hotair--2020-07-13--Atlanta Braves: Keep the name, lose the Tomahawk Chop ... maybe

Leave the gun , take the cannoli .
That quote from The Godfather cycled through my thoughts while reading about the decision made by the Atlanta Braves to keep their team name .
A common-sense compromise is being reached .
Good for them .
The cancel culture that dictates lives in 2020 doesn ’ t hesitate to move beyond free speech or tearing down statues in the public square .
It ’ s everywhere and that includes the names of sports teams .
The Atlanta Braves , however , is swimming against the tide .
The team sent out an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that there will be no name change .
The organization is reviewing the celebratory gesture of the Tomahawk Chop .
While citing “ respect for the Native American community ” , the team “ will always be the Atlanta Braves.
” I ’ m so happy about this that I may do a Tomahawk Chop in the privacy of my own home .
I ’ m not even a Braves fan ( it ’ s the Astros for me ) but I do love to watch baseball as a distraction from everyday life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sports organization show some spine and keep its name intact .
The letter to the ticket holders explained the process of how the final decision was made .
As you can read , the decision wasn ’ t made lightly or with any disrespect intended .
The Atlanta Braves honors , respects and values the Native American community .
As an organization , we have always drawn strength from our diversity and respect for everyone .
That will never change .
We have had an active and supportive relationship with the Native American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we furthered this relationship and pledged to meet and listen to Native American and tribal leaders from many areas , including the Eastern Band of the Cherokees ( EBCI ) in North Carolina .
As a result , we formed a cultural working relationship with the EBCI and have also formed a Native American Working Group with a diverse collection of other tribal leaders to collaborate on matters related to culture , education , outreach , and recognition on an on-going basis .
Through our conversations , changing the name of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ necessary .
We have great respect and reverence for our name and the Native American communities that have held meaningful relationships with us do as well .
We will always be the Atlanta Braves .
As it relates to the fan experience , including the chop , it is one of the many issues that we are working through with the advisory group .
The chop was popularized by our fans when Deion Sanders joined our team and it continues to inspire our players on the field .
With that in mind , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Native American community , as well as our fans , players , and alumni to ensure we are making an informed decision on this part of our fan experience .
Integrating learnings from our meetings with the Native American tribal leaders , we are working together to elevate Native American culture and language on a continuous basis .
Activations include a permanent exhibit inside the ballpark honoring Native Americans , designing merchandise and other ways to support indigenous language , and partnering with Native American content producers to showcase the positive impacts Native @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on our history and the community .
Some of these activities are new and some have been on-going for a long time .
We are committed to having a strong connection with the Native American community , which includes showcasing important past , present , and future aspects of their culture .
Sounds reasonable , right ?
Cancel culture has about ruined watching sports as a fan for me and for millions of other Americans .
I watch sports to escape politics and culture , both of which I write about on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I want is for sports to be politicized .
Yet , here we are .
Especially in 2020 , during a time of the coronavirus and economic collapse , we all need a break .
Unfortunately , the virus is doing its own damage to that escape by canceling game schedules and perhaps whole seasons of sports .
So , I ’ ll take good news where I can get it .
The decision on the Tomahawk Chop hasn ’ t been made but I imagine if the organization decides to do away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ easier to accept than a name change .
A name is an identity , the Tomahawk Chop is a gesture introduced in the 90s .
Braves fans aren ’ t the only fans to use the Tomahawk Chop – fans of the Kansas City Chiefs and the Florida State Seminoles also do it .
Last week the Cleveland Indians released a statement about their own name change debate : The organization is “ committed to engaging our community and appropriate stakeholders to determine the best path forward with regard to our team name.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ see a team that is not consumed with trying to be all things to all people and not succumbing to knee jerk reactions that leave large segments of the population dissatisfied .
If something must go , leave the name , take the Tomahawk Chop .

Leave the gun, take the cannoli. That quote from The Godfather cycled through my thoughts while reading about the decision made by the Atlanta Braves to keep their team name. A common-sense compromise is being reached. Good for them.
The cancel culture that dictates lives in 2020 doesn’t hesitate to move beyond free speech or tearing down statues in the public square. It’s everywhere and that includes the names of sports teams. The Atlanta Braves, however, is swimming against the tide. The team sent out an email to season ticket holders to announce that there will be no name change. The organization is reviewing the celebratory gesture of the Tomahawk Chop.
While citing “respect for the Native American community”, the team “will always be the Atlanta Braves.” I’m so happy about this that I may do a Tomahawk Chop in the privacy of my own home. I’m not even a Braves fan (it’s the Astros for me) but I do love to watch baseball as a distraction from everyday life. It is good to see a sports organization show some spine and keep its name intact. The letter to the ticket holders explained the process of how the final decision was made. As you can read, the decision wasn’t made lightly or with any disrespect intended.
The Atlanta Braves honors, respects and values the Native American community. As an organization, we have always drawn strength from our diversity and respect for everyone. That will never change. We have had an active and supportive relationship with the Native American community for many years. Last fall, we furthered this relationship and pledged to meet and listen to Native American and tribal leaders from many areas, including the Eastern Band of the Cherokees (EBCI) in North Carolina. As a result, we formed a cultural working relationship with the EBCI and have also formed a Native American Working Group with a diverse collection of other tribal leaders to collaborate on matters related to culture, education, outreach, and recognition on an on-going basis. Through our conversations, changing the name of the Braves is not under consideration or deemed necessary. We have great respect and reverence for our name and the Native American communities that have held meaningful relationships with us do as well. We will always be the Atlanta Braves. As it relates to the fan experience, including the chop, it is one of the many issues that we are working through with the advisory group. The chop was popularized by our fans when Deion Sanders joined our team and it continues to inspire our players on the field. With that in mind, we are continuing to listen to the Native American community, as well as our fans, players, and alumni to ensure we are making an informed decision on this part of our fan experience. Integrating learnings from our meetings with the Native American tribal leaders, we are working together to elevate Native American culture and language on a continuous basis. Activations include a permanent exhibit inside the ballpark honoring Native Americans, designing merchandise and other ways to support indigenous language, and partnering with Native American content producers to showcase the positive impacts Native American tribes and tribal leaders have had on our history and the community. Some of these activities are new and some have been on-going for a long time. We are committed to having a strong connection with the Native American community, which includes showcasing important past, present, and future aspects of their culture.
Sounds reasonable, right? Cancel culture has about ruined watching sports as a fan for me and for millions of other Americans. I watch sports to escape politics and culture, both of which I write about on a daily basis, so the last thing I want is for sports to be politicized. Yet, here we are. Especially in 2020, during a time of the coronavirus and economic collapse, we all need a break. Unfortunately, the virus is doing its own damage to that escape by canceling game schedules and perhaps whole seasons of sports. So, I’ll take good news where I can get it.
The decision on the Tomahawk Chop hasn’t been made but I imagine if the organization decides to do away with it, that decision would be easier to accept than a name change. A name is an identity, the Tomahawk Chop is a gesture introduced in the 90s. Braves fans aren’t the only fans to use the Tomahawk Chop – fans of the Kansas City Chiefs and the Florida State Seminoles also do it.
Letter sent to Braves season ticketholders says team name will not be changing, chop is "one of the many issues that we are working through." (Full letter: https://t.co/nDojeh00Rm) (h/t Marty Buccafusco) pic.twitter.com/dpmUCFDtSB — Paul Lukas (@UniWatch) July 12, 2020
Last week the Cleveland Indians released a statement about their own name change debate: The organization is “committed to engaging our community and appropriate stakeholders to determine the best path forward with regard to our team name.” Again, it is good to see a team that is not consumed with trying to be all things to all people and not succumbing to knee jerk reactions that leave large segments of the population dissatisfied.
If something must go, leave the name, take the Tomahawk Chop.


hotair--2020-07-14--Hillary doubles down: Trump's election victory was 'illegitimate', you know

At this point , maybe Hillary is tripling down or quadrupling down .
She is still beating a dead horse – the loser of the 2016 presidential election wanted the viewers of Trevor Noah ’ s late-night television show to know that Trump ’ s victory was illegitimate and she has thoughts or something .
She doesn ’ t have any new thoughts , mind you , but she is bitterly clinging to her old thoughts .
Watching a video of the interview , it is easy for anyone who paid attention to the 2016 election or is old enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to understand the irony in most of Hillary ’ s answers to the softball questions asked by Noah .
Trevor Noah , age 36 , is South African and relocated to the United States in 2011 .
He is a one-trick pony for the Democrats and clearly doesn ’ t see the irony in his naive questioning of Hillary .
The interview lasted almost 15 minutes and was edited before it aired .
It ’ s a slog for anyone who is not a fan of Mrs. Clinton .
As with most of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her bid for president , President Trump consumed most of her thoughts .
She is big on pushing the Democrat narrative that if Trump loses the 2020 presidential election , he will refuse to accept the results and call it illegitimate , perhaps blaming mail-in voting and calling the election a fraud .
The irony is that it was Hillary who couldn ’ t accept the results of the 2016 election ( and still can ’ t ) and she now calls Trump ’ s victory as illegitimate .
She couldn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until the day after the election .
Noah asked whether he may attempt , if he loses , to claim that the election was illegitimate and blame mail-in voting .
‘ Well , I think it is a fair point to raise as to whether or not , if he loses , he ’ s going to go quietly or not , ’ she said .
‘ And we have to be ready for that.
’ Clinton said that Trump ’ s repeated warnings of mass voting fraud , if mail-in ballots are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not stand up to scrutiny .
‘ There have been so many academic studies and other analyses , which point out that it ’ s just an inaccurate , fraudulent claim , ’ she said .
‘ There isn ’ t that problem .
All the games that are played … to try and keep the vote down – that ’ s the real danger to the integrity of our election , that combined with disinformation and misinformation and all the online shenanigans we saw in 2016.
’ Instead of mail-in voting , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia for Trump ’ s victory .
Her campaign paid for the debunked Steele dossier but nevermind .
She was for Russia ’ s help before she was against it .
Mostly Hillary is still shocked that a “ showman ” and reality television star beat her .
So , this time around , she says Republicans will try to win the presidential election with voter suppression and rigging the election .
She continued : ‘ Republicans have two prongs to their strategy to try to win .
‘ The first is : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think won ’ t vote for them from voting .
So , make the lines really long , where young people vote of African Americans vote , or Hispanics vote .
‘ Try to make vote by mail as difficult as possible , when in fact that is how Donald Trump votes , and everyone who knows vote by mail understands that.
’ She said she works with Democracy Docket to support lawsuits ‘ to make the vote available ’ .
Clinton said there remained however ‘ real danger ’ of an election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meddled with from abroad .
‘ Look , I want a fair election , ’ she said .
‘ If people get to vote and they , for whatever reason , vote for Donald Trump , OK , we ’ ll accept it .
Not happily .
‘ But I don ’ t think that ’ s what will happen , because I think the more people who can actually get to the polls , whether by mail or in person , and get their votes counted , then we are going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have .
‘ And then it will be a win both in the popular vote and the Electoral College.
’ Speaking of the Electoral College , does Hillary Clinton really think the voters in states other than the ones on either coast will vote for Joe Biden if he continues to move farther and farther left to pander to the Sanders supporters ?
Or AOC and her Green New Deal initiative ?
How about the everything-will-be-free crowd who expect middle-class taxpayers to pay for their education , student loans , healthcare , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she spends her days now , during the pandemic , Trevor Noah pointed out that he would be tweeting , “ I told you so ” all day long .
Funny , that is exactly how Hillary spends her days , both before and during the days of the coronavirus .
She hasn ’ t stopped .
C ’ mon , she ’ s saying this while doing a television interview .
Irony escapes both of them .
The true gem in this interview , though , is when she talks about Roger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s sentence , Hillary Clinton actually criticizes it as a pardon for someone involved in a cover-up with Trump .
( Stone wasn ’ t pardoned , his sentence was commuted and his conviction remains on his record . )
Clinton received no push back from Noah because he ’ s a Democrat like Hillary and he wasn ’ t around during the Bill Clinton administration .
Bill Clinton pardoned Marc Rich – a billionaire tax cheat whose wife gave a million dollars to the Clinton Foundation – on his last day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pardoned his own brother , Roger , or when he gave a full presidential pardon to Susan McDougal , a business partner of both Clintons , also during his last hours as president ?
‘ This is an extension to the total disregard for the rule of law .
The pardon power is supposed to be used for compassionate purposes .
To try to right wrongs , to try to make sure people are not being punished or unfairly , or have been punished enough .
‘ In this case , it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ she said .
‘ Because the one thing that Trump is fearful of , when it comes to his being president , is that finally we will see how illegitimate his victory actually was .
‘ And how he was involved in the seeking of foreign help and the utilization of it , and how Roger Stone was critical to that .
She said that Stone ’ s commutation was yet one more reason to vote Trump out of office in November , so the full scale of his behavior could be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in power .
‘ But , you know , unless Trump is defeated at the polls in November , we will never really know everything there is to know about this really deep , ongoing dismantling of institutions and undermining the rule of law and the original sin of the way that he actually won the election , ’ she said .
‘ So Roger Stone was in the middle of it all .
And that ’ s why Trump had to cover it up.
’ Poor Hillary .
Trump broke her and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are going to fix her .

At this point, maybe Hillary is tripling down or quadrupling down. She is still beating a dead horse – the loser of the 2016 presidential election wanted the viewers of Trevor Noah’s late-night television show to know that Trump’s victory was illegitimate and she has thoughts or something. She doesn’t have any new thoughts, mind you, but she is bitterly clinging to her old thoughts.
Watching a video of the interview, it is easy for anyone who paid attention to the 2016 election or is old enough to remember the administration of Bill Clinton to understand the irony in most of Hillary’s answers to the softball questions asked by Noah. Trevor Noah, age 36, is South African and relocated to the United States in 2011. He is a one-trick pony for the Democrats and clearly doesn’t see the irony in his naive questioning of Hillary. The interview lasted almost 15 minutes and was edited before it aired. It’s a slog for anyone who is not a fan of Mrs. Clinton.
As with most of Hillary’s interviews since she lost her bid for president, President Trump consumed most of her thoughts. She is big on pushing the Democrat narrative that if Trump loses the 2020 presidential election, he will refuse to accept the results and call it illegitimate, perhaps blaming mail-in voting and calling the election a fraud. The irony is that it was Hillary who couldn’t accept the results of the 2016 election (and still can’t) and she now calls Trump’s victory as illegitimate. She couldn’t even bring herself to concede the race until the day after the election.
Noah asked whether he may attempt, if he loses, to claim that the election was illegitimate and blame mail-in voting. ‘Well, I think it is a fair point to raise as to whether or not, if he loses, he’s going to go quietly or not,’ she said. ‘And we have to be ready for that.’ Clinton said that Trump’s repeated warnings of mass voting fraud, if mail-in ballots are in widespread use in November, did not stand up to scrutiny. ‘There have been so many academic studies and other analyses, which point out that it’s just an inaccurate, fraudulent claim,’ she said. ‘There isn’t that problem. All the games that are played … to try and keep the vote down – that’s the real danger to the integrity of our election, that combined with disinformation and misinformation and all the online shenanigans we saw in 2016.’
Instead of mail-in voting, Clinton still blames Russia, Russia, Russia for Trump’s victory. Her campaign paid for the debunked Steele dossier but nevermind. She was for Russia’s help before she was against it. Mostly Hillary is still shocked that a “showman” and reality television star beat her. So, this time around, she says Republicans will try to win the presidential election with voter suppression and rigging the election.
She continued: ‘Republicans have two prongs to their strategy to try to win. ‘The first is: try to prevent many people who they think won’t vote for them from voting. So, make the lines really long, where young people vote of African Americans vote, or Hispanics vote. ‘Try to make vote by mail as difficult as possible, when in fact that is how Donald Trump votes, and everyone who knows vote by mail understands that.’ She said she works with Democracy Docket to support lawsuits ‘to make the vote available’. Clinton said there remained however ‘real danger’ of an election rigged to lower the turnout, or meddled with from abroad. ‘Look, I want a fair election,’ she said. ‘If people get to vote and they, for whatever reason, vote for Donald Trump, OK, we’ll accept it. Not happily. ‘But I don’t think that’s what will happen, because I think the more people who can actually get to the polls, whether by mail or in person, and get their votes counted, then we are going to have the kind of election we should have. ‘And then it will be a win both in the popular vote and the Electoral College.’
Speaking of the Electoral College, does Hillary Clinton really think the voters in states other than the ones on either coast will vote for Joe Biden if he continues to move farther and farther left to pander to the Sanders supporters? Or AOC and her Green New Deal initiative? How about the everything-will-be-free crowd who expect middle-class taxpayers to pay for their education, student loans, healthcare, and well, everything?
When asking how she spends her days now, during the pandemic, Trevor Noah pointed out that he would be tweeting, “I told you so” all day long. Funny, that is exactly how Hillary spends her days, both before and during the days of the coronavirus. She hasn’t stopped. C’mon, she’s saying this while doing a television interview. Irony escapes both of them.
The true gem in this interview, though, is when she talks about Roger Stone. Asked about Trump commuting Stone’s sentence, Hillary Clinton actually criticizes it as a pardon for someone involved in a cover-up with Trump. (Stone wasn’t pardoned, his sentence was commuted and his conviction remains on his record.) Clinton received no push back from Noah because he’s a Democrat like Hillary and he wasn’t around during the Bill Clinton administration. Bill Clinton pardoned Marc Rich – a billionaire tax cheat whose wife gave a million dollars to the Clinton Foundation – on his last day in office. How about when Bubba pardoned his own brother, Roger, or when he gave a full presidential pardon to Susan McDougal, a business partner of both Clintons, also during his last hours as president?
‘This is an extension to the total disregard for the rule of law. The pardon power is supposed to be used for compassionate purposes. To try to right wrongs, to try to make sure people are not being punished or unfairly, or have been punished enough. ‘In this case, it’s a continuation of the cover-up,’ she said. ‘Because the one thing that Trump is fearful of, when it comes to his being president, is that finally we will see how illegitimate his victory actually was. ‘And how he was involved in the seeking of foreign help and the utilization of it, and how Roger Stone was critical to that. She said that Stone’s commutation was yet one more reason to vote Trump out of office in November, so the full scale of his behavior could be brought to light with a new president in power. ‘But, you know, unless Trump is defeated at the polls in November, we will never really know everything there is to know about this really deep, ongoing dismantling of institutions and undermining the rule of law and the original sin of the way that he actually won the election,’ she said. ‘So Roger Stone was in the middle of it all. And that’s why Trump had to cover it up.’
Poor Hillary. Trump broke her and no amount of walks in the woods are going to fix her.


hotair--2020-07-14--Live results at 8 p.m. ET: Sessionsdammerung

Lachlan Markay did an admirable job explaining the stakes in tonight ’ s Alabama Senate primary runoff .
Alabama ’ s an interesting state .
It ’ s blood red but the Trump “ personality cult ” whiffed twice there in a previous Senate election .
Trump endorsed Luther Strange over Roy Moore in the 2017 primary runoff for Sessions ’ s vacant seat , only to have Alabama Republicans opt for Moore .
Trump then turned around and endorsed Moore in the general election even as Republicans like Mitch McConnell ran away , spooked by the reporting alleging that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grown man .
Alabamians turned around and elected Democrat Doug Jones to the seat .
Tonight is ( probably ) different .
No one who ’ s worked for Trump — not Mattis , not Rex Tillerson , not even chronic critics like Anthony Scaramucci — has been attacked by him as harshly and as frequently as Sessions , and all because of a single decision he made to recuse himself from the Russiagate probe .
That probe ended with Robert Mueller finding no collusion with Russia by the president or his campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more easily discounted by swing voters had it been overseen by a political crony like Sessions .
No matter .
Not only has Trump never forgiven him for his show of ethics , he was still savaging him in hopes of tanking his bid to win back his old Senate seat as recently as 24 hours ago : “ I will tell you , I got to know Jeff Sessions very well , ” Trump said Monday in a conference call with GOP activists which he joined with Tuberville , according to The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I made a mistake when I put him in as the attorney general .
He had his chance and he blew it .
“ He recused himself right at the beginning , just about on day one of a ridiculous scam , the Mueller scam , the Russia , Russia , Russia scam .
And Jeff didn ’ t have the courage to stay there .
He didn ’ t know about Russia .
He had nothing to do , but he immediately ran for the hills .
” Trump told voters that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senator “ is going to have a cold , direct line into my office .
That I can tell you.
” As a consequence , a politician who hasn ’ t had a tough race in his home state in nearly 25 years is on the brink of being humiliated .
Since the 1996 Senate election , when Sessions won his seat by seven points on a night that otherwise favored Democrats nationally , his narrowest victory was a 19-point blowout in 2002 .
He could very well lose by that margin , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ internal poll taken in mid-June had him within six points of the favorite , former Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville , but a public poll published a few days ago ( by , er , Auburn ) had Tuberville up 16 .
Tuberville ’ s run a “ smart ” race in the same way that Biden is running a “ smart ” race , just sitting back and letting a more dangerous , remorseless enemy of his opponent do his political dirty work for him .
In Tuberville ’ s case , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s case , it ’ s COVID-19 .
Trump has been happy to lend Tuberville a hand too , lashing Sessions so regularly that the former AG momentarily regained his spine a few nights ago and hit back — gently : Further to Markay ’ s point , some of the best known populist-nationalists on the American right have pitched in this week to try to boost Sessions ’ s chances .
Tucker Carlson had him on as a guest recently and called him “ one of the very few politicians I do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sessions relentlessly : He was the Senate ’ s staunchest border hawk before Trump turned immigration restrictionism ( in theory ) into GOP orthodoxy .
And yet he ’ s on the verge of being destroyed in his home state and having his political career end ignominiously because of a single decision he felt ethically compelled to make .
Ed thinks he ’ s headed for an unholy rout , something on the order of 25 points or better .
I think it ’ ll be considerably less than that — something more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s declining polling nationally combined with Sessions ’ s universal name recognition in Alabama should earn him a few “ for ol ’ time ’ s sake ” votes at the margin to hold Tuberville ’ s margin of victory down .
There may be some Republicans on the fence who vote strategically for Sessions as well , believing that a candidate who ’ s been vetted as thoroughly as him is a surer bet this fall against Jones than Tuberville , whose vetting in some ways has only just begun .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Alabama had Tuberville ahead of Jones by just three points in a hypothetical race .
The same poll also had him up 22 on Sessions , though .
Gulp .
You can track results in the widget below .
There ’ s less suspense tonight about the outcome than there is about how Sessions will handle an embarrassing defeat .
Will he finally let loose on Trump in his concession speech ?
He ’ s showed flashes of indignation at Trump ’ s criticism of him on Twitter as he ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be cautious about attacking the president for fear of further alienating Trump fans who ’ ll be out voting tonight .
Once the votes are in , there ’ s nothing holding him back from unloading on the president .
His political career will be over , ruined by a man who rewarded him for being the first big-name Republican officeholder to hop on the Trump train in 2016 by driving him out of government .
Let loose , Jeff .
If you can ’ t have a Senate seat , you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your manhood back .

Lachlan Markay did an admirable job explaining the stakes in tonight’s Alabama Senate primary runoff.
https://twitter.com/lachlan/status/1283011450332745730
Alabama’s an interesting state. It’s blood red but the Trump “personality cult” whiffed twice there in a previous Senate election. Trump endorsed Luther Strange over Roy Moore in the 2017 primary runoff for Sessions’s vacant seat, only to have Alabama Republicans opt for Moore. Trump then turned around and endorsed Moore in the general election even as Republicans like Mitch McConnell ran away, spooked by the reporting alleging that Moore had chased teenaged girls as a grown man. Alabamians turned around and elected Democrat Doug Jones to the seat.
Tonight is (probably) different. No one who’s worked for Trump — not Mattis, not Rex Tillerson, not even chronic critics like Anthony Scaramucci — has been attacked by him as harshly and as frequently as Sessions, and all because of a single decision he made to recuse himself from the Russiagate probe. That probe ended with Robert Mueller finding no collusion with Russia by the president or his campaign, an outcome that would have been more easily discounted by swing voters had it been overseen by a political crony like Sessions. No matter. Not only has Trump never forgiven him for his show of ethics, he was still savaging him in hopes of tanking his bid to win back his old Senate seat as recently as 24 hours ago:
“I will tell you, I got to know Jeff Sessions very well,” Trump said Monday in a conference call with GOP activists which he joined with Tuberville, according to The New York Times and AL.com. “I made a mistake when I put him in as the attorney general. He had his chance and he blew it. “He recused himself right at the beginning, just about on day one of a ridiculous scam, the Mueller scam, the Russia, Russia, Russia scam. And Jeff didn’t have the courage to stay there. He didn’t know about Russia. He had nothing to do, but he immediately ran for the hills. ” Trump told voters that if they elect Tuberville, their new senator “is going to have a cold, direct line into my office. That I can tell you.”
As a consequence, a politician who hasn’t had a tough race in his home state in nearly 25 years is on the brink of being humiliated. Since the 1996 Senate election, when Sessions won his seat by seven points on a night that otherwise favored Democrats nationally, his narrowest victory was a 19-point blowout in 2002. He could very well lose by that margin, or worse, this evening. An internal poll taken in mid-June had him within six points of the favorite, former Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville, but a public poll published a few days ago (by, er, Auburn) had Tuberville up 16. Tuberville’s run a “smart” race in the same way that Biden is running a “smart” race, just sitting back and letting a more dangerous, remorseless enemy of his opponent do his political dirty work for him. In Tuberville’s case, that enemy is Trump; in Biden’s case, it’s COVID-19.
Trump has been happy to lend Tuberville a hand too, lashing Sessions so regularly that the former AG momentarily regained his spine a few nights ago and hit back — gently:
I’ve taken the road less travelled. Not sought fame or fortune. My honor and integrity are far more important than these juvenile insults. Your scandal ridden candidate is too cowardly to debate. As you know, Alabama does not take orders from Washington. https://t.co/1I6ROih43E — Jeff Sessions (@jeffsessions) July 11, 2020
Further to Markay’s point, some of the best known populist-nationalists on the American right have pitched in this week to try to boost Sessions’s chances. Tucker Carlson had him on as a guest recently and called him “one of the very few politicians I do respect.” Ann Coulter has also promoted Sessions relentlessly:
Whenever Republicans need our votes, they’re bellicose opponents of mass immigration. Then they get elected and dedicate themselves to importing millions more low-wage immigrant workers. TRUST ONLY SEN. SESSIONS, ALABAMA!#VoteSessions — Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) July 14, 2020
President Trump is not very good at picking the people he needs to help him: John Bolton, Anthony Scaramucci, Jim Mattis, Michael Cohen, Omarosa Manigault … Help him out, Alabama, and VOTE FOR THE TRUE MAGA CANDIDATE, JEFF SESSIONS!#VoteSessions #Alabama — Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) July 14, 2020
He was the Senate’s staunchest border hawk before Trump turned immigration restrictionism (in theory) into GOP orthodoxy. And yet he’s on the verge of being destroyed in his home state and having his political career end ignominiously because of a single decision he felt ethically compelled to make.
Ed thinks he’s headed for an unholy rout, something on the order of 25 points or better. I think it’ll be considerably less than that — something more in the neighborhood of 10-12. Trump’s declining polling nationally combined with Sessions’s universal name recognition in Alabama should earn him a few “for ol’ time’s sake” votes at the margin to hold Tuberville’s margin of victory down. There may be some Republicans on the fence who vote strategically for Sessions as well, believing that a candidate who’s been vetted as thoroughly as him is a surer bet this fall against Jones than Tuberville, whose vetting in some ways has only just begun. A poll taken a few weeks ago in Alabama had Tuberville ahead of Jones by just three points in a hypothetical race.
The same poll also had him up 22 on Sessions, though. Gulp.
You can track results in the widget below. There’s less suspense tonight about the outcome than there is about how Sessions will handle an embarrassing defeat. Will he finally let loose on Trump in his concession speech? He’s showed flashes of indignation at Trump’s criticism of him on Twitter as he’s fallen far behind Tuberville but he had to be cautious about attacking the president for fear of further alienating Trump fans who’ll be out voting tonight. Once the votes are in, there’s nothing holding him back from unloading on the president. His political career will be over, ruined by a man who rewarded him for being the first big-name Republican officeholder to hop on the Trump train in 2016 by driving him out of government. Let loose, Jeff. If you can’t have a Senate seat, you can at least get a little of your manhood back.


hotair--2020-07-14--Justice Ginsburg hospitalized with possible infection

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is back in the hospital after having a fever and chills last night .
The Supreme Court released a brief statement : In a statement Tuesday afternoon , the court said Ginsburg had been experiencing fever and chills on Monday , so she was initially taken to Sibley Memorial Hospital in the District that night .
On Tuesday afternoon , she was given an endoscopic procedure “ to clean out a bile duct stent that was placed last August , ” the court said .
Ginsburg will stay in the hospital to receive intravenious antibiotics , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was “ resting comfortably.
” The hospital doesn ’ t seem like a great place for any 87-year-old to be in the midst of a pandemic .
Obviously antiobiotics can ’ t protect you from a virus .
Under the circumstances , I imagine she ’ s being given very careful treatment .
The backstory to the procedure that took place today is that Ginsburg had a stent placed in her gallbladder a few months ago : When the justices heard oral arguments by telephone in May due to the coronavirus pandemic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still recovering from a benign gallbladder condition .
The phone connection was glitchy as Ginsburg began her questioning , and her voice sounded weaker than normal at times .
But she hit her stride later in the argument asking questions that sometimes were more like comments .
Ginsberg , 87 , missed oral arguments for the first time in January 2019 , while recovering from surgery after two cancerous nodules were removed from her left lung the previous month .
At the time , she participated in the cases by reading transcripts .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in November 2018 for three ribs she fractured during a fall in her office .
And in August 2019 , she was treated for pancreatic cancer .
I ’ m glad she ’ s okay for her sake and also because I can ’ t imagine what would happen to this country if she were to resign her seat on the court because of illness right now .
Filling Ginsburg ’ s slot on the court in the waning months of Trump ’ s term would make the Kavanaugh confirmation look like a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crazy last time ?
That would be nothing compared to what awaited us all .
Even the thought of it has many progressives breaking into a cold sweat : President Trump was asked for his response to her hospitalization and said he wished her “ the absolute best .
”

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is back in the hospital after having a fever and chills last night. The Supreme Court released a brief statement:
In a statement Tuesday afternoon, the court said Ginsburg had been experiencing fever and chills on Monday, so she was initially taken to Sibley Memorial Hospital in the District that night. On Tuesday afternoon, she was given an endoscopic procedure “to clean out a bile duct stent that was placed last August,” the court said. Ginsburg will stay in the hospital to receive intravenious antibiotics, the court said, adding that she was “resting comfortably.”
The hospital doesn’t seem like a great place for any 87-year-old to be in the midst of a pandemic. Obviously antiobiotics can’t protect you from a virus. Under the circumstances, I imagine she’s being given very careful treatment. The backstory to the procedure that took place today is that Ginsburg had a stent placed in her gallbladder a few months ago:
When the justices heard oral arguments by telephone in May due to the coronavirus pandemic, Ginsburg participated from her hospital room while still recovering from a benign gallbladder condition. The phone connection was glitchy as Ginsburg began her questioning, and her voice sounded weaker than normal at times. But she hit her stride later in the argument asking questions that sometimes were more like comments. Ginsberg, 87, missed oral arguments for the first time in January 2019, while recovering from surgery after two cancerous nodules were removed from her left lung the previous month. At the time, she participated in the cases by reading transcripts. The liberal justice had already received treatment in November 2018 for three ribs she fractured during a fall in her office. And in August 2019, she was treated for pancreatic cancer.
I’m glad she’s okay for her sake and also because I can’t imagine what would happen to this country if she were to resign her seat on the court because of illness right now. Filling Ginsburg’s slot on the court in the waning months of Trump’s term would make the Kavanaugh confirmation look like a warm-up act. You think progressives got crazy last time? That would be nothing compared to what awaited us all. Even the thought of it has many progressives breaking into a cold sweat:
Dear @Twitter: Please, for the love of all that is good, include some kind of label like "alive and safe" when Justice Ginsburg trends. I'm not kidding. It's too much stress. — Charlotte Clymer 🏳🌈 (@cmclymer) July 14, 2020
Prayers Up for our beloved Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Warm healing wishes #NotoriousRBG! pic.twitter.com/iQczE6SYlu — Christine Pelosi (@sfpelosi) July 14, 2020
God please protect Ruth Bader Ginsburg — Meena Harris (@meenaharris) July 14, 2020
President Trump was asked for his response to her hospitalization and said he wished her “the absolute best.”
NEW: “I wish her the best, I hope she’s better,” President Trump says when asked about Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s hospitalization. https://t.co/zpZF6zgKU7 pic.twitter.com/65E8U2m9sN — ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) July 14, 2020
Finally, here’s a brief report from CBS Evening News.


hotair--2020-07-14--Time op-ed: Forget statues. We need to start renaming the whole map

Maybe it ’ s just me , but it almost seems like there ’ s a contest going on among the progressive faithful to see who can go the furthest and the fastest when it comes to erasing history .
The beginners ( or simply the lazy ) stick to pulling down statues of Confederate soldiers or possibly Columbus .
The more creative ones pick out paintings or statues of the Founding Fathers or other random slave-owners from the 16th through 18th centuries who went on to achieve some level of fame .
Special award status goes to the cretins @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Virgin Mary .
But let ’ s keep in mind that those are all statues and paintings and such .
You and a few of your friends can grab some ropes and boxcutters , knock back a couple of bottles of Mad Dog 20-20 , tear something down and call it a good day ’ s work done .
It takes a bit more concerted effort to convince a college to rename an entire hall or wing that commemorates some sinner from the past .
But even then , you ’ re really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the most part .
Those people are all pikers compared to Caleb Gayle .
He ’ s zooming past all of those partial measures in a recent op-ed for Time Magazine .
Caleb won ’ t be satisfied with the random memorial here and there .
He ’ s got his eyes set on bigger game .
He ’ s unrolling the map of the United States and calling out all of the states , towns , rivers , forests or anything else that was named after something or someone from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the repression of African slaves , Native Americans or anyone else who isn ’ t a straight , cisgender white Christian of European descent .
He begins his tale with his upbringing near a town called Bixby , Oklahoma .
It was apparently named after a man named Tams Bixby who was involved in unfair land allocation ( and confiscation ) policies when native Americans were being moved west into that region .
So that name needs to go .
But as he reminds his readers , we shouldn ’ t be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bixby had become so common in my area that we didn ’ t think about where it came from .
That ’ s why we tear down , rename and rethink .
We do it to tell the whole story , not just the parts that make us feel good .
Perhaps we need to do this not just for statues and monuments and schools and sports teams but for cities and counties too .
Perhaps we should begin again with the full weight of history upon which we stand .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In Oklahoma , Jackson County is named for Confederate General Stonewall Jackson , while Roger Mills County is named for Roger Q .
Mills , a U.S. senator who served in the Confederate Army and had ties to the Ku Klux Klan .
I ’ ve driven through both of them without even thinking about the origins of their names .
Likewise , Stephens County , Texas , was named after Alexander Stephens , the Vice President of the Confederate States , and his boss , Jefferson Davis , has counties named @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well as a parish in Louisiana .
People who marginalized and oppressed didn ’ t just affect those who lived at the time–Bixby ’ s actions , along with so many others ’ , caused the Creek Nation to lose the jurisdictional power they just , in part , won back–and the places that bear their names should no longer remain without scrutiny .
There you have it .
A fair bit of inspection should reveal the sins of the past , whether the people living there today have ever owned slaves , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even uttered a harsh word to or about them .
So we need to “ tear down , rename and rethink.
” With enough effort , some might be led to believe that none of the darker bits of the past ever happened .
But I ’ ll just point out here that Mr. Gayle has a very big job ahead of him that goes far past just Bixby , Oklahoma , and a few counties in Oklahoma and Texas .
I happened to grow up in upstate New York .
And yes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that belonged to Indigenous tribes before the white men arrived with their sacks of trinkets and clever trading schemes .
I lived in Schuyler Township , which was named after General Philip John Schuyler , a hero of the Revolutionary War , a member of the Continental Congress , a state senator , and a member of the first Congress .
And yes , he was also a slave owner .
I can look at the map near my home stomping grounds and find all sorts of names .
Many of them were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there first .
Many others , like Schuyler , are named after the colonists who settled the lands .
The fact is , that cities , townships , and counties all around the country ( though somewhat less on the west coast ) have old names .
There aren ’ t all that many new settlements of American people who live in places that were established after the civil rights era .
Most of those place names date back centuries in many cases , though the structures have evolved over time .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a moment and explain why that ’ s important to this discussion .
Remember when I listed all of the accomplishments of Philip John Schuyler ?
Full disclosure : other than recalling that he was a general in the Revolution , I couldn ’ t have told you a damn thing about him without going back and looking it all up on Google .
And I can assure you that ’ s the same for the vast majority of people .
Even Mr. Gayle admits that he knew nothing at all about Tams @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
With that in mind , I would like all of these tear-down proponents to answer me one question .
How much are we really “ honoring ” the long-dead people who most of these places are named after unless they went on to have immortal fame like the actual founding fathers ?
Does the author think there ’ s some secret society of white people walking around Schuyler Township and flashing hidden “ Okay ” Q-Anon hand signals about Philip Schuyler and smugly whispering , “ Hey… Schuyler .
Amirite ?
Quite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these rubes have NO IDEA we ’ re toasting his evil racism !
HA HA HA HA !
” Please , spare me the indignation .
These are just the names that places have , the meaning behind much of which is only available to hard-core history lovers and librarians .
Yes , they reflect the experiences of all of our ancestors , but they aren ’ t symbols of oppression propping up the straight white patriarchy of the 21st century .
And if you want to rename 70 % of the entire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scrap the entire project .
Maybe we can all go live in Antarctica .
That ’ s probably the only land that wasn ’ t stolen from somebody at some point and the only place where slavery wasn ’ t practiced .

Maybe it’s just me, but it almost seems like there’s a contest going on among the progressive faithful to see who can go the furthest and the fastest when it comes to erasing history. The beginners (or simply the lazy) stick to pulling down statues of Confederate soldiers or possibly Columbus. The more creative ones pick out paintings or statues of the Founding Fathers or other random slave-owners from the 16th through 18th centuries who went on to achieve some level of fame. Special award status goes to the cretins who are trying to cancel the Blessed Virgin Mary.
But let’s keep in mind that those are all statues and paintings and such. You and a few of your friends can grab some ropes and boxcutters, knock back a couple of bottles of Mad Dog 20-20, tear something down and call it a good day’s work done. It takes a bit more concerted effort to convince a college to rename an entire hall or wing that commemorates some sinner from the past. But even then, you’re really just dealing with a single school board for the most part. Those people are all pikers compared to Caleb Gayle. He’s zooming past all of those partial measures in a recent op-ed for Time Magazine.
Caleb won’t be satisfied with the random memorial here and there. He’s got his eyes set on bigger game. He’s unrolling the map of the United States and calling out all of the states, towns, rivers, forests or anything else that was named after something or someone from the distant past who might have been involved with the repression of African slaves, Native Americans or anyone else who isn’t a straight, cisgender white Christian of European descent. He begins his tale with his upbringing near a town called Bixby, Oklahoma. It was apparently named after a man named Tams Bixby who was involved in unfair land allocation (and confiscation) policies when native Americans were being moved west into that region. So that name needs to go. But as he reminds his readers, we shouldn’t be stopping there, either.
The name Bixby had become so common in my area that we didn’t think about where it came from. That’s why we tear down, rename and rethink. We do it to tell the whole story, not just the parts that make us feel good. Perhaps we need to do this not just for statues and monuments and schools and sports teams but for cities and counties too. Perhaps we should begin again with the full weight of history upon which we stand. It’s not just Bixby, of course. In Oklahoma, Jackson County is named for Confederate General Stonewall Jackson, while Roger Mills County is named for Roger Q. Mills, a U.S. senator who served in the Confederate Army and had ties to the Ku Klux Klan. I’ve driven through both of them without even thinking about the origins of their names. Likewise, Stephens County, Texas, was named after Alexander Stephens, the Vice President of the Confederate States, and his boss, Jefferson Davis, has counties named in Texas, Georgia and Mississippi as well as a parish in Louisiana. People who marginalized and oppressed didn’t just affect those who lived at the time–Bixby’s actions, along with so many others’, caused the Creek Nation to lose the jurisdictional power they just, in part, won back–and the places that bear their names should no longer remain without scrutiny.
There you have it. A fair bit of inspection should reveal the sins of the past, whether the people living there today have ever owned slaves, stolen land from Indigenous Peoples, or even uttered a harsh word to or about them. So we need to “tear down, rename and rethink.” With enough effort, some might be led to believe that none of the darker bits of the past ever happened.
But I’ll just point out here that Mr. Gayle has a very big job ahead of him that goes far past just Bixby, Oklahoma, and a few counties in Oklahoma and Texas. I happened to grow up in upstate New York. And yes, that’s yet another area that belonged to Indigenous tribes before the white men arrived with their sacks of trinkets and clever trading schemes. I lived in Schuyler Township, which was named after General Philip John Schuyler, a hero of the Revolutionary War, a member of the Continental Congress, a state senator, and a member of the first Congress. And yes, he was also a slave owner.
I can look at the map near my home stomping grounds and find all sorts of names. Many of them were inherited from the Native Americans who lived there first. Many others, like Schuyler, are named after the colonists who settled the lands. The fact is, that cities, townships, and counties all around the country (though somewhat less on the west coast) have old names. There aren’t all that many new settlements of American people who live in places that were established after the civil rights era. Most of those place names date back centuries in many cases, though the structures have evolved over time.
But let me get back to Schuyler for a moment and explain why that’s important to this discussion. Remember when I listed all of the accomplishments of Philip John Schuyler? Full disclosure: other than recalling that he was a general in the Revolution, I couldn’t have told you a damn thing about him without going back and looking it all up on Google. And I can assure you that’s the same for the vast majority of people. Even Mr. Gayle admits that he knew nothing at all about Tams Bixby until he began researching a book.
With that in mind, I would like all of these tear-down proponents to answer me one question. How much are we really “honoring” the long-dead people who most of these places are named after unless they went on to have immortal fame like the actual founding fathers? Does the author think there’s some secret society of white people walking around Schuyler Township and flashing hidden “Okay” Q-Anon hand signals about Philip Schuyler and smugly whispering, “Hey… Schuyler. Amirite? Quite the slave owner, eh? And these rubes have NO IDEA we’re toasting his evil racism! HA HA HA HA!”
Please, spare me the indignation. These are just the names that places have, the meaning behind much of which is only available to hard-core history lovers and librarians. Yes, they reflect the experiences of all of our ancestors, but they aren’t symbols of oppression propping up the straight white patriarchy of the 21st century. And if you want to rename 70% of the entire country, you may as well just scrap the entire project. Maybe we can all go live in Antarctica. That’s probably the only land that wasn’t stolen from somebody at some point and the only place where slavery wasn’t practiced.


hotair--2020-07-14--Should Biden give up on Texas?

Should Biden give up on Texas?

That ’ s a burning question on the occasion of him dropping half a million bucks or thereabouts to run a new TV ad in the Lone Star state .
He ’ d have to be a sucker to waste money on Texas this year when there are so many more promising targets on the map , argues Sarah Longwell .
I think that ’ s right and I suspect Team Biden agrees .
The new ad buy is probably more of a “ psy op ” aimed at encouraging the media narrative that Biden has Trump on the run @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the beginning of an earnest play to win the state .
Longwell : We went through this exercise with Beto O ’ Rourke and the Senate race in 2018 .
Beto out-raised Ted Cruz an unthinkable $ 70 million to $ 33 million and Cruz still won by more than 2 percentage points .
And it ’ s not like Cruz is popular in the state .
Cruz ’ s approval rating in June of 2018 was a dismal 39 percent… Looking at total fundraising for the campaigns and the largest outside groups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden had raised $ 491 million to Trump ’ s $ 726 million .
Biden is sitting with the small stack , which means that he needs to play his hand accordingly .
There ’ s no reason for him to push that many chips into the center of the table to take a run at a state that Trump won by 9 points and where a Democrat presidential candidate hasn ’ t won since 1976 .
If Biden had a $ 250 million advantage on Trump instead of vice versa then , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ windfall on Texas to try to expand the map .
A poll out this past weekend showed him leading by five in the state , an almost unthinkable development at the start of the year .
It ’ s certainly competitive , and there are enough electoral votes at stake there — 38 — that it could singlehandedly hand Biden the election .
Really !
Give him all the Hillary states from 2016 plus Texas and it ’ s 270-268 for Sleepy Joe .
Hard to resist a prize like that , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reason .
As Longwell says , there are plenty of bluer states that went for Trump four years ago that are ripe for the plucking and every dollar spent on Texas is a dollar that can ’ t be spent elsewhere .
Although the poll that had him up five in TX was encouraging for Democrats , it was also an outlier .
No other survey taken there since February has had Biden ahead by more than a point .
Contrast that with Arizona , where he leads by an average of 2.8 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s 3.3. points ; or , most importantly , Florida , where it ’ s 6.0 .
Florida ’ s an attractive target for Dems because Biden has overperformed with senior citizens in polls and because it may be primed for a backlash to Trump given the scale of its recent outbreak .
But it ’ s also expensive to compete there because of the pricey media markets .
Forced to choose between spending in Florida and Texas — and he is , essentially , forced to choose — why would Biden choose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s another reason why a reddish-purple state is a worse bet for him than a true purple one .
As he ’ s come around towards embracing some ideas championed by the left , views of Biden ’ s politics have begun to shift left too : He ’ s now just about as far from the “ ideal candidate ” ideologically as Trump is .
Still , it ’ s worth spending something in Texas just to remind voters there occasionally that they have his attention , even if they don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Here ’ s the generic version of the ad he ’ s planning to run there ; according to CNN , it ’ ll be tweaked with a customized line about how the virus may be tough but Texas is tougher .
Watch , then read on .
A COVID-themed ad is wise , and not just for the obvious reasons that it ’ s the top subject of voter interest right now and an issue on which there ’ s destined to be less partisan and ideological disagreement between left and right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a sound way for a Democrat to introduce himself to mostly Republican Texas voters .
It ’ s also smart because there ’ s a backlash in progress against Republican governors over coronavirus .
Doug Ducey is seeing it most dramatically in the hot-spot state of Arizona… …but it ’ s actually true across the board , according to Gallup : The numbers for Democratic governors , by comparison , were stable since early June .
I think that may end up accounting for most of Biden ’ s “ strategy ” towards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carolina , red states that won ’ t be at risk of turning blue unless he ’ s already romping across the rest of the country towards an easy victory .
He may run ads there from time to time exclusively about coronavirus in order to communicate empathy and to try to leverage Americans ’ existing frustration with federal and state governments about the state of the pandemic .
Call it the “ Message : I care ” ad offensive .
Just a little something now and then to say , “ Boy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , huh ?
What a disaster .
Wouldn ’ t you rather have someone competent in charge ?
” That ’ s probably not enough to win him a red state but it might be enough to make it close .
And if it ’ s close in Texas , it probably won ’ t be all that close in Florida .

That’s a burning question on the occasion of him dropping half a million bucks or thereabouts to run a new TV ad in the Lone Star state. He’d have to be a sucker to waste money on Texas this year when there are so many more promising targets on the map, argues Sarah Longwell. I think that’s right and I suspect Team Biden agrees. The new ad buy is probably more of a “psy op” aimed at encouraging the media narrative that Biden has Trump on the run even in red states than it is the beginning of an earnest play to win the state. Longwell:
We went through this exercise with Beto O’Rourke and the Senate race in 2018. Beto out-raised Ted Cruz an unthinkable $70 million to $33 million and Cruz still won by more than 2 percentage points. And it’s not like Cruz is popular in the state. Cruz’s approval rating in June of 2018 was a dismal 39 percent… Looking at total fundraising for the campaigns and the largest outside groups, Politifact reported on July 8 that Biden had raised $491 million to Trump’s $726 million. Biden is sitting with the small stack, which means that he needs to play his hand accordingly. There’s no reason for him to push that many chips into the center of the table to take a run at a state that Trump won by 9 points and where a Democrat presidential candidate hasn’t won since 1976. That’s just a bad bet, pure and simple.
If Biden had a $250 million advantage on Trump instead of vice versa then, sure, spend a little of that windfall on Texas to try to expand the map. A poll out this past weekend showed him leading by five in the state, an almost unthinkable development at the start of the year. It’s certainly competitive, and there are enough electoral votes at stake there — 38 — that it could singlehandedly hand Biden the election. Really! Give him all the Hillary states from 2016 plus Texas and it’s 270-268 for Sleepy Joe.
Hard to resist a prize like that, but he should resist it for a simple reason. As Longwell says, there are plenty of bluer states that went for Trump four years ago that are ripe for the plucking and every dollar spent on Texas is a dollar that can’t be spent elsewhere. Although the poll that had him up five in TX was encouraging for Democrats, it was also an outlier. No other survey taken there since February has had Biden ahead by more than a point. Contrast that with Arizona, where he leads by an average of 2.8; North Carolina, where it’s 3.3. points; or, most importantly, Florida, where it’s 6.0.
Florida’s an attractive target for Dems because Biden has overperformed with senior citizens in polls and because it may be primed for a backlash to Trump given the scale of its recent outbreak. But it’s also expensive to compete there because of the pricey media markets. Forced to choose between spending in Florida and Texas — and he is, essentially, forced to choose — why would Biden choose the latter over the former?
Here’s another reason why a reddish-purple state is a worse bet for him than a true purple one. As he’s come around towards embracing some ideas championed by the left, views of Biden’s politics have begun to shift left too:
He’s now just about as far from the “ideal candidate” ideologically as Trump is.
Still, it’s worth spending something in Texas just to remind voters there occasionally that they have his attention, even if they don’t have much of it. Here’s the generic version of the ad he’s planning to run there; according to CNN, it’ll be tweaked with a customized line about how the virus may be tough but Texas is tougher. Watch, then read on.
A COVID-themed ad is wise, and not just for the obvious reasons that it’s the top subject of voter interest right now and an issue on which there’s destined to be less partisan and ideological disagreement between left and right than there usually is, which is a sound way for a Democrat to introduce himself to mostly Republican Texas voters. It’s also smart because there’s a backlash in progress against Republican governors over coronavirus. Doug Ducey is seeing it most dramatically in the hot-spot state of Arizona…
#AZPOP #POLL: Approval of Governor Ducey's handling of the #Coronavirus (change since June) Strongly Approve: 7% (-12)
SW Approve: 28% (-12)
SW Disapprove: 26% (+3)
Strongly Disapprove: 37% (+23)
Unsure/No Opinion 2% (-1) MoE +/-4.0% Read more here https://t.co/K81CC0zWxX — OHPI (@OHPredictive) July 13, 2020
…but it’s actually true across the board, according to Gallup:
The numbers for Democratic governors, by comparison, were stable since early June.
I think that may end up accounting for most of Biden’s “strategy” towards high-hanging electoral fruit like Texas and South Carolina, red states that won’t be at risk of turning blue unless he’s already romping across the rest of the country towards an easy victory. He may run ads there from time to time exclusively about coronavirus in order to communicate empathy and to try to leverage Americans’ existing frustration with federal and state governments about the state of the pandemic. Call it the “Message: I care” ad offensive. Just a little something now and then to say, “Boy, this virus is out of control, huh? What a disaster. Wouldn’t you rather have someone competent in charge?” That’s probably not enough to win him a red state but it might be enough to make it close. And if it’s close in Texas, it probably won’t be all that close in Florida.


hotair--2020-07-14--US Navy destroyer performs freedom-of-navigation operation in South China Sea

Monday the U.S. State Department rejected China ’ s territorial claims in the South China Sea saying the PRC had no rights to any territory beyond 12-nautical mile territorial limit .
Here ’ s a portion of Sec .
Pompeo ’ s press statement : As Beijing has failed to put forth a lawful , coherent maritime claim in the South China Sea , the United States rejects any PRC claim to waters beyond a 12-nautical mile territorial sea derived from islands it claims in the Spratly Islands ( without prejudice to other states ’ sovereignty claims over such islands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States rejects any PRC maritime claim in the waters surrounding Vanguard Bank ( off Vietnam ) , Luconia Shoals ( off Malaysia ) , waters in Brunei ’ s EEZ , and Natuna Besar ( off Indonesia ) .
Any PRC action to harass other states ’ fishing or hydrocarbon development in these waters – or to carry out such activities unilaterally – is unlawful… The world will not allow Beijing to treat the South China Sea as its maritime empire .
America stands with our Southeast Asian allies and partners in protecting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consistent with their rights and obligations under international law .
We stand with the international community in defense of freedom of the seas and respect for sovereignty and reject any push to impose “ might makes right ” in the South China Sea or the wider region .
Today a U.S. Navy destroyer put those words into action by conducting a freedom-of-navigation operation in the South China Sea .
A day after the White House announced it would reject nearly all of China ’ s maritime claims in the South China Sea , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the contested waters Tuesday , according to U.S. 7th Fleet officials .
The guided-missile destroyer navigated near the Spratly Islands , a network of islands and man-made atolls created by Beijing in recent years and militarily fortified to bolster China ’ s claims that such territory is theirs , not international waters .
There are satellite photos of the Spratly Islands , many of which have been heavily modified by China including the addition of weapons and runways for aircraft .
Earlier this month two U.S. carrier strike groups operated in the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of anti-carrier missiles and said these carriers groups were only allowed to operate “ at the pleasure ” of the Chinese army : Here was the Navy ’ s response : After the announcement from Sec .
Pompeo yesterday , China accused the U.S. of “ inciting confrontation.
” “ The United States is not a country directly involved in the disputes .
However , it has kept interfering in the issue , ” the Chinese Embassy in Washington said on its website .
“ Under the pretext of preserving stability , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and inciting confrontation in the region.
” China has been trying to expand its territory in the South China Sea , along the border with India and effectively in its control over Hong Kong .
It ’ s a good thing that people around the world are standing up to these efforts .
Here ’ s a Reuters report which gives a good background on the dispute .
Update : Some additional background from Vox showing how China built these islands .
( Note this clip was published in 2017 . )

Monday the U.S. State Department rejected China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea saying the PRC had no rights to any territory beyond 12-nautical mile territorial limit. Here’s a portion of Sec. Pompeo’s press statement:
As Beijing has failed to put forth a lawful, coherent maritime claim in the South China Sea, the United States rejects any PRC claim to waters beyond a 12-nautical mile territorial sea derived from islands it claims in the Spratly Islands (without prejudice to other states’ sovereignty claims over such islands). As such, the United States rejects any PRC maritime claim in the waters surrounding Vanguard Bank (off Vietnam), Luconia Shoals (off Malaysia), waters in Brunei’s EEZ, and Natuna Besar (off Indonesia). Any PRC action to harass other states’ fishing or hydrocarbon development in these waters – or to carry out such activities unilaterally – is unlawful… The world will not allow Beijing to treat the South China Sea as its maritime empire. America stands with our Southeast Asian allies and partners in protecting their sovereign rights to offshore resources, consistent with their rights and obligations under international law. We stand with the international community in defense of freedom of the seas and respect for sovereignty and reject any push to impose “might makes right” in the South China Sea or the wider region.
Today a U.S. Navy destroyer put those words into action by conducting a freedom-of-navigation operation in the South China Sea.
A day after the White House announced it would reject nearly all of China’s maritime claims in the South China Sea, the U.S. warship Ralph Johnson steamed through the contested waters Tuesday, according to U.S. 7th Fleet officials. The guided-missile destroyer navigated near the Spratly Islands, a network of islands and man-made atolls created by Beijing in recent years and militarily fortified to bolster China’s claims that such territory is theirs, not international waters.
There are satellite photos of the Spratly Islands, many of which have been heavily modified by China including the addition of weapons and runways for aircraft.
Earlier this month two U.S. carrier strike groups operated in the same region. Chinese state media published photos of anti-carrier missiles and said these carriers groups were only allowed to operate “at the pleasure” of the Chinese army:
China has a wide selection of anti-aircraft carrier weapons like DF-21D and DF-26 "aircraft carrier killer" #missiles. South China Sea is fully within grasp of the #PLA; any US #aircraftcarrier movement in the region is at the pleasure of PLA: analysts. https://t.co/X5L0foka6Q pic.twitter.com/rEPjp9gqAZ — Global Times (@globaltimesnews) July 4, 2020
Here was the Navy’s response:
And yet, there they are. Two @USNavy aircraft carriers operating in the international waters of the South China Sea. #USSNimitz & #USSRonaldReagan are not intimidated #AtOurDiscretion https://t.co/QGTggRjOul — Navy Chief of Information (@chinfo) July 5, 2020
After the announcement from Sec. Pompeo yesterday, China accused the U.S. of “inciting confrontation.”
“The United States is not a country directly involved in the disputes. However, it has kept interfering in the issue,” the Chinese Embassy in Washington said on its website. “Under the pretext of preserving stability, it is flexing muscles, stirring up tension and inciting confrontation in the region.”
China has been trying to expand its territory in the South China Sea, along the border with India and effectively in its control over Hong Kong. It’s a good thing that people around the world are standing up to these efforts. Here’s a Reuters report which gives a good background on the dispute.
Update: Some additional background from Vox showing how China built these islands. (Note this clip was published in 2017.)


hotair--2020-07-14--Baltimore's incoming mayor already getting off to a bad start on corruption reform

When the city of Baltimore finally finished counting all of their ballots and dealing with a variety of dubious-looking “ computer glitches ” during Maryland ’ s recent primary election , City Council President Brandon Scott was declared the Democratic nominee to be the next Mayor of Charm City .
At the time , I wrote that Baltimore had dodged a bullet because Scott only narrowly defeated disgraced former mayor Sheila Dixon .
( She left office after her first election only reluctantly , because she ’ d been convicted of embezzlement . )
Scott isn ’ t technically on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yet because there ’ s still a general election to be held .
But that ’ s not likely to slow him down even if all thirteen of the Republicans in the city turn out to vote for their candidate .
( That ’ s an exaggeration , but only slightly .
Baltimore is more than 85 % registered Democrats . )
There were a number of reasons to vote for Scott as I saw it .
He ’ s young and not part of the old guard of corrupt party leaders who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ piggy bank for decades on end .
He also took a very tough stance on the deadly crime rates that are tearing the city apart , vowing to keep his citizens safe , or at least safer .
But more than anything else , he put forward a detailed plan for how to make the offices of Baltimore ’ s elected officials less susceptible to corruption , add more transparency and clean up a very dirty political dynasty .
Sadly , we ’ re still months away from the general election and at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is already starting to walk some of his anti-corruption reforms back .
( Baltimore Sun ) When it comes to decisions on the city government ’ s purchases and contracts in Baltimore , historically the mayor gets what he wants .
Democratic City Council President Brandon Scott was on track to try to change that , but he has pulled the proposal for now , citing complications in reconfiguring Baltimore ’ s spending panel .
While Scott vows he will push changes to the Board of Estimates before the end of year , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be able to weigh in .
Any proposed charter amendments need to be finalized in less than a month to make it on November ’ s general election ballot for a referendum .
The City Council is considering a number of proposals to restructure government that would go to voters for their approval in November .
To borrow a phrase from far too many common memes , this is a big effing deal .
One of the chief reforms that Scott was supposedly going to push through was a series of changes to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mayor .
Under current city charter rules , all spending decisions are approved by the Board of Estimates .
The Mayor is one member , but two of the other four members hold positions that are appointed by the Mayor and , as the Baltimore Sun rather bluntly puts it , “ they vote accordingly.
” This is particularly important because , as many regular readers likely recall , interim Mayor Jack Young ’ s predecessor , Catherine Pugh , made all sorts of “ interesting ” spending decisions , particularly when it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worth of her “ Healthy Holly ” children ’ s books , shady real estate deals and who knows what all else .
The Mayor basically has the final say in where most of the discretionary spending goes .
( Ms. Pugh is currently cooling her heels in a federal penitentiary . )
But now Scott is saying that there isn ’ t sufficient time to study the plan ?
The City Council can ’ t change the charter on its own .
Any changes must be approved to go on the general @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deadline for that is next month .
Then , even if the voters approve the changes , there are more delays before they go into effect .
So if Scott drags his feet , he ’ ll have at least a full year of being positioned to do things the way they ’ ve always been done down at Baltimore City Hall , with all the temptations that come along with the position today .
That ’ s not to say that he might not still come through with the reforms he promised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But to put it mildly , this isn ’ t a very good look for him before he ’ s even officially the Mayor-Elect .

When the city of Baltimore finally finished counting all of their ballots and dealing with a variety of dubious-looking “computer glitches” during Maryland’s recent primary election, City Council President Brandon Scott was declared the Democratic nominee to be the next Mayor of Charm City. At the time, I wrote that Baltimore had dodged a bullet because Scott only narrowly defeated disgraced former mayor Sheila Dixon. (She left office after her first election only reluctantly, because she’d been convicted of embezzlement.) Scott isn’t technically on his way to being the next mayor yet because there’s still a general election to be held. But that’s not likely to slow him down even if all thirteen of the Republicans in the city turn out to vote for their candidate. (That’s an exaggeration, but only slightly. Baltimore is more than 85% registered Democrats.)
There were a number of reasons to vote for Scott as I saw it. He’s young and not part of the old guard of corrupt party leaders who have been robbing the city’s piggy bank for decades on end. He also took a very tough stance on the deadly crime rates that are tearing the city apart, vowing to keep his citizens safe, or at least safer. But more than anything else, he put forward a detailed plan for how to make the offices of Baltimore’s elected officials less susceptible to corruption, add more transparency and clean up a very dirty political dynasty. Sadly, we’re still months away from the general election and at least on that latter goal, Scott is already starting to walk some of his anti-corruption reforms back. (Baltimore Sun)
When it comes to decisions on the city government’s purchases and contracts in Baltimore, historically the mayor gets what he wants. Democratic City Council President Brandon Scott was on track to try to change that, but he has pulled the proposal for now, citing complications in reconfiguring Baltimore’s spending panel. While Scott vows he will push changes to the Board of Estimates before the end of year, it is unclear how soon voters may be able to weigh in. Any proposed charter amendments need to be finalized in less than a month to make it on November’s general election ballot for a referendum. The City Council is considering a number of proposals to restructure government that would go to voters for their approval in November.
To borrow a phrase from far too many common memes, this is a big effing deal. One of the chief reforms that Scott was supposedly going to push through was a series of changes to the purchasing and spending power of the Mayor. Under current city charter rules, all spending decisions are approved by the Board of Estimates. The Mayor is one member, but two of the other four members hold positions that are appointed by the Mayor and, as the Baltimore Sun rather bluntly puts it, “they vote accordingly.”
This is particularly important because, as many regular readers likely recall, interim Mayor Jack Young’s predecessor, Catherine Pugh, made all sorts of “interesting” spending decisions, particularly when it came to hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of her “Healthy Holly” children’s books, shady real estate deals and who knows what all else. The Mayor basically has the final say in where most of the discretionary spending goes. (Ms. Pugh is currently cooling her heels in a federal penitentiary.)
But now Scott is saying that there isn’t sufficient time to study the plan? The City Council can’t change the charter on its own. Any changes must be approved to go on the general election ballot as a referendum and the deadline for that is next month. Then, even if the voters approve the changes, there are more delays before they go into effect. So if Scott drags his feet, he’ll have at least a full year of being positioned to do things the way they’ve always been done down at Baltimore City Hall, with all the temptations that come along with the position today.
That’s not to say that he might not still come through with the reforms he promised. I certainly hope that he will. But to put it mildly, this isn’t a very good look for him before he’s even officially the Mayor-Elect.


hotair--2020-07-14--Today's hot topics on #TEMS: Facebook's skew, NYT adieu, pro sports eschew, economy cuckoo, and more

Today on The Ed Morrissey Show ( 4 pm ET ) , we have another great lineup for the news of the day !
The show will be streamed on Hot Air ’ s Facebook page and embedded here and on the show page for those who are not on Facebook .
Join us as we welcome : • Andrew Malcolm joins us for Tuesdays with Andrew !
The Prince of Twitter and I will discuss all of the hot political stories of the day .
Has social distancing finally caught on with GOP candidates … in relation to Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deep dive on Bari Weiss ’ broadside against the New York Times , and preview today ’ s primary in Alabama .
Can Jeff Sessions come back from Trump ’ s oblivion ?
• Are we heading into an extended recession ?
Peter Grandich will review that argument , but we will mostly discuss why he ’ s winding down his consulting business with professional athletes .
Is his patriotism no longer acceptable in sports leagues ?
• Speaking of bias and conservatives , former Facebook/Cognizant moderator Ryan Hartwig got “ canceled ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ended up featured in a recent Project Veritas exposé .
Ryan tells us about his experiences , and reveals how his concealed-carry status made things so much worse .
• Hartwig was the main whistleblower in this Project Veritas video : The Ed Morrissey Show and its dynamic chatroom can be seen on the permanent TEMS page .
Be sure to join us , and don ’ t forget to keep up with the debate on my Facebook page , too !
How can Republicans and conservatives keep the momentum going ?
Find @ @ @ @ @ @ @ April from Crown Forum !

Today on The Ed Morrissey Show (4 pm ET), we have another great lineup for the news of the day! The show will be streamed on Hot Air’s Facebook page and embedded here and on the show page for those who are not on Facebook.
Join us as we welcome:
The Ed Morrissey Show and its dynamic chatroom can be seen on the permanent TEMS page. Be sure to join us, and don’t forget to keep up with the debate on my Facebook page, too!
How can Republicans and conservatives keep the momentum going? Find out in GOING RED, published in April from Crown Forum!


hotair--2020-07-14--Today's great mystery: Why did California trash over 100,000 mail-in ballots in March?

Seems like a good question , especially since Gavin Newsom recently signed legislation making California a vote-by-mail state .
In the primary that took place weeks before that move , the state ended up throwing more than one hundred thousand mailed ballots into the trash .
Why ?
Ostensibly , it ’ s because that many voters couldn ’ t follow instructions : More than 100,000 mail-in ballots were rejected by California election officials during the March presidential primary , according to data obtained by The Associated Press that highlights a glaring gap in the state ’ s effort to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus pandemic raging , California is part of a growing number of states increasing mail-in balloting to avoid crowds at polling places .
President Donald Trump is among those questioning the integrity of vote-by-mail elections while supporters say they are just as reliable as polling places and offer greater flexibility for voters .
But while polling places include workers who can assist people who have questions about filling out ballots , a voter doesn ’ t have support at home and so problems can arise .
True enough , and that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bad idea as a primary method for voting .
It ’ s not just the ballot either ; sometimes it is the security methods in place to keep them secure .
Minnesota uses a double-envelope system with signatures required , and a failure to observe any single step can invalidate the ballot — and the voter never finds out .
Over 100,000 citizens in California ’ s primary , which isn ’ t exactly a high-turnout event , had their votes ignored .
That undermines trust in the entire process .
And that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Is it truly reasonable to think that 100,000 people in a statewide primary couldn ’ t successfully complete a ballot ?
Or did overzealous election officials trash ballots too quickly , or for other reasons than overzealousness ?
Had those people voted in person , they would have been able to use a simpler procedure and received assistance in casting those ballots .
If the state used optical-scan balloting , the voter would have known immediately if the ballot could not be counted , and could have requested a do-over .
In-person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and preservation remains the most secure and efficient method of voting .
If we can gather in Wal-Marts , we can open voting precincts to elect our new leadership .
The problem with mail-in voting isn ’ t just with submissions .
The problems continue with counting as well , which is already taking weeks to complete in New York ’ s primary from last month .
ABC News warns that we might face a constitutional crisis in November if states continue to shift to mail-in ballots : “ When an absentee ballot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the board has to sort the ballots into assembly districts , ” said Steiner , the New York City elections lawyer .
“ They have to verify that it was mailed by a certain time .
Then they check the outer envelope , make sure it ’ s intact .
They open the envelope , clip the outer envelope to the inner envelope .
Then they check the signature and date .
And then they have to check all of this against the voter rolls to make sure the person didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s difficult enough under the best of circumstances .
But this year , the people and machines charged with processing the crush of paperwork are already struggling — some New York voters , in one case , said they didn ’ t receive return envelopes .
… New York ’ s polls closed nearly three weeks ago .
But many candidates still don ’ t know whether they ’ ve won — because New York City is still counting ballots that arrived in the mail .
These votes would be an afterthought in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York , which is typically far more reliant on in-person voting , state law requires a weeklong delay before counting absentee ballots .
But this year , amid widespread worries of COVID-19 spreading at polling places , the number of mail-in ballots is surging far faster than states ’ ability to count them .
Elections experts are increasingly convinced that this surge , and the nation ’ s patchwork method of handling it , could lead to a constitutional crisis in November .
They haven ’ t finished with a primary yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ started on July 1 despite the election being held the previous week .
How much longer will it take ?
And how much longer will it take in the general election in November , not just in New York but all 50 states ?
How many ballots will get discarded in that election , and what impact will that have not just on the presidential election but choices all the way down the ballot ?
As I wrote the day after the New York primary , we are headed toward a constitutional crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we will not have firm election results before the next session of Congress is due to start , and perhaps not even when the presidential term ends two-plus weeks after that , thanks to mail-in voting .
The rush to embrace this inefficient and time-consuming process mirrors the rush to adopt video-screen voting after the 2000 election debacle in Florida .
It ’ s a disaster waiting to happen , and is all but assured to make our next election less trustworthy and to be the genesis of a thousand conspiracy theories .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ systems for quick and accurate counts .
That is the most efficient and trustworthy voting method yet devised , and we should not let the virus stampede us into a catastrophic choice now .
Again , if we can gather outside for protests and shop at Wal-Mart , we can figure out in-person voting too .

Seems like a good question, especially since Gavin Newsom recently signed legislation making California a vote-by-mail state. In the primary that took place weeks before that move, the state ended up throwing more than one hundred thousand mailed ballots into the trash. Why?
Ostensibly, it’s because that many voters couldn’t follow instructions:
More than 100,000 mail-in ballots were rejected by California election officials during the March presidential primary, according to data obtained by The Associated Press that highlights a glaring gap in the state’s effort to ensure every vote is counted. With the coronavirus pandemic raging, California is part of a growing number of states increasing mail-in balloting to avoid crowds at polling places. President Donald Trump is among those questioning the integrity of vote-by-mail elections while supporters say they are just as reliable as polling places and offer greater flexibility for voters. But while polling places include workers who can assist people who have questions about filling out ballots, a voter doesn’t have support at home and so problems can arise.
True enough, and that’s why mail-in balloting is such a bad idea as a primary method for voting. It’s not just the ballot either; sometimes it is the security methods in place to keep them secure. Minnesota uses a double-envelope system with signatures required, and a failure to observe any single step can invalidate the ballot — and the voter never finds out. Over 100,000 citizens in California’s primary, which isn’t exactly a high-turnout event, had their votes ignored. That undermines trust in the entire process.
And that assumes we trust the process up front. Is it truly reasonable to think that 100,000 people in a statewide primary couldn’t successfully complete a ballot? Or did overzealous election officials trash ballots too quickly, or for other reasons than overzealousness?
Had those people voted in person, they would have been able to use a simpler procedure and received assistance in casting those ballots. If the state used optical-scan balloting, the voter would have known immediately if the ballot could not be counted, and could have requested a do-over. In-person paper ballots with capability for immediate counting and preservation remains the most secure and efficient method of voting. If we can gather in Wal-Marts, we can open voting precincts to elect our new leadership.
The problem with mail-in voting isn’t just with submissions. The problems continue with counting as well, which is already taking weeks to complete in New York’s primary from last month. ABC News warns that we might face a constitutional crisis in November if states continue to shift to mail-in ballots:
“When an absentee ballot comes back to the board of elections, the board has to sort the ballots into assembly districts,” said Steiner, the New York City elections lawyer. “They have to verify that it was mailed by a certain time. Then they check the outer envelope, make sure it’s intact. They open the envelope, clip the outer envelope to the inner envelope. Then they check the signature and date. And then they have to check all of this against the voter rolls to make sure the person didn’t vote in person.” That’s difficult enough under the best of circumstances. But this year, the people and machines charged with processing the crush of paperwork are already struggling — some New York voters, in one case, said they didn’t receive return envelopes. … New York’s polls closed nearly three weeks ago. But many candidates still don’t know whether they’ve won — because New York City is still counting ballots that arrived in the mail. These votes would be an afterthought in most years. In fact, in New York, which is typically far more reliant on in-person voting, state law requires a weeklong delay before counting absentee ballots. But this year, amid widespread worries of COVID-19 spreading at polling places, the number of mail-in ballots is surging far faster than states’ ability to count them. Elections experts are increasingly convinced that this surge, and the nation’s patchwork method of handling it, could lead to a constitutional crisis in November.
They haven’t finished with a primary yet after two weeks of counting, which started on July 1 despite the election being held the previous week. How much longer will it take? And how much longer will it take in the general election in November, not just in New York but all 50 states? How many ballots will get discarded in that election, and what impact will that have not just on the presidential election but choices all the way down the ballot?
As I wrote the day after the New York primary, we are headed toward a constitutional crisis. There is a distinct possibility that we will not have firm election results before the next session of Congress is due to start, and perhaps not even when the presidential term ends two-plus weeks after that, thanks to mail-in voting. The rush to embrace this inefficient and time-consuming process mirrors the rush to adopt video-screen voting after the 2000 election debacle in Florida. It’s a disaster waiting to happen, and is all but assured to make our next election less trustworthy and to be the genesis of a thousand conspiracy theories.
Paper ballots. In person. Optical-scan systems for quick and accurate counts. That is the most efficient and trustworthy voting method yet devised, and we should not let the virus stampede us into a catastrophic choice now. Again, if we can gather outside for protests and shop at Wal-Mart, we can figure out in-person voting too.