hotair--2020-09-11--Court of Appeals denies Texas Democrats' bid to expand mail-in voting

The 5th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against a lower court ’ s preliminary ruling that would have required the State of Texas to expand mail-in voting to all eligible registered voters .
The Texas Democrat Party claimed that denying universal mail-in voting in Texas is age discrimination .
Texas allows mail-in voting for voters who are age 65 or older , voters who will be out of the county during the voting period , disabled or ill voters , and people incarcerated but eligible to vote .
Absentee voting is allowed , as in other states .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to request a ballot .
Democrats want to move to universal voting by mail , with registered voters receiving a ballot by mail automatically , without the step of requesting one .
The 5th Circuit ’ s majority said the state ’ s law did not violate the U.S. Constitution ’ s prohibition on age discrimination because it merely conferred an extra benefit on older residents , rather than limiting the right to vote for younger Texans .
“ A law that makes it easier for others to vote does not abridge any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” the majority wrote .
The three-judge panel was split 2-1 .
A reference was made to the coronavirus pandemic in the dissent .
Democrats , not wanting to let a crisis go to waste , have used the excuse of the coronavirus as a reason that voters should just vote by mail for the November election .
This ruling by the Court of Appeals is just the latest concerning voting in the upcoming election .
This ruling doesn ’ t end the lawsuit , either .
The case will be sent back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the Democrats ’ remaining arguments .
In dissent , U.S .
Circuit Judge Carl Stewart ( a Clinton appointee ) said the law hurt younger voters by limiting their options during a public health crisis .
The Texas Democrats ’ claim that Texas election law violates the 26th Amendment is nonsensical .
Just as when the voting age dropped from 21 to 18 in order to increase access to voting , the requirement that a voter is 65 or older isn ’ t to restrict voting but to make the option to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As the ruling states , increasing availability to the ballot for a specific group doesn ’ t take away the opportunity to vote for other segments of the voting population .
As Judge Leslie Southwick wrote for the majority , it doesn ’ t make it any harder for younger voters to vote .
Judge Stewart parrots the Democrat talking point that it ’ s too dangerous to vote in-person due to the coronavirus pandemic .
Writing in dissent , Judge Carl Stewart said the Texas law clearly discriminates based on age .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Texas law “ leads to dramatically different outcomes for different age groups , ” said Stewart , who was appointed by a Democratic president .
“ By giving younger voters fewer options , especially in the context of a dangerous pandemic where in-person voting is risky to public health and safety , their voting rights are abridged in relation to older voters who do not face this burden , ” Stewart wrote .
Voting in-person should be treated as any other activity during the pandemic .
Ask the most vulnerable – the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ underlying medical conditions – to vote by mail – and everyone else eligible to vote can do so at the polling places .
Governor Abbott has extended the early voting period in response to safety concerns and the state has guidelines in place for city and county election officials to implement at polling places .
Yes , as Judge Southwick acknowledges , there are no guarantees of complete safety from the virus , but that is the same for any other activity .
Judge Carolyn Dineen King voted with Southwick .
King is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals by President Jimmy Carter .
Southwick said Texas officials have taken precautions to improve the safety of in-person voting but acknowledged that “ none of them guarantees protection.
” “ There are quite reasonable concerns about voting in person , but the state ’ s mandating that many voters continue to vote in that way does not amount to an absolute prohibition of the right to vote , ” he said .
Southwick , appointed by a Republican president , was joined in the majority by Judge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The age discrimination part of this lawsuit is clearly malarkey .
Democrats are just throwing everything against the wall in hopes that something will stick so that universal mail-in voting will come into play in Texas .
The court rightly points out that no such argument can be made .
If people can go shop at Walmart or a grocery store , they can go vote in person .
The lawsuit now goes back to the court of U.S. District Judge Fred Biery .
In May , he ruled that all Texans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus pandemic .
In June , however , the 5th Circuit blasted his ruling and blocked it .
Biery is a Clinton appointee .
It will fall upon Biery now to rule on the remaining issues in the lawsuit , including whether or not the Texas restrictions on mail-in voting violate equal protection guarantees .
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton released a brief statement – “ I am pleased that the 5th Circuit correctly upheld Texas ’ s vote-by-mail laws , and I commend the court for concluding that Texas ’ s decision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mail does not violate the 26th Amendment .
”

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against a lower court’s preliminary ruling that would have required the State of Texas to expand mail-in voting to all eligible registered voters. The Texas Democrat Party claimed that denying universal mail-in voting in Texas is age discrimination.
Texas allows mail-in voting for voters who are age 65 or older, voters who will be out of the county during the voting period, disabled or ill voters, and people incarcerated but eligible to vote. Absentee voting is allowed, as in other states. For absentee voting, a voter has to request a ballot. Democrats want to move to universal voting by mail, with registered voters receiving a ballot by mail automatically, without the step of requesting one.
The 5th Circuit’s majority said the state’s law did not violate the U.S. Constitution’s prohibition on age discrimination because it merely conferred an extra benefit on older residents, rather than limiting the right to vote for younger Texans. “A law that makes it easier for others to vote does not abridge any person’s right to vote,” the majority wrote.
The three-judge panel was split 2-1. A reference was made to the coronavirus pandemic in the dissent. Democrats, not wanting to let a crisis go to waste, have used the excuse of the coronavirus as a reason that voters should just vote by mail for the November election. This ruling by the Court of Appeals is just the latest concerning voting in the upcoming election. This ruling doesn’t end the lawsuit, either. The case will be sent back down to a lower court to rule on the Democrats’ remaining arguments.
In dissent, U.S. Circuit Judge Carl Stewart (a Clinton appointee) said the law hurt younger voters by limiting their options during a public health crisis.
“The Texas Democratic Party will continue to fight in the district court for every Texan to have an equal right to vote, regardless of their age,” Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa said in a statement. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican who defended the state in the lawsuit, said in a statement: “We will continue to protect the integrity of Texas elections and uphold the rule of law.”
The Texas Democrats’ claim that Texas election law violates the 26th Amendment is nonsensical. Just as when the voting age dropped from 21 to 18 in order to increase access to voting, the requirement that a voter is 65 or older isn’t to restrict voting but to make the option to vote more available to older voters. As the ruling states, increasing availability to the ballot for a specific group doesn’t take away the opportunity to vote for other segments of the voting population. As Judge Leslie Southwick wrote for the majority, it doesn’t make it any harder for younger voters to vote. Judge Stewart parrots the Democrat talking point that it’s too dangerous to vote in-person due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Writing in dissent, Judge Carl Stewart said the Texas law clearly discriminates based on age. In the midst of a pandemic, the Texas law “leads to dramatically different outcomes for different age groups,” said Stewart, who was appointed by a Democratic president. “By giving younger voters fewer options, especially in the context of a dangerous pandemic where in-person voting is risky to public health and safety, their voting rights are abridged in relation to older voters who do not face this burden,” Stewart wrote.
Voting in-person should be treated as any other activity during the pandemic. Ask the most vulnerable – the elderly and others at risk due to underlying medical conditions – to vote by mail – and everyone else eligible to vote can do so at the polling places. Governor Abbott has extended the early voting period in response to safety concerns and the state has guidelines in place for city and county election officials to implement at polling places. Yes, as Judge Southwick acknowledges, there are no guarantees of complete safety from the virus, but that is the same for any other activity. Judge Carolyn Dineen King voted with Southwick. King is a Democrat. She was appointed to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals by President Jimmy Carter.
Southwick said Texas officials have taken precautions to improve the safety of in-person voting but acknowledged that “none of them guarantees protection.” “There are quite reasonable concerns about voting in person, but the state’s mandating that many voters continue to vote in that way does not amount to an absolute prohibition of the right to vote,” he said. Southwick, appointed by a Republican president, was joined in the majority by Judge Carolyn Dineen King, a Democratic appointee.
The age discrimination part of this lawsuit is clearly malarkey. Democrats are just throwing everything against the wall in hopes that something will stick so that universal mail-in voting will come into play in Texas. The court rightly points out that no such argument can be made. If people can go shop at Walmart or a grocery store, they can go vote in person.
The lawsuit now goes back to the court of U.S. District Judge Fred Biery. In May, he ruled that all Texans can vote by mail because of the coronavirus pandemic. In June, however, the 5th Circuit blasted his ruling and blocked it. Biery is a Clinton appointee. It will fall upon Biery now to rule on the remaining issues in the lawsuit, including whether or not the Texas restrictions on mail-in voting violate equal protection guarantees.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton released a brief statement – “I am pleased that the 5th Circuit correctly upheld Texas’s vote-by-mail laws, and I commend the court for concluding that Texas’s decision to allow elderly voters to vote by mail does not violate the 26th Amendment.”


hotair--2020-09-11--Report: Top aide to Durham has quit over perceived pressure from AG Barr

The Hartford Courtant is reporting that Nora Dannehy , a top aide to John Durham , has “ quietly resigned ” from her role in the probe of the Russia investigation because she became concerned about pressure from AG Barr to produce results prior to the 2020 election : Dannehy , a highly regarded prosecutor who has worked with or for Durham for decades , informed colleagues in the U.S. Attorney ’ s office in New Haven of her resignation from the Department of Justice by email Thursday evening .
The short email was a brief farewell message and said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Durham or what the Durham team has produced , according to people who received it… Colleagues said Dannehy is not a supporter of President Donald J. Trump and has been concerned in recent weeks by what she believed was pressure from Barr – who appointed Durham – to produce results before the election .
They said she has been considering resignation for weeks , conflicted by loyalty to Durham and concern about politics .
Durham is notoriously circumspect and neither he nor members of his team have revealed anything about the direction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , none of whom have specific knowledge of the investigation , have said recently that it is their belief he is under pressure to produce something – perhaps some sort of report – before the presidential election in November .
The thinking of the associates , all Durham allies , is that the Russia investigation group will be disbanded and its work lost if Trump loses .
The sourcing of this is a bit odd .
No one is quoted and the sources who spoke to the paper are described as Dannehy “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Presumably those re two separate groups of people but it ’ s not completely clear .
After all , Dannehy herself is a Durham ally .
All of that to say that if these Durham allies are just anti-Trump friends of Dannehy then that would throw this in a different light .
Also , whoever these allies are , they are not wrong that if Biden wins the election the Durham investigation will not be around for long .
Biden ’ s new AG ( Elizabeth Warren ? )
would drop-kick this into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden were to win he would still have a few months of transition in which to put forward his results .
But he really can ’ t pretend as if politics aren ’ t a factor in his timing of this because if Biden wins it could become the only factor .
Last month , we learned that Durham has at least one conviction in the bag .
FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith decided to plead guilty to altering an email from the CIA which , if it hadn ’ t been altered , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surveillance of Carter Page .
There have been hints that Durham has uncovered more but so far there appear to be no clear indications about who or what might be next on his agenda .

The Hartford Courtant is reporting that Nora Dannehy, a top aide to John Durham, has “quietly resigned” from her role in the probe of the Russia investigation because she became concerned about pressure from AG Barr to produce results prior to the 2020 election:
Dannehy, a highly regarded prosecutor who has worked with or for Durham for decades, informed colleagues in the U.S. Attorney’s office in New Haven of her resignation from the Department of Justice by email Thursday evening. The short email was a brief farewell message and said nothing about political pressure, her work for Durham or what the Durham team has produced, according to people who received it… Colleagues said Dannehy is not a supporter of President Donald J. Trump and has been concerned in recent weeks by what she believed was pressure from Barr – who appointed Durham – to produce results before the election. They said she has been considering resignation for weeks, conflicted by loyalty to Durham and concern about politics. Durham is notoriously circumspect and neither he nor members of his team have revealed anything about the direction of their work. But Durham associates, none of whom have specific knowledge of the investigation, have said recently that it is their belief he is under pressure to produce something – perhaps some sort of report – before the presidential election in November. The thinking of the associates, all Durham allies, is that the Russia investigation group will be disbanded and its work lost if Trump loses.
The sourcing of this is a bit odd. No one is quoted and the sources who spoke to the paper are described as Dannehy “colleagues” and “Durham allies.” Presumably those re two separate groups of people but it’s not completely clear. After all, Dannehy herself is a Durham ally. All of that to say that if these Durham allies are just anti-Trump friends of Dannehy then that would throw this in a different light.
Also, whoever these allies are, they are not wrong that if Biden wins the election the Durham investigation will not be around for long. Biden’s new AG (Elizabeth Warren?) would drop-kick this into permanent obscurity. Of course even if Biden were to win he would still have a few months of transition in which to put forward his results. But he really can’t pretend as if politics aren’t a factor in his timing of this because if Biden wins it could become the only factor.
Last month, we learned that Durham has at least one conviction in the bag. FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith decided to plead guilty to altering an email from the CIA which, if it hadn’t been altered, would have undercut the FISA application for surveillance of Carter Page. There have been hints that Durham has uncovered more but so far there appear to be no clear indications about who or what might be next on his agenda.


hotair--2020-09-11--NYT: Here's how Biden might already be blowing the 2020 election

You mean besides calling battleground state voters racists ?
Indeed , the New York Times ’ Giovanni Russonello writes in their latest Poll Watch installment .
While the toplines in polls keep showing Biden with a persistent national lead , Russonello sees dangerous gaps in the demos that Democrats won in their 2018 midterm bonanza .
So far , it ’ s looking more like 2016 than 2018 : Because the 2018 election was largely seen as a referendum on President Trump , Democratic strategists are looking to carry those gains forward .
Indeed , national and swing-state polls continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a steady lead — particularly in the suburban areas where Democrats made some of their biggest gains in the midterms .
But Mr. Biden may not be able to count on the same level of support that Democratic candidates received in 2018 .
Some of the groups that swung hardest in Democrats ’ direction in 2016 have been slow to warm to Mr. Biden .
Compared with an authoritative study of the 2018 midterm electorate released this week by the Pew Research Center , recent polls show the party ’ s presidential nominee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ key demographics broke for the Democrats two years ago .
The Pew study provides yet another confirmation about what actually happened in the 2016 election .
Democrats won the midterms because they recovered their ability to turn out the vote .
Party-switching was minimal ; what changed was basically that Hillary Clinton wasn ’ t on the ballot : Had Democrats nominated someone with more charisma — and with a better GOTV plan — they likely would have beaten Donald Trump .
We ’ ll get back to that point at the end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s having some of the same troubles that hampered Clinton and Democrats four years ago .
Biden ’ s falling off the pace in key demos , Russonello writes , which might end up creating the same problem .
Scott Keeter , a senior survey adviser at Pew who helped assemble the report , noted that people under 30 accounted for more than one-third of 2018 voters who had not cast ballots in 2016 .
“ That ’ s a fairly striking figure , ” he said .
“ And they were already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but they became even more Democratic in 2018.
” Yet Mr. Biden is not particularly popular among young people : His favorability rating is five points in the negative among likely voters under 35 , according to the latest Quinnipiac University poll .
Still , young voters appear to be even less fond of Mr. Trump — and uninterested in sitting out another presidential election .
Next , Hispanics , where red alerts are already going out among Democrats : Mr. Biden is up on Mr. Trump by anywhere from 20 to 32 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to recent polls .
That is considerably weaker than Mrs. Clinton ’ s advantage , and far below the Democrats ’ wider lead in 2018 .
… “ There ’ s all sorts of signals coming from the polling world , ” Mr. Keeter said , “ that make it hard to know how enthusiastic the Latino vote is for Biden and ultimately how much they ’ re going to turn out for him.
” Among white suburbanites in particular there was still a slight Republican tilt in the midterms , but these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time , according to Pew .
That was up from the 38 percent who voted for Mrs. Clinton .
This is one area in which Mr. Biden is well positioned to carry the gains of 2018 forward — and even exceed them .
An NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist College poll last month showed Mr. Biden winning in the suburbs by a whopping 25 points .
A separate Marist poll this week of Pennsylvania found Mr. Biden leading in the suburbs by 19 points .
Well , maybe Biden was … until riots broke out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all summer long .
That not only will change the outlook among suburbanites , especially as the unrest expands , it ’ s likely to impact the turnout models as well , both in the suburbs and in the cities themselves .
It ’ s one thing to be favored by 25 % in areas , but if turnout also declines by five points or so , it may end up either being a wash or worse for Biden .
And this brings us back to the point about 2016 .
Hillary Clinton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good fortune of running against a candidate who was easy to personally dislike .
She blew those advantages by running a national-messaging campaign rather than doing the retail politicking necessary to generate turnout .
Even then , Clinton had at least some parity , as Trump also disdained that kind of GOTV effort , preferring to do rallies to stoke enthusiasm and then use targeted ads to replace the ground game .
This time around , though , Trump and the RNC are investing heavily in that kind of retail politicking , while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a ground game .
He ’ s doing nothing but national messaging and occasional bungee visits to places where polling indicates trouble — which is why he ’ s heading to Minnesota next week , a state he should easily be carrying .
If Russonello is correct about Biden ’ s strength in the suburbs , this state shouldn ’ t even be on Biden ’ s limited radar — and yet he ’ s breaking his bubble to appear here instead of , say , North Carolina , Florida , Georgia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right that Biden and Democrats should worry .
He just is a little off on how much they should worry , and why it matters — and not just in the presidential election .

You mean besides calling battleground state voters racists? Indeed, the New York Times’ Giovanni Russonello writes in their latest Poll Watch installment. While the toplines in polls keep showing Biden with a persistent national lead, Russonello sees dangerous gaps in the demos that Democrats won in their 2018 midterm bonanza.
So far, it’s looking more like 2016 than 2018:
Because the 2018 election was largely seen as a referendum on President Trump, Democratic strategists are looking to carry those gains forward. Indeed, national and swing-state polls continue to show Joseph R. Biden Jr. with a steady lead — particularly in the suburban areas where Democrats made some of their biggest gains in the midterms. But Mr. Biden may not be able to count on the same level of support that Democratic candidates received in 2018. Some of the groups that swung hardest in Democrats’ direction in 2016 have been slow to warm to Mr. Biden. Compared with an authoritative study of the 2018 midterm electorate released this week by the Pew Research Center, recent polls show the party’s presidential nominee lagging behind the rates at which certain key demographics broke for the Democrats two years ago.
The Pew study provides yet another confirmation about what actually happened in the 2016 election. Democrats won the midterms because they recovered their ability to turn out the vote. Party-switching was minimal; what changed was basically that Hillary Clinton wasn’t on the ballot:
Voters in 2018 who did not vote in 2016 were a small group (about 11% of all 2018 voters) but an important part of why the Democratic Party made gains. Among the 2016 nonvoters who voted in 2018, Democratic House candidates led Republican House candidates by a more than a two-to-one (68% to 29%) margin.
Had Democrats nominated someone with more charisma — and with a better GOTV plan — they likely would have beaten Donald Trump. We’ll get back to that point at the end, though, as Joe Biden’s having some of the same troubles that hampered Clinton and Democrats four years ago. Biden’s falling off the pace in key demos, Russonello writes, which might end up creating the same problem.
First, young voters:
Scott Keeter, a senior survey adviser at Pew who helped assemble the report, noted that people under 30 accounted for more than one-third of 2018 voters who had not cast ballots in 2016. “That’s a fairly striking figure,” he said. “And they were already a good group for Hillary Clinton, but they became even more Democratic in 2018.” Yet Mr. Biden is not particularly popular among young people: His favorability rating is five points in the negative among likely voters under 35, according to the latest Quinnipiac University poll. Still, young voters appear to be even less fond of Mr. Trump — and uninterested in sitting out another presidential election.
Next, Hispanics, where red alerts are already going out among Democrats:
Mr. Biden is up on Mr. Trump by anywhere from 20 to 32 points among Hispanic voters nationwide, according to recent polls. That is considerably weaker than Mrs. Clinton’s advantage, and far below the Democrats’ wider lead in 2018. … “There’s all sorts of signals coming from the polling world,” Mr. Keeter said, “that make it hard to know how enthusiastic the Latino vote is for Biden and ultimately how much they’re going to turn out for him.”
Russonello sees suburban voters as a continuing strong point, however:
Among white suburbanites in particular there was still a slight Republican tilt in the midterms, but these voters chose Democratic candidates 47 percent of the time, according to Pew. That was up from the 38 percent who voted for Mrs. Clinton. This is one area in which Mr. Biden is well positioned to carry the gains of 2018 forward — and even exceed them. An NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist College poll last month showed Mr. Biden winning in the suburbs by a whopping 25 points. A separate Marist poll this week of Pennsylvania found Mr. Biden leading in the suburbs by 19 points.
Well, maybe Biden was … until riots broke out in cities across the US and continued all summer long. That not only will change the outlook among suburbanites, especially as the unrest expands, it’s likely to impact the turnout models as well, both in the suburbs and in the cities themselves. It’s one thing to be favored by 25% in areas, but if turnout also declines by five points or so, it may end up either being a wash or worse for Biden.
And this brings us back to the point about 2016. Hillary Clinton had a huuuge money advantage and the good fortune of running against a candidate who was easy to personally dislike. She blew those advantages by running a national-messaging campaign rather than doing the retail politicking necessary to generate turnout. Even then, Clinton had at least some parity, as Trump also disdained that kind of GOTV effort, preferring to do rallies to stoke enthusiasm and then use targeted ads to replace the ground game.
This time around, though, Trump and the RNC are investing heavily in that kind of retail politicking, while Biden isn’t investing at all in a ground game. He’s doing nothing but national messaging and occasional bungee visits to places where polling indicates trouble — which is why he’s heading to Minnesota next week, a state he should easily be carrying. If Russonello is correct about Biden’s strength in the suburbs, this state shouldn’t even be on Biden’s limited radar — and yet he’s breaking his bubble to appear here instead of, say, North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, or Arizona.
Russonello’s right that Biden and Democrats should worry. He just is a little off on how much they should worry, and why it matters — and not just in the presidential election.


hotair--2020-09-11--Second wave: Israel headed for new lockdown as infections soar in Europe

“ Second wave ” is a misnomer in Israel ’ s case , actually , since they never really had a first wave .
Cases topped out at fewer than 650 per day back in the spring , when the U.S. and most of Europe were drowning .
Then they began to decline , to the point where Israelis decided in May to fling open the doors of their schools and invite students back — masked up and with classroom windows open for maximum ventilation , of course .
But then a heat wave struck .
Parents complained that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under the circumstances .
Israeli authorities relented and gave them a four-day break where they could take their masks off and turn on the classroom A/C instead .
The country recorded more than 4,400 cases yesterday .
They ’ ve been north of 1,000 nearly every day since the beginning of July .
Netanyahu and his cabinet have searched for solutions in lieu of a new lockdown to try to slow the spread , to no avail .
They ’ re the first developed country on Earth to order a second lockdown , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take Netanyahu ’ s government down .
An inner cabinet of ministers late Thursday approved a two-week , full-fledged lockdown , to be followed by two more weeks of strict limits on movement and economic activity .
After that , if the situation improves , restrictions would be applied only to communities with large outbreaks .
The plan is subject to the final approval of the full cabinet on Sunday and faces opposition from some ministers… Dissatisfaction with Netanyahu ’ s handling of the outbreak , high unemployment and the corruption allegations against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a storm of discontent that ’ s taken shape in mass weekly protests against him… Just last week , Netanyahu tried to lock down selected communities with the highest infection rates , but was forced to retreat amid strong opposition from ultra-Orthodox Jewish lawmakers .
Large gatherings for life-cycle milestones and for religious study have fostered the virus ’ s spread , centered mainly in ultra-Orthodox and Arab areas of the country .
Some ultra-Orthodox legislators are threatening to quit his government if he goes ahead with a lockdown during Israel ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday .
The good news is that the country is still seeing very few deaths from its rising case counts , with 23 recorded yesterday .
The bad news is that ’ s the second-highest number of daily deaths they ’ ve recorded since the start of the pandemic .
And deaths are a lagging indicator : Typically they don ’ t begin to spike until three or four weeks after confirmed cases begin spiking .
That ’ s probably what has Netanyahu and his cabinet poised to act — they know the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not better , short-term .
The true second wave is happening in Europe .
In no particular order , Spain… …the UK , where the virus is back to doubling at a rate of every week or so and which has now banned all gatherings of more than six people to try to control the spread… …and France , which is now seeing more daily confirmed cases than during its brutal stretch this past spring and more hospitalizations than it ’ s seen in a month : The important footnote in all of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so far — are a tiny fraction of what they were during the worst of it back in March and April .
The UK and France easily topped more than a thousand deaths per day during the hardest stretches this spring .
Yesterday they recorded 14 and 19 deaths , respectively .
( Click the links above and scroll down to see the death curves for each country . )
How come ?
Is the death spike on its way , again as part of the “ lagging indicator ” phenomenon ?
Maybe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that many of these new infections involve younger people , who are less likely to need hospital treatment .
That means brighter outcomes right now — but it also raises the possibility of a much bigger second wave to come as the virus jumps from young adults to older ones .
There ’ s also the fact that testing has greatly expanded everywhere since spring , which means the graphs above are really an apples-to-oranges comparison .
Does France really have more infections now than it had in March or did , say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end up going undetected due to the lack of comprehensive testing ?
Improved testing now means countries are picking up more asymptomatic cases , which may explain how case counts are soaring while deaths are hovering near zero .
And of course there ’ s the fact that doctors have better treatment regimens for COVID patients now than they did before .
If you went to the ICU in March , you probably weren ’ t coming out .
If you go there today , you ’ ll get a course of steroids @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the brink .
Anyway .
Why , specifically , is Europe experiencing a second wave ?
Why has New York City ’ s positivity rate been south of one percent for months now while cases are booming in similarly hard-hit European cities ?
A Harvard scientist argues that it comes down to three things .
More testing in New York to sniff out cases before they seed outbreaks ; more contact tracing in New York to get people to isolate before they transmit the virus unknowingly ; annnnnnd New York ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closed for indoor service .
All of the countries now experiencing second waves reopened indoor dining awhile back .
Relatedly , a new CDC study found that people who test positive are twice as likely to have eaten at a restaurant in the two weeks before their diagnosis than others .
Maybe we shouldn ’ t read too much into that , as it seems likely that someone willing to dine out right now is also willing to engage in other risky behaviors .
They may be getting infected via those other behaviors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dining room .
But the CDC finding and the New York/Madrid comparison raises a question : With all of these warning signs about the risk of indoor dining at restaurants , why should NYC go ahead with its plan to reopen them ?
“ Because people who work in the food industry need to make a living !
” you say .
Right , but if New York experiences a second wave and the public comes to conclude that the CDC is correct about indoor dining being the culprit , that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restaurants anyway .
Essentially , New York ’ s gambling its public health on the idea that indoor dining can be done safely after all , despite all available evidence to the contrary .
There is a little good news from Europe today .
Germany opened its schools a month ago and has yet to experience a truly nasty second-wave outbreak .
The catch is that Germany had community spread under control before it did so whereas we , ah , don ’ t .
Exit quotation from a German doctor : “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep the number in the community low .
This is where the United States will have problems .
”

“Second wave” is a misnomer in Israel’s case, actually, since they never really had a first wave. Cases topped out at fewer than 650 per day back in the spring, when the U.S. and most of Europe were drowning. Then they began to decline, to the point where Israelis decided in May to fling open the doors of their schools and invite students back — masked up and with classroom windows open for maximum ventilation, of course. But then a heat wave struck. Parents complained that it was oppressive to make kids wear masks under the circumstances. Israeli authorities relented and gave them a four-day break where they could take their masks off and turn on the classroom A/C instead.
The country recorded more than 4,400 cases yesterday. They’ve been north of 1,000 nearly every day since the beginning of July. Netanyahu and his cabinet have searched for solutions in lieu of a new lockdown to try to slow the spread, to no avail.
They’re the first developed country on Earth to order a second lockdown, per Bloomberg. And the backlash may take Netanyahu’s government down.
An inner cabinet of ministers late Thursday approved a two-week, full-fledged lockdown, to be followed by two more weeks of strict limits on movement and economic activity. After that, if the situation improves, restrictions would be applied only to communities with large outbreaks. The plan is subject to the final approval of the full cabinet on Sunday and faces opposition from some ministers… Dissatisfaction with Netanyahu’s handling of the outbreak, high unemployment and the corruption allegations against the long-time prime minister have come together in a storm of discontent that’s taken shape in mass weekly protests against him… Just last week, Netanyahu tried to lock down selected communities with the highest infection rates, but was forced to retreat amid strong opposition from ultra-Orthodox Jewish lawmakers. Large gatherings for life-cycle milestones and for religious study have fostered the virus’s spread, centered mainly in ultra-Orthodox and Arab areas of the country.
Some ultra-Orthodox legislators are threatening to quit his government if he goes ahead with a lockdown during Israel’s holiday season, which starts next Friday. The good news is that the country is still seeing very few deaths from its rising case counts, with 23 recorded yesterday. The bad news is that’s the second-highest number of daily deaths they’ve recorded since the start of the pandemic. And deaths are a lagging indicator: Typically they don’t begin to spike until three or four weeks after confirmed cases begin spiking. That’s probably what has Netanyahu and his cabinet poised to act — they know the news is about to get worse, not better, short-term.
The true second wave is happening in Europe. In no particular order, Spain…
…the Netherlands…
…the UK, where the virus is back to doubling at a rate of every week or so and which has now banned all gatherings of more than six people to try to control the spread…
…and France, which is now seeing more daily confirmed cases than during its brutal stretch this past spring and more hospitalizations than it’s seen in a month:
The important footnote in all of these outbreaks is that daily deaths — so far — are a tiny fraction of what they were during the worst of it back in March and April. The UK and France easily topped more than a thousand deaths per day during the hardest stretches this spring. Yesterday they recorded 14 and 19 deaths, respectively. (Click the links above and scroll down to see the death curves for each country.) How come? Is the death spike on its way, again as part of the “lagging indicator” phenomenon? Maybe not. Australia’s ABC notes that many of these new infections involve younger people, who are less likely to need hospital treatment. That means brighter outcomes right now — but it also raises the possibility of a much bigger second wave to come as the virus jumps from young adults to older ones.
There’s also the fact that testing has greatly expanded everywhere since spring, which means the graphs above are really an apples-to-oranges comparison. Does France really have more infections now than it had in March or did, say, 90 percent of infections in March end up going undetected due to the lack of comprehensive testing? Improved testing now means countries are picking up more asymptomatic cases, which may explain how case counts are soaring while deaths are hovering near zero.
And of course there’s the fact that doctors have better treatment regimens for COVID patients now than they did before. If you went to the ICU in March, you probably weren’t coming out. If you go there today, you’ll get a course of steroids that might end up pulling you back from the brink.
Anyway. Why, specifically, is Europe experiencing a second wave? Why has New York City’s positivity rate been south of one percent for months now while cases are booming in similarly hard-hit European cities? A Harvard scientist argues that it comes down to three things. More testing in New York to sniff out cases before they seed outbreaks; more contact tracing in New York to get people to isolate before they transmit the virus unknowingly; annnnnnd New York’s obstinate insistence on keeping bars and restaurants closed for indoor service.
6/
CONTACT TRACING
New York state aimed at 30 contact tracers per 100,000 people before reopening. Minimum. That translates into 6000 contract tracers in New York and 2000 in Madrid. Madrid had about 200 contact tracers in July (maybe 700 now). An order of magnitude difference. — Miguel Hernán (@_MiguelHernan) September 11, 2020
8/
SPEED OF REOPENING Let's focus on indoor dining, a vital economic activity in both #NewYork and #Madrid, and arguably one of the main sources of transmission of the #coronavirus. — Miguel Hernán (@_MiguelHernan) September 11, 2020
10/
Indoor dining in Madrid was OPEN at 60% capacity in June. Bar service opened too. Protocols weren't aggressively enforced. Since June it has been easy to find crowded bars and tables. The contrast with NY was striking as anyone spending time in both places can tell you. — Miguel Hernán (@_MiguelHernan) September 11, 2020
12/
A colleague asked whether New York may have reached "herd immunity" whereas Madrid has not. That'd explain the low number of cases in NY. Unlikely. Based on the available seroprevalence studies, both places had a similar % of population who developed antibodies to #SARSCOV2. — Miguel Hernán (@_MiguelHernan) September 11, 2020
All of the countries now experiencing second waves reopened indoor dining awhile back. Relatedly, a new CDC study found that people who test positive are twice as likely to have eaten at a restaurant in the two weeks before their diagnosis than others. Maybe we shouldn’t read too much into that, as it seems likely that someone willing to dine out right now is also willing to engage in other risky behaviors. They may be getting infected via those other behaviors, not from sitting in a semi-crowded dining room. But the CDC finding and the New York/Madrid comparison raises a question: With all of these warning signs about the risk of indoor dining at restaurants, why should NYC go ahead with its plan to reopen them? “Because people who work in the food industry need to make a living!” you say. Right, but if New York experiences a second wave and the public comes to conclude that the CDC is correct about indoor dining being the culprit, that’s going to destroy consumer demand for those restaurants anyway.
Essentially, New York’s gambling its public health on the idea that indoor dining can be done safely after all, despite all available evidence to the contrary.
There is a little good news from Europe today. Germany opened its schools a month ago and has yet to experience a truly nasty second-wave outbreak. The catch is that Germany had community spread under control before it did so whereas we, ah, don’t. Exit quotation from a German doctor: “The important thing is you have to keep the number in the community low. This is where the United States will have problems.”


hotair--2020-09-11--Has 'Cuties' been misjudged or is it just as bad as it appears? (Update)

I wrote about this controversy last month when Netflix pulled back some promotional posters for this French film about a group of pre-teens who form a dance group that specializes in twerking and other sexualized dance moves .
Understandably a lot of people were revolted by this concept and a petition was launched to have Netflix cancel the film .
Netflix didn ’ t cancel it and this week the debate about the film has revived itself in the media now that it is available for streaming .
And I have to say up front that a lot of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ film to own the cons .
For instance , this Telegraph review is headlined , “ Cuties , Netflix review : a provocative powder-keg for an age terrified of child sexuality.
” I don ’ t think terrified is the right word here .
I think disgusted would be more accurate .
The New Yorker ’ s review was even more blunt : “ “ Cuties , ” the Extraordinary Netflix Début That Became the Target of a Right-Wing Campaign.
” So there is some of that con-bashing going around but writing for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the film has a message a lot of conservatives might actually approve about a culture that sends pre-teen girls the wrong messages : It ’ s a real shame that so many conservatives are condemning “ Cuties ” when they might find a great deal to like about the movie — and no , I don ’ t mean they harbor a secret taste for twerking preteens .
This is very much a film about what happens to kids when their parents aren ’ t physically or emotionally present in their lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social media platforms and what sexualized mainstream culture teaches children about what behavior is normal or desirable .
Though its characters post provocative dance videos and wear revealing costumes , “ Cuties ” doesn ’ t present their actions as liberated or admirable : Instead , the movie repeatedly shows other characters reacting with sadness or disgust when these girls try to act like grown women .
The triumphant climax of the movie isn ’ t a dance competition , but when Amy returns to age-appropriate clothes and games , finding an authentic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gummy-bear scarfing , giggly girl she was earlier in the film .
Rosenberg herself pointed to this review by Rod Dreher as one that , while she didn ’ t agree with it , seemed fair .
Dreher watched the film and concludes that while it does ultimately conclude twerking 11-year-olds shows society has a problem , the experience of the film is every bit as bad as people imagined it would be : So I saw it last night .
It ’ s almost as bad as you think , and Netflix @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taking over the thing .
But inside the grossness of Cuties is a reasonable point — but not one you can tell in film , or at least not in this film… Cuties does not feature nudity ( just a very quick glance at an adolescent girl ’ s breast ) , but it centers on the grotesque sexualization of minor girls — the title characters are a pack of 11-year-olds in Paris .
Cuties is a deeply dishonest film that exploits its young cast nauseatingly , yet tries at the end to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what I think is the most important part of this movie — a theme that a better film could explore without descending into the filth it ostensibly criticizes — is the role that technology plays in corrupting these girls .
There is no dirty old man who trains these kids to dress and act like sluts .
They self-exploit through the smartphone and social media .
Here ’ s a scene from when Amy is just beginning to hang out with the Cuties .
They are in the girls ’ bathroom at school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a smartphone , and commenting on it in revolting detail… We need a movie that illuminates this problem and tells the truth about it .
I finished the movie feeling very , very sorry for adolescent girls today .
The problem with Cuties — and it ’ s what destroys the movie — is aesthetic , and ultimately moral : it engages and demonstrates with great passion the very thing it purports to condemn .
Again , think of a movie with an anti-gluttony message that spends half the movie filming eating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s simply not credible .
Netflix got in trouble at first for marketing this movie as eye candy for pedophiles , but it turns out that even though that is not strictly true , that tack was more true to the experience of Cuties than the revisionist marketing .
Dreher posted a clip of the dancing from the film which has been circulating online .
It ’ s pretty offensive , though it ’ s worth noting that the film itself does depicts the reaction of adults to the dancing as somewhere between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their heads or giving a thumb down .
So the film isn ’ t applauding the behavior it depicts , the problem is that it does apparently spend a good deal of time depicting it in explicit detail .
In an update , Dreher posted a translation of an interview with the director explaining what prompted the film : I got the idea after seeing 11-year-old girls dancing in a very lascivious way at a block party .
I thought , “ Do they realize the message they ’ re sending ?
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I surveyed little girls… During the preparation , I saw girls of 13 or 14 years old followed by 400,000 people , just because they post pictures of themselves in thongs .
It implies a new form of building self-esteem , very fragile , based on virtual world , a number of likes or followers .
“ Cuties ” is a cry of alarm .
And still , there are things I didn ’ t dare to film .
So as not to frighten the parents .
If those quotes above really reflect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then she actually has a lot in common with the conservatives who are reacting with disgust to scenes from her film .
In fact , it suggests they are having the reaction the director wanted them to have to these scenes because they really are objectionable , though maybe she thought more people would see the film as on their side .
The only thing I can think to compare this too is The Exorcist .
That film ( based on the novel of the same name ) also had a pre-teen main @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gruesome scenes portrayed by a young actress .
And yet , the film is ultimately about faith and was written by a Catholic .
So it is possible to thread this needle , but not everyone whose seen Cuties agrees that it has managed to do so .
Update : Jeff B is in the “ as bad as it appears ” camp .
He suspects the director ’ s claim this is a “ cry of alarm ” is dubious at best .

I wrote about this controversy last month when Netflix pulled back some promotional posters for this French film about a group of pre-teens who form a dance group that specializes in twerking and other sexualized dance moves. Understandably a lot of people were revolted by this concept and a petition was launched to have Netflix cancel the film.
Netflix didn’t cancel it and this week the debate about the film has revived itself in the media now that it is available for streaming. And I have to say up front that a lot of the reviews seem very focused on praising the film to own the cons. For instance, this Telegraph review is headlined, “Cuties, Netflix review: a provocative powder-keg for an age terrified of child sexuality.” I don’t think terrified is the right word here. I think disgusted would be more accurate. The New Yorker’s review was even more blunt: ““Cuties,” the Extraordinary Netflix Début That Became the Target of a Right-Wing Campaign.”
So there is some of that con-bashing going around but writing for the Washington Post, Alyssa Rosenberg suggests that the film has a message a lot of conservatives might actually approve about a culture that sends pre-teen girls the wrong messages:
It’s a real shame that so many conservatives are condemning “Cuties” when they might find a great deal to like about the movie — and no, I don’t mean they harbor a secret taste for twerking preteens. This is very much a film about what happens to kids when their parents aren’t physically or emotionally present in their lives. It’s highly skeptical of social media platforms and what sexualized mainstream culture teaches children about what behavior is normal or desirable. Though its characters post provocative dance videos and wear revealing costumes, “Cuties” doesn’t present their actions as liberated or admirable: Instead, the movie repeatedly shows other characters reacting with sadness or disgust when these girls try to act like grown women. The triumphant climax of the movie isn’t a dance competition, but when Amy returns to age-appropriate clothes and games, finding an authentic version of herself in acting like the gummy-bear scarfing, giggly girl she was earlier in the film.
Rosenberg herself pointed to this review by Rod Dreher as one that, while she didn’t agree with it, seemed fair. Dreher watched the film and concludes that while it does ultimately conclude twerking 11-year-olds shows society has a problem, the experience of the film is every bit as bad as people imagined it would be:
So I saw it last night. It’s almost as bad as you think, and Netflix deserves all the grief it’s taking over the thing. But inside the grossness of Cuties is a reasonable point — but not one you can tell in film, or at least not in this film… Cuties does not feature nudity (just a very quick glance at an adolescent girl’s breast), but it centers on the grotesque sexualization of minor girls — the title characters are a pack of 11-year-olds in Paris. Cuties is a deeply dishonest film that exploits its young cast nauseatingly, yet tries at the end to justify it with a too-pat moral… In what I think is the most important part of this movie — a theme that a better film could explore without descending into the filth it ostensibly criticizes — is the role that technology plays in corrupting these girls. There is no dirty old man who trains these kids to dress and act like sluts. They self-exploit through the smartphone and social media. Here’s a scene from when Amy is just beginning to hang out with the Cuties. They are in the girls’ bathroom at school. The Cuties are watching hardcore porn on a smartphone, and commenting on it in revolting detail… We need a movie that illuminates this problem and tells the truth about it. I finished the movie feeling very, very sorry for adolescent girls today. The problem with Cuties — and it’s what destroys the movie — is aesthetic, and ultimately moral: it engages and demonstrates with great passion the very thing it purports to condemn. Again, think of a movie with an anti-gluttony message that spends half the movie filming eating pastries with lascivious abandon. It’s simply not credible. Netflix got in trouble at first for marketing this movie as eye candy for pedophiles, but it turns out that even though that is not strictly true, that tack was more true to the experience of Cuties than the revisionist marketing.
Dreher posted a clip of the dancing from the film which has been circulating online. It’s pretty offensive, though it’s worth noting that the film itself does depicts the reaction of adults to the dancing as somewhere between shock and condemnation. Adults are shaking their heads or giving a thumb down. So the film isn’t applauding the behavior it depicts, the problem is that it does apparently spend a good deal of time depicting it in explicit detail. In an update, Dreher posted a translation of an interview with the director explaining what prompted the film:
I got the idea after seeing 11-year-old girls dancing in a very lascivious way at a block party. I thought, “Do they realize the message they’re sending?” For a year and a half, I surveyed little girls… During the preparation, I saw girls of 13 or 14 years old followed by 400,000 people, just because they post pictures of themselves in thongs. It implies a new form of building self-esteem, very fragile, based on virtual world, a number of likes or followers. “Cuties” is a cry of alarm. And still, there are things I didn’t dare to film. So as not to frighten the parents.
If those quotes above really reflect the director’s point of view then she actually has a lot in common with the conservatives who are reacting with disgust to scenes from her film. In fact, it suggests they are having the reaction the director wanted them to have to these scenes because they really are objectionable, though maybe she thought more people would see the film as on their side.
The only thing I can think to compare this too is The Exorcist. That film (based on the novel of the same name) also had a pre-teen main character and featured a lot of terrifically gruesome scenes portrayed by a young actress. And yet, the film is ultimately about faith and was written by a Catholic. So it is possible to thread this needle, but not everyone whose seen Cuties agrees that it has managed to do so.
Update: Jeff B is in the “as bad as it appears” camp. He suspects the director’s claim this is a “cry of alarm” is dubious at best.
No, it never should have been made. No, it never should have been picked up by Netflix. No, nobody should ever watch it. It's indecent, and frankly given the way it's filmed I doubt the purported "good intentions" of its director and producers. End of commentary. — Jeff B., who on earth is this guy?? (@EsotericCD) September 11, 2020


hotair--2020-09-11--Terrell to The View: Stop calling free-thinking black conservatives "props"

And perhaps take a course in math , too .
This starts with a gratuitous shot at black voters supporting Donald Trump from The View ’ s Sunny Hostin , which wasn ’ t even the topic of the question on Tuesday ’ s show .
Whoopi Goldberg and Meaghan McCain had commented on polling out of Florida on Joe Biden ’ s support from Latinos , where multiple surveys showed Biden underperforming Hillary Clinton from four years ago .
At first , Hostin chalks this up to the Cuban-American demo , which is glib enough anyway ( did they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ? )
.
For some reason , though , Hostin then finds it necessary to insult black Trump voters and the people who appeared at the GOP ’ s convention , calling them “ props ” : This is even less intelligent than Rantz suggests .
Hostin brags about Biden getting “ eighty-three percent ” support from the African-American demo in these polls , but that would be a disaster for Biden if that held up .
Donald Trump only got 8 % of the black vote in 2016 ; 83 % would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support , and that kind of shift would all but doom Biden in any state where it happened .
And that would make for a whole lotta props , too .
Note that Goldberg wisely decided not to follow up on Hostin ’ s non sequitur .
Did Hostin even bother checking the data on demographics in elections ?
Last night , Leo Terrell called out Hostin and The View for its denigration of African Americans who decide to think for themselves ( via Townhall ’ s Leah Barkoukis ) : “ See @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no black can leave the plantation , we have to remain , if not , we will be called names , ” he said during a segment on Fox News ’ s “ Hannity ” with Herschel Walker .
“ I ’ ve been called names recently , but here ’ s the point .
I want to speak directly to Sunny from “ The View.
” I have news for you , Sunny .
Tim Scott is not a prop .
Alice Johnson is not a prop .
And the wife of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Terrell reminded Sunny that he was on the Left for 30 years and knows what Democrats have done .
“ I freely decided to vote Republican , ” he continued .
“ No pay , it ’ s because I love this country , just like Herschel .
So when you make this argument , as a lawyer , you should be ashamed of yourself , to call black Republicans a prop , that is a personal attack.
” Actually , I ’ d dispute that last part , but not as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her off the hook .
It ’ s not personal because they don ’ t see black voters in terms of individuals ; they see black voters in terms of determinative blocs .
To a certain extent the “ Uncle Tom ” and “ prop ” insults are personal , but only of the most impersonal , most utilitarian type possible .
If Hostin and others gave Tim Scott and Alice Johnson any credit at all as persons rather than members of a class , they ’ d never call them “ props @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the larger point Terrell is making , of course .
It ’ s the same point Salem Radio host Larry Elder made in his documentary Uncle Tom , in which Terrell doesn ’ t appear but who clearly would have been comfortable doing so .

And perhaps take a course in math, too. This starts with a gratuitous shot at black voters supporting Donald Trump from The View’s Sunny Hostin, which wasn’t even the topic of the question on Tuesday’s show. Whoopi Goldberg and Meaghan McCain had commented on polling out of Florida on Joe Biden’s support from Latinos, where multiple surveys showed Biden underperforming Hillary Clinton from four years ago.
At first, Hostin chalks this up to the Cuban-American demo, which is glib enough anyway (did they just come back after a four-year absence?). For some reason, though, Hostin then finds it necessary to insult black Trump voters and the people who appeared at the GOP’s convention, calling them “props”:
TV's dumbest lawyer Sunny Hostin calls black conservatives "props" for the GOP while she inadvertently reminds people that Democrats take black voters for granted. pic.twitter.com/ootsK3gdLX — (((Jason Rantz))) on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) September 9, 2020
This is even less intelligent than Rantz suggests. Hostin brags about Biden getting “eighty-three percent” support from the African-American demo in these polls, but that would be a disaster for Biden if that held up. Donald Trump only got 8% of the black vote in 2016; 83% would suggest that Trump might be doubling his support, and that kind of shift would all but doom Biden in any state where it happened.
And that would make for a whole lotta props, too. Note that Goldberg wisely decided not to follow up on Hostin’s non sequitur. Did Hostin even bother checking the data on demographics in elections?
Last night, Leo Terrell called out Hostin and The View for its denigration of African Americans who decide to think for themselves (via Townhall’s Leah Barkoukis):
“See, the Democrats’ playbook is – no black can leave the plantation, we have to remain, if not, we will be called names,” he said during a segment on Fox News’s “Hannity” with Herschel Walker. “I’ve been called names recently, but here’s the point. I want to speak directly to Sunny from “The View.” I have news for you, Sunny. Tim Scott is not a prop. Alice Johnson is not a prop. And the wife of David Dorn is not a prop.” Terrell reminded Sunny that he was on the Left for 30 years and knows what Democrats have done. “I freely decided to vote Republican,” he continued. “No pay, it’s because I love this country, just like Herschel. So when you make this argument, as a lawyer, you should be ashamed of yourself, to call black Republicans a prop, that is a personal attack.”
Actually, I’d dispute that last part, but not as a means of letting Hostin and others like her off the hook. It’s not personal because they don’t see black voters in terms of individuals; they see black voters in terms of determinative blocs. To a certain extent the “Uncle Tom” and “prop” insults are personal, but only of the most impersonal, most utilitarian type possible. If Hostin and others gave Tim Scott and Alice Johnson any credit at all as persons rather than members of a class, they’d never call them “props” at all.
That’s the larger point Terrell is making, of course. It’s the same point Salem Radio host Larry Elder made in his documentary Uncle Tom, in which Terrell doesn’t appear but who clearly would have been comfortable doing so.


hotair--2020-09-11--NIH chief "puzzled and rather disheartened" to see so many fans at Trump rally not wearing masks

Just flagging this for you in case you-know-who starts sh*tposting about Francis Collins at some point today and you find yourself wondering , “ What ’ s this all about ?
” The key bit is in the first 60 seconds of this clip .
Collins attributes the aversion to mask-wearing to a sort of zombified partisanship , but that ’ s not quite right .
Trump , after all , has made some gestures in support of masks over the past few months .
He ’ s donned one a few times and tweeted that it ’ s “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , being the way he is , he also contradicts the pro-mask messaging from time to time .
Also , if this were a matter of pure partisanship , we ’ d expect strong opposition to mask-wearing throughout the GOP .
That ’ s not what we see .
A poll in late July found 58 percent of Republicans in favor of a mask *mandate .
* Righties are less universally supportive than lefties ( 89 percent ) are , but a majority are sold on the utility of masks .
If Collins @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters are anti-mask , though , he ’ s probably correct that most anti-maskers are Republican voters .
There ’ s a certain type of righty populist that ’ s inclined to spite experts even when it ’ s in their interest not to do so .
To the extent that that expert opinion is embraced by the left and amplified as “ politically correct , ” the spite runs that much deeper .
These are the same people who , along with left-wing New Age freaks , are going to form the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID miracle cure next year .
Jim Acosta interviewed a few of them at last night ’ s rally , even asking one guy why he was skeptical of the risk from COVID when his hero , Donald Trump , had been caught on tape chattering to Bob Woodward about how deadly the virus is .
Not even Trump ’ s endorsement of masks can steer some people away from their skepticism , replete with distortions about the virus ’ s lethality .
And so a truth about the “ Trump cult ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cult of personality around him but it ’ s not so absolute that his hardcore fans will necessarily do the right thing just because he ’ s encouraging them to do so .
An early inkling of that was when he endorsed Luther Strange over Roy Moore in the 2017 Alabama Senate primary runoff .
If Alabama Republicans had listened to him , the GOP would hold that seat today .
They didn ’ t ; forced to choose between Trump and ugly populism in that case , they chose the latter .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ example .
His eventual cheerleading for the COVID vaccine later this year will be another .
He can move the numbers , but it ’ s just not true that loyalty to Trump supersedes the most crankish populist impulses for his more out-there supporters .
Of course , in all of the examples I just gave , Trump himself never made a full-throated endorsement of his own position .
He backed Strange but was never hard on Moore .
He came around on masks but only after months of avoiding wearing one and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll back the eventual COVID vaccine but he ’ s been a skeptic of vaccinations for years .
In each of these cases he ended up taking a position that ’ s out of character because he was persuaded that it would benefit him personally somehow to do so .
Supporting Strange over Moore would give him more votes in the Senate ; endorsing masks might tamp down the pandemic , improving his reelection chances ; a pre-election vaccine announcement might give him enough of a bounce to win the swing states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personal incentive , who knows where Trump would come down on each of those issues ?
( I have my suspicions . )
Maybe his fans are picking up on that too : “ Yeah , he said wearing a mask is patriotic , but he *has* to say that .
He doesn ’ t really mean it.
” Anyway .
If Collins wants to worry about parts of the population seeding outbreaks , I have another suggestion for him ( besides woke protesters attending mass anti-racism demonstrations , I mean ) .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Today has a piece out this morning noting that “ Of the 25 hottest outbreaks in the U.S. , communities heavy with college students represent 19 of them.
” In one of those outbreaks , classes haven ’ t even begun yet ; the transmissions are happening at parties and other social events .
The Times notes the unfortunate case of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , which had a detailed plan in place for containing the virus on campus and saw that plan fall to pieces when students returned .
How @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never accounted for the fact that America ’ s best and brightest might continue partying after being diagnosed with COVID .
Second , they had indeed taken into account college partying and quite a bit of it — more than 7,000 students partying three times a week in their model .
What the scientists had not taken into account was that some students would continue partying after they received a positive test result .
“ It was willful noncompliance by a small group of people , ” Dr. Goldenfeld said .
Those were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infecting many others .
“ If you know you are positive , ” Dr. Elbanna said , “ and you go to a party , that ’ s not just a bad act .
That ’ s very , very dangerous.
” Some of the students who tested positive even tried to circumvent the app so that they could enter buildings instead of staying isolated in their rooms , university administrators said in a letter to students .
If I had to choose between sitting next to a MAGA-head retiree convinced that masks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Illuminati or some campus bro who simply will not be denied his quota of keggers no matter what , I ’ d take my chances with the former .
Compounding the stupidity of bringing college kids back to school at the beginning of fall , when doctors are fretting about the start of a second wave of COVID , some schools are responding to outbreaks by sending the kids home to infect their parents and local communities .
Why they were brought back to school in the first place is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m partial to the theory that it was a cash grab by school administrators who thought having students on campus for a few weeks might justify charging them full tuition for the semester .
Anyway , best of luck to everyone out there living within a few miles of a college or university .
You ’ re going to need it .

Just flagging this for you in case you-know-who starts sh*tposting about Francis Collins at some point today and you find yourself wondering, “What’s this all about?” The key bit is in the first 60 seconds of this clip.
"Imagine you were an alien who landed on planet Earth. …You would scratch your head and think this is just not a planet that has much promise for the future," @NIHDirector Dr. Francis Collins says about some Americans' refusal to wear masks. #CNNTownHall https://t.co/Z14xGKqEux pic.twitter.com/yZq2HstiBh — CNN (@CNN) September 11, 2020
Collins attributes the aversion to mask-wearing to a sort of zombified partisanship, but that’s not quite right. Trump, after all, has made some gestures in support of masks over the past few months. He’s donned one a few times and tweeted that it’s “patriotic” to wear one, although, being the way he is, he also contradicts the pro-mask messaging from time to time. Also, if this were a matter of pure partisanship, we’d expect strong opposition to mask-wearing throughout the GOP. That’s not what we see. A poll in late July found 58 percent of Republicans in favor of a mask *mandate.* Righties are less universally supportive than lefties (89 percent) are, but a majority are sold on the utility of masks.
If Collins is wrong in implying that most Republican voters are anti-mask, though, he’s probably correct that most anti-maskers are Republican voters. There’s a certain type of righty populist that’s inclined to spite experts even when it’s in their interest not to do so. To the extent that that expert opinion is embraced by the left and amplified as “politically correct,” the spite runs that much deeper. These are the same people who, along with left-wing New Age freaks, are going to form the backbone of the anti-vax resistance to the COVID miracle cure next year. Jim Acosta interviewed a few of them at last night’s rally, even asking one guy why he was skeptical of the risk from COVID when his hero, Donald Trump, had been caught on tape chattering to Bob Woodward about how deadly the virus is.
Jim @Acosta asks folks at a Trump event why aren't they wearing masks… pic.twitter.com/SaShh0HjpB — Donie O'Sullivan (@donie) September 11, 2020
Not even Trump’s endorsement of masks can steer some people away from their skepticism, replete with distortions about the virus’s lethality. And so a truth about the “Trump cult” is laid bare: There is a cult of personality around him but it’s not so absolute that his hardcore fans will necessarily do the right thing just because he’s encouraging them to do so. An early inkling of that was when he endorsed Luther Strange over Roy Moore in the 2017 Alabama Senate primary runoff. If Alabama Republicans had listened to him, the GOP would hold that seat today. They didn’t; forced to choose between Trump and ugly populism in that case, they chose the latter. His johnny-come-lately support for masks is another example. His eventual cheerleading for the COVID vaccine later this year will be another. He can move the numbers, but it’s just not true that loyalty to Trump supersedes the most crankish populist impulses for his more out-there supporters.
Of course, in all of the examples I just gave, Trump himself never made a full-throated endorsement of his own position. He backed Strange but was never hard on Moore. He came around on masks but only after months of avoiding wearing one and treating them as politically correct. He’ll back the eventual COVID vaccine but he’s been a skeptic of vaccinations for years. In each of these cases he ended up taking a position that’s out of character because he was persuaded that it would benefit him personally somehow to do so. Supporting Strange over Moore would give him more votes in the Senate; endorsing masks might tamp down the pandemic, improving his reelection chances; a pre-election vaccine announcement might give him enough of a bounce to win the swing states he’s targeting. Without that personal incentive, who knows where Trump would come down on each of those issues? (I have my suspicions.) Maybe his fans are picking up on that too: “Yeah, he said wearing a mask is patriotic, but he *has* to say that. He doesn’t really mean it.”
Anyway. If Collins wants to worry about parts of the population seeding outbreaks, I have another suggestion for him (besides woke protesters attending mass anti-racism demonstrations, I mean). How about … college kids? USA Today has a piece out this morning noting that “Of the 25 hottest outbreaks in the U.S., communities heavy with college students represent 19 of them.” In one of those outbreaks, classes haven’t even begun yet; the transmissions are happening at parties and other social events. The Times notes the unfortunate case of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, which had a detailed plan in place for containing the virus on campus and saw that plan fall to pieces when students returned. How come? Well, it seems scientists never accounted for the fact that America’s best and brightest might continue partying after being diagnosed with COVID.
Second, they had indeed taken into account college partying and quite a bit of it — more than 7,000 students partying three times a week in their model. What the scientists had not taken into account was that some students would continue partying after they received a positive test result. “It was willful noncompliance by a small group of people,” Dr. Goldenfeld said. Those were the key ingredients for a few people infecting many others. “If you know you are positive,” Dr. Elbanna said, “and you go to a party, that’s not just a bad act. That’s very, very dangerous.” Some of the students who tested positive even tried to circumvent the app so that they could enter buildings instead of staying isolated in their rooms, university administrators said in a letter to students.
If I had to choose between sitting next to a MAGA-head retiree convinced that masks are a hoax perpetrated by Bill Gates and the Illuminati or some campus bro who simply will not be denied his quota of keggers no matter what, I’d take my chances with the former. Compounding the stupidity of bringing college kids back to school at the beginning of fall, when doctors are fretting about the start of a second wave of COVID, some schools are responding to outbreaks by sending the kids home to infect their parents and local communities. Why they were brought back to school in the first place is a mystery to me, although I’m partial to the theory that it was a cash grab by school administrators who thought having students on campus for a few weeks might justify charging them full tuition for the semester.
Anyway, best of luck to everyone out there living within a few miles of a college or university. You’re going to need it.


hotair--2020-09-11--Northern California wildfire is now the largest in the state's history

Last month California experience what was described as a “ lightning siege ” with more than 10,000 strikes recorded over 72 hours .
Here ’ s a map of the strikes across northern California : Because of the heat and the dry foliage those strikes set off more than 350 separate fires .
Dozens of those fires grew and gradually merged into major wildfires .
Currently the so-called August Complex has burned nearly half a million acres and as of yesterday is the largest wildfire in the state ’ s history .
The August Complex Fire is a combination of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Forest on Aug. 17 , the U.S. Forest Service said in a statement .
It has so far burned 471,185 acres and is 24 percent contained .
Forest Service spokesman Terry Krasko suggested that the fire may actually be bigger .
He said an airplane with infrared capabilities that measure the size of a blaze was out of service Thursday .
The fire became known as the August Complex Fire about five days ago , when numerous blazes combined , Krasko said .
Many smaller fires have been extinguished , he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including the Doe Fire , continued to grow Thursday afternoon .
Cal Fire published this graphic showing six of the top 20 fires in the state ’ s history have happened this year and all six are still burning : Here ’ s an interactive map showing where all of this is happening .
Three of the biggest fires are all north of Sacramento .
The August Complex is # 4 : A local newspaper , the Mendocino Voice , reports that because of the severity of the situation , firefighters are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Carlson mentioned that over the past few weeks , the August complex has brought in as many resources as possible .
“ But everyone is short on resources , ” Carlson said .
“ Many fires are threatening homes and burning homes .
There ’ s a limited number of teams and resources.
” However , during tonight ’ s meeting , a spokesperson said that international firefighting coordination efforts have been activated and that likely , firefighters from Canada , Mexico , and Australia will soon arrive to help fight the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they don ’ t know exactly when those firefighters will arrive or where they will be assigned to .
Because of the scale of these fires and the fact that massive fires are also burning in Oregon right now , nearly the entire west coast has been covered in a blanket of smoke : That smoke has created some very unusual lighting effects in places like San Francisco : This is 11 am in the city : This person took a photo of the sun from Sacramento : And at some point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to settle lower in the atmosphere .
The prediction for air quality in Los Angeles for the coming week looks really bad : Here in southern California where I live , the smoke isn ’ t as thick , so the sky isn ’ t orange but for the past 2-3 days the air has had a noticeable yellow tint which makes the entire outdoors look like it has been put through an Instagram filter .
Ash has been collecting on all of the cars in the neighborhood .
We ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ re seeing up north but even that is pretty unnerving .
Update : This is crazy .
A local news reporter shot this in a little town near Salem , Oregon on Tuesday .

Last month California experience what was described as a “lightning siege” with more than 10,000 strikes recorded over 72 hours. Here’s a map of the strikes across northern California:
Because of the heat and the dry foliage those strikes set off more than 350 separate fires. Dozens of those fires grew and gradually merged into major wildfires. Currently the so-called August Complex has burned nearly half a million acres and as of yesterday is the largest wildfire in the state’s history.
The August Complex Fire is a combination of 37 fires sparked by lightning in Mendocino National Forest on Aug. 17, the U.S. Forest Service said in a statement. It has so far burned 471,185 acres and is 24 percent contained. Forest Service spokesman Terry Krasko suggested that the fire may actually be bigger. He said an airplane with infrared capabilities that measure the size of a blaze was out of service Thursday. The fire became known as the August Complex Fire about five days ago, when numerous blazes combined, Krasko said. Many smaller fires have been extinguished, he said, but larger parts of the fire, including the Doe Fire, continued to grow Thursday afternoon.
Cal Fire published this graphic showing six of the top 20 fires in the state’s history have happened this year and all six are still burning:
The 2020 fire season has been record-breaking, in not only the total amount of acres burned at just over 3 million, but also 6 of the top 20 largest wildfires in California history have occurred this year. pic.twitter.com/CmmhH5wTVX — CAL FIRE (@CAL_FIRE) September 10, 2020
Here’s an interactive map showing where all of this is happening. Three of the biggest fires are all north of Sacramento. The August Complex is #4:

A local newspaper, the Mendocino Voice, reports that because of the severity of the situation, firefighters are now being called in from other countries:
Carlson mentioned that over the past few weeks, the August complex has brought in as many resources as possible. “But everyone is short on resources,” Carlson said. “Many fires are threatening homes and burning homes. There’s a limited number of teams and resources.” However, during tonight’s meeting, a spokesperson said that international firefighting coordination efforts have been activated and that likely, firefighters from Canada, Mexico, and Australia will soon arrive to help fight the fires in the western U.S. However, they don’t know exactly when those firefighters will arrive or where they will be assigned to.
Because of the scale of these fires and the fact that massive fires are also burning in Oregon right now, nearly the entire west coast has been covered in a blanket of smoke:
Wildfire smoke reaches across all of California, the Oregon coastline, and well out into the Pacific, mixing with fog (the whiter clouds in the ocean). I think we're going to continue to see this smoke for a while, unfortunately. #BearFire #NorthComplexWestZone #AugustComplex pic.twitter.com/ZkeyOifLg2 — Kris Kuyper (@Weather1224) September 10, 2020
That smoke has created some very unusual lighting effects in places like San Francisco:
Scenes from around San Francisco where dark orange skies are still blanketing the city and region. This apocalyptic hue is due to a combination of smoke from various wildfires sitting above the marine fog layer. More here on @sfchronicle https://t.co/eChDMsLZLs pic.twitter.com/VaQlNsML0y — Jessica Christian (@jachristian) September 9, 2020
Drone footage:
Shot by drone this morning. San Francisco bay area – the world turned orange overnight. If the apocalypse comes how will we know? pic.twitter.com/6zbQLutHOa — Rex Chapman🏇🏼 (@RexChapman) September 10, 2020
This is 11 am in the city:
An apocalyptic downtown San Francisco, all pics around 11AM. Wildfire smoke refracting light so that what we see is this red/orange hue. Truly eerie feeling today and a reminder of how much of the state is in the midst of devastating fire. #smoke #CaliforniaFires pic.twitter.com/317lrxM1L8 — John Shrable (@JohnShrable) September 9, 2020
This person took a photo of the sun from Sacramento:
https://twitter.com/intensifiedzeal/status/1303797562009251840
And at some point, a lot of this stuff is going to settle lower in the atmosphere. The prediction for air quality in Los Angeles for the coming week looks really bad:
Uhhhh if yesterday was moderate, I am terrified of the weekend?!!!! Jesus be a freak rainstorm that covers all of California with healing water. pic.twitter.com/URY4kcp0Jm — Lisa Lucas (@likaluca) September 11, 2020
Here in southern California where I live, the smoke isn’t as thick, so the sky isn’t orange but for the past 2-3 days the air has had a noticeable yellow tint which makes the entire outdoors look like it has been put through an Instagram filter. Ash has been collecting on all of the cars in the neighborhood. We’re really only getting a fraction of what they’re seeing up north but even that is pretty unnerving.
Update: This is crazy. A local news reporter shot this in a little town near Salem, Oregon on Tuesday.


hotair--2020-09-11--NYT reporter kicked out of Trump campaign rally in Michigan

A freelance reporter for the New York Times found herself asked to leave the Trump campaign rally in Freeland , Michigan on Thursday evening .
A former political reporter for the Detroit Free Press , Kathleen Gray now works for the New York Times .
It is a story told in tweets .
Gray admits she didn ’ t properly secure campaign-issued credentials to cover the event .
She missed the deadline to get credentials so she wasn ’ t in the designated press area .
She was doing her reporting from the general audience area .
Gray began tweeting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do some interviews with rally participants .
She said she was “ standing off to the side of the tarmac.
” I first noticed this story developing Thursday when Gray tweeted that she had been told to leave the campaign rally – a first for her , she tweeted .
So , I checked her Twitter timeline and it became pretty obvious what her agenda was from her tweets .
The first tweet from the event mentioned that it looked as though only about 10 % of those there were wearing face masks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one minute later noting the lack of masks in the crowd of thousands of Trump supporters .
Next , she posted a tweet when Air Force One landed .
And continued with an odd tweet .
“ And so it begins.
” Her last two tweets were in reaction to being told to leave the rally .
There is really no better way to understand what happened than to look at the tweets .
No doubt that someone with the Trump campaign noticed she was “ reporting ” from outside the press area @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do so .
It ’ s a pretty simple story .
Gray told Bridge Magazine that she had missed the deadline to get credentials but had tried multiple times to contact the campaign to get them after that and received no response .
She acknowledged that she entered the general admission section of the rally because she didn ’ t have the campaign-issued media credentials .
“ They said because I was using my work Twitter account and since I didn ’ t have media credentials I couldn ’ t be working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Gray told Bridge .
Neither she nor Trump campaign officials immediately responded to requests for comment from the Free Press .
Gray said , “ They tracked me down from the photos I had taken and tweeted , came over and kicked me out.
” She complains that others were “ recording everything ” , implying she was unfairly singled out .
I assume “ everybody ” was capturing the event with a different perspective than the political reporter .
She , essentially , was passing herself off as a regular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a reporter there to do the bidding of mask scolds .
Then she acts indignant when she is held accountable .
None of the reporters who went through the process of obtaining press credentials and covering the event in the appropriate area were asked to leave .
There were about 5,000 people in attendance .
The event was at MBS International Airport , a rally held in an airport hangar venue .
I ’ ve written in the past that these are excellent venues for Trump .
The crowds are in a more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indoors and Trump enjoys the interaction with the crowds .
As far as face masks go , the press has an agenda to push .
During Trump ’ s last rally , there was a photo released by a reporter who stated that no one was wearing a face mask .
That narrative was quickly debunked , though , as photos of the crowd were published from a better camera lens .
Almost the entire crowd was wearing a face mask .
In this case , the reporter looks to be doing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mask is required in Michigan in places where social distancing of six feet or more is impossible .
As this is the anniversary of the 9/11/01 terrorist attacks , I ’ m not sure if this reporter ’ s story will get the kind of play she was obviously seeking by posting tweets about being asked to leave the rally .
It ’ s unlikely that if the anti-Trump networks do report about it that they will be honest enough to note that this isn ’ t the first time a reporter has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a president .
Heck , Barack Obama waged an all-out war against Fox News Channel while he was in office .
And Joe Biden ’ s staff held a reporter in a storage closet during a fundraiser in 2011 .
This kind of back and forth with the press is not uncommon with either party .
There is no denying , though , that Obama escalated the tension between the press and his administration .
It wasn ’ t enough that the press took an eight-year nap during his administration , if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or professionally cover him , Obama moved to shut it down .
Naturally , the New York Times blames the Trump campaign for not credentialing their reporter .
Ms. Gray admits she didn ’ t follow standard procedure .
Her tweets speak for themselves .

A freelance reporter for the New York Times found herself asked to leave the Trump campaign rally in Freeland, Michigan on Thursday evening. A former political reporter for the Detroit Free Press, Kathleen Gray now works for the New York Times. It is a story told in tweets.
Gray admits she didn’t properly secure campaign-issued credentials to cover the event. She missed the deadline to get credentials so she wasn’t in the designated press area. She was doing her reporting from the general audience area. Gray began tweeting from her work account after claiming to do some interviews with rally participants. She said she was “standing off to the side of the tarmac.”
I first noticed this story developing Thursday when Gray tweeted that she had been told to leave the campaign rally – a first for her, she tweeted. So, I checked her Twitter timeline and it became pretty obvious what her agenda was from her tweets. The first tweet from the event mentioned that it looked as though only about 10% of those there were wearing face masks.
Trump rally in freeland attracts thousands . Maybe 10% have masks. — Kathy Gray (@michpoligal) September 10, 2020
Then a second tweet was posted one minute later noting the lack of masks in the crowd of thousands of Trump supporters.
https://twitter.com/michpoligal/status/1304192444465123339
Next, she posted a tweet when Air Force One landed.
Air force one just landed — Kathy Gray (@michpoligal) September 10, 2020
And continued with an odd tweet. “And so it begins.”
And so it begins pic.twitter.com/fuLY4oasjP — Kathy Gray (@michpoligal) September 10, 2020
Her last two tweets were in reaction to being told to leave the rally.
https://twitter.com/michpoligal/status/1304197574577074179
https://twitter.com/michpoligal/status/1304202299896729600
There is really no better way to understand what happened than to look at the tweets. No doubt that someone with the Trump campaign noticed she was “reporting” from outside the press area via Twitter and using her work account to do so. It’s a pretty simple story.
Gray told Bridge Magazine that she had missed the deadline to get credentials but had tried multiple times to contact the campaign to get them after that and received no response. She acknowledged that she entered the general admission section of the rally because she didn’t have the campaign-issued media credentials. “They said because I was using my work Twitter account and since I didn’t have media credentials I couldn’t be working there, and I had to leave,” Gray told Bridge. Neither she nor Trump campaign officials immediately responded to requests for comment from the Free Press.
Gray said, “They tracked me down from the photos I had taken and tweeted, came over and kicked me out.” She complains that others were “recording everything”, implying she was unfairly singled out.
Gray said she has had difficulty getting responses from the Trump campaign in recent months. She noted other general admission attendees were tweeting and live streaming the rally from the crowd where she had stood. “Everybody there was using a camera to record everything,” she said.
I assume “everybody” was capturing the event with a different perspective than the political reporter. She, essentially, was passing herself off as a regular person attending the campaign rally, not a reporter there to do the bidding of mask scolds. Then she acts indignant when she is held accountable. None of the reporters who went through the process of obtaining press credentials and covering the event in the appropriate area were asked to leave.
There were about 5,000 people in attendance. The event was at MBS International Airport, a rally held in an airport hangar venue. I’ve written in the past that these are excellent venues for Trump. The crowds are in a more outdoor kind of setting than cooped up indoors and Trump enjoys the interaction with the crowds. As far as face masks go, the press has an agenda to push. During Trump’s last rally, there was a photo released by a reporter who stated that no one was wearing a face mask. That narrative was quickly debunked, though, as photos of the crowd were published from a better camera lens. Almost the entire crowd was wearing a face mask.
In this case, the reporter looks to be doing the bidding of Governor Whitmer. Wearing a mask is required in Michigan in places where social distancing of six feet or more is impossible.
Gray covered politics for the Free Press for nearly 20 years before leaving earlier this year. Earlier in the week, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer told CNN it was “very distressing” that Trump might come to the state and encourage people, directly or indirectly, to not wear masks. Trump did not wear a mask at the rally.
As this is the anniversary of the 9/11/01 terrorist attacks, I’m not sure if this reporter’s story will get the kind of play she was obviously seeking by posting tweets about being asked to leave the rally. It’s unlikely that if the anti-Trump networks do report about it that they will be honest enough to note that this isn’t the first time a reporter has told a story about the limited access to a president. Heck, Barack Obama waged an all-out war against Fox News Channel while he was in office. And Joe Biden’s staff held a reporter in a storage closet during a fundraiser in 2011. This kind of back and forth with the press is not uncommon with either party. There is no denying, though, that Obama escalated the tension between the press and his administration. It wasn’t enough that the press took an eight-year nap during his administration, if any reporter dared to ask legitimate questions or professionally cover him, Obama moved to shut it down.
Naturally, the New York Times blames the Trump campaign for not credentialing their reporter.
Danielle Rhoades Ha, vice president of communications for the Times, said in a statement, “We’re disappointed that the Trump campaign refused to credential our freelancer and then, when she registered and attended as a member of the public, they ejected her from the event. Our goal is to cover these campaign events and talk to voters about the candidates, and that’s what Kathy was trying to do.”
Ms. Gray admits she didn’t follow standard procedure. Her tweets speak for themselves.