stone’s throw from each other, perhaps Duncanville could offer to trade one property for the other? Once the new fire station is finished, they could give the old one to the church and perhaps even help with the cost of retrofitting the old fire station to suit their purposes. Wouldn’t that be a more pleasant solution all the way around, rather than battling this out in court for years to come?


hotair--2020-10-08--Gretchen Whitmer: This militia kidnapping plot is sort of Trump's fault

Although Trump ’ s name appears nowhere in the FBI affidavit , there ’ s no way Democrats weren ’ t going to make this a story about him .
Especially with today ’ s news coming so soon after his “ stand back and stand by ” advice to the Proud Boys at the debate with Biden .
Did he mean that as a wink-wink incitement to violence ?
“ Somebody ’ s got to do something about Antifa and the left , ” he said in the same breath , which sure sounds like incitement .
But then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he tried to clean it up by claiming that he didn ’ t know who the Proud Boys are and that “ they have to stand down and let law enforcement do their work.
” Who knows what he truly intends at any given moment when he speaks .
What ’ s clear is that the Proud Boys themselves took encouragement from it .
In a way today ’ s news of the plot against Whitmer is a replay of the infamous episode in which the left blamed Sarah Palin for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PAC put out a campaign map during the 2010 midterms “ targeting ” certain districts with a crosshairs symbol .
That was standard campaign rhetoric which the left demagogued in order to scapegoat Palin for the attack ; it would be like blaming Trump for what the Proud Boys do because he ’ s prone to describing political conflict as “ fights.
” ( “ Take the fight to the left !
” ) The important difference with Trump , though , is that he doesn ’ t always speak metaphorically about violence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ riots if he were denied the GOP nomination in 2016 ; he half-joked at the time that he ’ d pay the legal fees of anyone who punched a protester at one of his rallies ; as president he ribbed an audience of cops that they shouldn ’ t be so gentle with suspects when putting them in the squad car .
He never full-throatedly endorses violence against his enemies but there ’ s always a smirk-and-a-wink vibe that he understands why someone he dislikes might deserve to be treated roughly .
Ken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when Trump is inevitably asked about the plot against Whitmer , he ’ ll say something like , “ well , a lot of people are angry , the shutdowns are unfair.
” Stay tuned .
Did the militia nuts take encouragement from him the way the Proud Boys have ?
This tweet from April is getting attention today .
He sent that a month after the lockdowns began , at a moment when he was beginning to push aggressively for states to reopen for business .
Whitmer was one of the strictest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closed ; anti-lockdown protesters , some of them carrying guns and comparing her to a Nazi , rallied at the state capitol in protest of the measures two days before Trump published his tweet .
That was the context for his cry for “ liberation.
” Biden was asked about that tweet today after the news of the militia plot was announced and naturally took the lay-up : There ’ s no mention of the tweet in today ’ s affidavit .
Whether any of the conspirators saw it , heard of it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plotting to kidnap and murder Whitmer will remain unknown unless they talk to the FBI .
But “ liberating Michigan ” from Whitmer ’ s alleged lockdown tyranny is precisely what they wanted to do , per the affidavit , which makes for hair-raising reading .
These guys weren ’ t sitting around drinking beers and playing video games , chatting idly about how much fun it ’ d be to kidnap the governor .
They were surveilling her vacation home and trying to figure out how to make IEDs .
They first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June and were still talking about it as of a week ago .
Last Friday one member of the plot bought an 800,000-volt taser to use in the operation .
Allegedly they had planned to meet with the FBI ’ s informant yesterday to “ make a payment on explosives and exchange tactical gear.
” At one point they considered having someone go to her vacation home while she was there and , if she happened to answer the door , to just shoot her point-blank .
Whether any of these cretins considered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or part of the same corrupt establishment that needed to be violently overthrown is unclear .
But 26 days out from an election , Whitmer and Biden are going to pin them to Trump ’ s chest and hope that that finishes him off in Michigan on Nov. 3 .
Here she is blaming him , followed by Jason Miller chastising her for being so hateful .

Although Trump’s name appears nowhere in the FBI affidavit, there’s no way Democrats weren’t going to make this a story about him. Especially with today’s news coming so soon after his “stand back and stand by” advice to the Proud Boys at the debate with Biden. Did he mean that as a wink-wink incitement to violence? “Somebody’s got to do something about Antifa and the left,” he said in the same breath, which sure sounds like incitement. But then the next day, after the uproar, he tried to clean it up by claiming that he didn’t know who the Proud Boys are and that “they have to stand down and let law enforcement do their work.”
Who knows what he truly intends at any given moment when he speaks. What’s clear is that the Proud Boys themselves took encouragement from it. In a way today’s news of the plot against Whitmer is a replay of the infamous episode in which the left blamed Sarah Palin for the shooting of Gabby Giffords because her Super PAC put out a campaign map during the 2010 midterms “targeting” certain districts with a crosshairs symbol. That was standard campaign rhetoric which the left demagogued in order to scapegoat Palin for the attack; it would be like blaming Trump for what the Proud Boys do because he’s prone to describing political conflict as “fights.” (“Take the fight to the left!”) The important difference with Trump, though, is that he doesn’t always speak metaphorically about violence. He hinted at the possibility of riots if he were denied the GOP nomination in 2016; he half-joked at the time that he’d pay the legal fees of anyone who punched a protester at one of his rallies; as president he ribbed an audience of cops that they shouldn’t be so gentle with suspects when putting them in the squad car.
He never full-throatedly endorses violence against his enemies but there’s always a smirk-and-a-wink vibe that he understands why someone he dislikes might deserve to be treated roughly. Ken “Popehat” White predicted today that when Trump is inevitably asked about the plot against Whitmer, he’ll say something like, “well, a lot of people are angry, the shutdowns are unfair.” Stay tuned.
Did the militia nuts take encouragement from him the way the Proud Boys have? This tweet from April is getting attention today.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1251169217531056130
He sent that a month after the lockdowns began, at a moment when he was beginning to push aggressively for states to reopen for business. Whitmer was one of the strictest governors in the country in keeping businesses closed; anti-lockdown protesters, some of them carrying guns and comparing her to a Nazi, rallied at the state capitol in protest of the measures two days before Trump published his tweet. That was the context for his cry for “liberation.” Biden was asked about that tweet today after the news of the militia plot was announced and naturally took the lay-up:
“The words he utters matters,” Biden said. Asked if he thought Trump’s LIBERATE MICHIGAN tweet encouraged militias like this, he said “yes I do.” “Why won’t the president just say ‘stop. Stop, stop, stop.’ And if we will pursue you if you don’t.”
There’s no mention of the tweet in today’s affidavit. Whether any of the conspirators saw it, heard of it, or took encouragement from it in plotting to kidnap and murder Whitmer will remain unknown unless they talk to the FBI. But “liberating Michigan” from Whitmer’s alleged lockdown tyranny is precisely what they wanted to do, per the affidavit, which makes for hair-raising reading. These guys weren’t sitting around drinking beers and playing video games, chatting idly about how much fun it’d be to kidnap the governor. They were surveilling her vacation home and trying to figure out how to make IEDs. They first started talking about targeting her in early June and were still talking about it as of a week ago. Last Friday one member of the plot bought an 800,000-volt taser to use in the operation. Allegedly they had planned to meet with the FBI’s informant yesterday to “make a payment on explosives and exchange tactical gear.” At one point they considered having someone go to her vacation home while she was there and, if she happened to answer the door, to just shoot her point-blank.
Whether any of these cretins considered the president some sort of ideological ally or part of the same corrupt establishment that needed to be violently overthrown is unclear. But 26 days out from an election, Whitmer and Biden are going to pin them to Trump’s chest and hope that that finishes him off in Michigan on Nov. 3. Here she is blaming him, followed by Jason Miller chastising her for being so hateful.


hotair--2020-10-08--'Speak Up' - Sesame Street indoctrinates the next generation of political activists

The latest effort by a public television show to turn very young children into political activists has been announced .
Beginning October 15 , a half-hour episode of Sesame Street will air with the goal of teaching children about racism in America .
Sesame Street has certainly changed from its original mission on-air .
The show began as an educational tool for pre-school children .
Basic school subjects like math and reading and science were incorporated into little skits .
Silly and fun characters were introduced to the children .
Those characters have been beloved by children around the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evolved into more , though .
Instead of sticking with a very important educational service of helping to prepare little ones for their school years , the show became a liberal voice in the culture wars .
Now the focus is on emotions and social issues .
It ’ s never too early to turn your 3-year-old into a social justice warrior , amirite ?
Sesame Workshop — the nonprofit , educational organization behind “ Sesame Street ” — will later this month air the half-hour anti-racist special “ The Power of We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The special defines racism for younger viewers and shows how it can be hurtful .
It urges children who encounter racism or hear someone else be the victim of it to call it out .
“ When you see something that ’ s wrong , speak up and say , ‘ That ’ s wrong ’ and tell an adult , ” 6-year-old Gabrielle the Muppet advises .
The special , composed of little skits and songs in a Zoom-like format , will stream on HBO Max and PBS Kids and air @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Two examples are given , one skit and one song .
In one animated skit , a Black Muppet is told by a white Muppet that he can ’ t dress up like a superhero because they ’ re only white .
Though hurt , the Black Muppet nevertheless refuses to stop playing superheroes , saying they can come in all colors .
The white Muppet soon apologizes .
“ Racism hurts and it ’ s wrong , ” is the message .
In the song “ How Do You Know ?
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hey , Elmo , how would you feel if I said , ‘ I don ’ t like you ‘ cause I don ’ t like the color red ?
’ ” sings Tamir , a Black , 8-year-old Muppet .
Elmo responds : ” Elmo wouldn ’ t care what you said ‘ cause Elmo is proud , proud to be red !
” It concludes with the lines : “ Speak up .
Say something .
Don ’ t give in.
” So , two things here – not to nitpick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Black Panther was a huge award-winning box office hit .
Luke Cage was a Netflix success .
There is John Stewart from the Green Lantern series and Storm in Marvel Comics .
Vixen is a Black female character in the DC Comics world .
The point is that Black superheroes exist and are both male and female .
By Sesame Street using the example , probably because the writers think the kiddos will pay attention to a skit about superheroes , it doesn ’ t ring true .
Why conjure up an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ telling children to “ say something ” .
Does that include speaking up to adults and people in authority ?
That sounds like it wouldn ’ t work out well for children .
Plus , it sounds as though children are being asked to be tattletales .
Why put children in these positions ?
Sesame Street was a groundbreaking show in its beginning .
Yes , PBS is liberal but at one time the network was able to keep the kids out of it .
The hyper-politicization of children today is just wrong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ education .
In the case of the topic of racism , the premise of liberals is that America is a racist country .
This is offensive to a large part of the American population .
Just in my own lifetime , race relations in America have dramatically changed .
There are no more “ Whites only ” signs at water fountains or on front doors of business establishments .
American voters elected Barack Obama twice to be president .
There is a bi-racial woman running on the presidential ticket this year .
Are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But we ’ re the best in the world .
Racism does not only go one way and that is rarely acknowledged .
Current and former cast members will participate in this episode .
Celebrity guests include Yara Shahidi , the star of “ grown-ish ; ” “ Hamilton ” star Christopher Jackson ; and Grammy-nominated singer Andra Day .
Viewers will receive tips on organizing their communities .
And , the puppets will virtue-signal by wearing masks .
It will end with a slogan – “ Listen .
Act .
Unite.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t take the time to teach kids how to register to vote .
I ’ m kidding .
Kinda .
The children are being called “ upstanders ” .
Parents will be given online resources to encourage discussions about race .
These resources include “ downloadable pictures to color and a certificate with a place to put the name of an upstander.
” Your preschooler can become a certified upstander .
Sesame Street celebrates its 51st anniversary this year .
HBO Max and PBS Kids will air the special .

The latest effort by a public television show to turn very young children into political activists has been announced. Beginning October 15, a half-hour episode of Sesame Street will air with the goal of teaching children about racism in America.
Sesame Street has certainly changed from its original mission on-air. The show began as an educational tool for pre-school children. Basic school subjects like math and reading and science were incorporated into little skits. Silly and fun characters were introduced to the children. Those characters have been beloved by children around the world for decades. The PBS show soon evolved into more, though. Instead of sticking with a very important educational service of helping to prepare little ones for their school years, the show became a liberal voice in the culture wars. Now the focus is on emotions and social issues. It’s never too early to turn your 3-year-old into a social justice warrior, amirite?
Sesame Workshop — the nonprofit, educational organization behind “Sesame Street” — will later this month air the half-hour anti-racist special “The Power of We” and hopes families will watch together. The special defines racism for younger viewers and shows how it can be hurtful. It urges children who encounter racism or hear someone else be the victim of it to call it out. “When you see something that’s wrong, speak up and say, ‘That’s wrong’ and tell an adult,” 6-year-old Gabrielle the Muppet advises. The special, composed of little skits and songs in a Zoom-like format, will stream on HBO Max and PBS Kids and air on PBS stations beginning Oct. 15.
Two examples are given, one skit and one song.
In one animated skit, a Black Muppet is told by a white Muppet that he can’t dress up like a superhero because they’re only white. Though hurt, the Black Muppet nevertheless refuses to stop playing superheroes, saying they can come in all colors. The white Muppet soon apologizes. “Racism hurts and it’s wrong,” is the message. In the song “How Do You Know?” racism is dealt with head-on. “Hey, Elmo, how would you feel if I said, ‘I don’t like you ‘cause I don’t like the color red?’” sings Tamir, a Black, 8-year-old Muppet. Elmo responds: ”Elmo wouldn’t care what you said ‘cause Elmo is proud, proud to be red!” It concludes with the lines: “Speak up. Say something. Don’t give in.”
So, two things here – not to nitpick but not all superheroes today are White. Black Panther was a huge award-winning box office hit. Luke Cage was a Netflix success. There is John Stewart from the Green Lantern series and Storm in Marvel Comics. Vixen is a Black female character in the DC Comics world. The point is that Black superheroes exist and are both male and female. By Sesame Street using the example, probably because the writers think the kiddos will pay attention to a skit about superheroes, it doesn’t ring true. Why conjure up an exaggerated hypothetical? The second point is telling children to “say something”. Does that include speaking up to adults and people in authority? That sounds like it wouldn’t work out well for children. Plus, it sounds as though children are being asked to be tattletales. Why put children in these positions?
Sesame Street was a groundbreaking show in its beginning. Yes, PBS is liberal but at one time the network was able to keep the kids out of it. The hyper-politicization of children today is just wrong. It’s indoctrination, not education. In the case of the topic of racism, the premise of liberals is that America is a racist country. This is offensive to a large part of the American population. Just in my own lifetime, race relations in America have dramatically changed. There are no more “Whites only” signs at water fountains or on front doors of business establishments. American voters elected Barack Obama twice to be president. There is a bi-racial woman running on the presidential ticket this year. Are we a perfect nation? No. But we’re the best in the world. Racism does not only go one way and that is rarely acknowledged.
Current and former cast members will participate in this episode. Celebrity guests include Yara Shahidi, the star of “grown-ish;” “Hamilton” star Christopher Jackson; and Grammy-nominated singer Andra Day. Viewers will receive tips on organizing their communities. And, the puppets will virtue-signal by wearing masks. It will end with a slogan – “Listen. Act. Unite.” I’m surprised they don’t take the time to teach kids how to register to vote. I’m kidding. Kinda.
The children are being called “upstanders”. Parents will be given online resources to encourage discussions about race. These resources include “downloadable pictures to color and a certificate with a place to put the name of an upstander.” Your preschooler can become a certified upstander. Sesame Street celebrates its 51st anniversary this year. HBO Max and PBS Kids will air the special.


hotair--2020-10-08--"Altered state": Tomorrow we're going to talk about the 25th Amendment, says Pelosi

Yesterday the president took to Twitter to badger his attorney general about arresting his political enemies , today the Speaker of the House is hinting that power might need to be seized from him due to incapacity .
Just another day in the ongoing collapse of the American republic , the rate of which continues to accelerate as we approach Election Day .
This is a political ploy , of course .
There ’ s nothing the House can do to initiate anything under the 25th Amendment : The president can have his powers removed under Section 4 of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a majority of the cabinet ( or some other body provided by Congress , which would require approval from the Republican Senate ) declares that he ’ s incapacitated .
Needless to say , there ’ s nothing Trump could say or do to get sedate loyalist Mike Pence to turn on him , particularly so close to an election .
He could reenact the baseball-bat scene from “ The Untouchables ” at a Senate Republican lunch , attacking members for their lack of “ enthusiasms , ” and Pence would smile serenely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American people have always admired the forceful way President Trump makes his point.
” So whatever Pelosi has to say tomorrow will be purely advisory , little more than a stunt .
But that ’ s not to say it won ’ t be an effective stunt .
Accusing Trump of being loopy due to the medication he ’ s on is a way to keep his bout with COVID in the news even as he seems to be on the mend .
It also bolsters one of the leading reasons why he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I suspect .
It ’ s not just that the White House seems to have been so reckless in its precautions against infection , it ’ s that normie voters are exhausted with the daily insanity of news in the Trump era .
In the span of six days last week , he threw a big maskless un-distanced party at the White House for a new Supreme Court nominee ; pissed off voters by turning the first debate with Biden into a sh*tshow with relentless interruptions ; was diagnosed with coronavirus ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospital because his condition immediately began to deteriorate in a concerning way .
Two days after that he was taking an ill-advised joy ride around Walter Reed despite still being infectious .
A day later he was doing a bizarre photo op on the White House balcony , saluting while gasping for air , then cutting a weird video where he tried to convince people that the disease that had just threatened his life was no big deal .
In the three days since , he pulled the plug on a new stimulus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and threw a a big tantrum about having to do a virtual debate .
Amid all that he ’ s been tweeting manically about treason and arresting people and proclaiming himself cured of the virus thanks to Regeneron ’ s antibody drug .
A lot of middle-ground voters just want it to stop , I think .
It ’ s not an election about health care or riots or Court-packing anymore .
It ’ s about this : F***ing enough already .
Pelosi ’ s 25th Amendment chatter is a way to keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ News today from Capitol Hill : Could the president be removed temporarily because the powerful steroid he ’ s taking has made him manic ?
We ’ ll show you what the Speaker of the House had to say next.
” The average voter ’ s going to hear that on the 6:30 news and think , “ F***ing enough already.
” No one except his doctors knows whether the COVID medication is affecting Trump ’ s mind but his behavior does seem “ extra ” since returning to the White House .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ his interview this morning with Maria Bartiromo on Fox Business were outlandish even by his usual standards .
He did call himself a “ perfect physical specimen ” and “ extremely young , ” as Pelosi notes in one of the clips .
He complained that Bill Barr hasn ’ t arrested Obama and Biden yet .
He called Kamala Harris a “ communist ” and a “ monster.
” He claimed Biden won ’ t last two months as president .
He said he doubted the polls because the boat parades his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ participating .
At one point he suggested that he might have been infected by a Gold Star family member , of all people , at the event the White House held for those families on September 27 — even though it ’ s believed he was already infectious at the Barrett event held a day earlier .
If anything , some family members might have been infected by him .
Oh , he ranted about Hillary Clinton a bit too and said he was disappointed in Mike Pompeo , arguably the single most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pence .
None of that is starkly unusual in isolation .
But all together in a single interview , it ’ s a bit much even for him .
Which is not to say that Pelosi ’ s theories about an “ altered state ” are true : People continue to chatter on social media about the mental effects of dexamethasone but there ’ s no hard evidence that Trump is feeling that sort of influence from the drug .
What may be happening is that he ’ s looking at the polls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ humiliating landslide defeat are rising relative to another upset victory , and starting to get agitated about it .
What that portends for his behavior over the next few weeks and beyond , during the lame-duck session , is anyone ’ s guess .
But I ’ d bet things will get worse before they get better .

Yesterday the president took to Twitter to badger his attorney general about arresting his political enemies, today the Speaker of the House is hinting that power might need to be seized from him due to incapacity.
Just another day in the ongoing collapse of the American republic, the rate of which continues to accelerate as we approach Election Day.
This is a political ploy, of course. There’s nothing the House can do to initiate anything under the 25th Amendment:
Speaker Pelosi: "The president is, shall we say, in an altered state right now. So I don't know how to answer for his behavior" during ongoing stimulus negotiations. pic.twitter.com/89mZ9I50lt — The American Independent (@AmerIndependent) October 8, 2020
President Trump's "disassociation from reality would be funny if it weren't so deadly," Speaker Pelosi says in update on Covid-19 relief talks. "We have to shed a bright light on what has been possible for months that they chose to ignore because of their contempt for Congress." pic.twitter.com/FsMmxcY1rq — MSNBC (@MSNBC) October 8, 2020
.@SpeakerPelosi: "Tomorrow, by the way, tomorrow, come here tomorrow. We're going to be talking about the 25th Amendment." Full video here: https://t.co/5q4HIglmaZ pic.twitter.com/8Jeim87yJM — CSPAN (@cspan) October 8, 2020
The president can have his powers removed under Section 4 of the amendment only if the vice president and a majority of the cabinet (or some other body provided by Congress, which would require approval from the Republican Senate) declares that he’s incapacitated. Needless to say, there’s nothing Trump could say or do to get sedate loyalist Mike Pence to turn on him, particularly so close to an election. He could reenact the baseball-bat scene from “The Untouchables” at a Senate Republican lunch, attacking members for their lack of “enthusiasms,” and Pence would smile serenely and say something like, “The American people have always admired the forceful way President Trump makes his point.”
So whatever Pelosi has to say tomorrow will be purely advisory, little more than a stunt.
But that’s not to say it won’t be an effective stunt. Accusing Trump of being loopy due to the medication he’s on is a way to keep his bout with COVID in the news even as he seems to be on the mend. It also bolsters one of the leading reasons why he’s slipped in the polls lately, I suspect. It’s not just that the White House seems to have been so reckless in its precautions against infection, it’s that normie voters are exhausted with the daily insanity of news in the Trump era. In the span of six days last week, he threw a big maskless un-distanced party at the White House for a new Supreme Court nominee; pissed off voters by turning the first debate with Biden into a sh*tshow with relentless interruptions; was diagnosed with coronavirus; then had to be flown to the hospital because his condition immediately began to deteriorate in a concerning way.
Two days after that he was taking an ill-advised joy ride around Walter Reed despite still being infectious. A day later he was doing a bizarre photo op on the White House balcony, saluting while gasping for air, then cutting a weird video where he tried to convince people that the disease that had just threatened his life was no big deal.
In the three days since, he pulled the plug on a new stimulus before the election for no discernible reason and threw a a big tantrum about having to do a virtual debate. Amid all that he’s been tweeting manically about treason and arresting people and proclaiming himself cured of the virus thanks to Regeneron’s antibody drug.
It. Never. Stops.
A lot of middle-ground voters just want it to stop, I think. It’s not an election about health care or riots or Court-packing anymore. It’s about this: F***ing enough already.
Pelosi’s 25th Amendment chatter is a way to keep that feeling front and center. “News today from Capitol Hill: Could the president be removed temporarily because the powerful steroid he’s taking has made him manic? We’ll show you what the Speaker of the House had to say next.” The average voter’s going to hear that on the 6:30 news and think, “F***ing enough already.”
No one except his doctors knows whether the COVID medication is affecting Trump’s mind but his behavior does seem “extra” since returning to the White House. Some of the things he said during his interview this morning with Maria Bartiromo on Fox Business were outlandish even by his usual standards. He did call himself a “perfect physical specimen” and “extremely young,” as Pelosi notes in one of the clips. He complained that Bill Barr hasn’t arrested Obama and Biden yet. He called Kamala Harris a “communist” and a “monster.” He claimed Biden won’t last two months as president. He said he doubted the polls because the boat parades his fans are organizing all have many boats participating. At one point he suggested that he might have been infected by a Gold Star family member, of all people, at the event the White House held for those families on September 27 — even though it’s believed he was already infectious at the Barrett event held a day earlier. If anything, some family members might have been infected by him.
Oh, he ranted about Hillary Clinton a bit too and said he was disappointed in Mike Pompeo, arguably the single most loyal member of his administration apart from Pence.
None of that is starkly unusual in isolation. But all together in a single interview, it’s a bit much even for him. Which is not to say that Pelosi’s theories about an “altered state” are true: People continue to chatter on social media about the mental effects of dexamethasone but there’s no hard evidence that Trump is feeling that sort of influence from the drug. What may be happening is that he’s looking at the polls, realizing that the odds of a humiliating landslide defeat are rising relative to another upset victory, and starting to get agitated about it. What that portends for his behavior over the next few weeks and beyond, during the lame-duck session, is anyone’s guess. But I’d bet things will get worse before they get better.


hotair--2020-10-09--Olbermann: Trump, Pence, Barr, Lee, Hannity, and Amy Coney Barrett need to be prosecuted and removed

Olbermann: Trump, Pence, Barr, Lee, Hannity, and Amy Coney Barrett need to be prosecuted and removed from society

Ah , Keith Olbermann .
Now that ’ s a name I ’ ve not heard in a long time .
He announced a few days ago that he was leaving ESPN in order to do political rants on YouTube because , I kid you not , he thinks American cable news isn ’ t sufficiently anti-Trump to meet this moment .
Although , really , in the context of this wretched year , his return is best understood as the latest in a series of plagues visited upon the country .
Yesterday I would have told you that each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between now and November 3 .
Now I see it ’ ll be more like two thousand .
Is there any room for negotiation on this ?
What if we agreed to banish Ted Cruz , Lindsey Graham , Josh Hawley , and Tom Cotton in exchange for keeping Barrett around ?
If we can ’ t swing that deal , let ’ s go ahead and banish those four anyway and then try to reach an accommodation on Barrett .
What he thinks she may have done to warrant prosecution escapes me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ watch his full-length rant about it .
Presumably it has to do with her participation in the suspected superspreader event at the White House two weeks ago .
Admittedly , it was not a good look for our next justice to be gladhanding the throng of ( mostly ) far less respectable characters around her sans mask and social-distancing .
( Right , I know , she was probably immune because she ’ d had COVID before , but still .
Set an example . )
But even a mask nag like me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ penalty-wise for bad pandemic practices .
A year in the pen should be punishment enough .
Maybe Olby could talk me into two .
Seriously , though : Can you imagine what political commentary will sound like the week before the election when this is what it sounds like now ?
What unexplored depths of mania will be plumbed as our country ’ s garbage punditocracy spins itself up into a tornado of anxiety , egged on the whole way by the commander-in-chief ?
By November 3rd Olbermann will be reading from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the dimension he came from .
Let ’ s end the week on a light note , with this surreal clip that I wanted to post elsewhere but never got around to .
How this insane premise landed an A-list star in the lead role , I can ’ t imagine .
But I actually might risk death from COVID to see this in a theater .

Ah, Keith Olbermann. Now that’s a name I’ve not heard in a long time.
He announced a few days ago that he was leaving ESPN in order to do political rants on YouTube because, I kid you not, he thinks American cable news isn’t sufficiently anti-Trump to meet this moment.
Although, really, in the context of this wretched year, his return is best understood as the latest in a series of plagues visited upon the country.
COVID. Economic collapse. Riots. New Olby “special comments.”
Yesterday I would have told you that each of us will age a thousand years between now and November 3. Now I see it’ll be more like two thousand.
Remove ACB fr society. @KeithOlberman in YouTube rant: “Trump can be and must be expunged….His enablers…the Mike Lee’s, the William Barr’s and the Sean Hannity’s and the Mike Pence’s…and the Amy Coney Barrett’s must be prosecuted and convicted and removed from our society” pic.twitter.com/jC0AgOhAMU — Brent Baker (@BrentHBaker) October 9, 2020
Is there any room for negotiation on this? What if we agreed to banish Ted Cruz, Lindsey Graham, Josh Hawley, and Tom Cotton in exchange for keeping Barrett around?
If we can’t swing that deal, let’s go ahead and banish those four anyway and then try to reach an accommodation on Barrett.
What he thinks she may have done to warrant prosecution escapes me and I’m too lazy to watch his full-length rant about it. Presumably it has to do with her participation in the suspected superspreader event at the White House two weeks ago. Admittedly, it was not a good look for our next justice to be gladhanding the throng of (mostly) far less respectable characters around her sans mask and social-distancing. (Right, I know, she was probably immune because she’d had COVID before, but still. Set an example.) But even a mask nag like me considers banishment from society a bit steep penalty-wise for bad pandemic practices.
A year in the pen should be punishment enough. Maybe Olby could talk me into two.
Seriously, though: Can you imagine what political commentary will sound like the week before the election when this is what it sounds like now? What unexplored depths of mania will be plumbed as our country’s garbage punditocracy spins itself up into a tornado of anxiety, egged on the whole way by the commander-in-chief? By November 3rd Olbermann will be reading from the Necronomicon to try to send Trump back to the dimension he came from.
Let’s end the week on a light note, with this surreal clip that I wanted to post elsewhere but never got around to. How this insane premise landed an A-list star in the lead role, I can’t imagine. But I actually might risk death from COVID to see this in a theater.


hotair--2020-10-09--National Association of Scholars calls on Pulitzer Board to revoke award to 1619 Project author

The National Association of Scholars is the name of a non-profit which has been involved in advocating against political correctness on campus and has advocated for the teaching of classic books .
Earlier this week the group published a letter calling on the Pulitzer Board to revoke the award given to 1619 Project author Nikole Hannah-Jones : We call on the Pulitzer Prize Board to rescind the 2020 Prize for Commentary awarded to Nikole Hannah-Jones for her lead essay in “ The 1619 Project.
” That essay was entitled , “ Our democracy ’ s founding ideals were false when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out the article itself was false when written , making a large claim that protecting the institution of slavery was a primary motive for the American Revolution , a claim for which there is simply no evidence… Beginning almost immediately after its publication , though , the essay and the Project ran into controversy .
It has been subjected to searching criticism by many of the foremost historians of our time and by the Times ’ own fact checker .
The scrutiny has left the essay discredited , so much so that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back and change a crucial passage in it , softening but not eliminating its unsupported assertion about slavery and the Revolution… Hannah-Jones ’ s refusal to correct her errors or engage her critics , we have recently learned , was accompanied by surreptitious efforts by The New York Times to alter the record of what it had published in the original magazine of August 18 , 2019 .
Providing no public explanation or acknowledgment of its actions , the Times amended the digital version of the Project text .
Not until September 19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compared the original and digital versions of the essay in the journal Quillette , did the alterations come to light.4 These were not changes to Hannah-Jones ’ s essay itself , but to the crucially important introductory materials whose claims—for example , the “ reframing ” of American history with the year 1619 as the nation ’ s “ true founding ” —form the underlying rationale of the entire Project… It is time for the Pulitzer Prize Board to acknowledge its error rather than compound it .
Given the glaring historical fallacy at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the subsequent breaches of core journalistic ethics by both Hannah-Jones and the Times , “ Our democracy ’ s founding ideals were false when they were written ” does not deserve the honor conferred upon it .
Nor does The 1619 Project of which it is a central part , and which the Board seeks to honor by honoring Hannah-Jones ’ s essay .
The Board should acknowledge that its award was an error .
It can and should correct that error by withdrawing the prize .
The piece is signed by 21 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Roger Kimball , Stanley Kurtz and others .
The authors make a solid point about the errors in the piece and the shoddy way in which they were first ignored and later addressed by doing the bare minimum of corrections .
Even those corrections only happened after their own fact-checker said they had been warned in advance that Hannah-Jones theory about the Revolutionary War was false .
I don ’ t know if the tweets below were intended as a response to this or to something else but she posted them on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ published : Again , the Times ’ own fact-checker said she didn ’ t tell the truth .
She was told the truth about the causes of the Revolutionary War in advance and decided to go with the lie that suited her instead .
At one point , she sent me this assertion : “ One critical reason that the colonists declared their independence from Britain was because they wanted to protect the institution of slavery in the colonies , which had produced tremendous wealth .
At the time there were growing calls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which would have badly damaged the economies of colonies in both North and South.
” I vigorously disputed the claim .
Although slavery was certainly an issue in the American Revolution , the protection of slavery was not one of the main reasons the 13 Colonies went to war… Despite my advice , the Times published the incorrect statement about the American Revolution anyway , in Hannah-Jones ’ introductory essay .
In addition , the paper ’ s characterizations of slavery in early America reflected laws and practices more common in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and did not accurately illustrate the varied experiences of the first generation of enslaved people that arrived in Virginia in 1619 .
That was one of the problems several eminent historians had raised with the piece but both Hannah-Jones and the Times refused to acknowledge the problem until the article above belatedly forced them to admit it .
That doesn ’ t make Hannah-Jones a victim but that seems to be the role she ’ s determined to play .

The National Association of Scholars is the name of a non-profit which has been involved in advocating against political correctness on campus and has advocated for the teaching of classic books. Earlier this week the group published a letter calling on the Pulitzer Board to revoke the award given to 1619 Project author Nikole Hannah-Jones:
We call on the Pulitzer Prize Board to rescind the 2020 Prize for Commentary awarded to Nikole Hannah-Jones for her lead essay in “The 1619 Project.” That essay was entitled, “Our democracy’s founding ideals were false when they were written.” But it turns out the article itself was false when written, making a large claim that protecting the institution of slavery was a primary motive for the American Revolution, a claim for which there is simply no evidence… Beginning almost immediately after its publication, though, the essay and the Project ran into controversy. It has been subjected to searching criticism by many of the foremost historians of our time and by the Times’ own fact checker. The scrutiny has left the essay discredited, so much so that the Times has felt the need to go back and change a crucial passage in it, softening but not eliminating its unsupported assertion about slavery and the Revolution… Hannah-Jones’s refusal to correct her errors or engage her critics, we have recently learned, was accompanied by surreptitious efforts by The New York Times to alter the record of what it had published in the original magazine of August 18, 2019. Providing no public explanation or acknowledgment of its actions, the Times amended the digital version of the Project text. Not until September 19, 2020, when historian Phillip Magness compared the original and digital versions of the essay in the journal Quillette, did the alterations come to light.4 These were not changes to Hannah-Jones’s essay itself, but to the crucially important introductory materials whose claims—for example, the “reframing” of American history with the year 1619 as the nation’s “true founding”—form the underlying rationale of the entire Project… It is time for the Pulitzer Prize Board to acknowledge its error rather than compound it. Given the glaring historical fallacy at the heart of its account, and the subsequent breaches of core journalistic ethics by both Hannah-Jones and the Times, “Our democracy’s founding ideals were false when they were written” does not deserve the honor conferred upon it. Nor does The 1619 Project of which it is a central part, and which the Board seeks to honor by honoring Hannah-Jones’s essay. The Board should acknowledge that its award was an error. It can and should correct that error by withdrawing the prize.
The piece is signed by 21 academics and authors including Victor Davis Hanson, Roger Kimball, Stanley Kurtz and others.
The authors make a solid point about the errors in the piece and the shoddy way in which they were first ignored and later addressed by doing the bare minimum of corrections. Even those corrections only happened after their own fact-checker said they had been warned in advance that Hannah-Jones theory about the Revolutionary War was false.
I don’t know if the tweets below were intended as a response to this or to something else but she posted them on the same day the letter above was published:
https://twitter.com/nhannahjones/status/1313565891716698114
Again, the Times’ own fact-checker said she didn’t tell the truth. She was told the truth about the causes of the Revolutionary War in advance and decided to go with the lie that suited her instead.
At one point, she sent me this assertion: “One critical reason that the colonists declared their independence from Britain was because they wanted to protect the institution of slavery in the colonies, which had produced tremendous wealth. At the time there were growing calls to abolish slavery throughout the British Empire, which would have badly damaged the economies of colonies in both North and South.” I vigorously disputed the claim. Although slavery was certainly an issue in the American Revolution, the protection of slavery was not one of the main reasons the 13 Colonies went to war… Despite my advice, the Times published the incorrect statement about the American Revolution anyway, in Hannah-Jones’ introductory essay. In addition, the paper’s characterizations of slavery in early America reflected laws and practices more common in the antebellum era than in Colonial times, and did not accurately illustrate the varied experiences of the first generation of enslaved people that arrived in Virginia in 1619.
That was one of the problems several eminent historians had raised with the piece but both Hannah-Jones and the Times refused to acknowledge the problem until the article above belatedly forced them to admit it. That doesn’t make Hannah-Jones a victim but that seems to be the role she’s determined to play.


hotair--2020-10-09--Jackie Robinson's daughter to Trump campaign: "We're insulted"

The daughter of baseball legend Jackie Robinson is not pleased with a Trump campaign ad that launched this week .
Sharon Robinson tweeted out that the Robinson family is “ insulted ” that her father ’ s picture appears in the ad .
She and the daughter of Martin Luther King , Jr. are teaming up to chastise the Trump campaign for using images of their fathers .
The campaign ad is titled “ Say What You Will About America.
” It ’ s a good ad , which is why I suspect the two women are making a fuss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that they are Biden voters .
Watch for yourself .
You ’ ll see the images of both men pop up for just a brief flash on the screen – first Robinson and then MLK , Jr .
The message is very uplifting and all about American exceptionalism .
So yesterday Sharon Robinson , a children ’ s book author , educational consultant , and Vice-Chair of the JR Foundation , tweeted out that the family is insulted by her father ’ s inclusion in the campaign ad .
“ Jackie Robinson ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Jackie Robinson ’ s image in a Donald Trump @ JRFoundation The Trump campaign is in opposition to all that Jackie Robinson stood for and believed in .
We ’ re insulted and demand that his image be removed !
@ realDonaldTrump.
” Bernice King , daughter of MLK , Jr. , and CEO of Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change is also insulted .
She posted a short thread about her feelings .
“ My father should not be used in ways strongly misaligned with his vision and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ My father was working for an America with leaders who have answered the call to conscience and compassionate action , ” she added .
“ He said , ’ We need leaders not in love with money but in love with justice .
Not in love with publicity but in love with humanity .
… America needs this type of leader NOW.
” Did the two women coordinate their tweets ?
I don ’ t know but Ms. King was the first to post her tweet on the 7th and then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We are just days away from a presidential election and President Trump is not their candidate .
Plus , with the racial unrest and civil unrest playing out in cities across the country , their reactions could have been predicted .
It doesn ’ t really matter , though , unless the daughters own the photographs of their fathers .
The daughters think they are standing up for their fathers to disassociate them from anything that might link them to the bad Orange Man .
They clearly prefer the doddering old swamp @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not an honest criticism of Trump if only they looked at Trump ’ s past .
Before he entered politics , he worked in New York for minority communities , whether it was to donate money for projects or to oversee refurbishing public places like an ice rink .
He ’ s received awards from black leaders in the past .
Trump identifies as a Republican now , though , so the most loyal of Democrat activists must shun him .
Perhaps they don ’ t like the way Trump speaks .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump will be Trump .
Perhaps they should speak with Alice Johnson , the black woman released from prison thanks to President Trump ’ s intervention .
She ’ s a Trump supporter now .
Trump has granted her a full pardon .
She spoke at the Republican convention .
Martin Luther King , Jr. and Jackie Robinson both associated with Republican politicians as well as Democrats .
That ’ s just how it was then .
Republicans often claim MLK , Jr. as a member of the party .
The same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had a friendship with Nelson Rockefeller .
He leaned toward Rockefeller Republicans back in the day , not Goldwater Republicans .
He was alarmed about what he saw as the emergence of a more “ right-wing ” Republican Party .
Rockefeller arranged for Robinson to be a special delegate to the 1964 Republican convention .
“ I was not as sold on the Republican party as I was on the governor , ” Robinson wrote of Rockefeller .
“ Every chance I got , while I was campaigning , I said plainly what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the harm they were doing .
I felt the GOP was a minority party in term of numbers of registered voters and could not win unless they updated their social philosophy and sponsored candidates and principles to attract the young , the black , and the independent voter .
I said this often from public , and frequently Republican , platforms .
By and large Republicans had ignored blacks and sometimes handpicked a few servile leaders in the black community to be their token “ niggers.
” How would I sound trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ black people ?
They ’ re not buying .
They know better.
” “ I admit freely that I think , live , and breathe black first and foremost .
That is one of the reasons I was so committed to the governor and so opposed to Senator Barry Goldwater .
Early in 1964 I wrote a Speaking Out piece for The Saturday Evening Post .
A Barry Goldwater victory would insure that the GOP would be completely the white man ’ s party .
What happened at San Francisco when Senator Goldwater @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ I wasn ’ t altogether caught of guard by the victory of the reactionary forces in the Republican party , but I was appalled by the tactics they used to stifle their liberal opposition , ” Robinson wrote of that 1964 convention .
“ I was a special delegate to the convention through an arrangement made by the Rockefeller office .
That convention was one of the most unforgettable and frightening experiences of my life .
The hatred I saw was unique to me because it was hatred directed against a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for all he stood for , including his enlightened attitude toward black people.
” The irony of the outrage of the women now is that the campaign ad is a good one and it delivers a message of which both King and Robinson approve .
It ’ s a message about a better America for everyone , the spirit of America , and the goodness of Americans .
“ Our reach always exceeds our grasp .
”

The daughter of baseball legend Jackie Robinson is not pleased with a Trump campaign ad that launched this week. Sharon Robinson tweeted out that the Robinson family is “insulted” that her father’s picture appears in the ad. She and the daughter of Martin Luther King, Jr. are teaming up to chastise the Trump campaign for using images of their fathers.
The campaign ad is titled “Say What You Will About America.” It’s a good ad, which is why I suspect the two women are making a fuss about it. That and the fact that they are Biden voters. Watch for yourself. You’ll see the images of both men pop up for just a brief flash on the screen – first Robinson and then MLK, Jr. The message is very uplifting and all about American exceptionalism.
So yesterday Sharon Robinson, a children’s book author, educational consultant, and Vice-Chair of the JR Foundation, tweeted out that the family is insulted by her father’s inclusion in the campaign ad. “Jackie Robinson’s family strongly objects to the use of Jackie Robinson’s image in a Donald Trump @JRFoundation The Trump campaign is in opposition to all that Jackie Robinson stood for and believed in. We’re insulted and demand that his image be removed! @realDonaldTrump.”
Jackie Robinson’s family strongly objects to the use of Jackie Robinson’s image in a Donald Trump @JRFoundation The Trump campaign is in opposition to all that Jackie Robinson stood for and believed in. We’re insulted and demand that his image be removed! @realDonaldTrump — Sharon Robinson (@sharonarobinson) October 8, 2020
Bernice King, daughter of MLK, Jr., and CEO of Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change is also insulted. She posted a short thread about her feelings.
“My father should not be used in ways strongly misaligned with his vision and values,” Bernice King tweeted Wednesday. “My father was working for an America with leaders who have answered the call to conscience and compassionate action,” she added. “He said, ’We need leaders not in love with money but in love with justice. Not in love with publicity but in love with humanity. … America needs this type of leader NOW.”
I find President Trump’s use of my father’s image in his political ad beyond insulting and not reflective of #MLK’s commitment to creating the #BelovedCommunity. My father should not be used in ways strongly misaligned with his vision and values, @realDonaldTrump. (1/3) pic.twitter.com/7AwySnFFOw — Be A King (@BerniceKing) October 7, 2020
My father was working for an America with leaders who have answered the call to conscience and compassionate action. He said, “We need leaders not in love with money but in love with justice. Not in love with publicity but in love with humanity…” (2/3) — Be A King (@BerniceKing) October 7, 2020
“…Leaders who can subject their particular egos to the pressing urgencies of the great cause of freedom…a time like this demands great leaders.” America needs this type of leader NOW. #VoteAmerica #SkeeWee #BreonnaTaylor #BelovedCommunity #FierceUrgencyOfNow (3/3) — Be A King (@BerniceKing) October 7, 2020
Did the two women coordinate their tweets? I don’t know but Ms. King was the first to post her tweet on the 7th and then Ms. Robinson posted hers the following morning. We are just days away from a presidential election and President Trump is not their candidate. Plus, with the racial unrest and civil unrest playing out in cities across the country, their reactions could have been predicted. It doesn’t really matter, though, unless the daughters own the photographs of their fathers.
The daughters think they are standing up for their fathers to disassociate them from anything that might link them to the bad Orange Man. They clearly prefer the doddering old swamp creature running against Trump. It is not an honest criticism of Trump if only they looked at Trump’s past. Before he entered politics, he worked in New York for minority communities, whether it was to donate money for projects or to oversee refurbishing public places like an ice rink. He’s received awards from black leaders in the past. Trump identifies as a Republican now, though, so the most loyal of Democrat activists must shun him. Perhaps they don’t like the way Trump speaks. There’s no changing a 74-year-old man. Trump will be Trump.
Perhaps they should speak with Alice Johnson, the black woman released from prison thanks to President Trump’s intervention. She’s a Trump supporter now. Trump has granted her a full pardon. She spoke at the Republican convention. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Jackie Robinson both associated with Republican politicians as well as Democrats. That’s just how it was then. Republicans often claim MLK, Jr. as a member of the party. The same has happened with Jackie Robinson. Robinson had a friendship with Nelson Rockefeller. He leaned toward Rockefeller Republicans back in the day, not Goldwater Republicans. He was alarmed about what he saw as the emergence of a more “right-wing” Republican Party. Rockefeller arranged for Robinson to be a special delegate to the 1964 Republican convention.
“I was not as sold on the Republican party as I was on the governor,” Robinson wrote of Rockefeller. “Every chance I got, while I was campaigning, I said plainly what I thought of the right-wing Republicans and the harm they were doing. I felt the GOP was a minority party in term of numbers of registered voters and could not win unless they updated their social philosophy and sponsored candidates and principles to attract the young, the black, and the independent voter. I said this often from public, and frequently Republican, platforms. By and large Republicans had ignored blacks and sometimes handpicked a few servile leaders in the black community to be their token “niggers.” How would I sound trying to go all out to sell Republicans to black people? They’re not buying. They know better.” “I admit freely that I think, live, and breathe black first and foremost. That is one of the reasons I was so committed to the governor and so opposed to Senator Barry Goldwater. Early in 1964 I wrote a Speaking Out piece for The Saturday Evening Post. A Barry Goldwater victory would insure that the GOP would be completely the white man’s party. What happened at San Francisco when Senator Goldwater became the Republican standard-bearer confirmed my prediction.” “I wasn’t altogether caught of guard by the victory of the reactionary forces in the Republican party, but I was appalled by the tactics they used to stifle their liberal opposition,” Robinson wrote of that 1964 convention. “I was a special delegate to the convention through an arrangement made by the Rockefeller office. That convention was one of the most unforgettable and frightening experiences of my life. The hatred I saw was unique to me because it was hatred directed against a white man. It embodied a revulsion for all he stood for, including his enlightened attitude toward black people.”
The irony of the outrage of the women now is that the campaign ad is a good one and it delivers a message of which both King and Robinson approve. It’s a message about a better America for everyone, the spirit of America, and the goodness of Americans. “Our reach always exceeds our grasp.”